The Trancer

by Ajaxis

8. The Rock Pile

We need you...

Zuri awoke this time to Druva hovering over her, who immediately sighed relief on seeing her friend's eyes open. "Well? Is she awake yet?" Rainbow Dash was perched on a bench to the left, tapping one hoof anxiously. Recieving Druva's nod, the pegasus immediately fluttered up and over to Zuri, setting upon her with a stern look. "We've got trouble. The cronies at Rock Pile are asking permission to sweep the train for stowaways. Technically, everyone alive here and now is a stowaway, especially that Changeling."

"My name is Chrys!" Chrys' voice came from behind them. Rainbow paid her no mind.

"So, we need to get a plan ready. We need you to pretend you're a slave again, along with Uzul and Druva. We have to dress up as the original guards for the train, and the bug," she nodded towards where Zuri assumed Chrys was, "has to go back into her box, and have it nailed shut."

"I don't like that part." Chrys said on the side.

Ignoring her, Rainbow Dash continued speaking. "You'll have to put these on." She held up a pair of hoof cuffs with a chain connecting them. "They have no enchantment, but they're hard to break. Should be convincing enough. And Druva should get her pair on before we go in!" Rainbow Dash spoke with a suggesting, impatient tone. The clicking of a lock came soon afterward.

"I've got them, I've got them, keep your wings on." Druva reassured her, exasperated. "Come on, let Zuri stand up and come over to us before she has to put these horrible things on." Zuri did sit up, pushing Rainbow away from her so she had room. She'd been moved again, in her sleep. This wasn't good, she wasn't such a heavy sleeper when in Otoul. If this kept happening she could end up in a very bad situation very quickly, and not be able to do anything about it.

Zuri took the cuffs in her teeth by the chain, and walked over to Uzul and Druva, who were sitting on the floor with cuffs on their hooves. All their hooves. Druva saw her looking at this, and clarified, "The idea is to make you in particular look less threatening, if you need less restraints. They won't see anything bad coming, if things go bad."

"Whose idea was that?" Zuri asked. When Druva pointed towards Chrys, the changeling ducked her head, as if expecting some punishment. Whatever the ponies had put Chrys through, they obviously left behind some very interesting scars. Moondancer assigned another unicorn to "stand guard" next to the three Zebras. After several minutes of listening to the train fly across the rail, Rainbow waved a wing at Zuri to get her attention. She pointed out a window, to show that the train was approaching a tall grey building, with long wide tubes coming out of the roof, slowly breathing black smoke into the air. A door opened in front of the train, and Zuri had the impression of being swallowed by the building darkness briefly engulfed everything; they were traveling through a dimly lit tunnel. The train was slowing down now, arriving at a raised platform, leading away to a set of double-doors on either side of the train.

Everything was of metal now. The humming of the train's electrical systems exchanging currents was blotted out by the whirring of grand machines further in the complex. Banging of metal on metal, fans cooling off hot engine parts, the frequent shouting of instructions or information between two ponies, and a voice over the public address system giving announcements and status of the sectors of the facility. "Keep your heads low. Don't say anything, don't make eye contact, and don't kill anyone." Rainbow whispered to them, as a the doors on the sides of the train car opened, and Rainbow exited, followed by her lieutenants: Moondancer and Thunderlane. Big Macintosh walked out right next to her, the tall stallion looking as if he were standing proudly next to the pegasus. They approached a trio of Ponies who had entered through one of the double doors. Zuri didn't look, but instead listened. She didn't need to Trance to hear them; the doors stayed open. Even with the din around them, the words spoken were clear as a bell to her trained ears.

"State your business and cargo, Sir and Ma'am." Said one male's voice.

"Transport to Paradise City, Sir." Big Macintosh answered in his low drawl, without any emotion or inflection. "Ah'm the conductor of this train."

"You have a ShowMe to back that up, big guy?" The same voice asked him.

"Ah do." There was a pause, then a little beeping sound, and another pause afterward.

"Checks out. Alright, you have a full cargo list ready?"

"All on Electric Paper, sir." Macintosh said, though it was harder to understand him than usual. Zuri guessed he had the paper in his mouth.

"Convenient. Say, where you from, big guy?"

"Equestria, sir. Ponyville."

"Your ShowMe says you're a member of the Apple family."

"Yessir."

"How are they doing? You heard from them the past week or so?"

"No sir."

"No? Shame. They've been having some trouble lately. I thought they'd be calling all their relatives back home to talk about it."

"Ain't heard nothin' about it, sir."

"Well, maybe you've heard about the escaped Zebra slaves, from New Dodge Junction, eh?" The voice grew more anxious. No, it wasn't anxiety, Zuri couldn't place it.

"Ah heard somethin' 'bout it, eeyup."

"You have slaves on your train?"

"Sure do."

"Any of them refugees, conductor?"

"Ah sure hope not." Stars, Zuri thought, this stallion is so deadpan, even I can't tell if he is lying!

"Mind if we take a look, conductor? We had a hint they might be travelling this way. Protocol is protocol."

"Nnnope, don't mind at all." There were hoofsteps, and Zuri did her best to look dumb and nonthreatening as they grew louder. Two new ponies walked into the train first, and began looking around. One of them was a yellow-coated, blue-haired stallion, wearing a strange grey coat. What was especially strange were his eyes. The irises were a regular grey-green, but the eye-whites weren't white at all, but hard grey. They glinted and reflected the light like a hard, shined surface, as they focused on Zuri. Zuri didn't make eye contact for more than a few seconds. He advanced towards the three restrained Zebras, gazing down at them with a look of inquisitive examination. There was no arrogance or scorn in his expression, only a sort of curiousity. Those strange eyes of his made him especially unreadable, in the several glances Zuri stole at his face whenever he wasn't looking directly at her. Then, he turned away, and spoke in a hushed voice with his companion, whom Zuri couldn't see clearly.

They spoke for several minutes, with Big Macintosh and Rainbow Dash standing idly by, waiting for the apparent authorities to address them directly. Zuri waited in silence, as the two Ponies passed by her, to go investigate the other cars. More ponies came aboard, advancing through the train in the other direction. Eventually they all returned to their leader, and made their reports: none of them had found anything.

"Everything is clean here." Announced the yellow stallion with the metal eyes, as he looked over a report written quickly by one of his subordinates. "I'm guessing you've a license to carry living cargo, conductor?" He looked up at Macintosh.

"Eeeyup." The immense stallion nodded his head in confirmation, holding up one hoof to show an imprint to the stallion. The pupils of whom turned momentarily blue, before he looked up at the conductor's face again, and cleared his throat respectfully.

"Yeah, ShowMe still checks out. I'm guessing you want to redirect your train?" He asked.

"Eeeyup," Mac said again. "Ah wanna head straight for Paradise City. That, uh, live cargo needs to reach its destination right quick."

"Paradise City I can't allow." The stallion said sternly.

"Why not?" Rainbow blurted.

"Not my decision." The stallion turned a quelling gaze on the mare. "I'm just head of train line security here. If you want to get to Paradise, you gotta talk to the supervisor." He gestured to a door to the left of the train platform with his muzzle. "I can get an escort, if you want one."

"Nah, Ah've been here before, 'n' Ah think Ah know the supervisor." Big Macintosh said, nodding thanks all the same. The security head just nodded, and departed, leaving a guard on the train also with metal eyes to answer any queries Mac or Rainbow Dash came up with. Rainbow was able to detach herself, and approach the zebras again.

"Well, we've really stepped in it now." She began. "Unless we can get out of this depot real fast... We won't ever get out. Mac says he knows the supervisor for this place. I dunno if that will help us, though." She looked back at him, speaking with the security pony. "Mac does a good judge of character, and talks good talk, usually, but not everypony likes the laid-back apple attitude."

"I didn't know there was something not to like." Druva mumbled quietly to Uzul, who nudged her to stay quiet.

"Anyway, we'll be heading for the supervisor's office, and leaving you here. Don't kill anything." Rainbow walked away with those words, leaving the zebras alone again.

———

"So then Jackknife says, 'Holy Luna! That bowling ball, it's my wife!'" Macintosh finished his joke, just as Rainbow Dash approached them again. The two guards who had stood listening barked laughter for a moment, then remembering their duties, quickly fell silent with little smiles.

"Done joking with the metalheads?" Rainbow Dash nudged Mac's shoulder.

"Jus' seein' if they can still laugh. Ah heard somewhere they kick the sense of humor out of ya when ya get implanted." Big Macintosh answered, grinning as he turned towards one of the train doors, and the two ponies departed towards the Supervisor's office.

There was little conversation between them as they walked. In fact, the silence that filled the air around them was very uncomfortable, until Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"You know, that green-eyed one's kinda cute."

"Huh?" Macintosh's step slowed for a moment. "Now Rainbow, don't you be thinkin' about that. Y'already got one wrapped around your hoof tighter than a constrictor."

"Not what I meant, Mac!" Rainbow laughed, making two passersby give them odd looks. "I was mentioning her to you because," she raised and lowered her eyebrows suggestively, "conducting a train can't be the best profession to meet nice mares, am I right?"

"Nah. It ain't." Macintosh muttered, looking ahead. "Rainbow, why're you talking about this? Cheerilee 'n' I—"

"Aren't on the best of terms, and you'd rather settle things one way or the other before daring to try?"

"Well, yeah," Macintosh nodded. "An' no offense to the zebras, but Ah'd rather get with a mare who Ah know came from th'same planet as me."

"Oh, so you'd go for Zecora, instead?"

"Nnnnope. Ah... Ah don't know if Ponies an' zebras can have foals. And if Ah'm gonna go into a longterm thing, I wanna aim for foals, eventually."

"But not marriage?" Rainbow stuck her tongue out at him. "Real smooth, Mac."

"Aw quit it, Rainbow." Macintosh folded his ears. "Yer jus' teasin' me 'cause you want me t'go after that Druva girl."

"Well I'm not as good a matchmaker as Pinkie or Heart Line, but I'm trying!" Rainbow jostled him playfully. He just shook his head and smiled, as they reached a tall door, marked 'ROCK-PILE SUPERVISOR'. Big Macintosh opened it, and allowed Rainbow to enter first, and then followed after her.

The room was small, with a big wooden desk on one end. Sitting behind it was a blue unicorn with a short brown mane with an accent of blue within it. His green eyes looked up from a piece of paper, which he was currently sketching on with a levitated pencil.

"Uh, Mac!" The pony exclaimed, suddenly sitting up straight. "You're... Unexpected."

"So are you, Copic." Big Macintosh said, wearing the first surprised expression Rainbow had seen him with in a while. "That ain't yer chair. That's the secretary’s."

"Uh, heh. About that." Copic Pen rubbed the back of his head, smiling awkwardly as he put the sketch and pencil away. His eyes wandered towards the door to his right, this one marked the same as the doors Rainbow and Macintosh had just passed through. "I was fired."

"What?"

"Well, okay, not fired, but it was on the table." The blue unicorn tapped his forehooves together anxiously. "That millionaire Filthy Rich bought up a bunch of Rock Pile's shares, and thought I wasn't doing my job right. Said I was being too lax with the security around here. I thought it was enough that I got ESSUG Cyberguards! But apparently I'm too nice." He shrugged. "If you're here to ask for a favor, I can't help ya. I just file reports and organize details now."

"Horseapples." Rainbow cursed, slapping her head with a hoof. "So, what, is the new supervisor an asshole or something? You said he thought you were too nice?"

"And, uh, who're you?" Copic frowned thoughtfully at her. "You look familiar but I'm drawing a blank."

"Uh, hello? I'm Rainbow Dash? Equestria-renowned Wonderbolt and bearer of the element of Loyalty?" She struck a hardly humbling pose. "THE Rainbow Dash?"

"I–wha–you?" Copic did three double-takes, between Rainbow Dash and a motivational poster on the right wall, which showed six ponies standing valiantly, facing a horde of dark animals with glowing eyes. The caption was simple: 'Stand for what is right!' One of the ponies was a spitting image of Rainbow Dash. Copic was still mouthing half-words for several seconds before he regained lucidity. "I, uh, wow. Is this some kinda honorary thing, uh, Captain Rainbow Dash?"

"No use using that name here." Rainbow said, smirking. "On Equestria I'm on extended leave-of-absence. On Palosol I'm just a mercenary and a smuggler." She puffed out her chest, still wearing her glistening black combat outfit. "What I need is an insignia."

"I, well, okay," Copic muttered, blinking. "Well, to answer your question from before, yeah, the new Supervisor's a jerk. And she's... Not gonna grant wishes any time soon, I don't think." He looked at the Supervisor's door enviously. "She'll put on a smile for you, probably because of your rank and Mac's occupation, but it's just so you think you're getting somewhere. She's a total na—"

A loud beep sounded over the intercom on Copic's desk, followed by a shrill, young voice. "COPIC PEN! I hear the talking out there. You keeping someone from seeing me again?"

Copic scrambled, and hit the microphone button. "No, Ma'am. They're ready whenever you are." He looked up and mouthed 'nag!' at them.

"Well then what're you waiting for? My door's open! Send 'em in!" The beep sounded again, and the shrill voice did not say anything more.

Copic shrugged at the both of them. "See what I mean?" He whispered. "Better go in, quick, or she'll start again."

The Supervisor's door clicked, and opened before Rainbow as she approached it. This room was bigger, with a large window on the opposite wall showing off a view of the Rock Pile depot, and further off to Palosol's plains and northern mountains. "Welcome to Rock-Pile!" Said a much friendlier version of the voice from before, as a large black chair behind a much wider desk swiveled around to face them.

"I'm Tough Love, Supervisor and head of R&D for Filthy Rich's enterprises." Tough Love was a very young mare, looking hardly old enough to fill the chair she sat in. Nepotism, perhaps? Or maybe Filthy Rich liked his subordinates especially young-looking, or, Rainbow guessed, some combination of the two. It wasn't out of the question; she had heard worse about the millionaire. Still, head of R&D meant one smart cookie, otherwise Filthy Rich's corporation would probably be in the toilet.

Tough Love's color-scheme, her whole office, in fact seemed to be bright purple and pink. Oh boy, Rainbow groaned inwardly as she let her eyes wander, we're dealing with one of those girls. Her mane and tail were an almost gaudy red and violet, with her coat a bubblegum pink. The room was painted to match, or possibly for her to blend in with it like some sort of bizarre, artificial chameleon. The carpet was the only thing with slightly calmer colors: maroon with bright golden swirls embroidered into it. Tough Love noticed Rainbow looking around, but didn't understand the expression on her face. "Like it? My own little home away from home, in the middle of all this drab metal and smoke. I wouldn't dare let any of my workers on this carpet until they went through decontamination, like, four times! My dad needs to pay for some upgrades."

Your dad needs to stop giving you an allowance, girl. Look at this room! Rainbow had to fight not to say what she thought, and just wear a thin smile. Macintosh, with his stony fortitude, did the talking. "That's nice, miss Tough Love, but—"

"Please." Tough Love leaned over her desk provocatively as her deep indigo eyes centered on Mac. "Call me Tough. Just Tough."

Macintosh paused for a moment, looking at her, and continued. "Fine, Tough. See, we're tryin' to get to Paradise City. Mah shipment’s got perishable material on it, and my friend here has business there, with yer father in fact."

"Uh-huh, yeah." Tough Love didn't take her eyes away from him, as one fore-hoof manipulated a touch-screen interface on her desk. "Sounds like a real problem you got... and you've got a celebrity here, too!" She finally looked away from Macintosh to gesture eccentrically at Rainbow Dash. "Quite an honor, miss Dash, to have you here in my office!" Colored like your bedroom, Dash thought. "And might I say you have a fine choice in conductors..." She gestured at Macintosh, who blinked. "But! Passage to Paradise City is restricted, to only those who have to, in a matter of life or death! You two don't look really worried about that."

"Look, Miss Tough Love, we do really have to get there. You father owes me pay, and Macintosh's cargo's going to die if it doesn't get there in time!" Although I kinda wish Chrys would. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"I can think of a few." Tough Love said coyly, smirking. "But, uh, one thing, Miss Dash." She slammed her hoof down on the touch screen, and a loud siren wailed. Immediately, two security ponies burst through the door behind them, and a third rose up from behind Tough Love's desk. All three of them were pointing automatic weapons at Rainbow Dash's head. "How dumb do you think I am? It's sure an honor, but my daddy told me just who to look out for out here! On Equestria you're Rainbow Dash, world protector and amazing Wonderbolt. Here, you're a thief and a thug, contract open to the highest bidder, and leader of the Rainboom Riddlers!"

"It's Rainboom Riders," Rainbow Dash interjected, her face hard.

"Whatever. I'm supposed to hold you until ESSUG security can get down here and mail you, express, back to Equestria. No telling what's gonna happen there." The three security ponies closed in on Rainbow Dash. One of them, a unicorn, locked cuffs around all her hooves, and another pair bound her wings in the most upright position.

"Shit, let me out of this! I'm not a thug! I'm Rainbow Dash!" She protested, while the guards shoved her out of the room.

Tough Love waved her off, grinning darkly. "Yeah yeah. Say hi to your stripey friends for me!" Macintosh was about to follow, before the door was suddenly replaced with a thick metal barrier, slamming down in front of him. "Ah good. We're all alone now." Tough Love said, in a calm, sultry voice. Macintosh turned to glare at her. "Upupup! Before you try anything..." She tapped her touch screen again, and a circular device dropped from the ceiling. It clamped itself around Macintosh's neck, and just as he brought his hooves up to try and pry it away, he felt a stinging feeling on the right side of his neck.

Mac came to only a couple seconds later. He found he was lying on the floor, feeling exhausted and nauseous. His limbs wouldn’t move, but he could still feel them. The collar was tight around his neck, and Tough Love was smiling over him. She held his head in her lap, and was brushing his mane slowly with a garishly pink hairbrush. Macintosh could see from her the strange sparkle in her eyes as she looked down at him. "I always get whatever I want, Big Macintosh," she cooed, "and right now, you can guess what I want. So tell me..." She put a hoof to his chest to stop his weak struggling. "Do you work out?”

———

Zuri waited in between her two companions, watching two of the guards converse openly. They must think we are too dim to understand them. Oh, the things I could learn from ponies like this... She smiled to herself, not taking her eyes off of them. Then, a hoof pulled on her shoulder, and she turned to find herself face to face with Moondancer. “Come with me, quickly!” The unicorn pushed Zuri alongside Druva and Uzul into another train car, this one further back, and hid them under a breathable tarp in amongst several crates smelling of yeast.

“Rainbow Dash’s com signal just disappeared.” Moondancer informed them, as she undid their hoof-cuffs. “The only place in Rock-Pile that doesn’t have com system coverage is the prison hold, underground. She must have been arrested.”

“Why? Did she kill something?” Druva asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I don’t have any idea. She went into the Supervisor’s office and then her com vanished. She might have just turned it off, but I really doubt she’d be dumb enough not to warn anypony first.”

“What about the big red one?” Zuri asked.

“He’s still in the Supervisor’s office. His com is just a tiny earpiece, not part of a bodysuit, like Rainbow’s is, so I don’t know if he’s still alive.”

“Well, what do we do?” Uzul asked. “We can’t just leave them there, we’re trapped!”

“Well, what else? We have to find some way of getting her and Mac back. Without dying, of course.” Moondancer shrugged, “if you’ve got an idea for how to do that, then please let me know soon, because I don’t.”

Druva checked her bandolier. “I’ve still got plenty of things to drop. How well would smokescreen do against one of those ponies with the shiny eyes?”

“What, the Cyberguards? Everything’s enhanced with them, I don’t know what they can’t see through. They can hear better, move faster, hit harder… The worst part is you can’t even tell what weapons they have until the bullets are already flying, or in some cases, balls of plasma.”

“Then I’m guessing heavy drugs wouldn’t work either?” Druva asked.

“Oh no, these guys get more junk in their systems than most druggies. Or at least, the ones I’ve met do. I know a couple connections right here in the Rock Pile who can get a fix for you.”

“I was thinking of something a bit more… eruptive.” Druva said, grinning as she held up a bottle filled with a cloudy blue liquid.

“Well, what does it do?” Moondancer asked curiously.

“You’ll see.” Druva said, as she peaked out from under the tarp. “And if it has no effect, doesn’t matter. It ignites if it gets too hot, so some weaponfire will set it right off.”

“Well, okay, just don’t kill us with this stuff.” Moondancer cautioned her.

Druva spied the two guards from before, and loosened the bottle’s cork. She flung it towards them, and it bounced on the ground two times before it rolled to their hooves. One guard looked down, and prodded it. The cork had come off on the second bounce, and the blue liquid was now leaking out on the ground.

Zuri peaked out as well, watching as the two guards inhaled the fumes the liquid gave off, and then stared at each other. There were several seconds where she feared that indeed nothing had happened, before she noticed Druva holding a hoof over her nose. She imitated the action, just in time as the liquid began to evaporate, and the two guards breathed deep. One of them wretched off to the side, coughing and gagging. The other guard vomited blue goo all over the floor, his legs buckling as he landed in the mess.

Zuri had to turn away because it was so disgusting, while Druva let out a triumphant cry, still with a hoof over her nose. “Don’t inhale it! It makes you—do exactly what they’re doing. For some time.”

The sound of gagging and groaning was easily audible, and as more guards came to see what the matter was, they too devolved from alarmed curses to vomiting as they came within the vicinity of the dangerous vapors. Zuri couldn’t think of a more stomach-churning way to get the guards incapacitated, but was thankful that it was so effective. The next time she looked out, there were twelve cyberguards all piled up, splattered with blue liquids Zuri didn’t need to guess the origin of, hardly moving. Maybe they’d drowned in their own spew? She decided it wasn’t worth thinking about, as she lead the way to another train car before the smell of regurgitating ponies became too strong.

“That was kind of awesome.” Moondancer said to Druva, as soon as the door shut behind them. “Gross, but still awesome.”

“What can I say?” Druva imitated a prideful smirk. “I excel in making ponies puke. It’s what got me this far from Paradise in the first place.”

“That was the same brew you used on that filly?” Uzul looked surprised. “It couldn't have just affected her.”

“Oh, it didn’t. The two guards she brought with her had blue lining all around their mouths.” Druva giggled. “That’s what you get when you mess with an alchemist: A sore stomach!”

“Well maybe we can get back to the problem at hand,” Moondancer refocused them. “That only takes care of so many of the guards. The train platform’s probably free of them now, but down in the prison block? There’s more than just ponies around there. What can your puking-pastel-batter do against automated turrets?” She looked at Druva expectantly.

“Machines? Melose, I don’t think I have anything that’ll help…” She examined the contents of her bandolier again. “Ungorgus, Duaze, Simoge, Feruvuur… Oh, wait! They aren’t fireproof, are they?”

“Never tried throwing a molotov at them, so, no idea.”

“I don’t have any idea what a molotov is, but I’ve got Feruvuur!” She held up a pair of bottles with yellow contents.

“Wildfire bombs?” Uzul asked. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Throwing those at someone may also get yourself killed.”

“Oh relax, Uzul.” Druva reassured him. “I’m the Non-ni here. I know how to handle this stuff!”

Zuri was unconvinced. “The Dunnur told me the Non-ni only brewed the Feruvuur. It was given to the Gau-Aer and the Mansa to use.”

“Sh!” Druva put a hoof to her lips. “I’m trying to sound useful!”

Moondancer cracked a smile. “You just made a pack of guards puke blue stuff all over each other. That’s pretty damn useful in my book.”

“Sawtooth, come in. Sawtooth, answer your com, dammit! Where are you?” A shrill voice sounded over the Rock-Pile intercom, which was also hooked into the train while it was stopped there. “Listen to me, you overpaid metalhead, I’m not waiting around for you to decide I’m important! I am your freaking boss, and I can get you thrown into the recycler if you don’t come here RIGHT NOW!”

“Sheesh.” Moondancer rolled her eyes. “She sounds pissed. I think that might be the supervisor. If Big Macintosh had a talk with her, it obviously wasn’t very successful.”

“Well, do we try and get to him first, or Rainbow Dash?” Uzul asked anxiously. “They can’t be–”

“Attention all security personnel. This is Tough Love. We’ve got a pack of forty nine crazed gunponies and three escaped zebras in Rock-Pile. Shoot to kill if stunners don’t work. Get these worms and throw them in with Rainbow Dash, and I’ll give you all a thirty-percent raise.” An alarm sounded after this announcement was finished, and already Zuri could hear shouting and a group running towards them in the distance. She realized with great alarm that it was much closer much sooner than she would have thought. She grew tense, and prepared for a fight.

Relief flooded her thoughts when she discovered it was actually the Rainbow Riders barging through one of the doors, and coming to a stop where Zuri, Druva, Uzul and Moondancer were. A stallion at the head of the band came up to Moondancer, and spoke “Rainbow’s been arrested, hasn’t she?”

“Yep. And we’ve got no conductor.”

“Well, shit. Who’s making the decisions?”

“Technically, me and Thunderlane,” she looked over at the dark grey pegasus, who walked over to join her. “But I’m currently deferring to these three for most of our battle tactics.” She pointed at Druva, Uzul, and Zuri.

“What?” Thunderlane barked. “Why? Aren’t they the reason we’re stuck here?”

“Well, yes; we got you this train.” Druva smiled at him.

“I wasn’t asking you!” Thunderlane shot back. “Moon, we’re the ones with the guns. Let’s make a break for it, try and get to Rainbow Dash–”

“Oh please. You really think you could mount a rescue mission for Rainbow Dash and not pussy out halfway through?” Moondancer said, laughing harshly. “You don’t even like her. Uzul here is a sharpshooter and he like likes her.”

“It hardly being a secret and all,” a bashful Uzul said.

“And furthermore, from what I’ve seen, Druva is a fantastic specialist to have at hoof and Zuri is way more formidable in an enclosed space than any of you are. Tell me I’m wrong.”

“You’re wrong! That zebra nag trembles whenever she sees guns. You see me shaking?”

Zuri scowled at him. “I can trance. If I go alone, and if I kill everything, I can trance. No gun can do what I can.”

“Then maybe you could go after Big Macintosh,” Uzul offered. “He’s closer. Going alone would be less dangerous because, most likely, there’s less security detail between him and us.”

“Actually that’s wrong,” Moondancer corrected him. “If they’re smart, there’ll be plenty of security between him and us. That is, if the Supervisor had it that way, which I have to assume she does, seeing as it’s her office.”

“Tough Love, eh?” Gustav poked his head out of the crowd. Being a gryphon, this was not difficult for him to do, Zuri mused. “That was the name she said, oui? I’ve prepared desserts for her parties before. She’s Filthy Rich’s first daughter.”

“He has more?” Thunderlane groaned. “Luna, and I thought this girl sounded prissy. I can’t wait to meet the rest of them.”

“Oh, plenty more. The stallion is productive, certainly.” Gustav twisted and toyed with his mustache slowly, thoughtfully. “I can guess she’s got your red friend all tied up in lace or something. She struck me as being, well, not too subtle about wrangling up a colt, but she was being groomed to take over the family business. Seeing as he’s almost as big as the train he drives, if she’s able to take him down, well, we have trouble.”

“And more is coming.” Zuri said darkly. “I’ve had just about enough of Ponies getting in the way.”

“Hey, you might as well get used to it, but you shouldn’t take it from a pony like Filthy Rich, or his stupid kids.” Moondancer said. “If you’ll go after Macintosh, I’ll go with you, weaponized.” Why? Was the question Zuri had in her mind to ask, but before she could, Moondancer explained, “it would suck if Tough Love got him all to herself.”

“Interesting reasoning.” Druva commented, frowning at Moondancer. Zuri didn’t understand exactly why, though she had a few guesses. Did Druva want a chance at the big stallion? Again, why? He was big and strong and kindly, certainly, but he was a pony. Not exactly the best choice for a partner, Zuri thought, and she was pretty fed up with most males trying to get at her own hind-quarters anyway. Maybe Druva was more lax about it, seeing as she was a mere Non-ni class and not Oun-drii. She shut off that harmful thinking right away. Zuri knew she shouldn’t think less of Druva just because of a difference in her caste placement. What led to so much conflict in Zebric history was originally petty class-feuds.

“What weapon were you thinking of?” Zuri asked Moondancer, who put a hoof to her chin in thought.

“Something fast-firing, but accurate enough that I won’t hit you when you dive in to settle things with your hooves. Maybe… a riveter.” She nodded her head at one mercenary, who disappeared for a moment before returning with a saddle-mounted cannon, only this one had ten small barrels in a tight circle. “It goes straight through a body, but it tumbles and tears through any cybernetic implant available.”

“Useful.” Uzul commented, saw Zuri nervously eyeing the weapon, continued with; “but only so far as guns go.”

“See what I mean?” Thunderlane persisted. “Look at that look on her face.”

“Look at the look on your own stupid face, Thunderlane, and shut up!” Moondancer snapped. “Celestia above, Rainbow’s right. You should learn when to keep your mouth shut.”

“If you come with me, I will not Trance.” Zuri stated simply. “I will not go against my Elder’s wishes.”

“You’ve already shown you don’t need that Trancing stuff to be dangerous.” Moondancer said. “If you really need to, I’ll cover my eyes or something. It’s not that hard.”

“I’ll go with Uzul to help Rainbow Dash.” Druva said begrudgingly. Zuri could tell she still wanted to go after Macintosh, and apparently getting in his good graces via rescuing him would tip the odds in her favor, rather than Moondancer’s. But still… Since when did we get into competing over a male? Druva’s acting so strangely…

“Fine.” Zuri said, nodded to Moondancer. “I only need a little backup anyway.”

“This is a mistake.” Thunderlane shook his head. “This is a big mistake, Moondancer! We can’t trust them.”

“Apparently so was Rainbow not putting a muzzle on you,” Moondancer shot back. “We don’t have time to discuss this. I’m surprised we haven’t been attacked alread–”

CRACKOW

On cue, bullets began flying at the right side of the train. Someone shouted to duck, which Zuri didn’t need to be told twice. She held her hooves over her head, as little convex bulges formed all over the train wall. One window was shattered, and the projectiles flew right over their heads. She felt Moondancer prodding her side, and looked at the unicorn. She mouthed the words, “follow me,” and took Zuri over to one of the opposite train doors. It opened automatically, and they crawled into the next traincar.

“Shoot, come on, shoot back!” Thunderlane yelled, already cocking his own weapon before he stood up, and aimed through the broken window. When he flexed his wings, it fired the twin cannons on his back. His aim, Zuri noticed before the door shut, wasn’t particularly good, but the spread scored him several hits. Uzul stood next to him, taking more careful aim, and firing his arc bow slowly, but with efficient use of every shot. Zuri didn’t see if anyone else began firing before the door closed, but she did remember to hold a hoof over her nose as they crawled towards the pile of still incapacitated cyberguards. Moondancer wretched a few times, but the most that came was blue phlegm.

They opened the door leading out of the train, and hid behind it as it shut. “I don’t think they saw us moving.” Moondancer said over the loud, constant reports of weapon fire. “We’ve got to hurry before they do!”

Zuri took the lead, creeping along with her cloak tightly bound around her middle, so it restricted movement of her limbs as little as possible. They reached the door that Moondancer pointed out, and passed through. As the unicorn had predicted, there was indeed heavy security on the other side. Rainbow Dash and Macintosh must have passed through it without a hitch. Zuri and Moondancer, on the other hoof, would have trouble.

Twin automated turrets beeped at them from either side of the hall, and moved their barrels into position. Zuri ducked, while Moondancer fired a four-shot burst. The riveter made little noise, without the pop of a combustion weapon or the crack of an energy weapon. Red-hot pins flew through the air, and landed in the body of the left turret, melting the metal and bending the machinery inside. It was unable to turn, but the firing mechanism still worked. Slugs came flying back at them from two directions. Zuri took refuge in a crevice leading to another door, with Moondancer right behind her. The unicorn fired blind, aiming the riveter around the corner in hopes of it hitting something. Sure enough, after a few more bursts of pins, the right turret’s slugs stopped coming. So did the left, but Zuri poking her head around the side discovered that it was conserving ammunition by not firing through a wall. She dove to the other side of the hall, taking the turret’s attention with her. Moondancer took her cue and fired again at the Turret’s exposed barrel, bending and breaking it. It didn’t stop the firing, but the turret turned to focus on the bigger threat. Zuri was able to skirt around it, behind it’s field of vision, and began pushing against the side of it. It tipped over quite easily, having dropped from a compartment in the ceiling rather than having risen out of the ground. It tried to turn around to fire at Zuri, but the Zebra was faster than the motor, and put her hooves down on what of the barrel that wasn’t shot off. As the motor strained to turn the chassis, it burned itself out, and smoke began to rise from the dead machine.

“Well, wasn’t that easy?” Moondancer panted, before going wide in the eyes, and she pointed to Zuri’s side. “You’re hit.”

Zuri turned to see that a shot had grazed her left side, leaving a red gash that, now with dwindling adrenaline, burned like crazy. “Melose…!” She growled, holding a hindleg to her side. “Do you have any bandages or anything?”

“They’re probably being used for the ponies back in the train, if they’re still there.” Moondancer answered, shrugging. “I can go hide in a corner, if you have some sorta trancing thing that’ll heal that.”

“I do, but…” Zuri frowned at her. “I don’t trust you enough for that. It’s not bleeding. I can take it…” She grit her teeth. I hope I can. Let’s get this over with quick. Druva, Uzul, don’t die.

———

Chrys was huddled inside her box, listening to the shouting and loud cracks the weapons gave off. Why did she agree to go back in the box? A stray bullet would easily hit her here; she had no room to dodge. The young Changeling had tried pushing against the roof of the crate she was housed in, but Macintosh had nailed it shut, to make sure it was convincing. He had promised her she would come out of the box. He had promised he’d come to check on her in a little while. He seemed the nicest one to speak to her in a while, like some sort of big brother.

Macintosh, however, had not come back. Neither had anyone in his stead. Had they forgotten about her? Or were they ignoring her intentionally, hoping that she would get shot in the ensuing chaos? The changeling was so scared she wanted to cry. All her life she had been stuck in a box, waiting for the next bit of food so she could continue living her miserable life. Now, surely, she was going to die. She thought that especially, when bullets did start flying at her. Holes appeared throughout the crate’s wall, peppering her with sawdust and splinters. She screamed, and hid her head under her holed hooves, waiting for the stray shot that would claim her life. But it didn’t seem to be one stray shot. A ball of force suddenly picked up the box, and threw it against the opposite train wall. Chrys shrieked, as she was suddenly falling towards the wall, then she was upside down, then right-side up, and then upside down again. The crate’s walls collapsed on top of the trembling changeling, and it took her several seconds to realize that she was no longer trapped inside of it. She took her hooves away from her face, and looked around. Light was everywhere. It wasn’t dark, like when she first came out of the box. Was this daytime? No. There was no sky, but a grey ceiling. She wasn’t dead, then, but free of her wooden confinement.

Standing up on shaky legs, she realized bullets were no longer flying at her. Sure, there was a big hole in the wall, presumably where that ball of force came from. It seemed there was a standstill. Was one side wholly dead? Or were they just out of bullets? There was no angry shouting, no terrifying scream of, “Kill the changeling!” She crept towards the door to the next train car, and peaked through the window. There were the mercenaries, tending to their wounded, loading their weapons, and checking the situation with their superiors, the zebras. Wait, the zebras? Chrys took a step back, as the door before her slid open, and she fluttered over a group of wounded ponies lying on the deck. That black pegasus was talking to Uzul and Druva.

“Okay, we must have got them on the run. I’ve never known cyberguards to ceasefire this long without gloating. How many are wounded?”

“Ten, but two more are dead.” Reported the apparent field medic.

“Melose. That leaves thirty nine of us.” Uzul said.

“Uh, forty, actually,” Druva said, and pointed at Chrys. “If you count her, that is.”

“Her?” Thunderlane turned to glower at Chrys, who shrank back. “What are you doing out of your box, bug?”

“I-it broke,” The changeling said meekly. “Some gun threw it against the wall and it broke.”

“Well great.” Thunderlane said, slapping his forehead with a hoof. “One more meat shield plus Gustav.”

“What if she could help?” Uzul asked, still looking at Chrys. “What can you do, besides change into things?”

“I can—mess with emotions. And I know a few spells.” Spells she had been taught by those ponies. The ponies who wanted her to do… something. They never told her anything, just said how she was a tool.

“Oh come on!” Thunderlane shouted, furious. “I’ll admit, you two are kinda-maybe-sort-of useful in a fight, but that? That thing?” He pointed a hoof at Chrys. “She’s more trouble than she’s worth!”

Uzul ignored him, and asked, “what can your spells do?”

“Break things.” Chrys said. “Ponies taught me how to… throw things around. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Demonstrate it.” Uzul said, pointed at a crate. “On that.”

“O-okay…” Chrys stared at the crate, her horn emitting a green smoke, as she aimed it at the crate. The crate was lifted up, and as the changeling’s jagged horn sparked, the crate began to bend, and squeeze against itself. There was a moment of nothing happening, before the crate imploded, becoming a violent storm of little particles that Chrys threw at a window, disintegrating it.

“Sheesh. By the time we’re done here there won’t be a train.” Thunderlane muttered. “But without the bug or the stripeys here, things should run a little smoother.” He spoke to Uzul and Druva in an instructive tone, “You two, take the bug and Rock Polish. Go find Rainbow Dash.” He pointed at the mercenary he named, a tall off-white stallion equipped with two saddle-mounted cannons. “Get ready for another round, guys, we’re holding the fort!” Chrys followed Uzul and the selected group out a door, creeping along. While they did, the Arbiter continued to speak to the changeling.

“How often can you do that magic? And how useful is it?”

“The ponies called it swarming.” Chrys answered after a moment. “I’ve never had to stop doing it because I got too tired. They made me practice on a bunch of metal statues.” That was something she had never really thought about. Why was she being taught? And for that matter, when had they taught her? She remembered learning it from the ponies in her captivity, but not exactly how or when. Then again, she had no way of telling time in any box she was put in.

———

Zuri ducked behind an alcove in the wall, as another barrage of plasma spheres flew past her, burning into the walls and the floor. Moondancer, in the same alcove, was firing back fast as she could at the overly equipped cyborg blocking their path. Between them, they had downed four guards, another turret, and this cyborg's partner, and in retaliation, this enhanced pony had pulled out all the stops. He was shouting something about sick and twisted friend-killers by the time Moondancer landed another shot.

"These idiots just don't quit." She said while reloading her riveter. "Could you distract him for a second longer? I know I can get him if my aim's steady."

"I know just what to do." Zuri said, grinning as she leapt out, and shouted, "how about you show me sick and twisted, if you can hit me?" As demonstrated multiple times before, the trancer was very light on her hooves, but the mocking smile was just an act. Just as she expected, the bolts of green and blue energy began flying in her general direction as she ran behind the cover of a door leading to a bunk room. Moondancer peaked around her corner and fired again. The red hot pins flew, a few melted by intercepting plasma bolts, but enough hit their mark to make a difference. The cyborg crumpled to the floor, the life knocked out of him by the sizzling metal rivets embedded into his head at multiple angles. The unicorn smiled and, reloading again, said, "and that's how it's done! I think we're homefree now, the Supervisor's door is right there."

Now with projectiles not flying at them, the zebra and the pony walked past the freshest corpse, and over to the door leading to the supervisor's office. They found a blue unicorn sitting there behind a desk, with his hooves raised up and an earnest expression on his face. "Tough Love is through the door to your left." He whispered, pointing at the supervisor's door. "I don't care if you kill her or just scare her. I'm not going to try and stop you."

"Are you cowardly?" Zuri asked, advancing towards him.

"Sick of the new regime, more like." He sighed, "she took my job and screwed over most honest workers here, and honestly I'd prefer her position over this one. In this one I'm paid to act pathetic towards the brat. Did I mention she also took my friend and an element of harmony hostage?"

"I see your reasoning." Moondancer nudged Zuri's side. "I believe him. Let's move." The mercenary walked to the supervisor's door, and found it locked. This she quickly solved by firing twelve rivets into the door handle, breaking the deadbolt in the process. I have an easier way of doing that, Zuri thought, if only...

"Aha!" Tough Love shouted from behind the door. "Open the door, slowly." Now alerted, Moondancer slowly pushed it open, and Zuri saw from behind her that Tough Love had Big Macintosh limp across her desk. His eyes were glazed over, and a strange metal collar was around his neck. "If you move a muscle towards me without my say, Mac's brain is as good as mud!"

"You're bluffing," Moondancer growled, "didn't you want him to be wrapped around your hoof and still alive?"

"I can do that. I'll just put his brain back together, the way I want it. It'll just cost me a few thousand more bits, so no big deal." She sneered, "and I'll turn him to putty in my hooves if you don't drop that gun and wait for my security to take you away. Better yet, keep your gun on, and I can say you tried to attack me when my guards come bursting in and end you."

"And what if we do attack you?" Zuri asked her with a scowl. "And get our hooves on the money needed to repair his brain? I'm more capable than you think."

"Mm, so you don't care about your fellow zebras, then?" Tough Love said, manipulating something on a touch screen. A display rose in front of her desk, and showed an image of Chrys, Uzul, Druva, and Rock Polish walking down the hallway of the cell block.

Oh no...

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

"Strange," Uzul muttered as he looked around, his arc bow at the ready. "I would have expected more guards, with better equipment."

"Maybe they're preparing for an ambush?" Druva suggested. "There might be more behind the corner."

"What if there aren't any more?" Chrys asked. "Is that really bad?"

"Well, no," Uzul shrugged, "it just doesn't feel–duck!" He said it just in time, as when they did duck, some shimmering object flew over them, and stopped just behind them.

"Well that isn't much of an ambush." Rock Polish chuckled. "Tough Love's getting out of touch—hey!" He shouted, as he was suddenly lifted off the ground by his hindlegs, like some giant claw was dangling him from them. Chrys watched as Uzul and Druva were levitated up the same way, and then she was. She tried controlling herself with her wings, but nothing happened. She then noticed multiple guards coming from both directions, aiming their weapons right at them.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

"Just an antigravity field." Tough Love said, walking around her desk and leaning on the side with Macintosh's head resting on it, petting his mane. "Your buddies'll be stuck floating around like that until I say. Which do you think would be a better death? Being shot before a firing line or being shot down like birds?"

Zuri watched the screen in dismay as Uzul and Druva flailed their hooves, trying to figure out what was going on. Moondancer scowled at Tough Love, her horn sparking.

"Don't you dare throw some spell at me!" Said the supervisor, hovering her hoof over macintosh's collar. "If I even see that horn of yours light up, your conductor is busto, and so are your zebra friends!"

"Well, you're in quite a tangle now, girl. Wonderful job!" Zuri could almost hear Dunnur's sarcastic praise in the background, like he sometimes did whenever she had mucked up trancing and he was in a teasing mood. "Let's review your work so far, eh? You've walked right into this room without a care for the layout, and now lying between you and your goal is yet another pony, threatening you with your fellow zebra floating above the ground and your hope for getting back home the fastest possible way is currently on the desk with a death-collar around his neck. Swell. No help is coming, and if they do come bursting in, your ride home's brain is goo. No resources, and let us not forget the promise you made to the premier elder regarding trancing, hm? Goodness, why did I ever let you graduate my classes? Have you learned nothing?"

"Don't just stand there, you brutes. Either surrender or give me the pleasure of cutting your friends in half." Tough Love snapped, grinning a sadistic grin.

"Ooo." Zuri's vision of Dunnur shook his head from the back of the room. "Sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one. Sad that you cannot anything about it."

Shut up, sir teacher, and let me prove myself. I'm thinking. Zuri had to think fast, or there wouldn't be much left to think over. No trancing, no fighting. She never said anything bad about talking. Oh, Tough Love, I've got you now...

"Why is this room so pink?" Zuri asked aloud.

"What?" Said Tough Love, looking from Moondancer to the zebra.

"What?" Said Moondancer, turning head to look at Zuri with a confused expression.

Zuri kept her eyes on Tough Love's, "this room is so garishly pink. Did you decide to color it this way? It seems very ugly and simple. Isn't your father supposed to be rich?"

"Hey, to hell what you think about what colors I like!" Tough Love snapped, folding her forelegs. "Daddy let me have full control over this dumb factory. I can paint the facility with polka-dots if I wanted to!"

"Your father gives you a bit too much freedom, I think." Zuri commented, grinning. "Why not a nice calm violet, maybe some sort of decoration?"

"Oh, like what, stripey? Shrunken heads and spooky masks?" Tough Love shot at her, holding her nose high.

"I was more thinking a mirror ball, some statuettes, and maybe painting some flowers on vines. Something besides this constant, painful pink. Don't you get enough of it when you look in the mirror, or do you not have one, so you have an excuse to leave that mane how it is?" Zuri may have been a sand trancer, but she was who her friends went to when they were managing their manes and tails for whatever reason. Being Oun-Drii, she had to learn both her trade and stay constant with trends regarding appearance, else her family may receive grief for not keeping their progeny up to date.

"I gotta ask, how does some dumb zebra figure she knows anything about hair care?" Tough love leaned over her desk, resting her chin in her hooves, which she rested on Big Macintosh. "Were you some stylist's slave before you got too brave for your own good?"

Zuri returned with a firm, "no. I stumbled upon ponies and their poorly kept manes just this week. Yours is the latest in a long line of ponies' manes I have critiqued." She found she rather liked how she said that last word. It had been one she'd struggled with translating, but it made her sound more sophisticated, she thought, and it had an effect on Tough Love. She obviously only expected Zuri to know words that had a smaller number of letters.

"And what makes your opinion so special? Because you got your mane to look so nice in this dry heat?" Tough Love tried to sound cruel and uncaring, but Zuri detected the slightest hint of resentment—resentment for what Zuri was suggesting. Wonderful that she takes appearance so seriously as to believe me.

"We zebra can keep our manes in pristine condition in this dry heat. Tis what we prefer, that or the humidity of the far marshes. Your dainty little hooves would probably just chafe when you set them down in the muck there." Tough Love didn't like that last part. Zuri could tell, because the pony was turning red in the cheeks. She continued, "You're rather sad, really. You hide behind all this technology. The collar on your prize's neck, the machine that removes the gravity from under my friend's hooves, makes me wonder why you do nothing with the magic you've been given. Oh, hold on, you're not one of these unicorns, like Moondancer is, are you?" That definitely struck a chord. Tough Love didn't like being a simple earth pony. "How sad. I've heard very demeaning things about earth ponies, as you call yourselves."

"Yeah, and I've heard worse about your whole race, zebra!" Tough Love shouted, with much more quavering in her voice. "I'm not the family-rutting striped oogla-boogla blue freak standing in this office!"

Oh-ho, so she knew how to urk someone too. I'll show you 'oogla-boogla'... "Indeed you are not. Instead, you're the pathetic and plain overcompensating child in this office."

"I'll make you eat those-what in the world..." Tough Love looked down at her screen, suddenly, and Zuri could see why when she looked at the display facing her again. There was a big black cloud, flying around Chrys.

———

"The hell is that thing doing?" One soldier yelled over the sound of rushing wind. "Shoot it!"

Bullets flew at Chrys from all directions, but none made contact. They were all eaten by the swarm she had summoned, turned into metal particles, adding to the size of the mass. Once the weapon fire had a break, she let loose, making sure to keep the swarm from expanding towards Uzul, Druva, or Rock Polish. There was screaming from the soldiers, as they were overwhelmed by the little black insects coming down upon them, like a plague of locusts. The gravity field lifted after the third guard fell, and Uzul, Druva and Rock Polish hit the floor ungracefully. Chrys, regaining control of her wings, fluttered down to land amongst the recovering rescue team.

"That was very well timed." Uzul breathed, wincing as he discovered a few bruises. "And very violent. I see there is little left of our foes."

"I wish I knew how I learned the spell," Chrys said, her horn's light diminishing as the remaining swarm dissipated to nothing. "I only remember using it. It isn't making me tired like I remember, though."

"Whatever it is, it sure is cool!" Druva put in, smiling encouragingly. "It's like some sort of insect-related trancing, isn't it, Uzul?"

Uzul got a sour look on his face. "While I feel that Chrys is a decent ally here, I think it improper to compare trancing to Chrys' swarm magic." While Uzul tried to make it sound as polite as possible, Chrys was still hurt by the root message: She was still an outsider. And of course she would be; she was a changeling, they were zebras. Speaking of which... Chrys took careful note of Druva's and Uzul's figures and mannerisms. It suddenly seemed very important, as they proceeded further down the hallway, towards another door, marked: "interrogation".

"Shh." Uzul said, stopping by the door, and putting an ear to it. After a few moments, his expression brightened. "Rainbow Dash is in there. She's arguing."

———

"No! No, dammit! Why the hell is that little bug there?" Tough Love screamed, banging her hooves against the screen. "Backup! Backup, why aren't you down there?" She stopped, and looked up at Zuri and Moondancer, snarling. "Don't think this is over—I still have your conductor. He's coming with me!" She hit another button, and her desk withdrew into a new doorway on the back wall, which shut directly afterward.

"Shit. Shoulda seen this coming." Moondancer paced towards the wall. "She's in a safe room. Probably lined with armor-walls."

"And I can still hear every word you say!" Tough Love taunted through the intercom. "I've already notified Paradise City with a distress signal. Maybe if you put your guns down now they'll shoot you in the head first, and not the legs!" She shut the com off with deliberate force.

"Now," Moondancer said, turning to frown at Zuri, "we're kind of totally screwed. ESSUG military occupies Paradise in bulk, for just such an occasion. They'll be coming through the windows, the ceiling, the walls, we may as well just stand right here and wait for the tactical nukes to fly through the windows."

"Needn't wait for that." Came the blue pony's voice, just before a blast door sealed off the first doors Zuri and Moondancer had passed through. He looked around at them, and nodded. "I already see more guards coming down the hall. We need time."

"Time for what? We can't do anything to Tough Love while she's in there," Moondancer said.

"I need time," he corrected, his hooves rapidly moving around his console. To circumvent the security programming and bring her out in the open. I got some of the technicians to help build a worm virus. I just have to set it loose on the right system."

Zuri had rarely felt so helpless. Trancing useless, fighting useless, and now her hope was placed in a blue colt who knew how to operate one of the pony devices Zuri couldn't even figure out how to turn on. The only thing to do was wait.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

"So where were you going with these mercenaries?" The interrogator's voice travelled through the door. Rainbow's came much more easily.

"Was coming to visit you guys. I heard you had great customer service here. Turns out: I was wrong."

"Well, sorry to disappoint, miss Dash, but we at ESSUG are more interested in why you're here rather than why you aren't comfortable. Try the hotel down the train line at Paradise. Warm food, cozy beds, cosy butlers AND maids, shady backdoor deals regarding protein packs, it's right up your alley."

"Sounds perfect!"

"We can get you moved there before we ship out, if you tell us what we want."

"Well, I would, believe me, but here's the thing; I'm the element of Loyalty, remember?"

"Hard to forget."

"Well I do hold loyalty to Equestria."

"Then why won't you tell us anything?"

"You didn't let me finish. I am loyal to Equestria, the princesses, my friends, and my crew. I am NOT loyal to ESSUG, for obvious reasons if you've actually read that file you're waving around."

"As a matter of fact I have, and I wanted to talk to you about your application to the interplanetary flotilla."

"Wait, what?"

"Seems to me there was an error on the returned application. Right here, the two boxes checked by the Equestrian admissions officer, whether or not it's approved? The officer might have checked the wrong box when he sent it into the system. So, we've deleted the check already put there."

"I see where this is going." Rainbow's voice was growing guarded and cold.

"Then I don't have to go to the trouble of explaining, now do I?"

"Okay, now we've got to get through this door." Uzul whispered.

"Stand back," Rock Polish warned, as he readied and aimed his cannons right at the door handle. "Screw trying to pick this: breeching!"

Two loud, resounding bangs filled the air, alongside smoke and light, as the door's lock was blasted into pieces. Uzul pushed the now-loose door open, and readied his arc bow.

"The hell was that noise?" The interrogator shouted, turning around in his seat at a table across from Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, seeing her rescue party enter with obvious ferocity, moved quickly, and jumped over the table, delivering a powerful buck to the side of the interrogator's head. He fell to the floor quickly, as Rainbow Dash held up her forehooves, which were locked together with cuffs.

"I couldn't be sure it wasn't a bad idea to do that until I knew reinforcements weren't just a few feet away." She said, flapping her wings in excitement. "Get these damn things off me. Tell me what's happening!"

"Macintosh was being held hostage, last time I checked." Uzul said, being the first one to run over to Rainbow and begin searching the unconscious ESSUG pony for a key. "Zuri and Moondancer went to get him. Druva, Rock Polish, Chrys and I came to get you."

"Thunderlane wanted all the 'freaks' out of the train, huh?" Rainbow asked with a frown, and Uzul nodded the affirmative. "Then why's Rock here?" She looked at the stallion, and he shrugged.

"He ordered it. He was the commanding officer present, after all. Isn't that what loyalty's about, or something?" Rainbow Dash only chuckled, and patted Uzul on the head.

"Good to see you at the head of the procession. Let's go give Zuri and Moon a helping hoof!"

———

"Alright, I think I've almost got it," the blue stallion announced, still working away at his touch screen. Zuri looked around, having been focused on the door and the sparks spitting from the center, drawing a line upwards.

"Better hurry. They're gonna break through any minute."

"The worm's through the system!" He shouted, running into Tough Love's office. "Get away from that door!"

Zuri didn't need to be told twice. She sped right on after him, and Moondancer after her. Moments after they had shut the door behind them, a loud crack signalled that the guards were through the door. There was a large amount of gun fire, before someone shouted, "clear!"

"We don't have much time! Why isn't the safe door open yet?" Moondancer asked hurriedly.

"Just give it a second, will you?" Copic snapped at her. "It'll work. I'm sure it'll work. Number Cruncher wouldn't play this kind of trick on me." They waited in silence, with Zuri having to listen to the steady series of instructions a security officer was giving her subordinates just behind the door. Sure enough, the safe room door did open, and to them was displayed Big Macintosh, standing before them. Tough Love didn't seem to be anywhere in sight.

"Mac, you're alright!" Moondancer said, a large amount of the edge out of her voice. She walked towards him, holding out a hoof. He batted it away, breathing steadily. "The hay? Mac, are you feeling alri-" Macintosh didn't let her finish her sentence, before he knocked her against the wall, and she slumped to the ground.

"Ha-HA!" Tough Love laughed through the intercom. "Didn't ya see that his collar was missing? He doesn't need it no more; it's finished rewriting him. Now he's completely devoted to me!" Zuri stared at Big Macintosh, and he stared back, not moving. His green eyes looked dulled, and glazed over. Tough Love didn't waste any more time. "Go on, Mac. Kill!"

"Yeb'm." He grunted, and began advancing towards Copic Pen.

"Yikes!" Copic yelped, as he narrowly dodged one of the stallion's big hooves, which left a dent in the wall. "Dammit, Mac. I knew you were a sucker for cute ones, but this is ridiculous!" Macintosh didn't respond to his words, simply swinging his hoof around and knocking Copic on the side of the head. He fell to the floor easily, groaning. The big red stallion raised a hoof, about to pound the blue unicorn in the chest.

Zuri took her opportunity, leaping up and delivering a swift kick to the side of Macintosh's own head. He grunted again, and swiveled to meet her, just as she retreated back to a corner of the saferoom. Big Macintosh pawed the ground, lowering his head. Zuri had the good sense to jump to the right as he came charging by, ramming directly into the wall. He seemed dazed for a moment, but recovering quickly. Zuri moved in on him again, striking him twice between the eyes, before he butted her back against a wall. She managed to dodge his next hoof, but not the one after that, receiving a withering blow to her stomach.

The trancer was unable to move for a couple of seconds, while Mac stood over her, ready to strike her again. She, however, recovered much faster than he did, and dove straight for his middle, headbutting him herself right in the chest. While it certainly didn't help the growing headache, Zuri was able to knock him back several feet, and he was dazed enough that he couldn't immediately respond. She used her time while, turning about and bucking him in the face twice. Finally, he fell to the floor, breathing slowly.

"Whaaat?" Tough Love screeched through the intercom. "AGAIN? What stops you!?"

Zuri couldn't think of anything decent to reply with, as she rested for a moment. Her stomach hurt, her chest was bruised, and her head wouldn't stop throbbing. Thankfully, however, she did not spontaneously fall asleep, which means she would be plenty awake when the guards burst in. Oh, great.