The Front

by Blue Tunes

Chapter 1: Solidarity by Force

The patrol marched past at a brisk pace, their gilded armor glinting in the light of the fading sunset. This would be their second-to-last pass through this area before their shift ended. When they first stepped out of the barracks in the late morning, their strides had been sure and swift, their coats a glossy white that shone nearly as brightly as their armor. Now though, if one knew where to look, the signs of fatigue were obvious.

Heavier breathing, visibly matted fur, and a very slight droop to their tails. These four ponies were tired.

Dart Westwing peered over the mound of trash and refuse by the side of the road. His choice of hiding place had been made after much careful deliberation. Some fifteen meters from the side of the road, he lay in the shade cast by the retreating sun. The wind was in his favor, though he knew that amongst the heaps of refuse that the advantage was likely unnecessary. Moving slowly, he curled his claw around his weapon, gripping it tightly.

Their attack had to be executed flawlessly. Any less and the results could be disastrous.

As his gaze flitted about, he could barely make out the other stationary forms around him. His brethren were doing a good job of remaining unseen, as each had scouted the area well in advance for the best points of attack. Here and there though, they betrayed their presence to him. A tiny pool of sunlight that revealed a section of black and white fur, a brown paw slightly protruding from behind an overturned rubbish can, the tuft of a lion's tail moving slightly in the breeze.

He was being pedantic though. There was no way that one of the guards could see them from the path, not when he himself, knowing of their presence could barely make them out. He shifted his stare back to the approaching patrol.

Wait until you can see the whites of their eyes

That particular piece of advice, once passed down to young fledglings when they became old enough to begin hunting, now applied doubly to this situation. A botched attempt while hunting meant going hungry. Failing here could cost him his life.

Watch for any sign of weakness

One of the guards, a pegasi, reached into a small pouch on his side, procuring a canteen. Using his prehensile primary feathers, he began to unscrew the lid, focusing intently in his thirst. The unicorn next to him glanced over hopefully, licking his dry lips.

And strike when that moment presents itself

"Skreeeeeee!"

Leaping from behind his cover with a loud cry, Dart heaved the large chunk of rock at the guards. As the projectile flew towards the shell-shocked soldiers, the young griffin heard similar battle cries echo out from around him.

"Pluck the Tyrant!" Another griffin, this one his sister, yelled, hurling a rock of her own.

"For my people!" A flaming bottle of liquid flew towards the patrol as a male zebra stepped from behind his cover.

The result was pure carnage. Dart's chunk of rock glanced off the lead unicorn's horn, putting him out of commission as he fell to the street with a grunt of pain. The second rock was also fairly effective, striking the leg of the thirsty pegasus and sending him tumbling. The improvised firebomb went whizzing past the ear of the second unicorn, and broke on the ground nearby, igniting the contents and scorching the final unlucky earth pony guard.

Perhaps the most effective assault though, was yet to come.

"Yaaaarggh!" A flurry of rocks, sticks and filth was sent flying through the air by a diamond dog, his paws working furiously as he sent an entire pile of refuse hurtling towards the downed patrol.

As the guards struggled to regroup and draw their weapons, the tirade of trash came down upon them like a foul smelling wave. Dirt mud and other questionable substances, as well as sticks and rocks coated their once magnificent personages. Hacking and spluttering, retching and dry-heaving, the two guards left standing grabbed their wounded companions and began to drag them behind cover on the opposite side of the road.

Throwing another rock at the retreating soldiers, Dart yelled to his companions.

"Alright lads, time to go!".

Sure enough, the remaining unicorn's horn lit up, sending a flare of bright light into the sky above. Turning his back to the scene, Dart made off down the windy alleyways of the poor district, ducking, weaving and taking sharp turns until he was certain that he wasn't being followed. Removing the face-mask from his beak, he dropped it on the ground, brushed himself free of dust and began walking leisurely through the alleys of Canterlot, whistling as he went.

---

The old church stood tall amongst the decrepit buildings surrounding it, a testament to the strength and expertise of the diamond dogs who built it. It better times it had been a centerpiece of the community for the small number of dogs living in Southern Canterlot. In the more recent years following the increase in species division however, the mighty structure became disused, it's masonry crumbling, and the pews gathering dust. As more dogs left the city to live away from the ponies, their mighty structures fell into disrepair, and despite the efforts of those that remained, this church was no different.

As the law-abiding citizens mourned the loss of a community though, less-than-legal organizations saw an opportunity.

On the corner of Pawprint Street and Horseshoe Avenue, in the center of the poor district, the church was far enough removed from the eyes of the Princesses that it soon became a hotspot for rebel activity within the city. Guards dared not tread deep enough into this area of town to be a problem, and as such it was the perfect place to meet and discuss illegal activity away from prying eyes.

Even as shadowy cloaked figures prowled the streets around him, Dart allowed a spring to enter his step. In the six years that followed the death of his father and his family's fall from grace at the hooves of the princess he had quickly overcome his fear of these streets. A young griffin was no target for thieves, nor was he easy prey for predators of any other variety.

Pulling the hood of his cowl up, Dart rounded the corner of a low wall surrounding the old church, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was not the first one back.

Leaning up against the cold, crumbling stone of the chapel, Elora grinned cheekily at him as he came into view.

"You took your time getting back here." She said, straightening up and approaching him.

"Haha, more like I didn't know it was a race." Dart replied, rolling his eyes as he shared a brief hug with his sister. "Still, I guess you did make impressive time."

"Damn straight I did." She smiled as she pulled back. "And did you see that throw? Got him right in the horn."

"Pretty sure that was my rock. Yours got the pegasus. Though I suppose it was still a good throw."

Before their discussion could devolve into the inevitable argument, they were interrupted by the arrival of two others. Sprinting around the corner at breakneck speeds, a zebra and a diamond dog tumbled into a heap nearby.

"Who won, who won?" the zebra panted.

"It was obviously me" the diamond dog replied with a growl. "And would you mind getting the hell off?"

"Why did no-one tell me it was a race?!" shouted Dart, throwing a claw up into the air in exasperation.

"Call it a draw you two." Elora said, stalking towards the entrance to the church. "Also, get a room after we report in. There's no time for hanky-panky on the job." She chuckled as she pulled the door open and slipped into the disused church.

The zebra who came out on top of the tangle blushed at that comment, while the diamond dog chuckled.

"You know, Akua, maybe we should get a room when this is over." the canine murmered, nuzzling the embarrassed zebra.

"Raaafe" whined the zebra. "Not in front of other people".

Dart faked a gag, smiling a little at the couple's antics. Akua and Rafe were an extreme example of a relationship that would draw the ire of the Monarchy down upon them with the intensity of the sun. Not only were homosexual relationships illegal, interspecies pairings too were punishable by law. Each would be looking at hard prison time and possible castration should they be found guilty. And it was a rare thing indeed for a non-pony to be found innocent in the eyes of the law.

"Come on, both of you." he sighed good naturedly. "If I leave you both out here together, who knows when you'd care to join us inside."

Finally extraditing themselves, the pair grinned back at him.

They were an odd couple, even disregarding the fact that they were of different species. Akua's long mane fell into bangs over his green eyes, soft eyes that disguised his hardy nature earned through seventeen years as a homeless orphan on the city streets. While the zebra was often shy in social situations, he was tough as nails in a fight, this Dart knew. A quiet and reserved individual most of the time, Akua was another zebra entirely if pushed too far.

Rafe, on the other claw, was a diamond dog with an honest heart and a 'what you see is what you get' approach to the world. The tall, brown dog was already grown to his full height, as with most diamond dogs at age sixteen. Rafe was always straightforward with his feelings and opinions, and had a good sense of humor. He was also easily the strongest of the four, his natural diamond dog magic allowing him to lift weights far beyond the capabilities of even an earth pony.

Together, the four of them had been through enough over the past six years to last a lifetime. They had fought together and bled together. A 'bucked up little family' as they like to refer to themselves.

"Alright." Rafe said, walking past Dart and through the open doorway. "Let's go see what the bossdog thinks. "Akua followed him in, the remnants of a blush still adorning his muzzle.

As Dart entered the church and closed the door behind him, a dry chuckle echoed through the musty church.

"Ah, excellent, you're all here. I heard about your success. Very good."

An elderly diamond dog stood off to the west side of the church, his hood pulled all the way up over his eyes. Rosco was a high ranking member of the SUF, in charge of many of the movement's younger members and potential recruits. Not a lot was known about him, but the consensus amongst the young blood was that he was a hard taskmaster who was difficult to please and impossible to impress.

Rosco smirked at them as he raised a paw to his lips. The cherry glow of a spliff illuminated his black and tan muzzle slightly under the hood as he breathed in, then exhaled the pungent smoke.

"How long has it been since the four of you first worked for us?" he asked, taking one last long drag, then tossing the roach to the ground.

"Six years now sir." Dart dared to answer for them. "We all joined up around the same time."

"Six years with us, doing everything from running packages to disturbing the peace." Rosco chuckled. "The four of you are some of our most promising recruits. And yet you are content with merely throwing stones and hurling insults at soldiers? Certainly, throwing stones can be satisfying, but have any of you wanted to do more for our cause?"

He turned towards Dart, who listened intently with Elora by his side. "Young Westwings, your father was a great soldier in his time. He was a great leader, and a personal friend to me. Dart, you show a remarkable talent for leadership that has been a true benefit to your friends. And Elora, you have a drive as strong as your father's. Do you not wish to follow in his stead? To avenge him? The two of you could have that chance."

"Rafe. Your parents fight the good fight even now, smuggling into the city the gems and gold that keep our organization afloat. They work hard towards a future where the ruling class of ponies does not suppress their fellow beings. They fight for a world where we are not discriminated based upon our class, or species, or orientation. Would you fight to protect the ones you care about and end these injustices against them?"

Now, he swiveled to stare at Akua, who fidgeted a little at the sudden attention. "And Akua. You never knew your parents, did you? But you did grow up on the streets of this fair city." He gestured dismissively with a paw as he continued. "You've seen the worst of it all, the morally vacuous guard, the corrupt and greedy preying on the most vulnerable. They grew fat while you struggled to survive beneath their hooves. Wouldn't you like to be in control for once, live your life without the fear of being mugged, or murdered or used?"

Dart stepped forward. "I know my answer. And I get the feeling that we all do. I've been waiting for six years to move up this ladder." He grinned, and couldn't help but let a slight burr of an accent into his reply. "Aye, Ah would like to do more. We all would."

Rosco smiled widely at the enthusiastic youngster before him.

"Excellent."

Author's Note:

I'm back motherbuckers! I dropped off the grid for a while as far as ponies and writing is concerned, but I'm going to be reviving this one and following it through to the end.

So what do you all think? Justified and righteous retribution or senseless violence? Are Dart and the gang on the right track or a slippery slope?

Like comment and thumbs up if you like it, as usual comments and criticism are welcome.

Comments

[grievousrommel]

I can't believe I haven't found this earlier. Is this going to end up like Code Geass? If so, will Dart form his own cell that is the equivalent of the black knights?