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// A required introduction 
// Story: The Brazen Skull 
// by Shadowdance 
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The war that caused what remained of the pony population of stalliongrad to be forced into those tunnels was a tried and true false reason. The ponies of equestria had done nothing to provoke the attack that had taken from them their home. Nopony had done anything! But that didn't matter now did it? The whole idea was a laughing stock! It simply made him angry to even consider it. However, there were more important things to be doing then thinking.

He dragged his attention back to the area around him and out of his head, the bandit that was threatening him wasn't anything that he cared about. The pony would be dead in seconds if he actually tried anything. He knew it too, so he kept all of his threats verbal, not physical. "Draigos! Are you even listening? It's bad enough you got the whole of the Rangers after you! But now your picking up more members for the Brazen? Are you insane? In fact, don't answer that! You are obviously! None of those damn pegasus you save really do what you ask them too! They just..." He was cut short by the knife under his throat.

"They. Do. What. I. Tell. Them." He stared straight at the bandit, a steady hum building up as the alicorn lifted his possessions back to where they were in preparation of moving on. "But you wouldn't understand that, would you earth pony? You don't understand the Brazen, but the Brazen understand your simple kind. You better be ready for the battle that is coming your way! The rangers are coming and you know it. So either get out of here, or prepare for the coming storm."

The alicorn didn't look back as he left, the two Brazen he had left out there following him as he left, but splitting off and going their own way when he gave a quick gesture with his knife before putting it away. He wanted to be alone for a little while. Even his Brazen pegasus were no comfort at the moment. He had been having such strange dreams lately. Dreams about a pony he didn't know. A pegasus no less.

Bang

"What in the name of..?" He quickly fell back to silence, heading straight for the sound, whatever had made that sound, He wanted to know. He wanted to know so badly.

He arrived at the scene, a pony walking away and quickly swallowed up by the storm, and a pegasus who caught his attention almost immediately. A pegasus who had been haunting his dreams for the past week. The coat she had might have once been green and her mane might have been purple at one time, but the hole through her head and the severly ravaged body had long since made her completely red. But, there was something he knew for certain despite what should have been a mortal injury.

She was Alive.