//------------------------------//
// Without the Masters We Always Had 
// Story: A Home in the Black 
// by FuzzyVeeVee 
//------------------------------//


Over time, the crew of Claudia met many unusual creatures. From stoic spies, to arcane investigators, to even freeing a magical prodigy from her imprisonment as an experiment. However, few compared to the unusual couple they met while carrying out a job for Countess Karmelita of the Periphery Space Pirates.

Donner and Blitz. Two enormous bodyguards of a species they could barely determine and the escaped remnant of a long forgotten Empire bio-weapon program. After Karmelita's downfall, the pair while looking for a new master returned as unusual allies to Hair Trigger and her crew, and the pair elected to stay aboard for some time as hired muscle. However life in space can always be dangerous, and in an encounter with Sidewinder's ace pilot 'Taipan', Claudia was badly damaged.

Unable to remain idle, and their current mission on a clock, the crew continued on their journey with Tundra aboard his own vessel, leaving Donner and Blitz to watch over Claudia during its repairs on a Confederate Station above Heraklion.

It was thought that with those two, nothing could have gone awry.

That was the thought, anyway...







Without the Masters We Always Had



Written by Napalm Goat





Chapter 1




“Monsters in the hangar,” they’d said.

Ashen Star, Chief Inspector of the Miners’ Prospect police force, was getting too old for this shit. The batpony sighed and checked the time on his multiband impatiently as a rickety rail carriage carried him towards the other end of the structure and the station’s latest incident. An incident supposedly important enough to drag him out of bed in the middle of the day cycle.

The docking bay was one of the smaller ones on the station. Despite this, it easily contained over two dozen frigate class starships. Ashen Star was not a pilot nor a captain, but working on a space station for over twenty years had caused him to memorize the silhouettes and basic capabilities of the most common freight ships. Two republic Basketeers, six League Spinnerets - one converted into a liquid gas transport - and even a Caliphate Jamal resting between six various corporate and private models he was unable to categorize. And of course, over a dozen Confederate Pioneers, each in a different configuration.

The carriage was heading straight towards one of them: a PNR-03, one of the most basic and ubiquitous variants. The Pioneers were perhaps the most common light freighter on this side of the galaxy. A confederate design through and through. Crude, ugly, simple, sturdy, dependable. In constant production for over two hundred years. Ashen knew that many of the Pioneers that had rolled off the assembly lines so long ago were only still flying due to one incredibly useful characteristic: reliability. You could repair one on the fly with nothing but a proverbial hammer and two types of spanners.

It wasn’t the ship that caught Ashen Star’s attention however. Right behind the parked Pioneer the batpony spotted a group of his own police officers. At least two squads created a semicircle around the Pioneer’s main airlock. The ship’s sizable engines blocked the view and he didn’t know much other than what a short page on his multiband stated. Two suspects, ‘monsters’ rather, disturbing the peace. That was all he had gotten from his deputy, Ink Blaze. That and a cryptic message about having to see it with his own two eyes. At least his officers seemed to be in control of the situation. They all had their weapons out: stun guns, shock batons and sonic rifles. He could easily spot his deputy’s golden coat and thick red mane.

Ashen Star furrowed his brow in annoyance as the carriage started to slow down and carefully unpinned his holster. The carriage neared the Pioneer and stopped. Finally, he saw the source of the commotion: what appeared to be two large griffins stood by the ship’s airlock. One of them was circling around, clearly agitated. The other was perfectly still.

Ashen stepped out of the carriage and approached the mare at the center of the formation - Ink Blaze was responsible for the day shift on Miner’s Prospect. He flapped his wings loudly for attention, prompting the red-maned unicorn to turn around. He could see her expression changing as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “Inks, what is going on here and who are these two?”

The mare opened her mouth to speak but then closed it. She looked over her shoulder at one of the big figures and started again. “Thank the stars you’re here, Sir - one of the patrols investigated a report of public disturbance. S-someone reported monsters prowling the streets…” The young mare grimaced as she realised how stupid she sounded, but Ashen just nodded along, allowing her to continue. “When the patrol identified the suspects and tried to question them, they refused. The officers called for backup…” She turned around to indicate the two large figures. “Well, after that, the backup called more backup. When they arrived they wanted to call in the Special Tactical Team.” She offered an uneasy smile. “That’s when I showed up.”

Ashen gave Inks The Look. The look he knew worked every time the moment he saw the recipient's face. It was a look he mastered over his entire career, one that he had to use annoyingly often in the force. With only a slight move of his eyes and a flick of an ear he could telegraph a full sentence. That look and that sentence were very well known to Inspector Ink Blaze. The message was simple. 

Are you fucking serious?

Ashen wasn’t going to wait for his deputy to reply. “What did they do?”

Inks nervously fidgeted in her kevlar. “T-they were scaring people, Sir.”

“Scaring people how Inks?” His voice was becoming more and more tired.

“The caller reported two monsters walking around deck sixteen.”

“Walking around?”

She nodded. “Y-yes Sir.”

Ashen slowly raised a hoof up and squeezed the bridge of his muzzle. He took a deep breath followed by a heavy exhale. Another deep breath, then he started walking straight towards the cordon. He saw the tense expressions of his subordinates, the way they held their raised weapons and the nervous glances between them.

They were afraid.

Only when he approached the strange duo by the airlock did he finally get a good look at them.

These were no griffins. Both could have been easily mistaken for them from a distance - if griffins were about twice as big. He had never seen creatures like them before.

Both had feline paws like griffins, hindlegs and forelegs, their feet easily twice the size of his hooves. On their backs rested enormous wings that resembled those of a pegasus. The one sitting by the ramp had them folded, the other one who was pacing shook them every now and then. A tell he was familiar with - the creature was anxious to fly. Each had a long and muscular leonine tail. However, theirs were nearly as long as their entire bodies. One was resting perfectly still, the other whipped and swayed in anticipation. Because of their alien physiology it was hard to determine the pair’s age, but if Ashen Star had to guess, he’d have placed them around the mid thirties. He realised the one who was pacing was a female; her head was big and round, with a short muzzle not unlike a pony’s. That is where the similarities ended however. She was grinning, no, snarling. He could easily see her teeth. There were far too many, and all of them sharp. She reminded him of a shark. Her big yellow eyes had slitted irises - not like the ones he had. Hers were more like those of a reptile rather than a cat. 

Around her eyes, he spotted what looked like makeup. Light purple on the eyelids, which he was surprised the creature possessed in the first place, and strange, black geometric markings around the corners of her eyes. He could see similar markings on the armour she wore; it appeared to be made of some kind of polymer, a matte plastic-like surface in the colour of raw iron. It covered her upper chest and all of her forelegs, but the most impressive - and as Ashen theorized, useless - part was the headdress. A crest resting on top of her head, between large ears that ended in small tufts of fur akin to his own. The crest was shaped to look like a stylized ibis head, way too small to be a helmet. Its beak and eyes were made of what appeared to be azure marble. From the back of the piece sprouted many flexible plates of the same polymer, mixed in with thick dreadlocks covering the entirety of the female's head and neck; and all the way to the shoulders.

The creature didn’t have a cutie mark, only more of those strange black markings on her rump and wrapping around the middle part of her tail. Her coat and feathers were of a deep peach colour, with her paws, exposed stomach and the tuft of hair at the end of the leonine tail being a lighter cream shade.

Ashen suddenly realised he was staring, and she was staring back. He also realised she was circling him, her steps deliberate and careful, like a cat cornering its prey.

He was too old for this shit. 

He closed his eyes briefly and cleared his throat. “I am Chief Inspector Ashen Star of the Miner’s Prospect Police Force. My colleague informed me you two were disturbing the peace. Is that true?”

“No Chief Inspector, we were just stocking up on supplies.”

It wasn’t the female who spoke. The voice was deep, calm, professionally aloof. The batpony looked at the source, the other creature who was sitting still just a few meters away.

He appeared to be the member of the same species and wore similar armour. There were, however, a few differences. His coat and feathers were deep burgundy, fading to brown-gray shades in the same places the female's coat was also lighter. He was clad in armour that resembled the other’s, but was the shade of dark brass. The biggest difference was that he was wearing an elaborate mask made of the same material; it covered his entire face and most of his head, all the way down to the throat. Where the female had her armour stylized to look like a bird, his looked like a canine. A jackal, Ashen surmised.

The batpony scrutinized the male before taking a step forward. In the corner of his eye he could see the officers in the distance fidgeting nervously as the female shot them hostile glares.

This had a potential to spiral out of control quickly. At the very least, the male seemed to be more placable.

Ashen Star had seen a lot during over twenty years of his service, but this was certainly something new on the station - he still had to make up his mind if it were a mortal threat or a mere curiosity. He kept walking towards the male until he was six meters away, just enough to give himself time to draw the pistol and allow his officers to react.

Just in case.

“Is this your ship? What are you doing here?”

The male was sitting still just as he had been for the last few minutes. He only slightly shook his massive head and looked down at the batpony. “It belongs to our captain. She and the rest of the crew are not here. We are taking care of it until they return.”

The chief inspector half turned his head over his shoulder and raised his voice. “Inks. Come over here.”  He could hear a low growl coming from his side. It was the huge female. He turned to face the male again as he heard Inks’ hooves clattering on the metal deck.

“S-sir?”

Ashen kept watching the creature's ornate mask as he spoke. “Did you run a check on the ship?”

“Yes Sir. Docked in nine days ago, paid for two weeks and repairs, which were completed three days ago.” She paused, clearly looking for more information. “Arrived from the League, no cargo to declare.”

“And the crew?”

“Six individuals, four left on a different ship two days after initial arrival. I-its legit, Sir.”

Ashen acknowledged his deputy with a nod before addressing the creature again. “So you are the two that were left behind. To take care of it, correct?”

The creature didn’t move an inch as it spoke. “Correct.”

The batpony turned fully to the unicorn and spoke with a tired voice. “Inks, did they do anything that broke the law on the station?”

The red-maned mare looked up from her tablet and reluctantly shook her head. “No Sir but the residents-”

Ashen let out a sigh, the type that had been becoming more and more common those days. “Inks, I like to think that I’m still too young to have memory problems, and if I’m right, there is nothing in the code about looking scary being a crime.”

The mare gulped. “Y-yes Sir.” Judging by her expression, she was already visualizing the verbal thrashing he’d give her in his office later.

With a slow, nearly laboured move of his wing the batpony clasped the safety on his holster again. “Send the guys back to work. We have bigger fish to fry, the top wants the investigation on the Knights accelerated. There’s nothing for us here.”

“Yes Sir! Right away Sir!”

He felt the corner of his mouth raise slightly as he watched her scamper away with her tail between her legs and start shouting orders to the gathered officers.

“Are we free to go?” The deep voice ruined the moment.

“Yes, on behalf of the Miner’s Prospect Police Force I apologize for the misunderstanding.” He looked at the creature just as he finished his sentence, only to see him rise fully to stand on all fours. The batpony couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down his spine at the towering mass of muscles before him.

“Thank you Chief Inspector.”

Ashen turned to leave but stopped mid step. He looked back over his shoulder, the two creatures were already heading for their ship. “What do they call you?”

The female quickly turned to face him, her long tail whipping in indignation. She narrowed her eyes and spoke with a surprisingly deep voice. “I am Donner, this is Blitz.” She kept staring at the batpony, likely expecting another question. Instead, he only nodded slightly and headed in the opposite direction.




*****




The airlock leading to Claudia’s cargo bay opened with a hiss before two huge creatures walked in. Blitz was heading straight towards the hatch leading to the common room at a slow pace. Around him, Donner sidestepped and paced as usual. She bent her forelegs and looked up at her companion. “They almost started a fight! That would have been… enjoyable.”

Blitz grunted and kept walking, not sparing the female a glance. “Yes, but it would also cause us to fail our task. The ship would have been taken.”

She snarled, righting herself up and skipping a two meter step to get back in front of Blitz. “I agree - it would have ended badly.” She flashed her triangular teeth in a grin. “For the police mostly.”

He finally stopped and deliberately turned his masked head to face her. “You are tense.”

Donner made a disgusted face; her voice was almost wailing. “We have been stuck here for almost ten days! Idle! You know we were not made for this. Hier festzustecken ist reine Folter!” Her tail loudly slapped the deck behind her. “I know you are perturbed too. It's frustrating!”

Blitz’s left wing snapped open and closed quickly, the first sign of annoyance since the encounter with the police. His voice raised in volume. “We were given a task. It is our duty to carry it out.”

She pawed the deck in annoyance. “I know! Don’t talk to me like you would to some foal.” A low growl escaped her throat, her tail whipped again and she could feel the fur on her back raising.

Blitz was now working both of his wings, slow circular motions that made the long feathers rustle. “Then don’t try to murder the station’s police force for your enjoyment!” 

Donner reached out a paw and swiped at the air with a hiss. She then brought it close to her face and with an audible noise extracted the five massive claws hidden inside the pudgy paws. “I am bored! And so are you!” She slammed the paw into the deck and dragged the claws with a horrid screech, leaving uneven grooves in the metal. 

The masked colossus spread his wings wide and flapped them once. “Das ist mir egal. We will remain here until the captain and the crew retu-”

He was cut off by a ferocious growl. Donner sprang at him with both paws outstretched.

Blitz roared in challenge but otherwise was too slow to reply to the ambush. A huge mass of muscle, teeth and claws slammed into him, sending both tumbling on the floor in a massive grapple.

The two rolled on the deck, trading blows and kicks. Hissing and roaring, filled with animalistic rage. Her tail firmly wrapped around one of his hindlegs, effectively immobilizing it. In reply, he grabbed her left wing and pulled it hard, causing the female to let out a muffled cry of pain. They rolled across the cargo room, each trading blows and trying to get a good grapple on the other. Nothing worked. Every time she bit on his leg, he thrashed to dislodge her. Every time he grabbed her shoulders, she managed to weasel out. Blow for blow, grip and escape. And all that accompanied by unholy roars, growls and hisses.

They could feel their blood pumping faster, their muscles working under their thick skin, their minds flushing with adrenaline and a primal urge to kill. 

As they rolled they crashed into something metallic, something that crumpled under their weight. Neither paid much attention to it; both were giving their opponent their full focus. With a swift headbutt he managed to drop her on her back and jump on top of her, holding one foreleg on her throat with force strong enough to break a pony’s neck, then started to choke. He looked down through his mask at her face, filled with bestial wrath. She flashed a mad grin. Blitz felt a sudden jolt of pain running up his spine as his tail was pulled - not hard enough to cause any harm, but enough to distract him. 

That was Donner’s chance. She pumped her hindlegs into his stomach like heavy duty pistons, causing Blitz to gasp for breath. Then she extended one of her muscular limbs fully, using the floor as leverage. 

He found himself being flung over her head and landed on his back with a heavy thud. Once he looked up he saw her standing above him, grinning.

“Gewonnen!”

Blitz lay motionless. Only a low, dangerous growl escaped from under his mask. He watched her grin for a few seconds, until finally she let out a gust of air through her nostrils and reached out a paw towards him. He grabbed it and found himself being effortlessly pulled to his feet. Once he was fully standing he shook his entire body and growled again. “This cabin fever will be the end of us.”

She was watching one of her wings closely as she worked it, checking if it still retained its full movement range. She spoke casually. “With the captain gone, we could use her quarters. Her bed is big enough.”

He stood there, motionless as usual. She watched him closely as she stretched her limbs one by one, eyes fixated on the ornate mask. Finally the silent giant spoke. “Perhaps later. You know that napping in a comfortable bed won’t change anything.”

A hiss and a swipe of a huge paw was her reply. After a moment she let out a deep chuckle. “We are the same age. Don’t tell me you are getting old.” She turned around, her long tail reaching over to Blitz, the furry tuft at the end of it softly brushing on his faceplate. “Forty years ago you were the one that kept impatiently waiting for the next rest period.”

If Donner’s teasing had any effect, the deep-voiced giant didn’t show it. “Forty years ago you were the one that kept impatiently waiting for the next fight.” 

She lashed her tail across his covered face like a whip and headed for the common room. “Fine, but we still need to find something to do. Being cooped up here is driving me crazy.”

“Einverstanden.” He was about to follow her but then something caught his attention. A panel in the middle of the cargo room - the one controlling the cargo crane and the floor airlock. The screen was cracked; the wirebox running to the airlock was smashed and dropping sparks. That must have been what the duo crashed into when they had their playfight. He also noticed that the airlock was ajar. Not by much - just a few centimeters - but it would be enough to ground the ship if it couldn’t be closed. He called after his retreating companion. “I think I just found us a task.”




*****




Located in orbit above Heraklion II, Miner’s Prospect was the biggest anchorage in the sector and a prime export center for the massive amounts of raw materials mined throughout the system. As a result of this and its placement on the state’s border, cargo ships hailing from outside the Confederacy docked there to fill their humongous holds on a regular basis. This had a side effect of making Miner’s Prospect an unusual melting pot of cultures and nationalities, a rarity in the otherwise quite uniform socialist state. Creatures of all kinds walked its streets - mostly minotaurs and griffins, but also pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies. Even deer and crystal ponies were occasionally visible. The station’s markets and primary thoroughfares were nearly as cosmopolitan as similar trading centers in the NLR or Avalon.

Donner and Blitz, of course, were not in the habit of frequenting the primary thoroughfares.

The alley was dark; this part of the station had only the barest illumination. The original intention in the station’s design had been that the main streets would have been used for cargo and pedestrian traffic, while the alleys would have been relegated to use by the locals as marketplaces and communal space. The reality of Miner’s Prospect was different. When the battered refugees of the War of the Two Crowns settled on the other side of the border, the entire sector had experienced a massive boom in demand for raw materials. Within twenty months the station’s population had tripled, and it was quickly discovered that the original facilities would just not cut it. After massive redevelopment efforts by the Party, the station had gained modern cargo terminals able to service the biggest of freighters. The void left by the old infrastructure was taken over by the previous occupants of these streets; now the many smaller paths in the station were left abandoned and in disrepair. Perfect places for unsavoury characters to do their shady dealings.

Donner wrinkled her snout at the foul stench as she walked. Even the massive columns of steam rising from the faulty heating conduits that ran along the deck didn’t protect her sensitive sense of smell from the stink of refuse permeating the alleyway. “We should have taken the main street. It would be far easier to find some way to obtain credits there.”

Her companion kept pace beside her. She couldn’t see it, but Donner knew he was also irritated by the smell. “We do not wish to antagonize the security again.”

She flared her wings in annoyance, then followed up with a toothy grin. “Their leader said it himself. Being scary is not a crime.”

Blitz graced her statement with a small nod. “I’d rather not take any more chances.”

She put her foot down hard on the next step, eliciting high pitched squeaking from the darkness as some small vermin ran for cover in panic. “I enjoy their fear, as do you. As long as we-”

Donner was interrupted when a dozen meters ahead, the door on the side of the alley slammed open with a crash. Loud but muffled music blasted forth. A second later a shape was violently tossed out. It rolled on the hard metal deck and came to rest in a pile of rancid trash bags on the opposite side. The light spilling from inside the building revealed the shape to be small and vaguely equine shaped. 

The duo stopped, still in the darkness. Only Donner’s tail weaved and spun in anticipation as if it had a life on its own.

A large stallion stepped out through the door and slammed it behind him with a kick of his hindleg. Most of his mane was covered by a plain black bandana. He stared the shape with hatred on his features and with a flick of his magic unsheathed a metal rod from a holster on his belt before trotting over to the refuse pile. “Useless piece of trash!” With another flick of magic the rod swung and extended, then swung down with a wet smack, then again, and again, faster and faster. The stallion leaned down and grabbed the shape with his large hoof before hefting it up, his booming voice filled the alleyway. “You do what you are told!” He turned and flung the shape away and into the side of a trash bin. It impacted with a dull metallic thud. “When will you get it into your empty head!?” He marched over to the cowering shape and raised his foreleg high above his head.

It didn’t go down.

The stallion whipped his head back, only to see a giant paw hold his hoof in place. His eyes followed the thick foreleg, up, up and up until they settled on an ornate mask. Its opaque, unblinking eyes stared back.

“What the fuck?” He pulled back quickly and slid out of the grip. “Get the fuck away you freak!” The thug took a step backwards only to bump into something else. He turned even quicker to see a large round face bearing a grin of too many sharp teeth and large slitted eyes stare him down. 

“SHIT!” In a burst of panic, he telekinetically pressed a button on his weapon. It crackled loudly with electricity, and the stallion smiled. He held the charge button as the baton sailed forward, straight at the face of the freakish creature.

A cream paw grabbed the shaft of the baton and held it firmly. He realised he had not seen the limb move. He kept holding the button, the electric crackling was continuous; thin wisps of smoke started escaping from between the creature’s clenched paw. Finally, the device sputtered and died, its battery exhausted. The grin never vanished.

“Wrong move.”

The last thing the unicorn felt before he lost consciousness was a vice-like grip lifting him off his hooves by the neck.

Donner dropped the nightstick on the deck before depositing the thug in the nearby trash container. As she did, she glanced at the small shape lying still nearby. She looked at Blitz, asking a silent question. Only after he gave her a small nod did she approach the shape and scoop it up with her wing. Holding it like an infant, she followed her companion, who started walking down the alleyway towards a circle of yellow light from a lone lamppost.

Once they reached their destination, the shape was gently deposited on the deck. Donner faced it and sat on all fours, folding her forelegs under her bulk, while Blitz stood watch just a few meters away.

The shape turned out to be a zebra. A mare, no, a filly. Donner’s best guess was that she was somewhere around eighteen years of age. It was hard to gauge it correctly. The filly's right eye was swollen heavily, totally obscuring her vision. The zebra’s other eye was wide open, staring at Donner, unblinking, allowing her to see the light red disc of its iris. She could see the wetness at the bottom of the eyelid, but no tears were flowing. She could also see the purple eyeshadow and the thick, pretentious eyeliner around the zebra’s eyes. More gaudy makeup was visible: deep red lipstick, now smudged heavily, was present on the filly’s lips. Her fine face was well illuminated by the light, it still held the last vestiges of a juvenile appearance. The zebra’s mane was long and must have been well kept - it reminded Donner of a flowing wave - only now it was partially ruined by the recent ordeal. She wore clothes and accessories even someone like Donner knew were affiliated with the oldest trade. A set of large hooped rings dangled from her ears, and on her neck was a tight leather choker with a single metal link and an unknown monogram. A slim, half transparent, sleeveless top stuck to her lithe form firmly, her flank was barely covered by a dark jeans mini skirt. It hid half of the zebra’s mark, an abstract shape Donner could not decipher with certainty. The entirety of the zebra’s body was covered in an aggressive-looking zigzag pattern of her natural stripes - charcoal and matte silver, colours so common among her species.

Donner’s well attuned senses could feel the zebra’s fear. The little thing was trembling, her heart was thumping like a jackhammer, her jaw muscles were straining from clenching her teeth. Her good eye was firmly anchored right at Donner, it’s pupil fully opened. The filly looked like she was about to cry.

Yet, no tears were coming.

Donner sat there in silence. She closed her eyes slowly and took a deep breath, then looked at the zebra and spoke quietly. “You will not be hurt.” She shifted her eyes in the direction of the door briefly before returning to the filly. “We are not these people.”

The zebra sat there, silent and trembling. Her eye never left Donner’s face.

The large female watched the filly closely for any sign of reply. Even a minor shift in posture or a mouthed word would be a significant tell.

No such luck.

Blitz’s deep voice could be heard from deeper in the alleyway. “We have to go, someone will soon be here to see where that unicorn went.”

Donner didn’t reply to her companion; her full attention was on the filly.

An ugly sound could suddenly be heard, but in the quiet alleyway it sounded poignant, especially to the keen ears of Blitz and Donner. 

The zebra started sniffing lightly.

But no tears came.

Carefully, to not startle the filly, Donner rose to her feet. She looked down on the zebra who was still fixated on the same spot as before. In turn, the filly was looking directly upwards to keep her vision of Donner’s face. 

“Wir müssen gehen.” Blitz was already heading deeper into the barely lit alleyway.

Donner broke eye contact with the zebra and stepped after her companion, only to feel something grab the end of her tail.

She didn’t turn, she didn’t look. Instead, she lowered one of her wings to the deck. A soft clatter of hooves followed, then a tug on her feathers and a feeling of small weight holding on to her plumed limb. The large female stood patiently. Finally, after she was certain her passenger had a good grip, she effortlessly lifted the wing up and deposited the fragile cargo on her back before heading into the darkness after Blitz.




*****




Blitz and Donner sat in silence, facing away from the common room’s couch on which the filly was sleeping. The two giants, with the exception of Donner’s tail, were perfectly still. Their backs were straight, their forelegs locked and their gazes impassive, like a pair of military guard dogs faithfully performing their duty. It was the only way to put the filly at ease long enough for her exhaustion to push her to sleep. 

After over ninety minutes, Blitz broke the silence, his voice carefully low to not wake up the zebra who was cradling a worn pillow between her forelegs. “She still hasn't said a word. Are we certain this is the correct course of action?”

Donner kept her gaze nailed to an imaginary point on the wall straight ahead. Only her ear facing Blitz flickered, more out of habit and restlessness than to indicate that she registered what he said. “I am not sure. Someone could come after her. Cause trouble, endanger our duty. Do you think we should give her away? The police perhaps?”

The masked colossus let out a deep growl. “No. We took her in. It would be… irresponsible to relinquish that burden.”

The female blinked slowly, her gaze still glued to the same spot. “So we keep this… filly? At least until she can decide on her own? What about our mission? How do you intend to repair the ship now?”

“We will have to find a source of income and use it for repairs. The sooner we find it, the sooner we will be in a position to assist the zebra.”

The zebra whose sole healthy eye was watching the huge forms in front of her. Their massive wings, their muscular backs and their thick tails. She had no idea what they were or who they were. All she knew was that they saved her from a lot of pain.

Her swollen eye burned, her ribcage ached with each breath, her flank stung. She knew this kind of pain could be ignored, or at the very least endured.

There were other things that left their painful marks much more deeply.

But she didn’t think about those for the first time in a very long time. Her mind was filled with questions about the two giants. She couldn’t wrap her head around them; there were so many things she didn’t understand. She knew one thing for certain however.

For the first time in years, hidden behind a wall of muscle, claws and teeth, she felt secure. The filly squeezed her forelegs around the pillow and drifted back into dreamless sleep.




*****




“Come now sweet thing! Mommy has a very special friend that would love to meet you.” 

The tug on her neck was enough to make the filly wake up with a gasp. She reached to hold a hoof to her choker, only to find it inert. Her singular eye darted around, only to reveal the same room she remembered falling asleep in.

It had just been a dream.

She took a deep breath and waited for her pounding heart to slow down, then looked properly around. This definitely was the room where the giants brought her last night, aboard their starship. She was currently lying on a worn couch. In the middle of the room were a large round table with a set of chairs, as well as an old pool table. The filly also spotted a large screen on the opposite wall and a simple kitchen area. Sets of reinforced doors were present on every wall.

It all looked strange to the zebra, so unlike the places she was used to. It was also quiet. No muffled music or drunken conversations from behind the walls. No cries or curses spilling through the closed doors. If not for the barely audible rattle of a life support unit and the strange, distant humm from somewhere above, she could almost hear herself breathing.

Suddenly she realised something. She was alone. Her heart started to race again. Where did they go? Did they leave her? Worse, did they lock her in?

The filly jumped off the couch, enduring the stinging pain in her chest. She started walking towards the nearby door, but just as she was about to grab the heavy handle, another door on the other side of the room opened.

Blitz held his wings close to his body as he passed into the common room. His masked face turned towards the filly, who was standing by the hatch to the captain’s cabin. “You are awake.” The giant walked towards the kitchen counter and deposited a stack of styrofoam containers; a subtle whiff of cooked fish and exotic spices could be detected. He watched as the zebra’s nostrils expanded subtly. “You must be hungry. You are welcome to join us if you wish.”

He studied her as she watched him with apprehension for a short moment, before she took a tentative step forward, then another, until she reached the round table and sat on one of the chairs.

The huge male nodded and scooped up the containers in his wing. He took two steps and laid them out on the table. “My companion will be here momentarily.”

The filly looked awkward, as if she had no idea what to do. He saw a tinge of fear in her uncertain movement. Only after he pushed one of the containers across the table and nodded, the zebra reached for the plastic box and slid it towards her. She ripped the paper sachet containing the single use utensils and opened the box. Blitz watched the twinkle in her eye as her face was covered in a cloud of white vapor and gazed upon the mound of plain rice, two large pieces of steamed fish and a generous serving of cauliflower salad. The zebra didn’t waste time - she started wolfing down the meal.

Blitz split the remaining eight containers between himself and the space next to him. They all contained the same meal. Just as he finished, the hatch from the cargo bay opened again.

Donner walked in with a sour expression, she took a seat next to her companion and glanced at the zebra who was eating her food eagerly before looking at Blitz. “I couldn’t find any opportunity to earn more credits. The best I got was a no.” She flashed a grin. “Most were too afraid to even answer.” She grabbed one of the containers and leaned over it but suddenly stopped. Her impassive stare first moved to Blitz, then to the filly, before moving back to Blitz again. Her eyes focused wholly on the opaque eye slits in his mask. An unspoken question was asked.

He nodded and faced the zebra who was too busy with her food to notice, then got up and took his four containers before leaving for the upper deck.

Donner watched him go before she started eating her own meal. She didn’t bother with the chopsticks; they were too small for her paws anyway. Instead she used her hoof-sized tongue to scoop up large portions of food one by one without chewing. The numerous, tiny hooks covering it were especially helpful with small grains of rice. After just a few minutes all four containers were empty.

“That was good.”

The melodic, juvenile voice caught Donner off guard, her pupils expanded as she looked up at the zebra sitting on the opposite side of the table. “So you talk.”

The filly bit her lower lip and darted her eyes anywhere but towards the large female. It was obvious that Donner’s attention made her nervous. “Y-yes, I do. I’m sorry, I was just so scared before. I didn’t even know what to think!” Donner noted the zebra’s rushed speech, as if she were trying to excuse her actions in front of a parent or a teacher. 

Or a master.

The zebra continued hurriedly. “You and your friend, if you didn’t do what you… did, I would have ran at the sight of you! You are huge! And scary!” 

The corner of Donner’s mouth shifted slightly upwards at that last word. “That we are.” Her tail began to weave and shift, more so than usual. “We decided to intervene to protect you, something our captain no doubt would have ordered. There is no merit in fighting those that do not fight back.” She studied the filly’s face; it was apparent the zebra was becoming confused. She closed her eyes and fanned her tongue on her upper lip, then addressed the filly again. “I am Donner, my companion is Blitz. What are you called?”

The zebra blinked a few times in confusion at the strange display before fidgeting in her seat. “I am K’yopi.”

“K’yopi?” The deep voice announced from the top of the stairs behind her. Blitz carefully walked down to the common room, four empty styrofoam containers under his wing. He headed for the kitchen counter and deposited them there before turning around and stopping right next to the young zebra. “It is good to finally hear your voice.”

The filly offered a nervous stare back at the ornate mask watching her. “Thanks? I uhhh…” She shifted her head between the two large creatures. “Whatever your reasons, thank you.” She watched as Donner stood up and approached her from the other side of the table. Suddenly, the young zebra felt very tiny and very vulnerable.

She flinched as something soft and bushy touched her shoulder. When she turned she saw Blitz reaching his tail towards her face. Her mind was screaming at her that these two giants were allies, but her body could not shake off the instincts she had been forced to adopt over the years. She closed her eye and tensed...

Only to feel the fluffy tail rub thoroughly around her healthy eyelid. When it retreated she opened it again to see that the bushy tuft was smudged with black and purple.

She reached a foreleg and swiped it along the same eye. There was no colourful stain on her coat; the makeup was gone.

“Welcome to Claudia K’yopi. You are safe here.”




*****




K’yopi lifted her face from the filled sink with a gasp and shook her head, spraying water everywhere. The filly watched her reflection in the mirror, and winced as her towel-covered hoof gingerly touched around her right eye. It wasn’t hurting as much anymore, but the swelling still made it nearly impossible to see anything. For now she would have to live with it. At the very least, her natural markings would hide the bruising. 

Careful to not irritate the swelling, she rubbed the towel around her face, cleaning off the last remains of the ostentatious makeup. She watched as water droplets slowly made their way down the mirror’s surface. She could feel her heart thumping faster.

The filly reached a hoof and carefully removed one of the hoops hanging under her ear, then the other. She dropped the cheap jewelry into a nearby trash bin before grabbing the choker and unbuttoning it. A chill went down her spine as her eye passed over the indent it left on her coat.

Next, the zebra pulled off the top and unbuttoned the mini skirt before sliding it down and off. She stood naked in front of the mirror, watching as the water warped her reflection. Slowly, with hesitation in her movements and fear in her mind she turned, inspecting her form from all sides. 

There were marks. Most of them fresh like the bruises from last night. But there were also those that would never disappear. Small scars, cuts of blade or claw, cigarette burns and needle pricks. She felt her muscles tense up again; a rush of panic started flooding her mind. She had to force herself to close her healthy eye and stop staring at her own reflection. Her heart was racing again.

Carefully, she turned around and entered the shower. She fiddled with the controls for a moment, and the whoosh of water drowned out the sound of her own blood pulsing in her head. The hot, flowing liquid didn’t do much to stop the zebra from shivering. She remained frozen, standing in the middle of the shower as the heated water thoroughly drenched her form.

After ten minutes she finally felt her body relax. Her soaked mane obstructed her vision as she blindly reached a foreleg and closed the cabin, then carefully slid to a corner and dropped on her rump.

K’yopi attempted to not think about anything. Thinking in this state of mind was never a good idea. Instead she focused her gaze on the shower’s drain and the swirl of water going into the hole. The filly hugged herself tightly and tried to make herself as small as possible.

She sat there, letting hot water cleanse her body for a long time. She might have sniffed once or twice, maybe even a few times. But she never cried.




*****




Blitz stood by the common room’s table, idly watching an imperial news broadcast about some sort of commotion in the Periphery. Behind him, Donner lay sprawled on the couch, one of her hindlegs raised and stretched as she worked on grooming her coat with her tongue.

With the tip of a semi extended claw the huge male tapped a button on the table’s control screen and muted the broadcast. “She’s been there nearly an hour now.” He turned to face his companion.

Donner looked up, tongue still out and touching the fur around her muscular thigh. She only let out a guttural acknowledgement before resuming her grooming.

Before Blitz could offer a rebuttal, the door to the bathroom squeaked open, grabbing the attention of the two giants. A head peeked out through the gap; its entire face was covered by a gray-black tangle of hair.

If K’yopi could see through her own mane she didn’t show it. “Could I have something to cover myself with?”

Blitz nodded at the filly. “I believe the captain should have something in her cabin.” He watched as the head retreated back into the bathroom and the door closed. It took him a few moments to realise that the zebra was not coming out and he would have to search for something himself.

The captain’s cabin looked exactly how she left it. The bed cover was a twisted mess; Blitz could see strands of long green and brown hair lying on the pillow. Nearly half of the ship’s supply of coffee mugs rested on the desk, in addition to a pile of empty beer cans in the bin. The male reached one of the drawers and pulled it open. After a brief search he found something satisfactory: a small-sized mechanic’s jumpsuit, never used by the captain, judging by the fresh look. He held it under his wing and made way towards the bathroom.

Donner was busy with her wings now; a small pile of damaged or loose feathers was collecting on the floor as she diligently nibbled on her wing’s trailing edge.

After a knock, the door to the bathroom opened just enough for a striped foreleg to reach out and scoop the clothes Blitz had brought before shutting again. He took a step back and waited.

The door opened fully, and K’yopi looked around before slowly stepping out. From her neck down to her fetlocks she was covered by the jumpsuit, but her mane was a wild mess of damp hair. With her single healthy eye she watched Blitz as if unsure how to proceed. Finally, after a prolonged moment she nodded hesitantly.

“I am fine.”

“Come here.” Donner’s voice nearly made the filly jump. She shifted her position on the couch to lie on her side along it, her hindlegs and forelegs dangling from the opposite ends. She indicated a spot right in the middle with a wing.

K’yopi looked at Donner, then at Blitz. The look in her eye, along with her posture, betrayed her worry.

Donner patted the couch with her massive wing. “Sit down. I will help you.”

That took the zebra by surprise. Those last two words, she hadn’t heard them in a very long time. She could only gingerly nod and walk over to the resting female.

As soon as K’yopi sat on the couch, Donner extended one of her huge wings and wrapped it against the zebra’s chest. The filly suppressed a flinch as she felt her back rest against the giant’s chest. In turn, her own front was gently covered by a massive feathery appendage. She felt the warmth emanating from the female, the rhythmic movement of her chest pushing against K’yopi’s back. The soft feathery tips gently brushing against her forelegs. The filly felt a strange calmness overtake her - it almost muted her subconscious screaming warnings into her head. Almost.

Blitz watched closely for a few moments; he didn’t know what Donner was planning, but he had no intention to interfere. Instead, he busied himself with gathering up the empty takeaway containers and depositing them into the ship’s incinerator chute. 

“W-what are you doing?” the filly asked without turning her head. Instead of an answer she heard a different sound. A constant, soft, buzzlike noise emanating right behind her. In addition to the noise, K’yopi felt Donner’s large body vibrate softly. She opened her muzzle to ask the same question again, but was cut off when a large paw grabbed her still-damp mane and began working it.

Donner’s soft paws gently started to arrange the filly’s mane. The soft touch of feathers and the creature’s purring had an otherworldly effect on K’yopi she could not easily explain. She felt her worries drifting away. The screaming voice in the depths of her mind became quiet, then muted, until it finally disappeared. She took a relaxed breath and closed her eye. Only the occasional tug of her mane and the soothing purring filled her attention. They almost made her feel sleepy.

Minutes passed as Donner worked the filly’s mane quietly. Finally, K’yopi opened her eye and looked at Blitz who was sitting on the floor nearby. “What will happen to me?”

His masked face turned, and its unblinking eyes stared at the zebra. “That depends on your choice.” The giant was immobile, something K’yopi noticed was in stark contrast to the female. He always seemed to act like a statue while his companion never ceased moving. “Do you have a home? Family or guardians to get back to?”

She never did. The streets and corridors of Miner’s Prospect have been the closest she could consider ‘home’. Squatting whenever possible or staying on the run. She had contacts, even allies, but they were few and far between. Besides, she had no idea where they were now. The closest she ever had to a guardian was Mother. 

Mother - K’yopi hadn’t seen her in a very long time. Long ago she had thought that Mother was good to her, cared for her. Oh how naive she was. She'd done a lot of growing up since they parted ways.

Since Mother traded her away for a briefcase full of drugs.

“No, I don’t. Never had.” The zebra found it easy to admit that; she had accepted it long ago. A street child like her would very quickly learn to face the harsh reality of life. She watched as Blitz nodded slowly, but because of his mask there was no telling if he had any reaction to her admission. The nagging question rolled in her thoughts. Who were they? What were they? They looked like soldiers. No, mercenaries, what with their armour and strange markings.

Mercenaries. Mercenaries needed money; K’yopi knew that much. An idea formed in her head, something she had been daydreaming about for a long time. Something she had always sworn to do the moment she escaped that awful place. And here was her chance.

“Can I stay with you? Please? You need money? I know where to get it. Take everything, just please let me stay here.” She wiggled her forelegs from under Donner’s wing and clasped them together in a pleading gesture.

Blitz studied the filly. She seemed genuine enough, and they needed the credits. He indicated for her to continue with his wing.

The zebra gulped and started talking again. “There is someone who…” She had to force the words through her throat. “Someone who took care of me long ago. I know where to find her.” She had an idea of where to find her. “T-there is a bounty on her head. A big one!”

“You wish for us to claim a bounty on someone who helped you?” The giant’s voice was neutral, careful not to imply anything or judge.

The zebra shook her head frantically, which prompted an annoyed hiss from behind. “Mother is the reason I was in that place you found me! S-she… she gave me away! She never meant to be nice to me, she just groomed me to - to…” Her throat clenched shut as she found herself unable to speak more.

Blitz didn’t need to hear any more. “Very well. Donner?”

The female took her eyes from her work on the filly’s mane and nodded. “We help the child, gain credits to repair Claudia and actually do something for once?” She bared her triangular teeth. “I am in.”

Blitz nodded and addressed the zebra again. “We will do as you ask.”

K’yopi waited for him to continue, to add a ‘but’. The giant was silent. She couldn’t believe it. After years of misery her fortune was turning around. She reflexively leaned back, only to feel the back of her head bump into what must have been Donner’s snout.

“Halt still, Ich bin noch nicht fertig!”

The zebra froze at the loud voice. “W-what?”

“Don’t move,” The voice from behind continued as the tugs on her mane resumed. “You don’t speak griffish.” More of a statement than a question.

The filly was about to shake her head but wisely decided to not do it. “I don’t even speak zebra.” She sighed deeply. “I-I can’t even read properly.” If Donner had somehow reacted to the admission, K’yopi didn’t see it. She could only watch as Blitz made his way through one of the doors and disappeared inside the room beside the stairs. She closed her eyes and tried to ease her nerves. 

It was nearly impossible now. Her mind was racing. Would they really do it? Would they punish Mother? What then? Would she be able to stay on this ship forever? She never before had to think for herself further than a week or two into the future. It was becoming very confusing very quickly.

“Finished!” 

Donner’s deep voice brought K’yopi back to reality. Then, she felt herself being gently pushed off the couch. Upon landing on the deck the zebra turned around to face the large female, still sprawled across the couch. She reached a hoof to touch her mane and felt thick clumps of hair woven into a number of individual strands. After a brief inspection she grabbed one of the strands and pulled it in front of her face. The filly realised she had seen those before, right at the back of Donner’s head.

Slowly, Donner sat up before she slid off the couch which creaked heavily under her bulk. “Wait here.” She headed for the room Blitz had entered a few moments earlier.

Closing the hatch behind her, the female sat in front of the captain’s desk. On the opposite side sat Blitz. His padded paw moved on the touch screen built into the desk. “Mother. Twenty five thousand credits. Preferably alive.”

Donner creased her eyebrows in annoyance. “That will cost extra.”

Blitz continued reading from the screen. “Last seen on Miner’s Prospect in the Heraklion system. Two months ago. Current whereabouts unknown.” His paw swiped the screen to reveal a high resolution mugshot of a griffiness. According to the file she was thirty seven standard years old. Her yellow beak contrasted with her dark blue feathers. The last two or so centimeters at the tip of the beak were missing. An easily recognizable mark. “There is no information on where to find her.”

Donner studied the inverted picture, attempting to commit it to her memory. “The child says she knows where to find this… Mother.”

With another flick of his wrist, Blitz closed the file and returned to the desktop, which showed a wallpaper of a unicorn foal blowing a raspberry. He looked up at Donner and spoke quietly. “She will have to come with us in that case.”




*****




K’yopi stood in the shadows, the two monstrous creatures flanking her. She reached a foreleg to point out ahead. “Right there! That is the place where she looks for clients! Rotlicht!”

From their vantage point at the mouth of a dark alleyway the trio could clearly see the entire street. A crowd of perhaps thirty creatures was formed into an orderly line of twos and threes. The head of the line started by a closed, unmarked door. A large pegasus and a larger minotaur were acting as bouncers, blocking the door. It looked like the place wasn't open to guests yet.

Donner’s wings shook as she wrinkled her snout in annoyance. “I don’t think we are wearing acceptable attire.”

Blitz nodded before steering K’yopi back into the alley. “We will have to find a different way to enter. It would be unwise to make a scene with so many bystanders around.”

As she followed, Donner could only groan at the severe lack of violence in the plan so far. “You want to do it quietly? How? They won’t just let us in through the back door.”

The trio kept walking, using the alleyways to head for the back of the target building. The male’s voice had an almost amused tinge to it. “I want to do it quieter, not quietly.”

The female let out a brief, contented purr as they rounded another corner.

K’yopi had to nearly trot to keep up with the giants’ strides as she tried her best to stay between their large forms. “What about me? I-I can help! Mother knows me.” She shifted her head rapidly between the two, looking for any form of acknowledgement. 

“You will come with us.” Donner didn’t look down as she spoke. “It would be dangerous to leave you unattended.”

The zebra nearly tripped. “I can handle myself! I know… stuff.” Maybe she didn’t know how to read, but K’yopi was certain of her streetwise skills. Years of living on the station’s streets had required them mercilessly.

Blitz peered around the street’s corner before indicating for them to proceed with a gesture of his wing. His voice, as usual, was calm. “She didn’t mean that.”

Even though neither of the giants were watching, the zebra blew a raspberry. “I am not a child.”

They were walking through the alleyway that would lead them to the back of the club. Both Blitz and Donner kept alert; their ears pivoted in different directions, often independently from one another. K’yopi realised that her own hurried steps were very audible. Suddenly self-conscious, she slowed down as much as she could without falling behind. She knew how to walk silently. A small tinge of pride made her chest puff out as her own hoofsteps quieted. Being quiet was one of the things she was good at.

If Blitz noticed, he didn’t show it, but his voice was muted now. “You’ll be safer and more useful. Your contacts will aid us in the task ahead.”

The zebra opened her mouth to protest, then blinked, and blinked again. They were really taking her with them. She took a deep breath. “Oooh boy.”

Donner lightly brushed a wing on the filly’s side. “Problem?”

K’yopi nearly jumped at the touch. “N-no. No! I am fine.” She wasn’t fine. She had imagined  this moment a thousand times. Where Mother paid for what she had done to her. And now, it was finally happening. She thought she’d feel glad, maybe even happy. But right now she was feeling exceedingly nervous. Mother would surely recognize her; it hadn’t been that long after all. Barely over a year. What then? The zebra had a hundred thoughts racing through her mind at the same time, and very few of them were happy.

A hard, metallic snap grabbed her attention. She realised that she has fallen behind. A few meters ahead, Donner had just used her claws to pry a thick padlock off the club’s back door. As soon as the female was clear, Blitz opened the door and peered inside, then with a flap of his wing he indicated for the others to follow.

The club’s backstage appeared empty and relatively clean. Narrow hallways forced the trio to walk single file, with the zebra in the middle and Donner at the back. They walked for a few moments as Blitz led them. K'yopi couldn't tell why the giant chose a particular route each time they passed an intersection or door, but he seemed to be moving with purpose. Or at least making educated guesses. Soon they reached a room, big enough to let them file out. Inside there were stacks of supplies, pallets full of bottled water, piles of beer kegs, cardboard boxes with snacks, metal crates, lighting and audio equipment. The most prominent feature, however, was a pegasus mare wearing a black t-shirt with the club’s name on the back. Her head was buried in one of the supply crates, her wings digging for something in agitation. She hadn’t spotted the intruders.

Donner took a silent step forward. Step by step, she was getting closer to the unsuspecting mare. Just as she raised her foreleg to strike, Blitz spoke out and shattered the silence. “Do you know where Mother is?” Donner froze and looked over her shoulder with a scowl directed at her companion.

The pegasus didn’t look up; only a single wing poked out of the crate and pointed to the nearby door leading to a staircase. “Getting high up top as usual.” The wing returned back to the crate, resuming its search. Not a second later the mare stopped. She started speaking again as she raised her head. “Wait, do I know y-” Now the mare froze, face to chest with Donner’s massive bulk. Her paw was still raised to strike. The pegasus swallowed hard as her eyes travelled upwards until she looked at Donner’s face.

The female slowly bared her pointed teeth. K’yopi could swear she heard a sound like a blade being unsheathed when five massive, wicked claws extended from Donner’s paw.

Donner slowly moved the clawed paw towards the pegasus’ face; the young mare was transfixed on the murderous implements. “Run.” She didn’t have to say it again - the mare instantly bolted towards the door the trio entered through. As soon as she was out of sight, Donner growled at Blitz, then slammed the raised paw on a crate and slowly dragged it against it.

Sparks shot out from the tortured metal, and K’yopi’s ears flattened at the horrid screeching. She quickly forced herself to speak. “Up the stairs, t-that’s where we will find Mother.” She headed for the door. “Come on!”

The narrow stairway led them to the first floor and a small junction. A miniature bar was nestled in one of the corners with simple synthleather sofas on either side. Three sets of doors were visible. There was no one else inside. K’yopi moved her head around, her nose whiffing, and smelled the barely perceptible odour of long-spilled alcohol and cigarettes. “Now what?” Her healthy eye blinked as she spotted something. “Guys!” The filly pointed to the far door, where a faded plaque marked with a symbol of a shooting star was visible. “I think she’ll be there.”

Blitz nodded at the zebra and stepped towards the door. Donner followed him. They both quietly took positions on either side. Not knowing what to do, the filly decided to stick as close as possible to Donner and hid behind her bulky torso. They stood like that for a long moment. K’yopi didn’t know how, but she could sense the anticipation. Both giants were nearly motionless. Only Donner’s tail weaved and spun, occasionally brushing against the zebra’s jumpsuit. The filly held her breath.

Before any of them could move, the door opened violently. A lavender tail swished out, followed by a white mare backing away from the VIP room, her violet bat wings gesturing in agitation as she stopped with her front half still inside. The high level of annoyance in her voice failed to mask her flowing non-Confederate accent. “That is the third time in a row you didn’t provide a good candidate! If you won’t have a promising unicorn next time I visit, we will be forced to renegotiate your loan!” The door slammed and the batpony turned, then flinched and raised a leathery wing to cover her face at the sight of the ornate mask next to her. The mare lowered her wing nearly instantly and seized the giant with her slitted pupils, then brought up a foreleg and glanced at her antique and very expansive looking wristwatch. “I don’t have the time for this.“ She shook her head and went for the exit. 

K’yopi blinked. “What was that?”

Donner blew air through her nostrils audibly. “Not our target.”

The filly ignored Donner’s tail as it passed above her head. “M-maybe we should just knock? I can talk with her. She might try to escape if you just run in.”

Donner’s huge, round head moved to look down at the filly, a small grin flashed. She then looked up at Blitz and nodded. Without waiting for his approval, the large female tapped her huge paw on the door twice and walked in.

As she hurried after, K’yopi was certain that there had been payback for what had happened in the supply room.




	*****




The room was sizable - as big as Claudia’s common room, Donner surmised. On the wall opposite the entrance she had just taken was another set of doors, a clear escape route. To the right, a bar with a richly decorated counter. Behind it, racks and shelves filled with various bottles were running along the entirety of the wall. The wall furthest to the left was made entirely out of angled glass. Its bulbous shape allowed Donner to see the dance floor and the milling staff below. In the middle of the room was a designer glass table flanked by two just as expensive-looking couches. The corner between the bar and the other door was occupied by a muscular minotaur; the elegant black suit he was wearing looked as if it were about to rip at the seams at any moment. Additionally, the top of his head was covered by a wholly unfitting black bandana. He took a step towards her with a raised arm, but just as he opened his mouth to say something, another voice called out.

“Nonono! Let them be.” The voice belonged to a thin griffiness sitting on one of the couches. Donner didn’t need to look closely at her beak to know it was Mother, yet her form didn’t appear very motherly. She was slender, almost emaciated. Donner could easily see the gentle curves of the griffiness’ ribs. Her blackish coat and dark blue feathers contrasted heavily with her clothing. Large, circular sunglasses with golden frames rested on her beak, obscuring her eyes. A fluffy, brown-pink boa was wrapped loosely around her neck. On her back was a sleeveless jacket with a huge gap at the front which exposed her feathered chest; its gold and violet tigerstripe pattern shone in the room’s reflected light. Her wings were folded on her back, but Donner could see that the tips of the feathers were painted, each in a different colour of the spectrum. They offered an impressive display, gently swaying with her movements. 

Next to Mother, half sitting on the couch, half lying on the griffiness was a stallion, an earth pony with light brown coat and a two tone chocolate-pink mane, the same shade as Mother’s fluffy boa. He was barely older than K’yopi. Twenty at most. The stallion wore a tight, form-fitting fishnet shirt. A choker much like the one K’yopi wore when they had found her was firmly locked on his neck; a thin golden chain connected it to a wristband on the griffiness’ right forearm. The stallion himself was adorned with large amounts of metal: earrings, lip and eyebrow pieces, even a pair of metal studs on his accentuated collarbones. With all this jewelry and his boyish, almost feminine aura, it was easy to guess the pony’s purpose.

Mother sat up fully and stared at the trio through her black non-reflective sunglasses. The stallion at her side lazily followed her gaze as his hoof gently brushed against her chest. She spoke quickly, words firing like a pitch adjusted machinegun. “Oh and who are you?! Please, please come in, have a seat! You don’t have an appointment but I can already see you will be very interesting guests!”  She waved her talons at the couch across from her. “And look who we have here! Oh K’yopi sweetie, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon!”

K’yopi was running on autopilot; she just followed Donner and avoided any eye contact with the griffiness’ black lenses. Instead, she idly glanced towards the window. The floor was empty, but just as she sat down on the couch she caught a glimpse of motion. Something purple flickered on the other side. She wasn’t thinking much of her surroundings as Donner sat on her left; she didn’t register Blitz sitting down to her right either. Her throat felt as if she was attempting to swallow a hoof-sized cement ball. She tried to think of anything else then the griffiness ahead. Finally her healthy eye focused on the table between them and Mother and her plaything.

The table was low, barely on the level with the couch. It was more of an aesthetically pleasing coffee table than a proper place to dine. Nonetheless, a number of items were visible: a tray with a few elegant glasses and a large, matching bottle of what looked like carbonated water, all crafted from crystal clear glass with golden filigree accents. Right in front of Mother rested a small, dormant tablet. Its pink, fluffy case aggressively spilled synthetic fur in all directions. On the tablet the zebra could see two lines of very fine blueish powder, and judging by the residue there used to be more of them. Mother was known for her exotic tastes, especially her addiction to ionic crystals. She was almost constantly riding the wave of energy and inspiration provided by the peculiar drug. She was high right then - K’yopi could tell from just a glance. Whenever that wave came crashing down, Mother's mood would come crashing with it and she'd turn into an abusive, evil creature. The zebra still had awful memories from the last time she had been the only one around when that happened.

Even before Mother traded the filly away - for more crystals of course - everyone around her had wondered how the griffiness did not pay the price for the constant abuse. A few in the underworld circles of the Miner’s Prospect swore they had seen a video of the eccentric trafficker drowning in her own regurgitated lungs, but those claims had never been proven. Rumor had it that she was helped by an unknown benefactor, had a surgery and received a cybernetic replacement which allowed her to take even more crystals. The zebra blinked as a pair of slender, feline legs in black stockings rested on the table next to the tablet. She looked away at the floor the moment the claw-tipped toes flexed.

Mother leaned back on the couch and gently tugged at the stallion’s chain, which prompted the pony to rest his head on her exposed chest. She smiled from under her sunglasses. “Ah, shy as always.” She looked up at the two large creatures flanking the diminutive zebra. ”Tell me who you are and what it is that you want from Mother. I can see you came from very far away. Let me guess. Empire? Maybe the Caliphate?” She grinned as her clawed hand started caressing through the stallion’s mane. “Very far away indeed!”

Blitz watched the griffiness from beneath the cover of his mask. He was trying to read her. It was obvious Mother was a personality like no other. Eccentric, narcissistic, maybe even charming. It was not the charm of a certain hippogriff pilot however. Hers was much more deadly, akin to the kind so common to the ruthless investigators of the Imperial Secret Police. It wasn’t what she said, it was what she didn’t. She was also careless. Something the giant could exploit. “We heard many things about you. Allegedly you are the best supplier of exotic merchandise on this side of the Core.” He raised a paw and firmly placed it on K’yopi’s head. The filly froze in fear. “As attested by the trial sample. Our master would like more.”

Mother moved one of her painted wings, shrouding the stallion’s body in a grotesque mockery of a protective embrace. “And who is your master my mysterious friend? I didn’t order you thrown out because of your amazing physique…” The stallion at her breast let out a short gasp as her clawed hand moved down and behind the cover of her wing. “...but I have to say, just looking gets boring very quickly.”

It was Donner’s time to speak now; she quickly picked up on her companion’s plan. “The Countess, in the Periphery.” She idly played with an empty glass, her paws leaving smudges on the crystal.

“Karmelita? A name I haven’t heard for a while. Honestly I thought she’d be dead by now. Poor thing.” Mother briefly held her free hand to her heart, just within reach of the stallion who gave the talons a gentle lick. “Such an unexpected tragedy. I should probably speak with her, it’s been years.”

“She’s managing.” Blitz gave one of his typical barely visible nods. “That is why we are here. She is on the lookout for new experiences.”

Mother let out a short chuckle. “Of course she is; she was quite the party girl back in the day. I imagine now she cranked it up to eleven.” She snapped her talons suddenly. “For the sake of old times between us, I’ll let you speak further.”

The huge male continued. “We were tasked to review your selection personally. No second hand merchandise.” His large paw ran down along the back of K’yopi’s head until it rested on her shoulder. “Take us directly to your supplier. We pay in unrefined painite.”

Mother’s toy let out a gasp as she tensed briefly. “Now I know you are telling the truth. The Countess doesn’t use credits when she wants something really badly.” She looked down at the stallion and cooed as her free claw gently stroked his cheek, before facing Blitz. “Not many know that painite is her shiny rock of choice.” 

Donner slapped her tail on the couch. “Will you take us then?”

The griffiness extracted her forearm from under her wing and clasped it with her other hand. “I think we can arrange something.” She raised her wing, revealing the stallion, before grabbing him by the muzzle and roughly pushing him off. 

Just in time for a beam of energy to punch through the window, narrowly miss his head, and slice cleanly through Mother's throat.




*****




As if in slow motion, K’yopi watched the griffiness sag on the couch. She was twitching, one hand grasping at air in front of her while the other held the wound. The blood was flowing freely. Already her entire chest was soaked in deep crimson, but it kept coming. Something moved quickly with intent in the corner of the filly’s eye, but she didn’t care. Her full attention was on Mother. The griffiness was trying to squeeze the wound shut, but her talons were simply too small. She choked soundlessly, leaving a red smear on the table. K’yopi could hear a gun fire nearby, but she still didn’t care. She had been scared when coming to this room, even horrified when Blitz used her for his bluff. She didn’t care now. She watched Mother’s sunglasses slide off her beak as the griffiness choked. Her bloodied talons let go of the wound and fell to the couch. K’yopi never forgot those eyes, the deepest malachite green she had ever seen. Those beautiful eyes that could be caring and cruel, nurturing and vile. Full of life yet dead inside. Now as they stared back at the filly they were neither.

They were full of terror.

And that made the corner of the zebra’s mouth lift up.

Something large and feathery hit the filly hard from the front and sent her flying over and behind the couch. She crashed onto the floor as a mighty roar filled the room. She climbed to her hooves only to watch the minotaur bodyguard charge Blitz with his huge horns. They lodged around her companion’s chest, lifting him like a heavy duty forklift. The minotaur was not done - he kept charging until his catch hit the bar counter and sprawled on it with a crash. With his horns still holding Blitz, the minotaur started slamming his fists into his exposed stomach, pummeling him with massive punches. Just as the bodyguard was about to land another hit, Donner jumped on his back, her claws leaving bleeding gashes on the once elegant suit. Without pulling them out, Donner dislodged the minotaur from Blitz and spun him violently, before sending him tumbling back to the middle of the room with a nose-cracking headbutt. The huge bodyguard tripped and crashed into the glass table, flattening it with a roar of pain. With Blitz momentarily stunned, Donner charged the bodyguard, throwing herself on his lying form, teeth bared.

“You fuckers! You killed her!” The anguish filled cry drew the zebra’s attention. It was the brown stallion. His forehooves were covered in Mother’s blood; somehow he had managed to detach the chain binding him to the now cooling corpse of the griffiness. His face was screwed up with rage and pain as he reached for a smashed water bottle lying on the floor. He looked at Donner grappling with the bodyguard, then at Blitz who was still stunned, hanging on the counter. He went for the easier target.

K’yopi looked around frantically - she had to help! Somehow… She wasn’t a fighter, not in the slightest, but she had to help… Her eyes spotted a black metal shape lying on the floor right in front of her. A sleek pistol - it must have been lost by the bodyguard during the initial struggle. The filly awkwardly grabbed the weapon and brought it up at the charging stallion’s side. She had maybe two seconds before the glass shank sank into Blitz’s soft abdomen.

She couldn’t do it.

A million images raced through her mind’s eye. How she had imagined Mother, dying slowly and painfully. The daydream fantasies she had of the griffiness suffering as much as possible. She had just watched her die and it had made her feel good. Yet she couldn’t shoot someone that had been through the same nightmare she had.

No. That wasn’t it.

She couldn’t do it.

She couldn’t take a life.

Not like this.

“DIE YOU FUCKER!” The yell roused Blitz; he saw the brown stallion charging him at just the last moment. Enough to sweep a wing and protect his stomach from being gutted. The stallion was fast, however. Just before striking, he angled the bottle and tossed himself at the huge male, landing with a battlecry on top of Blitz’s chest. The bottle went down aiming for the throat, but Blitz quickly readjusted his head. The stallion’s makeshift weapon shattered into a hundred pieces as it struck the giant’s masked chin. That didn’t stop the assault; the enraged pony started striking his hooves along Blitz’s chest and sides with all his adrenaline-fueled might. The blows were weak; now without his weapon, the stallion was an inconvenience at worst. With one paw, Blitz grabbed the stallion by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up. Just enough so he could reach his other paw deep between their bodies.

Suddenly the stallion stopped moving. Blitz watched as the anger on his face instantly turned into shock and pain. Then, the stallion let out a high-pitched, ear-shattering wail and dropped off the giant before crumpling to the floor, forehooves deep between his hindlegs.
Blitz slid off the counter and tossed the bloodied half-ring aside with a clatter. It was nowhere near close enough to be audible over the wailing. He caught a glimpse of Donner sailing towards the full wall window on the opposite side of the room as the minotaur threw her. She slammed into it face first, with enough force to crash through with an ear-piercing shatter, leaving a sizeable hole in her wake. She tumbled down towards the dance floor. 

As soon as she was out of sight, the bodyguard stood up; his slashed, bleeding face smirked at Blitz. The minotaur spat out a wad of blood. “You don’t scare me, freak.”

In return, the giant cracked his neck with loud popping noise. “Good.” He snapped his massive wings, launching himself at his opponent.




*****




With shattered glass falling all around her, Donner landed on a large console with a thud, the multitude of dials, indicators and switches painfully digging into her chest and stomach. Standing right in the middle of the dance floor was a light purple unicorn - a very odd-looking one. He was of average build and height, but possessed a number of unique features. His sizable horn was sharp and had a slight backwards curve to it. Magical sparks which reminded Donner of electricity coursed through it, crackling and occasionally probing the air with tiny, volatile discharges. His mane and tail looked even stranger. His hair branched and split until it coalesced into small, semi-palpable clouds of what looked like blue plasma. They gently swayed on an invisible wind, magical energy much like that on the stallion’s horn coursing through them. Curiously, he wasn’t wearing any clothes and he had no cutie mark. Donner had never seen a pony like him before. 

The stallion’s handsome features were somewhat ruined by the utterly child-like expression of surprise he was giving the sprawled female. His unnaturally blue eyes blinked and the energy running through his horn vanished as he graced Donner with a perfect smile. “Hello madame. You are not who I am looking for.” The stallion took a step forward, his smile instantly shifting from pleasant to cruel. “But I have to ask. Do you work with Sidewinder? I have a debt to repay.”

“No!” Donner growled with annoyance as she pushed herself up from the console. “Now get-”

Her ears twitched as she heard a soft click somewhere to the side, near one of the doors leading to the dance floor. She turned only to see a small, cylindrical shape sail through the crack in the door. Her eyes followed the cylinder as it was tossed to the middle of the room where the unicorn was standing. It bounced off the floor once, then exploded in a flash of white blinding light and roar of miniaturized thunder. At least, that is what it would have felt like to someone with naturally evolved eyes and ears. 

She felt her irises singe at the flash and her ears wince at the thunder. To her, it felt like being briefly blinded by a pocket flashlight while having a foal’s firecracker pop off nearby.

She grinned.

Two figures hurriedly poured into the room from the same door in an uncoordinated fashion, dressed in street clothes and black bandanas. One of them held a knife in his magic, but the pony in front had a pistol. Rushing forward, Donner closed in with the attackers, blindsiding them and crunching the one with the pistol against the wall. The other had no chance to react and swing his weapon at her as she grabbed her catch by the neck and squeezed. Once she heard the satisfying crack, she flung the body into the remaining attacker, knocking him down. Before she had a chance to leap on the pile, her keen hearing picked up another warning. The doors on the opposite side slammed open, and bullets immediately filled the air. A griffin in similar garb came rushing, a blazing machine pistol held high and upside down above his head. Donner had plenty of time and maneuvering space to dive behind the large metal table holding the console. She briefly wondered where the unicorn had disappeared to, she was certain she’d seen him vanish into thin air right before the flash grenade went off. 

The moment the weapon stopped, Donner rolled out of her cover. She dug her claws into the plastic floor and leapt towards the shooter using her muscular hind legs. The griffin’s eyes widened at the sight of the giant shape composed of teeth and muscle effortlessly sailing towards him. His claws clutched a fresh magazine he desperately tried to insert into the gun. Just before her paws connected with the target, a tiny ball of blue energy appeared between them. The ball materialized into the purple stallion from before, his back turned towards Donner. An electrified particle beam much like the one that had hit Mother erupted from his horn, piercing the griffin. She had no time to express her consternation at the display as she was unable to arrest her dive. Donner slammed into the unicorn’s back who in turn hit the ganger, tumbling to the floor under her momentum.

Donner, the unicorn and the corpse landed on the floor in a layered heap, the purple stallion let out a pained yelp as her bulk flattened his body. Her muzzle was briefly buried in his semi-ethereal mane; it smelled like air right after a thunderstorm mixed with a tinge of sulfur. She pushed herself up on her forelegs, just enough to allow him to breathe again and roll around to face her. With his head between her forelegs and his lower half firmly under her hindlegs, the unicorn regarded her with a confused expression. 

“Hello again.” He attempted to squeeze out, but it was fruitless.

“Who are you?!” Donner bared her teeth and tracked the stallion’s strange blue eyes as he admired her smile.

To her annoyance, the stallion smiled. “Now I could ask you the same question. But I’d rather ask you to please stop crushing my pelvis.”

The huge female narrowed her eyes suspiciously before benevolently standing up.

“Thank you!” He pulled himself from under Donner and climbed to his hooves before dusting off his chest. “Now, I believe we started off on a wrong hoof. What do you say if w-” His eyes darted somewhere over Donner’s shoulder as one of his hooves reached to push her away. “Look out!” Instead of pushing the large creature away, the stallion just tugged pitifully, unable to move her mass.

A bullet hit somewhere high above the female’s head, causing a stage lamp to drop to the floor with a crash of broken glass. Donner whipped around her giant body with surprising speed, her wide wings fully spread, effectively doubling her size. The roar that followed made the purple unicorn behind her wince. 

The last remaining thug, now armed with his fallen comrade’s pistol, froze. She watched the internal battle in the stallion’s eyes as he was faced with a basic choice. Fight or flight. Die or live.

He chose the latter.

There was a momentary silence. Donner folded her wings as she scanned the room. It was empty. Almost empty.

“Well, I believe we handled that quite splendidly.”

She furrowed her forehead in annoyance as the purple unicorn stepped next to her, a confident smile on his muzzle.

“Now to finally-”

The battered body of a minotaur crashed on the DJ’s console with a crack. The bodyguard groaned in pain and started to slowly get up. His fall must have triggered a switch or knob on the console, as the speakers around the dance floor suddenly blasted music...

‘I come around the turn and people stop and stare…’

...only to be cut off as the console cracked when the huge mass of Blitz dove on his chest a second later. The minotaur heaved, gasped, and finally stopped moving.

K’yopi slid off Blitz’s back and trotted over to Donner, clearly shaken. “Donner! Are you okay? I heard guns!”

The giantess whacked her tail on the floor, speaking through gritted teeth. “I am fine.”

The strange unicorn shifted forward and leaned down to the filly, who instantly took a few steps backwards. “Thanks to me! We were off to a rocky start but our partnership worked out in the end!” He offered a wink to the zebra only to watch her scuttle away and hide behind Blitz who just climbed off the unconscious bodyguard.

Blitz didn’t appear wounded either. His masked face studied the smaller unicorn for a tense moment before looking up at Donner. “Who is he?”

The stallion took that as his cue for speaking again, straightening up as much as his pony form allowed him to keep his eyes level with the giant. It wasn’t enough. “I am glad you asked! Please allow me to introduce myself.” He dug his hooves into the floor, then tossed his semi-ethereal mane. The curve of his horn sparked with magical energy. “I am Specimen Three. A bounty hunter! A pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

Three let out a high pitched squeak when Donner’s huge paw grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the floor. Despite the iron grip, he managed a smirk.

Taking cover behind Blitz’s wing, K’yopi watched as the purple unicorn’s horn lit up and the stallion vanished in a puff of magical sparkles, leaving only a tiny sphere of blue energy. In the blink of an eye the sphere shifted and the stallion reappeared at Donner’s side. He was still smirking. Despite her hurt eye, both of her eyebrows shot up at the display.

“Please, please. We are all friends here. Everyone just take a deep breath and calm down, okay?” He lifted a hoof and mimicked breathing in and out.

Blitz was clearly unamused by Three’s antics. His voice remained as steady as ever. “You are a bounty hunter? A very lousy one then. The bounty on Mother was for bringing her in alive.”

Three clicked his tongue. “Oh. How unfortunate. I am still rather new to all of...” He gestured a hoof vaguely around the room. “...this. No matter. Baby steps!”

Donner slammed her forepaw on the floor. “It was our bounty! You little thief!”

The unicorn raised a hoof in a calming gesture. “Donner dear, please. Stay calm, I am positive we can figure something out with you and your friends.” 

K’yopi watched Donner’s right eyelid twitch. The female growled and leapt at the purple unicorn, who again vanished in a cloud of flashy residue. As Donner landed with a slam on the spot where Three had been half a second ago, K’yopi felt the corner of her mouth inch upwards.

Three reappeared with a magical pop next to the fallen female. He quickly shifted his head at Blitz and the zebra. “Who are you again?”

Blitz’s only reaction was a light shift of his head to keep Three in his view. “I am Blitz.” He moved one of his huge wings to reveal the zebra. 

“THIS IS THE POLICE!”

“Hello The...” Three blinked. “Wait.”




*****




Ashen Star was too old for this shit.

His back ached, his wings were sore, and his blood didn’t have enough soycaff in it. Across him, on the other side of the featureless metal table, sat the two strange creatures: Blitz and Donner, as he learned when he met them in the hangar bay before. Their forepaws were bound by chains; the station did not have hoofcuffs big enough. On the male’s left sat a juvenile zebra. The cuffs on her forelegs were woefully oversized, which allowed her to move her hooves freely. On the female’s right sat a strange unicorn with a flowing, flickering mane. When questioned, he’d said that it was a cosmetic cybernetic. The Chief Inspector didn’t believe it, but there were more important matters to discuss. At the very least the unicorn was cuffed properly.

The chief inspector rubbed his forehead with a hoof and continued in a tired voice. “So you say you were bounty hunting?” He briefly glared at his empty mug, as if his stare was able to magically refill it. “The report states three dead, one wounded. All members of the Black Knights.” He studied the quartet before him. The two giants were still, only the female’s tail kept constantly swaying from one side to the other. “Among them was Mother, an affiliate of the Knights and infamous trafficker of narcotics and slaves.” The filly was staring at her own hooves, but otherwise she seemed calm. “Up until today we thought she had left the sector.” The purple unicorn was the most animated of the group. He kept looking around, observing the interrogation room and all of its mundane details. He reminded Ashen of his officers’ foals when they visited the station during a bring your kid to work day. The inspector continued. “Yet, not only did you find her, you also killed her. The bounty explicitly stated that she was supposed to be captured.”

Donner let out a low growl, the chains binding her paws rattling as she fidgeted. “We were trying to take her alive.” She shot a nasty look at the unicorn, who was currently making faces at the one way mirror on the wall behind Ashen’s back.

Ashen uncramped one of his shoulders as he consulted the tablet held in his wing claws. “Not an optimal outcome, but I have to say I am surprised you managed to find her in the first place.”

The purple stallion stopped inspecting his molars and turned to the batpony. “Oh it was quite simple, really! I just had to persuade some fellow bounty hunters.” The unicorn smiled. “Once they graciously relinquished their claim on Mother, they also provided me with clues as to where I could find her!”

The filly suddenly looked up. Her eye and tone were filled with anger. “Are you charging us with murder!?” Ashen knew her type; there were plenty of rebellious youth on Miner’s Prospect like her. She knew what to say and not to say - he was certain that this was not the first time she had found herself in police custody. 

The batpony sighed and threw the tablet onto the table. “I should have! But there is something you could do for me. You’ll get your reward.” He watched Blitz’s impassive mask. “Twenty percent of the original value, that is the most I can offer.”

The unicorn narrowed his eyes in concentration. “Five thousand credits!” He turned to look at Donner and grinned. “Is that a lot?”

The filly let out a deep sigh as she rested her chin on her forehooves. “No, Three, it is not a lot. Even less when you split it in four.”

Three’s grin turned into a pout and he hung his head. “Aww.”

Ashen Star cleared his throat as he straightened in his chair. “We should lock you up for that stunt you pulled at the Rotlicht, and impound your ship.”

Three snapped his head up. “You have a ship?”

For the first time, Blitz spoke. His deep, calm voice echoed in the almost empty room. “But?”

A small smile spread across Ashen’s lips. “You are going to do something for us. You seem like you can handle yourselves in a fight.” He glanced at the filly, particularly her swollen right eye. “Well, most of you.” He faced Blitz again. “I have something where skills like that could prove invaluable.” Ashen grabbed the tablet again and tapped on it for a few seconds. He reached it over and slid it on the table towards the group. “This is the Duke. Head of the Black Knights, the thugs wearing black bandanas. Miner’s Prospect Police Force is offering a three hundred thousand credits reward. Deal with him for me and I’ll forget about those scum you wasted.” On the tablet was a photo of an aging crystal stallion with a black coat and a well-groomed green mane. “Reward’s doubled if you bring him in still breathing.”

The zebra let out an impressed whistle.

Donner creased her brow. “And you are fine with just a body?”

Ashen Star nodded casually at the female. “He and his gang have been a thorn in our side for years. The Heraklion Workers’ Council has greenlit the bounty after reviewing the damages caused.” He sighed at the still empty mug before waving a wing vaguely. “Racketeering, drug and pony trafficking, illegal gambling, the list goes on.”

Blitz spoke again. “Why did you not take him down yet then? What is the catch?”

The chief inspector crossed his forelegs across his chest. “He controls a large part of the lower decks and has an army of thugs at his disposal. Additionally, rumor has it that he is receiving outside funding.” Ashen rolled his eyes; he was long past caring about the image of the police force. “I have too few people and too many other problems to deal with it.” His leathery wing extended and pointed a claw straight at Blitz. “You do this, or you spend a long time in a gulag. The choice is yours.”

The zebra looked up at Blitz. “The Black Knights are the most powerful gang on the station! No one goes against them. Not even the pigs!”

Ashen didn’t react to the verbal jab. He was too old, tired and frankly fed up with the whole situation to care. Instead, he watched Blitz’s masked face for any indication of an agreement.

Instead, it was the unicorn that spoke. “We’ll do it!”



Chapter 2




The airlock opened with a hiss. Immediately, Three walked into Claudia’s cargo hold backwards. He was facing the others, speaking in a lively manner. “We find where the Duke is, go in, Blitz and Donner will kill everyone we meet while I go after the primary antagonist! Oh and you K’yopi will watch my back.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “You’d need a gun!”

Donner growled. “She’s not getting a gun.”

“A butterfly knife then? I seem to recall seeing one in a shopfront a few level-” He yelped as his hindleg stepped into the gap in the floor airlock. Before the unicorn’s rump hit the deck, his horn lit up.

K’yopi watched as the faint sphere of magic coalesced and took form again. Three reappeared, facing the gap, hooves firmly spread on the deck and head low. He scanned the room, magical energy crackling along his horn. She took a few steps and pulled on his tail, trying to grab his attention. The stallion whipped around instantly. The vicious expression on his muzzle, augmented by the tiny, lightning-like discharges of his magic, made K’yopi shrink back and cover her face with a foreleg in reflex.

Three blinked as he realised what was happening; the magic around his horn fizzled out. He waited a beat for his muscles to relax, then placed a hoof on his chest. “Oh silly you! Please do not do that again.” He looked down at the cowering filly. “I might not recognize you in time one day.” She kept huddled behind her foreleg, as if expecting a strike. Three looked up at Blitz questioningly.

The huge male extended a wing and walked by, scooping the zebra with him, all the while keeping the intricate mask trained on the unicorn. Finally, they disappeared behind a set of doors deeper into the ship.

“You are a charmer.” Donner’s voice grabbed the unicorn’s attention, so he offered her his best smile.

“You flatter me dear!” Three pointed at the half-open airlock. “This is a safety hazard, I could have tripped and broken a leg! Do you know what happens to ponies with broken legs?”

She rolled her eyes. “They get shot?”

“Yes!” He blinked, confused. “No… but I am certain it is something just as bad!” Three looked at the broken airlock again. “Who runs a ship like that?”

The large female stepped closer, towering over the unicorn. She pursed her lips and growled at him. “If you don’t like it, leave.”

He dropped on his rump and raised his forelegs defensively. “Out of the question! I would not dream of leaving my new henchmen stranded.” He shrunk back as the large female gave him an angry look. “Underlings?” Three’s ears twitched at the loud meaty slap of Donner’s tail on the deck. “Okay fine! Compatriots! We are a team now! Equal in partnership of… equality and camaraderie!”

Donner raised a wing and briefly held it to her forehead. “Just stay out of our way.”

The unicorn smiled as he rose to his hooves. “Yes! I can do that. Be a team player.” He shot another roguish smile at the female. “But if I can make a suggestion: now that we are a team, we need a name!”

Donner wondered why she was still listening to the stallion. He was infuriating. His flamboyant mannerisms, the inflection of his voice, his aura of entitled superiority. He was everything that Blitz and Donner were not.

And above all, he never ceased talking.

“What about Three’s Angels? No, that is too pompous. Fellowship of the Three? Too cliche.” He was pacing around Donner, deep in thought. “The good, the bad and the beautiful… and the zebra!”

Donner sat down and rotated her head, following the unicorn walking in circles around her. As soon as he disappeared over her shoulder, she slightly raised her tail. The sound of the stallion crashing onto the deck with a yelp was enough to make her smirk.

The feeling of satisfaction disappeared just as quickly when she felt her tail being grabbed and pulled. A moment later the unicorn came into her view again, his magic firmly held the tip of her tail above his head.

“I would appreciate it if you watched where you put this thing.” He was pointing the fluffy tuft at the end of it at Donner, then turned it at himself and brushed his throat with it. “Hm, it’s quite pleasant actually.” His face lit up. “Oh I know! We are all freaks!” He pointed the tuft at Donner again, oblivious to her growing scowl. “You two look like some kind of genetic train crash, I know magic, and K’yopi… K’yopi is our racial diversity token, just in case we need to sign any exclusivity contracts!” He grinned as he hugged the tail to his chest. “We are Team Freak! I am a genius!”

Donner pulled her tail, freeing it from the unicorn’s grip, she then swung it wide and back until it whipped straight into Three’s muzzle.

The unicorn exclaimed painfully, holding his reddened nose. “Why would you do that?! Ow.”

Donner’s tail retreated behind her back in a motion of uncanny grace. She stared at the unicorn again. “So you would shut up and stop doing that.” She stood up and started towards the common room where Blitz and K’yopi had gone a few minutes ago. “If you are to stay with us, you are going to show respect. For all of us.” 

As she left Three behind in the cargo hold and entered the common room, Donner spotted the filly by the kitchenette. She was balancing on her hindlegs, with both forehooves outstretched above, attempting to reach something on the highest shelf. The zebra looked like she would lose balance and fall at any moment.

Donner half turned her head at the curious sight. “Do you know where Blitz is?”

The filly let out a startled squeak. Her entire body overbalanced and she dropped down on her back.

K’yopi opened her healthy eye and looked up at the large female. Donner looked even more intimidating from floor level, especially now that she was viewed upside down. The filly winced. “Ow… H-he went upstairs.” She reached a hoof to point to the nearby stairs.

Donner regarded the zebra with a curious expression, then nodded and headed for the upper deck. 

As soon as she was gone, the filly got back on her hooves. She rubbed her back in annoyance, then with a heave reared up again. “Come on…” Her hoof blindly searched for something on the top shelf.

“K’yopi dear!”

Another voice startled her again; fortunately she managed to keep her grip on the high shelf. She turned her head towards the source. “WhaAAAH!” The filly screamed at the sight of Three’s grinning face merely an inch away from hers. This time her grip failed and she went tumbling down again.

She gritted her teeth and closed her eye, but Instead of slamming into the hard deck again, the zebra found herself… not falling? “Huh?” She opened her eye, only for her vision to be filled with Three’s purplish face again. His horn was glowing. “C-can you stop doing that?”

The unicorn raised his eyebrows and the magic cut off.

K’yopi dropped on the deck again. The zebra could only groan now, more from frustration than pain.

“I am not fully certain why you asked for that.” His tone was entirely honest.

After climbing to her hooves for the second time in the span of a minute she turned to face the unicorn. She had to force herself to speak up - she was still a little afraid of the strange pony. "How do you do all that magic stuff? I never saw a unicorn strong enough to hold someone before. Or - or disappear or shoot lasers! It's crazy!"

The stallion looked at his horn. “Oh. This?” Thin wisps of energy danced around the tip of it briefly. “I cannot really tell.” He let out a big shrug. “It was always there, as far as I remember. I think I was just born with it.”

“Born with it? But other unicorns cannot do anything like that. No one does that!”

Three looked back down at the filly; his expression kept shifting between shame and confusion. Finally he spoke again. “I am sorry, I do not know how to explain it to you.” He took in a sharp breath. “It is just an integral part of me, like a second nature. I focus and it happens!”

The zebra watched the unicorn closely. Once she was sure he would not explain further, she waved a hoof at him. “Forget it. What was it?”

Three beamed; his full smile looked like it was taken straight from a villain in a B-rated slasher holovid. “I would like to present my apology!”

The zebra narrowed her eyes in suspicion, her voice carefully neutral. “For what?”

If Three minded her guarded disposition, he didn’t show it. Instead, he placed a hoof on his chest and bowed. Simultaneously, one of his hindlegs bent and lightly tapped on the deck. “I did not realise that I frightened you earlier.” He looked up and briefly put a hoof to his nose in thought. “And just now, come to think of it.” The hoof went down with a metallic clap on the deck. “Either way! I am truly sorry. I did not consider that my appearance or skills could have such an effect on youth such as yourself.” He briefly looked to the side, avoiding her gaze. “Truth be told, you are the first juvenile I really had any contact with whatsoever.”

K’yopi felt a little warmth of endearment at the stallion’s antics. She also felt curiosity. “What do you mean? You never met a teenager before? How?”

The stallion straightened and let out a heavy sigh. “Let’s say I have been living a rather sheltered life. Not many opportunities to meet new people that way.”

The filly shrugged. “I am the opposite. I don’t think I ever had any time to do what I wanted.” She frowned deeply. “I always had to do what others told me.”

Three’s expression turned into a smile. “Really? We could compare notes! I had very strict teachers too!”

The filly bit her lip. Teachers was not the word she’d use when thinking about her past keepers. Yet, a feeling at the back of her mind made her want to know more about this quirky unicorn. Maybe it was his magic? Maybe his strange personality? K’yopi couldn’t tell.

She could however, nod and offer him a mischievous smirk. “On one condition.”

Three took a half step forward, his eyes eager. “Yes?”

The zebra looked up and pointed a hoof at the high shelf she had been trying to get to earlier. A cardboard box bearing a cartoon of a pudgy mascot was visible. There were words too, but she could not read any of them. “I want that.”

The unicorn followed her hoof, then looked back at the zebra. “Very well then.” He lit up his horn and the box floated down, straight into the filly’s grasp.

The zebra shook the box; the satisfying rustle promised a generous supply. She looked over the mascot, then carefully inspected other sides of the box. More words she couldn’t hope to understand. She furrowed her brows. Not being able to read always made her feel inferior. “Three, can you read this?”

The unicorn stood side by side with the filly and lowered his head to read the fine lettering on the box. It was so close that their cheeks were rubbing against each other. He opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it, then opened it again. “No, it's not in equestrian.”

“Look!” K’yopi pointed at the side of the box. A set of pictograms showed the instructions. “Okay, we need a bowl, a spoon...” She blinked in confusion at one of the icons. “Ummm…”

Three gasped. “Oh I know. Cow juice!”

“Cow juice?”

“Absolutely. Cow juice!”

“What’s a cow?”

She could feel his shoulder rub against her frame as he shrugged. “I don’t know, but cow juice is white and I found it in every fridge I have encountered so far.”

“How do you know it’s cow juice then?

“Because one I have procured before had a label saying it was genetically synthesized from simulated free range cows!”

“Right.” She detached herself from Three and grabbed a bowl and a spoon from a nearby drying rack, then walked over to the table. “So, do we have any cow juice?”

Three was already neck deep into the fridge. “Hmmm. Salads, cheese, a lot of beer… a piece of plaster? Ah ha!” He pulled his head out; a black and white cardboard carton with bold lettering hovered in his telekinesis. “That should be it!” 

K'yopi watched as Three's magic meticulously sliced a cone off the corner of the container, then swivelled it to fill the bowl with white liquid. Meanwhile, she ripped open the sachet found in the box and poured the tiny brown squares into the mix. She watched as the cow juice quickly changed from white to faded brown. Once the bowl was full, the filly grabbed her utensil and put a spoonful of the mix into her mouth. She blinked at the crunchiness, and the coldness of the cow juice. Then her tastebuds exploded. K’yopi kept munching until finally swallowing. Her head looked up as her eyes darted towards Three.

“Holy shit this is amazing!” The filly immediately filled her mouth with another spoonful. This time she chewed slowly, savouring the rich, smooth flavour and the pleasant crunchiness. Only when everything had melted into sweet paste she did swallow.

Three watched the table before him for a few quiet moments. Finally he spoke. “I’ve only recently found myself being able to choose my path.” He slowly looked up at the filly; she stared back mid crunch, her red eye wide open. “I am aware that my disposition might not be… the most appreciated.”

He raised a hoof as if he wanted to stop any protests or questions from the zebra. K’yopi’s healthy eye slowly blinked, and she followed with a loud crunch of the delicious flakes. Three continued, “Worry not however! From now on I will endeavour to refrain from such incidents.” He smiled at the filly. “I promise!”

K’yopi loudly swallowed the mix and put the spoon on the table. She slowly nodded. “Uh huh.”

The unicorn beamed. “Excellent!” He walked around the table and stopped next to the zebra. “Now, I hope you don’t mind me asking.” He climbed into the chair next to hers and rested his forelegs on the table. “You mentioned that you never really had a choice either. Would you mind telling me about it?”

K’yopi shifted her gaze from the unicorn to the now empty bowl. His question was straightforward; he seemed genuinely curious. But the zebra couldn’t understand why. Her mind began racing again. Should she tell him? Could she tell him? Which parts should she leave out? All of them? Maybe she ought to lie to the unicorn. Speaking about her life felt like an impossible task.

On the other hoof, she’d never had anyone willing to listen before. No one to share her frustrations, angers or fears with. They had always been kept locked away, deep inside in the darkest pits of her psyche. Until there was too much and they would spill. But with no one to listen, they didn’t manifest as words, but pain - usually apathy. An overwhelming feeling of not caring. Not caring about what was around her. Who was around her and what they were doing to her. Not caring about herself or her future. Sometimes she even stopped caring about finding a way out.

Sometimes she stopped caring about living.

Yet, she never cried.

She turned her head at the unicorn and studied his face closely. His deep blue eyes weren’t showing pity, nor mercy. They reminded her of foals she sometimes saw on the station’s streets. Happy foals, with families and friends. Blissfully unaware of the hardships of those less fortunate around them. But also filled with curiosity, eager to explore the world and all of its mundane secrets that dazzled their little minds.

His ears were fully turned to her, giving an impression of an attentive guard awaiting orders. No - a pony willing to listen, to soak up whatever she said and actually pay attention. To let her speak as long as she felt like it.

As long as she needed it.

She turned her face back to the table and took a deep, shaky breath. “I think I was born here, on Miner’s Prospect.” Her voice was quiet. “I don’t really know who my mother was.” She shrugged weakly. “She was probably some whore. Who else would leave their daughter like that?”

Three’s voice cut in. He sounded oddly happy. “I never knew my parents either!” The filly turned to look at the stallion, who narrowed his eyes in concentration before pouting his lips like a child. “At least I think so. Never thought about it. Hmmmm.”

K’yopi blinked in surprise. “You didn’t? How can you be so… carefree about it?”

The unicorn opened his mouth wide, thought for a moment and shook his head. “Why should I care? They were never there. Why should I think about something that has never been a factor in my life?” He pointed a hoof at the filly. “Do you think of all the space rocks flying around that could pulverize this entire station before we knew what happened? Because they are out there.”

Now it was K’yopi’s turn to pause in thought. “No, I don’t. I would not have the time to think about anything else.”

He smiled. “Exactly! Not thinking about your problems doesn’t make them go away, but it certainly makes you sleep better!” He leaned back in his chair, seemingly content with the explanation. “A million things could happen to us every second. Some things could be bad, some good. But worrying about what could have been or what ifs is a waste of life.”

The zebra pursed her lips. “So what do you think about then?”

The stallion shrugged. “A lot of things. Things that I know that I have influence on.” He looked up at the tip of his horn. “What should I eat today? How do I find credits to afford that food? What will I do if I won’t find those credits? Should I take them by force? Will I be happy with that choice?” The brief spark in his eyes left no doubts.

K’yopi put her forelegs on the table before resting her head on them with an aggravated sigh. “You make it sound so easy! I worry about so much stuff! Right now I worry what will happen when we go after the Duke. What if something bad happens? What if Blitz or Donner are caught or killed? What if I will go back to… to...” She clenched her eye shut as a powerful shiver shook her body. Dreadful flashbacks filled her mind again, but before the rising tide of anxiety could envelop her, a hoof grabbed her shoulder.

His voice was somber; she hadn’t heard him speak like that before. “It is not easy, no. It takes a lot of work and discipline. And a very specific mindset.” She could hear him shuffle closer, but not close enough to feel personal. “I’ve had a lot of time to think, to ponder. I had all the time in the world. Mysteries of the universe? Faith? Magical theorem? Vengeance?” She heard him let out a short, amused snort. “Worthless. Do you know what is the most important thing in the universe K’yopi?”

The sound of her name made her open her eye and shift her head at him. She looked at the unicorn and lightly shook her head.

The stallion offered a small smile and pointed a  hoof at the zebra. “You.” The hoof turned and pointed at his own chest. “I.” He nodded as if he was reassuring himself. “The most important thing in the universe for everyone should be themselves. And no, I am not asking you to become a toxic egoist.” His hoof lightly squeezed her shoulder. “You can be selfless if you wish; give and ask for nothing. Maybe even sacrifice your very self for the good of others.” His eyes narrowed. “But when you do that, you realise you do that because you want to do it. Because it makes you feel at peace with your actions.” His voice raised an octave. “You want to throw your life away to save another! But it's your life, and your choice!” He closed his eyes and breathed in. When he spoke again his voice was soft. “And that, my dear, is the ultimate freedom.”

K’yopi bit her lip. “I’m not sure. I don’t know much about freedom.”

His hoof patted her shoulder before sliding off. “Well, I do believe you are on the right track so far.” He nodded at the half full box of brown, crunchy goodness.

The zebra briefly regarded the box before turning back to the stallion, she could feel the corners of her mouth lift slightly. “I guess you are right Three.” She grabbed the cow juice carton and the crunchy bit box and poured herself another serving.

A second bowl and spoon wrapped in blue magic floated over and settled next to her. “So… do you think I could have some of those?”

She wordlessly reached her hooves and poured him a serving. A moment later both of them were crunching together.

“Holy shit you were right, this really is amazing!” He barely managed to not spill out the food.

“I know right?”




*****




Blitz untangled himself from his companion’s limbs and stepped off the bed. He glanced at the chronometer on the captain’s desk and noted the hour: 0938 shiptime. He had been asleep for nearly thirteen hours. Their high-energy bodies required a lot of downtime to keep them running, hence the two took frequent catnaps together at any opportunity. Donner was still fast asleep - only her tail twitched occasionally as she lightly snored.

The giant made his way to the common room and looked around. It was empty, only a stack of dirty bowls and empty milk cartons on the table suggested any activity from the zebra and the unicorn. He made a deep, neutral noise in his throat and headed for the cargo hold. Once inside, it wasn’t hard to spot the duo. They were sitting on the main airlock’s loading ramp, facing towards the docking bay. There was a pungent smell in the air. He stretched his wing and slowly walked over to the two.

“...she could change nearly instantly, into anyone! To this day I am not sure how she really looked like for sure!” Three puffed out a cloud of thin, wispy smoke, then started choking. Once he regained his breath he added, “She could be a real manipulative bitch, but that also made her a good conversation partner.” He frowned. “I never did figure out if she was lying to me or just wanted to have someone to speak to. A little bit of both I suppose.”

“Wow, that is really… weird? Like something from a holovid!” The filly spoke with a lit cigarette held expertly between her lips.

“What are you doing?” Blitz’s deep voice rang out from above the two.

Three looked around, a half finished cigarette held in his magic. “K’yopi is showing me how to smoke tobacco!” He grinned at the giant. The pointy burning tip broke and a hot ember fell on the unicorn’s foreleg. He squealed in fright, batting at himself to smother the still smoldering remnants.

The zebra looked at Three and his impromptu pantomime before moving her gaze to Blitz’s expressionless mask. “He’ll get there.” She shifted the cigarette in her muzzle. “Someday.”

The mask stared. Just as the filly was about to say more he spoke. “Where did you get those?” The tip of his large wing pointed at the pack lying on the deck between the sitting equines.

K’yopi shifted her eyes; she wasn’t sure if she was in trouble yet. “Ummm… From the market?”

Blitz’s wing retracted. He took a deep breath, smelling the foul stench, and spoke again. “You didn’t buy them. You have no credits.”

The filly took the cigarette out of her mouth and smothered it on the deck. “Noooo….?” She blinked quickly. “I mean. No. No!” Her back straightened and her chest puffed forward. “I stole them.”

“You stole them?” The giant remained inscrutable.

The zebra nodded. “Yes! I am good at that.” She narrowed her eyes. “I am very good at that!”

Blitz shook his giant head. “It does not matter. We cannot risk drawing attention. Not now when the Knights might be on the lookout for us.”

K’yopi’s mouth hung open for a brief moment. “But…” She crossed her forelegs. “Have you seen yourselves? You do nothing but draw attention. You look like… like...”

Three piped in, seemingly done with his fight against self-immolation. “Freaks! We are Team Freak! People always stare. We look weird, that is what we do.”

The giant kept addressing the zebra. “Donner and I can handle ourselves.”

K’yopi creased her eyebrows. “I can handle myself!”

Three nodded. “She can! She’s a badass! Did you know she once almost bit off a guy’s ear when he tried to drag her into b-”

Blitz continued ignoring the unicorn. “I do not doubt that. But can you handle a band of armed thugs?”

The zebra did not look so certain anymore. “I-I can run away from them!”

“From two, maybe three. What about a whole gang?” He continued staring at the filly. “You just escaped their captivity. Do not throw your life away by being careless.”

She rolled her eye, turning away from Blitz. Her voice was harsh like sandpaper. “Fine.”

Three’s blank face turned to Blitz, then to K’yopi, then back to Blitz again. The long silence that followed was making him confused. The zebra was looking outside at the hangar bay with a sour expression; the giant was still as usual.

Suddenly, Blitz spoke. “What was the first pony-made invention that could see through a wall?”

K’yopi turned around suddenly, her face flabbergasted, but Blitz was already walking to the common room. “What does that have to do with anything?!”

Three clapped his hooves together with a smile. “Oh it is a riddle! I know riddles!”

She turned to the unicorn with a questioning expression. “A riddle?”

The stallion nodded eagerly. “Absolutely! I read some of them in the activity books my handlers graciously provided from time to time.”

“So… how do we solve it?” The filly ran a hoof through her dreadlocks in thought.

Three shrugged. “Sometimes you have to draw a route through a labyrinth, sometimes solve a crossword and sometimes use the crayons to correctly colour the little animals.” He squeezed his head between his shoulders before staring off into space with a vacant expression. “Those were onerous.” 

“Umm… Three? I don’t think it's that kind of riddle.” She pushed her cheek out with her tongue. “Blitz mentioned an invention. It has to be some kind of a machine.”

“A machine?”

The filly nodded. “Seeing machine, like a scanner or a telescope. You can use things like that on the viewing deck to see through the windows, watch the stars around.”

Three stared at the tip of his horn, as if he could magic an answer from thin air. “How peculiar. I’d hazard a guess it would be a distant ancestor of those devices.” He frowned at the filly. “I am afraid I will be of not much help here. I am dreadful with machines.”

She reached a hoof up to his shoulder which caused the stallion to perk up with a smile. “I bet we can solve it together.”

“K’yopi! Three! We are leaving.” Donner’s voice carried over through the empty cargo hold. She and Blitz were coming towards the airlock. 

The filly stood up and turned to the two giants. “Where are you going?”

Donner flapped a massive wing which sent a gust of wind strong enough to make the filly’s mane blow. “We are going to find more information about the Black Knights.”

Blitz watched the unicorn and the zebra for a moment before adding, “Stay with Claudia and do not let anyone in until we are back.”

K’yopi looked at Three; the unicorn just shrugged. She looked back at the leaving duo. “Hey wait! You can’t just leave us here!”

Neither of them stopped. Donner weaved her tail in annoyance while Blitz spoke out, “Why not?”

The filly turned to Three again. He just looked at her questioningly and mouthed the same. She narrowed her eye at him and hissed. “Come on!” K’yopi broke into a trot after the giants who already left the cargo hold. She lunged and bit down on the fluffy tuft at the end of Blitz’s tail.

The large male stopped, then slowly rotated his head and looked at the zebra over his shoulder. His voice was calm and measured. “You wish to come.”

The zebra spat out the tail before sticking out her tongue and wiping off some lingering hair with a hoof. “Yes! Please! I can help you - I know where we can find the Knights!” She looked up at the giant and gave him her best impression of a sad puppy. “Please, please, please!”

Three moved next to the filly and did his best impression of her. “Please, please!”

It wasn’t very good.

Blitz glanced at Donner who was standing beside him, one of her paws idly drumming a beat on the deck. She took a deep breath and exhaled with a shake of her wings. “Na schön. I suppose we can use her knowledge.”

Both K’yopi and Three tossed their forelegs high. “Yay! Go Team Freak!”

The filly raced to walk between the two giants while Three brought up the rear. She looked between her companions expectantly. “This is going to be so much fun.”




*****






“This isn’t fun at all,” K’yopi groaned, burying her face in the table with a soft thunk.

The four of them sat at a streetside table outside an open air cafe - as open air as it could get on a space station. It had taken only slight persuasion from Donner to convince the previous occupants to stop hogging the seats. Once the quartet was comfortable, they had each ordered a drink from a very nervous waitress. Two pitchers of freshly squeezed vegetable juice - straws included - for Donner and Blitz, a glass of soda for K’yopi and green tea - no sugar - for Three. He was on his fourth.

They had been sitting here for nearly an hour, watching the front door of the club across the wide and busy street. The club K’yopi had led them to, she explained along the way, was the place where much of the Duke’s ‘merchandise’ was shuffled through until it found a new permanent home with one of the clients. The same club they saved her from.

“Why exactly did you decide to pursue this venture?” Three lowered the cheap, faux-porcelain cup onto an even cheaper looking saucer. He cut off the magic and offered a gentle smile to his conversation partner.

The detailed, unmoving mask on the other side of the table spoke. “We need credits to perform necessary repairs to the ship.” Blitz’s voice rang out in a calm and collected manner.

Three shook his head, the smile never leaving his lips. “No, no, no. I mean to ask, why are you striving to procure those funds through an activity such as this one? Certainly there are better and much faster ways to obtain the money, am I wrong?”

Donner, who sat on Blitz’s right, spoke this time. “The bounty targets a leader of a known gang.” The massive claws could just be seen slightly peeking out from her padded paw resting on the table. “That means a lot of gang members to slice through. Something we are…” She offered Three the full view of her serrated teeth. “...exceptional at.”

The unicorn nodded and returned the grin. “Ah yes. Violence!” He magiced the cup to his lips and took another sip. “How enthralling!”

Donner narrowed her eyes as she studied the stallion closely for any signs of mockery, but found none. He really meant what he said.

Blitz picked up from there. “We were made to be the best at what we do. It is our purpose.” The mask on his face kept watching Three constantly.

The stallion clicked his tongue in surprise before looking up at the tip of his horn. “I would not be so certain my dear friend!” He lifted the cup once again and finished his remaining tea before setting it down. “But that is not what I have been inquiring about. Please, tell me. Why did you specifically decide to aid K’yopi?”

Other than the sounds of a busy street around them, Three did not receive an answer. After nearly a minute he opened his mouth wide. “Oh.” He slowly closed his mouth and drummed his hooves on the table’s edge. Blitz’s mask was still staring at him. Meanwhile, Donner moved her attention back to the observation target. Her ears moved from time to time between Three, Blitz and their surroundings.

Finally, the unicorn spoke up again. “Let me get this crystal clear. You are doing something, something highly engaging and possibly dangerous might I add, but you have no clue why you are doing it?”

He heard a growl and a murmur from the female’s direction, she was still pointedly looking away.

“I am sorry Donner dear, could you speak up?” He watched as the female’s ears flattened and her mouth turned into a scowl. Three looked at Blitz’s masked face. “What did she say?”

Suddenly, Donner slammed her paw on the table, making Three’s cup clatter in its saucer. “Because we chose to!”

Three didn’t flinch at the outburst. “I don’t follow.” He watched the female with a questioning expression for a moment, then turned to K’yopi. “What do you think K?”

The zebra was gone.




*****




K’yopi climbed on top of a trash container - the same container she was tossed against not so long ago. From the container, now moved against the club’s wall, she could reach the narrow grate covering the ventilation shaft. It was held closed by a simple latch, nothing the zebra could not overcome.

With a heave she pulled herself into the narrow duct. The only source of light was a grate somewhere far ahead. The perpetual draft made her shiver. What little dust had managed to settle on the walls was disturbed by her hooves as she fully climbed in and closed the cover from the inside.

She took a deep breath of recycled air and stared down the duct with determination. She knew the ducts covered almost the entire building, but this was the first time she had actually entered them. She was too afraid of what would have happened if she were caught before. Besides, she had been too well guarded back then.

But now, she was motivated by a deeply rooted feeling of rebellion. Both against her former masters, and against the protective giants. She’d show them. She’d show them that she could also be useful to the team - that she could get results without the need for muscle or magic.

The first section of the duct was long and straight. Every few meters there was a grate on the left side, overlooking the backstage corridor. She had to crawl slowly, partially because the noise of her limbs pulling her along travelled far. Partially because she was terrified of stirring the dust and sneezing. Every now and then she saw someone walking down the corridor. Some of them were familiar faces. Duke’s goons mostly, sometimes a member of the club’s staff, sometimes the ‘merchandise’.

She tried not to look when she saw those that were still forced to the same fate she so narrowly escaped just less than two days ago. She hadn’t been here long enough to create any friendships, and besides, how could a friendship work in such a place? But by the sheer nature of a place like this, she intimately knew a couple of others. The physical side of that knowledge disgusted her, but the unique bond she had with some of those people was difficult to ignore. A burden shared was a burden lessened. For a moment she wondered, shouldn’t they try to save them? Have Blitz, Donner and Three storm the place, punish the guards and let the others leave? It would help those that were suffering here.

No, doing that would alert the Duke even more - he’d go to ground and be impossible to find after two of his operations were destroyed. And with that, any attempts to save even more would be gone too. She gritted her teeth and slowly inched forward as she heard a muffled yell - one of the thugs ordering someone around.

After a few more meters K’yopi reached an intersection. She recalled the floorplan from her time spent here and realised that the left duct would lead her towards the storage area. The right one would lead in the direction of the bar. Perhaps there she could find some kind of useful information. She had to lie on her side and bend awkwardly to navigate the corner; only her small stature allowed her to squeeze through. A normal-sized pony like Three would not have had any hope of braving these ducts. But then, he was Three. K’yopi rolled her eye as she imagined the stallion turning into mist and simply flowing along.

Finally, she was through. She waited a long moment, wary that the noise she made might have alerted someone. But once she was certain no alarm had been raised, she continued onward. More grates: staff rooms and offices. She had rarely seen those; they looked normal. As if this place was a normal nightclub, with music, expensive drinks, drunk guests, mares and stallions there to entertain them.

Well, it had all that. The only difference was that many of the mares and stallions were not here willingly.

The offices were empty. The nightclub part of the establishment was closed at the moment, hence the lowered activity. But K’yopi knew it was just a coverup; the real purpose of this place could be found upstairs in the VIP areas.

The stretch of the duct ahead was nearly pitch black. There were no grates providing illumination. The filly rubbed a mote of dust from her nose and started crawling forward. Her limbs were already straining. At the very least, the jumpsuit protected her coat from chafing on the rough metal.

Once her body covered the grate behind her, the filly found herself crawling through darkness. She blindly shuffled her hooves forward, careful to not make noise. Her swollen eye itched fiercely, but she did not dare rubbing it with a dust-covered hoof.

After what felt like minutes, her hoof bumped into a wall. She reached to the right. Another wall. She reached to the left. No resistance. She pulled herself a bit further and spotted another grate a few meters ahead and around the corner. Awkwardly squeezing her small body, she passed another turn. What little muscles she had were already tired, and all that squeezing only made them ache with remnants of the pain inflicted upon her not so long ago. At the very least the air was mercifully cool and dry.

K’yopi made her way forward, towards the grate. As soon as she reached it, she stopped and lay down. Only the top of her head peeked through.

Directly below her she could see the bar’s counter. She was right above the main floor. Behind the counter was a pony. An aged stallion she knew as Mugs. Mugs was the most experienced bartender working there; he was also the one of the few that were kind enough to not abuse her. He didn’t spike her drink with drugs or alcohol. Sometimes she’d wished he had - maybe that way she’d forget.

The filly watched Mugs’ work for a few minutes. He was busy inspecting his supply of liquor stashed under the counter. If he was there, that meant the club was expecting many guests that night. Or important guests.

If that was true, she knew where she had to go next. The question was how to get there.

More minutes passed as K’yopi waited for Mugs to finish his work and walk away from her sight. She didn’t dare crawl right above him where he could just look up and see her through the grate. Once he was gone she hurried forward, as quickly as she could without making noise. Ahead, she saw another wall. Light was coming from above this time.

The vent bent upwards here at a ninety degree angle. The filly squeezed herself into the vertical section and stood on her hindlegs, her back resting against one of the walls. Only when she changed position did she realise how tired she was. She looked up and squinted her eye at the light above. It was hard to tell how far the featureless vent kept on climbing, but she could count at least three openings on the sides with grates on the opposite walls. One set above another. She needed to get to the floor above.

This was going to be tough.

She carefully slid into a sitting position and waited. Her mind started filling with unwanted thoughts. Why was she doing this? Why did she not stay with Three, Donner and Blitz? Why didn't she stay on Claudia? Why did she not just leave Miner’s Prospect behind at the first opportunity and run away from her past? Why not just forget about this nightmare? She was no cop, nor a mercenary or bounty hunter. She was just a little street rat. What was she supposed to do? 

She took a deep breath and cracked her neck. She didn’t know what to do. But she knew she had to do something.

But how?

There was no ladder, and she had no rope. The first floor’s opening was perhaps five meters above her. She frowned and tapped a hoof on the opposite side with frustration.

The distance between the walls was nearly perfect to allow her to lock her leg straight in place.

Her eyebrow raised.

The filly stood up, positioning herself so that the openings in the walls above were on her right side. With her back pushed firmly to the wall behind her and her hooves reached to push against the one in front of her there was just enough space to allow her a steady hold. Slowly and with great effort she started pushing herself upwards.

Eight tiny steps later, all of her muscles were screaming in pain.

She was a meter above the ground.

But she kept going.

Her legs were burning, her shoulders and flanks were aching, her back felt numb. She couldn’t think. The voice in her head kept repeating ad nauseam. ‘Come on, you can do it. You can do it! Do it! Come on!’ She had no capacity to think of anything else; all of her concentration was focused on careful steps and pushing every bit of her meager strength into keeping the hold.

And she kept going.

Sweat was dripping from her forehead by the time she reached the third meter. On fourth it was flowing in streaks. She had to clench her eye shut to not be distracted by the saltiness. She could feel her limbs trembling. Blindly she reached a hoof in search of the opening to her right.

Nothing.

She whimpered as she realised she was still not there. Just a few more steps. Just a few.

Another step.

A muscle deep in her left hindleg suddenly exploded with pain. She let out a high-pitched squeal. Before her dulled mind could make the connection, her reflex overrode any thoughts and her right foreleg clamped over her muzzle. Or at least tried to. As soon as her grip loosened, she started sliding down. Loudly.

The surge of adrenaline hit her like a punch to the face. The zebra immediately slammed her hooves on the wall and pushed against it with all her might. She stopped. The pain in her hindleg was unbearable. Her jaw muscles hurt from clenching her teeth. She didn’t dare open her eye. She could feel the burst of strength rapidly depleting. She had to get up there now or never.

Another step.

She decided to do it quickly - the noise she just made during her fall was louder than a fast climb. She could only hope no one had taken notice of it.

Another step.

She couldn’t feel her left hindleg from pelvis to the knee. Only a numb feeling around her hoof made her aware she was still able to use it for climbing.

Another step.

The muscles on her back started shaking hard. She could feel they were nearly gone just like the hindleg.

Another step.

She stopped sweating; only a feeling of a thin, salty crust covering her neck and face persisted.

Another step.

The pulse in her head was slowing down. She felt woozy.

Another step.

The voice in her head was filled with wrath. It was screaming at her, reminding her of the awful things she’d gone through before. Reminding her of the pain and suffering. ‘Was this really worse? Was it?!  Will this be what defeats you?! You endured so much more! You outlasted it all!’

“And you never. Ever. Cried!”

Her hoof reached a flat surface. She hefted herself over the edge with a muffled groan of pain and collapsed, catching air greedily with her panting muzzle.

She didn’t even notice herself drifting off to sleep.




*****




K’yopi slowly opened her eye and groaned. Her strained muscles quickly reminded her of what happened and how foolish she had been. Well, she’d done it. It would be a horrible waste of effort to go back. The filly moved her limbs one by one and winced as her left hindleg painfully reminded her of the climb. Once she was sure nothing was seriously damaged she returned to lying still and breathing slowly. Just a few more minutes.

Suddenly, the noise of distant, muffled music made her ears perk up. Only then did she consider how long she had been lying there. The club was open! That meant enough noise to mask her awkward shuffling in the vents. This was the perfect opportunity to do some serious snooping.

The filly lifted herself up as much as the low vent allowed and started moving with renewed purpose. A grate with a slowly spinning fan blocked the vent ahead, but fortunately right before it she saw another bend. K’yopi made her way towards the fan. She inspected the grate for any means of removal, but without tools she couldn’t do much. The bend on her right did not have a fan like that, she squeezed into it and kept moving.

Soon, K’yopi reached another grate, this one on the side of the vent. Beyond it and below she could see part of a room. A large bed filled the view; she saw intense movement under the covers. The filly didn’t need a wild imagination to guess what was happening. She resumed crawling.

Another few meters, another grate, another room, and another bed. She froze at what she saw. A young mare was lying on the bed, her hooves bound close to her body with ropes. Her eyes were covered with a rag, a thick metal ring around her horn. The mare’s golden coat bore signs of struggle. Her red mane was disheveled and matted with sweat. The filly didn’t recognize her. Did they already bring another poor pony to replace her? Another life forced to endure these awful things happening here? K’yopi could only swear to help her and the others like her.

The mare struggled against her bindings. It was futile - they were too tight. She whimpered, then called out. 

“I am resisting arrest officer! You’ll have to use force. Please.” 

The zebra blinked.

A stallion came into view, one of the ‘entertainers’ she knew from her time here. He was wearing a uniform not unlike the one worn by the station’s police. 

K’yopi groaned as she planted her face into the vent below her with a soft thud. She didn’t stay to watch the arrest.

Another room. This one, fortunately, was not in use. Briefly she considered kicking the grate out and jumping down. Maybe the staff didn’t know she had escaped - maybe they just thought the Duke’s people had moved her somewhere else. The zebra lay there, staring into the empty room and considering her options. No, it was too risky. Even if they didn’t go after her immediately, she couldn't get back into the vent from the outside without help, and exiting through the doors was out of the question. She would have to keep using the vents.

The filly knew she was running out of rooms on this floor. Either she found something useful now or she’d have to go higher.

She couldn’t do another climb like that.

Last room on this side of the building. As soon as she reached the grate, she heard the door below slam closed. The filly looked down at the bed and recognized another pony. It was Sapphire, one of the crystal ponies she knew. The stallion was sitting on the bed and cleaning his face with a hot towel. A voice called out from beyond K’yopi’s line of sight.

“Well, that was uneventful. I swear, if I got a credit for every young hotshot coming in thinking they are some kind of sex machine that can last longer in a threesome than it takes me to warm up, I’d open my own place by now!”

Sapphire tossed the towel on the bed and pointed a hoof at his invisible conversation partner. “Come on Smokey, you can’t blame him for wanting something new.” He picked up a discarded bathrobe and put it on. “Besides, he was kinda cute.”

“Looks aren’t everything, you know that!” K’yopi watched the stallion track the speaker, who continued talking. “Not bolting out after fifteen minutes is a plus too. I never saw a grownup griffin cry before.” There was an elongated pause before the voice resumed again. “At least that means we have forty five minutes of lazy time!”

Sapphire stretched his forelegs wide and let out a satisfied moan. “I won’t mind at all mistress Smokey.” He deftly dodged the pillow tossed his way and chuckled, then pointed a hoof. “Cranky ‘cause you didn’t get any attention, are you?”

“Shut up, cocksucker.” Another figure came into view. Smokey was a unicorn, known for her no nonsense attitude and voluminous stature. She sat down next to Sapphire with two glasses held in her magic and offered one to the stallion. “Drink up.”

Sapphire held the glass in his hoof as he watched the mare take a swing from hers. “Whiskey so early? Wow, you really are pissed.”

The chubby mare grunted and took another sip. She leaned down to put the glass on the floor before turning around and lying on the bed with her back up.

Sapphire shrugged and took a sip from his own glass, then looked at the mare. “You know, if you want someone to give you proper attention you might still get your chance.” He grinned. “Scuttlebutt says Satin will appear tonight. And you know how she is. She loves her mares.” Sapphire took another sip of the golden liquid. “Just make sure you know what you are saying or else your ass is grass.” An unnaturally loud, wet slap reverberated through the room and the vents as Sapphire hit his hoof on Smokey’s buttcheek.

K’yopi didn’t listen to the following curses from the mare and the stallion’s laugh. She’d heard enough.

Satin.

She knew Satin and Satin knew her.

Satin was the reason why K’yopi sometimes woke up screaming at night, drenched in cold sweat.

Satin knew K’yopi very well.

Satin was the Duke’s right hoof - she’d lead the Freaks towards their goal.

The filly’s body started to crawl back automatically. Her mind was too occupied by racing thoughts to think of her movement.




*****




K’yopi slid out of the vent back first and landed on the trash bin with a thud. She gasped as her strained hindleg gave out and slid from underneath her. The filly lost balance, tumbling off the container and onto the street below with a loud yelp.

“Stupid leg.” She hissed through gritted teeth as she stood up, then started moving the numb limb. It felt stiff; she started walking in place, then trotting. Finally, the pain eased and the feeling in her hindleg returned. It still ached, but at the very least she could walk on all fours again.

“You! You little shit!” A harsh voice called out, making the zebra jump in surprise. She turned quickly at the source and saw a stallion. He was a burly unicorn wearing a black tracksuit with four white stripes running through the length of it and a black bandana covering his mane. The one that had savaged her in this very alley two nights ago.

K’yopi’s pupil shrunk at the sight. She started backing away blindly.

The stallion snarled and began advancing, malice in his posture. The punishment for being caught would be severe.

She screamed as her rump bumped into a wall. 

The stallion’s lips parted into a vicious grin. “What? Those freaks abandoned you? Why don’t you come back where you truly belong, huh?”

K’yopi closed her eye and shivered, his voice making her imagination run in a direction she did not need - now, or ever. The filly whimpered. “N-no.” She found herself paralyzed; her brain was yelling at her to run, to do something. But her body refused to move, only shaking from the icy chill of fear.

“That’s right. You’ll be back doing the only thing you are good for in no time.” The voice was moving closer. It made her feel as if every orifice in her body had been violated by a flood of freezing water. A cold, metal ring was tightening around her brain. The black ice of terror ravaged her senses.

Suddenly, she felt a hoof grip her shoulder. In an instant, her body stopped shivering. She snapped her healthy eye open and saw the stallion’s leering face. The sight was enough to send her body into panic-driven overdrive.

K’yopi felt like a passenger in her own body as her muscles contracted, driven by an unseen force. As if in slow motion, she watched as the stallion smiled and raised his hoof to strike her, only to roar in pain and recoil when her own teeth buried themselves in the side of his neck.

The next thing she felt was the taste of blood in her mouth and a sensation of motion. Her body was already running down the alleyway when she regained control of it. 

“You little bitch! I’ll have you flayed alive!” The beast’s voice was right behind her.

She ran, heedless of the injured leg. That was the only thing she could do. There was no other way out. The alley was leading into a bigger street. She could see silhouettes moving ahead. This was her chance; she could lose him in the crowded market.

The zebra burst into the busy street at the maximum speed she could sustain. She didn’t have time to look around. She ran straight ahead, aiming for the kiosks and stalls. 

Fresh food, so hard to obtain in Miner’s Prospect. Fish, fruits and grains. Black market delicacies smuggled into the station. K’yopi didn’t pay any attention to any of it as she dodged and weaved through the crowd with difficulty. Behind her, surprised passers-by yelled obscenities as she caused a ruckus, only to be cut short by the thug chasing her pushing through them a second later.

The filly was flanked by rows of shops on both sides and a crowd of people ahead. She gritted her teeth as she dove down and slid between the legs of an oblivious minotaur. As soon as the filly regained her footing she looked behind her, only to see her pursuer shove the same minotaur aside and continue his chase.

K’yopi couldn’t hear her own thoughts over the racket of the market and the pounding of her heart. But then, she didn’t think of anything but escape. She had to run or face the wrath and brutality. Hurt hindleg or not.The street ahead opened into a bigger square. The heart of the market. It was free of solid obstacles like stalls, but it was filled with people. She lowered her head forward and forced herself to run faster. This could be her chance.

Finally, she reached the square. As soon as she dove into the crowd she quietly cursed her own coat. She stood out like a sore hoof. Maybe if they were all zebra she’d have had a chance to blend in. No such luck. She was the only striped equine on this deck - maybe even the entire station - at least she was small. Keeping her head low, she made her way towards the middle of the square, where the crowd looked densest. It was becoming hard to push through, but when the filly looked back she couldn’t see her pursuer. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Three, Donner, Blitz. Where are you?” Her voice was weak and laboured; the noise of the crowd drowned it out. The run made her lungs burn, her legs ache and her swollen eye sting. But she kept pushing through the crowd. She knew how to move through it unseen - it was a skill every pickpocket had to master quickly - but this was too dense even for her. It was nearly solid by now; she had to crawl between legs or force herself between bodies. Every now and then someone looked down with surprise or curiosity. 

Most were indifferent.

She kept going. Suddenly, she stepped into the open. Before her, she saw a trio of griffins. Two female and one male. The male was broad, his sculpted musculature accentuated by a tight skinsuit. He was balancing on his thick foreleg, his entire body standing on it upside down, his hindlegs spread wide and high above him. On each hindleg, using only one of their own, stood one of the females. Their suits were just as tight and reminded K’yopi of some of the rubbery outfits she’d seen during her time at the club. They were leaning back towards each other and supporting themselves by the other’s intertwined talons while their free hind legs were outstretched for balance. Each of them held a torch lit up on both ends in their beak. The trio’s wings were bound with synthleather straps.

K’yopi stopped and stared. Even the fear of the immediate threat somehow failed to keep her moving. She had never seen anything like it. It was obvious neither had the other spectators. This, apparently, was the cause of the dense gathering.

She watched, flabbergasted, as the females slowly rotated their bodies until they were bending forward without breaking their grips, the flames of the torches shining bright. Meanwhile, the large male reached out his free foreleg and grabbed another torch, put it in his beak, then reached out for a lighter and lit it up. Then he started doing press ups.

The crowd, zebra included, gasped aloud. She couldn’t fathom it. The tricks mares and stallions from the club performed on steel poles were nothing compared to this. They were just so graceful in their movements - even the large male who was nearly as big as Blitz and Donner. With her head held high, K’yopi was stunned at the display.

The thug that had been chasing her emerged from the crowd off to the side, moving between her and the performers. For a split second, the filly didn’t know what to do.

Their eyes met. Instantly, the stallion lunged at the filly, forelegs outstretched. She screamed and jumped back; his hooves missed her face by a hair’s width. The thug landed in a heap with a groan, but quickly started to get up.

K’yopi looked around. The crowd of spectators was creating a ring around the two of them and the three performers. She couldn’t see an opening. 

There was only one way to go.

“Oh this is so not fun.” She kicked her hooves and ran straight at the crouching stallion. With deft moves she ran up on the stallion’s back, then kicked again, using him as a springboard and jumped off. Right through the gap between the three performers. She could have sworn she saw one of the females balking as their eyes briefly locked.

The zebra sailed to the other side to the applause of a hundred people. As she landed, the crowd opened to let her through. She used the momentum of her jump to propel herself forward, away from the square.

The angry cry was all the confirmation she needed to know that she was not in the clear yet. The street she took was leading out of the market, the stalls and the crowd were thinner here. She could run in a straight line now.

So could he. And given he was nearly twice her size, he was gaining.

Her muscles ached, still not recovered from the arduous climb. She was getting more and more tired; she knew she couldn’t keep this pace for much longer. Her instincts told her to get out of his sight, find someplace to hide, but he was too close. There was no way she'd lose him in the open like this.

Just as she considered that, she spotted something big moving ahead. An elderly stallion hooked up to a gravcart stacked with prefab crates began crossing the street from one of the shopfronts. The huge cargo blocked almost the entire width of the street.

The filly summoned another burst of speed from her failing body. Just as she was about to collide with the gravcart she locked her legs and hunched down. Her teeth chattered as her hooves slid on the pavement and the gravcart sailed above her. She tried to stand up and resume running, but she had too much momentum. With a squeak of surprise the zebra tripped and toppled to the ground.

She couldn’t stay down - not when he was so close. 

As she rose to her hooves she heard a sound of smashing. The noise of broken crates and the cries of the cart driver made it clear that her pursuer was attempting to go straight through.

A T-junction could be seen ahead. The way forward was blocked by a metal railing. Beyond it, a rectangle of huge open air gap was visible, easily a few hundred meters deep, with a massive wall on the other side. This must have been the edge of this deck. She was right next to one of the main cargo thoroughfares.

K’yopi slid to a halt by the railing. From here she could see the enormity of the thoroughfare. A giant tunnel running through the station. Tall and wide enough to allow starships to cruise through, many of them as big or even bigger than the one the Freaks used as a base. Every now and then, one ship or another would fly past with the deafening sound of engines at the leisurely pace enforced by the station’s authorities. The filly frantically searched for another way out. To her left was a maintenance catwalk, unfortunately locked with a gate and padlock. To her right, another street running along the thoroughfare’s railing. She whimpered as she realized that route was gated off for construction work. She looked down. Around twelve meters below her she saw another deck protruding from the sloping wall of the thoroughfare.

The sound of smashing crates was growing faster.

K’yopi bit her lip and stepped a first trembling leg over the railing. Down was the only way. She screamed and hugged the railing close as a wave of air displaced by a passing cargo hauler almost made her lose her grip. She dared to look down again and gulped as the wind threw around her thick dreads.

It was too high. She knew she’d break her legs if she jumped. But there was no other way out. For a split second, the filly considered surrendering. These thoughts were swiftly cast out when her body remembered what had happened after much smaller infractions.

He was getting through - she had to find a way out fast.

The zebra looked around again. Maybe she could force the padlock on the maintenance door open? No, she was already weak and she had nothing to leverage it with. She looked to the other side, towards the construction area. A bright yellow plastic chute used for removal of debris was attached to the railing. She didn’t realise what it was at first, but now that she took a closer look, she noticed that the chute went all the way to a garbage bin on the level below. This was her way out.

A bellowing roar grabbed her attention. The stallion from before had finally broken through the cart and was barreling towards her, bloodlust in his eyes. The filly gasped as she jumped off the railing and tumbled to the ground, just in time for the stallion to miss her and collide with the metal bars. K’yopi used his momentary blunder to get to her hooves and sprint towards the chute. As she climbed in, she dearly hoped the bottom would not empty into a pile of discarded rebar.

The chute bent and clattered as she went sliding down. Before she could think of bracing herself, it spat her out onto a pile of ruined plaster and construction wool. That didn’t mean the landing was pleasant. K’yopi groaned in pain as her muscles reminded her of just how much running and climbing she’d done in the last hour. 

She coughed fiercely to clear her lungs of the dust cloud her landing raised. “Shit.”

The chute she’d just used started to clatter again. 

“Shit!”

The filly grunted painfully as she clambered out of the garbage bin and started hobbling along the thoroughfare. On her right, a solid wall plastered with old posters and colourful graffiti. On her left, a giant open space with fast moving spaceships. And behind, one very angry and very dangerous stallion.

The zebra clumsily ran the only way she could: straight ahead. She nearly lost her balance as another passing starship blew her away. The traffic here was heavy; she could see an intersection with another thoroughfare a hundred meters ahead. If only she reached that point she could turn right and lose line of sight to her pursuer. Maybe then she could quickly hide somewhere - a nook or cranny between the pipes and supports. She was good at hiding.

And she had no other ideas.

She ran, wincing every other step until the wall on her right disappeared into open space of the second thoroughfare.

There was no right turn.

A railing on her left.

A railing out front.

A wall to her right.

And the stallion behind.

“No!” Her hooves frantically tapped the railing as if to search for a hidden button for a secret passage. She did the same with the wall on her right, but only a faded propaganda poster showing a young, beaming mare driving a tractor was there.

She looked down over the railing. The previous drop had looked like it would have left her in a crippled state. This one was bound to leave her in a liquid state.

“End of the line you little whore.” The stallion’s horn lit up and a large serrated knife floated up in his telekinesis. He took a menacing step forward. “You’re coming back with me.” He kept advancing.

Her single pupil shrank at the sight of the blade. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen it. She paced around in panic from railing to wall, then to railing and wall again. The stallion was coming closer step by step, clearly enjoying her fear. He was less than ten meters away.

She clawed her hooves at the wall, ripping the old poster to shreds. “Help! Someone please!” She quickly stepped to the railing and waved her forelegs frantically at the passing starships. “I am here! Please!”

None showed any signs of slowing down.

“You best do yourself a favour and not resist, or I will have to drag your sliced carcass all the way back.” He sliced the air with the blade as he advanced closer.

K’yopi let go off the wall and turned to the stallion. She didn’t know what to think; her hooves carried her away from the thug until her rump hit the railing. She half turned and looked down into the abyss. The filly hung her head and faced the stallion. Her voice was weak, barely audible over the noisy environment.

“Okay…”

She took a step forward. Then another. The stallion stopped and watched the zebra make his way towards him. Step by step the filly was getting closer. Her legs were heavy. Her muscles ached. Her lungs burned. All from the exhaustion of the chase.

She stopped just a meter from the thug.

“That’s right, nice and easy. You’ll be back home soon enough.” He reached out a hoof to grab her.

K’yopi looked up at the stallion. Her single healthy eye was wide open, filled with anger and contempt.

“Over. My. Dead. Body!” With a pump of her legs she rushed the larger stallion directly.

He pulled a malicious grimace, raising the knife.

The zebra collided with the thug. She felt a lash of pain on her right cheek. The stallion didn’t fall thanks to his larger stature, but the clatter of the knife dropping to the concrete told her that it had been enough to surprise him.

Using the last reserves of strength the zebra rebounded herself off the larger pony and started galloping the opposite way.

Towards the drop.

Mere meters before reaching the edge, just as she was about to squeeze her eye shut before the jump, she spotted a tiny, glowing sphere of blue energy appearing directly before her.

With a poof of sparkles the sphere turned into a unicorn.

A unicorn with a very cocky grin on his muzzle.

Three’s smirk instantly turned into a surprised frown as he realised K’yopi was about to slam straight into him at full speed.

Half a second later they both lay sprawled on the ground in a tangle of limbs and hurt.

“I don’t know where you came from, or who the fuck you are, but you are going to pay just like this little slut.” The burly stallion walked into Three’s field of view, the large knife held in his magic.

Three let out a pained groan before looking up at the stallion. “That is no way to talk in the presence of a lady. Especially when there are two of them around.”  He raised his left foreleg and pointed over the thug’s shoulder.

The stallion whipped around instantly. The blade followed. No more than a meter away was the monster that had knocked him out cold in the alley two nights ago.

The creature grinned.

He pointed the oversized knife at her threateningly. “Just what kind of freak are you?!”

The deep voice came from behind. “The last you’ll ever see.”

The stallion turned around yet again. Instead of the strange unicorn and the zebra his entire field of vision was filled with a metallic mask. Its featureless eye sockets stared straight at him.

With a roar the stallion swung his weapon at the creature. It hit something with a meaty sound and went in deep. He took a step back and let out a laugh. “I’m not afraid of you.”

Blitz brought his left forepaw up and stared at the knife impaled through his paw. The weapon had sunk all the way to the hilt; thick orange blood seeped from the wound. Less than half of the now orange-coated blade was pointing out of the exit wound on the other side. 

The giant slowly rotated the paw, inspecting it closely as if one would inspect a rare jewel. He shifted his mask at the attacker. The stallion was staring at the blade too. His muzzle was wide open in disbelief.

Donner slightly angled her head at Blitz as if asking a silent question. The large male effortlessly pulled the knife from his paw and tossed it away over the edge, then raised his right foreleg. In a split second a set of five claws appeared, each nearly as big as the knife. Donner mimicked the gesture, adding her own quintet.

Three moved his hoof to cover K’yopi’s healthy eye.

The twelve hyperturbine engines of a humongous freighter rising from below the edge of the deck drowned out the screams.




*****




K’yopi winced as Three’s magic attached a small plaster under her right eye. The cut was not deep enough to require stitching, but it would leave a mark. The Freaks were heading back towards the club that they had been busy watching before the juvenile zebra decided to take matters in her own hooves.

“You were fortunate the blade missed your eye.” Donner spoke without looking back at her.

The filly was currently being carried on the huge female’s back. She nodded and stood up, resting her forelegs on Donner’s head. “I know, I-I didn’t know what else to do.”

Blitz, who was walking alongside, slightly angled his head at the zebra. “You were fortunate we found you.”

His tone was level as always, but that slight angle of his head and the implied consideration it gave her made K’yopi wince. “I’m sorry. But… I had it! I had it almost all the way until the end!” She grabbed Donner’s fluffy ears and squeezed, prompting the female to let out a low grunt of annoyance accompanied by a quick flick of her long tail. “I know how we can trace the Duke!”

Three, who had been following behind the two giants, stepped forward in an attempt to squeeze himself between Blitz and Donner. The latter tried to block him with her massive wing, but to no avail. “Are you saying you managed to outwit and outmaneuver the entire security force of a location of such great importance to our adversary?” 

K’yopi looked down at the stallion from her mobile perch and bit her lip. “I mean… There weren’t any guards really. And I didn’t have to do a lot of… outwitting.” She nodded and continued with conviction in her voice. “But I know what we need to do now.” 

Three’s face lit up. “You do? Oh most wondrous of news! You performed splendid work K!” He quickly added, “I mean, you could have avoided almost getting stabbed to death. Or almost falling to your death. But splendid work indeed!”

Donner shook her shoulders, making the filly’s hold on her ears tighten in reflex. The huge creature didn’t seem to mind anymore. “The risk you took was severe, and you almost paid for it.”  The bushy end of the long, leonine tail briefly rested on the zebra’s shoulder. “Deciding to be aggressive enough, quickly enough, is the hallmark of a sharp mind.”

“It was foolish to go alone.” The voice came from Blitz, who was staring ahead as the group walked. “You did better than any of us.” If the giant had anything else to say he did not elaborate.

Three looked between the two before smiling up at the filly again. “See? Even Blitz thinks you did good!”

The filly felt a strange sensation in her chest; it felt as if she were about to pop like a balloon. Only after a few moments did she realise it was pride. She looked at Three’s grinning face, Blitz’s enigmatic mask and Donner’s fluffy ears. “I, umm…” She nervously licked her top lip. “Ummm… Thanks guys?”

Three returned to watching the street ahead. “You’re welcome!”

The group was nearing the club where Satin was supposed to appear. From the opposite end of the large street they could see that a line of people was already gathering at the main entrance. Every now and then someone skipped the queue and went straight in as the bouncers opened the door in front of them.

K’yopi took in a deep breath. “We need to go after Satin.” She attempted to mask her cracking voice

It didn’t work.

Donner shook her wings as the four of them rounded a corner and headed for the same cafe they used for observation earlier. “Who is this Satin?”

The filly continued from her perch. “S-she’s the Duke’s right hoof. The biggest, baddest and meanest person on Miner’s Prospect.” She took another deep breath. Even thinking about Satin made her nervous. “She’s supposed to appear here tonight. If we could shadow her she’d lead us directly to the Duke.”

“Are you certain she’ll be here tonight?” Blitz’s head was turned towards the crowded entrance, regarding the gathering.

“Yes! I overheard some workers talking about it! They got their best staff ready. Satin is coming!” Suddenly she realised her throat was dry.

Satin was coming. 

The memories struck again. A cocktail of bone-chilling dread, mute fury and crippling helplessness washed over the filly’s thoughts. She felt shivers dart down her spine. A familiar grip of helplessness in her gut. Phantom pains connected to long healed marks of violence and mistreatment clenched like strong hands. She knew that even in the far future, long after she’d forgotten the traumas and long after she’d made peace with the nightmares, it would all come rushing back like an avalanche if she ever again heard that name, even just that word.

She realised she was staring into nothingness. A blink later she was back in the real world. Only the choked terror deep in her gut and uneasy sensation of filth remained. She swallowed hard and addressed the closest of her companions. “We just need to follow Satin back to the Black Knights’ headquarters and we will find the Duke.”

Blitz’s mask was facing her directly. “Do you know what Satin looks like?”

She drew a short breath and nodded. “She’s a mino! She’s taller than you! Has huge muscles and even bigger horns!” K’yopi raised her forelegs to mimic two horns erecting from her temples. “Look for a silver coat with black spots, impossible to miss. Oh! She also has a robot eye.”

Donner let out an amused snort. “Finally. Sounds like something challenging to kill.” Her huge wings raised, then grabbed the zebra on her back and deposited her on the seat by the cafe’s table.

Three took the seat right next to the filly. He then put on his usual slasher smile before raising a hoof and waving at a waitress. It was the same poor mare that served the Freaks’ table before. Once he had whispered a few words into the waitress’ ear the unicorn looked back at his companions. “Well, that does indeed sound like an exceedingly hard to miss persona.” He glanced at the filly. “And why is this Satin coming here exactly?”

K’yopi held her forehooves close to her chest, looking down in an attempt to avoid Three’s eyes. The unicorn’s smile vanished as he connected the dots quickly. “Oh.” 

He looked up at Blitz and Donner who sat on the opposite side of the round table. He leaned forward slightly, just enough to free his back off the chair. His face was perfectly still; only his deep blue eyes moved between the giants from beneath half closed eyelids. Tiny, hair-sized lightning bolts arced along his curved horn. His voice was quiet, with a razor thin delivery as he addressed them. “You will annihilate that thing the moment she brings us to the Duke.”

Donner raised her forepaw. “What are yo-”

His eyes threateningly flashed with magical energy. “Do it.”

The large female let out a low growl, resting the forepaw back on the table, her tail was cutting circles in the air behind her. Meanwhile, Blitz readjusted his position and nodded. “Very well. We will do as you ask.”

The shaking voice of the waitress cut the uncomfortable silence. “T-two pitchers of mineral water, cup of green t-tea and an extra large Strawberry F-fantasia?” 

Three’s cold expression immediately vanished, replaced by his trademark slightly-too-large smile as he looked at the waitress. “Thank you dear! I’ll wave you if we need anything else.” Three’s magic levitated the orders to each recipient as the waitress made herself scarce.

K’yopi looked up at the large glass which landed in front of her. Tiny droplets of condensation slowly ran down the sides. It was filled to the brim with a mushy, light pink liquid while the top was adorned with a hefty serving of thick, white fluffiness that was spilling over the edge of the glass. To end the effect, its rim was adorned with a red, triangular fruit covered in tiny specks and a long plastic straw that looped and bent on itself at least three times.

The zebra blinked at the unusual sight. She had never seen anything like it before in her entire life, and certainly never drank anything like it. She turned to face Three with a questioning look.

The unicorn nodded with a thin smile. “Go ahead dear, it’s for you. I figured that you’d need a little pick me up after that horrendous ordeal.” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. “It’s made of cow juice.”

The filly greedily chomped on the fantastical straw. A second later her eye rolled backwards and her forehooves happily tapped on the table.

Blitz turned his covered face between Donner and Three, then spoke with a measured voice. “The important question now remains. How do we get the information about the Duke’s whereabouts from Satin?”

“We go in right now and beat it out of her!” Donner’s paw slammed the table, making Three’s cup clatter on its saucer. “That way we will obtain the initiative and be able to strike before the Knights can prepare!”

Three clicked his tongue. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, Donny, but I am afraid such a plan would be a foolish one.” If the unicorn noticed the large female scowling at the unsolicited pet name, he did not show it. Instead he just continued, smile oblivious as always. “The Duke knows someone is going after his operations by now. After all, me claiming the bounty on Mother was quite a high profile event.” He nodded as if congratulating himself.

Just before Donner could growl at the stallion, Blitz added dryly, “He’s right. Mostly. We have to assume that disrupting this place would only justify the gang’s suspicions. And if we go after Satin we will leave no doubt as to who is our target.”

Donner forced out a breath through her nostrils before crossing her forelegs across her chest. She spoke quietly, yet with a noticeable undertone of annoyance in her voice. “We do not have other options. Going through the main door seems to be the only way.” The female somehow relaxed her posture as she pointed an accusatory claw at Three. “What would you have us do then? Threaten her? She is too tough for that. Use a bribe? We do not have enough credits. Sneak in? None of us can do that!” Her massive wings flared briefly, startling a group of nearby ponies.

“I can do that,” K’yopi called out, before tossing the red fruit into her mouth. Her healthy eye blinked in surprise as she chewed. Her companions watched her swallow before she wiped the trace amount of milkshake from her lips and nodded. “I snuck in there after all. Shadowing someone is not much different!”

Three raised a hoof to protest. “And you almost got eviscerated, K! Did you ever think of what would have happened if I hadn’t come to save you?” The unicorn ignored an exasperated sigh from Donner.

The zebra whipped her face at the stallion. “I had it under control! All I had to do was to jump down on that freighter! Her juvenile voice cracked at the high pitch. “If I did, Blitz wouldn’t have been stabbed!”

The masked giant laid his left forepaw on the table. The stab wound was still visible, but the bleeding had stopped long ago. He didn’t seem to show any signs of it causing him pain or discomfort. “And you would have broken all your legs, then likely gotten spaced as the freighter left the station with you ly-”

The abrupt slam of small hooves on the table caused Three to jump in his seat. “I know how to take care of myself!” The zebra was breathing heavily, staring straight at Blitz’s emotionless mask. Her red eye was wide open with anger. “I’ve been on my own my entire life! Do you think I would have been here to talk with you if I didn’t know how to do it?!” Her voice was rising in pitch and volume with each sentence. “I might not be huge or strong or have weird powers or anything! But I’ve been through SO. MUCH. SHIT.” The filly’s hooves slammed the table with each word. “I learned how to float on it! So please! Stop! Treating! Me! Like! A! CHILD!” She reached for the now empty milkshake glass and swiped it off the table. As it broke on the ground she let out a frustrated cry before standing up and hurrying away.

Donner slowly rotated her head until she was staring at her masked companion. “Sie hat recht, das weißt du schon oder?”

Three stood up quickly, casting his glance at the shattered glass first before shifting it to Blitz. “I do believe the expression she would like me to use would be…” He creased his eyebrows in thought for a second, then offered a pleasant smile. “You fucked up.” The stallion trotted after the zebra. Fortunately she wasn’t far; he could see her striped head poking up over the crowd on the other side of the street. As soon as he reached her it was clear why.




*****




K’yopi was sitting on the roof of a small vehicle, popular in the crowded insides of the Miner’s Prospect. Three had learned the locals called them tuk-tuks. Why? He had no clue.

“Leave me alone.” The filly called out from her perch before the unicorn had a chance to say anything. She pointedly turned away as he opened his mouth to speak. “I don’t want to talk with anyone right now.” The slight timbre in her voice betrayed her anger, still simmering.

Three clamped his mouth shut and looked around. He was too big and too heavy to climb after the zebra so he had to sit down on the curb. The stallion bit his lip, wrangling his mind on how to approach the filly. Three days ago he had never met a teenager before; now he was trying to think of a way to placate one. It filled him with a feeling he loathed. A feeling that stood directly in opposition to his core principles.

He was nervous.

Moreso, he couldn’t understand why she made him feel like that. Many things made him nervous. Of course, he never showed it. But he always could understand the reason why they were making him nervous, and with that knowledge he could brave them.

This time, he had no idea why he felt like that. And that made him afraid.

It also made him frustrated. Why? Why did this little zebra stir such visceral emotions in him? His mind couldn’t explain it. He cared for her of course. She was fun to be around, definitely more than the other two. She was also clever and resourceful, something Three had attributed to his brilliant guidance. But deep down, he knew he was lying to himself. 

It was something else. A deeply rooted feeling of belonging he felt with the zebra. An unspoken bond between two individuals connected by the virtue of surviving the worst life had to offer. Their pasts were as different as day and night, but they had one common element.

The will to endure.

To him she felt like a-

“Sibling? Donner must be his sibling.” The filly was speaking in a barely audible tone, her gaze focused on the street. “I mean, what else could they be? The way they look, the way they act and most importantly the way they fight.” She let out an elongated moan of annoyance. “They are not a couple! Maybe they are clones? Is that how clones work?”

The stallion blinked. “Excuse me?”

The filly threw her forelegs up with frustration. “Clones! Like in the holovids. That’s a thing, right?” 

The side of her face Three was able to see seemed calmer now. He slowly shook his head. “No, not really. As far as I am aware, only Avalon uses cloning technology and only for medical cases such as limb or organ replacements.”

K’yopi rolled her eye at the stallion. “Right. Whatever. Right now they act like they own me.” Her frown deepened again. “I’ve had enough of people owning me and my body.” Her striped foreleg reached into one of many pockets on her jumpsuit and retrieved the cigarette pack. She flicked the lid open and pulled out one orange-white piece with her lips. Her other foreleg started tapping the jumpsuit’s pockets, but after a brief search the filly stopped and let out another groan of annoyance. She turned her head down fully towards the unicorn for the first time since he arrived. “Can I have a light?”

The stallion looked down at his bare body. “I… uh, no.”

“Three.” Her voice had lost its edge; it sounded tired now.

“What?” He looked up again at the filly, his face full of uncertainty.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she tapped a hoof on her forehead.

The unicorn blinked. “Oh!” Instantly, a tiny lightning arced along his horn. Simultaneously, a blue glow of magic enveloped the tip of the cigarette the filly held between her lips. Half a second later the glow disappeared, instead replaced with an orange ember.

She closed her eyes and pulled. After a few seconds she breathed out the gray cloud and looked down at the unicorn. “Did you come to tell me I should get back? Or to watch over me?”

Three stood up and fidgeted from hoof to hoof. “I… No.” He took a deep breath. “Listen, K’yopi. I-I just wanted to…” His tongue felt like it was tripping over itself. “I just wanted to say that I think your idea is good. We really do not have other options.”

She took another drag before flicking off the ash at the end of the cigarette. “And you really think that?”

“Yes! It’s very risky, but you showed that you can do it. I…” A brief thought occurred to the unicorn. He had never said anything like that before. “I believe in you.”

The filly’s head angled in curiosity as her eye flickered. “And you really mean that?”

The vigorous nod from the stallion did not leave any illusions. “Yes! Absolutely! You’re smart and crafty and you know this station like none of us! If anyone can pull something like that off, it's you!” He offered her a smile. Not like the one he usually had, filled with an aura of superiority and self assured preconception of always being right. This one was earnest, reassuring.

It was honest.

The filly’s eyebrows went up. She was puzzled, almost lost at what to think of the strange pony. This was the second time she’d managed a glimpse at the stallion behind the brick facade built of cockiness and confidence. A shocking contrast to his daily disposition.

Yet, she found the feeling evaporate quickly. Instead it was pushed out by something else. Something strange she hadn’t felt in a very long time. 

A sense of trust.

This stallion trusted her. She couldn’t explain how she knew it, but she knew his trust in her was final. She’d felt trust before, misplaced of course. Long ago she’d trusted Mother and many others she’d met in life. She had been too young to understand that they were abusing that trust. But watching this pony below her, his warm smile and his soft blue eyes, she realised she felt an even more alien emotion.

The feeling of safety.

“Well? Do I have to grab you with my magic and pull you down?”

His voice brought her out of her thoughts. She took one more drag of the cigarette before tossing it away, then slid down from her perch to the street below, right next to the unicorn. She watched him closely; he was still smiling. “Umm.. Three?” She rubbed her forehoves on one another. “Thanks.” The zebra felt herself dragged towards the stallion as his horn lit up. Before she had a chance to protest Three wrapped his forelegs around her small form, holding her tightly. She flinched in fear at first, her mind conjuring horrible memories, but at his touch, they were banished as quickly as they appeared. The warmth of his body and the feeling of his neck rubbing against hers. His hooves gently rested on her back, pushing her close to his chest where she could feel his beating heart.

She let out a soft sigh as her muscles relaxed. Her mind attempted to run a hundred thoughts at once again, but she willed herself to ignore them. Only the closeness of the unicorn occupied her thoughts and senses now. She felt a sudden shiver shake her body.

Three spoke in alarm. “I am sorry!” He started to back away.

“No!” Now it was her turn to grab him close. “No, it’s not that. Please, it’s okay.” She spoke in a calm, soothing voice as she rested her chin on his shoulder and sniffed.

“It’s okay.”




Chapter 3




Claudia’s common room was quiet. Only the faint rattle of ventilation and the distant humm of the reactor could be heard. Blitz sat on the couch with his legs folded under his body, while Donner lay spread on her back across the nearby stairs. The screen on the nearby wall was showing a muted rerun of last year’s Polocrosse Grand Championship Cup. Neither of the giants paid any attention to it. Just as the female was about to roll over, the door to the cargo hold burst open.

Three quickly walked inside. He was nearly on the tips of his hooves, switching from leg to leg in a nervous dance-like routine. He looked at the two creatures and gasped. “How can you two just lie there?” The unicorn stepped around the table and towards the stairs, giving Donner an accusatory glare. “She’s not here yet. Something bad must have happened!” His horn lit up and the stallion turned into the small sphere of energy. It zipped in front of Blitz then turned into the unicorn again. “Don’t just sit here! Something went wrong!”

Donner watched the frantic pony with amusement from under her half lidded eyes. A small grin was spreading across her muzzle.

Three lit up his horn again and materialized by the door he had just come in through. He peered into the cargo hold, back into the room, then again into the cargo hold. He disappeared again. The energy sphere shifted in front of Blitz, yet again and yet again the unicorn appeared. “What if she got captured by the Knights?!” He sat down and ran both of his forehooves down his face. “What if they are doing horrible things to her right now?!” 

Donner waved her paw at the air above her. “You convinced us to let her go on her own. Now you are the one who is having second thoughts?” She threw her limbs out in a mighty stretch before rolling on her side and facing the unicorn. “Either be quiet or leave this room. You are more annoying than usual.”

The stallion’s eyes bulged out at the female. “Annoying? Annoying?!” He took a step forward, then another, all the while pointing an accusatory hoof at the large creature. His voice was filled with disbelief. “It seems to me I am the only sane one around here! You just... just…” He stopped and moved the hoof between Blitz and Donner. “...Lie here all day and laze about! You… you… faineant felines!”

The female let out a hiss and swiped a paw at the unicorn, only for him to straighten up and light up his horn in return. Her reply was to extract the five deadly claws with which the paw was armed. She followed with a long, bassy growl directed at the stallion. The stallion who immediately poured more magical energy into the horn, making it crackle with miniature lightning bolts of raw power.

Blitz had been sitting comfortably on the couch, watching the scene. His ears perked as the two began their sabre rattling. Just as Donner was about to leap on the unicorn from her perch while Three prepared to cast a spell, the large male snapped his wings wide with the poignant sound of ruffling feathers. “Enough!” Despite the mask covering his entire face, his voice was loud enough to fill the room to the brim. “We will not accomplish anything if you two kill each other right here and now!”

The female hissed, keeping her eyes glued to the unicorn. “I guarantee you I would not be the one who’d die here.”

Three’s face hardened as a particularly sizable bolt shot out wildly off his curved horn. “You want to gamble on that?”

“I said enough!” The giant male stepped down from the couch and stood between the other two. “K’yopi’s abilities are adequate for the task.” There was a short pause as the mask turned between Donner and Three. “If she really failed, she would be with the Duke. We will need anothe-”

The giant’s speech was interrupted by the shrill sound of a mechanical buzzer coming from Claudia’s PA system.

Three’s head didn’t finish turning; the unicorn’s entire body shifted into a tiny sphere of magic in a flash, disappearing through the door leading to the hold.

Without one half of the current issue present, the giant turned to face Donner. The female rolled her eyes, standing up and walking down the stairs. “You have to admit, he is annoying.” She also headed for the cargo hold.

Blitz allowed her to go first, then closely followed behind. Just before she crossed the door to the hold he spoke quietly. “It had been a long time since I saw you bear such strong opinions about someone.”

Donner’s fluffy tail smacked the ornate mask behind her. “Halt die Klappe.”

On the other side of the cargo hold, Three was already standing by the airlock’s console, ineffectually slapping his hooves on the buttons. “Come on! How do you use this infernal contraption?” 

The console replied with a sad, mocking beep.

Crackles of magic appeared on the unicorn’s horn as he threateningly narrowed his eyes at the stubborn machine. Just as he was about to blast it, a huge, cream-coloured paw reached past and tapped a sequence of buttons before flicking a red switch.

“Do not even think about it.” From her half-turned face, Donner’s single eye bore into the unicorn. However, he ignored her as the heavy door of the main airlock began to slide open. As soon as the gap was wide enough, a small form slithered in.

K’yopi ground to a halt before the trio; she was panting heavily, barely catching her breath. The filly’s entire body was coated in red.

She threw a foreleg up and struck a pose. “I did it!”

Three’s face was aghast. He clearly did not share the filly’s enthusiasm. It took him over five seconds to articulate his thoughts. “W-what happened to you! Oh goodness gracious K’yopi are you hurt?!” The stallion winked out of existence, only to appear with a flash at the zebra’s side. His hoof reached out and grabbed her face before inspecting it closely. “You are covered in blood!” His speech was rushed, almost to the point of panic. His hooves couldn’t seem to decide if they should risk touching the zebra and possibly make the wounds worse, or remain idle.

Blitz and Donner, however, were not fooled. The male nodded appreciatively at the filly, the end of his bushy tail pointing at the unicorn. “It is good that you are back. Someone was becoming quite worried.”

Donner meanwhile lowered her head to the ground level as she flapped her massive wings once, then gave the filly a large toothy grin. “Your arrival could not have been better timed.”

Three threw his head over his shoulder at the two giants. His eyes were wide and disbelieving. “This is not the time for this! Can’t you see?” He sat down only so he could point both of his forelegs at the zebra. “Blood!” Just as he did, he felt one of them squeezed tightly. Slowly, his head turned to see K’yopi pulling it down. Her eyes were closed as she placed it carefully on her chest and hugged it.

“It’s okay, Three. I’m fine. It’s not blood.”

“It isn’t?”

“No silly, I had to dive into a trash container.” She let go of the leg and opened her healthy eye. “It was full of old tomatoes.”

The unicorn balked. “Tomawhats?”

She shook her head in disbelief as she reached out the airlock’s console and flipped the switch, then headed for the common room. “Never mind. I’m okay. Come on!”

He watched her go, expression quickly shifting between worry, confusion and curiosity. It repeated that cycle at least four times as the unicorn sat, unable to formulate words. Moreover, he wasn’t certain why he reacted in such a way, and that only added to his consternation.

Blitz was waiting for Three by the hatch leading to the common room. His head slowly turned as the pony rejoined him. “Your dedication to the filly is admirable.”

The unicorn stopped and angled his head, clearly not following. “What?”

The giant continued. “Your emotional attachment is clearly visible. Are you certain you never met anyone like that before?”

The question caught the stallion off guard. He peered at Blitz’s mask, looking for hints of deception or farce. Of hints of anything. Of course, there were none.

There never were.

Three took a deep breath and frowned. “I… no. Never, but…”

The giant was quick to pick up on his hesitation. “But?”

The stallion creased his eyebrows in thought. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, not directed at his companion. “Sometimes… Sometimes when I wake up I feel a glimmering. Like a half remembered dream, but not quite.” He looked at Blitz again with a distant expression. “It is more like a memory I never thought I had. Too real to be a dream, but too fantastical to be real.”

Blitz was seated by now, giving the unicorn his full attention. His deep voice was soft, devoid of its usual aloofness. “What do you feel?”

The question was simple. Three asked himself that many times over the years. Yet, he could never answer it. 

Until now.

The feeling left by that glimmering had always eluded him previously. Like a train of thought slipping through the dark crevices of his consciousness and into the recesses of his mind he had no way of accessing. No matter how hard he willed himself to remember.

But right then and there, he realised something. Even though he still couldn’t remember, he now possessed a point of reference with which he could compare and identify the feeling.

That point of reference was K’yopi.

The stallion squeezed his eyelids hard before looking fully at Blitz. “I think…” He looked over the giant’s form to make sure the other two were safely away. “I think I knew her before.” He shook his head. “No. Not her. Not K’yopi. I have never met her before. But…” He took a deep, steady breath. “That attachment you mentioned. Even though I am positive I have never met that filly before. That attachment…” He felt a jolt of a shiver run down from the tip of his horn all the way to the end of his tail. “I remember that attachment. I remember the feeling of…“ He stared at his hooves as he had to pause for breaths now. “The feeling of caring for someone deeply. Pride, sometimes jealousy. Rivalry and cooperation. Frustration and satisfaction. I feel like I could watch her repeatedly run into a wall and laugh but also skin alive anyone who tried to hurt her.” His throat let out a soft disbelieving noise. Carefully, as if afraid, the stallion looked at the mask before him. “What does it mean? Why are there so many opposites? I don’t understand.”

Blitz was quiet for a long moment. Just as the unicorn was about to repeat his question, he spoke, his voice still soft and measured. “You care for her that much even though you met barely two days ago?”

The stallion threw his forelegs in a huge shrug. “I have no idea why! It flabbergasts me. All I know now is that it is something I felt very long ago.”

The giant nodded slowly. Then, to Three’s confusion, reached out a paw and placed it on the unicorn’s shoulder. “I know what it is you are describing.” The mask moved closer, filling the stallion’s vision entirely. Blitz’s deep voice resonated from within. “I know now that you can be trusted with her.”

Three blinked. “I... Okay. Yes? I mean. Yes!” He took a deep breath to steady himself, for as much as he loathed to admit it, the blank stare of the ornate piece covering Blitz’s face made him feel uncomfortable from this close. “Will you tell me what it is that I feel?”

The mask shook slightly from side to side. “It is best if you figure it out. On your own.” The giant’s voice returned to his normal volume and lack of attachment. “I know this topic very well.” Blitz pulled away and turned, then went into the common room, his long tail swaying after him.

Three let out an elongated groan as his hoof ran a line from the base of his horn to the tip of his muzzle.

“Hey, you coming?”

He lowered his hoof only to see K’yopi’s head poking out from the doorframe. It was still covered with the red goo.

The unicorn looked up and forced a smile. “Yes, yes. Of course.”




	*****




K’yopi was sitting on one of the chairs, Blitz and Donner flanking her sides, waiting patiently. As soon as Three took the seat to Donner’s left the filly began. “I followed Satin to deck twenty nine.” She nodded at Blitz, who reached a paw and pressed the table’s touch screen. A holographic projection showing a wireframe model of the entire deck blinked into existence above the table. Kilometers of corridors and shafts, with hundreds of sections and even more rooms; to the uninitiated it looked like a four dimensional puzzle. “These schematics are pulled from the public database of Miner’s Prospect.”

“Which means we cannot trust them,” Donner said, narrowing her eyes at the slowly rotating image.

The filly continued. “Yeah… You’re probably right. Either way.”  She planted one foreleg on the table to steady herself as she reached out towards the projection and pointed at a specific part. “This is as far as I could get without being spotted.”

Three also leaned in; to him the hologram looked like an impossible jumble of lines and lights. “What is it?”

K’yopi tapped the space inside a hologram and a visible ping appeared, marking the location with a red dot. “The edge of the Duke’s turf. No one else goes beyond there.” She swiped her hoof and the image shifted, the centre of the view now showed a large chamber. “I bet you a hundred creds this is where we will find the Duke himself.”

Blitz nodded slowly. “Another hangar bay.” His paw tapped on the touchscreen again and a prompt containing a few paragraphs of text appeared before him. “Unused by the station authorities, flagged condemned after Miner’s Prospect received the upgrade to new thoroughfares and cargo terminals.”

Donner let out a pleased purr. “An ideal nest for gangsters and others that want to keep out of sight.” Her tail spun and weaved over her back. “No one will miss them.”

Three drummed his forelegs on the table’s edge in a little pattern. “Well, that makes our stratagem exceptionally easy.” He pointed at the hangar with the tip of his horn. “We go there, blast the door open and kill everyone that tries to stop us until we hack our way to the Duke. All we have to do is to keep our eyes peeled for a black crystal pony with a green mane.” 

The table was silent.

Just as the silence was becoming uncomfortable, Donner spoke up abruptly. “I like this plan.”

Blitz was quick to follow. “Agreed.”

K’yopi raised a hoof carefully. “I am coming with you.”

Three looked through the hologram at the filly. “Of course!”

“But I-” The zebra’s eyes went wide. “Wait, really?” She turned to look at Blitz and then Donner. Neither of the giants spoke out in protest.

“You are part of the team K!” The stallion offered her a toothy grin. “You gotta be there for the finale.”

She looked at Blitz again. “Are you okay with this?” Her immediate inclusion felt welcome, but certainly surprising.

The giant’s head turned, displaying the ornate mask to the zebra fully. “You showed you can take care of yourself.” The mask briefly shifted towards Donner and Three before returning to the filly. “Besides, you possess skills we are lacking. It would be a waste to not include you.”

The filly felt a surge of pride swell within her at the words. She reached out both forelegs and awkwardly hugged the mask. It was rather clumsy given her small size compared to Blitz, but she managed to get a brief hold on the giant. “Thanks. You guys are the best!”

Three let out a haughty chuckle. “Was there ever any doubt?”

The zebra shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Not if you ask this gal!” She thumped a hoof on her chest. “We are going to make the Duke pay for all he has done!”

Donner reached out a wing and gently pulled the filly off Blitz. “First go clean yourself up. You reek.” She scrunched her nose to drive the point in.

K’yopi jumped off the chair and headed for the ship’s bathroom. “Okay fine, fine! It’s just old tomatoes, sheesh.”

As soon as the filly closed the door behind her, Blitz turned off the hologram. “We do not know how many followers the Duke has.” His wings raised up and down slightly, as if the giant were shrugging. “If their numbers reach a critical mass even we might have problems.”

Three leaned back on his chair and spread his forelegs wide with a flourish. “Let them come! I am fine with whatever they throw at us.” He grinned. “One or one hundred. Easy!”

Donner looked down at the unicorn beside her and rolled her eyes. “Stop boasting. We need to think this through. Consider our options.”

The stallion’s face screwed up. “I am not boasting! It’s true!” He sounded almost offended. “In fact, perhaps it would be best if you just brought up the rear! Leave the heavy lifting to me.” He smiled deviously at the female. “After all, you can do only so much with claws compared to what I can do with magic.”

Donner stood up instantly with a ruffle of feathers. She looked down at the smug unicorn and bared her many teeth. “I’ll show you what I can do with claws!” Her left forepaw raised up, then pushed towards Three’s exposed stomach.

Only to strike the chair on which Three was sitting on a split second ago.

With a pop and a shower of magical residue the stallion appeared behind Donner. “See? You are only proving my point!” 

She shifted to the side and let out a frustrated growl. Her tail coiled like a spring and her wings raised, ready to strike again. In the corner of her eye she saw Blitz still calmly sitting at the table.

The unicorn’s smile grew. “Donner dear. Please stop before you hurt yourself.” He watched as the female simmered down, her posture relaxing. After a few seconds only the deathly stare and her wildly moving tail gave any indication of her frustration. He eased his smile, shifting from smug to pleasant. “See? That wasn’t so hard.” The stallion turned his head to the side, flaunting the best side of his profile as he put a hoof to his chest. “You just need to accept your bette-”

Three was painfully cut short when the female collided with him like a wrecking ball. He felt his ribs grind against each other as his back slammed into the door of one of the cabins behind him, the push of their bodies forcing it open. Before he knew it, he was lying on the deck, pinned under her massive bulk. He struggled for breath as he helplessly flailed his limbs in an attempt to dislodge the female. As he looked up, he could only see her grinning face leaning down towards him.

Her voice was low as she hissed through her clenched teeth, mouth barely an inch away from his face. “Not so tough now are you?”

It was nearly impossible to concentrate with her heavy, muscular torso covering almost his entire body. Fortunately, as much as he had hated the process, he had been trained to perform under extreme duress. He had to act quickly; it was impossible to breathe and he was already starting to feel faint. Three closed his eyes and focused, shunting residual mana into his horn. The surge of energy he felt made him grin back at his captor.

Before Donner realised what was happening, Three vanished into thin air again, only to materialize half a second later, sitting on her back. Not wasting the opportunity, he reached down to grab at the base of her wings before twisting with all his strength. She did not try to dislodge him. Realising that he had the upper hoof, the unicorn let out a boastful laugh. “You appear to be at my mercy now Donner dear!” 

The female let out a soft moan.

He twisted again, the large wings squirming uselessly on the floor. He heard her tail whip out with a crack, then start to slowly swing back and forth across the deck like a pendulum.

Every few strokes it rose up and its fluffy tuft brushed against his back

The stallion froze. His mind swarmed with thoughts. He wasn’t sure what to think. They were fighting just a moment ago and now she…

The tail wrapped itself lazily around one of his hindlegs. He let go of the wings and placed his forehooves between them, then leaned forward and rubbed on her back.

He could feel her entire body shiver in response. Her forepaws reached out far, paws spread wide.

Before he had a chance to realise what was happening, the tail wrapped itself around his chest and lifted him up before gently lowering him to her side. She rose up and extended a wing, then pushed Three to the floor.

The unicorn was at a loss on what was happening. “D-Donner?”

She squeezed his chest again, this time harder. Her voice was quiet, nearly whispering as she spoke through gritted teeth. “Keep going.” With great care, the female stepped over the unicorn and carefully lay on top of his lower half, pinning him down.

His bottom half was snugly covered by silky smooth fluffiness so unlike the coarse coats of ponies. Hers was soft and gentle; it was also surprisingly warm. He reached a hoof and ran it through the thick hair. Three imagined that was how touching clouds felt.

It was mesmerizing.

    Despite being trapped under the large creature he felt surprisingly calm. The warmth and the soft hair made him forget their previous argument. He just kept brushing.

Only after a few minutes did he realise that the female had curled up on top of him. With her weight pinning him down, the unicorn was truly trapped for good. He tried getting her attention but her eyes were already closed. A deep, loud purring could be heard coming from her insides.

The sound made him feel odd - it felt like what he imagined getting irradiated was like. Only instead of deadly particles causing terrible wounds, this caused  a feeling of deep contentment somewhere inside the unicorn. It also made him sleepy...





*****




As soon as Blitz heard the lock on the other side of the door click, he glanced two rooms to the right, just where the bathroom was. He pivoted his fluffy ears between the two doors and listened.

Donner’s deep purr. The sound of rushing water.

Satisfied that he would be alone for some time, the giant stood up and walked over to the kitchenette. He then opened one of the drawers and grabbed a fresh kitchen rag. At the same time, his long tail swerved towards the sink and wrapped around a bottle of dishwashing detergent. With the two items he returned to the table and sat on the floor between two chairs. He placed the bottle and the rag before him, then reached at the back of his head. Two metallic clicks followed.

The giant placed a paw on his mask and slid it upwards and off, then placed it on the table.

He poured some of the detergent on the rag and began scrubbing the inside of the mask. It was a simple and quick process, more of a habit than a necessity - the mask rarely got dirty on the inside. Nonetheless, the giant carefully applied the rag to the inner crevices of the piece. The mask’s inner design was simple; behind the ornate front lay a polymer core reinforced with hard metal supports made of lightweight yet durable alloy. The entire construction could withstand two or three direct hits from a rifle caliber cartridge, not that anyone had a chance to fire more than one. Donner had one like it too, resting above her forehead, but she almost never used it. She had no reason to. Besides, she preferred to have access to her jaws when fighting. Both as an additional weapon, as well as means to strike fear into her opponents.

Blitz could do without the mask, of course, even though it wouldn’t improve his level of expression much. But he knew his appearance made others nervous, mask or no mask.

There was no need to make them scared. Usually.

Blitz kept listening for a few moments. Once he was satisfied that neither K’yopi nor Three and Donner were coming out anytime soon, he reached a paw to the table’s control and pressed an icon on the touchscreen. The large screen on the nearby wall turned on. It was the local news network; the well measured voice of the newscaster was speaking about some sort of a commotion in the Periphery. Blitz didn’t care. He tapped again and the channel switched, this time to what looked like a martial arts showcase. The giant briefly regarded the lithe, gray unicorn mare and her opponent, a doe sporting a fluffy, velveted chest. Just as the first round of the bout started he tapped the touchscreen again, lowering the volume until it could barely be heard. He finally looked down at the mask and began carefully cleaning the small visors within.

Nearly forty minutes later he was done. The mask, now perfectly cleaned inside and outside, rested in his paws. He turned it slowly, inspecting the surface for any spots or loose hairs. Once he found none, the giant turned it around and stared at the jackal’s face. The opaque glassteel of the vision slits stared back, unblinking as always. He worked his jaw as he studied the mask; a brief feeling of nostalgia enveloped him. For a time when life for him and Donner was simpler, bloodier, more structured.

"Freiheit." He scoffed. "Vielleicht eines Tages."

He turned the mask around again and put it back on its place, securing it in front of his face.

Just in time to spot the door to the bathroom creak open.

K’yopi walked out into the common room, mane covered with a drying towel and coat hidden by a comfortable, fluffy bathrobe. Why there had been one in her size on the spaceship was unknown to her. She walked over to the table, her healthy eye moving between the screen and the masked giant. “What are you doing?”

Blitz extended his right forepaw and grabbed the armored vambrace with the other. He flicked a set of snap-catches, then carefully slid it off and placed it on the table with a clatter. “Maintenance.”

The filly climbed on the seat on the opposite side of the table and pointed a hoof at the massive piece. “Can I watch?”

The giant reached for the rag and began polishing the vambrace, replying to the zebra without looking up at her. “If you wish.”

The filly watched with curiosity as Blitz’s paws moved over the armour piece. The rag was rubbing meticulously, cleaning every reachable spot. Once that was accomplished after five minutes, the large male held up the vambrace and clicked another catch somewhere inside. K’yopi watched with interest as the piece split into more: one main section which wrapped around the foreleg, and a number of smaller articulated pieces that covered the wrist and elbow. Once the parts were separated, Blitz poured more detergent on the rag and started to clean them one by one with utmost care.

She suddenly realised something strange. The large knife wound through Blitz’s left paw was gone. Only a patch of soft scar tissue remained on both sides. It looked as if the giant had never been stabbed in the first place.

“Wow. How is your hoo- hand?”

He paused his work and brought his left paw up, then slowly rotated it for the filly to see. “Fine. The mark will be gone by tomorrow.” The voice he used made it sound like he was talking about a bruise rather than a massive stab wound.

K’yopi angled her head and narrowed her eye in an attempt to spot any gory details she might have missed. There were none. “But how? I saw it go through all the way! That is impossible!”

He lowered the paw and went back to work. “Just one of the perks of being what we are.”

Her eyes opened wide, she immediately winced and rubbed a hoof on the one that was still swollen slightly from the assault in the alley. “Does that mean you and Donner are immune to stabbing? Broken bones?” Her voice raised an octave as she lifted herself over the table on her forelegs. “Are you guys immortal?”

Blitz calmly finished cleaning the remaining piece of the vambrace. “No, we are not. But we are very, very tough to kill.” He put the rag away and started reassembling the piece. “We are resistant to injuries. Stabbings, blunt force, gunshots, sickness, radiation...”

The zebra blurted out, interrupting the giant. “Fire?”

Only the dull click of the vambrace snapping over the forepaw broke the silence. 

His voice was calm and measured. “No. Not fire.”

“Oh. Okay…” She watched him remove and start working on the left vambrace. The clicking of its components nearly drowned out the broadcast. She looked up at the screen. On it, a badly bruised doe was giving an interview with a large, key shaped trophy held in her forelegs. K’yopi looked back at the giant sitting in front of her again. “Hey Blitz…”

The mask kept focused on the work below. Only Blitz’s fluffy ears twitched at the mention of his name. “Yes K’yopi?”

She bit her lower lip, unsure how to proceed. Should she ask? She had no idea - asking things like this had never ended well for her in the past. The filly steadied her breath. “Are you angry at me?” As soon as she uttered the first word, she lowered her volume in hopes that the broadcast would make it impossible to hear. 

The filly watched as the giant stopped his work, then slowly raised his head, the ornate mask facing her directly. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she stared back into those empty eyes.

He could see that she was afraid, just as she had been with Donner when they first met. It felt strange - the filly had been shown nothing but support and care since she came under their protection. Blitz had to agree that even Three had contributed his part. A big part from what the giant could tell.

Yet, there were times when her deeper thoughts were open wide to a keen observer. The way she walked, with a slight uncertain shuffle. The way her eyes kept darting towards the nearest door when she heard a loud noise. The way she involuntarily flinched every time someone touched her when she didn’t see it coming.

There was a deep, dark pit of sadness inside this young girl.

And he had no idea what to do about it.

He knew one thing though: he didn’t need to add to it.

“No.” He rested his left forepaw on the table, palm up. “You went ahead on your own, then you tracked Satin and gave us invaluable information.” He watched as her posture partially relaxed. “I did not want you to do that because I didn’t have insight into your capabilities. Have I known you were that capable, I’d have let you go right away.”

The filly blinked and let out a short, nervous chuckle. “T-that’s good, right? Because I’m afraid that if I anger you or Donner, you will- will…” She breathed in and out quickly. “That you’ll toss me out on the street.”

His massive head shook hard; never before had K’yopi seen him be so expressive.

“You will only leave this ship on your own volition for as long as the captain is away.” He turned the mask back to the zebra again. “And once she returns, we will ask her to help you.”

“C-captain? I don’t even know who that is! She doesn't even know who I am!”

The giant leaned forward, his words slicing the air between them like bullets. “She will help you.” He leaned back and added calmly, “I know she will.”

She looked down, face furrowed. “But why? Why would she?” Her head turned back to the giant. “Why would you for that matter? Blitz, why are you and Donner helping me?”

The creature on the other side of the table rose up, K’yopi watched as he slowly walked around the table all the way towards her. Finally he stopped, his large form dwarfing the filly.

Blitz brought out his left paw and placed it flat on the table right in front of her. “Look.” He rotated the paw, palm up. The scar in the middle of the dark pad was plainly visible from this close. With a slight flex five enormous claws slid out of the paw. He could hear her gasp softly.

She watched the display with an open mouth, then, gingerly, as if afraid to hurt herself she reached a hoof and tapped the blunt edge of one of the claws. “I-I don’t understand.” She looked up at the intricate mask. “What do you mean?”

“Donner and I, we are not normal. There are no others like us out there in the entire universe. Do you know why?”

The zebra’s head shook as she racked her mind for an answer.

“That is because we were made for a very specific purpose.” His head turned to indicate the claws. “To kill. Over, and over. And over.” He watched her gulp as she studied the claws again. “It was our only purpose. To take orders and execute them.” He gently flexed the paw, making the claws extend, then retract. “We never questioned it. Until very recently.” His voice turned softer, with an audible note of nostalgia behind it. “It was hard at first, nearly impossible, but slowly we both realised that others are right. That it was possible to live a life without the masters we always had, and to make our own decisions.” The claws retracted instantly, then the paw lifted, moved towards the zebra and stopped before her face. “We want to help you because you could never decide for yourself either. You never had that freedom. This decision is our freedom.”

The paw softly landed on the zebra’s chest, nearly covering it entirely.

“And we chose to share that freedom with you.”

K’yopi looked down at the huge appendage. “But Blitz, I don’t even know what to do with it.”

The male nodded. “Find a purpose. Just like we did.“ His paw gently pushed the zebra’s chest. “You are our purpose now.”

K’yopi raised a hoof and put it on the paw, holding it close. “I don’t really know what to say…” She bit her lip and sucked in the air through her teeth. “Blitz… I need to tell you something.”

One of the giant’s ears flicked, something K’yopi had already learned was his way of signalling for her to continue.

“When I first met you in that alley, I was scared. Scared of you and Donner. Scared of what would happen to me.” She raised her other hoof and placed it next to the first one, hugging the giant paw to her chest. “But I just realised, you and Donner, even Three…” A soft sigh escaped the filly’s lips. “You never forced me to do anything. Ever.” She looked up at the unmoving mask. “I didn’t even realise how I became free.”

Blitz watched as the filly lifted his paw off her chest and brought it to her cheek, then leaned on it with eyes closed. “Thank you.”

With a decisive motion the giant extended one of his wings, then carefully wrapped it around the zebra until her entire form was covered in soft, delicate feathers.

They sat there quietly for a long moment. Both pondered the last few days, each in their own way. She didn’t attempt to move, still hugging the paw to her face. He was content to let her do it under the protection of his huge wing.

The door to the cabin opened.

Donner walked out into the common room with a big toothy grin on her muzzle. She planted her paws wide and arched her back like a bow. A monstrous yawn filled the entire room as she stretched fully. Her giant tongue slid out and licked her upper lip. “I am starving. I am going to obtain some food.” She quickly disappeared through the door leading to the cargo hold.

Through the open door behind her K’yopi could see the curled form of the purple unicorn. He was sleeping soundly, holding a pillow between his forelegs.




*****




The narrow corridors of Deck Twenty Nine had seen better days. It was apparent that no one had bothered to perform maintenance there, certainly not since the Knights moved in. The muted yellow lighting failed to mask the signs of disuse. The labyrinth of rusted walls and dirty floors seemed to stretch endlessly, only occasionally broken by rooms filled with garbage or old, useless machinery. The lower decks were a different world compared to the rest of Miner’s Prospect. Their depressing uniformity contrasted with the bright and lively upper levels. Many of the corridors were impassable, either because of piles of rubbish, massive structural damage or toxic leaks. It made this section of the station feel like a derelict abandoned in deep space centuries prior rather than a bustling center of commerce. 

Neither of the two equines paid much attention to any of that as they cautiously walked through the corridors.

“We’re almost there.” K’yopi spoke quietly as they entered yet another hallway.

“Oh, about time, this place is positively dreadful.” Three grimaced at a crude graffiti showing a stylized equine skull wearing a golden crown on a nearby wall. ”Also, boring. I cannot wait to get this started.”

“Shh!” The filly’s hoof reached out to stop the stallion. “There!”

Ahead, the two could see a large bulkhead. In front of it, two ponies sat on foldable chairs, watching something on a tablet. A table with a few empty bottles and empty takeaway containers lay between them. The ponies, a mare and a stallion, wore simple street clothes, the only common piece being black bandanas resting on their head and neck respectively. They appeared unarmed, but the stallion was nearly twice as wide as Three.

The unicorn cleared his throat and started walking directly towards the duo. As soon as he got close enough, the gangmare tapped her companion and stood up to confront the newcomer.

“This area is off limits. Scram you weirdo.”

Three stopped before them and spoke calmly. “”I do not care. Step aside, we are here to see the Duke!”

The gangmare scowled. “The Duke?” She looked at her buddy. “Do you know of any dukes around here?”

The other pony shook his head, then slowly rose and joined his companion.

“See? No dukes here. Never heard of them.” She flashed a smug smile at the unicorn. “No one to see here bud.”

Three stomped his hoof in annoyance. “You will let me through or you will regret you woke up today!” His attempt at intimidation only amused the two guards.

The large stallion spoke for the first time as he took a step towards Three. “Didn’t you hear the lady? Get lost, fuckboy.”

The unicorn groaned. “Oh for…”  He glanced over his shoulder at the filly waiting a few meters behind, then back at the gangers, just in time to be roughly shoved by the bulky stallion.

K’yopi watched how in a span of a single second a number of things happened.

Three’s horn crackled with magical energy, which prompted the big stallion to throw a kick at the unicorn. He was too slow. With a crack, a concentrated bolt of magic lashed out from the unicorn’s horn and hit the stallion, causing him to let out a short scream as his body briefly spasmed. Before it even hit the deck, another bolt erupted from his horn. It hit the mare straight in the chest and sent her flying into the opposite wall with a thunderclap. The two ponies were still twitching and smoking as Three walked over the stallion and waved to the zebra. “I did warn them, didn’t I?”

The filly quickly trotted over to her companion and glanced at the two zapped ponies. They appeared to be still alive, if barely. “Uhh… Yeah, you did.”

Three smiled brightly. “I was justified!”

“I don’t think that is how it works.” She sighed and walked over to the door the two had been guarding, then pulled on the handle. It didn’t move. “These open from the inside. I kinda wished you’d left one of them still standing.”

Three looked at the zebra, then at the groaning mare crumpled by the wall, then back at the zebra. “Oh relax. We’ll be fine! Hmmm...” He looked around, inspecting the walls and ceiling. Finally, his eyes stopped and his eyebrows shot up. “Aha! You just stay here and don’t go anywhere!”

Before K’yopi had any chance to issue a protest, the stallion’s form shifted into a sphere of energy with a spray of magic particles, then zipped up to the ceiling and disappeared between the grates of a ventilation duct.

A moment later she heard a muffled shout of surprise on the other side of the door, then another thunderclap. Shortly after, the dull sound of locks being undone could be heard and the door swung open.

Three was standing over a smoking body of another gang member. “That is all the guards around this entrance.” He briefly glanced deeper into the hallway. “But I wager there are many more right around the corner.”

The filly walked through the doors and pointed behind her. “In that case, you better go bring Blitz and Donner.” She looked at the zapped pony. “I think we will need them from here on out.”

The stallion stepped out and walked into the halfway they just came through, then prodded one of the unconscious gang ponies. Once he was certain they would not get back up anytime soon, he faced down the hallway. “BLITZ! DONNER! IT’S OPEN, COME OVER HERE!”

K’yopi winced.

The two huge creatures rounded a corner and calmly walked towards the duo. As they did, Three headed back through the recently opened door and leaned down over the gang pony. His horn flickered with magic and a small, semi automatic pistol lifted up before floating into K’yopi’s hoof. The stallion nodded to himself with a smile before walking deeper into the hallway.

She looked at the gun closely, inspecting it. It was a simple polymer and milled steel design, light enough that even she could-  A large paw reached over and grabbed the pistol, then tossed it away like a piece of trash.

“She’s not getting a gun.”


*****




The guard fell down to the ground faster then he registered what was happening. As soon as he did, Blitz released the pony’s neck from the grip of his long tail. He glanced at Three, who was standing nearby over the smoking form of a hippogriff, and nodded.

Three looked over his shoulder and waved a hoof. “Come on in! The Knights are taking a nap.”

Donner walked into the room, the filly riding safely on her back. She let out a growl when K’yopi tried to use one of her ears as steering aids but nonetheless headed in the direction indicated. Finally she stopped by a wall-mounted control panel right next to a large door and waited for the filly to jump down. The door was substantial - both wide and high enough to admit shipping containers.

“Over here! This must be the loading dock leading to the main hangar.” K’yopi pressed a hoof on the icon she knew opened the door.

With the sound of heavy pistons and the wailing of a warning alert the door began to slide slowly upwards.

K’yopi looked at her companions. Blitz and Donner were their usual selves, one calm and almost motionless, the other constantly in flux and emotional. The spinning, yellow lights of the door made the strange giants cast sharp, elongated shadows that only accentuated their monstrous features. Meanwhile Three looked excited, giddy even. The grin on his muzzle was all the confirmation the filly needed that the unicorn was looking forward to what was about to come.

As the huge door continued sliding upwards, the entirety of the hangar the Black Knights used as their main base revealed itself. 

The enormous volume of the bay in front of the Freaks could fit two Pioneer class freighters side by side and another two on top of them. On the far right, the wall was dominated by a massive heavy duty gateway, no doubt leading to open space. Judging by the mounds of random mechanical junk piled up at the bottom, it hadn’t been opened in a long time. The hangar’s remaining walls and ceiling were covered with gantries and catwalks, many of which were in a horrible state of disrepair. Even more were clearly aftermarket additions, cobbled together from bits and pieces. Some of them didn’t even have railings.

But neither of these managed to grab the attention of the Freaks as much as the sight right in the middle of the hangar. The enormous, angular hull of a military dropship filled more than half of the room’s free space. Its building-sized dimensions left only a relatively thin strip of unoccupied deck in front of the gateway. By the looks of it, the ship also had been here for a while. The hyperjet engines used for atmospheric flight had been gutted on the starboard side, exposing old wiring and hydraulics. Likewise, many holes had been cut out of the hull, more often than not in locations that would make venturing into vacuum a certain doom for the vessel and its occupants. The huge, crane-like struts protruding from the vessel’s sides, intended to externally ferry pods with armored vehicles straight from orbit to a combat zone, now held crudely attached shipping containers, which in turn were connected by a hodgepodge of catwalks connected to the gantries on the walls or leading deeper into the ship itself. The floor of the hangar was littered with old equipment, likely gutted from the dropship. Everything from piles of defunct computers, through rows of sheet metal to corroded engines could be seen clogging the direct path to the dropship.

Long ago the vessel could have quickly and efficiently carried an armored company. Now it was a home to an army of Miner’s Prospect’s worst.

The army that was nowhere to be seen. Other than the Freaks, not a single creature could be spotted. Just as K’yopi was about to point that out, the unicorn spoke.

“Well, isn’t that a sight to behold? You have to admire their resourcefulness!” Three stepped into the hangar, but the moment his hoof crossed the threshold a loud wail of a siren echoed through the air. He frowned, turning to the others. “And here comes the reception committee.”

Blitz immediately broke into a run, heading for one of the dropship’s smaller loading ramps located under the vessel’s drooping nose. “Move it!”

The others followed, but before any of them could reach their target, half a dozen gangers wearing black bandanas and armed with a variety of weapons poured out from the ship. They took cover whenever possible using the piled up machines and started laying down fire at the two advancing giants. Both Blitz and Donner spread their wings and dashed the remaining distance, too fast to allow their enemies any form of accurate fire. 

Meanwhile, Three and K’yopi had to take cover behind a pile of discarded machines strewn on the hangar’s deck. Occasionally a bullet loudly ricocheted off their shelter, making the zebra cover her ears.

Soon she didn’t have to. The gunfire shifted and quickly started dying down, instead being replaced by panicked screams mixed with bestial roars. It wasn’t long until different noises joined in. With a shiver the zebra realised many of them were sounds of flesh being torn asunder.

The filly was rapidly reevaluating the standing plan of direct assault.

On the other hoof, Three appeared quite happy with the arrangement. Every now and then he poked his head out of cover and let loose a beam of magic. This time it wasn’t the nice and safe shock spell, but the same lance of magic he’d used to slay Mother. He watched with glee as one of the gangers who was about to fill Blitz’s side with buckshot dropped down, a clean laserlike cut through the back of her head. He leaned back into cover and smiled at the filly. “Don’t worry K! We got this under control!”

She stared at the unicorn, eye wide open. “A-are you sure? They have a lot of guns!”

The stallion nodded calmly as his cover rattled from bullet hits. “Positively. Between me, Donner and Blitz there is nothing a band of some lowly criminals can muster to stop us.” He smiled at the sound of a pain-filled scream coming from the ramp. “It is just a matter of...” His eyes shot up. “Oh pardon me!” 

K’yopi watched a beam of energy erupt from the stallion’s horn and hit something above and behind her. By the time she turned to look, she could only see a crystal pony still clutching a rifle that was falling down from one of the catwalks. The filly winced as he impacted the metal deck with a wet crunch.

Three continued as if nothing happened. “As I was saying. We can handle this without any issues!” His ears perked up as the gunfire stopped. “See? There we go!” The stallion carefully leaned over the cover and looked towards the ramp. He then glanced back at the zebra and walked into the open.

K’yopi followed suit, the two of them approaching Blitz and Donner who were surrounded by a pile of broken bodies.

Only a few of them moved.

A griffin was dragging himself towards a discarded rifle with one claw on the deck, leaving a snail-like trail of red. Blitz calmly walked over to the ganger and looked down. He lifted a paw, pinned the griffin’s neck to the deck and pushed his weight on it. Only after he heard the crack did he turn his masked face towards the approaching unicorn and zebra. “We should keep moving, more are bound to appear.” He glanced towards the closed airlock at the top of the ramp. “That is our way in.”

K’yopi trotted up the ramp towards the airlock’s control switch. The outer doors were already open. She pulled the large lever, but nothing happened. “Crap, I think they locked it from the inside. We’ll have to find ano-'' She was interrupted by the screech of grinding metal. Her head whipped around to see Donner standing on her hindlegs, her clawed paws firmly wedged between the airlock’s large doors. With another heave she started pulling them apart. K’yopi could easily see her back muscles bulge and strain under the heavy load.

As soon as the gap was wide enough for the zebra, the giant female let out a low growl. “Get in! Quickly.”

The filly didn’t think for long; she immediately squeezed under Donner’s torso and slid through the gap. The moment she did, the door slammed behind her. She jumped at the noise and looked back at her tail - a tuft of hair at the end of it was gripped between the doors. The filly let out a nervous breath and pulled, wincing at the prick of pain as she regretfully had to leave a few strands behind. With her tail hidden between her legs, she turned to observe her surroundings. 

The interior was barely lit, only low power xenon tube lights ensured it was not pitch black inside. The hexagonal entry corridor was as wide as the doors, a few meters ahead and to her left and right, K’yopi saw openings leading to smaller rooms. She desperately looked for a control panel for the airlock, but the dirty walls were blank.

“Move it! They’re at the main airlock!”

Her head snapped at the distant voice coming from the depths of the dropship. Momentarily, she heard a clatter of fast-approaching hooves. She hissed a curse and ran towards one of the openings before diving into a sideroom. It was small, barely bigger than Claudia’s bathroom. Fortunately, a large piece of equipment she couldn’t hope to identify allowed her to take cover and hopefully remain undetected.

She huddled in the darkness as a group of figures ran past. She heard them stop; clicks and clacks of readied weapons followed. Then she heard the same voice from before, this time much closer.

“Get ready. The moment these doors move I want you to unload everything we got on those fucks!”

K’yopi took a deep breath and left her cover, then carefully inched closer to the edge of the corridor. She listened for a moment and once she couldn’t hear any voices in the immediate vicinity she dared to take a peek.

Eight knights stood in a semicircle with their backs to her, their various guns aimed at the airlock. The one she assumed was their leader was wearing body armour with a bundle of grenades strapped to her flank.

On the opposite side of the corridor was another small room, much like the one K’yopi was in. There she spotted a control panel, exactly the same as the one outside of the airlock.

That gave her an idea.

She waited a few more moments, making sure that none of the gangers would move. At least that was the explanation she believed in, but deep down she knew she was just trying to make herself ready for what was to come.

The filly took in a short breath and quietly stepped out into the corridor. She moved slowly towards the leader. Her heart was pounding. Yes, she had done things like this before, more or less. But never before had they included gunfights and the immediate threat of death.

She gritted her teeth and step by tiny step moved closer and closer. Her hooves didn’t make a sound on the metal deck - a skill she had perfected over nearly a decade. Her eyes kept darting from one ganger to another, praying with held breath that none of them would suddenly decide to look behind them. Finally, she was close enough.

She stopped and reached her foreleg towards the bundle of grenades.

Just as she grabbed one of the round bombs the mare in front of her shifted and raised a hoof to her ear.

“Boss, it’s Westly. We got the main entrance covered. So far they haven’t tried to enter.”

K’yopi froze with her hoof outstretched, not daring to move. She didn’t even dare to blink.

The mare nodded. “All right, will get you an update when that happens Boss.” Her hoof went down and she adjusted the grip on her rifle.

The filly waited a second more, then quickly pulled a single grenade off the harness. With her loot in hoof she took a step backwards, then another. Finally, when she was confident that she’d put enough distance between the two of them, she slowly turned and stepped over to the airlock control room.

Resting her back against the cold metal wall, she allowed herself a few quiet breaths. She glanced down at her prize: a small metal sphere with a lever and a round pin. K’yopi thought about what she was about to do. She stared at the pin. She at least knew she had to pull that to make it explode. These people were the source of all of her suffering - hers and many others’. She hadn’t felt pity or remorse when she watched Mother bleed out, nor when she watched Blitz break the neck of that griffin.

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not directly.

The grenade rolled in her hooves. Suddenly, she blinked with realisation.

It was a grenade.

She looked up at the control console. All she had to do was to pull the lever to open the airlock. The zebra stood up and grabbed the controls with one hoof. With the other she firmly grasped the grenade. She bit her lip.

“This better work.”

With all her strength she threw the grenade into the corridor. She heard it bounce off the wall and land with a clatter. Then, a panicked voice called out.

“GRENADE!”

As soon as she heard the sounds of scuffling and clatter of hooves she pulled the lever. Instead of an explosion she heard the door open with a hiss, quickly followed by bestial roars. Someone fired a gun, but only managed a couple shots. Then came the screams mixed with zaps of magic, slams, cracks and rips.

Then silence.

“I’ll be frank with you: I was expecting this to be harder. Now, did anyone see K?”

She took a deep breath to steady her shaking body and called out. “I am here Three! Are you guys okay?”

The purple stallion appeared in the doorframe with a clatter of hooves. He smiled widely at the sight of the zebra. “Never better!”

Blitz briefly appeared behind Three. “We have to keep pushing.” Donner was close behind. The two of them led the group deeper into the dropship, following the corridor.

It continued for another ten meters before ending in a four way intersection with another big door ahead. That corridor was blocked by a bulkhead that was crudely welded over long ago by the sight of it. The two side passages were narrower, Blitz and Donner could barely fit inside standing side by side.

“Decisions, decisions,” Three’s chirpy voice called out as the Freaks stopped. He looked up at Blitz. “Do you have a preference? Or should we pick at random?” 

K’yopi studied the corridors closely; none bore any markings or other indications of what awaited deeper inside. “I don’t think we can tell either way.”

Donner snarled and headed for the left corridor. “We will find the Duke sooner or later. This is his seat of power - he won’t abandon it easily.”

Blitz nodded and followed the female. “I would rather it be sooner. We have to move faster.”

With Blitz and Donner leading the way, the group started hurrying deeper into the Knights’ dropship.








*****




“Perhaps we should have taken the other route!” Three had to yell over the sound of gunfire, squeezed between Blitz and a wall. The two of them were taking cover in a cramped indent meant for housing long gone firefighting equipment. On the other side of the bullet-filled corridor K’yopi and Donner were in a similar position. The machine guns thirty meters down the corridor did not sound like they would cease anytime soon.

“Can’t you do your trick and get there to take them out?” Blitz’s voice was measured and calm, despite the fact he was hard pressed to keep his large body out of the firing line.

Every now and then a bullet would ricochet off the walls with a deafening whine. “It is not a trick! And besides, it is too far!” Three winced as Blitz’s armour uncomfortably pushed into his chest. “I’d have to reappear halfway there.”

On the other side, held protectively by Donner’s wing, K’yopi looked between the two giants. “We have to do something before they figure out they have us pinned!”

Three started to squeeze out from between Blitz and the wall. “I can try hitting them with my magic beam!” He managed to free his forehooves. “Just let me take a peek!”

Blitz’s paw grabbed the unicorn by the neck and roughly shoved him down. “Stay there. You point the tip of that horn out and you will have it shot off along with your face.”

Three opened his muzzle to protest, but after a brief consideration decided not to press the issue. Finally, he looked between Donner and Blitz. “Well, what now then?”

“I got an idea!” K’yopi had to yell to be heard over the gunfire. “Guys, look!” Her hoof pointed to the ceiling, where a big, round hatch was visible. Likely an entry to a maintenance shaft or escape route.

Three smiled. “Good thinking K!” His horn lit up with a magical aura and the handles on the hatch turned. It opened with a clang and pivoted down, covering half of the hallway. “Now let me just…” He narrowed his eyes and stuck out his tongue in concentration before sending a concentrated beam of magic at the hinges holding the thick slab. With hiss of melted metal and a loud clang, the door dropped on the floor between the two pairs.

“Uhh.. I…” K’yopi watched with rising confusion as Three lifted the hatch up with his magic and turned it towards the incoming fire like a shield. Her ears flattened at the horrid sound of bullets smacking into it. “Guys…” Moments later, she watched as Blitz nodded at Donner while simultaneously getting a firm hold of the unicorn.

“Wait, what are you...” Three tried to protest as he was hefted up by Blitz’s huge forepaws.

“Just hold that thing steady!”

On the other side, Donner smirked. She pushed the filly deeper into the crevice and leapt out into the corridor, using the metal hatch like a shield. The moment she was in position she let out a growl. “Los!”

With eye wide open, the zebra watched as Blitz picked up the unicorn and tossed him over the large female, straight at her. Both K’yopi’s and Three’s expressions turned to surprise as the unicorn flew towards the filly, only to be intercepted by Donner’s raised wing.

K’yopi wasn’t sure what she was surprised by the most. That everyone seemed to have a different plan on how to act, that they were doing it all while under heavy machine gun fire, or that Three held the slab floating in front of Donner throughout all of this.

“ARE YOU INSANE?!”

“Shut up and hold on!” She didn’t look at the unicorn on her back. Instead, she just raised her wings in order to safeguard him from falling off her sides.

With the makeshift shield in front of her and the unicorn holding said shield on her back, Donner launched herself down the corridor at the incoming gunfire.

K’yopi could only stare at Blitz, who was still sitting under the opposite wall. She studied the giant’s face, but as usual, the mask made it impossible to tell what was going through his head.

A few seconds later a loud roar could be heard down the corridor, then a scream followed by a massive crash. The gunfire stopped.

Blitz calmly walked into the corridor, motioning with a wing for the filly to follow. After a short hike the two of them reached a shattered barricade guarding an entrance to a large room. With Blitz’s help K’yopi made her way over the bent metal. She had to step carefully to not slip on the hundreds of rifle casings spilled on the deck. Their source was obvious: a shattered automatic turret with two machine guns attached to a robotic arm lay by the barricade. 

Further ahead, and through the V-shaped trail of devastation she had left in her wake, was Donner. She was sitting with legs folded under her body on the hatch she used as shield and battering ram. The zebra noticed a bloodied hoof poking from under the hatch. She shivered at the width of the gap between the deck and the metal slab.

“I would appreciate it if you were to warn me next time!” Three poked his head out from behind Donner and her gruesome throne. He magicked over a blood-soaked satchel and started going through its pockets.

Blitz sat next to the zebra. “You performed your part of the plan admirably.” His masked face shifted to the filly. “That was a very good idea.”

The zebra looked back at the giant. “Um riiight buuut… My idea was for me to climb into the maintenance hatch and find a way to disable that turret, Blitz.”

The large male angled his head slightly at her. “Oh. Well, in that case...” He looked back at Three and Donner. “Great resourcefulness.”

Three raised a hoof without looking up from the satchel. “I did not agree to this!” He blinked in surprise before pulling out a plastic access card for everyone to see. “Lucky us! This might be of use.”

Donner stepped off the slab and approached the unicorn before deftly snatching the card from his telekinetic grip. “This way.” She crossed the room to a set of reinforced doors marked with a crudely painted cross. The rest followed. Holding the card in her paw, she planted it on the scanner by the door. Momentarily the device beeped and lit up with a green light. The door opened with a hiss. What they found inside gave even the giants pause.

Rows of cells. 

On each side of the thirty-meter corridor were tiny, bare rooms, each separated with thick metal bars. Inside were ponies of all kinds, griffins, even minotaurs. Often more than two or three in one cell, clearly designed for one occupant. The entire place reeked like only a prison could.

K’yopi dropped on her rump and covered her muzzle with shaking hooves. She forced herself to look into one of the cells. It held a young griffiness and an even younger stallion. Despite their dirty coats and haggard looks, their shapely bodies and pleasing faces did not leave any doubts as of what their captors had in store for them. Three slowly made his way along the cells, looking into each with a stone cold expression.

The zebra’s mind parsed the sight. She knew the Knights did things like this, but she had never expected their operation to be this big. There were perhaps forty or so prisoners there. None of them made a sound at the appearance of the quartet. It didn’t feel like a prison.

It felt like a slave camp.

 She blindly reached to her side, only managing to grab someone the second time. When she turned to face them she saw the ornate mask staring down at her. “Blitz… W-we have to help them. Get them out.”

The giant was quiet.

“B-Blitz.”

“They can wait until we get the Duke. We have to be quick or we risk letting him escape.”

She gritted her teeth and shook her head. “No. I’m staying here and helping these people. Screw the bounty.” The filly surprised herself with how determined and collected her voice sounded.

Just as she was about to speak again, the voice from beneath the mask replied. “Very well. Three will help you. Once you escort the prisoners out of the dropship, follow our tracks.”

The filly barely relaxed at the news. “Tracks?”

The giant turned and headed out of the room. “Blood and severed limbs, K’yopi.”

Meanwhile, deeper in the room, the unicorn walked slowly from cell to cell, his eyes not stopping on the occupants who looked up at him with confusion, fear, sometimes anger. Those were the most common expressions. But every now and then he’d see a creature giving him a pleading look, or worse, just blindly stare into space. He didn’t need to look at them fully. He knew all of these faces by heart. Even if he’d never seen them himself.

He knew many of them would kill to get out of there.

Even their own cellmates.

The stallion stopped and screwed his eyes shut.

It felt like it had been a lifetime ago. But standing on the other side of the bars was different. It supplied him with a perspective he’d never had before. Suddenly, the unicorn felt a gripping ache in his chest. It filled him to the brim, but didn’t stop. He felt the pain pouring out of his body and mind in an unending torrent of unbearable emotions. An ice cold concoction of shame, fear and regret.

“I am sorry.”

No one could hear his whisper.

It didn’t matter. It wasn’t addressed to anyone present.

A large paw tugged on his shoulder. “There is no release mechanism anywhere in this room.”

He reached a hoof to rub his eyes clean before turning to the female with his usual smile. “Well, it is great that you have me then, isn’t it? I am confident that I could make short work of these locks.”

The large female lowered her head to look at the unicorn, almost close enough for their muzzles to touch. “Help K’yopi free these people.” Her voice held a tinge of warning in its tone. “Do not let her out of your sight for even a moment.”

Three held Donner’s stare with his own cold eyes. “She’ll be safe with me.”

The giantess watched the unicorn closely for a few seconds, then broke off with a sharp exhale and rejoined Blitz who already vacated the holding room. After passing the room with the dismantled barricade, she found him in the nearby corridor, waiting by another set of doors.

The moment she rejoined him, the giant opened them and walked through. “Just you and me again.”

Donner grinned widely as she stepped after her companion. “Wie in alten Zeiten.”




*****




The loud ding announcing the arrival of the elevator filled the room, but the door did not open.

The gathered gangers gripped their weapons tighter with uncertainty. Only after their leader prompted one of his underlings did a single pony approach the cargo elevator's door. Just as he was about to press the door button, a muffled voice could be heard on the other side.

“No, please! I beg y-”

The words were cut short as the door shook with a loud thud, then another. The gang pony looked back at his comrades with an uncertain expression, not knowing what to do.

Before the leader had a chance to say anything, the door buckled outwards and launched off its frame, slamming into the unfortunate underling. Thick, gray smoke began pouring out of the elevator, followed by a huge shape. The shape in turn was pouring out even more smoke, quickly obscuring visibility in the room.

“Light these fuckers up!”

Every single member of the Knights present in the room unloaded their weapon at the advancing, smoke-covered figure.

Blitz spoke quietly as he hung upside down on the elevator’s ceiling, his claws gripping the metal tightly. “When was the last time you were shot?” His voice was barely audible over the uneven streams of stray bullets hitting the elevator’s cabin below.

Donner, hanging right beside him, looked at the mask and shrugged lightly. “At the Crystal Heart I think. Why?”

The male made a neutral sound in his throat. “They have a lot of guns.” 

Donner smiled - or frowned. He was not sure given their inverted position. “Clearly not enough.” Her ear flickered as the gunfire died down. “Besides. Kein Fleiß, kein Preis.”

The room was now saturated with gray smoke, forcing the group’s leader to tread carefully. He inched towards where the large shape had fallen, gunned down by his people. His hoof touched something soft and wet. Straining his eyes through the irritating smoke, the pony looked down. The sight made him blink in surprise - a minotaur’s body lay in an expanding pool of blood, almost unrecognizable from the amount of bullet wounds it had sustained. Racks of ruined smoke grenades were attached to their chest with duct tape.

He was about to scream in alarm, but a different kind of scream rang out from the smoke first.

A type of scream that made his skin crawl.

He turned quickly and aimed his rifle at the direction which the scream came from. “Stay together! Find th-”

He was interrupted by a short burst of gunfire followed by the sound of splashing liquid coming from the grayness far to his left. Someone on the other side of the room yelled and fired blindly. “Shit!”

He turned yet again and trotted towards the noise. Only to find a pair of severed griffish claws still clutching a submachine gun lying on the deck. He stared at the gruesome sight with eyes wide open, and felt something land on his shoulder.

The stallion jumped at the sudden touch and nearly fired a burst from his rifle at the figure, but stopped himself in time when he noticed their muzzle was covered by a black bandana. “Crap, you almost gave me a heart attack!”

The other pony stared back with large open eyes, tightly holding a shotgun to her chest. “L-let’s get out of here!”

The leader nodded and turned to look down again at the severed claws. “Right, we go to the bridge. Gather the…” He turned to look back at the mare next to him.

She was gone.

“...others.”

He brought his weapon up in line with his eye and began quickly turning in every direction, scanning the thick smoke for movements. “Hey! Where are you!?”

The voice that replied wasn’t the one he knew. “Closer than you think.”

Before the stallion could do anything, he felt a sharp, painful tug on his neck. He tried to scream in pain, but only wet gargling escaped his throat. He didn’t register dropping down on the deck, only the unnatural coldness filling his entire body.




*****




The door to the dropship’s bridge opened with a hiss. Donner stepped in, scanning her surroundings, followed by Blitz. The moment they entered fully, the door closed again behind them. The two creatures fanned out into the sizable room, looking for any movement. The many computer consoles lining the walls were still running, there was even a still-steaming mug of coffee on one of the desks, but all the seats were empty. As was what used to be the captain’s command chair.

“There is no one here.” Donner frowned as she made her way to the large window overlooking the hangar below. She could see a small clump of haggard creatures making their way out the main entrance under the guard of a purple unicorn.

“The Duke must be nearby.” Blitz rejoined her by the window and briefly looked down. “Three and K’yopi would have seen him.”

The female let out a low, bassy growl. “Are we certain of that?” Her head half turned at the masked male, who in turn kept watching the scene below.

“No, but it would make sense that the Duke had to at least get out of the dropship to escape.”

She growled again, this time she added a smack of her muscular tail on the deck. “Well, where is he then?”

Blitz raised a wing and pointed through the window with its tip. “Right there.”

Across the hangar, on the gantry surrounding the derelict dropship, the two giants saw a running stallion accompanied by a rifle-toting pegasus mare. A light gray suit covered most of the stallion’s shining black coat, but thanks to the vivid green mane he was easily identifiable. Judging by the distance the Duke managed to clear so far, it looked like he had abandoned the dropship only moments before the duo had entered the bridge.

Blitz growled with an unusually open frustration as he turned around on the spot and ran towards the door which they entered through. “Go through the window! I will look for whichever exit he used!”

Donner didn’t waste time replying; she pounced the glassteel window with her forepaws. The moment her thick claws dug into the surface she started pulling, rending deep grooves into the transparent wall. She heard the door to the bridge open again as Blitz headed out of the room. But instead of the sound of the closing door, an electronically tinted voice called out.

“Hello, kitty.”

Instantly Donner’s head whipped around and over her shoulder. Only to see Blitz being lifted off the deck by a mechanical hand wrangled around his neck.

The hand was attached to a massive suit of armour which towered over the duo. It was composed of thick, armored plates and artificial myomere muscles. Heavy weapons consisting of a pulse laser emitter and miniature flamethrower were clearly visible, mounted on its shoulders. To top it off, the suit was covered in black and pink paint and streetgang iconography. Donner knew this design - a minotaur heavy exosuit, designed for military use by the Confederate armed forces.

The suit’s head, or rather, a bulbous shape resting where the head should have been, clicked and moved, then lifted up with a hiss of servos. The broad face of a minotaur woman sneered from inside the exosuit. The fur on her face was silvery, with a large black spot covering her left cheek, eye and temple. Instead of her right eye, a bright green cybernetic ocular was visible. She bared her teeth at the squirming Blitz before looking at Donner. “You two have been causing quite the stir haven’t you?” The suit’s head locked down again, the six holes in the faceplate glowing as the woman continued. “I am Satin, and I don’t take kindly to strays in my yard.”

With a hiss of servos, the suit’s other arm came up and grabbed Blitz by one of his hindlegs, then effortlessly lifted him up over its head and tossed him through the door before slamming the controls with a steel fist to lock the doors shut permanently. “I’m afraid your tomcat will have to wait. It’s just us girls now.”

Donner spun around to face the armored behemoth and let out a wrathful snarl. “I’ll crush that tincan along with you inside!”

The suited minotaur extended a hand, mockingly beckoning Donner with a single finger. “You might look like a cat, but I can clearly see you’re a massive bitch.”

Donner roared in anger as she broke into a charge, heading straight for the exosuit.

Satin’s outstretched hand instantly clenched into a fist. At the same time, the weapon mounted on the armour’s left shoulder fired a thin emerald laser beam towards the charging giant.

But Donner was faster - she dove down and rolled under the beam as it left a scorched scar on the glassteel window behind her. Without losing momentum she closed the distance, then, at the last possible moment, she sprung her hindlegs and launched herself at the armour.

Satin wasn’t going to leave herself exposed. The exosuit’s servos whined as she took a half step forward, bracing herself as the armored hands rose up, shielding her from the incoming blow. “How predictable.”

Donner grinned. Her massive wings flapped once with a gust of wind that sent scattered sheets of paper floating around the dropship’s bridge. She sailed over the armored figure, out of reach. On her way past, her tail wrapped tightly around the laser emitter, prompting a surprised gasp from Satin. With Donner’s entire weight pulling it, the mount twisted and bent until finally giving way, dropping on the floor in a shower of sparks. The moment she landed, Donner began to spin, readying herself to sink her claws into the armour’s back.

Before she could do any of it, she felt metal fingers grip around her hindleg. The suit was much nimbler than she had expected. The hand grabbed her tightly - a moment later, another joined in. Without giving her time to react, the suit began to turn in place, lifting the giant female up in a mighty half circle, then letting go. 

“Clever, but not clever enough!” Donner crashed through the dropship’s command chair, shattering it into a thousand plastic pieces. More crashes followed as Satin made her way through the abandoned bridge, bulldozing away computer stations, screens and tables in her path as she closed in the distance.

Donner quickly got to her feet and turned to face the attacker, just in time to raise her foreleg and catch the descending arm at its mounting point on the wrist. Her own laboured grunt mixed with the noise of the suit’s servos and artificial muscles as bioengineering and robotics battled for supremacy. 

And she was losing.

She watched as the hand slowly moved towards her face, metal fingers outstretched, clutching for a grip. With teeth bared, Donner let out a bestial roar and pushed hard, adding her other foreleg to counteract the force of the machine’s single arm.

That gave Satin an opening. The suit’s left arm rocketed forward, straight at Donner’s exposed chest. With a mighty slam, Satin’s opponent was sent flying backwards towards the glassteel window. The creature dropped on the deck and rolled a few times. Satin followed, breaking into a run at full speed. “Not so tough now are you?” The distance disappeared nearly instantly. Satin looked down at the still struggling creature, reached out an armoured hand and grabbed her by the muzzle, then lifted her up and pinned her to the window. The other hand started hammering Donner’s chest. One, two, three. With each slam the window cracked more and more. With each slam the large female’s wings twitched, until finally, an elongated, pained snarl escaped Donner’s muzzle as something cracked under Satin's armoured fist. 

“I expected more. Say goodnight kittycat.” Instead of punching again, the armour’s free hand tightly grasped one of the outstretched wings, then twisted with all its might.

The bridge filled with a roar of pain and rage.

But Satin wasn’t done yet.

The suit’s right leg rose high, then stomped directly onto Donner’s chest. With a crunch of bones the large female was rammed through the tortured window and out into the open air of the hangar, its metal floor fifteen meters below.

Despite her disabled wing and the broken ribs, Donne’s natural instincts kicked in - her body twisted and weaved in the air until all of her paws were oriented towards the ground. She managed to land on all fours, but the searing lance of pain in her chest that immediately followed caused her legs to buckle and the female dropped to the deck with a hurting hiss. She allowed herself one deep breath, shooting a glare at the exosuit standing in the broken window.

Satin took a step backwards, then another. Then with loud stomps she started forward, leaping from the window. The massive suit crashed into the deck below, its gyros heaving as they kept a tonne of armour balanced upright. The suit turned to the wounded creature and the headguard slid up again.

The minotaur sneered with contempt. “Still alive? Impressive. Maybe whatever is inside you will fetch a nice price on the black market.” The flamethrower mounted on the suit’s right shoulder rose up, its thin nozzle turning towards the sprawled female. “Of course, first I will have to season you up a little.”

Donner let out a hacking cough, then narrowed her eyes at the ugly face and grinned. “What element is not on the periodic table?”

Satin's natural eye blinked, dumbfounded. “What are you taARGHHH!”

Knifelike claws slashed the minotaur’s face in a spray of blood, then grabbed the armoured faceplate and ripped it off with the groan of shredding metal.

The exosuit spun wildly, spewing liquid fire around the hangar. The armored hands grasped for the giant creature on its back, but were unable to reach it. Blitz kept holding on despite the violent ride, slashing and kicking at the exposed subsystems on the back of the massive suit as armor plates fell off in showers of sparks. He reached a paw over the bulky shoulders, aiming for the occupant’s face again, but one of the hands managed to get a grab. Instantly it pulled, dislodging the male off the suit’s back and tossing him over its shoulders into a nearby pile of scrap machinery.

Satin roared. “My eye! Shit! You took my eye!” Half of her face was covered in blood and deep wounds, only a mangled eye socket in place of her remaining natural eye, leaving the minotaur with only the cybernetic replacement on her right. “You fucking freaks!” The flamer swiveled on its mount and let out a tongue of flame into the pile where Blitz had landed. “Die!”

Donner felt a sudden surge of adrenaline fill her body, her heart pumped faster, filling every inch of her being with a specially tailored concoction of blood, boosters and hormones. Her vision sharpened, her hearing became more acute, her muscles relaxed, ready for another fight.

Her rage turned to cold fury.




*****




K’yopi was running back towards the hangar at full speed, the purple unicorn right behind her. They’d freed the prisoners and helped them out of the area before turning back to rejoin Blitz and Donner.

The moment the two entered the hangar they screeched to a halt. What looked like a giant suit of armour was locked in titanic battle against their companions on the other side. Roaring flames filled the air as the armour tried to keep up with the speed with which Blitz and Donner moved. Time and time again one of them would draw fire while the other moved in to attack, slashing and ripping metal with their claws, but not without cost.

K’yopi could see that both Blitz and Donner were wounded. One of the female’s wings dragged on the deck uselessly, while Blitz kept his left hindleg curled up close to his torso. There were other signs too - cuts and bruises, reddened burns and splashes of orange ichor.

The suit was also damaged - shredded armour all over the carapace, sparks and thin wisps of smoke emanating from the gaps. Only after a moment did K’yopi notice the suit’s occupant. She felt satisfaction as she noticed Satin’s mangled face.

None of the sustained damage seemed to slow the combatants significantly.

The trio moved into the close quarters range. The filly watched as the massive bodies of Blitz and Donner spun and weaved, deftly avoiding the suit’s powerful fists. It was obvious that Satin had the strength advantage, something K’yopi had never thought could happen to the two giants. They were forced to rely on their speed, agility and numbers.

She watched as Donner charged Satin and bounded off in the last moment, only for Blitz to strike from the side. The minotaur was not an easy target however; with a swift move she raised her arm to block most of the damage from the leaping male. The claws dug deep into the armored limb, shredding armour and damaging myomeres. Donner struck from behind at the same moment, sinking her claws into the suit’s lower back. Before she could do any real damage, Satin spun with a roar, lifting Blitz up and smashing him into the female, sending the two of them tumbling away. The flamer raised again, tracking the monstrous forms. 

It sputtered weakly, down to its last dregs of fuel.

Satin let out a mighty curse, pushing the suit into a run, and stomped her way towards the two giants.

“We have to help them! Three! Do something!” The filly looked to her side for the first time since they’d run into the hangar. 

The unicorn was gone. 

“Wha-” She looked frantically around, finally spotting him by one of the scaffoldings leading to the gantry surrounding the dropship. She also spotted movement twenty meters above.

It was the Duke. He was making a run for it.

The zebra bit her lower lip and looked back at the fight nearby, then back to Three who was already climbing the stairs. There was a sinking feeling down in her gut. It was fear - but she wasn’t afraid for her safety. She was afraid for Blitz, and Donner, and Three.

And now she had to make a choice. She had never needed to make a choice like that in her life. It terrified her.

Donner’s furious roar echoing through the hangar brought K’yopi back into the real world. She took a deep breath and closed her eye, then focused her thoughts. She wasn't a fighter, she didn’t know how to use weapons, and she was awfully fragile. There wasn’t much she could do to help the giants. On the other hoof, Three was alone.

The filly looked around the hangar, searching for a way to cut off the Duke.

K’yopi opened her eye and instantly rushed to the nearby gantry.


*****




Three hastily ran up the open staircase, his hooves clattering loudly on the metal framework. Every few bends he’d poke his head out of the structure and look up, tracking his target. He could see the crystalline, grayish stallion climbing higher, just a few floors above. The crystal pony was obscured by many levels of catwalks and the metal structure of the staircase separating the two, making hitting him with a spell exceedingly difficult. With short, repeated casts of his translocation spell he began to close the distance, but the Duke’s head start kept him frustratingly out of reach.

He ignored the sound of a massive crash down below and kept running. Hoofsteps clattered on the grated staircase above - he was gaining on the stallion that could only be the Duke from the chief inspector's description.

The staircase around him erupted as gunfire rattled the bare metal. The loud noise of thin steel sheets being punctured by bullets made the stallion instinctively lower his head. Despite the risk, he didn’t stop. As he turned yet another flight of stairs, he spotted the source. Far ahead and above near a different gantry, a single pegasus armed with an assault rifle was inaccurately hosing him down. 

Three kept climbing; he only needed to close the gap just a little more for the shooter to be in range. One more turn. The unicorn stopped, pointed his horn at the target and focused his magic. The hovering pony slammed another magazine into the weapon and fired. The rifle wasn’t aimed at him however, but towards a different staircase on the other side of the hangar.

Three froze at the loud, high pitched shriek that followed after the shot. He instantly felt the pressure at the base of his horn intensify as a wave of boiling anger filled him to the brim. A thin line of cascading magical energy erupted from the unicorn’s horn and instantly connected with the shooter. The pegasus jerked and dropped her rifle as the beam hit one of her wings. She dropped out of sight, flailing wildly.

The panicked screams cut off quickly.

The unicorn didn’t pay any attention to it. He looked down to the other structure and spotted a striped shape on the staircase. “K’yopi, what are you doing?! Get back down!” He could just make out the zebra looking up with a worried expression. 

Her yelling was almost drowned out by the sounds of the battle from below. “He'll escape if we don't get him! I have to help you!”

Three looked up again and started running. Thirty seconds later he was at the top of the gantry. A long, rickety catwalk led over the derelict dropship and to the other side - in the distance he could spot his target.

The Duke was running along a wide catwalk that bridged the hangar and connected to the gantry which the filly was climbing. If only she could reach the top in time, they’d have him trapped. A large platform sat in the middle of the catwalk, directly above the dropship. A short shaft connected it to the ceiling, likely another staircase leading to an airlock or hatch placed there. That seemed to be the Duke’s escape route. Crates and various construction supplies littered the platform, enough to make sure the mobster had cover to facilitate his escape.

If Three wanted to stop the stallion, he would have to do it immediately.

“It’s over! Cease fleeing!”

He lit up his horn, just in time to see the Duke look back and point a pistol at him. The crystal pony was faster.

Three threw himself down just as he released his magic. As he fell, he felt the bullet part his mane with an ominous whine. At the same time, his discharge of energy zapped a support beam right next to the Duke. The mobster stumbled but kept running; he reached the platform and disappeared behind a stack of crates.

Three let out a frustrated sigh and lit up his horn again. With an electric zap and a flash of magic he reappeared in the middle of the platform the Duke had escaped to. It was cramped, filled with cargo containers, stacks of various supplies, machines, tools, spare parts and building material for the dropship below. In front of him was a single heavy door, marked with emergency exit signage.

Just as the unicorn started wondering if he missed his mark, the doors let out a soft chime, then slid apart. Four heavily armed goons wearing black bandanas poured out. They formed a semicircle around the unicorn, training their weapons on him. Three of them were armed with various rifles, but one bore a revolving grenade launcher. Behind him he heard hooves on the metal floor, then a calm, measured voice.

“I do not know who you are or why are you here. And really, I do not give a damn.”

Three darted his eyes between the arsenal of weapons pointed his way before glancing back at the source of the voice. A black crystal pony - the wrinkles on his face failed to mask his angular, nearly chiseled features. His green, well-kept mane showed hints of silver, which only added to his mobster’s persona. The stallion was wearing an elegant light gray suit, clearly tailor-made to fit his stocky body perfectly. The Duke. His brown eyes narrowed as a venomous smile appeared on his muzzle.The gang leader’s rough and drawled out voice betrayed his heavy confederate accent.

The unicorn frowned. “It is unfortunate we did not make proper acquaintances before this entire situation. And frankly, I somehow doubt we will have the opportunity.” Out of the corner of his eye Three could see the Duke moving to his flank, towards the elevator his backup just came in through.

The crystal pony’s wrinkled face sneered in disgust. “You got that right boy! You might have had a lucky break, but right now Satin is mopping the floor with your buddies, and it seems to me like you’re not in a much better position.”

The unicorn narrowed his eyes as magical lightning bolts began to arc around his horn. “Oh I wouldn’t be so certain.”

The Duke let out a short laugh. “I heard of ponies like you, throwing wild magic around like you are some sort of wonderchild. Well, your tricks won’t help you now!” He glanced at his lackeys and spoke calmly. “Kill-”

The unicorn was prepared. In half a beat he unleashed another translocation spell, disappearing right before the lead pierced his bare body. The target was only four meters ahead. The goons balked in shock as the unicorn reappeared in front of the one standing in the middle of the semi circle. The one holding the grenade launcher.

    Before any of the knights had a chance to wrap their minds about what had just happened, the unicorn shifted his eyes down at the large weapon and focused his magic. A series of clicks followed as the launcher’s drum was emptied onto the floor beneath the ganger’s feet.

    Three channeled his magic again and vanished, only to reappear ten meters further back. He aimed his horn at the spilled explosives and fired a brilliant lance of energy.

    The resulting explosion bathed the thugs in shrapnel; the entire platform shook. The unicorn felt the blastwave flatten his chest, but mercifully he was unscathed. The moment the smoke cleared and the ringing in his ears eased, he looked around to assess the damage.

    The grenade launcher Knight was gone; only a smear of blood remained where he had been standing. Another scrambled to their hooves off to one side, but was swiftly cut down with a concentrated beam of magic. The third gang member lay crumpled near the elevator, never to move again judging by their wounds. Three zapped the elevator’s control panel just to be certain that avenue of escape was unusable. Just as he did a shout alerted him to the danger - too late. The final Knight slammed into the unicorn, sending both to the floor. Neither of them were armed - the gang member must have lost his weapon in the explosion - but that didn’t mean it was an easy fight. This wasn’t one of Donner’s calm pins; Three had to resort to his basic instinct of biting and kicking as the two ponies tumbled on the ground in a savage bout. He tried to summon another spell in between the hits, but the window of opportunity was too small; the relentless assault left him no time to focus properly.

The unicorn grunted in pain as his opponent unleashed a flurry of blows into his stomach. He tried to bite at his assailant’s neck, but the Knight, clearly more used to this kind of fighting, skilfully held him at bay. More blows followed, hooves striking Three’s chest and sides. He felt his breath escaping his lungs with each pummeling hit. The other stallion finished it off with a mighty kick to the side of the unicorn’s muzzle.

He briefly felt his vision go dark, only to regain his sight when his head painfully bounced off the metal floor. There was no way he could concentrate now - not with pain that severe. He felt his opponent get off him, then stand up. The Duke’s voice called out, full of fury and malice.

“Beat that fucker to a pulp!”

Momentarily, Three’s stomach exploded in pain as a hoof stomped from above, then another. The unicorn groaned and whined. Another kick, this one much stronger. He felt something crack in his chest as he was sent tumbling away.

“You see? He’s just a pony!”

His head swam; he couldn’t focus his thoughts, not to mention magic. But he knew one thing - that he had to get up and do something. Anything. Otherwise he’d be finished.

He took a deep breath and hissed at the pain in his torso, then, slowly, he rolled onto his legs and painfully began lifting himself up. His head rose, only to see the thug in front of him, ready to unleash another barrage of blows. The Duke was standing to the side, grinning.

“Still got some fight in you? Good! That means more time to watch you bleed!”

Just as he was about to stand fully, Three’s legs gave out. He dropped to his knees with a cry of pain. He wasn’t a fighter - he couldn’t stand up in a brawl like that.

“Oh? No? Well, too bad then, fucko.”

The thug began to charge, readying another kick aimed straight at Three’s head.

Three smirked. He wasn’t a fighter - but he was a unicorn. One with a uniquely curved and pointed horn. With a cry of anger and exertion Three sprung up, thrusting his head at an upwards angle. The pointed tip of his horn struck something, then penetrated with a meaty squelch. He felt warm liquid splash on his forehead and streak down his face. He stood like that for a few seconds, regaining his focus. Then, with a telekinetic blast, he threw the skewered stallion off his horn. They wouldn’t be getting up again.

The Duke was standing nearby, eyes wide as saucers and jaw hanging open.

Three smiled at the crystal pony. It was a smile devoid of any mirth or joy, but full of wanton brutality. Blood dripped from his horn and down his beaten face. The lightning arcs that appeared around his horn had worrying red tinge to their colouring. Quietly, he cooed, “I am far more than just a pony.”

The Duke's surprise turned into horror. “W-wait. Wait! You can’t harm me!” He brought up his foreleg and tapped on the multiband there. “You do and everyone here dies! Do you understand that?!”

The magic coursing through the unicorn’s horn did not ease up. “Good, because you are coming with me.”

The Duke growled, seemingly emboldened by his threat. “No you bastard! You are letting me go free or everyone in this hangar dies. Including the stock on the lower decks you didn't get to!” He narrowed his eyes as Three’s horrid grin eased its intensity. “That’s right. You thought I keep all my eggs in one basket? Heh.” 

The unicorn hissed as he slowly turned after the moving target, his horn still brimming with energy. “You wouldn’t dare. You’d die too.”

“They’d give me the noose anyway! I have nothing to lose now!” The Duke kept walking sideways towards the exit from the platform. “You think I’d be that dumb? To not have insurance?” He let out a short laugh, pulling a small concealed pistol from under the jacket. “Think again frea-”

“Three!” The juvenile voice was muted by a single gunshot.

The stallion felt a hard thump on the right side of his chest. He looked down, surprised. A rapidly expanding red smear was visible on his coat. He’d never been shot before. He’d thought it would be agony, but other than the cold around the wound, he just felt numbness overwhelm his entire body.

He didn’t even register his legs giving out. He looked up.

Only to see the Duke dance like a string puppet as he was perforated by a close range storm of rifle fire.

Three’s chin hit the deck. He could see a small, striped form dropping the assault rifle and galloping towards him.

K’yopi slid to a stop by the bleeding unicorn. Her trembling hooves reached down and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him into a sitting position. “Three! Three! Oh shit, oh fuck! What do I do? What do I do?!” She watched as the unicorn’s eyes turned and met hers. Then he smiled. 

“Good to see you again K.” He let out a hacking cough, spitting blood on her hooves.

“D-don’t talk! You’re shot. Badly!” She looked around the platform in panic. “Oh crap...”

“Hey. I-it’s not that bad!” He put his hoof on her shoulder. “I d-don’t think I am dying... yet.”
 Judging from the way the unicorn had to fight for breath the filly didn’t entirely believe that.

 After a few deep inhales he spoke again. “I can wait. G-go get Donner, or Blitz. One of them! Quickly.”

“I… I Can’t leave you!”

WIth effort, the stallion reached a hoof and grabbed the zebra on the back of her head, then pushed her closer to his face. “Go. There is n-nothing you can do… here.” He narrowed his eyes. “Do you understand me?”

Terrified, the filly gulped then nodded weakly a couple times. She leaned in and nuzzled her neck to his before placing his hoof on the wound. “J-Just hold tight, okay?”

A weak, throaty laugh caused the filly to flinch. She looked down at Three, but he was just looking back at her, confused. Then she looked back over her shoulder.

The Duke’s body was moving. One foreleg slowly and with great effort reached to the multiband, then pressed a blinking icon. The laughter continued, but quickly morphed into a tortured, gurgling wheeze. FInally, the breathing slowly quieted down, the body going limp in a pool of blood as a multiband showing an activated app clattered to the floor.

Before she could realise what happened, a loud klaxon could be heard throughout the hangar. A synthetic voice followed.

“WARNING! CLASS A CHEMICAL FIRE DETECTED INSIDE THE BERTH. ALL EXITS SEALED. ATMOSPHERIC PURGE COMMENCING.”

The massive door spanning the entire wall in front of the dropship began to slide open.




*****




The yellow warning lights flashing on the gate behind Satin’s back highlighted the damage done to her exosuit. Large gashes were visible all over the plating, mainly concentrated on the torso and arms. The suit’s left hand was a mangled mess of metal and wiring and, though still a dangerous club, it had lost all ability to get a grip on anything. The flamethrower, spent long ago, was likewise gone. Satin herself was also wounded. Her unprotected face bore deep, bloody rends caused by the strike which took her left eye. Blood was seeping from a wide tear on the armour’s right side.

Her opponents weren’t faring much better. Donner’s right wing dragged uselessly on the deck behind her; her skin was abraded or split  in many places. The orange, honey-like liquid that was the creature’s blood seeped like amber and matted her coat around the wounds. She winced everytime she drew a breath - the broken ribs were hampering her composure.

To her side, standing on three legs was Blitz, his left hind leg kept high in order to avoid putting weight on it. Other than the crippled limb, the giant was the one with least debilitating injuries. He was far from unscathed however. Two uneven cuts marred his chest; a number of tiny metal shards were embedded in the ornate mask covering his face. 

The three of them found themselves facing off near the dropship’s main ramp when the klaxons announced the venting procedure.

Satin’s mangled face twisted in an uneven grin as she briefly looked back. “So the big stallion is done for, eh?” She faced her enemies, retaining the grin. “I will make sure you will die here with everyone else.” The heavy arms of her exosuit raised, then pounded together twice. “You mangy kittycats have been a major pain in my ass, but this ends now!” The minotaur let out a fierce roar and charged towards Blitz.

He expected to be the target of Satin’s anger - he was the only one who could still fly. It was a wise tactical choice to go after him, but even if he wanted, he couldn't. Donner was too vulnerable to be left on the ground alone.

With a flap of his wings, the giant rolled out of Satin’s reach. He was faster, but even with all the sustained damage, she was far from slow. The exosuit’s right arm reached out after him. He felt a prick as the mechanical fingers grabbed at the trailing edge of his wing and pulled out a few feathers. It was clear she wanted to ground him. Going into melee range was asking for a crippled wing.

Fortunately, he wasn’t alone.

Seeing an opening, Donner leapt into action. Her claws struck low, into the suit’s left thigh. Satin tripped but the armour’s tortured gyros kept it upright, then with a tug of inertial force pushed the suit back into standing position and over as it swiveled on one heel and turned right at the female.

Another mighty blow sent Donner tumbling on the deck. “I’LL RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!” With a hiss of servos she raised her left hand high above her head in a protective stance, turning the other one backwards like a pinwheel just in time to thwart the ambush. She felt Blitz’s weight land briefly on her shoulders, then use the suit like a springboard and launch himself up and over, leaping out of reach of her swinging fist. Keeping his wings half open to steady himself against the strengthening draft, the creature landed on a nearby cargo crate, then jumped down between his companion and the minotaur.

Both of them were right where Satin wanted them. Between her and the hangar door. She watched with glee as the slit in the middle of the door began widening with a rapidly increasing howl of escaping air. Beyond it, a black void adorned with tiny twinkling dots.

Six meters and growing. Already nearby containers, machines and pieces of trash started passing through the gap as they were sucked out into the black. She knew her suit could withstand the pull; all she needed to do was finish this before she suffocated. Even when the escaping air reached supersonic velocity, as long as the doors were not fully open it would take minutes for the massive volume of atmosphere in the hangar to vent out completely.

She took a heavy step forward. “Well, lost your bite? Come on!”

Blitz had to raise his voice to be heard over the roaring air current. He spoke without taking his eyes off the exosuit. “Find the unicorn and the zebra and get out of here!”

Donner unsteadily got back to her feet. “Maul halten! I can fight.” She took a few shaky steps forward and formed up on the male’s side. “Besides, if we are going to die, we are doing this together or not at all!” She assumed a predatory stance and let out a growl directed at the minotaur. “Whatever we choose, we just need to be quick about it. “ Already their manes and feathers were being tossed violently on the hurricane wind created by the suction of the opening.

Blitz angled his mask at his companion. “I’ve got an idea.”

Donner kept watching the exosuit with a vicious snarl. “Do tell.”

“Festhalten.”

The female grinned. With effort, she stepped closer to Blitz and pressed her side against his, her healthy wing wrapped tightly around his torso.

Satin took another step forward. “Didn’t you get the memo? No animals allowed! RAARGH!”

She charged again, arms outstretched. She expected them to swerve to the sides again, or try to go high and above.

They did none of that.

Instead, both of them dropped to the deck as she smashed her hands together right above their heads. It surprised Satin, but it wasn’t anything she wasn’t prepared for. With practiced moves she readjusted her working fist and slammed it downwards in a powerful hammerblow.

Only to watch her fist be stopped by four paws, right in front of the male’s masked face. The servos whined as the mechanical arm pressed to overpower their grip. Satin sneered. She still had the second arm. It rose high above her head, aiming to hammer into the freak’s skull like a nail.

“Now!”

The limb fell down with full force. But just before it hit, Blitz spread his massive wings wide. Immediately they caught the rushing air - and pulled the two creatures towards the gap.

And with their tails wrapped firmly around Satin’s ankles the exosuit was dragged along. The machine couldn’t hope to counterbalance such force so quickly. With a yelp of surprise Satin crashed onto her back, then started to slide across the deck along with her two opponents.

The moment the armour gained momentum, Blitz closed his wings. He and Donner slid along the deck, well within the suction zone of the vacuum, accompanied by more and more items from the hangar flying past, bouncing and crashing all around them. He threw his left forepaw to the side and slammed his claws into the deck. Sparks flying as the metal was ripped open like a cheap aluminum can, it gave him and Donner enough leverage to swing out of the way of the barreling exosuit. Once Satin passed them, screaming obscenities and desperately trying to find a grip with her only working hand, Donner released her hold on the male and sunk her own claws into the deck a few meters behind. The draft was so strong and loud here that the two of them felt like they were hanging over an infinite chasm.

Just as Blitz was about to look behind him towards Donner, he felt squeezing pain explode in his hind leg.

Satin was not done yet.




*****




“Three! Three! Hold on!” The entire platform was shaking. K’yopi had to cover the lying unicorn with her own body to protect him from the flying items. Crates, rivets, spars, and everything in between were devoured by the twenty meter wide gap in the door. She was already bleeding from her shoulder; a piece of sheet metal had nearly decapitated her.

K’yopi staunched the unicorn’s bleeding with the sleeve of her suit, but it was already soaked in red. She looked at his face. He was still awake, but the paleness of it filled the filly with dread. She held him close, using her hindlegs to hold them in place by the platform’s railing. His lips were moving, but the rushing air and the unholy clatter of crashing metal made it impossible to hear anything. K’yopi screwed her eye shut and leaned her ear to the unicorn’s muzzle.

“Get o-out of... here.”

Even though his head was right besides her, she couldn’t help but yell. “I-I can’t leave you here!”

The unicorn shivered and let out a weak cough. She could feel warm droplets land on her ear. “You h-have to… go.”

The filly gritted her teeth. “I am not leaving you!” She moved her head and stared into the unicorn’s blue eyes. “Do you hear me?! I AM NOT LEAVING YOU!” She looked up and around in desperation. There was no way she could move him off the platform now; the air current was too strong to even stand. 

“Blitz, Donner! Where are you guys?” She looked down at the bleeding unicorn. “T-Three we have to-”

The railing gave way. The two of them slid away and entered freefall.

She screamed. There was nothing else she could do.

She screamed as the two of them plummeted towards the deck thirty meters below.

She watched it race closer and closer- then felt hooves wrap around her small frame.

Just as they were about to hit the deck, her world changed.

Blue. Endless blue. A swirling vortex of indigo, ultramarine, sapphire, teal, azure, cerulean, cyan, iris. A silent abyss of swirling energy and impalpable shapes. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t do anything. It felt like minutes. 

She felt watched.

She felt like an intruder.

She could swear she heard whispering.

Before she could even start wrapping her head around it all, the vortex was replaced by the hangar’s deck again.

The zebra and the unicorn hit the metal. She let out a quiet hiss at the pain in her side; it felt as if they had fallen from a chair instead of a thirty meter tall gantry.

It wasn’t over, however. Immediately their bodies started to slide on the deck, pulled by the suction force of the vacuum. K’yopi held tightly to the wounded unicorn and cowered. The only other thing she could do was to lift her head and look through the wide open door, into the dark void hungrily consuming everything that was not nailed down.

They were sliding towards it at a speed that made her heart sink. The filly screwed her eye tightly and buried her head in Three’s mane. She could feel his weak foreleg wrap around her midsection reassuringly. 

She thought about the last few days - how her life had changed in a way she wouldn’t have guessed in a hundred years. She thought of the people who were the catalyst of this change: Blitz and Donner. And of course Three. The quirky unicorn that came out of nowhere, their paths crossed by pure chance. K’yopi had never thought about destiny or fate; she had never thought about things like that ever before. Her mind had dismissed it all as nonsense, a phoney spiritual lie that some people used to make themselves feel better about the bad things that happened in this world. But something else gave her a feeling of strange acceptance. A profound sense of calmness and peace of mind. A silent, soothing whisper that assured her that everything would be alright. That she was exactly where she was supposed to be. That she belonged.

And that she was free.

It was her choice to stay with the unicorn until the end. No one forced her to.

He was her purpose.

She finally understood.

She only regretted not being able to enjoy it fully.

The violent tug at her midsection forced her eye open in surprise. Both she and the unicorn stopped.

The filly looked up only to see a long, thick tail holding them in place. It’s owner was anchored firmly into the deck just a few meters above.

“Donner!”

The female’s head was barely visible over her large bulk. The strain on her face made it obvious she was barely holding on. “I cannot do anything from here! You have to close that door!”

“B-but how?!”

“Think of something, fast! Before Blitz is done for!” As if to punctuate her point, Donner whipped her tail and swung the two to her other side. Once there, only a few meters away and below her, K’yopi saw the other giant desperately trying to dislodge the fearsome mechanical monster which was clutching one of his hindlegs.

Blitz had no other choice than to hold on. Donner was too far away and too wounded to help, and Satin was using her only working hand to grip tightly around his paw. He couldn’t even kick her away as his other leg had been crippled in the fight before.

“K’yopi…” Three’s voice was barely audible over the rushing air. “You have to h-help him. I will…” he let out a hacking cough again. “I will close the door.”

The zebra stared at the unicorn, frightened. “H-how? I have no weapons! I don’t know what to do!”

His misty eyes met hers as he offered a weak smile. “Figure something out. You are g-good at that.” His eyelids fell down and a glow formed at the tip of his horn.

“Shit.” The filly looked around, the floor on which they were all lying was effectively a smooth vertical wall, thanks to the mass of air rushing into space beyond the door. By now the pressure difference was big enough to overcome the station’s gravity. Letting go would mean a fall into open space. She closed her eye again and whispered under her breath. “Think. Think. You can do it.” Blitz’s pained roar nearly broke her concentration. “Come on! There has to be something.” She could see the blue glow enveloping her and Three even through her eyelids.

Her healthy eye shot open. “Donner! Let me go!”

“What?!”

“Hold Three and let me go!” She looked up at the female. “Trust me!” She looked down at the purple unicorn. The glow at the tip of his horn was so intense it obscured his eyes. She winced as magical lightning began to shoot out from within the glow. Whatever he was doing, the filly had never seen him use that much magic ever before. She didn’t know if he could hear her. “I’m sorry Three!”

The zebra wrapped all of her four limbs tightly against the unicorn’s torso. She could feel the warm blood on his chest and the jerk of pain as she held him close.

“Donner! Go!”

After a brief moment she felt the tail holding her midsection ease up. She let out a yelp as she fell for a few centimeters before her hooves locked the unicorn in a grip. Once she was certain her hold was secure she looked up again. By now she couldn’t even see the large female; the glow from Three’s horn and the magic discharges around it were too bright.

“Swing me towards Blitz!”

“It’s too far!”

“It’s our only chance! Do it!”

The tail holding the stallion swung like a pendulum, dragging the two of them on the deck. K’yopi watched as she moved towards Blitz and Satin, then back again. “Closer!” She dared to reach one hoof towards the struggling duo. It was still too far. “I need to be clos-”

A wild, deafening bolt of magical lightning erupted from Three’s horn and struck the deck right where Donner’s tail was just a second ago.

The female roared over the noise. “I can’t keep this up!”

K’yopi looked with concern at the unicorn but had to avert her gaze. “Once more! Just a little further!”

The tail swung again. Back and forth. K’yopi watched Blitz and Satin get closer again. But it was still too far.

She jumped.

The small zebra slid across the deck, propelled by Donner’s muscular appendage. Soon, the forward momentum was lost and she began sliding down. “Oh shit!” Her trajectory was nearly vertical now. Blitz’s mask snapped up to look at her. He couldn’t reach a paw to grab her, but he gave her the next best thing: his massive wing. She had to fight to orient herself properly, slide on her back with all limbs outstretched, ready to grab the feathery appendage.

The moment it came within reach she grabbed with all her might. As she steadied her breath, she realised that somehow she had managed to find purchase. The wing moved and slid her closer to the giant’s body. A deep voice rang out. 

“Nice of you to drop in.”

“Are you serious!?” Her hindlegs wrapped around Blitz’s lower torso for even more grip.

Another bolt of magic pierced the howling gale around them, this one even stronger than before. The zebra winced at the thunderclap. “Blitz, help me down!”

Again, a dextrous tail rose up and wrapped itself around her midsection. “I cannot do anything from here. You have to be quick. Soon the atmosphere will be too thin for you and Three to breathe.”

She didn’t have the time to question it. “Right. Right.” Instead she climbed on the giant’s back, secured by the tail like an alpinist. She looked down again. 

Satin was holding tightly to Blitz’s hindpaw, her savaged face sneering back at the zebra. The filly was certain the minotaur recognized her, but at this point she didn’t care one bit for it. Blitz’s other paw was curled up, out of reach of the armored suit, but coated in amber blood.

The same synthetic voice from before could be heard through the maelstrom. “WARNING. MAIN HANGAR DOOR MECHANISM NOT RESPONDING.”

K’yopi strained her eyes to see the far away motors lined on both sides of the massive door. All eight of them were fully enveloped by an intense blue glow, sparks flying from their innards. The machines struggled as if suddenly they had to counteract an invisible wyrm trying to hold the doors together. Suddenly one of the engines exploded, spewing debris and thick, black smoke which were sucked away into space straight away. The left door stopped and then, pushed by an unseen force, started to slowly close.

The filly looked over her shoulder towards Three. The unicorn’s head was nearly entirely enveloped by magical glow; lightning bolts as long as her foreleg were escaping it nearly every second. She yelled at Blitz. “He’s doing it! He’s closing the gate!” She reached to her chest and tugged the tail. “Blitz. Get me down now!”

She didn’t have to repeat herself. Momentarily, she found herself drawing closer and closer to Satin’s face. 

The minotaur gritted her teeth, turning her cybernetic eye on the zebra.. “You!? Oh sweet little stripe. You will pay for this. You and your mangy friends!”

K’yopi felt bile rising in her throat as reached out and hooked her hooves around the exosuit’s gauntlet. She started looking for a way to somehow break the iron grip on Blitz’s paw. “It’s time you paid for everything you’ve done!”

Satin let out a cruel laugh. “Then you die!” She brought up her left arm, heaving it towards the filly like a club. In a rushed reaction to keep her from being turned into a red smear, Blitz let her go.

K’yopi slid down, right as the maul slammed into the deck where she just had been. Her hindlegs were steadily placed on Satin’s shoulders now, while her forelegs grabbed the suit’s right arm. There was no way the minotaur could dislodge her without letting go now.

There was no way to dislodge the minotaur without following her also.

The filly inspected the arm - she winced at the sight of what the thick metal fingers had already done to Blitz’s skin but forced herself to keep looking. There was no visible way to dislodge it, not without severing his leg.

“Get! OFF!” Another swing, this one poorly aimed and easy to avoid.

The filly didn’t grace the minotaur with a glare. Instead she raised one of her hindlegs and firmly struck it into Satin’s face. The surprised curse that followed was all she needed for confirmation that it had hit its target. She kept searching the arm from each side, lower and lower until she finally reached the shoulder. She threw in another kick to keep Satin distracted.

The suit had to have some sort of emergency release in case the operator needed to get out but was unable to do it themselves. It had to! She just needed to find it! Her hooves desperately searched every crevice of the mechanical arm, working their way from the wrist and down towards the torso. Finally, K’yopi spotted a small lever marked with a black and yellow border, located on the inside of the armour’s armpit. Satin yelled something, but she was drowned out by the explosion of another motor.

“I am no longer your sweet little stripe.” The zebra grabbed the lever and pulled it. “Effective immediately!”

The seam between the armour’s arm and shoulder popped out, then expanded. Momentarily everything below it, the occupant included, started to drop away. K’yopi watched as Satin’s muscular arm slid from the gauntlet. The minotaur’s mangled face was stuck in a furious scowl as she and the exosuit fell towards the void below. She tried to grab the deck with her other arm, but its damaged end scraped and stood no chance of digging in without its fingers.

“BLITZ!” The agile tail instantly wrapped around the filly, holding her tight.

She kept watching the minotaur fall. She kept watching as all of the remaining motors around the doors exploded all at once. She kept watching as the exosuit’s leg clipped the deck and caused it to spin violently. She kept watching as Satin drifted into the black. Drifted, until finally disappearing as the massive doors slammed closed with a sound of tortured metal.

The maelstrom eased with a hiss of sucked-out air, enough for the noise of burning motors to be audible. 

The filly felt herself lowered gently to the deck. She got up immediately and galloped towards the purple unicorn. Right away she spotted that his entire chest was covered in red. His eyes were half closed and glazed over. The tip of his curved horn was blackened and smoking. Donner was already by his side, holding a wing under the lying pony protectively. At the sound of K’yopi’s hooves she looked down. Her expression was impassive.

“N-no.”



*****




It was hard to focus. His head was pounding. His horn felt like a metal rod impaled deep into his frontal lobe. His breaths were too shallow, but he couldn’t force himself to breathe in deeper. The right side of his chest was numb, as if it wasn’t there anymore. He tried to get on his hooves, but they barely moved.

He could see blurred shapes moving frantically in front of him. Voices, high pitched and quick. Something landed on the side of his neck. He felt his head droop down. It was so hard to keep it up. His eyes closed. What was happening? He didn’t know. He was so confused.

The vortex.

His own private space. It was strange; he didn’t recall translocating. Why was he there? It didn’t matter. This was his realm, the closest thing to home he ever had. Even if he was an intruder there. Even if it wasn’t strictly speaking his. Nevertheless, it filled him with a feeling of serenity. 

He heard a voice.

“Wake up!”

The landlord.

“Wake! Up!”

The Voice.

“WAKE! UP!”

No, it wasn't It. This voice was different. It wasn’t filled with venom and deception. Instead, it was soft and pleading.

Desperate.

“PLEASE!”

His eyes shot open.

His vision was filled with a face of a young zebra. She seemed familiar, but he couldn’t remember her name. Her red irises were fully dilated. Her eyes were wide open.

And she was crying.

He blinked once, twice. It all came back together instantly. He smiled. “Hey K.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

The filly let out a mighty sniff. She tried to say something, but only random noises escaped her lips. Her tears were not stopping.

He reached out a weak hoof and rubbed it under her healthy eye. “Don’t cry. You don’t cry, remember?” He drew in a shallow breath. A spike of pain pierced his chest and caused him to gasp pitifully.

But he kept smiling as his eyes were locked on the zebra.

“I don’t think I am going to be around for much longer, K.”

She placed her own hoof on his, holding it close to her cheek. Her mouth opened as she tried to speak again but failed. She sniffed a few more times, then finally managed to articulate words. “N-no. No Three, please no. You are the only one I-I have. Y-you can’t-”

He let out a weak chuckle. It hurt. “You have Blitz and Donner, silly.”

“D-don’t leave me! Please!” The tears started flowing with renewed intensity.

He lifted his other hoof and hooked it around her neck, then gently pulled her towards him. Her head rested under his chin as she cried into his shoulder. He felt his strength failing again.

“K’yopi.”

She broke away and looked into his eyes, her face an inch away from his.

“It’s okay.”

Darkness enveloped him.




*****




Three opened his eyes with a gasp. “Window!”

He sat up, immediately regretting it. The dull pain in his chest made the unicorn look down. He blinked at the sheet covering his body. He tried to move it by using his magic, but couldn’t summon any; he was entirely spent. His hoof reached to move the covering, only to reveal dried smears of red and orange matting his coat. Dressings were wrapped tightly around his torso.

Then he remembered what happened.

The hangar, the firefights, the Duke, the vacuum.

Blitz.

Donner.

K’yopi.

“K’yopi!”

The unicorn summoned what little strength he had and lifted himself off the bed. He was in a moderately sized room, most of it occupied by a queen sized bed, along with a desk with two opposite seats and a wardrobe. 

He looked down again at his chest and gingerly peeked under the bandage. The wound was gone. It still hurt, quite a lot actually, but at the very least he wasn’t bleeding.

“How?”

He didn’t know. The last thing he remembered was the zebra’s crying face. Three shook his head and made way towards the only door in the room. On the other side was Claudia’s common room. Except for the screen showing some kind of animated show, it was quiet. There was no sight of Blitz nor Donner. He didn’t care. All he cared for was right there.

The filly was sleeping with her head on the table, an empty bowl resting in front of her. Mindful of his injuries, Three walked over and looked down at the zebra. Her eye was back to normal. Likewise, she was missing the medical patch on her cheek. There wasn’t even a scar.

The unicorn thought better than to wake her up by touching her. Instead he sat on his rump and steadied his voice.

“K’yopi. Wake up.”

The filly’s ear twitched slightly.

“Hey. Wake up!”

“Huh? Sorry, I just…”

Her ears stood up fully, then her entire head followed as it spun to the source of the voice. The unicorn watched as her face went from bleary eyed confusion, to disbelief, to shock. He tried to say something, but the filly jumped off the seat and threw herself at him with spread forehooves. As the two collided, he felt himself losing balance and finally crashing to the deck. He let out a pained hiss as K’yopi’s modest weight pushed on his chest.

The filly gasped and raised both forehooves to her muzzle in fright. “Oh no! I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”

The unicorn lay there, unmoving. His chest ached even more now with the added weight. He coughed, then smiled at the filly. “Last I remember I died. But I seem to be better now.” 

Her concerned face shifted slowly. Her red eyes, both of them, went from perfect ovals to narrow slits as her cheeks rose. A sound like a bird of paradise’s song filled the air. Melodic, full of warmth and joy. It took him a few moments to realise what was happening.

She was laughing.

She laughed and laughed.

It was infectious.

He started laughing too.

He reached up a foreleg and hooked it around her shoulders, then brought her down and held her closely to his chest. 

They kept laughing. They laughed and laughed, unbothered, carefree.

Pure.

After a few minutes the laughter started to die down enough for the filly to attempt speaking. “I-I thought you'll n-never wake u-up. I thou-”

She started hiccuping.

“I thought y-”

Again.

“What is-”

Again.

Three looked at the zebra’s confused face. “You get hiccups when you laugh?”  He forced himself to choke down a snicker. “T-that is absolutely hilarious!”

He couldn’t hold it anymore and burst out in laughter again. Spurred by his reaction K’yopi joined in between the loud bursts of hiccupping.

It took over five minutes for them to calm down. Another couple for the zebra to regain her composure. Finally she was able to breathe normally again. “I thought you’ll never wake up.”

Three’s grin had turned into a more measured smile. “To be perfectly frank with you, neither did I.” He narrowed his eyes. “What happened?”

She smiled as she moved herself off the unicorn and stood up. “It was Blitz and Donner! They saved you!”

He slowly got up to his hooves, careful to not strain his aching body. “Saved me how?”

The filly shrugged. “Blitz explained it to me but honestly I wasn’t really listening.” Her features softened as she looked at the unicorn. “I was worrying about you!”

“Well, I am better now. Where are they?”

As if on cue the door leading to the cargo hold opened and in walked the giants. They seemed to fare much better than they did the last time Three had seen them, but the recent injuries were clearly not gone yet. Blitz was limping, while Donner’s wing was held close to her back. The smaller wounds, however, were already gone. Blitz made his way towards the unicorn and the filly right away, while Donner deposited a covered metal bucket on the table.

"What's that?" The filly asked.

"A guarantee that we get paid,” Donner replied enigmatically. From the size of her toothy grin, K'yopi quickly decided that it'd be best not to pry any further. She looked at the unicorn and gave him a clueless shrug.

“You are awake. Good.” The giant’s mask was emotive as ever. “We were concerned that your injuries might be too severe, even for us to deal with.”

The unicorn’s eyebrows raised up. “What do you mean? Can you tell me how am I alive?”

The large female stepped over towards the unicorn, her tail swirling slowly behind. “Your body has been healed thanks to our magic.”

“Magic?”

She offered a toothy grin. “You are not the only one with strange powers around here, unicorn.”

    The filly let out a soft giggle. “The blood. They shared a lot of it.” She pointed a hoof at the wrappings around the unicorn’s chest. “I helped too!”

Three looked between the trio around him. K’yopi’s smiling face, Donners grin and Blitz’s mask. “Well, in this case... what is our next step?”




*****




Miner’s Prospect’s shuttle terminal was as busy as ever, one of the many smaller docks specifically dedicated to short range passenger traffic. Hundreds of travellers were entering or leaving the area, hundreds more were already waiting for onboarding. Behind the large window a hangar bay could be seen, not unlike the one where the Duke made his base of operations. This one instead was filled with smaller shuttles ferrying passengers to and from the station and down to the planet below. Said passengers were giving the two monstrous figures and their companions standing near the entrance a wide berth.

K’yopi held the printed tickets tightly. She was nervous and at the same time eager to see what was next in store. Not a feeling she was used to. She looked towards the gate before turning around. “Well, this is it.”

Three nodded. “Remember, the moment you get down there, get to the hotel room we rented for you. Everything is paid for, you won’t even have to leave it.” He raised a hoof and gently placed it on the zebra’s back. “I will be back with you in two days’ time. Right after we clear everything with the chief inspector.”

“Why can’t I wait with you?”

Donner spoke with a smirk, reveling in the worried glares from the passengers and security. “The Duke might be gone, but there may be some who could wish to take revenge. Sending you two separately would make it much harder to track you down.”

K’yopi wasn’t happy about this, but after all they had been through she decided not to press the issue. Instead she stepped forward and attempted to wrap her hooves around Donner’s chest. She threw her head upwards to look at the creature’s face. “We’ll meet again someday, right?”

Donner looked down. The female’s huge paw reached and gently caressed the zebra’s mane. “Someday. For now you wait for Three, then you both get as far away from the Confederacy as possible.”

The filly nodded. “Right, okay.” She watched the creature’s huge slitted eyes for a moment. “Donner?”

“Yes?”

K’yopi lowered her head and pushed it against the female’s chest, sinking it into the thick coat. “You’re pretty great!”

The huge female bared her sawlike teeth in a slasher grin. “We were made to be. Stay safe, K’yopi.”

The zebra squeezed Donner one last time with all her might and finally let go. “I promise we will!”  She awkwardly shuffled before facing the other giant.

Right before she moved closer, Three leaned down and whispered something into her ear. The filly paused, chuckled and nodded before proceeding towards Blitz.

The mask was already angled downwards. “You have surpassed our expectations. More than I would have imagined.” He raised his left paw and showed it to the filly. There was no trace of the stab wound. “Remember what I told you. Find a purpose.”

The filly beamed and grabbed the extended paw greedily. “No way, first I am getting vacation.” She wrapped it around herself and pushed closer to the giant before attempting to hug him too. “After that I will think of what I want to do in life.” She let out a giggle as she felt the fluffy tuft at the end of his tail brush her back. “You are pretty great too Blitz.”

The ornate mask kept looking down, unmoving. “You’re welcome.”

She looked up with a smirk. “Window. The answer is window!”

K’yopi could hear an amused chuckle coming from Donner to her side, but the giant in her forehooves did not react. His mask just kept staring at the filly for a long moment. 

Finally, he spoke. “Your reward.” One of his wings extended forward. He reached with his free paw and plucked a single rusty feather, then placed it firmly behind the filly’s ear. “I am hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget. What am I?”

The filly blinked. “What? Another? Not fair!”

His deep voice rang out with something K’yopi could have sworn was amusement. “Think about it. You’ll tell me the answer once we meet again.”

“Fine, fine I promise!” She held him for a few more moments before separating, then took a couple steps away and faced both of the creatures. “Thanks guys. You are… you saved me. You changed my life for the better, long after I gave up on doing it myself.” She sniffed. “I-I don’t know how to thank you.”

Donner crouched down, as her thick tail moved in to wrap around the filly. A moment later the zebra was lifted off her hooves with a surprised yelp and moved back towards the giants. As soon as she was deposited on the floor again the two moved in closer, flanking her.

K’yopi heard the sound of rustling feathers, then she was bathed in darkness as the enormous wings covered her fully. She only felt their chests lightly pressing against her sides and the beats coming from within.

She had never felt so safe in her entire life.




*****





Three months later...




K’yopi leaned over the steering wheel and adjusted her sunglasses in the rearview mirror, then looked over through the passenger seat window towards the sidewalk and the thin beach below.

The purple unicorn was standing on the sand; every few seconds his hooves were awash with saltwater. He looked up into the twilight sky and squinted his eyes at the twinkling, distant dots. Finally, his horn lit up. A delicate flower with sharp, crystalline thorns on the stem floated up. He regarded it closely, watching how the soft petals subtly changed colours akin to a prism when exposed to direct light.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“I promise you, I will do better.”

The light at the tip of his horn intensified and the flower was sent hurtling far into the water. He exhaled heavily and turned around.

K’yopi watched the stallion come over and enter the car. The moment the door slammed shut she tapped a hoof on the ignition button. “We are nearly an hour ahead on the schedule, there’s an ice cream place with a five star review just two blocks out.” She lifted her shades and turned her brilliant red eyes at the unicorn with a smile. “Cow juice?”

The unicorn kept watching the sea through the window, his voice was oddly distant. “Milkshake, it is called milkshake. And yeah, sure K.”

The filly raised an eyebrow and asked carefully, “Three, is everything okay?” She watched as his head turned towards her; his face shifted from wistful to neutral, and then a small smile appeared. It grew and grew until she was certain the unicorn was earnest with her.

“It is now, K’yopi. It really is.”



Specimen Three and K'yopi by DinoHorse