The Loose Purse frantically galloped down the warehouse corridor in my Equestria dreamscape. Even through ringing in his ears he could hear the sound sporadic combat and gunfire as his employees succumbed to the three assailants who had literally blasted their way into his headquarters.
 
Outside the building he could hear officers from Manehattan police trying batter down the rear freight door. The earth pony wasn’t too worried about police ponies. Normally there were ways to deal with them. However the events of the last couple of weeks had made it abundantly clear that the Crown was coming down hard on the Associations. But that wasn’t his immediate concern nor were the cops. By the time they’d battered their way in he’d be long gone!
 
So long as those three mares didn’t find him! Loose Purse was familiar with violence and the many ways a pony could be injured, broken, killed or have pain inflicted upon it, and he prided himself on hiring only best that were available on the market.
 
But he’d never witnessed this level of ruthless combat before. Just a minute ago he’d had forty ponies working in this warehouse and half of those were assigned to security and protection, and the other twenty were solid, tough porter ponies from the rougher parts of town. Hardly pushovers themselves; now by sounds of diminishing mayhem he had maybe a handful hold outs still putting up a fight.
 
“Sir. We’re almost to the escape tunnel. When we get there you go in first. Then I’ll follow you and reset the wards once I’m inside as well.” Galloping alongside him was Silver Wind his longtime and loyalest of bodyguards. The gun metal grey unicorn stallion had been in his employment for over ten years now and he’d never been delinquent in his duties or responsibilities.
 
As two stallions turned down what appeared to be a dead end corridor of crates and bales Silver Wind’s eyes went wide.
 
“Sir get down!”
 
Without asking permission he grabbed his employer with his levitation and hurled him into a pile of cotton bales. A fraction of a second later there was the distinctive sound of a teleportation and then two thunderous detonations that made Loose Purse’s teeth rattle.
 
The earth pony’s vision was blurred, but through the swirling dust he could see Silver Wind locked in battle with one of three mares that had burst into his life just seconds ago. It was the unicorn with the strange goggles. That howling war-mare who must’ve escaped from the pits of Tartarus itself. The two unicorns were a blur of motion as they struck and defended against each others blows. Both had force barriers up and they were trying to batter through their opponent’s barrier with a flurry of energy blasts and strikes from hoof blades that shimmered with wards.
 
Suddenly there was a flash and the mare vanished. Instinctively Silver Wind dove forward and spun the heaviest part of his force barrier behind him. As he did this there was another flash and the mare reappeared behind him. As she spun around her horn flared as a small black cylinder flew out of one of the many pouches that festooned her tack. At the same time she threw a thick flat force barrier in front of herself. A fraction of second later there was another thunderous explosion. Silver Wind was thrown forward, and the force of the detonation caused the mare to be violently pushed back along with her force barrier. Sparks shot from her steel shoe as she skidded along the concrete floor.
 
For a second or so the two unicorns just stared at each other. Silver Wind silently kept a wary eye on his opponent as he gingerly checked for any yet unknown injuries. Mare appeared to be panting and making this howling moan. Then Loose Purse realize what the mare was doing.
 
She was laughing.
 
After a second she spoke with a voice that made Loose Purse shiver. It was a voice filled with almost orgasmic glee.
 
“Yes! Yes! Well what do you know! This isn’t going to be another boring afternoon! Stallion you’re worth working up a sweat!”
 
The mare started galloping toward Silver Wind. In response the stallion reared up and quickly levitated several cotton bales behind himself and threw a crate at her as he stepped forward. The mare teleported and appeared right in front of Silver Wind as he raised his right front leg blade. In one smooth motion the mare’s left front leg was cut off at the elbow. He followed up with a blow to her ribcage using the flat of his left front hoof. She was thrown back into a crate and then crumpled to the floor in a bloody mess.
 
Silver Wind looked down at his broken opponent. “You’re excellent at teleportation, but you must’ve of realized that you can’t teleport and keep a force bubble up at the same time. I just had know where you’d appear and when.” He dropped his force shield as he pointed at her spurting stump. “Why did you do it?”
 
The mare’s horn was glowing. The stallion assumed she was attempting stop the bleeding since there was an aura around the end of the ruined limb. Through clenched teeth and ragged breathing she spoke.
 
“I! I! I, ah, ah, I decided to, to try something different! Something to get the drop on you!
 
Silver Wind cocked his head. “Well obviously it didn’t wor—”
 
The mare’s severed leg suddenly smashed hoof first across his face. The mare brutally bludgeoned the stallion repeatedly with her own levitated limb. At the same time a black, hinged, rune encrusted ring/cuff flew out of another pouch on her tack and latched itself to the stallion’s horn. The moment it snapped close the stallion screamed as bolts purple lightning caused his body to convulse. After a couple seconds he collapsed like a limp doll to the floor.
 
As Loose Purse watched in horror as the mare levitated severed limb over to herself. She’d pummeled the stallion so violently with it that she’d broken several of its bones. She grabbed it with her teeth and rammed it onto the bloody stump where it belong. The mare screamed and convulsed as she used her own leg as gag bit. He almost vomited as he watched the limb begin to reattach itself to the mare’s body. The leg twitch and spasmed and the sound of bones cracking and popping could be heard as the bones set themselves and limb regenerated and healed itself.
 
After a minute or more the mare let go of her now reattached leg. Slowly the teeth marks in the leg began to vanish. She panted for several seconds then she lifted her goggles and looked right at Loose Purse. Icy carmine red eyes glared at him. He suddenly realized that he’d been so mesmerized by the spectacle that he hadn’t fled when he should’ve.
 
“Stallion.” Growled the mare. “Unless you want me to get ugly with you; I recommend you give up now! Give me any trouble and I’ll bring you back alive but in several pieces!”
 
The mare slowly hobbled to her hooves. One could hear the sound of ongoing combat, but it was obviously winding down. The mare took a deep breath and then bellowed.
 
“Quick Silver! I have the suspect! Sun and Moon mare where are you and Blood Feather?”
 
There was a crash as the unconscious body of pegasus stallion burst through a wooden door that led to the offices on the second floor. It flipped over the railing and flopped on to cotton bales on the warehouse floor. A second later a light grey earth pony came vaulting over the railing. She landed on a bale and rolled off it on to her hooves. She trotted over the unicorn with a look of utter boredom on her face.
 
“Phoenix you’ve apprehended the suspect, very good. Blood Feather is mopping up as we speak. It appears that locals had problems gaining entry to their side of the building.”
 
Suddenly there was a loud crash in a part of the warehouse as a freight door finally crumpled inward. The the sound of dozens of police ponies could be heard yelling and galloping as they entered the building. Then their voices and hoofs went still as they took in the mayhem around them. Phoenix took a deep breath and then screamed at the top of her lungs.
 
“YOU’RE LATE! YOU USELESS SACKS OF SHIT!”
 
To be continued.