> Come the rain
>  by some weird guy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A gray colt stumbled about in the mud. Barely conscious, he absorbed the scene around him: crimson flames rising up to devour his small village, neighbors fleeing, screaming in panic and agony, and rain; rain that did nothing to sate the seemingly endless hunger of the smokeless embers that clung desperately to anything within reach. What's more, the fire gave off no heat. Why? They were not small, nor were they far away. So why is it that he instead could only feel creeping ice from the rain? 
The strain was becoming too much, his soaked wings carved into the blackened sludge below, slowing his progress and throwing off his balance. His hoof sunk and gave way, giving way to gravity. Soon, everything appeared to be sprouting from some oversized wall on his left. Lids threatening to hide his frosty blue eyes, he willed himself to twist his head enough to look straight ahead. Beyond the inky strands of mane, he could see another pony that stood out among the rest. A unicorn, jet-black and smoldering with red flames himself, yet he seemed undisturbed by the whole scene. His ashen hooves stopped mid track, as though feeling the young one's eyes upon him; he began to turn, his razor edge horn threatening to pierce the heavens' night. The last thing the colt saw were two blood soaked eyes, that seemed better suited on a dragon, rest firmly upon his own. Darkness swiftly followed.

~~~

If there was one thing I hated the most after having that dream, it was the headache of waking up. No, not the shaking, not the cold sweat or the shortness of breath, but the migraines that came after. That pulsing, vice grip always left me a little disoriented in the morning, like waking up from a thirteen year slumber. It took me a moment to realize that I was still on the Iron Feather, my boss’ personal airship, and sailing about fifteen hundred feet above the ocean belo— wait. Something’s not right. Looking out the window, I should be seeing the endless deep blue. So why can I see the coastline?
“Looks like you finally woke up. About time too, the little noises you were making were becoming annoying.”
Turning to the door, I saw an impressive, clay brown minotaur with a half an eaten apple in one hand, and a whole in the other.
“Stonewall. Don’t you have anything better to do than raid the fridge in the morning?” I asked while simultaneously rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
A loud yawn from my mouth barely covered the crunch that came from Stonewall’s as he finished his apple.
“For your information, I wasn’t just stuffing my face in the kitchen. I needed a moment, and not just from you. I needed a moment to think.”
“You… think? Wow, we could have a potentially dangerous situation on board if you ever pulled that one off successfully.”
His toned body seemed to actually bounce a bit as he let himself drop onto a seat opposite of mine. I could also swear the whole ship tilted ever so slightly with his impact.
“Hey now, I’m being serious here!”
Leaning forward on my chair, I decided to hear him out. Not very many times that the muscle bound minotaur decides to grace someone with his innermost thoughts. 
“Alright then,” I stated, resting my head on my hoof, “let’s hear it.”
"I think… this is gonna be my last tour."
Whoa, didn’t expect that.
"So what then, you're just going to grab your savings and go retire on the countryside or something? Gonna spend your days gallivanting with the sheep in the meadows?" I teased.
"No, nothing like that!”
“No? then you’re gonna hide in a cave, or a hut or something, like a hermit the rest of your life?”
“I don’t know yet, maybe? Look, all I’m saying is that I’m, well, I'm tired of doing' this whole gig. I've been at this a lot longer than you have, and let me tell you, it really wears a guy out. I just want to do something for myself that doesn’t leave others sad, or heart broken, or homeless… you know?"
"…Yeah."
The only sound that could be heard for a few seconds was the wind passing by the window outside. I could see things were getting moody pretty fast and decided to go ahead and touch on the lighter side of things.
"Okay, say you go ahead with this retirement thing, where are you going to go?"
"Well… you weren’t that far off when you said 'retire on the countryside' earlier. You see, I got a cousin that actually tends to a farm on a small private plot back home. I was planning to see if he could take me in and, kinda, well, teach me the tools of the trade." He finished a little red in the face.
"You, a farmer?" I replied skeptically.
"Well yeah."
"Okay, and what do you plan on growing?"
"Potatoes!" Stonewall replied, suddenly very proud of himself. 
"Potatoes?" I echoed.
"Yup!" he reassured. "It's good honest work, not like what we got here. Everybody seems keen on lying to each other, from the guys who hire us to our own boss! You can't say I'm making it up either! When we were brought into the fold, one of the first things Talon told us was ‘don’t ever give your real names. Names, history, everything, keep it secret at all times and lie if you have to.’ But if you want a more immediate example, just look out the window. I'm sure you must've noticed by now that we're no longer headed in the right direction."
That’s right. Earlier when I looked out the window, I saw the coastline. A quick look back out and I saw small villages, almost like settlements really. This wasn’t home. What's more, we were headed further inland, deeper into foreign land. This made no sense at all. We were told, we were promised…
"Hey, Stonewall, where the heck are we?" I mumbled with eyes still transfixed on the shifting plains below.
"We turned around and headed back." he replied, clearly annoyed with the situation.
"What?" I snapped my head back to face him. "But Talon said we were going home for Hearth's Warming.”
"I know." replied Stonewall, shaking his head at the floor.
“He said we were gonna get a well earned vacation after spending six months on the front lines!" I added.
“I said ‘I know’ already. You think I can’t hear you?” He replaced the placid look he usually wore for a more irritated one. “How about you calm down for a moment and—“
I continued regardless. 
"Talon told us all that we deserved it after all the stuff we'd seen and all the crap we went through. He said—"
"DAMMIT, COMET, I KNOW!" bellowed Stonewall, reducing his half eaten apple into a pulpy mess. He locked a look of frustration on me and held it for some time before continuing. "I know, alright? I was there along with everyone else. Trust me; you weren't the only one looking forward to this break. I myself was looking forward to a little time off to get things going with my cousin, but clearly that's going to have to wait."
I let myself relax a little as Stonewall regained his composure and continued, wiping away the mess on his hand.
"Look," he gave a quick sigh. "I don't want to jump to conclusions just yet. We still don't know the reason as to why we got turned around. Maybe it’s a good one, maybe he— maybe…" 
But Stonewall couldn't finish that statement. Maybe he couldn't think of anything, or maybe he didn't want to. Either way, he lost his chance to speak as soon as she walked in. 
“I thought I heard something… annoying in here.” She swiftly locked her sapphire eyes on mine. 
“Firecracker. To what do we owe this pleasant surprise” asked Stonewall, leaning back and crossing his legs.
Firecracker snapped a cherry red wing in Stonewall’s direction and stole his second apple, biting off a chunk without ever shifting her gaze.
“Hey!” protested Stonewall, his short chocolate mohawk bobbing as he suddenly sat upright.
“It’s the boss,” she began, ignoring the brooding minotaur. “He wants to see us all in five minutes, says it’s important.”
“Oh, yeah,” I retorted. “Where at?”
“The War Room.” she replied, taking another bite. “I thought I’d come down here and personally fill you in, ‘cause I’m just such a nice pony. You should appreciate me more, you know. You have no idea how good you've got it!”
“Yeah, you’re right!” I leaned back in my seat and placed my hooves upon a small table before me. “I mean, what kind of guy wouldn't want to wake up to three sticks of dynamite, lit, and six inches from their face?”
“Tch! That was once!” she defended. “Besides, you didn't die, did you? No, and you still got to keep your pretty face as a bonus!”
“Oh yeah?” I challenged. “What about when you used me for bait to draw out the Sours of Discord gang, huh? Did you know that I spent three months in a Joustian prison camp? Am I ever going to hear an apology for that one?”
Firecracker snapped her wing for a second time, hurtling the half ingested apple towards my head. I managed to catch it with my own wing before she flicked her silver streaked black mane from her right eye.
“Just don’t be late.” she grunted before swiftly exiting.
“…My apple...” Stonewall suddenly pouted.
Tossing him the apple, I took the ends of my hooves and rubbed my temples a bit to relieve the newfound stress.
“Uh… thanks…” Stonewall replied with a twisted face.
Daintily holding the apple by the stem, he gave his wrist one quick flick, sending the apple soaring into a nearby trash bin.
“What’s the matter, another headache? I thought you only got those after waking up?”
“No.” I sighed. “They’re not exclusive to mornings. Heck, a majority of the time, it doesn't even happen at all! “
“Really, so, what sets them off?”
Dreams. Memories. “No— nothing, really. They tend to just happen at random.”
“Huh,” Stonewall’s eyebrows arched a little. “Must be rough when it does happen. So, ever wish it would stop?”
Every time. “I… learned to deal with it. No use crying over something you can’t control, ya know?”
“…All too well.” Stonewall replied, getting up from his seat. A quick stretch, followed by some joint pops, he turned to face the door before continuing. “Firecracker said ‘five minutes.’ We already used up one, and the War Room’s about three minutes from here. I’m gonna pass by the kitchen first though, gonna grab a fresh apple. Wanna come with?”
“Nah. I think I’ll spend my minute here.”
“Suit yourself.” A short wave was the last thing he offered me. “See ya in a bit.”
And with that, he left. For a whole minute I sat there motionless. I don’t know what I expected to happen. Maybe I hoped I was still dreaming and that any moment I would wake up to find myself in a comfy bed with a normal life with normal problems. Maybe I expected someone to come in and say something like: “Good news, Comet! We’re finally going home! This time, for good! You will never be asked to do anything like what you've done again! Plus, we’re closing down the contracting business as a bonus!” Maybe I just wanted to stay there, forgotten and alone, that way I wouldn't have to go out and hurt others the way I do. I would wait until everyone left, and then, I would steal the airship and fly off to who knows where. I don’t know, and to be honest, it was all exhausting to think about. The only thing I did know for certain though was that my minute was up, and I was late for a meeting.
> Team Huddle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"You're late." Talon said, his words laced with ice.
"By, like, a minute." I defended. "I'm here now, aren't I?"
Taking my seat at the long table, I found myself flanked by Stonewall and Firecracker. A quick look around confirmed everyone was at attendance. Still feeling a little uneasy, however, I stole a glance at the dark griffon at the head of the table. He was still staring.
"What?" I asked, but was met with only silence. And not just from him, but from all others present. Yeah, that wasn't creepy at all.
The War Room suddenly felt as though it had dropped in temperature; I could feel the fur at the nape of my neck stand on edge. The blinking lights and charts produced by the mechanical console somehow seemed to actually help towards his stifling ambiance. In my life, I can only recall four times when I actually found myself to be, truly, unsettled, this was number four.
After an eternity, Talon finally let me go and continued whatever it was he was saying before.
"Now that we finally have the last of our operatives here, however late he may be, I can continue."
Hardass.
"As you all must know by now, we shall not be returning to Equestria by Hearth's Warming. Do not worry, there is nothing wrong. In fact, by the end of the week, you will all be returning home, along with a fairly sizeable fortune for your extra dedication!
"Before we begin, please allow me to tell you all how much I truly apprec—" And that’s when I decided to stop listening, at least for now.
I already know the drill, he's done it before. He's gonna go on about how we're "indispensable" and "unique." How we should be proud for helping move nations, turn tides, and indeed "change the very flow of history itself." It’s his way of covering up the fact that we got screwed over in the end. Whatever. 
"—nd truly, each one of you is indispen—"
Nope, still not done. If there are three things I've learned from Talon, it's that: one, he always finds a way to get what he wants. Two, he hates it when things deviate from a set plan. And three, he really, really, likes to hear himself talk. That's fine. For instances like these, I've found a way to entertain myself.
Everyone here is given an order that has to be followed for multiple reasons: never disclose your real name or past. Simple enough. But all that secrecy can leave even the most dedicated soldier a little… curious. So, I've taken it upon myself to try to see beyond as many veils as possible, and uncover all of the history everyone's tried to keep hidden.
First up was Stonewall.
As a minotaur, Stonewall was already a big guy, but I don’t think that was enough for him. From what I gather, he used to really be into the whole bodybuilding thing. He always liked to push himself that little extra bit, he actually enjoyed beefing up. Like any other muscle bound guy, he also liked to show off his hard work. Entering competitions of strength and physique, he always managed to get into the top three. Many actually took him for the old "meat-head" type. Heck, I'll even admit to still doing it too every now and then. But it wasn’t because he wasn't smart. He was, really smart in fact! But in his favorite hobby, he never got to really exercise his brain and show them all that he wasn’t all brawn, and I think that started to get to him.
When the idea of flexing on a beach no longer held any excitement, Stonewall chose to look for something new to do, and what better position for a muscled titan to occupy than a club bouncer? This allowed him to tap into his brain a little better. He was really good at what he did. He was able to intimidate would be aggressors and avoid fights by using his wits, this, plus the few scraps he did get in, let him build a rep for himself and gain notoriety. Eventually, this led to him being contacted by some wealthy type that was really interested in what Stonewall could do. A few word exchanges and, BOOM, Stonewall was now a bodyguard. This gig actually worked out pretty well, letting Stonewall travel with his boss practically all around the world! 
Too bad all good thing must end.
The way I understand it, Stonewall and his boss were overseas, visiting some important business type, and were returning to their hotel after a night out. Being a slow night, the other guards had retired earlier that day, too bad, since a couple of muggers had chosen that night to try to assault the boss. This wasn't the first time crap like this happened, and Stonewall was familiar with what to do. At first, he tried reasoning and even offering money. When that failed, he switched gears and used intimidation. That plan backfired when the goons chose to pull out knives. This left him with really only one option, conflict. Still, this is Stonewall we're talking about, so the fight was nothing spectacular. It was still pretty one sided, knives or no knives. Then one of the thugs tries a different tactic: he goes for the rich boss. Stonewall rushes in to intervene, earning him a knife in the leg. Blood now spilling, he picks up the attacker and throws him into the dark while the second tries to get into Stonewall's blind spot. He sees the assailant, and goes for a knock out punch. It connects, and everything goes somewhat smoothly. Until the mugger falls on his blade. The boss screams, but not because of that. The other guy that went flying had ended up colliding with the corner of a nearby building, splitting his skull wide open in the process. The pink matter oozing onto the stone floor confirmed that death had already taken this one. Horrified at what happened, Stonewall gets disowned, fired and then arrested! 
Now wait just a damn minute here, what did his boss expect to happen!? Was this really a surprise to him? Was the plan originally to try to guilt trip the degenerates, then invite them over for tea?
Whatever the case, Stonewall now found himself locked up abroad, with two counts of first degree murder, awaiting execution. 
What a load of crap. 
Lucky for him, though, a griffin strolled by that very prison three days later, looking for promising recruits. Why he chose to look for them on death's row, I'll never know. Regardless, the minotaur caught the griffin's attention. Seeing as how death was the only other alternative, when the griffin spoke, the minotaur listened. Soon after, a deal was made, a bribe exchanged, and Stonewall walked out that very day.
Alright, so maybe Stonewall kinda… broke the rules and decided to tell me his story, or a pretty good chunk of it. But hey, when Stonewall feels like sharing— I mean really sharing, he doesn’t hold anything back. And that’s a heck of a lot more than I can say for the others. That doesn’t mean I can’t find a way to get what I’m looking for, though.
Firecracker, the only other Pegasus left in the Alpha Company, along with Sunburst and Moon Runner, the only two Diamond Dogs, actually have a shared past. Firecracker started off living in Cloudsdale, a giant metropolis in the sky, with her parents and older brother. Her dad worked at the Weather Factory, her mother at the local Advanced Placement Flight School, and her brother was studying law at school. Firecracker, however, pretty much spent her days as a misfit. She would consistently get suspended from school, or detained by the Royal Guards, or find herself in regular fights with other ponies and griffins. She even tried flying away from home a few times, only to be escorted back by a couple of Guards. With her older brother soon going off to join Celestia’s Flight Squadron, her own future (and worth) was put under the microscope by the folks. They saw her as a delinquent going nowhere fast with little to no care about her own well being. Heck, she didn’t even have her cutie mark, the last among her peers, and she couldn’t care less. Her parents decided it was time to act, lest she become a miserable failure, so they shipped her off to the mountains.
What awaited Firecracker at her new home was hard labor and nothing else. The folks thought that through tough work, she would find a new purpose and gratitude towards life. She would build character and turn over a new leaf. To achieve this, she was to work for two years with a construction company that was trying to create a new train system that could transport cargo faster by cutting through the local mountain range. 
Firecracker was soon surrounded by rising stone faces, heavy machinery, and blasting dynamite. There were also a variety of workers, from the local towns to the cities beyond, busy trying to get as much done as they could. Yet the one thing she failed to find among all this clutter was a friend. She had left them all behind and had to start from scratch. If she hated her parents before, this only fueled that fire. 
For the first four weeks, she found herself without companionship and without rest as she strained herself to further carve into the mighty mountainside that stood between her and her freedom. Soon though, her misuse of dynamite caught the attention of a couple of nearby workers. While using dynamite, and failing to blast out a stubborn boulder, a silver canine with a white muzzle tip, approached Firecracker to show her an easier way to get through the pesky stone. By digging a few strategic holes, the duo made short work of the monolith, and Firecracker saw something in her aide’s golden eyes she had not seen in a long time, pride. A brief introduction revealed the new comrade to be Moon Runner, a Diamond Dog that had come here with another in the hopes of finding some precious stones on the job. A few minutes more and Firecracker encountered Moon Runner’s partner, a golden yellow Diamond Dog with a black tipped muzzle, Sunburst. Together, the two Dogs worked together to make excellent progress on the mountainside. Moon Runner would find flaws to exploit on the mountain and Sunburst would carefully work with dynamite to modify it per their needs. The two would dig, plant, and detonate to make it through the day. 
Soon, those two were teaching Firecracker what they knew regarding perception and explosives. Not long after that, she finally earned her cutie mark, a lit dynamite of her own, to showcase not only the result of hard work, but her new joy and passion: blowing things straight up!
Afterwards, Firecracker learned more about the volatile sticks and was able to discover different creative ways to utilize explosives to serve her purpose. She was also regarded as the go-to gal when you needed something blown apart. Even Sunburst was impressed by her growth.
The Tremor Trio, as they were called since they always made the mountain shake, made incredible progress blasting and shaving away at the mountain until fourteen months later, they finally broke through the other side. Success! Their quest had finally come to an end and way ahead of schedule too. This did, however, bring its own problems: what now? Finally free of the mountain, what was the next step? Firecracker didn’t feel like going back to the ones who basically kicked her out; she wanted to stay with her new compatriots. So what was the next move? That question was soon answered when Sunburst returned to their cabin with excitement radiating from his lavender eyes. A griffin had just returned from serving a long tour overseas in exotic lands, and was looking for new recruits to take back with him…
Three birds, one stone, more or less. And all it took was a couple of months hanging out at bars with Firecracker and waiting till she becomes inebriated, or at least a little more than tipsy. Oh, and surviving the bar brawls she never has trouble starting. Good thing, even when she’s drunk, she can more than hold her own in a fight. I mean, I’m not bad myself, but four to one odds? Even I’m gonna have a bit of a hard time, especially when they tend to avoid Firecracker ‘cause she’s a mare… and drunk… and scrappy.
That just leaves now Source Code, Talon, and Grace; Alpha’s only unicorn, griffon, and hippogriff. I guess I shou—
“—to further explain the mission.” Talon’s words brought me back to reality. Guess we’re finally moving on. So much for my fun, but at least now I’ll finally get some answers. 
Leaning forward and resting my head on a hoof, I looked over as an emerald unicorn stood up, moving loose strands of yellow highlighted lime mane behind her ears. She briefly let her platinum eyes scan over the rest of us, to ensure she had our attention, before she used her magic to bring up a green tinged transparency of some sort of forest.
“Thank you. Now, like Talon just said, our new assignment takes us deep into the heart of the Camellia Jungle.”
What? He did? When?
“For those of you unfamiliar with the name, perhaps you will recognize it by its other moniker: ‘The Living Forest.’ I’m sure you’ve all heard the stories surrounding the jungle about how the trees seem to come alive, how the animals are unafraid, and how individuals seem to disappear. Well, for our sake, let’s hope they are only that, stories.”
The jungle layout before us began to quickly zoom in on a single point at the jungle’s border before slowly panning deeper into the main tree system.
“Our clients, an industrial company called Torchlight, are currently based at the edge of the jungle. They have operations going on within the trees that have to be put on hold due to a skirmish that has recently broken out. A group calling themselves  ‘Guardians’—“
Torchlight? Guardians? This all sounds like a bad comic book plot.
“—has been harassing the company for about three months now.”
The forest was soon replaced by various images of what looked like jackals, ponies, antelope, and others wielding both makeshift and metal spears, shields, bows, and the occasional Crystal Optimized Laser Technology, or COLT (various semi hollowed devices, powered by enchanted crystals, capable of firing high density magic bolts at blistering speeds), seemingly running throughout the shadowed floor or jumping from tree to tree.
“At first they pretty much made nuisances of themselves, marking up tents and vehicles, deflating tires, that sort of thing. However, things became deadly when an unknown third party began supplying the Guardians with weapons and encouraging them to take back their jungle by force. Of course, Torchlight responded with firepower of their own, using both weapons and outside influence to try to settle the conflict. Naturally the fights escalated, turning the once peaceful ecosystem into a small warzone. And this is where we come in.”
The image quickly faded into that of a large crate marked with a bold “T.”
“Torchlight now imports almost as much weaponry as it does provisions, and these tend to be favored targets of their enemies. Recently, a shipment of Torchlight’s weapons has been intercepted and stolen by Guardian forces. It’s now our job to retrieve them and deal with any hostiles we encounter along the way. Now, we are being paid to bring in weapons, not scrap metal. Needless to say, all essential items are to be delivered in one piece.”
The green transparency shifted once more, this time to an emblem depicting a downward facing canine skull breaking two bones between its jaws.
“Intel has also been acquired regarding our same clients also hiring the Dogs of War mercenary group to help in handling the conflict that will arise upon recovering the weapons cache. This should make transport run a lot more smoothly.”
“When does anything ever go smoothly for us?” I whispered to Stonewall.
“Comet!” barked Talon. “Is there something you would like to share with the rest of the group?”
All eyes gravitated my way. Great. Gotta think fast…
“I was just wondering, what kind of resistance are we expected to meet upon landing?”
Talon didn’t buy it. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to. I could see it in his gaze.
“Resistance is expected to be minimal upon entry, but should quickly escalate as we reach the target area.” Source Code continued while the ghost image dissipated. “Also, be aware, Black Forest operatives have been spotted in the area, and I don’t think they’re with us.”
“Excellent work as always, Source Code.” Talon remarked as the unicorn gave a quick bow before reclaiming her seat. “That covers the majority of it and, if any new developments arise, Source Code will keep us informed via our earpieces, so don’t lose it.” Talon finished the statement by looking over at Firecracker, whom currently held the record for most pieces lost and/or broken at eight. She merely offered him a small smile before he continued. “Our starting point will be at the Torchlight base camp, where we’ll set up shop and I’ll iron out a few details with our clients personally. After that, we will gather our things and move in to the reported location of the cache. Now, if there are no further qualms, we should reach Torchlight in approximately five hours, so I suggest you use that time to prepare. Dismissed.”
> Welcome to the jungle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Time couldn't possibly move any slower. Lolling my head to the side, I stole a glance out my window. Sure enough, Talon was still out there talking to some zebra. I didn't even try to stop the groan from escaping my throat. They've been out there chatting it up for like forty five minutes! What the hell did they need forty five minutes to discuss?
I could also see Stonewall and Grace, on either side of Talon, slowly losing their minds with me. Sure, maybe they weren’t as expressive as Firecracker or me when it came to this sort of thing, but I could still see their tells. Stonewall's constant adjustment of his arms, crossing and re-crossing; Grace's claw tapping and digging the dirt away. It all pointed to them too longing for the conversation's swift end.
Luckily they didn’t have to wait long. Soon after, our new friend began to lead them away into a small town made of various tents. The motley crew only got so far before the zebra froze in place. He started scanning the area, looking around for something. Slowly, his head began turning left until it stopped… right on me. As if that weren’t enough, he started to give me a grin that slowly closed his eyes and spread ear to ear. His smile—ugh—it was so… weird! It made his face look impossibly fake, like some kind of twisted porcelain doll. So artificial. So unnerving.
That’s it, I'm done!
If his mission, before escorting those three, was to totally freak me out, then mission accomplished, guy!
Turning away from his creepy ass face, I decided to actually get something done. Anything to get my mind on something else. If I recall correctly, Source Code needed some help prepping the ship for the mission. She already had Sunburst and Moon Runner setting and calibrating junk, but maybe she's got something else I can do. Now then, where was our resident unicorn right now?

~~~

"Just a little more…"
Source Code's voice sang through my earpiece as I set a newly refurbished engine in place.
"A little more, aaand done!"
About time too, this thing's heavier than a hydra's tail!
"I'm reading a steady energy output from the new engine."
"How," I asked, "the damn thing's not even operational yet?"
"Doesn’t have to be, not mine anyway."
"And how's that supposed to work, is that magic too?"
"I built it, remember?" she chirped. "Trust me when I say 'it works.'"
I could only roll my eyes at that answer.
"Fine, whatever. So, this is the last one, right?"
"Correct. All sixteen engines are now at optimal efficiency."
"Thank Celestia we only had to change three…"
I gave the new engine a sideways glance. Hard to believe that s ingle unicorn could be responsible for creating and modifying eighty five percent of this ship! She truly was a prodigy. Kinda made me wonder what she was doing screwing around here with us instead of teaching at some fancy pants university or somethin'.
"Sure that's it," I nodded at the marvelous hunk of metal, "you don’t need me for anything else?"
"Thank you, but I'm good here. If you’ve really got nothing more to do, I suggest you run through your equipment one more time before heading out. Talon's on his way back, and both Sunburst and Moon Runner are prepped and waiting for him at the hatch. Plus, once I'm airborne—"
"'No one's allowed back on the ship.' Yeah, yeah, I got it."
The feed cut out and I was by myself again. She did make a good point, though. Don’t want to head out, just to find out that I left something important behind. Better get to it then.

~~~

Let's see now, got my extra crystals, got my dual hoof cannons, got Cerberus, my buck knife and machete, enchanted amulet for protection, a couple dried meals and some snacks… yup, that should do it then!
And not a moment too soon. Talon had already returned from his meeting with the regional director of Torchwood, with minotaur and hippogriff in tow. Their expressions gave nothing away about the meeting, so I can only assume it went well.
"So, how'd it go?" Firecracker ventured to ask.
Stonewall just turned to Grace as she uttered a very textbook response.
"It went well."
Bingo.
Firecracker didn’t seem too satisfied with that answer, but what was she gonna do? When Grace gives that answer it usually means don't worry about it. She wasn’t about to say anything else.
"I expect your all ready?" Talon's voice cut into the idle chatter.
We all voiced our confirmations.
"Then let's move out!"
Talon tapped a piece of plastic in his ear before continuing. We all followed suit, hearing static clear away.
"Source Code, get this ship airborne!"
"Right away, sir!" Her voice came alive in our earpieces. "I'll keep in touch with every one of you, so stay alert for any new developments I may come across!"
And with that, the rest of us turned our attention to the impressive looking jungle ahead. The ship's engines roared to life, kicking up a storm behind us. With the grace of a goose, it shot into the clouds above, out of sight. No turning back now. Forward, march.

~~~

Humid, hot, and alive with noise in every direction, the jungle seemed only beautifully peaceful from the outside. Inside was a whole other story. Within the first hour of our being here, we've been approached by jaguars, assaulted by mosquitoes, and attacked by over-sized flytraps! This place really drove home the nickname: Living Jungle. 
Aside from the surrounding nature, the whole trip was fairly silent. Occasionally, Talon would call on Source Code to confirm they were on the right track, but nothing more. She did mention something about the jungle's signature, but really, I was barely paying attention. Firecracker tried to illicit a response from the others, but when that failed, even she gave up.
Maybe it was just too hot. Maybe everyone was in a pissy mood because of how hot it was.

~~~

A little deeper in, while I was at the front, I saw the craziest thing. A centipede the size of my leg had crossed a little ahead of us! It stopped and let its antennae wiggle around in the air, before making a mad dash towards me. It was fast too, covering twenty meters in five seconds! I could swear I saw it salivating as it closed in. 
As impressive—and disgusting—as it was, I didn’t feel like wasting a charge on it. Instead, I simply pulled out the buck knife and hurled it through the air. The blade lodged itself deep into its head and even managed to pin the arthropod to the ground, like, a few inches from reaching me!
Even while being impaled through the head, the damn thing kept squirming. Flailing in every direction, I had to be careful when getting close. Sure, I was wearing a high impact armored vest lined with chain mail, we all were. And of course we each had amulets that were magically charged to further protect us when in combat, but I still couldn’t help but be cautious. I read that centipedes are constantly releasing dangerous toxins from their bodies. This coupled with the fact that their needle-like appendages would have little to no problem getting through the skin and, well, you can see why I would have second thoughts.
Retrieving the blade, I could see the clear, viscous fluid coating the end. Nasty stuff.
Flicking it away and sheathing the knife, I gave the centipede one last look before turning to the others.
"Do you see that thing? It's like the size of my—"
The joke died in my mouth as I saw the team gazing into the trees and readying their weapons.
I really didn't want to.
Every fiber of my being told me not to, but I did it anyway. Slowly, I let my head tilt; my eyes scan the trees above. I instantly regretted it.
Crawling down the sides of the trunks were more of the grotesque insects. A lot more.
We all gathered back to back in a defensive circle. The buck knife wasn’t going to cut it this time. But while everyone else drew primary weapons, I settled on my side arms, the dual hoof cannons. I didn't want to use my primary just yet.
Common sense dictates that the bigger the weapon, the bigger the punch. Consequently, the smaller the weapon—well, you get the idea. I had two customized hoof braces that operated on a similar principle as a standard COLT. The housings contained small enchanted crystals that could be agitated into releasing magical bursts through a polished and insulated bore. 
Problem was that since the crystal, and the apparatus in general, was small, the kind of shots capable of being fired were pretty much limited to concussive ones; they used the least magic and were least likely to destabilize the small device. In a standard firefight, this would leave one at something of a disadvantage.
But this wasn’t a standard firefight.
Once the centipedes hit the ground floor, Talon, Grace and Firecracker began to hover overhead. The rest of us trained our weapons on those likely to reach us first.
"Source Code," Talon called into his mic, "where the hell was our heads up!?"
"What do you mean?" a confused unicorn responded.
The insects got closer by the second.
"Why didn't you let us know we were wandering into a damn hive?"
I stole a glance around at the converging army as a realization started to sink in.
"What hive? What are you talking about?"
We would all end up burning through every one of our crystals, before we managed exterminated them all.
Talon's look of frustration melted into something else, something oddly reminiscent of worry.
"Source Code, can you see us?"
A centipede bolted past the others and made a beeline towards Stonewall.
"Yes, I see you all."
It stopped short and seemed to compress itself for a moment.
"Tell me, what do you see moving about around us?"
The large insect instantly sprung alive and rocketed upwards, homing in on the minotaur's face.
"I don't see anything."
> Ninety nine problems...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We at Talon Corp. like to stay up to date with the latest in firepower, armor and magical charms. We don’t like to go out wearing rags, that’s just asking for trouble. The armor must be durable and mobile; no point in wearing something like hydra hides if you can't even move in them! The charms, fully juiced and proper for the mission; do you really need to wear a charm that protects from the cold if you're going to a tropical climate? Yet, despite all this, we consider charms and armor to be like the third and fourth lines of defense.
The first would be—well—your weapon. Blunt, bladed or double barreled, it's considered the first wall between them and your tender ass. The second is you. Well, your speed and agility to be more precise. One quality that's always favored here is being able to really move when you need to. Talon's got a saying he really likes: "being immovable is good, being untouchable is better!"
Stonewall proved that point splendidly.
Pulling out his machete, the minotaur strafed right and cleaved the soaring arthropod clean in two! Fluids squirted as he demonstrated why having both speed and strength made him just as much a threat, if not more, than the overgrown insects.
Shots rained down from the aerial team as the joined us in the struggle. Talon seemed to be half shooting, half arguing into his earpiece. Grace had pulled out her primary and secondary arms, both corrosive in nature, and began spraying death while keeping an almost serene look on her face. Moon Runner and Sunburst let loose a volley of super heated projectiles from their precision COLTs, lighting up anything unfortunate enough to have been hit by Grace or already bleeding. 
Seeing the impressive display of firepower, I couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. Like the little colt invited into a country club, my own weapons seemed to be outclassed. Sure, the hoof cannons can send out shots that will knock them into next week, but they can't melt, or ignite or even leave craters the way Talon's could.
Ah, well, at least I'm in good hooves… hands… claws?
Stonewall was letting loose with his scattershot, taking out clusters of the centipedes and quite literally tearing up the ground! Firecracker wasn't just idly flying by either. She had two full saddlebags of explosives, and she intended to put them to use. Dropping light explosives close to us and heavier ones away, she was making sure to scatter and keep the big bugs away.
With all the centipedes crawling out of the trees, swarming on the ground and even jumping off the branches, I wasn’t paying too much attention to what was being said over my earpiece. Didn’t mean I wasn’t aware of the bad situation we were in.
Source Code was blind to the centipedes down below. She was unable to not only detect how many there were, but from where they were coming from too.
The centipedes weren’t letting up either. One of them stopped short of being shot and reared back. I thought for sure it was going to jump, so I trained my blaster on it. The damn thing didn’t jump, it spit! It fired a thin stream of pale green fluid through the air. I jerked left to avoid it and saw it narrowly miss Sunburst's right leg, burning the plant life below.
"What was that!?" he called out.
"It’s the centipedes; they can spew corrosive fluid from their heads!" I answered between shots.
"Is this a joke, are you joking right now?" he asked, eyeing everything that moved a little closer.
I merely shrugged.
This put is in a really bad situation. Not only where we trying to fend off these flesh eaters, but we have no support from our orbital unit and now these things spit acid! Well if we weren’t going to get help from above, maybe we could get it from down below!
"Sunburst, Moon Runner!" I called back.
Grass and dirt got kicked up all around as Firecracker began to rain down phosphorous packed cherry bombs around us. Bright as hell and burning hot, they seemed to help a little more against the insects. I just hope she has more.
"Can you two dig us a tunnel out of here? If we keep fighting like this, we're not gonna last much longer!"
This time Moon Runner answered after tearing a hole through two centipedes simultaneously. 
"The moment we turn around, they'll be on us like flies on a steamy pile of fresh crap!"
The minotaur's barrel momentarily protruded next to my head before discharging another round.
"No they won't," Stonewall replied, "the kid and I will keep 'em off ya!"
"And don't forget us up here!" a pegasus called down from above.
The two canines shared a look before nodding in unison and slinging their weapons. They immediately got to work ripping into the ground, making sure to keep it wide enough for their larger friend to fit through. They worked fast, I had only turned away for a couple seconds and they were already half submerged!
Grace's voice came alive in my head.
"You'll need to dig at least one eight—no, two hundred meters north to be in the clear!" 
"Two hundred meters north, understood!" Sunburst confirmed.
The seconds dragged on like hours waiting for the digging duo to reach their mark. All the while, endless waves of centipedes continued to pour out through seemingly every crevice. 
	Where the hell were these guys all coming form!?
Shots continued to rain down, accompanied by small explosives. Firecracker was no longer using her phosphorous charges. I could only assume she either ran out or she's saving what little she has left.
Pretty quickly, my attention was stolen by my left cannon when I noticed that the shots were not only smaller but they had a shorter knockback distance as well.
"From bad to worse…" I mumbled.
Crystal powered weapons are pretty awesome. They give you incredible range, allow for a broad variety of customization and creativity, and offer destructive power with lightweight mobility. Needless to say, they excel where weapons that use charges and black powder fail. That doesn’t mean it’s without some drawbacks though.
When you reach the end of a crystal’s charge, a couple of things tend to happen. First and most obvious, your weapon will start to weaken. Range, power and sometimes even accuracy will take a dive for the crap. After that, the crystal itself will start to physically weaken. This can cause areas of the crystal to crack and chip off. Not only will this damage the weapon’s internals, but you run the risk of splitting the very crystal itself in two. And that’s when things really hit the fan.
If you're lucky, you'll only suffer what's called a "burnout." The crystal's power depletes, turning your once deadly distance weapon into little more than a fancy club. That's not to say that all is lost. The crystal may still be restored, although it will be a weakened version of itself. This option is still generally cheaper than trying to bond the broken pieces together or buying a new one entirely, which is good since you still have to worry about damages to the weapon's housing. Broken geodes being tumbled about and jettisoned at high speeds will tend to leave your internals looking like they were used as a prison for wet, angry cats. Overall though it's nothing some maintenance and money can't resolve, plus it'll teach you to be more careful next time.
Of course, if you end up on the other side of the luck spectrum, things don’t end so simply.
The heavy cracking and destabilization of the crystal can lead to some… unhealthy results. The newly loosened crystal may begin to leak its magical contents, causing it to oscillate at some pretty vicious frequencies causing further damage to itself and the entire weapon. The escaping energy will also affect the shots being fired, sometimes causing things like premature detonation. If that’s not enough, the crystal has the capability to split apart and violently release the entirety of its remaining power, turning your COLT into a magically infused bomb.
Different crystals have different likelihoods for reaching that catastrophic level. Crystals with explosive and incendiary properties would be at a higher risk than, say, ones with corrosive and freezing, 
I currently had two concussive, and although not too likely to go critical, the chance still existed.
The centipedes continued to swarm en masse and I didn't have time to change the crystal. I would just have to hope that the crystal will last a little longer.
"How much longer is this gonna take?" I cried into the hole.
My head rang with Moon Runner's voice.
"One hundred meters, halfway there!"
Halfway there. Okay, not too bad. I should be able to hold out that long.
Shots whizzed through the air as Stonewall and I fought to hold back the horde. Talon had switched to a freezing crystal and was trying to create a small levee with frozen corpses to hamper the progress of the living ones. I could feel my left cannon shake and vibrate more than usual, so I laid off it a little trying to give the crystal time to settle down.
And then it stopped responding altogether.
"No! Not now, not yet!" 
I wasn’t about to hide my frustration. A burnout already. Damn, I really thought it would last just a little longer! Unloading two more shots with my right, I chose to look down the barrel and try to spot the problem.
"What the heck are you doin', boy!?" Stonewall yelled.
"Burnout." was my only reply.
"Doesn’t matter if it's workin' or not, you never look down the barrel of a—!"
I chose to tune him out at this point. Yes, I know the safety procedures, what's unsafe, the proper way to do things and all that. I'm not stupid; I know what I'm doing. I just don’t have time to do things the "right" way.
I saw the problem through the lens. The crystal was cracked and vibrating pretty badly. It was on the verge of going critical. Great.
Well, no point in dwelling on it right now. Pulling out the buck knife, I got straight back to work. 
It was twenty times more dangerous letting them get close enough to use the blade, but it would be a million times more to continue using the faulty firearm. 
A steam of centipede juices shot my way. Avoiding the worst of it, a bit landed on my right wing. I could feel it eating through the charm's protective spell. Using the knife, I scooped out as much as possible and flicked it back at the insect. A burning sensation let me know that I didn’t get all of it.
How much was left now, forty, thirty five meters? Not much, I know that. 
Come on, just a little longer!
A carpet of death was dropped by Firecracker in a horseshoe pattern around us before pulling out her signature sidearm, a medium range COLT housing an explosive crystal, which she endearingly referred to as: Heart Breaker.
Grace holstered her own dual shooters and instead opted to arm herself with twin machetes. In an instant she was zipping around from tree to tree carving up any centipede unfortunate enough to be within reach.
Grace is widely regarded as the fastest member in our group and with good reason! Speedy maneuvers matched with quick wit make her a very valuable ally. Instantly analyzing any situation before responding without any real hesitation, she becomes the embodiment of a swift end. Those creepy crawlers never stood a chance.
”It's done,"  Sunburst reported, "the tunnel is finished. Now, get yourselves out of there!"
Finally!
Firecracker dumped a couple more explosives to cover our escape as the minotaur dove in, followed swiftly by me. If anything tries to follow us down here, I'll blast them straight to kingdom come!
As if on cue, half a dozen crawlers fell into the tunnel to join us. I wasted no time training the cannon on their sorry heads and knocking them back on their multi bug asses. 
It's amazing how long two hundred meters can feel when you're being hounded by death in the form of carnivorous arthropods. All the while, more kept pouring into the tunnel with us. Talon tried to freeze a couple bodies in place to block the hole, but the others just pushed their deceased brethren aside like last week's newspaper. They weren't slowing down.
That’s when I got my most brilliant—and outrageously stupid—idea.
I took the cannon off my left hoof and, aiming as far back as I could, launched it through the tunnel. The insects paid it no mind as they started to crawl over it. Of course, they probably wish they had as I fired a concussive round at the destabilized weapon.
The blast was intense, and was only amplified down below. My bones were quite literally rattled. I was actually pleasantly surprised to find myself alive! Dirt and viscera coated the far end where the entrance used to be. 
Crawling out of the exit, I coughed at the newly formed pollution as I looked up at the others' stunned faces.
"Fire in the hole…" I mumbled with a stupid grin on my face.
Of course, we weren’t done. All we managed to do was give ourselves and escape route into the jungle. But the centipedes were far from done with us. 
Out of the dirt plume they came, more determined than ever to have our juicy hides. 
"Damn." Stonewall stated.
"Anyone got a 'Plan B?'" Moon Runner sheepishly asked.
A few rods suddenly soared overhead and landed between us and the incoming hostiles. Instantly, they produced a wall of freakin' fire, scattering centipedes in every direction!
Expecting Firecracker to be the source, she merely shook her head in mutual confusion.
"You know, one thing that never fails to impress about you seven—"
We immediately searched about; trailing the voice to an ashen coated Diamond Dog perched on a high branch behind us. Accompanied by a small force of heavily armed canines, they made it a point to show that they very clearly outnumbered us.
"—is how you're able to make one hell of a racket wherever you go!"
> Awkward not-so-small-talk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The stone gray Dog stood his high ground, clearly enjoying the moment of superiority. With comrades at every angle, a cocky grin was plastered across his face. He took a moment to close his eyes and flare his nostrils in a quick yet audible sniff.
"You guys smell like shit!" he stated matter-of-factly.
Can't argue with him there. With everything that’s been going on, we haven’t exactly had the chance to properly clean ourselves off. The Iron Feather doesn’t exactly come with a shower standard, plus there was that one bit in Somareia with the gas chambers…
"You look as bad as you smell too—"
"Hold your tongue, pup," Talon wasn’t about to have any of the new guy's sass, "unless you'd rather have it at your paws!" He made sure to draw his knife for emphasis.
A snicker, then the canine jumped down to the floor. We all prepared for the worst.
"Is that a threat?" he chuckled. "And just who the hell are you to tell me what to do, huh? You're definitely no superior to me!"
The Dog was getting edgy; he emphasized the "e" if only to bare his fangs.
"No, but I am!" boomed a new voice.
The mutt jumped to one side as a new Diamond Dog approached from behind. This one was different, from the way he walked to the way held his head high. There was authority in his voice and purpose in his step. His eyes spoke volumes about his wisdom and the scars on his body betrayed his experience. His golden eyes seemed to glow from his pitch coat as he approached Talon himself.
"Gamma, stay back and keep quiet. You don't have the experience necessary for dealing with stubborn old pigeons like this one." the grizzled Dog stated, stopping a wingspan from Talon.
The griffon narrowed his eyes and moved closer to his challenger, still gripping his blade.
"Because dealing with a scraggly old mutt is much easier?" he fired back.
The air became thick with tension as the two continued to stare daggers at each other. Everyone else already had their weapons primed with a possible target in mind as time slowed to a crawl.
Okay, they clearly outnumber us, so to make it out of this with as few injuries as possible, we're going to have to make the first few shots and take out about two of them befo—
"Hehehe…"
What the hell, was that Talon?
"AH HA HA HA HA!!!"
The Diamond Dog too!?
"Oh, it's been far too long, Talon!"
"Ah, likewise, old friend, likewise! It's good to see you alive and well!"
The black Dog turned to his compatriots and bellowed.
"At ease! These soldiers here are not enemies; they are the ones we were tasked to find!"
Now it was Talon's turn to explain.
"Relax. These are the Dogs of War, our allies in this jungle. And that scraggly mess over there is my good friend Beta, the second in command of the Dogs."
Whoa, whoa, what? Did he say "friend," and is Talon actually… happy? What the hell kinda ass-backwards world did I just fall into? 
"Hey you, Pegasus!" Beta called out. "… No, not you, the other one!"
Well, there are only two Pegasi here, so if he didn't mean Firecracker then he must've meant—
"Me?"
"Yeah, you."
"I've got a name, you know!" 
"Yeah? You and everyone else on this planet. So, what drugs are you on?"
Today's turning out to be a really confusing day. Did I really hear that right?
"Can you run that by me again?"
"What do you have, biscuits in your ears?" he scoffed. "I asked what substances you're using!"
"None! I don’t do drugs nor am I medicated in any way!"
"Then why are you so damn fidgety?"
My turn to scoff.
"I just had quite a few weapons pointed at my face, that’s not something I tend to find relaxing!"
Beta looked me over before turning to Talon.
"Kid's really lippy. Reminds me a bit of Gamma."
"Don’t talk about me as if I wasn’t here!"
The gray Diamond Dog had lost his smirk and was quite visibly annoyed.
Talon turned to speak with Beta, but I never got to hear what he said as I was suddenly thumped behind my head. Recovering, I turned to find Stonewall with a meaty fist.
"Stonewall, what the hell!?"
"What was that back there?"
Well now I'm lost.
"Back what? What are you talking about?"
"I found you staring down the barrel of your weapon like some inexperienced child! Were you actively trying to take your own head off!?"
Oh, he was not happy.
I tried to compose myself as much as I could before defending myself.
"Look, I know it was stupid—"
"So why'd you do it?"
"I was trying to check for an issue—"
"Then why didn't you check the dial or the gauges?"
"They got cracked back in Somareia. It's one of the reasons why I was hoping to head back home, so I could get it repa—"
"If the damn thing is broken then don’t use it, I thought it would be as simple as that!"
"Look, I'm trying to explain, and all you're doing is yelling." 
"Because with you it's like I'm stuck taking care of some dumb kid that’s gonna get himself killed, and I don’t want that!" He actually stopped to grab hold of my shoulders before continuing. "Listen here; ever since you joined the company, I've been the one to look after you. I've taught you everything I know. I never denied you help and always did my best to make sure you could do yours. Do you know what I see when I look at you? I no longer see that arrogant, cynical smartass that Talon first introduced all those years ago! I see a capable, well oiled fighting and thinking machine. You may still be a smartass sometimes, but I actually look at you with pride now. You're my biggest investment apart from the actual company itself, and I feel it's really paid off. I actually feel as though when I look at you, I'm looking at some sort of distant younger brother I never knew I had."
Wow… I don’t even know what to say. Does he really see me like this…?
"And then I see you go around doing reckless and stupid things, nearly getting yourself killed. It frustrates me to no end! I want to reach out and strangle you sometimes!" His meaty hands hovered over my neck a few seconds to really drive the point home. "But then you always manage to get out of it somehow. You always defy the odds—no matter how stacked against you—and come out on top, or at least in the middle at times. And that’s what worries me, kid. You can only get lucky so many times before it runs out. 
"You didn’t take your head off with your gun, and I'm glad, but that just means that your chances are growing slimmer, and I don’t want to be around when they're all gone! So, for the duration of this mission, at least try." Stonewall actually knelt down to look at me eye to eye. "Try not to do anything too stupid, and just do what you do best, stay alive."
Dumbfounded, that’s all I could feel right then. I knew he'd always treated me different, he sure as hell never gave anyone else homework, but to think that he saw me as his kid brother. Damn. Kinda makes me feel a little bad for all those mini heart attacks I gave him. Kinda.
He didn’t wait for a response. He just got up and strolled right next to me, weapon at the ready. Glad he didn’t wait for an answer, not sure I could’ve given him one right then. 
That’s when I noticed it was quiet. Too quiet. Looking around, all eyes were locked on me!
"What?!" I called out.
No one answered, but at least they stopped looking.
"Stupi—"
A heavy fist dropped down on my skull for a second time today.
"Oww! Stonewall, what the hell!"
"Respect your elders."
That's it? That stupid cow! Warning me about being careful while giving me concussions left and right!
"I believe we've given our new friends enough time to gather their breaths?" Beta announced.
"Of course, my soldiers are good to go." Talon confirmed.
"Excellent! In that case I suggest we move along. Alpha and Delta are up ahead with the rest of the Dogs. Upon reuniting, we will close in on the location of a nearby camp we believe to be sheltering the thieves that stole the weapons crate."
"Very good. Talon Company, let's go!"
"YES SIR!"

~~~

Quiet. That’s the only way I could describe how the journey was going. Firecracker, Grace, Talon and I were flying alongside the rest of the pack, and not a single word was uttered. Shocker. Oh well, if no one else wanted to say anything, I may as well. I still had a couple questions I wanted answered from these guys.
Glancing over the bobbing heads, I zeroed in on my target and made my move.
"Hey, you're, uh, Gamma, right?"
The stony canine briefly looked me over before turning away.
"What, you don't remember me?"
"No."
"Two years ago, Black Arrow?"
"Sorry, I wasn't there for that one."
"Hmph, figures." he snorted.
"Hey, I was curious whether or not you could help me connect a few dots on what's going on."
"What am I, a tour guide all of a sudden? Why don't you go bother someone else?"
Alright then, asshole, why don't we try…
"Whoa there, didn’t mean to rub you the wrong way! I just thought, with a title like 'Gamma,' they might actually keep you in the loop with what's going on. But no worries, I understand if you don’t know anything. Hey, maybe that guy over there can actually be help!"
3…2…
"Wait."
Gotcha.
"What's up?"
"You wanna know what's goin' on?"
"You going to fill me in?"
"How about a trade—knowledge for knowledge—I answer one of your questions, you one of mine."
I looked at him with a raised brow.
"I'm not gonna ask for company secrets or anythin', just a few small things."
"…Alright, I'll go first. What were those giant centipede things and are there anymore we should be aware of?"
"They're exactly what the looked like, giant centipedes."
"Centipedes don’t shoot acid."
He studied me for a moment.
"You’ve never been here before, have you?"
"What gave me away?" I chuckled. "I did read about the jungle, and even about some of the flora and fauna, but not those oversized crawlers. Just want to know what else is out there, you know?"
The pack seemed to slow down from a jog to a trot. Getting tired already?
"There are other giant arthropods throughout the jungle, but they tend to come out at night. Don’t know what you did to draw out the centipedes though, your smell maybe? And what's up with that anyway, why do you smell like a Griffon's lunch after four days in the sun?"
"That one of your questions?"
"Yeah," he couldn’t help but plug his nose, "what were you doing before this, shovelin' crap?"
"I wish." I didn’t want to go into specifics, it's not something I really want to think about right now, but I do owe him an explanation, so… "We were sent into Somareia for a mission just prior. Now, I've been to some pretty intense places and seen some really wicked stuff, but Somareia? You'd think that the ponies living there had never heard of the word 'morality.' Don’t get me wrong, the whole city isn’t run by deranged sociopaths and is in fact very nice in some places, but we didn’t get contracted to take a vacation. We were paid to travel into a vile and corroded armpit of a place as peace-makers armed with enough firepower to challenge a small army. Good thing too.
"It was an intense fight that really put us in the mud and filth. When it was all over, we were originally planned to head back to Equestria to recharge our batteries and whatnot. Clearly that didn’t happen, and our airship isn’t equipped with any showers. So what you smell right now is the result of our assault in Somareia.
"Now, my turn," Gamma simply nodded, "what do you know about the weapons inside the crate? What kind of firepower are we talking about here?"
"You're not thinkin' about baggin' the guns and makin' a break for it are you?" Gamma responded with a sly grin.
"Oh no," I stated flatly, "you got me! That was my plan all along, to use my secret super strength to pick up the enormous crate and fly off into the sunset without getting killed… or crushed."
"Ha ha, that Minotaur was right, you are a bit of a smartass! Good for you!" he actually gave me a thumbs up. I think the guy's actually warming up to me. "While I don't know the exact quantity or caliber of the weapons, I do know that you can find just about every kind of firearm I there—from crystal optimization to good ol' fashion black powder! Of course, supposedly it's to defend the workers from attacks by the local populace. Me though, I don't fully buy it."
"What, why?"
"Sorry, friend, but that would be a whole other question, and I already answered your first. Now I've got one for you!"
"Okay then, shoot."
He started by pointing just under my wing.
"That's a pretty interestin' weapon you've got there. Wanna tell me about that, like, what it is?"
It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about.
"What, you mean my rifle?" I pointed.
"Yeah, that. What's the story behind that?"
I couldn’t keep the smile from creeping on my face.
"This," I pull out the full size of the awesome weapon for greater emphasis, "is a tri-barrel, fully optimized, multi-crystal COLT I built with my own two hooves!" I ran through the basic demonstration for effect. "Each barrel is individual from the other two. Failure in one does nothing to impede the others. A multiple, insulated and reinforced housing chamber at the base allows for up to three different crystals to be used as power sources. Plus, the hollow stock allows me to carry an extra four just in case." Though I really wish I'd actually put that to use this time. "I can swap out the barrels too in case one breaks, I need a shorter barrel or whatever. The trigger is interchangeable with mouth pieces and larger paw accommodations. Fully insulated from any heat or cold, its waterproof, highly durable and can leave one serious hole in whatever I put in my sights! Oh, did I mention I can put a scope on this too, or that I machined the ends to look like each barrel ends in a dog's head? I call this bad boy Cerberus! Yeah, it's pretty awesome!"
"I can tell by the way you had that same stupid smile across your face throughout your little sales pitch."
"Heehee, I can't help it!" there's not a lot for me to be happy about in my line of work, but when I look at Cerberus and think about the fact that I actually built this incredible machine! I wonder if this is what Source Code feels like when she walks around the ship…
"So, what, you just woke up one day and thought: 'I think I'm gonna tape three rifles together and see how that works?'"
"Not exactly, I got the plans off of a blue print… from a pirate."
Gamma arched an eyebrow.
"Any chance you still got those blue prints lying around?"
"Nope." I lied, putting the rifle away. "Sold 'em."
His jaw dropped.
"What?" I shrugged. "I needed the money. A weapon this unique's expensive to maintain."
"I thought you said it was 'durable?'"
"Yeah, but I put it through hell. Everything breaks down eventually." Dropping down into a trot, I got closer. "Alright, I answered you; tell me why you doubt Torchlight's story. What do you think is going on?"
Gamma lowered his head and chuckled.
"Conspiracy huntin'?"
"Just answer the question."
It was only for an instant, but I saw a real serious look wash over Gamma's face before he chuckled again.
"That crate they keep their weapons in, I recognize it. I've seen it used many times before, fitted with false bottoms to use in smugglin' and whatnot." He looked on ahead before continuing. "You wonder why this place is called the Livin' Forest? Strange things happen here that don't really happen anywhere else. Reports of strange creatures, weird sounds, hidden temples, and of course, sentient flora. Plants that can think! Maybe Torchlight found somethin' interestin', and dangerous. Maybe they want to move it without no one knowin'. Maybe…
"Maybe I'm over thinkin' things." he sighed. "Maybe I just need a vacation."
We moved along in awkward silence.
"Hey," Gamma spoke, "I got a question for you. Who's the Griffon on your team?"
"Who, Talon?"
"No, the other one."
"… Grace? She's not a Griffon, she's a Hippogriff."
"A Hippogriff, really?"
"Yeah, why?"
"… You know if she's seein' anybody at the moment?"
I turned to Gamma and saw the faintest trace of red emerging from deep beneath his cheeks.
"Are you—are you wondering if she's dating anyone right now?"
"Maybe."
"Wait—is this the only reason you agreed to trade information, so I could tell you about Grace?"
"…Maybe."
I didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused.
"I don’t know. Would you like me to ask her?"
"…Could you?"
"What happened to the ballsy Diamond Dog that dared to challenge my commanding officer? Is he really tucking tail over a girl?"
"You gonna ask or what?" The red was becoming more pronounced.
All it took was a couple flaps to make it over to where Grace was. She was flying alongside the group, no doubt keeping a lookout for the slightest hint of trouble.
I normally didn't give much thought to my teammates' physical appearances, I just didn’t care much how bad we looked, but looking at Grace, I suddenly felt my chest tighten. The way the breeze blew through her feathers, her glowing eyes and sleek shape. She looked amazing—and she was a mess, so that’s saying something! It suddenly made me feel very—
Dammit! This always happens at the strangest times!
I shook the thought out of my head and tried to cool my face down. The same thing happened to me with Firecracker a while back, Source Code too. I was developing a crush—me, of all ponies—and I hated it! It always messed with my thoughts, made me feel weird things and turns me into something of an awkward idiot. It sucked. But, even so, maybe…
"Something wrong, Comet?"
"Huh?"
Grace kept her platonic look as she repeated herself.
"Is something wrong?"
I quickly shook the last stray thoughts out, and even though I was asking for Gamma, I couldn’t get rid of the tight feeling in my chest.
"Hey, Grace, are you dating anyone?" I blurted.
Smooth.
She just kept looking in that same, calm manner. She probably thought I was an idiot. Well, a bigger one.
"Sorry," she patted me on the head, "but you're not my type. Why don't you try one of the other girls, like Firecracker? She seems more your speed."
"It's not for me!" I protested a bit too quickly.
"Oh? Then who's asking?"
"… Nevermind." I chose to quit while I was behind.
Flying back over to Gamma, I simply shook my head when he turned to me.
"So?" he prodded.
"She's not interested at the moment." I mumbled.
"Bummer. Well, thanks for askin' anyway."
"Yeah."
Without a word, I split off and flew to the outside of the pack, far opposite from where Grace was. I felt embarrassed, awkward and confused. I hate crushes.
"Making new friends?"
I turned to see a cherry red Pegasus float my way.
"You okay?" she continued.
"I'm fine, just a little… nervous."
"Nervous, really? Wow." She laughed. "I thought you would’ve been more nervous when we were about to become worm food!"
"It's… hard to explain."
	No it's not; it's just awkward as hell.
"So save it for your diary," Firecracker teased, getting in my face, "find time to mope about when this is all over. Right now, we've got work to do."
And with that she flew on ahead.
I gotta admit, when things get weird, she's always able to find some way to get my head back in the game. 
Finally pushing all thoughts aside and taking a deep breath. I picked my head up with considerably more confidence. She's right; all that personal stuff can wait 'til later.
Right now? I've got a job to do.
> Rolling with the pack
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I can't claim to be an expert when it comes to the Dogs of War. Truth is I don’t really know much myself. I've only met them once, and by that, I mean I delivered a package to one Delta and that's about it. Delta himself didn’t seem too outstanding. He mostly maintained a serious/bored look on his face. Barely talked, didn’t seem to care much for me or anypony else around. He reminded me a bit of Grace, actually, all apathetic and whatnot. Of course, after that, I chose to do some research into the Dogs, see what I could find.
The Dogs of War mercenary company is a group comprised almost entirely of Diamond Dogs—big surprise there—with a pension for guerrilla tactics when it comes to fighting. Not being their only style, they're quick to adapt to a situation and can be quite the sly foxes when need be. They're not opposed to fighting dirty, as they’ve been known to use their teeth and claws in close quarters combat. 
They seem to have a hierarchy resembling that of feral wolves with an alpha leading the pack. Their exact numbers tend to change, however, so keeping track of those much further down the chain of command can be troublesome. Interestingly enough, unlike how wolves challenge each other for pack dominance, the Dogs tend to prefer more diplomatic solutions by voting in their leader based on a variety of standards.
The Dogs of War are not particularly expensive and are a pretty good way to go when it comes to urban or unconventional warfare. Not to mention they're very loyal to whoever holds their contract and will not betray for any amount of coin.
Everything else I've found tends to be either speculation or conflicting data. What an interesting bunch…

~~~

A distant boom from somewhere to the east, a flock of exotic birds actually got rattled off their branches and took off for a more tranquil setting. The war was getting close. A civil war was erupting in some nearby regions causing one hell of a stirrup, and though it was our plan to avoid that whole mess altogether, there was a real chance that we may have to get involved if The Guardians took the weapons crate into it.
I sucked my teeth just in time to have Firecracker pull my attention to a clearing up ahead. There they were.
They stood tall among the trees, weapons brandished and at the ready. There was a small group gathered out front with more up in the trees. They wore dark green armor to blend in with the rest of the foliage, but the glow of their eyes was unmistakable. The Dogs of War, we'd found them.
Among those in front was a Dog that seemed much slimmer than the others. She had a frosty white coat with icy blue eyes to match. She had a rifle strapped to her back with a long, slim barrel almost grazing the floor. A sidearm that looked like an oversized revolver strapped to one leg, a knife to the other.
	A sniper, no doubt. 
It didn’t seem like it was crystal optimized, but I was too far to be sure.
Regardless of the weapon type, she looked like she could command a whole battalion completely unarmed. She wasn’t scarred or disfigured. She wasn’t monstrously tall nor did she have any truly outstanding features other than her eyes an coat softly swaying in the gentle breeze. Yet somehow she had an air of strong confidence that became more apparent as we got closer. Her body language demanded order and respect; her eyes were merciless and calculative. 
Alpha.
I'd never seen her before this and no one's ever told me about her before, but that didn’t matter. Immediately it was apparent. 
I'm rarely impressed by others, but, damn…
My small group slowed our pace as Talon and the rest of the Dogs peeled off to join the pack. 
Firecracker let out a whistle as we stopped.
"Wow! She seems like one badass chick!" she commented, pointing at Alpha. "She looks like she can take a punch and give it back too, with interest!"
	Typical Firecracker.
Talon began exchanging formalities with Alpha as I took the time to scan the rest of the Dogs until—wait! Is that him?
Let's see… Mud brown coat? Check. Half chewed left ear? Got that. Bored looking green eyes? Yup.
That's Delta.
With a shotgun across his back and a smaller sawn off by his side, he looks just like I remember him. Its funny, with his lack of talking or emotions, those three long scars covering the left side of his muzzle may as well be giant stitches. But I don't think I'll tell him that, he'd probably blow my head off. Certainly looks the type.
Never seen him fight though, and with a lack of long ranged weapons, I'm genuinely interested to see how he uses those things.
"Looks like the boss is done talking." Moon Runner nodded.
Talon came back with Alpha and a couple of Dogs. We stood at attention as he addressed us all.
"Team, I'd like you to meet Alpha, leader of the Dogs of War and our ally in this retrieval mission. I expect you all to show her the same respect you show me, is that understood?"
"YES SIR!"
Alright then," Talon gestured over at Alpha, "would you like to?"
Alpha immediately stepped forward and began to examine us like an enchanter would a cracked crystal. She pulled back a minute later without any sign of displeasure or approval.
"As you are all well aware by now," her voice was silky, seductive but still carried an edge to it, "we are currently working under the same contractor to retrieve an object of significant value. The current holders of said item, The Guardians, are trying to make their way towards one of the warring regions, possibly to seek aid and shelter from companions in fortified camps. 
"If we allow the weapons crate to be taken into the war, then not only will we fail this mission, we will likely have to face down an army just to escape. It is imperative that we retrieve that crate before they cross over. At the moment, my scouts have reported locating the tribals up ahead resting at a makeshift camp with said crate. This will be our opportunity to strike while they are resting and take the objective before this drags on any longer.
"Be aware that evidence of Black Forest has been spotted. Stay on high alert. I don’t think I have to tell you that being ambushed by them is the last thing we want happening. I'll have Beta fill you in along the way as to our current plans of attack and how you can supplement them. For now, let's go!"

~~~

The camp was nothing special. Looking like something that was hastily thrown together, it was nothing more than a couple of logs with a small, unlit fire pit in the middle and a small river behind. There were ten ponies; seven were standing guard in a crappy little circle, armed with some bows and blades, while the other three rested on the logs—just chatting with each other—with the weapons crate no further than two meters away.
Bingo!
We didn't just rush in though, oh no.
No, we made sure to stay nice and hidden among the trees and foliage. Firecracker and I, along with a couple of Dogs, had actually secured ourselves a little spot high in the tree tops where the leaves were more clustered. With our weapons ready, it gave us a nice vantage point. 
We clearly outnumbered them, that was a fact, but seeing only a small force moving such a valuable item? It's more than enough to make one suspicious. 
They couldn’t possibly be alone, right? I mean, they had to have had some help moving and guarding that thing, right? So where the hell was everyone else?
Normally we would have Source Code fill in the small gaps, let us know who else was hiding out here. But with the prolonged radio silence, we were on our own. It's not all bad though. We didn't have eyes in the sky, but we had the next best thing.
"Hey," I turned to a Dog—"Lambda," I think, "can you smell anything from up here?"
With a nod, he took in a deep and silent breathe and held it for a moment.
"Whoo," he said, "I don’t think these guys bathe. I've got their scents."
"Can you smell anyone other than these Guardians?" Firecracker asked. "Anyone that may be hiding nearby or something?"
Another sniff.
"I can… I can smell… something. It's not these guys, I smell oil and ash. But I can't find the source." He started moving his nose around in small circles. "I—damn, I think that whatever left that scent probably went into the river and had it washed off."
"You sure," I pressed, "can anyone else smell anything?"
We searched the team for any signs of success, only to see their looks of frustration.
There was movement in the camp. The squatting stallions were getting up and moving to the crate, the other seven started moving too. They were getting ready to leave. Two of them pulled out some rope and began to tie it to some hooks on the crate.
Couldn’t help but wonder how they managed to move that thing all the way here by themselves. That thing was easily more than twice their height and width, not to mention loaded with guns. I mean, I know Earth Ponies are strong, but—
And then two of the ponies in the back disappeared. Just straight up swallowed by the ground. Soon, another two followed, then five. 
The last one got pulled down up to his neck, looking completely bewildered and panicked. Before he could say anything, a paw broke through the surface before him which pulled out the rest of the Diamond Dog's torso. The Dog looked straight at the hapless Guardian and started talking, putting a revolver up to his head. 
Looks like they went with Plan A: bury all but one and interrogate the survivor.
Problem was that the Dog didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. He kept growling, rubbing his eyes and pressing the barrel more forceful into the pony's head.
Then the pony's head just… exploded. 
The back of his skull sprayed its contents all over the ground in a cone of blood and gray matter. The Diamond Dog slowly looked down, letting his grip on the gun slip, and found a large cavity right where his center should have been. He slumped forward and instantly left this world.
We were all immediately on high alert. For the longest time, nobody moved. Nobody dared so much as breathe. 
Based on the shape of the splatter, it was clear that the shot had originated form the other side of the river. 
But from where? 
And was the shooter still looking our way? Was the barrel now locked on our position—on my position—just waiting for a small slip in judgment? The slightest movement could give me away, and then I would join the bodies down below as fertilizer. 
The leaves kept swaying in the light breeze, occasionally obstructing my vision. Even so, I kept my eyes peeled and mobile, but I couldn’t see anything. Nothing stood out or gave the slightest hint of housing a markspony or anything. Looking around, it seemed like no one else was faring much better. 
Huh? Grace?
I could see her and Talon both staring straight ahead at something. And I don’t mean they were sweeping around, I mean that they had their eyes locked on something—or someone—up ahead! Talon even turned to Alpha and made a claw motion. Alpha seemed to nod and had another Diamond Dog start digging quietly.
I looked over at Grace and her stone cold stare, and traced it to a spot in between a couple of bushes.
What the hell is she looking at?
I just kept staring and staring, willing something to appear, to make itself known. Eventually it did.
A scuffle and violent shaking of the bushes followed by a pony crashing into the clearing; behind said pony was the same Dog that Alpha made dig. 
The pony was clad in tropical camouflage armor and without a weapon, it being dragged by the Dog, and laid across its back. The gun was large and slim, a giant scope rested on the mount and a cylinder at the barrel's end. A silencer. How did that shot have so much power with a silencer at the end?  Was it enchanted or cursed?
Hoisting up the rifle, the canine added the pony's own skull contents into the river, dirtying it with streaks of red and floating pink chunks. Satisfied, he tossed the gun aside and came back.
A deafening crack, and the Dog's right arm was now on the ground. A second shot and he had lost the lower half of his left leg. The third put a hole in his throat that turned it into a lopsided fountain, further polluting the river. He hit the ground in time for the area behind him to explode into a wall of gunfire.

> Forest of Death
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Move! Move! Move! Move! Move!
The distance to the nearest tree was no more than thirty yards away, but at this point it may as well have been a freakin' mile! 
Projectiles whizzed and crackled all around me, both friend and foe. I could feel the impact of some of the shots grazing my legs and clipping my wings. No serious pain yet, but blind luck can only carry you so far.
Diving out and grasping with eager hooves, I caught hold of a rather sturdy branch and swung myself up and over. Cerberus was immediately drawn and set to "extra-crispy." 
Taking a moment to gather my bearings, I promptly located Firecracker a few trees over. Braving the firestorm once more, I closed the distance to find here deep in one of her saddlebags. 
Shots cracked and tree bark exploded as an assault showered us from across the river. 
Looking around, the Dogs seemed to be having difficulty zeroing in on the enemy marksponies. 
Those clever bastards, they used the waters to wash off their scents didn’t they?
Chancing a peek from behind the tree, I could still see the fresh corpse lying forgotten down below, poor bastard.
Still, his dismemberment wasn’t caused by conventional firearms. Anything short of, say, a cannon ball would have required some sort of magical kick to it. That, plus the light show and crackling noises, gave a very clear indication of COLT activity from our friends beyond the river. Nothing too surprising, but nothing too comforting either.
The splintering of tree bark forced me to pull back. The shots weren't letting up. For every pause in one's firing, another would start to close the gap. We were pinned.
Trees actually began to groan under the rapid stress of being hit repeatedly by high powered weapons. A couple small ones had even started drooping and crashing.
"Where is it, where is it…?"
Firecracker's mumbling reminded me I wasn’t alone, but what the hell was she—
A burst of joy as she pulled out some weighted gold rods. 
Aw shit, here we go!
"Get ready!" she cried, returning my grin.
Pulling back, Firecracker sent them soaring into the fray. Three found themselves embedded into the ground while their counterparts became suspended overhead in eerie magnetism. Talon and the others had already seen the rods fly and were now waiting on baited breath, eyes shut.
A couple Dogs hadn’t closed their eyes and it fell upon me to tell them to do so.
"Don't look!" I hissed as my thoughts counted down.
Three…
Two…
One…
A tremendous sizzle tore through the sound of blasting as the whole place became illuminated with the brilliance of a small sun. A chorus of screams rose from those that failed to look away in time from the great flash. But as the enemy cried, their shots stopped, and that meant it was our turn to strike!
As suddenly as it began, the sizzling ended only to be replaced by the thunder of our own firepower. 
Turning on a dime, I located my mark, and like the arid grasslands in the middle of summer, lit him up and those around him as well. 
Not all were blinded by our strike. Many still maintained their accuracy and tactics. Casualties arose from both sides. 
Eyes sharp, every movement had to be monitored. To lose a step meant to end up getting—
Pain, sharp and instant. Three pounding hits square in the chest and I found the tree falling from under my hooves. I could hear Firecracker's muffled cries as she shrunk smaller and smaller. The ground made sure to knock out what little wind I had left.
Gripping my vest, I found three twisting tears moist with liquid. Panic was the first thing to set in, but I couldn’t let it stay. Not in a situation like this. Looking down, I saw the points of impact accompanied by an orange glow. Rubbing a hoof over it, I was overcome with relief to find the liquid to be water. Still, that meant that someone had a COLT outfitted with a highly pressurized water crystal. Can't let a guy like that just go unchecked.
Those last shots had torn right through my armor, but luckily not me. 
Another line of defense that I never leave home without: a dampening amulet. Specially made to absorb and disperse what armor can't, it'll defend you from whatever life decides to throw at you. Unfortunately, mine's not specialized, so while it'll intercept most anything, it won't be very effective towards what it's stopping, hence the holes in my vest.
And… yup. There's a crack running through it too. It's not very big, but it's still there. At least with amulets, I don’t have to worry about a small explosion, just a bullet tearing through my spine.
Wonderful.
Dirt kicked up just inches from my face, reminding me of what's going on. Rolling back into the cover of the tree, I took a moment to catch my breath. Cycling from incendiary to shock, I flew to make a new tree my home. 
Some of the previously blinded forces were starting to regain their sight and had taken a more defensive stance, hiding in the bushes and coupling blind-fire and pot-shots rather than an all out assault. 
Doesn’t matter. In the few moments we had we'd managed to reduce their numbers significantly. 
My chest still hurt a little and my first few shots were off, but soon I too was helping to tip the scales even more. 
Still, something felt off. Like a weight was suddenly pressing down around me. It was strange and left me feeling a bit edgy. A gut feeling seemed to pull me up until I finally indulged it and looked.
Thank Celestia I did!
An earth pony wearing black armor in the branches above, knife drawn, not friendly. We stared at each other as time slowed, before she uttered a cry and lunged at me. 
I couldn’t swing my gun around fast enough to shoot, but I was able to use the rest as a shield from her blade. She twisted midair and using her momentum, tore me right off my branch. Once again I was at the mercy of gravity.
We didn’t hit the ground, rather, we landed on another branch just below. Aiming for her leafy green head, I pulled the trigger only to miss as she started ducking and rolling towards me at an alarming pace. Once comfortable, she swung her knife around, staying close to prevent me from getting a clear shot. The air was sliced as she stayed right on me, forcing me to block and evade, never giving up too much ground. But there was still one place she couldn’t follow. Flaring my wings apart, I gave them a good snap and pushed off the branch.
That crazy bastard jumped at me again! The blade missed, but she grabbed hold and made sure that this time I actually hit the ground. 
The impact bounced us apart and wrenched the rifle from my hooves. My attacker promptly rolled over and began scurrying my way once more, knife gleaming. I had to roll away, from her and my rifle. She was a scorpion possessed! I had to really move to avoid getting any extra holes put in me. 
She wasn't a fool. She could see that with every roll I made was an effort to get to my gun, and she purposefully kept me away from it.
Frustration was starting to set in as my own blade came out to parry a stab meant for my eye. She quickly recovered and tried for my throat this time. A block this time, and a well placed buck to the stomach, sent her flying back just enough to right myself and take aim with my hoof cannon. Letting loose a few rounds simply had her employ the same tactics as in the tree.
"Stay still, ya damn hamster!"
I shot. She dodged.
I shot again. She dodged again.
I did start to see a pattern though. Doing some quick thinking, I adjusted my aim and fired. A solid hit as I tore the knife from her hoof.
Damn, I was aiming for her fat head!
Being unarmed didn’t faze her; in fact, she barely slowed down. She still closed the distance and forced me to go back to my edged weapon. Having the upper hoof let me get a few slashes in nut nothing serious. The pony had incredible reflexes even now and used them to either stop or avoid any fatal hits. 
This girl is unreal!
Worse yet, she'd started throwing punches in the fight and many of them were starting to slip through and connect.
Now I was pissed.
I whipped out the second knife I keep tucked under a satchel and started going to town on her. She still managed to avoid the big ones, but she was no longer attacking and kept dancing around. I didn’t let her leave my sight. She was going to slip up, and when she did—
She immediately performed a back roll and popped back up, knife in hoof—the same one I'd shot away.
Now she was on the offensive once more, swinging close and fast. I barely had time to react to her thrusts. It’s a wonder I avoided her on the ground at all!
Parry.
Slash.
Duck.
Slash.
Thrust.
Slash.
Thrust.
Thrust.
Parry.
She was good, but she was slowing down. I even managed to make a direct stab into her left thigh. Not fatal, but still deep, and that was starting to get to her. She limped, and every flex dribbled blood that ran along her olive coat. That soon became my new target.
We kept carving at each other, staining our knives and the foliage around us.
"Drop already, you damned lunatic!"
But she still held on. 
Doesn’t matter. I was still getting to her. Bit by bloody bit she flinched and stumbled until she finally dropped her guard.
It only took a moment.
I buried one blade into her hemorrhaging leg and used the other one to pierce the hoof that held her knife. She cried out as I caught her blade and drove it straight into the side of her head.
Eyes wide, she simply stared at me with a silent scream. Tears began to form as she slowly leaned forward, hoof out, as if to whisper a secret. 
I pulled the knife out of her hoof and joined it with the opposite side of her skull. 
Looking like a macabre deer, I pulled both blades out as both her blood and light left her.
She hadn’t even hit the ground before I saw another armor clad pony charge right at us.
During the fight, I'd managed to maneuver us over to where my rifle had fallen; all it took was a simple dive and roll to reach it. Swinging it around, I let a round fly right through that pony's skull, making the surrounding mane stand on ends. 
Falling forward, this was the first time I properly saw these ponies' backs; and what I saw, I didn’t like. 
A tree.
A twisted, dead, black tree stretching from base to top.
My eyes must've shrunk at the realization.
"Black Forest…"
I immediately took off making my way back to Firecracker, who was lobbing explosives onto the other side. She actually looked relieved to se me.
"Thought you'd died!" she cried out over a boom.
"Not yet," I replied, "but I might soon! Did you know that we're fighting Black Forest right now?"
"Yeah!" Another explosion sent a tree crumbling towards the ground. "I saw it on the back of that one pony you couldn’t shoot!"
"You saw me in trouble and didn't help?" I asked.
"Kinda got my own problems over here!" 
A couple more explosives soared overhead before leaving small craters below.
Driven, tenacious and borderline reckless. Black Forest is infamous for their undying nature. You could reduce them to a single hoof, and they'll still try to hop or drag themselves to you, knife in mouth. I think they enjoy fighting. With their rates so low and them never refusing a job, I can't imagine another reason. Even so, most ponies think twice before employing those feral bands of soldiers. They’ve managed to earn themselves a reputation that's none too flattering as far as things like war crimes go.
"—is cracked!" Firecracker cut in.
"What?"
"I said 'your amulet is cracked!'" she echoed.
"Yeah, I know that already!" I groaned, tucking the loosened amulet back in.
It was already in bad condition, and the earlier skirmish had done it no favors at all. I can't afford to keep taking anymore hits.
"You gonna be okay?"
But before I could answer, a series of flaps pulled our attention away. It was Grace, and she was headed our way. Her forehead was bleeding and she had a couple of cuts and scratches, but other than that she looked fine.
"Grace, what's up?" I called over.
"Black Forest. They're using the firefight as a diver—" she cut short and drew her twin pistols, instantly discharging a couple of acid coated shots to our rear. 
Two Forest troops were instantly hit, though only one fell to the ground. The other one landed on a branch in a kneeled position, head tilted back. Grace had hit his throat and the acid was doing what it did to the point of impact. Flesh liquefied and bone exposed itself to the light breeze as everything was being devoured. I didn’t wait to see final result, opting to look away. 
As I was saying," she continued, "Black Forest is sending soldiers over under the cover of fire to cause as much mayhem on our end as they can. It is possible that they may be running low on troops. It's starting to become a problem, so Talon and Alpha have decided to send troops over there as well. 
"Alpha has already sent over Gamma and a handful of others to start things off. Talon sent Stonewall along with them and has chosen us to support him over there. We'll travel via an underground tunnel dug by Gamma to cross and meet up with Stonewall. Let's go."
And with that, she dropped down below and flew behind some bushes. Firecracker and I exchanged glances before jumping off as well.
We were greeted by a couple of Alpha's guys with a pitch hole between the two.
"The Griffon's already gone in." One of them said. "Mind the drop, had to make it deep enough to go under the river."
With a nod, I threw myself in. a few glow sticks lit up the path to our destination. Grace was already well along near the end of the tunnel. 
Firecracker brought up the rear with a grunt and some mumbling. 
"Why are we crawling around? Wouldn’t it make more sense for us to—I don’t know—fly in from above?"
"Don’t know," I answered, "just got to trust that Talon knows what he's doing."
The tunnel was longer than the previous one and we could actually hear the point where the sound of rushing water became the loudest. Still we had to move on even further, the emerald glow occasionally reminding us of just how trapped we really were. Flying up above didn’t sound too bad at the moment. 
Grace greeted us just short of the tunnel's opening. She held a couple of bombs in her claw.
"Alright," she whispered, "once these go off, we're to eliminate any survivors in the immediate vicinity then move in to flank Black Forest from behind. The point of this is to end the fight as quickly as possible, so try not to get left behind."
A silent nod had Grace move over to the opening, prime the explosives and toss them through. 
Explosions and a few cries drifted into the tunnel, signaling us to advance.
We dove through the hole and popped up, guns ready. Three dead from the blast and one wounded. Grace promptly corrected that with a bullet to the head.
"Do you see anyone behind us?" I asked Grace.
"No." she replied after scanning the trees.
"Sweet, then we've only got to worry about up ahead!" Firecracker chimed.
Advancing ahead towards the gunfire, we did manage to sneak up on a couple of unaware ponies and quickly dispatch of them before moving on. We didn’t get so lucky the second time as a few others noticed us and dove behind some trees for cover. We mirrored them and expected to get hit by some heavy fire. Instead we heard cries and random shots.
We cautiously advanced and found the Black Forest guys already dead with a giant towering over them.
"You're late." he huffed.
"Stonewall!" 
"Shhh! Not so loud!" he scolded Firecracker. "We still gotta deal with those guys up ahead. Gamma and his boys are already setting up a trap. When it goes off, we have to move in fast to pick off anyone left behind.
"That being said, be careful! There's no animal more dangerous than a cornered one, and we're about to seriously corner Black Forest."
"When will we know when they have sprung the trap?" Grace asked.
"Just listen for the boom!"
We all prepared with our weapons at the ready and our hearts pounding. Suddenly a loud explosion cut off the sound of gunfire, and a cloud of smoke arose up ahead.
"That's it!" Stonewall cried. "Go! Go! Go!"
The cloud swallowed us whole. We could make out the shapes of the surviving troops still getting up. One aimed a gun skyward and fired off a series of flares before turning the gun on us.
Avoiding the fireballs, I took quick aim and brought him down hard. 
A couple others were charging through the dust with blades ready. Grace responded in kind by pulling out her own.
The spectacle was something to see! Grace moved with fluidity that I've never seen copied and used her steel talons as an extension of herself that flowed so seamlessly, it was as beautiful as it was terrifying.
A few more soldiers had pegged me and were trying to get a hit in. I immediately took off flying circles over them, raining lightning from above. They jerked around to avoid being hit and even got me a few times, but I finally drilled my bullets through the crowns of their skulls. 
I could see Stonewall and Firecracker back to back and kicking ass, so I helped a few Dogs that had emerged clear up the stragglers that remained.
I felt a weight around my leg and a sharp jolt of pain as I saw a pony had leapt out and reached me, stabbing me in the leg with a knife. It hadn’t gone in deep, but it still hurt! 
I corkscrewed to shake them off then promptly shot them thrice as they fell to the ground.
The dust started to clear out as Grace and Firecracker used their wings to blow everything away. An earsplitting blast from Stonewall's gun was the last shot to ring out as the field became clear once more. 
We were injured. We were bloody and needed to be patched up, but we were alive. More than I could say for Black Forest. We did it! We faced off against crazy and won! I really felt like cheering but decided to save it for later. 
"Looks like that was the last one," Firecracker announced, "I don’t see any others, alive anyway!"
"I don't smell any either." Gamma added as he crawled out of a bloody hole.
"Aww yeah!" cried Firecracker as she slung her weapon unto her side. "Mission accomplished!"
"Not yet," Grace interrupted, "we still have the weapons crate to deliver."
"Oh, yeah… Not it!" 
And with that, she took off in a cherry red streak.
Grace immediately followed without a single utterance.
"Looks like it's you and me, Comet." Stonewall elbowed.
"Joy…"

> Manual labor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

		"Ngh!"
		That hurt!
		Gritting my teeth and pressing on, I applied the bandage roll to two more places before tucking it back into my saddle bag. It wasn't until the fighting had ended and we all had a moment to breath that we really took a moment to survey the damage. We'd all come out a little worse for wear but not too bad, considering who we were pitted up against. We still had both ammo and charge in our crystals. Both Talon and Alpha had made it out okay, not to mention we finally had the crate under our control. But not everything was good news.
The struggle had been bloody for both sides. We had clearly outnumbered the agents of Black Forest, but they took their fair share with them. The body count on the Dogs of War had been left at about thirteen, half their numbers, and a few of the bodies had been left unrecognizable. Only their dog tags hinted towards their identities. Those still breathing suffered injuries ranging from splinters to broken bones.
We in Talon Company held no casualties, however we were seriously injured. Stonewall lost three fingers, Sunburst suffered a broken leg and cracked ribs, and Firecracker had a dislocated wing. I found about three large cuts—two on my sides and one on my leg—that were nonfatal but still deep, among other lesser cuts. I ended up using enough coagulant to stop a severed limb in order to keep from hemorrhaging. Seems Talon, Moon Runner and Grace got the luck of the draw, as they suffered no serious injuries. 
It took almost half an hour for everyone to get back into the swing of things. I'm surprised it didn’t take longer.
"Okay," began Alpha, "now that we've licked our wounds and buried the dead, we need to move this, she jammed a thumb towards the crate behind her, "any ideas?"
"What about the Griffons?" one Dog called out. "They're mostly uninjured; can't they fly the thing back with ropes around them?" 
took a moment to roll her eyes and sigh. Being a Hippogriff, it was easy to mistake her for the much more common Griffon. Still, all it took was one look behind her to see what she really was.
Too bad no one ever did.
"That wouldn’t be very effective." Talon responded. "The crate is very large and heavy. Even if we used our other two fliers, we would be constantly stopping every dozen meters or so just to catch our breath."
"What about the Iron Feather?" Moon Runner inquired. "Can't we use it as transport?"
"That won't work either, at least not now. I've been trying to raise Source Code while everyone recovered, but I can't get a clear message out or back. My guess is that we're still too deep in the jungle and would need to move further out before we got anything close to a clear communication."
Firecracker was busy twisting her head around before beaming a smile and dashing off into the trees.
"What about the Minotaur?" Gamma asked. "He looks strong, stronger than all of you. And if I'm not mistaken," he pointed to Stonewall's neck, "that's an amulet that amplifies raw strength, right? That should make the whole trek a lot easier!"
"Nope, sorry, no can do." Stonewall replied with a shake of his head.
"You're bullshittin' me, right?" Gamma shot back. "Your arms are the size of logs and you're built like a mountain! You really gonna let your laziness get in the way of your job?"
Stonewall expression never changed.
"First of all," he started, "I'm not lazy, I'm thinking rationally. That box is big enough that we could stuff you and five of your fattest friends inside and you'd still be able to squirm around. Now realize that this box is packed with metal that weighs more than you—more than me! 
"Second, even if I could lift it, I would not be able to make the journey back without collapsing from exhaustion not even a mile in. And if that still isn’t enough for you to understand—"
Stonewall promptly raised his left hand where only his thumb and index finger stood tall among blood soaked bandages.
Needless to say, Gamma was not amused.
"Hey guys!"
We all turned to see Firecracker coming out of the trees dragging two logs across the ground.
"Why don’t we use these?" she asked.
She moved in front of the crate, logs in tow, and placed them adjacent to the box and parallel to each other.
"We can use them like treads for the box and just pull it along towards somewhere where we can get word out to Source Code to come lend a hoof!"
"Yeah, but one problem," noted Gamma, "the box will fall off once it reaches the end of the logs."
"So we cycle the logs back forward." She answered in a way that made it seem like it was the most obvious answer. 
"But we only have two logs!" 
"No we don’t. There's, like, five more just beyond those trees." she pointed. "And they'd all work too, I checked!"
"That’s actually very clever." Alpha acknowledged. "We could use the ropes to pull the crate along and cycle the logs to keep everything moving, and since the majority of the weight will be dispersed over the logs, we won't have to worry that much about fatigue."
She immediately waved over a couple of her soldiers and gave them the order to follow Firecracker to the remaining logs. Talon had Moon Runner and me follow as well.

~~~

The trek was a little rough at first, trying to work out the timing of the changes, rhythm and angle of the logs, but soon enough we had it under control. Despite Talon originally wanting me and Stonewall to pull, we rotated as we pulled the crate along, allowing for distribution of the workload so as to avoid fatigue as best we could.
This time, I was helping out for a second time along with Grace by pulling from the air while a couple of Dogs pulled from below. The ropes were a little snug and rubbed against my cuts but it was actually a lot better than I expected.
Time tread along with us as the glow of the day gradually dimmed, and with the fading light, the jungle seemed to become more and more restless. Strange new sounds hooting and howling from the trees and exotic eyes glowing with curiosity from behind canopies and shrubbery, it was enough to make anyone uneasy.
The moment was interrupted by distant booms and rumbling, reminding us that while we worked to deliver a single box, a war was still being fought just beyond.
Firecracker let out an impressed whistle.
“Well that’s one city that won’t be standing around for much longer!”
“To think that we could hear it so clearly from all the way over here; just what the hell are they doing to each other?” Moon Runner mumbled.
“Crazy isn’t it?”
A few of us turned to look at Gamma.
“They’ve been killin’ each other for about twenty years now with no sign of slowing down. You’d think that those two peace-lovin’ princesses would’ve stepped in at some point to try to do somethin’ about it! I mean, who’s gonna argue with not just one, but TWO Alicorns? They could have this all wrapped up in no time at all! 
“Instead they sit back from the comfort of their cushy castle and let others try and figure this whole mess out!" he chuckled to himself. "But I guess its no surprise. I mean, they’ve got no authority here, and no business savin' anyone that’s not a pony. Still they could at least pretend to do somethin'. Loan the Elements of Harmony, hold a press conference, or send some sort of condolence letter—damn—somethin'!"
Grace and I just continued to pull along, not paying him any mind. Its true that the princesses haven’t had any impact on the state of affairs here, but I didn’t think that meant that they were just sitting idly by on the sidelines either. They don’t seem the type. I'm sure they’ve tried plenty of times to lend aid here and other places too where there's trouble.
But I guess when you find yourself with a lot of power like they do; you're bound to find just as many others who'll hate you for it.
"Hell, I heard that even the prince of New Eden is actually gettin' off his ass and tryin' to get them all to stop fightin'," Gamma continued, "and that guy is like a freakin' hermit!"
"Would you mind doing everyone here a favor and shutting up?" Grace calmly asked, voice laced with icy venom.
"I'm sorry." Gamma half chuckled, "I don’t think I heard you right. Mind runnin' that one by me again?"
His paw slowly slid its way down to his weapon, clearly trying to intimidate her.
"All you've done since we've met you is nothing but complain." Grace continued unfazed. "If you’ve got the energy to be running your mouth off like that, than put it to better use by helping with this crate."
"You got some real nerve, thinkin' you can tell me what to do! You think you're better than me?"
"I don’t think," she stated as she pulled out a shimmering blade, "I know."
With a quick flick, she released the piece of shrapnel off into the trees. A few branches fell before it buried itself into a trunk with an audible thud. A quick screech soon followed as an overgrown tiger skirted out of the bushes nearby and came wildly dashing at us.
Gamma pulled out a sonic pistol and fired a few rounds into the tiger's path, uprooting shrubs and kicking up a lot of dirt. That seemed to be enough to deter the would-be predator as it skittered off into the thicket.
An echo of growls and chittering called back from the trees as undergrowth was trampled and squeals were cut short. The trees themselves actually seemed to be moving along with the cacophony that accompanied it.
Everyone stopped for a minute as we began to grasp our new situation. The jungle was calling out, and it was hungry. Although we had started with a full day in stock, that time was quickly fading and giving way to a night filled with restless predators. 
"Given the current circumstances," Gamma began, moving his rifle into a 'ready' position, "how about we save the dick measurin' contest for later?" he smirked to Grace.
Grace herself was also prepping herself by drawing her twin pistols.
"Agreed."
Needless to say, I was on edge. For the first time since coming here, I actually felt the weight of dozens of eyes staring at me, sizing me up for sinister purposes. I could hear the ragged breathing of the starved and the chorus of snarls from those getting excited just by seeing my wings flap or my head swivel.
It finally dawned upon me just how large this place was and how small we were. 
	Like ants exploring a living room carpet.
	Still we pressed on, hopeful that we would soon manage to transmit a clear signal to the Feather for pick up.
If the daytime was filled with constant peril, just what the hell did the night have in store?