Our new Friends, Our new Enemies

by The Potato Guy

Chapter 17: More danger, more lessons

Rainbow Dash

“Hey, wake the hell up!”

Rainbow wasn’t sure when she fell asleep. She remembered seeing the Sun set into the distance while she and Navnløs rode their strange metal vehicle. She especially distinctly remembered asking about how the Sun set without a Princess. This seemed a question too much for the Human, who wouldn’t even reply without a condescending laugh until he realised Rainbow was actually being serious. After that, he simply dismissed Equestria as some sort of freak show, much to Rainbow’s dismay. Still, it was at least a small piece of information about this world that both the Sun and Moon were not controlled by any being of magic, and instead rose and set naturally.

Rainbow’s mind was honestly blown.

Perhaps this revelation proved to be too much for her, with so much going through her head that she had to just rest. That and the fact her day had mostly consisted of walking through wastelandand trying not to die, the latter of which she had lost count in the amount of encounters by now.

Regardless, the Sun, of which she still found freaky that it essentially had a mind of its own, was rising, shining a warm glow into her eyes. She begged for the chance to appreciate it, her early morning flying had been such a peaceful and amazing experience back home, but alas, her wings hardly worked here and the company, even just having any at all right now, was less than desirable.

Wonderbolt academy training was tough, especially the mornings. Having to wake up at such a precise time and be immediately ready for what the day through at her, that was a schedule that really made Rainbow miss her comfy bed and lazy lie ins. That was also a schedule she wished she was now in, not the one in which her muscles ached from the hard metal surface, and hurt even more with a solid hit from her charming Human company.

“Huh….Where are we?” tiredly asked Rainbow as she rose up to sit on her haunches, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

She gazed at her moving surroundings, initially forgetting it was she and the vehicle moving and not the land.

How far she travelled in her black out was unknown, all she knew was that the bleakness of depression of the Wasteland was behind her now, and thank Celestia for that. That infernal place, looking back, was even worse than she remembered. The contrast between an environment which actually could sustain life and that barren hellhole was massive, and for as long as she lived, Rainbow hoped never to return to the deathly wastes.

Her current environment though wasn’t too much of an improvement, but an improvement it was none the less and the contrast still was great.

Gentle rolling hills with small patches of trees surrounded her as she and Navnløs drove over the flattest part of the land, which was unfortunately, still a painfully bumpy ride.

In all honesty, Rainbow had suspected the rest of the Human’s world to be interesting somewhat, a little easier on the eyes. She had heard of the obviously terrible war that had befallen the land, but if this world was once anything like Equestria, than she could tell that violence had taken its toll. Even out of the Wasteland, nothing seemed….right.

Gone was the horrifying deathly look of the Wasteland, taking with it its poisoned and downright scary appearance with it, but it came a look of neglect, both in terms of nature management and the health of the land. As she noticed, influence of Civilisation had long gone, but the nature that took its place wasn’t refreshing like it was back home, it was as ill as the rest of the place.The land was life sustaining, but only just. Barrenness was common, and the blight that claimed the land was still quite desolated, and it saddened Rainbow. It meant, most likely, much of the Human world was like this, scarred and damaged beyond repair. Whatever the reasons behind their war, Rainbow wondered if they could have known the monstrosity and damage it would ensue, Rainbow suspected not. No being would voluntarily live here.

“I told you before you practically passed out like a weakling” Navnløs replied coldly, his usual self then.

Rainbow cast her mind back to just after their escape from the Skera. They were headed west, towards the place known as Salutis. She remembered that he mentioned something about fertile plains. Rainbow wondered when she would see such a thing.

“So, this is Salutis?” Rainbow asked as her eyes scanned the surrounding landscape, a deep sense of disappointment in her voice, as if anypony could blame her.

“If you want it to be.” Casually said Navnløs, who now received the attention of an annoyed Rainbow.

“Oh, so you lied to me huh? Again. Where really are we?” Rainbow now knew this Human to be a cheat, a deceptive monster in fact, and she wouldn’t put him lying about their destination, just for a bit of fun, above him.

“Ex-fucking-cuse me?” surprisingly replied Navnløs, quite shocked. “Listen you cyan freak, I didn’t lie about shit! What I meant was that you can’t go around thinking this world is all civilised with rules and clear boundaries for everything. This is Salutis if some guy from there says it is, and his gun is bigger than other guy’s gun, the guy who says this isn’t Salutis. People claim land all the time, and people spit on those claims all the time.”

Rainbow remained quiet on the matter, admitting defeat. Still, she began to understand somewhat. From what he said, Rainbow was beginning to see this world as an almost ancient Equestria, with no respect between various parties and factions. Collectives were against each other and drew lines on their maps as they saw fit.

“I’m a pony by the way, and my name is Rainbow Dash! Got it?” Rainbows remark was hollow in nature that much both knew. Merely one to say for the sake of it, when Navnløs had essentially just shut her down.

This was probably why Navnløs’s reaction was quite lacklustre, abandoned of any care.

“But if you must know, we are only in the frontier lands of Salutis, so still quite close to the Wasteland, and there’s a trading post not far from here. We go there, get supplies, and then carry on”.

Rainbow was pleasantly surprised at the Human’s expanded explanation, putting such a thing possibly down to the, albeit very small, improvement in relations.

“So now you can shut up and not ask anything else”.

Or not….

Of course his plan wasn’t Rainbows plan. His mentioned of a trading post, a possible Human outpost, a real place of Human inhabitation, not a twisted deformation like the Skera camp. If it was true, than Rainbow was about to see Human civilisation for the first time, or what was left of it at least. She was no Twilight, not a pony interested in documenting and discovering every little detail about the new species, but she was the first Pony to meet these Humans, that meant some responsibility for learning about them.

That and despite her less than fun encounters with Humanity so far, on a personal level, Rainbow couldn’t help but feel excited.

Geez, maybe I am an egghead.

She felt lucky that none of her friends were around to judge her on this fact, Navnløs knowing so little and caring so little about her that she needn’t worry about this enthusiasm. The only thing she did feel guilty about however was her current impatience to see such a sight. A maintained sense of control was needed, less she annoy Navnløs to the point of her seeming like some whiney filly, wanting everything to be her way.

Rainbow needed a way to pass the time, something productive and not too provocative.

“So, after we get food and stuff, then what?” Rainbow questioned, wishing to get a better grasp of what the plan was. Yes, she had asked this before, but now that supplies were closer than ever, perhaps now was the time to really decide.

“I told you this before” Navnløs spat back.

Unsatisfied with her answer, Rainbow pressed further.

“Yeah, I know, I’m not an idiot.” She replied condescendingly. “But we need to at least decide a place we can go right after”.

In honesty, Rainbow allowed herself a small sense of smugness of her initiative and future planning. She was more the Pony to just decide things at the time, but doing it this way for once, well it didn’t do much to lessen her ego.

“Do you ever fucking listen?!” Navnløs shouted back startling Rainbow a little. “I don’t care where I go next, as long as I get there, and the more words that come out of that hole you call your mouth, the more I’m willing to bet you’ll be finding yourself in some shitty puddle, alone and left to die.”

Navnløs returned the look of annoyance Rainbow currently gave him, only when he turned back to the front, no longer looking at her, did she feel the sense of disappointment and repeated shame for him. It was same old, same old. Navnløs being an arrogant, cruel jerk, to put it mildly. It was a feeling that only resurrected her own disgust for him, and for the crimes he had done.

Yet Rainbow still didn’t wish full confrontation, now at least. It was too early for such a thing, and no doubt arguments would occur later anyway. She remained in silence, judgment and annoyance keeping her company.

“Sulk all you want” Navnløs eventually said, breaking the continued silence. “You’re a lucky…thing, you know. Truth is, if you were alone, anywhere in this world, you’d be dead. Without me, you’d be nothing, left to die on yourself, or be discovered by someone worse than me”.

Navnløs spoke as if he had an inflated ego of his own, stating that it was only he keeping Rainbow alive. Not seeing the irony in all this ego related talk however, Rainbow fought back.

“Someone worse than you? Pfff, yeah right…” she dismissed, almost laughing at the fact that there was an individual who could inflict so much damage and cruelty to the masses than Navnløs. The Skera were bad sure, but they acted like savage animals mostly. Navnløs was cold, calculating and very aware of his evil.

Navnløs then proceeded to give a very loud and very genuine laugh. It instantly caught Rainbow attention as she noticed his legitimate disbelief of her remark.

“Every time I think you can’t be more stupid, that you can’t be more ignorant of this world. Looks like I’m wrong again.” Initially, Rainbow saw this as only a chance to insult her, to demean her.Quite surprisingly however, it wasn’t, and the brief silence that he spent thinking proved to be the moment in which his words went only used for bitterness and douchery.

“You clearly haven’t met some of the big guys around here, the ones with power and influence….some of the people I’ve met in fact.”

Wait what, is he actually about to tell me stuff about this place?

Rainbows attention, and hope, rose dramatically. Her ears turned so that every detail may be heard, and she ensured her remarks were kept quiet, so that she may not interrupt him.

“There are men around here that like to do worse things than me. To torture and kill just for fun, not for actual survival and useful long term gain. There are other Humans who like to torment fellow Humans to satisfy their sick desires. They will break another person mentally and physically, cause a similar degree of pain to their loved ones, all because they can in this lawless land…”

Gone then were Rainbow’s hopes for learning some real useful information. Ever since her venture into reading and the Daring Do books, she had appreciated the detail and varied stories of another world, even if that world may be fictional. She loved lore basically, but this was the lore of this land that she didn’t want to really know. Evil existed it seemed, and it was worse than she initially thought.

Navnløs then gave a quick look at her to gauge her reaction. He saw her to be nearly angry at her this world was, but he didn’t take this chance to mock. Granted, he took it as an opportunity to again be himself, to inflame his ego.

“I saved people from those types of freaks you know?” he said, a smug smile on his face as he turned back to driving.

Rainbow gave a low effort laugh, one of which Navnløs knew the meaning of.

“I’m not lying. In my long travels I’ve saved others for both my gain and theirs. Things that I can trade often are rewards, and I take them, in fact, I remember one time, to the mountains of the north, I saved this shit load of people from being in some death sport or whatever”.

Rainbow seriously doubted this, but he did say he did it for rewards. That was selfish, and when he would only do such a thing when a reward was available, when lives were at stake, that was another rack of loyalty to anything good that again annoyed her.

“Yeah, sure you did.” Rainbow said sarcastically, just wishing he wasn’t like this.

“Ask them, if they are still around. Probably not, world is dangerous for anyone not ready to do what it takes. But still, I said I’m not lying, and I’m not. They would have been picked off one by one, in some cruel hunt that meant their deaths would be some sort of challenge or test. I don’t know why that was happening to them, but they promised reward for me saving them, and so I did.”

This did seem like the usual Navnløs to Rainbow in fact, so she took the bait, she inquired further.

“What did you get, hero?” Her sarcastic and mock title she gave wasn’t lost on Navnløs, who seemed to care little for her tease, but he answered none the less.

“They told me the location of some pre-war tech stache, hidden in the mountains, and let me tell ya’, pre-war shit sells high, like very high. I got some good stuff for flogging that.”

At first, Rainbow had wondered on the meaning behind ‘pre-war tech’. What that included, she didn’t know. She would never get to ask in fact, not with her current distraction.

Gone was her sulking and disgusted feelings towards Navnløs, gone was any feeling towards him in fact, for in the distance, and rapidly approaching was something, and something Human made.

“Is that…?” Rainbow asked, eyes fixated.

“Yep, the trading post, and not a moment too soon. The fuel in this thing is basically dry and this point. You’re lucky I saw some decrepit sign on the way, while you slept.” Navnløs had clearly meant to suggest all thanks should be directed towards him. Rainbow neither did so nor cared for such a remark, now she could now finally see a true Human location.

The first thing she noticed was that it was obviously fortified, and with what she had seen so far. Rainbow wasn’t surprised.

A high wooden wall seemed to surround the village sized outpost. The tops of Human heads poked above the large palisades as they kept a wary eye on the great beyond, careful to protect their small pocket of civilisation free of the chaos that surrounded it. The wall, unfortunately for Rainbow, blocked all view of what was inside, ensuring the only real things she could see was a primitive looking gatehouse, whose gate was indeed shut, and a small hut like buildings just near the outer reaches of the wall.

Quite fascinatingly, Humans ventured in and out of this buildings, cups in hand, curiously, a few of these Humans didn’t seem quite….normal, Rainbow wasn’t really sure how to describe them. They just seemed a little off.

“What’s that place there?” Rainbow asked, her attention now fully online and her eyes scanning around at all this new discoveries. Truthfully, she felt quite the pioneer being here.

Navnløs seemed to snigger at Rainbows genuine question, something that the curious young Pony seemed confused at. His laugh suggested he knew something she didn’t.

“A place where miseries, minds and bodies may be totally disabled”.

Rainbow didn’t understand. What was happening in there to make them like this? What where they doing to themselves?

“Huh? Why would they wana do that?” her innocence was obvious, easily picked up by Navnløs, who simply laughed again, much at her expense.

“You really don’t have a fucking clue, do you?” he asked, leaving a bewildered Rainbow wondering if she had missed something obvious. If he had, she never got the chance to find out. The metal vehicle suddenly stopped, the rumble of its strange workings now silent, leaving Navnløs just turning to look at her.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is no, you aint going through those gates”.

Initially, Rainbow only stared, mouth agape and eyes wide. For some odd reason, she didn’t really follow Navnløs’s meaning at first, but its message quickly became clear to her, and only s shake of the head brought her back to this world of disbelief.

“Wait that?!” she exclaimed, pure shock overcoming her. “Nuh uh! I actually want to see what it is like in there.”

This wasn’t a question to Rainbow. She had not been given a choice to stay her or go inside. There was one true answer, and it was one currently, and cruelly, withheld from her. This was unacceptable.

“Use your head why don’t you? You’re a……whatever you are….”

Rainbow wasted no time in upholding a new principle of hers, to not sit back and accept Navnløs’s ignorance.

“A Pony. I’m a Pony, idiot.”

Predictably, Navnløs didn’t seem to care. Still, given enough time and persistence to upholding this principle, maybe she would gain ground on the issue.

“…Whatever. The point is the people in there aren’t as unlucky as me.They don’t have a displeasure of knowing you exist.”

Navnløs obviously knew he wasn’t being so diplomatic to Rainbow, and as she had concluded many times, didn’t care for it, but his point here was still valid, however uncomfortable it may be to here. The Humans there wouldn’t know what she was, and judging by the hostile, impulsive nature of her previous Human encounters, she wasn’t prepared to find out.

“The world is so screwed up, people’s minds are just equally so. I’m telling you now, there’s plenty of freaky shit out there, cults and stuff. The moment they see me with you in tow like so obedient pet, well they’ll probably proclaim me to be some demon or prophesised evil or whatever. I’d be lucky to only get the ol’ hung drawn and quartering….”

Rainbow didn’t know what that meant and didn’t press to find out, it was most likely as savage as the rest of this place.This meant reluctantly, she was going to have to stay put.

Not that Navnløs got that hint.

“…and I can’t even imagine what they’ll do to you. Probably some weirdo will want that obnoxiously off putting hair of yours, good thing too. Nothing says ‘shoot me here’ like that bright mess of colours”.

Now Rainbow knew he wasn’t just being helpful now. No useful information coming out his mouth anymore. Just torment.

“Yeah yeah alright! I hear you, I’ll stay! Geez!”

The Human narrowed his eyes as he silently stared at Rainbow, probably suspicious of her true intentions. Regardless however, he didn’t voice any concerns as he clambered out the crude metal vehicle.

“Now, stay here” He reiterated, his attention now focusing on other things.

“Wait, you’re just going to leave me here? What if another Human finds me?”Rainbow wasn’t scared, but being the foreigner she was in this strange land, a sense of overall control wasn’t present, and comfort while she was alone wasn’t something Rainbow knew would be found. Like it or not, Navnløs was the only thing in this world keeping her contained in her bubble of thinly skinned safety.

“What else do you think ‘stay here’ means?” His look now wasn’t merely of a triumphant insult, but a genuine disbelief at Rainbows point. Rainbow quickly understood this meaning as she regretted her choice of words. She wasn’t that dumb of course, but this was now a situation she has left to salvage. For whatever reason, the sense of disappointment that Rainbow had now caused and the mistaken belief in Navnløs she had instated, it saddened her somewhat, just as if she had disappointed someone who actually mattered to her.

“Aren’t you worried somepony might try and steal this thing, or whatever? It’s not exactly hidden”. Rainbow asked, looking at their relative openness. Given the continued barrenness of the place, the vehicle stuck out somewhat. The only real cover they had was the fact it, and them, were currently stationed between rocky hills, creating a natural tunnel like choke point between the high points. The vehicle, although quietly nestled beside the rocks, was in view the outer lot of buildings, and its recluse position was more suspicious than anything.

“There no fuel left, so they won’t get far in it.” Navnløs’s answer was confident and short, a sign that to him, this conversation was ended. On the contrary however, risk of discovery, and the potential threat that came from that, as detailed by Navnløs, was still very real to Rainbow.

“But what if they find me? I don’t exactly have many places to hide you know?”

Rainbow felt weak just asking such a question. Navnløs’s look of agitation only further such a thing. No longer was she just some tag along, now she was being foal sat. Shameful was not a word Rainbow thought she could become familiar with.

“I don’t know alright! Kick them in the head or something, just do something on your own. I won’t be with you forever hopefully!”

Bitter words turned into a bitter taste in Rainbow’s mouth. It was true, she was a liability here. Her wings hardly worked, she had literally no knowledge of this place at all, and she had required Navnløs to save and look after practically all the time since they met. Deep down, she knew she needed to make a good impression to Navnløs, to, even if she couldn’t yet fully admit it, impress him, but yet, she had so far strived as far as she could from this goal.

Rainbow really couldn’t blame the Human as he walked off towards the guarded gate, not a parting word for her.She was usually so good at everything, ensuring she could be the best of the best. Even then, whenever she made a mistake, whenever she could say she failed in something, she would use that as a slingshot to regain the lime light. Failure was a harsh teacher, but a teacher none the less. In the past, she learned from her mistakes and became stronger for it. The question now was simple.

Why wasn’t she now?

The truth was she wasn’t really herself, ever since she got her. Whatever it was the sent her here, it had left a part of herself back in Equestria. Her true self, the parts which she was so proud of, and the parts that had helped her become a success back home. Now, she was only a stubborn young alien species, in a world not meant to leave her alive.

For the first time, not only was she alone in this world. But she was alone in spirt also. It was just her, no friends to care for her, to egg her on. She was a disgrace, and even if it had been delayed with her “rescue” of Navnløs, she knew as well as he did that soon he would just declare her not worth his while anymore, and leave her to die in a place where her life and friends would never touch her again.

Everything she had accomplished. The life she had built. The friendships and bonds she had created and fought for. All would be for nothing. A passing memory, as far from her as anything could be. Right now, it was only those memories of home that remained. Until she stepped back into Equestria proper, every bit of her life back home were just that, memories.

Still, memories they might be, but memories she could be proud of. Rainbow steeled herself to continue remembering them, never to lose them as long as she lived, but now, they had to be put aside. Life was here now, and she needed to not only survive, but thrive, as she did back in Equestria.

No longer would she be a liability, a useless weight to drag Navnløs down, and no longer would she be such a passive being, whose only point of interest was the pact she was a Pony in a world of Humans. She was so much more than that. Just like she had concluded that Navnløs, for all his faults, wasn’t something to be totally left behind, so she also concluded that herself, her real self, that too wasn’t a thing to be left behind.

Loyalty, to herself and others. That was the most important thing. Navnløs had shown excellent loyalty to himself, and as such, he had survived and thrived in this cruel world. He was unstoppable, always able to get what he wanted. Yet his lack of loyalty to others, and everything good that came with that, it left him a dark husk of an individual, a destructive force that always ensured the world was left worse than it was earlier. IF Rainbow was only loyal to herself, she may find herself to be better in this world, less of a drag, but it wouldn’t help others like she had done in Equestria. That would be a betrayal of everything she and her friends stood for. She needed to show loyalty to the wider picture also. In helping Navnløs be such a danger to everything, and even if it was only in a small amount, to help this poor world become less deformed.

Standing up in the vehicle, Rainbow found herself installed with a new found confidence.Sure, her body was weak here, as was the extent of her knowledge, but it wouldn’t stop her trying and by Celestia, it wouldn’t stop her failing. She would perhaps indeed become more familiar with such a thing here, it came with being in a literal alien world, but as she had done many times before, she would rise up, stronger and better for it.

No longer willing to sit by and let her battles be fought for her, no longer able to sit by and be dead weight, Rainbow Dash stood up, and jumped out the metal vehicle. Cautious to not be noticed, Rainbow quickly slid around the back.

The plan, to get inside the trading post.

The reason, to survive.

Navnløs had mentioned that supplies were limited, and however economics were like here, Rainbow knew at least he wouldn’t get stuff for free, she needed something to trade at least. Thanks to the Skera, who had stripped them of all but the clothes on Navnløs’s body, anything worthy of trade was most likely taken.

Rainbow didn’t doubt Navnløs. He was admittedly, an expert here. However, his best here may not be enough. His best may not get them the supplies they needed. What’s more, Rainbow knew him. If he could only get enough supplies for him, he would. Navnløs wouldn’t go the extra mile for Rainbow Dash, and in all honesty, she wouldn’t blame him.

Rainbow needed to help, and not by trading things she never owned. She was small and agile, and she could use that to her advantage.

Perhaps it was exposure to this world and it was claiming her, or perhaps it was a new found confidence to help by herself and Navnløs, but she had to be sneaky about this. She had to steal.

She felt bad about it of course. She was no thief, but desperate times called for desperate measures and failing to do so may just leave her in the same hole she had been here ever since she arrived in this world. Helping Navnløs may earn his respect, and actually bring out the Human inside him that wasn’t selfish and loyal only to himself. It may take time, but earning his respect may allow her to get close and retrieve that better Navnløs.

Using rocks as cover, she slowly moved closer to the wall. It was high, about fifteen feet tall. Seemingly made of tree trunks, not that Rainbow had seen any living trees in this dead world.

Rainbow played this act cleverly. Watching the heads of the Human guards atop the walls, she waited until each continued his patrol before making her advance. Further and further she advanced, until she reached the roots of the wall, and possibly directly under the guards.

Rainbow could no longer see any Human, such was her immediate presence with the wall. Hugging it practically, the next stage of her plan was needed now, and desperately so. Cover existed no longer, and if any Human ventured just outside the walls, she would be discovered.

Only one option remained. One in which, in any other time, she would have resorted to instantly, and with good reason.

She had wings. She literally could fly.

Well, until she found herself here.

Last time she tried, Rainbow could manage but a little hover. Gravity seemed harsher here, but only when flying. It was an odd feeling, like she had been sent back to her Filly days. Her wings felt underdeveloped, reeking with an aching feeling.

That was then though. Any aches had seemed to have gone now, and this was a situation in which she really needed to try.

So now here she stood, ready for the inevitable collapse to the earth. Wings extended, flaring out, Rainbow crouched, hoping any push with her legs would be a welcome help.

In her head, she prepared, and initiated a count down.

3…

2…

1…

Into the air she went….and to the ground she fell once more.

“Ugh, seriously, what’s wrong with me?” Rainbow grumbled quietly to herself, so that she may not be heard by any unfriendly Human. Regardless, the frustration from her dysfunctional wings was increasing. Back home, it would be bad enough, the cruel removal of her most skilled ability was cruel, and that was still in a place where healing was readily available. Sure, the time and effort to take to rehabilitate was annoying, but it did at least always mean being whole again. The contrast was too sharp, too painful for Rainbow. Her Wings seemed well enough, no bones had been broken, but she simply couldn’t fly, and there was no pony available to fix that. Unless the ability to fly came back as fast as it was taken away, she was stuck like this, completely grounded. That was a lonely feeling, a feeling of a severe and claustrophobic limitation. To a born flyer such as her, she may as well be buried underground, such was her massive removal of movement.

Now lying on that hard dirty ground, Rainbow remained motionless, uncaring or perhaps ignorant to any presence of Humans. She felt rushes of defeatism, near depression of this accursed disability. The tempting offer of giving up was so close, within hooves reach even.

Rainbow was prepared this time. The offer was all too tempting, and even more so understandable. She was objectively less of a pony without functioning wings, but gone was the real possibility of giving up. She was a pony of action now, and she wasn’t allowed so flimsy wall about to stop her.

Still, she couldn’t exactly just climb a wall.

Yet the luck that followed wasn’t of the kind she wished she could have, her wings did not so suddenly fix themselves, but the quiet and motionless form that was her allowed something new to add to her fortune.

Just down from her positon, at another section of the wall, Rainbow heard movement. Human movement.

Panic initially set it as she prepared herself for discovery from one of the guards, but the movement came not from any guards, and nor was she noticed.

Remaining still as not to be seen, a couple of Human males, whose attire was not becoming of them at all, seemed to literally emerge from the ground, just under the wall.

Rainbow had to admit, at first she thought Humans to be incredibly resourceful and skilled in that they could burrow underground like a mole. Mentally slapping herself for such a stupid thought, Rainbow quickly realised that Humans seem to have quite the lack of natural bodily tools, save for those strange looking but seemingly useful hands. The Humans had indeed come from underground, but through the useful of a tool dug tunnel.

Rainbow studied these Humans carefully, additionally readying herself in case she was discovered. They seemed shifty, very suspicious like. They, like her, were acting quiet and hoping to be unseen, probably by the guards. They dirty and ripped clothing seem to suggest they weren’t any warriors, nor the ruling elite.

A crude sack that accounted itself on the back of one of the Humans was full of something, leading Rainbow to believe that while the precise motive of their actions was unknown, they were most likely going against the local law of the land, and maybe too stealing something.

Rainbow wasn’t going to ask. Not that she could anyway. The Humans seemed to scuttle away without any chance of further study. Wise really. If they were in the art of remaining unfound, getting out of here was the correct thing to do, not lay here like a couch potato.

Barring any further investigation of the Humans, Rainbow now had a new opportunity to gain entrance. Well disguised and competently hidden against the wall with camouflaged planks of wood was the tunnel.

Getting onto her hooves once more, Rainbow wasted no time approaching it.Lifting up the wooden flap, Rainbow examined the basic yet functional tunnel. It was just basically a dug out channel which seemed to lead to the other side of the wall. Remarkably, the tunnel seemed to exist with very little support, bar a few wooden posts propping up the weight of the ground above.

Momentarily listening in case it was occupied, Rainbow took her chance. Hoping and praying it was empty, she crawled in, happy at least it was built with a human in mind, allowing her much more space than the previous two users probably had.

Crawling, albeit quite uncomfortably, in the darkness, it didn’t take long until a crack of light shined through the black. Again covering each end of the tunnel was a flap of wooden planks to hide the whole thing. Lifting herself up to it. Rainbow pressed her ear to the wood. She was now seemingly inside the outpost, and if she though it was difficult remaining unseen on the outside, she was now prepping herself to be extra careful. Yet there was bustling of Human activity, another stroke of fortune Rainbow mentally thanked for. Slowly pushing the wooden hatch up, Rainbow was witness to a dimly lit wooden room, barely four foot wide. The “room” itself was empty, devoid of anything by natural light that shone through holes in the walls.

Pulling herself from the tunnel into the room, Rainbow discovered the wooden wall right in front of her was in fact to separate the tunnel from the rest of the building. A human sized gap was spotted, allowing Rainbow to move around, to again be witness to another room. This one however, was far bigger, and was obviously the majority of the building. It was relatively empty bar a few wooden boxes and old rusty tools. Whoever used this tunnel had made sure it was well hidden as when Rainbow looked back at the wall that separated both rooms, unless the building was well lit, no Human would ever notice the gap.

More importantly, she was now in. Rainbow slowly creaked open the shack door, seeing still little activity. She seemed to be comfortably tucked away in some extremely filthy alleyway. Crude wooden shacks lined the street, construction so poor that the overhanging structures seem to be almost tipping over. The ground was equally as shoddy. Puddles of Celestia knows what were everywhere, and the smell, the smell induced such a gagging sensation in Rainbows stomach, literally having to cover her mouth with a hoof.

This was obviously a shady part of town, a place where only undesirables probably lived.

A perfect place to hide a secret tunnel.

Occasionally A human passed down the street, in a state that perfectly complimented the street.It was a pitiful sight that saddened Rainbow. There was inequality in Equestria for sure, but not on this level. The Humans and their environment was just so bad, that it was a miracle life existed here, and Rainbow had thought that back in the Wasteland. It seemed no matter where she was in this world, there was no happiness or joy, no place to relax. It was just pain, hardship and reminders of what a ruined place these Humans lived in.

This clearly wasn’t Equestria. These weren’t Ponies. Rainbow knew that now, and judging by her time here, and the Human company she had been with, she knew she had to accept these Humans were not like Ponies, and not for the better, but to now realise even the more sophisticated civilisation of this world was just as bad, that was a hope sapping thought, and she just wished she could help somehow.

Alas, that was not her aim now, and even if it was, what could she do? Offer to be kind and assist? She would probably be attacked, judging by her previous experiences.

No pony was more heartbroken to do it than her, but she had fight back every urge her life back in Ponyville, her entire life in fact, had taught her. She had to leave the poor and needy, those in genuine trouble and those who needed very real help. She hadn’t forgotten that she came here for supplies, but still, given the chance, Rainbow was keenly aware that it wasn’t her, and certainly not for Navnløs, who truly deserved any life giving supplies.

The search for this crucial life saver was difficult.Dirty, trash filled excuses for streets let Rainbow Dash in a winding and confusing disorientation. From outside the walls, the encampment didn’t look that large, smaller than Ponyville that’s for sure, but inside, that was a totally different story. Absolutely zero planning had been taken in the construction of this place, bar that anything built had to be within the walls.It was a dark and stinky mess, a place of such tightness and poor regard to any safety and wellbeing meant that anytime Rainbow turned a corner to where the sun actually shined down on, it felt like emerging from a cave, leaving darkness and despair for a better place. Of course it was a shame that there didn’t seem to be any such reprieve in this place. The sun may be there, but it did nothing to lessen the depressing feeling this dwelling installed in Rainbow,

Yet despite the cramped and abominable layout of this shanty town, Rainbow was pleasantly surprised at the relative ease of remaining hidden to any Human eyes. Yes, it was dark, a small pony nestled within the narrow streets could easily avoid detection, but the surprising aspect was that, whenever she did see a Human, they seemed so distant from the world, so unaware of their surroundings, that even a firework show wouldn’t distract them. They just either carried on walking, carrying objects or performed daily activities with not an emotion in sight.

Their faces weren’t pale, but they did look like they had just seen a ghost. Perhaps living in a place like this, surviving in the world they lived in, simply wore these Humans down to such an extent , that they just became husks of beings, living to just survive until the next day. Most likely fun and joy was an alien concept to these people, and Rainbow never wished for Pinkie Pie to be here than now.

Then, after some more clueless wondering around, the grotty tunnel like streets opened up, revealing a bustling and large open space.

Gone was the ever looming shadows of the living quarters behind her, now only a wide market place, full of shouting Humans, desperate to sell their wares.

It was chaotic to say the least. Organisation seemed as far gone as hope in this world, but the contrast to any other place Rainbow had yet visited here was stark.

Literally, compared to anywhere else, this here was full of life. Humans interacting without violence. Commerce and trade replacing threats and mortal danger.Sure, even here it wasn’t exactly pleasant, at least when compared to Equestria.It was a wild, seemingly unlawful place. Rainbow spotted various bladed weapons kept close by many Humans. It was clear this was a comparative oasis in a desert of gloom and death, but alas, it was still something, and it was the first real time rainbow had seen a functioning Human society.

She felt giddy at this pioneering discovery.

What Twilight would do to be here now?

Of course Rainbow didn’t really wish for her friends to be here. Yes this was the first time a pony had seen what this strange species could accomplish, but there was no illusion in her mind that this would deserve any scientific observation. It was simply too dangerous. The Humans may emulate and perform similar aspects of society to Equestria, but unlike here, ponies didn’t do it for the selfish need of themselves. Nor do they destroy and kill others and their world to lead to a thing like this.

Humans were deadly, they had little to lose, and they had no friendship.

Pity and sorrow remerged in Rainbow’s heart. She didn’t think it too far beyond the capabilities of these individuals to be like Ponykind.She didn’t think it impossible to teach friendship and proper functionality to this place, even in the case of Navnløs Rainbow still saw some hope, but that was a dream far from the reality of today, and she was surely not going to get herself killed trying to bring forward such a desire.

More importantly, her hiding advantage was now about to disappear. There was no staying anonymous in the middle of this trading area, even with her size. Her mane alone would draw the eyes of every haggling and hungry Human in the vicinity.

Not that this would even matter should she not find any worthy supplies.

Primarily she needed clean water. That was the life blood of any world, especially in this barren world. The worst part about such a normally simple and easily obtainable thing was that, upon observation, fair trade wasn’t even a thing here. Everything was for sale, and everyone was to be taken advantage of. The amount of likely poor and starving Humans she saw was, quite honestly, disturbing and disgusting. What Rainbow believed was some sorry attempt at bread was seemingly being sold for some overpriced amount, judging on the amount of desperation and despair on the faces of these Humans.

Begging and pleading was something she kept seeing.Desperate Humans just wanting a bite to eat having to sell bags of items, stuff that even Rainbow knew wasn’t worthy some measly loaf of bread.The worst part of this parasitic society was when some poor Human didn’t have enough to trade. If they were lucky, they were just thrown aside by a brute of a guard, determined to waste anymore trading time with someone they probably saw as drain on this world. Yet, even as Rainbow was shocked and sickened by every passing minute here, she quite unfortunately was surprised yet again. One poor soul, obviously starving judging on his stick like figure, made a trade with the bread stall owner that quite quickly after making the trade, was apparently the wrong move. Whatever he had given to trade was unsatisfactory, and forgiveness was a foreign concept as any kindness here. Clearly feeling cheated and insulted, the stall owner simply waved away the starving Human, and soon after, he was forcibly escorted by the bullies that passed as guards here, before being taken into a dark alley way, and punished for his “crime”.

Rainbow didn’t know if this Human survived his apparent mortal mistake, but the Guards shortly returned, a sick smile on their faces, and spots of blood on their crude armour.

Navnløs was right. This world was unforgiving, cruel, and only the strongest survived. Rainbow knew she was having to accept this , but still, what a joke, what a mess of a world in that a simple starving individual is punished for just trying to feed himself, maybe even his family. If rainbow didn’t want to stay here any longer, she now wished she was gone yesterday.

Eventually though, after witnessing lawlessness and cruelty reign further here,vicious brawls over disagreements, lying and cheating, desperation and fear seemingly happening regularly, Rainbow spotted what she needed. Drums of water stacked at the other side of her current poison. The water stored here was seemingly not for sale. Only guards being the ones to take a drink there. Still, it was progress, and Rainbow wasn’t exactly going to make an offer to buy.

Getting it would be difficult. Even if she got there unseen, obtaining it would be even harder. She couldn’t exactly just roll a drum off, whistling as she went.Perhaps she could roll one away to a darker place, then find Navnløs, who may help her escort it from there.

Progress was slow but careful. Some alleyways led closer to her target, while some were blocked with chatting Humans.Rainbow wasn’t Rarity however, and she wasn’t about to let a little dirty work stop her. Various wooden platforms had been built around the area, some nestled against buildings.Atop them were stalls and such, probably so that their storage and wares didn’t have to be placed on the filthy ground. This was to Rainbow advantage. It was a tight squeeze, but practically diving under them allowed her to move around the perimeter of the market place unseen.

Nothing was going to stop her, bar one thing.

Crawling underneath on such platform, seeing the legs of Humans hurryingly walk just mere feet by her, a conversation directly above her pricked her ears. It wasn’t the displeasurable and horrible topics she had overheard thus far, not exactly. Maybe because it wasn’t a surprise to her anymore.

Navnløs was literally right above her, and through cracks in the platform, Rainbow could see his form.

He was talking to another Human, probably trying to gain supplies.

The content of this trade wasn’t of concern, it was what was said when business wasn’t a priority.

“Nice jacket” said the trader, a little deviousness in his voice. “Where’d you get it? And you can’t fool me and say it’s yours”

“It is mine!” growled back Navnløs. “At least now it is”.

A sad mixture of pride and joy made up his words, as he obvious was insinuating to the trader what he had already told her. That he had killed to get the jacket.

Until then it was, very unfortunately, Navnløs being himself, but Rainbow was glad she stayed to listen, but not glad for any decent reason.

“Well you may be in luck, judging from all the pesky activity from old Salutis around here, you may find yourself with a whole lot of trophies. If you think you can take them of course”

This wasn’t talk Rainbow enjoyed listening to. Salutis was their destination, but apparently that objective may be delayed while Navnløs enjoys himself with some trophy hunting as the trader put it, clear enough to Rainbow to mean some more killing.

That wasn’t the Human she wished to travel with. One that delighted in death just so he may feel good from it, then to brag and show off his cruel actions with a trophy jacket.

Changeable or not, Rainbow was going to have enough talk with Navnløs, and she know knew enough to expect a bit of a fight in return from him.

Worthy cause enough. Bet Applejack will love that I’m actually being honest, not shutting up and letting him be him.

This was hard enough to the ears of Rainbow Dash, yet it was about to get worse.

“You know…” Began the trader, quieting his voice. “…. You could stick to the small targets, but we know of some more hard hitting plans. Plans of which will really bloody Salutis up, just as they deserve.”

Rainbow listened carefully. The detail was lost upon her as now she was apparently inadvertently privy to some plot, though it was Navnløs response she was interested in, and if he would actually agree to it.

He remained silent, perhaps thinking about it.

The trader took this as an opportunity to try and persuade her travelling companion.

“Listen, I know who you mean when I say ‘we’, and ‘we’ have been waiting for too long. Salutis thinks they can just expand and expand. The world isn’t there’s and they sure as hell aren’t going to rebuild it, epically that absolute maniac, Lord Vanquisher. I’d rather the world burn again then let him help rule it”.

The trader seemed passionate about whatever his cause was. Salutis, Rainbows current destination, obviously wasn’t looked upon fairly by this Human. This was Rainbows first crash course on Human politics, and in all honesty, she didn’t care. Some may find it interesting, but right now, all she needed to know was how to survive, and if Navnløs would actually join her and not go skipping around, doing bad things.

Still though, his response didn’t come. Rainbow looked frustratingly around, just wishing for him to hurry up. A good hiding spot or not, she couldn’t stay here forever. A human at a fair distance could probably see under the platform, and while she was safe right now, that wouldn’t be a permanent solution.

Dude, hurry up.

Navnløs blunt and confrontational attitude ensured Rainbow was now always ready for it. She had to be strong and not back down, and maybe be a bit more forceful in return. This was why she nearly found herself saying these thoughts out loud, an action that would lead to way too many severe consequences, least of all from Navnløs, who Rainbow was sure wouldn’t appreciate being eavesdropped on.

But yet again, like ever since she had got here, life wasn’t plain sailing. Leaning against a shack not too fair in front of her was a Human, a human male apparently looking directly at her.

Maybe it was her mane, maybe it was her coat that was giving her away, but this Human was looking right at her direction.

Navnløs’s response didn’t matter now. Her heartbeat raced to a stop, as her blood froze in suspense and even fear. She had survived one horde of Humans too recently, and she didn’t want to test her chances yet again.

The Human, dressed in black rags, didn’t move. He didn’t sound any alarm. He didn’t even try and confront her. If he had seen her, he didn’t seem too bothered about it. For a brightly coloured blue pony with a rainbow mane, this Human seemed quite unfazed by it.

Was it possible he was as long gone as the Humans she had seen in the alley ways. He did seem a bit….distant. Perhaps his life was so bad that her presence here didn’t really matter to him.

Or, and something Rainbow wished for quite naively, the Human wasn’t actually looking at her. That he hadn’t spotted her, and was simply day dreaming. Rainbow had done such a thing before, just blankly staring in front of her while her mind raced. It seemed possible for Humans do replicate that.

It honestly seemed like this could be the case. Rainbow wasn’t blindly ignoring the worse possibilities, just so she may feel better, in her truest opinion, it did literally seem like the Human hadn’t seen her.

Still, she could feel her very skin tighten at the fear of discovery.Her whole body tensed in the worst anticipation she had ever felt. No breaths were taken, no blinks even occurred. It was just complete and utter silence from her, as if time had stopped.

Sweet Celestia! Move away already!

The Humans inability to go away wasn’t healthy for her. Not with the almost complete lack of breathing so she was currently enjoying.If he didn’t move, Rainbow wasn’t sure she had any solutions. Attempt to escape would just draw attention from the Human, had he not already seen her, but failure to do anything just meant she would be on show to him soon, and not hiding wasn’t a great way of not being seen.

Rainbow wasn’t the element of luck, but it sure felt like it today.

Without alarming any others, the staring Human seem to breathe a sigh before slowly walking away, to occupy himself with whatever.

The sudden and unexplained spot of luck deflated Rainbow like one of Pinkies balloons. She had taken so few breaths, but just knowing she was safe, in a situation she struggled to explain her good fortune, ensured a , albeit as quiet as possible, thankful sigh emitted from her.

For now, everything was ok.

Knowing she was still hidden, her ears pricked themselves to focus above her, determined to uncover the terrible choices of Navnløs. Were he to accept an offer of continued death and pain, rainbow wouldn’t stand for it.

Yet no answer came, and Rainbow could only blame herself.

In the terrifying moment of trying to wonder if she was about to be seen and killed , the sound of moving steps on the wood above her entered her ears, but her attention was quite understatedly focused elsewhere.

In her determination to remain unseen, she had ignored the fact that the trader had invited Navnløs inside her shop, probably to further discuss their matters.

Rainbow cursed this missed opportunity.

What if Navnløs were to accept the traders offer? What if he took Rainbow to witness him spilling more blood? What if he just figured that was worth more than partnering up with her?

Was she about to be abandoned in the worst place?

All were terrible thoughts, but she could just press her ear to her door to listen, not if she wanted to be unseen. Unless there was a back way in, she was now out the loop.

This left her with her only original option, to almost impress him with her help. Though perhaps this mishap had a silver lining, if only that it now served her to be extra determined, so that she may escape abandonment.

Yet determination was determination, and Rainbow didn’t care how it came to be. She wasted no time in sliding back, further away from the market facing end of the platform. She was going, should all go well, slip out the under the platform to her right, cross the street unseen, and get closer to the water.

As she approached the other end of the platform, Rainbow formulated how she would get across unseen. There was zero cover, but on the other hoof, no Humans. If she was seen, it would be from the centre of the market.She would need to cross fast, within blinking speed.

And who was faster than her.

She couldn’t exactly use her wings, but she was no slouch with her legs. A mighty push from the ground may get her across cleanly, it would just depend on if she didn’t fall like an idiot in the middle of the open space.

It was risky, but Rainbow couldn’t think of any other plans, whether that be telling about her character or not.

In this cramped space, Rainbow prepared her legs for a pounce. She felt energy built her in her haunches, her eyes set on her landing location, and she imitated a count down.

3

2

1…

“What the-!”

Just as she zoomed off from her safe spot, she felt her body leave the earth, to float almost, very sharply before literally going in the other direction, the one behind her. Rainbow could do nothing as some surprise force sent her not only back, this time above the platform , but through an opening to the adjoining building, falling on onto a hard floor in a dark building.

Why and how she was here made itself know before she was even aware what had really happened.

“You. Fucking. Idiot!”

Navnløs obviously hadn’t followed the trader. He had swiftly grabbed Rainbow, just as she made a bolt for it, and he had thrown been thrown inside the building placed above her, when she was under the platform.

“You are damn lucky my aim is true. If I didn’t stop you from crossing that street-“

Navnløs was mad, quite clearly why. His orders were plain, understood by Rainbow. Yet she was here.

Still, it wasn’t the first though on her mind right now.

“H-how did you know? I was quiet!” Rainbow asked, a little shook from the sudden change of events.

“You aren’t being now!” Navnløs hissed.

It was true. Rainbow sudden exclamation upon, what she know knew was being grabbed, wasn’t exactly subtle, and neither was her current confusion.

“You think I’d still be around if I was clueless to something trying to hide from me?”

It was an answer that wasn’t really an answer. More accurately, at was an answer which only served to allow Navnløs to brag about his ability to survive.

Yet right now she wasn’t looking for those sort of answers. She wasn’t looking for any from him honestly. Rainbow hadn’t planned to see him again until she had something to please him with.

“I gave you clear instruction to stay put! Yet here you are, defying me like you know better!”

Even when trying to quiet down, his tone was still angry, still bitter.

“W-well yeah, I know that…I heard what you said, -y-you know!”

Rainbow wasn’t scared, even though she should be. Navnløs was no hero, and definitely not friend material right now. Though he was in the right at the moment. Rainbow had disobeyed an order from a Human far more knowledgeable to the ways of this world. Submitting to acknowledging he was right, this time, would probably be acceptable, but of course that wasn’t her style. Navnløs couldn’t allowed to treat her like some junk anymore.

“I was trying to help! If you had just let me try for once I could hav-“

Her cut short sentence didn’t strike her as unusual.

“But I told you not to. If I wanted you to, I would have said ‘Blue freak, help me with this’. “

The way he looked at her now, his slightly softer tone, it all suggested something very strange, at least from what Rainbow had learned from him thus far.

That he wasn’t going to just flip out in anger for her surprise insubordination, as he had every time he had got angry at her. Every time he rose his voice, every time he should bitterness, it was as if he believed himself better than her, but whatever she did or said to upset him was stupid and completely unthinkable to him.

This time, it was as if he had expected this.

On one hoof, this could simply mean he just saw her as trouble, and this was just that continuation. Yet on the other, he had actually seemed to calm down in the defying of quite an important order. If that wasn’t enough to make him rage, surely that could have meant that he was perhaps accepting her, in small ways of course.

Progress was progress after all, and that very thought fuelled Rainbows hope.

“IS all your species just as dumb? Do you all lack the most basic discipline? You know what you did was the worst risk you could take?”

Navnløs sounded more distracted than anything now, despite still quite clearly annoyed at Rainbow. As he peered out from the open window Rainbow was thrown through, it was clearly his full effort wasn’t in chastising her, and instead, on some suspicious worry of his.

Rainbow, now getting up and realising this wasn’t the traders shop, but his storage house,judging from all the crates, walked towards the nearby Human, all while hoping her good fortune could last, and that Navnløs would forget on what she had done.

“What’s going on?” Rainbow simply asked. Navnløs, it seemed, didn’t expect her to say anything but a defence of her actions, and really didn’t expect her to be right next to him.

Snapping his neck around with a look of disgust of his face, Rainbow realised she may have wrongly interoperated his actions, and falsely hoped for a change in his attitude.

“The hell? What’s going on here more like! You stay back, you’ve messed up enough already!”

His order was both a dismissal from him and his current actions and a confirmation he was far from forgiveness for Rainbow. This was something Rainbow didn’t test further in fear of jeopardising completely, but it did make her wonder. If Navnløs was here simply for supplies, why was he acting so concerningly?

“I’ll deal with you later, but right now you shut up and actually stay put. I swear, if you screw me over again, I promise you, I won’t hesitate to sell you to a slaver!”

Rainbow wished she didn’t think on that threat, but she could help it.

Slaves? Is he actually serious?

Perhaps it was luck the two were occupied with other matters at the moment, or maybe the fact such a revelation was so shocking and horrifying to her in that speaking of it could hardly leave her lips, whatever it was, Rainbow was glad she didn’t have to discuss that literal crime with Navnløs. Murder and destruction may be bad enough here, but slavery, Rainbow couldn’t allow herself to dwell on it right now. That seriously wasn’t right.

Focus Rainbow. Don’t let him get the better of you.

“It was difficult enough knowing you had actually not been a fool. You complicate matters now”

Navnløs really did seem concerned. Not fearful by any means, but defiantly now frustrated about something with Rainbow here.

“What do you mean?” Rainbow simply asked, hopeful of an actual answer.

“You wouldn’t understand, so shut it”.

Rainbow complied, if only because she found it quite curious into his distraction. She watched the Humans piercing eyes dart around the market place, just like hers had as she witnessed both astounding discoveries and horrible injustices. Navnløs, quite clearly, wasn’t looking upon these things in the same light however, if at all. It was probably all an everyday thing for him, and as such, he wasn’t as distracted by the cruelty as her. His focus was on something unseen, something that actually warranted his full attention, which would at least partially be reserved for abusing her instead.

“I know you heard me talking with that fat slime ball…” Navnløs calmly said, not for a second removing his gaze on the market.

It was an unexpected but pleasurable change in attitude towards Rainbow, one in which took her quite by surprise, judging from the stuttering mess emitting from her now.

“I…Um….who?”

It was a messy reply on her part, and Rainbow did catch Navnløs’s eyes momentarily move open to her. He said nothing, returning to his previous gazing, yet a thought did enter Rainbows mind with this. She had made mistakes before around him, shown a lot of ignorance of his land. Each time such a thing occurred, he showed a very liberal attitude in his severe responses. Now however, a reactive void had opened, and Navnløs, regardless of Rainbow’s attempts at lying, did nothing.

In truth, Rainbow had only be taken by surprise and just let words escape her. She had not intentionally lied, and it seemed Navnløs caught on to this fact. Her bumbling and almost joking like denial of his accusation conveyed a more playful tone and Navnløs had let this all happen.

You won’t say that was cute, I know it…But still, please don’t say it

Navnløs wasn’t like her friends, and he didn’t see the nicer side of her mannerisms, but this was an improvement quite defiantly, if only because he was either too distracted or just more accustomed to her now.

“The trader. I know you were listening, and I know you thought I’d actually follow him and consider that slugs offer. Idiots, the both of you.”

For probably the hundredth time today, Rainbow was left shocked and surprised.It was as if he had not only been aware of her presence right under him, but of her thoughts as well. Like he had directly listened to her disapproval and hope that the traders offer wouldn’t be taken up. Now, whatever his reasons were, this had to be a small victory for Rainbow, and her hope for Navnløs.

“He’s probably still waiting for me, the fool!” Navnløs continued, as if he almost was looking outside for the subject Human. “Kicking the shit out of Salutis is always fun, but it’s never the best planned of ideas. Yeah, good for some venting for the underdog, a nice challenge even, but clever? Nah, you can’t expect to be the tail of the wolf and get away without a bite.”

Rainbow was left conflicted. She was pleased with his decision, but it was clear who he was hadn’t changed. He enjoyed violence, and that seemed to be a stain on his person that wasn’t changing anytime soon.

Regardless, as the smallest of hope saplings grew, Navnløs retreated from the open window to approach Rainbow.

His eyes never set on her, instead choosing to lazily scan the room. Rainbow though, intently stared up at the tall Human, awaiting an action or continued response that never came.

It was now clear he didn’t come closer to her because he wanted something from her, but just because he had finished he outside gazing, and hadn’t decided what to do next.

A meaningless act most of the time, but in choosing to just be so passive so close to her, where normally he would chose to be alone, that was something new.

To that, Rainbow allowed herself a small smile.

“I got some supplies by the way, since you thought you could be so stupid and try it yourself. It’s being delivered to the truck right now”

Another opportunity taken to criticise her actions. Not surprising, considering her disregard of orders, but still unwished for. She could have at least obtained some supplies of her own before she and Navnløs met again.

“Annoying to be honest. As you know, I don’t exactly have the greatest of history with Salutis, so those hunters of theirs haven’t been making getting around easy”

Rainbow pricked her ears up. She still knew so little of the details of Human organisations, but she knew this Salutis was powerful, and the people in which Navnløs had nearly attacked again, thanks to that trader.

“Wait, they’re here? Like, walking around?” Rainbow did have to admit, she was worried. No Human seemed to have good intentions here, least of all the top players around. That and the word ‘hunters’ once again reiterated to Rainbow the fact that Humanity were predators.

“Yeah, don’t know why honestly. Rarely seen Hunters like ‘em.Seem to be looking for something important. Like Traitor or high rank enemy important”.

Navnløs didn’t seem too enthusiastic about these Humans, heedfulness and care taken to their presence.

“So what, are they dangerous, you don’t think you can take them?” Rainbow asked cheekily.She did get the impression this wasn’t good news at all, but, without boosting his ego too much, she did trust Navnløs and his judgment on this. There was no harm in removing the darkness out of the topic though, to allow a slightly more fun atmosphere to develop between them for once.

Navnløs of course, while not getting angry, was his usual self.Quite literal, boastful and way too sure of himself.

“Ha, still as idiotic as ever. I’ve taken out worse than them.”

Rainbow rose and eyebrow, telling herself to relax around this admittedly still dangerous individual, and provide and less stressful and filly like companion. She already knew Navnløs wasn’t exactly the friendliest and chill entity, and allowing herself to remove that ‘girly’ side of her that she allowed around her friends would probably do wonders.

“I have!” Navnløs passionately retorted, but in approach of limited aggression. “I got one of the Black Hand a few months back.”

Navnløs seemed proud of this accomplishment, but how deserving any praise given was unknown to Rainbow in that moment, for it was more Human world lore in which she had no idea about.

“Ugh, I swear if I have to explain everything…..They are the elite of the elite in Salutis. “

If Rainbow didn’t know any better, she could have guessed Navnløs was trying to brag. An act Rainbow rolled her eyes to.

“Whatever. I have no need to prove anything to a soon to be corpse”.

Reign him in, Rainbow

“Why would you need to prove something to yourself, huh?”

Another joke, obviously not one the Human could have a nice giggle about, but it was still confronting him in a jesting way, a type of regular interaction when no lives were at risk.

“What are you saying?Little freak? You think I’m meeting the darkness before you? Ha! When you’re left alone, screaming in pain and desperation, see who comes then, or who doesn’t. See whose bones lie broken in the dirt, and whose flesh rots in a burning sun. Let’s see who really survives when you see the true horrors of the world!”

Navnløs stood intimidatingly above her, a face of pure callousness and seriousness staring uncaringly down at her. His words and thinly veiled threats were unnerving, knowing that it was more likely for her to be the one in his descriptions.

Rainbow felt a lump emerge in her throat as her unfriendly Human failed to relent with his passive aggression. In the face of that, in the face of giving in to his bullying, Rainbow fought back.

“Careful dude, you trying to compensate for something with all that edginess? Once that ego pops you might not be too confident in all that yourself”.

Navnløs blankly stared back, not replying. This was a common tactic of his, to either buy time for a response or to seem unfazed by any volley back. Rainbow seized the moment.

“Cat got your tongue?” rainbow sighed and shrugged, appearing to be disappointed and unimpressed. “Shame. A slow reaction like that will probably get you into a big mess”.

Got ya!

It was barely a reaction at all, but Rainbow spotted the twitch in Navnløs’s left eye, and the tenseness of his facial muscles as he struggled to regain his cool. Navnløs was a creature who seemed to enjoy his anger and his abuse of others, but only when he thought he was justified, only when he thought it could teach others a lesson. Here, Rainbow had cracked him. Even in this small degree, it showed the cocky Human he wasn’t so unflappable, and now he knew Rainbow knew that herself.

“You…..Whatever….”

In perhaps concern of further leaving his reputation in tatters, Navnløs causally fell back from Rainbow’s company to stare once more out the open window.

Not so tough, are you?

Rainbow didn’t feel great joy at this small victory, but a true sense of accomplishment was acknowledged by her. This was a breakthrough in understanding Navnløs and accurately assessing his mess of a personality. Baby steps, but she was making progress in actually knowing this illusive Human.

In order to not leave any sour notes or her feelings, rainbow switched her tone up to a far less confrontational one. A more cooperation approach, one which was surely needed in their current situation.

“To be honest, I thought I was a goner just before you found me”.

Navnløs seemed unsympathetic to Rainbows troubles, just as he always was. Rainbow decided, just in case he was sulking, she would reinflate that ego of his just a tiny bit.

“There was this guy across the market place. Some creepy looking Human in black who just seemed to stare at things like he wanted to eat them.”

Navnløs suddenly shook his head, snapping out of his misery to look at Rainbow.

“A guy in black? You mean like him?”

Navnløs pointed to an area out the window, making Rainbow stand on her hind legs to see. Sure enough, that Human who nearly saw her was back, right in the same location.

“Hey yeah, that’s him. He went off down an alley way. Didn’t realise he loved that spot so much”.

Navnløs shut up completely then. His eyes wondered in a day dream like state as he entered a state of deep thought.

“Hey dude, nice impression of that Human and all, but shouldn’t we figure out our next step?”

Still nothing from Navnløs. He pondered deeply on something, before eventually switching his eyes back to Rainbow.

“There we go!” Proclaimed Rainbow, wondering what in Equestria suddenly made him think so carefully. “So what do we do?”

Another moment of silence went by, all with Navnløs looking at Rainbow. A chilling look, rainbow thought. If she though the Human out there stared weirdly, Navnløs took it to a whole new level. Unlike the other guy, Rainbow knew Navnløs could actually turn his words, or looks, into actions.

“We move”. He said simply, voice full of determination to continue.

“Oh nice, hopefully the supplies last us”. Rainbow replied, in a little surprise at this sudden declaration of action.

She wouldn’t complain. Getting out of here as soon as possible was defiantly the best option, even if untold dangers faced her in the future.

“They will” Navnløs replied, becoming her to follow him.

This was another positive move of his. He didn’t leave it for Rainbow to follow on her own accord. He told her to follow, telling Rainbow he wanted that to happen. More progress.

Together, the two sneaked out a back entrance, past various crates and into another alley. With Navnløs’s skill and knowledge, the duo manoeuvred quite swiftly through relatively empty alley ways, closer and closer to the wall, and thus, their escape out of here.

Soon enough, they reached an outer storage area, probably used for cargo freshly delivered.

“Now, you get in here” Navnløs demanded of Rainbow, indicated she climb into a large empty wooden box, placed on a wheeled pallet, just in view of the gate.

“You know there’s a tunn-“

Rainbows probably safer option was thrown away, cut off by Navnløs and his almighty better plan.

“Just get in the fucking box ok, I won’t ask again!”

“Ok, ok! Geez!” replied Rainbow defensively, as she struggled to clamber into the box taller than her. Of course Navnløs didn’t help, choosing to carelessly scout around him for danger.

“Would you hurry up?” impatiently asked the Human.

“I’m trying! You try pulling yourself up with these” said Rainbow as she showed her grip less hooves.

Navnløs grumbled in response. He seemed in a rush, but that was a sentiment shared with Rainbow as her determination to leave this cruel place of extortion.

“Now, say nothing ok” hissed Navnløs as he slammed a wooden lid atop Rainbow’s container. There were a couple of holes in the crate, mainly because of its poor condition. Luckily their transportation was close, and her breath could be held for that long, she hoped.

Complying, if only so he may smuggle her out of here, Rainbow was left with her thoughts in the dark confines of her crate.

She hadn’t exactly accomplished what she came for. She didn’t get to show her worth. Navnløs may have shown himself a bit more openly to her regardless, but Rainbow had to think of if she had now missed out on more. Perhaps the Human might have just laughed at her attempted to wow him like a fully, perhaps she was lucky in that regard?Never the less, she had a will to survive now, and the quest for her own supplies was just a consequence of that. The battle was far from over.

Another, apparently was just about to begin.

Navnløs had clearly escorted himself on Rainbow’s crate out the gate, and made some track to their vehicle before a distant shout made itself known.

“Him! He’s the one!” It said, coming probably from within the walls.

“FUCK!” cried out Navnløs. Whoever was shouting, it was obviously referring to him.“Well don’t just sit there if you wana live! Get out, hurry!”

“What’s going on!” pleaded Rainbow as the lid was thrown off from her crate and sunlight burst into the darkness. Not waiting for any answer just yet, Rainbow jumped out, landing, very luckily, on the side of the box not facing the walls and whoever was shouting after them. To add to her newly found fortune today, was the fact she was right next to the vehicle.

“Doesn’t matter! “Navnløs shot back. His pace was extreme as he pounced into the metal transport, just as Rainbow did.“We aren’t dying just yet!”

Safely within the metal beast, Rainbow allowed herself a peak over the containing walls of the back of the ‘truck’. Approaching rapidly from the gate was a pack of the angry Hunters Navnløs had just shown her. They were in hot pursuit of her Human presumingly for a reason that even he probably couldn’t defend.

Far more worryingly too, and a worry approaching them by the second, was that all these Humans, faces covered with masks that reminded Rainbow strongly of hockey masks back home. These were Humans she didn’t wanting hunting her, what with their long weapon devices of the same variant of which Navnløs had used when she first arrived.

Obviously after the trouble maker she had got to know slightly, her position was far from safe. In her short time here, Rainbow had learned no Human had really been her friend, bar the Human Mex, but she was gone from this world, leaving only hatred behind. The risk she was now about to face was capture, even if she had done no wrong. She didn’t even need to be associated with Navnløs, the act of just being a pony here was reason enough to be interested in her.Some Humans took this curiosity to cause more pain, like the Skera, but a larger, more powerful group, like this Salutis may have more distressing motives. It may seem overly dramatic, but for the safety of all Ponies, she couldn’t be taken by these Humans. Trust wasn’t even a pipe dream.

“Um, why aren’t we moving?!”Rainbow cried out.

The Humans weren’t stopping. They were getting closer, and here she and Navnløs was, almost letting it happen.

“Um, dude? Hello? Anytime please!”

“I’m working on it!” shouted back Navnløs, frustration etched in his voice. “Damn thing won’t start!”

Again and again he furiously tried to turn some small key through a slot, for whatever purpose. Whatever he was trying to do, it wasn’t working.

Rainbow started to panic. The Humans were barely a few dozen feet away now.

We’re screwed.

Rainbow shut her eyes, as if to pretend she was hidden if she couldn’t see the aggressors. A filly like attitude, but it’s all she could do. Her very life was in Navnløs’s hands now.

“YES!”

The metal transport roared to life, the bordering violent rumbling once again shaking Rainbow’s bones. It wasn’t pleasant by any means, in fact, it was almost nauseating, and Rainbow had never been so glad to feel nearly sick.

The wheel s span, kicking dust into the air. Then, with a sudden jolt, the transport once again, almost magically to Rainbow, restarted its journey.

“Keep your head down!” Navnløs’s advice was fierce and undeniable. Sharp whistling of small objects, travelling a speed was nearly impressed at.

Before she could even inquire further though, perhaps the most panicking and terrifying sound plastered itself against the metal. Peppering the outside of the transport, deafening impacts, a constant onslaught from the Hunters weapons. Rainbow dived as low as she could get, seriously fearing the impact of whatever was being shot at her.

However, as scary as this psychologically destructive sound was, it came at the cost of the increasing distance from the Humans. Rainbow and Navnløs were actually escaping with their lives!

It didn’t take too long after that in which the Hunters attacks fell out of range, to the point of edge of these small objects completely missing the transport by quite a considerable margin.

“Are…are we safe?” asked Rainbow, panting from the close call.

Navnløs took his time replying, checking over his shoulder to assess the situation.

Then, just above his head, in a small mirror allowing him to see Rainbow placed in the open back, Navnløs then gave his conclusion, his eyes squinted into a look of almost warranted suspicion.

“I told you, I always survive.”

Rainbow didn’t ask anything else, didn’t inquire on any further subject.

Even if she probably should have….

Author's Note:

Bit of a wait huh?
Yeah, my bad. I really do apolagise. But I am back , and back with a juicy long chapter to make it up to you.

Bit of a more adventure chapter for Rainbow, as she learns a bit more about herself, the world, and her "friendly" Human.
Without spoiling too much also, Id say , at various points within this chapter, a lot will be set up for Rainbow future story. No longer will her narrative be driven to just getting home Even if that's what she still wants, that doesn't matter. I'm the one in charge here, Little Pegasus, and I say things arent going to be so simple anymore.

Until next time ( not 5 months for sure)