//------------------------------// // The Dam Breaks // Story: A City of Opportunities // by Sasha Nein //------------------------------// Octavia opened her eyes, after a moment she turned and looked at her clock: 5 am. Standard wake up time. The same she had been doing for the past ten years. There was nothing strange about it, her internal clock was just doing what it usually did. With a groan, Octavia raised a hoof and rubbed her face. The hours she had been keeping for the past few weeks had been playing havoc on her body. Having been a mare of routine for so long, staying up for all hours of the night was beginning to take its toll. Octavia rolled over and closed her eyes. Curse that internal, body clock thing! She had just come from her training at the guildhall a few hours before, dead tired, yet here she was, awake. After a moment she threw her blankets off and got out of bed. Her mind was too busy for sleep. There were so many changes in her lifestyle, frustrations she didn't know could exist, ponies that were different, she was no longer being just a ninja. No longer was she trapped in a castle hidden away in the middle of nowhere, forced to bang swords around day in and day out. She was out, engaging the world with more freedom than she knew what to do with. This Vinyl Scratch had come and asked her, her! for help in making a new song. Octavia couldn’t begin to describe how torn she was. On the one hoof, she had a job to do. A job she couldn't ignore or it would mean a quick retirement, probably at the point of somepony's sword. But then, on the other hoof, she was so excited to be offered a chance of doing something she loved doing. Never in all her years at En Reach had she been given a chance to do what she wanted, or even a choice for that matter. It was a new experience for her, one that she was finding to be increasingly complicated and nerve wracking. Octavia wandered to her apartment window and looked out. The street lamps were fewer here near the housing, but she could still make out everything below her. Vinyl's apartment windows were still black, the mare probably wasn’t back yet. For being such a crazy party animal on stage, the mare was surprisingly responsible for, and dedicated to, her club. Ninja was never a term Octavia was expressly fond of being referred to as. She liked to think of herself as a well educated mare that could easily settle down into a life that ponies considered “normal” and still be happy. In her opinion, a ninja could, and would, never do that; instead choosing a life of secrecy, deception and blood. Yet, a ninja was still a very apt street term to her lifestyle and skill set. Even within the Order, her prowess with a blade was considered uncanny. She could disappear into nearby shadows or blend with a crowd seamlessly and do a number of other very ninja-like things. Nopony knew the real Octavia, not even those she didn’t hide from back home, let alone a pony like Vinyl Scratch. So, was there even a place for her in Scratch's world? Octavia certainly didn't know the answer. Being a ninja was much different than being a DJ, or any normal pony with a normal life... Whatever that was. Octavia's eyes wandered down the street, passing decorative bushes, the sidewalk, street lamps and trash. She didn't have anything in particular she was looking for, but she couldn't help but wish something would be there to give her answers. A big board with instructions, maybe some kind of sign. Anything really. Something that would tell her what to do or how to proceed. As it was, following orders was the most comfortable course of action, but she couldn't keep the little niggling thoughts of “what if” from her mind. What if she ran out on the Order? What if she started making her own music? What if she tried to make a life for herself somewhere? This world, it was like being born all over again. Sure, she was working a lot, but the few times she’d had a chance to experience Canterlot were fantastic! Everypony heard stories back in En Reach. She’d been out herself even, but to truly experience the freedom and many intricacies the city had to offer, whenever she wanted, was something Octavia had never experience before. Still, the one thing she kept coming back to was how the Order ruthlessly hunted down deserters. She had seen it, once. They brought a pony back to the castle and made an example of him in front of all the students. Octavia shuddered, pushing the thought away. She didn't want to face that kind of fate. It took a moment for her to tear her eyes away from the street drains and look back at the windows of Vinyl's apartment. There were a lot of answers Octavia didn't have. The longer she spent with the DJ the more prevalent those gaps in her knowledge became. It was frustrating, and a little scary. Sighing, Octavia made to turn away, but movement from behind the windows of Vinyl's apartment made her stop and look closer. It was hard to see in the shadows, but there was somepony moving around in the apartment. It was possible that Miss Scratch had returned, but why would she return home and leave the lights out? Vinyl always turned her lights on when returning. Normal ponies turned on their lights. As high up as she was, Octavia could easily see more than one pony inside the apartment. If she hazarded a guess, nopony would be able to see anything from street level. A sinking feeling began making its way through Octavia. Something was wrong; even if Vinyl had brought back somepony to bed with, the ponies were not engaged in debaucherous activities Octavia assumed would happen when the lights were out. Turning away from the window, Octavia hurried to her saddlebags and removed her sword. Carefully stowing it in her mane, she exited her rooms cautiously and made her way outside. Vinyl was usually home around this time, if it really was her then Octavia would just make a quick, simple check up on her, then leave. It was better safe than sorry, after all. It took only a moment for her to cross the street and enter the apartment building Vinyl’s rooms were in. Extending her sword, the magical ring permeating the lobby. Octavia quietly ascended the stairs with the blade held firmly in her teeth. Once she reached the second floor she began moving down the hallway of apartment doors. Not making a sound, she approached Vinyl’s apartment. Inching along the wall, she came to the the door. It was closed with no sign of forced entry. Nonetheless, Octavia tested the handle. She winced as the door opened with a creak that seemed ten times louder than it should have been. After a moment’s hesitation, Octavia slipped inside. The dead silence instantly made her hackles rise, yet she cautiously took a step forward. Instinct screamed at her to stop, so she did. Seconds after, a faint whistle of air flew through the air towards her. Octavia dropped without hesitating, feeling a rush of air past her ear and a flash of silver from the corner of her eye. She tumbled forward, spinning around and rolling to her hooves in the same movement. Two ponies moved from the shadow of the doorway into the dim, street lit room. They fell upon her immediately, their weapons glinting in the gloom as they were swung. Still clenching her sword in her jaw, Octavia tightened her grip and swung to counter. A sharp clang resonated through the room as steel met steel, Octavia hoped it wouldn’t attract Vinyl’s neighbors. She needed to end this quickly, and anonymously. Her unicorn charge was due back anytime, and if she found out there were ponies brawling in her apartment.... Octavia wasn’t sure she’d get many more, if any, freebies from the guild. She was quite certain that if she failed she’d never get back out of the fortress; doomed to sit around in practice rooms for the rest of her young life. Octavia shoved back hard against the pony who locked swords with her. She was pleased to find the stallion, or mare, stumbled backwards. It was probably a pegasus; an earth pony wouldn’t have been so easily overpowered and a unicorn most likely would have been using magic by now. The other pony prevented Octavia from pursuing her advantage with a quick engage. Octavia fell back as the stallion, revealed now from the light of the street, pressed aggressively. He was an earth pony, Octavia didn’t need to see wings to know. His blows were slow, but each hit she blocked jarred her body from muzzle to tail. Still backing away, Octavia looked for an opening. The weapon the stallion was using was large and heavy, clearly not designed for subtlety, but to survive the brutal style of its owner. This gave Octavia confidence, if she was fast enough she could maneuver around one of his next swings and end things quickly. She was just grateful he wasn’t using a hammer, that would have been harder for her to defend against. Seeing her opportunity, Octavia deflected the next blow from the stallion, causing him to stagger to the side and his sword to flop uselessly down in front of him. If her weapon hadn’t been enchanted, she was sure it would have broken by now. She tried to follow through with a responsive slice of her own, but the other pony had recovered and drew her attention with a charge. Octavia swerved smoothly around the foolish pony and let them rush into the glass sliding doors to the balcony behind her. The pony, who was a pegasus, and male, barely began to slide down in a daze before Octavia rapped him again with her sword pommel, ensuring he was completely knocked out. As she turned back around to engage the other stallion, she decided it would be best to not make a bloody mess in Vinyl’s apartment. Not waiting for the stallion to engage, Octavia bullied forward and locked him out from using his large weapon. It was a large pipe, she realized. Tangling her sword with it, she forced both weapons out of hoof as she tackled the stallion. Octavia, moving at lightning speed, wrenched the pony around and captured his forehooves behind his back while getting herself a stranglehold around his neck. There was a dull pop and a pained grunt from the stallion as Octavia twisted one of his forelegs out of its socket. The arm immediately went limp, allowing Octavia to firm her grip and keep the stallion from shaking her off. Once the stallion had long sinced stopped kicking, Octavia finally released him. There was no telling how long the other pony would be out, but she had merely caused the one she strangled to pass out from lack of air. He would be awake again soon. As much as she would have liked to simply finish the job right then, she had other worries. Quickly dragging the bodies out onto the balcony, Octavia hunkered down and waited with baited breath. If Vinyl was already in the building and on her way up to her room, Octavia probably was already done for. But, she was hoping that the mare would come walking up the street any second... “Ah, Yes! There she is!” Octavia crowed to herself. Vinyl Scratch may have been nervous about walking the streets long after dark on her own, but anypony could have mistaken their own home as a safe haven. As it was, the mare didn’t even glance up at the windows or small balcony above. She hurried into the lobby and made for the stairs, unaware that almost directly above her, Octavia laid in wait. Octavia, for her part, waited for Vinyl to enter the building before she grabbed the unconscious pegasus and dumped him over the side of the balcony. She made sure his hooves went first, but she didn’t think it would matter anyway; if a two story fall broke his legs, then it would have broken any other part of his body as well. Barely pausing to wait for a soft thump, Octavia turned and grabbed the earth pony. He was much more solid than the pegasus and she had trouble getting the pony up and over the side, but she managed. Unable to maneuver him like the pegasus, she unceremoniously heaved the stallion over the rail. There was a much louder thump this time, along with a shark clack that she couldn’t decide was either a bone cracking or just a hoof hitting pavement. Shrugging, she turned away from the balcony just in time to hear a faint jangle at the door. Octavia glanced around wildly. There was nothing for it, she quickly shut the balcony doors and swung herself over the edge of the rails. It was rather difficult to grab onto the ledge with hooves, but she managed. It was just in time too, the lights flicked on in the room, illuminating the world above Octavia. Unable to hear anything beyond the glass doors, Octavia shimmied along the edge until she could brace herself against the apartment wall and peek up over the balcony floor. She saw Vinyl spread eagled on her sofa, oblivious to the large pipe lying right behind it. “Damnit!” After all she’d done to be careful and clean up, she’d still missed the obvious. Her own sword was lying nearby, but the pegasus’ weapon she couldn’t see anywhere. Her limbs were beginning to burn, but she was helpless. Octavia was already making up excuses to just appear on her balcony, but none of them seemed at all plausible. “... Just decided to break in?” “... Had been rock -apartment- climbing?” “I also left this big ass pipe on your floor for no reason.” Maybe if she let Vinyl keep the weapon she’d forget about Octavia’s lame excuses.... Suddenly, Vinyl sat up and after a moment of rubbing her eyes and yawning, she made for the bathroom next to the front door. Octavia waited until the door shut, then scrambled back up over the rails and quietly opened the balcony doors. Slipping inside, she gathered the weapons as quietly as she could. Stuffing her blade in her mane, she grabbed the bar of metal in her teeth and quickly searched for the other weapon. Nothing, under the couch, behind the coffee table, in the little kitchen. Running out of time and options, Octavia made for the door. Praising her luck that it hadn’t been locked yet, she slipped outside, at least, she tried to. The end of the pipe caught on the doorframe with a clunk that made Octavia wilt inside. Her heart burning and spine tingling, she scurried through the door and closed it. She felt like a filly trying to snag a few cookies from the cook all over again. It was absurd, she had just finished disposing of two ponies flawlessly and she was freaking out over being caught by Vinyl, of all ponies. Taking a deep breath, she hurried along the hall and down the stairs to the lobby doors. There were two ponies who required her attention. She tossed the pipe into an alleyway and put away her own sword, then rummaged through one of the pony’s saddlebags for binding cords. Octavia marched through the unsavory streets of Canterlot’s slums. They weren’t large, or even that trashy, but the ponies of Canterlot knew it was not a place for honorable folk to be wandering around at night. Although it was not so much honorable as it was incapable in Octavia’s opinion. After fighting the two ponies, she hauled them to the guild immediately. She had found a note on one of the ponies detailing information on Vinyl and their job. There was a stamped logo at the bottom of the page. It had only taken a few questions from a few of the other guild residents for her to get it identified. Then, she went home and back to bed, sleeping the rest of the late morning and early afternoon away. It felt refreshing, and a little liberating, to sleep whenever she felt like it. Still, she was a mare of action and her body eventually demanded just that. Early evening found Octavia on the streets of Canterlot, enjoying a sinful overdose of hayfries. Evidently there were a few gangs within the city who would do pretty much anything for anypony so long as they had the bits. Contacting them, however, seemed to be her biggest problem. The only thing she had to go on was an address, courtesy of one of the guild mares. It came with a cautionary warning that stirring up trouble was a bad idea. It didn’t take her long to find the location on the note, it was a pub, or bar of sorts. There was a dingy neon light labeling it the “Grumpy Unicorn.” Adjusting her saddlebags, and thanking her lucky stars there wasn’t a racy picture to go with the name, Octavia opened the door and stepped inside. The typical bar scene greeted her entrance. A smoky interior that was poorly lit with trashy jazz playing from a jukebox in the corner. There were a surprising number of ponies inside, two unicorns and an earth pony playing pool near the jukebox and a smattering of others sitting at the bar or conversing at one of the few tables crammed near the entrance. She got a few glances, a leer from a drunk, but other than that everypony ignored her. Except for one, the bartender. He was a large pegasus with a five o-clock shadow and greasy hair. His eyes followed her as she approached the bar, his rag filled hoof not stopping in their polishing of a shot glass. “Tha’ pretty face looks like it needs a drink or two,” he sneered as she sat on a barstool. “Sounds good to me,” she responded. “A shot of your hardest bourbon.” The pegasus smirked and set the glass he had been polishing in front of her. He pulled a bottle out from under the counter. “Wild Pegasus, straight from New Baltimare,” he said, staring intently at the gray mare. Octavia rolled her eyes and threw a few bits onto the counter before the bartender’s smirk widened and he poured the brown concoction. Octavia took the glass and threw it back. She swallowed, being careful not to inhale until it was all the way down. The burn made her eyes tear up, but she blinked them back as she held in a cough. It was definitely some of the strongest liquor she’d ever had, although it would probably take a couple more shots to make her tipsy. It also tasted like dirt. Whichever sorry sod invented this concentrated excuse for a drink needed to be put down. The bartender chuckled. “Another?” Octavia nodded, sniffing and rubbing her running nose. “This stuff is terrible.” This time the rough pegasus laughed, although it was subdued. “Not many ponies can walk in and down a shot o’ this stuff like that!” He watched her sip her next shot frugally. “So, what can I do ya for?” The gray mare put down her glass and pulled out the note, showing him only the gang member logo. “I’m looking for somepony.” The bartender appraised Octavia before responding, his face neutral. “I see,” he said. “I suggest either walking back out from wherever you came from, filly. Or, take another shot first.” The pegasus gestured with a wing. “Over by the pool table. Don’t make a mess I have to clean up.” With that, the pegasus left the bottle next to Octavia and moved down the counter. He grabbed another glass and began polishing it, studiously ignoring the gray mare. Typical bartender drama, Octavia wasn’t impressed. The guild made and received regular reports about what factions or ponies they needed to watch out for, briefing their agents when they were likely to encounter such problems. Octavia had never heard nor seen of this particular group. It seemed likely the bartender was overreacting. Probably because she was a mare looking for less than savory types. Of course, in a place like this, one would hope any pony would know what they were getting into. Ignoring the bottle on the counter, Octavia meandered towards the pool table. The ponies playing ignored her, and she gave them no reason not to. Settling herself down in a corner, she pretended to nurse her shot of liquor and watched them play. One was a unicorn, the other an earth pony. Both handled their pool cues with precision in either mouth or magic as they nonchalantly competed. In all of the plays, shows or demonstrations Octavia had watched or participated in, there was always something going on. One didn’t spend ten bits on a night of entertainment that consisted of nothing happening. They went for action, for the unbelievable and fantastic. Real life was much more boring. Octavia liked to think she kept a fairly low profile; not engaging in fights and picking them even less. But, sitting in this bar with a small glass of poison, waiting for something to happen was testing how deep her well of patience really was. The ponies at the pool table had played a dozen games nonstop and showed no signs of quitting. It had been hours, her ploy of pretending to drink had long since disintegrated in favor of a moody brood. Ponies had come and gone, each assessed, judged and cataloged in her mind. They all seemed like normal, low class ponies looking for a cheap drink, except for the ones at the pool table. Nopony played billiards for four hours straight, except maybe those weird olympic players, but these fools were not that good. The hour was growing late, or in the case of most ponies, early. Heads were drooping along the bar as ponies mumbled for their next drink or shuffled out. The pool players were becoming sluggish with their movements as well, making frequent glances towards the clock. The bartender had stopped throwing glances in Octavia’s direction, the late hour sapping his apparent concern. Octavia herself was becoming drowsy. It was hard to keep her eyes from drooping as she sat there. It would have helped if she could move, but she had been here long enough to become a part of the scenery, which had been her goal in the first place. There was no moving now. Just when the clock ticked past five in the morning, the front door of the bar opened and two ponies entered. Octavia heard the dull thud as it closed again, but in her catatonic state she merely continued to stare towards the pool table. It wasn’t until the two ponies sauntered into her vision that her brain turned over in surprise. It was Moondancer and her hulk of a bodyguard. It all made sense now, why else would a musician need that kind of muscle? Because she came here, to hire ponies for whatever dirty work she had! Octavia didn’t move, she still needed proof before nailing the musician to the wall. From her corner she watched silently as Moondancer marched for the ponies playing pool. “Where’s Joe? We need to talk,” the singer grated. “Keep your voice down, idiot!” one of the stallions hissed. “If you got a problem you can take it up with me.” “I was told I would receive notice as soon as the job was done.” Moondancer retorted, barely lowering her voice. “It’s six hours overdue.” The stallion carefully laid his pool cue on the table, his partner doing the same. “When the job is done, we’ll send the notice.” He cast a critical eye over the remaining occupants in the bar. “Stop making a scene, this is sensitive business.” “Of course it is you fool!” Moondancer hissed, leaning in. “If you had gotten the job done then I would have been informed hours ago! Now let me in to see your boss before things get ugly!” As if on cue, her large bodyguard stepped forward and cracked his neck. The two stallions at the table grew noticeably paler, but held their ground. “Why don’t I just inform him you’re here,” the spokes-stallion gulped. Moondancer glared. “Hurry up.” Backing away slowly, the stallion stepped aside as his unicorn partner magicked up a pool cue and aimed it at the wall. He slid it into a slot Octavia hadn’t noticed and drew it upward. A click sounded, and the wall swung inward. The earth pony stallion slipped inside and closed the door promptly, denying anypony a view of what lay beyond. Moondancer stood, huffing impatiently as the remaining stallions glared at each other. Octavia sat patiently, as inert as the ponies passed out along the bar. It took a few minutes, Moondancer growing more agitated all the while, before the stallion returned with another unicorn. “Moondancer,” the new stallion greeted, his gaze sweeping the room. “Let’s talk inside, shall we?” Octavia resisted the urge to snort as Moondancer huffed again and poked her nose in the air as she stepped into the passageway after the unicorn. To her surprise, both of the stallions tending the pool table followed after the musician’s hulking bodyguard, closing the door behind them. She counted to a hundred before moving. Getting up, Octavia stretched her legs and cautiously approached the hidden door. She couldn’t see through the latch and instead pressed an ear up to the wall, listening for any signs of movement beyond. When she was satisfied, she quickly grabbed one of the pool cues with her mouth and inserted it into the slot just as the unicorn had done. Lifting it upwards she was rewarded with a faint click as it unlatched the door. She pushed it in, revealing an empty, narrow corridor. The walls inside were a dark oak. Dingy lighting reflected off of the walls, projecting grime for all to see. Octavia stepped inside and closed the door, but didn’t latch it. She quickly reached into a saddlebag and pulled out her weapon before advancing. Much to her chagrin, the floor creaked each time Octavia put a hoof down. She slowly rounded a corner in the hall and was faced with two doors on either side of her. Thankfully, it was easy to distinguish which one the ponies were all behind, as raised voices were leaking into the narrow hallway. Stopping to listen, she could pick out two different males and Moondancer. “... Just done as I had asked!” the mare was saying. It seemed Moondancer was displeased, judging by her tone. The stallion seemed to be calmer, his voice being harder to catch. “... complications at... no news... may be involved.” “That shouldn’t matter!” Moondancer responded heatedly. “How many goons have you sent now? Just get the job done or I’ll bring this up with him!” A pause, then the other stallion spoke, “You wouldn’t dare.” “Oh no? Watch me.” There was a sudden shuffling and the first stallion spoke up again. “Now hold on a moment, we’ve got...” Whatever he was going to say died as Moondancer ripped the door open, revealing Octavia. There was a stunned silence, then the grey earth pony surged forward and knocked the shady singer back into the room. Moondancer yelped in surprise and alarm as she was shunted back into a desk dominating the center of the room, right past the three shocked guard stallions. Even as they began to act, Octavia spun and sent a hoof up in between the rear legs of the singer’s gorrilla, causing him to reach tones that even Moondancer would be proud to hit. The remaining stallions jumped forward and tried to grapple the grey mare, but she slipped around them like a knife through butter. Ignoring the guards, Octavia leapt over the desk and pounced the shocked unicorn behind it. Tackling him through an unoccupied desk chair, she brought him to the floor and rapped his head against it. “Come here, nag!” the earth pony guard snarled. He grabbed Octavia by the neck and yanked her back. They grappled briefly, the stallion’s superior strength keeping Octavia locked in a chokehold. She heard a faint, short ring of metal. ‘The unicorn.’ Octavia grabbed the stallion’s foreleg wrapped around her throat, and with power born of desperation she flipped her legs and body upward, twisting the stallion over backwards. He lost his grip and the gray mare squirmed free. Without wasting even a second gasping for breath, she barreled into the unicorn who was advancing on her with a knife. Sometimes a unicorn’s greatest gift was their largest weakness. Yes, he had magic, but he was currently levitating the knife away from his body, giving Octavia an easy line of attack. Her tackle broke his concentration and the knife clattered to the floor. She quickly banged his head against the floor while simultaneously putting a hoof in his gut. He didn’t get up. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the largest stallion recovering from his crippling ailment enough to stand. It wouldn’t be long before he was back in the fight. Octavia barrelled into the stallion who had gripped her and tripped him. Instead of pursuing the attack, she stepped back behind the desk and quickly nosed open her saddlebags. She withdrew her sword and swung it out, the magical blade extending into existence as the two stallions and mare faced each other down. The room suddenly became deathly silent except for the heavy breathing of each pony. After a moment, both stallions turned and scrambled through the door. Octavia let them go, gratefully heaving in lungfuls of air. There were two ponies here who would probably yield the information she wanted with a simple search. Carefully positioning her sword on her back for easy access, the ninja began rummaging through the desk and Moondancer’s saddlebags. It only took a minute for her to decide there were no records. Octavia snorted. “Of course there wouldn’t be. Who would keep a record of criminal operations?” The downed guard was groaning and moving. Moondancer was much the same. Octavia needed information and had no time. She was certain backup would be arriving soon, unless those two cowards were more foolish than she gave them credit. Pursing her lips, Octavia put away her sword and slug the pop singer over her back. She’d finish this business in a more secluded environment. Moondancer’s first thoughts were filled with pain. Her head hurt, her body was hurt and she was bouncing up and down on something very uncomfortable. She began to panic, she didn’t know what was going on and her senses still weren’t working. She tried to move, although it was more like she began to flail. Immediately something restricted her movements and slammed her against something. Eerily, it shocked her into awareness. Still unable to move, Moondancer suddenly realized she was being held against a wall by the strong hoof of a gray pony. Following the leg with her eyes, she found it attached to an earth pony mare who was fumbling with keys at a door. Her stomach dropped as memories came flooding back, identifying this mare as Octavia, a ninja who had just barged in on her unsavory meeting with Joe and... and that was all she remembered. Moondancer was no idiot though. This mare had clearly cleaned the room out and taken her hostage. Now she was taking her... Celestia knew where! Moondancer held back a sob, clinging to the faint hope that she was just overthinking things, or dreaming. “W-where are we?” she stammered, the words spilling from her lips before she could think. The mare just grunted as she fumbled with one hoof on the door. Moondancer opened her mouth again, but the gray mare pushed cruelly on her throat, cutting her off with a gurgle. After a moment, the door opened. Octavia grabbed her roughly and threw her inside. She landed in a heap and lay there, trembling. The mare was strong, uncannily strong. Moondancer tried to compose herself, but the door slammed and the lock clicked into place. Without thinking, Moondancer tried to scramble to her hooves. She had barely reached full height when she was grabbed roughly again and shunted down a narrow hallway. “Where are we g-going?” she asked. There was no response, instead they entered a small kitchen. It was unnaturally bare. Moondancer’s own kitchen was a mess, and she barely ever ate there. They entered and her eyes latched onto the knife holder as they approached. Her mind went into overdrive and she yanked backwards, but the mare’s grip was firm, not allowing her to move more than a few inches before she was being shoved forward again. Moondancer struggled harder. She lit her horn, trying to pull anything towards her that she could use, but the earth pony flicked her horn with a hoof, hard, sending a ringing pain through her head. A dry sob escaped her lips. They passed the knife stand, but Moondancer didn’t try to use her magic again. The singer heaved a shuddering sigh of relief as Octavia yanked her towards a drawer near the sink, but it was short lived. It may not be death by knife, but what kind of kitchen utensils were in that drawer? This earth pony was mad! The gray mare pulled out a roll of heavy tape from the drawer and pulled Moondancer out of the kitchen. They entered a nearby bathroom and she was thrown mercilessly into the bath tub. She tripped and fell inside, her legs flailing uselessly in the air. “W-what are you doing?!” Moondancer asked hysterically, her voice rising an octave as the earth pony approached. “What do you w-want?” “Shaddup!” Octavia barked. She grabbed the singer’s legs and began wrapping them tightly. Moondancer struggled briefly, but the gray mare twisted her hoof painfully until she lay still. Her captor tied her rear legs, then her front legs, then both of them together. After a moment of staring at her, Octavia ripped off another piece of tape and leaned in close, causing her to flinch. “You make any noise, and I come back in here and break a lot more than that hoof, got it?” she whispered icily. Moondancer nodded shakily. “Y-yes.” “Good.” Octavia pushed the piece onto Moondancer’s mouth and turned away. After a moment, she turned back around with a thick, black ring. She placed it over Moondancer’s horn then taped it into place. Immediately the singer lost everything. Any hope or confidence she had fled along with her magic. She sobbed behind the tape, her vision becoming blurry as she watched the gray mare with a terrified gaze. Octavia hesitated a moment, but then turned away quickly and left the bathroom, turning off the light and shutting the door, leaving her in complete darkness. ... ... ... Moondancer didn’t know how long she lay there, but it was long enough for her to silently rid herself of any and all tears she had. She didn’t try to move from the tub, she wasn’t sure if she could. Without her magic, she felt like a small filly again. Still, being left in the tub filled her with trepidation. True, the mare hadn’t filled it with water, not yet anyway, but she couldn’t think of any reason why she was being kept alive except for sport. Unable to stop fantasizing about what cruel torture was awaiting her, Moondancer began sobbing again. ... ... ... The door opened. Moondancer cringed as the light flicked on, blinding her. Her eyes watered as she kept them open, trying to lay eyes on her captor. Her stomach dropped as she found her. Octavia approached the tub and the singer tried to shrink back, unable to keep herself from trembling. This was it, whatever was going to happen to her was going to happen now. She was helpless and alone. Nopony was ever going to find her body. This mare was going to cut her into pieces, grind her up and wash her down the drain with a little bit of acid. Moondancer clenched her eyes shut, unfortunately amplifying her hearing as her captor clopped forward. There was silence. Then, a hoof descended to her mouth. She jerked involuntarily, but the hoof remained and pulled, removing the tape covering her mouth. Moondancer gasped, suddenly realizing how hard she was breathing. She cautiously opened her eyes, and found Octavia glaring down at her. She clenched them shut again. “Who hired you?” Octavia’s voice wasn’t loud, but Moondancer flinched all the same. After a moment, the singer opened her eyes and looked the mare towering over her. “Who hired you?” the mare repeated. Moondancer’s features became confused. “W-what?” Octavia suddenly leaned in and slammed a hoof down, narrowly missing the unicorn’s head. Moondancer jerked, hitting the back of the tub. “Let’s not make things complicated,” the gray mare growled. “You answer my questions and you might see the light of day again, possibly fully intact. Now, who hired you to kill Vinyl Scratch?” The blood drained from Moondancer’s face. “I-I-” she stammered. “Who?” Octavia demanded. “I can’t tell you!” Moondancer wailed. “If he finds out he’ll just kill me too!” “There’s not going to be anything left for him to kill in a minute!” Octavia swore. “You can not tell me and I’ll make you wish you could die! Or, you can tell me now and have a chance to run.” Moondancer sobbed. “It doesn’t make any difference! I screwed up and he doesn’t like that. You will kill me faster than he will.” She looked up into her captor’s face with a wild stare. “He’ll kill us both, he doesn’t even want the DJ!” Octavia grabbed the terrified mare. “Horse crackers! You’ve gone at that DJ more than once already!” “Because he was trying to get to you!” Moondancer shrieked. Silence. Moondancer thumped back into the tub as she was dropped. Eventually the mare spoke. “Why?” “I-I don’t know.” The singer gulped, then continued louder, “I swear I don’t know! You ninjas are all the same, killing and messing around with other ponies lives! I was only doing-” “Us ninjas?” Octavia cut in sharply. She grabbed Moondancer again and shook her. “What ninjas? Who are you working for?” “I d-don’t know!” Moondancer rattled out. “He was a big bloke, a unicorn with lots of muscles. I didn’t c-catch his name. I-I’m sorry! I swear I never meant to do anything to Vinyl Scratch!” she babbled. “But he came to me a few weeks ago and... and, and...” her voice trailed off. “He hurt me,” she whispered. Moondancer’s eyes suddenly darted into Octavia’s own. “I had to wear dresses for two weeks to cover what he did! He said if I went to the authorities he’d be back! Please, I didn’t want to do it!” They stood silently for a moment, Moondancer hanging half out of the tub in Octavia’s grip. Moondancer suddenly realized it was just her trembling, but the mare holding her as well. After a long moment Octavia eased her to the floor and stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her once again. ... ... ... The door opened. Octavia stood there for a long moment before moving inside. Moondancer’s breathing quickened, but she was too exhausted to say anything. She lay limply, as Octavia approached and stood over her. They were silent, staring at each other. Finally, Octavia reached down and began untaping Moondancer’s hooves. She watched disbelieving as she was unwrapped. “You have five minutes to clean yourself up and come out into the sitting room,” Octavia said. “Leave your horn wrapped.” Moondancer nodded, suddenly aware that she had wet herself somewhere along the way and that it smelled anything but fresh in the bathroom. Octavia placed a clock on the counter and left, closing the door behind her. Shakily, Moondancer moved to the sink and turned on the tap. The gray mare had left a rag on the sink. Wasting no time, Moondancer fumbled it around in her hooves and began scrubbing her fur. She tried to drink a little out of the tap, but was only able to choke down a few gulps. Next she tried to clean up her streaked mascara and pulled off her one remaining eyelash extension. Five minutes passed quickly. Moondancer exited the bathroom, feeling only slightly less disgusting than before. She was going to need much more than a shower to feel clean after this. The thought of cleanliness gave her hope, though. She wasn’t dead yet, and the singer was pretty sure that if Octavia was going to kill her she wouldn’t be letting her out. She stepped cautiously down the hall. She found a bedroom, then an office. Moving further along the hallway, she came around a bend and saw, what she assumed, was the entrance to an apartment. Moondancer moved cautiously forward. She passed the kitchen, but there was nopony inside. All that was left was the large sitting room, and the door beyond. Poking her head around the end of the hallway, her eyes landed immediately on the earth pony standing in the center of the room, staring at her. Swallowing nervously, Moondancer glanced once as the door, then stepped into the room and approached the mare. “Sit,” Octavia commanded. Moondancer sat. After a moment, Octavia approached and leaned to face her directly. “Now here’s what’s going to happen.” She murmured, her tone icy. “You have two hours to pack whatever precious belongings you have. You will gather what bits you own and leave Canterlot forever. If you value your life, you’ll never sing or be in the public eye again. You will find some place quiet to settle down, understand?” Moondancer gulped and nodded. The mare continued, “I will be watching you the entire way, and if you try to contact anypony I will personally make sure you exit the city by the quickest means possible, over a cliff.” “Y-yes ma’am.” Moondancer whispered, clenching her eyes shut. Octavia pulled the ring off Moondancer’s horn and stood up, marching to the door. “Then get out of here,” she demanded. Moondancer scuttled to the door and into the hall. She glanced back into Octavia’s dark features and took off galloping out of the building, towards her own home, tears of relief and trepidation leaking out of her eyes. Octavia closed the door with a snap and collapsed against it. She sank to the floor and put her head in her hooves with a trembling sigh. Moondancer had been absolutely terrified of her. If the non stop shivering and dilated eyes hadn’t queued her in, then the stink in the tub would have removed any doubt. Sure, Octavia had fought, hurt and even killed plenty of ponies. But never had she been in such a position of such dominance and abused it so. It made her feel sick. Nopony should be able to do that to another, to think that there were some out there that enjoyed torturing other ponies. Never in her wildest and darkest dreams had she even contemplated going through with whatever terrors Moondancer had conceived. Octavia knew that leaving the mare in the dark room, completely helpless, would terrify her. But even she was unprepared for the level of sheer terror she had inspired. Still... She had gotten what she’d wanted, maybe. She took a deep breath. It was a good thing Moondancer hadn’t put up a fight; Octavia wasn’t sure she could have gone through with her threats. Her thoughts drifted to Vinyl, the reason she had kidnapped Moondancer in the first place. Would she give up her job at physical torture? It wasn’t like she didn’t hurt ponies all the time... What made this different? Octavia put her head in her hooves. “Focus! Now’s not the time for this!” Moral dilemmas could wait. She hadn’t tortured the unicorn, so she could move on. She’d cross those bridges later. Now, she needed to think. Spardis, it had to be him. What other stallion fit the description of a big, hulking unicorn ninja? But he wasn’t after Vinyl, he was only trying to get Octavia, and get her quietly. Octavia sat, trying to make sense of the situation.  “Why go after Vinyl?” She couldn’t figure it out, but that didn’t matter much now. It was clear Spardis was operating outside the Order’s jurisdiction. They didn’t leave blazed trails like this unicorn was doing. Spardis wanted her dead for personal reasons, and if she wasn’t careful Vinyl might die too. Grabbing a cushion, she settled down behind the door to try and sleep. No place was safe now, but she needed rest if she wanted to confront Spardis. Octavia only hoped that Vinyl would be safe for a few hours.