Burn Bright
Blood spills from my mouth, colouring the dirty alley floor in a metallic scarlet. I try to breathe before another hoof comes into contact with my nose.
“Not so much of a fighter now, huh?” He laughs, grinding the keratin of his hoof deep into my gums.
I scramble closer to the brick wall and make the best of my efforts to stand up on my two back legs.
“Please Don Neigh an-and Waxton, I swear I’ll pay you next week. The bar hasn’t paid me yet,” I could barely cough out. Another collision with his hoof makes me fall to my side and on a few trash cans. I grip my abdomen hard, feeling the air in my lungs pushed right out of me with a swift buck.
“Oh no, I don’t think there’ll be a next time.” One of his mates smirks, my eyes weakly look up at the duo but my focus quickly shifts to the switchblade levitating between my eyes.
I know that look in their eyes, in a day or so I’m gonna be all over the headlines: Pony Found in River. That… that is if they even give me the respect of being found. I suppose it was going to happen someday, all those loans were piling up without a single bit in return. If I survive this, Celestia, I swear I’ll stop taking money from these damn loan sharks and start a new life. Please hear me, goddess.
I shut my eyes tight and hope for the worse. Maybe it won’t be so bad, maybe I’ll just be gut like a fish for all of Manehattan to see instead of whatever horrors they’ll actually do to me.
“Let this be a lesson to never mess with-” The sneer in his voice is cut sharp as a sickening crunch rings through the alleyway, followed by what sounds like the switchblade falling to the floor and a stifled yell.
“Fuck! Who do you think you are!” I open my eyes to see Waxton pressing his nose with his hoof, blood trickling down and staining his suit. I could care less about how he’s doing, what I wanna know is who saved me from being dog chow.
“Dude… you shouldn’t say that. That’s...” Don Neigh whispers, taking a few steps back.
“I know who it is! I can recognize that smug smile anywhere. You got a whole lotta nerve to be here, Lightning Dust!"
Lightning Dust?
Is it really her?
My head snaps to my right, and honest to goddess, it really is her. Her turquoise coat and golden amber hair glow in the dark like a beacon of hope... but that just might because of my concussion.
“Being where? Last I recall you're on my turf,” she spits out, her stance wide and her wings spread on high.
“N-Nothing! We was just talking to her, I promise!” Don Neigh nervously laughs and lifts me by the back of my collar so I’m back on my shaking hooves.
Lightning Dust hums before she calmly strides over us, giving Don Neigh a warm smile.
A brief silence falls between us, it's almost denser than the city itself. My shaking legs are screaming at me to make a run for it. I almost listen to them until I see Lightning Dust’s wing lower slowly, and it doesn’t look like either of these two bozos notice. My eyes shift up to see Don Neigh have a wide faux grin and Waxton glaring daggers at the smaller mare. Seeing Lightning’s face contort in disgust within my peripheral makes my eyes snap back to her.
“You’re so full of shit.” She hisses, taking the fallen switchblade with her wing and jabbing it on the side of Don Neigh’s cheek, the tip of the blade coming out his other cheek. Lightning then spins on her forelegs and gives Waxton a hard buck on the windpipe, causing them both to collapse in pain and groans.
“You… you’ll pay for this…” Waxton croaks out in pain, trying to pick himself up.
“Is that so? Cause the way I see it you’re the one who’s gonna have to pay for my dry cleaning!” She snarls and gives him one final kick to the head before he falls limp to the cold ground with a big thud.
My hooves suddenly aren’t shaking anymore, maybe seeing a blade nearly jab my eye due to how hard she skewed him took the fear right outta me. I affix my hat and wipe the blood off my nose but never take my eyes off her.
“What? They’ll be fine. How much did you need to pay?” Lightning asks, scrubbing a bit of blood off her suit before taking a business card from Waxton’s coat and giving it a read.
“Ten, uhm, ten thousand,” I answer, still surprised by the events that happened.
“Yeesh, just like when we were younger. You know more than to be loaning with these leeches.” She groans, looking through their bags and taking their bits.
“How did you… how did you know I was here.” My brows furrow, maybe Celestia really was listening to me.
Lightning Dust laughs and walks to my side, patting my back with her wing.
“You still drink? It’ll be on me.” She strides to the exit of the alley, waving a heavy bag a’ bits with a grin.
Lightning hasn’t changed a bit, hasn’t she?
“Only if I choose the place,” I smile.
Before I join Lightning, I take a look at the two stallions passed out and give Don Neigh a kick on the leg before I run out of the shadowy alley. Before I even touch the sun-bleached sidewalk, I quickly stop and take a hoof over my eyes as the sunshine peering through the gaps between skyscrapers temporarily blinds me.
Manehattan greets us with the shining light of reflective windows and buildings that touched high heaven. The sound of hooves on concrete and ponies hailing for a taxi is music to my ears.
“You have a hat you know,” Lightning Dust pushes my hat lower to shield my eyes from the light. “Speaking of which, what’s with the getup? You look like you just came outta an Appleloosan rodeo.” She tries not to laugh, but I can see her lips purse at the sight of my rather rustic look.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I lift the brim of my hat and take a few quick steps to catch up with her.
“Nothing. I just preferred you in your suit. Wine looked good on you, or at least better than that eyesore green.”
“My grandparents told me I looked nice before I came back here...” I look down and lay a hoof on my orange collar.
“Were you always this sensitive? You know I’m just joshing you. Tell you what, I’ll ask Ms. Pommel to make you a new suit so you can look as great as I do.” Lightning Dust stretches her wings to better show off her dark blue coat with a white button down to match.
I roll my eyes and look on forward. Today seems like a pretty hectic day as ever, swarms of ponies trying to jostle their way to work or speeding through the labyrinthine skies to make it on time. Signs and billboards litter the city more than the growing amount of graffiti on the walls. Most of them have sickeningly happy ponies holding a box of cigarettes, a tube a’ rouge lipstick, or whatever’s popular like they’re the best thing since sliced bread. During our midday stroll, my ears pick up hints of energetic, brassy notes and heavy strings. My nose, on the other hand, picks up a delightful aroma of coffee and sugary delights.
“Jazz’s been all the rage, ain’t it?” Lightning Dust stops at a nearby café where the music’s playing, sticking her muzzle to the glass to better see the band, or the sweets that’re displayed. Is she salivating?
“Seems like it.” I go back and squint my eyes to see the inside better. The inside is rather calm compared to the lively music on the stage. Among further inspection, I see a mare happily plucking away at her cello next to another mare who’s playing the trombone with a smile matching hers. They both play in perfect tandem, their hearts singing through their instruments to make resplendent harmony.
My face turns sour and my heart begins to feel heavy, like it’s being filled with sand ever so slowly until it becomes too much to bear.
“Let’s go, the bar isn’t that far from here.” I muster up the words, but they feel just as heavy as my throat is.
Lightning looks concerned, her mouth twitching as if to protest, but looking back at the band made her quiet for a moment.
“Lead the way,” she said with a warm smile.
I nod and continue our walk. Nothing but a few more blocks to go, or at least I think so. Used to know this place by heart, but now I can’t even tell the difference between Bridleway and Hoofston Street.
The buildings slowly transition from being sky high to more modest and bare, short of just a few stories. The amount of ponies decreased too, nothing more than slight murmurs and the wind whispering through buildings. Just a little longer and it should be right around the corner.
“How much longer, Fiddlesticks?”
I point to a bleak building, it’s faded beige paint job looks like it’s on its last legs and the windows are covered with blinds. There’s no big flashy sign to be seen, but there is a small wooden plaque that has the words “The Rabbithole” engraved into it.
“Here? I thought you were gonna go to The Tipsy Cockatrice. That’s around here, right?” Lightning Dust places her hoof on the plaque, feeling the grooves of the rabbit logo and letters.
“Not even close, make sure to wipe your hooves before you step inside.”
I push the door open and a ringing of a bell quickly follows. The bar is pretty dark but there are a few ceiling lights that give the room an orange glow. Tables that’re set out across the room have their chairs laid on top of them and their candle centerpieces aren’t lit. A mare is busy cleaning her bartending workspace with a rag but she lifts her eyes to check us out, her frown visible from the entrance.
“Uhm, are you sure this place’s open?” Lightning asks, taking extra care to wipe the grime from her hooves on the welcome mat.
“Just set a table. What do you want? Rum and coke? Maybe a beer?” I make my way through the tables to the scornful pony.
“I’m up for some whiskey.” She smiles, putting down a few chairs right by a window.
“You heard her, Berry Punch? Make it two while you’re at it.” I tap my hoof on the worn wood twice.
“With what money, Miss Fiddle? You know those looney sharks were looking for you right? Nearly busted up my damn bar cause of you!” Berry accuses, throwing the rag down on the table.
“Make it on the rocks, too.” I smile smugly as I see her turn a deep shade of plum.
Berry Punch scoffs and goes to the wall of bottles behind her. I take this short time to finally take a breather. I look over to Lightning Dust, who’s swinging her legs absentmindedly while staring at, what I presume to be, the large print by Andy Warhilt across from her. I close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing. Maybe it’s the adrenaline finally running off but my whole muzzle hurts a lot.
Not a moment later she slides the two glasses to me. I go to the small table and give Lightning her glass before I finally rest on the leatherbound chair with a sigh of content.
“Can’t believe you chose this hole in the wall, Fidds,” Lightning remarks.
“You haven’t called me that since we were young,” I chuckle under my breath. ”Been working here ever since I came back around… a month ago? It’s nothin’ fancy but not a lot of places take a fiddler in anyway.” I circle the rim of the glass with the tip of my hoof.
“This liquor is top notch, though.” She breathes in through her teeth and sighs after taking a swig, reclining on the leather chair and relaxing her wings down to her sides.
I look down at my cup, the ice fogging the clear glass as it slowly dilutes my drink. Opposite from me is Lightning Dust resting her head on her hoof, looking at the other empty tables surrounding us and the stage that lacks its usual warm spotlight.
“This is where you and Octavia used to play, huh?” She broke the silence.
Please don’t talk about her.
“What do you want this time,” I deadpan. Lightning straightens herself up before taking another sip of her drink.
“The family’s been looking for you for a while. Actually no, that’s a lie. I’ve been looking for you, but don’t tell them that.” She lifts one of the blinds with the tip of her wing, her eyes inspecting thoroughly through the sparse afternoon pony traffic.
This is sort of what I was hoping it not to be.
“You know I’m not doing that sort of thing anymore, Lightning. That’s why I left in the first place,” I chide, my sudden change of tone makes her look at me with those bright eyes of hers.
“No, no! I’m not asking for you to steal. Although, you really were the best at it.” She laughs, resting her head on top of her hooves.
I’m gonna need to ask for the whole bottle for this, aren’t I?
I sigh and place my hat down on the table and take a sip, the liquid stinging the wounds in my mouth.
“You remember how it used to be, right? The good ol’ days?” Lightning hesitated.
The Golden Wolves, one of Manehattan’s biggest gangs. It spreads from Haylem to Clock Square. Lightning Dust and I were just runts when we joined them. They were our family, even if we didn’t do things most families would do traditionally. I used to be pretty high up in ranks, but ended up leaving because I wanted to pursue music with my sister instead of getting my hooves dirty.
I didn’t want Octavia to see that side of me anymore.
“If you consider kicking ponies’ teeth in, yes.” I lay my hoof against my cheek, feeling patches of fur matted with dried blood. Did I really walk through the streets looking like this? And did she really not say anything of it? I take a napkin and moisten it with my saliva before I begin removing what I can.
“Right after you left we got a new head of the family, and if I’m being honest… it’s been hell. They’ve been doing things that I wouldn’t even dream of, let alone talk about.” Her face contorts to a deep frown and she grips onto the glass tightly.
“Like what?” I use the glass as a mirror to help me clean my fur.
“Murder.”
I jolt for a second. Murder? The Golden Wolves did get their hooves dirty with a little violence here and there, but they would never go at that length.
“You serious? How did they get from stealing a few jewels to cold murder?” I place my napkin down so I can take another taste of my drink.
“Ever since they murdered your sister.”
I’m frozen in place. A deep, numbing pain quickly consumes my being and makes my brain feel like it was going to swell out of its seams.
“S...Sorry?” I choke out. Maybe she said something else. No, she said something else. She just had to.
“I found out not long ago, I heard that you were back in town and so I’ve been trying to find you ever since. I know it’ll get me in trouble to rat someone out, but I couldn’t handle the weight on my back anymore. Hell, I could barely fly knowing about it.”
She takes a big sigh, a trembling whimper leaves her lips. “She… she wasn’t part of the gang but… Octavia was like family.”
There is a long silence between us. It felt like a void that would suck up all the noise around us, and even the outside of the bar was quiet.
This has to be a joke.
“Why… why are you telling me this?” I try to hold back tears, the numbing pain in my heart quickly turning to a boiling rage. “Is this some joke? Did you tell me this to make yourself feel better for leaving?” I yell, hitting the table hard and nearly knocking the glasses off the table.
I can hear Berry quickly leave for the staff room.
Lightning Dust pauses and looks at me, her pupils the size of pinpricks.
“W-why would you even think that?” She whispered. A second passes before her face turns nearly red. “How dare you. How… How Dare You?! I’m not some sick fucking monster! Do you really think I’ve been searching for you all this time just- just for some joke?” Lightning stands from her chair, her voice roars through the empty room as if it were to shake the walls to its very core.
I look at her golden eyes that are laced with fury and hot tears. Her eyes wouldn’t be filled with such grit and tenacity if she were doing some screwed up prank. The only person that I can say is my friend in this whole city would never joke about something like that.
My once bubbling anger cools down and the heavy feeling quickly engulfs my aching chest again.
“I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean to… to...” I slump on my chair, feeling a tear soak my fur and trying my best to hold in a sob.
I thought coming back to Manehattan would close the wound I tried to ignore for so long, but now it feels like it’s been torn open and exposed to the cold, unforgiving air.
From my peripheral, I see Lightning sit down again and pull out her bag of bits to take out a piece of… something. I look up to see her unfolding a picture and handing it to me.
“Sassaflash, boss of the Golden Wolves. After you left, she came in from another gang, the Shadow Sirens. She merged them both, now the Wolves go from Haylem to Trotbeca. Ever since then, she wanted to take you as an example of what was going to happen from now on to those that leave.”
I brush a few tears from my waterline and pick up the photo. She has a somewhat similar colour palette to Lightning Dust, but she’s the most ugly being I’ve ever seen. Her smug face alone brings me disgust to the point that I have to put the photograph down on the table, photo-side first.
“You said that you wanted something from me,” I croak, taking a big gulp of my remaining drink.
“I want her dead.” She takes the photo and puts it back in her bag.
Take a life?
She’s asking me to kill somepony, not beat ‘em senseless or knock out a tooth or two. She wants the single biggest mafioso in Manehattan to die by my own hoof.
“Lightning,” I set my glass down. “You know what you’re asking me right?”
She ponders for a moment, her gaze fixated on my hat until she nods.
“I know it’s a lot to ask but…” she pauses, her mouth twitches as if she wanted to say something but no words would come out. “Doesn’t it make you feel horrible that she’s out there?
My face cringes at the thought of it. I rub my temple to ease myself and run a hoof through my hair.
“Even if I did, I’d go to jail. I don't have any protection from the police like you anymore.”
“What do you think I did while you were gone? We were fairly similar in ranks. At this point I’m basically her second hand and second in line. Once she’s gone, I’ll make sure that no pony will be able to touch you. If you go to jail, I’ll bail you out. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” Lightning Dust places her hoof on top of mine, a look of determination and concern written on her face with a small smile as the cherry on top .
I can’t.
I take my hoof out from under hers and hold it close to my body. She looks surprised, her lips are parted slightly and her eyes look deep into mine, searching for a “yes”. I put my hat back on my head and stand up, taking a moment to brush myself off.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
Without letting her say anything, I turn my back on her and walk to the back of the room. Opening the door to the staff room, Berry nearly falls head first on me before she quickly regains her balance.
“I heard nothing! Heard nothing.” She squeaks as she nervously shuffles to her workspace.
I roll my eyes and make it to the staff room. It’s pretty cozy with its modest furnishing and the radio that calmly plays the latest tunes. Walking to the other side of the room, I open the small staff bathroom, closing the door and locking it before I could heave a sigh.
It’s dark. My hoof feels around the wall till I feel a familiar switch. Giving it a flick, the bathroom looks even smaller with the flickering light casting a sickly glow. I look at the mirror and see myself. My yellow coat and cobalt blue mane makes my alluring bright blue eyes pop, all with a hat and shirt to complement.
Am I really the pony to decide whether or not I take another’s life?
It’s wrong.
But… is it really so wrong? Is it wrong to avenge someone who’s been the victim of a great injustice?
That mare, Sassacrash, or however you call her. She isn’t the one to decide who’s life is worthy of taking, but she did it anyway, didn’t she? Is it so wrong that I do the same?
Is it?
My grip on the porcelain sink is tight and unwavering, my breath fogs the mirror. I lift a hoof to wipe the condensation off and I see myself. My light grey coat and darker grey hair makes my alluring purple eyes pop, all with a collar to complement.
“Will blood make your notes any sweeter?” she asks. Her face doesn’t falter and her eyes stare deep into my own. Her voice soothes my aching lungs.
“What?” I quaver as sweat begins to collect on my brow.
“They will rust your strings, make your song dull. And we both know that a dull song will not touch the heart of those you love.”
“Every song is a dull one without you…” I let my head hang low and weep softly, my tears burn my eyes and make my cheeks feel hot and raw.
I can see my figure distorted on the white sink, the downpour of tears only distorting it more.
I turn the faucet on and let the water run, the sound of the water hitting the sink is just loud enough to cancel out the beating in my ears. I take some water and splash it on my face, the icy cold soaking my coat brings me back to reality.
I look at the mirror and see myself, and all I see is me.
All I will ever see is me.
I make it out of the staff room and see that Lightning Dust isn’t there anymore. Yet, as I walk closer to the exit I see a folded note on the table with a glass on top. I take it and give it a quick glance at the contents:
Don’t worry, I covered your tab.
P.S. Also while I’m out I’m gonna cover your debt. Consider it as my gratitude for always having my back.
P.P.S. Next time we come here you’re paying. My gratitude only goes so far.
A smile creeps up on my face and I put the note under my hat. I give Berry Punch my goodbyes before she opens up for the evening and head on outside.
If I know Lightning, there’s only one place she’d be.
I didn’t break into a run, but I wasn’t necessarily having an evening stroll around the streets of Manehattan. My pace was brisk yet steady as I headed down to Upper Crest Side. I take a turn through Coltumbus Avenue and I see it, the Baseball Center. Just from the outside I can hear the sound of practice and sweat.
Going inside the large building, the inside greets me with the scent of grass and the cheers echoing through the cavernous interior ballpark. I take no mind to it and go look for the batting cages. They’re not that hard to find, you just follow your ear to the sound of metal clashing and the random yells of frustration.
I trot near the wall as to prevent an accidental crash with some renegade ball and my face. I keep going left until the cages are in my sights, which doesn’t take long. The sound of the ball machine revving and the sharp hit of the bat grows louder and louder until I make it to the cages. Cage 6 is her favourite, she used to go on about how the metal fence reverberates when she hits the ball is just right.
My hooves slow to a halt when I see the number six embossed on the cage’s sign. I walk closer to the cage when I see Lightning Dust about to begin her practice. Just as she’s about to hit the ball that would spit out from any moment, she stops and lets the ball hit the fence.
The fence shook, but my eyes never moved from her. She slowly, almost hesitantly faces me. Lightning tries to find a “yes” within my tired eyes. We don’t say anything. What is there to say? She already knows what I’m thinking.
I’ll do it.
Lightning Dust gives me a warm smile.
“That’s my girl.”