Nevermoore

by TranscriptBrony

Chapter III: The Concrete Kingdom

Four weeks after freeze

Fillydelphia fell down hard when the revolution happened. The city crumbled from within and now only the shells of skyscrapers and other buildings remain, providing very little protection from the deadly conditions. If you stayed in that city, you were quite brave. Even though its government had completely gone to pieces, a small group of rebels had formed what they call a kingdom. To the knowledge of any wanderer of the wasteland, this was the largest gang you would find.

The gang had never decided on a name. They did decide, however, decide on a name for their "kingdom". They called it the Concrete Kingdom and they claimed they owned all the land that had the city on it, which was a good amount of land. The land consisted of around 150-200 members. The total always varied due to death tolls and new recruits. They never left the city, they only cared about running their operations from within.

They created their own law systems and enforced them violently. In most cases, anyone who broke a law, even minor, was put to death. This rarely still affected their numbers. Anyone who was expendable in their eyes was an asset, not a member. They were slightly medieval as well. They had methods of torture and were very filthy, granted, they were in a fallen city. They also had a monarchy and a new leader was made when they were deemed worthy, which generally meant they challenged the current leader to a brawl. Of course, they had to win to become the new leader because the loser won the prize of death.

This is the basis of the Concrete Kingdom. This is also where this chapter takes it setting. Within the still crumbling structures is a familiar character. Rarity. She had the unfortunate luck of being in Fillydelphia when the freeze happened. She had been on a business trip. Throughout her four weeks of being there she had successfully avoided anything related to this newly arisen kingdom. It could be deemed awkward that the "Concretians" hadn't ever once investigated the building that Rarity was in. It was an ideal location in the eyes of Rarity though. Surrounded in a protective wall of debris, she was not only protected from most of the winter elements, but any hostiles as well.

Rarity still never dared to leave her little oasis. She often heard the terrified screams of wanderers being taken prisoner by the gang members just outside her wall of protection. She also only lit a fire when she knew it was safe, a light in the distance might seem a bit suspicious to the Concretians. They don't take intruders very nicely. Being caught meant inevitable suffering, or at least highly probable suffering. There had been times where the Concretians allowed certain wanderers into their little clan, but that was a very rare happening.

Food had and had always been an issue for Rarity here. Most any food was hoarded by the kingdom and she wouldn't risk stealing some of it either. When it was absolutely necessary was when she would leave to find food. Whenever she did leave she did find food, just in unpleasant places: high to reach places, around dead bodies, near the kingdom's main gate, even under feet of snow. In the end, it was worth it to eat. Rarity as a matter of fact was about to leave to find food, she was dreadfully low on her already pitiful stock.

The problem was that it was daylight. She could use magic to hide herself but the flash from her horn could be seen beforehand, then an alert would be made. The Concretians were everywhere, she had just been lucky enough so far to not have been caught. When she realized that the coast was indeed clear, she booked it towards the northern end of the city. She reached it safely. Her hoof steps had been very quite, a very useful tool in that fallen city. She searched high and low for any sign of food. Eventually she found some, but it wasn't very inviting.

Down at the end of the street Rarity was looking down was a backpack, out in the wide open. At first she wanted to jump at the opportunity but she then realized something. Where had the backpack come from? There was no body anywhere near it it seemed and there was no chance that the Concretians had left food lying around. Maybe there was another wanderer in the city that may have accidently misplaced their bag. Possible but unlikely.

It now just came down to Rarity's judgement. Should she attempt to grab the backpack or should she play it safe a starve another night? Either way had its own positives, some better than others, but still positive. Staring.....pondering.....staring some more. She had not made one move in any sort of direction since seeing this backpack. Food.....no food,,,,,so hungry! She had to get that backpack!

Rarity took at a full sprint towards the bag. It was food or nothing! She got closer and closer. Her eyes grew wide in wonder at what was in the pack. It looked fairly big and probably had very useful supplies in it, most likely food. She was some fifty feet away when she saw a flash in the corner of her eye. Something hit her violently and flung her to the side. She tried to get up but couldn't. She had been hit by stun magic!

She could hear hoof steps approaching her. Whoever it was was snickering a little. Rarity looked up and saw a very dirty looking unicorn above her.

"Hehe, got one..." said he.

He spun 180 degrees around and planted his hooves. He then bucked Rarity in the face hard. The impact knocked her out stone cold.

When she woke back up it was night time. She also noticed she was in a sort of makeshift cage, created from steel cable taken from surrounding debris piles. Her heart sank as she knew where she was. She was in the belly of the beast, the heart of the Concrete Kingdom. Her cage was surrounded by four torches and also seemed to have wheels attached. Where was a cage like this to be pulled?

Two colts then entered the area. The didn't say a word, just grabbed some reins and began to pull the cage forward towards a gate. The gate rose and on the other side the entire gang had gathered in what looked like grandstands. Her cage was pulled to the center of view. She was unloaded from the cage but then chained to the ground around her ankles. Rarity looked up and saw what was probably the current leader of the Kingdom, he donned a crown of barbed wire.

"Welcome to the Concrete Kingdom, intruder." The king simply smiled at her. "Haven't had a mare for some days now...."

"What do you want?" asked Rarity.

"We want justice. We don't tale kindly to wanderers trespassing on our land. Doesn't sit right with us...."

"I beg your pardon but, your land? I thought there was no longer any sort of law so how can you claim this city as your own?"

"Oh, a smart one she is! Hoho! If there isn't law though, whose to say we can't claim land eh?"

"Well......um...."

"Exactly, your smarts have failed you. Anyways, if you haven't figured it out yet, your on trial."

"Trial? For what may I ask?!"

"Where have you been the past few minutes?! You have been caught trespassing on our land, your on trial for the decision of your punishment......but first, I want information." The king looked on towards the white mare with curiosity. "Who are you? You look.....familiar."

"I won't tell you any information, thank you very much." Rarity said sternly.

The king sighed. "Buck her Silver...."

A pegasus to her right turned suddenly and kicked her in the side very hard. A small crack was heard, which was most likely a broken rib. Rarity slowly got back up from the ground and tried to look strong in the face of the enemy.

"That didn't," Rarity saw her reflection in some glass near the edge of the floor. "Ack! My mane!!" She had gotten dirt in her glorious purple mane.

The king smiled, he had gotten an idea. "We have a pretty pony do we? Fine, you'll talk soon enough. Silver, shave her mane and tail hairs off please...."

"WHAT?!"

"Yes, I mean what I say." The king grinned at her.

Silver began to take steps towards Rarity again, this time she struggled violently. The possibility of her mane and tail being gone made her very distraught.

"No! Stay back vermin! I'm warning y......oof!!" Silver had tackled her to the ground. Rarity was in pain as her broken rib fussed with her nervous system. Silver pulled out a small knife from a sheath and began to shear off Rarity's mane and tail. She screamed as loud as she could, but nothing stopped Silver from shearing and shearing. Rarity was eventually bald and tail-less. Tears streamed down her face. She was in physical and mental pain.

"Why....WHY?!" She screamed.

"I already told you, now give me the information I want!"

"Fine......fine.....I am Rarity" She sighed.

"Wait, THE Rarity? A member of the elements of harmony?!" The king was very surprised.

"Well, yes...yes I am."

"Well boys, we gotta little tool of the monarchy in our custody!" Everypony in the grandstands began to snicker. "I know exactly what to do with you....send her to the pit!"

Roars of approval surrounded all around the grandstands. Rarity was scared and confused. What was the pit? What terrors awaited her there? She didn't know, but she would soon find out. As she was being pulled out of the trial area, the king said his finals words to her.

"My condolences miss, but we don't like the monarchy. We also don't like their various tools either. Enjoy the pit!!" He began to laugh as he said the final words. It sounded enjoyable for the Concretians, just not for the unlucky prisoners that were sent there. Rarity was pulled several hundred yards until they arrived at the pit.

The pit was indeed a pit. A huge, gaping hole that stretched for some twenty yards. It looked at least the same distance deep. Rarity was pulled to the edge and halted there.

"Here it is. The pit...."

"What exactly is down there, may I ask?" Rarity wanted to know the possible dangers that awaited her. She was still terribly scared.

"Down there? Hell, well, that's the best way I can describe it, hehe! You see, we throw the maddest of the mad down there to be in exile. We don't want them corrupting our little society. No can get out, even pegasi, we break their wings before they go down. Which reminds me..." Silver took a hammer in his jaw and sent it crashing down onto Rarity's horn, snapping it in two.

"OUCH!!!"

"Just a precaution miss, hehe. Anyways, most of the inmates down there are colts..."

"Why does that matter?" groaned Rarity.

"Lets just say they haven't seen a mare, especially one like you, in a long time."

"What?!"

"Have fun!" Silver then pushed Rarity over the edge. She collided with multiple rocks on the way down and came crashing to the pit's floor. She slowly stood up and studied her surroundings. It was dark and tunnels seemed to stretch in multiple directions. There was no way out. A pebble fell before her.

"Oi! Boys, get over here! We gots a live one this time!"

Colts of all shapes, sizes, and races came out of the dark gloom surrounding Rarity. She began to lower her belly towards the ground in fear, what were they going to do?

"W-what are you going to do?"

"Us? We gonna have us some fun, love!"

Rarity screamed as the colts came down upon her.