Britannia
Province of Germany
Isenstadt
Castle Wolfenstien
High-security testing labs
9:13 AM
Chrysalis groaned as she began to wake; everything felt wrong. As she started to open her eyes, she was immediately blinded... by her right eye. All was as she knew it was in her left eye; the auras of emotion and consciousness traveled around her. Hesitantly she opened her right eye again; a painful headache returned as she saw things her mind had never been meant to see. The insectoid mare couldn't help but look around the labs as if it was the first time again, seeing it in a new way. Grey walls lined with posters displaying the great emperor towering above the foreign menace, the navy battling krakens, and heroic soldiers slaying dragons surrounded her.
The floor was the familiar smooth stone, but the mare was able to appreciate the varied colors that covered it, along with the various toys given to her and Flurry to improve their motor skills. Her left eye began to roll around in its socket, searching for her little sister, panic slowly setting in as she struggled to find her in the small room. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the familiar aura under the covers curled against her side. Sighing in relief, she moved the covers, seeing a light magenta coat beginning to show. A smile had nearly formed on her lips before she saw what waited underneath; an ear-splitting shriek filled the room as she tumbled out of bed.
"Ah wonderful mien little Schatz, your awake! I have just finished your little sister's checkup." The doctor's unnervingly cheery voice reached her ears.
Chrysalis shakenly worked herself up, her unfamiliar limbs shaking underneath her as she peeked over the side of the bed. Totenkopf waited at the door with his crooked smile, his eyes gazing over her like a new research specimen. "W-where s-sister?" She struggled to speak as her senses were overwhelmed with unfamiliar stimuli, making her fall back to the ground.
"Oh, she's right here~" He hummed gently, moving out of the way. The clack of metal against stone was heard echoing through the halls. Eventually, looking from under the bed, she saw a dark prosthesis cross the door, her prosthesis, and another long magenta leg. "Fascinating, isn't it? After decades of studying the Source, it still surpasses my expectations."
Chrysalis struggled to drag herself around the bed, floundering with her alien limbs. Leaning against the bed, she worked her new hooves under her; she looked back to the door once she was stable. "F-flurry?"
A much older filly smiled back at her, seeming to have better luck with her mismatched limbs. Dressed in a fresh-pressed grey military youth uniform, with a modest dark grey skirt. "Big sister!" She rushed over, wrapping her into a crushing hug, threatening to crack her carapace. "I was so scared when you didn't wake up with me!"
The former queen was struck dumb while the doctor just watched from the door, an amused smirk on his muzzle.
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Zebrica
New Timbuktu
Zigarat Construction Site
11:32
Blueblood stared at the massive building, watching the powerful cranes belch smoke into the air as they slowly swung steel beams into place. It could already rival the Crystal Castle in scale alone, but it was far from finished. Concrete was poured deep into the earth only a few months ago, forming a massive foundation. They had made remarkable progress since then; it was almost like watching ants as countless workers moved about its metal skeleton. The sounds of rivets being hammered reached him even though he was several blocks away from the actual construction.
"Marvelous, isn't it?" The voice of Fancy Pants broke him from his trance.
"Hmmm?" Blueblood looked back at his compatriot as he stirred his tea.
"Their method of mechanized construction." Fancy followed, seeing his confusion. "If we can bring that to Equestria, I can't imagine what we could accomplish."
"Your not wrong..." Blueblood stared back at the site.
"Something wrong?" Fancy raised an eyebrow curiously.
"You and I both know something smells about the Ziggurat." He gave the older stallion a deadpan expression.
Fancy blinked before chuckling. "And what makes you say that, dear colt?"
Blueblood snorted. "Supposedly, it's to promote friendship between the two nations."
"Monuments to signify alliances are nothing new." Fancy tilted his head to the side coyly.
"Yes, but they tend to have at least some of the host population involved in its construction." He responded.
"Well, the host population is still modernizing; many scarcely knew how to read, let alone work some of that equipment." Fancy hummed gently.
"You're saying they couldn't even work a shovel? There's plenty of low-skill jobs at that site, but not a single zebra..." Blueblood said after thinking. "Most of the workers are also strange; the way they act reminds me of the military, despite their civilian clothes."
"Exactly..." Fancy spoke, finally agreeing. "But to what end?"
Blueblood tapped his hoof on the table in deep thought. "It's not in a strategic location for a secret military base... a listening post wouldn't be practical with all the local interference..."
"That's the million-bit question... it doesn't add up, but we don't have the information to speculate... it might as well be a black box to us." Fancy sipped his cup.
"We can't afford to leave it that way... not with the troubles up north..." Blueblood ran his hoof over his face attempting to repress the wince.
"I'm not, but these things take time," Fancy smirked, seeing his protege's confusion.
"How? The site is heavily guarded; even the local hooligans avoid causing trouble around it." Blueblood looked curious.
"Turns out the more things change, the more they stay the same." Fancy chuckled. "You can hear quite a lot at taverns and brothels, my dear colt; care for another scone?" He offered a plate of still-warm pastry with decorative butter lining the edge.
The white stallion grabbed one for himself, raising an eyebrow just wondering what his mentor was up to.
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Equestria
Canterlot
Castle
Royal Dining Hall
11:15 AM
Celestia stared at the crepe on her plate; the mixture of fresh fruit and milk chocolate made it look as decorative as it was delicious. But lately, her appetite had been soured; while the situation wasn't dire, the missed payments and lack of trade was starting to be felt by even the wealthiest families. The local economy was starting to get depressed as shops began to raise prices attempting to match the now limited supplies. Her days were primarily made up of constant complaints about the lack of action while she tried to handle the various crises caused by the ongoing rebellion.
Forcing herself to bite into the sweet snack, she levitated some documents close to her face. Her eyes darted over the highlights, occasionally signing her name or using a rubber stamp, trying to make a dent in the monstrous workload thrust on her. However, she would eventually pause seeing an update from the Royal Gaurd Captain. Breaking the wax seal, she pulled out the reports, tilting her head curiously.
"Copper Plates proposal for a domestically designed light armor vehicle seems promising... it's far from our neighbor's equipment but could be useful for local peacekeeping..." The elder princess mumbled as she looked at the photos of the prototype. "The MAIS could prove useful for protecting our stallions from gunfire..." As she continued to look over the various design proposals for the strange machine, her ears twitched, hearing the familiar sound of her protege clearing her throat.
"Princess, we need to talk." Twilight slowly trotted to a nearby chair, almost seeming to collapse into it, her eyes having deep rings from lack of sleep.
She sighed but nodded her head, continuing to look over the various papers. "Go ahead..."
"We need to discuss what we will do about our ponies trapped up north; many of the nobles are concerned about their relatives... and their investments." She levitated a state danish to her lips, biting into the flaky pastry with little care for decorum. "I've tried talking with General Stone Wall, but he won't give me straight answers; we can't leave them held hostage by a hostile power."
Celestia seemed to pause to think for a moment before shaking her head. "I suppose it's a moot point; our ponies aren't being held hostage in the Empire." She looked rather solemn.
"Have you managed to negotiate the release of the survivors?"
"No, I haven't..." Celesta downed her cup of tea like hard liquor.
Twilight began to pick up what she was saying, her eyes widening. "They couldn't have..."
"You can't hold the dead hostage... Shinings reports made it clear that any Equestrian outside of the Crystal Castles walls was slaughtered with their bodies dumped outside the barrier for the Blizzard Wolves to scavenge. There's no one to negotiate for or retrieve..." She ran her hoove over her muzzle, attempting to suppress the urge to wince.
The purple mare took a moment to digest this news before swallowing. "What's our response?"
"At the moment, the Crystal Empire is cut off to us; without the railway, the harsh weather makes the journey untenable." Celestia began to pour herself another cup of tea. "I've said it before; we have to consolidate what we have before we can focus on getting anything back."
"You can't keep the nobility in the dark forever; they will find out eventually," Twilight said tiredly as she buttered another scone for herself. "Never mind the rest of the populous... they will demand blood; many ponies donated and invested heavily in Equestrianizing the Empire."
"I know; my hope is to keep it under wraps until the Nobilitiy's hold on the economy finally collapses; I can then use the existing resentment t-" She was interrupted by her protege.
"To turn the peasants against them, consolidating your power, and leaving you in a stronger position to take back the rest of the country." Twilight sounded disgusted, dropping her scone back to her plate.
"This is what it takes to rule Twilight; no princess's hooves remain unstained." Celestia gave her an even look. "We rise, or we fall."
"While standing on a pile of corpses?" The young mare raised an eyebrow.
"Revolution is at our doorstep; we can hijack it and save the diarchy, or we lose everything," Celestia said, exhaling. "Unless you're looking to abdicate too?" Her eyes focused on the more diminutive princess.
"A-abdicate? Who!?" It was unthinkable to her.
"Luna..." Celestia's magic seemed to pulse around her cup as her frown twitched.
"What are you talking about?... the fire-"
"There wasn't a body, and it takes far more to kill an alicorn than just a little kindling..." She snorted. "It took minimal digging to find her personal accounts had been drained."
"But where would she..." It finally dawned on Twilight, the only place should go. "Zebrica..."
"Indeed, she has abandoned us." Celestia's cup cracked in her grasp.
"You're not going to go after her?" Twilight looked hesitant about her mentor's behavior.
"No, Luna has made her choice." Her deep frown twitched again. "I'm not about to drag her home like some teenage runaway."
Twilight bit her lip, unsure what to say. "I could cast some nets when I return to the embassy; I might be able to track her down?"
"Do what you wish; I have work to do." The elder princess stepped away from the table.
Twilight watched her leave before sinking into her chair, shuttering as she attempted to recover from the heavy aura that left the room. Opening her eyes, she stared at the flaky scone on the plate. At any other time, it would look mouth-watering, but her appetite was soured. Pushing the plate away, she poured herself some herbal tea in an attempt to settle her stomach.
Bringing it to her lips, she took a dainty sip before gagging, spitting out the noxious concoction. After pulling the lid off the pot, she looked at the leaves floating inside. "Rotten..."
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Equestria
Ponyville
Rich Estate
Dining Room
1:13 PM
Big Mac twitched in his Sunday clothes as he sat at the table surrounded by drug dealers, a pusher, and a con-stallion, all while numerous representatives from towns over, many of his own kin, argued. They had been talking for hours, with countless crumpled papers piling up on the floor as they attempted to build a nation. It seemed the most challenging part for all the bullets, and dead was agreeing on what to put down onto paper. Braeburn and the eastern ponies wanted a confederacy of independent settlements, reflecting their frontier backgrounds. In contrast, the Oranges and urban folk wanted a more centralized authority to respond better to their neighbor's aggression.
Before another round of yelling could commence, the red stallion finally cleared his throat and spoke, his deep voice piercing through the rabble. "Perhaps we should take a brief recess; with tempers so high, I doubt we will accomplish much at the moment."
The group of ponies seemed to exchange glances with each other before Filthy finally broke the silence. "Wisdom speaks... please everyone retire to the gardens; my maids should have finished setting up hor devours." He struggled from his seat, rubbing his neck.
Big Mac watched the crowd of ponies begin to slowly mill out of the room, many of his kin muttering to themselves or sneaking glares at opposing family. He waited until nearly everyone had left before working himself to his hooves, only to hear Filthy clear his throat, motioning him closer. Looking around to ensure he was being referred to, he slowly trotted closer, pulling out the seat immediately next to the wealthy stallion before sitting back down.
Filthy leaned back before snorting. "This isn't going as well as I hoped...."
"The Oranges and Braeburns kin..." It wasn't a question as much as a statement.
"I thought the Apples were more united..." Filthy pulled out his ordinate flask taking a slug.
"You ain't got family feuds? No family lacks disagreements." Big Mac shook his head.
"Yes, but their hostility is causing problems; you need to deal with it." Filthy slipped the flask back into his pocket and stared deep into the larger stallion's eyes.
Big Mac blinked, almost tempted to argue, but knew outsiders getting mixed up in his family's issues would only cause more problems. "I'll see what I can do... Them being uncivil isn't acceptable." He mumbled, slowly stepping up from his seat and heading out to the gardens.
Upon exiting, he could already see various herds having formed; it was no secret factions were on edge. Taxes were the most significant issue; initially, Filthy had assumed a simple flat sales tax would be popular. However, that was from a merchant's view; the reality, most of their nation's economy was still agricultural, with the various crops having different margins. Thus many wanted different tax rates to protect themselves; some even wanted subsides as their farms had been hit hard by collapsing prices and high taxes. Still, that was beyond his abilities; glancing back over the garden, he spotted his frontier cousin.
"Cousin?" He spoke up, seeing the light gold-coated pony.
Braeburn looked up from his mug of cider. "Ey, Cuz." He swallowed the frothy drink before wiping his muzzle.
"Ay need to talk about you and the Oranges." Big Mac inhaled, knowing it was a bitter issue.
"I don't know what there's to talk about." His usual friendly demeanor soured.
"I know ya both got your disagreements, but this is more important; ya'll need to make peace." He kept his voice even, trying to avoid upsetting him further.
"Make peace with thieves and thugs? You better leave the jokes to Wax; he's always been the family comedian..." He grumbled.
"I know you and them have rotten history; it's fine to have differing opinions, but you're making things harder for everypony." He frowned.
"Ah, don't know why you invited them; they are just like the Canterlot folk, except they ain't afraid to get their hooves dirty to get their way." He glared at the well-dressed couple who just attempted to ignore him.
"They are family Braeburn..." Big Mac sighed.
"Naw, they ain't family; they only care about the Family." He glanced back at his larger cousin.
The red stallion nodded his head, no pony ever asked where their money came from, but plenty had theories. "Be it as it may, I need ya to bury the hatchet, at least long enough for us to get the constitution signed..."
"Get them to give back my family's blood, sweat, and tears, and I might consider it...." He snorted, trotting away. "But I didn't fight just to hand everything over to another group of crooks Cuz."
Big Mac only grumbled as he struggled to collect himself before making his way over to the Oranges. He barely crossed half the distance before the hulking form of Troubleshoes blocked him. The brown Clydesdale-like pony loomed over him, his suit creaking against his frame. "Nuh Uh..."
"Now Now, Troubleshoes Big Mac is family." Uncle Orange waved him off, the brown stallion nodding his head slowly, shuffling out of his way.
Big Mac slowly trotted up to the couple. "Uncle, Aunt?" He nodded his head to them, keeping a respectable distance.
"Big Mac, you've grown so much since last we saw you!" Aunt Orange closed the gap cupping his cheeks in her hooves. "You certainly inherited his frame; I hope you're eating well!"
"Yes, Auntie..." The grown stallion squirmed in her clutches while his Uncle stifled his laughter.
"Ohhh, you really should let me take you to the salon; just look at this mane! Does Granny Smith use sheep sheers on it? So many split ends!" She began parting his mane.
"Ah actually came over ta talk with ya both... about Braeburn." Aunt Orange froze hearing that.
"Dear, would you go get us some punch?" Uncle Orange asked his wife sweetly.
"I-I... Yes, dear..." She pulled away from Big Mac and scampered away, retreating from the conversation.
"He wants the... The loan he gave us back, I take it?"
"I dunno if I would call running off in the night with his parent's life savings a loan uncle..." Big Mac's frown twitched.
"I'd hardly call a mattress a safe either; better money taken by family than by some bandito..." He pulled out his checkbook.
"You could have asked..." Big Mac watched him pull out the ordinate book.
"Better to ask forgiveness than permission; I won't apologize for taking the actions necessary to rebuild my family." He signed the check. "I am sorry it hurt him, but that's in the past; this doesn't mean I'm backing down from my position, however. We need a more uniform government; a butch of self-governing settlements sounds excellent on paper but means little if we can't coordinate against invasion." He hooved over the fresh check to the red stallion.
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Zebrica
New Prosost Prison
The Pitt
4:36 PM
Gábriel spotted the Rainbow maned mare as she lifted the bar, a faint smirk on his beak looking her over. A far cry from the hoity pony that had been dumped into the cavern just over a year ago. Plump blue limbs from a life of excess replaced by rope-like muscle, numerous scars lining her forelegs from constant scuffles. They were becoming badges of honor, showing her resilience in such an inhospitable place.
"Heh, hard to believe at one point you could barely lift the bar pony...." He chuckled, looking at her red-tinted face as she exhaled, allowing the bar to come back down to her barrel.
"Y-Ya, ya... I know...." She inhaled deeply, pushing the bar back up, allowing the Gryphon to lock it back into place. "I-I... hold on..." She took a moment to catch her breath.
"Just saying, it's hard to tell you were ever an Equestrian..." He ruffled his wings before helping her sit up. "Your eyes are a lot like mine now..." He stared at her.
"Huh?" She finally managed to steady her breathing.
"Since your first kill... your first personal kill, the innocence is gone..." He sighed, pulling out a box of cigarettes and slipping one into his beak before using the lighter.
"You say it like it's a good thing..." The mare mumbled, leaning in as he handed her his lit cigarette. "Don't waste these... dunno when we get another bonus for good behavior...." She inhaled the noxious smoke.
"A bonus is no good if you don't enjoy it, pony..." He hummed, watching her. "And... I wouldn't say good... necessary maybe..." He started off in the distance.
"Necessary?" She opened her mouth, letting the smoke waft out as he pulled the tobacco back, taking another puff for himself.
"... It was a right of passage for me growing up, pony... Be thankful it wasn't someone you knew well..." He mumbled, looking tired.
Rainbow didn't know what to say but knew better than to push further—instead choosing to lean against his side—allowing his large wing to wrap around her back as they sat in silence.
"That Shamen did good work on you pony..." He glanced down at her hindlegs, seeing faint stripes covering them. "I trust you'll use their gifts better than their previous owner?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" She flicked her tail, making the gryphon stare at her emotionless before they were reduced to laughter.
"Don't tempt me, pony, unless you're serious." He snorted, tossing the used-up tobacco away before standing up from the bench. "Come, they will be lowering the platform soon; we best get ready unless we want to go hungry this week." He began padding out of the improvised gym while the hardened mare watched him go, a faint smile on her face.
"Who's joking?" She mumbled to herself, following after him.
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Saddle Arabia
Riyadh Outskirts
FOB
7:53 PM
They were behind schedule, but the mortars and aircraft were finally ready; Shujaa had been flown out to oversee the final operation. His servant Poppy Seed was nearby as he took a seat before a Microphone. Sniffing as he looked to the communications officer waiting for the signal, wincing as various speakers were activated, making a painful whine. Once the feedback had ended, he reached out his hoof and pressed the button before he spoke.
"Sultan we have your city surrounded, we have captured or raised every settlement between here and the River, I will ask one last time. Will you surrender or shall we erase the city of your forefathers off the map? As I speak, our weapons are taking aim, mortars stand at ready to shatter your monuments, machine guns are aimed at every gate, and our planes fly hunting for caravans. Are you so prideful as to let your ponies and family die just for a bit of ego? Take exile; the Equestrians have agreed to take your children with open hooves." He let go of the button, waiting; seeing no response, he nodded to the radio operator to give the signal.
The zebra soldier had just begun inhaling to give the order, only for a scout to scream. "We have movement at the gate!" The sounds of countless hooves squeezing their guns could be heard as they prepared for a suicide charge.
There were sorely disappointed as a group of well-dressed Arabians began to slowly trot out, protected by what only could be assumed as an honor guard. But the most shocking to the general? Tied up and being dragged along was the Sultan himself; Shujaa was dumbfounded. He motioned for his soldiers to investigate; a small platoon cautiously approached the group.
Everypony held their breath, expecting the worst as they closed the distance. The young stallions and mares didn't fight as they were forced to the ground by the zebra, though the guards seemed more hesitant. No doubt fighting their own instincts to fight back as they kneeled into the sand. It felt like ages passed before they completed their check; eventually, one Arabian stallion was led away from the group along with the bound Sultan.
Shujaa motioned for Poppy to go prepare some tea; standing, he made his way to his personal tent. Thankfully his table was still set, sitting down at the head; he waited in silence; Poppy thankfully had finished brewing the pot as the young stallion was led in. His vibrant bright sashes strongly contrast the surrounding canvas tent's more light and tan colors. Oddly his muzzle was partially obscured by a porcelain mask while his rich brown eyes stared forward.
"I assume your one of the sultan's colts?" Shujaa raised an eyebrow, watching the stallion slowly take a seat.
"Yes, I'm his eldest..." The masked stallion inhaled. "Kareem..."
"Ah, former inheritor of the Nile districts..." The zebra nodded his head.
"Y-yes..." The stallion steadied his breath. "We want to offer our father in exchange for safe passage to Equestria..." Poppy had already set down a cup of honied tea next to him.
"I see; why has it taken so long for your family to take such action? Surely after the opening salvo of this war would understand its futility?" Shujaa spooned some sugar into his own cup.
"Father can be very... persuasive when he wants to be..." The stallion took a sip of his tea.
"I see." Shujaa sniffed, nodding to Poppy as she brought over some imported parchment. "Thank you, Poppy; Please take your time to read the terms, Kareem."
The Arabian stallion read over the document in silence; it wasn't particularly long; Shujaa was always one to get to the point, after all. "You want the treasury, there's so little left?" His face paled.
"This war was expensive, but there are artifacts we want to be returned to us..." Shujaa leaned to the side, looking disinterested. "Don't worry, the Equestrians are wonderful hosts; I doubt you'll need the leftovers of the Sultan..."
The stallion looked like he wanted to protest but looking around, he inhaled, knowing he had little choice; grasping a quill, he signed the document. "I can only pray our sister will rule more wisely than father..."
"Excellent, our rail line to Equestria was recently finished, so we should be able to send you post haste." The general hummed.
"What will happen to father?" He glanced back outside the tent.
"Public hanging, we need to placate our ponies; many will be unhappy with how this was handled." He sniffed.
"The zebra hate us that much?" The Arabian colt blinked, surprised.
"In more ways than you will ever know..." He glanced at Poppy. "Please go announce the document was signed, and tell the radio operator to call the nearest Airship for transport."
"Yes, Shujaa" The scarred mare nodded, bowing before taking her leave.
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Equestria
Disputed Territory
Cloudsdale Plains (25 miles from the city)
10:23 PM
Organized Labor sat on the small hill while other pegasi chewed their rations, the smoldering ruins of their historic home in the distance. It was hard to know how long they all waited, but eventually, the inevitable happened; the outer districts were the first to break away, seeming to collapse in slow motion. Even with the great distance between them and the sound of homes slamming into the earth below could be heard. Many of the poorer winged ponies cringing, no doubt their homes among the first to be lost. The more well-off didn't have much longer to wait as the rest of the city began to break apart, finally collapsing under its weight.
The sounds of homes, businesses, and institutions that had lasted millennia painfully reverberated through their skulls; even covering their ears did little to protect them. In some twisted form of irony, the Weather Factory was the last building standing, but it too began a slow descent. The clouds have become a thick soup-like fog, making the ruins below look more ominous.
"Brace!" Organized Labor bellowed as many young and old took shelter behind the improvised chariots; others dug in their hooves, refusing to look away from the greatest tragedy of their kind.
The factory finally vanished into the fog below; a deafening boom echoed through the plains. The leftover stored weather was freed all at once, mutating the surrounding clouds into various storm fronts. "It's worse than we thought; swallow your rations and hitch up the chariots! We'll ride it out and use it as cover!" He shouted to the various stallions around him, who wiped away their tears and nodded their heads.
Labor turned his head back to the rolling storms as tornados began to form. "The plains will never be the same..." He watched in morbid fascination as once beautiful meadows drowned in torrential rains or were ripped from the ground itself by powerful winds.
Swallowing his own sadness, he turned his attention back to his ponies, making his way over to the chariots; he hitched himself to a blue and gold adorned wagon alongside other burly stallions. As he felt the old reigns attached to him, he couldn't help but look back at the chest chained inside. "Hurricanes Codex will lead; without it, all this was for nothing! The chariots with the young and old will be second! All else will guard our retreat and sides!" He bellowed over the howling winds as the beating of countless wings joined in like war drums.
Groaning, he and the rest of the team began to pull the wagon into a slow trot, building up speed before taking off. The greatest migration of pegasi in generations had begun, vanishing into the night sky, attempting to outrun the storms on their hooves. It would be weeks before the princess learned what had happened; even so, they would have long since left her lands by then. Meanwhile, the Earth ponies would be far too busy protecting their homes and harvest to chase them; as far as they knew, Cloudsdale went down with all hooves.