Fallout Equestria : Black And White

by Philweasel

Chapter 4.7 - Their Destiny Stolen

Dust Kicker should have hated this place. The crowds, the noise, the sheer bustle, all of which were pet hates of his. Still call him homesick for Appleloosa but he hadn’t enjoyed himself this much in a long time.

They were fortunately that they had a generous allowance from Nanati, and that they were still very well stocked from Remicon’s generosity up in the capital. That left plenty of money for luxuries, Dust sampling food and drink from around the world. He hadn’t even been aware there was a world before this point.

“The badlands to the southeast were almost totally unaffected by the megaspells, though to be honest they were pretty... bad… already.” The merchant explained as he showed off a tray full of steaming berry pastries, “The centaurs and gargoyles are still pretty scattered and isolated, but they produce a lot of foods we don’t have down here. In return they absolutely love Mutum produced grain, and Saddle Arabian machinery. They also make some very unique art up there, and the best swords and crossbows.”

Dust Kicker listened with interest, he had never even heard of the place before, “Who else do you trade with?”

“Star Fall… technically trades with the sea ponies, though really they just serve as a middlemare for goods between them and the camels.” The merchant answered, sounding a tiny bit irritated with that fact, “They produce food and occasional fine goods, in return for art, weapons and machinery. And Incuta brings in a lot of raw materials from his mines, along with wood and food from the deer tribes in the far northern wastes.” He grinned knowingly at Dust, “We used to trade a little with the Enclave, though that went sour pretty quickly. Since their expansion twelve years ago we’ve been doing a lot of trade with the NCR.”

Dust Kicker blinked, “Wait… you trade with the NCR?”

“There’s a land bridge that connects here and Equestria, though crossing it is tough unless you know what you’re doing. It’s pretty much a thousand miles of desert.” The merchant confirmed, chuckling, “You used it during the war. Drove half your forces through Saddle Arabia, at great expense… especially after their merchants robbed you all blind.”

Dust Kicker felt his pride in first contact fade away, “It just seems… a little silly, considering how much effort we put into finding the zebra.”

The merchant fixed him with a somewhat chastising look, “Forgive us, but it was believed that should the zebra and ponies become aware of each other once more, they might… you know, go to war with each other and set the planet on fire. Again.”

Dust Kicker accepted that rationalization, with all the remaining dignity his species could muster.

¬

Several souvenirs, some specialized ammo and a slight modification to his battle saddle later and he was on his way back, only to pause as a heavily scarred zebra in a black and silver cloak looked straight at him with what looked like recognition. Dust Kicker thought he looked somewhat familiar but certainly couldn’t think from where, having drawn quite close to the zebra before the realization dawned.

Under those scars, he... looked a lot like Caesar Incuta, just broader faced and a lot more muscular. They could almost be...

“Dust Kicker.” The zebra intoned, nodding his head.

“Easu?”

The zebra nodded, a slight smile marking his otherwise grim countenance, “Indeed.”

Dust Kicker looked at his unbandaged face, then at the rather exotic, and not particularly practical black and silver robes. He looked like a monk, “You’ve changed your look.”

“These are the robes of a shaman from the Moonlight Order.” Easu explained, his voice softer and clearer without his bandages, “I have neglected my religious duties for far too long.”

Dust Kicker was… happy he was feeling a little better at least, “And what duties are those?”

"We seek understanding of the things in the dark." He explained, "Spirits, monsters... Star Children."

Dust Kicker remembered. It had been the order Tradash had belonged to, "Puppysmiles."

“Her current condition is not sustainable Dust Kicker.” He explained, sounding a tiny bit unsure for a moment, “Did you know that she has been fighting Star Swirl in the dreaming?”

Dust Kicker parsed that sentence a couple of times, “She’s… what?”

“Star Swirl has been spying on us in our dreams, and Puppysmiles has been protecting us. This was foolish.” He stated with stern judgment, “They are both Star Demons. The difference is Puppysmiles is working through a corpse, and Star Swirl is working through an alicorn. The magical strain she has put on herself has damaged what was left of her body, and it is limiting her efforts to heal her spirit.”

Hell, this was so far beyond him. He had no concept of any of this magical stuff, and to be honest the only information he picked up from that was… “Puppy’s hurt? Will she be ok?”

“The Moonlight Order is dedicated to the healing of spirits, and possesses techniques specialized to the handling of Star Demons.” Easu replied encouragingly, “I am just an acolyte, but I have summoned many of the other shaman here. Together we will be able to make sure she is safe, and ready for the road forward.”

“You…” Dust paused, this all seeming odd to him. And not just the magic stuff, Easu himself seemed completely different, “I thought you hated Star Demons.”

“I hated everything Dust Kicker.” Easu stated mournfully, “Most of all… myself. I am trying to move forward from that, and the first step is being honest about my feelings. Puppy and Star Swirl are both important to me, and I wish to help them. That they are everything I once stated to hate only shows how far into darkness I had fallen.”

“I… appreciate it.” Dust Kicker managed after a second, smiling as he moved past the magic and the confusing theology, embraced the simple point of the matter. And that was that Easu was concerned about Puppy, and wanted to help her, “She’s important to me too. I assume this means you won’t be joining us to Baradin though?”

“I am afraid not.” He confirmed, “We will remain here for now, preparing for what is to come.”

“Sure.” Dust Kicker gave him a cheerful salute, “Take care of yourself, and Puppy. We’ll be coming back with an army… and hopefully, some payback for Zenai.”

“I understand pain and vengeance.” Easu replied, eyes grim, “As a result I advise you this. Seek justice, and justice alone. Payback is never as satisfying, or as final as you may have hoped.”

¬

They sent off the next morning, riding along in a battered old cargo truck that bounced and squealed on the winding road into the desert. The heat slowly rose with every moment and he found himself barely able to move after the first hour or so, looking up at Fluttershy fully clad in white cloth and realizing that she might have had the right idea.

It didn't help that it wasn't the most interesting journey in the world, the desert pretty much a less interesting sea after a while. Nothing but yellow sand stretched out all around, pitiless and stark.

"Dust Kicker, look!"

He looked up at Fluttershy's insistence, crawling over the the side of the truck with all his remaining energy. He was not disappointed, Baradin loomed bright out of the desert sands and Dust Kicker admitted that he was impressed. It looked to be the size of New Canterlot, quite an achievement in the middle of the desert. A secondary, smaller settlement a short distance away abounded with industrial power, vast factories and warehouses boasting what looked to be a very high level of technology. The city itself shone in the sunlight, whitewashed buildings sporting domes of rainbow colors, squarish in shape like the zebra architecture but showing just what you could do with such rigid geometry if you had some imagination. Checkered designs were common, breaking up the rigid lines with bursts of artistry. Dust Kicker looked to the roads leading away from the city, noting with interest that there were many automobiles alongside the more low tech pony driven traffic, "Pretty impressive."

"The palace is gone." Fluttershy observed, sounding a little worried.

"Oh, that old place?" Ibis commented as she made her way down the hill, "It was gutted by fire a long time ago, we pulled it down and used it to build an orphanage."

"It was pretty..." Fluttershy protested softly.

Dust Kicker scanned the city, spotting a large complex of interconnected buildings situated prominently in the centre. It certainly seemed to stand out in comparison to the buildings around it, ironically partly due to the starkness of it. Unlike the other buildings it had no domed roof, no artistry on its walls, the windows large and elegant but bearing no design or signs of wealth, "What's that building?"

"Good eye." Ibis noted, "That's the Merchant Association building, where the Emir lives."

"It's surprisingly plain."

Ibis grinned, "It used to be fancier, but the Emir had the upper floor removed and sold off the gold fixings and statues, using the money to build shelters for the poor."

Decimus grunted, Dust amused by his reaction. Truth be told he too felt this Emir sounded a little too good to be true, still he was willing to at least give him a chance. At the very least he presented an attractive city, and had earned the loyalty of his soldiers.

But then, so had Caesar.

¬

They were escorted through the city by an honor guard, giving them some time to look around as they traveled. It now really reminded dust kicker of Manehatten, its main commodity being well dressed merchants and a surprisingly amount of convenient technology. Drains in the streets, well maintained water pumps, street lights, security cameras on every corner... it certainly showed off their wealth, "This is impressive."

Decimus gave a reluctant nod, "This is now one of the oldest, continually inhabited cities in the world, and is likely it's richest."

He looked at a pair of zebra baggage handlers washing themselves in a nearby public fountain, "Free water in a desert is certainly quite extravagant."

"The city is located above 'aqua logata', one of the largest underground reservoirs on record." Decimus explained, "Back during the 'Water Wars' this place changed hooves a dozen times as the Princes fought for control."

"And the camels won."

"They had won at the start." Decimus commented, "They supplied the technical know how to extract the water, and had been secretly stockpiling reserves for years. While the Princes fought battles of armies and tactics, the camels prepared for a battle of finances and diplomacy. When it came time to strike, they easy had the money to by a huge army of mercenaries and take control."

Dust Kicker kind of approved. Having been a fighter from birth, he learned early on that cunning and subtlety were excellent tactics against strength and aggression, "What happened to the Princes?"

"The camels are officially regents over their lands, and the royal family remains uncrowned." Decimus explained, "Now the camels merely wait for them to die out, so they can take the crown officially."

"They're dying?"

"They are of a divergent pony race, the Arabian Horses." Decimus explained, "They are taller and stronger than any normal pony, which they explicitly claimed was proof of their divine right. Breeding with other races dilutes these traits however, resulting in children much more like us."

"So they have to breed within their own kind?"

"Yes." Decimus stated, "And there are but thirty two of them left in the world. All of them are related to one another, at most removed by three steps. The descendents of the last Sultan number but two, and few attest to their worth."

Game, set and match. Dust Kicker admitted that the Camels seemed to have played this one well.

¬

The merchant council offices seemed entirely too empty for the space they had available, the group led through a succession of cavernous, barely furnished halls full of little but stony faced clerks as the hurried back and forth with sheets of paper spilling out of saddlebags. Most of the rooms he looked into were little more than offices, vast rows of identical cubicals stretching into the distance.

Finally they were led through a set of solid wooden doors and into a large, open study. Like the other areas it was rather spacious, a round table at the front of the room, a large, slightly curved desk at the end, plenty of bookcases and cupboards, and a whole lot of room between them. The floor was polished, speckled marble, the simple white washed walls bordered by elegant hardwood skirting. A set of three windows rose from floor to roof, looking out across what looked like the mercantile areas of the city. Ibis walked ahead of them, standing sharply to attention, "Emir, I present Fluttershy, Dust Kicker, Ace Gold and Praetor Decimus. They are here at your invitation."

A camel was waiting there by the round table, giving them a welcoming nod and moving over. Ibis stepped inside and motioned for them to meet him, Dust Kicker inspecting the camel as they approached. He was quite old, his fur greying in many areas, the top of his head and hump almost entirely bald. A set of spectacles sat on his muzzle, and plain but well made white robes hung about his oddly shaped body. Dust Kicker had to admit... he looked like a clerk.

The Emir smiled at them, warm and welcoming. He had a very deep voice that surprised given his rather unassuming appearance, his Equestrian flawless, "A warm welcome to Baradin travelers. I am Emir Kholoqr, and I am greatly honored to finally meet you."

"And we you honored Emir." Fluttershy began, "We offer you the best wishes and hopes of friendship from the New Canterlot Republic."

He smiled at this, cheeks crinkling in a way that suggested he smiled often, "Thank you, it is gratefully received. And I trust Ibis has not caused you too much trouble?"

Dust couldn't help a smirk, "The very picture of geniality your grace."

He chuckled back, shaking his head, "I am no one's grace. Should you wish to see a prince, one lives in the mansion just across the way from here. I believe you can see it from here."

"The Saddle Arabian royal family." Decimus stated, looking out in the direction the Emir had indicated, "We were just talking about them."

"A sad decline to be sure, they are but a shadow of what they once were. Yet they are still our monarchs, and my fellows and I merely administrate in their name." The emir's expression strained for a moment as he continued, "At present the young prince Khalid is crown prince, though he has declined the right to coronation as his father did before him."

Dust got the impression this was leading somewhere, the emir's statement seeming a little too pointed, "Is he happy with that arrangement?"

"Sadly, I feel he is not." The emir answered, a deep regret in his voice, "He is an intelligent boy, and indeed I offered him a chance to participate in the city's government. Unfortunately he felt that was beneath his dignity, and my offers were rebuffed."

"With respect, why are you telling us this?" Decimus finally asked.

"Because the young prince was behind the murder your young companion Zenai." The emir explained with a gentle sadness, shaking his head from side to side, "And he has engaged in conspiracy to cause discord and suffering across the zebra nations in the name of his own ambitions."

Everything went quiet as they digested this in their minds. Dust finally broke the silence, feeling nothing but a cold, dark weight in his stomach, "That's why you needed to tell us face to face. You can't risk this getting out."

The emir nodded, "I cannot simply arrest the crown prince, or even speak out against him. Though their rule is a fiction, it is a fiction upon which our society has been built."

"But... why?" Ace Gold finally asked, icy cold fury in his voice, "Why would he kill Zenai?"

"I honestly do not know." The emir responded, deeply resigned, "I only know the facts. That he used the financial resources of King Abartili of Estelle and his authority and connections to employ the mercenaries with which you are familiar. That they attacked Estelle, and that they murdered your friend, both on his orders. And that he also funneled weapons and supplies to Princess Luna of Dusklight."

Dust Kicker admitted that it didn't look good, "Are you certain it's him?"

The emir gave a slightly bitter smile, "He's not been... as subtle as he perhaps thinks. He is of course a pony of alicornian proportions, of very distinctive appearance and mannerisms. And he has seen fit to conduct many of his negotiations personally, I have photos of meetings between him and the mercenary leader. And two months ago... we arrested one of his household slaves. She committed suicide before we could interrogate her, but she was carrying a message from Khalid to the commander of the mercenary group you encountered. It clearly ordered Zenai’s death.”

"We need to speak with him." Fluttershy stated firmly.

"That is another issue." The emir replied, "He has not left his mansion since Zenai was killed. Reports suggest he is constantly surrounded by guards, and never leaves the building."

Dust found that something worth noting. The prince was obviously expecting a visit, but from who?

Them?

And why intentionally kill Zenai in front of them? What possible reason did he have?

Fluttershy was right, "We really do need to speak to him. This doesn't make a lick of sense."

"I doubt he will just let us through the door." Easu commented.

"Indeed." The Emir answered, his voice resigned, "I will send another messenger, asking for a meeting, but I fear this will be ignored as the others were. And since I cannot act against him officially for fear of social unrest, I fear you might have come all this way for nothing."

Dust Kicker got the point, "It's no problem Emir. We would be happy to simply ask your hospitality for a day or two, while we explore your fine city."

The Emir replied with a deep smile, "Of course."

¬

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ace asked, frowning deeply as he stood across from him in the chamber the Emir had established for them, "You heard what the Emir said..."

"I certainly did, he said he couldn't act against him officially." Dust answered with a smile, having learned to speak 'discretion' a long time ago, "Which is why he brought us here. Both as a peace offering, and to do what he can't."

Ace Gold's expression was tainted with worry for a moment, "What's that?"

Dust Kicker admitted that was a good question, "Get some answers."

"Is that all?"

Dust Kicker remembered Esau's words, "That depends on his answers."

¬

They had time to kill before the plan came together, and Dust couldn’t shake off the feeling that this was still too perfect. If they were going to be working for this Emir, then he had to know what kind of a stallion he was. And the best way to do that? Look to the poor.

For all its wonder, Baradin did indeed have a slum, tactfully hidden out of sight of the major roads. Honestly from afar it wasn’t all that different from the other parts of the city, save some chipped paintwork and an overall lack of maintenance. The real issue was only apparent from street level, the area overcrowded and dirty, further burdened by the amount of further construction that spilled out into the streets. Clumsy collections of post war debris tied together in a rudimentary fashion, it rendered the streets narrow and winding, and didn’t look the least bit safe.

Ace Gold stepped beside him, eying the constructions with distaste, “What kind of ruler leaves his poor in conditions like this?”

Dust Kicker smirked, this was far from damning, “Fillydephia is far worse.”

“Yeah, but Fillydephia is run by a crime lord.” Ace coolly observed.

They soon found someone worth speaking to, a female camel leading a group of other females in handing out what looked like food parcels. They were all dressed in white robes with their heads covered, pony, zebra and camel. Dust Kicker waited until the leader had moved away from the crowd and was heading back to the wagon holding their supplies before approaching, giving a friendly wave of his hoof. She instantly fixed him with a distrustful look, eying his clothing, “Who are you?”

“Dust Kicker, this is Ace Gold.” He introduced them, wondering if he should try some charm but already getting the impression she would not appreciate flirtation, “We just wanted to know a little more about the area, and your work here.”

“We are the Kind Sisters.” She stated coldly, her bright, sharp eyes never leaving them. She was pretty young Dust Kicker observed, especially given all camels seemed to look older than their true age. Her voice was clear and well enunciated, and she spoke Equestrian in the same accent as the Emir did, “We visit the most needy among us and do what we can to help. Did you wish to make a donation?”

“Sure, in exchange for information.” He reached into his bag and removed some caps.

She frowned at the display but reached out and took them regardless, narrowing her eyes, “If your information is intended to help these people, I will answer. I advise you to phrase your questions carefully however.”

Noted. He got the impression being honest with this girl was likely the best approach, “It looks like we’re going to be working with the Emir, and I was just looking to get an honest opinion.” He shot a look towards the desperate crowds nearby, “You seem like a smart woman, and for all his talk of a perfect society there seems to be plenty who slip through his net.”

She still looked suspicious, still her expression softened a little, “Where are you from?”

Dust paused briefly, still he was certain lying to her would be a bad idea, “Equestria.”

Her brow crinkled instantly, “Then you have no room to judge, the worst of our cities pales in comparison to the best of Fillydephia.”

Dust couldn’t suppress a laugh, “Haha, I just finished saying just that to Ace. But that would suggest that I trust and respect the NCR's leaders.”

Ace glared at Dust Kicker before looking to the mare, “You know Fillydephia?”

“I saw it as a girl, after your much publicized ‘Sunshine and Rainbows’. It is what inspired me that the world needs mares like the sisters, to care for the forgotten.” Her tone was full of bitterness, though it softened as she continued, “One thing both Equestria and the Emir have in common, they happily celebrate their grand victories while forgetting that not everyone is lucky enough to enjoy them.”

“Isn’t that government all over?” Dust asked.

“I would hope not, but it is easy to be cynical.” The mare observed, “In answer to your question, the Emir is trustworthy, if naïve and vain. He is the biggest donor to my cause, and offers me plenty of public support.”

“But?”

“He is willing to throw money at me, but then he has so much of it that it has lost all value to him. And he throws it at me so that he can feel comfortable in ignoring my cause, allowing him to feel he is addressing the issue without the burden of any real action.” She sniffed in annoyance, “He rarely gives me a personal audience, barely listens when he does, and refuses to take any political action to give the poor opportunities to find education or roles that would allow them to advance their position in society.”

“Why not?” Ace asked.

“Because it’s difficult, and would disrupt other levels of society. And because it would force him to look at them.” She stared them straight on, “He’s not a bad camel, but he doesn’t really care about the poor. Few do.”

“Thank you miss.” Dust doffed his hat, “We’ll let you get on.”

She nodded and returned to her duties, Ace watching her for a moment before turning to Dust, “So he’s not all sunshine and rainbows.”

“I don’t know Ace.” Dust commented, feeling the hints of hypocrisy brewing, “When was the last time you went out of your way to help the poor?”

“I…” Ace paused, “My mother…”

“Who you’ve disowned.”

“I donate… well not me personally, but my family donates…” Ace trailed off, frowning to himself, “But I’m not in charge.”

“You’re the son of Velvet Remedy and Deadshot Calamity, you have plenty of power of your own.” Dust chuckled to himself as the foal pouted at him, “Honestly Ace, given that he isn’t sending children into battle, luring them into his bedroom with sweets or currently pillaging the country, I’d say he’s still the best ruler we’ve met.”

“Ugh… perhaps.” Ace eyed the sisters again, looking irritated, “I just don’t like the camels. They’re all so… pompously moral.”

“You’ve met like… three.”

“I’ve heard stories.” He retorted, “And so far, they seem accurate. Look at the clothing on the camels, it’s all high quality and comfortable fabrics, yet cut to look really plain and modest. And they’re all so insistent that they’re working hard to make the world a better place, despite being richer than gods and I note, distinctly plump.”

Dust chuckled, “You seem to be taking this personally.”

“Of course I am.” He allowed a small smile to cross his face, “It’s pretty much a whole city full of clones of my mother.”

He laughed, admitting that Velvet Remedy’s claims to a humble life were always somewhat punctured by her generous proportions. Still, it was far from a harsh comparison, “Aren’t you over that yet?”

Ace snorted, “I guess so. I guess those particular flaws still grate on me a little though.”

“Not the slavery?”

Ace snorted, “I’ve heard stories of that as well, and even that sounds familiar. A tribe of conditioned yes-mares, unpaid but with all their needs generously provided, expected to fanatically devoted to the cause to the expense of all other concerns?"

“Are we back on your mother again?”

“Or the Steel Rangers.” Ace pointed out, shrugging his shoulders, “I hate that shit. Being born into something, unable to escape. Conditioned from birth for the role society expects you to play.”

Dust got that, but felt he was being a little naïve, “We’re all born into something. The childhood we’re provided is always going to have bearing on our future path in life.”

Ace sighed, giving a rueful look, “I’ve tried to escape it…”

“Yet you’re a mechanic, and an adventurer.”

“And my brother likes to sing, and my sister is a bitch.” He sighed ruefully, “I know you’re right.”

Dust laughed, “I’m going to tell your mother you said all this you know? And your sister.”

Ace smiled at that, giving a rare laugh of his own, “I don’t really mean it… to be honest I’ve been told by a lot of ponies that I have my mother’s temperament. Both of them really, the comparisons with my step mother are even more obvious.” He sighed, “I’m aware half the reason I get along poorly with them is due to me seeing too much of myself in them. I’m passionate, and stubborn, and I like things my own way. And I have a cold temper, which leads me to saying things I quickly regret... I wish I was more like my father.”

“You know, you’re right.” Dust observed with amusement, “Because I’ve met both of your mothers, and I liked them both. They get things done, because they’re acutely aware of how much is wrong with the world. And they can’t sit back and just let an injustice go. They care, even if they like to present a cynical face on occasion.”

“But it makes me unhappy.” Ace commented with frustration, “That I care about stuff. I want to be easy going, to have a simple life. But I just have to get involved, I just have to get angry and pick fights.”

“I’m pretty sure it makes them unhappy too.”

“Now you sound like my dad.” Ace sighed, then gave him a small, tired grin, “What were your parents like?”

“Murdering, drunken, drug addled raiders.” Dust noted with amusement, “Took me a while to escape their influence.”

“How did you do it?”

My, that was a question. He cast his memory back, thinking on the subject, “To be honest, I’m going to have to pay credit to a pretty mare.” He smiled, dimly remembering her face, “Ironically, she was a devoted supporter of Red Eye, my senior in the slaver band I was a part of.”

Ace gave him a look, “A slaver taught you not to be a murdering, drunken, drug addled raider?”

“She was completely clean actually. She only drank water and even hated using healing potions. She assured me that they ‘tainted your fluids’.” He laughed at the memory, “She was a griffon, beak always in a book. She taught me to read, used to go through all the classics with me. Books on social responsibility, politics, ethics… she was confident they all legitimized Red Eye’s operation, that we were the heroes of the story.”

Ace looked doubtful, “That sounds like quite the feat.”

Dust nodded, regret pouring in. He was surprised after all this time, realized that deep down he still loved her and perhaps always would. Maybe he even liked Fluttershy so much because she reminded him of Elizabetha, “She really tried to live up to it. She was kind, and honest, and totally devoted. She used as little violence as possible, and gave captured slaves these big speeches about how it was for the betterment of the world.” He shrugged, “I was always a little doubtful, but she believed it.”

Ace was quiet for a moment before asking the question, “What happened to her?”

Dust sighed, “We were having problems taking this old fort, lost a lot of ponies trying to assault it. The defenders, they were a fierce bunch, and we couldn’t dislodge them. Eventually she ordered artillery strikes, set the whole place on fire… and we found out why they had defended the place so fiercely.” He sighed, aware that he would never forget that moment, “They had hundreds of kids in there. And they all burned to death, victims of the shells she had ordered fired.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.” He shrugged his shoulders, unable to add much more to that statement, “We eventually had to leave her there. She wouldn’t move, she wouldn’t even speak. She just stood there, staring into space. We sent ponies back for her later, but she was gone. Never saw her again.”

Ace winced, “Shit.”

"...yeah." He looked away, feeling the memory burn as bright and clear as it had all those years ago, "Shit happens I guess."

~

It was time.

Dust Kicker set himself up on the balcony, propping the long extended barrel of his rifle on the bars as he looked down at the Royal Mansion below. He marveled at how vulnerable it was really, having picked out no less than four positions that gave a commanding view of the grounds. He watched through the scope as a tall, alicorn sized pony came through the doors on schedule, inspecting him for a moment. Sandy brown coat, no cutie mark, ebony beard, slim and athletic looking… it was the Prince alright, moving out alongside two zebra in fancy armor.

The Prince looked to the side as a servant came up, a radio carried in on a tray. The servant exchanged a few short words before the Prince reached down and let the headphones settle around his ears, adjusting them with an elegant hoof.

The call had originally been tuned to one of the Emir’s servants, better to achieve a direct line. The call had now however been transferred to Dust Kicker, keeping his voice calm and cold as he spoke, “Good morning my Prince. Please do not call out or alert your guards in any way. I have a rifle trained on your head right now.”

The prince, to his credit, merely froze in place with a look of mounting horror.

“I don’t want to kill you, I just want to speak with you. My name is Dust Kicker, I’m one of Zenai’s friends.”

The Prince breathed two simple words, his voice cracking, “I’m sorry…”

Good answer, "I want you to order your guards to leave you then exit the grounds by the south gate. We will meet you there."

The Prince was not an argumentative sort, he instantly sent the guards away despite their protests and set off for the gate. As expected the guards merely doubled around, following the Prince at a distance. Further movement in the compound indicated more were on their way. Dust Kicker flicked the switch on the radio, "The Prince is on his way, two guards on his tail. More coming."

The Prince exited the compound, moving down the alleyway beyond. The guards followed a short distance away, Dust Kicker waiting for the small figure to approach them from the side, before focusing his rifle and pulling the trigger.

The tranquiller dart struck the first guard in the neck, sending him stumbling. The second had just turned when Ace Gold came in, efficiently removing the guard’s helmet and striking him hard across the back of the head with a hoof. The guard toppled and Ace used his body to swing himself around to kick the already tranquillized guard across the jaw, putting him out of the fight completely.

The Prince turned to his two fallen guards, Decimus moving out behind and kicking at the back of the Prince’s knees. It knocked his lanky form to the ground and Decimus reached over and seized the Prince around the jaw, stopping him from shouting as Dust Kicker placed another tranquiller round into the Prince's chest.

The Prince struggled for a moment more before he slumped forward, Dust Kicker folding his rifle away as Ace and Decimus mounted the Prince upon their backs and galloped off for the safehouse they had arranged.

It was a good feeling. A perfect op was becoming something of a rarity.

¬

They stood in the basement of the safehouse, applying medical care to the Prince and waiting for him to wake up. Decimus was upstairs handling security, leaving just Dust Kicker and Ace to handle the interrogation. They had told Fluttershy the bare minimum, so that she could at least deal with any issues back at the Merchants Guild. It was best if she didn't get personally involved.

The Prince started to stir, shifting his body with a groan then looking down in surprise as he strained against the chains about his legs. His eyes quickly found his captors and he took them in with frightened eyes, quite understandably. After a moment however those eyes softened, and he even looked a little pleased.

Dust Kicker instantly filed his observation away until he had a better understanding of what was going on, just standing silent as Khalid finally spoke. As expected his voice was deep and commanding, and it also bore surprising softness, "I expected you would come eventually."

"You know who we are?" Dust questioned.

"You are the companions of that young zebra, Zenai." The Prince stated, his voice firm and decisive, "Dust Kicker and Ace Gold. I am Khalid Al-Rashid Ibn Faisal Al Saddle, Crown Prince of Saddle Arabia, and I understand you have been looking for me."

"So you did kill Zenai!" Ace Gold spat.

Khalid closed his eyes, expression strained, "Yes."

Ace Gold's voice rang out furiously, "Why?!"

"It was to turn you against the Emir, make you think he was responsible and sow division." Khalid turned his head away to stare at the wall, his ear twitching a little as he avoided their gaze, "It was an evil thing, and you deserve to be angry. You deserve to have your revenge."

Dust Kicker stared at him, coolly assessing. To be honest it wasn't much of an assessment, Khalid was a terrible liar, "And you're prepared for the consequences?"

"I am." He stated, turning back to Dust Kicker and giving him a pleading look, "Please... have me killed in secret, and bury me far from here. Tell no one of my actions."

Ace Gold frowned, "Why should we? You think you deserve to have your honor intact?"

"Not my honor." He stated with cracking voice, "The honor of my family, of the royal household. Please... they had nothing to do with this."

"It's something to think about." Dust answered curtly, nodding to Ace, "Ace, may I speak to you for a moment outside?"

¬

"He's lying."

"About what?" Ace Gold replied coldly, pacing the room with a conflicted look on his face, "Why would he own up like that if he wasn't responsible?"

"I have no doubt he feels responsible." Dust Kicker responded, the cogs moving inside his head as he considered the evidence. This wasn't his first conspiracy, and to be honest a lot about this was ringing many familiar bells, "You heard him at the end, he's desperate to preserve the honor of his family. He's Crown Prince Ace, and all indications are that he was the formal employer of Nazir's mercenaries. That he worked with Princess Luna. The evidence against him would be crushing if made public. For that reason alone this hardly seems the work of a criminal mastermind, he has too much to lose."

Ace Gold looked like he was about to object, though after a second he paused to think. Eventually he nodded, his anger calming, "You don't think he killed Zenai."

"Did you see him when he gave his motives?" Dust questioned, "He became tell city, couldn't look us in the eye. Not to mention his motives were vague, made no sense, and he was clearly eager to move on before we noticed that."

Ace frowned, "But the Emir claimed the order to kill Zenai came from him."

Dust Kicker shook his head, though he had to admit the implications weren't good, "The orders for the killing came from a household servant, who killed themselves before in depth interrogation."

"So he was framed?" Ace looked doubtful, "But in that case, why take the blame like that?"

Dust was pretty sure he knew, "Think of what he said Ace. He wanted his family left out of this. He's trying to take the fall for somepony else." He looked back at the door, knowing what they had to do. This wasn't his first interrogation after all, "Let's go back and talk to him. I think I know how to make him crack."

¬

"You were part of a conspiracy, against Caesar."

Khalid nodded, gulping back a breath and trying to calm himself as they continued to question him, “It was Themba, Princess Luna, Abartili and I. We united under shared hatred for Incuta, the Caesar of the West.”

Dust shook his head, that was a good start. Still, it left a lot of questions, “How on earth did you four meet?”

Khalid nodded nervously at the question, sweat dripping down his face, “Of course... Themba was the mastermind, he recruited each of us. Abartili and I, we knew him from before, diplomatic visits and the like.”

“And Princess Luna?”

Khalid pursed his lips tight, his expression becoming even more nervous looking.

Dust Kicker frowned, he chose to clam up now? “What’s the problem?”

“Oh... nothing.” He muttered weakly, then finally continued, “Princess Luna was brought in by one of Themba’s allies... I think?”

"Who?"

"I... I don't know..."

Ace spoke coldly, his voice pointed, “Sunshine Ivory.”

Khalid looked up in surprise, then his lips pursed in worry, "I... um... yes."

To be honest Dust wasn’t too surprised. He had already known the priestess was Luna's benefactor. That led up to more pointed questions however, "What was the endgame for Princess Luna's part in this?"

"She..." Khalid looked regretful, trying to firm his expression and failing, "She was to destabilize the region, then die at Star Swirl's hooves."

Ace made a growling sound. Dust Kicker tried to keep his own face blank as he continued, "Why?"

"So that Star Swirl would be seen as a hero... and that the tragedy of her death would fuel Star Swirl's sense of justice."

Ace's anger was clear in his voice, "How does that work? Why would Star Swirl kill Luna?"

"Because..." Khalid fought for his words for several moments before finally explaining in a strained tone, "She was crazy. She was a broken thing, capable of kindness to her children and with legitimate concerns, but ultimately she was a rabid dog. You must have realized that. I myself... I..." He hesitated a moment before his voice fell, "...I spoke to her many times, and I... developed a fondness for her myself. But she was a psychopath, and it was necessary."

"She was not a psychopath!" Ace shouted, "She was more stable than Starhammer will ever be, and a thousand times the pony you are!"

"I... agree that Starhammer was an unexpected difficulty." Khalid admitted, "We expected Star Swirl to face Luna herself, and after she was removed be forced to take control of the area. The possibility of external interference was deemed remote, Clendel had no army, and any assault from Caesar Incuta would play into our plans to turn public opinion against him."

Dust Kicker gave a grim smile, it nice to see that not everything had gone their way, "Starhammer's rise was rapid, I'm guessing this was already being implemented before he even overthrew Rashid."

"It was." Khalid admitted, "And it must have made Luna seem more sympathetic than intended. Her joining forces with you and Star Swirl was... very unexpected."

"No it wasn't, because she was a good pony!"

Dust Kicker tried to contrast Ace's anger with calm reason, still he had his own reasons to feel irritated by all of this. The amount of hubris on display was truly exceptional, "You honestly based your plans on the certainty that Luna and Star Swirl would try and kill one another?"

"Luna... was crazy..."

"She wasn't that crazy." Dust Kicker replied, "Your psychological profiles seem a little exaggerated. She brought me into her inner circle without a great deal of convincing, and by her rhetoric she should have hated me."

Khalid paused for a moment to consider this, "She... why would she do that? She hated adults, hated stallions..."

"She was a young mare, with a tendency to make emotional statements that she didn't really mean." Dust Kicker corrected, feeling frustrated that he had to explain this, "So basing your master plan of her being an unstable psychopath seems poorly considered."

Khalid's face fell, "I... suppose it was."

Dust Kicker pursed his lips for a moment, finally deciding Khalid was emotionally vulnerable enough to give them the answers to the real questions, “And where does Zenai's death figure into this? Who ordered it?"

"It... it was me."

"And what about Abartili's death?"

Khalid looked really nervous now, shaking in terror and barely able to answer the question. He tried to speak several times but his voice just locked up, eventually forcing out a strained gasp, "It was..."

"Who?"

"I..."

Dust Kicker came forward, increasing the pressure, "Who ordered Princess Luna's death?!"

"I... don't know..."

"And who ordered Themba's death Khalid?" Dust started, sure he was on to something now. This boy was clearly no cold blooded mastermind, and he was clearly lying, "And why surround yourself with guards, huh? Who are you protecting yourself from?"

"I... we were in way over our heads..." Khalid grimaced, looking deeply broken, “It could only be... Abartili and Themba were killed by Caesar, and Luna by Starhammer. Any evidence that says any different is clearly fabricated..."

Dust gave him a grim look, seeing now how this boy could be so easily manipulated, “Abartili and Zenai were killed by Nazir's mercenaries, mercenaries under your employ. And Themba’s death occurred after Caesar had made peace with him, killing him then would have been stupid.” Dust’s frown only grew as he considered the last point, thinking back to all that had happened that fateful night so long ago now... “And Luna was killed in her room, having apparently put up a heavy fight against someone either packing heavy explosives... or high level magic. We all thought it was Starhammer’s assassins, but they all used blades."

Ace Gold's expression grew increasingly more furious with every moment, "You know who it was Dust. I think I figured it out a long time ago, and I wish I had considered it at the time."

Khalid looked like he suspected something too, gulping noisily. Dust Kicker decided there was no point drawing it out anymore, voicing his conclusions "The only presence in the caves that night with motive, alibi, connection to your conspiracy and abilities consistent with the scene is... Sunshine Ivory.”

Khalid gulped, “Uhuh...”

Dust kept his eyes on the prince, unblinking, “And she was close to Themba, and had access to Nazir's mercenaries through her connection to you. So...”

“She wasn't really a part of our group, but she was... a consultant." Khalid eventually forced, his breathing rapid and sweat moistening his brow, “Themba relied on her for all his plans, we all knew it. But we were specifically told not to mention her. Her reputation as a mare of peace was too important, too...”

He paused, Dust giving a moment before prodding, “Too what?”

“Too... fragile. She already had a reputation, if you know where to look. She certainly scared me.” Khalid finally admitted, “Themba and Luna hung on ever word she said, they worshiped the ground she walked on. But... she was a mercenary back in the day, did you know that?"

Dust Kicker nodded, "We did."

"She... also worked as an assassin. An assassin for this family, for my father." Khalid forced out with some difficulty, "She didn't advertise it, she posed as a simple rich tourist and guest of my father. She used to use those connections to charm her way into the bedrooms of her victims, then... she killed them."

"She was a hired killer?" Ace spat, "Who the hell does background checks at the Church of Celestia?"

Khalid actually laughed at this, "She could always charm her way out of anything. I remember her being so nice, so polite, my sisters adored her."

Dust Kicker noted a 'but' there, "And you?"

"She terrified me." Khalid admitted, "My father would always act strange when she was around. He was always so strict, so in control... but she could make him laugh, smile in such a strange way. And even though he was incredibly frugal with money he would shower her with gifts."

"Obviously that didn't last forever."

Khalid shook his head, "Eventually... he asked her to marry him. And she refused." His eyes filled with fear, "He raged at her, forbade her to leave, we all heard it through the door... but when she emerged she was the one who was smiling, and my father had never looked so terrified." Khalid looked away, "He was never quite the same after that."

Ace Gold waved an angry hoof at him, "Why would you work with someone like that?!"

Khalid sighed, "None of us... really liked our father. And my sisters had always worshiped the ground Sunshine Ivory walked on. After my oldest sister died my younger sister Alisha used to spend hours communicating with Sunshine Ivory, even became a fully paid up member of the Church of Celestia."

"Really?" Dust replied, having got a good idea of what was going on now, "Nazir was employed by you right? And you were the one giving orders?"

"Yes!"

"And did you order them to kill Abartili?"

Khalid shook his head, "No! I... was told that it was Caesar who had him killed, who burned Estelle to the ground!"

"And you didn't order Zenai's death?"

"No! I ordered them to bring her to me!"

Ace Gold looked over at Dust Kicker, "Haven't we already gone over this?"

"Yeah, but there's two things that don't make sense." Dust replied, fixing Khalid with a grim look, "One, the order to kill Zenai was sent with one of your household servants. Two, you were obviously trying to protect someone originally, and it wasn't Sunshine Ivory."

A look of absolute horror passed across Khalid's face, "Please..." He gasped, tears running down his face, "I can't..."

"Somepony in your household was subverting your orders. Somepony acting on behalf of Sunshine Ivory."

"It's my responsibility..."

Dust advanced forward, keeping his voice completely calm as he locked eyes with the Prince, "I don't care about responsibility. I want the truth Khalid."

His breathing changed pace, all the evidence Dust Kicker needed, "It's not..."

Dust Kicker continued, not letting him escape, "Your younger sister ordered Zenai's death. And she was following the instructions of Sunshine Ivory."

Khalid's words tumbled out, "It's not her fault."

Dust Kicker shook his head, "I beg to differ."

"She's a child."

"She's nineteen." Dust responded, waving a hoof at Ace Gold, "Ace is younger than her, and he has the good sense to know right from wrong."

Ace Gold took the opportunity to speak, "Zenai was just nineteen. She wanted to help the world, to be a hero. You took that from her."

Khalid actually laughed at this, "That sounds... familiar. My sister always wanted to give up this life, go out there and be a wasteland hero. She wanted... she's was always so..." His eyes fell, the joy draining from his face, "...innocent..."

"Is that why she did it?" Dust Kicker asked, seeing the thread here, "To be a hero?"

"Have you not seen what's going on here?" Khalid asked, looking at them both with desperate eyes, "Those... merchant kings know the worth of everything, and the value of nothing. They sell off the history of this land, create a society where money is the only thing that matters. We had to do something!"

"And what does killing Zenai have to do with that?! You son of a bitch!" Ace Gold shouted.

Khalid gave them a broken smile, "Ha... Alisha believes it is to ignite the flame of justice in the heart of the alicorn Star Swirl. But in truth I believe it was also a ploy to lead you to us, have you take care of the last loose end in her plan."

Dust figured as much himself, "She wanted us to kill you. She sure does like to assume the inevitability of violent confrontation."

"Justly so. You have every reason to hate me, to want my head. I have acted without honor, brought shame upon everything I have touched." He gave a quivering laugh, his body sagging against his bindings, "I have destroyed my house, a dynasty that has lasted a thousand years... though in truth, perhaps it needed to be put out of its misery."

"Just because something's old, doesn't mean it's any more valuable." Dust countered, though he felt he was beating a dead horse now, "You should have taken the Emir's offer, took a position in the government, worked to gain power legitimately."

"It is too late for that now." He admitted with a sigh, his voice fully defeated, "Bring me to the Emir, I will admit everything."

¬

They passed through the corridors of the merchant’s guild, the crowds parting at their progress. Some of the royal guard that filled the area reached for their guns, still Khalid was as good as his word and quickly ordered them to back off. Eventually they reached the state chambers, Alisha instantly obvious among the crowd. Like her brother she wasn't quite an alicorn, her proportions yet another variation on the classic 'big pony' model. She had a pinkish white coat that shimmered slightly in the light, her shape the classic 'fashion model' type that you could only achieve with smoothies for ever meal and a private gym. Her face was pinched and oddly juvenile, with poorly defined cheekbones that her look of imminent outrage didn't help. It instantly faded as she saw her brother, shouting out angrily, "Brother! I knew they were keeping you here!"

Khalid advanced forward to meet her, shaking his head, "Alisha, please order our soldiers to stand down. I am here, and I am safe."

"I will not!" She replied, glaring fiercely at him, "Not until you tell me where you have been!"

"Alisha." Khalid stated with soft resignation, "It is over. I intend to reveal everything to the Emir, and accept whatever punishment is given. Please, stand down."

"That is truly wonderful news." The Emir stated from within the crowd, passing through a gap in the surrounding soldiers with Fluttershy at his side. He greeted Khalid with an accepting nod, "Please my Prince, all this aggression is upsetting the people. Let your men retire back to their positions, and we can talk in peace."

Khalid sighed, nodding his head, "Yes... soldiers, please go back to the mansion. My sister and I have things to discuss with the Emir."

"Belay that order!" Alisha angrily interrupted, her face furious, "They have clearly kidnapped my brother, and forced confession through crude torture! Stay where you are!"

"Alisha!" Khalid implored, "They know everything already! They know we conspired with Star Fall and Princess Luna, that we had Zenai killed..."

"You idiot..." She hissed, then glanced across at one of her officers, "Captain! Seize the Emir!"

Everyone froze... including the captain. He eventually forced out his words, "My Princess... I don't..."

Khalid stepped towards her, "Alisha!"

Alisha swiftly kicked her brother in the kneecap and sent him thudding to the floor with a yell, leaping backwards and fastening her teeth into the rifle of one of her guardsmen. Dust lifted his weapon but already knew firing the first shot would be a poor decision, powerless to do more than watch as she grabbed the Emir with a hoof and drew him close. An old man was little match for the tall, muscular Arabian horse, Alisha subduing him easily and backing towards the wall with the weapon held to his head, “Get back, all of you!”

A laser blast rang out, scoring a wound across Alisha's flank. She yelled in pain, her jaw tightening on the trigger as her guards readied weapons. Dust Kicker knew he couldn't play with niceties, leaping forward and slamming himself straight into the Emir, bracing himself in place and hurling the old camel fiercely aside. He tried to ignore the fact that he had just physically assaulted the most important person in the city, easy enough to do when Alisha proceeded to punch him hard in the eye. It was both well aimed and powerful, she was obviously no soft hooved noble.

It was confirmed when a laser blast streaked across the room and struck her in the flank, cleaving away a large slab of flesh. She barely winced, simply turning and firing a barrage of shots in the direction the blast came from. Her own guards rallied around, weapons rising...

Dust called out, "Fluttershy!"

She understood, bless her, "Stop this now!"

They all froze in place at Fluttershy's shout, each of them turning their heads to look at the mare with expressions of shock and shame.

All except for Alisha, who ran forward without a moment of hesitation. Her hoof shot out and kicked Fluttershy aside, the mare squealing as she tumbled across the tiled floor. Alisha didn't stop to assess the mare's condition, darting down the corridor and out of sight.

And that was enough to invite Dust's attention, following with a fierce vengeance as Alisha thundered down the corridor. He fired his rifle but she dodged around the corner, hearing rifle shots and spotting an injured clerk as he came into the corridor behind her. As before she quickly moved out of sight and he was forced to follow, cursing her long legs as he fought to keep up.

Eventually he spotted her heading through a pair of large metal doors, attempting to throw them closed behind her. He put on a final burst of speed, launched himself straight at the narrowing gap...

He burst through, a hoof extending to trip him. He didn't entirely fall for it, simply stumbling as he fought for balance. A gun roared and bullets marked his side, Dust Kicker igniting his own shotgun with a roar and striking Alisha in the hip. A moment of wild fire later they both reached cover, Dust Kicker crouching behind a statue and considering the situation.

He looked around the room, sunshine streaming through a skylight far above to illuminate a room that differed from the others in its opulence. It was filled with wealth, mighty statues of proud looking Arabians, jewel studded armor and weaponry, rune covered golden plates. Portraits hung all around, each one a masterpiece.

"Appropriate, that it should end here." Alisha stated from behind a pillar of her own.

Dust Kicker tried to work out what Alisha plan was. The door might have been locked now, but unless she was going to hide in here, "You can't win Princess! Stand down, and I swear you'll be treated with dignity."

"Ha! I spit on both those proclamations!" She shouted, her hoof steps echoing out as she darted behind one of the statues. She slid into position with easy grace, firing a shot that splintered the stone an inch from his face, "You forced me into this! I hope you remember that as you burn!"

Dust Kicker... did not like the sound of that, "What do you mean?"

"You think we weren't prepared for this, for this betrayal?!" She shouted joyfully, her strong, arrogant tones echoing around the room, "This room contains the last of our glory, the treasures and wealth of our rule! These golden plates, they record thirteen hundred years of our might and glory, and that disgusting old fool of a camel simply prices it up according to the weight of the gold it was made from!"

"And shooting the place up is going to help?"

"If our treasures are to be melted down, then we shall be the ones to do it!" She declared, "For mere wealth isn't all we hid here!"

Dust Kicker finally got it, and to be honest he had done the same in the past. Always have a spare, always have access to a weapon, "You... hid weapons here." He thought to what she had said, "Explosives."

She laughed triumphantly, "Enough to bring this whole place down! Would that not be a worthy capstone to our rule?"

It would certainly prove evidence for the wisdom of ending it, "Only one problem with that plan."

"And what is that?"

"You move from that spot, and I'm putting a hole through your skull."

She paused for a moment, before her lanky form darted out from behind the statue, "Then I will have to kill you first!"

Bullets shot past him, one scoring a nasty wound across his side. He too moved to engage and their battle dragged on for several more seconds, shattered marble and rattling shell casings scattering under his hooves. He placed several shots across her body with his assault rifle but she barely seemed to notice, even as the fire enchantment scorched her fur. And it was hardly one sided, Dust Kicker having to acknowledge her awareness of angles and fields of fire. With her long legs and youth they were deadly weapons, she simply outpaced him at every turn. Eventually she caught him in the knee and he stumbled, just making it to cover as she scored two more hits on his side that tore open his armor and drew blood.

"You're old! Old and slow!"

And she... was better than he expected. She had clearly won that engagement, Dust Kicker counting his injuries and the worryingly small amount of healing potion he had on him. Even with healing potion, his stamina was starting to flag a little, not used to running around the rather heavy praetorian armor.

Alisha's own light armor seemed barely necessary, the mare just soaking up bullets without a flicker of response. That and her somewhat dull facial expressions in contrast to her wild behavior was a give away, Alisha was a Med-X addict.

...which was literally the worst thing he could possibly think of. Ponies addicted to Med-X were bad enough, and if everything scaled up appropriately Dust Kicker struggled to think of a clear way to take out a mare of Alisha's size. Body shots likely wouldn't do jack, and he might as well ignore his assault rifle.

Even as he tried to formulate a plan she leant out from behind a pillar and let off a few shots that forced him to huddle against cover. He cursed as he realized she had trapped him. If he retreated back he would lose sight of her, advancing forward he would quickly get himself full of holes.

It was time to make use of experience. Dust leant out just a little and took aim at one of the golden plates that she was so proud of, firing and striking it at a sharp angle. He considered the irony as it deflected away at a sharp angle and struck Alisha in the shoulder, causing her to stumble out of cover with blood streaming down her side. She discharged a wild shot in his direction but he dodged it with a leap sideways, putting another bullet through her head and sending it cracking backwards.

He slackened a little. Bad mistake, and he realized it as she swung her head back, focused her one eye on him and shot him through the shoulder. His armor took most of the blow but she had already taken the opportunity to disappear further into the palace, her hoofsteps echoing down the corridor.

He galloped forward into a hall of statues, each one depicting some noble stallion dressed in royal robes. Their solemn, dutiful expressions weighted upon the room, covering it in an oppressive sense of history... long faded into the hard reality of now, “You know what the stupid thing about all of this is?!”

He didn’t get a reply. He didn’t really expect one.

“This nation is based on merit and money! And you have plenty of the second!” He looked around, making sure he was near cover as he scanned every dark corner, “If you were worthy of being ruler, you could have done it legitimately!”

A shot rang out, Dust hearing the retort and diving into cover as the bullet shattered the tiles. A moment of silence followed, then Alisha called out from somewhere high up, “I have no wish to take control of this travesty! I want my country back!”

Dust snorted, working his way round the statues and looking to where he had heard her voice, “The rest of us came to terms with it long ago! That world is never coming back! Deal with it, make a new one! Make a better one!”

“Ha! Oh so sure of yourself!” Alisha called out, now much nearer to his location, “Admit it yourself, Sunshine Ivory has played you from the beginning! While you roamed around the country picking pointless fights, she has placed everything in position for the new dawn to come!”

Dust looked behind, unable to comprehend how a pony so big could move so fast and so silently. She was over the other side of the room a second ago, now she was somewhere just behind his position, “We know her plans now, we know yours! It’s too late!”

“For you!” Alisha screamed as she came out from behind a statue, swinging a spear down at his head. He dodged to the side and fired, only for her to duck out of the way and sweep the blade of her spear across his battle saddle. The leather parted with no resistance, his gun falling away and the trigger mechanism going slack. She grinned wide, the wound on her head barely more than a rapidly healing scar as she brought her spear back for a final stab...

He charged in, slamming his form into hers. She simply rolled with the impact however and he was sent head over hooves, Alisha kicking out at the apex of the move and sending him flying across the room to thud painfully into the floor. He gritted his teeth as he saw her roll upright with unnatural grace for her size and shape, the rifle at her side already flicking into position.

He pulled the pistol from his armor holster, gripping it in his teeth and firing. Several bullets struck her chest and predictably failed to penetrate her armor, at least one however hit her rifle and sent her shot wild. It gave him a chance to duck back into cover, panting and assessing his options.

She shook away the shock from her injuries before grinning triumphantly, advancing on his position like a cat on the hunt, “How about that killer?! Your primary weapon is gone! What are you going to do now?”

Dust Kicker stilled his breathing. Through his nose, slow and steady. Let the tension in his muscles relax...

“Come out, let me finish this!”

He leapt out and rushed her, Alisha predictably stabbing at his head with her spear. Dust Kicker simply lifted his hooves, jumped up onto the blade, and slammed it to the ground with a mighty clang. She cursed and jumped back, rifle at the ready... Dust Kicker kicked the spear into the air and took it in his hooves, sweeping it round in a powerful arc and knocking her rifle flying.

She charged with a scream, kicking Dust hard in the face and attempting to trample him. She was a big mare, bigger than him, stronger than him...

But it wasn’t the first time somepony had tried.

He grabbed her hoof, kicked the inside of her knee, threw his weight forwards and held on. She screamed, toppled forward... her skull hit the tiled floor with a mighty crack and she spasmed for just a moment... before falling limp, heavy body sinking down on top of him.

Dust briefly contemplated his victory, that they had finally gotten at least a little revenge for Zenai...

...and the fact he had a lot of mare pinning him to the floor. And that all the doors were still locked, “Um... any help?”

¬

"You have my most sincere gratitude Dust Kicker. Your actions have saved me, my palace, my city, and most impressively the two young royals." The Emir expressed with genuine enthusiasm, "Few have your level of restraint and skill."

"What will you do with them?" Dust Kicker asked as he rested upon the plush sofas of the Emir's state room, enjoying the chance to recover from his wounds as the group faced the Emir and Ibis. Khalid and his sister had both been 'quietly' detained in the more secure and windowless of the guest rooms, certainly better than many thought they might deserve, "I can imagine it's not an easy decision."

"The harm is greatest against you." The Emir pointed out, looking to them, "By rights, you have the right to judge them."

"They have long been an embarrassment upon you too." Decimus stated firmly, eyes narrowed in anger, "But I agree, you three are the injured parties."

Dust noted the others looking at him, even Fluttershy and Ace waiting for his decision. He quickly gave a shake of his head, "Sorry, but I'm not a judge, or even a law enforcement official. Judging ponies in general is something I'm not fond of doing."

"But you have an opinion?" Fluttershy asked.

"Call me a cold hearted mercenary, but I'm always inclined to be pragmatic." Dust answered, knowing it wasn't what some wanted to hear, "Both have been taught some humility, and punishment would just be an invitation for trouble on all sides. Have them open their properties to the state, formally give up their claims to the throne, and have them work off their debt to society... Khalid at least."

"And Alisha?" Ibis questioned, a smirk crossing her face.

"She'll obviously require a lot less authority, and a lot more supervision." Dust admitted, "To be honest, she's a pretty damn skilled fighter. She's certainly got the chance to make something of herself, but she's got a lot of growing up to do."

"She killed Zenai. A cell is too good for her." Ace Gold spat, not unpredictably.

"Zenai got a lot of ponies killed herself." Dust Kicker reminded him with soft resignation, "We can't..."

"Zenai was your friend!"

Dust closed his eyes, "She was a zebra, who could sometimes be blind to the consequences of her actions. Ace, I'm sorry, I miss her, but I've never been comfortable with letting emotion guide my decisions. As a mercenary, I prefer to see the good and bad in everypony."

"You're a bounty hunter." Ace noted, "You kill ponies for money."

"That's an assassin." Dust corrected.

"So you don't kill ponies?"

"If a pony takes a path that puts them in my sights, then that's their decision." He answered, feeling more than anything a grim resignation at how events had played out, "But I take no pleasure in killing. I only do it when they're trying to kill me or others and there's no practical way to end things any other way. At the moment I see no reason in killing those two save vengeance."

Ace Gold glared coldly, "Isn't vengeance a good enough reason?"

"For some." Dust looked to him, not wanting to prod the kid but feeling he had to say something, "But in my mind, it just leads ponies down the same path as Alisha and Sunshine Ivory."

"You are a rare one indeed Dust Kicker." The Emir stated with a broad, happy smile, "To be honest, I've never had a good opinion of mercenaries. But you put even my most honorable warriors to shame."

"Eh, I don't know about that." He felt himself blush a little, amused that a simply complement would embarrass him so much, "I just... try to live my life with a clean conscience."

Fluttershy gave him a warm, affectionate look that made his heart jump a little, the Emir noticing it and grinning. He tried to adopt a more regal expression as he lifted himself officially before them, bowing his head low, "Representatives of Equestria and Mutum, you have displayed judgment, virtue and kindness equal to any I know. It would be an honor to entrust my armies to your cause."

Dust grinned triumphantly, they had done it! "Thank you Emir."

¬

Dust Kicker lay beside Fluttershy, breathing deep of her fur, feeling it tickle his nose. He was warm, happy, safe beside the one he loved. All was right...

He rolled over and looked up at the sky, dark clouds of grey and black rolling over each other in constantly shifting, complex patterns of utter beauty. He had missed that sight. It felt like he hadn't seen it in forever.

"To find the light in shades of grey, that sometimes seems all too easy. To locate true virtue when all is dressed in finery, that is far more difficult a task."

Dust Kicker could only agree, "That's why I've never liked the big cities. The rich, the virtuous, the proudly respectable... people rush over themselves to praise the sunlight, but I've always found something unsettling hiding behind the easy beauty of the new world."

She moved beside him, feathered wings extending outwards to brush the dust from her fur. She gave him one of her sly, slightly smug half smiles before looking back across the endless wastes. She adjusted the rose tinted glasses balanced upon her beak, silent in contemplation for long moments before speaking, "Because I have shown you Equestria, and you know it for what it is."

Dust Kicker looked ahead, a young, stubborn looking griffon and a short, gangly looking unicorn struggling together to build Canterlot Castle out of the dirt. Their struggles were clumsy, dirt staining their fur with every movement. Dust Kicker couldn't help but judge how foolish they looked, "Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness. A land united in harmony."

"And it was a lie. A rug, to cover the dirty blood stained reality of their decadence." Elizabetha looked to the griffon and unicorn, her eyes quietly judging and beak twisting in hatred, "Those two, they're both trapped by their own idealistic notions of the past. They dust down the flags of Equestria and the Griffon Republics, but neither understand what it is they are attempting to restore. Just like back before the megaspells, fools following a fool of a Princess, marching towards some nostalgic, prideful notion that the past could be atoned for, set right."

Dust looked to the pair. They had completed their work, Canterlot Castle standing tall and proud. They danced and sung around it in joyous victory, both failing to notice as it crumbled and fell upon its poor foundations, "They're just trying to do what's right."

"Those are the flags they fly above their new world." Elizabetha stated with venom as she pointed out across the plains, a million dead and burned children clad in tattered cloth.

He sighed, shook his head and walked forward, leaving the dead behind. He moved down the long, echoing corridors of Stable 5, looking down at the dead slavers all around. He remembered their faces, they were his men. He had led them here in the name of Red Eye, proud as the security forces had fallen with barely any resistance, the overmare tripping over herself to surrender.

And yet, something had been killing them. Sabotaging the stable systems, using security systems in the most unexpected ways, every attempt to find the location of their mystery nemesis turning up nothing but empty rooms.

He now stood before her last possible hiding place, already knowing what he was going to find. He pushed the entry button and it swept open to reveal that converted broom cupboard, panels pulled off the wall and a custom built console placed upon the floor.

The unicorn mare inside turned to him, barely more than a child. Her yellow and green eyes met his, unyielding, unafraid, intelligent and assessing like none other he had ever seen.

"I'm so sorry Celly." He stated with regret as he looked down at Cerulean Sparks, having almost forgotten what she had looked like.

"For what?" She questioned, her tone totally neutral, "For murdering your way through my home? For taking me as a slave? For raping me? For getting me killed?"

She had stated each of those things like she was reporting the weather. Her eyes contained no judgment. And yet with every word his insides burned, guilt and agony without measure, "...all of it..."

"You have not changed." She stated with firmness, brow wrinkling a little, "Gawd, Zenai, Fluttershy... you take their troubles upon yourself, work to fulfill borrowed dreams and labor under borrowed troubles."

Dust Kicker could say little, as always she was right.

"What do you want Dust Kicker?" She asked.

He struggled with the answer for a long time, but finally he had to answer, "For you to love me."

"No mare can validate your existence." She responded with cool judgment, eyes firm and unblinking, "You cannot hide behind others forever, refusing to take moral responsibility for your actions. There will come a time when you, and you alone will hold the key to our future."

"I..." He looked away, feeling like a child before those eyes, "...I'm just a mercenary, doing a job."

"This was never a simple job." She responded, "You were meant to be here. You were chosen."

He looked back at Cerulean Sparks, "I was chosen? By who?"

"Silent Steel said it himself." She responded, a slight smile upon her lips, "You came very highly recommended."

¬

Dust Kicker opened his eyes, looking around the bedroom. He saw Fluttershy beside, her breathing gentle as she slept.

He got out of the bed and walked over to the window, looking over Baradin, out towards where Equestria sat far beyond his vision. He felt it in his bones, knew it somehow. That somepony was waiting for him back home.

Comments

[Kexisoc]

Honestly, I felt there was was no true right/wrong path for Esau to have made to come to his decision, if only that that little Trait he gained in The Painful Road was deceptive to indicate a liability. I could not imagine the alternative had he chosen what I presume would have been the more cynical route, usurp his brother's throne but come at risk at regressing back to who he was before the scarring. It appears to be that with Tradash gone, he feels he may be obligated to take his place in some way.

He's taking a very measured approach, but it still much be hard on his that the alicorn Star Swirl whom he eloped with is now apparently trying to subvert their efforts from the dream plane.

["Oh, that old place?" Ibis commented as she made her way down the hill, "It was gutted by fire a long time ago, we pulled it down and used it to build an orphanage."

"It was pretty..." Fluttershy protested softly.]

Wow. You'd think that'd be a fair trade, Fluttershy given the decadence of both Equestria and the Zebralands capital you subtly criticized in the past.

But I do admire the long game the camels are playing, as it would appear it's only a matter of single digit generations before the Saddle Arabians go extinct by thin gene pool. That is so as long as horses like Khalid don't end up causing self destructive decisions to botch all that. Kinda still is a win-win though for the camels in the .002% chance Khalid fulfills his delusions, since the regent's descendant will inherit whatever the Saddle Arabians hold all the same.

The Emir was...very forthcoming informing the band about Khalid's involvement with Zenai's death. Granted, good choice. Not a good idea to be implicated to be hiding that information. Though the one part of me wonders if that was part of a plot to remove Khalid to speed up the camel's right of succession.

...wait a minute

Dust describes a griffon slaver who taught Dust morality, was a true believer of Red Eye, but ended up missing in the aftermath of an operation.

Then it so happens an unidentified female griffon stole Jammer's prized work before putting a bullet into her skull as regaled in a previous chapter.

It's...astounding Khalid would rather die than fess up the truth. Why especially he would defend Sunshine Ivory's involvement I do not know. He probably understood with everything falling apart how insignificant he was in the political game of cloak and daggers.

(reads on)

Oh, it's his family he's hiding their involvement from.

Well then, Khalid seems like a passionate nationalist by comparison to his fanatic sister. Boy, what poison had Ivory fed to Khalid's sister? Aaaaand I feel little bad for holding ill suspicions towards the Emir earlier. But at least that's another big victory for the team. Baradin secured from Sunshine's corrupt influence, Khalid given a chance for his family to get with the times and fade with dignity.

On a last note, that transition from sleep to dream is a nice touch, as yes it does come unexpectedly.

It really does dawn to me now. What did Silent Steel truly expect of Dust Kicker?

[Philweasel]

7052412

Honestly, I felt there was was no true right/wrong path for Esau to have made to come to his decision, if only that that little Trait he gained in The Painful Road was deceptive to indicate a liability.

Honestly, though I respect his choice, I feel such a dramatic change is mostly due to trauma and grief. Easu is not the most expressive character so it’s hard to tell, but he’s had a pretty brutal time of late.

Wow. You'd think that'd be a fair trade, Fluttershy given the decadence of both Equestria and the Zebralands capital you subtly criticized in the past.

Fluttershy is not an ascetic. She admires the Emir’s dedication to function over form, but the destruction of pretty things in service to utility does upset her.

In fact, while Fluttershy dislikes corruption and violence, she’s all up for a bit of decadence from time to time.

Though the one part of me wonders if that was part of a plot to remove Khalid to speed up the camel's right of succession.

I’ll let you make that decision.

The Emir is a good person. How good, is a matter of opinion.

Well then, Khalid seems like a passionate nationalist by comparison to his fanatic sister.

Poor kid, I always had him as the odd one out in the conspiracy. He’s smart enough, but he has no guile. Being isolated in a sealed environment with every need catered for without a lick of responsibility does not prepare you for dealing with folks like Sunshine Ivory.

Boy, what poison had Ivory fed to Khalid's sister?

The comparisons to Zenai are not that forced. They both have a fierce desire to change the world, and both are a little too young to really understand consequences.

And I note that Sunshine Ivory’s love for insecure, naive little girls to do her dirty work will never go away.