Broken Gears

by TheFoxern

4: Splinters

Copper realized immediately he had passed out as he gazed at the dreamscape. That was something he had not done in quite a long time; pass out. He hoped that Scootaloo would not be too panicked, but he remembered having sat down before losing consciousness. This was getting extremely annoying. He could not figure out why his head was so scrambled, or why he was a pony again.

There was sudden realization as he looked down at his hooves, rather than at his hands. He should have hands, not hooves. In the dreamscape of this world he had always had hands. It felt like a lifetime ago that he had had hooves. But he seemed to be the only thing different. The dreamscape was exactly the same, or at least this dreamscape was. “What the hell is going on...” he muttered as he shifted slightly, trying to get used to the old shape of his body.

“Haven't you figured it out?” Copper looked up at the shape of the thing that he had come to know as himself. Him as the Detective, in his coat and everything. The figure was glaring at him.

There was something obviously wrong, Copper knew immediately by looking at him. “No...” Copper said slowly, trying to figure out what was with this odd shade of himself.

“You have taken my body from me.” The figure moved towards him shakily.

“No, I was forced into it.” He paused before continuing, “And you are aware of this.”

“How you have taken it doesn't matter. I'm taking it back.” Copper was really getting a good look at himself for the first time in quite a while, or at least how the shade was portraying him.

“Well I'm using it. Now go away.” Copper was starting to get annoyed.

“I will leave when I have my body back.” The form wavered a bit before solidifying again. “You go away.”

“What even are you?” If he was going to argue with the thing it would be nice to know what it was he was dealing with.

“I'm Copper Feather,” it said with an irritated tone; obviously it was bothered by this argument as well.

“No, Copper Feather is dead.” Copper watched as the frustration formed on the figures face. “He died of alcohol poisoning weeks ago. His soul departed and I was put in its place.” Something clicked inside his head. “Which would make you...what was left. His mind?”

“I am Copper Feather. Now give me my body back.”

“Take it,” Copper said, eyeing the mind of Copper Feather. “If you can.”

Nothing happened for what felt like several minutes, but time in the dreamscape was irrelevant.

“That's what I thought...you're like the wolf outside the brick house; all talk and huff, but despite your best efforts you can't do anything.”

The frustration turned to anger as the shade glared at Copper. “I will have my body back.”

“And what would you do with it, hm?” Copper couldn't help but feel angry as well; the emotions seeping from the shade into himself. “What could you do? Would a drunk like you have been able to keep Scootaloo safe? Would you have had the brains to deal with Burrasca?”

Again silence seeped in.

But Copper wasn't about to let it last long. “You would probably be dead in that alley way outside Pink Wave, if you could have sobered up long enough to get there, and Scootaloo would have been all alone.”

“You think I don't know that?!” The shade swung his fist at Copper, but it passed through him harmlessly.

“And what would you do now, hm? You would have to find Gilda, then convince her to come back to New York. Then deal with Burrasca, and Octavia.” The shade simply glared at him. “You're just the leftover thoughts of a dead pony.”

“I. Want. My. Body. Back!” the shade was trying to fight Copper, but he wasn't about to give it the satisfaction.

“You cannot have it. You would do nothing but get us both killed.” Copper's words didn't seem to phase the shade. “And then what would become of Scootaloo?”

The shade stopped abruptly, staring blankly at Copper.

“You have no strength as it is. I understand the helpless feeling you have.” Copper was doing his best to repress the seething rage that was being forced into him and be diplomatic. “But you would not be able to do anything in the real world, even if you used every ounce of your strength. You wouldn't even be able to beat me, and the only thing your meddling is doing is risking our lives by distracting me.”

“I...I do not like what you are planning,” the shade said, looking down at Copper. It seemed that he had finally calmed down. “The things you think...the way you go about things. If you continue on this path against the Creator, you're going to start a war.”

“If he wants a war, then I'll-”

~

Scootaloo had slapped him rather hard, his hand going up to his cheek. “Ow,” he mumbled as he rubbed the spot.

“God damn it, Copper.” She stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. “When you said you needed to sit down I thought you meant just take a break, not take a little nap.”

He gazed a moment at the scowl on her face and returned it with a smile. “Sorry, didn't expect it.”

“Shaking you wasn't waking you up either.” She was rubbing her hand. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I'm fine.” Copper was slightly bothered at the fact he said that line so much. He was fairly certain it was just a reflex response now. Copper was glad that his little moment of unconsciousness had gone unnoticed by the crowd of people, who were obviously preoccupied with countless other things.

“You said that earlier and it turned out you weren't.” She glared at him for a bit, but then she sighed. “I think I spotted her, or at least someone who looks a bit like they could be her...” Scootaloo said as she nodded her head towards a group of griffons.

Copper knew her immediately. “Yeah, she's over there...” he said as he stood up and tried to shake whatever odd feeling he had in the back of his head. “Right then...let's see what sort of mood Gilda is in today...”

He was aware at how Scootaloo walked slightly behind him, using him as some sort of shield against the griffons. He wondered if due to her dealings with Burrasca she was defensive towards griffons on default. “-and then I- Who the hell are you?” The group had turned towards Copper and Scootaloo.

“Gilda, a word with you a moment?” Copper said, focusing on her and ignoring the other griffons of the group. There were four other griffons with her, one of which Copper was fairly certain would be able to take him down no problem.

All of them looked at Gilda, who was looking at Copper. “You know this guy, Gilda?” one of the griffons asked as he eyed Copper.

“I'll just be a minute, guys,” Gilda said as she separated herself from the group. “C'mon, this way.” Gilda walked quite briskly off to the side and Copper and Scootaloo followed after. They came into a side room, which looked like a private party room of some sort. “All right, the hell do you want?” Gilda asked as she shut the door. “I recognize Scootaloo, but you I don't know.” She was glaring at Copper.

“Well if you know Scootaloo I'm fairly certain that you've already made an assumption as to why we are here.” He was about to sit down but noticed something rather unpleasant on the seat and decided against it. “My name is Copper Feather, I'm a detective from New York.”

Copper saw how Gilda's face scrunched slightly and her brow furrowed. Griffons were harder to read than ponies due to their beak, but Copper had had practice. Especially when dealing with Gilda. “So you're Copper Feather. Back when I was still talking with my father, he mentioned that you had taken Scootaloo from him.”

“Yes I suppose that's one way of looking at it.” Copper decided that leaning against the wall didn't look like a good option as it didn't look any cleaner than the couch.

“My father sent you, didn't he?” She had her arms folded in front of her. Maybe it was something about Gilda that scared Scootaloo, as she was still partially hidden behind him and remaining quiet.

“Yes, he did. He wants you to come to New York.” Copper watched as her stance and expression became even more defensive.

“Well, I'll tell you exactly what I've said to every other blasted person he's sent to fetch me. No. Piss off. I'm not going anywhere. You can go and tell that griffon bastard that I'm quite happy to live my life as far away from him as possible!”

“All right,” Copper said with a slow nod.

“What?” Gilda and Scootaloo both said.

“What? My job was to try and get Gilda to come back. She doesn't want to, therefore I have tried. Gilda was not the main focus of me coming here, I only did this as a favor for Burrasca as I was going to be in the area.” He moved past Gilda towards the door. “Sorry to interrupt, have a good evening, Gilda.”

“That's it?” Gilda said, eying him. “You mean you're not gonna try and convince me, or nothing?”

“Why would I bother? You seem quite determined to stay here. Besides...” He smiled at Scootaloo who was standing at his side. “I have a war to start.”

“Wait, what?” Scootaloo partially blocked him from opening the door. “The hell are you talking about?”

“It's something that I've realized. It's what is going to happen if I go against the Creator...I don't like the thought of it, but that's the feeling I'm getting.” He had to admit that the shade of the old Copper was right, this would start a war, the question would be: how large of a war?

“What the hell are you talking about?” Gilda echoed Scootaloo's words.

“Nothing that concerns you.” He saw as Gilda's face skewed into annoyance. “After all, you're staying here. So it'll be no problem for you.”

“The hell it wont. I was born before the war. I had to try and get through my childhood through that damned war. War effects everyone,” Gilda was growing increasingly annoyed, but Copper could hear the slight frantic tone in her voice.

“Yes, that's true. But how large this war will be is yet to be determined. The Creator has more allies than I do and I honestly don't know if I'd even stand a chance against him.” He was looking at Scootaloo, who was glaring at him in a similar manner to how Gilda was glaring at him.

“You're talking like a crazy person,” Scootaloo said softly.

Copper laughed. “That's because I'm crazy.” He gentle pushed Scootaloo to the side and opened the door. Much to the surprise of the griffon on the other side. “Evening.” Copper didn't hesitate to plant his foot firmly between the griffons legs and watch him crumple.

“What the hell?!” Gilda shouted as she ran towards him. “That's Jerome, what the hell are you-”

He stomped down and pinned the griffons hand to his chest. “Don't you dare,” Copper snapped as he pulled the gun out from under the griffons coat before he could get any closer to it. “I've had quite enough of people shooting at me today, thank you.” He holstered it in his own holster after moving his passport to the inner pocket of his jacket.

Gilda stared down at the griffon known as Jerome. “What the hell are you doing with a gun, Jerome?!”

“Yeah, Jerome,” Copper said as he crouched down, putting more of his weight on his wrist and therefore his chest. “Why do you have a gun?” The griffon spat at him. It had been quite a while since Copper had had anyone spit at him. He wiped his cheek. “That is disgusting, honestly why do people do that?” He pulled out his new found gun, placing it against the griffons forehead. “Let's try this again. Why did you have a gun, Jerome?”

“Does it really matter?” Scootaloo said, looking down at the griffon who was struggling to form words. “Whether he's just some punk with a gun or one of the Creators flunkies doesn't really matter.”

Copper paused as he looked at the griffon. “You're quite right.” He slapped the griffon with the side of the gun and then stood up, holstering the gun as he stepped out of the room.

“Was the pistol whip necessary?” Scootaloo said with a frown.

“Well if he's just a punk with a gun, it'll make him rethink his life a bit-”

“I think you cracked his beak,” Scootaloo said as she stepped over the writhing griffon.

“And if he's with the Creator...well he probably wont be getting up to chase us anytime soon.” Copper walked at a fairly quick pace. “I wonder if there's a back way out of here...I have a feeling there's going to be trouble if we go out the front door...”

“Yeah, this way. Follow me.” Gilda was suddenly with them, gesturing off behind them before heading in that direction.

“I thought you weren't coming with?” Scootaloo said before Copper could comment.

“Shut up and let's get out of here.” Apparently she was re-evaluating her current position in London.

The way that Gilda moved quickly into the back area of the club, without a problem from any of the bouncers or other patrons was rather impressive. Obviously she was well known here. They ended up leaving the club through a back door and ended up in the alley behind. “Well that was easy,” Scootaloo said as she eyed both directions.

Copper did the same. “Yes...well...sometimes things go that way.”

“So am I going to be able to stop by my place and pack?” Gilda said with a frown at the two of them.

“Oh? So you really are intent on coming?” He found it fairly funny that she had been so easily manipulated.

“I'll come to New York, but I will have nothing to do with Burrasca.” She had her arms folded, and Copper noted that it was actually fairly cold out.

“That's fine.” He pulled the gun out, dropping it into a storm drain before returning his passport to the holster and holding his coat out to Gilda. “And yes, we have time to go to your apartment. Chrysalis and Nightmare should be back there by now waiting for us.”

“We might have needed that,” Scootaloo said with a frown, looking at the storm drain.

“No we don't, you still have my gun.” Scootaloo frowned more at him as if hoping he had forgotten. “But I'm assuming you meant that two guns are better than one?”

Gilda had taken his coat and put it on. He found it humorous how things seemed to have come full circle. “Enough about the damn gun,” Gilda snapped and began walking down the alley, holding the coat tightly around her.

Copper was quite aware at how cold it was without his jacket, his breath fogging up in front of him as he followed after Gilda. “No other affairs to put in order?”

“I knew I'd have to leave in a hurry eventually...” Her home wasn't terribly far and she was keeping to back alleys. “So no. Nothing else to do but pack my things. You've got a ride out of here, yeah?”

“Several,” Copper said as he looked up and down an almost empty road as they crossed it. A few cars and people going about their evenings, but nothing that caught his attention. “Hopefully you have a phone.”

“Of course I have a phone,” she said with a scowl at him.

“Most people have phones, Copper,” Scootaloo said, looking up at him.

“Ah, well...there are some who don't, right?” Scootaloo nodded. “So better to check.” He was really starting to feel the cold now as the night continued on, but he had been in far colder situations that made this seem warm. Or perhaps he was going numb and was imagining the warmth.

“I don't see Chrysalis's car,” Scootaloo said as she nudged Copper.

“We must have beaten them back, then,” he said as he looked around. He was quite certain that what Nightingale and Chrysalis had set off to do would take less time than them, but apparently he was wrong. “Still...gives us a bit of time for Gilda to get packed and for us to make the phone call.”

Gilda lived in a fairly run down loft, but the building was structurally sound and from what he had seen of her loft it was well furnished. “You guys didn't...go in, did you?” Gilda asked as they were heading up the stairs.

“No, but we did have a look through the fire escape.” Scootaloo gave him a slight slap across the arm. “What?” He chuckled softly. “We had to make sure that you weren't home and just ignoring us.”

“Yes but that's rude,” Scootaloo said with a frown at him.

“Oh, so it would have been better if we hadn't told her we'd looked in?”

“Yes,” both Gilda and Scootaloo said at the same time.

Copper shrugged. “Noted.”

They stopped at her floor and Copper immediately pushed Scootaloo and Gilda to the wall. “What-”

“Sh.” He made a sort of grabby hand gesture towards Scootaloo and after a moment she pulled out his gun with a sigh and handed it to him. Then she spotted what had caused Copper to stop, just after Gilda had. The door of her loft was gone, nothing left of it but splinters in the hallway. He peeked inside the gaping hole that had been a door at some point, looking around the room. He held the gun back out to Scootaloo, who took it and stowed it wherever it was that she hid things. “Well they came and went in a hurry.”

The door was several feet away, quite busted up. “What did that to the door, do you think?” Scootaloo asked as Gilda moved passed them into the room.

“Damn it, not all of this is my stuff!” she said as she started sifting through the wreckage. Furniture had been flipped and smashed, her bed had been slashed open and her dresser was in pieces with her clothes scattered all over the room.

“I'm just going to assume a clockwork,” Copper said with a frown as he moved over to the window overlooking the alley. There was a fire escape there that they had used to get a look inside the loft a few hours ago. “It must have been soon after we left...”

Gilda was grumbling and picking up her clothes off the floor. “Blasted bastards...this is one of my favorite tops...why'd they have to rip this one? Of all the tops, why this one?” Copper only heard little snippets of what she was saying.

Copper was examining the door. “Phone still work, Scootaloo?”

“I'll check.”

The door had been practically exploded into several chunks and splinters. In fact, much of it was splinters. “It was hit in a large area,” Copper heard the shade inside his head talking. “Larger than a foot or hand-held battering ram.”

“It hit near center, partially towards the door handle...mounted on the right side?” he muttered to himself.

“Most likely. Several feet wide and having an odd shape to cause the most damage.”

“Not meant for taking down doors, that's for sure...” He tried to ignore the fact that the shade was trying to be helpful now.

“Not wooden doors, at least. Probably for cars or trains. Maybe airships, but most definitely something for metal.”

“Why would they have brought that, though...” He picked up one of the splinters, turning it and noting the small little holes in the wood.

“Phones still working, had to dig it out from behind the couch,” Scootaloo said as she came up to him.

“Probably just what they had readily available,” the shade said.

“Lockpick would have been simpler...” He turned to Scootaloo. “Thank you. Let's make that phone call and tell Burrasca the status.”

Gilda frowned at him. “You're going to call him?”

“He's plan A for getting back to New York,” Copper said as he followed Scootaloo to what was left of the couch; it had been broken in half. “Jeez...what were they even looking for?” He looked over at Gilda.

“I don't know. Most valuable thing I had in here was clothes. Which they've destroyed most of.” She was holding up a shredded shirt.

“Large metal claws,” the voice said. “Left hand. Definitely a clockwork. Some sort of ramrod bashing for a right arm, large metal claws for a left. There were designs for it on one of Doctor Vonzinzer's desk.” Copper paused mid step, running through his memory for what he had looked over. It was a wheeled thing with six legs and two arm like things. One of which was a sort of over the top battering ram with the other being a clawed hand. It was meant for searching wreckage’s. It was a long device to snake through hallways and tunnels.

“Right...” He rubbed his face a bit, at least he knew that something as terrifying as that was on the loose somewhere. But what was it looking for? Us? Gilda? “Could you do the- oh.”

Scootaloo was already holding the phone out to him and he took it, taking a deep breath. It was the same voice who had answered last time. “Who is this?”

“Copper Feather, I need to speak to Don Burrasca.”

Again there was a hesitation. “Fine, one moment.”

It actually took several minutes before Copper actually heard anything. “-and be quicker about telling me who is calling!” Someone picked up the phone. “Yes? Copper?” He sounded out of breath.

“Something going on, Burrasca?”

“What? No. I was simply taking a bath.” There was a slight tone of annoyance to his voice. “I do hope that this isn't about more police troubles.”

“Not at the moment. I just wanted to inform you that we need a ride back.” He sat down on the remnants of the couch.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Then...you have spoken with my daughter?”

“Yes.” He watched as Gilda started to pack up the clothes that were not damaged.

“And? Has she agreed to come to New York?”

“She has, with a condition.” Scootaloo was helping her sort through wreckage now for more clothes. “She wants nothing to do with you.”

There was another pause before Burrasca spoke, regaining his composure. “That's to be expected. I'm...sure that it will take quite a bit of warming up, as it were.”

“Could start with clothes,” Copper suggested. “She's recently lost quite a lot, judging by this pile...” He was looking at the pile of ruined clothes.

There was another pause on the other line. “I...see...I'm sure that there must be some sort of explanation as to why her clothes are destroyed?”

“One that I hope to not find out considering what it did to her loft.” He nudged a but of debris with his foot.

Again there was a pause. Copper had to admit he was having a bit too much fun stringing Burrasca along in such a manner. “And what did it do to her loft?”

“Trashed it. Whole place is in shambles, like someone decided they hated every single piece of furniture in the room and got ahold of a wrecking ball.”

“But she is all right, yes?”

There was the odd feeling of a switch being flicked in the back of Coppers mind. “He is feigning interest,” the voice in his head said.

Don't be absurd. He looked at Gilda a moment and then out the window. That is is his daughter. But there was this odd feeling as though Burrasca wasn't actually interested. “Yeah, she's fine. She wasn't here when when it happened. We just walked into it.”

“That's good. I shall arrange for your trip back with all haste.” There was the noise of movement and scraping from the other line. “I will contact Chrysalis with the address, as she is the easiest to get a hold of. If she is still traveling with you?”

Copper assumed he was making a memo to himself, or a note to someone. “Yes, she's still part of my little...group.” He couldn't shake an uneasy feeling he was getting suddenly, but he couldn't tell if it was from Burrasca or from something else. He wasn't sure if he imagined the movement in the alley, or if there was something moving around down there. “I'll let you go...I think things are about to get a little bit more complicated.”

“I'm sure you can handle it.” There was a click.

He frowned as he hung up the phone, staring down at the alley. “He has his own agenda.” Of course he does, he's Don Burrasca, he always has an alternative motive to anything. “How long will it involve you?” He did not like how the voice was trying to make him think of things that he was already trying to work out.

“That is the question, isn't it?” he mumbled. “In more ways than one...how long before I become useless?” That was something that he hated to think about. He knew eventually he'd be useless; unable to help or do anything. He placed his hand on his cheek, the slap Scootaloo had given him still made his cheek feel hot. He put pressure on it, trying to avoid going down this thought road again. “Hm?” Someone had said something to him.

“I said, what are you doing?” Scootaloo was glaring at him from the other side of a stack of bags. Apparently Gilda had finished packing.

“Thinking and watching,” he said calmly as he looked at the pile of bags. “All packed?”

“Yes, I think I am.” Gilda lifted two bags and began moving them towards the hole that had been the door.

“Wait.” Copper had realized that he hadn't been paying attention to what was going on around him. Once again the shade had gotten him off topic and unfocused. He made his way past her quickly and looked out into the hall. “Maybe I'm just being paranoid...” he muttered as he stared out at the empty hall.

“Got that feeling again?” Scootaloo said from his side, looking out into the hallway again.

He looked at her and smiled a bit. “Yeah. But I can't be sure why I'm getting it. All I know is something is wrong.” He leaned against the wall beside the open door, folding his arms. “Something somewhere...”

Gilda frowned at him. “The hell are you talking about?” She put her bags down beside the door. “Don't help me by the way, oh no, I've got it.”

Copper chuckled softly as he began helping her move the bags. “Just something that happens to me. I get this weird feeling when things are wrong, or when something is about to happen. Good instincts, I've been told.” There were six bags. Copper wondered if in those six bags was all she owned.

“Maybe it's about your Chrysalis friend?” Gilda suggested as she stood up an overturned chair. “Can't be that long to-”

Copper barely had time to react as the window exploded. He heard what sounded like gunfire and half expected to see Scootaloo with the gun, but he realized that he had actually grabbed her and pulled her into the hallway to avoid debris. Of course now the gun reappeared and they rushed back into the room. Gilda had leaped over a table, avoiding the debris herself. Copper saw red lights on what looked like some sort of insect like head. It was almost exactly like the drawing Copper had seen in Doctor Vonzinzers room. Apparently it had been watching the window and waited for Copper to stop watching before climbing the fire escape.

Blam blam blam blam. Scootaloo didn't hesitate to open fire on the thing. “The hell? Not even a scratch?” It did recoil and press itself against the wall as it searched for the hole with its back legs.

Everyone in the room stared at Scootaloo, as well as the clockwork contraption which had found the hole it had made and was now making its escape. “Well at least it's leaving,” Gilda said as she turned the attention of everyone back to the clockwork.

“I guess it thought we had something or someone that we don't,” Copper said with a frown as the thing made its way out the window slowly and down the fire escape.

“Does this weird stuff always happen around you people?” Gilda said with a glare.

“Well...not really.” Copper slowly followed it over to see where it was going.

“Not really!?” Scootaloo shouted at him, stomping towards him. “In the last few days, we have been kidnapped by pirates, fought some weird aliens. Aliens!” She was angrily reloading the gun as she was yelling at him. “We traveled across the world in a magic box, fixed some sort of magical rift in the universe,” she snapped the chamber of the gun closed, “Then you fight some blasted clockwork in a burning warehouse, you fight some mad scientist who tries to kill you, then battle some sort of rogue government agents, and that's just today! And you have the nerve to say not really!?” She threw the empty shells at him.

“All right...so this stuff happens a lot.” She stomped away from him, grumbling and muttering. “Especially recently.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I guess I'm just so used to this stuff happening to me from the other world that it just doesn't seem weird to me.” He looked down in the alley at the the clockwork, which was settling itself back down in its alcove in the alley. “So that's where you were hiding...” He looked back at Gilda. “Are you all right?”

She was holding her shoulder. “Yeah, fine...just...nicked by a chunk of the wall.”

Copper took a few steps towards her when he heard the clearing of a throat and a slight knock. “Everything all right?”

Copper stared a moment at the police officer griffon. “Oh yes, quite fine,” Scootaloo said with thick sarcasm. She had hidden the gun quite quickly.

“Scootaloo.” Copper frowned at her and she rolled her eyes. “Just a...rough night.”

“Are you the tennant?” the officer said, Copper noticed how he stayed outside the room.

“No, that would be-”

“Me,” Gilda said as she moved a bit forward. “Gilda Crosswing, I've been renting this flat for seven months.”

“May I come in?” The griffon was looking around the room.

“I-”

“No,” Copper interrupted Gilda as he walked towards the officer.

“Excuse me?” the griffons eyes narrowed on Copper.

“I said no.”

“You are not the owner of this flat, so you do not have any legal right to decline my request. Ms. Crosswing?”

“Copper-”

“Ya know, I had a thought,” again he interrupted her, but he made note how the griffon made no attempt to get inside as he approached. “Just a bit of something I noticed. I've never seen an officer, here, or in New York, who traveled alone.” The officer blinked owlishly at him. “It begs the question, where's your partner?” He pointed upwards as if having just thought of something. “Oh! I know the answer. It's that clockwork in the alley.”

“What are you blathering about?” the officer snapped.

But Copper had noticed the flicker of panic and uncertainty. “You were surveying the room just now.” Copper was just on the other side of the doorway. “You were looking for something in particular, and I noticed that subtle downturn of your beak in disappointment.”

“The hell are you talking about?” seemed to be the words that left everyone’s mouths simultaneously.

“When you regain consciousness, tell the Creator I'll see him soon.” The griffon reached for something but as Copper grabbed either side of the door-frame and planted his foot firmly into the griffons ribs the griffon quite forgot what it was he was doing. Bashing into the wall on the other side of the hall was not much better for his thought process and he slumped over. “That is, if you even remember it after that.”

“Copper?! What the hell?!” Gilda and Scootaloo both rushed towards him.

But Copper simply picked up two of Gilda's bags and looked back at them. “I'm not going to play nice anymore.”