A Short Tale

Chapter 15: Rightful Denial

As always, Travian was doing something to keep himself preoccupied. That something in particular was napping, which he had grown quite proficient at. His eyes opened at the sound of somebody approaching. Mayella was gone, probably swimming with the fishes. When he looked around he saw a purple unicorn. He really didn't want to have the talk.

"Hey Longshot, I just came by to ask about why you left like that a few days ago." He was going to have the talk. Of course he would. How could he escape it? "I was just sort of preoccupied with my studies for Celestia and well, I kind of get carried away and forgot all about you." How honest. It really made him feel appreciated that she would go out of her way to forget him. "So... Why did you say 'you weren't being paid'?"

It was a simple question. It deserved a simple answer. He gave it the long answer because he was so very attached to these ponies, deciding he would eventually leave them in the dust. At least he could take Mayella with him, as she was an outcast like him. "I was a mercenary before crashing here. I worked for money. I do some things for no money, but for something like that, I am a gold digger. I don't go around saving the universe, you know. You want a universal savior, go get my brother." Though with the amount of magic here, he would rather exterminate the planet rather than save it.

"That's... Selfish." Travian lifted a curl of a smile.

"Ain't no rest for the wicked, I'm afraid." If he had a hat, he would tip it.

"By the way... I heard you mention your brother a few times now... What exactly is so special about him?" That was a huge question.

"I'd rather not answer that." She was about to speak, but Travian stopped her. "But I will give a few details. He's around... four years younger than me, is quite a bit taller, is insane, and despises magic with all of his otherwise massive heart and iron will. He also believes I am his cousin." Twilight clearly wanted to know more. Travian crossed his arms and rested upon them, not giving her any of what she wanted.

"Besides that 'hates magic' thing and the whole 'insane' idea, I think he sounds like a decent pony." He wasn't a pony, but okay. "Why aren't you that much like him in those regards? I mean, no offense, but most pony siblings are actually really similar or complete opposites."

"It had something to do with how we were raised, how he was rejected by our parents, how he learned to love and tolerate the everything out of everything, and how he had access to his tongue." Travian did forget about his tongue half the time. He got used to the metallic taste of an artificial tongue to replace the usage of a real tongue.

"... Wait, you didn't get to talk?" He lifted his mouth open, showing his tongue. "Oh. That's disgusting, actually. Um... Ew." He closed his mouth. "So... Still, why didn't you try to save Ponyville? You were right there with that thing," She pointed a hoof at his bow. "You could have done something!" She was starting to act like the nagging flier.

"The only thing I could have done was kill it. I don't kill freely, as that is wrong. If there was anything my brother taught me that was important, it was that." She looked sick at the mention of death. "What? It's only true. I presume you slew the beast, instead?"

"Actually..." She was still rather sick. "I just lifted it away with magic." She was a very strong magic user. He should probably try not messing with her. That might increase his survival rate.

"Oh. That's rather incredible." He saw Mayella crawling out of the river, seemingly not noticing Twilight. Twilight was about to look to her side, but Travian created a distraction quick. "I'm a distraction, look at me!" Twilight stared at him for around five seconds before applying face to hoof. "Success," He chuckled. Mayella noticed Travian by how loud he was, and in turn noticed Twilight. She switched to a bunny and ran all the way to Travian's shoulder. It attracted a look from Twilight.

"When did animals like you?" As if they never did before because he was that revolting. Twilight was just so nice.

"Oh no, they don't like me. Just this one. Dunno what I did, it just sorta happened." He shrugged, and so did the bunny. A glorious display, to say the least.Twilight, however, couldn't handle the glory.

"There's gotta be something besides that! I've been noticing you turn such important things into the most simple things, and it's annoying." Travian couldn't change who he was, so she would have to live with it.

"Me? Turn something simple? The important things, turned simple? Why... It's like I don't want to go into detail, or don't know how to go into detail! How preposterous." He would have to employ sarcasm against Twilight in order to get her to leave.

"You are so difficult, you know that?"

Travian lifted himself forward so he was sitting straight up. "And you love it, don't you?" He smiled maliciously, sinking back into previous position. Twilight backed up.

"What?! Excuse me?" Travian replaced his look with a worried one.

"What is it Twilight? Did something happen?" Twilight, sufficiently freaked out, backed up some more.

"How did you- What even- I don't-" Travian closed his eyes, and waved his hand in a shooing style.

"Go now, Twilight. I'm busy sleeping." She said some sort of warning or some sort of reckoning that she would come back and left. Once she was gone, Mayella transformed back into herself. "These females. Crazy, I tell you. Crazy! Typical, to be honest."

"Hey!" She almost smacked him on the head but was stopped by him staring at her.

"Not you, of course. You are not a typical female." She smiled sweetly at his compliment. "No, I am convinced you're not a female." Now she was back to being mad. "You can't be female because you are clearly out of this world." His complinsult got her to beam happily. It was easy pleasing some women with compliments. Changelings could be added to that list, but she was a strangeling, so she didn't count towards the changeling list. "Speaking of you being out of this world... How would you like to explore the stars and be on other worlds, seeing all sorts of amazing things?" Most of the amazing things were stolen, destroyed, or hidden by humans, but he knew of a few they didn't even know about.

"That... That sounds... Amazing." Her eyes gleamed. Then they faltered. "But wait... How could you go out there, with the stars? As far as I know, you can't fly!" He reached his hand to the sky.

"Out there, someone is coming for me. He will one day be here... And I can explore those planets. You could join me, even." He looked into Mayella's eyes, the adventure he sought clear. It would be fun travelling with a companion, after all. She could grow to be an actual friend of Travian.

Mayella was stunned. "Wh-who is coming for you?" She'd be an interesting companion. She wasn't a human, nor was she any type of alien he knew of. He would have to accommodate to that.

"My brother. Or, as you will address him whenever you see him, my cousin." Mayella looked away. Was she feeling pity for him?

"Oh... Did something happen between you two?"

"Not really, no. As far as he's known, I've always been his cousin. Our parents were liars, saying that his actual parents left him with us. I won't lie, our parents were undesirables. They are long buried now, however, so I'm fine." It was unfortunate that his past was quite tragic, but he didn't go into details. His eyes went wide. This was what Twilight was talking about.

"Um..." Mayella noticed his eyes widening. "Longshot? Are you okay?" His eyes returned to normal.

"Perfectly." They continued their normal conversation after that.

Travian had a dream that night. He woke up in his dream upon a bed of leaves. He should not have had his plated custom armor on. He looked to his side to see a familiar sniper rifle. It was secretly a crossbow, but nobody had to know. It was loaded, and pointed towards the door of the building he was in. He equipped his rifle, ready to fight a previous battle. He walked up to the door.

He kicked his leg forward, knocking the door to the ground. He raised his slender crossbow, but the only thing he found was an empty village with the ancient style of his birthright. He felt a familiar presence in the village. He raised the crossbow, looking for any lifeforms. He looked to his right to find nothing. He then looked to his left. He saw a single familiar alien.

Mayella was quivering in fear at him. He instantly saw the fearful look on her face and lowered the rifle. She was still quivering in fear. He started to approach Mayella, but that only made her back up in fear. He tried to reason with her. "Please. Mayella, it's me! You know... Longshot?" Mayella stopped shaking in fear once he said that.

"That-that's you? But-" She was cut-off by a human in armor grabbing her by the neck. Travian instantly lifted up his rifle, but then a voice ringed itself through his helmet.

"If you attempt to save this abomination, Longshot, then we will deduct a majority of your pay and may end up getting rid of your contract entirely." Money would be lost if he attempted to save her. He lowered his rifle and prepared to speak.

"Sir, with some due respect, I-" The human pulled out a knife. "- respectfully ask that you leave it alive and unharmed."

"Are you disobeying direct orders? Do we have to deduct your payment just because of this sympathy you suddenly developed towards this xeno?" He didn't want to lose all the money... But was it worth Mayella's life?

"Longshot, help!" The human was moving the knife closer to her heart.

"Sir... I- You know what, sir. You can go straight to the abyss and beyond." He raised the crossbow rifle and aimed directly at the middle of the visor of the human's helmet. He then pulled the trigger, causing a massive bolt to launch itself at the human. The bolt got stuck within his head, sticking out both sides. He started to reload the rifle, pulling back the four limbs that propelled the bolt. Mayella was stuck in place, staring at what he did. "I know what I did was wrong in your eyes. It was a life for a life, though, and his was hardly worth living. Yours was too valuable to lose."

Mayella was recovering from her shock, placing some sort of pale smile on her face towards Travian. "I-I-I... I guess I should thank you, then."

"No need. It was all a part of me doing my job." He placed a bolt within his rifle. It was ready to fire again. Suddenly, there was a large stomping sound. He looked to the source to see the one sight he didn't hope to see with Mayella around. His brother wearing his full plate mail with his gigantic sword that ended both magic and life quicker than Travian imagined possible. The sword, much like a claymore with the slender blade, large guard, and long hilt, was in his right hand. He was marching towards Travian, seeing Mayella as she was just saved.

"So I turn my back on you. I turn my back for one. Minute. And guess what I should find?" He quickened his pace. "I find a cousin who saves magic over abolishing it."

"Zashaisr, I fear that you are going insane." His brother was level with Travian. He spun around to face him.

"No! I am not going insane. I am more sane than you are now. Now let me finish my duty. Magic must be destroyed." Travian ran up to his brother, a hand ready to be placed upon his brother's pauldron.

"Please, just listen to me-" When he placed his hand down, a flash of a gauntlet came flying in his direction. He felt a crashing feeling in his rib cage. He felt himself thrown to the ground as well because of the sheer strength.

"You did that to yourself. And you did this to this being. In reality, it is all your fault, yet you don't see that. I am only doing my role, and I shall do it to my best ability." He walked slowly over to Mayella. She even attempted running, but only to find out he could traverse space and time faster than you could think. He was already in front of her as she turned around. "Now for you... You magical menace to my existence." Mayella turned back around and ran.

She could escape, though. He had picked her up. "Quite light, in reality. Huh." He then threw her over at Travian. "Longshot, as your cousin, I shall allow you to have a few last moments with her. Say what you will. As for the magic user... Try to be civil. I do not need you to put any more guilt on him." He slowly walked over to the two.

Mayella was virtually unhurt, but she seemed to struggle to get up. Travian knew the feeling. It was a heavy psychological effect from his brother. "Hey... You can't move either?"

"Who is he?!" She was terrified.

"He's my sibling." He looked over to him. His footsteps were becoming slower and slower, as if interested in where this would go. "Look... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the pain I am causing right now, and I'm sorry about the pain later. I didn't know he would come and ruin everything." Mayella looked over at Travian. "By the way..." He coughed from the ribs that were probably broken. "... You aren't actually hurt. Nothing is keeping you on the ground except yourself." Her eyes widened.

She actually lifted herself up, albeit slowly. She was in obvious shock at all this. Travian smiled. "Now go..." Another cough. "Run. I can keep him back." Mayella wasn't running for some reason. "Why aren't you running, you fool?" He coughed again.

"I can't just leave you with him!" She lowered herself so her eyes were on level with Travian.

"Yes you can. Just do it." For a dream, the pain was surprisingly real. "I'm doing this to-" He coughed."- protect you." Mayella almost ran away. She almost ran. Then she did something extremely strange, weird, and stupid. She moved herself closer to Travian. "What are you-"

She pressed her fanged lips against his. Why she would ever do that, he wasn't sure. He was just doing his job. He pulled away from the kiss and armed himself with the strangest expression. "Why?! You could have ran... I could have stopped him! And now you are just angering him!" Her eyes opened.

"Wait... You didn't enjoy it?" Travian could have face palmed. Unfortunately, it was not the time for face palming. He pointed behind Mayella, and she turned to see a towering metallic figure. The figure had a long blade in the air that was held there. A look of surprise filled Mayella's face, and the sword slowly came down. Everything slowed down for Travian. It just goes to show that his brother ruined everything. Also, his eyes were extremely irritated for some reason.