Lightning checked on his weapon once more, out of mostly habit.
Though, he did have reason to with the wind urging him to retreat.
...He couldn't listen to warnings now. Much too late for that.
Knocking on the door, he said the words of passage as soon as an eye peeked through the creak, "Their law has no meaning where I descend/ May you only rely on yourself to defend/ Keep the thoughts of your place always steady/ Or, leave...in a body bag most heavy."
A female voice accompanied the now-widened eye, "You...must go away."
He didn't understand.
That's the password!
Upset at her disregard for his proper signaling, he pointed his crossbow at the eye, "Open the door! I-I said it! You can't leave me outside! Guard, I will gain entrance!"
She yelped, pleading for her life, "Please, leave my doorstep! I don't know you, nor do I know what entrance you speak of! Leave this mother of two young ponies live!"
"Mother of two?! Ha! What a joke! Shut your-"
Bam!
The door slammed in his face, cutting off his shouting easily.
Then, brought it back stronger, "I didn't say to shut your door!"
Growling, he aimed the hoof-mounted crossbow to metallic knob, adding a little electricity to the tip.
...
She sighed at the outside annoyance, hoping they'd go away after awhile.
The sudden explosion...told her the opposite.
Lightning loaded the crossbow again, walking in with it pointed at her head.
She was...pretty. Coat was Bright-Pink. Mane a sweet Dark-Vanilla, with Flirt lines from start to finish.
Kind of cute.
He'd put a bolt through her pretty, cute head if she didn't start doing like he asked.
She produced a small shield over something, which he took as a threat.
Lightning pointed the weapon more forcefully at the mare, demanding, "What're you hiding?! Tell me. Tell me now!"
She sweated, chatting out quickly, "M-my kids! My kids! Oh, Celestia! Do whatever to me! Just don't hurt them!"
He rolled his eyes, not buying her unlikely lies, "Show me, fake."
Having dissipated the shield, she revealed that...the truth was right there, shivering in fear.
The foals whimpered, not understanding the situation besides their caregiver being in danger.
Lightning's angered frown wavered into one of shock, speaking in stutters, "Y-you weren't j-joking! I-I've...just blasted into the home of an
innocent mare?"
He saw her back away, carrying the foals in magic as well.
Lowering the crossbow to the ground, he tried to apologize, "Ma'am, forgive me. I must've been...given the wrong information! I'm so sorry! I-I thought...this was a place for ponies like me. And, I was dead wrong."
She phased away with her children, not even answering his pleas for understanding.
Lightning's ears went flat as his soul seemed to shrink.
Minutes passed, Lightning stayed alone.
He stood at the center of the living room, trying to remember who'd sold him the false information.
Closing his eyes, he snarled at his current position, "Another dead end! Buck me!"
"Mister...you actually seem lost. Is that why you're mad? Just lost?", the mother said as she poked her head through the wall by phasing.
He shook his head, wondering why he was still invading this mare's home.
Then, honestly told her, "I don't know. I guess so."
"I can help."
Lightning replied with renewed suspicion, "You...can?"
Grinning with twisted intentions, she slipped from the wall, hooves strapped with throwing needles.
"Let mother take you on home," the mare whispered creepily before leaping into action.
Lightning cursed, raising his crossbow to fire without hesitation.
Knew she wasn't trustworthy!
She warped right up to him, completely leaving the bolt to fly past without harm.
The mare tried to swipe him, yet Lightning countered with the crossbow.
Then, proceeded to punch her in the face, twist her around, and slowly squeeze her windpipe.
He asked only once, not finding the windmill of emotions pleasant, "Okay, you're actually the guard. I'm right. So, tell me where I go from
here to reach the black market. Or, I can find it myself. If I must do the latter, I'll get the fun of crushing your throat. You're pick, babe."
She chuckled weakly through the gasps of air, "Heh. You wouldn't do something that horrible to-"
As he pressed down on her throat harder, Lightning growled out, "Pretty sure I would. The storm calls to me, and says to kill you. I might follow its path; maybe not. Decide."
Once he let up on the pressure, she complained, "Aw, dammit. Another freak who speaks of nonsense. Did my bosses just set up shop next to a mental hospital? Honestly, you're like the fourth I've dealt with all week."
"It does speak! Only to me! We are meant for each other! So, tell me. Or, die. Decide."
"Calm down, crazy. Just-"
"No stalling. Decide!"
"Fine, fine! Switch behind the picture on the wall!"
Lightning got her up, held the crossbow to the back of her neck, and demanded she move along.
They reached the picture without problem. Lightning tore it down with a smack, making the mare glare at him because it was of her playing with her children.
Noticing the obvious switch, he shook his head towards the comical sight, "It's not even the same color as the wall?! Which idiot thought that up?!"
Sighing, she already knew of the hiding spot's several mistakes, "Yeah, yeah. Noted, alright. Poor placement. Kinda obvious. Cliche, actually."
No longer caring, Lightning simply flipped the unconcealed switch, watching as a light slashed the wall in two. The halves separated until an appropriate entrance was constructed, leading downwards into the dangerous meeting place.
He slightly touched her with the bolt's tip, saying in mock politeness, "Ladies first."
She bravely descended the stairs, not showing any worry for the crossbow leveled at her neck area, "Oh, I love games. Especially those of life and death! Seems I'm the player this moment."
After taking ten steps, she turned halfway to send a chill down his spine with a message, "Though, we each get our turn, sweetheart. Heh."
Where the stairs finished, a hallway presented itself.
As they walked, the mare was more talkative after minutes of painful silence, "So...what's your name?"
Lightning snorted, not in the mood for chatting with his hostage, "Why should I tell you?"
"Because you've got nothing better to do."
"...True. It's Lightning Strike."
"Sounds...like a name for a Pegasus."
"Yeah...I know," he said as the rest of his aggression died off.
Glancing behind, she noticed his eyes gain a depressed expression, which led her to piece together a bit of his past.
Not planning on bringing up a...touchy subject, she pretended to not have gathered anything, "Well...my name's Pin Prick."
Lightning's depression ascended only to give him a moment of sarcasm, "Last name's...Prick? Seems some names fit more than others."
She hit him where it hurt, "Says the weather-themed pony without his precious wings!"
"Hey! Don't speak of my wings!"
"Don't speak of my last name!"
"...Fine."
"...Alright."
They kept walking through, which made somepony grow impatient.
Lightning groaned at the passageway's ridiculous length, "Is this some joke?! We don't even appear to have made progress!"
Pin rolled her eyes, explaining, "Quit the whining. So, it's a little long. Not that big of a deal. Seriously, you're sounding like a foal."
A thought entered his mind, which suprisingly wasn't a rude remark, "...Uh, on the topic of foals, where are your's?"
"Mine? Asleep. When I went through the wall, I tucked my foals in their nursery. Would've...been nice to have three."
"You've got a third foal?"
"...Might've been you."
"Me? What?!"
"Yeah. My shots are filled with portions from an age-regression potion. One of 'em goes in, you go night-night. Then, wake up with me as your mommy. Pretty sweet deal, I'd say."
"Then...are those foals I saw-"
"One was a royal guard. The other was somepony who fought me, and lost."
"...O-kay. That's insane."
"Thank you."
"Not in a good way. And, why are you even still a guard here? You've fought everypony wanting entrance to the black market, yet only come out with two babies? Tells me you're bad at your job."
"Actually, I'm great at my job! You just weren't mentioned as being somepony on the list! Which is why I fought you!"
"Lost, sweetheart. L-o-s-t. Not fought. Anyways, how was I supposed to know that?! Every other black market before has let me in with that damn song! Why not-"
"Maybe because it's far too easy to enter that way, dumbplot! If every black market had that exact password, then anypony could be let in! My bosses aren't morons! They've been in this business for years! They know how to keep our business underwraps!"
"Apparently not if a royal guard got in."
"He...was undercover. Came in with almost the same description as somepony else. Except...for the voice."
"Whoa. You guys must be packing some very detailed intel if voice notification is included."
"We do. We most certainly do."
"Along with...other things?"
"Like what?"
"Well, I'd like to think those age-regressing needles aren't cheap."
"Not cheap at all! The Zebras that I deal with aren't very generous when money is concerned."
"And...artifacts, perhaps?"
The hallway's end was closing in, meaning Pin had to be speedy with her speech, "Yeah, sure."
"Can...you go into-"
"Shush! Black market! Right ahead! Shut your trap!"
"Hey! I'm still plenty cool with shooting you! So, I want answers!"
"In a second!"
"No! Not in a second! Now!"
She hurried her pace, more concerned with her bosses than the pony daring to pierce her between the eyes with a bolt.
Lightning followed her, wondering why she would risk her life like that.
He wasn't really going to kill her for disobeying, but he had to seem willing to keep up reputation.
Pin ran through the curtained opening, saying worried whispers to herself along the way. Lightning burst into the room, asking her in irritation, "You run off in the middle of a conversation?! What could possibly be more important-"
The two ponies, both different genders, politely questioned in unison...as they lowered a cannon directly towards Lightning's direction, "Are you our guest?"
Gulping, Lightning said with a nervous grin, "Um...maybe?"
They laughed like there was no tomorrow. Laughed until Lightning and Pin didn't know what to think.
Moments later, they straightened their faces of all emotions in seconds flat, responding to their own question as if he'd never said a word, "Are you our guest? No. Not at all."
Then, went to pull the string...
