?????: A Hunting We Will Go
Ruth. Ruthless. Adistakitos.
All of these were synonymous names for the House of Ruth. Names once befitting to them in the earlier days of servitude.
Staring at the blur of green fields that passed on by through the open, windowless frame, Aedigyn pondered the meaning of his family and his house's name as he felt the train chug on by.
A long time ago he'd asked his now deceased mother, Precious Ruth, why their names were so oddly fitted for unicorns of purebred Germaenic origin. A long time ago his mother, a mare of immaculately well-kept ebony brown coat and carefully styled black mane, had sat a younger Aedigyn down in the warmth of her embrace, pressed into the warmth of her belly when he was just a foal and in the middle of that warmth, Aedigyn Ruthless had been told the tale of his family's origin.
The House of Ruthless, a long long time ago, were nothing but servants. Powerful, loyal and perfect specimen --as all unicorns should be-- but servants nonetheless.
These servants back then had a different name. A name passed commonly to the eldest daughter of their generation, known as the Bides. And much like the rest of their contemporaries, nobility was not a privileged title that one was simply born into. It was something bestowed for exceptional service. Something granted by only their superiors.
In simple terms mother had said nobility was not inherited back when they served their betters, unlike then in his youth, unlike now, in his present. It was a gift. A reward.
And back then in those early years of feudalism, before they and their brethren had gained their freedom from the rule of those infernal Schwein, nobility did not hold the same level of prestige it currently-- used to, hold now.
"To be a recognized noble, you had to prove to the Sovereign Schwein, you were worthy of the title. And to do that, you had to ensure you showed just how much of an asset you really were worth. Our former masters, now our current servants, they were wise. Wisdom that they often shared to those most worthy, and only those that proved themselves useful."
And apparently that is exactly what their ancestors, the Bides, did. They proved their worth.
They lied, they cheated, they tricked, they stole, blackmailed and spread false rumors to diminish the public position of their opponents. They back-jabbed (literally and figuratively), they killed, and on some occasions married into higher status all while faithfully serving their betters; kissing their hooves and slowly crawling to the top till they had gained the noble title they had always wanted and deserved. Then, the Bides had clung firmly to their position, unwilling to ever let it go once they'd taken that first sip from the golden goblet awarded to only nobles of the highest honor.
The Schwein Empire, had been an empire of economic and cultural gain. Mother had often said, there was a reason why Pig Latin became the most common form of tongue when used or applied in the form of magic, and it was not just because of their literature influence. They had changed the lives of their kind in the best of ways from ancient times, to their unique use of invocation, and this was one of the reasons why loyalty had been maintained for so so long till the empire began to falter.
"And when the empire began to collapse and we had long taken what we wanted, do you know what we did my brilliant little dur Sohn?"
He did. The story of what the Bides, his ancestors, had done had never left him. But alas, he never got to ponder it because a thump and groan from up ahead jostled an older, weary, unkempt Aedigyn out of his day dreams of youth and into the harsh reality of the present.
Ears raising, pangs of fear struck Aedigyn's nostrils flared as he took in a calming breath, filling his lungs with his own rancid stench as he raised his head. Pulse quickened, frogs became sweaty, a horrible but short shiver traveled down his spine as oily hairs, stained with mud, caked with filth instinctively began to sit up he stared at the cab up ahead and felt his ear twitch as the seconds ticked by...then relax when his suspicions were confirmed when he heard an exhausted groan.
Sighing with relief Aedigyn calmed.
It was just the supplier for the train's locomotion. It seemed only another unicorn supplier would have to take the wheel before the train came to a complete stop, and left them out in the open rails, leaving him unguarded and unprotected yet again. A second or two flew by before a lifeless monotone grey door slid back and an exhausted unicorn stallion was guided through the open door by a pale green mare with a red brick for a mark.
A hiss of steam screeched, blurring the atmosphere if only briefly as a new magic supplier took the last's place and in no time at all, power made the wheels turn forward and the train began to slowly pick up its ever decreasing speed once again.
Stumbling by on shaky hooves, the young but drained pale yellow stallion with a limp mustache of dark brown color, paused as he was led past the huddled form that was Aedigyn and in just a few seconds of bleary eyed blinking and trying to recollect his bearings the younger stallion's knees buckled at the sight of the ebony brown unicorn before him and immediately, Aedigyn's ears perked at one word as the young supplier of this old stolen device, prostrated in very much the same way the Guard prostrated to Princess Celestia.
"Gouvernour", the word was said in almost a drunken daze though to Aedigyn's battered, bruised ears the word was clear as day.
Governor.
If not for his years of saving face in the mass of thousands, he might have shed a tear at hearing that word said with such respect, even now.
He was welcomed here. And it was good he remember that in these dark times now. Here, in this stolen old train of odd ancient origin, he was Not the 'bastard of the Germaen Empire', not the 'Fraudulent Leader', nor the one who brought the end to nobility but Governor. In that one instant, in this single moment, Aedigyn knew that in this one and only train --the only train he would ever be allowed to board publicly as a somewhat free stallion-- he was truly among friends again.
Looking up at the young one and smiling a smile that exposed nothing but wrinkles and a faint merriment in his eyes, Aedigyn said, "Rest my friend. Your service is appreciated."
Smiling up at the older stallion, the famed leader of those special chosen, a gentle tug drew the young engineer away and the young train engine supplier was lead away to another cart down below as another lifeless grey door slid shut behind.
Governor, Aedigyn thought as he continued to stare at the door where the young stallion and the help had exited.
It almost seemed like decades ago where he would've heard such a word and others like "Emperor", "Kaiser", or "Savior". Now? He'd be lucky since his defeat to even be called a politician at all. In his prime he was recognized, now he was nothing. Nothing but a hero trying to make it to salvation to raise the next generation of the special chosen.
Mother had always said before her untimely passing he should learn to settle down and sire her a hire before her life came to an end.
Smiling a reminiscent smile, Aedigyn Ruth flicked his left ear, ignorant to the pain a damaged and torn ear that still needed healing could give.
Watching the pastures, forest, and grassland pass by, Aedigyn Ruth fell into a peaceful slumber on his seat of cushions. A peaceful slumber of greater times. Times where he led his troops towards the fruits of their salvation.
Times where he'd sacrificed many to achieve the dreams whispered to him in his slumber. Dreams that could only be brewed by a genius.
And as REM took him off to the plane of slumber Aedigyn recalled better times.
Times where he was willing to sacrifice many, just to make his own vision, his own dream, come true for a needed greater good.
"The name 'Ruth', was just a shorter version for Ruthless. Dagger Ruthless, was the first Ruthless and like him we are Ruth because our ancestors before us attained their nobility for their Ruthless natures. It is our duty to continue the legacy of the Ruths. To achieve our goals, we must hold nothing back and we must stay together. For the equine race, for ourselves, we must be Ruthless."
These words echoed in the depths of his mind and Aedigyn was aware that these very words were the inspiration of his life.
Born an only child, he'd never known much of his father. The Bides were not known to keep their husbands, and the Ruths were no different. Every marriage or relationship, was only made to sire a greater generation. Whether they were male or female, all that mattered was the next generation was the best that could be made through the greatest genes combined. All he'd known is that one day, sometime soon, there would come a time where he would need to pick a mate. A partner from within the House of Ruth to be his lover and if he did not choose one from Ruth, he would need to choose a noble of equally worthy backgrounds.
It was a tradition. A means to keep the purist ideal of Ruth's sticking together but always getting stronger, no matter how bad the odds were and a tradition that had started at an unknown time.
A dead tradition that would end with his dead mother.
A tradition he never really did pick up even after many attempts at being courted by members who were of his own blood or of other noble houses, regardless of how distant or how close that tie may be. In some regards the reason he'd never taken a lover was probably because he was always so busy and even as he slept in a somewhat peaceful yet alert slumber, Aedigyn knew this.
He'd always been busy ever since he began following his mark. A gold feathered pen, scribbling on blank parchment. The mark of a politician, a mark that was common among the House of Ruth's and a mark that was favored because it was the politicians who often made the biggest changes.
They signed the treaties, they often went out for diplomatic purposes, and they were the favored but few career options that not many ponies got a Mark for these days.
The biggest change of all, had been that special dream. A special dream he hadn't had in a long long time. A dream that inspired his political and philosophical views, and the very same dream that led to his Mark.
It was the dream of a conversation. A conversation he could never clearly remember, but a conversation he'd had with somepony or something. But whatever or whoever they were, the one thing that stood out in a young Aedigyn's mind was this pony or person or thing, had been great. Had been important a long long time ago, and in a world like their own where strange things happened constantly (because magic just had to make life more difficult than easier) this dream had been just another strange thing he'd passed off as nothing.
Till he could vividly recall having that dream again, and again, and again, each time following some sort of conversation he never could truly recall but each conversation leaving him feeling...needy. Like he was wasting his time acting like a colt, even though he had been a colt during those times but should've been acting more mature given his position, his status, and what he could do.
Then he'd discovered it. Years later, long after he was maturing he would create the thing his Mark had always wanted him to create. He had created a theory. A theory he expanded on, until finally he had Das Auserwahlte Gesetz and that one philosophical script had made him famous.
Fame that soon bred the path to what he was truly meant to do. To show the world that only equines had the power to erase all evils of the world, and that he, a Unicorn, the closest relative to the ancient Alicorns; the favored member of the Centaurs, was the one who could lead his nation as the example to pave the path for others just like him.
It didn't matter if he made enemies along the way or if there were those that disapproved or disagreed with him. He had support, and that support was all he needed to move forward.
Because when you had support, nothing could stop you. All you had to do was give a single command and in the world back then, all your problems could just...disappear.
He was a Ruth, a Ruthless. And the House of Ruthless did what needed to be done, to make their goals come true.
There was an ache. A terrible ache in his right hind leg that thrummed with vigor every time his hoof landed on the ground with each gait forward.
Running, sweating, a pelt once immaculate now matted with dirt, grime, and filth that would've made a pampered younger him, hurl, Aedigyn ran through the dirt road peppered by trees, grass, and leaves as if his life depended on it.
Because truth be told, it really did.
Huffing and puffing, Aedigyn Ruth ran with everything his aged, tired body could endure and then pushed that endurance a step further. Because if he didn't make it to the end of that finish line; if he didn't fulfill the true meaning behind those dreams, all of this-- the sacrifices, the deaths, the lives he'd thrown to those horrific monsters known as Goblins or those demonic, goat faced bipedals, known as Satyrs, would be for nothing.
All those lives. All those sacrifices. They would mean nothing. Not the sacrifice of his mother when a bullet had been driven into her skull to deliver a message. Not the sacrifice of his servants, to keep the best of his soldiers alive so that they could live to fight another day. And if he failed now...that would tarnish the last bit of pride he still held to his name.
And to think for even a second that such bloodshed would have been for naught and the idea a Ruthless could go into a task without seeing its completion (especially now that he no longer had the support of his family), was inconceivable.
His mother would come back to spit on his grave, and from the horrors his eyes had witnessed in those gruesome bloody battles those years back, he somehow felt it wasn't impossible for his dear, sweet mother to return and deal him one last scrutiny as they both descended into the Abyss where their souls belonged.
"Protect the Governor!" The guard to his left shouted, not only breaking his lapsing thoughts but turning away from the fleeing group and charging in the opposite direction. The same direction they had left a blown up train behind with charred bodies, and the same direction their enemies were coming from.
The dark blue pegasus turned with his wings spreading, never once looked back, and took off in the direction of their enemies, pursuers.
Unwilling to look back for fear of tripping over his own hooves, Aedigyn moved as fast as he could.
Pegasi of the Gewählt flapped, turned, and took off after the dark blue pegasus that had gone to face enemy pursuers.
Guards to his left and right moved a step behind him, horns glowing and ready to counter if a single enemy made them self known.
Running into the cover of the forest with soldiers and train staff surrounding him as they went, Aedigyn moved with blinding speed. Aware of the fact that not only was this his last chance, but that if he failed here all of his dreams for the world fell with him.
"Somber--" the earth pony began, only for the rustle of leaves to cut the orange stallion off, and with a casual, nonchalant glance Rouge Grimm watched as multiple pegasi moved to put an end to the four pursuers coming after the last hope of an old era.
Blinking once, Rogue watched as ten pegasi flew tight coordinated circles around them, a group of four. Like a tornado they flew up in, circular formations, becoming a whirlwind blur of bodies, wings, and movement. Round and round they went, closing off paths and cutting off any attempts at escape that didn't revolve around magic.
Sure, there was a unicorn in the enemy's numbers and teleporting everyone out would have been the obvious solution, but teleporting multiple individuals at the same time was honestly a unnecessary waste of energy.
Besides, they were outnumbered, these pegasi were fast. And while teleporting out was easy, picking a flock that worked so well like this, would be more time consuming than anything.
And time was short, so they had to make this quick.
Glancing at his brother with one raised brow, Somber Grimm took the note from his brother's barely visible shake of the head, giving his elder the floor Rogue did something quite simply in a situation like this. Something very few Earth Ponies could really do.
He did magic.
There was a glow. A glow that came from Rogue Grimm's hooves. The glow was aqua blue in color and turned the natural dark charcoal color of Rogue's hooves to a luminous white as he cast a simple shield, dome in shape, around his whole party.
"I would advise you give us Aedigyn Ruth and put an end to this nonsense. You have no hopes of winning, The Chosen have lost, their numbers are gone, you are the last and your army is no more. Give up so we can all go home...well most of you at least will find yourselves in a new home but I'm sure it won't be as bad as Tartarus." Rogue, a simple earth pony of odd means, very casually advised. Hoping that perhaps things could end quicker than drawn out on this foolish chase that had only one end.
The swarming pegasi, a flock if there ever was one, united in their beliefs and reason shouted in unison: "NEVER!" And almost immediately the first assault began.
Hooves, tough and sturdy unlike the weather based pegasi in Equestria, slammed into the thin aqua blue shield that surrounded one earth pony, one unicorn, one griffon, and one pegasus.
Ignoring the hints of pain that touched his front left leg and caused his right lower eyelid to quiver, Rogue turned to his brother, a unicorn, as if the discomfort he was feeling were nothing but a simple mosquito and said in a exhausted voice that was devoid of any sign of physical strain, "Their really going to make us hunt him down, aren't they?"
"It appears they intend to." Somber Grimm, the younger of the Grimms, replied in an almost subdued amused tone.
Sighing and raising one glowing fore hoof to shake off the pain travelling up his forelegs as several new cracks grew around the shield, emphasized by another slam that flicked solid mana off the shield, Rogue glanced at the pegasus mare, then at the Griffon and with a nod he said two simple words: "Be ready."
No sooner had those words been said, did all the pegasi rise up into the air and like a wave of incoming arrows, moved to slam into the fracturing shield.
The second the wave launched up, Rogue's shield disappeared, exposing everyone to incredible harm. Seeing their chance, ten pegasi dove like birds to catch their prey. Seconds before the group could hit, Somber's horn glowed a bright orange color, and in an instant, an explosion of light blinded the pegasi but did not slow their progress forward.
Concentrating, Rogue focus his magic into a egg like shape around them and with one amplification spell cast by Somber on his older brother, before anything could happen-- every pegasi felt themselves slamming into a wall. An egg shaped wall. Then felt that wall spit spikes into their bodies.
Gurgled cries of anguish escaped some, hissing pains escaped those who dodged the worst of the damage, and just as soon as the spikes had appeared, they all disappeared with the shield vanishing a second or three after it.
Bodies dropped like rain, four in total, while pegasi landed in the ground in injured heaps, scrambling and scattering to create a distance. In seconds the scent of iron would've long ago made the natural herbivore stomach turn but, Shelly was a pegasus just as immune to the scent of blood as anyone else here in this gritty field was immune to the gore, given most of her life had been spent out on the boats, doing her duty, catching game that could be sold.
Moving swiftly to the taller stallion's side, the pegasus mare pressed her side to steady the shaky earth pony who was still gathering his bearings and with the digit of her knuckle, reached out and whipped away the small drop of blood poking out on the side of Rogue's lip from where he'd bit.
"I...I'm fine..." he offered after a few seconds of steady breathing.
The look of concern in the lunar pegasus' eyes didn't make it seem like she was easily convinced.
"Wo ist der Gouverneur?" A voice chatted merrily.
"Somber" Rogue chided in a slightly irritated tone as he shifted his weight onto the mare, "Nennen Sie ihn nicht diesen Namen!"
"Ja ja, oi" poking and prodding gently at the heavy breathing pegasus mare before him, Somber looked into the eyes of the glassy eyed pegasus as he turned her and repeated his question with a gentler voice "where is Aedigyn?"
Somehow, even in her pain, the mare managed to give him a fierce scowl as she winced at her attempted movement. Making no comment Somber Grimm made no more moves for interrogation as he watched her shift once more, attempting to escape, only to move one last time and cease altogether.
"Hm", Somber hummed in cold indifference. Quietly, he raised a hoof and closed the lifeless eyes, "...I will admit Rogue, their tenacity is astounding."
"It is. And I'd be lying if it didn't piss me off with how you seem to be not paying attention to your surroundings!" Rogue, finally shouted, aware that some pegasi were keeping their distance but not moving any further, he turned and shouted, "Bludger!" Rogue barked at the Griffon.
Eyes widening, Somber felt a grip on his tail and in an failed attempt to escape that left only sparks from his horn, the Griffon reached up and lightly swatted Somber on the back of the head, ever careful of his sharpened talons.
In that one instant, just as suspected, one pegasus guard shot forward aiming to land a strike on the Griffon, but a single orange field wrapped around his tail yanked the stallion back with a force and before, a correctional retreat could be made, Bludger grabbed hold of the throat, lifted as he rose to his powerful hind legs, and one pegasus went crashing down.
Wasting no time, Bludger got comfy, sat on the pegasus, with most of his weight going to his front legs and silently ignored the wheezing protests and begging of mercy that came from his honorary couch below. Practically flatting him out in the worst way imaginable, Somber watched his companion treat a practiced soldier as nothing more than a cushion then noticed in eyebrow raised interest how some of the pegasi guards that no longer could fly, but still remained present, shrunk back in wary caution.
Griffons were scary, but being the seat for a Griffon the size of a Bludger was a fate worse than what even Princess Celestia could do.
"Ask him", Rogue stated as the lunar pegasus by his side fussed over him.
"Where is the convict known as Aedigyn Mark Ruth?" Somber asked with his head lowered to face the squished guard.
"Bite me!" Came the witty reply.
"Oh my!" Somber gasped, aghast at such foul words. "Such language for a group of soldiers trying to do good for the world!"
"Tell them nothing!" A voice said in the background.
Turning in a slowly calculated manner with one raised brow, Somber Grimm stared at the remaining six pegasi that surrounded his party with a calm expression that broke the gravity of the situation as he made puckered duck lips.
"Uhhh, Mr. Grimm?"
"Why, yes my dear Grimm?" Rogue responded in innocent, quarry.
"I do believe we're going to need to resort to extreme measures here." Somber stated as he resumed duck faced expression. Looking around and getting a good look at their odds.
"That is disappointing to hear Mr. Grimm", Rogue replied with a sad shake of his head.
"It is indeed, Mr. Grimm."
"It is a sad day indeed for us Grimms to do this...grim work."
"Quite so, Mr. Grimm, quite so--"
"HEY!" A voice interjected. "You think this is some kinda sick game?! What in Tartarus is wrong with you--" there was a whinny of panic that cut the guard off as multiple sticks bunched together, held in a orange glow, whipped the croup of the pegasi's side.
"They aren't much for manners are they?" The lunar pegasus commented by Rogue's side.
"No", Rogue Grimm said in idle chit chat as he separated from his partner. "No they aren't." And there was no shred of merriment in his eyes.
"Governor?"
Aedigyn did not respond immediately. He heaved in a mouthful of air and tried to regulate his breathing.
In earlier times he could recall when running this much would have meant nothing.
"Governor are you--" shoving away any that drew to close, Aedigyn shook his head and used his gold eyes to look at any that came near to check, he was fine.
"I...I just need...a moment to rest..." he said between breaths although if he were being honest he wasn't sure if that was what he had actually said or if he'd spoken anything at all. The pounding drum in his aching ears was the only thing he could hear and the fire that radiated in his hind leg did nothing to help the situation at all, if at least take his mind off their current situation.
"How did they....find us?" Aedigyn asked, ever aware that every eye of his guard was now on him.
"Possible leaks of intelligence. Princess Celestia was aware of your escape moments after you fled the Burgs. But uh sir, we...we have reason to believe they may have with them a Maestro...Governor."
"...The unicorn or pegasus?"
"We're not sure, sir. There was sighting of a pegasus and griffon, yes-- but if anypony is doing the tracking it is most likely the unicorn."
"Maestro...huh", it was a tone of acknowledgement. Perhaps those old legends were truer than he'd thought.
Years ago in his youth he wouldn't believe Earth Ponies could do active magic, but here one was, yards and yards away. Hunting him down like a filthy cur when he was supposed to be the one hunting down the threats of the world.
Oh how the tables turn.
"How far are we to the meeting point?" Aedigyn asked after wiping a hoof over his muzzle and taking a flash handed to him in his magic.
"About four miles away." The same pegasus responded.
Grimacing as he swallowed, Aedigyn sighed with both relief and impatient irritation. No point in taking it out on them, these were his lifelines and he couldn't afford to lose a single one. Not now, probably not ever again if he wished to pass his dream on to a suitable heir.
"We keep moving. I can manage, if necessary we only rest for an hour at most and keep changing our direction. I know this place well enough, we can throw them off easily. Make sure to leave a few guards behind if Sonar picks up any sign of our pursuers drawing near."
"Roger. Move out!"
As one the Gewählt moved forward.
"We take a break here." Aedigyn ordered as he eased himself. A hiss of pain and relief mixed into one, escaped his lips and as he sat down he came to understand just how much he'd been pushing himself to keep moving in the past hour that had transpired.
Sonar Sign, their long distance communicator, had reported no signs of magic signatures and as far as they understood, there was no response from Team Delta that had gone to face their pursuers.
Either the worst had come to pass or Team Delta had been left in a horrible state and would be using another means to meet before they reached Germaney's border over four thousand feet away.
"We'll camp here for a few hours in the cover of the sunset, then move out again when night has truly set in." Aedigyn instructed.
Nodding, unicorns in navy blue armor moved out, collecting wood to build a makeshift shelter for their leader.
Easing a breath out as he tried to calm, Aedigyn rubbed a fetlock over his whiskered chin and blinked exhaustion from his tired, sagging eyes.
"Governor", a calm and smooth voice stated as a unicorn mare sat in front of the Governor.
"Sonar", the older stallion respectfully nodded, shaking his head to move silver mane out of his face. "How are things on the coast?"
"No reports of the Royal Guard, yet. Princess Celestia and our enemies do not seem to be aware. Shifty Sneak deserves more credit than we give. He is exceptional at conducting cloaking magic. Not that I would expect anything less from a fabled heir of a former esteemed Astron House."
Chuckling lightly Aedigyn could not help but smile. "Well, I don't know about his claimed heritage to one of the Star Tribes, but at least this means our escape is settled."
"Our, Governor?" The light cerulean green mare tilted her head with a slightly curious expression.
"Ja, our." Aedigyn said as he now watched unicorns, earth ponies, and the few remaining pegasi move about and conduct business. A total of twenty four soldiers in all, minus Sonar and to some degree himself, working as the final line, the last defense to achieve the dream of the Chosen's Law.
"...Governor, would you mind if I ask you a question?" Sonar Sign, a mare who'd always been the type to double check and ask the necessary questions when in his communications branch under his rule.
He nodded, gold eyes shifting back to focus on her and offering his old friend a smile in return. "Go right ahead."
"Your dream, you often mentioned it in the Das Auserwahlte Gesetz... but you never fully disclosed this vision you often had. What was it, if you don't mind me asking?"
The smile did not leave but there was a shift of emotion in those bright, gold eyes that was the same coat color of a father he'd never known.
"I-I mean no disrespect, Governor, I've always been curious even though I know you always avoided answering these questions when confronted in the past...I just thought I'd ask", the mare said with ears falling back in submissive resignation. "My apologies, mein Herr."
Blinking, Aedigyn exhaled through his nostrils then sighed. "It is alright." The stallion replied gently. Then after pondering it, his smile gave a glimpse at the carefully managed whites of his teeth. "Come closer, I will tell you something very few know."
Rising with a shake, Sonar Sign moved to sit beside the older stallion and turned to look at him with a warm smile.
Eyeing her in a way cousins, possible brides, and on few occasions mother, had once eyed him that left him feeling oddly flustered, Aedigyn Ruth blinked out of his stupor when Sonar Sign cleared her throat and offered her lord a sheepish smile.
"Governor?"
"R-Right, my apologies. You see... my vision first began with a dream--"
A dream he would never finish telling as a boom sounded and smoke rose into the air, several feet away.
"WE HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED!" Sonar Sign snapped to attention almost instantly, and began barking out orders as she helped the last hope rise to his hooves. "Glint! Duty! Range! secure our perimeter! Sir", she turned to the lord and found the old stallion shaken at the sudden change, surprised at the loss of peace, and in his eyes a feeling of fury bubbling forth at peace he had attained, now lost.
"Sir!" Shaken out of his daze, Aedigyn found himself moving long before he'd registered he had been moving at all. "We have to leave" Sonar's warm voice whispered into his bruised ear that barely stayed up properly on its own.
Nodding, Aedigyn picked himself up and took off, several guards following after him.
Sonar glanced behind her as her fellow comrades moved towards the alchemical explosion and after a few seconds of watching her allies, she turned and followed after Aedigyn's group.
Moving as fast as her legs would take her.
"....Rogue...you look well", Aedigyn stated calmly.
"Hello Mark", Rogue Grimm stated with a bloody smile. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" He emphasized with a phlegm filled spit.
"It has indeed" the noble ignored the act of rudeness and continued "almost....nine years, yes? If that sounds about right."
"Sir?" Sonar asked as her and guards stayed as the wall between the Grimm brothers, Shell Clammer, and Bludger.
There was no response as Aedigyn pushed his way past his guards, unwilling to have his noble name tarnished by an act of cowardice when Ruths were supposed to be Ruthless.
Even in the face of their demise, no fear was to be taken.
"Somber", Aedigyn's gold eyes locked onto the younger lime green unicorn, "my my, you've grown since I last saw you. Almost didn't recognize you my dear boy."
"Yes...you've...done something with your..." he rolled his hoof in search of the word as he starred with narrowed eyes at a client from a distant time, "coat...and smell? It's very...pungent and works given how low you've fallen, yes?" Somber replied with a cheery tone.
A stunned silence fell across the open forest plains.
In the distance a bird squawked as if wincing at the sudden tension that filled the air.
Then Aedigyn, Somber, and Rogue all began laughing at the same time like old, old friends. The sight was stunning given who Aedigyn was and who Rogue and Somber were. Almost unthinkable given the situation now and so Sonar had to ask.
"Sir...how do you--"
"The Grimms", Aedigyn replied as he caught his breath "are old business partners, well, old in that they are the only Grimms I've ever hired. They are hunters of all sorts of...nefarious stuff, both normal and things even we would consider abnormal in our times, like the Timberwolves.
"Anyway", he continued, a odd sense of charm returning as he spoke "long time ago, not long after mother's death I hired help to investigate and terminate my opponents which you of course know was no big deal with the support I had back then. These two boys, stallions, were a special sort of help I kept around..." Aedigyn said with fondness in his eyes as he looked at the two lads he practically considered his own offspring, even if one of them was an Earth Pony. The fact Rogue had Active Magic at all was a promising feat of itself when things like that were so very very rare. "We were close...they were practically orphans, Rogue was Somber's guardian and I saw promise in them so I took them in. I paid them well, helped them out of financial ruts..." Aedigyn's smile turned slowly to a frown as he paused and looked at the two boys with disappointment in his eyes. "Till they decided to cut ties with me when I started getting negative publicity with Equestria."
"You forgot about Prance, Minos, and Vulpia", Shell Clammer slipped in with a few helpful notes.
"Yes...among others." Aedigyn answered with cold eyes turned on the pegasus mare of unworthy stock. "Boys", he turned his attention back to the two that really mattered, the only two that could do real harm "...please, don't do this. Join me? That offer still remains. Become Ruths, and help me rebuild this nation on another land. We equines, all of us of worthy stock and breed, we are the Chosen. The Alicorns and Celestia herself prove this, even if she would never admit it. You know this to be true, so what do you say? Join me. Become my heirs." Taking a single step forward, an act of kind gesture, Aedigyn smiled a friendly smile at the two. Hoping just maybe, he could reach the remaining few he held a sliver of compassion for at all.
Seconds ticked by. The forest was silent, eerily silent, and Bludger as well as Shell Clammer looked at the two brothers who stood like statues as they individually pondered their replies.
Of course, the pause was just a dramatic effect as Somber busted out grinning and Rogue started chuckling.
Aedigyn found nothing funny about what he'd said and so his smile turned to a stern, neutral stare.
"You think we'd piss on our father's grave when he was against your whole crazy shtick?" Wheezed and then spat out more phlegm mixed with blood from his nose onto the ground ahead. "NO!" He snarled and took a step forward, a step as his hoof glowed a brilliant white with magic.
"You're either going back to serve your punishment Ruth or, you and your gonna die right here."
"You don't have the power to do that." Aedigyn challenged.
"Really?" Rogue shot back. "We just killed a bunch of your goons and the Royal Guard back there are out rounding up your allies who came rushing in from that explosion. You, you don't that leniency. The top wants you imprisoned or dead, pick one."
Closing his eyes and sighing Aedigyn opened his eyes as he watched his soldiers move forward, blocking now certain enemies from him. "I suppose I have no choice, do I?"
Smile gone, eyes narrowed as his caked lips pulled back into a snarl that revealed slightly red teeth, Rogue answered, "No. No you don't."
One second passed and Bright blue eyes locked onto brilliant gold.
Wordlessly, shields rose and magic was fired.
Shadows burst out of the sky and pegasi flew like arrows out of trees into the air.
Zoomers, unlike the now obsolete Wonderbolts, Zoomers came crashing down with a force of thunder and lightning.
Swooping down one Zoomer pegasus equipped in yellow, dark blue, and green colors snatched up one Earth pony charging Bludger, flew over a long line of branches that were used to deal a sound whacking, and then with a dazed and confused earth pony, said Zoomer deposited her burden into a tree and took off to provide support.
In the chaos, Aedigyn, five guards, and Sonar retreated.
"ROGUE!"
Whipping his head at Shelly who had just bucked somepony into a high pitched squeal of misery, he watched as she pointed at something in the distance and then deftly avoided the hoof of a stallion coming at him in an attempt to deal his handsome face more undeserving damage.
"HE'S GETTING AWAY, IDIOT!"
Quietly, Rogue muttered an "oh", before being punched in the muzzle woke him up to the gravity of the situation. "OH!"
Slamming his forehead into his opponents muzzle and ignoring the pain that came from the act, Rogue ran past the swearing stallion that had collapsed in a agonized heap onto the ground, blood oozing from his damaged muzzle as he cried in agony.
Ducking over spells hurled in front and behind, Rogue tried to reach the growing distance as Aedigyn made his escape.
Hooves glowing, Rogue would be lying if he didn't say he sort of wished he was a deer or reindeer or whatever had that weird magic to fly by just...running? Or whatever, because this would make his job so much easier!
Suddenly, he was flying, and for one brief second Rogue wondered if he had actually just willed himself to fly by sheer willpower, even though he was well aware that that's not how magic necessarily worked because he vividly recalled trying many times as a colt with his grandfather encouraging him (wrongly) to leap from the highest shelf in the room and make his dreams of flight come true.
Turns out he wasn't flying, it was an enemy pegasus leading him to his doom. "Shit!" was the only right thing to say, as Rogue began thrashing and trying to wiggle himself from his enemy's embrace.
"ROCK!" A voice shouted ahead. No doubt Somber's voice as Rogue was familiar with his brother's odd desire to shout instruments he tended to use to bludgeon others.
Blinking the pegasus had no idea where that voice came from when so much was going on everywhere as he led Rogue straight towards a tree trunk. The answer came soon enough when an actual rock conked the pegasus on the head and both pegasus and Rogue went tumbling to the ground, Rogue heading face first for a tree.
Earth pony he may be, but if there was one thing he knew it was that he was no crash course dummy, and this would do more damage to his good looks than he'd like to think about.
Worse case scenario, he actually died.
Bracing for impact Rogue awaited pain, but pain never came as a Zoomer swooped by and veered him off course, dropping him off back on the ground then zooming off back into the skies.
Trying to catch his footing, Rogue stumbled, somehow dodged a flurry of rocks shot at him and as he caught himself on his left legs, his left hoof glowed, touched the ground and created a brief circle that flashed on the surface of the dirt road and exploded into a shield of rectangular proportions; a wall of aqua blue appearing to protect him.
The unicorns ahead fired detrus at him; rocks, pebbles, sticks, twigs, anything they could use as projectiles in magic, hurling and chucking as their earth pony allies and pegasus companions fought with Rogue and his co.
In the distance, Aedigyn was becoming a dot.
One hoof raised, glowed, touched the ground and then with a sliding motion, one unicorn was slapped with a shield of magic, dazing him and sending his fire off course into friendlies.
Rushing forward, Rogue wasted no time, whistled loudly with his teeth on lower lip and in just a second was carried off by Shell Clammer descending down and wrapping him in her embrace.
Together they took off at increasing speed after Aedigyn. And then, just as they practiced, she dropped him.
Rogue came hurtling to the ground, a literal missile of doom, going right where Aedigyn's group would soon be.
Landing Rogue channeled all the kinetic energy he had gathered from his descent into the ground, from his point of contact to the moment his full weight effected him, to the acceleration, and speed times the gravity, all came to a grinding halt-- things that would ultimately turn him into paste, if he were a normal Earth Pony (or the average kind that lacked the insane durability) turned into things he used against his enemy.
There was an explosion. An explosion of dust that blew outward and then went through the earth at Rogue's command as he directed his collected energy through his body, down his legs, into his hooves and pumped them to the ground. He landed with a shaking force that cracked the ground underneath him and shifted tectonic plates around him and in just a moment several ponies were toppling and trying to maintain their balance through the seismic shift.
"Aedigyn!" Rogue shouted, standing firm, unharmed but breathing heavily as if exhausted. "Give up! This game ends now!"
Unicorn guards moved forward and Sonar Sign pressed herself into the older stallion's side. Grimacing Aedigyn prepared to move back but then heard "ah ah ah, I wouldn't." He turned and there was Somber staring at him with a disheveled mane and bruised left eye.
"There's only two of you." One unicorn guard stated, a bit of confidence to the others.
"And if you know us as well as he does, you'd know the reason why we were kept on his payroll for so long."
Silence filled the air, one brother stood ahead, cutting the group off, another stood behind cutting a hasty retreat. Trees were on all sides in the distance and there was an open field for miles. In the distance, the sea lay ahead, an escape route that Aedigyn desperately desired to reach but knew he couldn't do so alone.
"Give up Aedigyn. We can kill you right here and right now, no one will mourn you. Not your family, not your soldiers, not your generals because either the ones that aren't cursing you are dead, or the ones that are alive are here." Somber stated calmly and his horn glowed in dangerous warning. "Give up."
Aedigyn sighed, defeated, opened his eyes and then spotted something in the distance as Shell Clammer landed on the right of the group cutting another point off.
Seconds ticked, tensions rose.
A unicorn guard of the Chosen cried in blinding anger and courage, launching himself at Rogue. Rogue moved not a single muscle. He stood, waited, watched patiently till the soldier was in his range, then his hoof glowed, he stomped, wrapped his opponents head in a field of magic and then twisted his hoof clockwise.
The head snapped cleanly at on odd angle and the body slumped to the ground unceremoniously.
Rogue looked at the body, closed the eyes of his five second opponent, then looked back at his enemies. The jokes were gone, there was no mirth and he stared with a coldness in his eyes that said he would kill them all if he had to.
Neither brother looked like they would have any moments of hesitation doing it either.
Silence and a cold chill swept by, then one guard whispered to the others. "Sir...we can take them."
"Sir, there's still more of us, we can--"
"No.." Aedigyn's voice cut through the air like a hot knife on butter. "No...I give up..." Aedigyn stated.
His eyes briefly flickered to the skies and then closed as he steeled himself for this.
"...You win."
Author's Note
If this story does well, I'll go on to continue it for a few more chapters. If I'm being honest was hesitant on posting this as not every detail was planned as this was only an idea at first that I later fleshed out a bit more. That and wasn't certain how this would be received.
Otherwise, I'll probably just end it here unless people want to see more. Make no mistake though, the House of Ruthless and the Grimms are players in Equestria's history to a certain degree.
As always, hope you enjoyed this and if there are any typos please let me know.
