//------------------------------//
// ...But by the Content...  
// Story: Together And Equal…? 
// by Wolfe and WindSilver 
//------------------------------//

Mask

It was early in the morning. Way too early to deal with this mare. I didn’t care if she was a royal guard. I wasn’t going to roll over and beg for her amusement.

“I’m telling the truth.” I fought the urge to yell directly in her face. A hot head wouldn't help me. It would only prove that I was exactly what she saw. A threat. “We weren't seeking anypony out," I continued. "We didn't go looking for trouble. My friend was just walking me home when Storm-”

“I find it hard to believe that a pony would attack anyone else like this. Now your kind is one thing.”

I rolled my eyes and  groaned. Too tired to actually respond to her insults and bias against me. I leaned back in the chair and brought my hooves to my face.

She suddenly slammed her hooves against the desk. “I know you you instigated this situation!”

“I didn't do anything!” I yelled back.

“Did you addle their brains with your freaky magic like that queen of yours? Mind control?”

She stuck her snout into my personal space. “Or maybe you did it yourself, and just needed a good alibi?” 

I felt my muscles tense up with the accusation. Did she just accuse me of hurting him? I asked myself incredulously. For a moment I was frozen in silent shock. But that soon gave way to anger and indignation. I was a second away from throwing social norms, and the law, out the window when a voice interrupted her “investigation”.

“Lieutenant!”

The royal guard in front of me growled and turned towards the door. “I’m in the middle of something, Centurion.”

The new figure walked into the room, an intense gaze locked on the guard still sitting at the desk. “I think you could use a coffee break, Lieutenant.” He put his hoof on her shoulder. "Why don't you let me finish up here?"

The mare shook the hoof off. “I’m fine, sir. I'm almost done.”

“That wasn’t a request, Lieutenant.” The hoof replaced itself, albeit a bit softer. “The colt will be left to me. You’re head’s not clear enough for this.”

“But I-” Her shoulders slumped. And in a quiet voice she responded, “You’re right.”

She turned to me, sighing. “I’m… sorry. I thought I could do this fairly, but it’s obvious I can’t.” She seemed like she wanted to say something else, staring at me 
for a moment. But she turned away and left the office. Closing the door behind her.

The lunar guard sighed when she left and glanced at me.

“You think you’ve got problems?” He asked, removing his helmet and revealing his furry ears. “I’ve got to deal with that almost everyday.” He spread his leathery wings and popped the joints in each one. Sighing in relief as he did so.

I raised an eye ridge, gesturing to the cracks and cuts that adorned my carapace. “I’m the one that’s targeted by ‘that’ almost every day.” I countered.

The lunar guard shrugged. “Eh, we’ll call it a tie,” he said, smirking. I couldn’t help but laugh,r knowing that he meant to make the atmosphere a bit more jovial.

“But seriously,” he said, his face shifting towards concern. “Are you alright? I went to see your friend first, nothing too notable other than the wing. But you?”

I waved off his worries. “I’m fine. Nothing that won’t heal in a few days. I really just want to go home and get some rest.”

He nodded in agreement. “Let’s make a deal,” he said as he pulled out a notepad. “We both make this as simple as possible, then we both go home and get a full day’s sleep. You even get a day off from school courtesy of the the royal guard.”

I hesitated. It was tempting, but I couldn't just leave without making sure Wolfe was really alright.

“Well you can check on your friend before you go, of course.”

That alleviated my worries, and I nodded in agreement.

“Excellent. Well I’m Iron Mail, 3rd centurion of the Canterlot division of Royal Guards. And your name is?”

He asked me to describe what occurred in my own words, then a series of questions pertaining to the time or place a certain event happened. When I got to my love burning he interrupted me.

“Isn’t that incredibly dangerous? Especially considering how young you are?”

I nodded, reluctantly.

“Huh,” he said, scribbling something on the side. “Continue.”

After I explained all that I could remember, he stared at his notes.

“For some reason I get the feeling that Stormbringer will have an entirely different account. It’ll be your word against three.”

I nodded. This was something I already knew.

“The witnesses on the scene have been unforthcoming.”

“Shocker,” I said bitterly.

“Without witnesses, I don’t see either one of you having any sort of case.”

“That’s fine,” I cut in, standing up. “This isn’t something that I would want to pursue. It would just make my life more difficult.”

He was quiet for a moment, and I took that as my cue to leave. Just as I reached the door however, he placed his hoof on my shoulder.

“For what it’s worth,” he said. “Some of us know what it’s like. To be blamed for a past you can’t change and are only a part of by association. Some of us know how hard it is to atone for things you shouldn't need to atone for. Just remember that you don’t walk this journey alone.”

I nodded and opened the door.







Wolfe

I kept running. I could hear them all just behind me. At least ten had broken off from their group to chase me. I could have flown, but I’m much more nimble on my hooves then I’ll ever be with wings. And those streets were much too narrow for me.

A sharp turn and I was barreling down the alleyway. Here the clicks and chirps echoed, feeding directly into my ears. It saved me however, thinking they were closer than they were gave me an extra burst of speed. I used it gallop from the alleyway and up an overturned crystal snowglobe cart. A quick flap of my wings was all that was necessary to land on the building ahead of me.

And to think some ponies said practicing this type of stuff was a waste of time.

I couldn’t stop there. While I’d lost my pursuers on the ground, there were a few in the air that zoomed to greet me.

“They call me ‘Wolfe’ for a bunch of reasons.” I yelled. “Here’s one!”

I took off running at my fastest speed. Leaving them in my metaphorical dust.

I would have made it to the next building. I was just a few hoofs away from the edge when it hit me. The flaming ball of changeling struck me in the side and sent me down. I hit the ground hard. I felt and heard a snap just to the side of my back. The pain quickly spread from the connecting joint through my entire wing. I screamed in agony. Unable to get up. Unable to run or fight. I was vulnerable, and afraid. The others surrounded me, hissing and clicking in desire. The one who blasted me from the sky lay at my hooves. It glared at me as if his predicament was my fault.

I growled at them, trying to buy time. For what exactly I didn't know, but I had to try something. They started clicking again, and I realized, with a start, that that was their laughter. This was fun to them. It was a simple hunt, and I was the target. The struggle was simply allowed to make the reward sweeter.

I heard more clicking from near  my hooves and looked down. The changeling that knocked me from the sky was standing now, and began crawling over me.

I yelled and flailed my limbs. Hitting it anywhere I could, hoping to dislodge it before it could do anything.  The others swarmed forward, grabbing at my forelegs and wings. I screamed in pain as my broken wing was roughly seized.

I felt breath at my neck, and renewed my struggles. I violently fought to free myself, but it was too late. I felt the fangs sink into my my throat, and screamed.





My eyes shot open and my hoof lashed out. Nearly catching it in the muzzle. I lunged forward and, forgetting about the weight of my injured wing, landed face first on white sheets. I scared it though, making it chirp as it fell backwards. Away from the bed I laid in.

I realized where I was, having been in the hospital for various injuries in the past, and who the changeling in front of me was.

“Mask? Geez, I’m sorry!” I tried to lift myself from the bed to help him up, but had to stifle a yelp as I shifted my wing. The pain was as sudden as it was crippling, immediately forcing me to lay still.

A hoof grabbed me lightly around the middle and helped to haul me up. I put a hoof to my side as gave a twinge of pain, but the new position was much better.

“Thanks,” I told the brown coated doctor.

“I need you to relax,” he ordered. He adjusted the bandages at the base of my wing. “I understand your mind is in a bit of an uproar, but your body can’t handle the stress of moving around right now.” 

I nodded in apology. A deep breath calmed me, forcing the dream away from my mind, allowing me to focus on reality.

While I tried to get myself under control, the doctor focused on shining bright lights in my eyes.

“How are you feeling right now?” he asked.

“I guess a bit tired,” I replied just before a perfectly timed yawn.

He pressed a hoof against my throat and stared at his watch for a moment. “No nausea or dizziness? Any problems with your vision?”

Other than being a little winded from my meeting with the bed I felt fine, aside from my obviously broken wing, and told the doctor so.

“You should be clear to leave after we check on a few more things. I’m going to go speak with your mother for a moment.” The doctor shut the door behind him.

“So how are you really feeling?” Mask asked.

I grunted in anger. “He’s lucky I didn’t haven’t gotten much sleep lately. Because that fight would have gone much quicker if I had. And what is with him and sucker punches?”

“I meant your wing.”

“Oh this? This is nothing.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve dislocated my wing at least twice before now. This just makes lucky number 3.”

“Ouch,” Mask winced. Rubbing his own joints subconsciously

“Though breaking it is new,” I admitted giving the wing a little wiggle and hissing at the jolt that shot through it.

“Wolfe, I’m sorry. This is completely my fault.”

“Pft," I snorted. "Stormbringer would have found a way to get ruffle my feathers anyway. At least now I don’t have to hide the fact that I hate him.”

“Still…”

“Besides,” I added. “I wasn’t too out of it to not see you send them running. Not to mention carrying me all the way here.”

“But if I hadn’t been with you in the first place—”

“I would still be broken up over a letter. Or at least half of one.” I nodded towards my mom’s bag in the corner of the room. “Check the side pocket.”

He pulled the sheet out of the bag and started reading it. A smile breaking out on his face as he reached the end.

“This is great!” he exclaimed.

"She found it just below the mailbox, on the ground." I said nodding in agreement. “Turns out that I rush into things without thinking them through first. Totally out of character for me.”

He rolled his eyes, laughing. “Who, you? Never.”

I tossed one of my pillows at him. “Yeah, yeah. Get out of here and let me get some sleep before I have to get an earful from Mom.”

I didn’t even come close to hitting him, leaving me open to retaliation. Luckily, Mask was merciful and just put the pillow behind my head again. I waved goodbye as he left, and settled down to get some rest. But I was robbed of my sleep when the doctor came back in. A needle in hoof.

“Everything seems fine, but it appears you neglected to get your feather-flu shot before beginning school.”

He produced a towel and started wiping the tip of the needle while I tried to hide myself beneath the covers. “I’m 17! I make the decision to not take it!”

“Oh come now, I don’t know what’s with you pegasi and this vaccine. And this is my requirement before you leave. So you’re taking it.” He yanked the sheets away roughly and brandished the needle.

“Now just hold still.” He positioned the needle just above my cutie mark.

“Oooooooooooooooooooooooooowwww!”







Mask

“I got it!” I yelled as the doorbell rang. I opened the door and closed it immediately.

“Who is it?” Mom called.

“Just that crazy guy that lives in the alley,” I yelled, a bit louder than necessary.

“Ha ha.” The voice on the other end was muffled, but understandable. “Let me in or no present for you.”

I nearly broke the latch off in my haste to reopen the door. “Did I hear someone say ‘present’?”

“Maybe,” Wolfe said, hiding the box behind his back. Smirking, he added, “You’ll have to wait and see.”

I grumbled, but opened the door fully and let him in. “So who else is here?” he asked.

“Braniac and Temporal got here a bit earlier,” I replied as we headed for the living room. “We’ve been playing some Ponopoly while we waited for the rest of you.”

“Speaking of which,” Temporal jumped in. “I pulled a community chest card. You owe me 350 bits.”

“You are too lucky for this game,” I muttered as I added the fake, colorful bits to his steadily increasing pile. “There go my plans to buy Boardtrot."

"Skill," Temporal said as he passed the dice to Braniac.

"Do you want in, Wolfe?" I asked.

“With those two playing?” he exclaimed gesturing at my opponents.. “I’d be crushed in seconds. I’ll stick with watching from the sidelines.”

I mumbled something about Pegasi who missed the most obvious of hints while Braniac landed on my Canterlot Express.

"Hah! That's 3200 bits!" I held out my hooves expectantly. Instead I received a chance card. "IOU. Get out of one payment absolutely free? Come on!"

Before I could roll the die the doorbell buzzed again. I sighed and went to answer it. “At least take my turn for me,” I called as I opened the door again.

“Hey, Mask,” Click greeted.

“Hey, come on in.” I stepped out of the way to let him in. “Totally random question, but how good are you at Ponopoly?”

“Are Temporal or Braniac playing?” he asked suspiciously.

“Both!” Wolfe called from the next room.

Click turned to me with a sympathetic smile. "I think I'll pass."

I sighed and kicked the door shut.







Spot Weld

"I must be completely out of my mind," I growled. 

I'd been pacing the lobby of the apartment building for the past few minutes. Every so often, I would glance at the stairs. Every time, I would take a step forward, then resume pacing.

"Look, Spot," Brainy had said. "I understand why you don't want to get involved. But you really need to give him a chance."

"Look, I don't hold anything against him. But I'm not exactly ready to forgive changelings yet."

"Then don't. Don't forgive the changelings that attacked your family. But realize something. Mask wasn't involved in the invasion. And he's going through tough times as well."

I scoffed. "Sure, a couple of bigots out and about. That's not so bad.

She stared at me like I'd sprouted wings. "You don't know do you?"

I raised an eyebrow.

“Stormbringer got a group together to attack him in the school. The only reason I know is because Wolfe told me. Mask hasn't said anything.”

“That’s doesn't make sense,” I said. “Why didn’t he tell the principal, or the royal guard?”

“If a changeling and a pony showed up at your door together, both claiming the other had attacked them, who would you believe?”

“But he has a witness!”

“Storm has three ‘witnesses’.”

I clenched my jaw and turned away. But she waited expectantly. I still hadn’t answered her question, not directly.

I hated my answer. I knew it was wrong, but changelings were known for being liars and deceitful. How was I actually supposed to trust what they said? How could anypony?

“Great,” I growled. “Now I’m thinking like the upper class.”

I grabbed my bag as I headed up the stairs. My present, and semi peace offering, to Mask were inside. It didn’t take too long to make, though it helped that Dad had a forge installed so he could take work home.

I began searching for his apartment. It wasn’t hard to find. 3rd floor, door at the end of the hall. There was somepony I didn’t recognize standing in front of it. He scribbled something on the door with a marker.

“Hey!” I yelled.

The unicorn jumped, looked my way, and ran the opposite direction. I galloped to the end of the hall and leaned over the top of the staircase, but he had already gone.

I knocked on the door hesitantly, hoping Mask wouldn’t think I was behind the graffiti. I read the writing even as I knocked. 

Squash the Bugs!!

The words were written in dark red ink, directly in the center of the door.

“Just a minute!”

I waited nervously for the door to open. Nearly shouting the words as soon as the door was cracked.

“Someone graffitied your door.”

For the most part Mask took it well. He glared at the writing. Then at me. Then back at the writing.

“Come on in,” he said a bit annoyedly. He left me to grab a rag and went back to the door. “Everyone else is in the living room.” He pointed towards the room next door.

I nodded but hesitated.

“I can handle this,” he assured me. I didn’t respond, I simply watched as the red smeared across the door. I sighed and dropped my bag to the floor.

I took the rag from his grasp and started to wipe the door in earnest. “Get me a bucket of warm water, will ya?” I requested as I dug into the letters. Stripping them away slowly. I dunked the rag as soon as he put the bucket next to me, and brought it back up to the door almost immediately. It took just a moment to clean the door, and less time to clean the floor of the water that had splashed onto it.

“Thanks, Spot.” Mask said once we’d finished.

“I saw who did it, if it helps.” I could recognize the stallion in an instant if I saw him again.

He shook his head, sighing. “It wouldn’t matter. Door’s clean now anyway. Let’s just get back to the fun.”

“About that,” Wolfe said as we joined the party crowded around the table. “I’m pretty sure I’m worse at Ponopoly than even you. I’ve lost about 500 bits. And mortgaged 2 properties.”

Masks's jaw dropped in shock as he gazed at the board. “Tell me you didn’t give away my Waterworks.”

“Not so much gave away as… lost?” He scratched the back of his head. “They have just about every card in the chance deck don’t they? 'Give one utility to the player with the most on hand cash.'”

He completely missed the look of rage coming from Mask as he kept talking.

“Still not sure how you can tax somepony for an entire railroad either. Or how the bank can just decide that they want your hotel.”

Click snickered. “Don’t forget that you get a third roll, Wolfe. Hope you don’t get Doubles again.”

“No sweat,” Wolfe said as he lifted the die and prepared to roll. “There is no way I’d get doubles... three... times...”








Mask

“Okay, I get that you’re upset about the game. But was it really necessary to pull one of my feathers? That hurts you know.” Wolfe rubbed at his uninjured wing.

“I said sorry," I apologized. "When the rage of a gamer hits, you can’t control it."

“Your mom is an amazing cook!” Click interrupted through mouthfuls of veggie casserole. “This is the best stuff I’ve had in ages.”

“That’s probably because the majority of your meals come in take out containers and pizza boxes,” Wolfe chuckled.

I hid my snickers behind a hoof while Click pouted.

“This was a lot of fun,” Braniac said. “But I do need to get home sometime.”

“Same,” Spot Weld agreed. “But we’ll have to plan something again.”

The rest of us nodded in agreement, and my guests starting gathering their things.

"Do you want to keep this?" Temporal asked. He held the game box out to me, a teasing grin on his face.

"If it stays here it's getting burned,” I replied. “In the oven.”

Brainy gasped and snatched the box away. “Don’t you touch my baby!” she said dramatically. She hurriedly put it in her bag and slung it around her side, cradling it protectively.

“Fine, I’ll let it live,” I mumbled.

“Also, are you ever gonna take those off?” Temporal asked as I picked up the boxes from my presents. He was referring to the gifts that I’d been wearing ever since I’d opened them.

“Probably not,” I answered. I flicked the tail end of the green scarf behind me, turned up my nose, and put a Trottingham accent to my voice.

“I cut too much of a dashing figure to ever consider removing them.”

Temporal shook his head. “Wolfe, why did you get him that?”

The pegasus shrugged from his seat on the couch. “He seemed like a scarf kind of colt. I’m just glad I wasn’t off.”

“Besides,” I added. “This is going to make my mane a little bit less of a hassle in the mornings.” I indicated the gift from Spot Weld. A small band that wrapped around the end of my ponytail. Curved slightly inwards at the ends to prevent my hair from slipping through. It was much better than the rubber band I usually used to hold it in place.

“Thanks again, guys!” I said for the hundredth time.

“We already told you, ‘Don’t worry about it’,” Spot insisted. He swung his bag around his neck. “Just something we wanted to do for you.”

We stared at Click until he got the hint. He groaned and stood, though not before inhaling the rest of his plate.

"Where does it even go?" I asked. "Click, I'm maybe an inch below you in height, and I can't eat that much."

He shrugged. "It's a gift."

“Well, thanks for coming everypony,” I said as I led the way to the door. I waved a hoof at the kitchen table as I passed. “Mom wrapped up some cake for you guys to take home as well.”

"Sweet. Thanks Ma'am!."

“No problem kids, be safe getting home,” floated back into the kitchen.

“Happy Birthday, Mask,” Brainy said as she passed. Hugging me before she left.

“Yeah, have a good one,” Temporal added. I lunged forward and hugged him before he could escape. Doing the same to Click as he tried to sneak by.

“Thanks again for the scarf, Wolfe,” I said as I gave him a quick hug. He gave me a quick grin but rolled his eyes at my gratitude. "Hey, I like the scarf. If I want to thank you a million times, I will."

Spot Weld hesitated before going through the door. “You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up in a minute.”

I raised an eye ridge as he turned back to me, scratching at his neck awkwardly.

“Did you forget something in the living room?” I asked. “It’s not a problem if you need to get it.”

“No, no… It’s just…” he sighed. “I wanted to apologize.”

I blinked in surprise. “...for?”

"Ever since the first day you sat at the lunch table with us, I was suspicious of you. I expected you to do something to put one of them in danger. I was rude, I was distant, and a jerk. It wasn’t cool of me."

He sat down. “It wasn’t until a few days ago that… someone brought up how I’d been acting. And how much you’ve already got on your plate.” He stared at the door. “I realized that I was wronging you by not even giving you a chance. Like those flank-holes that watched you and Wolfe get attacked.” He growled in disgust.

“I’m not like that,” he declared. “And I don’t want to act like that either. I was hoping that we could… maybe…”

“Start over?” I asked, sticking my hoof out.

He nodded, stamping his hoof against mine.

“The name’s Mask,” I said. “Mask Roles.”

He laughed. “I’m Spot Weld. Nice to meet you.”

“Spot, come on!”

“Yeah, some of us have to get home!”

“I’m coming!” Spot yelled back, moving through the door to lean out into the hallway. “Keep your wings on!”

He turned back to me and nodded. “Happy Birthday, bro.”

I gave him a quick “bro” hug and waved goodbye as he joined the others in the hallway.

Once I’d heard their hoofsteps and conversation retreat down the stairs, I started cleaning. I needed to do something while I awaited my next guest. I’d just turned 17. There was no way I wasn’t going to use the privileges that came with it. 

Just as I finished up there was a knock on my door. “Just a second,” I called.

I took a quick look at myself in the mirror. I wasn’t looking for any type of companionship, but that was no reason to look like a wreck. Luckily my mane didn’t look like I’d come from a stressful game of Ponopoly, and my scarf did actually look quite nice on me.

“You ready to go?” Flame asked after I opened the door. He wore a bright red jacket. and his mane had been flattened to one side.

I nodded. “Let me just let my mom know we’re leaving.”

I cracked her door, noting that the light was off. “Mom, I’m heading out with Flame,” I whispered. “Be back soon.”

“Alright, have fun,” She murmured sleepily. “And both of you be careful.”

“Of course.” I moved closer and gave her a quick peck on the forehead. “You just get some sleep okay?”

She yawned and turned back over. I backed out of her room and shut the door.

“Alright,” I said as I turned back to the door. “Let’s go.”