1841 replies and 28 files omitted.
>>144519"I was trying to scare a gang into being cordial with the Waterfront Gang," Iron confessed, now starting to fiddle the wood with the tip of his hoof. "T-That was the errand."
>>144520"Do you normally ask these kinds of extremely private questions to strangers?"
>>144521"Yes. Straight back, if somepony does not meet you first."
>>144522She shakes her head
"A
gang?"
>>144523Amber thanks her, asks for directions to get to the police station, makes sure he has the paper and revolver and sets out.
>>144523"...sort of. Sorry. Social situations are not my speciality."
>>144523"Yeah..." Iron muttered, twiddling his hooves while looking down at the ground. "The... Pasta family, that moved into North Point."
>>144524"It'll be on traveler street, right across 19th street from the Courthouse, the DA's Office, and the Jail. Near the river. In fact, if you went further down 19th street, you'd cross the river. Look for the Courthouse, it'll be on the corner opposite."
>>144528Night~"Oh, right," Iron muttered, taking a moment to remember the actual gang's name. "The... Gino...vici Family, I think they were."
He wasn't completely sure that was their name, but he was gonna roll with it regardless.
>>144528He smiles back.
"At least I did not turn you
completely against me."
>>144527Amber thanks her and finally sets out.
>>144529She looks at him in grim expression for a moment, before asking
"You were going to take on a whole gang.
By yourself?"
>>144530"No..." He says
>>144533"So, how about other questions, then? What was your life like, back in New Mareland? Both before and after Black Hooves."
>>144533Iron kept looking downcast with ears drooped to its fullest extent. "It was working," he muttered, trying to muster some sort of defense before immediately crumbing "...until I passed out."
>>144538"Uh huh. Ginovicci. That's one of the Manehattan gangs, isn't it?"
>>144539"I think so," Iron answered with a nod. "I have been told they have started to move into the place at a rapid pace."
>>144540She moves back, and then shakes her head
"Who approved this?!"
>>144541"Uh..." Iron muttered, now feeling quite unsure about revealing such a thing, considering the circumstances. "Am I supposed to tell you right here, right now?"
>>144542"Well, I would have to wonder. It'll be hard to keep this contained to one pony. And this could affect all of us."
>>144543Iron paused for a moment. Was he really going to blurt out such a big piece of information that might get Germane into trouble if any police authorities ever find out? Judging by Cauldron's questioning, she didn't seem to know which mademare would do such a thing, and that could very well be a red flag signalling she was some sort of undercover cop.
He needed something that could plausibly tell him this wasn't an elaborate scheme to get the police involved and get Germane into even more trouble.
"...I said it was a mademare," he replied, soon composing himself to see just what Cauldron would say.
>>144544"A mademare doesn't have the authority to start a war." She replies
>>144545"Oh," Iron muttered, soon scratching his head. "Then I guess it was not approved by anypony."
>>144547Iron nodded, obviously agreeing with Cauldron's assessment, before slowly shrinking down, feeling his self-consciousness crawling back at the reminder.
>>144548"Did you... tell them who sent you? Or who you were?" She asks, with an air of uncertainty. She moves her muzzle down, taking a close look at Iron's now mostly clotted wounds
>>144549"Nothing more than saying I am from the Waterfront Gang," Iron explained as Cauldron inspected his bruises, stabs, slices and bullet wounds covered in bandages "and here to... eh, display power... 'greet' them and not to mess with us."
The stallion sighed softly. "I have not killed anypony," he added.
>>144550"That's all it takes!" She almost yells
"And good. Let's take you to that veterinarian."
>>144551Iron shrunk even further at the pseudoyelling before groggily standing up, ready to be taken to the doctor pony.
"I feel like I have been played for some reason," he muttered in disbelief, not quite sure what to think after Cauldron revealed that his actions may have caused the start of a war. It might also be because he'd rather believe his loss was supposed to happen eventually rather than failing the wishes of the mademare that led him there.
Nontheless, the stallion was ready to slowly shamble towards the veterinarian and get himself patched up in order to be at his strongest state once this mess goes down: He'll have to make up for everypony that counted on him or die trying.
>>144552"Okay. First, put this back on," She gives him the same coat.
"And we're taking you to the vet."
As she turns around, she takes notice of, and takes a good long look at White Sands, who stands behind her, also bloodied up
>>144553Iron, of course, doesn't want to explain that he inadvertedly dragged the other mare into this mess to the point of injuring herself for him. It gaped the already open wound wide open.
Thus, he simply stayed silent, slowly putting on the coat before following Cauldron's lead while keeping his head and gaze down at the floor.
>>144554"Was she your partner in all of this?" Black Caludron asks
>>144555"...yes," Iron muttered before sighing softly.
>>144556"Well, she'll have to be sewn up too. Come on, let's go."
"You have very nice parents, Makade."
>>144557Iron nodded again, cloak fully put on before glancing at Sands, wondering if she'll do so.
>>144558Makade sits on the couch in a half scrunched expression, taking a moment before replying
"I'm glad you think so."
The doctor slowly eases up, and talks to Petal, who talks to him about, evidently, the availability of tea. Tea is served on the table before them - and between the Doctor, Makade, and Petal. Ply Press has retreated to the kitchen. Waabishki sits besides a couch, looking anxious and not focusing on anycreature in the room.
Giant flakes of snow hit against the window, and silently bounce off.
>>144559Sands shrugs, and puts on a blanket. Black Cauldron and White Sands exchange a long glass, but this interaction is entirely wordless.
The group goes downstairs, and to a cart, which slowly takes them some number of blocks
>>144560While Iron didn't quite like the cold atmosphere around all three, he didn't quite have the guts to start a conversation until some time had passed as the three sat on the cart: It's too early to be happy, and there's work to be done in the near future that required his utmost attention.
>>144561They arrive
It's a familiar building, and Iron is greeted by a familiar orange unicorn
"So soon?" The unicorn says
>>144562"...yes," Iron muttered tiredly.
.
>>144563“Well, let’s see. There’s a stab wound right here. And here. And here.... That’s a set of stitches from... some other operation? And here we have a set of bird shot? I think. You’re lucky to have not drowned on your own blood. Here, let me take your blood pressure.” He places a ring around Iron’s let, and does some kind of test
“Wow. You’ve lost a lot of blood. Can’t say I’m surprised, but I am surprised you’re still conscious after that. Here let me put in an IV.”
He stick s needle into Iron’s leg. It’s kind of painful and intrusive, but it’s frankly far from the most intrusive thing that’s happened to Iron all day. He also takes a needle and removes blood. Over the course of the next several minutes, Iron permitting, he adds plasma, then dried blood, then cleans wounds, then carefully runs stitches through them, and then bandages them.
“You’ve also been punched a lot. That’ll bruise.”
Cauldron points s hoof at White Sands
“Her too”
>>144564White Sands, hiding in a corner, reveals herself
"Oh. You're hit pretty bad."
He comes up to her, and gets very close, looking at her
"You'll need stitches. And maybe plasma. What's your blood type?"
"I don't think I need blood" She says
>>144565>>144564Iron didn't dare object to anything with his mood dampened massively by his shortcomings.
However, Sands' statement did spike his curiosity, surprised at such an alien concept after what she had went through.
>>144566White Sands
“I don’t like needles. I’ll take morphine though, morphine is good. And stitches.”
The doctor is confused, and again recommends blood, but backs off. Sands does not allow much touching besides cleaning of wounds, stitching, and bandaging.
He returns to Iron
“I’m not done with you.”
He takes a knife and forceps, and evidently makes a task out of pulling pellets out of Iron. This has some pain and further blood loss, but Iron is receiving a packet of blood, and has morphine. This takes a while. Black Cauldron has left and returned.
>>144567Iron grunted softly for every piece of lead pulled out, yet he didn't move much at all as to not inconvenience the doctor.
>>144568“And... good enough, I think” he says, after tying in a stitch
“Don’t put too much strain on these.”
>>144569Iron simply replied with a short, curt nod in response, yet he knew deep down it's going to be strained by tomorrow.
>>144570Black Cauldron pays money to the Doctor in front of Iron
>>144571Iron looks away from the payment slightly, rubbing his foreleg with the other with a hint of shame.
(Did not even cover the medicine pony expenses,) he muttered in self-loathing.
>>144572Black Cauldron comes up to Iron, looks back to White Sabds with skepticism, and says
“Well, I can try more of my potions on you. At least. Time to go back.”
She thinks to herself, I forgot to ask how much I would get paid for it! Well, no matter, I'm sure it'll be enough for this tiny thing.
>>144573"Yes..." Iron muttered in defeat, allowing himself to be led back to wherever and properly confront his feelings about this failed operation.