Author's Note
This been stuck in my head for a while.
One-shot
"Buck you Celestia!" screamed Cadance as she slammed her left hoof right into a man face as an enraged look was on her expression. Cadance, the former Princess of Love, the former ruler of the Crystal Empire, and the hunting partner of the infamous mercenary, was beyond pissed. She had thought that 'love and tolerance' of the pony mindset would stand tall in the hearts of those she once called love ones.
But I guess it only applies if you're a pony, one that haven't been touched by the arts of war. Cadance thought bitterly as she ripped off a man arm. "OH GOD MY ARM!"screamed the man as blood came out, she threw it away as she caved his chest with her right hoof, not holding back her strength or anger as another one bite the dust.
"There goes another one! Who would dare enter in the arena of death? Who would fight against the Heart's Emotion?" called out the spokesperson as she was in a underground fighting arena, where she would handle out her stressful days, like this one. While the man egged on the unlucky soul to enter in the bloody pit, she turned her attention to her armor, it was odd that she forgotten to checked up on it. Her mentor and close hunting-partner would drilled that lesson in her head every single day. Check. Your. Armor.
She chuckled at the memory of him scolding her, in his own way of course, as she took this time to look at herself. Her armor actually covered up to her neck, and down to her before her hooves, not to mention getting this type of fabric and metal was highly expensive, there was only one place anyone could get it, and finding it was a challenge itself.
Nevertheless, she gotten it, thanks to not only to her hunt-partner, but to the training he forced her to endure, in the end it was all worth it. The fabric covered her entire body, especially her wings, considering they were a special type of fabric that could flex with the body, no matter what species. The metal itself couldn't, but what it lacked in flexibility, it could sustained in protection as it covered her entire body, excepted her wings, a inventor could only do so much.
The design of this armor reminded her of those warrior race fellows, what was their names? Manodlians? She couldn't remember the name right now, her mind was occupy by something else. For example, her backstabbing whorse aunt, her ass licking ex-husband, and her worshiping hoof-licker former sister-in-law Twilight. Her teeth grind as she looked at her newest punching bag to destroy as one poor sucker got kicked in, she charged with a snarl and her horn glowed as the small massacre began.
Meanwhile away from the arena, right on the stands, stood a tall armored being, his entire body covered, small wires came down to his neck from the back of his neck, two slits of black were formed for his eyes, and his arms were crossed as he witness the bloodshed his hunt-partner was making.
He was feeling pretty good, which was rare for him. By him was her weapons, a energy blade, a large rifle that connects to the back, and blade wings design for her. She usually carry these things on her at all times, but she wanted to deal with it by using her hooves.
He looked down as Cadance was making a killing, and he felt that this place wasn't good enough for her to release her stress, but it he had to make due with what he got. On his back was his trusted blade and closest comrade, Bloodthirsty, and she killed many, many beings to earned that name. The blade itself was a two-handed weapon, with a jeweled eye to look around her surroundings, she looked at the carnage the hunting-partner known as Cadance was making, and turned to her wielder.
Master, aren't you going to joined her in the bloodshed? After all, it would be nice of you to get me a quick meal.
He replied mentally as he 'spoke', harsh enough to get others to back off, but it wasn't harsh enough to those he knew well. No, I won't interrupt her, not unless she wants me to. She needs to kill something, to kill it so much, that it won't come back anymore.
So, why didn't the three of us just killed those former 'family' of hers? Because they were right there, standing before us, ripe for the taking. the blade mentally shivered. Oh I could almost taste their blood! And it was going to be so sweet! she said.
The mercenary gave a 'hmph' to his blade. Suggested that to her on the spot, but she said that 'because out of respect for being former family', she wasn't going to do it.
Unless they came to her again, then they were fair game! interrupted Bloodthirsty.
I respected her decision, but we all knew she wanted to kill them on the spot, so I brought her here as a compromise. She gets to kill as much as she likes, I get to see how much she still remembers, and know that they failed in trying to erase her memories. he said to her. A few minutes of silence Bloodthirsty spoke back.
You gotten soft Master, if we did this your way, they would be already hanging on your wall.
Shut it, otherwise I may decide to leave you whenever I go on my next hunt. told the wielder as he saw Cadance ripping a guy head off.
"That's another one! Who else will enter in?" shouted the loudmouth.
The blade shivered inward. ~Oh Master, did I ever tell you're a badass and sexy mercenary whenever you threaten anyone? Especially me? she said, the wielder just acknowledged with a grunt, however the conversation between wielder and blade ended as a portal opened up by him, what walked out was a person of eighteen, wearing a jacket, jeans, running shoes, a cap, and fingerless gloves.
He had a cane with a skull on the top and a concerned look on his expression, long black sideburn hair came down to his chin, while his pony tail came down to his neck. "Hey, I heard something went down Sohm, mind talking about it?" he asked cautiously. The one named Sohm gave a grunt as he explained.
"Her people founded her, requested to bring her back to her 'Empire'. Went along to make sure she went away safely, thought it was the last time we meet for a while, both sides were cautious during the entire thing. Gave her a communicator and told her if any trouble came up, she called me ASAP, left her to her nation and poor excuse of a mate." he said as he noticed Cadance decided to take two guys from the stands, bring them both down, and beat the ever day lights out of them.
"However after a few hours hunting with my Hunt-Sister and Hunt-Companion, she called me. I noticed tears, voice broke out, and begging me to get her, now." he said as Zero cringed, the thief knew that this was just the start of Sohm infamous 'protectiveness', if he viewed someone as a very close person then he'll gladly aid them...The infamous part is that he usually kills many people to make a point.
"So I dropped everything, headed back to where she was at, but when I came to her...She didn't remember me." told Sohm as Cadance demanded more people to come down. Oooh, I can tell what happen. thought Zero as Sohm confirmed his thoughts.
"They tried to erase her 'darkness'," snarled Sohm at the word as if it was some sort of heresy. "of what she saw, what she experience, what she done on our travels, what worse was that they took what she earned. I didn't take too kindly to that." told Sohm as Zero filled the rest in.
"Grey told me that you took 'Heart Killer', brought her before him, and semi-ask/demanded him to remove whatever they did on Cadance. Told me that he founded the cause, removed it, and basically brought her back to her usual self?" Zero said, Sohm only nodded his head as Cadance began to wear the color red on her form.
"We went back to her former mate, demanded to know where her things are, and why he did such things. Went off spouting that 'she wasn't the same, that she wasn't 'his Cadance'." Sohm said with a snarl at those two words, Zero merely looked at him.
"You know, if I didn't knew you as much as I could, I would say you were jealous when he said that." mentioned Zero, Sohm cracked his neck as he grunts.
"And if you weren't my Comrade, there would be a knife to your throat." replied Sohm.
Zero shrugged. "True, so what happen?" he asked.
"She was enraged, personally I wanted to gut him and make his coat as my newest trophy. But instead she beat him down, telling him that she was Cadance, just grown more. Not to mention that she wasn't his anymore, she wasn't his to begin with, she told him that she was through and considered this their divorced. She also told him if he tried this again, or followed us, she would kill him herself, cut off his head, and mounted it on the wall."
Zero took a look at Cadance as she laughed of the bloodshed. "You know, I still find it creepy she learn from you. Honestly do you know how creepy it is that you taught some girl who used to deal with politics in a magical land how to cut off someone head off? Including how to cut off the rest of the body? This is coming out of a cannibal you know." said Zero as he shivered.
Sohm ignored Zero input as he continued on. "Soon we gotten the info of her things, went to her 'aunt' place, killed anyone who got in our way, except for her former sister-in-law when she came to Cadance, out of respect she told me when she knocked the purple one down, then forced our way into the vaults. However when we gotten her things back and came out, there was a problem. The fat bitch said we were a 'taint' that should be perished, I told her that she should get out of the way before I decided to kill them all."
"Let me guess, she used a bunch of hero's to try and 'defeat' you by some powerful bullshit 5649?" asked Zero, before Sohm said anything Zero added a sentence. "I'm a villain, I had to go through those types of BS."
Sohm merely shrugged as he clarified. "It was six mares, didn't care enough about who they were called, weren't even worth my time. Ignored them as I talked to Cadance as to figure out what now. Put up the 'killing them all now' to see if she changed her mind, didn't though, so asked if beating them up was acceptable. Said that as long as they were alive it was okay, she didn't say anything about them being barely alive."
Zero gave a laugh." Ohohohoho! Sneaky Sohm! Wait did they do anything?"
"Just some odd rainbow thing hitting at us, checked over my blade and suit to see what went wrong, apparently nothing happen, same thing with Cadance. Odd to see them filled with shock and fear, but didn't question it as we beat them to the ground, well the ones that annoyed me the most, the blue and purple ones, the others just got slapped. Except for the orange one, had to beat her down to make her understand she doesn't want me to take them with full intent."
"So what happen next?" asked Zero, Sohm decided it was best to show his comrade what happen. So he activated a small recorded device as he turned his head to a wall, showed the scene of a uninjured Cadance who had blood on her, a messy hall of defeated soldiers, some who were dead, six mares down on the ground, and Cadance with her hoof over the throat of a defeated big white pony alicorn.
"You thought you could erase what I learn, what I became through the years...You're no better than all those foes you fought to make Equestria a better place." told Cadance in a disappointing tone. "What you thought was 'darkness' was really something that's apart of everyone of us, we either don't realize it or ignored it. However there are a few who accepted this 'taint' you try to get rid of, but you can't get rid of something that's been with you since the day you were born.
"Pitiful." she said as she shook her head, she turned to Sohm with a smile on her expression. "I was taught that you shouldn't hide from your fears, instead you should face them and look right at them in the eye, that you should always be strong for those around you." she turned to the white alicorn. "I'm giving you this chance, I know if I returned to the Empire, you try to 'save' the ponies there, which is why I'm giving it up, who ever wants it can take it. I'm also divorced from Shining, not to mention I'm not welcome here anymore, which is why I'm leaving. For good."
The view turned to the purple one as she tried to plead to her. "But Cadance...We just want to save you." she said weakly, Cadance however shake her head with sigh.
"You weren't saving me, you all were damning me. What's life without knowing what you experience, both good and bad? You tried to erase a part of me that helped me grown stronger, a part that helped me become who I am now."
She turned her disappointed look at the alicorn under her. "Auntie, no Celestia, if you tried to find me again, and force me to go back with you, I will kill you. Even if you brought Twi and her friends, I will kill you all. In my eyes you all aren't family, and this world isn't my home. This is your only warning Celestia, and your last." told Cadance as she hopped off of her as she went up to Sohm.
However as she came up to him, there was a smile on her expression, as if she was free from whatever was holding her back. "Hope you don't mind me coming along with you, but I feel I need to look among the places we go to, and see if any of them would be a good home."
"And if not?" said the mercenary.
She grinned at him. "Well, that means I get to spend more time with my big, powerful, mercenary of badassary, isn't that right Sohm?" she said as she bump his waist. Sohm gave a grunt.
"Come, we must be off."
Soon it ended as Sohm turned to Zero. "And the rest is history, eh Sohm?" asked Zero, as the mercenary only nodded his head. "Wow, anything else happen?" asked Zero, Sohm just looked at Cadance as she finished up her 'stress reliever' and trots toward the two.
"Don't know, might see some change, or might not." was all Sohm said as Cadance jump on his shoulder and nuzzle him.
"Hey Zero! How's being a deranged cannibal going for you?" she asked as her hooves were around his neck, Zero grinned of the scene before him, a pony glomping and hugging a mercenary with a thing to rip out the bones of his 'prey' and use them as weapons, he replied to her.
"Well I'm doing fine, heard what happen though. A shame it is, it's never easy leaving home." Zero said in a concern tone, Cadance sighs as she nodded her head while holding Sohm close to her.
"I'm still trying to adjust to the fact I'm never going home," she said with a sad look, however she turned her direction of sight to the person she's hugging as a soft smile was on her expression. "thankfully, I got someone here to help me overcome the odds of loneliness." she said.
"Wanted to kill them for doing such a thing to you." told Sohm, as Cadance rubbed her bloody fur cheek on his own.
"Aw! That's so sweet, but I wanted at least give them a chance of mercy before going to that direction, beside that world would of died without the two!" she said, Sohm merely grunted.
"Feeling better?" he asked, she nodded her head.
"A little, not going to remove the problem, but I got all that stress out of me. Although I would of gotten it out sooner if they weren't so screamish." replied Cadance as they all sat down on a bench, Cadance moved from his shoulders to his lap as she gave a sigh of contentment of laying on his lap. Zero grinned as he saw Sohm slowly combing her blood drenched hair with his claw like hands, Cadance snuggle on his armor lap with a small smile, Bloodthirsty was a tad bit jealous of the small sign of affection that her wielder gave to the pony.
But Bloodthirsty had one thing that Cadance couldn't get for quite a long time, to be held by her Master and be used for the carnage of the hunt. To be touched when he cleaned her, to be sharped by his hands, and to be by his side.
"If I didn't know any better, I say you two make a strange, but cute couple." said Zero as the two looked at him.
Cadance giggled at the thought, while Sohm merely growled at Zero. "As sweet as that sound, I don't think I nowhere near 'relationship worthy' to this big lug." replied Cadance as she tapped his knee with her left hoof. "Although," added Cadance as she looked up to Sohm with a cute expression. "Your still my big bad hug-able mercenary of death." Zero laughed as he fell down on the ground, holding his sides as he imagined Sohm as a big teddy bear with scars and blood on him.
Sohm just snarled softly at her, Cadance merely smiled as she gently poked Sohm helmet. "Come on, who's my big bad mercenary? Who's my killer? Who's my armor sociopath?" Cadance asked as if she was using a tone she used for babies, or gentle teasing for love ones. Sohm turned away his head as Cadance kept on going, all the while Zero laughed of this interaction. "Come on, say it, you know you want to." told Cadance.
Finally after enough prodding from Cadance he spoke. "...I am."
Zero couldn't take more as he laughed even more. "Oh GOD! MY SIDES! HAHAHAHAHA!"
Cadance grinned as she turned around on her back and laid it on his lap as she looked up at him cutely. "And am I still your alicorn of cute and death? Who's your pony of emotions? Who's your Hunting partner? Who's your lovable pony in all of the multiverse?" she asked, it took a good five minutes of her asking, looking cute, and Zero to get controlled of his laughing...Before he laughed again as they heard Sohm response.
"...You are."
"OH I'M DYING! BWAHAHAHAHA!"
Cadance smiled at him. "That's what I thought." she said as she relaxed on his lap, and they settle down where they were at...until a large portal opened up.
"GREETING INFERIOR BEINGS! PREPARE TO BE CHANGE FOR THE GLORIOUS RULER OF EQUESTRIA!" shouted out a voice as they all turned to see a small pony army coming through a portal, Sohm looked down at Cadance.
"Not the same ponies, but want to go and kill them all?" asked Sohm as they all stand, Cadance gave a small gasp and held her hooves over her mouth.
"Even those that looked like the ones I know?" she asked.
He nodded his head. "I'll even kill the fat bitch and give her head to you." told Sohm, Cadance gave an 'awww' to him as she glomped him again.
"That's so sweet of you Sohm! I would love to hunt with you! Especially cause certain destruction in the name of the Hunt and have the pleasure of at least killing the rulers with my bare hooves!" she said as Sohm turned his head to Zero.
"Want to join?" he asked, Zero shrugged.
"Sure why not, I got nothing better to do." Zero replied as he jumped over the edge. "MWhahahaha!" laughed the insane thief as Cadance let go of Sohm, activated her suit as her head was covered, Sohm passed her weapons to the alicorn, she nodded her head in thanks as she ready her energy blade with her horn.
Sohm took out Bloodthirsty as he whispered to her. "My beauty, it's time to wake up, time to eat your desire for blood." Bloodthirsty in response screamed out in joy in the form of a wailing banshee as the two looked at each other, both nod to each other as they jumped off the edge and began the joyful and wonderful hunt, at least joyful to the two at the very least.
