//------------------------------//
// Next Stop 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Silence swept around the generator room like a wraith, aided by Valey's light panting and several coughs and false starts from the other three. Neon Nova was out like a light, sprawled on the floor at a strange angle with his suit covered in so many scuffs and tears it barely even counted as fabric. His shades were gone, his horn sparked occasionally, and his tongue hung out, tasting the metal floor.

"Well..." Redshift finally managed, tone firm. "He deserved that."

Valey stretched happily, flexing her well-used forelegs. "Not as much as I did!"

"So what are we going to do now?" Maple asked, stepping forward in concern. "He might need medical treatment, and I doubt we'll find any of that here. And this doesn't change that it's his word against ours. If he has injuries from you, that'll just help his case!"

"Hey, I was gentle!" Valey protested. A second passed, and then another, before she finally relented to the host of incredulous stares thrown her way. "...Sorta. Gentler than I could have been. He's still alive, probably didn't break anything, and will only feel like a meatbag for a month or two, tops. Seriously!" She shrugged, then glanced down at his prone form. "As for what we'll do... that's the thing with good-PR types. They know they can take you to the shed if everyone talks, so the best thing to do is shut them up and then keep your own mouth closed."

Maple frowned. "You don't mean...?"

"Kill him?" Valey straightened her hat. "Nah. I want him to wake up so he can remember that awesome thrashing I gave him. But arresting him and taking him back to the Stone District is totally possible."

"We just were there," Starlight pointed out. "That would be going backwards."

"Eh, I'd figure something out." Valey nudged Neon's shallowly-breathing carcass, then got bored and wandered closer to the other three. "Anyway, the problem's gone. Once he's gone too, ponies will probably just forget about him and find something else to talk about. A place like this probably generates a lot of good gossip, huh?" She shot Redshift a glance.

The filly remained silent, and Valey's eyes narrowed. "So. You. What do you think of all this?"

Redshift's brow softened, and she looked through Valey, a slight tremble to her voice. "I don't know," she said, slightly close to a whisper. "I looked up to him, and he just admitted all that... right here..." She swallowed, eyes getting part of their spark back. "And you. What's with you, anyway? Every pony who's ever met you has nothing but bad things to say, and you have stupid shadow magic that messes with my eyes. So why did you help us?"

"Why did I help you...?" Valey stretched again. "You mean, why did I break in here, turn the lights on, trash that bozo, and also constantly put up with you being a rude little twit who's well on your way to becoming just like me?"

"I..." Redshift trailed off, torn between agreeing and protesting.

"I know what you mean, though," Valey interrupted, answering for her. "And it's just a perk of being on your own side. You can decide who to fight for, what to fight for, when to fight for it, and never need to worry about silly things like codes or laws in your way." She licked a hoof, and used it to straighten the fur on her leafy ears. "Granted, I did have stuff to gain by doing that. Blueleaf is right next to the Stone District, so if it becomes a haven for clowns like him who make everyone hate us, that quickly becomes my problem. I finally got to beat someone up, too. Aaand I felt like it." She winked at Maple and Starlight. "Maybe goodie-goodie Ironflanks is rubbing off on me. Hah!"

Redshift narrowed her eyes. "So whose side are you on now?"

"Didn't you listen?" Valey chuckled softly. "My own! But don't worry, I'm not about to stab you in the back and blow up this generator, or something. Honestly, we've got a lot of ground to cover today still, and if I go looking for any more trouble that'll just slow us down. Besides, I got my exercise. I'm good for a day or two after that show, at least."

"You're right," Maple added, wearily examining her own forelegs. "I'm still not feeling so well, but there probably isn't anywhere here it would be safe for us to rest, especially if you wanted to leave us behind while you take him to the Defense Force. You can fly him, right?"

"Oh, sure, sure." Valey strolled away from them, pumping a hoof experimentally. "Actually though, now that you mention it, wanna know the safest place in the whole Earth District I could leave you if I wanted?" She turned back and winked. "Right here. No one but me can get in, you can always open the door from the inside if something happens and I can't get back... which won't happen, but just in case. It's pretty much perfect!"

Starlight grumbled, lowering her head. "It's also full of hard metal floors. Resting here wouldn't be very restful."

"Well..." Redshift broke in, hesitant. "If you're really serious about helping us..." She stared Valey in the eyes, daring her that if she was going to turn her cloak, to do so then. "I could take them."

"Buh?" Valey tilted her head.

"My family is well-off," Redshift explained. "Mayor, remember? They're in the safest part of town, have a big house, and are used to me bringing back ponies for a day who look like they need it. And you..." She wrinkled her nose at Maple and Starlight. "You don't smell like it yet, but you look like it. So if you promise to make sure he never comes here again, they can come with me for a while."

"...Huh." Valey blinked. "That's actually pretty generous of you, kid. How do I know you'll keep your word, and not just leave them in a ditch somewhere?"

"How do I know you won't just let him go, or even try to hire him?" Redshift countered. "In fact, how do I know he wasn't working for you in the first place, trying to make this city a worse place?"

Valey stuck her tongue out. "Well, then, I guess we'll just have to trust each other, won't we?"

Redshift stared.

"I trust her, if it helps," Maple offered. "Both of you, that is. Go take Neon to prison, and we'll stay with Redshift until you're back. It'll be better than pushing on without rest, for sure..."

"Tsk, tsk..." Valey shook her head. "Remember what I always say about trusting bats. Still, if you're fine with this, I guess we better get going?" She shrugged, turning to hoist Neon's body.

"What about this?" Starlight's voice cut in from across the room.

"Huh?" Everyone turned to look at her. She was standing by the fallen stallion's trench coat, discarded where Valey had left it when she tore it from him mid-fight. Thick, black and sized for his long legs, it looked huge next to her, like a sleeping animal slumped on the ground.

"It has a lot of things in it," Starlight explained. "It could be useful. Should we take it?"

"Hmmm..." Maple wandered over, carefully inspecting it with Valey by her side. "It looks pretty big, but I think I have room to carry it. I'm running light, too, after dropping that ingot on Selma, but I'm tired enough that I don't know if I want to take more on..."

Valey shot her a strange look, and she shrugged. "I guess I'll take it," Maple decided. "It's only a few flights of stairs and then however much longer to your house." She nodded at Redshift, then extended a hoof, wrapping the garment toward her. It vanished against her dusty-tan coat, and she leaned forward slightly, exhaling hard. "Okay, I'm full. Now let's hurry up!"

"You realize you have no idea where that thing has been, right...?" Valey muttered uncertainly, before shrugging and moving on. "Whatever. It's your... space-pocket thing. Suit yourself!"

With a brief grunt, she hefted Neon's body, slinging him unceremoniously over her back. "All right!" she crowed, starting up the staircase to the exit. "Time to get this nutcase back to base before he wakes up! Oh boy, Selma's gonna be jealous at this find..."