Mark of Baen

Across Equestria, a certain band of sorts had made camp.  Shining was currently tending to the fire; Flash and Vinyl were dividing up the rations into even piles while Gilda had gone off to get firewood.  Cheerilee was tending to Baen’s wounds, though she was worried, she couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s funny,” Baen gave a light smirk, “are you taking slight amusement in me being injured?”

Cheerilee shook her head as she gave a warm smile, bandaging his shoulder, “No…it’s just…, we’re related right?”

Baen nodded lightly confused, “Of course we are, though our link is faint, we are bound by blood.”

Cheerilee nodded but her expression steadily dropped, “Sometimes, I just think it’s hard to believe.  I mean we’re so different, I’m level headed, kind, and I don’t have a destructive bone in my body.”

Baen’s face was neutral, but the mild annoyance and insult could be felt.

Cheerilee then quickly stated, “Let me rephrase that.  It’s more, you’re a warrior and I’m a teacher.  You’re you, and I’m me,” she sighed after she finished dressing his wound, “I’ve never been on a quest in my entire life; I’ve always stayed in Ponyville and lived as I have.  I’ve always waited and let Twilight and her friends save the day.”

Baen nodded in understanding as Cheerilee looked at him, “How do you do it?  How do you just deal with the stress of completing your goal and…just, trying not to think about what could happen if you fail.”

Baen chuckled as Gilda returned, some of the others half listening, “The answer is pretty simple Cheerilee, what some of you Equestrians fail to realize is this fact,” he stood up, “I carry those feelings.  But I never let them hold me down or back, I use them to fuel me, to spur me on,” he smiled at her warmly, “Think about what you are capable of, if you or others doubt you, prove them wrong.”

Baen trotted to the fire and sat beside Arondight, the blade glinting lightly.  He leaned back as Shining finished with the fire, glancing around occasionally, slightly on guard.

“Where exactly are we anyway?”

Gilda shrugged, “Beats me.  When I was getting firewood, there were a couple of bramble bushes and the trees are pretty huge.  So, I don’t know a forest or something?”

Baen nodded lightly as he looked around at their surroundings.  The sky was slowly darkening, but the place could be easily made out.  The trees towered above them, dark bark with knarled branches that greatly lacked leaves.  The grass under them was lightly coated in a thin mist that had started to emerge when the sun started to dip below the horizon.  Though Baen couldn’t see any, he could hear the faintness of running water.  Maybe there was a creak or river nearby?  Who could rightly say at the moment?  What could be said for certain was that it was almost dark and that the group had to get some sleep.  They had a loooong trek ahead of them to find the other swords.  Though, Baen thought it was high time everypony knew exactly what they signed up for.  But before he could speak, Shining piped up.

“Alright Baen, I have to ask,” he glanced at Baen with the upmost seriousness, “Who exactly is Vida anyway?  You just gave me, Flash, Vinyl and Cheerilee the rundown of what she wants and what she’s capable of.   But it’s been bothering, how exactly do you know so much about her?”

Gilda chopped a log in half and raised an eyebrow, “Yeah, I mean, I JUST got in on this questing and I’m lost dude.  Start spilling.”

Baen sighed, “Just know this, this quest is far more dangerous than you four could imagine.  Vida, is no mere Equestrian sorceress, she is an old foe of mine that I had long thought finished.”

Vinyl was munching on some trail mix, “What changed?”

“Well, originally, an old comrade of mine sealed her in a gem.  But it seems she’s broken out,” he leaned forward and gazed into the flames, the fire dancing in his eyes, “Now, I fear for all of Equestria’s safety now that she’s loose.”

Gilda rolled her eyes, “What’s the big deal?  From what I’ve heard, Dash and her….friends have beaten plenty of baddies.  And I’ve heard you’ve done the same thing.”

Baen nodded, “That’s true, but Vida is…different.  She knows a brand of magic that has not seen the light of day in years, she’s cunning, manipulative, and will not stop until she succeeds in her quest.”

Flash tapped his chin, “Anything in particular we should watch out for?”

“Her magic is strong, so there’s that,” Baen thought hard, “she can influence the mind of others by utilizing a powerful glamour spell she herself developed.  Though her specialty is stallions, she can control mares, abet with difficulty.”

Shining nodded, “So if we ever meet, we go in to disable her with extreme caution.”

Gilda cracked her talons, “Yeah, like she could stop us.”

Baen nodded, “You all might have a fair chance.”

Vinyl glanced at Baen with a look of minor puzzlement, “What about you?  Won’t you get brainwashed?”

“Unlikely,” Baen muttered, “the last time I fought her, my comrade Yew cast a powerful Old Magic charm upon my mind,” he tapped his head, “this is a steel trap to any kind of influence.  Magical or otherwise, no pony can get in here to control me.”

Shining rubbed his chin in thought, “Do you think it’s still holding?”

Baen nodded, “Yeah, if it didn’t, she would’ve seized my mind when she visited me at my home.”

Cheerilee gasped, “That monster was in Ponyville?”

“For a short time,” he raised his hooves in a calming gesture, “but be at ease, we can do this.”

Gilda stretched out on the ground and yawned, “You know what I don’t get.  If she wants these swords so badly, why doesn’t she just show up right now and take it from us?”

Flash glanced around, “That’s a good point, actually, as far as we know she could be around right now.”

Baen’s left ear swivelled lightly as he looked around quickly.  Cheerilee was about to ask what was wrong, but then her ears started to pick it up as well.  In the distance, the sound of an approaching bell could be heard.

Shining stood up, “What is that?”

Baen’s eyes widened as he turned to the group and yelled, “GRAB THE SWORD AND SCATTER, NOW!”

The group heard a low chime, Shining quickly dove and retrieved Arondight in his magical grasp as a burst of white lightning struck the center of the camp and scattered the camp fire.  The embers and burning logs came to rest against some of the trees and brush, both of which burst into flames.  The ponies and griffon peeked out from their hiding spots.  Emerging from the smoke and flame were two shapes.  One was none other than The Star; the other was a bat pony.  Baen narrowed his eyes as he stared at the stallion who was garbed in emerald armor without a helmet, even if the helmet was absent; there was no mistake that it was the missing night guard.

Baen stood up from behind the log he had taken refuge behind and stared at the pony in question, “You there.  You are Princess Luna’s missing guard correct?”

The stallion stepped forward as the star stayed motionless, “I was, but now I serve a far more superior ruler.  My Lady Vida, the light of my life, has dispatched me and my comrade here to relieve you of that sword,” the bat pony unsheathed a sinister looking spear clutched it firmly in his hooves, “though I suppose killing you as well would be a bonus for me.”

Baen narrowed his eyes as his friends came to his side, “I’m warning you bat, if you engage me, I will hold nothing back.”

Shining tilted his head for a moment at the bat pony and he blinked a few times in realization, “Mulberry?”

Mulberry turned his head to regard Shining, “Captain Armor, how’s the wife?”

“She’s fine,” Shining moved to approach the stallion, but Gilda stopped him.

“Dude, look at his eyes,” Gilda tilted her head toward Mulberry as Shining gave him a more critical eye and noted the emerald rings around the outer edge of Mulberry’s eyes, “Whoever he was, drinking buddy or whatever, he’s not himself.”

Baen nodded as he unsheathed his ax, “This….Mulberry has had his mind taken by Vida and her sorcery.  He’s beyond help now until we break the enchantment,” he looked at Shining, “but even that is a tall order in itself.”

Mulberry glared at Baen, “She hasn’t taken my mind.  She’s opened my mind and the love I feel for her is genuine,” he growled low as his glare started to bleed hatred, “which irritates me when I discover she holds you in such regard!”

“Listen to me you blind fool,” Baen countered, “what you’re feeling is an illusion, Vida is just manipulating you for her own purposes.  All you are is a tool to her!”

“SILENCE!  I will not let you speak of ill of the mare I love,” Mulberry yelled as he charged the barbarian.

Baen jumped back as he deflected a powerful jab toward his throat.  Parrying the next strike, he yelled to Vinyl.

“Get Arondight out of harm’s way, be careful of The Star!”

Vinyl nodded and dodged some burning debris as she quickly magiced the sword to her.  Gilda turned her head and grasped a flaming log in her talons and hurled it at The Star.  The masked pony brought its staff into the log; a chime was heard as the log splintered into shards.  But in an instance, Gilda was upon the masked pony, roaring like a fierce lion.  The Star’s staff flew widely as Baen continued to hold Mulberry at bay.  Shining and Cheerilee were trying their best to extinguish the steadily growing blaze, but to no avail.  Gilda was grappling with the masked pony and both combatants were standing on their hind legs pushing the other.

“Alright you masked freak, show me what you got,” Gilda challenged as she pushed back hard, her talons locked with The Star’s hooves.

The Star pushed back against the griffon, its eye holes crackling with electricity as its body soon started to exude the same energy.  Gilda’s eyes widened as the energy increased in frequency, Baen took notice only to be knocked back hard by a well-placed blow from Mulberry.  Baen glanced around and saw that the inferno was gradually growing and consuming the surrounding trees.  Mulberry loomed over the barbarian as Baen reached for his ax, but saw that it had skidded across the area.  Looking around, he desperately looked for a weapon.

“So,” Mulberry loomed over the barbarian, his spear poised to impale Baen, “it seems the mighty Baen is about to become the mighty pin cushion.”

Vinyl, who was nearby, saw Baen’s ax.  It had flown widely and came to rest in the soil a good few feet from him.  She could make a move for it, but it would be too late, then her eyes snapped to something.  Arondight levitated soundlessly in the air beside her, its dark blade catching the flames in its surface.  Narrowing her eye in concentration she reared back.

“BAEN, BACK FLIP AND GRAB,” she yelled as she heaved the sword toward the two combatants.

Baen nodded as he rolled backwards and leapt into the air, the sword deftly passing into his forehoof’s grasp.  He landed on his hind legs.  The black handle and cross guard glinting in unison with the diamond etched in the center of it.  The murky colored blade reflected the light of the flames as Mulberry rushed the barbarian.  Baen held fast and swung, when he did, he widened his eyes.  As the blade went through the air, it glided seamlessly through the spear’s shaft and cut it cleanly in two.  Mulberry’s eyes widened as the blade slashed cleanly through the chest plate and broke his skin.  Blood started to drip from the pierced plate as the bat pony backed up in shock.  Baen looked at the blade as the diamond suddenly gave off the faintest glow.

“What kind of sword is this?  I felt no resistance when I attacked,” he flourished the blade as it left a very faint white light trail in the air from its tip, “amazing…”

Mulberry growled in anger, but then flinched as he clutched his head.  The emerald rings on his eyes flickering.  Baen turned his attention to the bat pony, only to rush forward.  Above Mulberry’s head, a large branch broke from the trunk and swung on a downward arc.  Baen ducked as the blazing branch made a beeline toward him.  He skidded into the dirt and was about to yell out, but was too late as the branch hammered into Mulberry like a freight train.  The bat pony rag dolled as he flew through the air and first hit the trunk hard and then slumped on the ground.  The branch broke off and barred any path to him as Baen’s attention turned to Gilda.

“GAH!  You stupid freak!”

Gilda slashed at The Star with her talons, but was zapped once more by a well-placed lightning bolt.  Gilda landed on all fours, magic electricity crackling off her every now and then as the smell of singed feathers and burning wood met Baen’s nostrils.  Shining closed the gap and had Caliburn unsheathed and ready to go.  He sailed over Gilda and brought his sword down toward The Star, but the masked pony’s staff had flown back to its master and deflected the blow.  The Star then slammed Shining with the butt end of the staff, winding the stallion, and followed through with a swift bash to the unicorn’s head with the head of the staff.  A loud ‘bong’ was heard as Shining crumpled, his sword clattering away.

Gilda whipped her head around as Cheerilee quickly ran to the fallen prince, “HEY BAEN!  Get your flipping head in the game and rip this guy apart!”

Baen hesitated, Mulberry being obscured by the flames, but relented and ran to his friends.  The barbarian swung Arondight toward The Star, but the masked mage erected a barrier before it.  But what occurred next surprised everypony.  Arondight’s blade sunk into the barrier, slicing into it and started to carry on unhindered towards its target.  Baen’s eyes widened as The Star looked up into the sword.  The barrier was not only being sliced, but the magic itself seemed to be bending INTO the murky blade.  As it carried on, the blade’s murky color started to brighten, a faint otherworldly shine starting to crawl along its surface.  The blade then sunk itself into the right eye and eventually the right side of The Star’s head.  Baen pulled back as an unnatural screech emanated from The Star as it reeled back in agony.

Vinyl looked at the sword as it continued to glow, “What the hay did you just do?”

“It wasn’t me,” Baen stated dumbfounded, “It was the sword….”

Gilda looked at The Star and quickly pointed, “Well he’s not stopping!  Finish him already!”

Baen looked up at The Star as it raised its staff to cast.  Baen yelled out on reflex and slashed the air, the moment he did, a mass discharge of white mana in the shape of a slash peeled off of the blade and rocketed toward The Star.  The familiar had no time to react as its head was blown apart.  The body stood stock still for a mere moment, there was no blood or anything, just dust from the destroyed material of The Star’s armor.  The body of the familiar then shook, before crumbling into dust, its staff exploding in a blast of condensed air with one last loud chime.  Everypony stared in shock at the spot, speechless.  But a groan from Shining snapped them back to attention, the unicorn rose, favoring his head as they all gazed around at the burning forest.

“We gotta get out of here,” Vinyl said nervously, “Or else will be turned into fillet o fillies.”

Shining raised his head and conjured a bubble around the group, “Let’s get moving,” he magiced his sword to him and the group quickly ran off.

When they left, rain started to come down hard, the flames slowly extinguishing.

*

Many hours passed by, the smoldering remains of the battle at the camp remained untouched.  Laying face first in the mud was an injured Mulberry, lightly breathing and bleeding from some cuts with some mild burn marks on the exposed parts of his body.  Soon, a light white hoof with golden rings on it slammed into the ground in a commanding fashion as a cold and yet velvety voice stirred the stallion.

“You’re no good to me dead.”