Renegadeby SlendyChapters0-0 Fear0-1 She's a Mercenary0-2 Don't Think Twice0-3 Courage0-4 Break the System0-5 Do What's Right0-7 Ice in her VeinsB1-0 We Never Learn0-8 She's Never Wary0-9 Do What I told Ya1-0 Reflection1-1 Pull Your Strings1-2 I Gotta Warn Ya1-3 Through the Dark1-4 Find the Light1-5 Picture That1-6 Results May VaryB2-0 The Last1-7 Im'ma Blow Up1-8 Perseverance1-9 The Only Thing2-0 Better Be Brave2-1 I'm a Bad Girl2-2 Pull Your Strings2-3 Going Toe-To-Toe2-5 Born to Lead2-6 The Choice Is Yours2-7 My Life2-8 Ignite!2-9 A Fatal Move3-0 I'm A RenegadeB3-0 New YouB4-0 Scars FadeB5-0 Alternate Ending0-6 Live a Life of Sin2-4 You Must Play To Lose0-0 FearYou... aren't coming? Why? He'll just come after us Why... dammit tell me!? Do you trust me? "Right in here, Princess." Voice and the soft clop of hooves rang in the dark hallway. There wasn't much to look for, one hallway led you through the whole dungeon's dark, cold depths, although it wasn't an unbearable living space it held a certain charm. Especially for one prisoner, in particular, sat at the very end, themselves unmoving. The figure was locked up on the far wall, chained to the wall to embolize them if they attempted to make an escape, the Royal Guard had learned from their last mistake when apprehending the individual. When the several guards approached, it was clear a state of anxiety and wariness was present, even those locked away kept their silence if mentioning the prisoner, not a soul dared to invoke their wrath. Princess Celestia stood there, unwavered by this fear spread through-out her subjects, but she was not as fool-hardy to dismiss their woes, this wasn't a laughing matter. One guard put his hoof out to stop her from reaching the bars. "Please, Ma'am, don't get too close, this thing's craft- Gah!" He jumped at the cup thrown at his hooves by another prisoner, a small-time thief wearing a hood over his whole head, merely a pair of blue eyes glared back from the dim flicker of the torch. "Take my advice kid, don't call her that, you'll regret it later." He warned the Guards, sitting back against the wall with a chuckle. "I learned my mistake too." Princess Celestia peered through the bars. The person was in merely rags, stripped of her original possessions and left chained by the wrists, only this was no Diamond Dog or Minotaur. No, whatever it was lacked those traits, but was far smarter than the two combined, as intelligent as herself. The figure was slumped, sagging their body with their short, wild silver-white mane hanging over their face. The Princess wasn't even sure they were awake at all. Dried flakes of blood dotted her arms and legs, cuts crusted off and bruises tainting her once clean skin, dirt clung to her rags and her hair like a half-beaten corpse. One Guard tapped on the bars, grunting at the lack of response. "Hey, wake up Monster, the Princess of Equestria is here to see you, how lucky." No reply, just silence and a distant drip of water. He snorted, banging on the bars. "Wake up or el-" Everyone froze - no, their very blood froze like the guards, himself shaking on the spot at what he saw. Between the silver locks, a single eye stared back. Burning with the ferocity of an ember, crackling and warm. "..." She finally sat up straight, flicking her hair from her eyes, two red antennae bobbing above her forehead, a black tail wriggling in its chains, attempting to stretch. "..." Whoever it was kept staring soullessly at the Royal Guard, primarily the white-coated monarch herself. Celestia had never felt such raw hatred in so many centuries, it could rival that of King Sombra. "Ahem, Creature-" The Guard nervously began, "-You have been imprisoned here under the charges of assault of officers, arson, disturbance of peace, and threatening the governing law of Equestria" The guard continued. "You claim to have meant no ill-will yet continuous display acts of violence across the country and toward even the Elements of Harmony who have attempted many times to reason-" A giggle, short, sweet, and spiteful. Then it erupted into a laughing fit, many cringing at the wide, fanged smile across the creature's face, but Celestia was unphased, she merely saw the pain and hatred burning on in those orbs. "'Reason' huh? Is that was they told you?" She sank her head, speaking up for the first time since being locked up. "Lying little runt, I knew that egghead was a follower but going as far as to manipulate the truth to please her teacher? Man didn't realize old Sparkle Butt was such a fanatic, hehehehe..." "Watch your tongue, Monster!" One guard snapped, almost levitating his spear to threaten her, but that act didn't even register in her eyes. Instead, she stared directly back at the silent monarch. "You had so much to say back on your little throne, what lost your nerve?" She challenged, wanting to see the Princesses true colors, if she was to rot away in here she may as well make her feelings known to the world. "Go on, say something, I'm willing to chat a little now if I think you're worth my time and energy." "Pest!" A glow intensified in the dungeon, a magic bolt was ready to be cast yet the Princess raised her hoof, easing her subject. "B-but Princess, this Thing-" "Is willing to speak to us, let's not waste this opportunity, Cliffheart." Slowly, the guard nodded, and Celestia stepped forward, eyes never once breaking contact with the demonic-looking prisoner. "Tell me, what is it you wish to share? But choose your words carefully." The person rolled their eyes, tilting their head off to one side, finding the light of day peeking through a cell window. "...answer me this, Princess, if the world turned its back on you, what would you do?" Celestia considered her query, only to receive another reply from the ragged prisoner. "I'll tell ya - you either accept your place and be written off..." "'Or'?" She echoed, awaiting a continuation. "...Or you fight." "And you believe this was your only choice?" Celestia inquired, not quite getting where the individual was going. Instead, she received dull, tired eyes belonging not to the monster in the cage, but of something more pony-like than she could imagine. "A side must always be taken, Princess, even if it's the wrong side." ///ACT I - Castle of Glass\\ To Be Continued... Author's Note The small prologue to a hit-or-miss story I randomly thought of, enjoy the first (Possibly only) chapter! Time to live like a renegade. 0-1 She's a Mercenary"Hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hmm~ I'll do what it takes, do what it takes..." Alone in the ruined and forgotten remains of the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters, yeah, a mouthful, a soft tune was sung across the empty room of an old bedroom. The right-hand corner facing the forests beyond was nothing more than rubble, a large tarp mounted over the holes in the roof and overhang of this breach using one of the man fabrics left behind by the previous owners. Sat beside a makeshift bed of carpets and old, preferably not moldy, banners lay a large, black weapon. The design was that of an M320 Grenade Launcher Module, the strap hanging over the old bed railing. Many discarded casings littered the aged, ash flooring, a few live rounds placed neatly in a line beside the muzzle of the explosive device. Across to the left-hand side was a workbench dragged in from several other rooms, scrapped together with many tools and a rucksack. Spilling from inside were more M32 rounds, as well as a small device like a lightswitch, a few bundled, hand-sized boxes stacked beside it, one of them pulled apart to reveal the wiring and intricate make-up of the device, primarily, the tan squares the wires fed into. In the tidiest corner of the room was a large, wooden tub filled with water, the primary source of the singing as steam rose from the cleanest source in the whole castle. Since no one ever came out here it was the perfect, secluded home for a single living being. It even had a perfect view of the world beyond. Sat at the edge of the water was a grinning, human girl, or as human as she can be. Two red antennae bobbed atop her head, swaying by her forehead over wild, damp locks of silver-white hair. One either side of her head were two small, curved deep-red horns, giving her the depiction of a demon. Opening her eyes they gleamed like embers while a black, pointed tail snaked out from the water, inspecting its surroundings before slithering back into the warmth of the bath. "Ah... nothing those stuck-up ponies can do to ruin this every day..." It wasn't the best life but it was enough for her. Given how her first interaction with the ponies of Equestria went it could have been worse. She might have killed someone. ... ... "Ah yes, I guess I should explain why a cute, sexy, badass Merc like myself is enjoying a nice soapy bath in the middle of an untamed forest in the ruins of a castle no one really cares about, funny story, ahem, alright people let's do this one last time..." "My name is Aoi Miles, I made a deal with some Resident Evil-looking guy and got myself thrown into another world, and for the last two weeks I have been the one and only, W." The world changes, depicting a whitette in a hoodie buying a torn, black scarf with a red accent down the hem of the fabric. Then the world turned to a vortex sucking the girl through, herself landing in the middle of a forest as she panicked, her long hair cut short, and her clothing and even her bust had changed dramatically leading toward a mental breakdown a second later. "You see I was turned into W, got bitten by some wolves, maybe started a forest fire - totally wasn't my fault - my mentality got testy - found the town of Ponyville, that's where... everything went wrong, so very wrong..." [※•⁎·°•⁎․•°·•⁎※] Two weeks ago, a young woman not of this world wandered toward the outskirts of the most famous town in her world, even though her memories of the location were vague, it was clear where exactly she had been sent to. The world slipped out her lips, breathlessly at the colorful, vibrant world beyond the meadows. "I'm in Equestria... that's Ponyville... I'm, I'm..." It made her stumble back, wishing this weren't real, then steadied herself with a scowl. "Come on, Aoi, keep it together!" She slapped her cheeks twice, focus renewed while carefully hiding the large weapon poorly behind her back, adjusting the strap. "Just go in, maybe find someone who can help, yeah, yeah that'll work." The girl, Aoi, wore a black, red, and white attire suitable for that of a mercenary. She wore charcoal sneakers with red soles and a pair of dark grey leggings. A short black combat skirt with a red splash tone on the inside. Her signature black jacket with two red buckles danging down from her shoulders, red markings down the rolled-up sleeves with red cuffs. Under that was a grey shirt with a familiar black scarf with a red line down the hem and middle, the same she bought from that old man that sent her here. She adjusted her fingerless gloves, noting the red nail polish, and across her right forearm were three scars like a claw. If Aoi was pleased about one thing, she was stronger, faster, and her body had curves, something she was more than willing to be pleased about. While strolling toward a dirt road that led into the town she had to grin sharply to herself. "I have a body that rivals those petty bitches back at school, how about that?" With the confidence that drew a parallel to the real W, Aoi kept her posture laid-back but steady. If she knew these ponies somewhat, then seeing her will probably put them on high-alert, not often a human walks into town, especially one with horns and a tail like she crawled from the fiery pits of hell. True to her insight, many ponies of colorful natures fled to their houses or watched with bated breath, wondering who she was and what she might do. Their judgemental eyes prodded at her body, her outfit, the gear she carried with her, even her eyes that burned like fresh embers. If Aoi was honest, it was a little embarrassing being stared at by so many, it's not often anyone would so a part of her was skittish while another fragment relished it. Approaching what appeared to be a courtyard, she heard a commotion, due to her being W, that meant she was what you call a 'Sarkaz', and with that came heightened hearing, though not by much. It did allow her to pick up on the panic in the distance, something was wrong and it wasn't her doing. Picking up her steps she jogged through the street, she appeared before a market strip where, to her dumbfounded eyes, were creatures she never would have expected to see in town, let alone in this world. "Originium Slugs?" Her voice muttered sharply, brow perked up while feeling her fingers slip around the barrel of her weapon like back in the woods facing those stupid, wood wolfs, Timberwolves? She nodded, yeah, that sounded right. The 'Slugs' she was referring to weren't just some garden insects, far from it. Unlike the normal variants, these were far more grotesque to look at. Their bodies had mutated, appearing more like arachnids than slugs. Their abdomens were formed of a vibrant, marigold substance under a cracked, hardened shell of rock, Three legs poked out each side, crawling across the dirt road to pounce onto carts and corner ponies who were lost in a panic. Glowing mandibles clicking toward the innocent equines. It happened again, Aoi felt her body move without thinking, not that there was time to think at all, people were about to be killed if she didn't move! "Oi, you pests! Come bite on some prime, Sarkaz meat right over here!" Aoi bellowed, waving her hand to draw the several 'Slugs' away from the ponies. Wearing a cool grin she giggled cutely, eyes lit with a dangerous glare. "That's it, come and get me." The first turned away from the stall it was on, hissing angrily at Aoi as it skittered toward her location. Flicking her weapon high, she felt her muscles move on their own, pulling the grenade launcher to rest in both arms with ease. Pulling the trigger the second it leapt at her face the M32 exploded against the softer skin underneath, showing the ground in bits of rock and originium goo. The rest soon took offense to this, moving with haste to kill the merc with a smile. Loading her weapon once more she plucked a grey-tinted device off her jacket, yanking the pin as her ear listened closely to the racing tick before rolling it toward one of the mutated abominations. It ran for her, only to explode in a blaze, the body slammed through the side of a building while the impact scattered the rest, one kicked back from a pony, exploding not a moment later if not for Aoi's intervention. Two more flanked her, so Aoi pulled the muzzle down at her feet, the 'thunk' was followed by the payload erupting under the soil, creating a haze of dirt to cover her tracks while she moved behind one of the monsters, bringing her foot crashing down on its abdomen, flinging it into the side of a stall, seeing it immediately explode, leaving nothing but smoldering timber in its wake. That was why she wasn't going to let them get close to the ponies. Through the cloud she rolled to her right, evading the sprung legs that almost caught her ankle, flicking a kunai to stagger the creature for her muzzle to press to its head. "Boop." One-click and the grenade blew open the slug, dispersing the plume of dirt with a combined effort of her M32 and the unstable originium inside the Slug's body. Dusting off her jacket she yelped, hopping back from a slug as it blew open the earth under her, flinging the whitette onto her back while her antenna flicked at the spindly legs crawling around her. Sighing, she produced a small remote. "No choice now I guess, aw well." Rolling back onto her feet she swiveled back on her left leg, the black and yellow monster flying past her while ducking to avoid another pounce, seeing it crash into another Slug, the pair exploding in a small fountain of goo that stained and partially destroyed the corner of a building. Keeping her distance, Aoi pulled out from her small rucksack a small, cubic device, pushing a button while casually tossing it toward the mindless animals, holding out her remote to her left with her tongue poking out mockingly. "Boom! Ahahaha..." The green light overtook the red, signifying the charge was ready under her thumb. Pushing once, the small device chimed three times then expanded outward in a large, fiery mesh of Slugs, rock, and shrapnel. It was enough to even make Aoi cover her eyes momentarily from the blast, but oddly enough it was the most satisfying sensation in the world, such power just at the tips of her fingers. "Wow... I even impress myself." Looking around at the carnage, she was somewhat scuffed up from the explosion, dirt, and some remnant goo staining her clothes while the town's square was left rather beaten and bruised in its own right. Parts of roofs and walls were cracked or had remains of the Slugs embedded in the material. What baffled Aoi more was why they were here, to begin with. She knew of the concept of displacement but this was... new, to see the enemies of Arknights here was troubling to say it lightly. "Ehehehe, whoops," Looking around, even she realized the market wasn't exactly up-to-scratch anymore. Sighing, Aoi slung her weapon back, looking at the still frightened ponies watching her warily. Putting on an eased smile she motioned them forward. "Sorry about that, got rid of the pests for ya." Yet in that instance, Aoi only saw one thing playing in their wide, cartoony eyes. Terror. *Bam!* Like a sack of potatoes, Aoi met the cold, hard dirt, feeling her body crumple to the earth in a heap. Whatever struck her was fast and strong, like a cart was thrown into her back. Shaking the dizziness from her vision she focused back on the world, hand on her launcher while she spun around, thinking it was another of those bugs. "Nice hit-" With a sly grin she flicked the safety off. "-But that's all you're gonna get, Slu - huh?" "Like you're one to talk, freak!" Hold on. She blinked, lowering her weapon slightly at the sight of magenta eyes piercing her ember orbs, flapping in place with their hooves raised in preparation to attack. The cyan pegasus moved closer in the air around Aoi, inspecting her distastefully. It was her, the very embodiment of Loyalty. Rainbow Dash. Had it not been for that rough kick to the shoulder blades Aoi might have been happy to see the brash, athletic mare. "Where the heck did you crawl from? The Everfree?" "In a manner of speaking, ow," She winced, rubbing her shoulder with a glare. "What's with the kick, I just helped these people out and that's the thanks I get?" "'Help'? You were swinging that... thing around with the evilest smile since Nightmare Moon!" Rainbow snapped, flying back with her muscles taut, that didn't sit right with Aoi. "I'm taking you down, you should be honored, being knocked out by the best flyer in Equestria!" She was boasting about a claim toward Aoi that had never occurred. She'd admit when W smiles it's not exactly the most heartwarming sight and her methods of attack weren't what one would consider as 'tame', but again, she had done nothing to warrant being attacked like this? "Those monsters could've destroyed this place and killed people, I saved them!" The prismatic mare wasn't having any of it, lunging down with a sudden rocketing speed. "Why would I listen to some creature from the Everfree!?" Not a second later and Aoi evaded the mare with a metal canister to the ground, the device spinning, spraying a thick, grey smoke cloud to blot out any sign of her. "Hey, where'd you go!?" "Like I'd tell you!" One solid knuckle to the jaw and the pegasus was grounded, seeing the black figure move through the fog like a viper, kicking her while she was down. Rainbow ended up sprawled against a destroyed stand, growling as she flung the tarp off her stomach, or until a foot pressed against her chest. "Stop! I mean it, you either back off or I swear-!" "Now, Twi!" Oh shit. Aoi hadn't the time to dodge the sheer brightness that incorporated the twilight, blinding her as something burned against her hands, pulling her down to the ground with a single tackle to her stomach. "Haha, nice work, egghead!" "Again with the nickname... but yes, good work baiting It Rainbow," A new, familiar voice broke in Aoi's ears. Rubbing her chin against the dirt to adjust her view, she winced as the veil that enveloped her hands burned against her skin, she was stuck and struggling to move at all. Grunting, Aoi struggled to lift her head higher, but she saw it, the curious, purple eyes watching her movements, even her hoof prodded at her skin like she was some kind of pet to a child. "Fascinating, this creature is not only vastly intelligent but resembles something akin to a Diamond Dog's stature," Her brow furrowed a moment. "No, not a canine, maybe a monkey?" One particular stroke to her tail caused Aoi's foot to miss a kick. "Watch the tail!" She hissed, wincing at the burning sensation once more. "Let me go! I didn't do anything wrong, I was trying to help you!" Rainbow scoffed, tapping the purple unicorn's shoulder. "Don't listen to it, Twi, the thing's been giving everypony this creepy smile that would even make Discord shiver," To emphasize her own feathers ruffled. "It used that thing on its back to make all these explosions that even I felt them up in the clouds!" "Amazing!" Twilight's eyes sparkled, but the pun wasn't funny at all to Aoi. She was just being used as a lab rat, what did she do wrong? She... she had the power to do something and she did, she felt proud for jumping into the help them but now... why didn't they see that? Why? Why!? Why!?! "Princess Celestria might know more, we should probably keep It locked up until-" "I have a name! And I'm a girl you stupid horse!" Aoi was losing it, and her vulgar language made the mares gawk in fright at her outburst, but Aoi wasn't done, glaring daggers at the two. "I don't know why I'm even here! I wanted to find answers here but none of you will listen to me! I helped your stupid town and now I'm being used like some rat in a cage!?" Anger festered in her heart, now beating erratically. It wasn't fair, why her? What kind of world is this!? "If there's more of those creatures too I'm the only one who knows anything about them!" This was also apparent if Originium Slugs had started appearing in Equestria, did that include the other traits of that world? Would more monsters begin to appear? Would maybe other people like her? What about the Catatrophes? If they appeared, could Equestria even be as peaceful as it is now? It was too much to risk rotting in some lab just because no one would listen to her, she had to get away, she needed to try something or else what was the point to any of this? Twilight spoke next, huffing with a strong, disapproving stare. "You attacked our town and Rainbow Dash, how can you justify that?" Aoi's mouth parted but again, that stupid rainbow mare stuck her muzzle in. "'Cause, It's just some violent animal from the Everfree! Come on, look at it!" She did while Rainbow ran Aoi's identity into the mud, not seeing the panic and fright in the silverette's eyes at this startling revelation. "What Diamond Dog has a black tail and red horns? It doesn't look like anything you've seen in all those books of yours, it can speak Equestrian, AND it can make things explode! Plus it has a scary face!" "I..." They weren't serious, right? That was the one question infecting Aoi's mind. Why? She had just saved them from suffering at the legs of those monsters, she willingly put her life in harm's way despite having no combat experience, or did she? No, given her fight it was clear she must have inherited W's skills, that would explain alot. But that wasn't the issue, she helped them, and yet... she was the bad guy here? "I was only trying..." It was happening again, no one was listening - no, they never even acknowledged she was in the right at all. Not a soul would speak up, no one was coming to voice the truth, they were scared of her, scared of the smile she couldn't shake when she fought. Gripping the sides of her head, she felt the horns rough surface, remembering the tail that flicked at the ground behind her. She was a demon to them, even though she was only doing the right thing. Her heart felt something new, beating harder, unlike the times she was shunned by the world and treated like a nobody, this time, she had a voice, the power to stand on her own two feet. This world was not different from her own, when something new and unknown appears many would raise their voice in anger and fright, she was that unknown variable. Now her teeth were ground against one another, straining against the magical force suppressing her ability to stand. The reason was so simple that Aoi almost laughed. She was another 'monster' for the 'heroes of Equestria' to stop, it didn't matter what context you threw at them, this was just their way of making themselves look better, "Yeah, that's it, that's why I'm being shut down and bound like a wild animal." It was infuriating, she felt no less chained here than she did back home. Home? No, she only had her family, everyone else was trash, just forgotten, indiscriminate strangers. "The ponies here don't believe me either..." She glanced between her locks, seeing fear and panic in their eyes and expressions. Some were smiling triumphantly. Finally, Aoi found it within herself to vocalize her thoughts directly to the elements of Loyalty and Magic. "Fine then... screw you all, I don't care how you feel... you're all trash, just pests in my way...!" Each word was snarled and bitter, never in Aoi's life had she wanted to lash out, lacking so much to make that initial push. And yet, ironically, it was the world of Equestria that finally tipped the scales. Bearing her teeth she roared. "You heard me! I'll handle this threat of MY OWN!!" Her body strained against the lilac bindings around her wrists, hearing them chip and moan under the pressure her muscles provided. Rainbow looked to Twilight in a panic, seeing the sweat trickle down the unicorn's forehead. "Twi, how is this thing moving!?" "I-I don't know! I-It's like my magic can't-!" It was beyond frustrating for Aoi, and she finally snapped. "A-ah!" "GET THE HELL OFF ME!!!" Her voice thundered, shattering the spell in seconds before her burnt hands lashed out for Twilight, hooking her raw fingers around the unicorn's throat to cut off any hopes of escape or breathing. With blazing eyes, she glared soullessly down at Rainbow, the pegasus unable to move less she put her friend in harm's way. That caused Aoi's glare to match her unwavered frown. "Go on, move an inch, ANY OF YOU, and I'll snap the egghead's neck like a twig." Screw being the better person, what a load of shit! If they wanted a monster they'll get one! Everyone ounce of her wanted to scream in defiance, to take one more step and end one source of her pain thus far. But, Aoi let the purple equine flop to the ground, hacking beside her best friend while Aoi strolled by, flicking her tail angrily at the two. "Follow me, and I'll have you running in circles. Hurt me, and I'll hurt you back," Both Twilight and Rainbow froze in fright at the muzzle of the black weapon poised right at their snouts, watching it and the glare above the iron sights inspect them closely. "Get in my way, and I'll raze this town, my name is W, a Sarkaz Mercenary, and my life is my own." Lowering her weapon with a heavy sigh, Aoi quickly sprinted for the nearest alleyway, the more distance put between her and that speed-demon with wings the better, especially when they call on her bluff. Each step was furious, all the commotion made her blood boil and her skin crawl. Their words stained her mind like so many others. She was an enemy of this world now, but the innocent lives didn't know this, they didn't understand the danger of Originium if it were to begin cropping up further in this world. "Is that why I'm here? Or is this just the world's way of making me suffer some more?" In a way, Aoi - no, that girl was kinder to people, even if some never deserved it, but these ponies were certainly undeserving of her compassion, what little was left. No, W, relished that idea. It sounded like fun, being a renegade to Equestria. Maybe if she gains the people's trust she can make the likes of the Elements of Harmony look like fools, that'll be a sweet way to get back at them. "Okay then..." Smiling devilishly through the streets, she enjoyed the frightened ponies' reactions when she sprinted past their stalls and houses. The people of two worlds hated her, then she'll just prove them wrong in her own way. "Come and get me, heroes!" [※•⁎·°•⁎․•°·•⁎※] [Present Day] Back in the castle, W stretched out a sigh as the cool air of the afternoon tickled her bare skin. In the time since she became public enemy number one, she had hidden away in the Everfree, finding this castle as the perfect home base until she was certain of her next motive. She had no heading, and if anything of the world her body came from was infecting this world finding it would also be challenging. All in all her plans were scrapped. "What to do, what to do...?" Grabbing a cloth to wrap around her body she peered out the hole in the wall. The sun was only just past midday, there was time to sweep the underground layers of this castle before nightfall. Yet she rooted herself to the edge, watching the sky blue hue vanish behind puffy, white clouds, the sun basking the world in its vibrance. Then a warm liquid slipped down her cheek. Flicking the tear onto her nail W realized something, she was crying? Yeah, of course, she was. Aoi was still just a nobody little girl with a body of a powerful mercenary, that's all this was a facade. "Heh, can make enemies with powerful, magical ponies but falls apart at a beautiful world's view?" It was pathetic but she was okay with that. Stretching her arms she turned back to her workbench, a grin crossing her lips. "Time to get to work." Once she grabbed her clothes, now in need of some cleaning she threw them on and picked up her bag and weapon. Today was going to be a fun one, a little risky venturing never hurt anyone, right? "Day fifteen in Equestria, my agenda today?" She looked around, noting her state of living with a teary-eyed wail. "I need money or I'm going to die out here~!" To Be Continued... Author's Note Oh yeah, first Arknights story on Fimfiction! This is a hit or miss if anything. I just felt like writing about my favorite Merc causing some mayhem in Equestria. Though if I continue with this is very slim, all really depends if people like this or if it's even noticed at all. I decided to skip the whole cliche we've known since ancient times. 'Person buys an object, wakes in Everfree, fights something', that's the bog-standard way to start this adventure but I felt that was unnecessary, but unlike the ones I've seen, our protagonist is public enemy number one! You don't need to know anything about Arknights which is great if you just want to see some chick blowing things up and making Twilight pull her hair out in frustration. Plus the character explains stuff herself. Well, if you did enjoy it, thanks for the support as always, and seeya, maybe, next time! Oh, I almost forgot! Here's W's Theme Song! 0-2 Don't Think TwiceAt a small corner market in Ponyville, a pony with a bandana over his charcoal muzzle and a matching hat stood at the counter, addressing a customer who put a few herbs on the table for him to inspect with an irked brow. "Okay-Okay, I know I said, 'anything of value', but level with me-" He held up one of the plants in his lime-green magic, eye twitching. "Does a weed count as 'value' to you!?" "But I-" He meek pony tried to say but was slapped in the face with the weed. "Irrelevant!" The clerk berated, brushing the weeds off his counter. "Come back when you bring me, 'SOMETHING' of value! Not a weed or your common mushroom, I want something that looks, smells, feels like it may have merits," The Earth Pony snorted and took off in a huff, leaving the herbalist to mutter into a book on the counter until a tall, hooded figure approached his stand, the brown, matted tarp concealing their body say for their face and a few, white bangs. "Are you always so callous toward paying customers?" W broke the silence with a smirk, seeing him brush her off with his hoof. "Irrelevant! Miscalculations and wasted energy are bioproducts of the unintelligent masses," He muttered on, W nodding along while rolling her eyes. "What do you want now?" He grunted, looking beneath the counter for something. Mir was, and always will be, a grumpy herbalist. When W became public enemy number one she had to find a sustainable way to gather both intel and the works of the land. She may have the badass body of a mercenary and the combat prowess to boot but her lack of knowledge on Equestria and its inner workings was nothing to aspire to. So on day five W rolled the dice and traveled back to Ponyville, evading more populated areas until she found this small corner stall out of sight of most ponies. Mir was strange but helpful as they broke a deal. She brings him stuff he wants, and he gives her information, recipes, and the like. Setting her small, makeshift sack on the table she pulled out a strange, golden flower with five petals exactly, in the light they gleamed like buttercups and had a sweet aroma. Noting this with a raised brow his muzzle was pursed under his bandana. "Hrm, you found the Cross Lotus, how effective," He plucked the plant from her in his magic, noting how it made her fingers retract in fright. "And the steam is deep green, the smell is sweet and not overbearing..." Rolling her eyes, W leaned forward on her elbows. "Are ya gonna keep jerking me about or are you going to pay me?" Hearing this he laughed once snarkily, taking the sack off her. "Hey, I still need tha-" He threw a leather satchel in her face, it was worn but sturdy, and inside were a few vials filled with liquids of unknown origins. "To keep the quality intact knowing your brazen attitude and reputation," His back was turned to her but she could still feel his eyes on her somehow. "And those should keep you from dying of some common illness that you have no doubt unknowingly contracted, tch." Gradually, W's smile returned and softer than her creeper grin. "...you're a grumpy one, but thanks." For that moment, his eyes saw exactly what he saw that day, the sweet girl that hid behind a mask of scorn with the personality of a thief. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know where I could find any leads on... you know what?" She made sure to keep her voice down while he adjusted some items on the shelves against the hut's wall. "Hrm, if you're finally done coping yourself in some rundown ruins... I suggest Hoofprint, on the road to Canterlot," His dry tone grew stale as a desert. "Those ponies delude themselves on mystical arts than science, pah! But they hold requests for jobs, primarily things they cannot provide themselves," Turning to face the silverette he glared at her. "If you believe in the assumptions that those Or-i-gin-i-um creatures may return that would be a place to investigate your fruitless endeavor further." Before W could answer, her ear twitched while peeking around the corner of her hood, like that, her blood froze when she saw that same, purple unicorn bitch coming this way. Growling under her breath she wished she brought her launcher today but alas, that wouldn't help. Giving Mir a generous nod and possibly stolen Bits on the counter she leapt up over his stand, hiding behind one of the odd rooftops of the town's strange houses. "Ah, hello again, Mir," Twilight waved kindly, hearing him grunt while fishing through his crates. Taking that as her own sign of a greeting she asked him curiously. "I wanted to know, do you have anything that can help put a large animal to sleep? Something that includes-" "-calcium gluconate, magnesium carbonate, cider vinegar, and boiling water - yes-yes, I've heard of that remedy but that will not work on 'large animals'," He turned with a sneer. "And even if I did have something of a higher drug dosage I wouldn't sell it off a corner store like some petty addicted fiend." W above had to snort at the stupid mare's attempts to tranq her. What made it harder was the bandages still wrapped tightly to her ass, causing a curled smile to form on her lips. "That crocodile pit was worth the bruises." She'll never forget how she bellowed out, 'Pull the lever, Sparkle Butt!' at the top of her lungs, it was priceless. Down below, the deflated Twilight rubbed her chin. So far Twilight's attempts to apprehend this creature have proven naught. Every plan just fell apart when put into practice. From traps to lures, she even tried just outright attacking the bipedal monster and that was by far her worst mistake. True to the thing's word, it retaliated just as deadly, whatever it was, it was extremely smart, and it knew how to use the Everfree against her and any foolish trappers that wanted to make a quick Bit. *Bam!* "Ah!" Twilight yelped, Mir slamming a small crate onto the counter with a bored stare directed toward the mare. "Sparkle, have you ever considered the probability that your actions, as well as your friends, maybe in the wrong? Or rather, they are," He didn't hide his disdain for them. While only Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack have been of any real threat to W, the others were still on their side and didn't do anything. Bringing his tone down on her like scolding a child he added. "Somethings in this world requires more than logic and books to apply a decisive conclusion to, isn't that what you preach?" While an understandable argument Twilight's recent attempts to capture it have told her otherwise, frowning at the stallion. "I understand it may not seem like we are in the right, but you were there, you saw what it did, what it can do," Twilight could feel the fur around her neck stand on end, feeling the vice-like grip around her throat. "What creature would needlessly attack another intelligent being if it wasn't attempting to cause harm?" For the longest time, Mir stood there, pondering her words, he knew W was still around, listening in to pry for all the information she could. Blinking once he stood back. "...every word you have just spoken... was both a complete and total waste of my time, Sparkle," Snorting his displeasure he wandered back to organizing the flowers W had procured him. "But I-" "Irrelevant!" He swung his hoof out to dismiss her, done listening to such baseless claims. However, Twilight's eyes caught sight of the golden flowers. "Those are... Cross Lotuses," Murmuring her words she felt the gears begin to turn, strangely furrowing her brow. "Don't those only naturally grow in the darkest points of the Everfree?" "Yes; Hurry up with your point." He had new medicines to produce and had little time for more distractions. "But how not many ponies would venture deep into the Everfree, especially not someone inexperienced with its ecosystem." That subtly made Mir and W realize the subtle mistake the pair made. Compared to W's sweating expression against the roof, Mir held his calm, irked demeanor. "I have my sources for materials, you have yours for books, the pegasi have that Cloudsdale for clouds," He recited dryly. "Our world thrives on community, even I am not above that notion of logic, whatever it is you're attempting to miscommunicate will only lead you toward a most unsatisfactory answer, Sparkle." And with that, he turned his back to her, content to work in private without her questions. Up above, W's fingers dug into the thatch roof, bearing her teeth to suppress the urge to storm down there and give that stuck-up unicorn a piece of her mind, no, a grenade to the gut. It was like this every day since she ran to hide away in the Everfree. Ponies came in droves about the 'Monster of the Everfree', wanting to be the first to capture her like some prize. Twilight's efforts have gotten better with time, so had W's but her patience was running thin. Ridicule, hatred, fear, torment, it was a festering cloud when W was involved, she smiled, but the person underneath was hurt in more ways than one. It was a downpour in the Everfree, those pegasi had tossed their unused clouds to the forest, leaving them wild and and untamed. They called it unnatural, something W took as an amusing thought. Much like the storm now battering the forest with a chime of the wilderness and distant ambience of animal life, she too wasn't bound by the magic of this world, a wildcard that was left to be afraid of. Typical, she's comparing herself to a bog-standard rain cloud. "What's that place?" Croaking under a large leaf she used to keep the majority of her body safe from the rain she spotted a light in the opening ahead. Jogging to run flush with a tree she was surprised to find a small cottage built around a tree, it looked tribal too. The many odd glyphs and wooden signs would indicate to a witch's hut, especially the windchimes above the porch. But that was it, shelter until this storm passed. Shrugging, W smiled to herself. "Well, if they run I can just hunker down for a few minutes before more ponies come." Quickly slipping between bushes and trees with the grace of a fox W tip-toed up and under the small overhang. She was cold but no longer in need of the large, bushy leaf for a while. Sighing, W ran her cold fingers through her hair, shaking off the excess water as her back ran down the wall, slumping once at the bottom. It was a tiring day, Twilight and her 'friends' sure weren't giving her an easy time scoping the town out for points of interest. Stealing those apples came at the cost of a nasty bruise on her side curtasy of Applejack, lucky shot. It was hard to survive out here. Living in a rundown castle with basically nothing but the ability to make big explosions, it was really hard. Strangely enough, the bag she carried her equipment in was one of those 'perks' of that damned merchent, as if to mock her further, everyday it held a fresh load of explosives, M32 greandes, C4, you name it, W had it at the ready, but no food, medical supplies, not even a rag to cover her clothing in. "I really am stuck living on scraps... are you kidding me?" She wanted to scream, to bellow out all her anger and frustration to the stupid, colorful world, to feel her throat croak in agony. "What is this I see? A new creature from the Everfree?" A questioning brow lifted under W's bangs. "What in the what?" Twisting her head to the foreign accent and rythming tongue, her eyes shot wide at the startling figure before her. A zebra, it was a goddamn zebra dressed like a witch doctor. Slumping her arms over her knees the silverette offered a drained smile. "Well color me impressed, I met a talking zebra." Zecora was her name, W remembered that much. "Sorry, I'll get out of your mane before you go grab Sparkle Butt and her merry band of idiots." Those wise eyes never blinked, instead, the mohawk bobbed in the sharp breeze, a small smile on the zebra's muzzle. "There is no need, I have heard of your startling deeds, a monster born from this evergreen." Again, W laughed softly, restraining her creeper smile. "You really are only going to speak in rythmes, aren't ya?" One nod, and W cackled at the humorous geustre. Then she paused, losing her smile - she was laughing? How long had it been since it felt so... nice? Taking her eyes off the Zebra, her ember eyes hardened at the dark road that led back into the forest, feeling a presence approaching, several actually. "You know, talking with a 'horrid monster' isn't a good idea, they might start to turn on you too for no reason." W quickly pushed to her tired feet again, picking up her heavy launcher. Yet Zecora put her hoof on W's hip, pushing her to hide under an open window, out of sight of those to come, but not without a proper spot to listen in. "We shall see, these ponies are not what they seem, and your appearance is nothing obscene." Taking the odd Zerbra's actions, W kept low and watched from the window, seeing the door swing open, Zecora ushering those caught in the storm inside. She suppressed a sneer, antenna twitching, it was Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack. "Thank you, Zecora, and sorry for barging in like this." Twilight apologised to her friend, the strange Zebra nodding along, keeping to her boiling cauldron once more. "It is no trouble, for what brings you here Twilight Sparkle." W punched her gut to keep from snickering at the constant word-play, making sure to stay out of sight of the trio, Zecora seemed to be purposefully avoiding the window, drawing their eyes just to herself. Rainbow butted in before Twilight got a word out. "It's about that stupid, dangerous monster that's been appearing in Ponyville!" Applejack yanked the mare back to the ground by the tail. "Hey, you know it's true! Didn't it steal apples from you?" The cowpony snorted. "Ah course I know that, but gettin' up in Zecora's face won't help, right Twi?" The unicorn nodded, silently thanking her friend. "Zecora, you've known the wildlife around the Everfree the most out of anyone in Ponyville, surely you know something about this thi-erm-Her?" That surprised W, she was finally referred under her sex, what a surprise. Then again she looked at her grey shirt, seeing that it had become see-through slightly. "Tch, if anything I have the size over any of you walking surfboards." While comparing bust sizes between humans and ponies didn't make sense, W didn't care, she'd take pride in that feat any day. "I have seen this creature with my very eyes, I too felt for my life, and yet I saw it's strife," Zecora stirred the mixture in her pot, grabbing an old, brown cloak from over a rack, it clearly had seen better days. "You wish to know more, but there is much to explore, and it will not be so kind to open such doors." Rainbow blinked, looking lost between her friends. "Uh, anyone translate Zebra-talk?" Applejack slapped the back of her head. "Ah, hey-!" Twilight sighed, shaking her head in her hoof, she looked restless, many late nights attempting to deciper the creature known as 'W' and her origins. "I knew this was too much of a shot in the dark, but thank you anyway Zecora," The witch doctor nodded, tossing the cloak out the open window, thereby landing on the slumped W, herself surprised to feel said hoof patting against her head from above the cover. "You said you saw it with your own eyes, where, does it have a nest or den maybe?" "That might explain why it keeps runnin' back 'ere." Applejack reinforced. Unbeknownst to them, W was left speechless, tucking the rugged cloak close to her body, feeling warmer than without it or using that leaf. Why did the Zebra do that for her? And why was she lying for her too? Zecora shook her head out the corner of W's eye, herself beginning to take the hint to leave while she had the ponies eyes and ears. "I do not know of where it calls home, perhaps that is why it yearns to be left alone, or why it comes searching your own." W froze mid-step, looking back at the glow emmianting from the window. A home? Now her soft eyes were gone, replaced with a coldness to rival the storm as the wind tugged at her new cloak, the silverette vanishing back into the dark evergreen. The last thing she wanted was a home among those ponies, that idea was burned days ago. That was just one of many things that made W grow to spite the Elements of Harmony, they were the embodiments of hypocrticy. Preaching of 'Friendship' yet the second W arrived into town, saved lives, and she was treated like a threatening villain due to her looks and weapons, racists. Much as she wanted to brood she had to go back and search for the plants Mir requested, and the idea of potion making did stir excitement in the mercenary, maybe she could get some tips from Zecora? The zebra wasn't afraid of W when she popped in for a small chat or two, more as a 'thank you for not turning me in to the grumpy ponies', that, and her tea was really good. *BOOM!* W froze with her fingers clenched to the thick surface, ears twitching at the distant bang that wasn't her for once, and she doubted anyone was seriously doing it that hard around midday. Smirking slightly, the Sarkaz girl knew exactly where that originated from, rather, it was directed just for her ears, how sweet. Pulling back, W lunged off the roof and onto the adjacent one to her right, just as something crashed through the rooftop behind her, coughing up straw and splinters. "Ooh, that looked like it hurt," W sneered, grinning away like an idiot while ducking from another tackle, whipping her tail around to slap Rainbow back on all fours, leaving her open to a steel-capped boot to the right shoulder, throwing the pegasus into a tumble off the roof and through a stall below, thankfully, the one beside Mir. Even W paled at that notion. "I don't want to be fined again, he's mean." "You know, Crash, for the 'best flyer in Equestria', you sure as hell suck at the landing strategy." "I'll make you eat those words in a cage!" She shot out from the ruined stand, as magenta and ember eyes locked, only for those purple orbs to widen in fright, hearing the 'click' of the grenade launcher pointed right at her face in one hand, the eyes peeking through the scope. "A-a-a... you wouldn't." W's brow curved with a sweet, mocking smile. "Oh? Want to gamble? Since you're light on your wings-" She teased the trigger with her finger, seeing the sweat form on the cyan pony's brow. "This is a standard M320 Grenade Luancher Module, or M32 for short, with my reflexes I can fire around five to seven rounds per minute at a velocity of seventy-six meters-per-second. The effective range of this is around 150 meters," Despite the lengthy words it was clear on Rainbow's face that she was digesting the numbers, despite being thick-headed, if it involved flight she had a sharp mind. "That's insane... how do you even know that stuff?" Rainbow muttered out, and W's brow twitched but chose to ignore her ignorance. "So tell me, Rainbow Crash, can you dodge a point-blank shot and keep it from making contact with the town without blowing yourself into tiny little multicolored chunks?" Now that same color drained from her body like a tap, that was all W needed to sneer at the cocky pegasus. "Hahahahaha, I guess we know that answer huh?" "S-Shut up!" She was losing her nerve, good. At the last moment, W's left hand flicked off the pin, chucking a grey canister at the pegasus, making her flail her hooves frantically as it released the thick, dark cloud of smoke in her eyes. With her opening made, W slung her launcher and made a mad dash across the oddly-shaped rooftops with the haste of a rabbit. "Hey, what the heck is this stuff!? *Cough-Cough* You cheating monster!!" "Pah, says the multicolored rainbow reject," W chuffed, leaping over a small pathway and back onto another roof, using the gap in the middle to sprint between two more, sliding down one of the sloped sides to hop across a lamppost and across the street in one step. Looking back, W's eyes widened slightly, forcing her to pull herself up onto a rooftop above to avoid the rampaging pegasus, herself looping back to try and kick W off the roof. "That was a strong smoke grenade too, Crash, not bad." "Bite me!" Oh with pleasure, is what the siniser smile on W's face had to say, pivoting under she had her back against Rainbow's, snatching her tail to drag ger back while two hooves bucked her side, followed by the wind being knocked out of her sails, the two tumbling down another slanted rooftop, kicking and punching the other. "If you insist, Crash," W smiled constantly, even as Rianbow drew her hoof into her peachy completion, the pair tumbling onto the road, startling many visible. W grabbed Rainbow's left forehoof, yanking it off her cheek and immediately biting down on the furry appendage, the pegasus crying out in pain at drawn blood now dripping from W's fangs. "YOU'RE DEAD!!!" The prism pony roared, only for the wind to knocked from her own lungs this time, a solid elbow jammed against her ribs. The force was enough on its own to slam the pony into a far wall, dazing her momentarily. Wiping her mouth, W spat out some blue hairs, irked at her own choice of defense. "Bleh, no wonder you have to skin animals before cooking, ugh, I got hairs stuck to my tongue!" She rubbed her tongue over her jacket's short sleeve, spitting the coppery substance out while spotting the rising pegasus. "Give up and leave me alone already, Crash." "No way!" She snapped, glaring daggers at the silverette, even though she limped. "Ponyville's my home, got that? You wouldn't get that 'cause all you do is frighten ponies and steal from them, if I gotta get roughed up to lock a freak like you up for Princesses themselves then so be it!" If anything, W could credit her determined spirit, if only it wasn't so misplaced. "You're an idiot," W huffed, rubbing her cheek. "I never asked for this, so don't go preaching shit like that when you don't know a thing about me!" This was it, a standoff the ponies around had to pleasure to spectate. Orangy-gold and amethyst bore into the other, itching to make the first move. This time, W wasn't going to let some half-baked plan blindside her, she could hear fast approaching hoofsteps. More of them were coming. She couldn't use her explosives, but that's not all she brought with her If W was to be honest with herself, she really wanted to avoid conflict with the elements as much as possible. If she retaliated she'd be seen as the very thing they drilled into the ponies' minds, but if she didn't she'd be taken to Canterlot or something, locked up and prodded like a lab rat. And if there was one thing W and Aoi still had it was their freedom, that was all either persona could wish to hold onto. As a wise commander once said, 'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings'. Rainbow flapped proudly, puffing out her chest. "I'm taking you down, freak!" While the stupid decleration worked against the mare, it more than pleased W who rushed the mare in turn, keeping her body low, hands taut and at the ready. One movement, that's all it would take. The world crawled and a strong right hook was closing in on her face once more. AA foot, then an inch, close to a few centimeters, then millimeters, feeling the wind pressure surround and brush against her wild locks. The crowd gasped, Rainbow missed her mark, merely ghosting hair as two hands came up and locked above her shoulder, the foreleg pressed to her cheek while her own velocity was turned against her, bringing the pegasus down into the dirt, locked by the silverette who held her left arm around her back, fingers dug into the ruffled feathers. "I warned ya," Twisting, W pulled at the pegasus' wing, dislocating it with a spine-shivering 'pop', freaking the onlookers out while a hissed cry broke from Rainbow's throat. "Now get lost." Shoving the flightless pegasus toward the crowd, W picked her newly acquired bag off the ground, stepping back from the downed mare when a bolt of purple magic skimmed her cloak, burning a hole through the fabric. Before her was a furious Twilight. Dully, W nodded her head up toward the mare. "She's not dead but she won't be flying for a day or two, sorry, not sorry." "How dare you!" That was rich coming from her. W snorted a laugh, glaring back just as fiercely "Oh don't you get high-and-mighty with me, Sparkle Butt," Pointing down at Rainbow she continued her point. "If that flying rat, and your stupid friends didn't start spreading rumors that I'm some heartless beast that likes to take a bite out of children in their sleep I wouldn't have to hide, run, and steal just to survive!" W was beyond furious. Almost three weeks and it was the same, nonsensical shit in a loop! Slapping her forehead she growled. "Since you clearly lack the very basic comprehension of 'intelligence' allow me to repeat what I said before-!" One solid stomp and before the unicorn could muster another one of her spells W hooked her ring finger around another pin on an a real grenade. "Follow me, and I'll have you running in circles. Hurt me, and I'll hurt you back,"Her finger pulled at the pin, scaring a number of civilians away, knowing transparently what would come next, "Get in my way, and I'll raze this town!" She had bigger problems, she needed to leave before Twilight brought in the Royal Guard or something. "Now, I'm going back to the Everfree, if I so much as catch one blip of you or your friends and I will not hesitate to be... proactive next time." Twilight, who had her head low the whole time, a frown fixed to her muzzle, finally spoke up. "...Mir was wrong," It was breathelss and hollow, enough to keep W's thinning attention as pain and hatred were saturating the mare's eyes. "A creature like you... is incapable of anything good!" ... ... ... ... ...Hurt her... A dark, festering aura surrounded W. No one could see her eyes, darkened by her bangs, but her hands were shaking, and the sky became darker due to the pegasi moving the clouds, all conveniently tilted the tension toward W. The ponies dared not to blink or even speak. First her lips were in a state of passive frowning, then it twisted, the lips shaking, then out came the fangs, teeth beared with unsatified rage that could rival Nightmare Moon's. "Pull it... pull it... make them shut up... make them all go away..." The voice burned in her mind, forcing her finger to tease the pin further. "...Kill them... burn their town... do it... do it...!!" The Sarkaz woman let out a throaty sigh, shoving the grenade back onto her jacket, instead, throwing another smoke bomb to blot out her escape, hearing cries of anger and the stamped of hooves galloping across the streets. Her anger was visible on her face, every ounce of her wanted to lash out but then nothing would change. If she was to make things right for herself she needed to know why the Originium Slugs appeared here alongside her, maybe then she could even make others see she's trying to help. She had to try, otherwise there was no point in holding back anymore. Stopping just at the edge of an alleyway her cloak cowl hid her face well enough, but her fist split the wall beside her, drawing blood that broke under her nails. It hurt so much to just be treated like some rabid animal, but she couldn't let them win. "When it's over, Sparkle, I'll make sure you get what's coming to you, that I can promise you." "I'm home~" Her voice never really echoed in the castle, rather, with the lack of ceiling it made it hard for anything to echo at all, especially in keeping the heat indoors. Dropping her smile to a disagreeable frown she tossed aside the dead Timberwolf dragged behind her like a sack of potatoes. One thing she found was much as their names were an awful reference their bark was primarily made up of a similar material as birch, making it excellent for fires, and for hot baths. Sniffing her armpit, W's nose crinkled at the stench, wishing she had more than just herbs to cure the awful smell. "I should use that to knock people out, heh, I'm a living, sexy weapon in many different ways." *Crunch* Pulling out her launcher, W's heart raced slightly. Someone had followed her and she never realized it, a foolish mistake on her part but nothing a little fright can't remedy. "Alright, smartass, you really want to..." Gone was her confident glare, now merging into confusion. "...go." Standing there at the foot of the large, withered doors was a pony, but not some hunter or even Sparkle Butt herself. Hell, W half-expected the Royal Guard to be ready to wage war on her decrepid home. No, just a filly, a child. She had a soft-charcoal coat, her 'cutie mark' was that of a red diamond-shaped crystal, a few fragments splintered from the core. Her mane reached just below her shoulders, scruffy and coated in dirt, under the grime was a soft-white pitch, the bangs hiding away her right eye, leaving only her gentle, silver eye. Like stardust. W nor the filly knew how long they stopped and stared at one another, could have been a minute or an hour, but eventually, W's voice spoke up in a slow, mystified by the girl's sudden appearance among the ruins, "Who... are you?" To Be Continued... Author's Note You all really like this, that's honestly surprising, my first words were, 'damn, I need to work on the next chapter!' XD. Compared to my typical schedule Renegade will be spontaneous, I will do my best to keep it going, knowing a number of you want to see it grow also is a welcoming thought ^_^ This was more just building on more of the past two weeks, I don't want to beat around the bush. W is forced to hide, fight, and steal. Twilight wants to capture her, Rainbow's her worst enemy, and W has to balance getting information with finding out if more of the Arknights world has begun to spread. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, hopefully, in the next chapter! (Name Changed) Next Chapter: Courage W is met with a strange filly at the foot of her home away from home. She's now faced with a choice, both aren't easy for her to make. 0-3 Courage"Who... are you?" This was one of several questions W wanted an answer to. Examples include, not limited to - What are you doing here? How did you follow me? Where did you come from? The list goes on. The filly didn't move, looking very lost, and her hooves were shaking, she was tired. W didn't let up until her lips moves, a soft, frail voice seeping out. "I don't know." Not the answer she was expecting nor wanted. W had met many ponies, some were immediately fearful of her, leading to her altercations with the elements. Some retaliated, albeit weakly, and a very rare few saw W as another lost soul, like Mir and Zecora. In those moments, every encounter etched like a blade sharpened by a whetstone, W had learned the tells of a liar, granted, she knew them before this world. This child wasn't lying. Nodding to herself, W asked again. "What do mean 'you don't know'? You have a name, right?" The filly's head shook slowly, eyes downcast. "Name... my name... is... um..." She couldn't see it but W was pinching the bridge of her nose. The first of many ponies to come here, and she gets the harmless one that has lost her name? Lowering her hand, W glared back at the filly, seeing her flinch at the crackling ember orbs burrowing into her gentle silver. "Close your eyes, kid," Without a word, the girl's eyes were shut. "Right, now stand perfectly still and don't move until I say so." Again, completely compliant. This weirded W out, it was too much like telling a doll how to move on strings. Shrugging, in one step she was beside the filly, peeking her head outside with a hard stare. The land was a flat grassland before reaching a large ravine, a rope-bridge left dismantled again by yours truly, that only made W question how the girl crossed the gap? "Hrm..." Nothing, no one else was here or waiting in the trees, not a glint of metal or a fizzle and pop of magic. Once back in her original spot, W's brow furrowed, the filly still didn't make a sound, standing straight as a board. "Uh, you can look now." With that, their staredown resumed. Sighing through her nose, W felt her tail flick toward the girl, pointing with the tip. "I don't know how you got here or where you came from, but get lost, kid, go back to to-" "The sky..." Huh? Many questions emerged in the Sarkaz woman, questioning sanity to be one of them. Cleaning the wax out she motioned for the girl to repeat herself. With a small hoof lifted to the sky, W followed. "The sky... I came from the sky..." "...right..." Blinking up at the blue hue turned gold she deadpanned, waving a hand with her mouth in the shape of a downward 'V'. "Hey, sky people, you dropped your kid, take it back!" Nothing, no reply was sent, leaving W to slump. "Goddammit... so you have amnesia, kid." She stated matter-of-factly "What does 'amnesia' mean?" The filly asked curiously, even W didn't miss the perked ears. "It's a word used to described someone who has lost their memories, like you," This also meant she might not even know how to get to Ponyville. Running a hand over her face, W was far too exhausted for this. "Listen, kid, just... I can't believe this... do you know where Ponyville is?" Another shake of her head and W was left stumped, throwing her hands high. "Spectacular! I am so done with today..." She was no babysitter, that was out of the question. "Where are you going?" The soft clop of hooves shadowing her steps made the merc freeze, looking over her shoulder. "To vent about today, do whatever you want, kid, but I'm not taking care of you," She saw her freeze at the cold notion, looking around at all the shifty shadows and the occasional echo of an animal. "Relax, no creature's dumb enough to come here, not since I took up shop." "'Took up shop'?" She didn't hear the silent scream from W at that. "It means I've taken this place as my home - you're in my home as a... guest, just don't bother me and stay away from my traps." The kid managed to survive for this long in the Everfree alone, she'll be fine. W let her gaze fall to her feet, she felt so exhausted, a hand caressing her bruised side courtesy of Rainbow, she hissed, it was still tender. "I need to get out of this place..." "Ah!" A brief but startling yelp reverberated off the ancient hall. A tail swung back from the whiplash, W sprinting out and through the archway, sliding back into the grand hall in a matter of seconds, eyes glaring between strands of hair, then they twitched in shock. The filly was on her back, trying to scramble away from several large creatures. They were Originium Slugs, only they were grounded compared to the arachnid variants. The soft innards bright tiger-orange between cracks of basalt, jutting from several points along its shell were black spines with red-hot pokers. Beta variants. W was left speechless, how are they here too? Did they follow the filly all the way here, and from where? This line of questions docked with her previous thoughts, leaving her frustrated and unsatisfied, instead, she shoved them all aside to do what she does best. Make things go 'boom '. "Step right up, plenty of surprises for everyone~" Cooing at the ugly creatures she pointed the launcher at an angle, seeing the grenade arc over the filly, exploding with enough firepower to scatter most of the slugs, atleast two dozen of the monsters crawling through cracks in the outer wall. Once they were pushed back W yanked the filly to her left arm, feeling her immediately cling to her scarf. "Hey, you good, kid?" "Mmm." Her head dipped against the merc's shoulder, a fanged smile splitting her lips at that assuring answer. "...sorry..." The girl whimpered, making W scoff. "Don't bother, this is good actually," The pony looked up slightly, seeing the glow in the woman's eyes and the slick smile stretching over her cheeks. "Now I get to relieve all this pent-up stress, ahahahaha..." Keeping her hold on the filly tight, W's tail flicked up a new M32 round, slapping it inside the receiver before the loud 'thunk' stretched, taking out several Slugs, more sliding toward her right, their spines extended outward to catch her legs. W leapt over them, using her tail to hold a grenade, pulling the pin with her teeth as the device was left to bob between the black creatures, erasing them in a powerful blast, spitting orange gunk across the hallway. *Tink-Tink-Tink-* "That sound - ah!" W's body froze the second she touched the floor, rolling forward, shielding the filly as a sharp blade tore across her shoulder. Sliding around onto her knees, W hissed while giving the new attacker a smug look. "Oh? This is starting to get exciting..." Crawling from the shadow was a metallic, four-legged creature, a Metal Crab. The upper portion of its body coated in a thick, steel hide, a few chunks of ore sticking out from the shell. Without looking back, W kicked a small box backward, tapping her left breast pocket where her remote was, resulting in a hail of bright yellow flames expanding behind her, shadowing everything but her glowing eyes. "Get moving kid," She sat the filly down, pointing to the end of the hall where a fallen pillar laid. "Go." This was non-negotiable, and like a lost pup she ran without hesitation. The Crab crawled back, letting more twisted slugs slither in its place. Whatever drew them here had to connect both to W and the filly, how or why remained clueless, but no matter what, the silverette would be damned if she finally let this lead go. Loading her launcher she grinned, pulling out another grenade from her belt, tugging off the pin. "I'll give you all to the count of three to get off my property. Three-" She tossed the grenade, the slugs far too slow to evade, their thick bodies splintered or blown to bits, those that remained sturdy sprung their spines at W, the mercenary keeping her distance, unloading another explosive payload, staining the walls orange. To her left she evaded a metal leg as it slashed her barding, then another spinning kick of the four legs, the Crab chasing her while she fired another M32. The fires washed over its armor, denting and scuffing the sheen as it leapt through the fire, tackling W to the ground. She felt her hand lose hold of the launcher, forcing her to push back against the underside of the crab, barely escaping its sharp slashes to aimed at her heart and throat. With it constantly moving it made it difficult to worm herself out so she twisted her palm against the belly and threw it across the hallway. Hopping to her feet, W kicked up her rucksack, throwing three knives that ricochet off the metal crab, the legs scampering to hoist its body upright, moving with the haste of a wireless machine on rampancy. Yanking out several more explosives, she threw the bag aside, tearing off her cloak to shroud herself, the Crab slicing into the rough cloak as it tangled itself in the dark cloth, the legs stabbing outward in vain to escape. W wrapped it up, keeping it far from her own torso while slapping the adhesive surface of her mines to the makeshift bag. Much as she hated to throw it away, she discarded the cloak across the hallway, running to hide behind the same pillar as the filly, pulling out her remote. "Pop goes the weasel~" W's smile remained in its creepy, twisted form, her thumb flicking the detonation button the second she saw the Crab begin to crawl out of the stressed fabric. With three plastic explosives glued in such close proximity, that one button push brought out a massive detonation of firepower, the very ground shook from the applied force that engulfed the armored quadruple, raining little slithers of metal and remnant goo from the slugs all over the walls and floor. When the rush of wind and dust settled itself, W slumped back on the pillar, smiling down at the awe-stricken pony, those eyes were wide with one, her left now visible to the woman. Could that have been how things might have been? If those damn elements of Loyalty and Magic hadn't called her a monster? W shook off this notion, dwelling on what might have been is no step forward, all it serves to remind her of the shit she's in and caused already, no use complaining now. "So, kid, mind telling me why those things followed you here?" The silence was a little odd considering the onslaught no more than a few seconds ago, W was still atop that adrenaline-fueled high but lacked any energy to move at the moment. The pony shook her head. "I don't know... I didn't know... I..." She started to feel something pull at her chest, watching the being fight off those monsters for her, battling with a smile despite how scary it all was. What made the filly's chest hurt further was how nice it felt to be in her arm... it was a strange, warm feeling. "I... I..." *Pat* The filly flinched, feeling those same fingers ghost through her mane, stroking her waxy locks tentatively with sharp nails massaging her scalp. Again, she felt her chest warm and squeeze, it was starting to make her throat sore. But she couldn't move, her body refused to. "Astra." The word rolled off W's tongue, and she felt the filly lift her head so she angled her hand atop her head, continuing to pet her scruffy mane. "Can't keep callin' ya 'kid', well, not all the time anyway - so why not Astra?" It was a dumb suggestion but it was until W could take this kid back to Ponyville, maybe then they see she's not a monster, she hoped... Taking her hand off Astra's head, W crossed her arms in a huff. "This is a temp partnership, I'll take you back to town once the heat on my back dies down, deal?" Bluntly staring down at the child, she saw the mixture of wonder and confusion rest in her silver eyes. Coughing at the awkward stare, W rubbed the back of her head. "Come on, kid, give me someth-" "...my name... is Astra..." At the soft reply, W's brow rose slowly, not quite understanding what the kid meant by - She froze, seeing her repeat it again. "Astra... Astra... Astra..." But it wasn't the name that kept W's attention glued rather, the tears falling down her face. "I... have a name..." Whatever was pulling at Astra's chest finally made itself known externally. Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks, both turning red as she hiccuped. The second she woke up all she knew is that she came from the sky, nothing else made sense, and the world was so strange to her. Then she saw the strange, two-legged creature stomping back to the ruins, she looked scary but different than Astra. When she met the female, she was cold and distant but let her stay, then she saved her from the monsters, smiling, laughing at the danger. And then she gave her a name. Astra. Clenching her teeth, Astra finally broke down, instantly hugging herself against W's stomach, sobbing between hiccups, trembling. The second this occurred W was going to pry the runt off, but her eyes refused to glare, looking down at this kid hugging her, terrified and confused only made W's mind rewind to that day. She was knocked down, bound, and accused of things out of her control, they stripped away her rights and labeled her a freak, a Monster of the Everfree, forcing her to steal, cheat, run, and survive in a harsh forest teeming with dangerous predators and wildlife. Astra wept against W's stomach, and soon, she felt that gentle hand return to her head, stroking down her unruly mane while the woman's voice whispered in a very unnaturally soft voice, almost like a sing-song. "I gotcha kid, everything's alright, it'll be alright..." Back in Ponyville... "You know Her, don't you!?" Twilight was fuming so loudly that a few ponies were drawn in to pry into the delicate topic at a small corner stand. Inside the shrouded hut, the dull green eyes twitching at the constant interruptions to his work. Keeping to the grindstone his magic pressed deeper against the tool, mushing up the herbs. "Rainbow Dash saw Her sitting above your shop, you've been speaking with her this whole time!" "And?" Mir snorted, turning completely to see the fury in the young unicorn's eyes. He heard what had happened, everyone did. W and Rainbow fought not far from his stall, she even bit her during the skirmish with the fool hearty pegasus, it actually made the grumpy herbalist crack a smile knowing somepony could put the stuck-up pony in her place. "Does the relevance of my clients and their privacy mean nothing to you Canterlot Ponies?" "I - what?" Twilight was left in a stupor, providing Mir the chance to trot closer to the counter, glaring back as bitterly as ever. "Irrelevant!" His hoof slammed the oak surface, scaring Twilight further. "What I do and how I service is not the concern of other ponies, nor is it legal for a business to disclose personal information without said client's consent," He leaned closer, his orbs slit compared to her wide purple ones. "Even if she were standing before me, I can say with a hundred percent certainty she would be less likely to agree with anything you had to say." Finally regaining her voice, Twilight fired back, swinging her hoof at the ponies in the area. "She put Rainbow Dash in the hospital for several days! And threatened the safety and wellbeing of Ponyville itself! She's a danger and you're protecting her, a monst-" "I'd chose your next words with some tact, Sparkle." He sneered, her own growl escaping her muzzle, which only served to bring a hearty chuff to the older pony. "Pah! If you wish to prattle on with this fruitless endeavor, you may find your prey in the mirror - do not bother me with your senseless threats, I am not shaken by such slurs of your generation." Mir stopped, looking over his shoulder. "You say she attacks like a vicious beast and yet you fail to contemplate the reasons as to this retaliation. If you were to be stripped of your identity, what actions would you take to ensure you are given what is rightfully yours?" That was all, he had nothing more to say to the ignorant masses. Despite this lost argument, Twilight still had a fair warning to give. "Fine, but when your 'client' hurts more than just my friends, when she finally shows her colors again, you'll be to blame too." She hated to have to push a pony to such desperate lines, a part of her hated this and wished there was a better solution, but until that thing was locked up, no pony was safe. "Sorry for bothering you today." "Bah, do not lie to me either, Sparkle." Mir spat back, returning to his work with a great deal of stress and concern. To Be Continued... Author's Note The mysteries grow and tensions are high. W has a new friend too, lucky her. The next piece will cover a small montage of W and Astra's time together as they try to uncover where the Infected Creatures keep originating from. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in, hopefully, the next chapter! Next Chapter: Break the System W works on helping Astra improve on her sense of identity while growing closer to the little runt she reluctantly let stay. 0-4 Break the System"Hmm... much better," W sighed while slipping deeper into the hot, soapy water, a small blush on her face due to the heat. Flicking her tail out she pulled back her bangs to gauge her guest's reaction, to her mirth, the little filly shared the same kind of reaction, or atleast her body did. In front of her in the water was Astra, currently an amnesiac that W reluctantly decided to help yesterday when she dragged Infected Slugs into her home, that, coupled with the child's inability to remember anything made it W's mission to ensure the innocent child didn't suffer. Which led to this bath the very next day. "Enjoying yourself?" Two silver eyes peeked open, big and bright though the solid frown remained a trademark on the pony's muzzle. "Mmmhmm?" Her cheeks were also flushed, then W's brow rose, wiggling her tail from left to right, smirking at the sight of the girl following its movements like a cobra. "Miss W, why do you look different than me?" A good question, W sat up a little, the water and suds masking her chest under a steamy haze while she pointed to herself. "I'm a human, probably the only one in Equestria - lucky me," Then she smiled knowingly, sitting with her arms against the edge of the bath. "I happen to be what's called a 'Sarkaz', and a mercenary, I'm the best and always will be the best." "'Mercenary'? 'Sarkaz'?" It was fun watching the young girl fiddle with the words in her mouth. Then W's body flinched, seeing Astra had done what she least expected of the pony. Looking down without moving her head, the woman's ember eyes locked to the hoof poking at her left breast, making it bob slightly. "This is weird, what is it?" Then she pointed at the tail resting against the surface of the water. "And your tail? And red things on your head-" "Alright, kid, too much at once," W sighed, pushing the hoof gently off her chest, snorting at how nonchalant she was being after the filly essentially groped her. "A mercenary is someone who is hired for jobs; Protecting someone, maybe someone wants someone else removed from the world, you name it, I can probably do it," Rubbing her chin, W flicked at her twitching antenna. "My horns, tail, antenna, and even my fangs are a result of my Sarkaz blood." There was another issue, though W had yet to confirm if this was the case, lacking both the equipment and intelligence to discover the truth. She was much like the creatures she reduced to slag, she was Infected with Originium particles. They're apparently in her circulatory system as tiny, black granules. The Infection was called 'Oripathy', a fatal illness. Again, she had no way to prove this was the case if her body was the genuine article. Astra continued with her curious eyes, tilting her head off to one side cutely. "And those things on-" W smiled wickedly, fondling her own breasts with glee, again at how they stood out more than her previous body's, the devilish grin infectious to her cheeks. "They're a human exclusive, and vary on size, I got the lucky draw with these, hehehe..." Though it was clear Astra had no idea what that meant or why W was so happy, she knew it wasn't something the filly had to worry about. Instead, W scooted closer, tugging the pony between her legs while plucking up a brush she... 'procured' from Ponyville. "Now, no more questions, you still reek of the Everfree, kid." "Okay..." Astra slumped slightly in the water, letting W work to clean her mane furrowly, and it was surprisingly nice. Time passed and now the duo were sat in the same room again, a number of books stacked between them on the makeshift bed. W sat with her back against the wall, the little charcoal earth pony snuggled between the merc's bare, crossed legs, a book held in front of them. W admired the kid's commitment to learning more of Equestria as she did, both really needed a top-up of knowledge on the world. Astra, for her lack of memories. And W, for the many enemies she was bound to have made or will soon make. "-'It was then among the chaos that malformed the world did the two ruling sisters, Celestia and Luna, harnessed the power of the Elements of Harmony, the ancient relics of Equestria's past, to seal Discord away, the powerful being's downfall was merely the result of his overconfidence. With this small flaw in his power, the sisters trapped the Spirit of Chaos within a stony prison for centuries to come'," W finished the tale with a huff, waving her hand nonchalantly. "Then he broke out due to the elements finding new hosts, he caused some chaos, a few funny jokes, then was sealed away once more." "He sounds strange..." Astra blinked, not seeing that W was shadowing her motions, tilting her head when the whitette did, and so on. "But... he seemed okay." "Chaos and Harmony go hand-in-hand, one can't live without the other," Was the Sarkaz woman's reply, then her expression soured. "Astra, let me be blunt - If you see the Elements of Harmony, and I'll tell you who they are, don't trust them." Much as W was willing to send the filly on her merry way in two days' time, something nagged at her mind, an itch she couldn't pick, and it all swirled around Astra. "Miss W, why are you angry at them?" Seeing those big eyes staring back at her, again, W felt her urge to withhold her words fail, maybe it was a spell the kid was cursed with? "..." Sighing, she closed the book, turning Astra around to look her dead in the eye. "I'm not from this world - When I woke here I... I just wanted to find my way, like you, I had no one to turn to so I tried Ponyville, and well... those monsters I saved you from attacked Ponyville, so I defended them, even if I were to be injured." "Then why?" The filly leaned forward eagerly. "If you saved them, then... then you're like the Princesses in the story - huh?" Much as she wished - no, yearned for that truth, that was sadly out of the cards. Smiling sadly at the innocent, naive kid, W let a pathetic chuckle escape her. "Sometimes the good intentions one makes are often seen as malicious in another's eyes." Astra's brow furrowed, lost deep in thought. "What does that mean?" Chuckling, W picked up another book, tapping the filly on the forehead with the corner, seeing her go cross-eyed briefly. "You'll understand when you're my age, kid - just don't put your complete trust in fairy tales." W sure definitely wouldn't, the ponies of this world are no different than humans. "Isn't stealing wrong?" "Only if you're caught," W paused, seeing the cute pout on Astra's face, even as her finger booped the filly's nose. "Alright-Alright, it is - but hey, we're still payin', live a little kid, this stuff can get your blood pumping and your laughter roaring." Four days had gone by in a flash, and now the pair were in the middle of the market place, more accurately, atop one of the houses with a few stalls just a few feet below their feet/hooves. It was time for W to do her weekly shopping, with what Bits she had from Mir, she would handle this with care given the many that would otherwise scream in terror if they saw a bipedal, explosive-carrying Sarkaz walk up to their stall. That was also the reason W preferred this method. Astra was no longer naked, so-to-speak, the filly now wore herself a small, black and red scarf similar to W's, the woman kept her silence given it was the filly's choice to wear, not minding the fact it was intended to copy her mercenary attire. "Can't I go buy the stuff for us?" Astra suggested, and while W would have happily jumped on the wagon this was actually very important. Shaking her head, her tail motioned to the crowds unaware of their presence. "Many places handle districts like these differently, knowing to apply many methods of trade is paramount, especially if you're a wanted monster like my beautiful self," She took some pride in that. Pointing to the distracted stall owner below, W grinned creepily. "Watch and learn, kid, this is but one of many tricks of the trade." Out the corner of her eye, W suppressed a giggle at how the filly's brow knitted and her cheeks puffed out slightly, her tell-tale sign of analysis. Plucking a small, wrapped ball from her pocket, W grinned while ensuring her route was covered. The ponies remained oblivious as always, shopping, laughing, and chatting away in their blissful ignorance to the so-called 'Monster of the Everfree'. Flashing her sharp smile, W tossed the small ball high into the air, making a whistling noise as it drew closer to the earth in an alleyway. Seconds later, she used her hands to mimic a 'boom' effect, followed in tandem with the smoke bomb exploding, the dark grey gas released, distracting all the ponies, some even leapt in fright. It was time for action. W swept down onto the distracted clerk's stand, snatching up fruits and vegetables under her arms and into her cloak, her tail tugged off a tiny pouch containing the allotted Bits before leaping back onto the edge of the stand's roof. With one final hop, she narrowly avoided the pony's eyes, cutting behind the rooftop where she spotted two little ears folded down, Astra's eyes widening at the sight of the colorful verity of foods. "Ta-Da~" W sang, Astra, helping her tug all of the food into the bag Mir gave them. While W was gleeful for another successful bounty, her tail snapped sharply at the familiar sound in the sky, followed by a fizzle and pop in the air. "Oh, crap..." Scooting up the edge of the roof again, Astra copied the woman, following her hateful eyes to the cyan pegasus and purple unicorn now on site. "I'll give Sparkle Butt credit, she's starting to learn my tricks faster than I anticipated, cute." "Isn't that bad?" Astra murmured, earning a playful pat atop her head from the ever-so-confident merc. "Not unless they catch us, and what's the answer to that?" Awaiting the filly's answer, W would be lying if she said hearing the short-stack recite her own words didn't make her smile grow. "'A mercenary who is caught is not fit to call themselves one at all', r-right?" The girl cut off her horrible impression of W's unique accent, making the silverette giggle, ruffling the kid's mane. "On point as ever, kid - let's go." One thing was certain at that moment. W's mind completely overlooked the reason she brought Astra to Ponyville in the first place. Time marched on, and W's fist was an inch from the door pulled away from her grasp. "You came as expected, W, but who is this friend with you?" "Yah!" W ripped her hand away from the door, startled by the rhyming zebra as Astra poked her head out from behind W's legs. Glaring at the slight curl of the mare's lips, the mercenary cleared her own throat. "One of these days you'll run out of words to rhyme with." Nodding on to the banter that W tended to bring with her, Zecora let them both inside her home. It was a regular occurrence that W would make to the 'witch doctor' of the Everfree. It was her only source of socialization outside of Mir's own dry tone. Despite the odd way the zebra punctuated her words, it was a far cry from the greeting Ponyville gave the woman upon first meeting. Once settled inside, both Zecora and W noted how the filly's eyes wandered to every little fine detail of the hut, not a trace of wariness to be had. While distracted, W intended on getting to the point of their visit. "This kid-" She poked Astra's cheek, noting that not even her finger could lull the girl from her curious inspection. "-I found in the Everfree, not only that, she's lost her memories and I've been keeping her from killing herself out of cluelessness for nearly a week." Zecora considered her words for a time, dedicating her thoughts as she moved around the room, gathering a few interesting and possibly unhealthy items from shelves. "Um..." Zecora shook her head, which meant it was time for W to zip her lips and watch. Astra did the same, sitting beside W's hip eagerly, despite the lack of a smile, her eyes were glowing with interest. Something Zecora could see was bouncing between the two. Once back at her mysterious cauldron, the mare quickly went to work, biting off a few corks, pouring the colorful contents into the liquid, making a light blue vapor simmer at the lip of the pot, the watery substance turning a silky white. Moving closer to the filly, Zecora ran her hoof through her mane, finding a loose strand of hair to seep into the mixture over the flames. W and Astra shared a look, the former shrugging with a 'Like I freakin' know' look. The pot glowed brighter, and Zecora stepped back to observe W directly, noting how her tail was wrapped around the young filly protectively. "Her memories I am unsure of their mystery, but her aura shares no such secrecy," Zecora motioned to her own chest, then back to Astra. "Her spirit seeks to see all that impure, to bring to light that which is obscured." "'Aura'?" Astra blinked, not quite understanding at first - then she gasped, looking up at W's raised brow. "Miss W's body has a light red glow, like the pot!" "Really now?" W inspected her hand, flicking it around then shrugging with a deadpanned stare toward the zebra. "So what? She can see energy now? Dead People?" Shaking her head, Zecora motioned to herself, then to the pair. "Aura is the life of all living creatures, the light is yours given exterior," Moving around her cauldron, Zecora smiled at the confused filly, tilting her chin to eye the older mare's kind orbs. "It is a gift, one you should not let slip." "How do I use it?" Astra asked, squinting forward at the witch doctor, only for nothing to appear. "I can't see yours, Miss Zecora." "And why does it matter? Seems like a pretty weird gimmick if you ask me." W snorted, it was cool, but again, what was it really? Why of all the ponies W could have crossed paths with, why was Astra so special? Hopping back on three hooves, Zecora held out a book with her right, offering it to W who ran her hand down the hardcover bound of rough, aged leather, the pages inside more akin to someone's notes and journal entries than a published piece of literature. "To find what you seek, practice what you can see, and all will become distinct." Again, the mare smiled at how the silverette's feature slumped. "Did you read a freakin' dictionary when you were growing up?" W half expected to start hearing haikus if Zecora ran out of words that she could fit into a steady beat. "Thank you, Miss Zecora." Astra quickly bowed her head as W had taught her, the woman smiling at the kid's manners while nodding to the Zebra herself while scratching the back of her head, smiling. "Yeah, really helped us out of a bind." While their praise was welcomed, Zecora couldn't take her eyes off the two while they said their goodbyes, smiling as their auras ebbed and flowed between one another. Nightfall came by the time W and Astra arrived back at the ruined castle, the crickets making their existence known to the pair. "So, you can see the aura of people, huh kid?" W chuffed. It was just her luck to stumble across another strange pony in Equestria. The book clipped to her belt was old but seemed to hold a few answers to the filly's strange ability to see W's aura, maybe it could be useful. That's when W blinked, nudging the filly in her arms. "Kid? Astra? Come on, we're across the ravine now." Despite her shaking, the filly was unresponsive, say for the light breathing accompanied by her closed eyes. She had fallen asleep somehow when W failed to notice. Her antenna twitched, it wasn't the first time but it wasn't fun carrying the child around like a sack of potatoes when she wanted to nap. The Sarkaz woman parted her lips, yet Astra beat her to the punch, murmuring in her sleep. "...don't go..." Why did she say tha- "...mama..." "!!!" W froze on the spot, her posture growing rigid the moment that word entered her ears. Goosebumps shivered up her body, ending at the tips of her horns. Looking down with her eyes glowing in the dark, decrepit ruins, only the moonlight could shine a light on the silverette's face, her features blank, say for her lips formed into a small 'O'. It was the prominent question that plagued W to no reasonable end. Where were Astra's parents? All they knew is that she 'came from the sky', which was both vague and unhelpful given the magical world they lived in. She wasn't from Cloudsdale since she was an Earth Pony, and Astra never really seemed so hung-up on the subject, only now did W realize how terrifying it must have been for her. A child lost in a dangerous forest, basically forced to trust the only person for miles on a whim. Astra never said it, but her mind couldn't rid itself of the thoughts, like W, the world took everything from her too. Astra snuggled closer to W's chest, unaware of her voiced thoughts. Gradually, W's feet found the strength to move again, her heart beginning to beat in a faster tempo than prior to her engagements with Astra over the week. She forgot the very reason she kept the filly around this long, only now... she didn't want to conform to the original plan. Clutching onto the sleeping pony, W didn't mind letting her sleep in her arms a little longer, just for tonight. "Sleep well, kid..." Her red-tipped tail slithered high, stroking her mane gently where her arms could not. To Be Continued... Author's Note A number of moments over the time W and Astra partnered up, growing closer unsuspectedly. W has a very disagreeable personality originally, but since Aoi is the mentality underneath the confidence and sharp wit that part of her personality has become rather reserved. Oh, and things are about to pick up, so I'll try to get the next part out as soon as I can. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, maybe, in the next chapter! Next Chapter: Do What's Right It was time to leave Ponyville behind, but before they do that, W and Astra make one last stop at Mir's to ensure he doesn't suffer from involving himself with W. 0-5 Do What's RightUp among the nobles and those with Bits to overflow in their hooves, Canterlot was in a state of tranquility. Among its crowning jewel, the castle's pristine halls one of the Royal Guards, moved at a steady pace through the halls, passing patrols with a somewhat wary step as he neared the throne room. He had been summoned by the Princesses and by his superior, he hadn't any clue why such an urgent request required his attention, but he kept that to himself. Once through the ajar doorways, the guard's posture straightened up, even for him, to have an audience with both leaders of Equestria was... tense, "P-Princesses -- ahem, sorry to keep you waiting!" He adjusted his approach, giving a short bow with his left hoof across his breastplate. "You wouldn't believe the number of whiny complaints I get from Nobels, I swear, it's like none of them can even hammer a nail into a wall without several others to help them." He was a light red unicorn with long blond hair that is held back in a ponytail with bangs hanging on the left side of his forehead and bright orange eyes. Celestia chuckled at the young guard's constant wit. "That is fine, Cliffheart, I am glad to see your new duties are... substantial." Even Luna had to scoff and roll her eyes. "More like you can just get more time to yourself with your sweets." Cliffheart couldn't hear it but Celestia's eyes widened, pouting angrily at her sister who sneakily stuck her tongue out before pulling back her poker face, snickering under her hoof. "Yes... well, I wish to request a far more practical job for you," Celestia began, growing more serious with a level of worry in her pink eyes. "I need you to take a small squad with you to Ponyville as soon as you are able." Sensing the very rise in tension, Cliffheart's face dropped the leisurely smile, exchanging it for a passive-neutral facade. "Might I ask why that is, Princess?" Even his tone became formal and far less approachable, he was meticulously thinking, keen to hear every little detail of this mission. Celestia nodded, waving her hoof to the windows that refracted the sunlight in various shades of color. "My student, Twilight Sparkle, has given many troubling reports of a strange creature that the town has dubbed the 'Monster of the Everfree', from the numerous reports and findings she has been unable to apprehend this creature," Cliffheart's brow furrowed. "This doesn't sound like a creature, more like a pony." His firm expression mirrored the monarch. "Exactly, and I am aware of your background in matters revolving around cases of unknown creatures across Equestria, it is why I ask for you personally." The blonde considered the revelation. Before the guard, his talents were more for hire than a stationed job, he really did believe his days of being a nomad were over. Sighing, his hoof removed itself from his chin. "What exactly makes this creature so special?" Luna spoke next, levitating a scroll over to Cliffheart's awaiting magic. "I believe this should suffice." Unfurling the scroll for him, he took the parchment and began to read the listing of this Thing's capabilities, had he not taken the Princesses words with the utmost respect, he might have believed it to be a practical joke. What he read... wasn't a pony, rather, nothing outside of a ponykind could possibly be capable of half the things he read. ///Unknown Bipedal Creature | Name: W (Supposedly) | Gender: Female (Supposedly)\* *Several related reports suggest this creature is highly intelligent for a bipedal that may be a descendant of primates with major physical differences. A blacktail tipped red. Curved, red horns on either side of the head, roughly four to five inches in length, and a pair of red antenna. The creature is extremely violent, prone to reoccurring attacks against Ponyville, primarily the Elements of Harmony that have attempted to capture it. The creature has incapacitated both Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle on several occasions, with Rainbow suffering from a sprained wing and bite mark across her forehoof. It also exhibits a strong resilience to magic. It also carries metal objects with it constantly, from blades to explosives powerful enough to shatter low-tier magic barriers. When confronted with acts of peace it has run back to the safety of the Everfree within the ruins of the Castle of the Two Pony Sister, which has been fortified with traps to ensure no further investigations followed. Further reports are needed, in conclusion, this creature is a threat to the citizens of Ponyville, stealing and threatening the town before hiding within the forest. A lengthy silence stretched between the trio, not a sound or step to be heard, only the folding of the parchment, revealing the fiery, orange eyes and a smirk to accompany that fire. "Well-well-well... seems I can't just hang up my teenage years just yet, a shame if I really didn't miss it," Levitating the parchment back to the Princesses, Cliffheart snorted. "Princess Celestia, Luna? I'll be there by sundown, count on it." While the brief meeting was quick dismissed, not a soul noticed the pair of eyes watching from atop a small outcrop along the walls, their form slipping back into a hidden door pressed flush against the brickwork, having gathered all the information they needed. W sat in her - well, hers and Astra's room - working diligently to reattach her newest creation without accidentally blowing herself up, though that was par-for-the-course. Meanwhile, she listened critically to Astra's self-teaching of aura and how to sense others outside her own and W's. "I felt it... a dark aura around them too," Was the first thing Astra spoke about when concerning her 'aura sensing' as W more than happily called it jokingly, but the name stuck. As for what the filly was implying, it now had W drawn away from her work, a mere millimeter away from blowing them to kingdom come if she wasn't careful. This was a talented explosives expert, but the mentality of an irritated twenty-year-old stuck in the middle. Spinning around on her chair, packing away the last of her grenades, W gave the studious girl her undivided stare. "You mean the Infected Slugs?" One nod, and now W had what she yearned for, a single lead. "Oh ho? Well, color me impressed, continue." Nodding, Astra poked at the rim of her left eye. "They had an outline like yours, but it was... black, and bubbly, yours was sharp and bright, and, um..." Astra soon pouted, slumping with her book from Zecora. "Sorry... I forgot." *Pat* She blinked up at the hand on her head, ruffling her ears. W gave her a sharp grin, chuckling as it made the filly's chest tighten again at the warmth atop her head. "No worries, kid, that's more than I've come to know - I just blow shit up, a round of applause for the obvious," W pulled her hand away to give a fake cheer, then sighed through her smile, pointing with her tail's tip. "So, all packed? Got to make a last-minute stop before we leave this dump behind - Thank God!" While W felt the sweet release of leaving behind the decrepit, dangerous forest, she noted how Astra's ears folded down, suddenly becoming gloomy despite the prospect of liberty from such a harsh world. "...but this is home, right?" The rational side of the somewhat unstable woman's head was telling her this was just a case of a child becoming unfamiliar with anything outside of the status quo. However, Aoi understood where the young pony was coming from. Tugging her hood over her antenna, she smiled as she knelt down to ruffling the fellow whitette. "Don't get your tail in a twist, a merc never stays grounded forever, but we'll come back someday." Hope sprung in the filly's eyes. "Promise?" A hoof was held up in front of her fanged grin, and her own fist tapped to the fuzzy appendage. "Through hell itself for you." Retracing her steps had to be the most nauseating sensation W had felt in her life. Each step through Ponyville carried with it a new layer of tension that hadn't presented itself when she first arrived. Instead of walking with confidence and swagger her posture was hunched, reserved, and hidden under a dirty cloak to conceal herself. The only discernable features were her boots, antenna, and a few flicks of her hair. Astra walked close to her left leg, so while they received odd looks, given the filly's presence many tore their eyes away from them both, believing the pair to be nothing more than relatives. "Guess the idea of interspecies relationships isn't so despised," And a good thing too, that purple drake, Spike, would probably be the first many would turn against if there was racial conflict. W shook off those societal issues in favor of just moving forward. They needed to grab a few remedies from Mir, then head back to grab their supplies. "Good riddance Ponyville, can't wait to scream that from the top of lungs..." "Me too," Astra added, earning a small chuckle from the concealed woman whose hand reached down to ruffle her mane. "Happy to hear it, kid." *Bam* "Ah." Both Astra and another pony bumped into one another, the latter having not paid attention while balancing a basket on her back, thankfully empty. In a southern accent, the earth pony shook her head. "Sorry 'bout tha', you alright?" She helped Astra stand as she nodded shyly. "I-I am..." Her voice was meek, and W knew why; Her own posture taut under her cloak. It was an orange earth pony with a stetson hat, three apples for a cutie mark, braided blonde hair too. A pair of emerald eyes soon crossed with her demonic, burning stare, even under the hood her eyes contained a sinister glow to them, and a frown certainly made her unapproachable. "I... we should g-go." "Wait..." Applejack put her hoof out, not seeing W's hand shift across her thigh, slipping her hand against a smoke grenade the second things got rowdy. Unlike Sparkle or Crash, Applejack had the strength and endurance to keep up with W, it would have been a good rival had things panned out differently that day, sadly, only a venomous glare was shared between them. "Back off, Jack," W hissed, "I don't want trouble." For Astra's sake, W bit her cheek and swallowed her pride. The farm pony snorted, holding her hoof toward Astra. "Young lady, back away slowly from tha' thing." No one else saw W's brow twitch, or her tail beginning to snake down her leg to pull Astra away when needed. Before a warning could be vocalized, Astra stepped in front of the two adults, shaking her head. "Don't hurt Miss W, s-she's, um... my, um...." A small, embarrassed blush tinged her cheeks, but she finally mustered the courage to say it. "She's my friend!" The revelation took both women back. Applejack's head looked like it was spinning and W was at a loss for words, merely opening and closing her mouth in a failed response, but her chest twisted again, enough to make her sharp smile return to her. With her tail sneaking out, the tip patted Astra on the head, spotting her blushed but determined face to the genuine smile on W's face. "Ditto, Astra." Glaring back at Applejack, a strange, almost compelling voice forced her next, careful words. "Jack... I don't care what you think or what you do, just leave... me... alone." The pony stomped the dirt road in a huff. "N-No, that's a lie! Y-You're just making her say that!" What? If disbelief never became evident before, it did now. W's stomach tore open, unable to comprehend what was going through any of these ponies' heads. Did they really despise her so much that even the Element of Honest couldn't take a little girl's word at face value? It was unbelievable... "Do you even hear yourself?" W fired back, eyes snapping to those around them, good, no one had noticed their argument. Retracting her tail, W pressed the issue. "You believe me, that's fine, but she's innocent in all this, so at the very least I expected 'the great Element of Honesty' to tell when a little girl is telling her the truth." The mocking sneer in W's tone made the farm pony vibrate with irritation, tail flicking sharply. "It's clear she's just bein' used! You attack and scare innocent folks and now stealin' their foals!?" She was going to cause panic to erupt at this rate. That didn't matter to W right now, her teeth bear at the ignorant pony under her. "I don't steal ponies, you tub of factory glue!" Applejack gasped at the mercenary's tone, only until Astra's wide eyes blinked slowly, face lost in a mild shock of her own. "...it's dark..." It was a whisper, but both of them heard her clearly. Then she pointed a hoof at Applejack. It was hard for her to focus entirely on the mare, but Astra had felt something was off when the farm pony spoke, and unlike W and her own, the aura surrounding the Element bearer, her once light orange aura was now tainted with twisted, dark smudges, draining color and clarity from her outline. "...her aura, it's tainted..." "What's tha' supposed to mean?" Applejack demanded, not realizing the lax expression seeping across W's face. Now that she thought about it, why of all the elements was Honesty unable to tell her words were fact or fiction? Not even Astra's? Something had always bugged her about the elements the most, she could understand the fear of the unknown but this level of distrust and anger was abnormal. A small fragment of her mind was praying on some explanation, perhaps to hopefully rewrite the wrongs so far, maybe that part of her was just being helplessly naive to the harsh reality of her situation. W was a cold, calculative mercenary, if the ponies hated her, so be it, she'll just prove them wrong with a smile on her pleasant face. But Aoi, she just wanted things to be right again, to... be liked again. Was that mere, innocent wish so wrong that the people of two worlds had to be pitted against her? Was this... how it had to be? "Ja... erm, Applejack," W stepped forward, keeping Astra behind her legs while glaring down at the irritated pony. "All I ever wanted was to save a bunch of random ponies from harm, I'm still intended to that whether or not you believe me," "Lies!" She was going to go for that lasso around her waist. Then Astra poked her head out. "Miss Applejack!" This caused hesitance to arise in her jade eyes. "If Miss W was so bad, why did she save ponies from monsters before?" "That was just ah show of power, that's what Twi said." W's bit her cheek again at Sparkle Butts twisted story. Astra didn't let, putting herself forward sternly. "I was lost and scared and she hurt herself to fight off those same monsters like when she first came here." Her body was shaking, so were her big, silver eyes that burrowed into Applejack's. Then both saw it, the older mare's features were hesitant, raising a hoof. "B-but that's, I-I don't." With a sincere stare, Astra put her hoof down, not realizing a tiny, silver trail of stardust separated between the two appendages. "Please think about it Miss Applejack, if she wanted to hurt me she could've but..." For the first time ever, a tiny smile pulled at Astra's cheeks. It was enough to make W's heart clench, "...she saved me." "That's I... I didn't..." Applejack began to hesitate, and while Astra seemed perplexed as to why, W saw it all transpire with her own two eyes. Astra couldn't just see a person's aura, she used the element's very trait to contradict everything Applejack was led to believe with logic and reason. And that stardust effect, was that her special talent or something else? Many more questions as to what exactly Astra was arose in her mind, but so did the dark skies above. "When did that roll in?" Shaking her head, the merc quickly rushed forward to keep Applejack steady, seeing her eyes spin in a daze. "You alright?" Taking a few, steady breaths, Applejack met W's wary gaze with a far less aggressive voice. "I... I didn't know..." Nodding to the mare, W helped to keep her standing, Astra doing the same despite her size. Placing a hoof on her mane, Applejack looked down. "I really messed up, haven't I?" W tilted her head off to one side. "Weeell, you did kinda lasso me through a window that one time," The blonde mare slumped. "And into several carts one Friday afternoon," She lowered further, and W pipped up with a mock grin. "Oh-oh, and you gave me that killer bruise when I was-" "I... think she gets it, Miss W." Even Astra looked a little queasy after the small listing of their many confrontations. "Are you okay, Miss Applejack?" "I'm sorry..." She muttered, and while W was far beyond accepting mere words as a valid apology, given how the situation could've turned out she'll let it slide for now. "It's all still a little... much." "Just so long as I'm not lassoed in the near future I won't have to hog-tie you to a railroad and wait for the 'splat'," Now her mind raced with a new revelation. "If Applejack's aura was tainted, does that mean someone's purposefully throwing Infected into this world? Were they manipulating some of their minds too? I guess that could explain the acts of aggression..." "But why...?" Her whisper caught on Death's ears, sadly, nothing could be answered from a single experience. Chuffing dryly, she ruffled Astra's mane again. "Knew you were a strange one, kid." "I... thank you?" "It's a compliment," W assured her, then came a deathly rumble in the clouds. "Huh, that really moved in fast?" "But... there wasn't a storm for today?" Applejack's muttered words made W's body slowly rise, flinging back her cloak to reveal the many explosives strapped to her belt, and a small, black bag over her back. Pulling out her grenade launcher, she too felt it, something strangely acrid in the air. "What are ya doin'?" "What does it look like, blondie?" W huffed, loading the receiver while a harsh wind pulled her hood back, letting her silver locks flow freely, revealing the burning embers in her eyes. "I'm going to do what I do best," Then came a dark bolt of lightning between the clouds, followed by a sharp rumble. "Blow shit sky high." At the border of a road leaving the town of Ponyville, a large, jagged rock protruding from the earth, a charred piece of volcanic rock that now encompassed a house. Many shadows shifted around the rock, snarling. The skitter and nipping of spindly legs crawled from the rock, bodies radiating with a dark red substance. From under the basalt rose two, bipedal creatures dressed in a white coat with a dark grey tint along the hem. Red belts crossed over their chests, with black sleeves attached to gloves. A pair of dark red cargo pants and black boots too. A hood obscured their faces in darkness, say for the two, glowing orbs. The most horrific addition to their bodies were the clusters of semi-transparent crystals jutting out from their backs, some of them tinted a shade of red at the tips of the hardened minerals. These same, blackish-red crystals infected their arms, causing them to twitch and crackle, lines like red webs melding their clothing to their skin, deforming their arms. Atop the spire of basalt, a single person stood, admiring the overhead view of the whole town, his face obscured by a mask, dressed completely in rugged, black clothes fitting of a traveler. With his left arm raised, the many abominations festered under the cliff stirred with hisses and disgruntled groaned of pain, all slowly corraling toward the innocent, ignorant town. To Be Continued... Author's Note Time for some action! And what's this, seems the hatred toward W stems from an outside source, but things are never solved so simply. I was meant to upload this tomorrow but I couldn't wait ^_^. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, maybe, in the next chapter! Next Chapter: Live a Life of Sin The Infected have started to invade Ponyville seemingly out of nowhere, good thing there's a mercenary with a knack for such extreme pest control. 0-7 Ice in her VeinsW, for the second time since confronting the residents in this world, her heart rate was pounding. She had only just fended off an attack on the town again, confronted the Merchant that sent her to this magical world as W herself, and was now facing the country's very authority, the Royal Guard. There were roughly a dozen, maybe a few more by her count, led by a red unicorn called Cliffheart, and he seemed different from your standard commander. Beside her, Twilight watched with a serious face, W had to resist rolling her eyes at her presence. Cliffheart smiled like a hunter toward his injured game, W felt the same way. "From what I've been informed of, you only just recently attacked this town during an invasion by some monsters that seemed to spawn from nowhere, and who is it that we find left standing? You." "If you're implying I'm behind this, plenty of ponies can attest I saved them from the culprit's attempts to kill me and raze this town," W quickly interjected, pointing to the crumpled pile of rock just on the outskirts of the town. "He was commanding them from that rock, he's the very reason I'm stuck in this messed up world, to begin with." He chuckled, not a trace of belief in his eyes while he addressed his guards and Twilight. "Wow, you weren't kidding about this one, Miss Sparkle, she's got quite the imagination, even finding a way to shift the blame to a culprit that, surprise, is nowhere in sight," A few laughed at their commander's mockery of W's testament, she knew they wouldn't listen, not if Twilight was stating the facts. It was her word against 'Princess Celestia's Star Pupil', as bias as you can get, that even the US law and justice system would say 'that's a bit much'. To add, Twilight's head poked forward, tilting curiously to Astra, herself hiding behind W's legs. "Huh? A filly is with her?" Hearing this, Cliffheart's magic came to life, pulling out the two staff pieces that interlocked in his magic, creating a large polearm reinforced with thick, rounded heads on either end. "That creature's taken a hostage..." He snapped, many of his guards activating their magic to draw their weapons in disgust. Seeing this, W casually withdrew her switch, smiling at how Twilight gasped in fright while many of the soldiers halted their advance. "Miss Sparkle, what is that?" "Don't move and you won't have to find out - Astra, say close to me," W whispered down, holding the activation pad high for all to see in her hand. "I've been tossing mines across this whole street to thin the monsters' numbers during the attack, I'm not sure all of them have detonated yet, would be a shame if you happened to be standing on one, right?" Her sinister glare made many skip about and stumble into one another, all afraid of what was merely a silver tongue and a modest amount of ignorance on Twilight's part to sell the tale. "Still, want to act like you hold all the cards? Huh, Captain?" Cliffheart never let his glare fade from W's, holding his staff high to threaten the mercenary. "First you take a poor child as you hostage, and now you threaten the lives of many innocent ponies? Just how low are you willing to go, creature?" "My name is W, Captain." Was her sneer, rubbing the activation button's edge with her thumb. This was bad, had she maybe have gone back to Astra sooner she could have escaped, now the Royal Guard had their eyes on her, finding the Merchant and the reason behind the Infected insurgencies might be strained. Steeling her already taut nerves like wires on a guitar, she sighed out her nose. "We're leaving... if you let us leave, I'll hit the disarm button here-" She poked her thumb at the red-stained key. "-Just leave me alone, and don't come after me - this whole world is a pain in my ass and I don't need to have spears shoved up there too." No one made a move, not even Cliffheart as W knelt down to pick Astra up. "This is wrong... if you truly meant no ill-will you wouldn't behave in such violent ways!" She had heard enough self-fulfilling claims of heroics from the elements, his words were just all white noise to her. "Get back here!" "I'm warning you, get lost." W spat, holding Astra close to her chest as she murmured in the silverette's attentive ear. "Miss Twilight too..." That confirmed W's suspicions. Not just Applejack, all of the elements were tainted, and the Merchant must have been the one to plant that seed of distrust in their auras. They were heroes in Equestria's eyes, most would take their word as truthfully as if Celestia or Luna said it exactly. W had the world against her at every turn. "You threaten the innocent, attack the Elements of Harmony, and even have taken a foal as your captive for who knows how long - you violate our customs, that is reprehensible!" Cliffheart snapped, but again, W bit the bullet and let them say what they wanted themselves to hear, none cared for her word, so why would it matter to speak? "Your country can rot." That was all she had to spit back in their faces. Twilight, on the other hand, wasn't going to let it slide. "Grr... NOW!" That word set W off, wrapping her cloak around Astra's form while something slammed into her back, flinging the controller from her fingertips while the Royal Guard fanned out to surround the two, some keeping the citizens that had come out of hiding back. "To hell with you, Crash!" W flipped, kicking the prism-colored mare off her shoulders in time to find a burning sensation wrap around her wrists and ankles. It was magic, and a stronger bind too. Noticing four ponies held her down, two for each bind, and nearest Twilight and Cliffheart, the pair pulled Astra away, a guard helping to keep the filly back as she struggled. "No, I'm with Miss W because she's my fri- mphm!?" A hoof quickly silenced her, which alone drew a furious glare from W's eyes, face twisting in rage. "No, you leave her alone!" Not a soul cared to listen. Twilight sighed, using her magic to lift the detonator before crushing it into pieces. "I'm sorry, but if she's found some way to possibly drug you or hold you captive over something we can't let you go," Her words were honest and sincere, but W only felt how much it satisfied the little rat at how angry it made the Sarkaz female. Soon, the guard began to pull the filly away as she tried desperately to move and speak, words screamed under his hoof. "Once we've locked her up we can help you, I promise." "Come on, stop it, don't hurt her!" W thrashed, attempting to break their magic but to no avail, compared to a singular unicorn's levitation spell it was far more resilient. The Guards saw this, one stomping before W to deliver a strong kick to her side, forcing out a small swab of spit from her throat. "Draw your weapons and keep the monster from moving!" Bladed polearms were brandished toward W, herself genuinely terrified as many ponies gasped and looked on fearfully. Why... why didn't they say anything to help them? Couldn't they see Astra's innocent? Stepping closer to eye W directly, the smug look on Cliffheart's face boiled her blood. "There's no way you're escaping this time, beast." "You're a scumbag!!" He hesitated but held his ground, slamming one of the heads of his staff into the earth beside her face, seeing the shock and startled flinch in her bound movements. "Hmph, it's over, give up." Were his final words. "I'm so glad you arrived in time to study her before she could escape this time," Twilight smiled graciously at the Captain, himself rubbing the back of his nape bashfully. "Ah, it was a risky idea but I didn't want to just rush in based on third-person experience," He patted his forehead. "I used to work on the basis of studying your prey before moving in to fight, being too reckless is a faulty choice, even as a Royal Guard." Twilight nodded in total understanding of his methods, glancing at W's bound and defeated form. "She's extremely crafty, I honestly hope Princess Celestia can forgive me for not capturing her sooner but she's almost always found a way to slip through our hooves." Meanwhile, W's whole world drained of color down to pale imitations. "You mean... all of this... was planned?" The many moments of their battles played out, the chases and traps, and schemes foiled again and again. "She fought with me to learn and study me so she could get into good graces further with her Teacher..." Then her mind flooded with that of the Merchant. "And the Merchant ensured to twist the tale, to keep them from ever understanding me, to depict me as this world's true enemy despite the monsters - the ponies are too naive to see past black and white so none are saying anything, those that do might be treated like Astra and believe I tricked them!" "Even this capture was planned against me, to ensure they caught only my malice and carnage and not the ponies I saved, that I risked my life for!" W felt it, she caught glimpses of eyes watching her but in the heat of battle her senses were gone, solely to fight and to kill, she must have looked like a monster on a lustful hunt. Her fingers were bent, shaking as she dragged them back through the mud, anger, and embarrassment wracking her brain. "I don't understand... why the Merchant wanted me to suffer like this..." Fire was burning in her heart, cast by her soul. "I didn't come to this world because I wanted to, HE summoned me here, so why is he doing this to me!? To all of them!?" "What a horrible fiend, to think it took that poor girl hostage." "Why even bother letting it speak such foul words too?" "It's a monster!" "A freak!" "Why even capture it, Princess Celestia herself should just banish it forever!" "It should have never left that awful forest!" She was shaking, placing her head on the ground in complete despair, "Graaaaaah!!" Slamming her forehead back into the dirt, the hot sensation trickling down from her brow didn't do a thing to phase her. "I just... can't take it anymore..." "Here, let's use a dispel charm to ensure nothing malicious is afflicting her," That made W's head snap upright, seeing the Guard, Cliffheart, and Twilight standing by Astra, herself unable to move or speak, say for when the spell slowly came to life across Twilight's horn. "Astra..." Hopelessness filled her voice, she wanted to move, to make it stop but her arms and legs burned against the abrasive magic. "Wait...!" Everything echoed now, colors reduced to black and white as a strange, burning sensation began to corrode at the corners of W's eyes as the spell was transferred over her body. *Drip* A hitched gasp entered W's throat, both her eyes followed the sight of crystal liquid dripping from Astra's chin, even after the spell was complete, Twilight looked startled at the reaction. "Are you okay? That spell shouldn't have hurt yo-" Her hoof reached out to wipe away the child's tears, but Astra snapped her hoof out, slapping Twilight's away. For the first time, anger filled her eyes, her disdain targetted the two adult ponies standing over her in disbelief. "How dare you..." Astra whimpered, biting her cheek momentarily. "Miss W did nothing wrong, can't you see that!? She never hurt me, used me, or made me do anything I couldn't do!" Yanking herself from the pony behind her she stomped before the two, spite lacing her once docile eyes. "I lost my memories and was so scared and alone but Miss W filled the blanks with kindness, and love that I forgot! She cares for me and all you've done is hurt her back for no reason!" "W-what?" Cliffheart swung his hoof back at the defeated form of W, the woman unresponsive. "But I thought she only took you to get away from being captured, and those weapons, you saw how dangerous they are?" Twilight then added, keeping herself calm to assure the startled filly's mind. "She threatened this town and its residences, no innocent person or creature would do that-" "You did that!? You made her do that because you hated her for no reason!" Astra yelled angrily, teeth bear. "Miss W wanted to find her way home like me, but you took that from her after she saved ALL OF YOU!!" By the time the air left her lungs, the little pony had to take deep breaths to recover, all unaware of the thoughts clouding W's mind. W's word faded to black, more accurately, the whole sun was shut off like a light, leaving her mind to fill with static and distorted noise of metal scraping. ... ... ... ... ... "...A cruel world like this..." Hatred, embarrassment, sorrow, all filled her mind and her heart with a burning desire. "...CaN dIe FoR aLl I cAaAaAaArE!!!" From deep inside W, a razor storm of her hatred manifested, slicing apart the magic that withheld her movements, the layered magic cracking under the stress of a silver whirlwind gathered around her body. "What's going on!?" One bellowed, his magic going haywire. "I-I can't hold the restrains! My magic can't hold onto anything!" Another screamed, blown away by the backlash of colorful arcs, even Twilight and Cliffheart were forced to erect their barriers to brace the sudden storm of silver that minced the earth under W, shredding magic like fabric to a blade. "This... what is this magic, Twilight!?" Rainbow flew back to hide behind the safety of the twin barriers, her wings unable to withstand the windswept like a tornado around W. "I don't know, but it's definitely not magic," That she could confirm, yet the energy she could pick up was extremely similar to the genuine article. By the time the dust had grown still, W eased off the storm, small, metal blades disintegrating around her form, leaving her with her head bowed, a solid, unreadable scowl on her lips, it pulled at her cheeks, displaying her fangs to the petrified ponies that were left completely taken back by her strength. "Everypony, get ready!" "Now, attack it now!" A few Guards charged W who slowly rotated her shoulders, adjusting herself once more. Cliffheart's own eyes widened in horror. "No, stop!" It was too late, the scorching, ember eyes burning through the dirtied, silver locks toward the first Guard in arm's reach. W moved faster, and with the ferocity of a panther, squeezing her fingers around the pony's muzzle until her nails drew blood and a pained yelp as the pony's head was slammed into the ground, splitting the helmet. When she turned, her tail swiped a spear from puncturing her side, snaking her right arm around to crack the back of her palm off his cheek, using her right foot to embed him further into the mud while flicking up the spear, deflecting another and allowing the spearhead to shatter from a magic bolt. Her reflexes were more distinct, moving with focused rage toward the two bumbling unicorns in a low posture, snarling once close enough to yank the first back by his tail, grabbing the back of his head to smash his muzzle through the ground. Lifting him by his back hoof, W swung wide and threw him into the retreating Guard, the two crashing into a nearby wall, the kinetic force knocking them out entirely with a stomach-turning 'smack'. Gradually, W turned to face the two cowering behind their hardlight barriers, not a soul dared to utter a word, as though Celestia brought the sun down to rest solely in the woman's eyes. A fire was burning brighter within her orbs, she passed as more of a demon than a monster, hell's fire crackling in her eyes. In seconds she was upon Twilight's barrier, tearing her arm through the forcefield with enough force to shatter it like glass, the fragments leaving gashes across her bare forearm as the fingers hooked around Twilight's horn tightly, suppressing the magic as it sparkled and fizzled out. "Twi!" Rainbow leapt to her friend's aid in an instant, W didn't even acknowledge her, allowing her tail to swipe around to leave behind a long, bloody gash across her cyan cheek, flinging the pegasus back onto the earth. Of course, Twilight retaliated only to scream in pain, feeling the woman's hand twist the horn atop her head. "L-let her go - ack!" A foot to the pathetic pony's muzzle silenced her, knocking her entirely. "I told you..." Yanking the mare at an angle to stare directly into W's eyes, she felt only a righteous fury penetrate her soul. "I'd raze this town...!" Terror and tears sprung from Twilight's eyes, seeing the callous smile pull across the mercenary's face, a cackling laugh bellowing from her lungs like a hellish jackal. W tossed Twilight aside, blocking the sturdy slam of the polearm with just her forearm, keeping it from striking her nape. Sucking a breath through her nose, W grabbed the staff from his telekinetic hands, pulling out her grenade launcher before pointing it directly at Cliffheart's barrier, the payload of shrapnel and fire webbing the hard light. She threw the staff of his far enough away that his magic couldn't retrieve it, watching helplessly as the woman loaded another M32, unloading the powerful blast against his magic, chips falling out of place at the corners. "I just wanted to go home..." Through the black cloud, the wide muzzle of the launcher was pressed to the surface of his shield, startling him from his stupor to eye the wrathful woman, seeing the distasteful look in her eyes. "But... you sick bastards... you made Astra cry!" Her finger pulled back on the trigger. "Wai-!" *BOOSH!* Red glass was scattered around Cliffheart, himself falling in a heap against the building wall behind him, coughing and hacking up poisonous air while he watched as the woman slung her weapon behind her cloak again, her hand bloody and lacerated by the backblast. That same, crimson hand grabbed his mane, tugging him forward for her to grind his muzzle into the dirt, hearing him groan in discomfort. "Feel like listening now, rat? Huh, come on, I'm all ears!" W giggled cutely, picking him up by the crown to punch him square in the jaw, tossing the cocky stallion to the ground under her, using her heel to press against his breastplate. "Fanatical!" One kick. "Arrogant!" Then another. "Runt!" The third made Cliffheart gag. "'Protectors of Equestria', you can't protect shit! And when you do you can't even see the flaws in your own code!" Her heel dented the curvature of the armor, hearing him cough hoarsely. "You wanted a monster, then here ya fucking go," W withdrew two dark grey items with a grid-like pattern across the exterior. Both her thumbs slipped into the rings, raising them toward the town she despised, this whole world that deserved to burn at her hands! "Let this remind you, never to get in my way again!" She never lost her star-crazed smile, plucking out the pins to toss the grenades down the street. Those present soon ran for their lives, others had to barricade themselves behind objects for fear of not escaping in time. "Pfft, ahahaha...!" Two large plumes of smoke soon came cascading from the smoke grenades, providing W with the chance to make her escape, tossing Astra into her arms while leaping up onto a nearby rooftop, not hesitating to make a mad dash for the Everfree. "W-W!" Astra gaped in fright over her well being, only to receive a confident smirk and wink as per usual, that alone putting the young filly's heart at ease. "You're okay... I-I'm..." Tears welled up in her eyes, sniffing before W brought her close to her chest, nuzzling the little pony while hopping down to hide in an alleyway, allowing to pegasus Guards to sweep on by. "Shh, it's okay... I don't blame ya," She snorted. "That damn Sparkle screwed us over big time." Much as she hated this world, hated all of them so much she could happily pull out their innards and decorate their burning down like Christmas decor, she already knew who her enemy was. "That Merchant... when I find him, I'll make him regret picking me!" In the dusk of the alleyway, Astra looked up at W, seeing the distraught glow to her red aura. Reaching up with her hoof, she rubbed her bruised cheek tentatively, offering a tiny smile through misty eyes. "There-there." That alone made W chuckle motheringly at the filly's innocent and quiet voice. "Aren't you sweet to a merc like me?" Tucking Astra under her cloak, W grinned competitively, her heart bursting with satisfying revenge. "They'll come for us now." So she intended on giving them a show. To Be Continued... Author's Note W finally bites back, only now she has far more enemies than she intended. Time for the great escape. That 'bladestorm' will be brought up later, and as for why W didn't murder anyone, she was finally done caring about how she was viewed in ponykind's eyes. She restrained her more violent tendencies against the elements before, but now she outright retaliated with the intent to break bones and spill blood out of hatred instead of defense, regardless of how she portrayed herself. Just thought I clarify ^_^ I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, maybe, in the next chapter! Next Chapter: She's Never Wary With Cliffheart hunting her down, W must break out all her tricks to get herself and Astra out of not only Ponyville but the Everfree. Good thing she has a plan. B1-0 We Never LearnSometime in the Arknights story... "Um, not to question your methods, Teach, but um," A finger extended into my wide-eye view. "I don't think that's going to buff out." "What the hell was that!?" I was in a foul mood today. Everything was fine, to begin with. Got up, got reminded Reunion still wants to be... well a bunch of non-negotiable jerks capable of nothing but more violent acts against the non-Infected - You think after failing at Lungmen they'd learn but no, no they don't. To give context, I was meant to oversee a new training performance of my team, simple enough, I wanted to test some of our newly acquired skills alongside a few new recruits to our team in particular. One issue with that actually- "How did you even get enough C4 to blow a hole through military-grade steel!?" My hand shot toward the black smoke and lack of wall ahead of me. "Where did you get the C4, I specifically remember Kal'tsit revoking your permission into the armory for this specific reason!" "Did she now, huh?" Was she even remotely aware of - oh who am I kidding, she always was! I knew she was up to something, she's always up to something. Now I was pacing, feeling bullets of sweat leak through my coat in a frenzy. "And now she's going to think I gave you the explosives and I'll be forced to endure her lectures again," Now everything was dark and swirling around me. "I'd rather fright FrostNova with my bare hands than ever have to go through that torment!" A tap on my shoulder shook me out of my stupor of despair, seeing the laid-back smile on the perpetrator's face. A young woman with black, red, and white attire suitable for that of a mercenary. Her crackling, ember-shaded orbs watching me with a lack of care for her actions. This was par-for-the-course with her, honestly. "A small mistake, tch, bet Kal'tsit's gonna pull her hair out at this mess," She was... amused by this, of course, she was! Finally, she blinked at my grinding teeth and twitch in my brow, smiling slyly. "Oh? Someone's a little hot under the collar today?" "Ya think!?" My voice bellowed, pointing at the damage being assessed by one of our resident ops, his head spinning at the damage. Putting my hands over my nose I tried to rationalize this. "I - you just - why, every time someone leaves you alone for a period of time, why is it that all your antics come right back around to bite me, W?" The mercenary known as W chuckled at that, shrugging. "Guess I'm just too much for you to lose, hmm?" Her elbow nudged me as I gawked. W was just... leaving, and through the hole in the wall no less like it was some renovation... are you serious right now...! Reaching out, my hand snatched the end of her tail, yanking her back as she let out quite the girlish yelp, being spun around until a felt her knife jab against my throat, those same, fiery eyes piercing my own as her face burned a dark shade of red. "You want me to gut you on the spot for that!?" Off to our sides, one of my teammates, a feline with dark navy hair tied into a ponytail with a few strands of pink, and hesitant, matching eyes, Jessica, tried to speak up, her hands waving between us. "D-Doctor, M-Miss. W, please don't f-fight!" From her left on one of the training grounds' elevated, white platforms, one of my best vanguard operatives, a man with short, onyx hair and the kindest blue eyes watched from a safe distance, his hands resting on his scabbard with keen interest, both his deer ears perked up. "Miss. Jessica I suggest staying a safe distance, a young lady like you shouldn't get too close, especially with these two riled up," Even he shivered, probably sensing our tension nervously. "I'm not one to judge but it looks like a fire might break out." Back with me and W, "Oh please, you've suffered way worse than a tail-pull, Roach," I rebutted, pushing her knife away so easily with my own burning glare. "But if you want to go I'll be happy to kick your ass into fixing your own problems?" W ditched the knife, cracking her knuckles as a fire of red and blue scorched between us and our murderous glares. "I'll take that bet, oh great and wise Doctor." Now we were butting heads, shoving them against one another, "Why, thank you, Operative Cockroach." My sharp tongue flicked back with venom at her twitching smile. "That's it!" She tackled me first as my fist struck her cheek, the two of us tossed back as she slammed her knee into my side and I shoved my hand against her cheek, using the leverage to headbutt her. With this being W she immediately did the same, the two of us recoiling with a curse before her legs straddled my waist, throwing two fists across my forearms. "Hah, not this ti-!" Using my elbows I propped myself toward the right, throwing her down while I delivered a left hook to her shoulder and her own mirrored my action as we rolled, punching and kicking one another with brutal force. "You're such an ass, you know that!? Every-" Another right hook. "-Single-!" Another. "-Day I put up with your shit, and not once do you ever take responsibility for it!" W quickly snatched by wrists, throwing me off her stomach, quickly hopping up to charge me down, wiping the blood off her cheek. "Like you're one to talk! Heh, even all these years and all that amnesia took away your skill, how tragic - ah!" I threw a discarded bullet casing at her, seeing the steam puff from her head. "Did you just throw a fucking shell - ah - stop that - ah - Kaid, I swear to God!" This one hit her on the nose. "Oh sure, blame it on the amnesia, how original of you to think so little during a fight," While I stood up I tapped my forehead. "May only have bits and pieces but, hehehe, pretty sure I still won most our fights, then again, you're still predict - gah!" She tackled me to the floor with such ferocity, pinning one of my arms with her hand, the others locked by the forearm. "'Predictable'? I'm a mercenary for a reason," She grinned down at me, licking the blood off her lips. "Getting me rilled up won't save you this time." "Did it ever," My fist wedged to her cheek as she pinned me with her knee. "I'm not done yet." "I never said I was either." "At it again I see," Our bodies froze with the colors slowly seeping from our bodies at the strict tone of voice. "And with such vigorous energy too, how wonderful." "Oh crap, it's Kal'tsit!" Our minds froze with possibly the same words. Standing above us was the woman in white and green herself, and with an aura so cold it might as well be turning us to ice in seconds. I've only ever felt this once but from where I did not know, but her body was frigid with a bright blue aura. Standing next to her was the exasperated partner of mine, Amiya, she was even pouting disapproving at me while my fist lodged itself against W's face and her foot was wedged against my stomach. "Doctor..." That was all Amiya had to say as we blinked twice up at Kal'tist, her arms crossed, finger tapping to her bicep. "Kaid, W, I do hope you two still have some energy, I do believe this damage to Rhodes Island will require a little more manpower than usual," Both of us raised our hands, trying to form an excuse before her eyes leered down. "Am I clear on the matter?" "Ah... transparently." Our fire died out quickly with a flat tone, and soon she walked away, all of my team looking around as though they weren't listening, well, say for one who was my student, he looked ready to make it worse. "And here I thought we'd actually see these lovebirds duke it out for real this time, aw well..." Null deflated beside Cardigan, herself giggling "I heard they did this alot when they grew up together long ago, so cute." After that I don't think being slapped across the face with Patriot's shield would be such a bad thing, actually, that might be a mercy, I couldn't even look at W now as I shoved her off my stomach. In return, her fist jabbed my side before Kal'tist could see. Some time passed and our progress was... okay, I guess. Neither of us were good at this work, although we spent most of our time just sitting there, watching the machines do all the work for us not saying a word. It wasn't... untrue what Null said, though the idiot could stand to use his inside voice, I just... W is... very complicated. Sitting at the edge of the elevated platform facing the blown apart wall I juggled with a small, amethyst crystal in my hand, feeling its power vibrate every time it grew closer to my palm, it felt really warm when it did. My eyes then glanced over at W. She kept her back to me just a meter away, and she was still, merely inspecting her grenade launcher inquisitively. "It still bothers me," Was her first words in almost an hour of mind-numbing boredom. "The whole fact you were him the whole time, tch, how stupid is that I never realized it sooner? You both were awkward messes," Her tone made it sound like she found herself pathetic, but that's not true. "And how many died and you can't recall? Bet that's a kick to the teeth." My eyes were downcast, reflecting off the crystal I rubbed my finger across. "Yeah... I hate it, because of what you said, I... I don't know, and that scares me," I heard her shuffle but I refused to look up from my frown. "I'm the 'Great and wise Doctor', tch, yeah right, I still don't believe that, or rather, not in the person I was before." Pausing a moment to reflect on it, I added. "You never bring it up, why now?" I felt my body tense as I found W's body pressed against my back, feeling her hair tickle my neck with a long-drawn sigh. "Don't know, call it nostalgia I guess," W chuffed hollowly at that, her head against mine. "I hate it, why'd it had to be you, of all the people in this world, it was you behind that mask I feel so... twisted about." It wasn't her fault. I never told her back then for fear of what I became, and now she's forced to try and move on, I wouldn't blame her if she didn't but I... she's... Running my hand through my hair I rested my back against hers. "Sorry, I really wish it was different-" "I don't." My eyes opened wider at that, her voice was strangely solemn, enough to draw my head around to meet her glowing, eyes like crackling embers. "I got my idiot friend back didn't I?" And that smile, how long since I've seen it this kind. Call it just a misdirection all you want, but this was her, my friend was still here, my... yeah, W was still there. Smiling at ease, I felt my head rest against her own, our eyes closed and that familiar, black tail wrapped between us. Not now, but maybe soon I'll get this off my chest, W is the reason I'm here now, and I won't let this second chance slip away again. After our lengthy silence. "Say, you think she's watching?" My mirthful tone combined with the feeling of W's eyebrow curving up told me she was more than aware. "Bet she's furious~" That almost made my stifled laugh escape. "Who cares, I certainly find the idea of someone watching exciting," Eh? That threw my head back as I felt a steady rise of blood to my face, W's fingers tip-toeing up my chest with a coy smile. "And for the record, my tail's sensitive if that wasn't obvious, Doctor~" "Please stop, W, W?" If I tried to get away she'd tease me more, if I gave in she'd win. What the hell do I do now!? My eyes felt like they were spinning as her gaze grew closer. ~*Sigh* I thought I said to fix the wall not... this!~ From the speakers above, Kal'tsit was indeed watching, can't imagine this was something she intended on observing, so, in typical fashion, W went in for the kill. I winced as she hopped into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck as I tried to ignore her... really attractive body against mine as best I could. "What's the matter, Kal'tsit? Jealous I get the strong, supportive Dr. Kaid all to myself, hehehe." She was enjoying this a whole lot more than me, that was certain. "God, someone kill me..." Today was a long day. Several days before 0-7 in Equestria... "Ugh wha - huh?" Aoi, who resided in the body of W startled herself awake, looking around only to realize she was still in bed, eyes peeled toward the large tarp that was draped over the section of the wall that was destroyed, her way of keeping the cold out. Looking down at her bare stomach, having stripped down to just her sports bra and panties. Astra was still nuzzled in beside her like a pet - though she'd admit that was the last thing she would ever title Astra as. "What a weird dream?" Sighing out a yawn and wiping the drool off her cheek, she stretched then tugged the blanket over her body again, snuggling against the warmth of her bed with the filly beside her. Soon, the strange dream faded from memory. To Be Continued... Author's Note Okay, I'll be honest, no idea why I did this. It spawned from a rare moment when my mind is... very destructive of my motives in life. Like, you ever kinda lose all that drive to do anything for a period of time and then your mind starts making you question everything you're doing? Your hobbies, your usage of time? It's... not something I have talked about easily, and a part of me wrote this in an attempt to clear that toxic mentality. I dunno, just... atleast something good came out of it I guess. Well, even if it's not connected to MLP (Sorry) I thought I'd share it here due to this being the only Arknights story on this site (Far as I'm aware). To sum up, just a funny/cute moment between the real W and the Doctor (You) with a few other characters in the background. I hope you enjoyed this random little bonus, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter, Renegades. P.S. The relationship between the Doc and W in this isn't canon, trust me, there's alot more complicated stuff going on. 0-8 She's Never WaryThe sun had set across the Everfree, a large thicket was cut away for a small camp set for the Royal Guard. Many patrolled the area to keep the dangerous creatures at bay though the pony's numbers certainly were a good deterrent. Under a tarp, Twilight helped Cliffheart, who was still bandaged up after their most recent battle with W, in determining the best course of action for the looming peaks of the ruined castle not far from the trail. "Are you certain she'll be there? This creature sure loves to run away from fights she starts," Cliffheart couldn't deny it though, a small part of him was on cloud nine, the first challenge to usurp his last job before becoming a part of the Royal Guard. The idea left him feeling like his first job when he was just a teen. Twilight nodded, rubbing her chin. "She's often seen hunting herself but always makes trips back here regularly, and... previous engagements left me... strained in investigating further," The taut tone of her voice, and the fact she winced at the words told Cliffheart all he needed to know. "...how did she even corral that many crocodiles in one place?" "Say what now?" Even a few guards behind them stopped to blink and stare at the purple unicorn, only for her to huff and shake her head. "Her impossibly ambitious traps aside, it's her explosives I'm worried about, and that stunt she pulled," It worried Twilight greatly, even Cliffheart. "That wasn't magic but... she was already so resilient to it before and then she just, I-I don't even know WHAT that was?" It was no lie that everypony present was tense, those that saw her display of magic. A whirlwind of metal that tore through their magic like paper. It was harrowing to think such a monster had abilities comparable to that of unicorns. She was a force of nature, a demon. "This is why we don't invest in stupid projects, 'kay?" W blinked as she closed off the trap that led down into the pit that was filled with sticky slime, only she accidentally lost a grenade and it kinda... made it into a fire pit? W's hindsight wasn't exactly stellar as she'd have liked, then again, she wasn't the real W, to begin with. "Okay then-" Pulling the lever, the doors shut, cutting off the smoke once her tail whisked most of it out of Astra's face while the filly coughed. "-new plan, much as roasted unicorn sounds like a nice meal, we've got too much heat to stay much longer." Her growl wasn't hidden by her strained grin. "They've got the place surrounded, clever, clever." "Why can't we fight out?" Astra asked, and W had to admit, she was loving how less timid the little pony became Ruffling her mane, W clicked her fingers. "No can do, best we can afford is to take a loss and try escaping, taking them on will only lead to them tailing us for miles, what we need is breathing room," It irked her to back down from a fight, but now she had a goal, and a real enemy to chase, she wasn't going to find the Merchant locked in chains. "Just say what's on your mind, kid, I won't bite." A strange face had remained plastered on Astra's snout ever since they ran from Ponyville. W was the first to admit emotions weren't her strong suit, heck, her own were a rampant mess on the best days. It was hard to imagine any of this made sense to Astra, how the filly remained silent for so long concerned W of her mental health, the last thing she wanted was for Astra to end up like her or worse. "I... I can't do anything right," The whitette admitted, lowering her head in shame, rubbing the floor with her hoof. "You took care of me, you hurt yourself for me, and... and I can't do anything to help." Her eyes were shaken, and W was left silent, face unreadable for the most part. There was a thought that passed through W's mind at times that left her breathless, fright and joy mingled together when it occurred. Kneeling down, her fist tapped lightly to Astra's chest, tapping with her index finger jutting out slightly. "Now you listen here, Astra," Her voice was stern and commanding, drawing the filly's eyes back to meet her ember orbs head-on. One thing came to mind, an old saying that kept W... no, kept Aoi moving every day, "Kid, you've got the makings of greatness in you," The words rolled, without doubt, confidence in every letter, and a genuine, proud smile on the Sarkaz woman's lips. Her hand waved wide, "You gotta take the reins someday, make your own path with or without me," Her fingers tapped the filly's heart, standing tall as Astra's wide-eyed stare never left W, "Stick to it, grit against the pain! And when the time comes, you'll get the chance to really test your mettle and show not just me but the world what you're made of!" Had it not been for her own fake confidence W might have stumbled over her words, but it was the truest words she could muster. Astra's face was ajar, a complete loss for words, or until she pressed her face against W's legs, nuzzling closer to the woman's body as best she could. W smiled gently, patting her head to gauge her eyes of any more doubt. "I just hope I can be there to see you light this world ablaze, kid." Clearing her throat, she scooted Astra along, the filly wiping something off her face. "Now, you know the plan, meetcha at the tower, kid." With a final nod, the little pony ran as fast as she could, waddling off with her backpack. Alone, W lost her smile, replaced with uncertainty while peering down at her open palm, the glove torn at the front, revealing her skin beneath. That power of hers... it left her second-guessing what she was exactly. "W can't use Arts, not that I know of... so why did that happen?" It wasn't a bad thing, more questions she needed answered eventually, it just annoyed her she had to wait so long. "Well, no use crying over spilled milk, better set the stage, hehehe..." Her toothy smile returned, and she picked up her cloak. "Wanna fight me, come get me, little ponies~" Not long after devising a capture plan, Twilight and Cliffheart led their team into the ruins familiar to the studious mare. It was strange being back to the place she and her friends found the Elements and battled the darkness that consumed Princess Luna. Sadly, she felt angry, for a monster tainted that memory and this place, turning it into their nest. It may have been a bunch of broken walls and empty rooms, but it was still something significant to her. "Um, Twilight?" Cliffheart poked the mare out of her daydream once they entered through the crooked doorway leading into the throne room. To her gasped shock, and the murmurs of the ponies behind them, the throne was occupied. It boiled her blood, seeing that toothy smirk glaring back at her amethyst eyes. "Look who was waiting." "I can see that thanks," She snorted, horn beginning to glow brightly, even as W sat there, left cheek upon her fist propped on the armrest, her wail wagging as if to wave at the ponies mockingly from atop the throne. "Ah, have you come to bow to your Queen? You shouldn't have," She mocked with a cackle that riled up the Guards while W stretched, leaning her right hand against the top of her weapon. "Bet I'd make a great monarch, atleast I'd do something besides sitting on my ass all day pretending like I know everything, tch, and that Princess of yours calls herself a ruler," W giggled almost hysterically at the idea. "Oh God, that's gotta be annoying for Luna!" "Shut your mouth, beast!" One Guard snapped, only for his throat to hitch as a silver blade struck the seam in the tiles just before his hooves. This frightened many to backing away, afraid it may be another one of her explosives. W hummed a tune at their fright, making a 'Pop' sound that made them almost piss themselves. "Ahahahaha, I love this..." She cooed, leaning forward. "So, Sparkle Butt, want to try listening now? Or am I not decent enough to have a proper conversation with, hmm?" Every fiber of W's being wanted to blow the Princess's favorite pony up but sadly she knew better than to bring the complete attention of the monarch on her head, and besides, she was corrupted too just like Applejack, she was just as much a pain in W's ass as she was a victim. "No!" Twilight stopped her hoof. "You attack innocent ponies and threatened their lives, you hurt Rainbow Dash and me, and Cliffheart, and so many more!" Those eyes were filled with anything but friendship. "You took that filly and... and-" "-Told her to say those things?" W lost her smile for a distasteful frown, almost disgusted by the ponies. She even removed her cheek from her fist. "Can you tell me with certainty that you believe that every word from her mouth was a lie? That her voice hitched with malice or deceit? That her body twitched with worry or fright?" She leaned forward. "Well? Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, can you?" She wavered, "I - but she-" The Sarkaz's eyes narrowed, she saw it, uncertainty. People and ponies were very much alike. All give off bodily functions to indicate lies, maybe a habit they've picked up or that fact they are too honest for their own good, it was all too easy to pull apart once you've seen and heard so many pretty little lies wrapped up as truths. "-No," Closing her eyes, her magic expanded, so did Cliffheart's. "I won't be tricked, not this time..." Silence reigned, and W's smile twisted, not with malice but sickly joy. A small part of her wanted this just to end, peacefully if need be. Sadly, all she could feel in that moment was an insatiable desire to burn the disgusting stains from her sight - The Merchant's manipulation be damned. "...Then you've already lost any and all respect I had left for you," W's eyes blazed with hatred. "This is for degrading me to this point, you bitch." Her tail flicked out her detonator and she quickly pressed one of the black buttons, signifying the start of her game. "HAHAHAHA - BOOM!" *BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!* The floor suddenly lost its footing under several ponies, many dodged to the sides or ran for cover. The dust concealing the fact many pitfalls had opened up under the weakened floor, leaving a number of ponies stuck down in cramped pits. Twilight was helped up by Cliffheart, his magic discharging with many others toward the throne. W slipped behind the chair and rolled for the stairwell leading up to a spiral staircase located in a tower. "Dammit!" Cliffheart sighed, waving to his guards. "Help the others escape, three of you come with me and Twilight, do not let her escape!" "Right!" The trio and Twilight replied, following the ex-hunter toward the stairway where he threw half of his bo-staff into the hall, triggering a wire across the mid-section of the doorway, making the door retract and almost smack him in the face, his magic catching his discarded polearm and the door by the hinges. "Tch, typical, all flare no substance." He mused, motioning for them to follow his hoofsteps "Coming from you, that hurts - long journal entry about that one tonight," The ponies all gasped once a chandelier smashed between them, the pointed tail flicking around to tug a spear from one of the Guard's magic to slap Twilight across the cheek and into the wall. Using the element of surprise, W leapt over two bolts of magic, spearing the ground and using the flexible polearm to flick herself across the narrow yet tall hallway and toward a corner. Landing on both feet she stuck her tongue out and used a knife to cut another rope. "Cliff!" Twilight reacted in an instant, erecting a shield over his body to block the several chairs, tables, and stools that were suspended in a net against the ceiling. The darkness of the hallway made it almost impossible to see. The many pieces of furniture shattered on contact, and W's tail slipped away up the spire, her cackling reverberating off the walls. "Are you alright?" Cliffheart blinked, looking to Twilight before sighing a smile, nodding. "I will once we wipe that smug look off her face - Let's move, and watch your step, the traps are clearly meant to be obvious, she wants us to take our time," As he spoke he kicked his polearm out, the carpet bending downward where it stood out like a sore thumb. The floor then collapsed into another pit. "See?" The Guards and Twilight all awed at the insight of the ex-hunter, and he led them forward quickly and carefully. The group cautiously approached a flight of spiral stairs snaking around a pillar, it was the only way forward to the rest of the ruins. Taking the vanguard, Cliffheart rose up the staircase with Twilight and the Guards, all careful not to step further than their commander who's eyes locked to every step, checking the cracks and any seams that had been tampered with. It was all basic one-oh-one trap placement. He chuffed, smirking at the lack of effort. "She's either placed all her cards in confusing us in the main chamber or she's not as smart as I gave her credit for." Cliffheart's smile began to falter once light reached their eyes, and a gleam of ember orbs met his started gaze head-on. "Yah!" "Hello there," W grinned ear-to-ear, kicking a plank out from a large barrel beside her and Astra. Twilight and Cliffheart both yelled in fright while the guards attempted to retreat but it was far to late. The large wave of slime swept them off their hooves. The four tumbled down the stairway again, slimed and slippery while W's laughter could be heard all the way down. She clutched her stomach, wiping a tear from her eye. "That was great! Dear God, did you see the utter look of panic in his face!?" W giggled, stumbling down into the open air of a balcony alongside Astra, the filly hiding her smile behind her copy-cat scarf of W's. "Now, please keep all hooves, horns, wings, and tails within the frame of the slide at all times." W motioned to the right where the wall had broken off, revealing the makeshift slide of wood, bark, and an assortment of materials that held together against the side of the castle. It wasn't pretty but it was sure better and far more exciting than just some ladder or staircase. Astra nodded and quickly hopped down the slide, slipping away as the slope steepened, building her velocity down into the thicket of the jungle below. Hearing grunts and slippy hooves behind her, W gave a curious middle finger and leapt back-first onto the slide with a cheer. "I... really hate her," Twilight huff, wiping the slime off her muzzle with Cliffheart nodded breathlessly beside her. The two Guards were out cold so all that was left were the pair of them to chase the Sarkaz Mercenary down. "Let's go before we run into another surprise!" "Why a slide though?" Cliffheart hummed, testing it with a hoof, then shrugged. "Well, certainly more practical as an escape than a ladder or staircase I suppose." "Don't give her credit!" Twilight nudged with her hoof, Cliffheart smirked. "Force of habit, my old life is just giddy at the idea of a new challenge is all - off we go!" He took the lead, sliding down on all fours hooves with Twilight copying to an amateur's degree Closer to the end of the slide, W ducked from the surprising ambush of a pegasus from above in a broken window. W smirked, spinning around to grab him by the forehooves, slamming the dumb winged pony into the side of the castle, another narrowly missing her tail's flick, only to be backhanded when she twirled around, grabbing the edge of a wooden beam to swing herself into a large gaping maw under the castle wall. Astra waiting atop the old debris for the whitette. "Love that slide," W grinned, patting Astra's head as the pair took off, turning only to see Cliffheart slam into the wall that marked the end of the slide, Twilight flattening him in the process. "Pfft hahahaha!" If W was honest with herself, this was the most fun she's had annoying the ponies that had been nothing but thorns in her backside. "Another point to this sexy asset, hehe." "Miss W, we did it, right?" Astra inquired, the filly sliding down the mossy brickwork beside a small staircase leading deeper into the dark, damp dungeon chamber, W skipping down the steps. The dungeon was wide with a low-bearing ceiling, makeshift torches lit the way forward, toward a natural cave that led to their desired escape. Behind them, W quickly pulled Astra into her arms, using her cloak to obscure them both once a magenta bolt of magic pierced the cloth. "Almost, kid," Setting Astra down behind her, W took her stand at the vanguard, holding out her grenade launcher. Cliffheart stood at the foot of the stairs, Twilight's horn basking them all in an amethyst hue from the top of the steps. Waving one hand, the mercenary smiled. "Seems we're at an impasse - si that what you're thinking?" "You can't keep running," Cliffheart grunted, spinning his polearm around like it was some vain attempt at intimidation. Neither Astra nor W bought it. Leaning forward with a callous smirk, W rebuttal came sharply. "Oh, I most certainly can-" Her arm fanned out to the dripping walls of the ruined underground. "Equestria's a big place, lots of strange creatures in lots of strange places - Be hard to find me to impress your precious Teacher, wouldn't it, Sparkle Butt?" The purple mare's face lit with rage. "Don't insult Princess Celestia like-" Her words her cut by W's boisterous laughter, hand to her lips to mock in a high-and-might pitch "'Princess'? Wonder why she holds that title and not 'Queen' or 'Empress'? I'll tell you why," W huffed, inspecting the faded red texture on her nails. "It's because she's a useless, lazy, incompetent monarch who relies on bratty ponies who think they're so special because they got their hooves on some fancy, shiny trinkets." W cooed with enough venom to poison the air. Twilight looked ready to burst into flames, even Cliffheart's face was locked into a furious stare-off. "You're not some great heroes, you're just another colorful manifestation of people with power - it's your word against the victim's but everyone will take the side of the 'Heroes of Equestria' won't they?" Twilight's ears flattened, W shrugged. "But hey, I'm no better." W's frown emerged, allowing her grenade launcher to swing against her hip while raising her hands high, challenging them, noticing the subtle flicker of confliction in Twilight's eyes. This was what she waited for. "'Friendship'? Not everyone in the world shares the sentiment, and you haven't even seen the kinds of oppression and conflict that go on out there, have you?" Her words were like a snake bite, sinking deeper into Twilight's mind further and further. The mercenary shook her head, "How far do you plan to go with your 'Friendship'? For someone like me, who's had the whole world turned against her, and for the person you've become, what exactly do you intend to do? Fight me? Help other races? The whole world?" With wide eyes, W stepped back, lifting up her weapon. "I want to know if these are the idealistic and starry-eyed dreams you promised your dear ol' Teacher to achieve, what would she really do once the truth gets out? When the lies are all finally brought down? What will she think of her dear student then and her friends?" "That's enough!" Cliffheart lunged, only to be blindsided by a wall of smoke, blotting out W's view of Twilight's saddened and hesitant face. Through the veil, W raised her weapon high, finger taut against the trigger. "Grah, where did...?" Cliifheart tripped due to the snaking tail, using a small force blast of magic to clear the plume, revealing W with her weapon poised toward the ceiling. "Ah-." The burning embers in the woman's eyes never lost their fire, but that rage simmered with a neutral analysis of Twilight's features, "Hey, I'm not trying to look down on anyone. but the sooner you start to wake up and see how your world ain't so black and white, the better off you'll be - tch, that's the last time I offer advice for free, got that?" Then she lifted a finger, "Oh, one more thing," A smile adorned her face, fanged sharp and on display. "Don't fuck around with a Sarkaz Mercenary." *BOOM* The grenade splashed against the earthy ceiling above, sending a series of deep tremors through the earth, slabs of concrete and particles of dirt falling from cracks that began to split and widen from the flaming obstruction. Soon, the whole ceiling came crashing down, dividing the chamber between the two groups. Twilight and Cliffheart erecting barriers to fend off loose rocks that fell atop them. Meanwhile, W lifted Astra, fleeing into the cave system ahead, following the rush of a stream not far from the exit tunnel. "All aboard," W hummed, stepping into the small boat tied to a rock against the river bank. It wasn't fancy but it didn't leak... after many attempts. Strange how easy it was for W to handle complex explosive devices but when it came to making a boat you might as well have told her to overthrow Equestria with a blindfold on. "Next stop - out of this Godforsaken forest." "Can they find us now?" Astra pipped up while snuggling closer into a blanket they brought with them to stay warm on their long meander downstream. W smiled and cut the rope, pulling it with them to cover their tracks. "I dunno, all of it's a gamble, best we stick to the river for a while to be sure," It wasn't the best solution but they needed to move, otherwise, the Merchant would get away. "We've gotta find him, maybe figure out stuff instead of always playing Guess Who." "What's 'Guess Who'?" That simmered W's irked mind a little while directing them with a wooden paddle fashioned from driftwood. "Nothin' important, kid, just get some sleep," Keep her voice low and assertive. W focused solely on the river ahead, content to allowing the young filly her rest with the events that transpired today. All of it left a sour taste in her mouth, one she was happy to rinse off now that they were moving. "...goodnight... m-mo..." Astra soon fell into her slumber, exhausted from the running and chasing. This left W to feel her distant eyes grow wide, looking down on the snoozing filly with her head against their bags and a blanket nuzzled over her body. For the longest time, the stream carried them, allowing W to stare and stare toward the young pony left in her care. "Did she... was that..." Her throat felt dry, unable to speak while her heart picked up dramatically. For the first time since arriving in this crazy world, losing herself as W the Mercenary. Aoi let a smile touch her lips. "Sleep tight, Astra." Humming along to the beat in her head, she sailed them deeper into the Everfree, their destination unknown. To Be Continued... Author's Note If you can guess where the modified quote came from, I applaud you. W, as I said, is quite literally insane, but since Aoi's mentality is present she's more empathic, atleast with Astra. So I felt they needed a moment like this. Besides that, this was just a middle finger to Twilight and Cliffheart, won't be seeing them for a while now, haha! Well, that ends Castle of Glass, now to somehow structure a story from this point onward... I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter, renegades! Next Chapter: Do What I Told Ya Free at last from the Everfree, W and Astra make camp near the highlands of an old mine. Unfortunately, they are given a job by its occupants, much to W's chagrin. 0-9 Do What I told YaNightfall was encroaching fast across the wilderness of Equestria. The bank of a river steadily flowed not far from the rocky terrain that began to rise, reaching toward the rich mountains filled with precious stones and crystals, Rambling Rock Ridge. It bordered the very last tress of the Everfree not too far away. However, surprisingly for the desolate region, a fire steadily flickered among some of the boulders, two shadows sitting by the fire. "A human...?" The figure murmured, taken back by the strange woman with white hair that they could easily mistake as the moonlight. Slowly, they slipped back behind the rocks before neither noticed the eyes watching them omnivorously. "-I think I can see your aura better," Astra added, squinting so tightly W almost mistook her for trying to set the Sarkaz on fire. "Like... um, it's red but I can see other stuff too." "My emotions I'm guessing?" W surmised, turning the fish she caught around on its stick to cook it evenly. "Yeah, Seers typically have this strange ability to see souls, nothing fancy but it makes for a good lie detector." Astra's ears fell flat. "...why are you sad?" This caused W to flinch, and quite noticeably too. "Is it... about Miss Twilight? Or the Guards?" "All of the above really," The woman admitted with solemn eyes. "I never asked to become public enemy number one, that Merchant's gone and ruined any and all chances they'd listen to me now, so we're on our own." "I don't understand..." W looked to the downcast filly, her eyes looming over the book in front of her given by Zecora. "They did nothing wrong and were turned against you, and all you've done is help everyone, it's not fair..." Listening to this, W chuckled dryly, reaching around the flames to ruffle her mane, offering her sharp smile. "Often the things we want most are the hardest to reach," Leaning back to look up at the dark sky, W pondered a little on the Merchant before adding. "Doesn't matter, once we find that bastard we'll fix this, and I'll help you find your memories too." That made Astra gasp slightly, looking up at the Sarkaz with wondrous eyes. "Tch, you'd think I'd forget about that? Who do you think I am, kid?" "N-no, I-I just..." She turned red slightly upon seeing W's knowing grin through the flames. "I want to help too..." "You've already helped me, don't you see that?" "You're trying to carry the world on your own, I get that but don't worry about that just now," Patting her flexed arm, W admired her body's toned features. "May not look it but I'm one durable woman, I can take a few hits for ya." Her antenna twitched, and her fingers coiled around the handle of her grenade launcher. "Speaking of..." She kicked up the dirt and held the wide muzzle against the tip of a rough, stone spear. "...I've really had a bad day, so please, just try and make it worse, smartass...es?" By now, W noticed that the one creature wasn't alone, in fact, there were several bipedal creatures standing by the rocks, holding makeshift weapons. "Astra, stand close." "Mmmhmm," She hugged W's legs while the Diamond Dogs approached the campfire, all hesitant at the woman's snapping tail and crackling eyes, not to mention the metal object she held out before them. The little pony's eyes flickered around the crowd, hesitant before both her silver orbs widened at the flakes of dark blue smothering their forms. "...they're scared." W chuffed, glaring back at the leader holding the spear against the rim of her launcher. "Heh, guess they're smarter than they-" "No... of something else, it scared them away," She whispered, and W hesitated, realizing her finger was a hairpin away from setting off a bloodbath. Her aim never faltered, and her voice struck with scorn. W sighed, exasperated, "Really making this harder, kid - alright, what's it you want, mutts? Kinda want to rest after being evicted from my home," Much as she wasn't happy about the idea of living in ruins all her life the Castle was still a safe haven for her to be just normal, or as normal as a Sarkaz Mercenary can be. The one in front, who wore an eyepatch over his scarred, right eye grunted. "Horn-Lady and Little Pony in Diamond Dog territory, you go!" He huffed, electricity forming between his eye and W's, other Diamond Dogs, and even Astra grimacing at the fact. "I don't see your name on this rock, Patches," She snapped back, both weapons taut. Quickly, Astra scrambled between them, though her light shoving only succeeded in drawing their eyes down briefly. "P-please, wait, why are you scared, Mister?" Looking once more to the filly's big, silver eyes, the lead Diamond Dog folded his ears back, growling lowly. "Please?" "Hrm... black creatures swarm mines, hurt tough Diamond Dogs, we tougher but they so many, so we flee, injured and... scared," That last part was a struggle for it to get out. Now, W glared around and noticed that they weren't all built to fight, some were clearly hurt, and others didn't have any real idea how to use the weapons they carried. "It's like they just handed a weapon to whoever could walk straight," Steeling her glare, W lowered her weapon. "Fine, what's going on, and what do you mean 'Black Creatures'? 'Cause right now, sounds a little racist on my end." The scarred Diamond Dog lowered his own spear, looking up at the dark cliffs ahead. "Creepy slugs and spiders that go boom shake caves, ruin shiny stones, and attack Diamond Dogs," His foot stomped sharply. "We crush Black Creatures! But... they keep growing," His eye flickered with fright. "They hurt many, we afraid to lose more..." "The Infected..." W sighed, rubbing her chin while eyeing Astra's concerned look for the Diamond Dogs around them. Much as W hated to admit it, they were all in the same boat. "Oi, patches-" To her amusement, the patched Diamond Dog turned to her, spotting her fanged smile as her tail poked in his direction. "Let's make a contract - a deal to be simple - I clear out the Black Creatures, and you let Horn-Lady and Little Pony go, sound fair?" A few that heard her declaration murmured and grunted among themselves, Patches seemed to take a keen interest in her words, looking around. "You help Diamond Dogs?" She shrugged, rubbing the tip of her right horn. "So long as you keep your end of the bargain and let us go, I won't add you to the list of pest control, get me?" She received a blank stare, realizing her colorful threat flew over them. Rubbing a hand down her face, she ignored Astra's slight giggle. "Ugh... I will help you, yes - Do, We. Have. A. Deal?" The red tick above W's head was becoming prevenient. Patches nodded hastily, "Diamond Dogs okay with deal, we let Horn Lady and Little Pony go, remove Black Creatures for Diamond Dogs!" "Keep calling me that name and I'll call you roadkill..." Shaking her murmur under her breath, W turned to Astra, holding out one of her grenades, that being a smoke grenade. "Take it, kid 'till I get back." Seeing this, then W's serious face, Astra shook her head. "B-but I want to help, please?" Much as it warmed the merc's heart to hear that, she smiled and ruffled her mane. "I haven't said it since Ponyville, but thanks kid, for sticking your neck out for me," This made her tilt her head, W handing her the grenade, seeing it plop into her hooves. "You've helped me more than I think I'm willing to admit right now - so trust me to get this done - and if need be, use this to come find me, got it?" Although hesitant, Astra slowly complied to W's wishes, allowing the cloaked Mercenary to stand, passing a sharp glance to the patched Diamond Dog. "One last thing-" By now, the Diamond Dog felt his blood freeze upon the cold sensation of W's knife pressed against his collarbone, the angle behind the boulder obscuring the sight as W leaned in, eyes burning into the Dog's ice-blue orb. "-You pluck even a hair from her head, and you'll wish the Infected tore yourself and your kind apart." Not bothering for his reply, W relinquished her blade and grabbed her rucksack, beginning to make the climb toward the caves across the highlands. "Stay safe, Astra." Was her silent prayer to the innocent little filly. The caves running through Rambling Rock Ridge were large enough for many to fit through, or a single, unhinged mercenary. Lighting wasn't an issue, the many deposits of crystals lit the tunnels in a shade of light blue. Magic coursed through the earth and into the minerals, some grew in smaller clusters of pinks and yellows. Many boulders and veins along the walls glimmering with precious metals. It astounded W extensively while running her hand across the wall to her left, following the pathway like a maze, hugging the left-hand walls past old mineshaft supports and rusted rail tracks. "Had this place existed back home, not even a grain would be left," W's voice reverberated off the damp walls, turning left again to see the path ahead stretch endlessly on a railway, and a lone cart just begging to be ridden. One thing she had to admire about Equestria was their lack of need to consume beyond what's necessary, to places like this hold no value other than to be spectacles for travelers. "Tch, those mutts sure picked a nice home - grah - maybe I'll grab something for... Astra!" After giving the old minecart one last heave the wheels groaned and snapped off the grime clogging their wheels. Quickly, W hopped inside and tucked her arms in to avoid the low-bearing beams and rock formations. Soon, she began to pick up speed on the slight slope encroaching ahead. The minecart chugged along the old tracks once more, the wind combing through W's hair while she held her hand atop her antenna, inspecting the road ahead for any sudden cuts in the line. The glow of crystals flew by like strobe lights, flinging her left and right around sharp bends she sure would have thrown her out if she wasn't careful. A bright light quickly encapsulated her, blinding the woman as the crystals refracted off each other, piercing from the walls and ceiling of a massive, excavated cavern, the railway stretching across a rigidity bridge. Mounds of rock and dirt lined the many levels the quarry was excavated between, going down several layers, expanding outward ahead of her. While the minecart slowed its crawl across the bridge, W's eyes widened considerably at the sight below. Hugging the back wall of the cavern was a large protrusion of onyx rock, the formation jagged, jutting from the earth like a sore thumb. The dark texture was semitransparent in the pitch under the crystals. Many were mutated, turning a saturated honeycomb color. Surrounding the crystal were many arachnid-like Slugs, their abdomens swollen dark red while they crawled around a few normal variants of themselves. One, however, stood out the most. Clad in dark greys and white barding, clutching a longsword now fused by Originium crystals growing across the wrist, a mask covering what was once a human underneath, its breathing heavy by how its hunched form rose and fell with every second W slipped by, coming to stop at the other end of the bridge. But the horns and tail distinguished the creature to the silverette. "It's a Sarkaz Mercenary like me?" "Color me impressed, didn't think they were around in the game..." Stepping quietly out of the minecart W crawled toward the edge of the cliff, analyzing the cavern below. The whole host of Infected seemed to be drawn to the massive Originium crystal, guarding it. W had never seen them act this way before, what was the Merchant up to? She shrugged, tugging out several C4 bundles while pulling the pin on a grenade with her teeth. "Party time, hehehe..." She 'dropped' the grenade into a small growth of blue crystals below, seeing it clattering between the minerals while slipping back to hide from the blast. She couldn't help but grin at the carnage to ensue. *BOOM-SHATTER!* The whole cavern became refracted by blue particles and shards of crystal that showered down on the unsuspecting Infected. W ran across the bridge again, unloading payloads of high explosive ordinance with a satisfying 'thunk' every time. The red Slugs and their arachnid counterparts all scattered, some blown into red paste while the spiders exploded upon death, destroying more crystal deposits and leaving behind small craters. The Sarkaz Infected looked to W, sporting her twisted smile while raining hellfire from above. Turning, it dug the edge of its blade across the soil, approaching the base of the bridge, ignoring the chaos that erupted around it. Up above, W kept up her dance with an inferno raging below. Her constant bombardment was enough to fend off any of the Slugs that drew too close to the support beams below, just the railway she balanced on was groaning in protest due to age. Her eyes ensured to pick her targets carefully, firing grenades into the explosive Slugs as their bodies aided in destroying the newer growths of Originium. "It'll take alot to bring that larger crystal down, better make this quick - Sarkaz are easily infected by this stuff." Pivoting on her heels, her iron-sights were locked to the large crystal, intending on weakening the mineral. Her trigger finger was taut, then misfired under the sudden sway of the bridge, launching the grenade across the cavern and into the wall. "What the hell...?" Looking down, her eyes narrowed at the sight of the Sarkaz Blademaster as he tore his mutated blade through one of the support beams, dividing the metal cast that bound the wood together. "Ah, crap!" One section of the bridge began to snap and bend under the loss of foundation, swinging toward the right as W ran across the bending portion, leaping down into a roll as dust and broken remains of timber flew past her eyes. She couldn't see in the plume of dust, but her ears snapped at the subtle disturbance of rock. Rolling forward, the blade passed over her, barely missing her tail while it wrapped itself around her waist. Swinging her arm outward the barrel was deflected by a blade, disarming her as the silverette backpedaled from a thrust as it sliced her cheek. The dust began to settle, revealing the Blademaster as it swayed toward her, scraping the tip off the ground while W's eyes flicked to her discarded launcher, then to the Sarkaz Infected. Grinning with a slight chuckle, she withdrew her own dagger, inverting it. "You're a funny one," Then her fangs were brandished. "Come and cut me up then!" They rushed each other, the Infected thrusting his katana towards W's chest, yet she effortlessly evaded it while the Infected continued the violent offensive. One did come close, W leapt back, allowing the Infected to strike at her chest but with the mere centimeter of the katana sliding against her jacket's hem she parried the attack, striking with a solid kick to the stomach. Breaking into a low sprint, W slid under a horizontal cross and gouged out a large chunk from the Infected's thigh, pinching her fingers into the dirt to rise with a powerful slash to the shoulder blade. Flipping over the Infected sweeping blade W pressed her boot to its crown, slamming it down into the dirt with all her body weight, kicking the mutant across the cavern while her antenna trembled at the skittering sound plaguing her eardrums. Diving to her right, one of the Infused Slugs erupted in a gooey sludge, another scampering toward her. "Hmph," Dropping a grenade at her left foot she reeled her leg back and punted the device until it jammed itself in one of the bulging abdomen cracks. The inferno of gold and tiger overtook the Slug, and W winced as one of the smaller ones prodded her shin with a spike, instantly earning a kick and blade through the crown. "Little rat - ah..." Rubbing the sore spot she winced as blood tipped her fingers. Swinging her dagger down to the left, she severed two legs off a pouncing spider as it flew by her face. Grabbing a broken crystal she rammed the point forward like a spear, impaling another behind her while running to avoid the blast. She smashed her left fist through another arachnid's stomach, kicking backward to throw one of the grounded ones into a group, seeing the chain reaction of unstable Originium go off like fireworks. Bits struck her body but not once did the Mercenary flinch, eyes trained on the lack of a visible, human Infected. W twirled around, withdrawing several throwing knives that made their homes in the corpses of disintegrating Slugs. Panting, W still had to destroy the Originium formation. Questions of why it was down here and how ran rampant through her head, still drunk on the excitement of combat briefly. "Here goe - ah!" The silverette threw herself onto a knee, blocking the vertical slash from the Infected Sarkaz, itself growling at her determination to evade the inevitable. Or until it swept her left foot with its own tail, grabbing the scruff of her shirt, slicing her wrist when she used her bare arm to deflect its bladed hand. The Infected snarled, flinging her headfirst into the dirt, watching as her body contorted in many painful angles, landing in a heap under a pile of large, blue crystals, leg pinned and dagger imbedded in the ground far from her reach. W moaned under the rubble, attempting to move the wedged mineral to no avail, even while the Infected Blademaster loomed, carving a delicate line through the earth. "Shit, this... isn't how I saw this unfolding." With a furrowed brow, W kept trying to move and wiggle under the weight but sadly, her 'inhuman' strength wasn't as big of an advantage as she's claimed. "Think, W, what about that stunt before, back in Ponyville?" Looking down at her hands, she felt... wrong. Arts, there was no mistaking the strange, otherworldly feeling, it was like magic but it wasn't, something of a variant maybe. W, as far as what Aoi knew, couldn't use Arts, she used weapons that were manufactured for Arts but never her own. What exactly did the Merchant do to her body? Thinking back on that day, how did W pull that off to begin with? Astra was crying, and she was being accused with no hope of escape. "I felt... scared, suffocated... furious," Clenching her fists, practically ignoring the looming threat of the Infected before her. W's eyes were hazy, focused solely on that feeling again, the idea of being treated like some monster, all of this anger was not just toward the Elements, but to Him, the Merchant. "The only reason I'm here is because of him. So many others have probably suffered the same or worse fates than me. That wasn't fair, to me, to them, to anyone! So why do I have to keep putting up with his bullshit!?" Grinding her teeth together, W felt her whole body become riled up with rage, her blood was boiling over. She bit her cheek, tasting copper while straining her lower muscles against the crystals. Then it came, the feeling of weightlessness washed over her like a calm before a storm, and with a sudden, moonlight blur, a smaller whirlwind of metallic force shaved the minerals around her, fracturing the illuminated crystals with a warcry. Stumbling onto her feet, it was clearly not as strong as the last time, but that didn't matter. Grinning with blood-stained teeth and malice burning in her eyes, W snapped. "Disappear, get the hell... out of my way!!" Her voice tore through the cavern. W tackled the Infected by the waist, plunging to smaller knives through its jugular, hacking and slashing at the pale skin through the torn barding, enjoying every second of its spilled, blood staining her body as though it were paint. Shoving her knee against its abdomen, W procured a small C4 charge from her belt, shoving the sticky device against the Sarkaz's faceplate, outright refusing to acknowledge the blade that sliced at her hip, then her shoulder. "Boom, hehehe." She gave it one last wink and kicked the Infected aside, its back pressed to the main Originium mineral. *Beep* The Infected barely had time to react to the sudden wave of searing heat that consumed its head, blowing the Infected body to pieces in a crimson blaze before W's satisfied eyes. Letting how a heavy breath, her body slumped slightly, sadly, her work wasn't done, even with the cavern practically another explosion away from falling apart. Cracking her knuckles, W ignored her injuries and grabbed her rucksack, pulling out several more C4 slabs. "No rest for the wicked, eh?" Later that night, W startled Astra and the Diamond Dogs surrounding the fire by throwing a few shards of the crystals she destroyed into the fire, turning the once orangy-yellow tone a shade of royal blue. "There, sealed off the cavern, so long as you don't dig in that area anymore you shouldn't find anything - no promises though," She wasn't some scientist, she didn't know if simply reducing the Originium to dust would solve the problem, or be a temporary solution. "Your welcome, Patches." Though her cynical tone said otherwise. "Horn Lady bleeding," The eye-patched Dog grunted, pointing to her many fresh wounds that had clotted over during that time. Hearing this, Astra rushed to W's side, just as the merc took a seat with a sigh. "Are you okay?" The pleading silver eyes locked to W, and the woman let her guard down somewhat, thankful she was unharmed. "Told ya I'd get it done, right? And a few cuts and bruises are just a little reminder of that," Shrugging off the buzzing pain that did permeate across her body, W locked eyes with the lead Diamond Dog. "No survivors I could find, just dust and Infected." It whined lowly but looked assured. "Diamond Dogs keep deal, Horn Lady and Little Pony can go later, nightfall still long." Much as W hated it, he was right, and she was far too exhausted to worry about leaving now. "Diamond Dogs thank, Horn Lady - Little Pony nice too." "Is that so?" Looking to Astra, the filly shook her head bashfully, hiding the smoke grenade as W snatched it back. "I-I just helped them rest t-that's all, and... kinda said stuff about you," She looked at W as if awaiting to be scolded by her parent. W blinked slowly, then eyed 'Patches'. "Oh? And what might that be?" She inquired in a neutral pitch. Two Diamond Dogs spoke up behind Patches, expressing actions with their fists. "Horn Lady tough, beat stupid ponies up for being rude!" "Horn Lady can make big booms of fire with her hands!" Another then added, waving its spear high. "Horn Lady fought gold ponies too, made them look stupid, hahaha!!" Hearing all this praise of her talents, not a single lick of scorn or distrust. How Astra managed to lift the spirits of a group of scavengers with exaggerated stories of her battles with Ponyville and the Royal Guard. It made an honest laugh escape W's lips, and a faint blush rising to her cheeks with a toothy smile. "Haha! Yeah, you heard that right, mutts!" She wrapped her good arm around Astra's neck, hugging her closely. "I kicked those stuck-up ponies to the curb! Made them all fear me too!" Many took heed of her challenging words with excited murmurs. Getting comfortable, W grinned as the campfire illuminated her face with a devilish tint, arm wide toward the stary sky. "You want to hear more? Then listen up!" ///Act II - Boulevard of Broken Dreams\\ To Be Continued... Author's Note So starts a new act, much is to come in this one as we cover the major chunk of the story that I'm totally not making up as a go along . I really can't thank you all enough for liking this so far, I'll do my best as always. Hope you enjoyed it, appreciate the support, seeya in the next chapter, Renegades! Next Chapter: Reflection Leaving the Diamond Dogs behind, W and Astra press for the town nearest Canterlot, Hoofprint, and proceed to cut through a large forest that overtakes the rest of the journey. But they are not alone. 1-0 ReflectionContinuing their journey, W carried Astra on her back while holding the book out for the filly to read, the merc solely focused on the dirt road ahead of them. Since they departed from the Diamond Dogs, Astra had learned from a few books about medicine and helped patched W up after her battle, much to the surprise of the silverette. "So, when were you gonna tell me about your little trick in medical?" Her teasing voice snapped the pony out of her trance, feeling her shuffle against W's back. "Miss Zecora gave it to me, b-before Ponyville was attacked," The shy filly replied. "I wanted to help so I learned about medicine and other stuff..." That earned her a small pat on the head from W's tail, the woman's smile facing ahead as they came across several ponies ahead. "Look at you, growing up so fast under my nose," W's cheeky eyes caught a glimpse of Astra's bashful face and the tiny smile that appeared. "Just keep readin', I got this." Steeling her nerves, W put all the swagger she had into calmly strolling by the ponies communing with a trader of sorts. "What's going on in this neck of the woods?" "Are you kidding me?" The pony in complete plate mail armor sounded aggravated, waving a used sword in his magic at the cloaked merchant. A part of W flinched at the sight but relaxed once she saw it was just another pony. "I went through hell and back to hunt the Fowl Beast to protect everypony in Hoofprint, including your blue ass!" He then jabbed a hoof at the unfazed merchant. "And all I got for it is a bloody toothpick sword that's weaker and lower quality than the one I already got!?" "It is quite a rare specimen." A moment later, W nearly choked on her own laugh as the knight's team jumped in to hold the pony back from tearing the merchant apart, yelling nonsense and cursing so loud everyone from Canterlot and beyond could probably hear him. "He's very short-tempered," Astra murmured in W's ear while they passed them by, the snickering Sarkaz skipping along into the roofed forest ahead. "That's probably not all he's short with." While W cackled loudly to herself, Astra's brow rose, attempting to understand what made the pony's lack of height so humorous? She even murmured down at her own hooves wrapped around W's shoulders. "But I'm small too?" Sadly, neither noticed the cloaked figure resting their back against the opposite side of a tree, head tilting upward once they pass by without picking up on their presence. With a bend of their posture, their body left the ground with a silent brush of the wind and a rustle of leaves. The forest was gigantic, radiant, and primal. Its canopy was almost darkened by the trees acting as a rooftop, say for a number of wounds in the branches casting light upon the enchanting grove. Bushes made their progress slow, with W scouting out the best, and direct route through. So far, they pressed on without issue, say for a few ravines that popped up to tear the landscape. "This is a really big forest." Astra admired with big eyes. "Good, less chance we're to be caught by the Guard here," W smiled with a chuckle, cutting away another bush to clear the way forward, finding the area to be a little more open yet confined by the trees. "Huh, this looks promising." Stepping through, she lifted her head and found that the sun had turned the sky orange, even the air felt less humid. "We've been walking since sunrise... guess we should call it a day." At that, W blinked and turned to see Astra huff, flopping to her stomach. The filly had walked for a good majority of the trip, and as much as it would be tempting to sit and relax, W tossed her two waterskins. "Here, go see if there's a spring nearby, I'll set up camp." "Do I have to?" It wasn't often Astra complained, but it did level a sense of normality for W, one she was happy to hear, it meant Astra was still a kid and not some violent brat thanks to W's antics. "Tsk-Tsk-Tsk, just one little job then you can read more of your books," W cooed, then held up one that was tinted green. "I got a new one before we left~" She had hidden it and had it not been for Sparkle Butt and Cliff, Astra could've had it two days ago. "Okay..." He sighed but quickly grabbed the empty waterskins and ran off into the forest. She could handle herself just fine, W knew that well given her survivability before the two crossed paths, and this wasn't the Everfree. "Now then... camp-camp-camp..." W murmured while spinning slowly on her heel to inspect her surroundings and what to work with. Once Astra vanished from W's watchful eye, she stopped and resumed her work on the campsite. Setting up the placement of a fire, rolling out what covers they had to sleep on, etc. Clicking her tongue, W tapped her hand against her dormant grenade launcher, looking around the small grounds of their camp. "Okay, fire? Check. Food? Check. Place to set up a tent? Pending..." Then her fingers clicked and her face brightened. "Oh! And removal of little rats hiding in trees?" She swung the launcher over her shoulder, feeling the recoil bump as the tree's branches were splintered with a non-lethal grenade that only served to slice through many branches like a softball with a screwdriver on the end. "Yaaah - ow..." "Check," W holstered her launcher and turned with her knife drawn, stepping toward the branches and leaves decorating the spy once nestled in the treetops. "You're a complete dumbass if you think I wasn't the least bit suspicious of any of the Captain's followers tailing me," Her blade was drawn down while the pony moved to sit upright. "I warned ya not to follow me - guess now I have some lever - w-what?" For the first time in forever, W was stumped, hesitating long enough for a foot to kick her knife away from her reach. The pony wasn't a pony. What soon rose onto its knees was a human, a real, bipedal human. His skin is tanned and he has freckles on his cheeks. His contrasting aqua eyes stared back into her burning ember ones. He had a slim build, warm black hair, with short twin braids that fade into an aqua color. His clothing left him looking much like W. His clothing consisted of an olive coat, the sleeves rolled up at the elbows with shoulder pads, and a belt both dark grey. Underneath, he wears a white collared shirt and a light red bandana around his neck. He also wears black trousers and dark red boots colored black at the toe. He scampered back, ducking as a horizontal strike sliced over his hair, followed quickly by a downward plunge. He finally pushed for the assault, drawing a long, silver sword downward to block W's leftward slant. He was fast, able to quickly pivot and bring the blade upward again with a sudden vertical slash to follow, W's own reactions just managed to parry his blows. The boy's follow-up quickdraws in an 'X' were tight and struck true against W's measly dagger, but she had him on the defensive. The guy was quick to turn the tables on W, something no one had done without some underhanded trick. Once he made enough distance, he sheaved his blade and stumbled back, hands held out before him, looking frazzled from her retaliation from before. "Wait-wait-wait, I don't want to - yah!" Quickly, he evaded the knife that lodged itself in the trunk behind him. "Should've taken your chance! Human or not, I'm not falling for anything else you throw at me!" W glowered, rushing the timid young adult, himself managing to keep his distance from her knife's edge, even avoiding the reach of her tail as it attempted to trip him up. "Nimble, not bad I guess." Her sharp smile made his face pale. "Wait, I'm not here to fight you - I want to talk!" He yelled before tripping over a tree vine, with that misstep, W's right fist came crashing against his cheek, creasing his cheek until he plummeted to the earth. Dazed, he suddenly yelping once he struck the earth, straddled by W who held her blade close to his throat, silencing him entirely. Yet he saw it, her eyes were hazy with hesitance and it frustrated her, even her tail jittered in place, wanting to lash out. "You get one sentence, if I'm happy with your answer I don't press further," W leaned down with a frown. "And believe me, it won't be pleasurable." Unable to nod, he carefully chose his words in a particular order that would hopefully save his jugular. "I-I wanted to f-find you," He felt her hand tense, pupils dilating. "N-Not like that! I-I mean I wanted to s-see who you are!" It still didn't stop her from glaring hatefully into his orbs. Suddenly, it dawned on him. "...you're like me, aren't you?" His expression softened. "You've been sent here too, as someone else?" W flinched, and her grip on the knife loosened across his neck. "...who... are you?" She felt herself repeat those same words, only Aoi spoke in W's steed, and for a split second, her vulnerability revealed itself until she shook her head, slumping against his stomach. "Start talking, I don't feel like kicking your ass now..." "S-sure, but u-um..." He slowly felt his face simmer red, looking anywhere else but at the beautiful woman currently straddling him. "I-I'd rather explain without you atop me p-please?" Slowly noticing this herself, W carefully removed her body off of his, turning her head to continue with her plans with the camp, that, and to bury whatever thoughts sudden spurred into her mind. "T-thanks, I-" "-I may not want to punch you again, but don't make me regret it," W snapped, glaring over her shoulder. "Start talking... whoever you are." "R-right, well, my name is Sora... and I'm displaced, like you," The guy known as 'Sora' replied, smiling slightly at the idea he wasn't the only human anymore, so-to-speak. "I honestly can't remember alot of my old life, I've been here since I was ten." "That long? Tch, so how many bounties have the Royal Guard placed on your head?" W somewhat joked bitterly, though Sora didn't say anything, alerting W into turning fully with a groan. "Are you fucking serious?" "I-I'm not working with them!" He defended "But you clearly aren't being tugged along on a chain like some animal! You know, like what they've wanted to do to me for weeks now!" Her hand yanked at her own neck. "I've been looking into that!" "So you've done your homework on me, flattering." "I know it wasn't your fault!" Finally, his words managed to freeze W for the uncounted time that day. She stopped moving dry bundles of branches, instead, she looked down at her knees, eyes wide beyond measure. "...what did you just say?" It was hard to gauge her reaction with her back turned to him, and her whispered voice put him on edge, enough to stifle a response for a moment of silence. "...I know it wasn't you who attacked Ponyville, I saw it," Her head was low while he spoke, rubbing his nape. "I-I can fly so I decided to follow Cliffheart and... I saw him too, on the rock, he's... the one that sent me here years ago, I... I never thought I'd see him face-to-face ever again." W sat there, rubbing her bandaged arm tentatively, her eyes struggling to remain hateful. How she stupidly wished someone else would believe her, that they could see what she had seen, felt how she felt every waking day. It took another human being like her to finally say those exact words she dreamt of hearing someday. Shakily, W lowered her arms. "I'm W-" Sora head lifted to meet the back of her head, antenna bent low. "-That's who I've been displaced as, a Sarkaz Mercenary." "I don't think I've heard of W before?" Sora drew a blank, and his confused face made W softly chuckle, turning to face him with the first honest smile she's worn today. "From a small game called Arknights, probably before your time," She brushed off, crossing her legs. "So... what now?" It was no surprise something had to be done between them, two displaced in the same world wasn't something W was familiar with, so the actions were all new to her. Sora shook his head. "I don't know, maybe.. I can help?" Her brow rose questioningly, only to me a nervous smile. "I may not look it, but I've lived in Equestria longer than you, I know the best routes to take if we want to avoid the Royal Guard, and they're very persistent." "Really? Haven't noticed." W motioned to her body, then sighed. "Come on out, Astra, he's fine... for now I guess." Out from the bush popped the charcoal filly, herself scooting closer to W's side, the waterskins in her mouth. "Dwn't hwrt W." She warned with a cute huff. W soon smacked the back of her head lightly, forcing her to spit out the waterskins. "Don't talk with stuff in your mouth, you'll choke," She reprimed, then smiled toward Sora darkly. "Hear that, Wing-Boy. She's got her eyes on you," "Haha... no problem," He smiled sheepishly, watching the filly scamper off to where their sheets were set up. With that, W returned to working on the fire, tossing the sticks into the circle of stones while fishing through her duffle bag for a new knife, picking out a small piece of flint. "Oh, and Sora?" "Yeah?" He was hesitant to move, all things considered but saw the one eye watching him with a very human glow that kept him enraptured. "...you're not bad with a sword," He blinked, then stifled a small chuckle, closing his eyes, "Heh, thanks." Meanwhile; The blurry image of the kindling campfire between W, Astra, and Sora faded away, a hand discarding the image passively. An Abyss weaved its way in the cracks dividing worlds, seemingly lifeless, an empty, dark place where energy traveled between. Floating masses of rock, pillar, and debris slowly rotating in a loss of gravity, spilling out into the blackness beyond, that same infected substances, seeping into the marble, breaking it apart like a parasite. Through the shrouded darkness, under flashes of distant, white lightning was something beyond the crumbled remains of steps forged from the debris. A large throne cobbled together from the rock. One person sat atop this forsaken place, their hands rested against the marble seat, adjusting their position while lifting the left hand, holding it toward the silhouette that appeared under another flash. "In this place, I filled heads with ideas of grandeur and purpose, you will be no different," Whatever it was, snarled, bringing its head low enough to feel the touch of the person's hand against its cowl. "She is on my trail, go, take the girl from her," The creature's head rose, the sound of crystals fissuring filling the void, and the snap of bone and muscles becoming prevalent. "And if need be, kill the Mercenary." For a moment, darkness swirled in a distant storm, before the creature lifted its head, snarling a gnarled breath. ... ... ... "Take. The. Girl." To Be Continued... Author's Note The big reveal, another human displaced and he believes W! Woot-Woot! Sora's actually based on the Aasimar I used in my first ever DnD game, what a destructive force of nature he was too... before Storm Giants turned him into fish-food. Oh, and the scene before with those travelers and merchant is a reference to an animation about a game I love. Still, hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: Pull Your Strings While W reluctantly allows Sora to accompany them while sharing their stories, another's journey is set in motion. 1-1 Pull Your StringsNightfall descended on the unnamed forest. Astra was snoozing softly under W's cloak, the silverette still hunched by the fire, staring intensely at the flames, or that's how it appeared to anyone on the outside. Inside she was quite tame, mulling over the new wave of information she had been given just from the arrival of her new... acquaintance, she still wasn't sure what to call him. A human, technically speaking, displaced just like her. "Level with me," Her voice sounded over the crackling embers, startling Sora from his own trance. "How come I'm the ' Beast of the Everfree'? You're human too, why didn't they draw that obvious conclusion?" Sora thought for a moment. "It might be because I've always referred to myself as an Aasimar, I have told the likes of Celestia and a few others I'm human," He saw W raise a finger, so he added with an apologetic smile. "Twilight's never met me directly, so she's never known what a human looks like - that, and with your demon-like appearance I think it might have confused ponies if they tried to draw a comparison between us," Then he motioned to her. "I made sure to change that once I heard the report myself." "Great..." W pouted, looking elsewhere. "You live it up in Canterlot, praised and all, I get treated like I spat in their faces - ungrateful fucks," Shaking her head, W noted his odd expression before quickly adding out of character briefly. "S-sorry, I've only really had a few that I could talk to, and you're like me... I dunno, guess you can get the picture better." "No-no, it's okay, I... wasn't really accepted for the first few years here, can't say I don't still resent a few ponies either," Sora sighed, rubbing his nape. "It's funny, really, so much has changed yet I don't feel I've really... changed, you know?" W never spoke, staring through the fire that crackled on to listen to Sora while he allowed his eyes to linger on the sky above the trees. "...before this world, I had a pretty normal life, not some rich family's son or poor beyond measure, just... ordinary," He smiled. "I always liked mythology and fairy tales though, the idea of... falling into those worlds excited me, a place beyond our own yet so similar," His hand reached up, reminiscing without concern for W's thoughts, afraid that if he looked he'd see how annoyed she was by his rambling. "One of them feels like it's back to haunt me though, 'A girl fled from the consequence of a choice, having never learned from her mistake she only succeeded in spreading it', my... Mom said that the day before I went to that stupid festival I..." He closed his eyes, shaking out a sigh. "It feels like I've been doing exactly what that girl did in the story," "You feel like you ran from your mundane life, instead of trying to make it something more," Hearing her verbal reply, Sora met her ember eyes masked by the flames, and the soft frown on her lips. "You worry you'll turn out like the girl in this story, making things worse for others around you but look at you, dude-" She motioned to Sora with a chuff. "You're an Aasimar in Equestria, and you seemed to have it easy compared to my first few weeks here... just because you've spent years wondering if you made the wrong choice, how about focusing on what you can earn from the ones you have." Sora stared deeply through the fire, his understanding of his actions led to the events of his life now in this world, and yet, she just dismantled his darker take on his new life in one answer. It wasn't a complete fix but... he smiled, genuinely, "Thanks I... I think that's a good way to start," W's tail flicked with her humorous huff, choosing to lie on her back, arms crossed behind her head. "So... what about you?" "What about me?" W snorted, "What's there to know about a nobody?" He to him the venom in her tone meant it was a sore spot. "I'm W now, who I am before doesn't matt-" "I think it matters," Sora added quickly but with a steady voice. Even if W was innocent in his eyes, her mentality on people outside of Astra and a few was very thin, if he said the wrong thing it could set her off. "If... if the person you were before didn't matter, then how come you're here? I doubt you knew the Merchant was the real deal, like me, and I was ten." Rationalizing his question, he worried she might snap, her body barely even flinched. "Like I said, what about me?" W repeated again, staring up at the stars angrily, feeling only embarrassment at even recalling her old life that felt so much farther away. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows either. "A nobody with very little socially, a blank slate, who cares?" Did she hate herself? Maybe years ago she wouldn't be so callous, the ponies certainly didn't help, even prior to them, her teenage life had been a living hell, in her perspective. When her head turned briefly, she chuckled, "What's with that face, Wing-Boy?" Sora's face was upset slightly, more-so for the girl he watched spit nothing but venom back at herself. W turned her head to the sky, eyes hazy. "Expecting some emotional breakdown of how fucked up my life was? How I was bullied for not following the status quo?" Now her nails dug into the soil. "How, even clawing for a scrap of respect, left me feeling worse about myself?" Her voice rose, then she brought it down, remembering Astra was sleeping. A silence passed between them and the fire before W moved again. She sat up, running her left hand over her respective horn, feeling its smooth groove down to the tip. "When I picked up that scarf, it felt..." "Right," Her ember orbs met aqua, the Aasimar nodding slowly. "I... was offered this sword," He held up the silver blade in its scabbard. "Hehe, how crazy is that? The very replica of the one I gave myself in DnD, my very first weapon and I never knew." "But it felt right," W concluded with a sigh, hand now brushing across the scarf. "Someone else is suffering too, he picked up an item before me," Her heart twisted slightly. "I wonder if he's here too?" It was an impossible idea, but after seeing Sora, maybe not. "Tch, here I am placing bets on improbabilities like I'm some sage - Nah, that's Lil Miss Seer over there," Her tail prodded toward Astra. Sora watched W's smile rest assuringly at Astra, then looked to the slumbering pony. He remembered that day so vividly. How Twilight, Rainbow and Cliffheart were... so unrecognizable to him. He's seen and heard of them both for so long, but those ponies... they weren't the ones he cared for or admired, just... twisted. All because of that same Merchant that tore them away to this world, and now he was beginning to poison it. "You care alot for her," W nodded slowly to his words, unable to see his smile and kind eyes. "She defended you and you fought for her, but you never took any lives - even if you wanted to." "And I did, I... could so very easily do that," The way her voice trembled, it was as if she was afraid of the idea herself. "It's his fault, but... but they..." "I know-" "Don't give me that bullsh-" "Look, I get it because I do understand," Sora kept his word in firmly, hand to his heart as her blazing eyes crossed with his. "I might not have been hunted or hurt the way you were, but I was an outcast for so long, Celetias could have just locked me away, but she didn't, she worked with me and helped me when no one would so much as spare me a second - I relied on her, just like you rely on Astra to keep you grounded." "To what exactly? Who I was before? To some moral guideline of good and evil?" W scoffed, but Sora never once looked jaded by her sharp remarks, in fact, he sat back reassuringly. "To your humanity when no one else could." It was a long time since anything people said to W struck her. Maybe it was all because he was a human, the first human she's met in so long and a nice one at that. A small part of her didn't believe it, not in everything Sora said he was, it was all too good to be true. Yet, she had been around Zecora, Astra, and Mir. Nothing they said ever really struck W though, nothing that she could honestly admit to having taken to heart. It made her feel awful at times, deep down. With that, W grabbed two spare blankets, nothing fancy or heavy but it kept the cold out atleast. Tossing one over the fire, Sora jumped as he fumbled about to catch it. By then, W already rolled it out and threw it over herself, turning away from the fire. "I think we're done for the night - you can argue philosophy with me tomorrow, Wing-Boy." "Y-yeah, okay," Defeated, he knew arguing further wouldn't help, frustrating as it may be. He didn't really plan out how he'd go about speaking with W, anxiety, and fear ran rampant, especially after seeing her in action. On her own, W was a force of nature compared to him, his only real advantage was to rely on his wings and swordsmanship. Tucking the rough fabric close to his body, he tried to get comfortable on the rough dirt patch, using his own bag as a pillow. ... ... ... "Sora?" His eyes crept open, peeking over his shoulder to the back of W still turned his way, the tail wrapping around like a belt to her waist. "Do you really think someone like me is worth trying to help?" His breath hitched, remaining silent in his loss of words. W chuckled. "Figures, making this up as you go..." His head sunk at her hollow tone, ashamed to have hesitated at all. "Well, g'night then." Silence passed and after risking alot to find her, Sora finally spoke up. "Yes, without question." Strong and assertive in every word that defined him to this point. "A-and goodnight too." He couldn't see it, but a tiny smile broke W's facade, her tensed form finally relaxing. "...thank you." Somewhere... The barren landscape was littered with blood, weapons, and black crystals, all slowly beginning to dissolve into dust. A long blade lit with smoldering embers tore across the sand, fanning flames and a dust cloud through scores of Infected, their bodies crumbling to ash in an instant. The blade plunged forward, sending a slither of flames in a wave fashion through two red Slugs, their dark puddles of acid evaporating under the glare of the heated blade. One slanted slam dispersed the sand cloud, flinging the burning Infected away from the host of the sword, its fire extinguished. Wading through the devastation of corpses and twisted abomination was a lone pony clad in rigid, badly worn, and charred armor. A strong field of orange magic clutching the longsword with a metal curve coiled around the blade that was dragged through the dunes, disturbing the crimson sand. A faint trace of embers flickered and died once it left their armor with every step and pull of the dry wind resonating from the dark skies above, roaring in reverence at the death and chaos sown into the badlands. *Bzzt-Zap* The sound and sensation drew their sword forward, barely grazing the magical appearance of a scroll stained with the seal of the Royal Guard. Lowering their guard, they took the scroll in their magic, embedding the tip of the sword into the sand. Unrolling the scroll, the unicorn read the words quickly and without a stutter. One, long nod of understanding passed, almost as if it was a puppet on strings. "I see..." His aged voice murmured through the slits in the helmet's visor. Pocketing the scroll into some mysterious storage, his magic wrenched the coiled sword from the sand, a small flourish of heat expelling from their movements through the vanishing corpses, embers dancing around his form. "For the Light of Equestria, I will slay this 'Beast'." Yet, with every hoof that disturbed the sand, faint sparkles of glass were left in his wake. To Be Continued... Author's Note Players and pieces are in motion now. I apologize that the last two chapters have been kinda short but it's to build on all the characters that are involved in this act. Plus, I never intended on the chapters ever being so long to begin with, that's just how my creative flow goes time-to-time, hehe. Still, between the three acts planned, this is the largest, covering a good majority of the story. The next one's gonna be fun! I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: I Gotta Warn Ya Soon, W's group arrives at Hoofprint, but a warm welcome isn't on their list of expectations. 1-2 I Gotta Warn YaA/N: Those that have read Realization will recognize this... pretty bland town, purposefully I might add. Enjoy. "Woah-woah-woah, you fought a Crystal Necromancer? Is that a thing?" W was skeptical, to say the least, blinking a multitude of times with Astra in awe over Sora's storytelling. If W was honest, he was really good at telling stories, even if this may just be another lie, she was gripped. The Sarkaz made a few waving motions with her knife, as though it were a staff. "So... what, he like makes undead... crystal slaves? Wha...?" Sora chuckled pretty honestly at that, shaking his head before grabbing her wrist to direct her haphazard motions with care, himself reciting what the necromancer once did. "Not exactly, his magic was necromancy, that's certain, but having experimented with the crystal caverns under Canterlot his magic began to infuse with Equestria's, hence the new aesthetic," He quickly let go of her wrist after realizing he was holding her hand for too long. "A-ah, sorry - but yeah, pretty weird guy." W slumped slightly, putting her knife away with a pout. "So I get Slugs, mutated Infected, and metal crabs... and you get the magical crystal-necromancer, tch, lucky..." She grumbled, not liking the favoritism while throwing her fist to the sky again. "Oi, Merchant, where's my sorcerer!?" Once daybreak hit, the trio continued in their direction toward Hoofprint, and with Sora, they were making better time navigating. He insisted on flying W and Astra over atleast the forest but W was adamant about 'not' drawing attention to herself. Reluctantly he agreed and showed them the best way through on foot, it was still a lifesaver, even if W never admitted it. For Astra though, she could see it, the energy bubbling between the two humans that continued to recount the events of their lives in Equestria, Astra didn't say it, but she was happy that W was happy. "W really likes him... but she's wary, like before with the nice Diamond Dogs," Her mind paused, following W's finger as it prodded against Sora's chest with a sly smirk, himself flustered by whatever it was Astra didn't focus on. "Mr. Sora likes her too, but he's worried... or scared? Um... no, not of her..." Astra didn't mind losing herself in her own thoughts at times, it let her follow Miss. Zecora's instructions about 'listening to the world'. Aura was produced by anything that bore life, if she focused on a pony or person, she could see the color of their aura, the core of what made up their personality. W's was red, and Sora's was blue. Both colors had a vast array of meanings, and when Astra focused, the individual parts that make up that aura begin to show, almost like stars in the night sky. It was fascinating and she wanted to know more. Yet, when she looked at her own hooves, she saw only a silvery tint, unable to pinpoint what it meant. Even in Zecora's book, she couldn't find what silver represented. Back with W and Sora, she crossed her arms and listened to what the Aasimar had to say. He put his arms out defensively, eyes drawled into a dull stare with a stupid smile, attempting to remain aloof. "All I'm saying - if physical energy can be converted into thermal energy, how hard would I have to punch a chicken to cook it?" There was silence until he snickered. W, breaking into full-blown laughter with Astra giggling slightly at the reactions. Her snorting led to her clutching her sides, "I-I can't breathe~!" Soon, Sora hid his laughing behind his hand, voice strained to a higher pitch. "It wasn't even that funny...!" "I-It's only funny, because... because I can just imagine someone doing that!" W wiped a few tears with her tail, the audible chuckle or two between her words. "I-I - oh God - I just can't get the image of this Herculean haymaker striking the chicken and there's just nothing left, raw paste and particles and that's it." "Why is so funny?" Sora wheezed, an arm around his waist to help him calm down. "I heard like years ago and I can't get it out of my head!" "The delivery in that stupid voice probably did it - that was perfect," W surmised "I don't get it..." Astra, while liking the banter was a little confused on how the idea of a chicken being turned to paste was funny. W patted the filly's head, smirking. "We're just idiots, sadly, your IQ's probably higher than ours so it'll fly over you, kid, sorry." "Oh," Astra blinked in understanding, then tilted her head. "Um, I think I see the exit?" Her low voice drew their laughter down and back to the unmarked path, true to the girl's observation, there was a large gap in the trees not far from their location. "We made it, about time too," W sighed, rushing with the two of them in toe until they stopped before the edge of the woods, peeking out at the small plains just beyond the forest's edge. Both Astra's and W's eyes widened at the sight, though W was noticeably less thrilled given that it was a town filled with ponies - and something else. Sora rubbed his nape, a hand motioned to the world beyond. "Guess I should say it - welcome to Hoofprint," He chuckled Despite the forests and plains gathered around the area, the town was just outside a large lake, strangely similar to the shape of a hoof, or a circle in W's blunt case. The town had a large, sandstone-tinted wall surrounding the perimeter. All its buildings were made from bright white stone and had stone-paved streets with a stream cutting through the middle toward the lake. W blinked slowly. "Looks like chalk in the middle of a forest..." Then her blunt assessment drew her hand to grab Sora's scalp, twisting it. "Tell me, black smoke normal for this place?" True to her sharp gaze, black smog was rising from the town and had any of them listened closely, distant screams could be made out among other sounds of chaos. Whatever it was, the mood quickly shifted, Astra gulping at the sudden feeling of death washing over her mind. W cocked her elbow, revealing her grenade launcher underneath while flinging off her cloak, basking in the afternoon sunlight. "We need to hel - huh?" Sora blinked, finding her discarded fabric atop his scruffy head, smelling faintly of ashwood. Turning, he saw W adjusted her jacket over her shirt, unzipping it to free her body of any unnecessary heat. "W?" "What? Someone's gotta clean up this mess," Her finger flicked against his chest. "And can't risk someone recognizing you, the last thing I need it to hear I've 'brainwashed' the necromancer-slaying-Aasimar," While gruff and brimming with sarcasm, Sora stupidly smiled at her kindness. "Thanks... but I can still help," But by then W took off in a sprint toward Hoofpint, waving her hand back. "Then look after Astra, Wing-Boy!" By then he couldn't get another word out, shaking his head with both hands on his hips. "Is she always this hotheaded?" "W's nice, she just doesn't like putting people that trust her in danger," Astra answered, hopping into Sora's awaiting arms while he tucked the cloak's cowl over his head. "We can still help, right?" "Hm, of course, that's what she's doing - just hold tight, okay?" She nodded at his words, wiggling into his arms while he bent his knees, legs taut while the wind gathered at his feet. "Here goes - Radiant Soul!" Through the tears in the back of the cloak, the holes widened, splitting to reveal a pair of medium-sized, astral wings that radiated like pure sunlight. Hoofprint was in a state of disarray. From the waters spawned many black abominations, most consisted of black Slugs with hardened shells brimming with a sickly yellow color, their spines more than capable of stinging a few ponies that retaliated. Some even spat a corrosive acid that made quick work of the pavements and brickwork of a few houses, leaving many to flee in terror. Meanwhile, many fled to their homes or up high to evade the prowling, black canines strapped with red harnesses, crystals lodged in their spines, tainting them with the same, twisted infection as the Slugs, even their eyes were a pure, crimson tint, cracks spreading from the sockets. The Hounds howled and snapped at the guards present, disarming them with ease, encircling a few that were caught with their pants down. The one standing before it all in the market's courtyard nearest the entrance to the town was another human-like figure. They were dressed in gunmetal greys and thickly armored barding. The most notable trait is the black helmet revealing their pointy ears and the two black horns jutting atop the helm. It was wrapped in light grey robes around his shoulders and head, the single, blue visor staring down the pony guard with his back to the wall, panting. Lifting his staff the Infected swung the banner sideways, smacking the stallion to the dirt. It didn't speak, a hollow impersonation of the real thing, infused with Originium as it cared little for the ponies, it only desired destruction and nothing more. "No... p-please," The guard tried but ultimately his words were to a mindless drone. Lifting the staff high, it was suddenly met with the force of the sun crashing and burning against its side, flinging the Sarkaz Sentinel across the courtyard for all to see. "What?" "Get up and help any stragglers escape," W sneered, loading another grenade into the chamber with a flick. Her smoldering orbs met the guard's wide eyes. "Well? Got a stick up your ass? Go!" He shifted sharply, nodding as he ran for safety, helping a fellow guard retreat. W cracked her neck, scanning the ruined market of all Slugs, Hounds, and the one hollow Sentinel in her way. "Really didn't want another town after my head, tch-" W's smile was revealed, maddened and twisted with fury. "-Guess I'll just play the role, then!" The second she spoke three Hounds sprinted for her directly, not realizing that a silver top was poking out of the ground. One stepped too close and blew the three of them skyward, reducing their corrupt forms to dust in a heartbeat. Through the sudden release of blazing-hot flames, W's shadow flew through, pointing her launcher down at another two Hounds, stunning them with a blast of brick and dirt, allowing her to move in closer, dropping another mine as it buried itself between them, erupting seconds later once she passed by with her detonator, flinging a C4 into the side of a broken building, bringing down the collapsing wall atop several Slugs. Twirling around, W ducked under the wide swing of the Sentinel's staff, rolling back from another strafe of the polearm as it slammed the staff down, releasing a black shockwave that created a small ring of spikes temporarily. "That's new, interesting," Narrowing her eyes, W spun to her right, a Hound missing her by an inch, instead, it felt the force of her knee crack against its muzzle, her free hand embedding its jaw into the concrete. "Stay." "Head's up!" W's eyes widened once a brown blur sped past her vision, tackling another Hound to the ground as it whined. Sora landed with enough time to hide his wings, Astra tucked in his left arm as she waved slightly. "We can keep any stragglers from wandering off, can you take the big guy?" The questioning look from the Aasimar brought W's world back into focus, smiling through a hearty laugh. "If you've been stalking me as much as you say, then you already know the answer," Her teasing face made him turn around to avoid her seeing his embarrassed face, something she took pride in before kicking a Slug back as its acid hissed against her boot's steel-cap, thankfully it wasn't alot. "Get goin' then." Loading her launcher one solid grenade to the Slug blew it to slag. Several more surrounded the Sentinel as it kept distance between himself and W, the acid raining down before the silverette who was forced back, weaving left and right to evade the dangerous globs of acid that ate away at the courtyard. Spotting a stand, W ran and dived over the counter, smelling the acrid stench from over the counter while pulling off her belt, attached were numerous grenades. "Hmm," Tilting her head left to right, W had an idea and a devilish one at that. Grabbing a splintered panel of wood that could cover atleast half her body she wrapped a discarded strand of rope through two holes were the knots of the wood were taken out, strapping the mismatched board to her left forearm, adjusting it slightly. With a crafty smile, W held her belt of grenades in her right, slinging her launcher back on the strap. "This'll work nicely, hahahaha..." By now, two remaining Hounds, a dozen acidic Slugs, and the Sentinel surrounded the front of the stall, the Slugs acid beginning to pull the supports of the counter apart. Suddenly, two canisters clattered out onto the road, spraying a thick smog into the area, a shadow zipping through as acid failed to catch the moving smudge that bobbed between the remains of stalls and wagons as cover, throwing off their aim. The Sentinel slammed his staff, freezing the Slugs bombardment, silencing the air bar the hissing and occasional growl from the Hounds. The tension became palpable. Shrouded in dust and smoke, W's smile never faltered. With one hand on the edge of an overturned wagon, she leapt high over the smokescreen, brandishing the belt of grenades toward the crowded Infected, her finger caught in one of the rings as it disconnected with a resounding 'ching'. The rack spiraled downward, caught on the spine of a Slug while acid stung W's nose, her makeshift shield raised to take the brunt of the acid while rolling behind another stall with two seconds to spare. "Boom." *BOOOM* A raging inferno quickly spread across the courtyard, causing many to plug their ears once the small mushroom cloud of blazing orange and yellow roared to life, incinerating the Infected while propelling the Sentinel off his feet, the staff the only thing keeping it stable as it held back from the blast. Its armor was torn across its left side, revealing nothing but an inky-black crystal structure in place of a human's, there was no Sarkaz, just a puppet commanded by a foreign force. Yet, at that moment, the gleam in the fractured helmet saw for the first time; A demon piercing the flames with the devil's fanged smile. W pushed through the fire and flames, a blade drawn in her left hand as she struck down onto the pavement, gouging out the Infected's throat. It stumbled, swiping around with its staff, jagged thorns erupting from the ground W narrowed leapt away from, performing a backflip over the length of the staff. She bent her right arm across her chest, the barrel of her grenade launcher poised with a flash soon to follow. "Smile," Her joke followed by that same flash, and the head of the grenade was lodged deep in the Infected Sarkaz's cranium, followed by one last explosion that reduced its whole form to crumbling, black dust to rise with the smoke of dying fires all around the last mercenary standing. "W!" Astra was the first to arrive, bouncing up to the mercenary with a bright gleam in her eyes, though her cute, innocent frown remained. "You were so cool." Sora closed in behind her, rubbing the back of his head behind the cloak. "At first I really thought you were just the kind of person that fought head-first without thinking but... I guess I was wrong, sorry," He felt a little guilty for still retaining that impression after everything the two had talked about prior. Hearing this, W chuckled, shrugging while rubbing her chin. "I do get lost in the heat of things, yeah..." Looking around, she could've done more to reduce the damage, but atleast it was kept to the courtyard. "But hey, what can ya do, a merc's gotta make ends meet." "You!" A voice called from the approaching, timid ponies. It was the guard W saved. "Who are you exactly, um... miss?" He had to give the woman a once over before guessing. A sense of existential dread crashed into W, much as she was glad to have rid the Infected from the town, if they knew who she was it may turn into another incident like Ponyville. Gripping the handle of her launcher carefully, even Astra and Sora looked at her strikingly plain expression as she spoke. "I'm a mercenary, what of it?" "Sorry, it's just... I've never seen somepony like you before." He admitted, rubbing his head. "I-I just wanted to say... thank you, for saving me." "Huh?" W's face dropped, confusion and disbelief rushing over her features. "I... really only made things worse - I mean, I really tore this place up." "We know, but, you saved us, so much so that only a few were mildly injured because of you and your friends," He reinforced, and numerous other ponies nodded or offered a quick 'thanks' or bow of their head to the dumbfounded silverette. "When those creatures came from the river we had no clue what we were dealing with," The guard shook his head, looking around solemnly. "Magic proved to be ineffective against that larger one with the banner, and those Slugs ate away most of our weapons," "The Infected, they're... part of my job to clean up," W admitted vaguely, shrugging dismissively. "So I'm no better, I'm Infected too." "What?" Sora and Astra gaped at the nonchalant look on W's face, she was hardly concerned with the fact. "I'm Infected with the same disease that turned those monsters, well, I dunno if I am anymore but if I am I'll die of it someday," W blinked slowly, sighing once. "Just how it is, really." "Even so, you stepped in and saved our lives, Infected or not." The guard's face held firm with certainty "You saved us!" "Why would we care what you are?" "Thank you so much!" All this praise left W uncertain of how to process anything. She put her hands up close to her chest. "H-hey, look, I'm just not that nice a person, alright?" Then her face fixed into a serious frown. "I'm a mercenary, meaning I'm paid for my services." "You're bribing them?" Sora gawked, unable to make any form of rebuttal "W..." Astra tried to argue but the guard nodded. "Mister, but won't you need money for repairs?" "It's fine, little one, in all honesty, payment could hardly suffice for your help, but we can do that, as a thank you - regardless of your reasons." He was so quick to agree, even though W's less-than-kind expression said otherwise. Now, she was completely defeated. "Please, feel free to stay until we return." As quickly as he came, the guard ran back to a small gathering of his own, all of them discussing the terms of compensation, W was left in silence, unable to blink, let alone speak "..." Not a word as W sat on a lone crate, not even offering a glance to the disappointed faces on Astra and Sora's faces. They were here to help, not peddle Bits out of the ponies, yet not even their words broke W's long silence, it was as if she completely shut down. In no time at all, the guard returned, holding out a pouch in his mouth for W to take, her fingers picking the top open to reveal the glimmering coins within, even Sora had to admit with a whistle, "That's... alot of Bits, you could probably be set for weeks with that - a-are you sure, sir?" He tried to persuade until W tossed the purse of gold coins back into the guard's surprising hooves. "Huh, what's wrong, is this not enough?" He questioned warily, instead, W stood up, grabbing her duffle bag. "Consider it for your silence, I don't need word that I'm here spreading to the Royal Guard - besides, I've got enough coin on me," With that, W wandered back through the courtyard as it was being cleared for repairs, a few ponies thanking her as she walked by, the Sarkaz merely gave a nod and pressed on. Both Astra and Sora remained by the guard's side, shocked by her sudden turnable. "She's clearly attracted alot of attention to herself, some not so kind it seems..." The guard murmured, then offered Sora a few Bits from the pouch. "Here, as my token of thanks atleast - and feel free to stay as long as you like." He smiled up at the hidden Aasimar who slowly returned the kind gesture with a bow. "I will, and thank you - if you need help, let us know." He added kindly, Astra nodding quickly. "We don't mind helping, honest." Hearing this, the guard sighed assuringly, taking the pouch and walking away. Alone, the two followed W from a distance, allowing her time to think, her eyes still blank. "She's confused, no other ponies except for Miss. Zecora and Mr. Mir were ever kind to her." Looking from Astra to W again, Sora followed how her eyes always seemed clouded when the topic came up. He had seen the report first-hand, watched as a pony he trusted with his life became bitter and hateful toward W. It was all because of that Merchant. That made him think with a furrowed brow. "Did he send that necromancer after me? Turned ponies against me too? What about 'Him'," It was a chilling thought, but it was beginning to seem far less superstitious the more the pieces were placed correctly. "Well, atleast she has you to keep her straight," His hand ruffled Astra's mane. "You're a good friend." She nodded then shook her head. "Not just me... you too," He made a 'huh' sound, not following until Astra smiled very slightly. "She's scared because she wants to trust you I think but Miss. Twilight and her friends have scared her into being so cautious, t-that's what her aura is telling me." "I see..." Both orbs lingered on W's back again, wishing to see what Astra sees, maybe then he could understand her further. "I... I hope she can trust me then, hopefully." "Where is it... where is it...?" W berated with her sense of direction some more, scanning the street constantly for an idea of where her destination lied, sadly, her memory was foggy on the details, it had been far too long since she remembered that talk. Slapping her temple, she tried back-tracking, her friends following her strange antics. "Maybe back here...? Grah, where is it!?" "What exactly are we looking for?" Sora carefully piped up, both him and Astra staying a safe distance from her wrath, a comfortable two meters away. "Please don't break anything." Her glare leered with her slow turn, like a door on rusted hinges. "That's the issue, I can't freakin' remember, trying to jog the memory right now - thank you," Yep, she was still pissed and flustered after this afternoon's events "Must you constantly yammer at such a volume? I've still got a splitting headache from your last little stunt!" Her heart suddenly skyrocketed, turning sharply to a small doorway wedged open in an alleyway. Astra poked her head out from behind W's left leg, Sora to the right, both blinking confusingly compared to W's brightened features. It was hard for W to suppress the eased smile she wore, no longer hiding behind a hood. "Your dry tone will never not be endearing, Mir." The charcoal pony with lime-green magic enveloping his horn huff bitterly, "Well? It took you long enough, hmph." To Be Continued... Author's Note Ponies accepting W? Mir's back? So much is happening that our Sarkaz merc can't keep up. This was always the plan with Hoofprint since the Merchant had only really targetted the Elements and a select few but that's all I'll say. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: Through the Dark Reuniting with Mir, W might finally have a lead on the answers she seeks, however, some questions will lead to painful truths. 1-3 Through the Dark"Wow, you weren't kiddin' about bringing your work wherever you g - ah!" W remarked, smirking through the pain while admiring the state of the small shop tucked away in Hoofprint. It was cozy, the walls shelved with many herbs, potions, and ingredients. A vast selection stored in rectangular slots over the counter on the wall. A small stairway leading up to the left. The counter was supported by two oak beams fixed with a lantern each. The floor was the same, creaking under their feet while the group sat on stools in the middle of the shop, a small table between them with select drinks on display. Astra was happily munching on a sandwich, courtesy of Mir. The stallion's dull emeralds never once shifted, pouring the light pink liquid onto W's exposed wound on her forearm. "Hmph, given your most recent transgressions with the Royal Guard left me with little choice - hold still!" He snapped, noting the strained look on W's face, the potion working to clean and clot her wounds with a hiss. For W, she might as well have stuck her arm in a fire. This seemed apparent given the few boxes yet to be unpacked, that alone caused some slight grief to emerge on W's face, the pony letting go of her arm as she clenched her fists slowly. "I... sorry." Her muttering left an odd silence before Mir sat on his stool, huffing. "What concerns transpire between me and those under Princess Celestia's command are not your concern - something that is misplaced," Mir added, looking at Astra who finished her sandwich. "I suppose she has improved with this 'Seer' ability of hers?" W nudged Astra who jumped out of her thoughts to nod quickly. "I-I have, Mr. Mir, W helped me alot," Even that innocent reply made Mir's stone-cold expression lighten momentarily. "So... is he always this crotchety?" Sora murmured in W's ear while the unicorn was distracted, or so the pair thought until a telekinetic hand swiped the hidden Aasimar's wrist. "Ah!" "Pfft, little hint - don't ever think you can hide anything from this guy," W smirked, watching as the sharp pupils followed her own. Mir had managed to slip past the Elements and the Royal Guard to get here without a trace, he wasn't just some herbalist, he's a damn monster himself. "You've taken on risks before, and now you have more - what a headache," Mir rubbing his temples before sighing, levitating a parchment across from the counter quickly, unfurling what was a map to their eyes. "Idle chatter aside, I suppose your next route would be to Hollow Shades." "Why there?" W inquired, and Mir stared at her as if she had two more antennas. The Sarkaz threw her hands up. "Do I look like I've had time to research the very history of this world?" "Irrelevant!" He slapped the table, circling the forest on the map. "There are rumors that come by and while most would drawl on like a speaker with a speech impediment, this unlikely story yields some... merits." Not a single person missed the grating pitch in his tone. W crossed her arms. "Well, by all means, keep impeding." She joked, seeing him eye her with a flat glare. "Oh please, you walked into that one." "Pah!" He dusted off her comment and looked around as if he was being watched. "Since you clearly lack the abilities to enact initiative on your own, there is a rumor of something that can answer any and all inquires you may have - again, rumors - so any and all hope of such an existence is to be taken with a logical grain of salt." "You're talking about The Dealer?" Sora finally spoke up, blinking with a muddled expression, smiling slightly as if it were a joke. "I mean... I've heard of the rumors but... no one's ever found him, or even remotely knows where he is - he might as well be a fairy tale, even I know that." "Hrm shows what level of insight you have," Mir muttered with dry wit, glaring at the hidden human with a side-glance to the curious girls. "For a Prince, you certainly have lacked development on the idea of what is and isn't reality, even the most farfetched-" Gears ground to a halt, the very air grew stale and taut around W. Astra seemed slow on the uptake, digesting the words herself. For W, her whole world twisted, all centered around the same Aasimar she's only known for roughly a day. That small window of knowing to W felt like weeks, she did care about Astra, more than most people she's ever known, but Sora was different. He was kind and offered her a moment to finally vent, and not just to a waiting ear, but to someone that understood where her anger originated. She let her guard down. "Woah-Woah-Woah, wait a minute!" The gears turned, and her face quickly contorted just as sharply. "You-!" "W-wait, W, I-" It was far too late. By the time he tried to reason with her, hands raised, W flew off her seat, punching him across the left cheek before she slammed her left arm up against his chest, forcing him against the wall as many vials buckled from the force. Held to his throat once more was her knife, only now her eyes were glazed with spite and malice, he swore they glowed. "P-please, wai-" "Shut you damn mouth!" Her voice snarled, pressing the knife's edge just below his adam's apple. "You're a Prince? Hell, you're that bitch's adopted son, aren't you?" Much as Sora wanted to defend his said mother, he also didn't want to die at the hands of W. She laughed, and it felt so hollow and painful to hear. "I freakin' knew it... hehehe, I really let my guard down once and... and then you..." Her eyes were somehow cold and ablaze all at once. "Too good to be true, tch," Her hand pressed the knife closer, and Sora grunted from the force of her arm against his chest. "W-W, what's-" The mercenary's tail flicked back to stop Astra from moving. "Don't, Astra, not now..." Even toward the filly, her voice was strained with hate. "Now tell me, what else am I missing from the picture, Mir?" The stallion hardly looked phased at all, almost as if he anticipated this outcome, though he did huff at the sight of his unorganized shelves. "Before you rudely interrupted me and nearly broke something - hm, he is the reason I was not as xenophobic as the rest of these ponies," Mir waved his hoof. "He is of similar nature to you, and while it's common knowledge to most ponies in Canterlot, he is, as you put it so bluntly, Princess Celestia's kin." That brought out a cackle from the woman, her antenna twitched alongside her born fangs. "I was kidding about that! But you seriously are her son!? Hahahaha, what fun!" Her arm pulled him back and smashed his back against the wall, earning a pained grunt from the boy. "So what's the plan now, Prince Sora? Gonna go call your pal Cliffheart to come tag me? Or perhaps ask Sparkle Butt and her merry friends to turn me to stone? Huh, what's it gonna be, you rat!?" It was all a blur to Sora. He could see it clear as day, her face twisted in rage, her muscles were tense and refused to budge until so much as a twitch emanated from him. But her eyes, both ember irises were shaken, trembling with terror and pain. He refused to reveal this information, not because he didn't trust W, but because he didn't want her to look at him and only see the title he wore. Most of all, her eyes only reminded him of himself That Day in the crystal caverns. "She made a choice to put others before her own life!" Sora grunted, rolling to avoid a row of crystals that split the earth, grazing his forearm. "So do I, even if they never accept me!" The necromancer stopped and stared into Sora's determined eyes, then his skeletal face clicked into a sinister smile, sockets' glow curving with glee. "You really think killing me will send you back, don't you?" His words made Sora hesitate, blades forced to a halt. "W-what?" He shook his head, holding firm. "No, you're just saying that to-" "-Get into your head? Is that what they told you, you lessen the burden?" The necromancer continued, nodding his head. "Oh yes, I aware you aren't from here - well, your appearance more than speaks volumes, even to me - but, let me offer you some... wisdom, for being such a thorn in my side!" No one could mistake the venom in his tone. "Even if you stop me, by some narrow window, some fading hope this world gives you - beating me... won't send you home." The next words drove the final nail into Sora's heart, as it split in two. And the undead enemy savored the despair that cascaded from his face, the abomination relished it. "The ties between yourself and your world are gone." ... ... ... "You can never go back." Having closed his eyes, Sora lifted his gaze to meet W eye-to-eye, not once breaking contact with a strong resolve. "I still believe you, even if you don't believe a word I say," He returned, putting his free hand against her wrist, even though it made her grip on the blade tighten further. "Yeah, my Mom is Celestia, and I know Cliffheart - but that pony wasn't him! The Merchant did this, to both of us - you idiot!" Her face flinched slightly. "Because of you... I finally get to find the reason I was sent here, I... can finally know why." "He's honest," Astra piped up, now standing between Sora and W, her eyes never leaving his ocean orbs. "I thought he was scared of you, but he was scared to tell us anything that might make you angry or scared-" "That doesn't excuse shit!" W snapped, but she threw him off to the side, running a hand through her hair. "Whatever, just get lost and don't ever come near us again - we're done here." Right now, W just needed to vent before she blew a hole through Mir's shop. "...I want to hear him out." W's hand froze on the handle, turning around to face Astra who didn't move from beside Sora, himself looking up from his downcast form. Confused, W sighed and turned to face Astra. "Look, kid-" "I want to hear him out!" That was the first time Astra ever raised her voice against W. She wasn't angry, in fact, all the emotions simmering around her were beginning to become defined, she could understand it, all of it, both sides and their reasons without a single word. Gaining the same courage she saw in W, the same that inspired her, the little, silver-eyed pony stood her ground. "I know you're trying to protect us, and that you're scared - but you're being... immature!" That struck W visible, her lips parted without even a breath. "Just because you're in pain doesn't mean I feel the same way - I am, but I want to know why too, why I'm here, why you and Sora are here," Astra continued, waving her hoof wide, stomping it once with a huff, her eyes matching the same fire that would adorn W's. "We don't have answers but we still made it this far anyway, even if I'm still useless, even though you've been hurt, we've been in bad situations before, but that was fine because we did it our way." Astra turned to Sora, smiling gently. "And I want to know why Mr. Sora's here too because I trust him." He was also stunned but managed a thankfully smile until Astra turned to look at the dead-silent stare on W's face, and how her eyes looked around, conflicted. "I trust you so much, you saved me, and I want to help you too." "...what the hell is wrong with me?" Looking down at her hand, W just felt sick. Lost was a good way to describe her feelings, she had bottled up everything and kept herself closed off, even to Astra. What made W listen was exactly what she told Astra before leaving the Everfree, that glow, it was starting to show across the filly, and that made the pain the woman's chest tighter. "...I-" "Aaaaah!!" W instantly flung the door open as she broke onto the streets of Hoofprint. Moments after the scream was heard the three followed after the Sarkaz to investigate. Once out onto the edge of the alleyway. Two ponies ran past them in terror, whatever scared the color out of their coats was gone, only a disturbance of a tile from one of the roofs as any indication someone or something was there. Then, there was complete and utter silence for the party. "What... just happened?" Sora murmured, scratching his head under the cloak. "Hrm, the ponies here aren't known to be jumpy unless it is particularly threatening," Mir offered, himself enchanting his horn. "Something is amiss." W turned, tired both emotionally and physically, "Yeah, but what were they running fro-" *Bam!* Suddenly, something large and heavy struck W and Astra to the ground. The mercenary spun around, only to feel something sharp slice against her forearm, rows of crooked teeth sinking against her bare forearm as she was thrashed in the jaws of a monster, thrown across the alleyway in seconds, landing on her face. "Ow..." Looking at her arm, it was already caked in blood, and the smell made her eyes widen. "What the hell wasYaah!" She kicked up to her feet, only for the creature to body slam her with both legs, teeth sinking around her left leg this time, horsewhipping her into the cold, dusty earth as W was flung into the side of a building, cracking the brickwork, flopping onto her chest with a hoarse groan. Between her locks, her whole body rushed with electricity after sighting the monster, and the unconscious filly in its right arm. A bipedal human - though 'human' was a vague term. It was still wrapped in old, torn dark barding with a white cloak atop it, bound with black belts across its waist and shoulders, the robe split at the groin, ending around halfway up its thighs. The arms were blackened with Originium crystals jutting from the coarse skin. The hand mutated into large claws, one of which clutched Astra. The left was melded with a crossbow, crystals protruding from the river and around the hand now infused to the weapon. The most horrifying sight was the hood that barely covered its grotesque face. Crystals grew from the head and through the cloak, the eyes no longer visible through marred skin. The jaw had split wider with a jack o' lantern grin lined with mismatched teeth that parted for a canine snarl, the crystals cracking at the strain on the mutant's bone structure. Its very aura was drenched in blood, its whole body ravaged by the worst Oripathy could do to the human body, pure Originium crystals infused into its flesh and bone. It stood as the very dead-end of infection. The sight made W's throat dry, and bile almost reached her throat. "Astra!" Finally, Sora lunged to free the unconscious filly, only for the monster to snap its head toward the Aasimar, holding the pony out, forcing the revealed Prince to hesitate, keeping both his silver swords back, only for the crossbow to rise with a wind-up of unstable, amethyst energy that, had Sora not immediately rolled to evade, would've torn his head off, the corner of the roof above W splintered off into rubble. "This creature is attempting to use her a shield, clever - although not so much for us," Mir grimaced, stepping forward to produce several vials from his saddlebags. The glowing contents quickly flew through the alleyway, striking the spot the creature previously stood, its arm backhanding two away before lunging for the unicorn. Mir huffed and threw a green vial down, creating a small flash that gave him a narrow window to dive away from the crossbow's bolt as it split the pavement with enough force to fling the herbalist backward. As Mir rolled onto his back, W pushed past him, her confident persona all but gone. Her whole expression was twisted with malice, eyes blazing hot while bearing her fangs at the abomination. "Give. Her. Back!!" She quickly loaded her launcher, raising it toward the mutant without a shred of hesitation. Her whole vision might very well have seeped in blood, her own wounds hardly stung, the woman now riled up with rage. She couldn't hesitate now, the first person she came to trust was right there, in danger, so like hell W would stand by and do nothing! Yet, her efforts were held back as it placed the filly ahead of itself momentarily to keep W from advancing. The abomination quickly stepped back, tucking the filly against its chest as they all gagged at the sound of bones breaking and crystals fracturing inside its mangled form, with a faint whiff of rotten flesh from its teeth. "No." It snarled in a deep, gnarled voice. Its eyeless face lingered on W's recovering form, tempted to follow its other order before clutching the child tightly. Turning away from the three, it leapt for the edge of a building, clawing up with its crossbow's river acting as a hook before wedging itself up onto the rooftop. "Did... did it just..." Sora was a loss for words, or until W sprinted after it. "Wait, W!" "Astra!!" W screamed after the filly, landing on the roof and breaking into a mad sprint after the cloaked creature. "No way! No way am I losing anything else to this world!" Even as her pupils dialed to pinpricks, her blood was on fire. To Be Continued... Author's Note I'm a horrible person. Doctors and Renegades of all ages let me introduce you to a boss from an event, The Forsaken. Probably the worst thing to happen to a person when infected by a massive amount of Originium, it's like radiation but worse. I hope you enjoyed the cliffhanger, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: Find the Light The Forsaken has taken Astra and W is in hot pursuit, but can she reach the filly before she slips from W's fingers for good? 1-4 Find the LightPonies worked through the afternoon to repair what damages were made during the Infected assault, working on cleaning up and supporting buildings that may require a little support until they could be tended to. Almost everypony was busy, be cleaning, crafting, or reinforcing the buildings, even providing those that worked with food while they broke for breaks. Above a street, everypony screamed in fright as a large, twisted monster slammed into the middle of the road with a snarl, only for its legs to fold and propel the beast across to the next building, claws sinking into the brickwork, flinging debris back at the second shadow that pursued it on foot, leaping after it. "It's getting away!" W growled at herself for allowing this to happen, her whole body burning with perseverance. She leapt from building to building, always a step behind the agile Forsaken as it made strides to widen the gap between itself and the Sarkaz hunting it down. Cracking its neck around to spot the silverette, Forsaken growled, drawing back its melded crossbow, the purple energy vibrating through its crystalized arm and to the tip of the bow, channeling into a dark amethyst bolt of Arts energy. The bolt was expelled, tearing through the rooftop under W's feet. She tucked and rolled onto the next roof, immediately sprinting despite the few cuts she received, evading to her right of another bolt, this one just grazing her shoulder, the wound burned and hissed, cauterizing the gash in seconds. "W! Jump!" Looking back, she spotted the now aloft Sora, much as she hated it her toes curled against the edge of the next building, leaping as high as possible, feeling his hands clasp around her right, handing her a metal claw and binder. She gasped, then felt the wind slap across her cheeks. "Go!" With one, wind-powered spiral, Sora flung W like a slingshot toward the beast, giving her enough hang-time to clear the outer wall of Hoofprint alongside the fleeing Infected. Swinging the binder around, she flicked the bladed claw down at the Forsaken, grunting as her arms felt they'd pop from their sockets the second the hooks embedded themselves in its flesh and fabric, slamming her body into a nearby tree while she was tugged down to the ground, sliding across the dirt as the pair entered the forest, Sora wincing at how the Forskane snarled, maneuvering its body to crash W into every available tree in its path. "Okay, not quite as I pictured," He winced, rising higher into the air to fly just above the mounds of the trees, spotting the pair through the gaps, and the gleam of a purple bolt as it burned through the treeline, Sora barely left with enough time to evade the strikingly precise attack. Down in the forest, W grunted as she felt her left side bruise against a tree trunk, her stomach flattened against the dirt. Shaking off the buzzing in her ears, she grabbed the binder tightly in both hands, tugging herself up with enough leverage to hop to the side of a tree, propelling herself forward against the trunks, using the Forsaken's own power and momentum against itself. Her ember orbs widened, spotting Astra's tranquil face bobbing against the fold of the Infected arm. The sight fanned her flames, and with three blades procured off her belt, she flung the tips as they sunk into the beast's vertebrae, verbally provoking the abomination into adjusting its posture to draw the crossbow over Astra's head, the bolt charging up in W's pupils. "Shit!" Looking around quickly, W had to grit and bear the pain as she threw herself onto the side of a capsized tree, the wooden structure taking the massive blast of energy, dirt, and splinters obscuring her vision, unable to feel her feet snap a longboard of bark off the folded trunk. Skidding out into an open trail, she was pleasantly greeted by the sight of a makeshift board of bark under her feet, no longer trailed across the ground like roadkill peeled along by a car tire. Kicking with her left leg the front of the board rose, bumping off a rock, granting W enough time to adjust her landing to the right, missing a tree and another bolt while the Forsaken flung its arm wide to the left, blowing the bottom-half of a tree to pieces, capsizing the evergreen to fall in W's wake. Not wanting to finally lose her ground, W fell backward onto the bark, narrowing skimming the top of the falling tree, instantly kick-flipping onto another log, grinding across it while yanking back on the binder, raising her grenade launcher to counter the amethyst bolt mid-trajectory, the two payloads erupting in a purplish-orange halo that billowed the foliage that W ended up crashing through, keeping her feet pressed to the board. She swiveled to her left and right respectively to avoid being pierced by even just one bolt from Forsaken, itself unable to retaliate completely while carrying Astra. With the trees beginning to close in, W was going to run out of places to move. The Forsaken snarled, leveling its crossbow to the treeline ahead, unleashing several smaller Arts attacks to devastate the terrain, ripping roots and chunks of land from the earth. This ungodly eruption of lilac sent tremors through the earth, trees fell and small brushes were set ablaze while it ran by, leaving it all for W to almost feel her heart shake. Her eyes narrowed, gripping the binder so tight it cut into her palm. Pulling back, she balanced herself on the back end of the board, drawing the iron-sights of her launcher down just a few feet ahead of her. Not a second more the 'thunk' and puff of smoke smacked her nose and tongue, and the ground blew apart under her, the thermal and kinetic energy throwing her high above the trees, leaving her airborne momentarily. "I said... give-" Her fist tightened the binding. "-her-" Blades began to form around her body, sharpening the glare in her eyes. "-BACK!!!" Even from a distance, the Forsaken had no time to react, W yanking on the binder with inhuman strength, practically firing herself like a human missile that drove the soles of her boots through crystals and down against its marred, cracked skin, finally tumbling against the Forsaken as it roared angrily, lashing out to scratch and kick at the woman's assault, feeling her own teeth sink deep against its bicep, her left hand's finger prying deep into its throat in an attempt to gouge it out. Neither could stop themselves from rolling down a slope, and over the edge of a forest ravine that scored through the earth, leaving them weightless. With one kick to the stomach, W wrenched Astra from its gnarled hand, even as that same crooked mass of flesh dug deep into her leg, drawing blood. W screamed in rage and agony, teeth knitted, her own face a twisted form of animalistic hatred while shoving the barrel of her launcher against the monster's chest, ready to blow it to pieces. *Thud!* From seemingly the sun itself, Sora swooped down in a wide arc, wrapping his left arm around W's waist, his right cleaving through the Forsaken's claws with his silver blade, freeing the girls and allowing the abomination to plummet with a howl into the dark ravine. W almost didn't realize who had caught her, ready to pull the trigger had a hand not run down to stop her fingers with his own. W blinked, eyes readjusting to the world filled with color to find a nervous smile adorning the Aasimar that held her closely, a filly groaning in discomfort between them, though she remained unconscious still. "S-Sora?" Hesitant but unable to fly herself, W let him carry her across the roof of the forest, both finally able to lower their guards until they arrived back at Hoofprint. "..." Her eyes closed, wanting to look elsewhere but at his face. "W?" She didn't respond, and he felt he knew why. It was his fault for never saying anything from the get-go, she's been hurt far more than him, he could rely on the ponies around him everyday, she had nothing but a little girl and her own thoughts for a good majority of her time in Equestria. "'A girl fled from the consequence of a choice, having never learned from her mistake she only succeeded in spreading it'" That story festered in W's head again, why now? She passed it off as a mere way of bridging understanding between the two of them but... now she realized she was doing the same thing, letting distrust dictate her choice. He helped her get Astra back, that fact felt personal. Her arm secured itself around the filly between them tightly, almost afraid to let her go at all. Even her tail curled up between them, supporting the little pony's lower body. "Does Celestia think the same way as Twilight?" She broke the stale silence, not bothering to look his way, but he did admire how the golden sky contrasted her silvery hair and solemn gaze. "Is she out to cage me too?" Her tone was flat but not her face, lost and conflicted. "No," Sora answered softly, facing forward. "She's only ever wondered if you're like me until the reports of your 'attacks' reached her, then she viewed you as an invader of sorts," He didn't sugarcoat it, nor was it possible to sway his Adopted mother's view until she could see W personally, which only succeeded in spreading the fearful idea W was a monster. Sora sighed, then nudged her temple with his forehead. "Hey, I know... I should've told you, but-" "It's fine." Quick and direct, and he almost didn't want to accept that, despite how irritated she may become. "Trust is... a risk - guess I didn't want to play so close to the chest this time." He could almost hear her dry wit. "Then I hope it's a risk you can take on me again." Finally, her face turned to meet his, smiling slightly at his dorky he was with his wording, but it was a nice change of pace. Their silent stare lasted a while until Sora's wings flickered, almost losing his focus while shakily facing forward, stammering while a tint of pink dusted his face. "W-well! Let's just, um, g-get back to town and rest! Yeah, just relax!" "His arms are tense..." W blinked once, tilting her head while she stared, then left her picking thoughts for later, resting her head against his shoulder while facing the direction of the ravine, only to see a sea of emerald green stretch out ahead of her toward a mountain range striking the horizon. "That's Canterlot huh...?" The girl fell down a sharp slope, rolling through the damp mud and leaves, coughing once she tumbled to flatter terrain. She gasped, hearing the huff and sharp growl drawing closer. "I don't... want to die... Mama!" Blood and sinew clung to white teeth, a breath that made her insides turn horribly at the acrid stench of rotten flesh. Two beady, burning yellowish-red eyes swam with hunger, the long tongue hanging out the corner of its armored mouth. The girl's body was shaking, silver eyes staring back in the reflection in the large, wolf's orbs. Now, she was pinned between a rock and its large, white claws while it sniffed out her terror. Tears stained her face as she held her ears, trying to block out the sickening growls and noises that the monster made, it thrashed against her eardrums, just as badly as its roar split the sky. "...mama... help me...!" All she could think or feel was Death looming over her, she couldn't even scream anymore. Then, the deafening silence was interrupted, and she peeked out to see the jaws widen, shrouding her in darkness, drowning one final scream. "Waaah, stop, stop, stop!!" The sudden wail from Astra shook W from her trance while tinkering with one of her plastic explosives, eyes wide as the filly sobbed in her bed. She cupped her ears with her hooves, eyes jammed shut as if the shadows were about to swallow her, "Mama!" "Hey, hey, Astra, what's-!" W was cut short upon approaching the filly's trembling side, the charcoal bundle burying her face into the woman's shirt, sobbing loudly through the fabric. On instinct, W put her arms around her, keeping her wrapped safely. She ignored the door opening, focusing all her attention on the terrified pony in her arms. "Shh, it's okay, kid... it's just a nightmare, shh..." Rocking her back and forth gently, W's heart almost shot to her stomach, as if the Forsaken had come back. "Mama's dead... they all died... s-s-she killed them...!" Astra hiccuped, afraid to lift her face from the warmth enveloping her. It wasn't a nightmare, it was one of the last things Astra could remember at all. "She hurt them, she killed my Mama...!" Leaning her head down, W kept her hold on Astra while she whispered. "She won't hurt you, kid, I promise, shh, it's okay now, I'm still here, I'm not letting you go this time." She be damned if she allowed it. "W?" Sora spoke up, worry crossing his features while he watched the Sarkaz rock the frightened child carefully. W met his eyes once, nodding with a tired smile. "...l-let me know if you need anything, okay?" He added quickly. "Sure," With that, the door closed over, leaving only W and Astra illuminated by the lantern on the desk where W worked, though she could hardly prioritize that now, not until Astra was okay. "Astra... who killed your Mom?" Painful and rude as it might be, W wasn't good with this and that was all that was on her mind. Astra couldn't recall anything until now. "*Sniff* b-bad l-l-lady, h-her *hic* h-hands burned e-every *hic* t-thing..." Her head shook against W's damp shirt, not that it mattered. "Mama..." "Shh... it's okay," Hugging Astra tightly, W's gaze fell to her neutral glare. "She's like us too... the Merchant stole her away but her memories must've suffered in the process... but where did she come from?" Looking down at the filly, her fingers combed her snow-white mane, now cleaned of dirt and grime from the day, no longer needing to use rivers and ponds to clean for the time being. "Whatever happens, kid, she won't hurt you, I'll blow all your fears to ashes." That gauged a small gasp from the pony, her silver eyes bloodshot from crying, tears still rolling down her muzzle. "B-but *hic*." Then, her snout crinkled from W tapping two fingers to her nose, smirking to reveal a fang. "May get beaten, burned, cut, and so on, but I will, everything you're scared of? I'll blow it all away," W was sure of it, more than ever before. "I promise." "B-but *sniff* I-I yelled a-at you..." That's what was eating at her too? W raised a brow, then chuckled, ruffling her mane as she got comfortable against the bed's headboard. "And? I... should have considered why he wanted to keep that to himself - heck, I'm no better," W felt a little embarrassed thinking back to it. That only melted to pride when Astra snapped at her, she wasn't trying to throw some kind of tantrum, she just spat the words W refused to reason with. "I dunno what's to come of this, with Sora... but you're right, kid - so if you ever need to yell at me again," W saw her eyes staring up at her while she grinned. "You have my permission to curse me out too - but only when I'm being a total dumbass." "Mmhm," Astra sniffled, nuzzling back into W's chest, and the Sarkaz relaxed back against the pillow, her own eyes beginning to feel heavy. Today had really tired her out in every aspect, but so long as Astra was safe, she'd do it again. The next day, W was busy sitting out in the sun with nothing but her sports bra on to cover her chest, a bandana tied around her forehead to keep her bangs clear as she worked on making a few thin, wire grapples that she could swing like the one Sora gave her to tag the Forsaken. It was tricky but the ponies were nice enough to give her the wire she needed to thread together. It was tricky but she already had one complete, though not perfect it was something useful, even as a tripwire. "W-W-W-W-" Sora had his mouth plugged by her tail's tip, only for her to immediately retract it after a strange sensation shivered through her body. "Uwah, okay, what the hell is it now?" W asked bluntly, placing the threaded wire down to take in the frightened look in his eyes, Astra galloping up beside him, their bags in toe. "Uh, what's-" Her antenna flicked and she quickly swiped the materials she had into her duffle bag, snatching up her shirt and jacket from the chair. "You've got to be kidding me..." Once the three were hidden in an alley nearest the rebuilding of the market. W's blood boiled, Sora looked nervous, hand tense against the wall with Astra peeking between W's legs with worried eyes. Standing at the front of a small platoon was the red unicorn with the stupid blonde mane. Cliffheart. Neither missed how a red aura began to bubble across W at the sight, Astra didn't bother checking her emotions, it was painfully obvious. "Ah, you must be the one stationed as the captain here, correct?" Cliffheart waved to the same stallion that W saved, and the one that thanked her with Bits too. "Yes, sir," He gave a salute. "What do we owe this visit from the Royal Guards for?" Cliffheart looked around at the devastation still in need of repairs. "Well, I heard word that some strange monsters had attacked the town, I'd have come myself but the report said the matter was quickly dealt with by a 'Mercenary'." W facepalmed alongside Sora, Astra bobbing her head between them while looking at her own hoof. "Why did I say that?" "Why did she say that?" "Why are they doing that?" The Hoofprint guard looked a little taken back before nodding, he had no clue so W couldn't hold him for it. "Ah, right - a traveling mercenary had stopped by to gather supplies and offered their assistance - believe me, not much of Hoofprint would be left I'm afraid if not for their help." He was... defending her? Again, W didn't have the words to gauge a real reply, it was odd having ponies back her up. Cliffheart's orange eyes narrowed a little, clearly racking his brain for the words. "And this... mercenary, anything odd about them? Weapons? Appearance? A name?" He was really trying to squeeze whatever juice he could from the guard, and W felt her fingers reside on her launcher, only for Sora's hand to press to her dainty hand, lifting a strange look from the woman, but she ultimately backed down, easing her fingers off the trigger. "We're busy tracking what's named the 'Monster/Beast of the Everfree', heard any rumors of it?" The guard looked lost, then his eyes widened with a surprised face. "The monster of... ah, yes, a few new adventurers were supposedly off to try and capture this beast - heard they ran into trouble along the way with another monster, however," Then the guard shook his head. "I'm afraid this mercenary looked nothing like what many have described, only thing odd I can say was that they refused the compensation we offered as a 'thank you'," His hoof waved dismissively, but W caught it, his left eye passed over her location, he smiled. "Sadly if you wanted to chat with this hired pony yourself you'd have to track them down among Hoofprint's forests, no telling when they'll return." "Think that's our window, come on," Sora nudged W's arm, and the Sarkaz quickly wrapped Astra into her arm, picking up her own bag to quickly escape into the alleyway. She hated to bail on Mir but once he saw who was currently paying a lovely visit he'd understand. "So, where to now?" Sora asked, hopping out into the street once the coast was clear. "Where else, Wing-Boy?" She huffed, grinning ahead. "We've got a Dealer to catch." To Be Continued... Author's Note Guess the good is only met with bad. Astra's memories are starting to become clear, and the trio is now on the move again, trust and all. Things won't be easy, and trouble is bound to follow, and maybe something more, hmm? Well, I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: Picture That Still on the run from Cliffheart, the trio are on their way to Hollow Shades, in hopes of finding The Dealer. After clearing up another mysterious deposit of Originium and giving the ex-hunter the slip. The trio finally has the time to rest, and W takes the time to reflect. 1-5 Picture ThatTwo days later... *Boosh-Ping!* A blur of red, black, and white sailed by two Guards, detaching the wire from the muzzle of their launcher to sling themselves between the dozens of trees, rolling down into the clearing, drawing a knife instead while the ponies scampered into view, drawing an exasperated sigh from the Sarkaz, tail flicking angrily. "You know, you guys could do so much better, right?" W sneered, hand on her hip while displaying her sly smile. "I mean, just look at me? I got the curves that'd put any girl to shame, hehe." "Do you ever stop talking!?" Cliffheart huffed, spinning his polearm to poise it defensively. By now, W was surrounded by several Guards amongst the trees. It was a pain but the ex-hunter caught up to them and almost got the drop on the group had Astra not felt their malicious auras closing in, that, and one of them fell into a random pitfall W dug up just to test a few new traps. Drawing her knife close to her chest, W kept her guard up, eyes peeled for so much as a twitch she didn't like. "Where's the filly?" "Wouldn't you like to know..." Cliffheart sighed, bitterness in every word. "You can't keep running from your crimes." "And you can't keep sexually harassing me." That made his orange orbs widen. "W-what? I haven't done anything like that!" He spurted out in the first truthful words W had had the pleasure of hearing. She smiled, shrugging her head to the left, faking innocence. "See, now I'm falsely accusing you, isn't this fun?" Her constant prodding was the one thing she had against the Royal Guard. She had no filter. "So yeah... um, whatever your name is." "I. Am. Cliff. Heart!" By now, even the other Guards were starting to doubt if W was stupid or just playing dumb. Some bet it might very well be both. "And. I. Do. Not. Care." Now W frowned, lowering her guard with a disappointed scowl. "Honestly, why would I care even for a fraction about the very same pony that's been a thorn up my ass for days now - more so than Sparkle Butt was - and that's saying something given her ass-kissing to Celestia." "Watch you mouth!" Bingo. W grinned, slipping down to her knees to strike with her right foot against the muzzle of the first Guard, his spear clattering to the ground with blood and spit while the others rushed in with Cliffheart. The next lunged with their spear, only for W to backflip, her feet taking out the spear once she landed, spinning herself around to backhand the stallion with the butt of her knife, followed by a mean left hook to the snout. The third had her right boot pressed against the stomach, his eyes following the silverette as she spun around, delivering a painful snap-kick to his neck, knocking him out cold. During her twirl, W snatched the head of a fourth spear by the neck, bringing it down on her knee to snap the staff, she flicking the spear half upside down, bringing it up through the helmet of the unicorn, shattering the spearhead with a ringing chime that left the pony dazed until he too fell over. "You guys really suck at this whole, 'capturing' thing," W tilted her head left, evading the jab of the staff while diving backward over the horizontal swing, her own blade blocked by Cliff's barrier. It collapsed, allowing the staff to jab against W's right shoulder, spinning her around, knife drawn down against another small shield, deflecting the blow and leaving her exposed for a jab to the stomach and a crack of the staff against her head, leaving a welt. "Ooow!" "This ends here!" Cliffheart declared, bringing his weapon down to shave across W's knife, herself flinging two daggers he quickly evaded, lunging forward with a backswing, W swiveled right, thrusting her knife forward. Cliff parried it, splitting his staff in two, the right piece smacking W's cheek while her blade grazed his cheek, cutting the strap that held the helmet, freeing his blonde mane that his widened eyes pierced, barely avoiding another throwing knife by batting it away with the left stick. His magic could react in time, the thin, crimson barrier flickered out, the mercenary's fingers seeping through like snakes to curl and bring a solid left cross to his raised forehoof. Through the wisps of red, W swiped with her right leg, dropping the Captain while using her knife to pin the retracting left stuck between a rock and the dirt. She quickly snatched up the right half, even as the magic faded, it burnt her hand through the glove. Cliffheart wasn't through, however, quickly adjusting the angle on his back to press his forehooves against her hands, the two wrestling on the ground. Cliff managed to use W's own weight to throw her behind him, buying him enough time to straddle her own waist, pinning her arms by the wrists with a refined variant of telekinesis, even if the sight of her wrists smoking lightly upset his stomach. "Give up already, you can't run forever!" He grunted, applying his hooves to W's shoulders to keep her from straining his magic further. For a flash, fear scored her demonic eyes until all that remained was a fiery conviction. "Then you can keep failing forever, Captain." Though it burnt her wrists, visibly making the woman bite back a grunt she shattered the veil of red and coiled both hands around Cliffheart's throat, cutting off the airflow instantly. "I could snap your neck and leave you to rot," Her iron grip worsened, ignoring the weak, desperate kicks he forced. "I could burn all your bodies to ash and bone and no one would find the remains - don't you get it? I'm a merc who will do whatever it takes to get by." With one strong heave, W threw his body across the forest, his back striking a tree, landing on the silver strip of wire crossed between two oaks. By the time Cliffheart ceased his gagging, he realized it too late, now suspended from more wires nestled in the treetops. W giggled at the sight, lightly tapping his nose to rock him back and forth. "Try to get down before the blood rushes to your pretty little head, Cap, bye~" "G-get back here!" He yelled but she just tucked her scarf closer to her smile, humming softly to herself. "W!!!" She showed him The Bird, vanishing into the forest. "And that about sums up the fight, if you can call them flailing angrily a 'fight'." W summarized under the massive roots of a tree, time and geography resulting in a small, semi-underground cave beneath a tree. It was far away from Cliffheart and his Guard and secluded enough to light a fire and start cooking dinner. While Sora patched up W's wrists, Astra kept the pot's stew stirred. "Ah." "Sorry," He smiled awkwardly while applying the healing bandages to her wrists. "I've never see magical burns like this before, then again, I've never known a person to have a high resistance to magic at all." W chuffed, biting her cheek. "I'll take the compliment - Astra, add that to the list, 'Highly resilient to magic' - fu... ngh!" That made her wrist recoil, but the binding remained while her fingers twitched. "His magic's stronger, guess I forced his hoof." W blinked, then shook off the use of pony-terminology. Sighing, Sora packed the extra bandages and healing potions Mir gave them, "Well, it's not perfect but hopefully they'll be healed by tomorrow," He shook his head. "You really are too reckless sometimes." "Give up already, you can't run forever!" The absurd words stuck to W's mind constantly. Could she really keep this up for much longer? Keep Astra safe? Keep them from discovering that Sora, their freakin' prince, had been helping her? Can... she still be herself? That made the memories of her fights with Equestria all the more surreal, she wasn't W per se, but with the constant abuse of her body, her mental stability, the gravity of her mission, what much was left of Aoi? She didn't say it, a bad habit of hers, but while her life back home wasn't something to aspire to, she was somewhat content, and now that was gone with no hope of returning. All that remained of Aoi was memories and her personality. But how long would that last? "What the hell's the line between us, eh, W?" Her own tail snaking up made her jump. Closing her eyes, W fought back that fear. "I'm a failure." Without a word, W stood up and made her sharp exit from under the tree. "I need some air." It was ironic since there was a breeze passing through the cave constantly. Sora stared off at her abrupt departure, and Astra stopped focusing on the pot, frowning sadly. "W's scared..." "About what?" Sora inquired, looking to the little seer for a clear answer. "Not about Mr. Cliffheart, but I think it's about her dreams," Astra rubbed her chin, brow furrowed. "Hmm... it's weird, she mutters alot and says alot of names I've never heard," Astra's eyes wandered a bit between Sora and the fire. "'Doctor', 'Reunion', and I think stuff like the Originium monsters too, and um..." The more she thought about it, the less she could recall. "I think W's remembering stuff too, but not stuff she's experienced before." "Like overlapping memories?" Sora suggested, the filly nodding slowly. "That makes sense, it's happened to be a few times - heh, I almost forgot my real name because of it, used to say Valiant instead," Now, that realization sunk in, Sora grabbing one of his twin silver swords. "I'll be back, call if you need us." "Okay," Astra waved, then looked up. "S-sora?" Pausing at the roots, he looked back to the worried look on her face. "Please help her." "Why won't you come back...? I can help you...please," Turning to her right, W saw the still conflicted state of the Doctor - no, her old friend that had no sense of who or what he was before. A part of her hated that, the person she was after was no longer there, just some hollow husk. Another... stung, it, of all people in the world, it just had to be him, the person that was there for her, that comforted her before her life became so much worse. "Tch, 'helping me' would be to leave me be - for the best, really," She huffed, turning her attention back to the city below, arms crossed tightly under her chest. "I get it now, more than before - bunch of stuff is screwed up now and I need... to sort things out, alone." She wanted to take his hand now but she needed this, for both their sakes less she does something that pulls the webbing of her plans apart. "Got my own agenda I can't just let slide for anyone, even if... it's you," "I..." His head lowered a moment, then rose with a determined frown. "I get it - I just hope that... we can see each other again." His words always remained so goofy. It was a strange change of pace W had long since forgotten the feeling of. Reaching over, she patted his heart, simultaneously dropping an old, folded card into his hand. She flashed him a grin, and hopped onto the edge of the rooftop, dangling her life against the concrete. "You're still too nice to a girl as messed up as me - hmph, I'm glad that hasn't changed." With a flick of her tail to mean goodbye, she dived off the edge, disappearing from his starstruck view. "Don't die, Kaid." "Stop!" W grabbed the sides of her head, squeezing her temples as if to shut out the false memories. It made her pace, frustrated that another slither of a life that she never had come to infect her mind. Who was Kaid? That Doctor from the first memory she had? That city too, what was it called? Again, W slammed her head into the side of a tree, ignoring the blood that trickled down her face, thanking that the buzzing sensation cleared her mind a little. "Just... stop..." It was growing unbearable. "Leave me alone already..." Who was she? Was she W or Aoi? What part of her was real? Who was she? "Get out of my head already!" She kept hitting her temples. "Dammit, why did I pick up that stupid scarf!?" *Thump* A sudden warmth hit her back, folding around her torso. "Calm down, you need to breathe," It was Sora, but even so, W still fought, almost throwing him aside. "Get off of me!" Her voice dripped with venom, she didn't mean it but her emotions were spiraling out of control. "Leave me alone!!" "Just... calm down," Not once did he raise his voice, hugging her tightly with his head against her nape. "You need to relax and take a deep breath, these memories are just a side-effect of being Displaced, the real you is still here," His left hand moved to rest against her heart. "You're still you, W - come on, deep breaths." She did as she was told, mimicking his motions with a heavy inhale, holding it for a few seconds before releasing. The motions repeated for almost a minute, her panic attack settling in his arms while the two fell to their knees. W let her arms hang limp against her sides, head down while shaking. Not even Astra saw her this shaken, and W preferred it that way for the girl's sake. Sora wouldn't say a word, W hoped. "Tell me about your life before this, it usually helps," Sora murmured, not unwrapping his arms from her body, leaving W defeated and a mess of emotions. She didn't even try and fight back, aimlessly following the fireflies in the treeline ahead of her. "I... have a serious phobia of wasps, so much so I'll run the second I see one get too close," Why was she saying this to him? It didn't matter, her lips were already moving of their own accord, sinking into his arms. "One day I was cornered by one without realizing it - I quickly took one of my friend's bikes, and I rode it as fast as I could, laughing like an idiot," W's smile was broken but genuine, voice barely a whisper. "Heh, I never knew how to ride a bike until then - stupid how my own fear fixed that..." "Atleast you got to finally ride a bike - with a little fear added in," Sora nudged to boost her spirits, hearing her giggle gently, feeling her body relax against his chest, head tilting up just enough for him to see the pain-stricken look in her eyes, a tiny smile of content on her pale features. All glossed in the moonlight, surrounded by fireflies. "I'm still terrified of them, funny, given all that I've done," She reminisced, running her hands over her bandages. "...are you... really Sora?" It wasn't a case of curiosity of what his identity was, that didn't matter to W. What did, was how it would affect her gradually. His hands tightened at her sides. "One and only," He smiled slightly, eyes curved at her strangely quiet shift in personality, it was peaceful. "Sora is my name, and... even if I have memories of the Aasimar I am now, the person I was from the beginning will always be here, it's who I am, that's something no amount of false memories can change," He quickly added, "I believe that's the same case for you." Her eyes widened slightly, feeling herself sink deeper into his embrace, his words tickling her ear. "I met W, but the person underneath is my friend, regardless of what happens." "..." How many days had she wanted to hear that too? That... she was still Aoi underneath, sure, she liked being W. The Sarkaz that was strong, confident, who didn't take shit from anyone, it felt so liberating to be... herself. Had she know the memories would crop up, that this new world would turn its back on her, then she'd have never taken that scarf. Peeking up, W felt... safe, somehow, that alone was worth all this pain, right? "...what's with the cheesy lines?" Her smile shined again. "Not used to all the hugging too..." Sora chuckled nervously, rubbing his neck quickly, avoiding her eyes. "Eh? S-sorry, guess being stuck around ponies that really like showing affection kinda rubbed off on me, it's been a long time." His arms shuffled, losing their firm hold on the mercenary, or until a black appendage slithered around to run across his arms, curling lightly around W's chest and his biceps. "..." She didn't speak at all, eyes hazy, looking only toward the little green motes amongst the trees. Sora felt a little hesitant to move at all, but judging by how W kept herself rooted against his chest, he doubted moving would help. Relaxing his muscles alongside the silverette, he kept her close until she felt like moving again; When the W he knew would come back and tease him for his soft, supportive side. He was alright with that. Time passed by and W spoke again. "Why the Infected?" Her inquiry drew his eyes down on her silver hair. "Of all the things he could've sent after me, Sarkaz Mercenaries, W's old teammates from way back, heck, even visages of Rhodes Island, why the monsters and people infected with Originium?" Sora pondered on her question, adjusting his hold on her waist while peering up at the fireflies. "He did the same with me I think, the Necromancer was a Fallen Aasimar that conjured crystal beasts using the materials in the Crystal Barrens, he made a villain that had ties to my body, to Valiant." "So the Infected, the Slugs and Reunion Soldiers, they're my equivalent," Looking off to her right she felt her hand play with the aqua highlights of Sora's braid, the action soothing her state of mind. "...I chose W 'cause she was strong alone," Finally, she admitted it, closing her eyes momentarily, seeing her original form shadowed by W's protectively against the dark with a toothy grin. "A mercenary who made a deal with her enemies to get in close, fought against everyone and everything with a smile and a laugh, she was strong, fearless, and everything I wanted to be... and everything I've become." Irony seeped into her mind since day one, how Equestria turned against her at the flick of a madman's wrist. She was her own army and nothing more, in a way, she used those that did trust her to her vantage, but to survive as W had in a world devoid of kindness even a good person has to get their hands dirty. "You have us now," His words lifted her eyelids. "I mean, I'm here, same with Astra, s-so that's not the case, and I think the W you are now i-is better, you know, then the one you admired." W nodded gently against his collarbone, enjoying his presence selfishly with a smile. "Dummy..." Somewhere... The moonlight grazed a dark, gloomy ravine with its dull radiance. Rocks and boulders were piled at the base of the earthly scar, some tumbled simply from a light breeze traveling through, and some shifted due to gravity itself. *Boosh!* A deformed, cracked hand shot from the rubble, clawing away at the boulders with black claws flaked with semi-transparent crystals that grew slightly to coat and mutate the clotted wounds across the arm. Whatever lay beneath the earth growled, reaching out toward the moonlight angrily, thrashing under the prison of stone. To Be Continued... Author's Note I'm loving the moments between W and Sora, he's a good support for W in a way Astra can't fill. As Sora puts it, Astra is the person keeping W's humanity together, making her focus on what she wants to prove. Sora is someone that W can hopefully feel comfortable allowing her walls to come down around. But that's just me rambling, can't spoil what's to come, hehe. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Results May Vary While approaching their destination, and after Sora helps set up camp within a unique region of the forests the trio reflects as they finally relax. P.S. Again, the memories of Renedage's W aren't canon to the game's W - believe me, there is a big difference. 1-6 Results May Vary"One, two - three!" With a heave, Sora flapped his ethereal wings hard enough to rustle the treetops, but to his heaved sigh, the tripwire was taut against the branches, officially securing the campsite from afar say Cliffheart finally catches up. Hovering there while catching his breath, the ravenette brushing one of his braids aside, feeling the waxy texture against his fingers. "I doubt this will miss Cliffheart... he's getting sharper - W's becoming predictable." He hated to admit it, but Cliffheart wasn't a slouch, if he was up against something entirely new, he'd fail again and again until he found all the exploits he needed. Be it a monster, an Aasimar, or Sarkaz. Sighing, he rubbed his hair again. "I need a bath." Gliding down, Astra was sitting with her eyes closed, muzzle scrunched up cutely while attempting to concentrate on her 'Seer' power. For days now, Sora attempted to narrow down what world Astra could have originated from, when W told him that Astra said she was, 'from the sky', he initially believed her to have come from a world similar to heaven or that lived among the clouds. But he too 'came from the sky', as in he fell to Equestria, which may be the case with Astra too. That, and her nightmare the day before they left Hoofprint suggests she's from a world with creatures that looked like black werewolves. "Hey, Astra, any idea where W is?" This was a double question. He smiled, wanting to test her sensing ability as well as find the missing Sarkaz, even her weapons, and bag were left behind to go venturing into the tall, taiga forest, pines, and spruces shrouding parts of the afternoon sky. The filly was lost in a haze of colors, her body was silvery as usual, but Sora was blue, focusing on his specifically led to an array of blues, like an ocean refracting sunlight, it shimmered with kindness, honesty, curiosity, even... infatuation? Tilting her head, Astra decided to keep that to herself for now as she hummed, looking around the murky outlines of trees for a significant sign of red among blues and greens of other wildlife. Green always meant passive for most animals, some predators had a tint of red or pink, it was fun discovering new shades or meanings to prior colors, it filled Astra's head with wonder. "Um... ah!" She blinked up at Sora who knelt down with a curious brow while following the filly's hoof to the right. "W went that way, I think she found a place to clean and she wanted to investigate." That word, 'clean' was like music to Sora's ears. With gusto, he stood up straight. "Well, I guess if her hunch is right we should probably take advantage of that while we can, the next town is... not a place we want to stay long." Even he couldn't hide his awkward tone. "Are they bad ponies too?" The innocent look drew out a chuckle from the Aasimar. "No... they're..." He wiggled his hands like scales before slumping. "Okay, they're weird, even for talking ponies - right, I'll go find her." "Okay...~" Astra sang softly, returning to her focus while muttering under her breath. "...does W feel that way too?" She had alot to think about. "Okay, she wasn't kidding," Blinking out the disbelief, Sora was certain he'd have seen this from the treetops. Standing just at the edge of a rock formation that acted as a large wall, his eyes observed in wonder at the steamy pools of water surrounding him. It was a natural hot spring, which wasn't uncommon for any point in this region. They were still very far from the nearest town but since the mountains once had active volcanoes way back when the activity from that time left many fissures in the crust, creating these pools almost everywhere. "W? W...?" Not even a snap of a twig. Looking around quickly, Sora kicked off his boots and socks to test if the water was actually safe to sit in, less he wanted to boil himself alive. Shivering at the sudden rise in temperature, it seemed the pool was indeed safe, the water wasn't bubbling either which was another good factor. With a sigh of relief, he quickly glanced around at the trees and rocks to ensure he was safe and after only a few seconds he sank down into the pool with a strained breath, the bruises and cuts he's sustained himself sensitive to the water. "Ahh... best... discovery... ever," After traveling for nearly five days, the water reminded Sora of all the pain his body had been subjugated to. From running to flying, setting camp, even hunting if need be, and genuinely putting up with W's strange antics. Even if his body reacted poorly to the hot sensation, he didn't particularly care, he was happy now. Sinking further into the boiling water he thought aloud, eyes flattened. "Why do I have an eerie feeling W's up to something?" "An interesting assumption; Up to what?" The words to his left enquired. He just shrugged. "Eh, you'd usually try and pull something to keep me on -- Ahh, why are you in here!?!" His mind screeched to a halt, finding that sitting no more than two feet from him was the silverette herself, her expression portraying no sense of shame, only a devilish smile of content. Through the lighter mist, he saw her damp hair stick to her head more, antenna slumped slightly, the tips of her horns dripping wet. Even at the water-level, he could make out her pale skin, red blemishes from the temperature. Especially a very, very significant area of her body that was just barely covered by the water. Sora tore his wide eyes from her attractive body as his face burned hotter than the water itself. Drowning would be preferable. "To be fair, I was here first - besides, I'm sure I contracted something from that river I bathed in after dealing with those Mutts," W shrugged, sitting back in the water with a huff. "You're the one that just up and stripped when I finally pulled my head out from the water," She swore his whole face was glowing with his back to her. Rolling her eyes, W added, "Relax, I didn't see anything due to the steam," She wouldn't admit it, but it was somewhat disappointing "That doesn't make this better!" He yelled, no longer able to focus with an attractive girl literally bathing behind him, he swore this was just the world's way to torment him further. A silence ensued before he heard her move around in the water, the rippling motions made it unclear what she was doing. Getting out? Probably not, so instead he said nothing and tried his hardest to relax, but her figure kept popping up in my head like it was constantly on loop. "You know, if you keep ignoring me I'll just make you..." He hated it when she says that with a tone similarly used when she decided to mess with him. "Guess I'll just have to move closer~" "Okay-Okay! I'm looking!" His body spun around, keeping both his shaky eyes locked to her neutral stare. She was still concealed by the steam and water but now sat only a few feet from his spot. His throat felt dry as he spoke like sandpaper rubbed his throat. "W-W-what?" W looked away, leaning her head back to face the orange sky above. "You and Cliffheart know each other, yeah? What's he like, before he became so obsessed in caging me like it's his fetish or something?" That made Sora snort sharply, looking away from her too, more so to avoid adding more blood to his crimson face. "W-well, ahem, he's... honorable, he was once like you, a pony-for-hire, he'd hunt dangerous monsters, collect things no one else could or would, then he met Mom - erm, Celestia, and soon he became a part of the Royal Guard, helping new recruits improve, he even defended me when ponies were still... shady of my arrival," Lifting a hand from the water he raised it as if to hold his sword. "He taught me how to fight smarter, to use my enemy's weaknesses against them, he's clever but kind, and would do anything to uphold the peace Celestia wants to prolong for however long she can." "So your typical rogue turned knight, yeah?" W bluntly surmised, and Sora nodded. "Yeah, pretty much." His eyes then met her orangy-gold. "I'm sorry," Looking around, W crossed her arms. "Sure, I hate the guy for being a pain in my ass but he's not a fault, that Merchant got inside his head, messed with alot of ponies that didn't deserve it." Brushing a hand out, W grew... timid. "I-I guess I just got focused on how angry I was I kinda... forgot that." Sora nodded, "I understand that, these... memories are now a part of us, and if we let it, deny who we are prior we could... lose ourselves in our own desires," He shook his head at her odd expression, "I, um, used to call myself Valiant, the Aasimar I called myself in DnD, had it not been for my Mom I would have completely forgotten my real name, maybe even my biological parents." "...that's why you hugged me or were you just wanting to be mushy again?" W teased, poking a finger above the water with a sly smirk. "H-hey, it's a legitimate method!" He defended with a blush. "Emotions are bound to our memories, you're not exactly the most trusting of people, and understandably so." "So you did that... because I trust you," "Because I felt safe." Smiling awkwardly, W was left somewhat speechless until she saw that Sora was staring at her antenna that were bobbing in place. "Like what you see?" "Uwah, s-sorry." He blurted out with a blush, looking down while enjoying her pleasant laughter until she pointed up at her horns and sensory pieces. "Perks of being a character from Arknights, they went a little 'anime' with designs so many factions tend to have certain animal traits," W rambled on without realizing it, both imagining a speech bubble above her finger displaying a chibi of herself and a Sarkaz Sentinel like back at Hoofprint. "I'm a Sarkaz so we tend to have horns and demon-like traits, I'm actually a cockroach." She stated proudly. "That explains the reaction times when your antenna twitches," Sora realized as another bubble appeared with a girl with brown hair and bunny ears alongside a boy with pinkish-white hair and bunny ears pointed down. "How is she doing that...?" He didn't dare question the naked, bathing fangirl in front of him in the water. "Some have rabbit ears too called Cautus, there's a whole bunch for various animals," W brushed off the bubbles while leaning back against the bank. One other thought crossed Sora's mind, one that gripped him with a chill before. "What you said back in Hoofprint..." Her brow quirked. "I'm Infected with the same disease that turned those monsters, well, I dunno if I am anymore but if I am I'll die of it someday," W blinked slowly, sighing once. "Just how it is, really." "You're... Infected?" The longer Sora pondered her words the more it confused him. So, with a shrug, W added with a wave of her arm, turning it to display the underside of her armpit. To his horror, there were a few black rocks the size of a fingernail embedded into her skin. "I-Is that?" "Those soldiers from Ponyville I killed, they're like me, Infected, part of a group called Reunion who were founded for the sole reason to terrorize the world that discriminated and killed them just because they contracted some incurable virus - Oripathy." Lowering her arm W smirked. "So far nothing's changed, so I might be off the hook, maybe... dunno really." "Are you okay?" His question was quick and worried. W blinked slowly but smiled, seeping her arm back into the water. "'Course, like a little infection's gonna get me-" "W." His voice was stern as she met his eyes, how... serious they were, it was almost alluring. "Ahem, yeah, I am." She spoke with modesty or until something snuck up on them. "I remembered something," Astra spoke up shyly. "Yah!" W and Sora yelped, the former slipping off her perch under the steamy waves, gargling curses on her way back up. "Sorry..." The filly murmured while W coughed up the excess water, Sora turning away from her 'assets' now above the water level, wishing he just stayed at the camp. "I-It's *cough-cough* all good," Splashing back down, W's tail slithered up to poke the pony's chest. "You can tell us more now while I clean you up - can't have you smelling like the dead." Reluctantly, Astra pouted and took off her scarf, hopping down into the water to sit against W's stomach. Sora eventually turned to face them again, scratching his cheek while observing W while she cleaned Astra with a pleasant smile on her lips, happily humming while Astra spoke. It was really sweet to see. "I was trying to focus on my own aura again and I think it made more pictures appear in my head, like a book." "I see, anything on your world?" W added briefly, washing out the dirt clung to the filly's mane. "Mmhm, my... Papa," Astra murmured, looking around at the trees with wondrous eyes. "He was big, like you Sora, and strong, he punched a scary wolf so hard it exploded into a purple ball that exploded again." "Sounds like magic, that's pretty cool," Sora complimented, making her smile slightly, an achievement not many could accomplish. "But then many of them appeared, and some bright, white light turned them all to dust in a flash, like an explosion without heat or a loud bang, just... um, 'whoosh'!" She elaborated by making a waving motion with her hooves, W chuckling while washing out the girl's mane "Kid, you're too adorable for this world..." W admitted, leaning back for a moment. "So a white light that can erase dark creatures and magic..." The woman deadpanned. "Wow, that leaves... literally every fantasy world known to man." "That's still an improvement," Sora added, smiling assuringly at the downcast filly. "You've already improved so much in only a few days, and your memories aren't erased which is another positive - don't worry, it'll all come back to you someday." "Thank you..." She murmured with a bashful blush, even W had to wink. "Such a sweet-talker, ain'tcha?" While this was a good development, W felt oddly nostalgic herself. "...well, guess I'll say something." Thinking about it, W never really thought about her goals until she first arrived in Equestria, where the childish idea she could be some kind of hero still ran rampant. "I wanted to be someone that inspired others, that's what my goals were believe it or not." Her neutral expression hadn't flinched at all, even while Astra and Sora watched her with surprise at the sudden openness. She smirked, shrugging. "It's sad, really; Bullied for being different, and here am I, trying to be something big." "That's not stupid," Sora replied, Astra nodding quickly. "You're really nice, and brave." Again, the Sarkaz laughed, rubbing her brow with her tail. "I'm W, and power often makes people feel strong, take that away, my explosives, this body and all that's left is some introverted girl who... plays guitar, huh?" She stared into space, hand rising to her gaze. "I... forgot I liked playing guitar, and... music in general..." It happened again, her face becoming clouded with fright. "I... really did forget that." "No you haven't," She flinched when a hand rested on her shoulder, meeting burning, aqua eyes that left her entranced. "You keep saying that who you are is just this broken person that deserves to be forgotten, but I think the person you are now is the real deal, W just helped to bring all those positives out." "I um..." Speechless, how Sora did that to W stumped her to no end, was it the water getting to her? And what's up with this stupid feeling in her head? Shaking off his hand, her confidence rekindled. "Well, thanks I guess, both of you - now!" With a hoist, Astra sat on the bank of the hot springs, W shuffling around until her sly look locked to his like a predator. "Less you want a lovely show, best turn around, not that I'd mind I little peeking, hehe." "I... s-s-sure..." His face glowed and he spun around, drowning the lower half of his face under the sloshing waves while W's mocking cackle rang in his ears, Astra facepalming at W's constant teasing. "He's just being nice..." "Yeah, and it's nice to tease him for it, no skin off the nose and all that. hahaha," She paused in the background. "And forget it, I'm not playing music, especially in front of people, kid." "W..." "I'm going to die from a heart attack at this rate... but..." Sora gulped, he really hated his head at times but after so many years the first real human he's seen face-to-face, and a really beautiful girl at that, he couldn't help but take a tiny peek, only a second, nothing more. Ignoring the furious heat rising through his body - "...!!!" W held her jacket around her chest, displaying only her back to the hot springs. That left her milky-white back exposed, Sora could make out a large scar running between her shoulder blades, the right end touching her slender shoulder, many more dotted her back, all in various sizes and lengths. The mentality of him staring dumbly at her still didn't register. He could hardly breathe as she bent down to pick up the rest of her clothing from a rock, Astra hopping past her. It all just left him staring dumbly at her thighs leading up to her rear. Soon, he plunged his head under the water, despite the hot sensation burning at his wide eyes, he could hardly remove the image not burned into his mind. "What in Equestria is wrong with me!?" To Be Continued... Author's Note I wanted to try and space out their journey a bit for these moments, pretty much the end of arc 2 to 3 will consist of the big plot points, that, and they're funny. I'm reeeeally teetering on the edge of Teen and Mature, dun-dun du-dun-dun~. The next one's just as over-the-top as you'd expect. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Im'ma Blow Up W's team has encountered a problem, how are they to cross the mountains standing between them and Hollow Shades? Simple, talk with the crazy cultists that worship a magical gateway through the mountains, duh. B2-0 The LastThe end of the world, how could one describe that? The feelings and surroundings before the end are seemingly lifeless. An absence of life itself, the wind was all that remained before it would become the dominant sound, no more cries or screams of war, the color that filled the world felt empty and drained. For W, it was all she could ask for. Her feet kicked through uprooted soil and gravel, not a single building remained intact, ruins and rubble scarred the world, the land marred with fires and corpses. The ponies that despised her lay in broken, charred heaps of flesh. The mercenary could still hear them screaming for the hope that would never arrive, desperately clinging to loved ones and children as their worlds turned dark and numb. Worst of all was the stench in the air, rot, and decay turned the clean air acrid and still. W was alone in this world, no Merchant, no ponies, nothing to bother or harm her. So why did she search the kingdom she let burn, her satisfaction at the sight of the Royal Guard unable to suppress the endless masses of Infected like her? In due time her feet found that answer. Her blood was like ice, locking her muscles and causing her grip on a burnt grenade launcher to slip, hearing it clatter to the road. This world could rot, she wanted nothing to do with it so once she arrived at the next town she cut her ties entirely. Leaving Astra in Sora's care, they weren't a part of her problems so they had no reason to follow a madwoman on some hopeless vendetta. She made the right call, didn't she? I mean, the two of them were smart, they could handle themselves without some deranged Sarkaz dragging them along, right? Right? Two swords lay shattered by her feet, bloody and smeared with ashes. By her sunken eyes was Sora, complexion ghostly pale compared to when she last crossed eyes with him. He was crushed under a fallen wall, his legs utterly smashed to pieces, his blood had dried under him, face staring for eternity into the sky. He wasn't breathing and his eyes lost that aqua glow she missed. "Sora... hey..." Kneeling down she tried to invoke some reply but nothing came. She shoved harder and all that did was tilt his head away from her. W didn't realize it at first but tears were crawling down her face, moving his shoulder roughly. "Hey! W-wake up, you idiot! Wake up!" Nothing... he... wasn't here anymore. "Sora?" Her voice croaked, looking around frantically. "Astra! Astra!?!" Not even a stir in the rubble, only... her breath hitched so sharply she thought someone slit her throat. There wasn't much to investigate, not far from Sora's body was... the tattered cloth familiar to W's own scarf, the same cursed object that bound her to this body. It was torn and caked in blood, nothing but blood staining the wall of a building and pathway, and a few clumps of charcoal fur. "No... no-no-no-no-no..." She started to hyperventilate. "Why... they did nothing wrong... they... they!" Her tears kept flooding, hysterical hiccups coughing up from her throat. Falling to her knees again by Sora she gently adjusted his head, closing his eyes so that he could rest against her lap, biting her lip while her forehead rested against his colder skin as her sobbing grew louder until she screamed for all of Equestria to hear if any were still alive. There was no one. W got what she wanted. She was alone with only the remains of the two that trusted her most of all. "Hah!" W jolted upright from her sleep, a freezing sweat shivering across her skin as she panted heavily. Swiveling around with her launcher instinctively held in her hand she scanned her surroundings. She was in a forest, the one near the hot spring. To her heartfelt relief, the raven-haired idiot and Astra were sleeping soundly. "...what did I...?" Looking down at her hand she could see herself trembling. "Would that really happen? Will I... kill them?" Licking her dry lips she leaned back into her makeshift pillow, tugging the sheet over her shivering form, curling up so tight her tail wrapped around her arms. Her horrific nightmare kept her awake, staring at the lingering flames in the campfire, afraid that they'll go out if she blinked. They were safe, they were alive and well and that was all that mattered. "I won't leave you guys... I promise." It wasn't just out of pity, rather, she couldn't bear the idea of being alone anymore. To Be Continued... Author's Note A little short I wanted to squeeze in to really give a sense of W's mentality as of late. She hates many ponies and would like nothing more than to leave them all behind, including her friends for their own sakes. However, fate would see to it she gets her wish, a world where she is all that remained. W could easily leave it all behind but at what cost? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! 1-7 Im'ma Blow UpW stood at the top of a large control tower that overlooked the ruins in the mobile city below. People believed the catastrophes were the worst the world had to offer yet compared to human nature it can be just as toxic if not more. While the chaos reined, W had her chance, however risky it may be. Call it a foolish hunch or roll of the dice that dictated her actions in life. Most of it could be seen as crazy, but that was W incarnate. To say the current conversation was anything she wanted would be a lie, like listening to a banshee's venomous cry, "-To maintain this mutual benefit relationship between us, I will keep modifying our future plans. Can this slightly increase trust between us W?" The woman herself, the blazing dragon that could level entire streets with just her fingers, a living inferno. Talulah turned to the mercenary smiling so confidently in the face of the Draco, her tail swishing with a mixture of anticipation and fright. Another thing a mercenary remembers, forgetting to feel fear will get you killed. Especially this bitch. "Really? Then I'm quite touched by it," W smiled, playing dumb, acting the role of a deranged Sarkaz who should've died long ago. But what right did she have to say if her sanity was whole? She's a 'Devil' that is all there is to say upfront, the rest remains her own convictions. "Of course..." Talulah began but W's mind was elsewhere. "It's true." Talulah's face barely registered W's silence, a fraction of time between them. Slowly, her hand rose. W's eyes barely flickered, muscles tense. "Ah, I know that move." She's seen it before a million times and still gets a rush. Talulah played the part of an assassin all to obviously, although, why would she need to hide this strength? The air in front of W snapped and hissed, the air growing hot within seconds. "I just made you mad, but you shouldn't be that mad to an extent that you'd want to kill me right?" Her face stretched with a crocodile grin, retrieving a grenade from her belt, the pin pulled. Bright orange cracks of lightning began to form at her fingertips, W hunched down with a sharp smile, feeling the hot wind comb through her hair. W flicked the grenade forward, hopping back herself to put as much distance as possible between them, the grenade erupting into flames and shrapnel, a blaze outright devouring the world and the Arts that warped the floor a mere second prior. W blinked, shaking her head as it pounded slightly from the interruption of the memory. Although now her whole body felt hot for a solid minute. Over the hill, a new town came into view under Equestria's sun, pressed up against the side of the mountains cutting in the way of W's journey to Hollow Shades. Keeping on hand around her duffle bag's strap she grinned at the small town similar in architecture to Ponyville, large plains between the forest's edge and the new destination. "So, what's so important here that'll help us cut our time in half?" W was curious ever since they woke up this morning, whatever Sora knew it was enough to put a skip in his and Astra's step, leaving W utterly perplexed to whatever revelation laid ahead. Sora smiled, motioning to the mountain peaks. "Hard Rock's a strange town but it has exactly what we need to cross through the mountains into the roofed forest - then it's just a day's travel to Hollow Shades, simple," Now Astra shared W's skeptical look, both shadowing the Aasmiar who led the way. "The locals are a little much but I think you'll like them." "Why's that?" W smirked with a knowing look as he hesitated. "A-ah, what I mean is, they'll accept you, like Hoofprint," He shyly scratched his head. "To explain, there's alot of old relics from Equestria's past, one such relic is called the Stepping Stone," He lost his positive demeanor once meeting W's blunt stare. "Really? 'Stepping Stone'. What's a window cleaner called, a 'Wishy-Washy'?" She snickered at her joke, Sora deadpanning momentarily until they reached the outskirts of the first few homes and farms, grabbing W by her cheeks to tilt her head forward and up slightly with a sly smirk. In no time her laughter hitched, and she swore her eyes bulged. "Woooow!" Astra beamed at the sight, hoping to hang from Sora's right shoulder for a clearer look at the spectacle Poking up about the rooftops against the face of a sharp cliff was a large, dark-stone archway, angled and cubic in manufacturing with strange, white cracks dividing pieces of the archway's spines. "That's the Stepping Stone, or a fancy way of saying, 'Gateway through to the other side of the mountains', any questions?" Her ember eyes met his humorous look before jerking her face free, pouting cutely while tugging her bag closer against her cloak. "...lucky you're cute..." No one really heard what W said, not even W herself as she took the lead in groveling through town. The whole town was as Sora described, not a single pony cared for her arrival, some even waved with alot of hearty energy than Ponyville. The strange thing that caught W's eye was the significant amount of pony-sized holes in the walls, though she didn't particularly care, this place was kinda out in the middle of nowhere. Once through the small town, the trio stopped before a small, cobblestone wall overlooking what appeared to be an old dig site nestled against the town. Wooden staircases led down from several points around the cliff into the old quarry. Centered at the base against the mountain was said Stepping Stone. The massive, basalt spines rising higher than the buildings and thicker than a tree trunk, strange, mystical energy flowing through cracks in the faces, almost like runes. All of this was illuminated with crystals that looked to have been mined from where the Rambling Rock Ridge. "Huh, so that's what they're used for...?" W murmured before something suddenly exploded behind them, Astra scampering behind W while Sora facepalmed with a groan. "What the hell?" Blinking with her brow raised From the dust of a new hole in the building behind them emerged an autumn-furred mare with her disheveled, amber mane tied into a tough ponytail, her tail medium-cut and messy too, eyes a smooth black. After dusting herself off, she waved a hoof back at the two ponies inside what appeared to be the side of a shop the trio had passed. "Haha, hope that helps with the reservations, guys!" Shaking loose bits of brick and dirt from her mane, the mare turned to the group, slowly beginning to smile. "Hey there, Travelers, passing through? Sorry 'bout the scare, gotta make room for expansions somehow, yeah?" "Um... yeah?" W murmured, unable to vocalize a reply before smiling excitedly. "I like this place already." "Of course you do..." Sora sighed defeatedly, he alone drew a gasp from the mare who zipped closer to him with a smile. Both Astra and W's brow rose when the timid Aasmiar scratched his freckled cheek. "H-hey, Onyx, nice meeting you again." "Well-Well-Well, if it isn't our little Prince - mmfph?" Her muzzle was clamped by Sora's hand, W looking around quickly, thankfully, not many ponies were nearby. Pulling back, Sora pressed a finger to his lips exciting a curious smile from Onyx. "Oooh, what's the troublemaker gone and caught himself in this time, hmm?" "Erm, about that." His eyes glanced over to the girls and Onyx followed, eyeing up the shy wave from Astra who still hid behind W's intimidating posture, the woman tucking her grenade launcher behind her cloak. "Onyx, this is W and Astra, girls, meet Onyx, a bit of a demolitions expert." "Hey-hey-hey, it's 'Professional Anarchy' I'll have you know," That brought a grin onto W's uncertain face when concerning the strange mare. "Heh, see, she gets it - destruction is an art," That then drew a parallel grin on Onyx's muzzle, chuckling loudly at the Sarkaz's words of the wise. "Took the meanin' out of my mouth!" She shuffled closer to Sora's legs, nudging his knee. "You should've told me you had a friend like this - might have dropped by sooner." "Sorry, W's... the reason I can't have ponies see me," His point of tucking his face behind his own hood was very indicative of that need to remain concealed. Spotting how anxious he was Onyx nodded slowly, waving her hoof. "Come on then, I got a place that'll give us time to clear the air - tell me, she one of those Aas-i-mar's like you?" She broke apart the word horribly, W just snickering under her hand. "And what's with the pointy tail and antenna? And the horns - *gasp* is she a dragon!?" "Onyx, just... *sigh*." Since the moment W met Sora, she never once saw him this flabbergasted by one person before, other than herself, of course. It was funny to see it from a different perspective. Since they knew each other W let her defenses down ever-so-slightly until they found a way to activate that gateway. "Oh, this'll be good," W commented, meanwhile Astra kept staring at Onyx though, only for the mare to smile once she caught the curious filly's stare. It didn't take the group long at all to debrief Onyx on the ordeal presented to them. Onyx was as Sora said, a demo with a strange gift to bust down walls and such with just her body, something about her talent resulting in her increased durability. She was one of the lead demolitionists in Hard Rock, the many holes in town were their way of expanding without the tedious need to gradually pull walls down. Onyx was deliberate with her destruction, and 'Art' as W saw it. She could cause chaos and control it to an accurate degree. "Woooah, so you're all from other worlds - gotta say, thought Prince here was the only one," Onyx rubbed her forehead, smiling slightly over the news. "Lemmie see if I got it straight. You want to get to Hollow Shades to look into some rumor of a pony that could tell ya where to find the jerk that put ya three in this situation, BUT, in order to do that you're lookin' to use the Stepping Stone, that about right?" "You're not certain, Miss. Onyx?" Astra pipped up. The group sat overlooking the town from a small, grassy ridge. At the formal greeting the filly gave her, Onyx lost her smile a little, apologetic. "Sorry, squirt, but things work a little differently here than in Equestria's towns - gotta prove yourself worthy of passin' through ol' Steppy." "'Steppy'?" Astra's head titled left, echoing the word as Sora added with a motion towards the quarry. "She means the Stepping Stone - as I told you, this town's strange - e-erm, no offense." He caught himself, Onyx just waving away. "No harm here, Prince!" "R-Right, as I said, they respect the ponies of old that built the archway, it's the landmark of their town, they don't let anyone use it on a whim unless they prove they're tough enough to handle whatever they're wanting to find on the other side," Sora elaborated, W nodding slowly while taking a bite of an apple, brow knitted against her forehead. "If we want through we gotta show these ponies we're the real deal?" "Exactly!" Onyx hopped to her hooves with a toothy grin, patting her chest. "Luckily, I kinda owe Prince here - I can rope a few favors in, all you have to do is show these ponies what you're made of! Sounds fun, right?" Even without Astra's help, the radiance of anticipation rolling off of Onyx was enough of a hint she was itching to plot this out. "You're really going to help us out?" W was skeptical, sure, Hoofprint was alright but so was Hard Rock? That only solidified the idea the Merchant only affected a certain number of ponies, but how long would that last? Cliffheart was still hot on their trail too and they'd all be caught up in the crossfire. It was a strange and conflicting situation W had to play far more delicately than prior to her arrival. "I... don't know." "W, we have to try," Sora patted her shoulder sternly. "There's no other way, Cliffheart won't stop but if we can use the Stepping Stone we have a chance to finally pull him off out tails - or yours." He joked slightly, seeing her smile struggle to lift but he understood, trust was a dangerous thing with W. "I'm going to regret this somehow..." W's bitter thoughts aside she smirked slightly though it was forced. "Well, what's the fun in taking the easy road? Alright, Miss. Boom, bring it." Her face lit up at the title. "Oooh, I like this girl - alright, gather at the Dust Pit in an hour, I'll round up a few representatives to make it all official!" With that, the mare stood up and... literally leapt off the cliff, hopping across the small points jutting from the wall like a mountain goat. "She's really good at that," Astra added, head tilted to one side in fascination while Sora pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, she's the reason I've nearly had a heart attack." That alone was enough for W to chuff, but again, she found herself staring back toward the outskirts of town. With every minute Cliffheart was drawing closer to finding them, if they wanted to escape, they needed that portal. "Hey, W?" "What's up?" She blinked, glancing over her shoulder at his wary face. "If it's about how I'm feelin' don't get yourself twisted about it, my problems are mine alone, don't need you worrying your pretty little head over me." Her tail rose to pat his forehead as she rose, stretched out her arms. "Right! Let's give these ponies a show - wonder how we 'show what we're made of'?" "Can we move here when my job's done?" W was buzzing with anticipation, a first in a long time in Astra's and Sora's eyes. They made it to Dust Pit. An old, and small quarry that had been outfitted to serve as a fighting pit. The only other level of the quarry used as an observation wing for all onlookers. Down in the center of the rectangular pit was the object of their 'Trial'. A big, black rock. "So, what's the rock for?" Onyx sat atop said large obelisk of rock with a cheeky grin. "This here's your opponent. Using whatever methods you want, the three of ya have to destroy this here boulder to prove to all these lovely patrons you're worth lettin' through ol' Steppy, get me?" The three nodded slowly, so the autumn mare clopped her hooves. "Sweet! Alright-Alright-Alright! How's everypony doin' today, feelin' thirsty for some mayhem!?" A massive chorus of cheers resonated across the Dust Pit, fueling the air with a strange sense of competition, all to see a big rock be reduced to rubble. W had some strange expectations for these ponies, so far, nothing she could possibly conjure could come close to this turnabout, not that she didn't like it, these ponies knew how to turn chaos into entertainment. Onyx turned back to the trio. "This here's a big chunk of obsidian left behind from the old mines, stuff's harder than most rock you'll find around here, all you got to do is break it, simple, right?" Of course, her words caused many to start doubling over in laughter. Sora stood there, rigid at all the attention under his hood with Astra sat between his legs looking around in wonder. W was still grinning like a child on Christmas Day, her fingers taut against her grenade launcher. "Well, good luck to you three!" With Onyx now away from the blast zone, W turned and did a curious bow to Sora. "After you, Prince." She winked, seeing him stifle a response while tucking his hood closer to his head. Switching places to look after Astra, the girls let the so-called royalty do the dirt work first. "Have fun~" "Good luck, Sora!" Astra blurted out sheepishly, earning her a small, relieved smile from the timid Aasimar who withdrew his twin silver swords. One of which gleamed a little brighter due to it being the original he fell into Equestria with. Sucking in a breath, he took his stance, wide, and strangely unique to what most ponies would call effective. The wind gathered around his body, bristling through his cloak while he solely focused on any weak points his sharp eyes could discern. Both longswords were enchanted with a radiant, pearl-white glow before streaks of light trailed behind Sora. W was surprised to have missed it for a second, his speed, regardless if he had wings or not, was spectacular. Sora struck the obstruction with several clean, divine slashes of light from his blades, leaving gashes of pure light on the surface of the obsidian behind him. Turning around, the light faded, and sadly only a few scars were left in the chunk of volcanic glass, the bits taken from the face littering the dirt. "Damn..." Slumping, he sheaved his blades, walking back around to W and Astra with a solemn face. "Sorry, compared to you I'm only really good at flight and casting light." W didn't blink, simply stepping past him while patting his shoulder softly. "Leave it to me, and thanks," That last part confused him but before he could ask W threw her own cloak into his arms, tugging the strap of her rucksack around, unzipping to reveal the plentiful bounty she had stored up over the many weeks of her tinkering away by her lonesome. "Hehehe..." No one understood what W was doing, why she inspected the boulder, sticking strange, rectangular boxes to specific points with putty. First, there were three, then eight... then twelve... then a dozen more. By now, Sora's face began to pale, eyes growing wider and wider with each additional C4 the mad-woman added to the pile. "U-Um, we... should probably step back - like, right now!" "M-Miss. Onyx, w-we should really move a-away!" Astra nervously called to the perplexed mare. By then, Astra was scooped up in Sora's arms while he ran for a small ditch close to the walkway that led down into the Pit. "Hit the deck!" He screamed, diving down with himself covering Astra protectively. Up above, W stepped a comfortable distance from the obsidian with a manic smile that only matched her crazed eyes. "CONTACT!" She held out her detonator and pushed the big red button. ... ... ... Sound completely ceased to exist for a split second, only an ear-racking ringing and sudden galeforce battering the stands as W's chained explosion set of a bright, burning orb of fire and debris before her shielded eyes. The heat expanded, blowing dust and dirt everywhere while the big kaboom finally reached everypony's ears, practically splitting the earth under the Dust Pit due to the sheer magnitude of explosives used. W's jacket and scarf flapped behind her antenna and hair, revealing her fanged grin and broadened eyes at the miniature mushroom cloud left in its wake. Once everyone's hearing and the visible plume of smoke passed. Astra poked her head out alongside Onyx and Sora, the trio staring, eyes wider than plates at the state W was in. She had survived the blast, standing there to bask in its glory with a proud smile and her hands stretched down at her sides, welcoming the aftermath, and the almost nonexistent remains of the obsidian obelisk. Her clothes were covered in dirt and scratched up in many places but she was smiling. "Ah... hail to the queen," Licking her chalky lips, the crowd was quick to burst into a roar of pleasure over the display of high explosive ordinance. Turning around, W put one arm over her now bare chest due to her shirt and part of her jacket being incinerated. The sight alone made Sora turn away with a maddening blush while W giggled through her teeth, fishing out a new shirt and jacket from her bag, itself unscathed. "Well, Kool-Aid lady, did I pass or what?" Onyx was caught between wonder and laughter, blinking as if the sight was a trick or ploy. But no, she truly witnessed the very thing her life was worth living for. A power unlike any other, beautiful as it was deadly. "Hehe... hahahaha! W-well how about it folks, think our traveler from the woods passed with flying colors!?" *APPLAUSE* While the town was in an uproar of jubilation, Astra smiled slightly. "She's happy." Hearing this, Sora leveled his eyes to the filly who continued to watch while W balanced putting on a T-Shirt while holding up her fist to accept the praise of the masses. "You think so?" He wasn't uncertain, W's smile spoke volumes of that, but it was clear her mind was still plagued with alot of questions and uncertainties herself. "Mmhm, her smile is real." His eyes followed forward. W grinned for all the world to see, a tiny blush on her face while waving her grenade launcher in her free left hand, scarf, and shirt flapping in a warm breeze left by her destruction. W felt it, her heart racing, skin crawling with excitement, this was what she had always wanted to feel, to be a part of. For the first time in a long time, Aoi felt like she belonged here. Sometime later, with the approval of Hard Rock's locals, the trio were free to travel between the Stepping Stone. Down by the archway, a small raised platform etched with runes and ancient scripts remained dormant as Onyx hopped up the old steps. "Well, guess this is farewell - sure you don't wanna stay the night, place can get real crazy after a display like that?" Her offer was tempting to them all, to finally have a place to rest that wasn't under a canopy. "Sadly, Cliffheart's going to have seen that and think it was W, so..." Sora trailed off, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, Onyx." Her hoof waved while the pair stood away from Astra and W who investigated the archway further, Astra pointing at the runes with a confused W listening closely, brow furrowed. "Quit fussin', always next time - oh, and bring her too, I like her," Again he nodded before adding. "So... another human like you, bet that's a lucky draw for you, eh Prince?" "Wha?" Sora's face was ajar at her wiggling brow. His head turned to W, seeing her arms crossed with a funny serious face trying to follow whatever Astra was saying. "Hmph, dense as always," Onyx shook her head, patting his leg. "You'll figure it out, bud - now!" Clopping her hooves, Onyx drew their attention to the central circle on the platform. "Right, to trigger ol' Steppy you first got to stand here, then, say the name of the place you want to go, easy-peasy." "I see," W murmured, stepping onto the rune with Sora and Astra in toe. "On three I guess, ahem, One." "Two..." Sora drawled. "Three!" Astra squeaked. "Hollow Shades!" Together, their voices caused the ground to shift and groan like an ancient dragon emerging from slumber. Many half-buried stones removed themselves from the earth to rotate around the Stepping Stone's newly defined orbit, the runes cast a bright azure that swirled, gathering between the ribs of the doorway. The sound of withered gears turned under their feet, causing the outer rings to turn and align, spelling out words and phrases in a forgotten language. All eyes were wide alongside the winning smirk on Onyx's muzzle before her face fell, spotting a group of ponies alerted by the gateway above. "Uh, you guys might want to pick your hooves up and fast!" Her warning drew them to spot those above. To W's scowl, it was Cliffheart and his merry band of idiots. "He's quick, I'll give 'em that." She huffed before grabbing Sora's shoulder. "Ladies first," With a shove, he was thrown headfirst through the vortex with a yelp. Astra nodded to W and leapt after him, leaving W to give Onyx and Hard Rock one last look. It sucked, she really wanted to see more of the town but sadly that would have to wait. "Thanks for the show, love this place." Onyx winked, brushing her amber bangs from her face. "Anytime - Keep the Prince safe for us!" "Will do - hey, Captain~!" W waved over to the scaffolding, spotting the know-it-all Captain from afar, his attention drawn to the silverette who threw up her middle finger and stuck her tongue out. "Bleh~" Skipping back, W threw herself into the swirling vortex, vision twisting and spiraling among the colorful stream of blues and whites that pulled her through a vast tunnel of light, hearing Astra and Sora squealing not far from her ear. It was hard to tell where she was going, spinning around without gravity's support made her dizzy but she was more than happy to finally have escaped the Royal Guard's eye. Somewhere underground the dull thud and rumble of the earth kept most subterranean creatures at bay. The caverns were extraordinarily hot before the Merchant's silent pause. His hand whisking away a small vision of W and her team vanishing into a vortex he had not seen before, its design and architecture old, perhaps older than he was. Looking forward, a large, molten trail of rock hissed, tinting the path forward a hellish orange, a large, moving form of magma shifting out of sight with an almost grotesque growl. "Here, this should provide some assistance," Lifting out a small clump of charcoal fur he had ascertained from the group's stop at a hot spring he held out the fur to a skeletal snout as it sucked in the lingering odor of its owner. The jaws split with a hollow growl, many more howling or snapping at the familiar scent. "Go, while my little hunter recovers, go finish the job." His words were cold and direct, shooing away the beasts that scampered off through the caverns, leaving red contrails in their stead. "This is the beginning of the end Aoi," A pair of lifeless, purple eyes reflected the flow of molten rock ahead. "I cannot wait for you to see it." To Be Continued... Author's Note This was a fun one, W really showing what's she made of to a town of anarchy-obsessed ponies! Finally, the team is approaching Hollow Shades, but what stands between them and The Dealer? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Perseverance The Stepping Stone spits the trio out inside the forgotten ruins of an ancient building. While searching for a direction to follow under the roofed forest. Sora makes a chilling discovery, one that may put W's life in jeopardy. 1-8 Perseverance"-the exiiiit!" Sora finished crying out before his face met slate, sliding across the ground with a groan. Behind him, Astra yelped while thrown from a similar gateway to the Stepping Stone, only old and coated in forestation and moss. She landed atop Sora's back with a cough, both groaning from the unpleasant travel. "Okay... mark that as something I never want to experience again." "Ugh... stars are everywhere." Astra's head spun before she flopped to his left, trying to regain her sense of direction. "Fuuuu - ack!" W was no better, colliding with a half-broken pillar, sliding down its remaining length with a whine. "I think I crushed my tail... and my horn." Her fingers rubbed the right horn tentatively while her tail slithered out from under her stomach, resting against the ground. "Guess we made it." "Barely, my stomach's in my throat and I don't think it's supposed to be there," He muttered, shaking his head. "Guess we can't complain, we did just cut our travel time in half." Stretching out his aching body, Sora took in their surroundings. "Easy for you to say, you don't have fucking extra body parts to worry about," W grunted, still soothing her horn after wacking it off the pillar. Then she patted her chest. "Guess the extra padding has other uses, heh." They stood within the shadowy remains of an old temple or church. The roof was gone, replaced with very few cracks in the forest's roof. The forest had retaken its rightful place among the ruins, their source of light were the many vibrant, bioluminescent plants and small creatures that gave off a colorful glow. Despite the rough entrance, the trio took the time to admire the sights of a world forever bathed in darkness. "It's like an endless night," Sora murmured beside W, the two in awe over nature's spectacle. "I always wondered if places like this existed in our world, never would have imagined coming to another would mean I'd get to see it." "Guess there's a silver lining to all this," W said in an almost unrecognizable voice, it was soft and tender, even if only for a moment. Clapping her hands, the mercenary took point on a fallen slab of concrete. "We should probably find us a place to set up camp 'till we know where to go from here," Her hand rested on her chest with a knowing smirk. "Take it from the girl who lived in ruins, no one likes unwanted intruders." "Right, I'll check the outskirts for anything," Sora decided "I'll go too," Astra said rather quickly, hopping alongside the Aasimar who got a stern look from the Sarkaz. "Look after her, Wing-Boy." Assuring her with a nod, the pair took off through a collapsed wall while W threw off her bag and launcher to assess their surroundings for a safer spot to set up shop. "Not much here but rocks I guess..." While W worked on creating a small firepit she winced from how her tail moved. Carefully she adjusted how it sat against the ground before continuing her work in peace, the hooves and feet no longer in earshot, giving her a momentarily lapse of serenity to hum her body's theme song. "Wonder what Astra wanted from Sora? Guess he is nicer than me, not much Astra can learn from a girl who only ever smiles in the face of anarchy, guess I can thank this body for that." Her mirthless frown was very indicative of that. "Sora... wonder if he likes me?" To say her chest didn't fill with worry it was all a front would be a lie. While distracted, a metal shadow shifted with the grace of wind, every movement calculative, stalking up on the back of the mercenary lost in her own thoughts. A large item rose, an almost invisible haze shifting across the shaft with lingering flakes of embers. In one, large breath, the figure lunged down from a small ledge above, by the time W noticed, all she saw were flames. On the prowl for any hostile creatures, Sora took point with his silver sword, hacking down any vines and shrubbery that obscured their path forward. Astra admired the sights of a world thriving in the dark, and for a second she wanted to simply explore with the Aasimar who too shared her enthusiasm for adventure. However, she had to tell him something away from W's sharp ears. "Do you like W?" "Huh?" He caught her words perfectly, it was the timing that made him stop to address the filly. "She's a little abrasive but I get that, I think she's a nice person under that persona of hers." Even in this new lighting, Sora could see he was being analyzed by the Seer. "Why'd you ask?" Astra pulled herself up onto a lopsided pillar, using it to follow Sora at chin level. "W likes you too." That made him miss a swing, lodging his sword into a tree trunk. "Sorry, I'm distracting you." "N-no, it's fine, bad handle," Yanking it free he pressed forward. "She... likes me?" "Mmhm, not because you're a human like her, but... you make her feel safe," Astra explained, skipping onto another pillar ahead, sliding down its length. "W cares alot about me, I like her too, but I'm scared the mean ponies might hurt her and I can't do anything, not... like this," She looked at herself before lifting her head to Sora's neutral expression. "She confides in you, she can be safe around you without that worry." This small revelation left Sora speechless, rather, it brought about an old memory that tugged at his mind. A twelve-year-old Sora sat by himself in the Royal Gardens, it was always very quiet there, and none of the mean Noble ponies could bother him with their hateful words, even after Celestia warned them, they'd find ways to crawl under his skin. He really liked it when ponies would stand by him but that didn't stop anything from reaching his ears. So he came out to watch Equestria from the edge of the cliff, somedays he let himself fall, stretching out his divine wings from the ether to simply feel happy. "Hey, kid, whatcha doing out here by the edge again?" That voice! Spinning around, Sora quickly wiped his eyes dry to see the red unicorn facing him with an almost neutral expression, wearing an outfit more suited for a person, or pony, on the road as some form of a bounty hunter. Cliffheart. Noticing the stains on the young boy's freckled face he grimaced. "Same ol' stuck-up ponies, picking on kids these days..." "I-It's fine, M-mom threw them out quickly after f-finding out." Sora sniffed, turning back around to the sky. Then something blunt whacked the back of his head. "Ow~!" "Seriously, that one was on you - turning away from a hunter," Sora's glare met the smug grin on Cliffheart's muzzle before his magic spun his staff through the air. "You've got to grit your teeth kid, bite back against them otherwise you'll just be another stepping stone for them." "B-but then they'd be r-right, t-that I'm..." Sora was again struck on the head lightly by the staff. "Stop doing that!" He pouted, making the crimson pony chuckle. "There we go, biting back feels good, right?" He admired how the meek child's scrunched-up face lifted again, but his eyes were far too honest. "Look, anypony can be a 'monster'. Griffon, Dragon, Changeling, you name it," Twirling his polearm, the blunt end tapped to Sora's chest. "But we've all got a choice - be a monster or be the guy that fights monsters, some agree, some don't, you just have to be willing to stick by those like you and believe in them and yourself." There was a stretch of silence as Sora digested Cliffheart's words before the hunter cleared his throat, scratching his nape. "Geez, I sound like my Master, ugh - come on, kid-" His magic formed into an imitation of a human hand, waiting for Sora to take it. "-Show me your fangs, or I can just keep hitting you 'till you do, heh." "-hey, Sora?" Astra's voice snapped him out of his trance to look upon a small cobblestone staircase curving off to the right toward an ancient array of pillars and archways. Astra stood around the middle, pointing a hoof down to the courtyard ahead. "There's a fire here." "What?" Confused he followed the dark filly forward toward the source of a crackling noise amongst the trees. There, nestled dead-center in the ruins was a campfire, although something was off, both with its appearance and the atmosphere. Carefully, Sora drew one of his swords, keeping Astra close to his legs while the pair approached the fire, looking around. "This... isn't a normal fire - and there's no one around too." "It feels... hollow," Astra's fur shivered, pressing her closer to Sora's calf. "In the fire, something is burning." While that was obvious she was right, not wood but... a sword embedded itself in a small pile of ashes at the base of the fire, not a speck of timber in sight. Upon closer inspection from the pair, the black sword wasn't even burnt by the flames at all, funneling the embers up the length of the blade. A coiled sword. The beating of Sora's heart stopped - pupils the size of pins before stumbling back. "O-oh no..." "Sora?" She felt a rush of panic slam into her soul, soon, her own worries began to bubble to the surface. "I-Is this bad-" He turned sharply, the color drained from his face. "W!!" Neither hesitated while making their return to the Stepping Stone, shoved through bushes and branches in an effort to cut as much time as possible between them and W's location. Scratches stung their faces while they ran and made hasty turns but with their adrenaline on high neither noticed, seeing a flash of bright orange from afar through the vibrance of the dark forest. Sora helped Astra climb over a large lip toward the wall, the pair scrambling up to peek through the large hole in the wall to inspect the surrounding area. There wasn't much to see at first, or until W came flying past Sora's eyes straight down the middle of the building, two knives intersected against a large, blazing sword as it stuck vertically, slamming her back into the ground on her knees. The tiger orange veil on the hilt drawing back the coiled blade to its owner. W was smiling madly, discarding her broken knives in favor of one inverted in her left, and her grenade launcher in the right. "Hahaha, been a while since I felt actually threatened, and by a pony no less!" This was no ordinary pony, W could feel it clearly with every stroke of that sword. It was a unicorn decorated in badly worn and charred armor, vibrant embers crackled and popped across its armor, flaking off in a silent breeze behind it. The greatsword was charred black, blazing hot with a strange, coil of metal twisted around the blade. Completely fixed on the fight, neither noticed Sora or Astra spectating from afar. The unknown pony adjusted his stance accordingly. "For a beast-" The blade's hilt was poised high, the tip of the sword low. "-your survivability is admirable." Not another word passed as he rushed W, a column of flames rushing from his left hoof to force W into the path of his sword. She leveled her sights and unleashed a large payload that struck the sweeping blade. Through the smoke and flames, the sword grazed a few strands of hair while W skipped back, carelessly dropping a grenade and its pin. She dived under a diagonal cross of the blade, moving away from an explosion that tossed the knight to her right, another stream of fire gushing from his hoof like a fountain of volcanic slag. W hissed as some stung her skin but otherwise was able to retrieve one of her mines, tossing it to where the ruined knight landed, another explosion flinging the impervious knight sideways. To her surprise, the knight recovered by embedding his sword into the ground, slinging his hoof around the handle so that his back hooves could buck W's forearm, shoving her back while the blade carved a line of fire toward her, building heat and friction in the edge. Narrowly she slid out of the rising slash, diving over a cross-slant that left her on the defense, tossing several knives from her belt, though that did little to halt the monstrous knight from wrapping his magic around her ankle, flicking W across the hall and into a pillar with an unpleasant 'slap'. Slumped, the knight steadied his approach toward her form, careful to stay out of her reach while ensuring she wasn't conscious. "Hmm... what are you exactly?" While pondering on this notion, he quickly brought his sword high, swishing down for Astra to gawk in fright at the sight of the blade's metamorphosis. It was thinner and had elongated into that of a spear. Drawing back, he charged with the intent to immobilize W who's eyes snapped wide, performing a handstand to hop over the reach of the spearhead, pressing her boots against its length to kick the pony in the helmet, rolling away from the wider arc of the weapon. "So you were bluffing." "No shit sherlock." W huffed, not wanting to spare a moment to chat before the knight charged a current of gold light into his left hoof, static and random bolts discharged while the energy manifested into a small spear of lightning. With a thrust, he tossed the bolt skyward, and W was frozen for a second out of clear stupefaction. The lightning bolt scattered into a dozen replicas, descending upon W who rushed behind a pillar, evading them stream of electricity that tore through the concrete, the blast almost taking her legs out from under her while wrapping her tail around her waist. Turning to her target she almost lost her stomach as the spear was caught between her hands by the shaft, keeping the blade out of reach while sliding back on her heels, biting her cheek. The knight huffed and drew the spear down, discombobulating W enough for the knight to shorten his spear, the embers scattered like roses, unveiling the scimitar through flames and ash. And yet, W froze, eyes wide and mouth ajar with only a single phrase to say at that moment, perhaps the most delicate words she's spoken to date. "You're the one from the convention..." A subtle tilt of the scimitar's descent and both found its edge lodged into the slabs beside W's foot, herself still staring down at the armored pony in shock, his own hidden under the helmet. A long, almost unbearable pause passed before the knight spoke, voice remaining aged and wise. "How do you know of that?" "Because I saw you," W murmured, pointing to the blade at her foot. "You bought a replica of that Coiled Sword. You're the Soul of Cinder, aren't you?" Now that she had the pieces in place, the fire, the changing weapon, and the lightning spears all made sense it was almost laughably obvious. "It's really you... I... I never would have thought..." "Me neither," His sword reverted to its original state while leaving it buried in the ground. "...I see now, something is amiss, less you really are a monster toward these kind ponies." "Tch, kind my ass, tin man." She chuffed before noticing Sora and Astra peeking out from their hiding spot. She was about to say something before noticing the cracks webbed up the edge of the pillar, and the bits of rubble crumbling from the unstable ceiling above. Without thinking her body moved of its own accord. "Get down!" Her hand shoved them aside in time before the ceiling collapsed from her fight, effectively trapping the mercenary who cried out from the pain flaring from her leg. The dust settled again, displaying W who's right leg was pinned beneath the concrete, trapping her for whatever else was bound to fall due to the chain reaction from the crumbling ruins. "W!" Sora rushed to her aid, sinking his sword under the stone to wedge her leg free, even as she winced from the relief of pressure from her limb. Up above, the rest of what remained as the ceiling shifted and split, eventually collapsing under the lack of support. Astra closed her eyes, cupping her ears in fright while Sora refused to look up and simply did all he could to pry W free with his sword, herself attempting to shuffle out against the pain. "Hyrah!" A single, blazing streak of iron tore through the concrete above, raining rubble and debris upon the group while a heat blast threw the larger chunks far from their sight. The Soul of Cinder landed with a grunt, sheaving his sword while moving alongside Sora to help free W with his magic. "So this is where you ran off to, Prince." "S-seriously? Him too?" W glared weakly at the embarrassed Sora who tried to smile reassuringly, but by now she was far too caught up with her injury to care. "Fuck... ah." It wasn't broken but clearly sprained while she attempted to stretch it out flush against the floor. "W..." Astra shuffled over to her, looking a little misty-eyed for the injured Sarkaz. With a strong grin, she patted the filly on the head, allowing her to sit by her side while refusing to visibly show her pain. "I didn't see it..." "It's all good, kid, next time we have to wander through ruins, can we not?" W sighed, leaning up against a slumped slab of concrete to face the silent knight and the timid Sora. "You boys want to start talking? May be down a leg but I can still kick your asses." A bluff but anything to keep up appearances while Astra rushed to grab a few things from their bags to help W's leg. "R-right, um, if I'm honest, I-I didn't know Cinder was back in Canterlot." Sora's poor argument didn't subdue W's dark glare while she awaited a decent answer. "I wasn't, I was informed of, 'The Beast of the Everfree' while exterminating creatures out in the Badlands, had I known it was another Displaced like ourselves I'd have shown some restraint." That drew out a laugh from the silverette in question. "Aww, afraid to disappoint the Royal Guard if you killed me?" Her sickening coo forced out a long sigh from Cinder. "...I apologize, Miss, I... was ill-informed," Looking back at the crumbled ceiling he elaborated. "What monster would risk her life for the innocent the way you did? No, something is terribly amiss, perhaps the Abyss has risen once more?" "Seriously? He gets the Abyss and you get a Necromancer? What the fuck, Merchant?" W was appalled, allowing her head to slump against the concrete while biting her lip from whatever Astra was doing to help lessen her leg's injury. "Since I'm, you know, stuck like this, want to share your story? Got nothing better to do?" Cinder took a moment to consider her words. For the longest time, Sora was the only other Displaced, and now another sat before him, possibly with more to offer, and who happened to have seen him that fateful day. "Was she that girl with the hoodie?" "My real name is Kaid, and over forty years ago I was once a regular human being..." To Be Continued... Author's Note Bet you thought he was gonna be their enemy, huh? Twist! It's that passerby from the very beginning who bought the Coiled Sword. His little backstory is up next with a fabled answer to a question. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: The Only Thing Cinder reveals a little of his transgressions as Sora had done before, and perhaps something that may lead them toward The Dealer's whereabouts in Hollow Shades. And Astra has another episode, only it is not what it seems. 1-9 The Only ThingPerseverance. If one thing I have learned to live with is that I was never one for perseverance for I lacked the drive to pursue such motivation in life. The day I woke among the ponies of this world I felt... foreign and afraid, not of them but of myself. I could hardly call fathom the strength I may wield behind my sword, the durability of my armor, of a flame that yearned to burn brighter than the sun itself. In its essence, the First Flame burned inside me, wanting to set the world ablaze. The creatures of the Abyss came for Canterlot, their corruption seeping through the cracks, to bring the peaceful nation down without sense or reason. In time, I learned that one does not simply push aside fear in favor of perseverance, It is a term used to measure one's resolve, to accept the burden of their mistakes, of the toughest choices and fears, and continue regardless toward a world without conflict. I was a coward, and that alone made me stronger. And that alone, set the Abyss on fire While a fire brought a much more solid and foreboding glow around the small camp set amongst the ancient ruins. W sat with her back flush against a slanted slab of stone while her strained leg remained slightly propped up with a blanket. All eyes were focused solely on the newest addition to the fire, a lone ruined knight who seemed to be enraptured by the flames. "It is true that the man you saw that day was I - however, time has clearly fluctuated," His helmet tilted toward Sora. "For all of us." He put his forehooves together. "When I arrived, the events of this world's show had yet to transpire, so I had no direction, my body was... human, but that was a long time ago, I am content with this form, it has certain charms, especially for a Hollow, though I do not believe I am such." "Sorta like how I'm not sure I'm even Infected," W replied for the first time since Astra. "No Merchant?" Kaid, or Cinder in Equestria, shook his head. "Sadly I have not heard his voice in all this time, though my foe was indeed an acolyte of the Abyss, thankfully it wasn't severe otherwise Equestria would be a pale imitation today." "Spectacular," W huffed, rolling her eyes a moment. "Well then, guess I can catch you up on the latest shafting I've been given." Before anyone could interject, W remarked with a wave of her hand and pitch dripping with venom. "I've been shot at, stabbed, sliced, burned, restrained, had my name run through the mud, called a monster, been manipulated, forced to run and hide in forests for days on end - Oh, did I mention how the Merchant's twisted a handful of significant idols in Equestria into being my mortal enemies? Or what about how they sent You to detain or kill me? Sorry, guess I missed the part where I'm supposed to just tuck that under the rug." Even with only a single reply, W left them all speechless. Astra could feel all her potent emotions that were hidden so well. The Sarkaz's aura was spiked with jadedness and scorn, eyes burning hotter than the fire between them. Not once had W taken her eyes off of Cinder, she didn't trust him, and Astra could feel it, regardless of her Seer abilities. "I... cannot dispute your claims," Cinder sighed, bowing his head. "You do not trust me, I would act no differently in your place, you have suffered great injustice and that I unforgivable, I apologize for my actions, W." "..." She kept her silence, looking down at her leg. "...do you know who The Dealer is? If so, then you can stay, otherwise, get lost." "W..." Sora tried to speak out but a metal hoof held him back. "You need not worry, Sora, she has every right to distrust me," Much as he wanted to say otherwise, Sora knew what it meant to keep the truth from W's ear, she took it like a slap to the face. "As for The Dealer... yes, I have met him myself." This notion spiked a series of gasps from the group. "Seriously? T-that's great, right!?" Sora grinned, seeing W's face lightened a little. "What's his deal then? How would he know about the Merchant, about us?" She motioned to the group before Cinder spoke, tapping a hoof to the ground. "His name is Gambit, a Dealer and mischievous character who can offer anyone a wealth of knowledge and power for a price," Cinder shook his head, almost out of reluctance. "If we wish to find the reason for our existence in this world... we would need something of value that he wants, he will not cooperate otherwise." "Crap..." W slumped back, Sora sharing in her posture "We don't exactly have our pockets lined with treasures." He sighed while Astra blinked widely, looking to Cinder expectantly. "Astra?" "I might have something," Without another word Astra trotted toward their belongings, fiddling with the bags diligently, then she gasped, pulling something out with her hooves. "I-I found this before I met W, w-will this work?" Displayed before the group was a crystal the size of a human hand. It was pitch black and retained many small splits of white across its polished surface, even for a raw mineral. W picked it up from the filly's muzzle, inspecting it. "What the hell is this?" She weighed it with both hands. "Heavy too," "I have never seen an ore like this, perhaps it may be of value to Gambit, we can only hope," Cinder proclaimed, looking at W directly, fiery eyes greeting concealed ones evenly. "I have lived a long and fruitful life in this world, regardless of my body or transgressions brought about by the Merchant, so, for one last venture, allow me to help you see to the end of this manipulator." "'Last venture'?" Sora muttered, eyes curved in worry for the old knight who shared a chuckle, patting the Prince's shoulder. "Ahem, I may have... seriously grown to accustom to speaking with this vocabulary, I just want a vacation," Despite his age, Cinder's tone of voice came off as Irish to W, the sound making her smirk slightly while the Lord sighed. "And I want a damn drink but noooo, can't have booze in the armory they say, tch." "Hahahaha... Oh My God, we have fucking Irishman helping us, this is rich," W snickered, Sora sharing a small chuckle while Astra smiled, seeing W offer her the crystal again, W winked at the skeptical look on the filly's face. "It is yours, kid, better you than me." "Does this mean you accept my offer?" Cinder inquired to the nonchalant 'eh' and shrug from the woman, her tail pointed toward his throat. "Keep up your end and we'll see if I don't bury you in a shallow grave by the morning... or night or... what the hell is the time anyway, I can't see shit," Her arms threw themselves up at the dark ceiling, unable to tell where the sun or moon were. Later that day/night, W remained by the fire, not that she could move anywhere else in her condition. The silverette winced while attempting to adjust her spot, already missing the ability to walk like a normal human being. "Dammit..." It was a pain but rather her than her friends. "You okay?" Sora asked but saw her blunt stare, causing him to chuckle lightly. "Sorry, dumb question-" His face lit up, however, "-here, I can help." "How...?" She tensed a little before seeing him move to sit by her injured leg, cupping her ankle with his right while resting his left on her injury, again, making the girl bite her cheek. "A-ah... easy there." "Sorry, just try to relax," Closing his aqua eyes to focus, a gradual, pale gold shimmer enveloping her leg with a strange, soothing warmth. At first, her pain remained as it were gradually easing to a mild throbbing sensation until Sora opened his now heavy eyes, appearing to be quite drowsy. "Hah... t-there... done..." Completely taken back, W bent her knee and felt nothing but a dull pulse in her leg, whatever he did just healed her injury in a span of seconds. "Healing Hands..." It was one of the few tricks an Aasimar had or atleast the ones aligned with Good/Neutral. Then she quirked a skeptical brow. "And it never occurred to you to use it before because..." Then she gasped, seeing the ravenette struggle to hold himself upright without her hands pressed to his firm chest, keeping him stable. "H-hey, you good?" "Y-yeah, it takes... alot from me, more than flying," He managed a weak smile while wiping the sweat from his brow. "I'm useless though, can't do much but heal minor injuries like your leg, even then I'm completely tapped out." "Useless?" That wasn't a word she's associate with Sora, given what he is, what things he's capable of if anyone had a minimal amount of tricks it was her. Explosives and a so-and-so Arts she couldn't even use properly. "When that Thing took Astra I barely could keep up, I... even tried to stop you," His eyes were cast to the fire again, not wanting to look her in the eyes. "When Cliffheart chased us I couldn't help without being spotted and identified, and back at Hard Rock my swords couldn't so much as put a dent in the obsidian without your help, and now with Cinder here you... don't need-" "Shut up," Sora jolted from her fist jabbing him in the stomach, seeing her tail come dangerously close to his eyes. "Don't you dare say that to my face," Never before had he heard her voice get so serious, not without a level of sarcasm or dark humor that is. W sat up straight, lifting his face by the chin so that he could face her directly, face scrunched up angrily. "You still helped me get Astra back, and besides, those gashes you left on that dumb rock helped weaken it, otherwise I doubt my explosives would've done much more than burn my clothing off." "R-really...?" It was hard to believe, or maybe he just felt this way because it had always really been him and his unique abilities. Cinder didn't stick out unless absolutely necessary so W and Astra were the first like him to exhibit unique abilities publically. Letting his face go, W leaned back, smiling up at the roofed forest. "You seriously worry too much - if I'm honest... wish I knew you before this," His eyes widened at her honest look skyward, a small smile played at her lips. "Cheesy as it sounds, I'm glad I did." He was speechless. "I, um..." "W?" Shaking both from their moment was none other than Astra, her sleepy gaze lost to a pang of worry. "Hey, kid, what's up? Bad dream again?" W replied on reflex, Astra's dreams were often filled with nightmares so W took it upon herself to ensure Astra told someone, most of the time it was the merc. One nod was all W needed before waving her over while Sora sat beside the pair, body attempting to recover from his healing ability. "Hit me." Astra looked around, snuggled up against W's side while the woman's arm wrapped around her protectively. "I... think something followed me to Equestria," That froze them both immediately, a drum of doom resounding in the humans' hearts. Both gave each other a small glance, allowing the filly to continue. "They were big... scary, those wolves I-I think..." Her eyes rose to them in panic. "I-I brought them here, I... I led them t-t-to..." "Hey, shh," Hugging Astra close to her side, W stroked her mane while placing one hand on her grenade launcher instinctively. "It's alright, whatever it is we'll take 'em down, just like the Infected, no sweat." Reassuring the shy filly wasn't easy, without her memory completely filled in left Astra conflicted and confused constantly. "It's okay..." "I just want to know where she came from, then maybe we could help more," Sora whispered in W's ear, herself nodding. "Whatever it is we'll find out soon enough, for all we know, they'll be tracking her like the Infected are to me." "Or that Necromancer was to me." Sora reinforced the possibility. The Merchant had sent the Forsaken after Astra before, what's to say these 'Wolves' won't follow? No matter what, neither of them would let harm come to the filly again, nor would the knight who listened in from afar, his hoof resting upon his sword. To Be Continued... Author's Note Kaid, the Soul of Cinder is the last to represent. I realize I never did give Astra her own term to roughly encapsulate her flaw, I might change that if I can. Cinder isn't like the others as he has come to terms with his own flaw, his role in the group will be established in time, promise. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Better Be Brave After many trials and tribulations, the group finally arrives at the outskirts of Hollow Shades. To their shock, one is there to greet them all in person. 2-0 Better Be Brave"-my point stands, DS Two was bloated with bosses when it's not needed," W waved her hands passively between Cinder and Sora. "I'm not saying that it isn't, but some have their charm," Cinder complied, cutting away the vines between them and their undetermined pathway through the roofed forest. "I dislike the future PVP bosses." "Ugh God, I hate that church in the Ringed City!" She moaned while leaning her head against Sora's shoulder, much to the boy's embarrassment while aiding the silverette in walking a little more comfortable until the effects of the medication soothe the last of her injuries. Astra poked Sora's calf, drawing the ravenette's orbs down to the quiet filly. "What does 'PvP' stand for?" "'Player versus player', a term used in games, example, if I and W went head-to-head in a game it would be 'PVP'." He elaborated for the curious filly caught out of their loop. "I'd totally kick your ass - both of you have been excommunicated from video games for years in Equestria, I, on the other hand, have not." W put a hand on her chest with a smug grin, only to quickly yelp as Sora deliberately shifted his weight, forcing her to balance herself. He took a little pride in seeing her become quiet and flustered herself, "Ass..." Their journey was almost coming to a close thanks to the addition of Cinder's 'Bonfires'. Since he had spent a long time in Equestria, he provided a little bit of context to how he traveled across the land... "So this thing can warp us closer to Hollow Shades just like that?" W snapped her fingers, resulting in the ponified Hollow nodding to her action, his hoof outstretched to the pommel of the coiled sword resting in the embers. "With this I have crafted an assortment of counterfeit blades, recreating the Bonfires that served players among Dark Souls, they allow me to traverse Equestria in hours instead of days," As he explained his methods of travel the trio stared at the fire together in awe. Noticing this made the old Displaced chuckle. "Well, it suits my needs, although the larger quantity of people can take its toll on my stamina." "Again, I probably have an incurable illness, one of us can see souls, another is a manifestation OF souls, and the other can fly and heal things..." W's antenna twitched with her faked smile. "Great, I feel like I got short end here." "So that's why there's a bonfire in the smithy...!" Sora beamed, earning a silent look from the girls as he grinned sheepishly. "Ahaha, sorry, I don't really go down there often." "The more I hear of where you live the more I want to blow it up," W grunted, totally not from envy, no-no. "Mr. Cinder-" His head titled to Astra's voice, meeting the child's large, silver eyes. "Your aura is... strange, like alot of others on top with strange shifts, kinda like waves." "Get used to her pointing this stuff out, by the way," W teased while ruffling her mane. "It is fine - sharp observation, due to my Displacement as the Soul of Cinder I am a manifestation of the Souls that rekindled the First Flame of Dark Souls, so my abilities are stem from previous warriors, that is why my soul may appear abnormal to a Seer." While the answer seemed to satisfy the curious girl, Cinder kept focused on her eyes, and of her warning the night before. "Just where did she come from? Perhaps our world or another? She hardly fits the look of any discernable characters I am aware of." "Hey, look!" Sora spoke up, gliding down to land before W with a smile. "Up over the ridge, I think I see the town." This news, coupled with everything the trio had been put through gave them a much-needed energy boost. They jogged up the hill, Cinder following shortly after to spot through the illuminated woods the town of Hollow Shades. From the glow of the forest, the town wasn't far, the glow of lanterns dotting the treeline. The buildings were gothic in design, looming among the trees and against the cobblestone walls that protected the town. Their grey-brick walls stretched taller than your average house, black-tiled roofs with a tint of dark purple to them. Lanterns swung on black chains and between the trees. Some trunks sprouting vibrant, bioluminescent plants for an added variety of color. Cinder bowed his head with a hoof outstretched toward the buildings. "Welcome to Hollow Shades, Sora, W, Astra." "Heh, why thank you," W giggled, taking a second to bask in its eternal night. A large weight was beginning to ease off her shoulders, the answers she sought for weeks were there, somewhere in that town. "Almost there..." Astra spoke next, though her voice was shaken, eyes dilated. "U-u-um, w-w-W?" "Huh?" "After all this time, you have finally made it-" The sickly smooth voice immediately earned the chime of a grenade vacating W's launcher, the large shell missing its target by an inch, striking a nearby tree with a devastating amount of splinters and bark. The force and suddenness of the attack barely resulted in a flinch. "-I guess congratulations are in order," Everyone was on edge once more. Astra remained between the trio with Cinder raising his sword to guard the filly, Sora raised both swords with a sharp glare beside W's hellish face. The look she sent the man's way was nothing short of sickening, bloated with venom. "Finally feel like chatting, huh?" W snarled while her tail thrashed off the ground. Dressed in black ragged clothes, face obscured behind the cloth and a hood was the being all had suffered from. The cause of all that was pitted against W stood there, mocking them atop a tree branch with a frightening calm demeanor, as though all were played into his hands. The Merchant spoke with a small bow and tip of his cowl. "I apologize for my rudeness to you before, I simply... admired your vicious drive to succeed, to prove your worth to these degenerate Equines - I have felt the same way in a certain case." "Why are you here?" Cinder kept a cold, low tone with the Merchant. He walked toward the edge of the curling branch, light as a feather with every step taken under W's sightlines. The Merchant lifted a hand before him as if to grasp a globe. "I had no reason to be here other than to say... turn back," His voice was low and gravely. W snorted, holding her launcher toward his center mass. "Want me to come up there and call you 'Master' while I'm at it, asshole?" Barking back W quickly added. "Admit it, you just want to kill us right now, don't yo-" "No, that would be a step backward," The Merchant replied coolly. "Fine then, go, perhaps then you will understand your roles, and realize the futility in picking a fight you can't win," His head lowered, shaking until a deafening cry reverberated from the town ahead. "Hmm, seems they found you, Warrior." This time, his eyes were revealed, piercing amethysts trained on the confused Astra. "Huh?" "W? Hollow Shades, it's-" Sora froze when he saw W's arm trembling, her face scrunched up in rage. The Merchant was standing there, to Sora, he was an enemy but compared to W, this might as well have been the very person who tore everything from her hands. Sora, Cinder, even Astra had something to support them when they arrived in this world, but W? She had nothing but herself and a hatred for the Merchant. "He's making her choose..." "Which is more valued to you, Aoi?" W visibly flinched, finger pressed to the trigger. "This world or your childish revenge?" "Stop screwing with me...!" She hissed yet remained rooted, even while the Merchant slowly strolled toward the trunk of the tree, a ripple in the air forming at the cast of his hand. "You can't run forever. I'll kill you!" "No-" He paused briefly, shaking his head. "-You won't." Like mist, he vanished from their fingers. Everyone stared at W, still shaking, hand forever poised toward the tree. "W..." Sora approached her, resting his hand on her wrist causing her to flinch and lower her weapon, head down in defeat. "We'll get him, count on it." "..." She said nothing and instead, turned to the town crying out in peril. "...I'm a mercenary-" She pulled away from Sora's hand, much as it did put her at ease. "-I've still got a job to do." She left without another word, leaving them all to consider the sudden encounter briefly. Sora sagged his shoulders, a hoof patted his lower back, belonging to Cinder. "She has endured far more than most, leave her be, she will come around." "I just wish I could've said something than just... that." It felt so empty to him too. "In time, come, Hollow Shades requires our aid, come," Kneeling down, Cinder allowed Astra to hop onto his back, and soon the pair took chase. "...they're here... it's the Wolves..." Those harrowing words alone forced the Hollow and Aasimar to run as though their own lives were on the line. Hollow Shades had seen better days than most, unlike today under the constant dusk. Bat Ponies and a handful of ponies ran in terror to their houses and places far from the monsters that terrorized the streets and torn down stalls and anything not made of concrete. Dark shadows ran across the sharp rooftops and hid among the shadows cast in alleyways. Howls and cries of beasts ran rampant from the eastern entrance to Hollow Shades. One group of Bats were kept close by a Thestral with a spiked mane wearing a red bandana; With just his hooves he twirled a moonlight spear to face the creatures. Using its length to keep their snarling jaws back, buying the innocent Bat Ponies a chance to flee. "What, afraid of a little toothpick are we?" He jested, keeping an almost confident demeanor over the large, imposing figures. "Heh, bunch of overgrown pups is all you are." One's glowing eyes narrowed, muzzle lifting at a growl before it pounced, swiping the spearhead away, he quickly returned it, carving out the creature's eye as it howled, slapping the spear down into the dirt, leaving the Bat open to be gouged on the spot. It pounced and his eyes widened considerably. W grasped a sign hoisted by chains on a corner balcony, using the mounted piece to whip around the corner, finger pressed to the trigger the second she sighted the monster. With a single 'thunk' the pellet struck the large figure, blasting it far from the Bat Ponies and across the street. It shook itself amongst the smoke, disorientated that it didn't see the grenade rolling by its feet until it was consumed in a large plume of smoke and fire. Landing beside the unique ponies, W kept her crooked smile, eyes cast as bright as the glowing fauna. "Nice toothpick." The bandana-wearing Bat smirked. "Nice boomstick." Through the dark mist left by the creature, more took its place, thereby offering W a view of what she was up agains - her eyes froze over the sight, gripping her launcher tighter while shrugging off her cloak. They were large, dark, werewolf-like creatures with their bone exposed along their snout, eyes casting a red contrail. Most stood on all fours while a few bent upright on their hind legs with a slouch. Bodies muscular under a coat of jet black fur. "Grimm..." The words whispered off her tongue confused the Bat ponies until she huffed, glaring down those still standing there to gawk at the hairless ape. "Well? Do I look like a Guard to you? Run!" The spear-pony quickly ushered them behind W and far from the pack of Beowolves circling her from the streets and buildings, all enchanted by her potent scent of rage and bloodlust. Due to the Merchant all W wanted, no, yearned for was to make something around her writhe in pain, to be buried under her boot, to feel everything she felt and so much more. The first Beowolf lunged for her nape, sneaking upon the Sarkaz who simply folded her arm over her shoulder, obliterating the wolf's head, leaving it with a stump that crumbled away. Reloading with a flick, W hopped back from a pair of claws, kicking it across the snout and into the line of silver saw through the sky. Sora spun around, splitting its head in two while performing a helix spin to disperse two more Grimm that attempted to ground the Aasimar. "You really love getting yourself in trouble." "You should really have grown used to my charm." She smirked, popping another grenade off as it struck the corner of a dilapidated building, tossing a Beowolf from the edge. With a bump of her tail off Sora's awaiting fist, the two separated, charging toward the frenzy that followed their emotions like the scent of blood. "Boom!" W slid on her back, evading a diving wolf while sticking a C4 to its gut, leaving another on the ground before pouncing over a bipedal Grimm, using its snapping jaw as a stepping stone over the horde as her fingers slammed down on the shiny red button. Three chain explosions tore through the horde, freeing the air for Sora to spin-kick a Beowolf into a stand, sending planks flying that his swords carved through, blinding the second Grimm while blocking a claw swipe of the third. Using the blinded one's back he pressed his feet to its spin, lunging to amputate the third, kicking off its face, splitting the skull in one vertical slant. A grenade bounced between the stand and the blinded wolf, blowing them to charred chunks. Sora roared at the top of his lungs, leaping into a spin to sever another pair of arms from a Beowolf, followed by an uppercut with the edge shoved through another's jaw and out the top of its head. Pulling out, Sora flew under a set of claws, slicing another down. Flicking his left blade back, he enhanced it with light, blinding the sneaky Beowolf briefly for the upper half of its jaw to come off clean horizontally. He waited for another two wolves yet a mine's little bobble poked from the dirt road, erupting into an inferno, leaving only dust in its wake while a demon flew through the flames, drop-kicking another in the chest for Sora to take advantage of, impaling it with both tips of his swords, tossing the corpse aside while both pressed their backs together, facing the late arrivals from the rooftops. W flicked her hair back, nudging Sora's shoulder. "Fly-Boy, we got the Big Boi!" Looking in her general direction, he felt his heart skip at the somewhat larger Grimm approaching with the corpse of a small wolf crumbling in its hand. Its bone structure is more visible, this time with its rib cage protruding out of its chest. Its claws are also longer, and the bones appearing out of its forearm thicker. Its knees have more external bone poking out. The black fur, however, is still visible. With a single sniff of the air, the glowering eyes leered past the duo and toward Cinder who carved through the stragglers with a blazing spear of brimstone. The Alpha's gaze traveled further, spotting the small filly helping a few Bat Ponies to their hooves to escape, then it howled in rage. "Crap, it's after Astra!" Sora warned, putting W on high alert with her sights set immediately to the large wolf, firing a grenade as it yanked up one of its underlings, using it to bat the explosive through the treetops above. Even Sora blinked slowly. "Huh, that's a new one." "The Big Bad Wolf's got talent, cute." W cooed, loading another while Sora deflected the swipe of a Beowolf behind her back. "Come on, we can do this." "I've got your back." That alone was a comforting thought to her, the pair dividing once more to wither down their enemy's numbers. Over by Cinder, he held back a Beowolf with his longsword's face, shoving it back with a searing hiss of flesh and fur melding together. Spinning around his magic tore a streak of fire through the air, burning through three Beowolves with a single slant of molten metal, his right hoof poised over Astra to scorch another approaching from the alleyway. To his admiration, the filly was barely fazed at all by the heat, from spending so much time with W it had simply become second nature to her to never fear fire or loud noises. She liked it. "Duck!" Cinder followed her command, diving under a wolf's swipe as it clattered across his helmet and pauldron, only for his longsword to curve upright, severing the limb while twirling to cut the beast in half. "Are you okay?" "A mere scratch, thank you for spotting for me." He saw her give a little salute of her hoof, so much like how the brash Sarkaz woman acted. Now he could see it, this filly wasn't just W traveling companion, it was as if she was her mentor. "So that is who you are," "Hyrah!" He grunted, batting another aside for a pair of Therstals to pass by. "Follow the charcoal girl's words, she will direct you both toward the safer streets." "T-thank you!" The male complied as the numbers began to thin, say for those cornering W and Sora alongside the Alpha. "Mr. Cinder, I think everyone's clear of the east!" Astra blinked after focusing briefly on the area, finding no other traces of emotions from sources outside of their immediate area. It was a little stressful poking at the emotions around her, especially the Grimm, they were... hollow, just like in her dreams and memories, they were empty, a blackness surrounding their form. Then she gasped. "Behind you!" "Hmph," Cinder held firm, erecting a large, tiger-orange barrier to parry the Alpha's encroaching claws, seeing them hook against the veil to actually vault over his form, solely focused on the filly standing no more than three feet away. Lowering the barrier, Cinder moved with a great deal of speed, weapon clanging in the air, inverting with a bright whitish-cyan glow atop the pommel. Drawing his magic into the tip of the pommel, a cascade of Farron Hail cut across the brief gap, the darts piercing and shattering against the Alpha's platted growths like glass, some piercing its flesh. This did little to stagger the Grimm as it slammed both forearms into the dirt, missing Astra who managed to roll aside at the last second. Backing away, she was low enough that Cinder conjured a great deal of magic from his soul into the staff, embroiling the blade with a massive sky-blue Soul Greatsword that came sailing across the street, severing a few lamposts and sweeping against the Alpha's ribcage, throwing the beast backward. Safeguarding Astra, Cinder summoned two large Crystal Soul Spears to batter and discourage the Alpha as it thrashed through the attack, fracturing their forms with sheer strength. Up above, W slid down a rooftop, firing a grenade as it fractured the left-hand side of the wolf's muzzle, her feet pressing against the snout while retreating toward Sora. Finally, it lost its interest in Astra and gave case, tearing through carts and barrels in an effort to peel back the mercenary's flesh. "I-It's my f-fault," Astra murmured behind Cinder, the old stallion turning to her. "I... I always knew they w-would come... I... I was scared." The news was a little hard to hear, her face scrunched up with tears. "I'm sorry..." Cinder said nothing, under his helmet he swore his eyes couldn't get wider. His head snapped around to his allies facing the Alpha and its remaining forces. Then to the scared child before him... the child from Remnant... "That's it..." Cinder withdrew, quickly kneeling beside Astra. "Astra, look at me," She did, trying to focus on anything but the fighting. "Your family, W, Sora, they mean alot to you, don't they?" The question confused her, why would he ask her something at a time like this? What made those factors important? "What?" He moved from her sight, cupping her ears so that everything became muffled and distant. Her focus again returned to the Grimm that slowly cornered W and Sora, the larger one keeping W from using her launcher. "Mr. C-Cinder?" "Do not focus on the battle, think closely about those that love you, those I have mentioned, anyone and everyone who you have grown to trust," Cinder's voice was calm and assertive, and so she did, thinking of them all, how they made her feel warm and safe, and happy again. "Focus solely on the feelings they give you, that warmth in your heart..." Gently, her eyes grew heavy, leaving her lost in a void where all was highlighted with color. Auras clashed and merged from huddled families and ponies that fought. Red and blue bouncing in tangent against a black emptiness that enraptured the Creatures of Grimm, hollow and cold. Memories of W saving her, teaching, and caring for her filled the empty spots in her mind where only pain and fear resided in memories of her home. Sora and his kindness, his quirky personality clashing with W's. Mir's blunt but strange form of counseling, the nice ponies they met along the way, the Diamond Dogs that sat with them by the campfire. It was so warm, so... loving. "Life is beautiful... it is precious... and it must be protected." When Cinder stepped away from the timid, shy little filly, her body shimmered with a dazzling, silver veil over her body, reaching up to her big eyes that peered toward the dark world, spanning a large ray of light that wrapping itself around the two like wings, piercing Hollow Shade's gloomy atmosphere with the strength and radiance of the sun. The Grimm wailed in agony under the indomitable gaze from such a small soul, their coats reduce to nothing but black ash far and wide. W and Sora both shook from the rush of combat, staring at one another then back at Astra who single-handedly disintegrated every Grimm left in Hollow Shades. The charcoal filly stumbled back into Cinder's hooves with a dozy smile reminiscent of W's, throat parched while that silver aura fizzled out. "I... think I got them..." Seconds later she passed out from the shock, leaving the trio stunned, although W's her heart pounding away. It shook the mercenary to her core, "Silver Eyes... tch, of course, it was..." And she couldn't be prouder. To Be Continued... Author's Note I believe one of you called it - albeit it was never my intention - but hey, plans change when you're on a roll! That completes the circle of Displaced. Arknights, DnD, Dark Souls, and RWBY. I gots a spicy chapter up next that maaaay lead to a one-shot, hehehe. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! P.S. The final of the three acts is next!! Next Chapter: I'm a Bad Girl With Hollow Shades liberated from the Grimm, Astra remembers a little more of her home while Sora and W decide to join the town in celebration. And a few drinks may be enough to pull down another of the stubborn mercenary's walls. 2-1 I'm a Bad GirlThe sound that pierced the silence in the room was merely the chime of a clock. For the last hour, the trio sat amongst themselves in a building designed to act as a small medical center. Most of the rooms were filled with those caught up in the Grimm attack. The results of which led to one final truth being uncovered. Astra was from Remnant, that was her home. Her eyes were heavy, struggling to stay awake long enough until her check-up was complete. From what Sora and Cinder received from the staff it was a case of 'magic burnout', this implied Astra being so young for a person with an Aura and Semblance meant she overused both to help evacuate ponies caught in the crossfire, not to mention her Silver Eyes. For W, all she did was sit there and stare at the filly, never once leaving her side for reasons neither could pry from her lips. "I remember... my Papa was like me, he could use... that glow like me," Astra croaked, trying to stay awake a little to answer. "I-I think the scary lady... she wanted to... to..." No one needed to hear it, Cinder sat beside her bed, ruffling her mane. "Now-Now, lass, rest, we can discuss your abilities tomorrow," It had been a while since he felt the need to use those old terms. Nodding, Astra managed another tiny smile. "I-I did it... I was... helpful..." Soon, the medication and lack of energy knocked the young warrior out. Those words made W sigh through her teeth, brushing a few strands from the filly's eyes with just her tail. "Always were, kid," W soon returned to normal, crossing her arms as she leaned against her chair. "Sparkles, what's the deal with Astra? She like Ruby from the show?" Cinder... strangely sat up straight at that, something Sora shook his head for, "Now you've done it..." "Her father was a Silver Eyed Warrior, a rare trait that upon awakening its power can vaporize or petrify Grimm and all creatures made of darkness, most were hunted down to an extremely rare few, like Astra; The ones that attacked her home must've known of her father," Cinder crossed his forehooves. "As for her 'Seer' ability that would be her Semblance, they vary on the individual, and using it constantly today drained her aura." Both stared at him for the longest time, processing this information, except for W who knew quite well what the show was but didn't feel the need to stop the old man from rambling. W smiled lightly with a lazy stare, "You're a fanboy aren't you?" "..." She slapped her thighs and quickly shot up. "Well, that's all I needed - adorable as it is - heard these Bats wanted to celebrate with actual alcohol and I'm not gonna miss this chance so if you excuse me..." "Wait, what about-" She already left by the time Sora got a word out, combing his fingers through his hair. "Sorry, but what about Astra? Isn't she worried about her?" "Precisely why I am staying," Cinder replied, turning to Sora with a small chuff, seeing his face twist with guilt and interjection. "Do not look at me that way, lad, you both fought tooth-and-nail for these people," Patting the boy's shoulder he swore he could see the Hollow's smile through the helmet. "Go, take this night to enjoy yourselves, I shall watch over her." "I... well I guess I haven't really eased up since meeting her," It was a tempting thought but he felt bad about leaving Cinder to watch Astra by himself. Or until the door swung open again, and the Hollow's magic quickly snatch a green bottle before it could knock Sora on the forehead. "Yah!" "On me... you know, for helping her," W murmured from the doorway awkwardly, playing with the tip of her tail between her fingers. "Well, you comin' or not, Fly-Boy or is a little drinking too low-class for a Prince?" Sora sagged with a deadpanned stare while Cinder chuckled. "You'll never let me live that down, will you?" "Not until you're on your deathbed, hehe," She winked, sticking her tongue out before tugging him away with her tail. "Now stop complaining and loosen up a bit, for Astra's sake too since she saved our asses." His reluctance gave way to acceptance. "Heh, sure." By the time W and Sora arrived at the predetermined destination. Most were busy with clearing up the streets of debris, thankfully, the Grimm don't normally destroy unless it's in their way. Most were taking the night, as W found out, to simply celebrate their survival. Compared to the likes of Hoofprint, the Bat Ponies here were more fixated on the jubilation of victory over the Grimm than something as small as a few damages. No one died which was another thing they annoyingly kept asking to thank W and her friends for. "Ah, look who decided to finally turn up!?" It was the same Bat with the spear who spoke with a mug in his hoof. The large open tavern had a deck facing a few buildings toward a river that ran through Hollow Shades. Lanterns helped illuminate the area around the edge on an overhang. Some light strung across the gap leading toward the bar to their right. It was only a small rectangular building with two floors. The first clearly to sell and a staircase to the bar's left leading to storage. Once the odd pair of humans were spotted, many cheered and praised them in passing. Sora smiled and thanked them for W who instinctively kept close to his side, something his chest felt tight upon contact for. Cupping her hand he helped her remain calm while the two stood by the bar with the Bat, his off-hoof offered to them. "Pleased to meetcha, the name's Blackthorn - saved my flank and many others with that boomstick of yours." That caused W to smirk, "Aw? Is the little Bat upset I stole his thunder?" He laughed, calling the bartender over, herself smiling in silence while setting up two drinks for the pair. "Haha, you know it! But by Luna's grace you sure put up a fight, and you, boy, your swordsmanship is something I'd expect from the Guards." "I... was tutored under a few, t-thanks." He replied bashfully, causing Blackthorn to nudge W to lean down for a whisper. "Bit on the shy side this one?" "He is, adorable, isn't it?" She didn't hide the fact her voice was loud enough for Sora's face to turn red, the pair laughing at his expense. "Oh sure, laugh it up..." He quickly took his mug and slammed a good gulp of it down. To his surprise, he didn't immediately gag. "Huh, it's sweet?" "Sure is," The Bat mare behind the counter replied, topping off a few for customers to her left. "It's brewed specifically to retain a sweet aftertaste, makes it easier for newcomers to alcohol to handle the bitterness gradually." "Or if you just want it to stay down easier," Blackthorn chuckled, motioning to a pony passed out on a table already. "Lightweights, what can ya do?" "Ironic since his name is Light," The bartender giggled but shrugged it off as W hesitantly took a sip, her antenna perking up. "Like it?" "Holy hell this is actually not crap," With gusto, and the few onlookers, Sora included, she chugged the whole mug in one fell swoop, slamming the wooden mug down with a toothy grin. "Aaaah, man I missed beer!" She quickly fished around in her pockets along her belt and put a few Bits on the table. "Saving these was worth it, keep 'em coming!" The bartender smiled and did so without complaint, Blackthorn laughing as he too ordered a refill. Sora joined them at the stools, drinking the rest of his in time, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. However, he noticed that something caught W's eye after her second drink was gone. Peering over her shoulder he saw that she spotted a lone ash guitar sat by a stool, not a soul bothered it. Looking down, her fingers were taut, mimicking the action of holding one. "You said you once played, right?" His voice startled her and her eyes became unfocused. With a reassuring look, he nudged her shoulder. "Go on." "I... don't think I could," He excused herself poorly. "I-I mean, I've been blowing things up for so long - might have lost touch a-and you know, not mine so..." "W, one thing you're bad at is lying," He smirked, for once making her blush slightly at the idea that her ability to lie was horrid or maybe it was because she did want to play, she really did but in front of people was another matter. "How would I know I won't just sound like a wailing banshee?" It was always the thought on her mind, ignoring the desire as best she could "It's like trust-" He began, seeing her stand up straight with a sigh. "-A risk, yeah-yeah, I hear ya," Nodding dumbly to his words she spun around with a cute pout. "I will smash it over your head if I suck." "Please don't, my pocket's light as is." He snickered, leaving her to grumble and pick up the instrument, taking a seat next to Blackthorn who eyed her curiously but kept his silence behind his mug. W studied the instrument with a careful touch and inquisitive eye. It was heavy but cared for. The ash polished up and the strings tight without signs they would fray after only a few pulls. Tilting it in her hands she adjusted the guitar to handle the bridge on her right hand, holding it from the bottom with her hand on the neck. "Okay, how do I do this again...?" Taking a few practice tests, the memories surfaced quickly for her, Aoi knew this well. Each point of the instrument like her own body. It just... felt right again, like with her grenade launcher, the instincts were there, yearning to be tested again. "Music is about expression, about having fun regardless if you're good or bad, right, teach?" Thinking of her weird tutor did help in keeping her mindset on recalling what she knew how to play. "Ahem, okay..." W kept her voice low, focused on recalling the song she learned what felt like years ago. It was gradual, adjusting the strings and correcting her fingers between frets. It was a little nerve-wracking since she's never once played for people, let alone ponies as a first audience. Given her life in Equestria, she had become accustomed to the spotlight, good and bad, and has done stuff beyond simple performance on a stage, so to speak. Her melody started off quiet and almost ominous in tone though with a lighter pitch due to the instrument being a guitar. Closing her eyes a moment, W let herself drift into a flow she had lost, "It happens every night, I watch my world ignite, But there's no waking from this nightmare. The stage is always set, The place I can't forget, The hidden eyes that I can feel there..." Sora was back by the bar, leaning with his elbows back. To say he was lost in his own world was an understatement. W had a very snarky and almost condescending tone of voice but her tone had completely switched off, replaced with a smooth and sharp voice, singing with purpose and passion he had never seen before. It was beautiful. Picking up her pace, W's eyes shot open to concentrate on her rhythm. "My eyes are open wide, I'm racing to her side. There's nothing that I won't do for her. But this is not a dream. My mind repeats the scene. I can't forget it and it's torture," She made some subtle mistakes from lack of practice but managed to maintain her flow, strumming along to a song only she knew. "That was before. But not anymore. I've left it behind. As much as I lost. Once I'm across, I'll find," In W's own head, she was back in her room, sitting on her bed with her legs crossed while playing key instruments off her laptop while her guitar filled the void, it was peaceful and she was content. That same serenity was stretched over her face and played in her fingers. "I've found the strength to grow so much more. A whisper to a roar. No more crying. It's time for me to soar~!" Her smile grew, picking up her melody with force for the awe-struck crowd. Bet they have never seen something like her with this kind of talent, but sadly it was one of the very few songs she knew well and by God, she was gonna play it like it was the last thing on Earth. "Feel like I'm finally unbroken. Feel like I'm back from the dead. My strength back and confidence growing. Out of my way, 'Cause I'm armed and ready - Armed and ready. Ready; Armed and ready - I'm ready! Armed and ready - Ready! Ready; Armed and ready~! For the rest of the night, the so-and-so party continued with plenty of stupid games and drinking. It was strangely peaceful for W, to feel as though she belonged for a fraction of time. Her worries were gone thanks to the booze that kept her smiling stupidly with the crowd. Soon, things returned to a quieter state, most finally calming down as the night grew longer. Strangely enough, a tipsy Sora noticed the distinct lack of a Cockroach Sarkaz among the ponies. "Huh, where'd she...?" Sensing his confusion, the bartender nudged his arm, pointing a wing toward the river not far away. "I saw your friend wander off that way, I think she wanted to get some time to herself," Then she smiled at the boy. "But somepony should check up on her, less she gets herself in trouble." "Thank you," Slowly rising, Sora shook his head to keep his sense of balance evenly dispersed. "Okay, one foot in front of the other, no flying - remember what happened to Georgia." This had happened once before but that was the first time he had ever drunk, to begin with, thanks to Cliffheart. Moving away from the commotion gave Sora time to feel the atmosphere of Hollow Shades. Compared to other towns spanning Equestria, it felt like eternal tranquility of nighttime, life bloomed in colorful patterns and in the darkest shades. A place like Canterlot had its fair charms, but underneath some of the posh and upper class, there were the spots for the less fortunate, those places held the most spectacular sights. Underground groups and spots for all walks of life. Hollow Shades was those hidden worlds given space to grow. Passing under a balcony to a large building, crossing a wooden decking that lined the river like a hem he spotted the mercenary by herself, watching the world go by her passive eyes. She looked lost in her own world, she didn't even see him approach. "Thought you wanted to 'loosen up' tonight, your music sure seemed that way-" Sora startled W from her thousand-yard-stare by the river. "-are you feeling alright?" "Someone's worried, cute." She teased though with a little less confidence than before. "So... guess I broke my word about playing again, kinda suck at that." "It was... amazing," That made her chest twist again with that stupid sensation. "Really, I knew you played guitar but... wow." "H-hey, come on now, I'm good but not that good, dude," She rolled her eyes playfully. It was a hobby, sure, but not like she was some amazing member of a band or anything. "I mean it, you looked like you had fun." His honesty was so annoying to her because she couldn't just lie to escape it, or lie to him at all. "So, about being out here, are you really okay?" It worried him since she drank quite alot too, not that he was any better, just walking here was a little tricky. "Nah, just... thinking about..." "Everything?" He guessed to which she nodded, clicking her fingers. "Always sharp - yeah, I guess lately I've been worried about how long... I'll be me," Her eyes loomed down over her hands. "It's inevitable that my mind is merging with W's own and I just kept saying to myself, 'If I just focus, keep fighting, beat the Merchant to a pulp, maybe I can still be me'," He could see it, her smile was wavering. "I-I really believed that to the point I got drunk on the hope, I got reckless, I wanted to fight more and more than I... yeah..." For once in this melancholy, Sora smiled, standing next to her to stare up at the blue fireflies that decorated the treetops above like stars. "I kept training," His reply drew her ember orbs to the left. "I thought that if I kept learning to fly higher and higher, to reach the stars that I could hold onto who I was, not the Aasimar I had become but the normal child I was before, then I realized something important, like the fairy tale my Mom told me." "That was?" By now W was much closer, wanting to listen intently to his story, and his eyes met hers, enrapturing her. "That was the mistake I was making; I was scared of forgetting who I am, my name, my past but that wasn't why memories filled my head of a life I never knew, rather, they were always there, those memories, they're our dreams, our daydreams given form," The revelation threw W through a loop, her eyes unexpectedly wide, jaw unhinged somewhat. "Haha, it was hard to believe at first but the desire to fly as high as the stars, that was the very thing that made this body, the Aasimar Valiant special, when I became him his memories were made real too." How many weeks had W contemplated who she was, what she was turning into without answers? It plagued her, dreams of a life she never had, memories flooding her mind that left her conflicted and scared of herself, of the monster she may turn into. All this time it was her, she had dreamt of W many times outside the game, childish scenarios of her antics further beyond the canon story. They were her dreams, all of it was her own making! Aoi wasn't... just a shell. For the longest time, it felt like the opposite for so very long, and now... she felt weightless and impulsive. "Then... am I still me?" It was a final hurdle, the last of her walls refusing to give. Nodding slowly, Sora stood straight, ocean blue orbs locked to her tiger eyes. "Whether or not you're a Sarkaz or I'm an Aasimar, we're still us on the surface," Without thinking, his voice continued, neither noticing the lack of a personal bubble between them, W's tail instinctively curling to bob behind Sora's back. "You're still amazing, with or without this body or memories." Dumb as it sounded, he smiled with a shrug. "Does that answer your - mmfph?" Many questions still rampaged in W's head. It was an awful buzzing that kept her awake many nights, regardless of the company she now traveled with. The lack of exchanged answers for her questions left her like she was constantly thirsty, yearning to drink something, anything to satisfy her craving. Now, she had answers, the reasons were laid out for her to digest and break down. Her mind was now void. What was next? She wondered. If the day comes when the Merchant is gone, and by some miracle, they succeed. What then? What... was she to do with these new memories and gifts? It was a gamble, like all her plans and actions. To place a bet on mights and maybes. It could have been the alcohol stimulating her mind, but she didn't care. The 'what ifs' didn't concern her for this night, for one night, she wanted to forget the Royal Guard, to drown the anger and cruelty brought by the hooves of the ponies that were turned against her. To be... wanted and nothing more. The deeper her lips pressed to Sora's, the more she grew hungry. Despite how this risk may fracture one of the few friendships she had in this world, to her astoundment, he was just left bewildered, face matching her red pigment. Gently, his hands grabbed her shoulders, only to dig her closer against his lips as the pair parted shortly after, remembering to breathe. Neither knew why they did that, or what compelled each other to continue at all. "I..." W panted, still holding her fingers against his sides, his hands grasping her shoulders firmly. Slowly, her eyelids became heavy, a vampish smile on her lips. "...surprised you didn't pull back." He stopped and stared as his eyes wandered, the effects of alcohol making it harder to restrain from tracing her defined curves to the point he wanted to slap his forehead. "Why am I..." He blinked, then remembered something recently sparked in his head. "Do you like W?" "Huh? She's a little abrasive but I get that, I think she's a nice person under that persona of hers." Even in this new lighting, Sora could see he was being analyzed by the Seer. "Why'd you ask?" Astra pulled herself up onto a lopsided pillar, using it to follow Sora at chin level. "W likes you too." "That kid..."Sora blinked, realizing he hadn't quite let go of the image still burned into his head, not that the effects of drinking let him do much thinking at all. He then chuffed, leaning closer to meet her gaze. "Like you'd give me much choice," "Hm," W and Sora gradually resumed the kiss a little less passionately, moving frantically and hotly, obscured by the dark overhang of the building beside them. W grabbed the back of his head, holding him while both his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer as the pair faded into the bliss that quickly overtook their senses, lost in each other's embrace. ///ACT III - Come To Light\\ To Be Continued... Author's Note Bet you didn't see that coming, haha! Guess I'll add the 'Romance' tag. Let me clear this isn't really romance like with my Indomitable story, moreover it's just instincts, alcohol, and hormones at work - I'm no smart person so don't ask me to try and explain it just thought I'd clarify that it isn't love... not yet anyway, you'll see. Oh, and due to the 'implications' of this act, I maaaay have something more mature for what happens next, if you want to see it let me know, it'll be separate from this story and to be blunt, it's smut, what else can I say? I might just upload it regardless if I'm bored despite the fact I have never written smut before, haha, what a pain. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Pull Your Strings With the team rested, some more than others, they plan to confront The Dealer, Gambit with the help of Cinder. But just what are they expecting to discover in the dark below? 2-2 Pull Your StringsTo say W was on a high note would not do her mood justice. She had her ups and downs, sure, but a working bathroom with a hot shower? Now we're talking. She sighed again in bliss against the hot pellets that struck her bare skin, the sweat purged from her body while bathing in the fact she could take a shower again. Something so simple brought her joy, that, and another key point to her day. *Knock-Knock* "Aoi, are you still alive in there?" Hearing her real name threw her off her high for a moment, turning to the door out the corner of her eye with a smirk and tiny blush. "Best day ever, what's up?" She knew why he was asking but she was feeling dangerous. "...you've been in there for twenty minutes," His blunt tone only made her giggle. "Hey, I'm not complaining, door's unlocked," He'd either had to wait or come in with her, no other opinions were present in her mind. "Shame too, this is really good." His groan rattled through the door. "...you're impossible, come on, Aoi~" "Hm Hm Hmm... Hm H-Hm Hm Hmm...~" W soon slipped back into her trance, cleaning her horns delicately. Not long after, steam exited the bathroom to the room and from it W emerged with a towel around her body, stretching her arms with a content sigh, hair tied back for once while she dried off. To the left where the bed was Sora had quickly turned away after gawking like a fish for too long. Displaying her fanged grin W strolled up to sit behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "You know you've already seen all there is to see, Fly-Boy," She then faked surprise, gasping with a hand on her chest, posing as her towel pulled against her body to the eye unable to resist peeking around his braids. "Or is the sight of me in nothing but a towel too sexy for you, hmm?" Sora sighed, lowering his head. "You really are impossible," His smile said otherwise before grabbing his own stuff folded by his lap. This forced him to turn and see W looking over her things with a rare eased smile tugging on her lips, tail moving side-to-side in tandem with her mood. Deciding to even the odds he quickly flicked her tail, causing a sharp, girlish yelp to exit her lips. "Just get changed, not unless you want to explain to Cinder and Astra where we've been," That caught her for a moment, along with that stupid smile of his. "A-and yes." The door shut before he could gauge her reaction but judging by the small flop to the bed it clearly worked. While strolling back to the medical center Sora and W walked in silence, primarily because neither really knew 'what' to say to their companions. They got drunk, said some cheesy things, kissed a little too much, and woke up in the same bed together completely nude. Kinda hard to put that into words without it sounded scandalous or awkward. For W, she basically had the time of her life and now was stuck wondering what they were now. Friends with benefits? Partners? Lovers? It was all a mixture she hadn't the mental capacity to fathom yet. For Sora it was more or less the same, one thing was clear though. "I woke up with a beautiful girl in my arms!" "I woke up with a handsome guy holding me!" Both looked in different directions, gradually, Sora managed to find some unspeakable confidence as they turned a corner. "S-so um... a-about last night..." "No idea what we are, huh?" Like telepathy, she had read his mind. One nod and she brought her gaze around completely, folding her hands behind her head. "I mean... I dunno, it's weird - n-not you, hell, t-that was... wow." Using the same words he described her musical skills wasn't helping. Exhaling slowly, she kept her heart in check. "I know it wasn't what either of us expected, I get that, so... why not stick with... p-partners..." Her head was low, obscured under her bangs. "What?" He didn't catch it, only seeing the bashful girl staring back through her locks, playing with one of her antennae. "...Partners... u-us, u-until I dunno, something..." Explaining her feelings wasn't her forte, it all comes and goes like a fight. Everything explodes from the start and W loses herself in that moment. "I-I don't want to ruin what's already here, you know?" Sora actually nodded along, playing with the hem of his coat's sleeves. "I get it, s-so long as you're fine with... me?" Like before, W smiled lightly and bumped her hip to his. "Wouldn't have done it if I didn't, dummy." His own smile returned, standing at a comfortable space beside W until they could see their allies up ahead. To his right, W cracked her knuckles, adjusting her bag against her back. "Now then, let's finally see this so-called, Dealer?" "And hope we get some answers." That was music to their ears. The group now followed Cinder who trekked up a steep slope shrouded in mist. Wherever Gambit was only Cinder knew where, and it just so happened to be hidden in and around the foggiest point in Hollow Shades. W carefully stepped forward, shadowing Cinder's movements with discomfort for the uneven terrain. "You sure this Gambit guy lives in some random woods in a random part of Equestria?" "Would you rather I tell you it was in a volcano, lass?" He hummed but she could tell he found her discomfort amusing, seeing as she just flipped him off. "Hmph, follow and we will reach the 'Mouth'." "That sounds scary..." Astra murmured, sticking close to W while using her semblance to navigate the fog. "My aura can't see very far, something... is blocking me?" "That's never good," Sora murmured in W's ear but she remained silent, keeping tabs on the armored Hollow ahead. She wasn't sure, like most things today, how she should feel. Excited, pensive, it was all swarming her mind. Her answers were so close and yet she feared - no - was terrified something would impede her further, something would happen and prevent this final step from achievement. "W?" "..." Not a word and she sped up to find that Cinder had stopped, hoof out to keep W stationary, making her impatience show. "Why are we stopping, sparkles?" "Less you want to fall-" He curved his hoof downward, clearing the fog with a small burst of flames, revealing the sudden end of the cobblestone road. "-then please, keep walking." "Oh..." She felt a little embarrassed and stepped back. "Guess I'm up," Sora cracked his knuckles, wings emerging from the dark like shards of glass. "I... don't know how heavy that armor is though," His curious gaze fell to Cinder who merely pulled back a few steps, wiggling his armor before lunging over the edge, vanishing into the mist. Sora just stood there, dumbfounded. "Or that, that works too." "Yeah, I'm taking the elevator down, thanks," W quickly wrapped her arms around his neck comfortably while Astra hopped onto his shoulders. With the girls secure, Sora hesitantly fell off the edge into a freefall state, using his wings to glide at a gentle pace, the weight of two extra bodies more than enough of a counterbalance to fall steadily. "Weeeeee..." W cooed jokingly with Astra giggling in Sora's ear. "Always find some way to make a situation less terrifying, huh?" He smiled at her winking face as his wings kept the trio illuminated in the dark. "You love it." That he did but wouldn't say otherwise. Down and down into the dark below the less bioluminescent plants grew. Only a dark maw that devoured the light except for a small gathering of embers emanating from the bottom and the light of Sora's wings. "Here," With his right hand around W's waist, he could touch her jacket, focusing a little the red highlights of her coat became a bright cherry red, offering up more light to their surroundings. "Brace yourselves." With a short warning the trio grunted once Sora met the base of the Mouth, Cinder awaiting them by a small bonfire that was resting at the bottom of the cavern. It took a second for W's head to click, pulling away from Sora to inspect the volcanic shoot above. "So you literally killed yourself, that's hardcore," "Whichever bonfire is closest is where I will rekindle, it... is not always preferable to kill myself but it can provide its advantages," Cinder murmured, shaking his head. "Onward, Gambit is not far." "Might want to stay up here, Astra." Sora offered, feeling her hooves coil around his shoulders tightly with a nod. "Lead the way, Cinder." And with that their journey continued through the dark, damp cavern in search of Gambit. Cinder used his coiled sword as a torch, W with her jacket and Sora with his wings. Last, Astra felt around the many caves and passages for a soul. So far her Seer ability couldn't even sense her own hooves, it was almost blinding. "I can't see anything, sorry..." "Don't worry about it, place can't go on forever," W shrugged, tail whipping the side of Cinder's armor. "You left a bonfire but not a landmark, seriously?" "It was not my intention to ever come back here, my mistake," Cinder snorted before turning back to the cave ahead He suddenly crashed into Sora and W as the darkness became illuminated by a set of large, golden eyes staring back at them, practically the size as W with a massive, jack o' lantern grin on its onyx face. "Nice work, travelers, you did it! Five stars! High-Fives all around! Congrats on finally slipping past that slimy little Merchant's eye." It... He, cackled, face shrinking down to rest on... something, standing just over six feet tall. Smiling, the creature wore a black suit, with a fur lining for his cuffs and collar, a golden tie, a white shirt, and a top hat with two cards strapped into the side with velvet fabric, both an ace of hearts and spades. It also wore crimson, fingerless gloves to allow a set of sharp, white claws to pierce through. "It's good to see you again, Old Hollow, Cinder, Kaid -- whatever your name is, it seems fate has sent you in for an appointment, fantastic!" His smile couldn't possibly get any bigger. Stomping down he looked to sit on nothing as the darkness dissolved, and light returned the second he sat down on a large, black ash seat embroiled with etchings and a fabric cover. "W-Who, what... what are you?" W gaped, Sora just nodding behind her shoulder with Astra, weapons somehow gone with a simple click of its fingers. "H-hey, the hell did you-" "Tsk-Tsk-Tsk, I'd rather not be shot within my domain, thank you." He put quite austerely The large chamber was tall and rounded at the top like an observatory, rows of books lined the walls entirely, containing jars and artifacts here-and-there. A large, gold chandelier swung up above holding onto some wax candles. Four paths created an intersection where we stood, leading off into large, black-iron doors. The floor between the paths were littered with riches and all sorts of random items, weapons, armor, relics, and even copies of W's weapons! "How did you..." Sora murmured as the large entity leaned forward, extending a clawed hand to W with a mischievous chuckle "Allow me to reintroduce myself to the newcomers," He sat back up again, hand raised high to his... emporium? "My name is Gambit, The Omniscient Nightmare." It took W a second to catch her breath, sucking in a lungful once she reached slowly for his awaiting hand, shaking the icy appendage with a shiver. "Hehe, sorry, my hands get cold often, Aoi was it?" Again, another who knew her name before he waved his hand around the crowd. "W the Mercenary. Kaid the Soul of Cinder. Sora the Aasimar. And last, little Lumi the Silver-Eyed Warrior." "'Lumi'?" She echoed, everyone's eyes now on the silver pair darting around the room behind W's legs. "But my name..." "Was lost due to a temporal shift, quite unfortunate, you may never retain all your memories again - well, your name is your choice I suppose," Gambit rambled, clicking his tongue. "Out of all of you, she is a victim of this... Merchant's little game," Even Gambit couldn't withhold his disdain while contemplating the creature behind W's entire life becoming a series of chaotic events. "I'm... Astra," The filly stated firmly, no longer hiding behind W's legs for a moment, the silverette watching her stand proudly. "Astra is my name, I know it is." If W let it her face might have broken its neutral state for a warm smile at the girl's insistence on maintaining the temporary name she had grown accustomed to. Gambit's smile never fell, merely his head tilted side-to-side. "What a bundle of defiance in something so small - you've done well to raise her, mercenary, gold star to you both," He joked, cracking his neck. "Well, that heartwarming sight aside like with all that travel my halls, what is it you wish to know, travelers?" This question seemed to piqued Gambit into leaning unnervingly closer to W in particular. She looked around expectantly, eyes landing on Cinder who motioned silently. "This was your path, you have the right to ask." "We're all after the same thing regardless," Sora assured the woman who pondered on her next words carefully. "Ah-Ah-Ah, I don't operate for free," Gambit put his dark hand forward with a cunning leer, a smile twisting artfully. "U-um, is this valuable?" Astra quickly scampered forward with the crystal in her possession next to W, offering it up to the mercenary who plucked it with her tail, flicking it into her hand. Upon inspection, Gambit's eyes widened, taking a small shuffle back at the sight of the mineral. Was he afraid of it? "Hrm... Midnite, and raw too, very rare even by my standards..." He seemed lost for a moment before clicking his fingers, taking it from W to levitate it close to his hand. "Hehe, you kids are either brave... or far more foolish than you think," Tossing it into a small box he quickly discarded the mineral. "Alright! A rare ore in exchange for my services, by all means, ask away little Aoi - oh, and choose your words carefully, no backtracking." "This is it..." W looked at her hands then closed them tightly with a glare, facing the Nightmare that wore an almost expectant face constantly. "I... Gambit, tell us... who is the Merchant?" The air was taut, not a soul breathed, not even Astra who failed to even snatch a glimpse at Gambit's soul, or simply, there was too much to bear on the surface alone. ... ... ... Gambit chuckled darkly, his eyes expanding so wide that gold completely encompassed the room and all that resided within reach of his gaze. "Very well, let us take a trip down memory lane..." Gambit's voice faded away, and when W looked, not a soul was in sight, only a while void of which she was its only occupant. "What the... hey, kid, Sora... Cinder?" She blinked, finding nothing except a gust of wind carrying gold dust past her hair. Sora saw the same, and a scene began to form. It was a world like Equestria, a kingdom so large it spanned the meadows and reached toward the clouds. The hustle and bustle distant from his ears while standing upon a dirt road winding toward the kingdom bathed in sunlight. " Lost in a distant world stood a kingdom, grand and expanding, faced with darkness its people had no warning of." Cinder stood in solemn silence, seeing a figure materialize past his form, taking in the radiance of the kingdom with a timid stature. "One lone wanderer came to this land from another, given a task of which only he could perform." Lumi's eyes widened alone. The man looked to be within his twenties, his face still held a tiny bit of fat but otherwise was quite charming. His hair a dusky grey and scruffy with the kindest jade eyes. His clothing wasn't of this magical world, wearing scruffy trousers with a white handkerchief between his belt and white dress shirt, a pair of dark green farmer gloves, tools attached to his belt. "His name was Robin." The scene changed, warping W within a throne of a castle. Before her stood the timid boy under her scornful eye. He stood before both the King and his guard's captain, a young girl with long, braided blonde hair and a stern expression to pair nicely with her emerald eyes that watched the outsider stand with a seal etched into his right palm. "He came from a world he could not speak of, saying he was lost, only know that he must do something that will help the kingdom and its people. The King listened to the boy's woes, taking advice from those he trusted and consulted with, then, he gave his decree to the boy without a home or a direction of which to follow." "I have listened to you, do not kneel to me, child," The King raised his hand to see the boy's face shoot up with surprise at his informal behavior. "If what you say is to be believed, if that seal upon your hand is what I believe to be a sign then I shall grant you a choice, do you accept?" "I... y-yes, I do!" He said it without thinking, unable to think of another way around his situation. The King smiled slightly, "Very forward, hmm... my choice is simple; You may leave to live within my kingdom's walls should the task grow to much for you," He paused, allowing him to digest his words. "Or, if you are to help my people stem the flow of this corruption you are to work under my Captain and follow her every command, so long as it is not inhumane." "What?" She and Robin blurted out. The King raised his hand to silence them both. "Now, what is your answer?" He waited. Cinder stood by Robin, analyzing how his form shook subtly under the eyes of the people, his gaze traveled, never leaving either the Captain or the King. That same flurry of gold motes passed by Sora, causing him to stumble into another sight that was very reminiscent of his time with the Royal Guard. He stood in a training yard, weapons and equipment left scattered while Robin was forced to defend relentlessly against the Captain's vicious assault. One strong swing was forced back by the seal on his palm, a small force blast of magic that gave him the edge he needed to attack with his wooden sword. Sadly, Sora winced as her own shield dug into his stomach, dropping the young man like a sack of bricks. "How can you possibly save this realm? You can barely stand yourself," She huffed, shaking her disappointed eyes away from him. "I spent years learning, training, fighting for this kingdom... don't think of this as some game your magic can win-" She turned back to him with a frown. "-sometimes, magic can only take you so far." "I-I know that," He hacked, wiping the spit from his cheek while grasping his training equipment again. He was covered in bruises from their sparring but managed to stand regardless, that alone drew her gaze again over her shoulder. "But I... was chosen, I don't know why but I... I have to try," Cinder observed his sloppy footwork, he was bound to lose consciousness soon. Yet he pressed forward. "I-If I fail... then it was all for n-nothing, my choices were... f-for nothing..." Astra winced behind her bangs only to find he had not landed face-first in the dirt, instead, the Captain kept him raised against her arms, herself staring down at his sweaty face with an aura swirling in shame, anger, and... admiration. "You are a fool..." Lifting him onto her back, she discarded the buckler and sword and slowly aided in taking him back into the castle. "The days grew longer, and so did the Captain and Robin's training, both in the art of swordplay and mastery over his magic, Seal, the manifested power to absorb energy." Sora leaned against a weapon rack, analyzing their fight closely. Robin drew his shield up to block the Captain's thrust, diverting the sword to his left with the buckler while copying her action. Seeing this she wrapped around to his left, curving her sword around in a horizontal arc, feeling the wooden blade batter off the buckler as she turned to guard. His foot somehow snuck behind her own, tripping her until his sword was poised at her chest, the pair panting. "Copying me are we?" She hummed, seeing him smile bashfully. "Learned from the best." Lowering his sword he reached out with a hand, hers grasping it with a tiny smile. The world twisted and became something new in W's eyes. Darkness thundered in the black storms above, purple streaks of plasma discharged and scorched the earth atop a ruined keep. Robin stood with the Captain back-to-back against hordes of twisted abominations made from inky, purplish-black substances. A mage fought up high with an archer, the pair raining hell upon the horde across a bridge while an assassin carved her way through the dark forces like a bladed whirlwind. "Their journey across Anima became long and hard, facing the creatures spawned from the great devourer of the world, the Collapse Dragon, Kranon. Allies were formed, pacts made with the most unlikely of characters. And a brotherhood was forged in the events that unfolded." The gold veil fell by Astra's hooves, revealing a massive war against a jagged world twisted by black rock and rivers of molten purple slag. An entire kingdom laid siege on the world. Bolts of various magic and arts were showered upon the enemy's seemingly endless hordes. Many were large, eyeless serpents. Some were small grunts like the knights, their weapons fused to their flesh and bone. Casters hid among the ridges, faces shrouded by large hats, magic gathered by their fingers, concealed by their robes. Worst were the large, flaming creatures with burning mauls caged by chains as they slammed them into the earth, splaying molten fire everywhere. "While the forces of man raged against an inevitable end. While the world tore itself apart, ruptures splitting the sky, Robin stood before the centerpiece of its annihilation, those he trusted and confided in standing by his sides." A great shadow loomed over a new scene in Cinder's visor. He tilted his head and saw what could possibly shroud the world in darkness. From a large tear in reality spawned a massive beast, its body serpent in form, coated in metallic, dark purple scales and jagged plating curved along its sides, strange, sapphire crystals protruded as opals along its vertebrae. The head was a maw of teeth into a void, large forward-facing horns curved to guard its face, a single, glowing vortex for an eye glowering at the ants beneath its mighty wings. The membrane of the segmented bone structure formed of pure energy. The battle was horribly one-sided. Kranon stripped holes through the world, carving through their defenses, their magic, and their traps all but naught against something completely impervious to damage. Kranon would cast streams of energy upon Robin's team, igniting the world an amethyst blaze. With tremendous speed his body uprooted the crust of Anima, so much so W thought she would fall into the ravines formed by its mere presence. As Robin's allies fought bravely with all their might, he took his stand with a great deal of effort, blood dripping down his face while the Captain tried to hold him back weakly. "W-wait, if you do this... y-you could... I..." Her eyes were practically begging him not to yet his arm pulled away gently, smiling over his shoulder with a fearful but brave face. "If I didn't, what kind of fool would that make me?" Giving a small wink he turned and rushed for the slithering dragon, wings beating with enough strength to ward of a sudden payload of magic from afar. Turning right, Robin gasped as well as Astra who spotted the sight of the Kingdom's armies gathered along the edge of the crater, distracting Kranon for Robin to move in undetected. Charging the beast, Robin dove past Sora who followed the man's actions. The tail swept round, forcing Robin to leap, bracing the pain in his side as the tail brushed a small wave of flames. Turning quickly, Kranon spotted him and brought its head around, a large beam of energy spurted forth as a powerful blast, again, forcing him to retreat as the area he once occupied was blown away in the ensuing explosion. The sheer force knocked him away and into the face of a barrier erected by the mage of his party, the injured sorcerer grinning. "Get back in there!" *Boosh!* Another hail of elements and arrows riddled Kranon's head as it carved through another rupture, forcing the dragon to lower its mouth and snarl at the discomfort as it unleashed another barrage of lasers from its wings. Not wasting a second, Robin rushed up the dragon's back, swinging himself around while conjuring several hardlight platforms under him. Swinging around to the cracked fissure in the monstrous dragon's chest he brought his hands forward, the seal on his right glowing brightly as he plunged his palms into the burning wound, screaming in pain. "Rrrraaaaa!" Kranon thrashed from the discomfort but was unable to pry the boy from his chest, feeling his power fluctuate, attacks flaring wildly in agony under the sudden pull toward Robin's hands. "In one bold action, a simple farmhand slew a monster of unfathomable power, purging Anima of its scourge, of a plague that would have ravaged a world and beyond." Light obstructed the world, blinding W who was met with a new form of illumination. Gone was the chaos and death that scarred a beautiful world, instead, she stood atop the castle walls overlooking the kingdom. Fireworks staining the sky in an aroura of colors. The mage sat on a crate alongside the assassin, the girl playing with a knife in her hand. The archer swung his feet over the wall walk, bottle in hand. For Robin and the Captain, they sat together overlooking the kingdom embroiled in jubilation, her head on his shoulder, their hands intertwined. Astra sat there, staring at the two closely. An all too familiar feeling resonating between them. The breathtaking sight soon dissolved under Gambit's choice words. "However... a world stagnant by peace cannot last, nor can chaos remain unopposed..." When Cinder focused again, he lowered his head. The kingdom, in one single frame, was burning. The skies filled with rain; Fires refusing to die out through the shattered windows of the castle. Inside, so many laid dead by Robin's feet, blood-soaked into carpets and torn tapestry. What turned W's stomach was the sight of the Captain, blood pooling under her while she sat in Robin's arms, her eyes beginning to grow hazy and unfocused. His own orbs filled with tears, unable to withhold their weight. "Please, answer me...!" He snapped up at the sky piercing through the collapsed ceiling. "Why... why can't I save them!? Why am I even here!?" Nothing, not even a breeze. "Answer me!!" Lowering his head in distraught before a misty-eyed Astra. "It's all my fault... I-I should've told..." Her hand reached up to flick his nose weakly, and through it all she pulled back a warm smile, blood dripping down the corner of her mouth. "You a-always were a-a fool," She teased, her hand fell to her stomach. "If this was to be fate th-e-en... I-I'm gl-lad... I c-could share it... w-wi-ith you-u..." "Where love once bloomed only despair and grief remained to consume him. The last of a kingdom of corpses." The world changed, somewhere among ruins a forest Robin stood, face hardened with resolve while painting strange markings into the stone brick floor. Each was encircling another ring, creating a series of layers to a ritual none could decipher. W observed closely, watching how each stroke of the brush was careful and deliberate until the man stood at the center, his seal glowing a dark purple. "He stole the power of Rupture from the Collapse Dragon, twisted its strength into his own, to cast himself upon another world of his choosing; If the one that sent him far from his home, refused to answer his pleas would not heed others like him, then he must be stopped." "Come forth great veil of nothingness, blanket me in your ascendance and grant me a needle through time, scatter my essence upon a world's chosen consumed by selfish desires, let me peer into their sins and set them free." The cryptic chant caused a reaction under Astra's hooves, the seals brimming with magic, turning and expanding into a large gash in the ground before Robin, the runes peeled from the stone to form a cone of dark wind. His face lit up with joy. "Y-yes, I did it! Hahaha..." Reaching down to his belt, he patted the sword strapped to his side. "I can't fix this, Jack, but I can stop it from happening again, I swear." Stepping through the gateway, the gold motes reworked reality around Sora, himself strolling forward to find that the world was unlike Equestria or Anima, instead, he overlooked a city skyline drenched in a downpour. Atop one of the largest buildings in the skyline he gasped, seeing that Robin held another person by the face, the seal glowing sharply in the artificial light of a billboard as the man's energy was drained, reducing him to nothing more than a pile of dust. "He searched the Realms of other Displaced, targeting those that have taken their powers for their own benefit, ruining the worlds they were meant to protect. By his hand alone, his infamy grew, and utilizing the Displaced as tethers he conjured great spells to collapse the tainted spots among the worlds in Ruptures, leaving no trace of his involved behind, say for a few ruins and craters." With each transition, the worlds changed constantly around Cinder. Ones similar to Equestria, others were that of pirates or in the vast existence of space. Every sight was worse than the last. Armies lay defeated and broken, their so-called 'Champions' drained of their powers until they were nothing more than dust and bones. The essence of their existence infused into black obelisks to channel Ruptures into the battlegrounds, leaving destruction behind to cover the rift that closed soon after, Robin's presence no longer sensed among the worlds he 'Purged'. "The hero that saved Anima had died, all that remained was a husk yearning to devour more." When the world faded, W spun around to find that she was back in Gambit's Emporium alongside her friends. All shared her look of bewilderment and fright. And sat on his throne was Gambit, twirling the same knife the assassin once held. His smile everlasting. "Had a nice dream, little travelers?" The air was still with the weight of what was told, the dark tale spun with such elegance was far too ironic. Gambit sat and took in all he could feel, the worries and signs of relief, heavy depressions of blue lifted from shoulders, and others applied in gradual deposits like a wave against the coast. Questions gave rise to frustration and discord, but one shadowed his own methods, analyzing the room with solemn eyes. "He was like us and... he felt so lost," Sora's face was hurt, not only because of how he would be used to destroy Equestria, his home but how the Merchant, the real one abandoned Robin to simply suffer without a sign at all. "He turned against them and... killed so many people." "He has lost his way, fallen to darkness." Cinder muttered, understanding the Merchant's pain but not once feeling an ounce of sympathy "It doesn't make sense," W's voice was low when she raised her head, ember eyes scorching with emotion. "Why all this? Why use us? Last I checked he turned Equestria against me, he threatened this world with the Abyss and a freakin' necromancer! Why!?" Gambit smiled, leaning back in his chair with a huff. "Weren't you listening? I'm hurt, I put alot of effort into those visuals," Mockingly his smile fixed to his face, rotating his hand slowly. "You asked me, and I quote perfectly, 'Who is the Merchant?'" His impersonation of W's pitch was scarily accurate that her finger curled back into her palm. "As I said, he lost his way," Cinder spoke up, stepping forward along the edge of the catwalk. "His intentions were true to his word but all of those powers he took, and the resulting use of Rupture corrupted him, Robin was consumed." It then dawned on Astra, gasping. "Kranon... h-he's still alive!" The startling discovery caused a chill to enter the chamber, Gambit himself muffling a laugh behind his smile. "Kranon is what the Realms call a 'Vex' very tricky creatures given they were all locked away; The Seal drained his power but his consciousness remains," Gambit spun another vision, this time between himself and those present in a haze of gold. Gambit's vision depicted Robin's hollow face and the dark shadow that caged his body with a single, glaring eye over his shoulder. "The fool believed he destroyed Kranon, instead it bided its time, using the grief and isolation that consumed the farmhand and the power he stole from Displaced to grow and fester until there was nothing left but Kranon." He dispelled the smog, leaving only his cheek creased against his fist. "Oh, I wonder though, you stand here squirming in your booties, to what causes this strife, hmm?" "He's not a Merchant, then... then how did we get here?" Sora couldn't wrap his head around it. Sure, it had been a few years but he was certain that Displacement cannot occur without a Merchant, my the constructs of fiction anyhow. The longer Sora considered the methods or possibility that Kranon used Robin's ability to siphon strength into another he came to a harrowing conclusion. "No..." "What is it, Fly-Boy?" W pressed only for his eyes to pierce through her head and toward the culprit behind her. She turned, her own orbs wide, antenna standing on end. "Hehehe... I never said I was a saint, didn't you warn them, Hollow?" Gambit mused like a child pulling a prank, eyes curved like crescents at their reactions. "Gambit is a dealer, he doesn't care for sides only his own," Cinder confirmed their theories. "So, that would lead us to assume your wares were given to us by his hand?" "Correct," Gambit clicked his tongue, wiggling his fingers between a pair of cards left unseen as he spoke, ignoring W's hateful glare while she stood in Astra's line of sight protectively. "Don't you get it, travelers? This is all a big game of chess. You are the players against Kranon and his pawns, you've made moves accordingly, however, the part I play isn't so meaningless as player one or two, no-no," His eyes glowed bright, a symbol like two diamonds around his left eye reacting the same way. "I'm the one who will decide which side will win." W wanted to run, coming here despite the answers she had received, the very calling as to why she endured so much heartache, only to find out Gambit was the source of it all. If the Mer - no, if Kranon never found Gambit, herself, Sora, Astra, Cinder, they'd be where they belonged, home and safe. Or three of them would be. Her eyes quickly glanced to Astra then back at Gambit's, as if he knew what she was thinking. What didn't he know scared her most of all. "I dislike Vex, well, bar two exceptions," His finger rose to hold their questions. "Now, I will give to you two things in return for such a rewarding game - to really even the odds against such a foe. One; what his intentions are with you and this colorful world of ponies. And Two; where you can find him." "Really?" Astra spoke up, causing the Nightmare to giggle himself. "Why, of course, I'm not above offering the losing side a little edge if I feel generous, isn't that one of the Elements that govern this world?" His grin never faltered, snapping his fingers to cause a screen to appear, revealing the base of a mountain, and the ragged figure of Robin's possessed body strolling inside with numerous Infected. "He's located under Canterlot, possibly to prep the kingdom for the wildest of parties no doubt," Another deliberate crack of his digits and the screen shifted to that of a chalk diagram of W, Sora, and Cinder. The three of them with dotted lines leading toward a strange, three-horned contraption with Kranon at the center. "With the decades he's spent gathering energy from Displaced, not only has he ascertained enough power to perfect this little project of his, now he holds a large fraction of temporal energy left behind from Displaced upon traveling between worlds, you three are the 'Tethers'." "I don't like how that sounds..." W muttered. "I wouldn't - hehe, you see, you three will provide a foundation, a lure of sorts for a great calamity, the likes of which not even the mighty Discord could possibly imagine! With this, Kranon will summon forth a disaster that will tear this world apart by forcing another Realm's laws upon Equestria's, that tension will grow and expand before it simply... snaps!" He hissed, breaking the chalkboard sharply to startled the group. "If he does this, Robin will be erased from time in the aftermath, no Robin means no one ever trapped Kranon, he will be free from his fleshy prison, his real form reborn." And like that, all was laid bare. Silence, no comments, no more questions remained. Only silence and shock at what was to come, what... they were to Kranon, merely objects whose sole purpose were to die alongside the world that either hated or trusted them, the results didn't matter in the end. The real threat was the very being that sent them to a faraway land in the first place. Sensing the gloomy atmosphere, Gambit cleared his throat, leaning back on his chair. "Well, since we're within my own space we have time to contemplate the inevitable fates of worlds before I can whisk you all on your merry way, whatever that may be, so... take your time," He waved his arms wide, then snapped a finger forward with a glare. "But no touching my merchandise, clear?" Three nodded, W just... walked away. "Hey, W-" "Just leave me alone," Her words cut across Sora's sharply, head low with each step she took to the farthest corner of the Emporium. Her tail curled around her waist as she walked, no longer feeling anything. "Hey, Aoi, what're your choices?" Looking up from her documentations, she leaned back against the wall with a window facing the outside world. Her eyes were aloof and distant. "Dunno, maybe a college or just a job at that cafe, I'm fine with either really." She shrugged, turning to look at her closest friends. "And what? You're actually trying for that apprenticeship at that fancy game development studio?" Her friend smiled, patting his chest confidently. "Duh, I've been coding mods for years, this stuff's made for me, and if I can make some more money on the side, win-win, right?" "Always the optimist." Aoi rolled her eyes, turned to place her left cheek against her palm, facing her female friend. "What's your master plan then?" "College, if I can clear that on to Uni, hopefully," She smiled nervously. "I'm a little anxious though, it's alot of coursework and strange hours compared to school." "I hear ya," Looking back at her reflection, what exactly were her plans aside from some part-time job to keep her free time? Was that all she needed or was that her way of skipping out on real-world issues? For the longest time, Aoi kept staring off into space, wondering what she was really good at, to begin with. Blinking, W stared back at her aloof expression against a small grave shield with a green crystal in its center. That had been the first time she ever wondered why she didn't stick with her college like her friend, why didn't she apply to an apprenticeship she liked, or why she stuck with some part-time job at a cafe? And now, what was she anymore? A mercenary? A tether? A... monster? "When I came to this world-" She flinched at Cinder's voice, never bothering to look up from her spot on the catwalk edge. "-the sight of a creature on two legs, bound in black metal that burned hotter than a dragon's flame scared so many. And many more wanted me dead, I was a monster unlike any seen before. I could carve rows of enemies down with a single swing, scorch the land where I walked... I was an indomitable force of nature." "If all you're going to do is lecture me, visit a school or something," Even her retorts were empty. "What the hell am I?" "You are a Displaced, like us." Cinder spoke gently "Is that all? Am I just some useless pawn, is that it?" Her eyes were wide, disbelieving her reflection. "You are not." Cinder countered. "How would you know!?" She snapped back, eyes shaking with fright, fist curled up tightly. "You didn't have the world turned against you on day one!? I did, forced to live day after day in some fucking ruins in a forest scavaging for food while everyone called me a monster, hated me for no reason!" W glare through his visor. "Sure, you were treated badly but they listened eventually while no one ever listened to me! Aoi was nothing, W is nothing here too, so what the hell am I!?" Weeks of torment came crashing to the surface, spat back in Cinder's face like the many times he too felt the pressure cave in, to see it repeat before his eyes was an experience he had never felt before, and understood far too well. Raising his hoof, W flinched once it landed on her head, ruffling her unkempt locks gingerly. "W or Aoi, they are just names, whichever you come to associate with, regardless of their pasts, retain the choice to do better, to find their purpose; Your life is yours to choose, a tether, a beast, a nobody, or even my friend." The words lifted her head again, a sorrowful look plastering her features but this was understandable, she was lost and terrified behind the confidence she wore like a badge, hiding her burdens. Looking down at her reflection again, W could see Aoi staring back at her, the same stupid girl that gave up once things got too tough. That made her scowl, picking herself up, discarding her ragged cloak while clenching her fists, bring her right across her own cheek. W stumbled into her own left cross, crashing against one of the shelves before delivering a final gut punch to herself, collapsing with a cough while wiping her lips dry of spit. For a moment she let the spike to adrenaline jumpstart her body with a tingling sensation down to her tail, it was almost blissful, "Hah... hah... my choice, huh?" Slowly she rose again, dusting off her jacket before yanking the strap of her duffle bag off the ground, slinging it over her shoulder. "Then fine, Sparkles." The pair strolled over to where Gambit sat patiently, Sora and Astra watching W worryingly from the small marks on her face, with her sharp smile she patted Sora's back. "Why the long face, Fly-Boy, we've got a dumbass kingdom to save, and a boatload of thank you letters to receive when we do!" In passing she ruffled Astra's mane, hearing her hum with delight at the playful tickle behind the ears. "Hey, Gambit, we're ready to go." He was busy flicking through cards, grinning away at her confident approach. "Had little heart-to-heart?" Looking around quickly he snapped his fingers, the floor in front of her splitting wide open with a vortex similar in nature to the Stepping Stone. "This will drop you off outside the caves, happy travels, I'll be watching from the edge of my seat, little travelers." "W?" Stopping an inch before the rim she spun around to Sora, feeling his hand rest on her bicep. "Once we go through we'll have not just Canterlot but all of the Royal Guard in the area, if they catch you, then..." She always found his worry endearing, especially on his stupid freckled face. Flicking one of his aqua-tinted braids she stuck her tongue out, folding her arms over her chest. "I'd like to see 'em try, peace!" With a skip she fell backward, her weapons reappearing as three more shadowed fell after her inside the gravity-defying wormhole. "-again with - Ow!" W grunted, face firmly planted into the grass until she propped herself up on her elbows. "Ack!" Cinder landed atop her, leaving her breathless while her eyes became wide, white circles. "Ack!" Sora added himself atop Cinder, W's soul escaping between her lips until Astra flopped atop them all safely. "My head..." Sora spoke dizzily, flopping to one side with Astra, Cinder grunting on the opposite end. "My back..." W croaked, peeling herself from the small dirt outline of her body, clutching her chest. "I think I just lost a cup size, and my lungs..." Paler than normal W observed as the rift closed above them, leaving only the chirping of birds and clanking of metal further up the hillside. "Astra, go take a look, Im'ma come back to ya once I stop seeing two suns..." With that, W fell back into the grass. Since the rest were currently recovering from the trip, the whitette nodded and tugged her scarf over her muzzle, skittering up the hill to investigate the sounds. Using her semblance she could sense a dozen ponies ahead of her, all flushed against the mountainside with equipment and tents. Blinking she hid behind a rock to observe, spotting the familiar shiny armor they wore. Many patrolled small ledges with other tunnels but none were inside strangely enough. It didn't take long for Astra to return, motioning up the hill. "Guards everywhere, I think they're scared to go inside." W just stared off into space for a second, her mind suddenly became very muddled with... images, like flashes of a life before her gaze. Sora also noticed this, tapping her shoulder. "W?" His worry shook her quickly, a strained smile on her lips. "Ah, sorry I just... wow, feel like a whole freakin' world slammed into my head," It was faint but now those images were starting to fade. She shrugged off whatever the name 'Horus' was before clicking her fingers. "Right, well Astra, that's where we're heading," W surmised, patting the filly's head. "Right, with that we just need to find a way past dozens of... erm, well, I was going to say 'trained guards' but after the last time I crossed paths with them I'm beginning to doubt that," Rubbing her chin, Sora smiled away while patting the armored pony next to them. "Huh?" "Cinder, think you can do me a solid?" The Hollow lifted his head toward the Prince, and unbeknownst to them, a sly smile formed. "Excuse me, may I inquire as to whom is in charge here?" Cinder spoke boldly, startling several tense guards from their posts. One who stood by a desk, a map detailing the layout of the early cave systems on display. The pony turned nervously, eyes wide. "L-Lord Cinder! I, um, i-it's an honor, sir," The guard saluted Cinder who reciprocated the action. If he were being honest, that always made him feel awkward, the customs of the Guard were so formal it was suffocating, yet with the Night Guard, he felt at ease. "Is it any wonder Lily suggested the post for me," He chuffed to himself. "No need for formalities, lad, I have recently been informed of some troubling development under Canterlot, am I to assume the issue resides before us?" While keeping the guard and a few of his men distracted. W led Sora and Astra between the rocks, shuffling past the disorganized guards no longer solely focused on their posts and more of the intimidating presence of Cinder. Out the corner of Cinder's eye, he gave a subtle nod of his head to W who flashed him a toothy grin. "Um, yes sir, but s-sorry, the orders from Princess Celestia were to restrict access to any outsiders, t-that would have to include you, sir." It was obvious Cinder's appearance constantly intimidated newer recruits, it was a double-edged sword in most cases. However, it works in Cinder's favor for situations such as these. "I understand, no need to look so shaken, lad," He patted the guard's shoulder. "You are committed to a fine job, however, if such a threat were to cause the unwanted deaths of your comrades I would feel equally as responsible." The pony shook his head. "N-no, this wouldn't be your fault, sir-" "I know, and yet, it was those same actions that led to... unfortunate circumstances in my past, had I gone against my commanding officer's word, maybe things... would be different," Cinder sucked in a long breath, calming himself before the green guard. "Please, allow me to provide my own investigations, should any consequences come of this I shall take the fall." "But sir..." He looked hesitant then scratched his mane. "Ah... I really hated these orders too - okay, okay... here," His magic levitated over another copy of the cave network. "This is the most we've managed to map out, it should be a good place to start, a-and sir, please be careful." Cinder chuckled lightly at his words, "You are a fine guard, lad, you have my word, now, let us pretend I was never here." With that, the Hollow turned for the entrance his allies entered, now with a map and a clearance to his name. Under his breastplate, his hoof tapped a space where something clanked against his armor. "I shall not fail them this time." The entry was promising, many long and winding paths diverted from the centralized cavern, a stream of water entering a pond in the center. This wasn't as difficult as W expected since they had a Seer with them. "Astra, where exactly are we going?" W inquired, the Sarkaz stopping before three dark entrances with her tail scratching her forehead, visible confusion on her face. "I didn't major in geography." "Hmm... I think this way? No-no, this... way, huh?" The little pony kept bringing her hoof back and forth, then frowned. "There's something like Mr. Gambit's home, it's making everything fuzzy but this way feels stronger." Her hoof stopped on the left tunnel. The group immediately strolled down the tunnel, carelessly wandering into the dark as the group jogged up beside her, using Sora's illuminated swords and Cinder's embers to navigate. W jumped over a crack in the ground, the void staring back. "How far down do these tunnels go?" "I think most ponies believe they could go on forever, saying that the ones that mined for resources eventually dug too deep," Sora answered, shaking his head. "I don't want to know what could be further down." W put her arm up. Through a hole in the wall a large, oval room shifted on its own, the clank of metal shambling by with bright crystals lighting the way. Turning around, Astra pointed to a second tunnel instead. Soon they stood inside a larger cavern than before, several tunnels spanning the walls. They stopped, giving the filly time to tune out the world and search the earth further. Cinder paused a moment, assessing his sword before inverting it within his magic, then, with a small chime five crystal balls surfaced around his head, casting a brighter shade of light onto the cavern walls. "That would work far better," Once light basked the cavern that's when W realized how... smooth the texture of the walls and floor were. The formation of rock below looked to have been molded and recently, most was blackened until halfway up the walls like something had torched the cavern and a single tunnel ahead lost in the dark. "This looks like a magma tunnel but... it's new?" Something about this made her feel queezy. Sora's face suddenly lost all color, eyes the size of pins while W's brow rose upon turning away from her investigation. "What?" Through the dark of one of the caverns was a growing pulse of amethyst light, and it was crackling. Time crawled as she turned to inspect the dark, like observing an angular fish's bobble waving in the void. Whatever it was glowed brighter with each inch W's posture shifted. W wasn't fast enough to move before a barrier of tiger light encompassed her from the piercing blast, though the shockwave more than sent her flying on her ass. Sora rushed to cover Astra, helping the filly move away from a set of claws that tore through the dark, tearing a layer of rock off the ground. Standing in the center of them all was the gnarled form of the Forsaken as its crossbow recharged, leveling its crooked arm to Cinder's staff as several Farron Darts battered the creature's form only for its own bolt to shatter the crystals, blowing the wall behind Cinder apart. "Kill... them all." It hissed, blocking Sora's twin slants with just its forearm, batting the winged human away while firing another Arts blast to cut off his assault. Forsaken evaded a grenade blast while posing its crossbow high, ignoring the knives and crystals that tore against its marred flesh while its roar shook the caverns. "Disappear...!" "Brace yourselves!" Cinder proclaimed, retreating in time before the flash of purple shattered the ceiling above, webbing the cavern while the world groaned in protest. Large boulders broke free, smashing through the floor, dislodging more of the caves structural integrity. "Sora, Astra!" W couldn't see straight, a large slab of slate dividing her view entirely, flinging the mercenary back once the ground under her slid backward. Before long the floor caved in, the Forsaken along with them and tons of debris. To Be Continued... Author's Note This has to be the longest chapter to date but I couldn't split it up, now we know that the Merchant's, or Robin's, true intentions are for the good of all those Displaced, or that's how it started, now Kranon is calling the shots. The truth is revealed and Forsaken is back! What happened to our heroes and how will they prevail? Ain't that the most cliche line I've written as of yet? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Going Toe-To-Toe Separated, Sora and Astra locate Kranon, discovering what he plans to create. However, in order to stop him, they must find a way through the Infected and the Forsaken itself. 2-3 Going Toe-To-ToeA sharp ringing perforated Sora's eardrums as he stumbled out from the rocks around him, slowly keeping himself pressed up against a wall until his vision recovered, checking his hands for any slight fuzziness to his sight. Once a minute or so passed he checked around and found that Astra had survived, thankfully. "Hey, Astra?" Shaking her slightly the filly sat up much the same way, that was when she hopped to her hooves. "Woah, slowly, we fell pretty far." "I'm fine, see?" She stepped back to show that, miraculously, her body was unscathed, smiling a little. "I-I think it's that aura thing Cinder talked about, it protected me." Just then, her body gave off a small, silvery sheen before dissipating. "Huh, lucky," Sora smiled then frowned once he saw the way they had fallen was gone say for one passageway left for them to take. "Guess Cinder and W got trapped someplace else." "I hope they're okay..." The whitette murmured, feeling Sora run his fingers through her mane. "If I know Cinder well he's stubborn like her, they probably headbutted the boulders out of their way," Keeping the girl assured he took the vanguard, drawing one of his swords. "I just hope that Forsaken thing isn't with them? It tore the cavern apart like it was paper." The sight froze his heart that he almost got himself killed trying to fight it. The Forsaken wasn't like anything he's faced before, it had no real weakness. Traversing the only viable tunnel forward the duo kept to the shadows as light poured in from afar, the whole cavern looked to be molded by molten rock, most of the surfaces were smoother than natural caves, and bumpy say for the center where the magma clearly flowed through. What unnerved Sora was that no history of Equestria speaks of volcanic activity under Canterlot, and this looked far too clean to be old. Ignoring the abnormal formation the pair winced at the glare of something bright ahead so hugging the left wall Astra tried to look ahead, feeling her vision clear. Dread and death hung in the air, it was so pungent she almost threw up, shaking off her stare. That was enough to put Sora on edge, peeking around the corner to investigate, a strong breeze striking his face. "Um, Astra, I think we found the hornet's nest." Tilting the girl's head toward the exit she too shared his bug-eyed expression. It was as if the whole cavern ceased to be. Wherever they were underground, the world expanded into a massive open cavern over a black abyss below, like something out of an old game with an underground level. Many rocky bridges and outcoves spanned the walls and pillars stretching out of the abyss like fingers. Across to their far-right was the biggest space available. Many mineshafts from decades ago laid in ruins. Minecarts pushed along by white-robed humanoids, the Infected. Rocks were broken down or tossed into the abyss. All of it made room for the centerpiece of the mine system's architecture. Three large black obelisks like angular 'Cs' were built atop the plateau. Several rings of onyx rock circled the structure three times, standing before it all were the Forsaken, itself hanging off one of the obelisks as its snarl reverberated off the gorge's walls. Standing by the third outermost ring was the tattered hero of another world, Robin, although now they knew better, Kranon was calling the shots. "Interesting, I had expected the mercenary and her allies to have found their way here, I suppose your actions fared well," He mused up at the Forsaken as it clawed its way down the surface of the obelisk. "If you find any trace of them, ensure they merely stay out of my way." "Guess we're not expendable yet," Sora huffed, somewhat thankful for that atleast. Nudging Astra, he pointed toward the many bridges webbed across the gorge. "We can cross the bridges to another cave system but..." His finger fell. "I don't know where W or Cinder could be, and if Forsaken ends up prowling..." It was a tough call, they could see it, the very instrument that could end the world was there but past so many Infected. For Astra, perhaps it was a foolish idea, however, she had learned from a talented mercenary that sometimes that's a merc's greatest asset. "He thinks we're still lost, he's not expecting us," She felt Sora's eyes on her while she devised her plan. "If we can destroy one of the obelisks the lure won't work, but if we send it flying into the abyss we can cut off his whole plan even longer." "Thereby providing us with greater time, heh, it's... well, very risky," Looking to her with worry he knelt down to her level. "The second he sees us he'll not let us close to that thing, and I'd need something alot stronger than two swords to bring a sizable chunk of that ridge down." Luckily for the ravenette, a pair of silver eyes gleamed all too similar to a hotheaded Sarkaz. "Leave that to me." Sora had always wanted to say this. Taking a few steps back he readied himself for a running start, "Here goes..." Rushing toward a minecart, diving headfirst into the metal box as it swayed on the edge of a slope. Sitting forward Sora drew his swords, feeling his velocity increase once the old wheels started turning. The tracks rumbling beneath them with a sharp whistle of the wind. "Leeroy Jenkins~!" "We've got company." Kranon, who had heard the unfamiliar voice from afar turned to one of the tracks running parallel to the left wall in his perspective. Inside, only Sora could be seen. Both made eye contact before Kranon raised a hand. "How foolish, do not allow him closer." Under his word, several Infected Soldiers rushed across the rigidity railway, red Originium Slugs sloshing under the tracks to dissolve the tracks and derail the Aasimar. A few leapt down from the passages above. With a single stroke of his right, he volleyed the first Infected over his head, plunging his left through the second's abdomen, repeating his action while his minecart gradually leveled out. Once in reach, he braced his foot against the lip of the cart, launching forward and over the horde the second his cart yerked forward from the lack of continuous tracks. Spreading his wings with a flash of light he swept down, sliding on his heels while twirling to decapitate two Soldiers, roundhousing a third once he took flight again. Drawing his right sword forward he poised the tip toward Forsaken who had begun to charge his crossbow. Sora's eyes hardened on the sight of said weapon, soon, it bloomed with a radiant glow that left the beast wailing from the sheer brightness. Twirling down onto one of the many ledges along the mineshaft's walls Sora kicked a Slug over the edge, carving another in two as it attempted to jump him. At that point he crossed his swords, blocking a Soldier's own weapon while another moved into his left, on instinct his wings curled the Aasimar around to slash with a long arc of silver, cutting it to ribbons as he threw the other high into the air with a single, powerful uppercut. Sora's eyes were never so focused before, this wasn't some average fight, this was by far the most serious fight in his life, for his home's life. "Hyrah!" A twin, downward cross-chop tore up the tracks with a wave of wind and kinetic energy, flinging many Slugs backward. More moved in from the many shafts, this time it were the Acidic variants from Hoofprint, and even one of the other Sarkaz in robes as it raised a banner, enhancing the enemy's movement speed. "Oh no..." Evading the blobs of acid that corroded the earth, Sora spun backward and rushed the frontline, reeling back his right sword, slamming it forward into a Soldier that split the horde. Twisting his handle on his left Sora spun around, carving a vicious spiral through the Slugs and Infected, using a Metal Crab as a vaulting point over the wave of black glass that tore a ring around the Sarkaz Sentinel. Using the banner to his advantage, Sora pressed his knuckle against the flat head of the staff, spinning over its figure before drawing his right blade down the middle, plunging his left through its lower back. With his surroundings clear the ravenette gasped, feeling nails drag into his side, followed by a firey pain piercing the skin across his right shoulder. The Forsaken lunged with its recharged crossbow, tackling Sora over the edge as the two tumbled down a small strip and over the edge. Separating upon hitting solid ground. Sora reeled back to check his shoulder, seeing blood beginning to cauterize over the wound, his flesh stinging before he leapt back, evading the claws that nicked his side, followed by a lesser bolt from the crossbow, forcing his back to a wall. By now Sora was sweating and shaking. The Forsaken snarled, pacing to keep most of the Aasimar's blindspots covered while Slugs and Soldiers circled in, effectively cutting off any chance of escape, even above a few waited for him to fly out of reach of the ground units. "R-really starting to see holes in this..." Kranon had observed this for a great deal of time, never allowing his guard to fall with the crafty Aasimar. Now cornered the corrupt Displaced spoke. "I fail to see what your intentions were? Your fight was tenacious and yet... you are all alone." Not even Sora missed the condescending tone in his voice. "Oh, you know, just being a good distraction." He smirked, then a second passed and a blinding ball of silver struck Forsaken's jaw, sending the abomination clambering across the plateau until it fell over the edge, howling in rage although Sora doubted that would effectively kill him a second time. Between all of the Infected, Astra's aura shattered from her dive, leaving her a little fatigued as Sora rushed to protect her, keeping his stance wide and his eyes roaming over every target. "Nice hit." "T-thanks, I hope I didn't take too long?" She murmured worryingly at the open wounds on his body. With a weak smile, he shook his head. "Not at all, time for the next phase." "Right!" Astra pipped up, hopping onto his good shoulder in time for the pair to fly away from the lowered swords that broke the silence. Up above several Metal Crabs spun their metallic legs in an effort to peel their flesh apart. The first only met the back hooves of the filly while Sora inverted his rotation, hacking one through the center of its abdomen while booting the third far across the cavern, landing on the crumbling edge of another elevated walkway. "You think I would stand by and allow a few measly insects and undead soldiers to handle the work?" To their fearful eyes, Kranon's hands began to split apart under his clothing. Everything up to his elbows appeared to glow with several rings of unknown origin, a dark purple hue overtaking his charcoal clothing. "I look forward to taking your power of flight, Aasimar." "Come take it, Kranon." Sora sneered, completely silencing the beast. It was as if the air itself became deathly still, the two sharing a quick look before focusing on Kranon, although he was nowhere to be seen. Behind them, his form appeared in a small buzz of light, a hand-stretched toward the filly, the seal humming with dark light. Time froze and Sora's ear twitched with a shiver of adrenaline. "Astra!" Sora swung around only to suddenly deflect a palm-sized beam of hot plasma while the left curve around with a familiar, rugged sword, his own skating against its face, locking both into the ground before Kranon vanished again, appearing to their left to violently kick Sora in his bloodied side, flinging the pair over the drop toward the Infected below. He was relentless, once Sora leveled out his wings he cried out as his magic was disrupted from another focused beam of light as it scorched from a small rupture to his right and left, Kranon standing above with both hands through separate ruptures. The tears vanished and Sora crumpled to the earth, Astra grunting beside him while Infected shuffled closer, swords and Slugs slithering around them. "Sora, Sora!" She tried to shake him to his knees but he struggled, the many assaults taking a toll on his body. "That fall from before must've injured him internally, adrenaline kept most of the pain from affecting him until now..." Astra was effectively on her own and with no clue as to how to wield a sword, let alone with hooves. "No more aura so no more Seer semblance, maybe my eyes..." Thinking back to Hollow Shades she squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out noise as best she could. She had to try something, anything! Only picturing happy memories and thoughts, she let them fill her heart wanting to protect Sora and herself. She can do this, she can save him too! "Focus... come on," Blinking, not even a flicker of light refracted off the many swords that rose in her peripheral vision. Panic overtook her. "No no no!" "Ugh..." Sora felt his eyes focus and... heat to his right? Without thinking his arms pulled Astra under his form, a moment later a large wave of fire burned through the Infected, a large figure sliding through the flames with a rising slash of a molten sword, sending a torrent of rising fire through the earth, blowing the many Slugs flying into the air, exploding like fireworks of slime. "Heh, hey Cinder." "You have quite the reputation for instigating trouble, Prince Sora," The Hollow pony tapped Sora on the forehead before taking up a defensive guard with his blazing scimitar bound in his magic. "Come now, we have a Lure to destroy." "Right, stay close Astra," Sora murmured, managing to shake off the dizziness for a moment longer. "Break!" Taking flight, Astra hid behind Cinder who performed a front flip, bucking the first Soldier in the jaw while slashing in a curved pattern through three Slugs, their acid not so much as grazing his ruined armor. Grabbing one slashing for his flank by the nape, Cinder threw it into another Infected, building an intense amount of electricity in his left hoof, swinging it wide. "Hmph!" It wasn't meant for this but the gathered lightning instead fanned out, creating a wide arc of gold bolts to sweep the area, decimating a number of Soldiers and even another pair of Crabs, their bodies acting as conductors to chain a volley of lightning across the plateau. Cinder helped Astra onto his back while retreating to the far left of the Lure, however, more poured in from the tunnels. Huffing, he ducked from another beam of plasma from Kranon, blocking several swords with his similar, dancing in an elegant blaze that rippled and scorched all in his path, Astra observing it all with wide eyes. "Keep your head down, lass." Conjuring another impressive conduction of lightning against his left hoof Cinder barely acknowledged the Metal Crab that spun into view of his scimitar, merely banishing it from his sight. With a long spear of plasma, he volleyed the Splintering Lightning Spear high into the sky, seeing it multiply, honing in on the Obelisks that Kranon guarded against any and all interference from Sora, the boy keeping his distance. "Did you believe I couldn't predict what you were capable of, Hollow?" The Merchant hummed, hovering before the volley with his hand raised to discard the bolts, only his eyes widened, seeing they flew in the complete opposite direction, instead, a green blur spun by his face, the streaks of lightning passing by. "What!?" "Of course, but who said I would go for such an obvious target?" Cinder mocked with a hidden smile as Sora flew down in a narrow cone, his swords crackling with bright silver bolts of lightning as his body roared like thunder, piercing the delicate foundations of the obelisks like a hurricane, his olive coat dancing behind him while he screeched to a sudden stop moments later. Many bolts of lightning flashing amongst the obelisks, scarring their forms. Silence overtook the battle and Kranon chuckled in a dark, almost satanic tone. "Is that all? I expected more from the thorns in my side, I suppose I predicted a little too much from a few tethers." His mockery wouldn't last, eyes wide upon spotting Sora who banished his wings, pointing a sword up at the smug Vex. "You're right about that, but I've been told my swords can leave quite the impression." He gave a wink and took several steps back. *Thunk - BOOOOOM!!* Instantaneously the obelisk became engulfed in fire and tiger-gold light, a large section of the plateau sinking forward while the foundations of the earth fell apart, a number of heavy stalactites crumbling into the surface due to the shockwave that forced many to shield their eyes and cover their ears while the air continued to wail. Up above, Kranon's eyes finally came face-to-face with the same, anxious teen he tricked that day as her blazing embers looked to him as though she crawled out from hell. "You....!" Nothing could mistake that tone as the real being in control as both hands shook with rage. "How... how did you... there was no way your explosives could damage-!" His voice hitched, glancing back at the smirking Aasimar who nervously shuffled around the destruction and back toward his allies, W landing a few feet away. "Why do I have the sneaky suspicion this plan is going to hurt?" Sora was apprehensive but followed along with the filly's cave drawings on the wall. "Step one-" She wasn't really listening. Pointing to a stickman in a minecart with her in a cave. "-you use the old rail system to get the drop on Kranon and distract his Infected while I use my Seer semblance to find W and Cinder. Step two-" She tapped the sketch of herself with a bubble around her and Cinder hiding with W. "-Once I find them I'll explain the plan quickly and come back to hopefully remove that Thing temporarily." "Wait-wait, how?" If anything she should be the last person to go near something as unstable as the Forsaken so she tapped her chest. "My aura, I think I can use it a little more like a shield to ram him off the edge, it won't kill him but he won't expect it either, not even Kranon," She spoke with confidence not normally seen in a child but again this was a child raised with no memories by W of all people, sometimes that was a good thing. "I can handle it, promise." The two held eye contact a little longer, Sora crossed his arms while Astra pouted angrily until Sora reluctantly caved in, worried for what W might think if she were here. "Okay... just don't do anything too reckless." She smiled slightly, the most she could. "Thank you - ahem, step three, Cinder will jump in and use his lightning spears and aim them for you while you fly at the perfect angle to strike the obelisks all at once," She tapped the sticks that acted as his swords, and the bolts that traveled around them. "Alone your swords might not do much but if infused with that amount of magic power they can leave them scarred enough for W to finish them off!" Then it dawned on him. "Like with the obsidian boulder.... I weaken it and W can blow it to pieces afterward, hahaha, that's amazing!" He was genuinely impressed by Astra's plan W held up her fingers nonchalantly. "Risky yet a plan you'd never predict," Her coy grin was enough to antagonize anyone. "How's that for a couple of tethers?" Kranon remained stationary in the air, hearing rocks crumble past the now dismantled Lure, spotting the hook of a crossbow winch up Forsaken's form onto one of the rocky bridges, the monster pawing at the ground angrily. "I was going to give all of you an easy and painless demise, now I see that was very... pedestrian of me," He looked at his hand, inspecting both sides. "Perhaps a lingering ghost of this farmhand's sympathy runs through my veins still - he was foolish to think my power could be taken so easily." The very earth let out a humungous roar, yet W kept her eyes to Kranon, raising her grenade launcher. "I'm not some cliche hero with some fancy monologue so I'll just save you time and say this," Their eyes met and fire met death in a tidal wave of tension. "I am nothing like you." "...then you will die." With that, a rupture appeared, allowing the Merchant his chance to escape, leaving them all with nothing but piles of rocks and dusty old wood. Oh, and a mutated abomination of Originium. "W, why did you-" She put her hand up to stop Sora "We've bought ourselves time to get things ready, he'll be back and we need others that'll hear us out to help when the inevitable happens," Much as she wanted to pull the trigger neither her nor her allies had any strength or resources left to pull off a counter-offensive against Kranon, for now, they only needed time. Looking ahead, the Forsaken was coming. "You need to get out of here and get everyone we can trust, otherwise none of us we'll be sitting pretty soon." "What?" Astra blinked, hopping off Cinder's back as W turned away to face Forsaken. Lacking her semblance Astra still felt dread creep into her chest. "You... aren't coming? Why?" "Hey, come on, we can still run before the Guard finds-" His hand gripped her wrist but stopped upon seeing her gentle smile and kind eyes. "He'll just come after us," She didn't like it either but someone had to warn Equestria, anyone who would care to listen. She was... meant to do something else. "I need you to find people to help us." "But for what? It'll take him ages to rebuild the Lure!" Sora yelled, not wanting to let her just slip away when he could help too. His whole body was locked with fright for the reckless Sarkaz that refused to budge, retaining her smile for his worry to build over. "Why... dammit tell me!?" "Do you trust me?" Again the word 'Trust' was the subject that always cropped up. W had always was reluctant to trust people, Equestria turning against her wasn't very helpful and yet she met three amazing friends, one of which she... might feel more for, so that alone pushed her to try and do better. Robin fell to grief and anger, W couldn't allow that to repeat on her or anyone else like her. "Sora?" His head bowed, biting his lip bitterly. His fingers pulled at her skin but ultimately fell, raising his head to hers, feeling her own fingers wrap around his wrist gently. "You come back... you come back!" He was trying to bottle up his emotions, poorly but she understood, letting him go as he helped Astra into his arms though the filly tried to pull away. "Take care of Astra for me, Fly-Boy." She joked lightly, seeing him stare at her for another moment of hesitance. "No, don't go!" She whined, trying to push away from Sora's arms. "Please, ma-!" She froze once she saw W give a small wink and flick of her hand. "Be back later, kid, make sure to scold me," Turning away she didn't want to bear the sight of seeing Astra balling her eyes out, the last to pass by was Cinder, himself lifting a hoof to her leg, neither saying a word. "Don't get all sentimental on me now, Sparkles." She mused, hearing him snort. "Good luck, my friend." One last nod and W was alone once more, left to stroll with a hum toward the Forsaken that prowled on the bridges, stalking her movements while scraping the earth with its crossbow. W lost her ability to smile, becoming featureless say for her eyes that could scorch the world, her antenna and ears twitching at the distant sobs of a filly and clank of metal. She had people to rely on, all her cards were out on the table, going all in. "I am nothing like you." "...then you will die." The Forsaken cracked his neck making W shiver in distaste, adjusting her grenade launcher while holding a knife in her left tightly. Swallowing the lump in her throat the pair were at a stand-off. "Round two you ugly mother fu-" W was forced to duck to his left, avoiding the claw's descent, followed by the hulking beast to bash her with the crossbow against her chest, throwing W across the walkway, rolling back onto her feet to spot the abomination thundering toward her like a rugby player. Keeping steady she felt her arm recoil from the launcher, fire, and debris showering Forsaken who tore through the smoke and into her bladed left hook, the knife lodged deep into its throat as it stumbled by her form. Pushing up, Forsaken shook his head angrily and punched the bridge, turning on his knees and standing back up to face the boot that split a number of crystals from its marred skin. Forsaken retaliated, throwing right and left crosses towards W who quickly tilted each shoulder back to avoid, shoving his crossbow aside as it flashed. W then performed a palm-heel strike to its chin followed by a head grab as she pulled the torn hood down and cracked Forsaken's head against her knee, in sudden succession W spun on her left leg, striking out with a strong right kick, throwing the Infected into the ground. Hooking her foot under her grenade launcher W flung it back into her hand, loading another shot as fire and kinetic energy staggered Forsaken, a few sparks from its crossbow splitting her left cheek yet she merely loaded another shot only for the grenade to ricochet off its weaponized hand while he charged. Gasping from the sudden swipe to her left hip W leapt away, feeling the same hand coil around her throat, sweeping her off her feet. Gritting her copper-tasting teeth W spun her legs around the length of his arm, twisting her throat free until the crossbow's river smacked her forehead, the same hand grasping her ankle, thrashing her high and back into the walkway on her back, seeing her body to flail across the dirt painfully. Lifting her launcher vertically W didn't think before she shot another round high into the ceiling above, hearing it rumble and quake under the mountain. The sudden disturbance caused a large section of the ceiling to collapse, raining down atop herself and Forsaken as the two ran at each other, avoiding the shower of massive collections of rock and granite. Neither cared to acknowledge the chaos breaking apart the bridges and their pillars. Forsaken swiped left, missing W's neck by a hair while she struck his knee, followed by an elbow to the jaw. A massive slab of granite soon separated them, only for Forsaken to kick the wall towards W, forcing the mercenary to vault atop the mass with Forsaken counterbalancing the opposite side. Positioned like a seesaw W's section rose, sliding down and over Forsaken's amethyst shots while dropping several grenades to disorientate the beast. The Infected rose after W, crashing through a boulder with a sharp turn, lacerating the edge of W's jacket and shirt. He did it again, the claws deflecting off the launcher's barrel while the stock smacked his shoulder. She leveled the muzzle against his face only for him to sway the second her M32 left the chamber. A large chunk of granite fell between them, yet the abomination barreled straight through it, tackling W to the ground, she was quick, however, shifting her elbows under her to push up with both feet, slamming them into Forsaken's abdomen. Unfortunately, the beast landed on a descending chunk of rock, forcing the debris to impact the ground faster, blinding W to the first that bruised her face, followed by a narrow evasion of the claws extended with crystals, stained with dried, fermented blood. Rolling to her right, W procured two more grenades from her belt, hesitating for a split second about pulling their pins, but she reluctantly did so, hearing the cling of the timers. Moving to her feet she threw the two explosives at her feet, seeing the projectiles slowly clattering against the supporting pillar's face, disappearing into the darkness. Turning, she grabbed her launcher and fired a payload to throw off Forsaken's aim in time for his bolt to tear through the hem of her sleeve. *BOOM-BOOM* The twin eruptions shook the mountain and the rocky highway they stood on, from under both Forsaken's bloodied feet and W's, the cracks snaked their way up the pillar and across the surface of the bridge. An earth-shattering rumble made its way through their bones. Both looked at each other then to the only section that was unaffected by the ruptures, the plateau. Once the land shifted down by two inches the two broke into a fierce sprint for the safety of solid ground. From under W's feet struck the severe lack of ground, her feet flying over the increasingly widening gaps. Forsaken gave chase, crawling over the top of a mound, utilizing fallen stalactites to vault toward W, crossbow once more missing her by a few strands of silver hair. W kept hopping between small slithers of stone, pushing off her toes at the very last second. Quickly, W drew two knives while sprinting for the last widen ravine between her and solid ground. Inverting her hold she leapt high, plunging either blade into the rigid wall, scrambling to brace the wall while her feet kicked for a perch. Meanwhile, she spotted the crooked form of Forsaken lunge for her legs, willing to bring the mercenary down with him. Hoisting all her strength onto her right arm she threw her back against the wall, raising her grenade launcher, finding its muzzle pointed at its chest. "Tch, boom." Hissing the words the flash from her muzzle forced her to shield her eyes as the grenade erupted against Forsaken's chest, hearing it wail in pain as those screams plummeted deeper into the many chasms below, rubble tumbling after its form. "Hah... Get up from that." W breathed, grunting as her feet slipped against the sharp drop. With her bloodied left over the edge, she threw herself onto solid ground, panting madly while unable to lift even a finger. She was beaten, bruised, and sweaty. Yet, her ears throbbed at the consistent stomp of hooves. Flipping herself onto her side she spotted another cave entrance. Unable to even mutter a groan of distaste her heart sank like her eyes. Cliffheart appeared, bo-staff drawn to her form alongside spears and shields, none willing to risk taking a step forward until their commander gave the word. He saw the destruction behind W and her exhausted state of simply attempting to stay awake. "It can't be..." He had to shake his head, believing it to be a trick, and yet there she was, unable to move an inch. It almost felt... disappointing that his most dangerous hunt would conclude with his prey laying before him, unable to fight back. Sighing through a heavy breath he approached her. "So this is it, huh, nothing, not even a smile?" "..." She stared up at him, coughing a few times. "...h-happy, C-c-captain...?" Her voice was so frail, not a trace of humor or sympathy, she was done. "...quickly, grab me the iron cuffs and bring a stretcher, can't risk our magic with her," Cliffheart waved to his troops, watching W as her vision became blurry, her energy fading away to nothing. The last thing her ears could properly place was Cliffheart muttering under his breath. "...it's over." To Be Continued... Author's Note Well... that happened. Kranon's plan is on hold but at the cost of W's freedom. What is to happen next? Well, we all know. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades. Next Chapter: You Must Play To Lose "And now I have nothing left to say." 2-5 Born to LeadA day after W's departure... Just along the outskirts of Hoofprint, a few travelling caravans were set up outside, many local guards moving supplies to and from the town walls with the lead guard, Tera Cotta and Sora working on organizing and distributing the products, some to be taken with them to Hollow Shades and others for the town itself as a back-up supply line. Everything needed to be ready for when Kranon turned his eyes to Canterlot again, and since W helped to clear Hoofprint of Infected, they were more than willing to lend a hoof. Cinder sat facing the charcoal filly by a small, empty campfire, who stared toward the working ponies curiously. She wanted to help, but Cinder insisted she needed to focus on training herself if she wanted to be more than a liability. Harsh, but she knew he meant well by it as a form of 'brutal honesty', something W offered many. "To expand one's Aura is to broaden your understanding of yourself, to delve into what you may refer to as your 'Inner Demons', your soul is a part of you that cannot lie or hide, if you wish to grow stronger, you must overcome your own walls, and despite what some may believe, we all have these walls, some far higher than others and there is no easy method to proceed," With that, he clopped his hooves softly. "Now, tell me what you know of the three gifts you possess?" "Um, I have a silver Aura which is a shield, but it has limited energy," Astra nodded to herself slowly under the stoic Hollow's unknown gaze. "And I can use my Semblance, which is like a sword, to peer into other auras and see emotions, but Grimm don't have a soul, so they're blank voids, and the more I focus, the more detailed the aura becomes," Then she pointed to her eyes. "And my eyes are a rare silver which can turn Grimm into dust or stone when I wish to preserve life." "Exactly," Cinder's hoof stretched forward with a wave. "Preservation of life is the counterpart to Destruction the Grimm and those like it wish to bring. Your father held this power too; however, forces in Remnant sought to end their rare bloodline, the attack on your village was one such incident," He saw her face become downcast. "And yet you lived through a mishap, as Astra Lumi, their sacrifice for your survival paid off." Her memories were returning by the day now. Her silver eyes and looks were all that remained of her Mama and Papa. She had nothing left but their memory, only now she had people she wanted to protect. W gave up her freedom to buy them all time; she didn't want to be a burden anymore; she wanted to help more as her Papa would. "I don't want anyone else to die..." She muttered, then felt a metal hoof pat her mane. "Then you must focus, close your eyes and focus solely on your own aura and nothing more." A nod and she closed her eyes, now she was in a void, but her hearing was still clear, but she peered into the dark any small sign of sparks, like someone lighting a fire "Okay... can you see your Aura? Like a small flame in the void?" Obviously, she couldn't respond since she needed to focus... There! She gasped, finally sensing a flickering, white flame against the void; that's her Aura, her very soul. Just then, she saw the sparks flash in her hidden vision; they were silver and faint against the void, but her soul was there, hers moved more and flowed with a sense of emotion behind it; hers was filled with a sense of unworthiness and guilt. "I know you must focus, but you must stay calm, you need to breathe slowly, feeling your Aura travelling through your body, your emotions play alot in how you can perform, but if you can control it..." In a few seconds, the flame looked to enlarge slightly, the wild flicks of embers soothing little by little. Astra smiled, removing herself from that void, seeing her blink with fascination and wonder in her expression. "Your Aura increased because you allowed for serenity to take over your mind; you overthink without realizing it. It's not a massive increase, but it serves as a good idea of where to start, no?" Cinder mused, seeing her happily nod with her tail once again swaying. "How do you feel?" "Strange... like my own Aura was flowing down a stream... if that makes sense?" Her dumbfoundedness was expected, not many learned about how Auras work right off the bat, and Cinder had never imagined he'd see a person from Remnant, let alone a Silver Warrior. "It does. Picture your soul like the Source of a river, this bottomless, pure pool of water, your Aura is the main Stream that your soul flows down, it can split off into many other Streams like your Semblance, but all of that leads to the Channel, your own body," Cinder explained then stood up. "Well, we can practice in our free time; let us see if Sora requires our aid." "Okay." Quickly, the filly shot ahead of the old Hollow, hoof once more against his breastplate where a necklace hid. "Let us see where this journey ends..." "Um. h-hey, Mir?" Sora stepped into the herbalist's shop to find many baskets of crafted elixirs and medicines. Taking a moment to take insight collectively, Sora spoke. "Wow... um, never mind." "If all you came here for was to gawk, then go elsewhere," The disgruntled stare from the matching black pony to Astra remarked while pouring mixtures into vials, visible sweat dotting his brow. "This process is delicate and does not require the endless drabble of mouths to decrease my effectiveness further." "Right, sorry, I just brought you the plants you wanted, Star Berries, the ripe ones?" Holding up the two baskets caused the stallion to turn and levitate them out of Sora's hands, inspecting them closely with a grunt. Sora was kept on the spot for a while. "Hrm, they will do," He didn't sound too convinced, but Sora wasn't going to question the angry pony making a butt-load of medication. "W has certainly picked such a valued time to put me out of business at the rate of decreasing value my wares offer." "...sorry," Sora knew all of this was sudden on alot of ponies. Still, as things stand, explaining why he needed a metric ton of Bits would further lead to suspicion. If W was right on whatever her hunch was, she had to be having a hard time up in Canterlot to give them all this chance to prepare without the Royal Guard hunting her. "Hmph, irrelevant!" He tossed one of the bad berries at Sora's head. "Whatever she is doing is never without purpose, that is what I've learned in my observations, and if you play a role, I suggest you play it well and stop contemplating what you do not need to know currently." "But what if she's-" "Irrelevant!" He tossed an empty basket this time, glaring dully at the timid ravenette. "I do not believe her actions to be wasteful, requiring this volume of medicine means that with certainty her 'hunch' is correct, a believe most ponies would call this blind optimism, 'faith', so I suggest considering such before contradicting your motives, Prince." "Right, yeah," He didn't mean to sound as if he mistrusted W, he didn't, but he was worried for her. Without anything to say, Sora turned and left Mir to his work, not seeing the old stallion's eyes locked to the boy's back, shaking his head with a grunt. Another day had passed, and nightfall had struck the forest trail. Without the need to take all the supplies from Hoofprint with them, Cinder utilized his Bonfires to speed along their travels across Equestria. Returning to Ponyville to acquire a few key potions personally from Zecora, the zebra is more than willing to offer her aid in their time of need. Inside, both Cinder and Astra were eating alongside Zecora while Sora sat outside the zebra's hut, watching and listening to the Everfree come to life at night. He knew he shouldn't be worried, imagining W teasing him again with that flirty look on her face, 'Aw, it's cute that you're worried Fly-Boy' or something close; with W, it was a mystery. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to push his mind elsewhere. "You seemed lost in strife-" Zecora startled him from his daydream with a small frown. "-what has brought along this plight?" "I... okay, I see what W meant when you only talk in rhymes," He tried to pass off with a joke, but it didn't really convince him either. "Yeah, sorry, I just... needed time to think." "A choice was made that you did not wish to go through, I was told it was W." She worded strangely, but Sora understood, recalling how she just... smiled back despite the severity of the situation. "Yeah, she... didn't want us to be hunted anymore, by the Royal Guard, Cliff, Forsaken - all of it, she... bought us time, and I'm grateful, but I..." He paused with his hands frozen mid-expression, slumping them against his knees. "It's just I, she is..." He couldn't even say it himself, regardless of how little time had occurred between them; W was... something Sora never realized he missed about being human. "She once sat here and watched the stars, a time when she had no cause," Zecora motioned to the window to their left. "She pondered her life and those who sought to cause strife, but my single act of kindness brought her light." Sora never heard of this before, looking up at Zecora, who smiled, knowing what was going on inside the boy's head, tapping his temple. "Your soul and hers are tied, and that feeling has grown with time." "I..." He turned away to hide the embarrassment on his face. He wasn't sure before on what 'that night' made them. And now she wasn't here, and Sora felt lost, like he had no real direction other than to follow through with her words like a lost puppy. Placing his head in his hands, he groaned. "Why isn't this easy? It's like I'm useless now, and now I can't even ask her what... I - we are." He meant no offence to quite a handful of mares that worked at the castle. Some were genuinely personalities he was into, but he was still human regardless of his ability to fly and even use magic if he had the affinity for it. When he met Aoi, though, she was stern, humorous, confident, strong, and had a strange way of caring that when she meant to be kind. Even if Aoi somehow became the person she was before turning into W, he didn't care because it was still her regardless of her looks. Of all the people he's met, Equestria and back home, she was... amazing. Zecora sat with him on the step, keeping her eyes to his distraught face. "When you meet again, you should be strong and tell her then." His head shot up in flabbergasted shock, but Zecora put her hoof to his lips. "If she gave her life away that day, then surely she feels the same way." That slowly calmed Sora down, so much so he chuckled again. "Hehe, sorry, but do you seriously have a rhyme for everything?" His amusement made her brow raise quizzically, then sighed through her nose. "No." She smirked as he chuckled again; inside, Astra shuffled away from the doorway with a soft sigh as Sora's sorrow quelled itself gently; she and Cinder knew he was troubled by W's sacrifice toward the Royal Guard, W would feel the same if the roles were reversed. She was happy he no longer felt as useless as he believes. "Son of a--grah!!" Sora fell back, clutching his nose as he, for the uncounted time, fell backwards as the perpetrator kept trying not to chuckle at Sora's repeated loss of composure. "I can do this--" "Yeah-Yeah, I know!" Sora shook his head, running his hand over his nose. "What the hell do you expect? You're wearing steel... what is it even made of?" Cinder flexed out his right hoof as though to examine the gauntlet. "Mmm, good question?" Sora just stared at him as he was serious, "If it's any consultation, your skill has improved with a sword over the weeks, I'm impressed." He said something akin to that every time. Cinder is like a machine; even Sora could land some solid punches on Cliffheart and Shining Armor, but the energy he's giving off is constantly is terrifying, like a slumbering beast and those eyes under Cinder's helmet, piercing through to Sora's soul with every gaze. He radiates with experience, and his combat style is inhuman. He held a magically conjured hand out to Sora, pulling the Aasimar back onto his feet while tapping a hoof to his chin. "Hrm... your wings and healing hands are your strongest tools, and while your affinity for similar magic has fallen short thus far, I feel you are close to your magic's true potential." That raised a brow, "'True Potential'? But... what else can I even do?" Was there a level deeper than that? Just as Sora inquired an explanation, a gathering of butterflies were drawn to them, more specifically, to Cinder's stoic form; one landed on his outstretched hoof, body simmering with embers, almost glowing the point the sunlight refracted off his rugged armour-like heatwaves. "A soul is the purest form of yourself, it's what makes you and I so different, and the deeper you go, the more you learn about yourself and grow to accept the person you are at your centre, that's when your power can truly manifest - those foundations make up Remnant the most, but the lesson is universal," He then let the butterfly go, almost lost in memory as he continued. "At my centre... I am a coward, but I accept that fault and in turn discovered that I am a hopeful person." "The world isn't perfect, and... I won't always be there to save everyone, but I will be; every day, I will strive to be there for anyone who wishes to have another in their corner to battle against adversity," He put a hoof on his chest. "I'm not perfect, nor am I trying to be the hero of the story, I am just me, and right now, I want to save our home." His words were genuine and sounded a little like some superhero, but they were real to him; this was his ideology, the path he's chosen despite his reluctance to fight, but if it means protecting those he cared for, he'd sooner throw his humanity away to do it. Just what lengths have Cinder gone to for this idea of balance? How much has he had to give up to push himself this far? Could Sora ever accomplish that? While Sora's admiration grew for the strange Hollow, he looked off toward the forest, unmoving. Many years ago... Dark. Surrounding Cinder was nothing but darkness over the lip of the wasteland surrounding him. As though a fragment of a desert were torn from the world, left to float alone in a void. Apart from himself, he looked up to see nothing but the mass murder of ravens around the remains of a great skeletal frame of a long-forgotten beast. This was it, his final stand, to end such impurities. He gave a bitter smile under his helmet, hoof brushing against the necklace he concealed under his armour as he readied his greatsword, the last momento of his comrades etched into its aura as colourful embers. The wind picked up under a black sky, threshing through his ruined armour. The frame of the dead rose with heavy, clanking motions. The ravens fled into the marionette, these corrupt creatures acting as muscle and flesh, rebuilding what was once myth now reincarnated with a dark shadow wafting in the gathering wind. Bones ground each other, wings stretched, the gaps blinking like torn leather. Picking up from beneath the dark earth, the jaws realigned, clanked, and fixed into place, releasing a hollow echo of a roar with a black breath. Staring up at the bones of the dragon, the Hollow took one step and fell into a deep, dark void, the edges of his eyes encircled by that same abyss, a sensation of drowning yet breathing racked his lungs and poisoned his mind. He was lost in the beast's consciousness. "Traveled so far... lost so much... and all for the sake of selfish mortals," Spoke a dark, booming voice that surrounded his mind, aged by time and decay. "Do not stray from what is yours; they expect loyalty without reward, for you to be complacent without a thought; I do not believe in such selfishness," He couldn't move his body, only his head toward the silhouette that manifested as a twisted reflection. "I wish to congratulate you on your journey; With a gift, to help you finally take control, to break your chains." A dark hand appeared before him, and Cinder smile warmly at such an offer. "You know, if you offered me such a thing when I arrived, then I would take that hand with no fear, but..." He clutched his hoof closer to his chest, the ghostly apparition of a mare by his side. "I have not come this far just to fall again, especially to You." The ravens mimicked the sound of familiar voices laughing, that mocking cackling melting down into a dark hiss between dusty bones hanging over his form. However, those same ravens were moulded by his hooves, sinking their hooks and claws around his ankles, infecting his body with their darkness. He struggled to move, noticing his sword too was being melded by the tar-like abominations. They intended to bury him like all the rest and continue a never-ending ruin and decay cycle. "Then allow me to help you break free..." The knight panicked for a moment; he may have just played the part of the fool after all. His eye caught the faint sight of a pony's astral form; for a moment, he thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him. However, even as the darkness crawled over his form, pulling him further in a frigid slumber, his eyes never lost themselves; instead, all they could see was a gentle scarlet. A bright light pierced the veil with his sword blazing, burning away the abyss as quickly as the ravens conjured it. The large head of the dragon reeled back from the blinding light; wings stretched wide to challenge the very source of its damnation. The knight stood forward; his heart was no longer frozen with fright and doubt. "The only thing I have to break here... is you." "Then you shall die." The dark echo of the drake warned. Its ancient frame rose, aided by the black mass of winged servents, and the skull's sockets bore down on the Hollow. "Come then, pawn, show me the power this so-called 'freedom' has drugged you with." "...I was always free." He readied his sword as he smiled. "Hey, Cinder? Hello~?" He didn't respond. "I think he's daydreaming?" "His aura's mellow," Astra murmured, the duo stepping closer to the statue of a Lord of Cinder. Both gave each other a sudden glance, then approached in little steps. "I think he's asleep." She whispered. "Well, he is in his late fifties..." Even for an older man, Sora was impressed Cinder could move so fluently though that may have been down to his inhuman body turned pony. Reaching up to touch the helmet hiding the mysterious knight, both leaned closer to take a little peek underneath. "Wonder what he looks li-" ... ... ... "Sorry," Both shrieked in fright once the statue turned to them, no longer lost in a trance. Looking down, Cinder comically turned his head to the side as Astra and Sora hid behind a tree stump. "Did I miss something?" "Nope!" "All good here!" Cinder blinked slowly, not that they could see it. "Hrm, well, come now, my Bonfire connected to Hollow Shades is not far." "We never speak of this again," Sora murmured from behind the stump; Astra just held her hoof out. "Speak about what?" They shook on the agreement Deep underground beneath Hollow Shades, Cinder walked the lonesome caverns alone, lost in the dark without his armour and sword brandishing flames to guide him onward. He was alone, Astra and Sora sleeping after another long day preparing for the final battle ahead of them. Cinder didn't sleep much, or not in a long time. "Well-Well-Well, someone's eager for knowledge," Cinder barely even flinched upon stumbling through the barrier that concealed Gambit's home, the large Nightmare sinking again after he failed to startle the Lord. "Still sunshine and rainbows with you, it seems; professionalism is so hard to come by in this era." Gambit waved his hand nonchalantly, looking rather bored for an inkling. "Had a lovely chat with Luna, tried to worm personal information out of me, tsk-tsk-tsk, data protection is a serious rule with me." "I am aware; I suppose it was about what we asked of you prior?" Cinder inquired, and Gambit nodded but said nothing nor implied anymore than the bare minimum. "Well, I wish to know something myself, to do what many cannot." That drew Gambit's eyes closer. The golden curves narrowed with dark delight. "Oh? By all means, humour me." "How do we defeat Kranon the Vex?" Cinder spoke clearly and concisely, never mincing his words on the matter. "To clarify, I am not looking to kill a Vex, rather, to slay Kranon in particular." Leaning back in his chair, the Nightmare put his claws together and close to hide his jack o' lantern smile poorly. "You know the rules, Displaced, what do you have that I certainly don't? What is your price for such valuable knowledge? Although you seemed to be lacking in the wares department in that inventory of yours." His finger circled mockingly. "You are mistaken," That silenced Gambit's short laugh. "For I do have something you've never had your hands on before." To Be Continued... Author's Note What a lovely little adventure for our trio during W's time locked away, but what is to come of them all? Especially Cinder's deal? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: The Choice Is Yours Suddenly, Sora returns to his home for two reasons. One, to finally stand his ground. And two, to save the girl who's suffered enough. 2-6 The Choice Is YoursSeveral days had passed since Sora had seen her face, and already it was stirring something sickly in his stomach. He kept focused on the task at hand, but he felt like he should've done more every day, put his foot down, and dragged her away regardless. Instead, he, Cinder, and Astra abided by her wishes, and now they stood before Canterlot Castle. It had been two or three weeks since he left the walls in search of W; how much had happened in such little time, he wondered? The bright blue sky wasn't as clear as he'd have liked either. A large, black storm front wasn't far from Canterlot; from his estimate, the front won't be here until the afternoon, so any hope of hiding among the clouds was out of the question if they needed to escape. Once knelt by a wall, the trio ensured no pony followed or spotted them. "Remember the plan?" Sora refreshed, kneeling before the two ponies. "I shall shadow you from an exterior entrance," Cinder recalled. "And I'll find W." Astra, in particular, was buzzing with determination. So much had changed for her in only a few days. Per Cinder's request and ingenuity, the filly wore a belt with a few select items lining the leather; within her cloak were lighter objects of interest too, fitting for a thief or a mercenary. "Sora, will you be okay...?" She couldn't shake the bubbling dark blue shade of his aura; it hadn't improved since they left W behind. "...your aura...." Smiling lightly, he patted her head, leaning back to look over the wall facing the castle entrance. "I'll be fine; you guys focus on your roles; I'll take the burden this time." "W's done enough of that herself." "Then come friends, operation ugh... Piccolo is a go," Both Sora and Astra snickered at the horrid name for their plan. None could see the Lord's bemused face. "Of all names you allowed 'Piccolo'?" "What, it's a good name." Sora didn't try to hide his grin, quickly clearing his throat and patting his cheeks. "Alright, here I go; wish me luck." Once within view of the castle, Sora felt a wave of serenity wash over him. He didn't regret leaving in search of the 'Beast of the Everfree'; it had led him to so much he felt was robbed from him the second he arrived in Equestria. But being back under its shadow was a strange, homely comfort. Steeling his resolve, he tossed aside his cloak upon the approach of the guarded gatehouse. The second he came up the hill, the two ponies spotted him, immediately drawing their spears. "Hault, who - P-Prince Sora!?" The first to his right gaped as though he had seen a ghost. With a short smile and wave, Sora greeted the two. "Hey guys, sorry for my absence, you wouldn't believe what Cinder will put you through on a trip," He joked as they shook their heads, the one of the left speechless. "U-um, sorry, Prince! Please, welcome home!" He stuttered as the Aasimar shook his head at the formalities, but as a so-and-so 'Noble', it came with the territory, a good thing he wasn't new to the concept after so long enduring the good and bad. "You guys keep up the good work, and thanks," With a kind bow, he stepped through the white stone walls and into the courtyard, a few other guards were on patrol, but none dared to approach him. They were all good ponies, well, most of them, but they sometimes wouldn't speak with Sora unless it was urgent or he instigated the conversation. In all honesty, he remembered why he left in the first place. He leaned his head back with a reminiscent smile. "Out there I'm an equal again..." Inside the castle, he didn't take the time to admire what he took for granted or missed. He had a job and an important one at that. He could have easily located the dungeons and found W from his movements, but he fought against his wishes and relied on Astra to see the girl's rescue. Sora had one job, and if he failed, then Canterlot and possibly all of Equestria would fall. "Ah!" One of the housemaids yelped, dropping a vase on those stupidly precarious podiums. Having spent a long time fighting and training, Sora swept forward and caught it, saving the blue-haired mare from a scolding from the guards or her boss. "T-thank you, s-Sora!?" She, too, gasped at his return, and in fact, she hugged his legs tightly in response. "You've come back!" "Hehe, I missed you too, Swift," The blue mare let go quickly with a timid smile as Sora adjusted the vase. "Honestly, who even likes vases like this anymore? I keep telling Mom they're just tacky." The mare giggled and whispered under her hoof. "I believe Princess Luna likes the feel of old-fashioned decorations, being isolated for so long." "Hrm, yeah, that makes sense," Though Sora's flat gaze told otherwise. "No wonder the Night Guard come to me for help; she's impossible at times." His aunt was... weird. She liked new things but had a habit of sticking to old traditions. He couldn't recall how many... dark sentences she would murmur about giving to some of the less agreeable Nobles. He happily agreed, given his background. "Well, love to chat, but I've got something really... stressful to tell Mom." "O-oh, sure, sorry for keeping you," She stepped aside but not before Sora ruffled her mane, seeing her rigid form relax a little. A trick that worked well with almost everypony, given they were animals. "...you seriously make it hard for most mares to resist, you know?" She smirked slyly. With a wave, he passed by. "Sorry, already um crap... f-forget I said anything, Swift! Swift?" He mentally slapped himself once the sight of her 'gossip face' caught his eye. "Oh boy... I've done it now." Even after all these years, she still found a way to catch him off guard. This was it. One doorway and Sora was anything but prepared for what had to be said, what he may have to do. It tore at his gut and caused his heart rate to rise. Inhaling slowly through his nose, pausing, then exhaling, he pushed the doors open with a loud groan of the hinges, alerting anyone and everyone to his presence. His scabbard tapped off the edges of the doors as he squeezed through, the guards on the opposite side shocked by his entrance, unable to vocalize a response before he smiled. "Sorry that I'm late getting home... Mom," Nervously scratching his head, he faced the mare as tall as a human sat upon her throne, woefully unaware of the threat sinking its teeth into the country. There was a flash and pop in the air before Celestia stood before Sora almost intimidatingly. Stepping back slightly to view her face Sora wasn't certain of how she'd react. His, ahem, 'training' away from the castle with Cinder was abrupt, and explaining the lie so that she wouldn't contact Cinder, thereby dismantling the lie, was even harder than he realized. A piece of him didn't truly believe she fell for it; this was a pony that had lived well over centuries. Her hoof rose to touch his face, prodding a few of his fresher scars that had appeared since travelling with W. "These seem new..." She murmured with an almost unreadable expression. "Y-yeah, Cinder's a very odd teacher, but it worked out, I think, I... I really feel I've gotten stronger," Though it wasn't just CInder alone. "I learned alot." Then, Celestia smiled, wrapping her hoof around her baby boy tightly. "That's good; I'm happy things worked out for you," His own arm wrapped around her neck, enjoying the pleasant warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. There was a distinct difference between embracing your parental figure and someone you cared for outside of family; it was a sweet variation. Pulling away, she wore a cheeky smile. "You certainly smell like you've been rolling around in ash for weeks." "Ah hahaha, yeah, a few hiccups here and there," Sora chuckled lightly before a door to the far left of the thrones opened up to reveal a familiar red unicorn. "Cliff..." Something was different, though; his face was... conflicted. Whatever spell he was under quickly lifted upon meeting Sora's worried eyes. "Sora, heh, hey kid," He grinned, trotting over while ignoring the aversion looks some of the guards gave him for the informality. Once close, he jabbed the boy's side. "What's with leaving me hanging to go along with that dust ol'... heeey, Princess?" He grinned sheepishly at the humorous look on the alicorn's face. Puffing out his cheeks to clear his throat, he stepped back. "Hehe, sorry." "No need to be so rigid; you two haven't seen each other for a while, don't feel the need for formalities now," Celestia's face faltered slightly. "Even with the pressing concerns as of late." Playing dumb, Sora waved a hand toward his mother, "What do you mean? I remember CInder telling me to wait back at Hoofprint a few days ago, but he never said anything," Celestia, while reluctant, felt it was only right that her son from another world should know, "Recently myself and your aunt have looked into a matter concerning a being that goes by a name we referred to as, 'The Dealer'," Hearing this, Sora almost gave away his fright at what they might have discovered but kept his composure, another thing W had passed along in her time spent by his side. "The Dealer? You mean that old fairy tale you told me when I was a kid?" Faking ignorance kept the tale spinning. "He is no myth, as much as that would be a mercy, he is known as Gambit, a clever and omniscient person who will offer one whatever they desire, for a price, one that I have used myself, Cinder too years ago," Celestia prattled before concluding. "Luna is in the process of tracking down his whereabouts to speak with him further, but nothing good has ever come of his words." "Why's that?" Sora pressed, now worried for whatever Gambit had told them about Kranon; what if he worked with the Vex? "But no, that wouldn't make sense; he seemed to loath him regardless of helping him in Displacing us." "Gambit has been known to 'deal' with many, good and evil ponies and creatures alike, to him, reality is a game that he deems is his to play constantly, never choosing one side in favour of seeing where things go before ultimately siding with no one, however, the times I have heard of him siding with one, the opponent was never to win again." Her words were deep and threatening. Gambit to Sora was an enigma but not dangerous, though that could've been a false sense of security. Gambit didn't need to threaten anyone because... he knew every outcome; he was smart enough to plot and ploy with reckless abandon. "Wow... well, I'm not sleeping tonight," Sora blinked, clapping his hands toward Cliff. "So, how did... your mission go?" He almost felt bitter saying that. Cliffheart was... blank, looking around the hall. "It was... unexpected, but results are results, and the Beast known as W was detained and has been very uncooperative since her incarceration, though that surprises no pony really," Even Sora couldn't hide a tiny smirk at W's stupid inability to listen to others. "She's been quiet for a while, though, even with other prisoners, she's just stopped responding to anypony." Now that sent a chill up his spine. "What?" He was breathless before shaking his head. Much as he loved to be here with those he loved, he had to do this, for W, Cinder, Astra, heck, Equestria itself. "Um, actually, there is something I wanted to tell you, Mom, Cliff." Stepping away from them both, Sora put his hand by his heart, ensuring he didn't have a heart attack at this very moment. Sucking in all his leftover confidence, he stood his ground. "Cinder and I didn't just train, we did, but... we've seen what was in the mines under Canterlot, I... he ensured I wasn't seen." This news drew a wave of silence and shock, Cliffheart having the nerve to ask. "What? What did you see?" He was almost ecstatic. "We saw nothing down there but Her. Did either of you see something? Anypony else, this... this could change everything!" Sora held a solemn gaze. "I saw... a man, just like me, he wore black, his eyes were... burning with rage and obsession," Sora could paint a picture so clear someone could sell it. "He made a structure out of black rock, his name was... Kranon." Celestia stepped forward, placing a strong hoof on her son's shoulder, ensuring their eyes met. "Sora, tell me everything, spare no details," Much like what W had retold, it seemed Sora's story matched with the description of this 'Kranon' perfectly. "Did he speak of anything else?" Just then, another door burst open, a guard stepping through. "Princess, Captain I - oh, my apologizes, I didn't know you were" "It's fine, soldier; what's to report?" Cliffheart waved him to hurry along with his message. The unicorn shifted sharply and saluted. "Sir; The two prisoners that assaulted the creature have been... very demanding they'd speak with you, spouting nonsense that might drive the whole dungeon mad," Much as Cliffheart hated clean-up, it was partially his fault. What none saw was the dark shade Sora's aura took; without Astra, none could see it fester and ferment. "'Assaulted' They... what did they...?" Sora's heart shook in his chest, and his blood boiled considerably as wrenching himself from his Mom's hoof. "What did they do...?" No one heard him, so he spoke up a little more, head bowed while his knuckles turned white. "What did they do to Aoi...?" By now, all attention was drawn to the furious face on Sora's features, something many felt was worse than Celestia's by every account. Something so riddled with a fury that it could shatter stone. "What did they do to W!?" Gone was his reason to hide and lie behind some flimsy story; he was done pretending to be okay. He wasn't okay, not when the girl that meant so much to him was suffering under his very feet. "What?" "Did he just say the creature's name?" "How does he know this?" Many voices were heard but were met with a strong gust of wind emitting from Sora. "Quit calling her that name! She's W, like me, she's suffered like me!" Sora yelled, swinging his arms wide with blood building in his face. "Do you know how hard it was just to sit there and watch as she took hits she never deserved? How much I had to bottle up for her sake as she cried over how she felt everything was her fault!?" "Kranon did everything, to me, to Cinder, to W!" He stomped again, his wings bursting to life without any control. For once, Sora was biting back after so much time just shrugging off insults, ridicule, and suffering for the sake of others. For once, he wanted to be heard by everyone, not just Cliffheart and his Mom. Turning to Cliffheart's horrified face, he continued. "Don't you get it; he's been manipulating you since the beginning! He forced you and the Elements to target W, force her to hide, steal, and fight just to survive! He poisoned your sense of justice and kindness and turned it against her!" "I-I didn't... I..." He clutched his temple in one hoof. "Why did I... no..." The hold Kranon had was slipping; Sora could see it, feel it! "You're my best friend; you were the first pony that ever saw me as more than just... this," Sora shook his hands at himself. "A human stuck in a body that was never his, and you didn't see that, you saw me, and I want to believe the same stupidly persistent pony I trust can see that too." "He's working with the creature...?" "Princess, what should we do?" Upon hearing this, Sora spun around, glaring daggers at the pair that said this. "You think you're ones to talk? I bit my tongue for my Mom's sake, for my Aunt too so they could be at ease about me, but screw you!" He threatened those who never saw him as a person, not a Prince, just some animal for the first time. And he was sick of it. "You come near me or dare touch a hair on W's head, and I'll kill you!!" "Freak!" One snapped, drawing his spear toward Sora, much to a great number of guards' shock, none more than Cliffheart and even Celestia who's whole body trembled with rage. "You think I'm afraid of some farm animal?" Sora's face wasn't hesitant or passive. No, this was everything he had sealed away, breaking free. He was stronger than the child that had no one to turn to upon arrival in this world, but because of the kindness of a few, he was able to draw his swords forward. "I'm Sora Rhodes. My parents are Sarah and Cole Rhodes. My adoptive Mom is Princess Celestia. And if I have to fight my way to W, so be it." "Correction," The doors slammed shut, revealing the armour-clad state of Cinder, himself waving his greatsword through the air. "You are not a Prince," He hummed, stepping forward past many that were unsure of what to say or do, some held their weapons against Sora, but Cinder paid them no mind. With a single flick of his sword, he brandished it toward the guards, embers blazing. "You are human too." "Something I had almost forgotten." Not a soul moved; the tension was high before only now had it boiled over. Celestia was ready to raise her voice to silence the in-fighting, especially against those that threatened her son, regardless of his lies. Cliffheart was left in a daze, his head shrouded in confusion. Cinder and Sora stood close together, their plan had fallen apart, but opinion B was still on the table. *CRASH!* The air shifted dramatically like a wail of a piano, one of the glass murals shattered, and a large, dark form tore through the shards, arm cast a dark purple. Cinder reacted in turn, guarding both Celestia and Sora. "Get down!" He demanded before a large burst of purple energy struck his sword, flinging the Hollow across the hall and into a nearby wall, embedding his form in the concrete. Something stumbled against the marble floor, lifting itself with snaps of bone and broken glass underfoot. In the levelling dust, Sora's eyes widened immeasurably large. "I know... she's here... the girl...!" A large, irregular jaw unhinged a growl, brushing aside the dust for Sora to stare back at the marred flesh that covered the upper jaw of the Forsaken, the hood shredded, revealing crystals and deformed bone jutting from its scalp, the lips peeled back with a gargled snarl. "Kill... the girl!" *Rumble...* The drizzle of dust from the ceiling caused quite the stir in Courier's side of the cell, lifting his head slightly to catch the dust fall to his hoof. He chuckled gleefully. "Quite the party upstairs." He lowered his head as the clop of hooves ran through to W's part of the dungeon. She remained unresponsive to the noise. "I told ya, it's coming from upstairs," The left guard grunted, whacking the back of the right guard's head. "Okay, first, ow, second, how could we know?" He raised his hoof to W. "She's pretty much immune to magic-less she wants it to affect her, which is never." "You know the rumbling up top's starting to cause a stir down here," Courier's voice drew their eyes, seeing him flick his cunning grin toward the Sarkaz laying like a corpse. "This place's older than all of us, same with the restraints on her; what'll happen if one got loose while you're picking your hairs tryin' to keep your heads screwed on tight?" "S-seriously?" The left one blinked, looking to the motionless girl, then to Courier's winning smile as he sat back against his bed. "Hey, I'm just tryin' to do good during my time, brother, up to you what you believe," He tipped his cowl. "But I wouldn't want to see the blood spilt if she's loose, get me?" The right sighed, looking around quickly before coming to a tough choice. "You watch this one, I'll go check the creature's restraints," He fished out his keys with his horn, jiggling the lock on W's cell while the younger guard nervously threw his gaze between his higher-up and Courier, still retaining his grin under his hood. Once inside, the guard prodded the Sarkaz with his spear, lifting her tail as it rattled the chain, nothing, not even a stir or breath. "Is she dead?" He didn't care otherwise but saw that true to the prisoner's word, her right cuff's wall bolts were loose from the commotion up above. Nothing a little magic couldn't fix. Applying his magic to the bolts and pad, he neglected the tail that snaked under his throat. "Ah!" It gripped like a viper, choking the stallion until his muzzle met the stone wall, knocking him out immediately. By Courier, the younger guard gasped, only for a hoof to yank at his breastplate's collar, slamming the kid's face into the bars, resulting in the same knockout. Courier dusted off his hooves, procuring a set of keys from the guard as W used her tail to grab the keys and unlock her cuffs, rubbing her raw wrists with a scowl. "Fuck, that feels better," She huffed, smirking at how she used the rough edges of the wall like a saw against her tail's weaker chainlink, breaking it over a day ago. "Hey, Courier, you - huh?" When she looked, his cell was already vacant, leaving the guard inside and a note by W's open-cell with the bold initial of a 'C' on the front. Her sceptical face slowly morphed to a relieved sigh. He was good company for what it was worth, and she wished to have told him that personally. Picking her dirty body off the ground, W let every joint in her body pop after many hours of constant discomfort slip away with a fuzzy sensation across her body. "...W?" Another voice cut the silence as W exited her cell, cracking her neck with a blissful sigh. Her heart genuinely skipped upon seeing the troublemaking filly trying to sneak around the shadows of the dungeon, only breaking it upon realizing the mercenary was out and safe. The filly's eyes glistened before pouncing into the woman's chest, sniffing slightly. "...m-mama." W shifted sharply, face turning a little pink before ultimately relaxing against the cell bars, rubbing the little pony's back gently to soothe her, though it couldn't last. "Come on, kid, I've got a score to settle." And a few days' worths of rage to unleash, and maybe a sandwich. Forsaken lunged for Sora, who quickly took flight, evading its lumber attack as the bent and mangled muzzle of the crossbow hummed, firing a burst of Arts high to knock Sora down and in range of its claws. Spinning sharp for a snap-kick, he deflected the claws, landing behind Forsaken to carve two large strokes through its skin, the muzzle flash sending him flying backwards on his ass as the beast took charge. It grunted under a gold barrier erected behind it and Sora, Celestia's horn buzzing with holy light. "Stay away from my son, monster!" It sneered at her and raised its crossbow to the barrier, unleashing a venomous stream of energy that ultimately decimated her magic, allowing it to swipe at Sora had his boot not met its chin followed by a stream of red-hot flames scorching its skin, forcing it into retreating, unleashing several volleys of purple light from its arm, keeping any guards from advancing while hooking its digits into the wall, swinging over and away from Celestia's magic beams, using its own to retaliate if not for Cinder deflecting the shots with protective swings from his sword. "Sora, take it down!" Cinder commanded, pointing a hoof up at the tapestry suspended on the wall while charging a lightning spear into his hoof, tossing it forward as the electricity splashed, missing Forsaken as it continued to swing across the ceiling like a monkey. Taking flight, Sora weaved around another burst of Arts, performing a descending helix twist as he tore off the tapestry, seeing the heavy cloth catch Forsaken unawares. The abomination crashed to the floor, shredding the fabric while locking the Originium crystals growing from his forearm to Sora's vertical swings, the pair bracing one another, the pressure flinging Sora over Forsaken, evading a streak of energy while a column of fire erupted under the beast, tossing it across the throne room. With a sharp slant, Sora and Forsaken struck, fist to the blade, followed by a simultaneous left swing, each of their attacks made little to no connection other than abrading sparks and crystals the shockwaves pushing Sora back while deflecting every swipe he could, or until amethyst filled his gaze and pain ruptured against his chest, scorching his clothing as he crumpled to the floor but not before he blinded Forsaken with another enchantment of light imbued onto the deformed crossbow. "N-now...!" Sora huffed while the combined strength light magic from Celestia and a large Chaos-infused fire orb hurled toward the monster. Both attacks completely consumed Forsaken in a divine, hellish inferno that left many to shield or advert their eyes, unable to stand the force of heat directly. "Sora, are you okay?" Celestia quickly knelt by her son's side while he winced from the burnt portion of his shirt and coat, applying his glowing palm to the smoking state, sighing once the rush of a light breeze tickled his chest. "Well, guess all that running and fighting paid off, huh?" He smiled dumbly up at Cinder and his Mom, the former chuckling lightly. "Very tru-" He raised his scimitar, embers rising at the smoke ahead of them. "Kill... them all," From the smog, Forsaken's jaw hung open, bones realigning and breaking as crystals clattered to the floor like glass. "Kill the girl! Take the girl! Kill Everything!!" He was shambling over to Sora's location, crossbow mangled and beyond repair as it swiped its claws toward them all, everyone in range frozen in fear over the state of the inhuman animal. "Kill!" It stomped and Cinder's curved sword glowed. "The!" Celestia readied her magic, even if it did little to phase the creature. "GIRL!" *Thunk-Boom!* Fire and hot air struck the ponies, and Displaced, the force of the explosion against Forsaken's cheekbone flung the creature back, utilizing its claws to slow its tumble with a hiss. Astra slid into the throne room from a doorway, and beside her, made Sora unconsciously smile with relief. Dressed in her combat skirt and favourably attire, lowering her grenade launcher was the pissed off Sarkaz herself, W. Her tail flicked sharply, but along her wrists and end of her tail were the red markings from her cuffs, cuts, dirt, and the occasional bruise marking her arms and face. Both orbs sunk against Forsaken, burning all the unpleasant sights of ponies from her sight. She snorted, blowing the bangs out from her eyes while taking slow, careful steps forward, dropping off her duffle bag for Astra to catch quickly with a huff. "Stay back, kid..." Her tone was flat and apathetic; she wasn't anywhere close to Aoi; that girl wasn't here right now, just the sadistic grin splitting across a mercenary's face. "I can't wait to kill you again." Forsaken was already high above her spot, claws splitting the concrete by the time W leapt out of reach, landing to fire a grenade that was banished by another swipe of its stumped left arm. W deflected his second swipe with her launcher, then the third while his boot pressed to her stomach, shoving the disgusted Sarkaz back. W quickly bent to her left, feeling the vibrations from the crystalized arm sail by her skin; she ducked under a frantic, horizontal stroke then blocked a thrust, two impact grenades in one hand. She slid her left forward; both grenades tossed into its chest for an ear-splitting blast of thermal energy that left the frenzied creature reeling in agony, flesh cooked and peeled within the robes. While in a daze, it spun around in a wide arc, one that W effortlessly skated under, diving over another horizontal crescent while kicking Forsaken in the teeth, landing safely to kick up one of Sora's silver swords to her right. Both closed in, striking near W's left calf, the mutant claw and silver edge deflecting. W moved much faster and with precision. Striking twice across his chest, his left shoulder to throw him off balance, then a solid stroke to the hip, followed by his lower back. He turned to retaliate, only for another blast from a small impact grenade to ward off his claw's swing, W crisscrossing the scabbard over his chest, striking him atop the head while twirling over a slant to deliver a strong snap kick to his chest, flinging Forsaken into the wall with enough force to shatter the face of. With Forsaken pushed aside, W scampered to the opposite end of the throne; legs bent as she built up pressure around herself, hearing the air slice and whistle. The concrete under her boots fissured, her Arts propelling the mercenary forward at an alarming rate. In seconds, Forsaken barely managed to guard in time to stop the longsword from carving through its wrist while simultaneously driving him deep into the wall back-first, fragments of its hand crumbling at W's feet, reducing the appendage to dust. W did a small twirl and landed; the guard rejoiced for her swift counterattack; however, Astra's fur shivered after taking a small sense of the area, the Forsaken's aura was growing. "W!" She nodded and quickly dived back from the monster's arms, slamming into the ground, itself lunging to bite her instead. Growing tired of this, W rushed forward. She dove over a chomp, allowing Forsaken to bite down on the thick leather belt that she used to wench herself onto its irregular back. Hastily tied and gagged Forsaken before it shook her off, throwing the mercenary far enough away to grunt. "Hey, dipshit?" It turned to her, and while it couldn't see what she held, everyone who's seen W's weaponry knew what her fingers were embroiled with. Several pins from grenades now strapped and bound to the abomination's head and neck. "Walk away from this." Frantic, the Infected clawed with mere stumps and bit down on the fabric after catching the ticking of several mechanisms around its throat, reeling and yanking with all its might before the throne was engulfed by a bright, orangy-gold light and small fragments of rock and hardened skin. Lowering her arm, W panted and saw that through the smoke, the Forsaken stood tall, headless, and its arms were blown away up to the elbows, parts of its collarbone and spine exposed before it fell to its knees, crumpling to the floor as it shattered into thousands of pieces. Silence and the faint crumbling of rock and dust filled the air, except for W, who turned to face her friends, who she admittedly missed alot. Pointing her finger down at the remains of the Infected beast. "I swear to God if he comes back from that, I Quit!" In seconds, the trio were standing around her, Astra hugging W's legs while Cinder patted her waist. "So glad you're okay!" Astra teared up a little, neither spared time escaping from the dungeons, Courier having slipped out unannounced. "You never cease to surprise me, lass." Cinder huffed lightly, earning a small bonk to the forehead from W. "It is good to see you too." Standing in front of her was Sora, both staring at one another for a good few seconds until W smiled weakly. "Sorry I worried you," She murmured, losing her strength to stand as she fell against his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his arms wrapped around her back tightly, his own head against her shoulder. She swore he was trembling but couldn't tell while linking an arm over his back. "Worth it..." "Don't ever do that again, please," He muttered to her, squeezing her tightly while wanting to shield her from any that dared to come closer. "Promise... Fly-Boy." He couldn't hold in a small, pained chuckle at that, W herself doing the same. Right now, she felt safer than anywhere else in Equestria. To Be Continued... Author's Note Finally, he's dead! Three times, very durable. And after only a short departure the team is back together again. Things are shaping up for the finale and I cannot wait. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: My Life With Forsaken gone and W's team whole again now they have to work around how to convince Canterlot of the real threat on the horizon. 2-7 My LifeWhat felt like an eternity since the day under Canterlot's crust W had been reunited with her team, and Forsaken was now nothing more than a pile of rocks and crystals. Sora helped W stand to lean against his side; Astra and Cinder soon stood by her feet to protect her from the many guards that now raised their weapons. Without their knowledge, many had circled in to corner them. With ire plastered on her wounded face, W groaned. "Really? I just saved your asses, and we're still doing this shit?" With her words, one timid guard spoke up. "Lord, Prince, don't make this difficult," From his shaky voice, he wasn't just uncertain of this, but he clearly never intended on fighting several strong adversaries. "Okay then-" W grinned devilishly, raising her launcher. "-no one will really miss a few specks of sand in the long run, right?!" Some flinched at her fanged grin. "Beast!" One spat, and that alone caused W to leer forward, nuzzling Sora's shoulder as he awkwardly stood there as her walking stick. "Didn't I tell those other pervert guards, this ass is taken? Guess who by you walking glue factories?!" She giggled, enthralled by their paled faces and disgusted looks at her implications toward the Prince. "I'd love to give details but the kid's present so..." "Please stop..." Sora whined into her ear, wishing he was Fallen Aasimar so he could conceal himself in darkness. One brown pegasus, his higher-up, barked orders while Celestia was left in a stupor, processing things without a word. "That's enough! We have our orders, and that's to capture that freak and any that conspire with it, including those three." His jaded eyes scanned those surrounding W; Sora noted that W's tail slithered to wrap around his waist protectively. "Do not make us have to leave here by force." Cinder mused, swishing his scimitar until the embers scattered, unveiling the greatsword beneath the flaking rust. "That's... enough," Trotting between the standoff, Cliffheart shook his head, glaring daggers at the brown pegasus. "Rocklock, stand down." "You're siding with that thi-" He was silent once Cliffheart poised his polearm toward the pony's face; that's when all saw the serious look given by their captain. "You forget I outrank you, now stand down." Complying with his orders, the tension left the room awkwardly, spears and magic lowered or disrupted while Cliffheart twisted his head around to stare back at Sora with a weak smile. "I could hear you." "...hehe, good." Sora nodded then saw that his Mom was approaching them; he held onto W tightly without realising it. He didn't know why he was afraid, but when your parental figure can move a celestial body, it can warrant uncertainty when their expression is unreadable. W had felt many kinds of energy from people in all sorts of places. Their ideology and status were on display, and for the Princess, it was still the same as before, the sun radiating from her eyes. Adjusting her position against Sora's side, she maintained eye contact with the monarch again, never once looking away for the longest time. Then she saw it; guilt trickled into the mare's eyes. "Sora, would you mind seeing that W here receives medical treatment for her injuries?" This astonished him, noticing how neither female took their eyes off the other. "U-um, right, yeah, I will." Nudging W, he helped her wrap one arm over his shoulders to keep her steady as Astra followed closely. "Cinder?" They stopped and looked toward the silent knight who waved a hoof. "No need to wait; I shall handle the details personally. See to it W is tended to," With that, they left the old stallion with the most uncertain air to have ever accumulated in the throne room. "Well, that was something - ow," W bit her cheek as the gauze was applied to her hands, binding up her cuts and fresh wounds. If there was one thing W could appreciate, it was the gentle softness of a real bed; her ass had never felt comfier. Aside from the stinging across her arms and face from the rubbing alcohol, she was feeling better, physically, that is. "You guys staged a whole big rescue for me; I'm touched." "Of course we did," Astra pipped up beside W, the filly glued to W's side though the silverette was more than happy to oblige, missing the little silver warrior too. "Sora made all the plans and backup plans too." Sensing the inquisitive eyes on his head, he blushed a little. "W-well yeah, knowing who we were rescuing, we were bound to go off the record eventually." He smirked while tieing up the last bandage, seeing her hold in a yelp. "Smartass," W huffed, ruffling Astra's mane between her fingers. "Well, thanks, you guys really pulled through for me after... I couldn't." There wasn't any way of hiding that she certainly regretted staying behind the fight the Forsaken, but if she could beat him, which didn't work, and keep the Royal Guard off their tails, which did, then it was worth a few more scars. "If I had known that thing could survive having a mountain fall on top of it, I'd have coordinated a more... tactical approach." "Idiot," Soon, a hand-chopped atop her head, making the Sarkaz flinch from Sora's hit and angry look. "You couldn't help but be reckless, almost killing yourself. Are you serious?" "I-I was scared you would..." Astra looked down at her hooves, not wanting to finish her thoughts. With an unreadable face, W leaned forward, tugging the pair into an embrace, one against her side and the other to her shoulder, eyes staring forward, her hands tensed against them. "I'm sorry," Patting their backs, she sat back against the bed with a huff, glaring between them. "I'd say more, but you're here; what now, Sun-Butt?" The debilitating name caused Astra and Sora to sit up straight, the latter paling at W's mocking title for his mother, who stood in the doorway with a mixture of emotions plaguing her features. "W..." He nudged but saw she wasn't going to bite. "It's alright, Sora; given the recent transgressions W has endured, I do not blame her for feeling animosity toward me and my subjects," Celestia placed a hoof on her chest, bow her head toward the displeased woman before her. "Allow me, as one of the ruling monarchs of Equestria, to apologize for everything that has happened to you, from your capture to the disgusting treatment you've endured under my nose, if there is anything I can do to make my apology reasonable, please tell me." A new breed of tension hung around the woman present, face expressionless; Astra couldn't even sense what W was feeling in the slightest. Once Celestia raised her head, she saw W pointing at the bed, specifically the ground under it. "I want those Elements of Harmony on their knees apologizing to me, except for Fluttershy and Applejack, the former having never done anything to me, and the latter hasn't bothered me as much - aside from the bruises - that girl can kick." "Seriously? W isn't that a bit-" She didn't stop for Sora, continuing without complaint or rest; her heart was beating with excitement though, a giddy, self-satisfactory feeling of relief. She had spent weeks dealing with their torment, how they twisted her image and spread it across Ponyville and beyond; it sickened the mercenary to her core. Kranon orchestrated the attacks, but it was their hooves that did the dirty work regardless; W couldn't just forget that! "Twilight's brown-nosing. Rarity's side comments on my appearance and clothing. Rainbow Dash's insistence on beating me black and blue... Pinkie Pie threw a large toaster at me, which is unforgivable," W's face was strict on the matter. "Wait, what?" Astra voiced the party's concern over that last one, seeing W pale considerably. "I don't think there's a word for it, but I have an aphobia of toasters now." Shaking her head, she added. "And I want... say, Fly-Boy, how many Bits would I need to be set up for life? Or enough to make a bunch of nobles faint at the mere mention of it." "W!" Sora gaped but saw her eyes; she wasn't playing around nor reciting any smart comments; she was dead serious. "I have been humiliated and had my name run through the mud since day one, living in ruins and trees like a fucking monkey, and now I'm trying to save the very kingdom that I would love nothing more than to let burn someday - hell, I've been thinking, why not let it burn, fuck this world and every last one of Celestia's precious subjects," Her voice was venomous for all the right reasons to her. "However-" She put a hand to her chest almost mockingly. "-Since I'm feeling generous, I'm willing to fix your problem," Her eyes narrowed. "And I'm not doing this for you, Princess; if Kranon wins, my world's gonna wrapped up in my mistakes... so, how much?" Reluctantly, Sora let out a breath he was holding, ghosting his fingers through his hair. "About five-hundred-thousand Bits, give or take a few thousand if you factor in luxuries." It was a rough estimate, but W nodded regardless. "I should also have the pleasure of killing those two perverts but rotting in cells is fine too - So yeah, both those things, do that after we stop the world from ending and I'll not blow this castle off the mountain, sound good to you, Princess?" To their surprise, especially W's, Celestia didn't hesitate to answer. "Very well, if that will persuade you into helping my ponies survive this calamity, I'll accept your terms and see to them personally." "You know I'll never trust your word," W warned sharply, eyes pinned to Celestia's. "I will never trust a single damn horse again, especially your student." "I understand, despite the circumstances, the faces of my subjects won't fade from your mind," She agreed softly. "If you wish to exact any other punishments, allow me to bear them." "Wait, Mom..." Sora tried to talk, but she put her hoof up with a smile. "I know you felt the same she has, but you had me, and many more that were there from the moment you arrived in this world, but Miss W here had no one for quite some time," Reluctant, Sora sat down as W passed him a side glance before clearing her throat. "Cut the Miss stuff, I feel old already - but, um... didn't think I'd get this far," W was honest, scratching her nape bashfully, so she waved a hand. "Eh, I was gonna do this whole bait-and-switch but fine, ruin my fun, send the Bits to a pony called Courier, lives in the less fortunate areas. He'll put all that coin toward fixing up lives better than me - if he asks, tell 'em the Renegade sends her regards or whatever - you know, since you clearly can't be bothered helping them yourself." This came as a surprise to the lot; W never openly admitted her ulterior motives, whatever caused this change of heart both pleased and worried Sora. W was different; she seemed passive, almost emotionless; he half expected her to be cackling or demanding his Mom be on her own knees; instead, she was helping others less fortunate than the Nobles of Canterlot. "And I'm not gonna kill 'em, plus you didn't know so... yeah, whatever - I just want this to end." W felt breathless, she had so much more to say, but she wasn't willing to press her luck right now. Celestia smiled gently, complying with a nod. "I can see to that, for now, I must return to discuss more of this Kranon alongside Cinder," Then, her pink orbs widened slightly. "Oh, and he wished to pass along a key piece of information," The three listened intently before Celestia left, hoof to the doorframe. "His Center, that is Kranon's fatal flaw." And with that, the three were alone again. "W, can you please not almost antagonize the scariest mare in Equestria?" Sora flopped against his seat, feeling a nervous cold sweat run down his spine. "Where's the fun in not poking your Mom with a stick?" She snickered then stopped once she saw his worried state, flicking his nose with her tail. "I'll hold back if it'll make you feel better." "Thank you." He grinned slightly while Astra looked between the two, their auras weaved together like fine cloth again; with a nervous face, she zipped closer to the door like a rusty machine. "I'll um... go check on Cinder, maybe he can help me train or something um, get well W! Um... bye!" She was gone in the blink of an eye with a dust cloud in her wake, leaving the pair alone again without a soul to bother them. Not a word was spoken before W sat back against her bed, looking up at the white ceiling with both hands on her lap. "A Catastrophe-" Her words drew up his eyes to her solemn ember orbs. "He'll create a Catastrophe and destroy Canterlot; that amount of disruption in the timeline will tear Equstraia apart; he'll have killed his body and freed himself." "But if that's all it took, then why hasn't he killed himself?" Morbid as that sounds, W smiled and tapped her chest, then it dawned on the ravenette. "He can't... Robin's-" "His 'Seal' is what's keeping Kranon trapped; killing him normally would drag Kranon with him, so, if he erases Robin from existence, he'd have never been trapped, to begin with, thereby freeing him without a scratch," W surmised when she mentioned Kranon's plan to Cliffheart. The more she narrowed down Kranon's logic, the more sadistically clear his intentions were. He craved release, literal release from the body that's his prison. "Damn..." Sora wrapped his head around it, but it frightened him how far one person would go for freedom; strangely enough, he felt W knew that too well. Moving past what was to come, he nudged her side, seeing her antenna flick. "Aoi, are you... okay?" Smiling back, she turned her head to him. "'Course; Sure, body stings a bit, and I could really use a drink, non-alcoholic, but I-" "Aoi," He held her hand tightly. "Are you okay?" Her smile wavered; that stupid look on his face never ceased to slip between the cracks in her armour. Her hand tensed in his before W shook her head, hiding her eyes by dipping her head down. "I didn't want to go... but I had to try something, I... it was all I could think of..." Her voice broke, and tears fell from under her bangs onto their hands. "I... I was so scared I'd die, a-and then they beat m-me and... and a-almost..." Her other arm wrapped around her form, shivering at the idea; she couldn't move much in her restraints, even now her raw wrists ached and itched. *Thump* Her head buried itself against his chest, breaking down in his arms after hiding all of her stress and fear behind W's mask. Her fists were curled up against his arms while Aoi balled her eyes out in fright, pushing against Sora's chest while he comforted her, rocking the frail girl behind all that confidence gently. "Shh, it's okay now," He rubbed her back in slow circles, feeling anger and relief flood his head. "I'm here, Aoi; you're okay." Sora soon sat behind W, hugging her across her waist again while she sat between his legs with her back against his chest, head resting under his head while silence accompanied the partners. The last time W was held this way occurred when Sora helped her contain her sudden outbreaks of false memories, it was still annoying when they plagued her dreams, but once she grew accustomed to their invading presence, she grew to expect them. If she never met him, what might have happened to her mind? What about Astra? Again she shifted her head against his chest, listening to that soothing sound of his heartbeat like the day after their little 'exercise'; it was strangely comforting to listen to. How? That was a word she often used to describe her problems, how she ended up here, how she was chosen above all others by Kranon, how she could fall for the first guy that didn't try to kill her in Equestria? No, it was more than that; she was chained and stripped of her identity; even before her incarceration, she had nothing but her name and the foolish hope she could seek answers with nothing but explosives and a girl that could be a great therapist. Sora grounded her hopes realistically; he shared things with her, and in return, so did she. When her mind was a mess, he didn't just sit around waiting for W to answer and talked to her, comforted her like no one ever would back home, not in that way he executed. Aoi's new body came with a sacrifice, a pact she had no say in, but this silly, timid, kind Aasimar kept her humanity from falling apart. "Sora... tilt your head for a sec, will ya?" She muttered gently, feeling his chin adjust to her left. Once his head was level with her eyes, she turned her own head, pushing up to lightly peck him on the lips, savouring that buzzing sensation right down to the tip of her tail. The tingling in her chest caused her to smile again. "Much better." "W-what was t-that for, n-not that I'm complaining." He stuttered out. How he wasn't used to something as simple as her kissing him after what he's seen still baffled her, but it was what made him cute, so she didn't mind. "Can't a partner express her gratitude?" She winked, her face dusted a little red herself. "Seems that pretty head of yours is doing a lot more good than your realize," She flicked his forehead with her tail, enjoying his light chuckle. "I still dunno about us, but... I wouldn't mind trying to be..." He was certain he heard her correctly but nudged her. "What was that?" Her head was bowed, hiding her embarrassment. "I... wouldn't mind... trying to be." W's eyes crossed with aqua again while her free hand played with one of his braids again, the pair smiling lightly together. *Rumble...* The moment broke from the sound reverberating from the window to their left. The pair poked their heads around, the once blue skies slowly tainted by dark clouds creeping in from the horizon, flashes of purple surfacing at the rim of the front. "Guess we're out of time." W grimaced, hand tucked tightly with Sora's. "Better save the world then, huh?" He never believed he'd have to repeat those words, silver lining; he wasn't alone. "The Catastrophe is here." Sunlight could be seen glaring from the edge of the world under the dark sheet of a swirling storm front, cracks of amethyst striking amongst the clouds and thunderous roars. Jagged blades of rock took root across the land, some impaling the walls of the kingdom. The wind was hot and heavy, large issues of molten rock snaking toward the kingdom's outskirts with dozens of Infected of various mutations. With both arms outstretched like playing the part of a conductor, Kranon's eyes glared with a dark brilliance. "This will be my salvation," Ahead of him, a large form tore through the earth, hissing and growling beneath the surface, drenched in magma as fountains of the slag poured onto the glade, burning the lush fields to ash. "Go Pompeii, unleash... chaos." With his hands closed, his army marched on Canterlot. The Catastrophe roaring. To Be Continued... Author's Note The End is here! Four Chapters remain and only one will remain. Now it's W's turn to put her knowledge of Arknights to the test for what's to come. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Ignite! Kranon has brought a Catastrophe to Canterlot's doorstep. With the streets burning W puts her wealth of knowledge on the game to the test in hopes to save the kingdom and the world. 2-8 Ignite!Canterlot was set ablaze. Streets ran rampant with chaos and screams that formed an orchestra of death under a grim sky: infected Originium Slugs, both gelatinous and arachnid variants tearing through stalls and detonating against walls. Metal Crabs spun like saw blades, shredding the armour of many Royal and Night Guards as though they were butter. The worst were the crystal-plagued Reunion shambling through streets like zombies, ripping apart doors and soldiers in their way, sword clashing and magic taking many shots to put one down only for two more to fall in their place. However, what frightened the Guard to their core, those on the frontlines as citizens evacuated toward the castle, was the sight of a horrendous glow straight from the bowels of Tartarus itself. Flaming spheres crashed into shields and magical barriers, exploding onto the streets and buildings, ablaze many buildings. A large fissure snaked its way through the earth, a channel of flowing magma that begun to surface, large protrusions of obsidian spurting streams of fire in its wake. The world itself tore itself apart, unleashing an unearthly roar. Inside the castle within Celestia's throne room sat a large table meant for day-to-day discussions between Celestia and Nobleponies. Now it was littered with maps and diagrams of Canterlot, surrounded by Guards of various stations. Cliffheart stood next to Luna and Rocklock; to the Lunar Princess's left was Celestia. Cinder inspected his notes alongside Astra on the opposite end, the filly young but familiar with what he discussed in private beside her, the girl's head nodding in understanding. "We have to be prepared for the enemy before they reach the gates; if they break our only foothold, we'll spare no chance of reclaiming the rest of Canterlot." One declared with a few voting on their side. A Bat Pony shook their head, motioning to the dark purple skies through the shattered window. "If we don't find the source of this storm, we may not survive at all, and what about the citizens? Sure, we can defend but against an endless enemy? Hardly!" "That's not all!" One newer scout returned to draw the eyes and ears of all ponies present. Saluting quickly, he spoke. "One street, in particular, travelling through the commercial district, there's... fire, just... fire everywhere, and it's moving - nothing we've done can make a dent it whatever's channelling it." "Oh great, more good news," The recovered Cliffheart muttered into his hoof, waving to the scout. "Please, any other reports, bring them in as soon as possible; we'll need all the information we can get." "Sir!" With that, he galloped away as the ex-hunter slammed his muzzle into the table. "Cinder, I... really could use your cryptic words right now." He motioned to the old Hollow, who hummed deeply, then Astra sat up on her stool. "It's not Kranon, perhaps another Infected we've never seen before?" She suggested. "We would need more information to discuss with W if that were the case." Cinder added. "Somepony want to ask why a filly is sitting here?" Rocklock grunted with his wing pointed to the silver-eyed pony who perked up at the mention of her age. Then her already neutral expression formed into a disinterested frown. "This isn't a place for a foal to be playing." "Sir, do you have any experience in conflict with an unknown race that is highly resilient to magic? Perhaps you've fought against the creatures that explode upon death, or the crustaceans with armour plating thicker than most weapons can pierce?" Astra left no room to breathe, and some swore her eyes gave off a shimmer of moonlight. "And what of the humanoid men with the swords, some infused into the flesh and bone? If not, I highly suggest saving your breath as every second count as of current events." A few actually snickered at how a young pony just shut down a senior guard with logic and professionalism. Though Rocklock bit his cheek in anger, ultimately complying. "Fine, but what of the fires? Care to explain that mess?" "It's Pompeii and a damn annoying Infected at that," W sounded from the doorway to Celestia's left; all ponies present watched as the Prince strolled inside at the mercenary's hip, a few guards still unsure of her motives, but she clearly lacked any compassion to care, waving a hand dismissively. "High temperature in the air, fires breaking out from a stream of magma creeping its way from nowhere, sounds a lot like the Slug from hell." "I'm sorry, a Slug is doing this?" Cliff blurted out, rubbing his forehead. "You know, after everything that's happened, I'm just going to nod." "Probably best if you don't want your head to spin," W remarked, approaching the table with maps of every district in Canterlot. This was good she could work with this. Tapping the commercial district marked with fire hazard markers, she elaborated further. "Pompeii is a volcanic Slug, but due to exposure to Originium, it's mutated and grown into a living volcano that will destroy everything and anyone in its path." Drawing a line down the streets, W's brow quirked once she noted where exactly Kranon told it to go. "Huh, hey Sora, does this route jolt your memory?" Tapping the page, he followed her finger and quickly realized the creature's path. "It's heading straight for us-" Many present gasped and murmured in a panic. "-if it does, it won't matter if we station the castle as a safe zone; it'll just burn its way here regardless." "So then we must prepare to intercept it beforehand," Cinder proclaimed until W put her hand out. "Nah, let it burn all it wants; it buys us more time to kick it where it hurts," W grinned, quickly cutting off any smartass comments. "Oi, Captain, how long will it take pegasi to gather sources of water? Preferably... thirteen-thousand-five-hundred gallons? Give or take." Everypony present looked to her as if she grew two heads, and the silence was irritating her to the point she banged the desk. "Look, I'd love to give you all a lovely pep-talk about how I hate everything you've done to me since I got to this backwater world, but quite frankly, I'm more concerned for how many lives you're all willing to waste away contemplating my methods of doing your jobs for you," Waving her arms wide she asked. "So, any questions?" "It'll take us roughly half an hour; I suppose it doesn't matter if the water is fresh or not?" Cliffheart murmured and saw the Sarkaz nod. "Okay, Rocklock, gather every pegasus we can find and get them to help transport as much water as they can to... where exactly?" He asked nervously, then saw where W pointed. The street is only three blocks away from the castle walls. "Right... where she's pointing." "Are you insane?" Rocklock blurted out. "We're putting the lives of Equestria's citizens in that creature's claws?" "Hands dipshit," W snapped, brushing off his glare while wiggling her fingers. "Don't like it then, by all means, go poke Pompeii with your fancy sticks see what happens but don't come crying to me when this place is turned into the world's biggest bake-off." She warned, and after a small staredown, the pegasus huffed and waved for some to follow. "Ta-Ta now! Okay, next, Celestia, Luna, you two need to focus on getting everyone out of the kingdom before Pompeii arrives." "And why's that, wouldn't our efforts be better suited to the task at hoof?" Celestia inquired; while W was brash and very informal, she was her kingdom's best lead on combatting these monsters, then saw her deadpan face. "You're basically the Goddess of the Sun, so unless you can waterbend, you and Luna here have the highest magic stamina of anyone else, only you two can teleport the injured and what-not out of the hot zone, implying we fail, of course." W was on a roll and kept going, switching back to Sora. "Fly-Boy, does this world have concrete blockades of any kind?" To her relief, he nodded. "'Course, used for construction of newer, more modernized buildings, especially in major cities," She grinned knowingly before his face lit up. "I get it, that's it!" "What's 'it'?" Astra asked as Sora flipped over a map and grabbed a marker, drawing two lines and then a curve at the end of the other. "The street Pompeii will take, it's flat, there's no slope, so his velocity will be much slower, but with the buildings and a concrete barricade, we'll create a horseshoe to keep the flow of magma around Pompeii from spreading to nearby trees and residential homes nearby!" He devised, and the guards all nodded along, some smiling at the crazy but effective idea. "As so with Pompeii stalled, we dump enough water atop it to harden the magma, leaving it vulnerable to direct methods of attack, clever." Cinder complimented while Luna stepped forward. "And what of Kranon? He will not take our actions lightly without retaliation," Luna raised a valid point, one that W grimaced at. "No, he doesn't care; he knows we'll be focused on saving everyone that'll buy him enough time to finish whatever else he's planning, preparing himself for the end of the world," That was the only factor W was uncertain of, what was Kranon doing if not attacking them head-on? Why use the Infected if not to distract and divide his enemies? "I don't know..." "Then I shall ensure he sees no progress of his own," Cinder put forward, sword risen from his scabbard. "Focus on stopping Pompeii and allow me to buy you time." "Can you even fight him? Who knows what powers he has now?" Sora asked but received only a silent stare from the stallion. "You... knew that, didn't you?" "You have your fight, and I have mine; my powers are not suited for such a battle, but you two are," He motioned toward the humans. "Do not worry for me; I have handled far worse than a man who has lost his mind." "That's what worries us," W added, but with her hands creased against the table, she let out her breath. "Fine, just... you know what I mean?" "That I do, lass," Turning around, Cinder slowly marched away, not before Astra rushed to his side. "Hey, wait, kid-!" "I can help him too; I'll be careful!" Astra shouted back, cutting W off as Cinder waved a hoof. "Not to worry, I believe her power may be what I need in this battle; she will go unharmed!" Sora had to put his hand on W's to keep her from moving irrationally, everyone seeing the tension in her features. "Fuck... you better, or I'll shove my boot up your ass, both of you!" She yelled until they disappeared out the doors, leaving her to punch the desk so hard a portion splintered. "Freakin' brat..." "She learned from the best," Sora proclaimed with a smile. "She'll be fine." "That again is what I'm worried about, but fine," Clapping her hands, then to her cheeks, she raised her voice. "Alright! Waiting for some grand ol' speech!? The world's falling apart out there, so get moving'!" "RIGHT!!" All present declared, scattering like ants while Celestia met W's gaze. "You worry a lot for her, Astra, I mean?" While only her, Luna, and Sora were present, the woman wrapped her arms behind her head bashfully, turning to hide her pensive expression. "Wouldn't any parent, Sun-Butt?" With that, she wandered off to prepare her own gear with Sora in-toe. As they ran, she quirked a humorous look toward her partner. "You totally got that idea from Volcano, didn't you?" "You know you're never one to strategize anyhow." He retorted in kind, hearing her giggle despite the threat ahead of them; it was relieving to hear. "Hey, if it works..." Canterlot was in a state of coordinated pandemonium. As the glow of a raging inferno crept closer and closer from the streets, the Guards worked around the clock to evacuate the last of the citizens inside as unicorns worked to levitate over large, cuboid slabs of concrete, melding them together to form large concrete dividers between the two buildings facing the castle's outer hillsides. Bat Ponies watched the skies for any movement, intercepting the Infected that stormed the mass construction team in droves. Upon sweeping closer, the street became engulfed in a fiery explosion thanks in part to the cunning smirk plastered on W's cheeks, herself tossing her remote detonator between her hands. "Boom," She loved her job. Looking back at work on the barricade, she grimaced. "Good thing this isn't actually a volcano." Shaking her head, she leapt down off the balcony and onto the street, dropping more mines to create a vein in the road to pool most of the magma into a single point. "Hey, W, you should come see this!" Up above, Sora hovered while motioning toward the end of the street. Giving a short wave, she watched him take the vanguard while strolling casually down the abandoned street. During her mellow walk down ruined blocks, she caught the clop of hooves behind her, drawing back her eye for a moment. "What's wrong?" Her tone shifted as though she expected something to have gone astray in such a simple plan. "Aren't you as lovely to talk to as ever," Cliffheart snorted as W kept walking, the orange eyes following her step. Looking around awkwardly for a time, Cliffheart eventually spat out what was plaguing his mind. "...I'm sorry-" "Don't remember asking," She retorted, causing him to flinch while her tail whipped around to point at his nose. "You and the Elements really put me through hell, especially you and Sparkle Butt." "I know, I... am well aware," Cliff couldn't ever shake those memories from his head; they were etched in and wouldn't fade for a very long time. "To think I was used, my own code twisted to... do the very thing those nobles did to Sora." It sickened him every time he found that little boy sat all alone, crying. How many nights and days did W do something similar? This drew her stroll to a halt, simply basking in the heat of the kingdom and the sight of chaos on the horizon, large thorns of black earth uprooted from the crust, painting the world in hell's image. "You never answered my question. Were you happy? You won; you caught the notorious Beast of the Everfree." Cliff grunted. "You call that satisfying?" He pressed forward, motioning to the ruined street. "I lived for the thrill of the hunt, I've seen so much before I got roped into a desk job - but you, you were everything I dreamed of back then, a hunt where neither side is the prey, two hunters outwitting the other," His smile was hard to mask, W could tell. "I may have been in the wrong, but I can't shake how thrilling it was to chase you - so when I found you, defeated at my hooves, I think... seeing that made Kranon's hold on my mind slip, my dream was... stripped away in that split second." "Guess there was one silver lining," Her tone lifted his head to see her wicked grin over her shoulder. "It was exciting when you almost caught me," Then she winked. "If the world's against me again, you better hunt me down, Captain." The two soon shared a small laugh, hunter and hunted. "Tch, you can bet on that, Creature." She giggled and soon continued on her stroll Sora spotted the pair's approach while he hid behind a corner store, motioning them to move quickly and quietly. W slipped in next to him with Cliffheart by their feet, the trio peering around the bend only to recoil slightly from the extreme heat that brushed by, embers scattered from a hot gust of wind. "What the hell is that?" Sora pointed to the glow emanating from the centre of the road. The glow originated from just shy of the road's brickwork, the cracked bricks crumbling back into the stream of fire that followed the abomination hidden by debris. While its volcanic stream didn't burn anything, the beast underneath vomited small payloads of fire that broke up the street, smashed through windows to set fire to their insides. It was a moving apocalypse that was beginning to surface. Volcanic sludge pooled out before it, a large body rising to stand just over six feet tall. It was coated in thick, basalt and obsidian hide, large protrusions jutting from the back, the funnels that produced the many fireballs flung into the empty, burning streets. Inside wasn't even slime, just pure, molten slag with a core burning so bright it was as if they stared directly at the sun. "So that's what we're up against? What kind of world are you from?" Cliff gaped, licking his dry lips while peeling his face away before his whole body could be set ablaze by the monstrous Pompeii. "Terra isn't a world you'd ever want to visit if racism doesn't get to you first, the Infected will." She remarked pointedly. Lightly slapped the boys on the shoulders, she wandered back in the direction of the barricade. "Now then, let's go stop a volcano." "I get the feeling you're enjoying this too much." Sora grimaced with a faint smile as the woman just cackled loudly. Not long after the trio returned to the concrete wall at least six feet high to compensate for the sheer size of the Infected, all present finally had a strong look at just what horror approached them in a gradual crawl. Pompeii roared with such ferocity that windows shattered, both from the heat and its earth-trembling cry. Crimson Infused Slugs crawled around Pompeii, rushing the barricade with shrieks while normal Beta Slugs crawled behind them. W didn't sit by and wait, her job was complete, but she turned to Sora beforehand, grabbing his shoulders tightly. "Sora, listen, I need you to fly up as high as you can and wait until we turn this walking slag into crust, get me?" His eyes widened slightly, recalling how little his swords affected obsidian before. "You're the ace in the hole here." "I-I can't," She didn't budge on his refusal, holding him firmly. "Aoi, I can't do it, my swords won't-" Her hand came up to bonk him on the forehead, bringing his face so close their noses touched. "Will you stop thinking and act just this once on impulse? You're more than an Aasimar; stop thinking this body is the endgame," Letting go, she lifted her launcher, hopping atop the makeshift wall-walk's edge toward the Slug horde. Her form was radiant in Pompeii's glow in Sora's gaze. "You're a Prince; embrace it." Lunging toward the first arachnid, W stomped on its head and vaulted back, effectively punting it into the horde as it exploded. Some ponies above used magic to deteriorate the others until W moved in close, striking with strong kicks to trigger the chemicals in their abdomens while firing a series of frag M32s, stripping a layer off the road to blind and shred the Slugs as some approached from her blindspots. "Duck!" She did, and a polearm swatted one of the arachnids that pounced, Cliffheart fanning his staff wide, breaking spines protruding from the Slugs while W blew them away with one thunk from her launcher, tossing C4 high into the air to rain debris from ruined buildings atop the Infected. Pivoting on his heels, Cliffheart erected a barrier to ward off a burst of Arts at their feet from a robed Sarkaz. "Big guy!" "On it!" W ran through the dissolving barrier, booting the Sentinel in the face as it rallied the Infused Slugs to rush her position. Dropping a mine, W rolled back from the issuing explosion, a polearm parrying the staff of the Sentinel from her face, giving her ample time to load another grenade, shoving the muzzle of her launcher against the Sarkaz's chest. "Boom!" The inferno tore through its hollow body, reducing it to crumbling dust. "Get back, hurry!" One of the spotters above cried out, hiding behind several magic barriers as four fireballs splashed against their faces, causing the Guards to grunt and yelp in fright. Turning around, the remaining Infected were burnt away by Pompeii, the beast decimating anything and everything in its path, four blasts honing in on the pair as W slid under Cliffheart's erected shield a second before the payloads detonated, himself sweating up a storm so much he quickly undid the clips of his breastplate to free his movement. "Man, I hate this boss," W coughed, wrapping an arm around Cliffheart's chest before sprinting back toward the wall where a set of magic steps awaited her, a series of flaming attacks raining down with wailing descends behind her. One struck close and forced the mercenary to wrap her tail around her waist to save it. "Out of my way! Out of my way - yah!" She yelped while diving up and over the wall, rolling behind the newly erected barrier to endure Pompeii's assault. "Thank you..." Cliff coughed up beside W, the pair pulling themselves back to their feet/hooves. As the remainder of the street began to fade under Pompeii's assault, his magma slowly pooled into the small trench W had created, slowing the magma flow from gathering by the concrete. This was the final assault, the lava would brace the wall soon, and Pompeii unleashed an almost constant stream of fire to batter and weaken the unicorns, several others on standby for emergencies. Bat Ponies hid among the rooftops while Earth Ponies watched the wall for leaks or stood atop the wall to aid in protecting any unicorns that lost control of their magic. W and Cliffheart looked around in the dark skies, no sign of those tasked with gathering payloads of water in clouds and magic, nor was Sora within sight of W's gaze. Many were rooted to their posts, unable to move as the wall buckled against the full weight of Pompeii's magma beginning to fill across the base of the wall, some of the slabs starting to shift backwards through soot and dirt. Pompeii roared once again, producing another volley of explosive payloads to rival W's own. Her weapon wouldn't dent it, nor could she enact the finishing blow without causing magma to fly everywhere. "It's all on you, Fly-Boy." There was still no sign of support as Pompeii destruction engulfed the street, and beyond in fire and brimstone, the very path carved appeared like a corridor from hell itself, the heat staggering to behold, the sheer intensity from a single creature rivalled that of an elder dragon's breath. High in the clouds, Sora kept himself aloft, observing the battle of endurance from the safety of the skies, his mind racked with anxiety and fear of his own inability to complete the task at hand. He wasn't as strong as Cinder or W; they had various attacks and methods; without his swords, he was vastly limited in capabilities, even they couldn't cut it, so how could he possibly win? Below, Cliffheart's ears flicked, and many more turned to the same sound in the air, "That's it, lower the barriers now!" Cliffheart yelled statically. "Any with water spells, keep throwing everything you got onto Pompeii, don't you dare let up!" W demanded, helping to move several unicorns in front of her while firing a few blank grenades to intercept the remaining fireballs, seeing them detonate like fireworks. Above again; That was when a cold gust of wind tickled Sora's hair, and below and in the sky surrounding him came large quantities of white, puffy clouds pulled along by numerous pegasi, even citizens not in armour were helping to move along large clusters of cloud packed with water. Unicorns below did much the same, levitating large deposits as one through the Guards to the front of the crowd. Many barriers fell, and some even used low-tier water spells like hoses to dampen the air and apply a constant veil of liquid to the massive abomination of fire. A great weight pounded in Sora's chest at the almost heroic sight of countless ponies moving in formation to toss and drown gallons upon gallons of water onto Pompeii, the massive beast's wailing drowning under the sloshing liquid and steam. The magma started to crust and compact with every ounce of rain, salt, and freshwater pulled from the clouds like a waterfall. "Okay..." Flapping back, Sora closed his eyes and held both silver swords flush against his sides, descending like an arrow while his mind raced, feeling the wind move to cone around his head. It was a cold, night say for the sight of the moon embedded with the morbid symbol of a mare across its face. From what Sora knew, it was his aunt; he knew his Mom never wanted to talk about it much as it remained one of her biggest failures as a sister, so he never pried beyond that. Just there, sat on one of the statues in the garden, was the mare in question he waited to see again. Her mane was a soft lilac while her eyes were that of gold, spinning around on her flank with a fanged smile. "You want to know how to fly better?" She repeated what he requested of her earlier in the afternoon, tilting her head to roll the question around in her mind. "Uuuum, probably best you ask one of the Shinies, Bats operate a little differently from-" Shinies was a nickname the Night Guard gave their counterparts; their rivalry remained unchanged. "But none of them understands the sky like you, not Bat Ponies but you, Selene," Her words were caught in her throat, again silent as she tapped her hooves to the bland statue she sat upon. With one wing curled to rub her chin, she asked. "What makes my flying different from others?" His eyes blinked wide at her smirk. "Yeah, I know you know, so I'll bite since you're complimenting me and all." Flapping up once, she did a few slow, graceful twirls without so much as flapping an inch, landing before Sora with a bow. "Flying is about more than just using your wings to catch the wind; you and the wind are one, partners in a dance day or night, you flow into a groove only you both can feel. You let yourself become a traveller and the wind your guide; with that, you can do more than just flap your wings and fly; you dance as part of the sky." "'You dance as part of the sky'..." Sora murmured the words before a pair of hooves took his hands, tugging him forward with a cheeky smile. "Come on then, won't you treat a lady to a dance in the clouds?" She joked as her laughter only made his maddening blush worse. Smiling to himself, Sora let the tension in his wings lessen, his magic flowing to the astral appendages increasing on their own. At the same time, he followed the direction of the wind that spiralled, his speed increasing in the flow almost as if he were in a wind tunnel. With each increase in his own velocity, his wings began to streak a contrail of aqua blue. Parting his eyelids, his form shot toward the scorched earth with a small clap in the air behind his boots, his olive coat flat against his body until he swished his swords forward, fanning out his body and wings seconds before he came too close to the ground, causing his tailcoat to fan out like an extra pair of wings. Pompeii was immobilized in a thick obsidian shell, a large gust of wind tearing over the heads of dozens like a bolt of silver lightning. In a blink of an eye, Sora carved through the mass of volcanic rock in a streak of silver, his feet cratering the ground around him, swords were drawn to either side like his radiant wings, now overflowing with magic power. In contrast, a massive, silver cross shredded Pompeii in a single stroke of silver. The beast moaned out a final, deafening wail, the core splashing against the road while the body crumbled and dissolved in the lingering puddles of magma. Any Infected that remained quickly turned tail and fled from the sight of the winged human with eyes blazing sapphire, his wings scattering blue embers, a living embodiment of sky towering over the corpse of Pompeii. "I... I did it? Heh... hahahaha!" Sora gasped, falling to his knees with relief as his wings shimmered behind him, observing his reflection in his twin swords. "Thanks... Selene, I owe you a dance later." Tapping the face of the blades to his forehead Sora rose just as a fist connected to his shoulderblade. "Ow, what was-" A quick pass of lips against his own rejuvenated him as W grinned like she had won the lottery, swinging him around briefly. "You crazy bastard, ahahaha! That was freakin' awesome, I told you!" With a growing smile, he agreed by tapping his forehead off hers. "Yeah, you did," "Both of you." Although his joy slowly subsided as both saw the ponies above cheering and praising one another, Cliffheart was still staring at them with a determined face, one nod for them to go while the calm lasted. "But we're not done; Cinder can't fight Kranon alone." "No rest for the wicked - let's move it!" She patted his shoulder, the pair quickly sprinting in the direction of the lingering chaos across Canterlot. W's heart thundered against her ribs, blood pumped into her legs, increasing her speed over the rough terrain. "We're ending this hell, right here!" Sometime during the fierce battle with Pompeii, Cinder stepped away from the ruins of two buildings and into a large, empty courtyard, ruins of stalls and benches lining the edge, burn marks, and the signs of battle littered the area. The only other living creature in the region was that of the man dressed in rags, behind the body of a man who had fallen victim as all Displaced had. Kranon the Collapse Dragon. "Look how far you've diminished, and for what? These equines? This world?" Kranon held a hand around at the chaos unfolding. "I have fought and seen many worlds, and They believed a farmhand had any real way of defeating me? What chance do three inconsequential tethers have against a Vex?" "You claim to be a nigh-immortal being, but that was long ago," Cinder paced with Kranon, the pair circling the other until they stood in the centre of the courtyard. "That seal has weakened you; you are fallible like all other creatures," His flames billowed in his own heatwave. "You failed to kill me, to kill Sora, and foolishly neglected W and Astra's intervention, your Forsaken and soon your Pompeii shall fall." "I know, they never could stand against the human quality that is perseverance, that is all you humans are, rats refusing to die until the very last drop of blood," Kranon surmised, raising a finger to Cinder with a dark twist in his tone. "But, let's not pretend you are here for anyone but yourself, Hollow; I know why you came here," He leaned forward as if to whisper the words in his ear. "The Abyss was my puppet, so that makes me the one who slaughtered your comrades like rodents, including that annoying little Bat." Not a soul other than the one hidden away could feel the rising heat surrounding Cinder, he was silent, but his heart was flooded with fury, pure, controlled, and direct fury. Sensing Cinder had nothing more to say, Kranon stepped forward. "Come then, you worthless Hollow," Kranon declared with a wave of his hand, flesh and cloth split across his forearms with magic. "You shall join your comrades in the end." Within Cinder's inventory, he closed the tab with just his eyes, magic weighing a small, blue crystal shaped like a shard of glass. It was a fragile and tempered piece to his collection and a relic an old friend left for him to use someday. Letting out the breath he had held to contain what slithers of fear he held for the Vex standing before him, Cinder felt his body ease into a colourful flame within his soul. "'Hollow' you called me? Tch, do not spit such peasantry words in my face, drake," Crushing the relic in his magic, a great light bloomed in the darkness, enrapturing all those that could witness as a knight stepped forward with his greatsword clasped between his fingers. A towering posture of a human draped in ruined armour, flames pouring from his sword's edge. "I am no Hollow, no equine, no Displaced." Cinder cupped the handle in both hands, gently inserting the tip into the cracked brick road, flames pouring into the face of the blade, drained from the environment surrounding the pair. These flames licked and embroiled the knight, with a great thrust of the sword, its length grew to that of a longsword, flames erupting from the coiled sword, blinding Kranon momentarily to reveal a knight touched by crimson flames, his sword a brilliant glow of embers, lingering specks of colourful flames invoked from within the sword's soul. "I am a Lord of Cinder." To Be Continued... Author's Note I'll say this since I actually liked studying Volcanoes in Geography, there's a thing called Flash Boiling that would naturally occur once water is introduced into an environment that's ambient pressure is lower than the water's saturation levels. Don't ask me what that means that info is like stitched into my head for years now. Then again this is fanfiction in a magical world so I feel I'm obliged to bend reality for the sake of entertainment. But hey, the more you know! Pompeii is... really frustrating to fight, heh, be glad I didn't do it like an event quest in Arknights where you fight TWO of them at ONCE. Well, I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: A Fatal Move While the battle rages on against Pompeii, Cinder confronts Kranon with the last trick up his sleeve. But are a Lord of Cinder and Silver Warrior enough to stall Kranon long enough? 2-9 A Fatal Move*Ba-Bum...* ... ... Magic pulled and peeled skin; clothing flowed like tattered wings. *Ba-Bum...* ... ... Tempered metal clasped a blade blazing with colour, a furious crimson flame embroiling their chest. *Ba-Bum* ... ... Kranon clapped his hands together; over three dozen amethyst seals dripping with a sickly pale glow infected the courtyard. From their runes spawned more Infected, many corrupted Reunion soldiers armed with blades ready to rend the Lord of Cinder to rashes. He barely flinched at the army charging toward him, lowering his sword near his right shin, pointing it backwards. The second the Infected drew close, his arm sliced up in a slant to dispel the shades in embers, charging headfirst into the group, slicing through the feral Infected that riddled his armour with their attacks and scratches. An orange arc erupted from the blade, with a flick, the blaze carved through the shades with ease. Cinder's fist connected to the next, his foot creased against the neck of another, performed a roundhouse through two more. The vex watched bitterly from afar. He lunged down, only for Kranon to shift halfway into a shadow, grabbing Cinder's breastplate and throwing him over his head and back into a large gathering of Infected. They proceeded to topple onto him like corpses, kicking and punching the downed fighter for a moment before a snap and crackle of flames rippled through the tarmac, dispersing or incinerating them; the Lord's blade skewering two more through the crowd. He kicking the blade through the chest of another, caving its skull; Then delivered a right hook while snapping the neck of another with his left arm. Bracing with his longsword, he shoved his body up against one, flipping over its shoulder and kicking it into the group, tearing a sizable path through the crowd with a flurry of swings attached to the point a chain of flames. Clutching one by the face, he barreled through the masses; using it as a shield, Cinder threw the beast into Kranon, who vanished. The Hollow blocked a kick to the abdomen, followed by a flash as he tossed an Infected aside. With a sudden plunge to the earth, flames erupted from the epicentre, expunging any other Infected from interfering, his sword drawn wide to sever what remained in two, barreling toward Kranon. The Hollow moved like lightning, shadowing Kranon in a single beat, sword rising through the earth to shower the Vex in flames and dirt, the beast evaded with a flash of blue light, appearing behind the Lord a fair distance away with his left-hand raise, a glow appearing on his palm. "Repulsors-" A solid beam of energy scorched across the courtyard, refracted by Cinder's sword as he evaded the second beam, casting a bolt of lightning toward Kranon, who easily circumvented. "-Iron Man." Upon Kranon in seconds, slicing right; the monster evaded while diving over the returning swing followed by a downward thrust to expel flames, the force shoved the Vex backward. Cinder's eyes sharpened, holding the face of his sword to block a beam from Kranon's chest, the funnel of energy driving the Lord back several meters. A leg materialised to snap-kick the man's neck, a hand grasping the back of his helmet to propel the Hollow across the courtyard. "Temporal Displacement - Noximillion, the Clockmaker." Never once speaking, Kaid landed with a heavy impact into the brickwork, lunging under another beam that followed by a swirling seal of fire under his foot, the force of a column of flames flinging the knight from the earth and into a waiting axe-kick. He swivelled his head and grasped Kranon by the ankle, spinning to toss the monster down onto his heels only to be impaled by a sudden barrage of homing lightning rods. He rolled and quickly warped to evade their strikes, missing the sight of a blade as it tore across his right arm, burning the Vex's forearm as he vanished, stumbling in place. "Hmph-" He flicked his fingers upright, producing several seals across the ground around CInder. "Fire Manipulation - Talulah." From the next eruption, the Soul of CInder's arm unleashed a massive volley of lightning spears, their forms streaking across the sky to intercept several crescents of solid ice, the contrasting elements evaporating on contact in a series of explosions, masking the Hollow, who brought his sword down atop that same broadsword attached to the Vex's hip. Flames ushered out around in a halo of hellfire. "Ice-Make Magic - Gray Fullbuster." With a twist of his free wrist, another light blue seal emerged around his wrist. "Ice-Make; Snow Dragon!" The enormous serpent slammed into Kaid's chest, breathing a plume of frost in his face as the jaw sunk around his midsection, burying him into the earth. At the same time, several searing slashes melted the beast in time for him to catch the flash of teleportation, bringing a lightning bolt down at his and Kranon's feet. The latter was flung back by the electrifying burst, leaving him exposed to Cinder's follow-up wave of molten rock as it tore through the earth, consuming Kranon, or at least shreds of his clothing. Kranon appeared once more, dusting off the soot and embers from his shoulders, eyes trumpeting with rage. "I have stolen the gifts of countless Displaced, some of which still reside within this ghastly body!" Kranon growled, an ice formation lifting him a few feet off the ground, conjuring many flaming seals to his left and right with arms outstretched. "I have not come this far to be denied by some lowly human filth I have no purpose for any longer!!" "Then clearly... you show that you never learned from your failure." That snapped the last of Kranon's patience, triggering dozens of bolts formed of concentrated fire to rain down on the human, who moved at lightning speeds. Flames rippled through the earth, stripping away what remained of the roads while failing to catch the swift actions of the Lord who carved his way forward, blazing through the weaker embers that scorched his armour. With one, horizontal swipe a wave of flames cleared away the dust, revealing the exposed Vex meters away. "Ever heard the phrase, 'Flashbang through the door'?" "What - GRRRAAAAAH!!" Kranon couldn't register it before his eyes were seared from their sockets, blinding the monster to a flash of divine light that left him wailing in agony, blemishes of black smoke hissing across his skin. Kranon poised his left arm in the direction of the light, firing a series of plasma bolts to intercept what he couldn't see. Astra slipped out from the building, using the rubble to sneak her way across the courtyard to safety, hiding her tracks by tossing several firebombs Cinder had given her; the small explosions keep him distracted, forgetting of the knight that stormed into his perimeter. Raising his longsword in both hands, flames of many colours gathered at the edge, rushing toward the tip before Kaid swiped Kranon by the feet, juggling the Vex in the air with three more consecutive strikes as his body crumpled to the ground, sword inverted to plunge through the monster's core, a rush of adrenaline evaporating inside the knight's inferno of a body. A clash of metal and arcs of flames flew past himself and the distant Astra, the dust settling from the final stroke only to grunt in pain once a dark purple claw sunk into his stomach, sapping Cinder of his energy while his sword's edge buckled against a long scorpion tail, a dark purple aura fizzling out after having blocked the fatal blow off to the side and utilising the ability to carve away the Lordr's embers. "Hahaha, Scorpion Faunus and Aura Disruption - Tyrian Callows." Tearing his arms away, Kranon flicked his wrist, a large arc of ice and snow rupturing between them to bury Cinder on the tarmac while he warped to the middle of the courtyard. "I know you're here, girl, a mistake I intend to correct," His arms gathered with varying amounts of energy until many red and blue glyphs appeared in a halo across his body. "Hyrrrah!!" Fire and ice burst and impaled the world, shattering windows and flattening cover, one such slab peeled away to reveal Astra, frozen in place by an ice shard that froze the ground under one of her hooves. Kranon spared no expense in blowing a fraction of the Displaced's armour off his right shoulder, exposing the peachy skin under a burnt cloth. At the same time, another solid glacier of ice erupted under his legs, trapping him temporarily until his sword carves through the geyser. With a tremendous amount of strength behind his leg, he used the momentum of plunging his sword forward to intercept several blades of ice, allowing his body to soak up the stakes of ice for Astra. "Cinder," He turned to look at Astra. Her eyes were glimmering, and she gives him a subtle shake of the head. He gives her a determined and reassuring smile, denying her wordless plea. "You will be fine," From behind his back, he procured a compact black bundle of ash still burning. Crushing the Ember, his body's flames increased once more, and his wounds faded away. With a swish of his longsword, the fire rekindled before the might of Kranon, his seals aligned to face the pair that defied him. "So you've decided to risk your life for a weak warrior such as her?" Kranon spoke with bemusement, yet Cinder only stepped forward; sword rose in his right, briefly placing his left across his bicep. "I am doing what Lily would have done!" He yelled as magic bolts of fire and ice smothered the sky surrounding Kranon in short bursts. Using his rejuvenated energy, as brief as it was, the Displaced swung his blade up and across, the sword tore the elemental arrows apart, and Astra could only observe in awe as she was narrowly saved by the close shave of a coiled sword, each swing and flip deflected or shattered the hail of attacks that flew between her and the Vex. It was a shell-shocking sight. "Tch!" Kranon gathered his magic, warping in various locations to confuse Cinder until he was on top of the Lord, bringing down a torrent of energy from his chest. He instantly evaded the barrage, using a burst of fire from his soles while tossing up a lightning spear to blot out Kranon's view of him until all the monster could see was the burning reflection of various flames as the hot metal carved a massive line through the left side of his face, the arc of fire burning continuously for several meters, dividing a building in half with the Vex inside. However, before his burial, Kranon snuck one last Ice-Make spell, a large, Super-Freeze Arrow heading straight toward Astra at an alarming rate. Kaid saw this all move in a crawl, gravel displaced under every step he took moving forward—a voice reverberating in his mind, a constant reminder of what this meant. "You are mistaken," That silenced Gambit's short laugh. "For I do have something you've never had your hands on before." Gambit chuckled, twirling his finger toward Cinder's chest. "Your soul is impressive for a human, but we both know they are the equivalent to pocket change to me, nor is that sword of yours worth much in value, I could print them." He waved dismissively. "No, not just my soul, rather, something you do not have," Cinder worded slowly, ensuring that Gambit did not misread his words. "My Dark Soul." Shielding herself with her forehooves, she braced with her aura as something ice-cold struck her cheeks and not her body. Peering up sharply, she saw an arm frozen in ice, amputated once the Hollow broke free from the sub-zero frost, saving her weak aura from the burden. He gazed down upon her with a slow nod, one she smiled up at. It was relieving to see her unharmed; her silver eyes had done what he needed, Kranon's core no longer shielded behind a veil, the one instrument that could wither that wound in his armour had worked. Cinder and Astra had- Gambit was still, fingers together before his face, eyes slit with an almost unusually solemn tone. "You realise that without your Dark Soul, you will-" "I know-" *Boosh!* A blade skewered itself through Kaid's chest, not a drop of blood, say for a few, dried stains of black across the old sword's edge as it pried itself free. "-I will take my last breath for the sake of my friends." "You're so weak," Kranon muttered, vanishing once the deed was done, returning to the site of his ritual not far from the courtyard. Once gone, Astra's face was a sight of horror as CInder collapsed onto his back beside her, a large gash through his chest unable to close while his embers drifted away or died against his armour. "No... no," She murmured, kneeling beside him with tears filling her eyes. Even with her hooves, she couldn't pull the wound close; there wasn't anything to stop from leaking out; he was more of a Hollow than his name gave him credit for. "Someone... had to take the fall in this..." He murmured as his finger stroked away a stray fear on her face. In his hand was a small, lingering flame, one that enraptured Astra while she bowed her head, anger seeping its way onto her grieving face. "Kranon... will take the fall, I promise... I promise..." She wept gently, feeling her hoof fall to the flame in his hand, and her body became invigorated by its touch, feeling a warmth kindling in the sword beside her as it shorted and adjusted its length to match someone slightly more extensive than she was. She couldn't see it, but he was smiling, but she didn't need to see his face to know that as his soul was fading away. Then, a light caught their eyes, through the Catastrophe's dark hue, the sun hadn't set, its form lingered on the horizon, bathing them both in its heat, wrapping them both in light. With the last of his strength, Cinder procured from his neck a silver necklace that he gently tucked over Astra's teary face. On the end of the chain was a fusion of amethyst and jade, the two halves connected within a cage of silver as it caught the light. "Hmph, let this flame... guide thee, lass... good luck..." "I'll be there soon, Lily." When she lifted her head, the man's body soon crumbled to ash and faded embers carried by the wind, leaving her with only a sword and necklace as her body began to change, but not before she embraced the coiled sword against her chest, silver eyes jammed shut with fresh tears. Had anyone been nearby, they would have heard her sobbing wails pierce for miles. To Be Continued... Author's Note Short but... all for Cinder and Astra. Conflict is not without sacrifice, and one was willing to take that plunge. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the final chapter, Renegades. Final Chapter: I'm a Renegade Kranon's spell to free him of his prison is once more intercepted by his foes. In a last-ditch effort to save countless worlds from his desire to devour, can W, Sora, and Astra prevail? 3-0 I'm A RenegadeImmediately after leaving the filly to wallow in grief, Kranon returned to his ritual site. It was a place flattened out near the edge of the mountains, a large drop behind the alter constructed with the ruins of buildings surrounding the edge behind him. The elevated site was shaped like a semi-circle with two elevated platforms to the left and right. His magic seals circled pillars, and a central podium held a special rupture bleeding white streams of light similar to code from a computer screen. A black and white mesh beat within the rupture on the altar. "The spell is nearly ready, but before I finish off what Pompeii set in motion..." He turned the grotesque scar across the left side of his face black and dripping with purple blood. Raising his hand to the blip approaching fast, he grinned. "I expected you'd come to find me first - Air-Strike Shield!" With a massive plume of fire, something struck the emerald barrier shaped like a grave shield, withholding the force of flames as a sword shattered the defence with a single plunge, a small frame of a human child nearing their teens swung the coiled blade around, striking the air that displaced. Above, Kranon's arm glowed with another magic seal. "Ice-Make Crescent Blades." The dozens of arc descended only for a stream of flames to evaporate their frames, almost striking the Vex. "So your magic is strong? How interesting." The younger armour-clad child's eyes burned inside the helmet, giving off a faint sheen of silver. "You are going to pay for everything you've done!!" Astra screamed, fire building across her new form without control, her power flaring to life. With a torrent of fire under her, Astra flew toward Kranon, swiping down in a vertical cross, inverting her spin to feel her blade recoil from Kranon's own, his hand snaking forward to bury her vision in a wall of ice, hearing him zap behind her to blast a beam of energy into her back, striking her head with the pommel of his blade. Her body struck the ground, rolling away from a rising whirlwind of flames, grasping her sword with the pommel risen to produce a streak of several dozen Farron Arrows to intercept Kranon's retaliation. Focusing as best as she could, her magic built at the pommel until burst, conjuring three crystal balls around her head, the seeker orbs distracting Kranon long enough for a radiant Soul Greatsword to narrowly graze his hip as the girl flew past, pivoting on her heels to swipe the massive magic sword around to see it crash through another Air-Strike Shield. That alone didn't stop her, so Kranon rolled over the astral blade, unable to avoid the prodding spear that came soon after, his hands burning while clasping the tip of the spear while Astra kept charging, flicking sharply to toss the monster into the air. "Her reactions are faster... could this be due to her youth?" He realized his folly all to late, using an Ice-Make Shield to take the brunt of a Chaos Fire Orb blew the chunks away, the tip of the spear parried by a stroke of his own sword, using her confusion to roundhouse the brat into a nearby building, avoiding another flaming orb with a simple backhand of frost. "You really believe you alone can hold mastery over so many magic attacks? How pedestrian." "No, I can't!" She huffed, pushing aside a table to stand at the edge of the wall. "But I can still do this." The slits in her visor began to glow, so Kranon acted on instinct, warping behind the child before she could blind him, thrusting his blade toward her back or until two boots were pressed to his marred face, a ring of fire expelled from the soles, tossing her skyward, the spear striking, curved at the tip. At the same time, she landed to cast a haze of white over her body once the house was torn to splinters, Kranon lunging for the child with several columns of fire and ice erupting all around them. His body warped again randomly, forcing Astra to continuously turn and steady her form until a scorpion tail almost caught her thigh, leading her into backflipping far from the lunge of two arms brimming with dark amethyst, casting another Chaos Orb to shatter what little remained of his aura, leading to both hands coming together for a combined repulsor blast, the short bursts heavy and caused her arms to buckle before a large battle-axe of ice crashed into her chest with resounding force, tossing the girl high into an awaiting array of fire seals, the coiled torrents of flame slithered toward her form. She spun around, swiping them around until she slid down a fallen pillar, chased by Kranon to continuously unleashed elemental attacks that set the world ablaze in a tundra, massive glaciers of ice formed to keep her cornered. Rushing up the face, she swiped in frantic strokes over Kranon's head; his arm twisted to deflect the blows with ease as the girl spun on her knees, spewing a stream of fire under his feet until he warped away after realizing she attempted to bait him toward her scimitar as it left a sizable gash on his chest. Where he appeared was exactly as Astra guessed, right before the foot of the ritual itself; So, before he could act, she closed her fist over a tense flame, seeing the ground under his feet burst open with a roar of tiger flames, although it little in the way of harming him atop a geyser of ice, looming high over the child with a small chuckle or until it caught in his throat, eyes wide at the unbelievable site of blinding white light gathered at the pommel of her sword, charging and compressing further. "S-Soul Stream!" She grunted, extending her arm with a warcry, producing a torrential stream of pure souls toward Kranon, compiling enough pressure that her heels embedded themselves into the mud just to keep her standing with both hands clasped to the staff. "Air Strike Shield - Second Shield!" Two thick hardlight barriers formed before his hand, keeping the massive wave of light from so much as grazing him, and yet the child refused to cease her assault, pooling magic from a seemingly endless source that was starting to break apart the first shield much to Kranon's furious shock. "How... can one mongrel handle such strength!?" As Astra screamed out her grief and rage in one desperate attack, she could feel a pair of hands on her shoulders, steadying her subconsciously with a young face by her ear, smiling. Her head rose sharply with a gasp, "My power is no longer tethered to my age, lass, it will never be strong again once this war ends, so do not feel burdened by your inexperience," Underneath her ruined helmet; fresh tears dribbled down her cheeks, her soul magic fluctuating. "M-mr Cinder..." A hand gently tapped two fingers against her crown. "Train well. Eat well. Laugh well. Fight well. Live well," He smiled, "As I once heard... go... set your heart ablaze." Kaid let her go, waving behind his back as his essence faded away with both hands in his pants pockets. "Let it all out, burn the sickening storm away for me, oh, and good luck, Silver Warrior." Choking down a sob, her heart... burned silver. "I will... I will... I WILL!!!" She screamed so loud her lungs could burst; increasing the final burst of magic into shattering the first shield and straight through the next, the volley of pure spiritual energy sawing through Kranon as his wail was drowned in the ensuing explosion of light, ripples tearing down the lingering walls of ice and extinguishing the last of the flames. In the wake of the attack, rocks crumbled, and a rumble ripped through the Catastrophe above. "Hah... hah... I-I... did it..." Looking toward the altar, to her disappointment, Kranon stood tall although, 'intact' wouldn't be the correct word. His entire right side was burned badly, his fair singed and arm completely disintegrated, a mere stump of what it once was. His eyes were hidden, leaving her with just a crooked smile. "Hahaha... You aren't as easy to kill as I thought; however, it seems you've underestimated the length that form of yours lasts." His finger pointed down at her waist. Looking back, Astra saw her tail had returned, poking out from the armour, and now her helmet's ears were no longer at the sides of her head. He cackled again, fist drove against her cheek, his knee coming up to crease against her stomach as the child dropped in front of his boot, lodging it across her chin, observing how her body tumbled back into the mud. Bending down, he clasped her visor with his hand, the Seal emerging across his skin with a sinister glow. "I made a mistake, so, allow me to put you to bed - and give me that strength!" He squeezed tighter, barely phased by her kicks and punches while her fingers attempted to reach for her fallen sword. "I don't need your fire, just enough magic to patch myself up; tch, you think you're the hero? Like this useless farmhand? Like the Hollow? Like your precious Mercenary!?" He kept squeezing, hearing her cry from the pain. "I'll crush your head and pluck that strength from your mangled and shredded corpse!" The seal glowed brighter. Astra's vision started to cloud. And Kranon's smile expanded to inhuman lengths. "No..." She hissed, embers slithered into her visor through her grit teeth. "Graaaaaaah!!" She swung a blade forged of soul magic, slamming its broad edge against Kranon's nape, sinking the blade an inch through his flesh, seeing his twisted grin hesitate, baring his fangs. "I. Won't. Lose. Again!" "Burn...!" Her words ushered all of Cinder's strength to cremating them together in a hellfire. The blade sunk another inch, drawing blood from the undead abomination. "Let go of me!" Kranon released the seal, bringing his fist down to knock her out; he grunted, feeling her scalding fingers coil around his wrist, struggling to hold his strength back. "H-how can one human... some damn miscalculation is holding back my power!?" *Shatter!* His palm-heel strike shattered the sword, the blue shards threshed aside, giving him ample time to raise his free hand to her helmet. "I'll meld your flesh to that carcass--!" *BAM!* The skin was creased and split with the combined might of two leather boots pressed deep against Kranon's cheekbone, the sudden force rocketing his mangled body through the dirt and half-buried at the steps of his altar. The embers dispelled; Lifting himself with one hand, Kranon eye couldn't possibly get any more unhinged. W and Sora shielded Astra; weapons raised to threaten the weakened Vex as he crawled to his feet, nearing the rupture with a dry laugh. "Hey, kid, had a makeover without us?" W smiled reassuringly until she noticed the very distinctive design of her equipment, almost lowering her launcher. "Astra, why are you...?" Her head fell to her legs, shaking her head slowly with a sniff. Sora's eyes widened before he bit his cheek. "Not again..." He shook just as angrily as W, her face unreadable, but her tail and antenna were twitching madly, teeth ground together. "Bastard lied to me," Whatever happened, he must've done something to find Kranon's weakness, and it cost him without any of them knowing. Kicking herself now wouldn't help; it'll be wasteful to Cinder's memory, so she just sucked it down into her stomach and turned her attention to Mr Chuckles by the rupture. "Sora, help me wipe that smirk off bitch-boy's face." "With pleasure," He brandished his swords in time for Kranon to realize his enemies weren't going to sit around asking questions. The sight of the human possessed corpse in hysterics unnerved the three a great deal until its remaining eye landed on W with a deranged aura; Astra could taste it in her mouth, Death. "You've been such a thorn in my side; I took away your name, your body, I had you treated like the dirt you humans are, and yet here you are!" His fist closed, the runes reacting in turn to its creator's silent decree. "When I'm done tearing this world to pieces, I'll go after your world, Remnant, and every other Displaced like YOU!!" He shuffled back, stumbling toward the rift while placing a seal on his chest. "My creators could never understand how I felt, a desire to consume all, I just want to devour everything in my sights without control or restraint!" While he ranted, W spat off to the side and rushed him with a grenade shot toward the rupture, only for a sharp gust of wind to disrupt its travel, that same whirlwind slamming into her gut, flinging her into Sora's arms. "I am Kranon the Collapse Dragon, Vex of the God of Space, and I... Am... REBORN!!!" "No!" It was far too late now; W only chance to end everything was cut short by a breeze, a single, heavy breeze. Kranon fell into the rupture, and the static in the air instantly fell silent. Rubble trickled down to the earth, and a stray crash of thunder from above were the only sounds the group could make; everything else became dull and muffled under their own heartbeats. ... ... ... No… “No… get ready; he's coming..." W grimaced as her head slowly turned toward the large ruins, their markings revitalized in the silence. Something untamed was distorting the world; sound and an earthquake that could be felt down to her bones shook and splintered the land around them. This was the end; the final hand dealt to her since arriving in this unfair world. And ironically, she was willing to defend it with her life. She drew her grenade launcher high with the appearance of two silver blades and a smouldering coiled sword to her left. The acrid air blown from the surge of energy was astounding; the hairs on the back of her neck stood up from the static, and while her fear grew wider and wider, the mercenary kept still; she had to face her fear head-on now. Both W and Aoi. A large brass arm soared into the air from the lightning behind the altar and over the cliff itself, smashing its mechanical fingers through the stone. At the same time, another did the same, lifting the shadow to loom over the trio with a large, glowing array of spotlights upon them, crushing all that obstructed the altar, leaving the site untouched. *UUUUAAAAHHHH!!!* The screech of metal felt like razors to their ears, the trembling in their vision subsiding enough to bask in the shadow of the massive construct. The mechanical beast was gargantuan, housed within a strange armature that resembled a massive V-Shaped chassis copied into layers as though it were a serpent’s body snaking down into the world below. The segments and their jagged ribs all clanking to the left and right while the chassis rose high. The angular head was shaped to closely copy a vulture with two jagged slits for amethyst eyes bared down on the Displaced, the non-existent maw screeching torn metal and rust. From its scythe-like shoulder, blades sprouted glowing, purple wings, streaking as though solidified code caged amongst the machine's skeleton for a membrane. A single thresh of the wings causing W's tongue to tingle. The sharp, jagged appendages beating slowly while many luminescent feeler tentacles flew in the breeze, adding to the massive construction that reminded W vividly of a race of machines she knew of all too well from another world entirely. "There's no way... he stole the power..." The words dried in her throat, choking down a lump. "...of the Vex Collective." Sora felt his jaw unhinge. "You mean the same biomechanical race from that game where they can warp through time - oh, I see why he chose this then." He didn't need any more answers. The massive form of Kranon flew through the air, arms consumed by streams of purple data as the very ground they walked over began to warp and change. “Brace yourselves!” W screamed “Let’s give it all we got!” Sora assured them all before reality flashed with a bright, milky white of static, the altar warping away with their vision. Once light drifted away, W and her allies found themselves atop a brass and white-stone ring spanning the size of half a football field, many chunks were risen out of sync with the rest of the ring, and certain points looked to have meshed together with old and new pieces haphazardly. Far below, the massive span of Canterlot under siege could be seen while many platforms in the distance phased in and out of time every few seconds. "The world was starting to collapse, and what better way than with the Vex's time manipulation?" Sora gulped, turning away from the edge with Astra shuffling far away from the lack of solid ground. "How sweet of him to give us our own private killing floor," W remarked dryly, inspecting the dark clouds around them. "Um... speaking of, where is he...?" "If he warped us here, then that means..." Everyone turned at Astra's insinuation, looking toward the inside of the ring as something bright reflected off the edge of the ring. "He's very close." "[bSoon, my body shall be free!" Kranon's screeched resounded in the Catastrophe, large, black shards of rock descending from the clouds as they spoke. Some shattered once Kranon soared into view, wings fanned out for a deceptively majestic machine, the head craned down toward them, eyes blaring while the hands buzzed with purple lightning much like the rupture against his chest. They had no other choice but to fight him head-on! Raising their weapons, the hands of Kranon came crashing down around them. "Keep talking big, tin man-" W sneered, tossing her final belt lined with grenades toward one of the arms. "-you'll fall apart like always!" The pins were gone, and a chain reaction tore up the arm's barding pieces, forcing the appendage to recoil in shock. "Everyone, get ready to jump!" Huh? W looked to Sora, to the right of her, the large hand slammed into the edge of the ring, sending a large wave of golden code spiralling toward them; not wishing to be caught in the flow, they all jumped as high as possible, seeing the wave dissipate after a short burst. "It's like the Oracles! If that code strikes us, we'll be erased from reality!" "Oh, come on!" W yelled at the unfairness, but when did Kranon ever intend to comply? From the bowels of Kranon sprung a torrent of lasers from its hands, the two lines dividing W and Sora to one end, while Astra ran toward the right, the lasers passing over their heads with searing heat, crashing into the wall with a blast of heat. When the plasma ceased, the trio scrambled to their feet, divided, the forked tail cracked the stone where W once stood before the body of Kranon spun in the air, sweeping the entire area with its tail and knocking W into the air. Adjusting her descent, she planted her feet on one of the plateaus, pushing back to avoid the claws of the Vex scaring the wall as it flapped its massive wings around, slamming its hands onto the ground as W rotated to near the inner-side. Suddenly, volleys of golden lightning appeared from the clouds, striking Kranon's right eye. Far to the right, Astra held her sword like a staff, summoning a series of crystal bolts and large shards of soul energy, staggering Kranon's vision constantly for Sora to land a solid, horizontal cross down the length of Kranon's beak, causing the head to recoil sharply. The wings flared again while W spotted Sora flew under Kranon and across to his backend. The Vex spun slow yet gracefully across the ring, the wings blaring out several lines of white lasers, one of them striking Astra across the chest, throwing her to the ground. At the same time, Sora latched onto the tail, sinking his blades in-between the vertebrae. While distracted, W continuously fired payloads of grenades, tossing mines to where one of the hands move to rest before erupting into fire and shrapnel. "W, I don't think my magic can do much to damage his armour!" Astra waved from afar, still attempting to utilize all of Cinder's remaining strength while W went with the motions, attempting to conjure some half-baked plan as Kranon swayed to his left, heading back for the centre. Resting high on its back, Sora swiped away with each longsword down the entire length of the spine; sadly, all Kranon did was dip downward, the tail flicking up sharply, throwing Sora from the spine, the forked end swiping down to slice him in two. The sight petrifying W mid-thought. "Sora!" W screamed, yet a spark of silver caught her eye, his blades locked between the forked appendage, flicking himself around to land with a stumble at the edge of the tail. "*Sigh* Idiot..." He followed with a right swing to the joint, then a backflip to smash his foot against the Vex's lower prong, making it roar with aggravation as it moved around the ring and back to the centre; Sora leapt through the air and landed with a stumble beside W raising a thumb. "Sorry about that, but that did little to phase it... you know it's a little confusing calling him a Vex when he's both a Vex by name, and he took the form of a fictional race too." He stood up beside W while seesawing his sword to visualize his confusion. "Bad guys often never make it easy with the names they take, huh?" W quipped or until a large shadow cast itself over them. "Oh, not again." The wind tore through them with Kranon sailing over their heads, this time swinging its whole body around in a tremendous dive, the tail sailing down toward them The partners screamed, leaping far across to the lower level with Astra, the tail slicing straight through the metal and stone, severing the chunk from the ground completely followed with a double helix, snow-white lasers slicing through more segments of the ring, with all of them narrowly pivoting around the deadly beams hazardous trajectories. "Take him down!" W barked regardless, grenades and hand-held ones batted by Sora's swords and an array of soul and fire spells cast from Astra battering Kranon's thick chassis while the silverette continuously thought of some solution that would benefit them in this hopeless situation. How could she turn an undefeatable enemy into a vulnerable target? What was this thing's Achilles heel? Could she really do as she promised? Would she... die? "Get down!" Sora tackled W under him; the second he did so, Kranon's claws peeled by their heels, the abused screaming metal torn from the environment made her ears bleed. Pushing off of Sora, the two of them stared back at Astra, the new Lord of Cinder, high in the air as that golden wave of code swept under her, followed by two lasers to her face and gut, knocking her down to the ring. "Astra!!" Turning to look at the imposing Vex, it finally struck W what she had to do, lifting herself, the image replaying on a loop in her head. "That's it..." It was right there this whole time - no, before he even became this incarnate of another race of Vex, it was right there, and Cinder gave it away. "It's Center... is in the Rupture itself." Her words didn't quite register to Sora before he saw that same, pained smile on her face. "...for Cinder." "W...? Aoi...?" She shook her head, giving him one last salute before spitting straight toward Kranon. "AOI!!" Sprinting under lazers was the easy part as the large hand flattened the ground W once stood on, using the arm as leverage onto a small platform that had displaced into the area, hooking her fingertips against its surface, she vaulted up and slid down the slope, hoping to the next small segment then another before she dove headfirst between the intercepting arms' fingers and through the Rupture. The second she did, her whole world inverted and was pulled through the eye of a needle. "Yaaah - ow!" Her face smooshed against the black surface of the Rupture. Surrounding her was nothing though a strange atmospheric glow illuminated her blank environment. There was absolutely nothing but emptiness, that, and many tears in and around the darkness held static images of many worlds, some far less colourful than others. "Woah..." Picking up her launcher, she turned to the only other person in this place, glaring back at the one-eyed human. "Tch, figures you're an emo." "Humourous, aren't you?" Kranon mused, motioning to the images. "Yes, these are worlds I have since left behind, some thrive and others... well, I already told you of my cursed hunger." "You devoured worlds, no wonder you were locked away." W huffed, holding her ground and her glare. "You stole from more than just a bunch of assholes; you started taking any world you saw fit to steal. Displaced from, good or bad, you're just a monster desperate for power." "Aren't you?" He recited off the top of his head, seeing her eyes twitch. "The moment you picked up that scarf, you wondered how much more fulfilling your life could be with W's strength, her charisma, tch, her assets compared to your lacking fleshbag of a body - you are no different from anyone wishing for power. Me? I simply cannot and do not wish to stop anymore," He lifted his arm wide. "If my creators wished for me to be a Gatekeeper to other worlds, I deserve compensation!" He kept pressing his point; gravity itself trembled. "Why do you continue to fight for them? Sure, the ones I manipulated were victims who followed complacently; why fight for them? Why trust them to keep their word if by some miracle you succeed?" He saw it, W was hesitant to answer. "I wouldn't blame you to simply 'perish due to heroics' to escape; they are... a primate form of humanity, even I wouldn't tolerate their incompetence compared to your kind's." W knew why she was here; her silence wasn't out of hesitance of their paper-thin loyalty; no, she knew why she jumped into the monster's jaws. "I'm not here for them; I'm here for myself, my friends, and my family, so who cares if they die by the dozens, I certainly won't shed a tear." Drawing up her launcher, W glared. "And what right do you have to spout that crap? All you want is to get back at a kid that bested you by destroying entire populations!" "A few worlds can be replaced in mere nanoseconds, girl, who will miss a few lost souls? Death?" He scoffed. "So long as the balance is kept, he could care less what happened to billions of lives!" He threw his arm forward as though to catch W's face between his fingers. "No one will miss your world or Equestria, just another two specks of sand in a desert." Venom dripped from his tone, never once leaving her ember's smouldering gaze. "Every life is precious, you don't care for anyone else but yourself," W murmured breathlessly, finger sliding to her trigger. "So trust me-" Raising her sights, she readied for one final fight. "-no one will miss you." Kranon sneered, lifting his hand as flames spurting from the skin like sweat, the air crackling with stray bolts of orange in the dark. "I still have one little trick," His eyes lost all sense of emotion, mutating similarly to W's, blazing like a red sun, and a ring of fire expanded outward from a dome of searing heat, blowing W backwards, the abyss ignited in a ring around them both. "That world you love so much, and yet, you never could defeat Her." Realization dawned, the familiar fabric stretched in the darkness, vibrant and blood-red. "Shit..." Lifting her launcher and another mine, W stood against a living dragon taken human form. In place of the possessed farmhand was now a woman with black horns jutting from her head, tipped red. Her hair short grey curls fading light red. She wore a ruined, onyx dress with a white undershirt under a black blouse, the hem of the dress crackling shades of dark embers, a torn armband fluttering behind her near a scaly tail. Clasped in her right hand was a black longsword as it burst with a column of fire stretching toward W in a wide arc: the Deathless Black Snake, Talulah. She evaded it, feeling her eyes sting from the intense aura surrounding the faux Draco as Kranon swiped again, relating a torrent of rising flames from the ground, catching W's leg while she swept it aside, firing a grenade while tossing the mine. Both explosives struck the flaming sword, knocking Kranon back, his very feet infecting the black earth with molten webs. "Still distracting..." He muttered, clutching a flame in his left, igniting a column to W's left; she dived, rolling away to backhand the sword with her launcher, tossing two grenades with a scoff. "Guess you can't fight us on two front - gah!" The blade sliced across her left forearm, almost digging deep enough to sever it had W not blown a sizable blast in Kranon's face, seeing him grunt and retreat, face singed while her arm bled and cauterized. That made her brow quirk. "He's avoiding me? No... he has to!" It hit her like a brick. "If he really had a copy of Talulah's strength, I'd be an ashen stain by now, and he keeps blocking my explosives, he's... fallible." Molten strokes of light split the abyss, forcing W to roll and sprint in a curve, leaping over the fiery slants from afar, propelling her own explosive ordinance across the gap; sadly, most missed or were cut mid-flight. Changing her gameplan, W kicked a smoke grenade under the flames, spraying the plume wide, giving her a split second to avoid the arc that banished the smokescreen, revealing the several landmines and the detonator in her palm. "Boom!" The three plastic explosives lit the void in a powerful glow, the kinetic energy sending shrapnel across the battlefield, slicing Kranon as he shielded his chest, shards prodding his fleshy cage. Through grit teeth, flames roared and simmered, the accents of red turning cherry in hue. "I have had enough of your interference, Aoi!" He snarled, unleashing several large waves of fireballs, completely cutting any chance of evasion. So W stood her ground, wrapping her tail around her waist while ripping the last belt from under her jacket, a line of grenades for her launcher. The first made an audible 'thunk' blowing the first fireball to embers, loading another with a slap she dispelled the second, waves of blinding heat rippling past her sides. "Why... won't... you... DIE!?" "Cause-!" Another blast, she stepped forward. "-I'm not-!" The final avalanche of flames was blown away, W's devil-like form stepping through the lingering flames toward the faux Talulah. "-a bitch!" Curling her left arm back, she brought across the face of the descending blade, striking Kranon across the cheeks as his illusion of Talulah shattered, the blade slicing across W's arm. Still, her scream of defiance kept her fist moving forward until she knocked the Draco on her ass. "Hah... and for the record..." W glared, loading the last grenade of the belt. "...I just used Thorns to beat her." Taking up the sword once more, Kranon lunged, a wave of flames rising with the edge, severing a few strands of silver while W swivelled under the strike to gut=punch more of the illusion off Kranon's skin, the shocked half-expression on both faces turning to disgust. He doubled back, slashing left while W dipped her head back, slinging her launcher in favour of throwing punch after punch against the face of the searing blade, which in reality, was the old one strapped to his waist. One taut right hook broke the illusion, parrying the flames and knocking Kranon against an invisible wall in time to see the muzzle pointed in his direction. "Alright, Houdini," W huffed, "It ends, so spare me the monologue and go back to being a legend." One strike, just one more, and it was over! There was silence, say for their laboured breathing, or, until he smiled, the last of Talulah's shell shattering. "Did you forget who gave you that scarf?" With one curl of his fingers, W's body suddenly pulled, dropping her line of sight. Wracked with pain in her stomach, as forced her down to her knees, clutching her stomach as a dark purple liquid was coughed up in placement of blood, tasting like oil. "Without all that power, you are nothing more than a defenceless child playing pretend - wake up as the farmboy did and see how reality can be cold." A shuddering force knocked W backward, losing her launcher and duffle bag. "I...!" Her voice hitched once she saw that her jacket was no longer as high quality as before, replaced solely by the red jacket she wore to the convention. Her plain black shirt with a fancy skull stitched into its surface visible. Her jeans were still ripped, and her black and red trainers dirty and covered in smudges from lack of proper care. Her arms, no, her whole body was skinnier, lacking W's toned, defined body and curves; even her bust was half its size again. Feeling her hair dangling by her shoulders, she ran her fingers through it; gone were the wilder hair, longer at the back with only her bangs curly and unkempt with chocolate-brown eyes. W was no more, instead, just the normal, bland... Aoi. Out of instinct, Aoi reached for the top of her head, even her temples desperately to find her horns and antenna were missing, including her tail. Every inch of her body was no longer the one she was stuck with, but it felt as though Kranon tore a piece of her forever. "I'm W now, who I am before doesn't matt-" "I think it matters," Sora added quickly. "If... if the person you were before didn't matter, then how come you're here? "Just because you're in pain doesn't mean I feel the same way - I am, but I want to know why too, why I'm here, why you and Sora are here," Astra continued, waving her hoof wide, stomping it once with a huff, her eyes matching the same fire that would adorn W's. "We don't have answers, but we still made it this far anyway, even if I'm still useless, even though you've been hurt, we've been in bad situations before, but that was fine because we did it our way." "Good luck, my friend." That last faint echo felt as though it brushed against her ear. Shaken, Aoi curled her fingers against the blank ground, bitterness fading away. "It's funny, strip away a person's power and what is left underneath? Nothing," Kranon sneered, receiving no shred of backlash from the defeated girl. She was simply lost. His eye narrowed, biting back a snarl of disappointment. "Just a weak, pathetic human," With another pulse of invisible force, Aoi and her weapons were tossed back, the girl rolling onto her side. "Let the last moments of your life be as they always have been, for nothing." His hand rose, dripping with purple magic like flames only for his face to hesitate, lowering his hand slightly. Aoi pushed up slowly, fingers curled around her bag's strap and her grenade launcher, the former a little difficult to balance at first against her back, but she managed quickly. Her head was low, loading a new grenade with a sharp flick of the barrel. "It wasn't for nothing," Aoi muttered, lifting her head to brush aside her bangs, staring hatefully toward the abomination of a God. "I may not be some flashy hero or have some pre-written destiny set out for me, but I'm fine with that because I led myself here, my choices not yours!" She screamed, raising her sights to the scarred and weakened Vex. "Whether or not I'm a Mercenary or a student - Aoi or W - I am whoever I chose to be!" As Aoi took a step forward, Kranon swore those disgusting, emerald eyes were looking back at him that day, that seal etched into their hand. "If I fail, then it was all for nothing; my choices were for nothing!" Hidden in her chocolate-brown eyes was a faint blemish of fire burning in her irises. "Ignorant mongrel!" With a swipe of his arm, a large black void with a white edge tore through the space between them only to be blown away by a grenade as Aoi winced, holding her launcher in both hands to handle the recoil as she loaded another, sprinting in a wide circle toward the Vex. "I'll ensure to erase every existing parallel of you!" Her eyes remained focused and unchanged, watching how the energy gathered to a tip against his fingers. "He can't use anything else but his Ruptures now, there's nothing to draw power from, and my weapons are still here?" Looking around briefly as she rolled under another dark sabre of distortion, blast the ground ahead of her to blind Kranon to her movements. "No... my body is still here, somewhere in this place, so maybe if I can get him to the Rupture..." Glancing back at the scar that left to Equestria, Aoi had now formed a plan. "I have spent COUNTLESS eons awaiting my escape!" Kranon shrieked, the gathered distortion travelling like a jagged riptide toward Aoi, who fished around in her duffle bag. "I refuse to be starved a second time!" He continued to gather and materialize waves of distortion between his fingers Aoi tossed forth several charges of C4, running away from the approaching waves to detonate them all in a large inferno of white and orange, seeing Kranon's furious gaze through the simmering flames. Rushing in a b-line once the flames died, she pounced over another wave, feeling something painfully sharp release the blood from her left shoulder, her body tumbling across the darkness, a large gash staining her clothing a deeper shade of red. Gasping, she bowed her head under another wave, a few strands of hair vaporized until she pulled the trigger on another payload, blinding Kranon, who stood only a few meters away. Her arm seized up, but it wasn't broken yet, so she refused to stop now. The moment Aoi stood up to sprint, she had to quickly guard her chest with her launcher, the metal peeling at her eardrums as that old, reflective sword of Kranon's recoiled off the thick barrel. Reacting immediately, Aoi swung the muzzle to her right, backhanding Kranon while yanking her hand free of her bag to drop a mine between them, herself rolling away while scrambling to push the detonator, feeling the head rush through her clothing and toss her into a short tumble. Kranon shook off the ringing in his ears, readying his sword for her next- "What are you-?" A petite fist creased against his cheek, drawing blood from his lesser marred side as he felt his vision cloud with the sight of his machine form in Equestria continuing to struggle in defeating a half-human-pony child and the Aasmiar. "HYRAAA-" Aoi's face twisted with fury, taking the edge of the sword across her cheek as she angled herself to embed her knee into his side, tackling Kranon through the Rupture with a heartfelt cry his own barely resembling that of a human, his hand unable to touch her face to tear her head off its shoulder before both felt the excruciating sensation of being squeezed to a fine point. "-AAAH!!" Dark skies were surrounding Aoi and Kranon as the pair fell far over the rings and displacing structures. His human form melded into the Rupture, exposing his valuable form against the large, wailing machine as it lost its momentum, steadily descending above Aoi, reaching for her with a large hand. Her form was starting to reverse, hair a mesh of long and short locks while one horn appeared from her right temple, eyes a merge of hazel and ember-orange, one pupil the shape of a demonic cross. Her tail had returned, and parts of her clothing began to change, infused with lingering red sparks where two edges collided. The air screamed in her ears as her tail disconnected the clip of her duffle bag, body slamming against the wrist of the arm as she rolled across the length of the metal limb, leaping until she had her fingers digging into the human Kranon's cheeks, shoving her duffle bag against his chest with one final stare into his eye, fear and fury intertwined. "Weren't you listening to me-!?" Kicking him rightfully between the legs to escape the thresh of the left arm of the Vex, W raised her sights a final time to her bag, sighing out a grieving breath for her infinite storage, but her finger squeezed the trigger, knowing what had to be done now. With her eyes to the Collapse Dragon flailing toward her, she smirked, eyes on fire. "-Don't fuck around with a Sarkaz Mercenary." *Thunk!* One final grenade left the muzzle with a flash, piercing the bag with a massive flash and almost inaudible reverberation in the air, the massive faux variation of the Vex Collective was consumed in a tremendous flash of gold, scarring the Catastrophe like a star, the sonic boom striking W in the gut as her body spun a few times through the air, her ears ringing. In contrast, the last shred of Kranon was consumed by fire and a series of smaller eruptions across his metal body. As her vision began to cloud, a dark figure closed in with a hand reaching toward her face, their body obscured by the death of a Vex. ... ... ... "...hrm," W stirred on the ground, her head propped against Sora's lap as her body shot up on reflex, reaching for her weapon. "Wait, where's-!" "Hey, wait-wait-wait, it's fine, it's over," He assured the Sarkaz as she sat up in his arms, feeling a little better with them pressed to her shoulders. "You were only out for about a minute, give or take." "It was deafening too," Astra was glued to W's hip, her body no longer human much to her disappointment, but she retained Cinder's armour, taking off the helmet to free her mane again. "I... I thought you were... w-when you went into the Rupture." W ruffled her ears quickly with a wink. "Like I said many times, it'll take more than that to kill me," Although she decided to withhold how she basically fought, said Vex with only her normal body and equipment that left her arms buckling and possibly sprained. She still held the injuries from that fight too. Groaning, W leaned against Sora's chest. "I think I broke a rib or two... and my shoulder's numb." "Idiot," His hand struck her forehead, and while she couldn't see his face, she knew he was probably worried sick. So, without allowing him to start his heartfelt rant, she lifted her tail to wipe away a stray tear on his face. "I know, but if I stopped being reckless, what kind of an idiot would that make me?" She mused, eyes blinking wide a moment later, lifting her head to Astra, who was running her hoof over the helmet. "Astra... he's..." W bit her lip, antenna curled down as she struggled to get the words out. She let out a pained chuff with a smile, growing a little misty-eyed for the smartass Hollow. "...he left his power with a good head on their shoulders." That caused the filly to smile through her tears, leaning against W's side as Sora rested his head on W's shoulder, herself shaking out a breath. As the three silently grieved for their fallen friend, W noticed that the skies were clearing away for a golden ceiling, the sun itself starting to set after being stuck in its perpetual state. With the Catastrophe dissipating, all that was left were many destroyed buildings, dark rocks jutting from the earth like rotten thorns. Just short of half a dozen meters from their spot on the ground were the large remains of Kranon's faux Vex form, the Destiny kind, not his term as W had to keep reminding herself. The machine was a mere death pile of torn metal and wires, yet a light emanated from the wreckage. Her flabbergasted state eventually drew Sora and Astra's eyes to the glowing machine. From under the arms and lifeless wings sprung many colourful motes of light, similar to snowfall. A vast array of colours dazzled the trio, sailing off into the sky to fade into nothing. "What... is this?" W murmured, eyeing Astra for a moment. "It's them... all the spirits Kranon consumed," She smiled a little warmly for the motes of light dancing through the sky, a resonating sensation of freedom and jubilation shared amongst even those that had harmed their worlds. "They're free." "Look...!" Sora pointed toward the one hovering by the shredded head of the machine, a familiar sword clasped in an astral hand. The mote expanded into a person with a young appearance, clothing fitting for a farmhand. At the same time, he brushed a few stray bangs from his green eyes that focused on W in particular, smiling fondly at the woman with a small tilt of his head, resting the tip of the sword into the soil before him. "Thank you..." He looked up at the other motes with a short breath, looking back at her. "From all of us." Without much else to say, W smiled stupidly, waving her hand shortly. "Anytime, Farmboy." She couldn't resist as he retained a peaceful smile, fading away like all the others. Kranon the Collapse Dragon and the Farmhand that sealed him away... were gone. Somewhere under Hollow Shades... Gambit lightly flicked the King off the chessboard with a satisfying 'clatter' of wood. In its place was his Queen, the Renegade. The Renegade's own men were to the left and right, a Rook, the Aasimar, and the Bishop, a Silver Warrior. His game was filled with many close turns and compelling routes toward numerous ends. One might say that is chess in its entirety, well, a normal game of chess, that is. For Gambit, he could envision the countless scenarios, paint pretty pictures of triumph and failure; all had their motives, but this one was as he anticipated since the little silverette’s arrival as a mercenary. One piece, in particular, was played with his fingers, eyeing the Knight represented by a ruined knight, a faint crackling of embers lingering on the piece. His eyes narrowed as he sat the piece off the board again, seeing the embers vanish only to appear on the Silver Warrior. With a flick of his wrist, he procured the silent, burning black flame with a distinct white glow to its form. It wasn't hot, nor was it ice-cold, just a dead, empty thing. "Well, what a fun game this has been, Kaid, oh yes, what fun it was..." With a satisfied grin, Gambit caused the flame to vanish, leaving his concluded chessboard behind. Construction was underway for another day that week. Canterlot was still in quite a terrible state of disrepair long after the Catastrophe had vanished with the death of its creator. The worst were the streets caught in Pompeii's path, many of the Guard and construction workers tasked to clear the rubble and ash that remained of dozens of buildings. It wasn't pretty, and Canterlot would struggle to get back on track for a few months, but most if not every citizen was safe, many injured, severely or otherwise, but safe regardless. The worst part were the large blades of black material sticking out of the ground in many locations. Those points were quarantined until the rocks could be removed to reduce any unnecessary safety hazards and keep ponies from becoming infected with Oripathy due to the formation of familiar, semi-opaque black crystals, Originium. Inside Canterlot Castle itself, one garden decorated with many statues depicting many historical moments had one visitor that day. Bearing a ruined suit of armour that looked as though it would fall apart with a simple breeze stood as sturdy as any other metal forged into armour. Astra Lumi finished brushing her hooves through a small dirt plot, checking her work slowly with the many decorative flowers she planted in the bed. Looking up, she admired the smooth stone carved in such short notice, Robin's sword forever fixed into the slanted slab on the front of the burial slab. Trotting around to the slab, she sat on her haunches and put her forehooves together with her eyes closed, feeling a warm breeze brush through her mane while silently praying to the statue. "I'll do my best." "Don't try too hard, or you'll start sounding like him too," The voice broke the girl's trance to find the smug smile on another silverette's face. W chewed on an apple she 'procured' pointing down at Astra before hopping off the Statue of a Hydra, using its body as a slid to land on the ground. She closely admired the filly's handiwork with the flower bed, leaning down, surprising Astra when W placed her own rose on top of the plaque. "There! Perfect for a fanboy like him." "What about Robin?" Astra inquired though W brushed off the filly's worry. "Eh, he's probably into all the girly flowers too; guys usually hide that sorta thing," She joked, tapping her foot off Astra's leg while walking away. "Come on, 'bout time for the main event." "Coming, Mama!" That was something W had to get used to hearing, the title causing her to almost trip on an uneven slab but smile like a giddy idiot all the same. Turning back to the memorial, she didn't say anything, offering a smile as she turned her head, waving behind her back as she left with Astra. "Please don't do something needlessly reck - oh who am I kidding, you will." Sora sighed as W patted his head. "Look who's learning," She cooed, pecking his cheek for good luck. "Trust me, I got this... been stuck in this damn place for a week, so I'd like to think I had this all planned out in my head by now." "That's what worries me," Sora added as the trio pushed through the main doors to the throne room. Luna wasn't present since she needed her beauty sleep, so Celestia was present for the meeting. But it wasn't the Princess that was W's immediate concern; it was those turned toward their entrance that sparked a tempo in W's chest. With a casual wave to her boyfriend's mother, W grinned lazily. "Hey, Celestia, sorry for the delay had to check up on an old friend." Very old and nerdy, in her opinion. "No need to apologize, W; we weren't waiting long." The rather informal manners exchanged between the two eventually sparked questions. Primarily from the purple unicorn herself, God W didn't miss her ugly mug. "U-um, Princess Celestia, why is it... she not - I-I mean she's-" "Aw, did I just overthrow your spot as Celestia's favourite, Sparkle Butt? My bad," W relished the sight of Twilight's face burning with embarrassment and rage. "Let's not beat around the bush, ladies - and Spike, can't forget the main drake." Said dragon just perked up and waved shyly. "Lovely as always, now-now, let's hear it, all four of you in particular." "W, are ya sure this is righ'?" Applejack quickly suggested, allowing Fluttershy to hide behind her form, clearly still unnerved by W's appearance. But the farm pony saw it, the lack of empathy in the woman's gaze. "I'm sorry? But you seriously think that I'm going to brush aside all the crap you all put me through?" W paced, listing off all her memories bitterly. "Dash's short-tempered personality left me with many bruises, cuts, and aching muscles for days at a time, Applejack, while you didn't do much, you still did your fair share of damage to me, Rarity with her destructive comments about my looks and occasion telepathic slam into nearby trees," She looked down at her hooves as W said this, Dash didn't say a word. "Pinkie... need I say more?" Even the bubbly mare didn't look all that springy. "And You," W brought her hands down toward Twilight, who kept her wary eyes on W and her strained smile. "Where do I even start with every single microsecond I spent around you. Injuries, lies, manipulation, hurting Astra," That part, in particular, caused W's tail to thresh sharply. Her finger then poised down at her boots. "Kranon manipulated you all, but those days still hurt, and I want to hear it, so get on your knees and beg, now." Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle all knelt at W's sight, heads low as the sight gave her a wave of notification, recalling how she was beaten into the mud, forced into magic chains that burned at her skin. The sight of ponies wishing her locked up or dead, some not bothering to hear her cries to listen. It was the worst moments of her life, and yet... she met Astra, found a guy that... accepted her flaws, and while it was short, she found a rival who acknowledged not W's strength, but Aoi's. She had found what she was looking for. "Nothing we say can undo what we did, and we know it was wrong... please forgive us... forgive me," Twilight croaked up; she was terrified that W would lift her launcher and just blow them to pieces there and then. One of the silverette's scenarios was where she finally snapped with her Arts or left Canterlot to burn. But that would make her no different than Kranon; she would have learned nothing. With a smirk, W sighed with a great and long stretch, patting her hips. "Ahh... that felt great," W beamed, turning around while giving the room a wave. "Well! I got what I needed, I forgive ya, but-" She stopped the four from looking to happy amongst themselves, pointing a red nail at them all, eyes blazing hot. "I will never trust any of you again; in fact, I hope someday that village of yours burns to the ground, and I hope I never have to see any of you ever again, especially you, Twilight Sparkle," W shouted over to Celestia, the mare relaxing in her throne after the tension aired out with that clear warning. "Celestia, my compensation's been sent to Courier, right?" "It took time given the transactions toward businesses and reconstruction of Canterlot, but yes, he has recently received the allotted sum you requested," The alicorn assured W, who stared for one last moment before shrugged, tugging her new duffle bag over her shoulder, giving the Monarch the same backward wave. "Tch, woman of her word at least - seeya around, Princess," Her farewell was brief, but she had places to be, motioning to Astra and Sora. "You two coming?" "Excuse me, W..." She paused, turning back before exiting the doorway. The Monarch looked... timid. "I'm sorry to bother you again, but... can you promise me something, as a Mother?" "Mom?" Sora murmured from his spot, looking up at the vacant throne as Celestia appeared before her subjects and son with a heartfelt expression; Astra could feel it; dread and sorrow were welling up since they arrived today. "And that is?" W asked, not realizing the same, golden motes of light started to appear around her; the last they did, she was whisked away to Equestria. "Huh? What the hell?" Her star-struck face forced her arms to scatter the light, noticing the same began to appear around Sora and Astra. "Sun-Butt... want to explain this?" She... just smiled, "W, I cannot begin to thank you, not only for saving my kingdom but for saving this young filly," Her hoof motioned to Astra, her eyes wide with wonder at the twinkling lights. "And, for giving my sweet little boy a chance to be happier when... he's gone." Her voice hitched. "Wait, w-what's...?" Then Celestia trotted up to his side, smiling warmly upon his frightened expression. "No... n-no, I'm..." The revelation finally slammed into W, her own heart quaking alongside the confused state Astra was left in. "Oh, Sora..." Celestia slowly pulled her son, human or not; she loved him dearly. "I know, but without Kranon, there is no longer anything maintaining your presence in this world," It hurt so much, it was unbearable to think about, but no spell in Equestria could stop this. Celestia... was powerless. Lowering his hand, he almost turned around, unable to look up at his mother had something blunt not rattled off the top of his head. "Ack - why!?" He cried down at the crimson guard before him. Cliffheart wore a knowing smile, tossing Sora his twin swords, watching the Prince stumble to catch them against his chest. "Don't make this a sob story already; somepony needs to keep that Beast of the Everfree out of trouble, better you than a Royal Guard." He chuckled, standing by his Prince, his friend, one last time as the motes gathered. "You'll miss me!" W grinned snarkily. Unknown to her, she was correct. Cliffheart watched as the greatest hunt of his life slowly began to fade away to nothing alongside Cinder's new Flame, sword clutched to her side protectively. "Cinder... gave a lot for all of us, and that filly needs proper training with a sword that I doubt W can provide in her world." "But what about-" The bo-staff cut him off pointed at his nose. "Prince Sora, I think Canterlot can survive with one less pony slash person for the foreseeable future, it'll be tough, sure, but we'll manage," Cliffheart gave a wink and patted the Aasimar's leg. "I mean, Captain Armor bailed to the Crystal Empire and left me in charge, and hey, things are still running smoothly regardless, no?" He waved his hooves wide at the lack of ruins surrounding them. He did have a valid point. "But as a cherry on top, really want some stallion back home hittin' on your girl?" "What was that last part?" W demanded, not quite catching it as she choked on a mote of light. "Ack, ugh, taste like copper!" That final straw broke the camel's back as Sora attached his scabbards to his belt, "...I hate Swift so much right now," Then he faltered. "But... Mom I..." Celestia nuzzled her son's forehead, eyes gentle and kind, holding back tears like her sister behind her. "You will always be loved in this world, and I will never forget that, nor will my subjects," She bowed her head toward Astra and W. "And I will never forget you both either - my promise... is to take care of my little prince." W was monotone, feeling very conflicted on returning home, but that was her fear, wasn't it? To be normal again, that issue was dissolved at the memories of her time in Equestria; she fought against Infected, the kingdom at her back, and against an abomination of the Gods themselves. What was a normal life compared to that? She perked up with a fanged smile; tail whipped around to salute. "Have my word; I'll keep him in line once I find him again." And she would most certainly search the ends of the earth for this dork. "W," Twilight found her voice, looking conflicted as her eyes met the Mercenary. "I know it might not mean much but, I am... so sorry." "You already apologized, idiot," W chuffed, scratching her nape. "Want a lesson, then let ol' W enlighten you," Lifting her eyes around the many characters she's met, good, bad, and conflicted alike. "A show I watched taught me something important; 'The single quality that is common across every living creature on this planet... is fear'," Eyes lit up at her words. "It's the enemy of trust, and those that know to use it will manipulate the truth to suit their needs, to overcome fear you have to trust, to take a risk against what your fears are telling you - Sora learned that with me, I learned that with them, and... Cinder sacrificed everything to preserve it," With the light growing around her, W smiled genuinely, "Just... keep an open mind about others like us, 'kay?" The Princess smiled, tears sprung from her eyes. "I will... thank you." Through the motes of light, W clutched her duffle bag tightly; it was... over. Astra hugged her legs; Sora embraced his Mom and best friend one last time as the Elements teared up themselves. It wasn't a fair solution, but... at least neither side would be alone. "I'm coming home... W, goodbye." Were W's last words to the magical, vibrant world of Equestria, a weight like no other lifting away. "I love you, I always will," Sora murmured into Celestia's chest, Cliffheart just rubbing his Prince's back in circles, keeping his smile regardless of how he felt. "I love you too, sweetie." "'Till next time; You were a fine Prince, Sora." *Shatter!* ... ... ... ... ... Then there was nothing... ... ... ... ... "Ah!" Aoi stumbled back into an empty stall, grabbing her chest tightly with sweat trickling down her face. The crowd was boisterous, as to be expected from a convention. It took her several seconds to realize she wasn't dead or floating in an abyss like before. No, she was back; Without an ounce of shame, she unzipped her jacket, an average bust greeting her under a skull T-shirt. Even her body lacked it - wait, "Well, there's a positive." Her body retained its toned form, something she wouldn't be giving up easily. She continued to prod at her skin, no horns, tail, or antenna; she was effectively human again. One new addition did strike her with a mini-heart attack, the fact the torn scarf of the mercenary she was before still hugged her neck. Almost on instinct, she wanted to rip it and throw it away. Her fingers were taut a moment before sighing, leaving it in place. Aoi smiled slightly, realizing she was rested against the old stall of the Merchant's, now it sat vacant and devoid of life. With a hand pressed to her eyes, she let out a shaky breath. "Guess I'm back - how's that for a nobody, Kranon?" And the world would never know she saved their asses; now that was tragic. Then she shot up. "Oh crap, Astra!" No longer wallowing in her own self-pity, Aoi shot her eyes around the stalls, even behind the Merchant's, for any indication of a coiled sword or a little girl with silver eyes. "Crap-Crap-Crap!" "How did I forget that!? But wait, if I can't find her, then does that mean she's back in..." Shaking that harrowing idea from her thinking, Aoi tucked her scarf closer. "Mercenary's job is never done." Aoi shot into the crowd with a newfound purpose, putting her tricks as W to the absolute test. She lacked her stronger abilities, but she was still W deep down. Once at a crossroads, she started asking people. "Hey, any of you seen a little girl with silver eyes?" The first pair shook their heads. "Oi, seen a girl around eight-to-ten, has white hair like mine?" "No, sorry," Dammit! Again and again, her questions bore no fruit; she was without intel. Normally, Aoi would panic; instead, it only poured more fuel into her eyes. Spotting a box, she slipped through the crowd to gain a better point of view. Hands to her cheeks, she called out. "Astra!? Astra, you hear me, kid!?" Some gave Aoi a few odd looks, ones she glared down at. "What? Got something to say?" They shook their heads, not wanting to anger the girl further. "Come on, Astra... where the hell are you?" Biting her lip, she leapt over a few heads, continuing her search on foot. On-and-one, she investigated, unsure if Astra would even be here, let alone in the same country. Without realizing it, someone bumped into her, the two jolting back. "Wha? O-oh, Aoi," No way... Had today not already thrown the once Mercenary's head through a loop, the familiar voice that felt so lost to her made the whitette's heart skip. It was Jaye, the guy with faux-brown curly hair and blue eyes. "Huh, that's a nice scarf; it looks expensive." "Hey, Aoi, you've been gone for like... very long; we were getting worried," The girl who was normally the timid one beamed, Alice with her shoulder-length blonde hair and emerald eyes, even freckles like a certain Fly-Boy she knew. "Yeah, you know, red and black really does suit yo - huh? Eh?" "You guys..." Without thinking about it, Aoi pulled the two against her shoulders, hugging them tightly with a shaken breath. A faint smile splitting her lips. Aoi wanted to say so much, tell them so much, but her worries came first, for Astra's sake. "Sorry, just..." Pulling away, leaving the pair worried and confused for their introvert friend, then seeing her eyes burning with determination. "I need your help right now, I... I need to find a girl, eight years old, has hair like mine and silver eyes - hell, she's probably lugging around a coiled sword too." "That's... oddly specific?" Alice murmured, patting Aoi's shoulder. "Are you okay? What happened?" "Nothing important; we need to find Astra," Aoi affirmed, waving her hand. "And no one else here is useful besides you two, so please, help me." Jaye was the first to step forward. "Anytime we're friends, comes with the territory." Why did he suddenly remind Aoi of a certain annoying hunter in the Royal Guard? "Sure thing, Captain," She found herself chiming before splitting from their sides. "I'll search north; you guys take west and east, then converge!" "Got it!" They complied with her frantic orders. Minutes passed, the trio divided but communing through text constantly, asking people and security for any sign of the lost girl. On the hunt for a wayward child, W kept sprinting through the crowd, ignoring their complaints while she entered the central building, the crowds packed but dispersing near the back end. Up above to her left was Alice waving her arms down at Aoi, pointing toward her northeast. With a salute, she took off, diving over seats and slipping between people in her way. If she followed the route, she'd enter the quieter place nearest the entrance; everyone packed into the smaller sections of the convention. A sharp while caught her ears; she swore invisible antennas twitched. Again, upon the level above directly above her, Jaye smirked, waving toward the northwest, toward a line of pillars facing the massive glass wall where the entrance was, people flooded in and out of the facility. Taking his instructions, she sped off, eyes snapping around at the many groups and individuals in haste. Somewhere, Astra was here, Aoi could feel it, W knew it. Both wouldn't stop trying. "W...?" Her feet screeched to a halt, turning sharply to her right nearest the last pillar. Had shock not already riddled her mind, this might have knocked her out faster than Kranon ever could muster. "I can't feel her aura..." She murmured. A girl no older than eight stumbled around with a coiled blade clutched between her hands tightly. She wore a black skirt with striped leggings and black shoes with decorative embers on the straps. Her shirt was white with the symbol of a decorative pony in armour, akin to Cinder himself. Her sleeves rolled up. Her hair was only a few inches shorter than Aoi's, the bangs clipped with another ember pendant, revealing those lost, dazzling silver eyes and rosy cheeks. "..." Aoi couldn't hold back a few misty tears, shaking them away to approach the girl slowly, hand to her hip. "Why is it you always make me worry, kid?" Her voice broke a little. Astra gasped and shot her head forward upon hearing Aoi's voice, eyes brimming with her own tears at the different but familiar grin stretching over their face. "M-mama...?" Now that finally pushed Aoi into moving a little faster, meeting the filly-turned-human halfway as she was tackled into a hug. "I-I-I'm s-sorry!" She muttered into Aoi's shirt, the ex-merc wrapping her arms around the Lord of Cinder. "Shh, it's fine... found ya, didn't I?" She whispered, stroking the frightened girl's head gently, relief flooding her form while tapping her forehead to the Seer's. "It's okay; we're here..." That drew the teary-eyed girl back. "I-Is Sora here?" Sadly, Aoi shook her head. "Oh..." A flick to the nose cut off that notion quickly, Aoi's friends behind her. "Hey now, since when has a little inconvenience ever stopped us? Knowing that idiot, he'll find some magical way of crawling back like a lost puppy." Her laughter made Astra pout. "That's still not nice..." "Who said I ever was, kid?" Ruffling Astra's hair, she beamed. "Look at that, now we match!" "So... who is this girl?" Alice asked, cooing at the sight of the timid child clutching to Aoi's jacket. "She's so cute~!" That drew the pair's eyes, looking for an answer in silence. Astra could see it though, Aoi was spiralling downward in fright, worry, anxiety, and so much more. "U-um, will they believe us?" She murmured to Aoi's ear. "Alice? Probably not. Jaye? Dunno, kinda going through a blur if I'm honest," Aoi admitted, scratching her head. "Say, how much are you guys willing to believe if I told ya the truth? Or would you prefer a totally not made up story I'm currently thinking of off the top of my head?" "Say, Aoi-" Jaye knelt, holding out a folded note. "Before we parted ways, you dropped this, I didn't read it, but I thought I'd wait 'till we met up again." He smiled, handing it back. "I never had this from Equestria?" Shrugging, Astra sat on Aoi's lap, her friends circling close to read whatever was inside in... particular font. "What the hell...?" Dear Mercenary, W, Aoi, whatever... If I've played my cards right, this lovely little letter should've been handed to you from your friend, Jaye; I bet that's a head-scratcher, huh? I'll keep this brief; Since your little excursion against Kranon was very successful, and I'm furrowly entertained, I found it within myself to allow you, Sora, and little Astra to keep your gifts, consider it a 'Quest Reward' for everything you've done - bet your friends are perplexed right now, I'm making lots of bets thus far. Moving on! I do hope they prove to be valuable in the event Kranon's influence causes any... misinterpretations in the future, oh, and here's a little something extra, a bit of wisdom on my part. You aren't someone special; you were just one in a million in a state of probability. You're alive; that's already special enough, don't you think? Sincerely, The amazingly talented Nightmare, Gambit "Bull, I'm calling bull," Alice flat out denied everything Aoi and Astra told them, changing the fact everyone was a magical talking pony; otherwise, there'd be no saving themselves. "So this Kranon guy up and kidnapped you-" "That's a fancy way of saying, 'torment'," Aoi muttered from her seat at a cafe, cheek in hand. "-so he could use you, Displaced as W, a guy who was an Aasimar, and another who's the Lord of Cinder, just so he could erase the body he was trapped in from time, effectively making it like he was never trapped, to begin with?" Alice summed up nicely. "Add in the kingdom was after my head, Forsaken, Pompeii too with a nice little bow on top, and yeah, basically that," Aoi smirked, sipping her lemonade. "Ugh, I miss Hollow's beer..." It dawned on her she should've smuggled some back with her. "Yep, BS, but a nice story," Alice smiled until Jaye rubbed his chin, looking intensely at Aoi and Astra, the latter eating a sandwich happily. "I dunno, Aoi's... different," That quirked a few brows his way. "Like, don't get me wrong, sounds really stretched, really cool too, but Aoi... you've never been this... um?" "Assy?" Alice guessed. "Snarky?" Astra added. "Oh sure, throw me under the bus, why don't you...?" Aoi grunted, turning with a pout. "Exactly! N-not the name-calling part, but your personality just seems confident and outspoken," He smiled, nudging her shoulder to draw her steely gaze. "Regardless, you look like you've improved your self-confidence a lot." Aoi just stared, processing that for the longest time. W had given her many opinions for how this journey of hers would end, abandon the world that did nothing but torment her, there were good moments, though, and she ultimately chose to help save it, not for Equestria, but them. Her parents and best friends, and now she had so much more. Strangely, she felt a ghost form of W's knuckle tap off the back of her head, disappearing with a sheen of the scarf in the sunlight. She smiled, "Thanks..." It didn't matter if they believed her or not, she was happy, and out there, an Aasimar's head was spinning. "What now, though? If he's back at the same point I was then... he'll be younger than me." That alone dropped Aoi's spirits; she didn't care much for age gaps, but... this was definitely significant. "There's my luck again..." "Still, this 'Sora' guy you talked about, he sounds like he's caught your eye; I'm shocked, you usually give this disgusting scowl as someone spat in your drink," Alice threw her hand to her heart. Aoi deadpanned. "Seriously? I've been shot, stabbed, and hunted but me having a boyfriend is what sticks?" That made their eyes widen, Astra smiling slightly behind her sandwich while it dawned on Aoi, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh God, why did I say that...?" "Aoi's got a boyfriend!? It's happening, Jaye!" Alice swung him back and forth while he looked pleasantly surprised. "Tell us everything, no details left unturned, you hear!" So everything Aoi said was gone, replaced with only Sora. "I so didn't miss you, idiots," She smirked, Jaye and Alice returning the gesture until Aoi stood up and stretched, trying to bury the feeling in her chest that sabbed hotter than a knife. "Ah, nice day, and the convention's still on for like... another day after?" "Hey, no side-stepping!" Alice huffed while Astra hopped to her feet, fixing the coiled sword to her back. "So, where'd you like to start our new adventure, kid?" Astra had no idea what to expect from this world, but Aoi would ensure she got a taste of the best it had to offer, for her old parent's sakes. "Um... mama?" She murmured, wanting to spare her parental figure from more endless questions from Miss. Alice. Astra's face brightened significantly; her semblance had caught someone approaching through the endless waves of emotions and colourful auras, defined by its gradient of blue that she memorized like Mr Mir's, Cinder's, and so many more she met in Equestria. She pointed forward, her chest curled tightly. "O-over there, look." "Huh?" She tilted her head, inspecting people coming and going from the convention to either head into town or to the nearby hotels. "Uuh, not catching anything, kid - your Seer ability needs some fine tu - *gasp*" Her voice caught her throat, eyes broadened beyond the norm. Behind her, Alice and Jaye saw how Aoi stumbled in place, almost afraid she'd fall to her knees. Someone lowered their phone, panting heavily from how far they ran, how hard their heart was pounding in their ears. It hurt so much, his whole body struggling to stand as he lifted his head. He wore a tan jacket with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a blue shirt underneath with a splash effect. His black cargo pants dirty and worn. His shoes were no better; he looked like he ran through a forest. His hair was a warm black, unkempt, and curly, with two soft, light blue eyes refracting off brown hesitant to meet his. The most noticeable feature were the freckles dotting his cheeks. "I... I... need to... know..." He coughed from the lack of air he had, wiping his brow. "That... sword... and scarf... I know... you... oh boy, I'm out of shape." He chuckled lightly, that stupid smile twisting at Aoi's heart again. "Found you, hehehe..." "But... you were younger before, wouldn't time have passed since then?" Astra's inquiry the boy... Sora smiled, shaking his head. "Yeah... that was a couple of years ago now," He held out a letter. "He... left me this, and everything was like I never left, heh, explaining time has never been my strong suit." Several Years Ago... "Huh?" A younger Sora, who, after a sobbing embrace with his Mom and Dad, frightening them quite a bit, noticed something sticking out of his bag where his item from the now-deceased Kranon laid. Raising a brow while ensuring no one was really around to peek, he pulled out-, "A note?" Curious, he unfolded the parchment, eyes widened considerably at what was written. Dear Prince Sora, Surprised? Time is a fickled thing; if you're wondering about your little Mercenary and Silver Warrior, they aren't here, not yet; they both exist and don't exist as of current events. They will not appear in your time until you are of the age you first met, annoying, but I don't make the rules - hey, I tried it once, and that was... an experience - getting sidetracked, sorry, ahem! Consider the item of your choice as a reward for dispatching that aggravating Vex and the notable title of slaying such a creature, imposing for a mortal. Listen, Aasimar; you have a headstart now; you could go on with your life, experience many things and forget your time in Equestria. Or, you can hold on to the good memories and wait for her - just some friendly advice from someone who has lived his life in a good memory for a long, long time. P.S. I'd suggest looking close to home when the time comes, "wink-wink." Sincerely, The Amazingly talented Nightmare, Gambit "Sora? Sooora?" When he snapped from his daze, he noticed his Mom looking down t him with worry. "Are you okay, sweetie? What's that note for?" "Um... nothing," His smile was soft, quickly wiping a few tears. His heart started to ache, knowing that... those closest to him were further from his reach. His adopted mother, Cliffheart, Cinder's grave, so many were pulled from his control, now, the reckless, stupid, hot-headed girl he couldn't rid from his head was among them, and a sweet little girl that looked up to him. "I'm just thinking how much fun I've had today!" Present Day... "...you're too dramatic, Fly-Boy..." Aoi muttered, lowering her head to the left. Compared to W, she felt... very lacking, I mean, he still looked freakin' handsome dammit! How could she compete? While suffering from her internal turmoil Sora managed to regain his motor functions, approaching the two, Astra smiling a little, Sora giving her a short nod of his head. "...why'd you rush here? Hell, how did you even find us?" Her frown was stern and wavering. "Gambit," He shrugged, not beating around the bush with her. "He was... very creative with his wording; I honestly forgot a convention happened today until he reminded me; guess that confirmed the whole time dilation thing - it's making my head spin if I'm honest." He then glanced over at Alice and Jaye, giving him mixed looks. He became flustered, waving nervously. "Oh, um, sorry, h-hi." Jaye then realized what was happening and grabbed Alice, pulling her away by the shoulders, feet dragging in protest. "We'll give you guys some space..." "Oh, come on, Ja~ye~!" Alice whined, unable to see what was about to happen with Aoi's secret boyfriend. Aoi refused to look up, so instead, Sora grabbed her chin to force her to look up, face reddening further. "I..." He flicked her nose, silencing her and whatever numerous questions she had, something she certainly didn't need now. "Remember what I said, sure, might have been tipsy, but..." Taking a breath, knowing that he left a lot behind in Equestria, but in exchange, he could see his biological parents again, Astra... and... the girl he loves despite her serious attitude problem and many flaws, even after several years. "Whether or not you're a Sarkaz or I'm an Aasimar, we're still us on the surface," He brushed a few bangs from her face, seeing her eyes shaken with fright, "You're still amazing, with or without W's body or memories." Astra smiled at that, turning away to give them some privacy by the pavement, "Aoi... is the most amazing person I know - Does that answer your-" Her fingers pressed to his lips, head low a moment in embarrassment, how easily the roles were reversed. "...you're still a dork... but.. c-can I..." Now she was choking on her own words like an idiot. "Just say it! You've already gone the whole way before; how is this hard!?" Taking some of W's courage, she lifted her eyes with a shaky smile. "Think you could remind me, Prince?" "Not that you'd let me refuse," Sora whispered, leaning closer as their hearts raced uncontrollably. Their lips met, that fear they'd never cross paths again erased alongside their doubts as they pulled closer. Aoi bent her left leg to stand on her toes, needing to hoist herself a little more to reach his sweet lips further. His hand wrapped around her waist, holding her closer. For Sora, he didn't know what to expect next. But he was more than willing to see where that uncertainty led. He waited long enough. For Aoi, her heart was racing like any other day. She finally knew where she belonged. She was home. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝 "Let me ask you — Do you know what it means to take up the blade of a fallen Sarkaz? Get rid of the shackles of common sense with the beats, joking about the disputes over the right and wrong within the chaos. The two of us, let's both try to survive." Author's Note And so another journey concludes. I never anticipated this becoming as popular as it has, a shot in the dark like Indomitable that paid off. I do apologize again if the term 'Vex' got a little confusing given I was talking about two different species but my Vex had been established for years now in other projects of mine. Other than that I wrapped up what I wanted, it actually ended in Equestria but I decided to try something new, with them, Astra included, returning to Earth. Gambit providing a twist of fate to bring the trio together again with one hell of a story to share. I was tempted to write another little Mature piece that happened off-screen during the one-week timeskip but I dunno, probably not. Astra being a new Lord of Cinder is great though, I love just picturing a mini pony in Firelink Shrine armor walking around, or a person in this case. Still, I cannot possibly thank all of you enough for reading and supporting Renegade as much as you've done. I loved every chapter despite the loss of feeling in my hands. I'm taking a break after this. Thank you so much for reading, I really hope you enjoyed this tale, and seeya next time Renegades, Huntsmen, Adventurers, and Ashen Ones! Oh, and the song just kinda has the lyrics that fit W/Aoi as I've already used Renegade for the beginning ^_^ B3-0 New You"Staaaaaare." Aoi couldn't possibly get any more bored if she wanted to. Compared to facing Infected abominations, a kingdom on your ass, and the threat of a world-ending monster, school life seemed... pedestrian, as Kranon once used. She sunk her cheek further against her palm, eyes mulling over needless repetition the teacher droned on about. Having done her fair bit of research back in the Everfree on a lot of stuff from books she 'procured', her knowledge had grown all things considered. *Riiiiing!* "Oh My God, finally!" Aoi grumbled into herself, not caring once for the stares she received from those close to her desk. Packing her stuff up she flung her bag over her shoulder, almost like her old duffle bag. From the open zip, she pulled out her trusty red and black scarf, slipping it around her neck feeling a moderate sense of comfort from the relic. "Like a glove." Clicking her tongue she happily slipped out of the classroom, a certain event awaiting her escape. Passing through the halls of her school alone, he simply admired the fact that in a couple of months she'll need to figure out where to go next; College, an apprenticeship, maybe even just a job someplace? It was a tricky choice but she had the grades for whatever she chose now. Sadly, some things never change, even in her own world. "Guess Gambit didn't leave me this thing to cause chaos, shame really." It was your standard high-school BS, bullies picking on the smaller, defenseless person. It never ends, even now Aoi felt a hateful reminder of that annoying purple pony acting smug. With her muscles taut, she strode forward, hand snapping out like a viper. "Oi, what's got your pants twisted?" Aoi hummed, pulling the blonde idiot's hand from the meek kid's shirt, shoving the boy back into his lackeys. With a heated glare, some that took notice swore Aoi's eyes were burning like embers. "Pickin' on the little guy, petty much?" "The hell's your deal, bitch?" One snapped. "My 'deal' is bordering on an ass-whooping or name-calling, take your pick, freckles?" She challenged. "This has nothing to do with you," The leader of the sad group smirked, coming to give Aoi a once-over, clearly he liked what he saw. "Listen beautiful, we're just trying to show the transfer how things work, you know, little incenti-" "You alright, kid?" Aoi smirked, kneeling down to the boy's height to adjust his glasses, seeing him stare at her with awe. "I'll clean this mess up, but you gotta get yourself a backbone," Flicking his nose, she stood to glare back at the jaded looks from the bullies. The blonde looked to be trying to put on a brave face. "You really want to do this?" "Do what, exactly?" Aoi inquired, cracking her knuckles. "I'm just being a good superior in showin' how to clean up the filth in this place, that so bad?" "Whore!" How many times has Aoi heard that? The one behind the leader moved in some sad attempt to intimidate her, which earned the buff but stupid teen the sweet taste of metal, face pressed against the lockers while Aoi twisted his arm behind his back, hearing him grunt in pain. "Tsk-Tsk-Tsk, that any way to talk to a girl, no wonder you're some slimy bully," She cooed, leaning closer to whisper to his ear. "For the record, I know a guy who's far more charming, and I know for a fact can perform better under the covers than you ever could, heh." With a spin, she saw the idiot tumble to the floor, many reacting positively to the ass-whooping while Aoi raised her toothy smile and cynical eyes to the other two. "So then? Any other comments about my sexy body? Or are we done here?" "Feels good to be an ex-merc." "You've gotten real full of yourself, Aoi." The third in the back snarked, his pale green eyes almost concealed behind his ash-grey bangs, but that sickening smile irked Aoi to no end. She remembered him fondly; her own bully that felt much more like a passing memory, "I mean, the sudden boost of confidence is admirable, even for you, I'll admit." "Is there gonna be a rest stop along the way to the point?" Aoi crossed her arms, tapping her bicep. "And don't act like we're close; use my surname, jackass." The third bully nudged their group's blonde leader, smirking sickly in Aoi's direction. "Say; I heard there's this little brat that's been hanging around Aoi for a few weeks now-" Neither saw Aoi's body flinch say for the younger student she was protecting. "-could always see how smug you are if we found her-" *Bam!* The hall was silent, the bullies paled once Aoi moved with the grace and ferocity of a viper. Her right arm locked itself under the bully's throat, using her left to pin his right to the lockers. None saw it other than the one she kept a painful hold on, eyes crackling like embers. "Touch her... go, I dare you to touch a hair on Astra's head." Her words were soft, bleeding malice that left him quivering as Aoi dropped him like a sack of potatoes. Sighing out her nose, Aoi found her smirk again. None dared speak, stepping back as many chuckled at the ordeal, some of the boys staring at whitette in awe; behind Aoi, the transfer looked far less shaken, her hand stretched back for him. "Come on, kid, school's out for the weekend, better not waste it with these clowns." "Mmhm," Just like Astra once was, he gave a timid reply, taking the beautiful girl's hand as she led him out, smiling at the many who had witnessed the clean and effortless takedown of the so-and-so bullies that Aoi had almost forgotten about since she was sent to Equestria. How things change with experience. Infected Slugs were far more terrifying. "Was that really necessary?" Jaye asked, worried for what Aoi just set in motion. "You know his Dad's got more money than... well, anyone in town." "And?" She pointed to his nose. "Let me remind you I had a freakin' Sun Goddess's lackeys after me before, and I pretty much had her bowing to my whims," Aoi smirked, waving the transfer kid goodbye as he was picked up by his folks, safe and sound, and with a smile again. "That still sounds surreal," Alice sighed, ruffling Aoi's hair. "That was sweet though, looking out for him." "I've had enough of bullies," Was all she said, noticing someone standing by the road just outside their school. Now she felt butterflies return, scowling. "Stupid girly emotions!" "If it ain't Prince Sora-" Her modest call drew his gaze. "-to what do we owe such a pleasure?" "Please stop, I was really starting to get over that three years ago..." It sucked that he got a headstart on adjusting to normal life again, but Aoi didn't care, she got to meet him the way she remembered him. "Hey, Alice, Jaye." "'Sup man?" "Hello~!" "Ready to go? Heard there's this nice cafe not far," Aoi patted her friends forward on the back, slipping up to Sora's side. "The girl who works there is hard not to tip though..." She frowned, another fellow whitette with long hair, almost scary if she was honest how nice the girl was. "Maybe that girl from before it there," A fire sparked in Alice's eyes. "I have a score to settle with her in blackjack!" "You mean Taka?" Jaye guessed, seeing Aoi facepalm. "Now you've done it..." "I swear, she's gotta be cheating, how is anyone that good at cards consistently!?" She ranted and huffed down the road, Sora smiling awkwardly at the sight while Aoi nudged his hip. "Don't worry about her sad need for revenge-" "Like you're one to talk!" Alice yelled. "Please don't antagonize her further, she's already drawing people's gazes." Jaye sweatdropped, trying to calm the overly competitive girl down. "-the place is pretty chill, might have to bring Astra along next time." Aoi thought out loud, or until something pulled her hand closer. "Hm?" Sora cupped her hand, smiling happily. "You really can't let go, can you?" She jolted slightly, looking down while tucking her frown behind her scarf. "I know it's tough, but you're still you." "But..." He leaned closer to nuzzle her forehead, seeing her face start to turn pink. "'But' nothing, I think I care about you a lot more than just your weapons or fancy Arts abilities," Sora dismissed with a wave. "Heck, I can make things glow, heal a little and fly, and Astra's this crazy, Lord of Cinder, Soul-seeing warrior; And we're still ordinary regardless." Aoi processed this, feeling more and more like an idiot for refusing to just let go of the fact she wasn't W anymore. It's been a long, seven days, and it would only get harder but... W left Aoi with a major confidence boost, and much more than some fancy explosives. Interlocking her fingers with the dork's, she murmured into her scarf. "...love you..." Her other hand played with the locks where her antenna would be. He tried not to make a big deal out of it for her sake, simply moving to walk flush against her side. "I love you too, W." She only hid further behind her scarf, steam rising at his chuckle while her hand moved to punch him lightly on the cheek. With the pair distracted, neither realized they had run into someone, the three stumbling back. "Crap, sorry about that." Aoi scratched her cheek sheepishly. "No, it's alright, lass." That tone...! She and Sora stared back in shock momentarily as the young man with raven hair tied into a short ponytail waved off their worries with a kind smile. "I had been lost in thought myself." It took Aoi a moment to steady her heart, that tone of voice, while younger, was unmistakably... Cinder's. His pale blue eyes looked to her with confusion before she offered a faux smile with her eyes closed. "You and me both, heh, s-sorry," She and Sora parted for the man who couldn't recognize them. "Hey, Devrin, what's got you starstruck?" A female voice called out to him not far behind the pair. The girl was beautiful, to say the least; Her hair braided into a soft blonde, bangs pulled back on a hairclip to reveal her warm onyx orbs. She pouted, bowing her head to Aoi and Sora. "I'm sorry for him, this guy's a clutz and a half." Devrin deadpanned. "Aye, laugh it up." He dismissed her tongue sticking out to wave curtly to the pair. "Again, I apologize, I do tend to end up wayward quite often in a new country." "I'm sure you do..." Aoi's frown was soft, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it, just... take care." "And please make sure to watch where you step too," Sora added just as kindly. The man walked between them, briefly, a man in crackling ruined armour parted ways with a Sarkaz in red and black, and a young man with radiant wings a final time. His embers cast between them before the image fizzled away for what it truly was. While 'Devrin' and the girl walked away, laughing without a care in the world, Aoi's best friends noticed the two hadn't followed them, seemingly lost in watching the strangers disappear toward the sun cast in the sky. The two displaced smiled brightly, almost laughing at the oddity that brought a wave of sorrow and joy for the people that were strangers, and yet, so much more. Aoi turned away with Sora, wiping a stray tear from her eye, "Seeya around... Sparkles." End Author's Note Couldn't resist, did it with Indomitable so why not an epilogue of sorts for Renegade? Letting go of what Aoi's been through ain't easy but she's managing. Her friends are still in the grey about if what Aoi and Sora say about Equestria is true. And a sacrificed soul reborn to say goodbye one last time. Well, Renegade's been a blast, first-ever Arknights story on Fimfiction and I'd say it was well-received for a gatcha tower defense game. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya next time readers! B4-0 Scars FadeIt played on loop, over and over. W leapt across rooftops like a spider-themed vigilante. Webbing replaced with sheer force behind toned muscle. The voices kept crying out, echoing all around. Her feet slid over tiles, every uneven surface grooved to her boots, a tail curved to balance against the uneven material that quickly flew away from her feet. Not a single night had passed she didn't feel her heart pounding, every creak and snap frightening her eardrums. Landing with a solid thud, W was certain no one saw her. Her body felt grimy, it had been that way for several days now. No matter how much she bathed, it wouldn't completely purify her skin. Muck and bits of gravel were buried deep in her silvery hair, now a dirtied brown. Her clothing was in desperate need of needlework, holes, burns, the occasional spot of blood. Yeah, she looked like shit. The bag over her shoulder made her balance sway, same for her duffle bag. Both were vital, a necessity to clear her thoughts of bitterness for one night. That's all, just one lapse of peace over the constant storm that swirled around her life. Two bored, exhausted eyes that reflected embers were on high alert despite the state she was in. Antenna twitching to the slightest noise, her horns itchy. W was close, just a few houses away and - Something heavy, fast, and obnoxious struck her lower back, tossing herself and her 'procured goods' across the muck below. She hated the aftermath of the rainfall for this very reason. Throwing herself onto her toes immediately, she swiveled and pointed her grenade launcher at her attacker, panting like a cornered animal. "You seriously have bad manners, Skittles," "Pah, like you're on to talk!" From above, that annoying blue pegasus had been watching W's attempts to slip away unseen. She'd give the monster credit, she was good at it until today, her mistake was thinking Rainbow would be anywhere but the clouds. She had a job, not that W could recall. "What's wrong? You usually go all rabid by no - hey!" She dodged what appeared to be a knife wedged in the tower behind her. "Fuck. Off." W was tied, hungry, dirty, and irritated. Cracking a forced grin, she chuckled. "I'm feelin' mighty generous today, Crash, wanna call it quits while I'm ahead? Save you the hospital bill when you wake up from a coma." "As if!" She charged, typical. W avoided her assault, or she thought she had, slipping in the mud as her face became cold and wet, and pain flared in her back again. That pegasus had kicked her real good this time, so much so W was certain her ribs were close to breaking. Managing a strained wheeze, she snaked her tail around Rainbow's right foreleg, twisting the mare off her and into a nearby barrel, seeing her shatter the object as W scrambled to grab her things. "Get back here!" Rainbow's cry was met with a smoke bomb between her hooves, blinding the mare as W heaved the two bags into her aching arms. Inside the dirty burlap sack were a few apples, other odd trinkets and tools, and most importantly, a few pink, blue, and green bars of soap. Tightening the string, W heaved it over her shoulder, wincing as it rubbed against one of her bruises but she knitted her teeth and pushed off her good foot. She needed to run, her energy was spent today as is. That's right, she ran, as fast as her burning legs could go. She had to hide. She needed to shelter herself in ruins. W wanted her revenge, she craved it. Aoi just wanted them to leave her alone. Both wanted to scream until their lungs bled. "No!" Again, Aoi shot up from her bed, covered in sweat that thankfully didn't cling to her shirt, since that was discarded in her sleep by her own body's wishes. She sat there, tucking her knees up as she yanked the only thing she could think to comfort her. That same rugged scarf Kranon had tricked her into buying. Despite that memory, it gave her strength, it warded off her nightmares, it drugged her on a power she could never imagine obtaining as some run-of-the-mill high school girl. Her breathing was shaky, she was shivering at the memory. It wasn't the worst one she's had, but it was enough to make her heart leap to her throat, her skin itch, her teeth hurt. Burying her face into the article of clothing, Aoi wanted to scream so badly. Her parents would immediately come to her aid, worried again as to why their daughter was curled up in the corner of her room, threatening the shadows around her like they held her at spearpoint, burned her wrists and ankles with magic. Made her feel like a monster in her own skin. She hated them all. If not for Kranon threatening her home, her family, she would've done it. Razed the whole kingdom of those pastel-colored ponies until they were forced to live in ruins, starving like animals. She would show them how weak they were, how powerless one person could make them. W wouldn't care for power or domination, she wanted a fair take, they should feel a fraction as she had those long, cold, lonely days. So wrapped up in her own head, Aoi didn't realize her door had opened and closed. Standing before her with those big, silver eyes visible between soft white bangs. "Mama?" That one word made Aoi's stomach twist as she found herself unable to crack a grin. Nothing was said before Astra had latched herself around Aoi, burying her face against the older girl's chest as her small arms locked around her back tightly under Aoi's arms. Astra could see it, the torment that swallowed the light from Aoi's eyes, the despair, hatred, and pain that continued to haunt her mother figure night after night. Sora didn't know, rather, he knew only the surface-level of what his lover was going through. Aoi broke, burying her head against the little girl's as her own arms scooped Astra close in terror, sobbing just quietly enough not to arouse suspicion from the other occupants in the house. A small, honest soul had unknowingly saved W and Aoi that fateful day that felt so long ago. She was timid, curious, and lost. The little filly stuck to W like glue, she saw W for who she was, where so many lies and deceptions would tell otherwise. This one girl held together the stitches in Aoi's heart, allowing the scars to fade with time. "There, there," Astra whispered, patting her mother's back. She smiled, nuzzling closer to the girl she looked up to needing that same level of security as she did in Equestria. "I love you." "Heh *sniff*... me too *hic*," Aoi murmured, kissing the top of Astra's head. She didn't feel like sleeping for a while, but she was okay with that, so long as Astra got a good night's rest that would put the girl's mind at ease. Though, no one said she had to do that just yet. End Author's Note Didn't expect this? Neither did I, another one of my sleep-deprived spurs of creativity. I think I made it abundantly clear how W has and will never forgive the people/ponies that wronged her. This is part of that long process of healing even after the story is over. But she's got the likes of Astra and Sora to mend those cracks. Just a little wholesome moment at one of Aoi's low points. Hope you enjoyed this sudden revival from the grave, appreciate the support as always, seeya renegades! B5-0 Alternate EndingNon-Canon Ending The doors to the Castle were shot open, W leapt out and over the steps with a warcry. "FREEDOM~!" Once on her knees, W let the outside sunlight bathe her form until she heard the familiar patter of human feet behind her. Turning while standing Sora finally caught up with her, panting. "Skipping leg day are we?" She teased, waving. "Come on, we've got the whole world to see still!" "W-wait, I can't leave," He stopped her with Astra tilting her head up at him. "I mean, I'd love to but I need to stay, at least until Canterlot's been fixed up." W just stared at him curiously, inspecting if he drew a set of extra arms or something. "Come ooon, I need a guide to this world, and I don't feel like using a map - you're the map!" She chimed. "I like traveling with you, Mama does too," Astra added to reinforce the argument, W lifting the filly to squeeze her forward like a plushy in armor. "How can you deny this cute face and mine?" W pouted, seeing Sora hesitate, running his hand through his hair. It was clearly bothering him, that much she could make out. Setting Astra down she gave the idiot a small smile. "Hey, I can make detours back, not like you're hard to pick out from a crowd." His eyes lifted to meet hers again, aqua and ember in synergy. Then she stretched to crack her lower back. "And my backside sure won't forget, that's certain." And he went right back to a furious red tint. "A-are you s-sure? I... I don't-" With a gust of sharp wind, W moved to flick his nose, standing inches from him to pat his cheek quickly before boldly capturing his lips with her sweet ones, holding the kiss just long enough to see everything from the neck up turn crimson, W's own cheeks dusted pink when she parted with a smack. "Partners stick together, yeah? Just don't get drowned in politics before I get back," With that heated farewell she turned and jogged back down the steps, nudging Astra's flank, the silver eyes remaining fixated on Sora's blue aura, how it stilled with guilt, joy, and love for the Sarkaz walking away with one arm holding the strap of her bag. "We'll be back soon, promise!" Astra blurted out before running off with W toward the main gate. She hadn't fully recovered from her battle either, a few bandages were hidden under her jacket and shirt, wrapped around her shoulder, and ones around her stomach. Sora wanted to go or even try to keep her longer but W was never good at sitting still and being cooped up in the Castle for a week had driven her mad. Lowering his hand he almost turned around had something blunt not rattled off the top of his head. "Ack - why!?" He cried down at the crimson guard before him. Cliffheart wore a knowing smile, tossing Sora his twin swords, watching the Prince stumble to catch them against his chest. "Just go already, somepony needs to keep that Beast of the Everfree out of trouble, better you than a Royal Guard." He chuckled, sitting by the edge of the step watching the greatest hunt of his life casually walk back out the castle gates with Cinder's new Flame trotting beside her. "Cinder... gave a lot for all of us, and that filly needs proper training with a sword that I doubt W can provide." "But what about-" He was cut off by the bo-staff pointed at his nose. "Prince Sora, I think Canterlot can survive with one less pony slash person for quite some time," Cliffheart gave a wink and patted the Aasimar's leg. "I mean, Captain Armor bailed to the Crystal Empire and left me in charge and hey, things are still running smoothly regardless, no?" He waved his hooves wide at the lack of ruins surrounding them. He did have a valid point. "But as a cherry on top, really want some stallion out there hittin' on your girl?" That final straw broke the camel's back as Sora attached his scabbards to his belt, "...I hate Swift so much right now," With a short wave he took off with a large thresh from his wings, flying high and over the castle walls in a single stroke. "Aoi!" "-and I said we - oh crap," She didn't have time to dodge and simply caught the Aasimar by the arm, swinging him over Astra and down onto his feet in her arms, blinking with mild shock. "What did I tell you about startling me?" "I-I'm coming w-with you..." He panted for a moment, standing up straight to look at her blank face. "About time, come on," She smiled and interlocked her left hand in his, tugging him down the road to the bridge. "But wait, I need clo-" A smaller bag was tossed into his free arm by Astra, the filly looking away sheepishly as he followed his hand up to W's insinuating smile. "You planned this?" "Duh," "You invaded my personal space." "Tch, Sora I am ashamed you would think so low of me," She put her hand on her chest in mock fashion then rolled her eyes. "No I didn't," She waited until his guard was down before adding. "Swift did." "Of course she did...!" He yelled to the clouds as W would, then he felt her head rest solely on his shoulder, hand pointing toward the kingdom ahead. He didn't try to hide the fondness of having her this close again. "So, where to?" "Wherever we like so long as it's fun," Aoi whispered, not caring where their road led so long as these two didn't leave. Her tail snaked around to wrap itself around his waist. "Now we should start running." "Huh?" Both Astra and Sora blurted out as something caused a stir in the castle grounds behind them. "SOMEPONY BROKE INTO THE KITCHEN A STOLE A BUNCH OF FOOD!!" "NOT AGAIN, JERRY!" "W-" "You actually did it." Astra blinked at the mercenary's cackle, her hand tugging Sora forward with haste, Astra now realizing why her bag was so heavy, to begin with. "And to the whole of Canterlot, fuck you!" She gave the castle the bird, laughing madly away from the perplexed guards. In the sunlight, W's hair flew to one side with her antenna bobbing in her bangs' place, revealing her bright ember eyes and wide, joyful smile with her hand stretched outward, locked with Sora's while her tail weaved in the air alongside her jacket, short skirt, and scarf. It was a magnifying sight, and one that left Sora's throat dry and his hand tightening around her own. End Author's Note Still had this collecting dust in my files, eh, why not? It's non-canon, of course, but this was the original draft for the ending to Renegade, as you can tell, a lot less drama and fluff, plus none of the whole returning home. That's when I realized I've never seen a displaced return to their home, at least in what I've read. And this one felt somewhat lacking hence the massive change I made to the final product. So! hope you enjoyed it, I appreciate the support as always; seeya next time, Renegades! 0-6 Live a Life of Sin"They're here... the Infected," The last thing W wanted was to tie herself into more of Ponyville's problems, if anything, this was karmatic justice for everything they've done to her. Why should she lift a finger for a bunch of hostile strangers? The black skies rolled in from nowhere, and wherever that bolt of lightning struck down was more than likely the source. It was no Catastrophe, but to these ponies, it might as well be a massacre. Spitting off to the side, W sneered and held up her grenade launcher. "Astra, let's go!" Kneeling down, she let the small pony hop onto her back, hooves wrapped securely around her neck "W-what are you doing?" Turning to look at the element still somewhat discombobulated, she could see the skepticism in her eyes. "Why are ya goin' to help us?" That brought out a high-and-mighty laugh from the silverette, eyes curved in distaste. "Oh? I'm not doing this for you - far as I'm concerned your whole race can bite the dust," Not even the impending bloodshed could hide her sickened smile at the glare Applejack sent her way. "You and your friends made an enemy of me, you think just 'cause the kid and I patched your mentality that'll automatically make me forget what you've put me through? All the days I've had to suffer through just to get by?" Now that glare was gone, replaced with shame, unable to hold the mercenary's glowing gaze. "But-" Applejack saw W turn away, "-There are innocent lives that I can save, so by hell, I'll be the one to do something about it - so do me a favor, and get out of my sight." Not long after, W and Astra were gone, solely focused on the chaos that was rising from afar. Massive explosions of red light expanded through-out the central road cutting through Eastern Ponyville. The crimson-tinted Orginium Slugs mutated into arachnids leaping onto anything that seems to antagonize them. Their abdomens glowed, consuming their host and segments of buildings in a powerful, explosive haze, leaving only rubble and slime in their wake. Ponies ran in terror from the assault, some left cornered by these twisted creatures that skittered toward them slowly, taunting their demise with a flick in their cracked armor. Two ponies were huddled behind a wagon, pinned by the looming shadow of a mutated, deranged human, his crystallized arm raising a pair of mutilated claws dripping with its own blood and infection. The pair jammed their eyes shut in fright as the claw swept down, only for something hot and powerful to blow them back onto their haunches. When the two mares looked up, the crystals sprouting from the monster's back had shattered, itself groaning on the dirt until a black and red trainer was planted deep against its jaw, a blade coming down with a maniac's smile. "That's six," W chuffed, twisting the blade jammed into its temple for good measure before pulling back, a strand of blood spilling onto the ground. Beside her, Astra approached the two mares. "Are you okay?" Their petrified eyes soon drifted to Astra's kind and worried orbs. "Astra, go and help any stragglers out of this mess," W requested, turning to the horde that was shifting through the street. So far, every one of the Infected was being corraled down a single road, if she let them through they could begin to separate into larger groups, making it impossible for her to keep the chaos to a minimum, she needed the ponies out of her hair. "I'll take care of these rodents." "Are you sure?" Astra meekly spoke up, then blinked when she saw the thumb raised to her with a toothy grin and cute wink. "Leave it to your badass friend, kid." Once separating, W charged toward the next wave of abominations, a few ponies trapped, some waved pitchforks, and a strange assortment of items to push back the encroaching horde. One at the front, using his magic to blast back another Slug as it exploded against an abandoned stall, his eyes were wide at the sight of the red and black mercenary charging toward them. "Look! The Monster of the Everfree!" "Is it coming to hurt us too!?" "Please, no more!" W grunted but brought her left fist back, craning the trajectory to fold against the jaw of another human Infected, throwing it backward and away from the crowd, startling them all when W took the vanguard. "Get your heads out of the gutters, I'll keep these freaks busy, run!" Was her only demand, running off with the pod of unstable arachnids crawling after her, completely disregarding the ponies in favor of the single Sarkaz woman. "Mindless animals that'll follow anyone if they gave them the incentive to." As W sprinted down the subtle slope in the street she kicked up onto an overturned wagon, firing another M32 just behind three Slugs, causing them to fly over an elder pony, himself seeing them scamper on their backs while W flew past him. "Go on, get out of here!" Again her mind raced with 'Why'. All these ponies ever did for her was distrust and fear her without a second thought, and yet, she couldn't stand it, letting any of them die. Rounding to her right she brought her foot between a mother and her child, feeling the vibrating 'snap' of the mandibles belonging to another Slug as it flew into the sky, exploding in a hail of red dust and rock. "Run, don't look back!" Soon, W came to a crashing halt on her heels. In front of her, two Infected draped in whites, reds, and blacks just like her stood their ground, a blade in one hand each, eyes glowing a piercing scarlet under their tainted hoods. The Infection had wracked their bodies and minds, jutting from their backs and across their deformed arms, these were Infected like W, only they belonged to the extremist group of Arknights, Reunion, only the Originium in their bodies had completely overrun their minds, turning them into feral ghouls. "Tch, well shit," W smiled, looking back as her tail flicked harshly at the large swarm of highly unstable Slugs, all gnashing their teeth and crawling steadily toward her. "Guess you caught me, whatever shall I do?" Cooing at the two mindless humans she dropped whatever kindness was left, replacing it with a sinister smile fitting of a fanatic, eyes wide with malice and a lust for violence. Flicking out her remote from her left sleeve, she flicked the button with her thumb, winking. "Die, hahahahaha~!!" *BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!* The once dark and burning world was soon cast in a hot, tiger orange behind W, shadowing everything bar her eyes that watched the two mutants charge toward her, bits of black rock and red slime flying past her cheeks while she lowered her form, lunging at the two with her own drawn knives. Twisting her head off to the left slightly, the fangs of a Slug missed by a hair, her tail coming up to slap it across the street, the explosive creature making a brief smokescreen for the two animalistic humans. W brought both knives across above her head, blocking the vertical slant, kicking the human off to her side, inverting her left blade to gut across the monster's abdomen, bringing it down to its knees where the right knife was plunged through the mouth and out the nape. Using both hands she swiveled the blade and tore up through the scalp, killing the creature instantly while the other rushed her with a growl. Ducking to her right and kicking up a loose stone with her foot it merely cut the object in two, dragging that same forward momentum down and through a table behind the slick mercenary. W ducked and spun forward under another leaping Slug, gutting it too while tossing one of her knives through a second's abdomen as it fell close to the Infected human, itself rolling away from the building explosion, this one, in particular, was smarter than it appeared. Keeping her guard up, W pulled the pin on a grenade on her belt, tossing it behind her to discard the three Slugs scampering behind her, hearing them explode alongside the grenade that bounced between their thick bodies, not once did her eyes leave the fallen Reunion Infected. It raised its own clever high, blocking W's downward slant from the right, breaking its guard. W swung wide to block its diagonal laceration from the left. This was followed quickly after two quickdraws to form an 'X'. leaving W only to defend herself, blocking both at alternating angles. It continued to strike relentlessly like a startled beast, its moves sluggish and carrying weight with every strike, something W could exploit. Stepping back she let the next, powerful slant barreling down over her antenna, the two appendages becoming flush against her bangs while she swept down on her hands, kicking out the Infected's feet with ease, seeing it tumble forward. W planted her elbows firmly, folding her legs around the back of its waist, throwing the creature behind her head in a leg-variation of a German Suplex, burying its head into the earth while rolling away from the creature that struggled against the ground. When W turned to face it, she grabbed a grenade from her jacket, grasping the human by the cheeks to pry its maw open, suffocating it with the explosive device. With one foot on its chest, she shoved it back, pulling the pin alongside it, smiling darkly. "Boop." The second it reached out for her figure, W shielded her eyes from the following explosion, feeling bits of crystal batter her body while all that remained was a, thankfully, a corpse reduced to crumbled dust and crystal. While grateful for the lack of blood and viscera, it still bothered her enough to inspect the remains with her fingers, sifting through the gravel for anything other than rock and minerals, to her skeptical eye, that's all there was. "Dust... what the hell?" Taking in a quick observation of the town, so far, nothing else seemed to explode or alarm her senses. The danger had subsided, those mines she dropped during her shepherding of the Slugs and Infected must have taken out the large majority. What was more foreboding was the appearance of human Infected, and tough ones at that if not for her experience in crossing paths with such abominations, guess her body wasn't just for looks, lucky her. "???" Her ember eyes locked to one lone figure atop that spire of basalt at the edge of town, rather, her whole body shivered with goosebumps again. The sight was... infuriating to imagine, he very skin crawled, even her eyes glowing brighter in sheer rage at the mere sight mocking her from afar. She blinked, expecting it to be just a trick of the returning afternoon light or maybe a final Infected to put to rest. No... "No freakin' way...!" ... ... It was Him. ... ... ... The Merchant. "Hey, Aoi!" Turning at the chipper voice, the girl hidden under a plain, red hoodie smiled slightly at her blonde friend who waved just a few feet away, her left hand dragging away the third member of their group, though he seemed a little nervous. "We're gonna go see what Funko Pops they have of Destiny! Wanna tag along!?" Silently, Aoi shook her head, motioning for them to go along while her other hand pointed at the stalls selling various recreations of items and clothing based on games, manga, anime, and so on. The two gave their temporary farewells, leaving the meek girl to her own thoughts as she wandered with the flowing crowd, keeping a good grip on her personal belongings to ensure not a soul thought to snatch her stuff passing by. It was strange but Aoi didn't mind places like this, a world where she wasn't herself, lost with a new name, identity. No one knew her, and vice-versa, she could be someone new. A small smile graced her lips while moving to a particular stall in the corner of a bend in the line of shops. It gave her a mystical vibe, the man himself dressed for the occasion in black robes and a bandana covering his aged face, leaving on a pair of ancient, amethyst eyes to greet her, someone else walking away from the stand with his desired counterfeit for what appeared to be a coiled sword from Dark Souls. "Welcome, stranger," Aoi suppressed a chuckle at the sharp interpretation of a certain trader from Resident Evil, he even had a fake blue flame burning in a black lamp, very fitting, she thought. The Merchant motioned to the racks of odds and ends, many tools and items of dozens of media. "Got lots of rare things on sale today, would you like to see?" Nodding, Aoi took a moment to inspect all of the many articles of clothing and interesting weapons. She couldn't get something like a weapon or anything too heavy to lug around all day, instead, she focused solely on the clothing on display. Then her eyes anchored themselves to one such article of interest. It was a tattered, black scarf with a fade of red at the torn end, a red streak through the hem in the middle of the scarf. "I-Is that W's scarf from A-Arknights?" She mentally cursed herself for stuttering. Not bothered by her shyness, the Merchant nodded, lifting down the neck warmer to hand to the girl who pulled down her hood, allowing her long, white hair to stand out, though most of it was tucked under her jacket to keep it from getting caught on anything. "A good eye, and the only one I have, are you interested in buyin'? Only costs thirty, high quality too." It was an interesting offer, usually stuff of this quality cost near double what he was offering. Aoi was skeptical, but... it did feel nice, and it complemented most of her outfits. Giving it some apprehensive thought her hand reluctantly dug into her deep pockets, if anything if she just paid for it here and now she'll stop moaning about the 'mights' and 'maybes' if she refused. "Here, t-thank you." She handed him the allotted amount and his eyes, for a brief instant, gleamed with satisfaction, then quickly passed on a small chuckle. "Hahaha, thank you," Aoi had to giggle slightly at his constant character performance, wrapping the warm fabric around her neck, allowing the torn end to rest down her right shoulder blade perfectly to mimic W. If Aoi was honest, if she cut her hair shorter and maybe got some contact lenses she could probably pull off a convincing W cosplay, sadly her confidence would be a far cry from the mercenary. If only Aoi realized it then, how dizzy she felt after slipping the scarf around her neck, or how her whole world began to fade of color. Something snapped, not in W, but in Aoi. "You... what the hell are you doing here!?" She demanded to know, the very reason for her weeks of hell was standing there, staring at her like she was an animal in a zoo. Furiously, she lifted her grenade launcher to his figure, loading another M32. "Hey, asshole, tell me why you did this, right now!?" Silence, and, he turned away, not before speaking in a voice that was far deeper and collected than any sane person should be. "...let this world... swallow you whole." He was gone, not a trace or sign other than a faint flicker of light, almost as if he was a mirage in W's shocked eyes. Her arms dropped the weapon, letting it swing under her armpit, unable to move a finger at all. He was gone, the person who sent her here, was he... doing all of this? To her? Ponyville? Those Infected? Was this just some sick joke to him? That person Aoi passed that day during the convention, did he suffer the exact same fate as her? Was he here too or someplace else, treated like a monster for being an innocent gamer wanting something memorable to hold dear? W was furious, only now, that fury had a target, and a living, breathing one at that. The Merchant was her enemy. "Miss W!" Falling out of her malice glare toward the crumbling spire of rock, she was relieved to see Astra was in good health, galloping up to her feet with an eased face. "Are you hurt?" W snorted, patting her roughed up body. "Like a few Slugs can take me out, who do you think I am, kid?" That made her eyes sparkle again, filling the silverette with confidence despite being in the same town that doesn't exactly think too fondly of her. Rubbing her chin, W had to make the call. "Much as I'd like to chat with Mir, and possibly get brain damage, we should head back while the town's still in disarray." "Alright," Astra nodded immediately, herself probably on edge after the incident. Then Astra's ears became plumb. "...there's alot of hooves behind us." W's brow creased, forgetting to lift her hood back up over her distinctive features. If it was Sparkle Butt she could handle her magic just fine, if it were the whole elements then that could pose some difficulty, hopefully, that idiot farm pony doesn't screw her over. "So, you're the infamous, Monster of the Everfree, eh?" That wasn't a voice W recognized. Much as she wanted to avoid a fight, she had to address this to ensure it wasn't anything too - "Shit..." Not the word she wanted to use but an accurate one to the surrounding clop of hooves and metal clanking with metal. Clad in white and gold plated armor fitting of royalty, holding spears between teeth or magic, and with a familiar, solar sigil embedded in their breastplates. W grimaced, her fingers resting over her array of weapon choices for what would essentially be another hard-fought battle. "Look who finally graced us, kid, Royal Guard." Not even her sarcasm could hide away all her venom. The one in front stepped forward with confidence akin to W's. Dressed in his own armor though he wore an old, worn coat over his body, faintly concealing the two staff segments hidden within. Both orange eyes burning with intent to fight, he too came prepared. "Happy to finally be meeting face-to-face, creature, you may call me Cliffheart," His grin fell to a stern, almost malicious smirk. "I'll be taking you back to Canterlot now." To Be Continued... Author's Note Okay, let me be clear, I have no experience in fighting moves, so that 'Variant of a German Suplex' was just what came to mind when I envisioned the move W used, if you know the correct term let me know, that would be appreciated ^_^. Still, things are going from bad to worse, the Royal Guard is here. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, maybe, in the next chapter! Next Chapter: Ice in her Veins Confronted by Twilight, Cliffheart, and the Royal Guard. W is forced to stick around and face the consequences of manipulation and fear, but with her own mentality on edge, who will snap first under temptation? 2-4 You Must Play To LoseCanterlot was considered a wondrous place to visit, the capital of Equestria itself was an architectural marvel in history. Yet it was dark today, grey skies leaked rain, turning the streets gloomy and tasteless. If you believe those that lived in its shadows, then you'd know this was what many believed Canterlot was. A place for the greedy, snobby upper-class while those underneath aren't spared a second thought. Sometimes, that reality can be almost concealed by all the sunshine except for days like these. Any that roamed the streets still quickly forgot about the rain upon spotting Cliffheart and the Royal Guard pulling along a large cart with a cage. Inside was the beast on display like she were a zoo animal. W sat there with her legs cross, head down at her bound wrists, her weapons, and bag held by another pony she couldn't see. Her face was devoid of emotion, even the burning sight of her demonic eyes had lost their glow like the day, she was simply a shell. Each bump in the road served to keep her alert though, listening to the murmurs and the clipping of hooves, even the grind of the wheels against gravel. She didn't really care where she was taken only that she knew nothing would help her escape this now. She ran and ran, now, she had to simply wait or die in a cell. Already she thought of Astra with her head stuck in a good book again at the ruined castle, piles lining her sides. Cinder polishing his sword, somehow making a blade that looked so worn so sharp or when he showed his nerdy side after all these years. Sora... if one thing made her curl up a little it was the idea she might not see him again. What did that say about her feelings? "-hey, wake up." She wasn't even asleep but her head was low enough to obscure her face. They had stopped before a large building, another castle. It was a large courtyard with many other buildings but not much else stood out in the rain, not that W cared. The cage was opened and her cuffs were yanked forward by magic, tossing her onto her hands and knees into the mud. "Get up, creature or do you wish to crawl in the mud?" Slowly, W rose to her full height, seeing magic enchant her restraints to keep her steady, again, she couldn't stand properly given her injures so escape was impossible. Once ready, Cliffheart waved his hoof to move everyone along and out of the rain, that was good, it helped W clean off the dirt and blood that clung to her body. Soon they were inside and out of the cold, taking time to dry themselves in the warmth of the entrance hall, itself bright and immaculate. Although not a soul dared to so much as dry W, her guess is they wanted her to feel as uncomfortable as possible while ensuring she was as beastly as possible. Cliffheart turned to her, orange eyes brighter than her dull orbs. "Wait," He held up his troops to approach W and cast a small spell over her body, she flinched but relaxed once she felt her body shiver at the warmth that dried up the rain over her body. "Can't have her tracking puddles everywhere." "But sir-" "-She is to see Princess Celestia, regardless of who she is I'd rather not explain to her why I brought a creature that looked like it had been dragged through the mud to her hooves." Cliffheart sighed then led them on without a word. Another painful tug on her chains and W moved once more, wrapping her tail around her waist. W's eyes wandered the castle walls, it wasn't much on the outside but within? Well, she had to bet a fortune of a thousand was around every corner. It had a red carpet decorating the middle of every hallway. Tapestries of the Lunar and Royal Guards. She even saw some Bat Ponies too, that got a few heads turning once they saw W and her lifeless posture. Most of the walk left W's mind to wander until something happened, and for the longest time, nothing ever did until a large pair of oak doors stood between her and the Monarchy. Gold embroiled the doors as magic pushed them apart, guards waiting inside only gasped in shock at the sight of the demonic-looking woman who was tugged in by ponies. There she was. W lifted an eye to the end of the carpet where three thrones sat. two were unoccupied say for the centerpiece of this whole world, the very embodiment of the sun itself. Princess Celestia. She was everything ponies and W's own memory could recall, regal in appearance yet calm on the surface of such power to move the sun itself. Her pink eyes landed on Cliffheart then finally met the silent state that was W with shock until her expression fell to an impassive stare. She was judging the woman and said woman couldn't care less. "Princess," All that entered bowed before her say for one that tried to pull W onto her knees. She didn't even budge. "Hey, on your knees before the Princess!" W said nothing, nor did she feel the need to even look at the monarch anymore. She wasn't W's ruler, hell, she wasn't even from the UK so she had no reason to care for a 'Queen' at all. Princess Celestia was only the name of a bitch who happened to be Sora's adopted mother, but since he wasn't here she didn't have to bite her tongue. "I said, kneel, creature!" Something sudden stung across W's back, like a lightning bolt struck her spine, causing her to grunt and fall to her knees in a heap, the lack of energy she had making it impossible to stand for a time. Panting through her teeth she remained silent, staring at the floor and the sight of her own sweat dripping off her nose. "My apologizes Princess, the creature has been very unresponsive to commands since we captured her." One Guard excused. Celestia nodded then spoke as only a few Guards remained standing by W to keep her still. Cliffheart standing in front of the silverette. The red stallion cleared his throat. "It took some time but it seems she was present under the mountain where the rumblings were taking place. My only guess is that she was the one responsible for the quakes, since then, nothing else has been reported, even Lord Cinder was present to confirm this." W smiled slightly for a moment, she knew he'd play the role perfectly. Up above, Celestia considered the words of her subjects before speaking up. "Cliffheart, I can't thank you and your forces enough for all you've done," He bowed his head with a bashful smile. "All in a day's work but I gotta be blunt, Princess, we found her barely able to lift a hoof, my guess she was caught in the middle of a fight, maybe with Lord Cinder but I'm unaware." Cliffheart wasn't so keen on the idea of taking credit for another's work but since he had no reports it left his findings scarce. "I'll hopefully get in touch with him soon to confirm this." "I understand," Her ancient gaze fell on the kneeling human similar to Sora, and asked softly. "If I am correct your name is W, or so you've claimed?" Again, not a soul heard W speak. While Cliffheart was agitated he felt... conflicted about all of this. Why was W simply on her last legs when they found her? Why didn't Lord Cinder mention her before? In every attempt to capture her W seemed to somewhat enjoy the thrill of it, he had to admit, he felt like his old self again thanks to her. And now here she was, capture as he wanted and yet it felt so lackluster, she didn't even crack a smile. Celestia tried again. "What were your intentions down in the old mines under Canterlot?" Repeating herself did nothing more than the first question. W was simply without answers. Her lack of replies led to one guard punching her shoulder, hearing her wince from the burn mark across her shoulder. "The Princess has asked you a question so speak up!" He snapped and earned nothing, even as he grabbed her horn, yanking her face at an angle to reveal her eyes to the world. "Perhaps that little brat you had with you will - !!!" Everypony stopped breathing for a second, the very guard clutching her horn stumbling away in terror as Celestia received a response from W. Her hair had fallen back, revealing her blazing eyes to them all, specifically toward the guard that threatened Astra. There was no other gaze like it, something to rival Celestia's own as the pupils looked uncanny to that of a jagged cross. Whatever was wrong with W she was still certainly listening. Cliffheart huffed as W lowered her head to her cuffs. "Guards, take her to the dungeons, and ensure nopony leaves her alone for the remainder of the day, do you understand?" Those present saluted their captain as W was pulled to her feet, her face shrouded by her hair once more. "And... refrain from bringing up the filly." "For all our sakes." Whatever W's intentions were with the filly, Astra, it was something he didn't feel like evoking again. However, those same eyes led Celestia to meet with W again later that same day. It was a long and winding story, told with replacements for Sora and Cinder to conceal their identities. No one was sure how long the tale lasted before W leaned against the wall of her cell, no longer smiling as she had from the beginning of her tale to Celestia. The old mare had listened to every word without need to ask questions, she simply wished to know it all before applying anything that may silence the woman again. "And now you know everything I know, sorry about the repeat of the last part but I felt we could all use a refresher on the shafting that is today for me," Her vulgar language was also something the Princess simply ignored, again, to keep W from growing silent again. Despite how uncomfortable W's cell was she found a nice groove in the cobblestone to act as a seat since she only had a bed that felt like sleeping on slate. W wiggled her head almost sarcastically. "Well? Any burning questions, your majesty?" "One more disrespectful line from you, and I swear-" A guard was cut dry by W hoarse laughter, seeing her grin while chafing her wrists against her shackles to lean forward. "Oh? What, you gonna poke me with that stick of yours? I'm trembling in my skin," She cooed softly, licking her dry lips. "But please, the grown-ups are talking so sit there and stay quiet - sorry, you were gonna say, Sun-Butt?" Despite the tone, Celestia noticed that her eyes refused to look up at her half the time, her spirit wasn't as sturdy as it was in Cliffheart's reports, the only other time she saw that light was when the filly was brought up before when said little pony scolded her for attacking her party member. A sense of motherly pride it seemed. "You spoke before about this 'Kranon the Collapse Dragon', is this the creature that has orchestrated everything?" Celestia asked and W couldn't place if she believed her story or not, honestly, she would be lying if that wasn't her intention. "And about this corruption, I don't feel any different, nor have the other Elements last I spoke with them." Cliffheart defended though it was clear he too was skeptical of his own defense. "Why bother, you don't believe me so stop humoring me already," W sighed, slumping in her chains, not even with a dramatic pose or emphasis for her words. "Doesn't matter now, I'm in here, you're out there and Kranon's now got nothing left to lose, who cares what you think of me." It wasn't as if she had given up, rather, there was simply nothing left to say. Any questions they had they could find in the retelling of her life in this world. W had effectively answered any questions that weren't of personal bias. Celestia couldn't hide the fact much of her tale left her speculative herself. What grounded it all was that her own son was what she claimed to be, a Displaced, so was Cinder. The issue was is that they gave their lives for Eqeustrea where W sought to cause discord. Something didn't add up. "And how do you know I might not take your word and say that what you've spent the last two hours telling me isn't true?" That did cause an antenna to raise. "Then I'd say, 'where the hell was that kindness when I showed up in your stupid world'?" Her voice, for the first time that day, spat with such potent venom. Her eyes weren't filled with anger, all Celestia could feel was grief and shattered trust. Whatever W was, Celestia felt she knew almost nothing now. With a short bow, Celestia stood up. "Cliffheart, please ensure guards are on patrol regularly and make sure to get some rest for your work," Facing W who now lowered her head, adjusting her posture to keep the blood from draining out of her arms, the white alicorn added. "Thank you for your time." "..." The Sarkaz said nothing, returning her eyes to the sun that now peeked out from the clouds from the small window, it was the afternoon. "Hey, Aoi!" Turning at the chipper voice, the girl hidden under a plain, red hoodie smiled slightly at her blonde friend who waved just a few feet away, her left hand dragging away the third member of their group, though he seemed a little nervous. "We're gonna go see what Funko Pops they have of Destiny! Wanna tag along!? W frowned at the sunlight, lowering her head again. "I miss you guys; What would you think of Aoi if you saw her now?" Inside a private living room for herself and her sister, Celestia sat upon a sofa next to her sister who had been waiting for her. "So, how did the interrogation go, sister? You took... far longer than I was expecting," This was evident by Luna yawning to herself. "Sorry, but I believe I have been met with a near abundance of information, though I am unsure of where to start," Her features were creased when she was overthinking things, it happened more often than ponies realized. Luna, with her sisterly charm, smacked Celestia on the back of the head. "Ow!" "Better?" The younger sibling smiled slyly to the silly pout on her elder sibling's face. Clopping her hooves together, Luna sat closer. "So, what is it you wish to know?" "Are you a fortune-teller now?" She merely received a curious stare from Luna. Taking in a breath she played along. "Something doesn't quite add up when concerning Cinder and Sora." "Were they not on a training journey together?" Luna questioned from what she heard from her Guard. "They are, though Cliffheart's platoon had no record of sighting Sora during his investigation of the underground mines, not unless he told him to remain at Hoofprint which I highly doubt knowing Sora," Celestia tried not to smirk at her son's inability to sit out of an interesting event or two without flying off his seat to poke his nose about. "However, it's about another character in her story. Him, Gambit." That name brought Luna's mood down significantly, almost to the point her muzzle faded of color. "S-sister... are you sure this was the name it gave you? C-could it have been the-" "No, she spoke clearly and confidently, every detail, his personality, all down to the letter," Celestia worded so firmly it could snap bone. The name itself terrified the sun princess herself. To believe that... He was here and had spoken and dealt with W directly. The last she heard of this was with Cinder himself. "Luna, I believe we have a great deal of work ahead of us." "So the usual." She mirthlessly drawled, thankfully returning the far less pensive mood. "Yes, the usual." Although Celestia wished that were the case now more than ever. Day two since W's incarceration was much like the last. Her wrists were raw from the chains and her tail too. They upgraded her cell a little. Now she shared it with one of her only nearby neighbors and a ball and chain kept her tail from moving while her feet were free. Sadly, her attempts to break free were ineffective. It was hard to tell the time when the sky was cloudy but she could roughly guess it was lunchtime as the guards brought food, actual food though it looked pretty basic and bare. Water and bread. Lovely. A guard kept his eyes on them while the other pushed the tray inside, snorting at the sight of W's slumped state as she peered between her bangs. "Tch, maybe if it gets desperate it'll eat the other prisoner." The tasteless joke got a small chuff out of the hooded thief. "Charming, I'll be sure to put you on her menu," He hummed, enjoying the dissatisfied look on their muzzles. Once the gate was shut he shuffled over to procure the trays, plopping down before W with a lazy grin. "Well, guess we're stuck like this together, let's say we skip the part where you intimidate me and just jump to the good stuff? They call me Courier." "W, a mercenary," She murmured before a piece of bread was held out to her. "Heh, guess they don't really understand I can't eat without my hands," She jiggled her arms before taking the offered food with a nod to the pony who took his hood down. His coat was ash grey in the light and his mane was a warm black and curled at the tips, some bangs covering his right eye where it appeared to be a scar underneath. "You heard my so-and-so crimes, what about you?" After taking a drink then offering one to her he seemed to ponder. "Done alot of things, sister. Most of which ponies call 'illegal', hmph, shows what they know," He patted his chest. "Back where I supplied place had folks that couldn't make a bit or had nowhere to go, ponies there treat each other like allies, not all buddy-buddy but mutual respect, that kept them going, kept all of us going where these snobs don't care to bat an eye for." His voice was gravelly but deep when speaking about nobles. "So you hate Sun-Butt too?" W guessed, swallowing another piece of bread. Courier shrugged, "She's without question the most stressed of the bunch, can't say keeping track on all the ins and outs of this place is doing her any good," He didn't hate her given the importance of her role but it didn't excuse her lack of aid. However, one thing did make him chuckle. "Now there's somepony to keep an eye on, bet you'd like him sister, calls himself Sora, according to sources he's the monarch's adopted son." He seemed especially giddy at the mysterious gossip he picked up on. W kept her smile hidden, a pain stabbing in her chest. "...is that so? What's... what's he like?" She leaned back, staring toward the only source of sunlight. "Hrm, met him once - brother helped out without anypony noticing. Cleaned up our home a fair bit, even stuck around to give out supplies he had, even taught our shotty guards how to do their jobs better!" He laughed lightly, gulping the last of his water. "He's a little green but got a better heart than most, anypony who gets on his bad side I feel for... well only slightly." He squeezed his hooves together to emphasize. "Yeah..." W felt breathless, eyes sunken. "He really is an amazing dork..." Another day and W wasn't fairing any better. She wasn't as well kept as the other inmates, another thing she could thank Kranon personally if her hunch was correct but even she refused to ask Gambit for that kind of answer, it was painfully obvious he'd sooner roll in his chair laughing. W was in her cell alone, Courier returned to another cell until Cliffheart arrived. Apparently, he wanted to ask W a question, and much like an old doll, her lips were stitched up tight. Her body was cold given the gloomy day, but most of her time felt that way. Her wounds from her battle with Forsaken were still healing since the lovely ponies of Canterlot Castle, surprise, didn't like her very much. And the rags they had her wear in place of her combat skirt and clothing weren't ideal for comfort or insulation. While Courier was asleep on his bed, W noticed two guards coming into view of her cell. Adjusting her dead-weight posture she knew what was to come. "Why does the Princess even allow some filthy creature to rot in the dungeon?" The one to her left scoffed so her lips curled back. "They let you stay here, don't they?" If Courier was awake he'd have called out the burn but sadly it was just herself and two lovely ponies. The right bashed on the bars in some vain attempt at intimidation. "Watch it, creature, less we stick a muzzle on you!" He hissed, that one action practically refilling W's ammo. Her hand curled in its chain to point his way. "Cleaver, did you come up with that one on your own?" She cooed, stifling her snicker when his face crinkled with spite. Kranon was very methodical, he targetted a key few that would set W's image to Equestria ablaze, after all the taunting she's pulled over Cliffheart and his men that reputation was now snaking back around to bite at her wrists. She effectively brewed their hated of her and Kranon had no need to raise a finger. *Bam!* W felt her lungs empty without realizing what had happened. Her world fell forward and into a white hoof as it struck across her cheek, another bucking her side as she yelped. For the first time since her imprisonment two guards had finally had enough of her insults. The door was wide open but W had no strength or movement with her hands to try. All she could do was hang there like a tapestry against the wall as the guards kicked and punched her relentlessly. Once the punching had ceased W spat out a glob of blood, coughing and hacking while her vision spun a little. By now, Courier had woken from his light snooze to find two guards pinning W against the wall, blood dripping down her chin. "Hey-hey, what the hell are you two up to, huh!? Oi, answer me you hoof-kissers!?" Panic began to settle in from his side of the dungeon, banging on the bars to try and draw their attention elsewhere and to draw attention from other guards nearby. They ignored his attempts as the white one held W's face up by one of her antennae, seeing her face wince from the sharp tug on the sensory appendage. "Y' know, doubt anyone really cares what state this thing's in anyhow - still looks better than most mares." Had W not felt cold before, ice froze up her veins at the insinuating tone. Yet it felt like it wasn't the first time she's heard that, no matter the vagueness, her blood turned to ice. "Hey, your call I ain't biting," The other huffed, turning away as W felt her head thrown down and a hoof move against her leg. "Get off of her, you hear me!?" Courier continued to bash on the bars until his hoof felt it would break, bashing the length of his forehoof against the surface. "Dammit, where the hell is the other guards!?" Ignorance was the guards' major flaw and W would pay that price dearly while feeling her tattered, oversize shirt lift inch-by-inch. Her heart was racing in her ears before blood burned under her skin, had the second guard seen this he might have caught a glimpse of the satanic eyes glowering into the back of his head. "...sorry but..." W whispered until the white pony was close to unveiling his prize, that was when her right leg curled up and around. "...this fine ass is taken!" Striking like a jackhammer her shin rose and struck across the pony's jaw, tripping over her left as both wrapped up and around to squeeze the white pervert between her steel-like chokehold. His hooves flailed in vain to escape, face turning red as W squeezed harder, wanting to hear something pop or even snap with a single twist. By now the other guard noticed the sudden retaliation and rushed to knock W out. Not wanting them to have their way with her unconscious body her heart flooded her body with enough adrenaline that the wind picked up around her, and a small burst of serrated wind tore across her cell. Blood flew from gashes and light cuts, dozens of incisions lined the walls and floor around W's form while she felt herself flop onto her ass, releasing the passed-out guard from her legs, the other laying head-first against the far side of the cell. By the time hooves clopped into view, W panted, feeling a great deal of relief as Courier did. "Told ya I'm no pushover, Gandalf." "Huh, who did I call that again...?" "W-what happened here!?" Cliffheart's orange eyes flickered amongst the unconscious guards then to the bloodied and beaten W who panted against her cell's wall. To his right Courier waved a hoof with anger in his one visible eye. "Those two might've had their fun with her and trust me, you would've heard it, tin pony." A common slur used by those that didn't particularly favor the Royal Guard. Cliffheart analyzed the cell and the frazzled state W was in before sighing through his teeth, glaring down at the ponies. "Jumper, Cross, get those two out of my sight and lock them up, now." Not one pony dared to so much as suggesting otherwise, none noticing the conflicted state on Cliff's face before he ran a hoof through his mane, approaching W who suddenly pressed her back to the wall. She... was frightened by him? "...W, what hap-" "I just told ya, tin pony, one was about to have their way with her 'till she snapped." Courier relayed angrily. Keeping silent, Cliffheart fought against some strange notion he should be leaving her here to rot and instead focused a spell around her bruises and blemishes. "Fuck off..." W spat by his hooves, and while her eyes had regained that fire he felt no such pride in seeing it as it were now. She was on the defense, if he allowed it she might even attack him. Her face scrunched up from the warmth that spread across her wounds, clotting them gradually while Cliffheart wiped his brow of sweat. "...having a change of heart... get lost, thought you wanted this?" "Not like this, and you know it," He admitted, knowing that baseless talk of his own glory would shut her up completely. "W, what exactly is Kranon planning? If even a shred of what you told the Princess is true, wouldn't he just build another Lure someplace else?" That was one of the many thoughts that ravaged her head but something stuck out in Gambit's visions of Kranon's gradual control over Robin's body and power. Every world's Displaced that he slew and stole the powers of he used Lures that harmonized with the Displaced, the Tethers. Once active, the second he leaves the world behind no trace of the Displaced or Kranon remained, just... a crater. "You never wondered why there are three of us in Equestria?" Her words were hollow for a moment, picking her head up as his magic faded to stare at her evenly, seeing her fists shake in her shackles. "Why three Displaced exist, why he hasn't made himself known to any of you? Using me as his little scapegoat?" The words were strained but Cliffheart felt it again, conflict in his own head, it felt like white noise to his ears. "How do you know about Lord Cinder and Price So-" "Kranon, he doesn't need us anymore, he would've done away with this world painlessly but now all he craves is release," W lifted her head, eyes slanted but fueled with anger. "Even if the world and beyond knows he doesn't care because he'll finally be free, he'll create a disaster that will destroy this world's timeline, and when it all falls apart he'll be reborn in the fallout, the sacrifices of hundreds will be undone in one action alone." "What... disaster?" Cliffheart shivered and W never lost contact with his tensed stare. "Like the world my body comes from, he'll create a Catastrophe that will annihilate the kingdom, any that survive will be like me, Infected." The Abyss couldn't be controlled, DnD was much the same with its creatures, and Grimm were too easily stopped with divine magic. But the Infected? They resisted magic, they could be controlled. "Let me ask you again. Are you happy Captain? Is my imprisonment given you what you wanted, well, has it?" Her voice broke a little before W sunk her head, no longer wishing to speak with anyone after today. "If I'm honest... you can all burn with me." How long has it been since W was locked up here? She couldn't really care if it had been days or weeks, what else mattered while she remained chained to the same wall since she got here? Sat atop her bed her eyes could make out the sight of moonlight through the porthole of the dungeon, the only real way to tell the world hadn't ended yet. Kranon wasn't going to wait much longer, he would attack any moment now and she had neither the weapons nor the allies to help her. Why? That was the one word W hated most as it plagued her for weeks. Why her? Why all of this plotting? Why... did she bother at all? The more she pondered, every day she kept asking herself the big question; This world tormented her, abused her mind and body to the point any human would just break. It was a giddy concept, to sit back and let this whole world burn, let it all rot for what it did, sure, they technically weren't at fault but it was their magic, their hooves, and their faces imprinted in her mind. Would anyone blame her if she just... gave up? Her home wouldn't know, her actions have set off a domino effect. Despite how much she hated this world it had pieces that made her hold on, more so for her Earth. If she didn't do something they would suffer for her actions, Kranon would do the same to Earth, then the next, and the next until he was satisfied. An endless cycle of death brought about by a lack of action to try just a little more, to simply... move on. She missed seeing Astra copy her antics, learning about the world and herself, even scolding the Sarkaz for her recklessness. She wanted to fight Cinder again, the first real challenge that didn't feel like her life was on the line, he was someone who understood her and would fight fairly with a cunning merc like herself, she wanted to hear more about his favorite shows too, that old fanboy still buried inside that armor. Sora... her eyes softened, lifting a chained hand toward the moonlight. He must have been angry with her for doing this. She could see it now, feeling his fist strike her shoulder while he yelled at her, for a nervous Prince he sure didn't act like one, he cared more than she was willing to admit. In only a week-and-a-half he had seen more of Aoi than most have seen in years. That stupid smile, his laugh, the way he just... accepted her antics and then some. Unlike with Astra, where W knew the kid needed her to grow. W felt... safe again with Sora, the burden of saving the world felt so much lighter. All of them just made the burden... easier. "You look like you've got quite the story to share," Courier spoke up beside her, his own back against his awful bed, his eyes were hidden by his mane and hood say for a small smile. "Go on, sister, I won't bite." W was reluctant at first but then thought about everything before Equestria. "I... was at a convention with my two friends, they... heh, they were seriously a handful, maybe because I was more inclined to keep to myself," It was funny, if she didn't give in to their whining she might not be here. Lifting her hand as close to her neck as possible W scowled. "If I just didn't pick up that scarf... I'd still get to see them, hear them bicker like children 'cause they wouldn't hurry up and admit they liked each other, how freakin' stupid is that?" "Here I have people now, I feel like the more I just kept moving, focused on what was ahead then I could... I-I could try to forget about what was stolen from me," W's voice was starting to break, eyes hesitant and misty. "I... the more I fought, the more fabricated memories that appeared the harder it was to forget... that I can't ever see them again." Biting her lip until it bled, W felt her whole body tremble. "Just us sister, ain't no pony judging down here, that's what a court's for," Courier murmured gently, keeping his eyes hidden as he heard her hold back a sob. "I-I miss them... so much... my parents, my friends... I-I can't ever see them again," Closing her eyes W tried to get comfortable, curling up slightly on her rough cot, shaking from the cold and the reality she tried to hide for so long from the world. To Be Continued... Author's Note And like that, we come full circle. Celestia doesn't seem entirely convinced things are as they seem, and she and Luna know who Gambit is? Good thing those tags are in place, huh? Seems Cliffheart's starting to change and W might finally break. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Born to Lead Meanwhile with Sora, Astra, and Cinder. The trio works their way across Equestria as fast as they can to ascertain aid for Kranon's next immediate move against Canterlot and the world. Cinder helps Astra understand her powers while Sora tries to keep his worries together.
0-0 FearYou... aren't coming? Why? He'll just come after us Why... dammit tell me!? Do you trust me? "Right in here, Princess." Voice and the soft clop of hooves rang in the dark hallway. There wasn't much to look for, one hallway led you through the whole dungeon's dark, cold depths, although it wasn't an unbearable living space it held a certain charm. Especially for one prisoner, in particular, sat at the very end, themselves unmoving. The figure was locked up on the far wall, chained to the wall to embolize them if they attempted to make an escape, the Royal Guard had learned from their last mistake when apprehending the individual. When the several guards approached, it was clear a state of anxiety and wariness was present, even those locked away kept their silence if mentioning the prisoner, not a soul dared to invoke their wrath. Princess Celestia stood there, unwavered by this fear spread through-out her subjects, but she was not as fool-hardy to dismiss their woes, this wasn't a laughing matter. One guard put his hoof out to stop her from reaching the bars. "Please, Ma'am, don't get too close, this thing's craft- Gah!" He jumped at the cup thrown at his hooves by another prisoner, a small-time thief wearing a hood over his whole head, merely a pair of blue eyes glared back from the dim flicker of the torch. "Take my advice kid, don't call her that, you'll regret it later." He warned the Guards, sitting back against the wall with a chuckle. "I learned my mistake too." Princess Celestia peered through the bars. The person was in merely rags, stripped of her original possessions and left chained by the wrists, only this was no Diamond Dog or Minotaur. No, whatever it was lacked those traits, but was far smarter than the two combined, as intelligent as herself. The figure was slumped, sagging their body with their short, wild silver-white mane hanging over their face. The Princess wasn't even sure they were awake at all. Dried flakes of blood dotted her arms and legs, cuts crusted off and bruises tainting her once clean skin, dirt clung to her rags and her hair like a half-beaten corpse. One Guard tapped on the bars, grunting at the lack of response. "Hey, wake up Monster, the Princess of Equestria is here to see you, how lucky." No reply, just silence and a distant drip of water. He snorted, banging on the bars. "Wake up or el-" Everyone froze - no, their very blood froze like the guards, himself shaking on the spot at what he saw. Between the silver locks, a single eye stared back. Burning with the ferocity of an ember, crackling and warm. "..." She finally sat up straight, flicking her hair from her eyes, two red antennae bobbing above her forehead, a black tail wriggling in its chains, attempting to stretch. "..." Whoever it was kept staring soullessly at the Royal Guard, primarily the white-coated monarch herself. Celestia had never felt such raw hatred in so many centuries, it could rival that of King Sombra. "Ahem, Creature-" The Guard nervously began, "-You have been imprisoned here under the charges of assault of officers, arson, disturbance of peace, and threatening the governing law of Equestria" The guard continued. "You claim to have meant no ill-will yet continuous display acts of violence across the country and toward even the Elements of Harmony who have attempted many times to reason-" A giggle, short, sweet, and spiteful. Then it erupted into a laughing fit, many cringing at the wide, fanged smile across the creature's face, but Celestia was unphased, she merely saw the pain and hatred burning on in those orbs. "'Reason' huh? Is that was they told you?" She sank her head, speaking up for the first time since being locked up. "Lying little runt, I knew that egghead was a follower but going as far as to manipulate the truth to please her teacher? Man didn't realize old Sparkle Butt was such a fanatic, hehehehe..." "Watch your tongue, Monster!" One guard snapped, almost levitating his spear to threaten her, but that act didn't even register in her eyes. Instead, she stared directly back at the silent monarch. "You had so much to say back on your little throne, what lost your nerve?" She challenged, wanting to see the Princesses true colors, if she was to rot away in here she may as well make her feelings known to the world. "Go on, say something, I'm willing to chat a little now if I think you're worth my time and energy." "Pest!" A glow intensified in the dungeon, a magic bolt was ready to be cast yet the Princess raised her hoof, easing her subject. "B-but Princess, this Thing-" "Is willing to speak to us, let's not waste this opportunity, Cliffheart." Slowly, the guard nodded, and Celestia stepped forward, eyes never once breaking contact with the demonic-looking prisoner. "Tell me, what is it you wish to share? But choose your words carefully." The person rolled their eyes, tilting their head off to one side, finding the light of day peeking through a cell window. "...answer me this, Princess, if the world turned its back on you, what would you do?" Celestia considered her query, only to receive another reply from the ragged prisoner. "I'll tell ya - you either accept your place and be written off..." "'Or'?" She echoed, awaiting a continuation. "...Or you fight." "And you believe this was your only choice?" Celestia inquired, not quite getting where the individual was going. Instead, she received dull, tired eyes belonging not to the monster in the cage, but of something more pony-like than she could imagine. "A side must always be taken, Princess, even if it's the wrong side." ///ACT I - Castle of Glass\\ To Be Continued... Author's Note The small prologue to a hit-or-miss story I randomly thought of, enjoy the first (Possibly only) chapter! Time to live like a renegade.
0-1 She's a Mercenary"Hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hmm~ I'll do what it takes, do what it takes..." Alone in the ruined and forgotten remains of the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters, yeah, a mouthful, a soft tune was sung across the empty room of an old bedroom. The right-hand corner facing the forests beyond was nothing more than rubble, a large tarp mounted over the holes in the roof and overhang of this breach using one of the man fabrics left behind by the previous owners. Sat beside a makeshift bed of carpets and old, preferably not moldy, banners lay a large, black weapon. The design was that of an M320 Grenade Launcher Module, the strap hanging over the old bed railing. Many discarded casings littered the aged, ash flooring, a few live rounds placed neatly in a line beside the muzzle of the explosive device. Across to the left-hand side was a workbench dragged in from several other rooms, scrapped together with many tools and a rucksack. Spilling from inside were more M32 rounds, as well as a small device like a lightswitch, a few bundled, hand-sized boxes stacked beside it, one of them pulled apart to reveal the wiring and intricate make-up of the device, primarily, the tan squares the wires fed into. In the tidiest corner of the room was a large, wooden tub filled with water, the primary source of the singing as steam rose from the cleanest source in the whole castle. Since no one ever came out here it was the perfect, secluded home for a single living being. It even had a perfect view of the world beyond. Sat at the edge of the water was a grinning, human girl, or as human as she can be. Two red antennae bobbed atop her head, swaying by her forehead over wild, damp locks of silver-white hair. One either side of her head were two small, curved deep-red horns, giving her the depiction of a demon. Opening her eyes they gleamed like embers while a black, pointed tail snaked out from the water, inspecting its surroundings before slithering back into the warmth of the bath. "Ah... nothing those stuck-up ponies can do to ruin this every day..." It wasn't the best life but it was enough for her. Given how her first interaction with the ponies of Equestria went it could have been worse. She might have killed someone. ... ... "Ah yes, I guess I should explain why a cute, sexy, badass Merc like myself is enjoying a nice soapy bath in the middle of an untamed forest in the ruins of a castle no one really cares about, funny story, ahem, alright people let's do this one last time..." "My name is Aoi Miles, I made a deal with some Resident Evil-looking guy and got myself thrown into another world, and for the last two weeks I have been the one and only, W." The world changes, depicting a whitette in a hoodie buying a torn, black scarf with a red accent down the hem of the fabric. Then the world turned to a vortex sucking the girl through, herself landing in the middle of a forest as she panicked, her long hair cut short, and her clothing and even her bust had changed dramatically leading toward a mental breakdown a second later. "You see I was turned into W, got bitten by some wolves, maybe started a forest fire - totally wasn't my fault - my mentality got testy - found the town of Ponyville, that's where... everything went wrong, so very wrong..." [※•⁎·°•⁎․•°·•⁎※] Two weeks ago, a young woman not of this world wandered toward the outskirts of the most famous town in her world, even though her memories of the location were vague, it was clear where exactly she had been sent to. The world slipped out her lips, breathlessly at the colorful, vibrant world beyond the meadows. "I'm in Equestria... that's Ponyville... I'm, I'm..." It made her stumble back, wishing this weren't real, then steadied herself with a scowl. "Come on, Aoi, keep it together!" She slapped her cheeks twice, focus renewed while carefully hiding the large weapon poorly behind her back, adjusting the strap. "Just go in, maybe find someone who can help, yeah, yeah that'll work." The girl, Aoi, wore a black, red, and white attire suitable for that of a mercenary. She wore charcoal sneakers with red soles and a pair of dark grey leggings. A short black combat skirt with a red splash tone on the inside. Her signature black jacket with two red buckles danging down from her shoulders, red markings down the rolled-up sleeves with red cuffs. Under that was a grey shirt with a familiar black scarf with a red line down the hem and middle, the same she bought from that old man that sent her here. She adjusted her fingerless gloves, noting the red nail polish, and across her right forearm were three scars like a claw. If Aoi was pleased about one thing, she was stronger, faster, and her body had curves, something she was more than willing to be pleased about. While strolling toward a dirt road that led into the town she had to grin sharply to herself. "I have a body that rivals those petty bitches back at school, how about that?" With the confidence that drew a parallel to the real W, Aoi kept her posture laid-back but steady. If she knew these ponies somewhat, then seeing her will probably put them on high-alert, not often a human walks into town, especially one with horns and a tail like she crawled from the fiery pits of hell. True to her insight, many ponies of colorful natures fled to their houses or watched with bated breath, wondering who she was and what she might do. Their judgemental eyes prodded at her body, her outfit, the gear she carried with her, even her eyes that burned like fresh embers. If Aoi was honest, it was a little embarrassing being stared at by so many, it's not often anyone would so a part of her was skittish while another fragment relished it. Approaching what appeared to be a courtyard, she heard a commotion, due to her being W, that meant she was what you call a 'Sarkaz', and with that came heightened hearing, though not by much. It did allow her to pick up on the panic in the distance, something was wrong and it wasn't her doing. Picking up her steps she jogged through the street, she appeared before a market strip where, to her dumbfounded eyes, were creatures she never would have expected to see in town, let alone in this world. "Originium Slugs?" Her voice muttered sharply, brow perked up while feeling her fingers slip around the barrel of her weapon like back in the woods facing those stupid, wood wolfs, Timberwolves? She nodded, yeah, that sounded right. The 'Slugs' she was referring to weren't just some garden insects, far from it. Unlike the normal variants, these were far more grotesque to look at. Their bodies had mutated, appearing more like arachnids than slugs. Their abdomens were formed of a vibrant, marigold substance under a cracked, hardened shell of rock, Three legs poked out each side, crawling across the dirt road to pounce onto carts and corner ponies who were lost in a panic. Glowing mandibles clicking toward the innocent equines. It happened again, Aoi felt her body move without thinking, not that there was time to think at all, people were about to be killed if she didn't move! "Oi, you pests! Come bite on some prime, Sarkaz meat right over here!" Aoi bellowed, waving her hand to draw the several 'Slugs' away from the ponies. Wearing a cool grin she giggled cutely, eyes lit with a dangerous glare. "That's it, come and get me." The first turned away from the stall it was on, hissing angrily at Aoi as it skittered toward her location. Flicking her weapon high, she felt her muscles move on their own, pulling the grenade launcher to rest in both arms with ease. Pulling the trigger the second it leapt at her face the M32 exploded against the softer skin underneath, showing the ground in bits of rock and originium goo. The rest soon took offense to this, moving with haste to kill the merc with a smile. Loading her weapon once more she plucked a grey-tinted device off her jacket, yanking the pin as her ear listened closely to the racing tick before rolling it toward one of the mutated abominations. It ran for her, only to explode in a blaze, the body slammed through the side of a building while the impact scattered the rest, one kicked back from a pony, exploding not a moment later if not for Aoi's intervention. Two more flanked her, so Aoi pulled the muzzle down at her feet, the 'thunk' was followed by the payload erupting under the soil, creating a haze of dirt to cover her tracks while she moved behind one of the monsters, bringing her foot crashing down on its abdomen, flinging it into the side of a stall, seeing it immediately explode, leaving nothing but smoldering timber in its wake. That was why she wasn't going to let them get close to the ponies. Through the cloud she rolled to her right, evading the sprung legs that almost caught her ankle, flicking a kunai to stagger the creature for her muzzle to press to its head. "Boop." One-click and the grenade blew open the slug, dispersing the plume of dirt with a combined effort of her M32 and the unstable originium inside the Slug's body. Dusting off her jacket she yelped, hopping back from a slug as it blew open the earth under her, flinging the whitette onto her back while her antenna flicked at the spindly legs crawling around her. Sighing, she produced a small remote. "No choice now I guess, aw well." Rolling back onto her feet she swiveled back on her left leg, the black and yellow monster flying past her while ducking to avoid another pounce, seeing it crash into another Slug, the pair exploding in a small fountain of goo that stained and partially destroyed the corner of a building. Keeping her distance, Aoi pulled out from her small rucksack a small, cubic device, pushing a button while casually tossing it toward the mindless animals, holding out her remote to her left with her tongue poking out mockingly. "Boom! Ahahaha..." The green light overtook the red, signifying the charge was ready under her thumb. Pushing once, the small device chimed three times then expanded outward in a large, fiery mesh of Slugs, rock, and shrapnel. It was enough to even make Aoi cover her eyes momentarily from the blast, but oddly enough it was the most satisfying sensation in the world, such power just at the tips of her fingers. "Wow... I even impress myself." Looking around at the carnage, she was somewhat scuffed up from the explosion, dirt, and some remnant goo staining her clothes while the town's square was left rather beaten and bruised in its own right. Parts of roofs and walls were cracked or had remains of the Slugs embedded in the material. What baffled Aoi more was why they were here, to begin with. She knew of the concept of displacement but this was... new, to see the enemies of Arknights here was troubling to say it lightly. "Ehehehe, whoops," Looking around, even she realized the market wasn't exactly up-to-scratch anymore. Sighing, Aoi slung her weapon back, looking at the still frightened ponies watching her warily. Putting on an eased smile she motioned them forward. "Sorry about that, got rid of the pests for ya." Yet in that instance, Aoi only saw one thing playing in their wide, cartoony eyes. Terror. *Bam!* Like a sack of potatoes, Aoi met the cold, hard dirt, feeling her body crumple to the earth in a heap. Whatever struck her was fast and strong, like a cart was thrown into her back. Shaking the dizziness from her vision she focused back on the world, hand on her launcher while she spun around, thinking it was another of those bugs. "Nice hit-" With a sly grin she flicked the safety off. "-But that's all you're gonna get, Slu - huh?" "Like you're one to talk, freak!" Hold on. She blinked, lowering her weapon slightly at the sight of magenta eyes piercing her ember orbs, flapping in place with their hooves raised in preparation to attack. The cyan pegasus moved closer in the air around Aoi, inspecting her distastefully. It was her, the very embodiment of Loyalty. Rainbow Dash. Had it not been for that rough kick to the shoulder blades Aoi might have been happy to see the brash, athletic mare. "Where the heck did you crawl from? The Everfree?" "In a manner of speaking, ow," She winced, rubbing her shoulder with a glare. "What's with the kick, I just helped these people out and that's the thanks I get?" "'Help'? You were swinging that... thing around with the evilest smile since Nightmare Moon!" Rainbow snapped, flying back with her muscles taut, that didn't sit right with Aoi. "I'm taking you down, you should be honored, being knocked out by the best flyer in Equestria!" She was boasting about a claim toward Aoi that had never occurred. She'd admit when W smiles it's not exactly the most heartwarming sight and her methods of attack weren't what one would consider as 'tame', but again, she had done nothing to warrant being attacked like this? "Those monsters could've destroyed this place and killed people, I saved them!" The prismatic mare wasn't having any of it, lunging down with a sudden rocketing speed. "Why would I listen to some creature from the Everfree!?" Not a second later and Aoi evaded the mare with a metal canister to the ground, the device spinning, spraying a thick, grey smoke cloud to blot out any sign of her. "Hey, where'd you go!?" "Like I'd tell you!" One solid knuckle to the jaw and the pegasus was grounded, seeing the black figure move through the fog like a viper, kicking her while she was down. Rainbow ended up sprawled against a destroyed stand, growling as she flung the tarp off her stomach, or until a foot pressed against her chest. "Stop! I mean it, you either back off or I swear-!" "Now, Twi!" Oh shit. Aoi hadn't the time to dodge the sheer brightness that incorporated the twilight, blinding her as something burned against her hands, pulling her down to the ground with a single tackle to her stomach. "Haha, nice work, egghead!" "Again with the nickname... but yes, good work baiting It Rainbow," A new, familiar voice broke in Aoi's ears. Rubbing her chin against the dirt to adjust her view, she winced as the veil that enveloped her hands burned against her skin, she was stuck and struggling to move at all. Grunting, Aoi struggled to lift her head higher, but she saw it, the curious, purple eyes watching her movements, even her hoof prodded at her skin like she was some kind of pet to a child. "Fascinating, this creature is not only vastly intelligent but resembles something akin to a Diamond Dog's stature," Her brow furrowed a moment. "No, not a canine, maybe a monkey?" One particular stroke to her tail caused Aoi's foot to miss a kick. "Watch the tail!" She hissed, wincing at the burning sensation once more. "Let me go! I didn't do anything wrong, I was trying to help you!" Rainbow scoffed, tapping the purple unicorn's shoulder. "Don't listen to it, Twi, the thing's been giving everypony this creepy smile that would even make Discord shiver," To emphasize her own feathers ruffled. "It used that thing on its back to make all these explosions that even I felt them up in the clouds!" "Amazing!" Twilight's eyes sparkled, but the pun wasn't funny at all to Aoi. She was just being used as a lab rat, what did she do wrong? She... she had the power to do something and she did, she felt proud for jumping into the help them but now... why didn't they see that? Why? Why!? Why!?! "Princess Celestria might know more, we should probably keep It locked up until-" "I have a name! And I'm a girl you stupid horse!" Aoi was losing it, and her vulgar language made the mares gawk in fright at her outburst, but Aoi wasn't done, glaring daggers at the two. "I don't know why I'm even here! I wanted to find answers here but none of you will listen to me! I helped your stupid town and now I'm being used like some rat in a cage!?" Anger festered in her heart, now beating erratically. It wasn't fair, why her? What kind of world is this!? "If there's more of those creatures too I'm the only one who knows anything about them!" This was also apparent if Originium Slugs had started appearing in Equestria, did that include the other traits of that world? Would more monsters begin to appear? Would maybe other people like her? What about the Catatrophes? If they appeared, could Equestria even be as peaceful as it is now? It was too much to risk rotting in some lab just because no one would listen to her, she had to get away, she needed to try something or else what was the point to any of this? Twilight spoke next, huffing with a strong, disapproving stare. "You attacked our town and Rainbow Dash, how can you justify that?" Aoi's mouth parted but again, that stupid rainbow mare stuck her muzzle in. "'Cause, It's just some violent animal from the Everfree! Come on, look at it!" She did while Rainbow ran Aoi's identity into the mud, not seeing the panic and fright in the silverette's eyes at this startling revelation. "What Diamond Dog has a black tail and red horns? It doesn't look like anything you've seen in all those books of yours, it can speak Equestrian, AND it can make things explode! Plus it has a scary face!" "I..." They weren't serious, right? That was the one question infecting Aoi's mind. Why? She had just saved them from suffering at the legs of those monsters, she willingly put her life in harm's way despite having no combat experience, or did she? No, given her fight it was clear she must have inherited W's skills, that would explain alot. But that wasn't the issue, she helped them, and yet... she was the bad guy here? "I was only trying..." It was happening again, no one was listening - no, they never even acknowledged she was in the right at all. Not a soul would speak up, no one was coming to voice the truth, they were scared of her, scared of the smile she couldn't shake when she fought. Gripping the sides of her head, she felt the horns rough surface, remembering the tail that flicked at the ground behind her. She was a demon to them, even though she was only doing the right thing. Her heart felt something new, beating harder, unlike the times she was shunned by the world and treated like a nobody, this time, she had a voice, the power to stand on her own two feet. This world was not different from her own, when something new and unknown appears many would raise their voice in anger and fright, she was that unknown variable. Now her teeth were ground against one another, straining against the magical force suppressing her ability to stand. The reason was so simple that Aoi almost laughed. She was another 'monster' for the 'heroes of Equestria' to stop, it didn't matter what context you threw at them, this was just their way of making themselves look better, "Yeah, that's it, that's why I'm being shut down and bound like a wild animal." It was infuriating, she felt no less chained here than she did back home. Home? No, she only had her family, everyone else was trash, just forgotten, indiscriminate strangers. "The ponies here don't believe me either..." She glanced between her locks, seeing fear and panic in their eyes and expressions. Some were smiling triumphantly. Finally, Aoi found it within herself to vocalize her thoughts directly to the elements of Loyalty and Magic. "Fine then... screw you all, I don't care how you feel... you're all trash, just pests in my way...!" Each word was snarled and bitter, never in Aoi's life had she wanted to lash out, lacking so much to make that initial push. And yet, ironically, it was the world of Equestria that finally tipped the scales. Bearing her teeth she roared. "You heard me! I'll handle this threat of MY OWN!!" Her body strained against the lilac bindings around her wrists, hearing them chip and moan under the pressure her muscles provided. Rainbow looked to Twilight in a panic, seeing the sweat trickle down the unicorn's forehead. "Twi, how is this thing moving!?" "I-I don't know! I-It's like my magic can't-!" It was beyond frustrating for Aoi, and she finally snapped. "A-ah!" "GET THE HELL OFF ME!!!" Her voice thundered, shattering the spell in seconds before her burnt hands lashed out for Twilight, hooking her raw fingers around the unicorn's throat to cut off any hopes of escape or breathing. With blazing eyes, she glared soullessly down at Rainbow, the pegasus unable to move less she put her friend in harm's way. That caused Aoi's glare to match her unwavered frown. "Go on, move an inch, ANY OF YOU, and I'll snap the egghead's neck like a twig." Screw being the better person, what a load of shit! If they wanted a monster they'll get one! Everyone ounce of her wanted to scream in defiance, to take one more step and end one source of her pain thus far. But, Aoi let the purple equine flop to the ground, hacking beside her best friend while Aoi strolled by, flicking her tail angrily at the two. "Follow me, and I'll have you running in circles. Hurt me, and I'll hurt you back," Both Twilight and Rainbow froze in fright at the muzzle of the black weapon poised right at their snouts, watching it and the glare above the iron sights inspect them closely. "Get in my way, and I'll raze this town, my name is W, a Sarkaz Mercenary, and my life is my own." Lowering her weapon with a heavy sigh, Aoi quickly sprinted for the nearest alleyway, the more distance put between her and that speed-demon with wings the better, especially when they call on her bluff. Each step was furious, all the commotion made her blood boil and her skin crawl. Their words stained her mind like so many others. She was an enemy of this world now, but the innocent lives didn't know this, they didn't understand the danger of Originium if it were to begin cropping up further in this world. "Is that why I'm here? Or is this just the world's way of making me suffer some more?" In a way, Aoi - no, that girl was kinder to people, even if some never deserved it, but these ponies were certainly undeserving of her compassion, what little was left. No, W, relished that idea. It sounded like fun, being a renegade to Equestria. Maybe if she gains the people's trust she can make the likes of the Elements of Harmony look like fools, that'll be a sweet way to get back at them. "Okay then..." Smiling devilishly through the streets, she enjoyed the frightened ponies' reactions when she sprinted past their stalls and houses. The people of two worlds hated her, then she'll just prove them wrong in her own way. "Come and get me, heroes!" [※•⁎·°•⁎․•°·•⁎※] [Present Day] Back in the castle, W stretched out a sigh as the cool air of the afternoon tickled her bare skin. In the time since she became public enemy number one, she had hidden away in the Everfree, finding this castle as the perfect home base until she was certain of her next motive. She had no heading, and if anything of the world her body came from was infecting this world finding it would also be challenging. All in all her plans were scrapped. "What to do, what to do...?" Grabbing a cloth to wrap around her body she peered out the hole in the wall. The sun was only just past midday, there was time to sweep the underground layers of this castle before nightfall. Yet she rooted herself to the edge, watching the sky blue hue vanish behind puffy, white clouds, the sun basking the world in its vibrance. Then a warm liquid slipped down her cheek. Flicking the tear onto her nail W realized something, she was crying? Yeah, of course, she was. Aoi was still just a nobody little girl with a body of a powerful mercenary, that's all this was a facade. "Heh, can make enemies with powerful, magical ponies but falls apart at a beautiful world's view?" It was pathetic but she was okay with that. Stretching her arms she turned back to her workbench, a grin crossing her lips. "Time to get to work." Once she grabbed her clothes, now in need of some cleaning she threw them on and picked up her bag and weapon. Today was going to be a fun one, a little risky venturing never hurt anyone, right? "Day fifteen in Equestria, my agenda today?" She looked around, noting her state of living with a teary-eyed wail. "I need money or I'm going to die out here~!" To Be Continued... Author's Note Oh yeah, first Arknights story on Fimfiction! This is a hit or miss if anything. I just felt like writing about my favorite Merc causing some mayhem in Equestria. Though if I continue with this is very slim, all really depends if people like this or if it's even noticed at all. I decided to skip the whole cliche we've known since ancient times. 'Person buys an object, wakes in Everfree, fights something', that's the bog-standard way to start this adventure but I felt that was unnecessary, but unlike the ones I've seen, our protagonist is public enemy number one! You don't need to know anything about Arknights which is great if you just want to see some chick blowing things up and making Twilight pull her hair out in frustration. Plus the character explains stuff herself. Well, if you did enjoy it, thanks for the support as always, and seeya, maybe, next time! Oh, I almost forgot! Here's W's Theme Song!
0-2 Don't Think TwiceAt a small corner market in Ponyville, a pony with a bandana over his charcoal muzzle and a matching hat stood at the counter, addressing a customer who put a few herbs on the table for him to inspect with an irked brow. "Okay-Okay, I know I said, 'anything of value', but level with me-" He held up one of the plants in his lime-green magic, eye twitching. "Does a weed count as 'value' to you!?" "But I-" He meek pony tried to say but was slapped in the face with the weed. "Irrelevant!" The clerk berated, brushing the weeds off his counter. "Come back when you bring me, 'SOMETHING' of value! Not a weed or your common mushroom, I want something that looks, smells, feels like it may have merits," The Earth Pony snorted and took off in a huff, leaving the herbalist to mutter into a book on the counter until a tall, hooded figure approached his stand, the brown, matted tarp concealing their body say for their face and a few, white bangs. "Are you always so callous toward paying customers?" W broke the silence with a smirk, seeing him brush her off with his hoof. "Irrelevant! Miscalculations and wasted energy are bioproducts of the unintelligent masses," He muttered on, W nodding along while rolling her eyes. "What do you want now?" He grunted, looking beneath the counter for something. Mir was, and always will be, a grumpy herbalist. When W became public enemy number one she had to find a sustainable way to gather both intel and the works of the land. She may have the badass body of a mercenary and the combat prowess to boot but her lack of knowledge on Equestria and its inner workings was nothing to aspire to. So on day five W rolled the dice and traveled back to Ponyville, evading more populated areas until she found this small corner stall out of sight of most ponies. Mir was strange but helpful as they broke a deal. She brings him stuff he wants, and he gives her information, recipes, and the like. Setting her small, makeshift sack on the table she pulled out a strange, golden flower with five petals exactly, in the light they gleamed like buttercups and had a sweet aroma. Noting this with a raised brow his muzzle was pursed under his bandana. "Hrm, you found the Cross Lotus, how effective," He plucked the plant from her in his magic, noting how it made her fingers retract in fright. "And the steam is deep green, the smell is sweet and not overbearing..." Rolling her eyes, W leaned forward on her elbows. "Are ya gonna keep jerking me about or are you going to pay me?" Hearing this he laughed once snarkily, taking the sack off her. "Hey, I still need tha-" He threw a leather satchel in her face, it was worn but sturdy, and inside were a few vials filled with liquids of unknown origins. "To keep the quality intact knowing your brazen attitude and reputation," His back was turned to her but she could still feel his eyes on her somehow. "And those should keep you from dying of some common illness that you have no doubt unknowingly contracted, tch." Gradually, W's smile returned and softer than her creeper grin. "...you're a grumpy one, but thanks." For that moment, his eyes saw exactly what he saw that day, the sweet girl that hid behind a mask of scorn with the personality of a thief. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know where I could find any leads on... you know what?" She made sure to keep her voice down while he adjusted some items on the shelves against the hut's wall. "Hrm, if you're finally done coping yourself in some rundown ruins... I suggest Hoofprint, on the road to Canterlot," His dry tone grew stale as a desert. "Those ponies delude themselves on mystical arts than science, pah! But they hold requests for jobs, primarily things they cannot provide themselves," Turning to face the silverette he glared at her. "If you believe in the assumptions that those Or-i-gin-i-um creatures may return that would be a place to investigate your fruitless endeavor further." Before W could answer, her ear twitched while peeking around the corner of her hood, like that, her blood froze when she saw that same, purple unicorn bitch coming this way. Growling under her breath she wished she brought her launcher today but alas, that wouldn't help. Giving Mir a generous nod and possibly stolen Bits on the counter she leapt up over his stand, hiding behind one of the odd rooftops of the town's strange houses. "Ah, hello again, Mir," Twilight waved kindly, hearing him grunt while fishing through his crates. Taking that as her own sign of a greeting she asked him curiously. "I wanted to know, do you have anything that can help put a large animal to sleep? Something that includes-" "-calcium gluconate, magnesium carbonate, cider vinegar, and boiling water - yes-yes, I've heard of that remedy but that will not work on 'large animals'," He turned with a sneer. "And even if I did have something of a higher drug dosage I wouldn't sell it off a corner store like some petty addicted fiend." W above had to snort at the stupid mare's attempts to tranq her. What made it harder was the bandages still wrapped tightly to her ass, causing a curled smile to form on her lips. "That crocodile pit was worth the bruises." She'll never forget how she bellowed out, 'Pull the lever, Sparkle Butt!' at the top of her lungs, it was priceless. Down below, the deflated Twilight rubbed her chin. So far Twilight's attempts to apprehend this creature have proven naught. Every plan just fell apart when put into practice. From traps to lures, she even tried just outright attacking the bipedal monster and that was by far her worst mistake. True to the thing's word, it retaliated just as deadly, whatever it was, it was extremely smart, and it knew how to use the Everfree against her and any foolish trappers that wanted to make a quick Bit. *Bam!* "Ah!" Twilight yelped, Mir slamming a small crate onto the counter with a bored stare directed toward the mare. "Sparkle, have you ever considered the probability that your actions, as well as your friends, maybe in the wrong? Or rather, they are," He didn't hide his disdain for them. While only Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack have been of any real threat to W, the others were still on their side and didn't do anything. Bringing his tone down on her like scolding a child he added. "Somethings in this world requires more than logic and books to apply a decisive conclusion to, isn't that what you preach?" While an understandable argument Twilight's recent attempts to capture it have told her otherwise, frowning at the stallion. "I understand it may not seem like we are in the right, but you were there, you saw what it did, what it can do," Twilight could feel the fur around her neck stand on end, feeling the vice-like grip around her throat. "What creature would needlessly attack another intelligent being if it wasn't attempting to cause harm?" For the longest time, Mir stood there, pondering her words, he knew W was still around, listening in to pry for all the information she could. Blinking once he stood back. "...every word you have just spoken... was both a complete and total waste of my time, Sparkle," Snorting his displeasure he wandered back to organizing the flowers W had procured him. "But I-" "Irrelevant!" He swung his hoof out to dismiss her, done listening to such baseless claims. However, Twilight's eyes caught sight of the golden flowers. "Those are... Cross Lotuses," Murmuring her words she felt the gears begin to turn, strangely furrowing her brow. "Don't those only naturally grow in the darkest points of the Everfree?" "Yes; Hurry up with your point." He had new medicines to produce and had little time for more distractions. "But how not many ponies would venture deep into the Everfree, especially not someone inexperienced with its ecosystem." That subtly made Mir and W realize the subtle mistake the pair made. Compared to W's sweating expression against the roof, Mir held his calm, irked demeanor. "I have my sources for materials, you have yours for books, the pegasi have that Cloudsdale for clouds," He recited dryly. "Our world thrives on community, even I am not above that notion of logic, whatever it is you're attempting to miscommunicate will only lead you toward a most unsatisfactory answer, Sparkle." And with that, he turned his back to her, content to work in private without her questions. Up above, W's fingers dug into the thatch roof, bearing her teeth to suppress the urge to storm down there and give that stuck-up unicorn a piece of her mind, no, a grenade to the gut. It was like this every day since she ran to hide away in the Everfree. Ponies came in droves about the 'Monster of the Everfree', wanting to be the first to capture her like some prize. Twilight's efforts have gotten better with time, so had W's but her patience was running thin. Ridicule, hatred, fear, torment, it was a festering cloud when W was involved, she smiled, but the person underneath was hurt in more ways than one. It was a downpour in the Everfree, those pegasi had tossed their unused clouds to the forest, leaving them wild and and untamed. They called it unnatural, something W took as an amusing thought. Much like the storm now battering the forest with a chime of the wilderness and distant ambience of animal life, she too wasn't bound by the magic of this world, a wildcard that was left to be afraid of. Typical, she's comparing herself to a bog-standard rain cloud. "What's that place?" Croaking under a large leaf she used to keep the majority of her body safe from the rain she spotted a light in the opening ahead. Jogging to run flush with a tree she was surprised to find a small cottage built around a tree, it looked tribal too. The many odd glyphs and wooden signs would indicate to a witch's hut, especially the windchimes above the porch. But that was it, shelter until this storm passed. Shrugging, W smiled to herself. "Well, if they run I can just hunker down for a few minutes before more ponies come." Quickly slipping between bushes and trees with the grace of a fox W tip-toed up and under the small overhang. She was cold but no longer in need of the large, bushy leaf for a while. Sighing, W ran her cold fingers through her hair, shaking off the excess water as her back ran down the wall, slumping once at the bottom. It was a tiring day, Twilight and her 'friends' sure weren't giving her an easy time scoping the town out for points of interest. Stealing those apples came at the cost of a nasty bruise on her side curtasy of Applejack, lucky shot. It was hard to survive out here. Living in a rundown castle with basically nothing but the ability to make big explosions, it was really hard. Strangely enough, the bag she carried her equipment in was one of those 'perks' of that damned merchent, as if to mock her further, everyday it held a fresh load of explosives, M32 greandes, C4, you name it, W had it at the ready, but no food, medical supplies, not even a rag to cover her clothing in. "I really am stuck living on scraps... are you kidding me?" She wanted to scream, to bellow out all her anger and frustration to the stupid, colorful world, to feel her throat croak in agony. "What is this I see? A new creature from the Everfree?" A questioning brow lifted under W's bangs. "What in the what?" Twisting her head to the foreign accent and rythming tongue, her eyes shot wide at the startling figure before her. A zebra, it was a goddamn zebra dressed like a witch doctor. Slumping her arms over her knees the silverette offered a drained smile. "Well color me impressed, I met a talking zebra." Zecora was her name, W remembered that much. "Sorry, I'll get out of your mane before you go grab Sparkle Butt and her merry band of idiots." Those wise eyes never blinked, instead, the mohawk bobbed in the sharp breeze, a small smile on the zebra's muzzle. "There is no need, I have heard of your startling deeds, a monster born from this evergreen." Again, W laughed softly, restraining her creeper smile. "You really are only going to speak in rythmes, aren't ya?" One nod, and W cackled at the humorous geustre. Then she paused, losing her smile - she was laughing? How long had it been since it felt so... nice? Taking her eyes off the Zebra, her ember eyes hardened at the dark road that led back into the forest, feeling a presence approaching, several actually. "You know, talking with a 'horrid monster' isn't a good idea, they might start to turn on you too for no reason." W quickly pushed to her tired feet again, picking up her heavy launcher. Yet Zecora put her hoof on W's hip, pushing her to hide under an open window, out of sight of those to come, but not without a proper spot to listen in. "We shall see, these ponies are not what they seem, and your appearance is nothing obscene." Taking the odd Zerbra's actions, W kept low and watched from the window, seeing the door swing open, Zecora ushering those caught in the storm inside. She suppressed a sneer, antenna twitching, it was Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack. "Thank you, Zecora, and sorry for barging in like this." Twilight apologised to her friend, the strange Zebra nodding along, keeping to her boiling cauldron once more. "It is no trouble, for what brings you here Twilight Sparkle." W punched her gut to keep from snickering at the constant word-play, making sure to stay out of sight of the trio, Zecora seemed to be purposefully avoiding the window, drawing their eyes just to herself. Rainbow butted in before Twilight got a word out. "It's about that stupid, dangerous monster that's been appearing in Ponyville!" Applejack yanked the mare back to the ground by the tail. "Hey, you know it's true! Didn't it steal apples from you?" The cowpony snorted. "Ah course I know that, but gettin' up in Zecora's face won't help, right Twi?" The unicorn nodded, silently thanking her friend. "Zecora, you've known the wildlife around the Everfree the most out of anyone in Ponyville, surely you know something about this thi-erm-Her?" That surprised W, she was finally referred under her sex, what a surprise. Then again she looked at her grey shirt, seeing that it had become see-through slightly. "Tch, if anything I have the size over any of you walking surfboards." While comparing bust sizes between humans and ponies didn't make sense, W didn't care, she'd take pride in that feat any day. "I have seen this creature with my very eyes, I too felt for my life, and yet I saw it's strife," Zecora stirred the mixture in her pot, grabbing an old, brown cloak from over a rack, it clearly had seen better days. "You wish to know more, but there is much to explore, and it will not be so kind to open such doors." Rainbow blinked, looking lost between her friends. "Uh, anyone translate Zebra-talk?" Applejack slapped the back of her head. "Ah, hey-!" Twilight sighed, shaking her head in her hoof, she looked restless, many late nights attempting to deciper the creature known as 'W' and her origins. "I knew this was too much of a shot in the dark, but thank you anyway Zecora," The witch doctor nodded, tossing the cloak out the open window, thereby landing on the slumped W, herself surprised to feel said hoof patting against her head from above the cover. "You said you saw it with your own eyes, where, does it have a nest or den maybe?" "That might explain why it keeps runnin' back 'ere." Applejack reinforced. Unbeknownst to them, W was left speechless, tucking the rugged cloak close to her body, feeling warmer than without it or using that leaf. Why did the Zebra do that for her? And why was she lying for her too? Zecora shook her head out the corner of W's eye, herself beginning to take the hint to leave while she had the ponies eyes and ears. "I do not know of where it calls home, perhaps that is why it yearns to be left alone, or why it comes searching your own." W froze mid-step, looking back at the glow emmianting from the window. A home? Now her soft eyes were gone, replaced with a coldness to rival the storm as the wind tugged at her new cloak, the silverette vanishing back into the dark evergreen. The last thing she wanted was a home among those ponies, that idea was burned days ago. That was just one of many things that made W grow to spite the Elements of Harmony, they were the embodiments of hypocrticy. Preaching of 'Friendship' yet the second W arrived into town, saved lives, and she was treated like a threatening villain due to her looks and weapons, racists. Much as she wanted to brood she had to go back and search for the plants Mir requested, and the idea of potion making did stir excitement in the mercenary, maybe she could get some tips from Zecora? The zebra wasn't afraid of W when she popped in for a small chat or two, more as a 'thank you for not turning me in to the grumpy ponies', that, and her tea was really good. *BOOM!* W froze with her fingers clenched to the thick surface, ears twitching at the distant bang that wasn't her for once, and she doubted anyone was seriously doing it that hard around midday. Smirking slightly, the Sarkaz girl knew exactly where that originated from, rather, it was directed just for her ears, how sweet. Pulling back, W lunged off the roof and onto the adjacent one to her right, just as something crashed through the rooftop behind her, coughing up straw and splinters. "Ooh, that looked like it hurt," W sneered, grinning away like an idiot while ducking from another tackle, whipping her tail around to slap Rainbow back on all fours, leaving her open to a steel-capped boot to the right shoulder, throwing the pegasus into a tumble off the roof and through a stall below, thankfully, the one beside Mir. Even W paled at that notion. "I don't want to be fined again, he's mean." "You know, Crash, for the 'best flyer in Equestria', you sure as hell suck at the landing strategy." "I'll make you eat those words in a cage!" She shot out from the ruined stand, as magenta and ember eyes locked, only for those purple orbs to widen in fright, hearing the 'click' of the grenade launcher pointed right at her face in one hand, the eyes peeking through the scope. "A-a-a... you wouldn't." W's brow curved with a sweet, mocking smile. "Oh? Want to gamble? Since you're light on your wings-" She teased the trigger with her finger, seeing the sweat form on the cyan pony's brow. "This is a standard M320 Grenade Luancher Module, or M32 for short, with my reflexes I can fire around five to seven rounds per minute at a velocity of seventy-six meters-per-second. The effective range of this is around 150 meters," Despite the lengthy words it was clear on Rainbow's face that she was digesting the numbers, despite being thick-headed, if it involved flight she had a sharp mind. "That's insane... how do you even know that stuff?" Rainbow muttered out, and W's brow twitched but chose to ignore her ignorance. "So tell me, Rainbow Crash, can you dodge a point-blank shot and keep it from making contact with the town without blowing yourself into tiny little multicolored chunks?" Now that same color drained from her body like a tap, that was all W needed to sneer at the cocky pegasus. "Hahahahaha, I guess we know that answer huh?" "S-Shut up!" She was losing her nerve, good. At the last moment, W's left hand flicked off the pin, chucking a grey canister at the pegasus, making her flail her hooves frantically as it released the thick, dark cloud of smoke in her eyes. With her opening made, W slung her launcher and made a mad dash across the oddly-shaped rooftops with the haste of a rabbit. "Hey, what the heck is this stuff!? *Cough-Cough* You cheating monster!!" "Pah, says the multicolored rainbow reject," W chuffed, leaping over a small pathway and back onto another roof, using the gap in the middle to sprint between two more, sliding down one of the sloped sides to hop across a lamppost and across the street in one step. Looking back, W's eyes widened slightly, forcing her to pull herself up onto a rooftop above to avoid the rampaging pegasus, herself looping back to try and kick W off the roof. "That was a strong smoke grenade too, Crash, not bad." "Bite me!" Oh with pleasure, is what the siniser smile on W's face had to say, pivoting under she had her back against Rainbow's, snatching her tail to drag ger back while two hooves bucked her side, followed by the wind being knocked out of her sails, the two tumbling down another slanted rooftop, kicking and punching the other. "If you insist, Crash," W smiled constantly, even as Rianbow drew her hoof into her peachy completion, the pair tumbling onto the road, startling many visible. W grabbed Rainbow's left forehoof, yanking it off her cheek and immediately biting down on the furry appendage, the pegasus crying out in pain at drawn blood now dripping from W's fangs. "YOU'RE DEAD!!!" The prism pony roared, only for the wind to knocked from her own lungs this time, a solid elbow jammed against her ribs. The force was enough on its own to slam the pony into a far wall, dazing her momentarily. Wiping her mouth, W spat out some blue hairs, irked at her own choice of defense. "Bleh, no wonder you have to skin animals before cooking, ugh, I got hairs stuck to my tongue!" She rubbed her tongue over her jacket's short sleeve, spitting the coppery substance out while spotting the rising pegasus. "Give up and leave me alone already, Crash." "No way!" She snapped, glaring daggers at the silverette, even though she limped. "Ponyville's my home, got that? You wouldn't get that 'cause all you do is frighten ponies and steal from them, if I gotta get roughed up to lock a freak like you up for Princesses themselves then so be it!" If anything, W could credit her determined spirit, if only it wasn't so misplaced. "You're an idiot," W huffed, rubbing her cheek. "I never asked for this, so don't go preaching shit like that when you don't know a thing about me!" This was it, a standoff the ponies around had to pleasure to spectate. Orangy-gold and amethyst bore into the other, itching to make the first move. This time, W wasn't going to let some half-baked plan blindside her, she could hear fast approaching hoofsteps. More of them were coming. She couldn't use her explosives, but that's not all she brought with her If W was to be honest with herself, she really wanted to avoid conflict with the elements as much as possible. If she retaliated she'd be seen as the very thing they drilled into the ponies' minds, but if she didn't she'd be taken to Canterlot or something, locked up and prodded like a lab rat. And if there was one thing W and Aoi still had it was their freedom, that was all either persona could wish to hold onto. As a wise commander once said, 'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings'. Rainbow flapped proudly, puffing out her chest. "I'm taking you down, freak!" While the stupid decleration worked against the mare, it more than pleased W who rushed the mare in turn, keeping her body low, hands taut and at the ready. One movement, that's all it would take. The world crawled and a strong right hook was closing in on her face once more. AA foot, then an inch, close to a few centimeters, then millimeters, feeling the wind pressure surround and brush against her wild locks. The crowd gasped, Rainbow missed her mark, merely ghosting hair as two hands came up and locked above her shoulder, the foreleg pressed to her cheek while her own velocity was turned against her, bringing the pegasus down into the dirt, locked by the silverette who held her left arm around her back, fingers dug into the ruffled feathers. "I warned ya," Twisting, W pulled at the pegasus' wing, dislocating it with a spine-shivering 'pop', freaking the onlookers out while a hissed cry broke from Rainbow's throat. "Now get lost." Shoving the flightless pegasus toward the crowd, W picked her newly acquired bag off the ground, stepping back from the downed mare when a bolt of purple magic skimmed her cloak, burning a hole through the fabric. Before her was a furious Twilight. Dully, W nodded her head up toward the mare. "She's not dead but she won't be flying for a day or two, sorry, not sorry." "How dare you!" That was rich coming from her. W snorted a laugh, glaring back just as fiercely "Oh don't you get high-and-mighty with me, Sparkle Butt," Pointing down at Rainbow she continued her point. "If that flying rat, and your stupid friends didn't start spreading rumors that I'm some heartless beast that likes to take a bite out of children in their sleep I wouldn't have to hide, run, and steal just to survive!" W was beyond furious. Almost three weeks and it was the same, nonsensical shit in a loop! Slapping her forehead she growled. "Since you clearly lack the very basic comprehension of 'intelligence' allow me to repeat what I said before-!" One solid stomp and before the unicorn could muster another one of her spells W hooked her ring finger around another pin on an a real grenade. "Follow me, and I'll have you running in circles. Hurt me, and I'll hurt you back,"Her finger pulled at the pin, scaring a number of civilians away, knowing transparently what would come next, "Get in my way, and I'll raze this town!" She had bigger problems, she needed to leave before Twilight brought in the Royal Guard or something. "Now, I'm going back to the Everfree, if I so much as catch one blip of you or your friends and I will not hesitate to be... proactive next time." Twilight, who had her head low the whole time, a frown fixed to her muzzle, finally spoke up. "...Mir was wrong," It was breathelss and hollow, enough to keep W's thinning attention as pain and hatred were saturating the mare's eyes. "A creature like you... is incapable of anything good!" ... ... ... ... ...Hurt her... A dark, festering aura surrounded W. No one could see her eyes, darkened by her bangs, but her hands were shaking, and the sky became darker due to the pegasi moving the clouds, all conveniently tilted the tension toward W. The ponies dared not to blink or even speak. First her lips were in a state of passive frowning, then it twisted, the lips shaking, then out came the fangs, teeth beared with unsatified rage that could rival Nightmare Moon's. "Pull it... pull it... make them shut up... make them all go away..." The voice burned in her mind, forcing her finger to tease the pin further. "...Kill them... burn their town... do it... do it...!!" The Sarkaz woman let out a throaty sigh, shoving the grenade back onto her jacket, instead, throwing another smoke bomb to blot out her escape, hearing cries of anger and the stamped of hooves galloping across the streets. Her anger was visible on her face, every ounce of her wanted to lash out but then nothing would change. If she was to make things right for herself she needed to know why the Originium Slugs appeared here alongside her, maybe then she could even make others see she's trying to help. She had to try, otherwise there was no point in holding back anymore. Stopping just at the edge of an alleyway her cloak cowl hid her face well enough, but her fist split the wall beside her, drawing blood that broke under her nails. It hurt so much to just be treated like some rabid animal, but she couldn't let them win. "When it's over, Sparkle, I'll make sure you get what's coming to you, that I can promise you." "I'm home~" Her voice never really echoed in the castle, rather, with the lack of ceiling it made it hard for anything to echo at all, especially in keeping the heat indoors. Dropping her smile to a disagreeable frown she tossed aside the dead Timberwolf dragged behind her like a sack of potatoes. One thing she found was much as their names were an awful reference their bark was primarily made up of a similar material as birch, making it excellent for fires, and for hot baths. Sniffing her armpit, W's nose crinkled at the stench, wishing she had more than just herbs to cure the awful smell. "I should use that to knock people out, heh, I'm a living, sexy weapon in many different ways." *Crunch* Pulling out her launcher, W's heart raced slightly. Someone had followed her and she never realized it, a foolish mistake on her part but nothing a little fright can't remedy. "Alright, smartass, you really want to..." Gone was her confident glare, now merging into confusion. "...go." Standing there at the foot of the large, withered doors was a pony, but not some hunter or even Sparkle Butt herself. Hell, W half-expected the Royal Guard to be ready to wage war on her decrepid home. No, just a filly, a child. She had a soft-charcoal coat, her 'cutie mark' was that of a red diamond-shaped crystal, a few fragments splintered from the core. Her mane reached just below her shoulders, scruffy and coated in dirt, under the grime was a soft-white pitch, the bangs hiding away her right eye, leaving only her gentle, silver eye. Like stardust. W nor the filly knew how long they stopped and stared at one another, could have been a minute or an hour, but eventually, W's voice spoke up in a slow, mystified by the girl's sudden appearance among the ruins, "Who... are you?" To Be Continued... Author's Note You all really like this, that's honestly surprising, my first words were, 'damn, I need to work on the next chapter!' XD. Compared to my typical schedule Renegade will be spontaneous, I will do my best to keep it going, knowing a number of you want to see it grow also is a welcoming thought ^_^ This was more just building on more of the past two weeks, I don't want to beat around the bush. W is forced to hide, fight, and steal. Twilight wants to capture her, Rainbow's her worst enemy, and W has to balance getting information with finding out if more of the Arknights world has begun to spread. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, hopefully, in the next chapter! (Name Changed) Next Chapter: Courage W is met with a strange filly at the foot of her home away from home. She's now faced with a choice, both aren't easy for her to make.
0-3 Courage"Who... are you?" This was one of several questions W wanted an answer to. Examples include, not limited to - What are you doing here? How did you follow me? Where did you come from? The list goes on. The filly didn't move, looking very lost, and her hooves were shaking, she was tired. W didn't let up until her lips moves, a soft, frail voice seeping out. "I don't know." Not the answer she was expecting nor wanted. W had met many ponies, some were immediately fearful of her, leading to her altercations with the elements. Some retaliated, albeit weakly, and a very rare few saw W as another lost soul, like Mir and Zecora. In those moments, every encounter etched like a blade sharpened by a whetstone, W had learned the tells of a liar, granted, she knew them before this world. This child wasn't lying. Nodding to herself, W asked again. "What do mean 'you don't know'? You have a name, right?" The filly's head shook slowly, eyes downcast. "Name... my name... is... um..." She couldn't see it but W was pinching the bridge of her nose. The first of many ponies to come here, and she gets the harmless one that has lost her name? Lowering her hand, W glared back at the filly, seeing her flinch at the crackling ember orbs burrowing into her gentle silver. "Close your eyes, kid," Without a word, the girl's eyes were shut. "Right, now stand perfectly still and don't move until I say so." Again, completely compliant. This weirded W out, it was too much like telling a doll how to move on strings. Shrugging, in one step she was beside the filly, peeking her head outside with a hard stare. The land was a flat grassland before reaching a large ravine, a rope-bridge left dismantled again by yours truly, that only made W question how the girl crossed the gap? "Hrm..." Nothing, no one else was here or waiting in the trees, not a glint of metal or a fizzle and pop of magic. Once back in her original spot, W's brow furrowed, the filly still didn't make a sound, standing straight as a board. "Uh, you can look now." With that, their staredown resumed. Sighing through her nose, W felt her tail flick toward the girl, pointing with the tip. "I don't know how you got here or where you came from, but get lost, kid, go back to to-" "The sky..." Huh? Many questions emerged in the Sarkaz woman, questioning sanity to be one of them. Cleaning the wax out she motioned for the girl to repeat herself. With a small hoof lifted to the sky, W followed. "The sky... I came from the sky..." "...right..." Blinking up at the blue hue turned gold she deadpanned, waving a hand with her mouth in the shape of a downward 'V'. "Hey, sky people, you dropped your kid, take it back!" Nothing, no reply was sent, leaving W to slump. "Goddammit... so you have amnesia, kid." She stated matter-of-factly "What does 'amnesia' mean?" The filly asked curiously, even W didn't miss the perked ears. "It's a word used to described someone who has lost their memories, like you," This also meant she might not even know how to get to Ponyville. Running a hand over her face, W was far too exhausted for this. "Listen, kid, just... I can't believe this... do you know where Ponyville is?" Another shake of her head and W was left stumped, throwing her hands high. "Spectacular! I am so done with today..." She was no babysitter, that was out of the question. "Where are you going?" The soft clop of hooves shadowing her steps made the merc freeze, looking over her shoulder. "To vent about today, do whatever you want, kid, but I'm not taking care of you," She saw her freeze at the cold notion, looking around at all the shifty shadows and the occasional echo of an animal. "Relax, no creature's dumb enough to come here, not since I took up shop." "'Took up shop'?" She didn't hear the silent scream from W at that. "It means I've taken this place as my home - you're in my home as a... guest, just don't bother me and stay away from my traps." The kid managed to survive for this long in the Everfree alone, she'll be fine. W let her gaze fall to her feet, she felt so exhausted, a hand caressing her bruised side courtesy of Rainbow, she hissed, it was still tender. "I need to get out of this place..." "Ah!" A brief but startling yelp reverberated off the ancient hall. A tail swung back from the whiplash, W sprinting out and through the archway, sliding back into the grand hall in a matter of seconds, eyes glaring between strands of hair, then they twitched in shock. The filly was on her back, trying to scramble away from several large creatures. They were Originium Slugs, only they were grounded compared to the arachnid variants. The soft innards bright tiger-orange between cracks of basalt, jutting from several points along its shell were black spines with red-hot pokers. Beta variants. W was left speechless, how are they here too? Did they follow the filly all the way here, and from where? This line of questions docked with her previous thoughts, leaving her frustrated and unsatisfied, instead, she shoved them all aside to do what she does best. Make things go 'boom '. "Step right up, plenty of surprises for everyone~" Cooing at the ugly creatures she pointed the launcher at an angle, seeing the grenade arc over the filly, exploding with enough firepower to scatter most of the slugs, atleast two dozen of the monsters crawling through cracks in the outer wall. Once they were pushed back W yanked the filly to her left arm, feeling her immediately cling to her scarf. "Hey, you good, kid?" "Mmm." Her head dipped against the merc's shoulder, a fanged smile splitting her lips at that assuring answer. "...sorry..." The girl whimpered, making W scoff. "Don't bother, this is good actually," The pony looked up slightly, seeing the glow in the woman's eyes and the slick smile stretching over her cheeks. "Now I get to relieve all this pent-up stress, ahahahaha..." Keeping her hold on the filly tight, W's tail flicked up a new M32 round, slapping it inside the receiver before the loud 'thunk' stretched, taking out several Slugs, more sliding toward her right, their spines extended outward to catch her legs. W leapt over them, using her tail to hold a grenade, pulling the pin with her teeth as the device was left to bob between the black creatures, erasing them in a powerful blast, spitting orange gunk across the hallway. *Tink-Tink-Tink-* "That sound - ah!" W's body froze the second she touched the floor, rolling forward, shielding the filly as a sharp blade tore across her shoulder. Sliding around onto her knees, W hissed while giving the new attacker a smug look. "Oh? This is starting to get exciting..." Crawling from the shadow was a metallic, four-legged creature, a Metal Crab. The upper portion of its body coated in a thick, steel hide, a few chunks of ore sticking out from the shell. Without looking back, W kicked a small box backward, tapping her left breast pocket where her remote was, resulting in a hail of bright yellow flames expanding behind her, shadowing everything but her glowing eyes. "Get moving kid," She sat the filly down, pointing to the end of the hall where a fallen pillar laid. "Go." This was non-negotiable, and like a lost pup she ran without hesitation. The Crab crawled back, letting more twisted slugs slither in its place. Whatever drew them here had to connect both to W and the filly, how or why remained clueless, but no matter what, the silverette would be damned if she finally let this lead go. Loading her launcher she grinned, pulling out another grenade from her belt, tugging off the pin. "I'll give you all to the count of three to get off my property. Three-" She tossed the grenade, the slugs far too slow to evade, their thick bodies splintered or blown to bits, those that remained sturdy sprung their spines at W, the mercenary keeping her distance, unloading another explosive payload, staining the walls orange. To her left she evaded a metal leg as it slashed her barding, then another spinning kick of the four legs, the Crab chasing her while she fired another M32. The fires washed over its armor, denting and scuffing the sheen as it leapt through the fire, tackling W to the ground. She felt her hand lose hold of the launcher, forcing her to push back against the underside of the crab, barely escaping its sharp slashes to aimed at her heart and throat. With it constantly moving it made it difficult to worm herself out so she twisted her palm against the belly and threw it across the hallway. Hopping to her feet, W kicked up her rucksack, throwing three knives that ricochet off the metal crab, the legs scampering to hoist its body upright, moving with the haste of a wireless machine on rampancy. Yanking out several more explosives, she threw the bag aside, tearing off her cloak to shroud herself, the Crab slicing into the rough cloak as it tangled itself in the dark cloth, the legs stabbing outward in vain to escape. W wrapped it up, keeping it far from her own torso while slapping the adhesive surface of her mines to the makeshift bag. Much as she hated to throw it away, she discarded the cloak across the hallway, running to hide behind the same pillar as the filly, pulling out her remote. "Pop goes the weasel~" W's smile remained in its creepy, twisted form, her thumb flicking the detonation button the second she saw the Crab begin to crawl out of the stressed fabric. With three plastic explosives glued in such close proximity, that one button push brought out a massive detonation of firepower, the very ground shook from the applied force that engulfed the armored quadruple, raining little slithers of metal and remnant goo from the slugs all over the walls and floor. When the rush of wind and dust settled itself, W slumped back on the pillar, smiling down at the awe-stricken pony, those eyes were wide with one, her left now visible to the woman. Could that have been how things might have been? If those damn elements of Loyalty and Magic hadn't called her a monster? W shook off this notion, dwelling on what might have been is no step forward, all it serves to remind her of the shit she's in and caused already, no use complaining now. "So, kid, mind telling me why those things followed you here?" The silence was a little odd considering the onslaught no more than a few seconds ago, W was still atop that adrenaline-fueled high but lacked any energy to move at the moment. The pony shook her head. "I don't know... I didn't know... I..." She started to feel something pull at her chest, watching the being fight off those monsters for her, battling with a smile despite how scary it all was. What made the filly's chest hurt further was how nice it felt to be in her arm... it was a strange, warm feeling. "I... I..." *Pat* The filly flinched, feeling those same fingers ghost through her mane, stroking her waxy locks tentatively with sharp nails massaging her scalp. Again, she felt her chest warm and squeeze, it was starting to make her throat sore. But she couldn't move, her body refused to. "Astra." The word rolled off W's tongue, and she felt the filly lift her head so she angled her hand atop her head, continuing to pet her scruffy mane. "Can't keep callin' ya 'kid', well, not all the time anyway - so why not Astra?" It was a dumb suggestion but it was until W could take this kid back to Ponyville, maybe then they see she's not a monster, she hoped... Taking her hand off Astra's head, W crossed her arms in a huff. "This is a temp partnership, I'll take you back to town once the heat on my back dies down, deal?" Bluntly staring down at the child, she saw the mixture of wonder and confusion rest in her silver eyes. Coughing at the awkward stare, W rubbed the back of her head. "Come on, kid, give me someth-" "...my name... is Astra..." At the soft reply, W's brow rose slowly, not quite understanding what the kid meant by - She froze, seeing her repeat it again. "Astra... Astra... Astra..." But it wasn't the name that kept W's attention glued rather, the tears falling down her face. "I... have a name..." Whatever was pulling at Astra's chest finally made itself known externally. Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks, both turning red as she hiccuped. The second she woke up all she knew is that she came from the sky, nothing else made sense, and the world was so strange to her. Then she saw the strange, two-legged creature stomping back to the ruins, she looked scary but different than Astra. When she met the female, she was cold and distant but let her stay, then she saved her from the monsters, smiling, laughing at the danger. And then she gave her a name. Astra. Clenching her teeth, Astra finally broke down, instantly hugging herself against W's stomach, sobbing between hiccups, trembling. The second this occurred W was going to pry the runt off, but her eyes refused to glare, looking down at this kid hugging her, terrified and confused only made W's mind rewind to that day. She was knocked down, bound, and accused of things out of her control, they stripped away her rights and labeled her a freak, a Monster of the Everfree, forcing her to steal, cheat, run, and survive in a harsh forest teeming with dangerous predators and wildlife. Astra wept against W's stomach, and soon, she felt that gentle hand return to her head, stroking down her unruly mane while the woman's voice whispered in a very unnaturally soft voice, almost like a sing-song. "I gotcha kid, everything's alright, it'll be alright..." Back in Ponyville... "You know Her, don't you!?" Twilight was fuming so loudly that a few ponies were drawn in to pry into the delicate topic at a small corner stand. Inside the shrouded hut, the dull green eyes twitching at the constant interruptions to his work. Keeping to the grindstone his magic pressed deeper against the tool, mushing up the herbs. "Rainbow Dash saw Her sitting above your shop, you've been speaking with her this whole time!" "And?" Mir snorted, turning completely to see the fury in the young unicorn's eyes. He heard what had happened, everyone did. W and Rainbow fought not far from his stall, she even bit her during the skirmish with the fool hearty pegasus, it actually made the grumpy herbalist crack a smile knowing somepony could put the stuck-up pony in her place. "Does the relevance of my clients and their privacy mean nothing to you Canterlot Ponies?" "I - what?" Twilight was left in a stupor, providing Mir the chance to trot closer to the counter, glaring back as bitterly as ever. "Irrelevant!" His hoof slammed the oak surface, scaring Twilight further. "What I do and how I service is not the concern of other ponies, nor is it legal for a business to disclose personal information without said client's consent," He leaned closer, his orbs slit compared to her wide purple ones. "Even if she were standing before me, I can say with a hundred percent certainty she would be less likely to agree with anything you had to say." Finally regaining her voice, Twilight fired back, swinging her hoof at the ponies in the area. "She put Rainbow Dash in the hospital for several days! And threatened the safety and wellbeing of Ponyville itself! She's a danger and you're protecting her, a monst-" "I'd chose your next words with some tact, Sparkle." He sneered, her own growl escaping her muzzle, which only served to bring a hearty chuff to the older pony. "Pah! If you wish to prattle on with this fruitless endeavor, you may find your prey in the mirror - do not bother me with your senseless threats, I am not shaken by such slurs of your generation." Mir stopped, looking over his shoulder. "You say she attacks like a vicious beast and yet you fail to contemplate the reasons as to this retaliation. If you were to be stripped of your identity, what actions would you take to ensure you are given what is rightfully yours?" That was all, he had nothing more to say to the ignorant masses. Despite this lost argument, Twilight still had a fair warning to give. "Fine, but when your 'client' hurts more than just my friends, when she finally shows her colors again, you'll be to blame too." She hated to have to push a pony to such desperate lines, a part of her hated this and wished there was a better solution, but until that thing was locked up, no pony was safe. "Sorry for bothering you today." "Bah, do not lie to me either, Sparkle." Mir spat back, returning to his work with a great deal of stress and concern. To Be Continued... Author's Note The mysteries grow and tensions are high. W has a new friend too, lucky her. The next piece will cover a small montage of W and Astra's time together as they try to uncover where the Infected Creatures keep originating from. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in, hopefully, the next chapter! Next Chapter: Break the System W works on helping Astra improve on her sense of identity while growing closer to the little runt she reluctantly let stay.
0-4 Break the System"Hmm... much better," W sighed while slipping deeper into the hot, soapy water, a small blush on her face due to the heat. Flicking her tail out she pulled back her bangs to gauge her guest's reaction, to her mirth, the little filly shared the same kind of reaction, or atleast her body did. In front of her in the water was Astra, currently an amnesiac that W reluctantly decided to help yesterday when she dragged Infected Slugs into her home, that, coupled with the child's inability to remember anything made it W's mission to ensure the innocent child didn't suffer. Which led to this bath the very next day. "Enjoying yourself?" Two silver eyes peeked open, big and bright though the solid frown remained a trademark on the pony's muzzle. "Mmmhmm?" Her cheeks were also flushed, then W's brow rose, wiggling her tail from left to right, smirking at the sight of the girl following its movements like a cobra. "Miss W, why do you look different than me?" A good question, W sat up a little, the water and suds masking her chest under a steamy haze while she pointed to herself. "I'm a human, probably the only one in Equestria - lucky me," Then she smiled knowingly, sitting with her arms against the edge of the bath. "I happen to be what's called a 'Sarkaz', and a mercenary, I'm the best and always will be the best." "'Mercenary'? 'Sarkaz'?" It was fun watching the young girl fiddle with the words in her mouth. Then W's body flinched, seeing Astra had done what she least expected of the pony. Looking down without moving her head, the woman's ember eyes locked to the hoof poking at her left breast, making it bob slightly. "This is weird, what is it?" Then she pointed at the tail resting against the surface of the water. "And your tail? And red things on your head-" "Alright, kid, too much at once," W sighed, pushing the hoof gently off her chest, snorting at how nonchalant she was being after the filly essentially groped her. "A mercenary is someone who is hired for jobs; Protecting someone, maybe someone wants someone else removed from the world, you name it, I can probably do it," Rubbing her chin, W flicked at her twitching antenna. "My horns, tail, antenna, and even my fangs are a result of my Sarkaz blood." There was another issue, though W had yet to confirm if this was the case, lacking both the equipment and intelligence to discover the truth. She was much like the creatures she reduced to slag, she was Infected with Originium particles. They're apparently in her circulatory system as tiny, black granules. The Infection was called 'Oripathy', a fatal illness. Again, she had no way to prove this was the case if her body was the genuine article. Astra continued with her curious eyes, tilting her head off to one side cutely. "And those things on-" W smiled wickedly, fondling her own breasts with glee, again at how they stood out more than her previous body's, the devilish grin infectious to her cheeks. "They're a human exclusive, and vary on size, I got the lucky draw with these, hehehe..." Though it was clear Astra had no idea what that meant or why W was so happy, she knew it wasn't something the filly had to worry about. Instead, W scooted closer, tugging the pony between her legs while plucking up a brush she... 'procured' from Ponyville. "Now, no more questions, you still reek of the Everfree, kid." "Okay..." Astra slumped slightly in the water, letting W work to clean her mane furrowly, and it was surprisingly nice. Time passed and now the duo were sat in the same room again, a number of books stacked between them on the makeshift bed. W sat with her back against the wall, the little charcoal earth pony snuggled between the merc's bare, crossed legs, a book held in front of them. W admired the kid's commitment to learning more of Equestria as she did, both really needed a top-up of knowledge on the world. Astra, for her lack of memories. And W, for the many enemies she was bound to have made or will soon make. "-'It was then among the chaos that malformed the world did the two ruling sisters, Celestia and Luna, harnessed the power of the Elements of Harmony, the ancient relics of Equestria's past, to seal Discord away, the powerful being's downfall was merely the result of his overconfidence. With this small flaw in his power, the sisters trapped the Spirit of Chaos within a stony prison for centuries to come'," W finished the tale with a huff, waving her hand nonchalantly. "Then he broke out due to the elements finding new hosts, he caused some chaos, a few funny jokes, then was sealed away once more." "He sounds strange..." Astra blinked, not seeing that W was shadowing her motions, tilting her head when the whitette did, and so on. "But... he seemed okay." "Chaos and Harmony go hand-in-hand, one can't live without the other," Was the Sarkaz woman's reply, then her expression soured. "Astra, let me be blunt - If you see the Elements of Harmony, and I'll tell you who they are, don't trust them." Much as W was willing to send the filly on her merry way in two days' time, something nagged at her mind, an itch she couldn't pick, and it all swirled around Astra. "Miss W, why are you angry at them?" Seeing those big eyes staring back at her, again, W felt her urge to withhold her words fail, maybe it was a spell the kid was cursed with? "..." Sighing, she closed the book, turning Astra around to look her dead in the eye. "I'm not from this world - When I woke here I... I just wanted to find my way, like you, I had no one to turn to so I tried Ponyville, and well... those monsters I saved you from attacked Ponyville, so I defended them, even if I were to be injured." "Then why?" The filly leaned forward eagerly. "If you saved them, then... then you're like the Princesses in the story - huh?" Much as she wished - no, yearned for that truth, that was sadly out of the cards. Smiling sadly at the innocent, naive kid, W let a pathetic chuckle escape her. "Sometimes the good intentions one makes are often seen as malicious in another's eyes." Astra's brow furrowed, lost deep in thought. "What does that mean?" Chuckling, W picked up another book, tapping the filly on the forehead with the corner, seeing her go cross-eyed briefly. "You'll understand when you're my age, kid - just don't put your complete trust in fairy tales." W sure definitely wouldn't, the ponies of this world are no different than humans. "Isn't stealing wrong?" "Only if you're caught," W paused, seeing the cute pout on Astra's face, even as her finger booped the filly's nose. "Alright-Alright, it is - but hey, we're still payin', live a little kid, this stuff can get your blood pumping and your laughter roaring." Four days had gone by in a flash, and now the pair were in the middle of the market place, more accurately, atop one of the houses with a few stalls just a few feet below their feet/hooves. It was time for W to do her weekly shopping, with what Bits she had from Mir, she would handle this with care given the many that would otherwise scream in terror if they saw a bipedal, explosive-carrying Sarkaz walk up to their stall. That was also the reason W preferred this method. Astra was no longer naked, so-to-speak, the filly now wore herself a small, black and red scarf similar to W's, the woman kept her silence given it was the filly's choice to wear, not minding the fact it was intended to copy her mercenary attire. "Can't I go buy the stuff for us?" Astra suggested, and while W would have happily jumped on the wagon this was actually very important. Shaking her head, her tail motioned to the crowds unaware of their presence. "Many places handle districts like these differently, knowing to apply many methods of trade is paramount, especially if you're a wanted monster like my beautiful self," She took some pride in that. Pointing to the distracted stall owner below, W grinned creepily. "Watch and learn, kid, this is but one of many tricks of the trade." Out the corner of her eye, W suppressed a giggle at how the filly's brow knitted and her cheeks puffed out slightly, her tell-tale sign of analysis. Plucking a small, wrapped ball from her pocket, W grinned while ensuring her route was covered. The ponies remained oblivious as always, shopping, laughing, and chatting away in their blissful ignorance to the so-called 'Monster of the Everfree'. Flashing her sharp smile, W tossed the small ball high into the air, making a whistling noise as it drew closer to the earth in an alleyway. Seconds later, she used her hands to mimic a 'boom' effect, followed in tandem with the smoke bomb exploding, the dark grey gas released, distracting all the ponies, some even leapt in fright. It was time for action. W swept down onto the distracted clerk's stand, snatching up fruits and vegetables under her arms and into her cloak, her tail tugged off a tiny pouch containing the allotted Bits before leaping back onto the edge of the stand's roof. With one final hop, she narrowly avoided the pony's eyes, cutting behind the rooftop where she spotted two little ears folded down, Astra's eyes widening at the sight of the colorful verity of foods. "Ta-Da~" W sang, Astra, helping her tug all of the food into the bag Mir gave them. While W was gleeful for another successful bounty, her tail snapped sharply at the familiar sound in the sky, followed by a fizzle and pop in the air. "Oh, crap..." Scooting up the edge of the roof again, Astra copied the woman, following her hateful eyes to the cyan pegasus and purple unicorn now on site. "I'll give Sparkle Butt credit, she's starting to learn my tricks faster than I anticipated, cute." "Isn't that bad?" Astra murmured, earning a playful pat atop her head from the ever-so-confident merc. "Not unless they catch us, and what's the answer to that?" Awaiting the filly's answer, W would be lying if she said hearing the short-stack recite her own words didn't make her smile grow. "'A mercenary who is caught is not fit to call themselves one at all', r-right?" The girl cut off her horrible impression of W's unique accent, making the silverette giggle, ruffling the kid's mane. "On point as ever, kid - let's go." One thing was certain at that moment. W's mind completely overlooked the reason she brought Astra to Ponyville in the first place. Time marched on, and W's fist was an inch from the door pulled away from her grasp. "You came as expected, W, but who is this friend with you?" "Yah!" W ripped her hand away from the door, startled by the rhyming zebra as Astra poked her head out from behind W's legs. Glaring at the slight curl of the mare's lips, the mercenary cleared her own throat. "One of these days you'll run out of words to rhyme with." Nodding on to the banter that W tended to bring with her, Zecora let them both inside her home. It was a regular occurrence that W would make to the 'witch doctor' of the Everfree. It was her only source of socialization outside of Mir's own dry tone. Despite the odd way the zebra punctuated her words, it was a far cry from the greeting Ponyville gave the woman upon first meeting. Once settled inside, both Zecora and W noted how the filly's eyes wandered to every little fine detail of the hut, not a trace of wariness to be had. While distracted, W intended on getting to the point of their visit. "This kid-" She poked Astra's cheek, noting that not even her finger could lull the girl from her curious inspection. "-I found in the Everfree, not only that, she's lost her memories and I've been keeping her from killing herself out of cluelessness for nearly a week." Zecora considered her words for a time, dedicating her thoughts as she moved around the room, gathering a few interesting and possibly unhealthy items from shelves. "Um..." Zecora shook her head, which meant it was time for W to zip her lips and watch. Astra did the same, sitting beside W's hip eagerly, despite the lack of a smile, her eyes were glowing with interest. Something Zecora could see was bouncing between the two. Once back at her mysterious cauldron, the mare quickly went to work, biting off a few corks, pouring the colorful contents into the liquid, making a light blue vapor simmer at the lip of the pot, the watery substance turning a silky white. Moving closer to the filly, Zecora ran her hoof through her mane, finding a loose strand of hair to seep into the mixture over the flames. W and Astra shared a look, the former shrugging with a 'Like I freakin' know' look. The pot glowed brighter, and Zecora stepped back to observe W directly, noting how her tail was wrapped around the young filly protectively. "Her memories I am unsure of their mystery, but her aura shares no such secrecy," Zecora motioned to her own chest, then back to Astra. "Her spirit seeks to see all that impure, to bring to light that which is obscured." "'Aura'?" Astra blinked, not quite understanding at first - then she gasped, looking up at W's raised brow. "Miss W's body has a light red glow, like the pot!" "Really now?" W inspected her hand, flicking it around then shrugging with a deadpanned stare toward the zebra. "So what? She can see energy now? Dead People?" Shaking her head, Zecora motioned to herself, then to the pair. "Aura is the life of all living creatures, the light is yours given exterior," Moving around her cauldron, Zecora smiled at the confused filly, tilting her chin to eye the older mare's kind orbs. "It is a gift, one you should not let slip." "How do I use it?" Astra asked, squinting forward at the witch doctor, only for nothing to appear. "I can't see yours, Miss Zecora." "And why does it matter? Seems like a pretty weird gimmick if you ask me." W snorted, it was cool, but again, what was it really? Why of all the ponies W could have crossed paths with, why was Astra so special? Hopping back on three hooves, Zecora held out a book with her right, offering it to W who ran her hand down the hardcover bound of rough, aged leather, the pages inside more akin to someone's notes and journal entries than a published piece of literature. "To find what you seek, practice what you can see, and all will become distinct." Again, the mare smiled at how the silverette's feature slumped. "Did you read a freakin' dictionary when you were growing up?" W half expected to start hearing haikus if Zecora ran out of words that she could fit into a steady beat. "Thank you, Miss Zecora." Astra quickly bowed her head as W had taught her, the woman smiling at the kid's manners while nodding to the Zebra herself while scratching the back of her head, smiling. "Yeah, really helped us out of a bind." While their praise was welcomed, Zecora couldn't take her eyes off the two while they said their goodbyes, smiling as their auras ebbed and flowed between one another. Nightfall came by the time W and Astra arrived back at the ruined castle, the crickets making their existence known to the pair. "So, you can see the aura of people, huh kid?" W chuffed. It was just her luck to stumble across another strange pony in Equestria. The book clipped to her belt was old but seemed to hold a few answers to the filly's strange ability to see W's aura, maybe it could be useful. That's when W blinked, nudging the filly in her arms. "Kid? Astra? Come on, we're across the ravine now." Despite her shaking, the filly was unresponsive, say for the light breathing accompanied by her closed eyes. She had fallen asleep somehow when W failed to notice. Her antenna twitched, it wasn't the first time but it wasn't fun carrying the child around like a sack of potatoes when she wanted to nap. The Sarkaz woman parted her lips, yet Astra beat her to the punch, murmuring in her sleep. "...don't go..." Why did she say tha- "...mama..." "!!!" W froze on the spot, her posture growing rigid the moment that word entered her ears. Goosebumps shivered up her body, ending at the tips of her horns. Looking down with her eyes glowing in the dark, decrepit ruins, only the moonlight could shine a light on the silverette's face, her features blank, say for her lips formed into a small 'O'. It was the prominent question that plagued W to no reasonable end. Where were Astra's parents? All they knew is that she 'came from the sky', which was both vague and unhelpful given the magical world they lived in. She wasn't from Cloudsdale since she was an Earth Pony, and Astra never really seemed so hung-up on the subject, only now did W realize how terrifying it must have been for her. A child lost in a dangerous forest, basically forced to trust the only person for miles on a whim. Astra never said it, but her mind couldn't rid itself of the thoughts, like W, the world took everything from her too. Astra snuggled closer to W's chest, unaware of her voiced thoughts. Gradually, W's feet found the strength to move again, her heart beginning to beat in a faster tempo than prior to her engagements with Astra over the week. She forgot the very reason she kept the filly around this long, only now... she didn't want to conform to the original plan. Clutching onto the sleeping pony, W didn't mind letting her sleep in her arms a little longer, just for tonight. "Sleep well, kid..." Her red-tipped tail slithered high, stroking her mane gently where her arms could not. To Be Continued... Author's Note A number of moments over the time W and Astra partnered up, growing closer unsuspectedly. W has a very disagreeable personality originally, but since Aoi is the mentality underneath the confidence and sharp wit that part of her personality has become rather reserved. Oh, and things are about to pick up, so I'll try to get the next part out as soon as I can. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, maybe, in the next chapter! Next Chapter: Do What's Right It was time to leave Ponyville behind, but before they do that, W and Astra make one last stop at Mir's to ensure he doesn't suffer from involving himself with W.
0-5 Do What's RightUp among the nobles and those with Bits to overflow in their hooves, Canterlot was in a state of tranquility. Among its crowning jewel, the castle's pristine halls one of the Royal Guards, moved at a steady pace through the halls, passing patrols with a somewhat wary step as he neared the throne room. He had been summoned by the Princesses and by his superior, he hadn't any clue why such an urgent request required his attention, but he kept that to himself. Once through the ajar doorways, the guard's posture straightened up, even for him, to have an audience with both leaders of Equestria was... tense, "P-Princesses -- ahem, sorry to keep you waiting!" He adjusted his approach, giving a short bow with his left hoof across his breastplate. "You wouldn't believe the number of whiny complaints I get from Nobels, I swear, it's like none of them can even hammer a nail into a wall without several others to help them." He was a light red unicorn with long blond hair that is held back in a ponytail with bangs hanging on the left side of his forehead and bright orange eyes. Celestia chuckled at the young guard's constant wit. "That is fine, Cliffheart, I am glad to see your new duties are... substantial." Even Luna had to scoff and roll her eyes. "More like you can just get more time to yourself with your sweets." Cliffheart couldn't hear it but Celestia's eyes widened, pouting angrily at her sister who sneakily stuck her tongue out before pulling back her poker face, snickering under her hoof. "Yes... well, I wish to request a far more practical job for you," Celestia began, growing more serious with a level of worry in her pink eyes. "I need you to take a small squad with you to Ponyville as soon as you are able." Sensing the very rise in tension, Cliffheart's face dropped the leisurely smile, exchanging it for a passive-neutral facade. "Might I ask why that is, Princess?" Even his tone became formal and far less approachable, he was meticulously thinking, keen to hear every little detail of this mission. Celestia nodded, waving her hoof to the windows that refracted the sunlight in various shades of color. "My student, Twilight Sparkle, has given many troubling reports of a strange creature that the town has dubbed the 'Monster of the Everfree', from the numerous reports and findings she has been unable to apprehend this creature," Cliffheart's brow furrowed. "This doesn't sound like a creature, more like a pony." His firm expression mirrored the monarch. "Exactly, and I am aware of your background in matters revolving around cases of unknown creatures across Equestria, it is why I ask for you personally." The blonde considered the revelation. Before the guard, his talents were more for hire than a stationed job, he really did believe his days of being a nomad were over. Sighing, his hoof removed itself from his chin. "What exactly makes this creature so special?" Luna spoke next, levitating a scroll over to Cliffheart's awaiting magic. "I believe this should suffice." Unfurling the scroll for him, he took the parchment and began to read the listing of this Thing's capabilities, had he not taken the Princesses words with the utmost respect, he might have believed it to be a practical joke. What he read... wasn't a pony, rather, nothing outside of a ponykind could possibly be capable of half the things he read. ///Unknown Bipedal Creature | Name: W (Supposedly) | Gender: Female (Supposedly)\* *Several related reports suggest this creature is highly intelligent for a bipedal that may be a descendant of primates with major physical differences. A blacktail tipped red. Curved, red horns on either side of the head, roughly four to five inches in length, and a pair of red antenna. The creature is extremely violent, prone to reoccurring attacks against Ponyville, primarily the Elements of Harmony that have attempted to capture it. The creature has incapacitated both Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle on several occasions, with Rainbow suffering from a sprained wing and bite mark across her forehoof. It also exhibits a strong resilience to magic. It also carries metal objects with it constantly, from blades to explosives powerful enough to shatter low-tier magic barriers. When confronted with acts of peace it has run back to the safety of the Everfree within the ruins of the Castle of the Two Pony Sister, which has been fortified with traps to ensure no further investigations followed. Further reports are needed, in conclusion, this creature is a threat to the citizens of Ponyville, stealing and threatening the town before hiding within the forest. A lengthy silence stretched between the trio, not a sound or step to be heard, only the folding of the parchment, revealing the fiery, orange eyes and a smirk to accompany that fire. "Well-well-well... seems I can't just hang up my teenage years just yet, a shame if I really didn't miss it," Levitating the parchment back to the Princesses, Cliffheart snorted. "Princess Celestia, Luna? I'll be there by sundown, count on it." While the brief meeting was quick dismissed, not a soul noticed the pair of eyes watching from atop a small outcrop along the walls, their form slipping back into a hidden door pressed flush against the brickwork, having gathered all the information they needed. W sat in her - well, hers and Astra's room - working diligently to reattach her newest creation without accidentally blowing herself up, though that was par-for-the-course. Meanwhile, she listened critically to Astra's self-teaching of aura and how to sense others outside her own and W's. "I felt it... a dark aura around them too," Was the first thing Astra spoke about when concerning her 'aura sensing' as W more than happily called it jokingly, but the name stuck. As for what the filly was implying, it now had W drawn away from her work, a mere millimeter away from blowing them to kingdom come if she wasn't careful. This was a talented explosives expert, but the mentality of an irritated twenty-year-old stuck in the middle. Spinning around on her chair, packing away the last of her grenades, W gave the studious girl her undivided stare. "You mean the Infected Slugs?" One nod, and now W had what she yearned for, a single lead. "Oh ho? Well, color me impressed, continue." Nodding, Astra poked at the rim of her left eye. "They had an outline like yours, but it was... black, and bubbly, yours was sharp and bright, and, um..." Astra soon pouted, slumping with her book from Zecora. "Sorry... I forgot." *Pat* She blinked up at the hand on her head, ruffling her ears. W gave her a sharp grin, chuckling as it made the filly's chest tighten again at the warmth atop her head. "No worries, kid, that's more than I've come to know - I just blow shit up, a round of applause for the obvious," W pulled her hand away to give a fake cheer, then sighed through her smile, pointing with her tail's tip. "So, all packed? Got to make a last-minute stop before we leave this dump behind - Thank God!" While W felt the sweet release of leaving behind the decrepit, dangerous forest, she noted how Astra's ears folded down, suddenly becoming gloomy despite the prospect of liberty from such a harsh world. "...but this is home, right?" The rational side of the somewhat unstable woman's head was telling her this was just a case of a child becoming unfamiliar with anything outside of the status quo. However, Aoi understood where the young pony was coming from. Tugging her hood over her antenna, she smiled as she knelt down to ruffling the fellow whitette. "Don't get your tail in a twist, a merc never stays grounded forever, but we'll come back someday." Hope sprung in the filly's eyes. "Promise?" A hoof was held up in front of her fanged grin, and her own fist tapped to the fuzzy appendage. "Through hell itself for you." Retracing her steps had to be the most nauseating sensation W had felt in her life. Each step through Ponyville carried with it a new layer of tension that hadn't presented itself when she first arrived. Instead of walking with confidence and swagger her posture was hunched, reserved, and hidden under a dirty cloak to conceal herself. The only discernable features were her boots, antenna, and a few flicks of her hair. Astra walked close to her left leg, so while they received odd looks, given the filly's presence many tore their eyes away from them both, believing the pair to be nothing more than relatives. "Guess the idea of interspecies relationships isn't so despised," And a good thing too, that purple drake, Spike, would probably be the first many would turn against if there was racial conflict. W shook off those societal issues in favor of just moving forward. They needed to grab a few remedies from Mir, then head back to grab their supplies. "Good riddance Ponyville, can't wait to scream that from the top of lungs..." "Me too," Astra added, earning a small chuckle from the concealed woman whose hand reached down to ruffle her mane. "Happy to hear it, kid." *Bam* "Ah." Both Astra and another pony bumped into one another, the latter having not paid attention while balancing a basket on her back, thankfully empty. In a southern accent, the earth pony shook her head. "Sorry 'bout tha', you alright?" She helped Astra stand as she nodded shyly. "I-I am..." Her voice was meek, and W knew why; Her own posture taut under her cloak. It was an orange earth pony with a stetson hat, three apples for a cutie mark, braided blonde hair too. A pair of emerald eyes soon crossed with her demonic, burning stare, even under the hood her eyes contained a sinister glow to them, and a frown certainly made her unapproachable. "I... we should g-go." "Wait..." Applejack put her hoof out, not seeing W's hand shift across her thigh, slipping her hand against a smoke grenade the second things got rowdy. Unlike Sparkle or Crash, Applejack had the strength and endurance to keep up with W, it would have been a good rival had things panned out differently that day, sadly, only a venomous glare was shared between them. "Back off, Jack," W hissed, "I don't want trouble." For Astra's sake, W bit her cheek and swallowed her pride. The farm pony snorted, holding her hoof toward Astra. "Young lady, back away slowly from tha' thing." No one else saw W's brow twitch, or her tail beginning to snake down her leg to pull Astra away when needed. Before a warning could be vocalized, Astra stepped in front of the two adults, shaking her head. "Don't hurt Miss W, s-she's, um... my, um...." A small, embarrassed blush tinged her cheeks, but she finally mustered the courage to say it. "She's my friend!" The revelation took both women back. Applejack's head looked like it was spinning and W was at a loss for words, merely opening and closing her mouth in a failed response, but her chest twisted again, enough to make her sharp smile return to her. With her tail sneaking out, the tip patted Astra on the head, spotting her blushed but determined face to the genuine smile on W's face. "Ditto, Astra." Glaring back at Applejack, a strange, almost compelling voice forced her next, careful words. "Jack... I don't care what you think or what you do, just leave... me... alone." The pony stomped the dirt road in a huff. "N-No, that's a lie! Y-You're just making her say that!" What? If disbelief never became evident before, it did now. W's stomach tore open, unable to comprehend what was going through any of these ponies' heads. Did they really despise her so much that even the Element of Honest couldn't take a little girl's word at face value? It was unbelievable... "Do you even hear yourself?" W fired back, eyes snapping to those around them, good, no one had noticed their argument. Retracting her tail, W pressed the issue. "You believe me, that's fine, but she's innocent in all this, so at the very least I expected 'the great Element of Honesty' to tell when a little girl is telling her the truth." The mocking sneer in W's tone made the farm pony vibrate with irritation, tail flicking sharply. "It's clear she's just bein' used! You attack and scare innocent folks and now stealin' their foals!?" She was going to cause panic to erupt at this rate. That didn't matter to W right now, her teeth bear at the ignorant pony under her. "I don't steal ponies, you tub of factory glue!" Applejack gasped at the mercenary's tone, only until Astra's wide eyes blinked slowly, face lost in a mild shock of her own. "...it's dark..." It was a whisper, but both of them heard her clearly. Then she pointed a hoof at Applejack. It was hard for her to focus entirely on the mare, but Astra had felt something was off when the farm pony spoke, and unlike W and her own, the aura surrounding the Element bearer, her once light orange aura was now tainted with twisted, dark smudges, draining color and clarity from her outline. "...her aura, it's tainted..." "What's tha' supposed to mean?" Applejack demanded, not realizing the lax expression seeping across W's face. Now that she thought about it, why of all the elements was Honesty unable to tell her words were fact or fiction? Not even Astra's? Something had always bugged her about the elements the most, she could understand the fear of the unknown but this level of distrust and anger was abnormal. A small fragment of her mind was praying on some explanation, perhaps to hopefully rewrite the wrongs so far, maybe that part of her was just being helplessly naive to the harsh reality of her situation. W was a cold, calculative mercenary, if the ponies hated her, so be it, she'll just prove them wrong with a smile on her pleasant face. But Aoi, she just wanted things to be right again, to... be liked again. Was that mere, innocent wish so wrong that the people of two worlds had to be pitted against her? Was this... how it had to be? "Ja... erm, Applejack," W stepped forward, keeping Astra behind her legs while glaring down at the irritated pony. "All I ever wanted was to save a bunch of random ponies from harm, I'm still intended to that whether or not you believe me," "Lies!" She was going to go for that lasso around her waist. Then Astra poked her head out. "Miss Applejack!" This caused hesitance to arise in her jade eyes. "If Miss W was so bad, why did she save ponies from monsters before?" "That was just ah show of power, that's what Twi said." W's bit her cheek again at Sparkle Butts twisted story. Astra didn't let, putting herself forward sternly. "I was lost and scared and she hurt herself to fight off those same monsters like when she first came here." Her body was shaking, so were her big, silver eyes that burrowed into Applejack's. Then both saw it, the older mare's features were hesitant, raising a hoof. "B-but that's, I-I don't." With a sincere stare, Astra put her hoof down, not realizing a tiny, silver trail of stardust separated between the two appendages. "Please think about it Miss Applejack, if she wanted to hurt me she could've but..." For the first time ever, a tiny smile pulled at Astra's cheeks. It was enough to make W's heart clench, "...she saved me." "That's I... I didn't..." Applejack began to hesitate, and while Astra seemed perplexed as to why, W saw it all transpire with her own two eyes. Astra couldn't just see a person's aura, she used the element's very trait to contradict everything Applejack was led to believe with logic and reason. And that stardust effect, was that her special talent or something else? Many more questions as to what exactly Astra was arose in her mind, but so did the dark skies above. "When did that roll in?" Shaking her head, the merc quickly rushed forward to keep Applejack steady, seeing her eyes spin in a daze. "You alright?" Taking a few, steady breaths, Applejack met W's wary gaze with a far less aggressive voice. "I... I didn't know..." Nodding to the mare, W helped to keep her standing, Astra doing the same despite her size. Placing a hoof on her mane, Applejack looked down. "I really messed up, haven't I?" W tilted her head off to one side. "Weeell, you did kinda lasso me through a window that one time," The blonde mare slumped. "And into several carts one Friday afternoon," She lowered further, and W pipped up with a mock grin. "Oh-oh, and you gave me that killer bruise when I was-" "I... think she gets it, Miss W." Even Astra looked a little queasy after the small listing of their many confrontations. "Are you okay, Miss Applejack?" "I'm sorry..." She muttered, and while W was far beyond accepting mere words as a valid apology, given how the situation could've turned out she'll let it slide for now. "It's all still a little... much." "Just so long as I'm not lassoed in the near future I won't have to hog-tie you to a railroad and wait for the 'splat'," Now her mind raced with a new revelation. "If Applejack's aura was tainted, does that mean someone's purposefully throwing Infected into this world? Were they manipulating some of their minds too? I guess that could explain the acts of aggression..." "But why...?" Her whisper caught on Death's ears, sadly, nothing could be answered from a single experience. Chuffing dryly, she ruffled Astra's mane again. "Knew you were a strange one, kid." "I... thank you?" "It's a compliment," W assured her, then came a deathly rumble in the clouds. "Huh, that really moved in fast?" "But... there wasn't a storm for today?" Applejack's muttered words made W's body slowly rise, flinging back her cloak to reveal the many explosives strapped to her belt, and a small, black bag over her back. Pulling out her grenade launcher, she too felt it, something strangely acrid in the air. "What are ya doin'?" "What does it look like, blondie?" W huffed, loading the receiver while a harsh wind pulled her hood back, letting her silver locks flow freely, revealing the burning embers in her eyes. "I'm going to do what I do best," Then came a dark bolt of lightning between the clouds, followed by a sharp rumble. "Blow shit sky high." At the border of a road leaving the town of Ponyville, a large, jagged rock protruding from the earth, a charred piece of volcanic rock that now encompassed a house. Many shadows shifted around the rock, snarling. The skitter and nipping of spindly legs crawled from the rock, bodies radiating with a dark red substance. From under the basalt rose two, bipedal creatures dressed in a white coat with a dark grey tint along the hem. Red belts crossed over their chests, with black sleeves attached to gloves. A pair of dark red cargo pants and black boots too. A hood obscured their faces in darkness, say for the two, glowing orbs. The most horrific addition to their bodies were the clusters of semi-transparent crystals jutting out from their backs, some of them tinted a shade of red at the tips of the hardened minerals. These same, blackish-red crystals infected their arms, causing them to twitch and crackle, lines like red webs melding their clothing to their skin, deforming their arms. Atop the spire of basalt, a single person stood, admiring the overhead view of the whole town, his face obscured by a mask, dressed completely in rugged, black clothes fitting of a traveler. With his left arm raised, the many abominations festered under the cliff stirred with hisses and disgruntled groaned of pain, all slowly corraling toward the innocent, ignorant town. To Be Continued... Author's Note Time for some action! And what's this, seems the hatred toward W stems from an outside source, but things are never solved so simply. I was meant to upload this tomorrow but I couldn't wait ^_^. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, maybe, in the next chapter! Next Chapter: Live a Life of Sin The Infected have started to invade Ponyville seemingly out of nowhere, good thing there's a mercenary with a knack for such extreme pest control.
0-7 Ice in her VeinsW, for the second time since confronting the residents in this world, her heart rate was pounding. She had only just fended off an attack on the town again, confronted the Merchant that sent her to this magical world as W herself, and was now facing the country's very authority, the Royal Guard. There were roughly a dozen, maybe a few more by her count, led by a red unicorn called Cliffheart, and he seemed different from your standard commander. Beside her, Twilight watched with a serious face, W had to resist rolling her eyes at her presence. Cliffheart smiled like a hunter toward his injured game, W felt the same way. "From what I've been informed of, you only just recently attacked this town during an invasion by some monsters that seemed to spawn from nowhere, and who is it that we find left standing? You." "If you're implying I'm behind this, plenty of ponies can attest I saved them from the culprit's attempts to kill me and raze this town," W quickly interjected, pointing to the crumpled pile of rock just on the outskirts of the town. "He was commanding them from that rock, he's the very reason I'm stuck in this messed up world, to begin with." He chuckled, not a trace of belief in his eyes while he addressed his guards and Twilight. "Wow, you weren't kidding about this one, Miss Sparkle, she's got quite the imagination, even finding a way to shift the blame to a culprit that, surprise, is nowhere in sight," A few laughed at their commander's mockery of W's testament, she knew they wouldn't listen, not if Twilight was stating the facts. It was her word against 'Princess Celestia's Star Pupil', as bias as you can get, that even the US law and justice system would say 'that's a bit much'. To add, Twilight's head poked forward, tilting curiously to Astra, herself hiding behind W's legs. "Huh? A filly is with her?" Hearing this, Cliffheart's magic came to life, pulling out the two staff pieces that interlocked in his magic, creating a large polearm reinforced with thick, rounded heads on either end. "That creature's taken a hostage..." He snapped, many of his guards activating their magic to draw their weapons in disgust. Seeing this, W casually withdrew her switch, smiling at how Twilight gasped in fright while many of the soldiers halted their advance. "Miss Sparkle, what is that?" "Don't move and you won't have to find out - Astra, say close to me," W whispered down, holding the activation pad high for all to see in her hand. "I've been tossing mines across this whole street to thin the monsters' numbers during the attack, I'm not sure all of them have detonated yet, would be a shame if you happened to be standing on one, right?" Her sinister glare made many skip about and stumble into one another, all afraid of what was merely a silver tongue and a modest amount of ignorance on Twilight's part to sell the tale. "Still, want to act like you hold all the cards? Huh, Captain?" Cliffheart never let his glare fade from W's, holding his staff high to threaten the mercenary. "First you take a poor child as you hostage, and now you threaten the lives of many innocent ponies? Just how low are you willing to go, creature?" "My name is W, Captain." Was her sneer, rubbing the activation button's edge with her thumb. This was bad, had she maybe have gone back to Astra sooner she could have escaped, now the Royal Guard had their eyes on her, finding the Merchant and the reason behind the Infected insurgencies might be strained. Steeling her already taut nerves like wires on a guitar, she sighed out her nose. "We're leaving... if you let us leave, I'll hit the disarm button here-" She poked her thumb at the red-stained key. "-Just leave me alone, and don't come after me - this whole world is a pain in my ass and I don't need to have spears shoved up there too." No one made a move, not even Cliffheart as W knelt down to pick Astra up. "This is wrong... if you truly meant no ill-will you wouldn't behave in such violent ways!" She had heard enough self-fulfilling claims of heroics from the elements, his words were just all white noise to her. "Get back here!" "I'm warning you, get lost." W spat, holding Astra close to her chest as she murmured in the silverette's attentive ear. "Miss Twilight too..." That confirmed W's suspicions. Not just Applejack, all of the elements were tainted, and the Merchant must have been the one to plant that seed of distrust in their auras. They were heroes in Equestria's eyes, most would take their word as truthfully as if Celestia or Luna said it exactly. W had the world against her at every turn. "You threaten the innocent, attack the Elements of Harmony, and even have taken a foal as your captive for who knows how long - you violate our customs, that is reprehensible!" Cliffheart snapped, but again, W bit the bullet and let them say what they wanted themselves to hear, none cared for her word, so why would it matter to speak? "Your country can rot." That was all she had to spit back in their faces. Twilight, on the other hand, wasn't going to let it slide. "Grr... NOW!" That word set W off, wrapping her cloak around Astra's form while something slammed into her back, flinging the controller from her fingertips while the Royal Guard fanned out to surround the two, some keeping the citizens that had come out of hiding back. "To hell with you, Crash!" W flipped, kicking the prism-colored mare off her shoulders in time to find a burning sensation wrap around her wrists and ankles. It was magic, and a stronger bind too. Noticing four ponies held her down, two for each bind, and nearest Twilight and Cliffheart, the pair pulled Astra away, a guard helping to keep the filly back as she struggled. "No, I'm with Miss W because she's my fri- mphm!?" A hoof quickly silenced her, which alone drew a furious glare from W's eyes, face twisting in rage. "No, you leave her alone!" Not a soul cared to listen. Twilight sighed, using her magic to lift the detonator before crushing it into pieces. "I'm sorry, but if she's found some way to possibly drug you or hold you captive over something we can't let you go," Her words were honest and sincere, but W only felt how much it satisfied the little rat at how angry it made the Sarkaz female. Soon, the guard began to pull the filly away as she tried desperately to move and speak, words screamed under his hoof. "Once we've locked her up we can help you, I promise." "Come on, stop it, don't hurt her!" W thrashed, attempting to break their magic but to no avail, compared to a singular unicorn's levitation spell it was far more resilient. The Guards saw this, one stomping before W to deliver a strong kick to her side, forcing out a small swab of spit from her throat. "Draw your weapons and keep the monster from moving!" Bladed polearms were brandished toward W, herself genuinely terrified as many ponies gasped and looked on fearfully. Why... why didn't they say anything to help them? Couldn't they see Astra's innocent? Stepping closer to eye W directly, the smug look on Cliffheart's face boiled her blood. "There's no way you're escaping this time, beast." "You're a scumbag!!" He hesitated but held his ground, slamming one of the heads of his staff into the earth beside her face, seeing the shock and startled flinch in her bound movements. "Hmph, it's over, give up." Were his final words. "I'm so glad you arrived in time to study her before she could escape this time," Twilight smiled graciously at the Captain, himself rubbing the back of his nape bashfully. "Ah, it was a risky idea but I didn't want to just rush in based on third-person experience," He patted his forehead. "I used to work on the basis of studying your prey before moving in to fight, being too reckless is a faulty choice, even as a Royal Guard." Twilight nodded in total understanding of his methods, glancing at W's bound and defeated form. "She's extremely crafty, I honestly hope Princess Celestia can forgive me for not capturing her sooner but she's almost always found a way to slip through our hooves." Meanwhile, W's whole world drained of color down to pale imitations. "You mean... all of this... was planned?" The many moments of their battles played out, the chases and traps, and schemes foiled again and again. "She fought with me to learn and study me so she could get into good graces further with her Teacher..." Then her mind flooded with that of the Merchant. "And the Merchant ensured to twist the tale, to keep them from ever understanding me, to depict me as this world's true enemy despite the monsters - the ponies are too naive to see past black and white so none are saying anything, those that do might be treated like Astra and believe I tricked them!" "Even this capture was planned against me, to ensure they caught only my malice and carnage and not the ponies I saved, that I risked my life for!" W felt it, she caught glimpses of eyes watching her but in the heat of battle her senses were gone, solely to fight and to kill, she must have looked like a monster on a lustful hunt. Her fingers were bent, shaking as she dragged them back through the mud, anger, and embarrassment wracking her brain. "I don't understand... why the Merchant wanted me to suffer like this..." Fire was burning in her heart, cast by her soul. "I didn't come to this world because I wanted to, HE summoned me here, so why is he doing this to me!? To all of them!?" "What a horrible fiend, to think it took that poor girl hostage." "Why even bother letting it speak such foul words too?" "It's a monster!" "A freak!" "Why even capture it, Princess Celestia herself should just banish it forever!" "It should have never left that awful forest!" She was shaking, placing her head on the ground in complete despair, "Graaaaaah!!" Slamming her forehead back into the dirt, the hot sensation trickling down from her brow didn't do a thing to phase her. "I just... can't take it anymore..." "Here, let's use a dispel charm to ensure nothing malicious is afflicting her," That made W's head snap upright, seeing the Guard, Cliffheart, and Twilight standing by Astra, herself unable to move or speak, say for when the spell slowly came to life across Twilight's horn. "Astra..." Hopelessness filled her voice, she wanted to move, to make it stop but her arms and legs burned against the abrasive magic. "Wait...!" Everything echoed now, colors reduced to black and white as a strange, burning sensation began to corrode at the corners of W's eyes as the spell was transferred over her body. *Drip* A hitched gasp entered W's throat, both her eyes followed the sight of crystal liquid dripping from Astra's chin, even after the spell was complete, Twilight looked startled at the reaction. "Are you okay? That spell shouldn't have hurt yo-" Her hoof reached out to wipe away the child's tears, but Astra snapped her hoof out, slapping Twilight's away. For the first time, anger filled her eyes, her disdain targetted the two adult ponies standing over her in disbelief. "How dare you..." Astra whimpered, biting her cheek momentarily. "Miss W did nothing wrong, can't you see that!? She never hurt me, used me, or made me do anything I couldn't do!" Yanking herself from the pony behind her she stomped before the two, spite lacing her once docile eyes. "I lost my memories and was so scared and alone but Miss W filled the blanks with kindness, and love that I forgot! She cares for me and all you've done is hurt her back for no reason!" "W-what?" Cliffheart swung his hoof back at the defeated form of W, the woman unresponsive. "But I thought she only took you to get away from being captured, and those weapons, you saw how dangerous they are?" Twilight then added, keeping herself calm to assure the startled filly's mind. "She threatened this town and its residences, no innocent person or creature would do that-" "You did that!? You made her do that because you hated her for no reason!" Astra yelled angrily, teeth bear. "Miss W wanted to find her way home like me, but you took that from her after she saved ALL OF YOU!!" By the time the air left her lungs, the little pony had to take deep breaths to recover, all unaware of the thoughts clouding W's mind. W's word faded to black, more accurately, the whole sun was shut off like a light, leaving her mind to fill with static and distorted noise of metal scraping. ... ... ... ... ... "...A cruel world like this..." Hatred, embarrassment, sorrow, all filled her mind and her heart with a burning desire. "...CaN dIe FoR aLl I cAaAaAaArE!!!" From deep inside W, a razor storm of her hatred manifested, slicing apart the magic that withheld her movements, the layered magic cracking under the stress of a silver whirlwind gathered around her body. "What's going on!?" One bellowed, his magic going haywire. "I-I can't hold the restrains! My magic can't hold onto anything!" Another screamed, blown away by the backlash of colorful arcs, even Twilight and Cliffheart were forced to erect their barriers to brace the sudden storm of silver that minced the earth under W, shredding magic like fabric to a blade. "This... what is this magic, Twilight!?" Rainbow flew back to hide behind the safety of the twin barriers, her wings unable to withstand the windswept like a tornado around W. "I don't know, but it's definitely not magic," That she could confirm, yet the energy she could pick up was extremely similar to the genuine article. By the time the dust had grown still, W eased off the storm, small, metal blades disintegrating around her form, leaving her with her head bowed, a solid, unreadable scowl on her lips, it pulled at her cheeks, displaying her fangs to the petrified ponies that were left completely taken back by her strength. "Everypony, get ready!" "Now, attack it now!" A few Guards charged W who slowly rotated her shoulders, adjusting herself once more. Cliffheart's own eyes widened in horror. "No, stop!" It was too late, the scorching, ember eyes burning through the dirtied, silver locks toward the first Guard in arm's reach. W moved faster, and with the ferocity of a panther, squeezing her fingers around the pony's muzzle until her nails drew blood and a pained yelp as the pony's head was slammed into the ground, splitting the helmet. When she turned, her tail swiped a spear from puncturing her side, snaking her right arm around to crack the back of her palm off his cheek, using her right foot to embed him further into the mud while flicking up the spear, deflecting another and allowing the spearhead to shatter from a magic bolt. Her reflexes were more distinct, moving with focused rage toward the two bumbling unicorns in a low posture, snarling once close enough to yank the first back by his tail, grabbing the back of his head to smash his muzzle through the ground. Lifting him by his back hoof, W swung wide and threw him into the retreating Guard, the two crashing into a nearby wall, the kinetic force knocking them out entirely with a stomach-turning 'smack'. Gradually, W turned to face the two cowering behind their hardlight barriers, not a soul dared to utter a word, as though Celestia brought the sun down to rest solely in the woman's eyes. A fire was burning brighter within her orbs, she passed as more of a demon than a monster, hell's fire crackling in her eyes. In seconds she was upon Twilight's barrier, tearing her arm through the forcefield with enough force to shatter it like glass, the fragments leaving gashes across her bare forearm as the fingers hooked around Twilight's horn tightly, suppressing the magic as it sparkled and fizzled out. "Twi!" Rainbow leapt to her friend's aid in an instant, W didn't even acknowledge her, allowing her tail to swipe around to leave behind a long, bloody gash across her cyan cheek, flinging the pegasus back onto the earth. Of course, Twilight retaliated only to scream in pain, feeling the woman's hand twist the horn atop her head. "L-let her go - ack!" A foot to the pathetic pony's muzzle silenced her, knocking her entirely. "I told you..." Yanking the mare at an angle to stare directly into W's eyes, she felt only a righteous fury penetrate her soul. "I'd raze this town...!" Terror and tears sprung from Twilight's eyes, seeing the callous smile pull across the mercenary's face, a cackling laugh bellowing from her lungs like a hellish jackal. W tossed Twilight aside, blocking the sturdy slam of the polearm with just her forearm, keeping it from striking her nape. Sucking a breath through her nose, W grabbed the staff from his telekinetic hands, pulling out her grenade launcher before pointing it directly at Cliffheart's barrier, the payload of shrapnel and fire webbing the hard light. She threw the staff of his far enough away that his magic couldn't retrieve it, watching helplessly as the woman loaded another M32, unloading the powerful blast against his magic, chips falling out of place at the corners. "I just wanted to go home..." Through the black cloud, the wide muzzle of the launcher was pressed to the surface of his shield, startling him from his stupor to eye the wrathful woman, seeing the distasteful look in her eyes. "But... you sick bastards... you made Astra cry!" Her finger pulled back on the trigger. "Wai-!" *BOOSH!* Red glass was scattered around Cliffheart, himself falling in a heap against the building wall behind him, coughing and hacking up poisonous air while he watched as the woman slung her weapon behind her cloak again, her hand bloody and lacerated by the backblast. That same, crimson hand grabbed his mane, tugging him forward for her to grind his muzzle into the dirt, hearing him groan in discomfort. "Feel like listening now, rat? Huh, come on, I'm all ears!" W giggled cutely, picking him up by the crown to punch him square in the jaw, tossing the cocky stallion to the ground under her, using her heel to press against his breastplate. "Fanatical!" One kick. "Arrogant!" Then another. "Runt!" The third made Cliffheart gag. "'Protectors of Equestria', you can't protect shit! And when you do you can't even see the flaws in your own code!" Her heel dented the curvature of the armor, hearing him cough hoarsely. "You wanted a monster, then here ya fucking go," W withdrew two dark grey items with a grid-like pattern across the exterior. Both her thumbs slipped into the rings, raising them toward the town she despised, this whole world that deserved to burn at her hands! "Let this remind you, never to get in my way again!" She never lost her star-crazed smile, plucking out the pins to toss the grenades down the street. Those present soon ran for their lives, others had to barricade themselves behind objects for fear of not escaping in time. "Pfft, ahahaha...!" Two large plumes of smoke soon came cascading from the smoke grenades, providing W with the chance to make her escape, tossing Astra into her arms while leaping up onto a nearby rooftop, not hesitating to make a mad dash for the Everfree. "W-W!" Astra gaped in fright over her well being, only to receive a confident smirk and wink as per usual, that alone putting the young filly's heart at ease. "You're okay... I-I'm..." Tears welled up in her eyes, sniffing before W brought her close to her chest, nuzzling the little pony while hopping down to hide in an alleyway, allowing to pegasus Guards to sweep on by. "Shh, it's okay... I don't blame ya," She snorted. "That damn Sparkle screwed us over big time." Much as she hated this world, hated all of them so much she could happily pull out their innards and decorate their burning down like Christmas decor, she already knew who her enemy was. "That Merchant... when I find him, I'll make him regret picking me!" In the dusk of the alleyway, Astra looked up at W, seeing the distraught glow to her red aura. Reaching up with her hoof, she rubbed her bruised cheek tentatively, offering a tiny smile through misty eyes. "There-there." That alone made W chuckle motheringly at the filly's innocent and quiet voice. "Aren't you sweet to a merc like me?" Tucking Astra under her cloak, W grinned competitively, her heart bursting with satisfying revenge. "They'll come for us now." So she intended on giving them a show. To Be Continued... Author's Note W finally bites back, only now she has far more enemies than she intended. Time for the great escape. That 'bladestorm' will be brought up later, and as for why W didn't murder anyone, she was finally done caring about how she was viewed in ponykind's eyes. She restrained her more violent tendencies against the elements before, but now she outright retaliated with the intent to break bones and spill blood out of hatred instead of defense, regardless of how she portrayed herself. Just thought I clarify ^_^ I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, maybe, in the next chapter! Next Chapter: She's Never Wary With Cliffheart hunting her down, W must break out all her tricks to get herself and Astra out of not only Ponyville but the Everfree. Good thing she has a plan.
B1-0 We Never LearnSometime in the Arknights story... "Um, not to question your methods, Teach, but um," A finger extended into my wide-eye view. "I don't think that's going to buff out." "What the hell was that!?" I was in a foul mood today. Everything was fine, to begin with. Got up, got reminded Reunion still wants to be... well a bunch of non-negotiable jerks capable of nothing but more violent acts against the non-Infected - You think after failing at Lungmen they'd learn but no, no they don't. To give context, I was meant to oversee a new training performance of my team, simple enough, I wanted to test some of our newly acquired skills alongside a few new recruits to our team in particular. One issue with that actually- "How did you even get enough C4 to blow a hole through military-grade steel!?" My hand shot toward the black smoke and lack of wall ahead of me. "Where did you get the C4, I specifically remember Kal'tsit revoking your permission into the armory for this specific reason!" "Did she now, huh?" Was she even remotely aware of - oh who am I kidding, she always was! I knew she was up to something, she's always up to something. Now I was pacing, feeling bullets of sweat leak through my coat in a frenzy. "And now she's going to think I gave you the explosives and I'll be forced to endure her lectures again," Now everything was dark and swirling around me. "I'd rather fright FrostNova with my bare hands than ever have to go through that torment!" A tap on my shoulder shook me out of my stupor of despair, seeing the laid-back smile on the perpetrator's face. A young woman with black, red, and white attire suitable for that of a mercenary. Her crackling, ember-shaded orbs watching me with a lack of care for her actions. This was par-for-the-course with her, honestly. "A small mistake, tch, bet Kal'tsit's gonna pull her hair out at this mess," She was... amused by this, of course, she was! Finally, she blinked at my grinding teeth and twitch in my brow, smiling slyly. "Oh? Someone's a little hot under the collar today?" "Ya think!?" My voice bellowed, pointing at the damage being assessed by one of our resident ops, his head spinning at the damage. Putting my hands over my nose I tried to rationalize this. "I - you just - why, every time someone leaves you alone for a period of time, why is it that all your antics come right back around to bite me, W?" The mercenary known as W chuckled at that, shrugging. "Guess I'm just too much for you to lose, hmm?" Her elbow nudged me as I gawked. W was just... leaving, and through the hole in the wall no less like it was some renovation... are you serious right now...! Reaching out, my hand snatched the end of her tail, yanking her back as she let out quite the girlish yelp, being spun around until a felt her knife jab against my throat, those same, fiery eyes piercing my own as her face burned a dark shade of red. "You want me to gut you on the spot for that!?" Off to our sides, one of my teammates, a feline with dark navy hair tied into a ponytail with a few strands of pink, and hesitant, matching eyes, Jessica, tried to speak up, her hands waving between us. "D-Doctor, M-Miss. W, please don't f-fight!" From her left on one of the training grounds' elevated, white platforms, one of my best vanguard operatives, a man with short, onyx hair and the kindest blue eyes watched from a safe distance, his hands resting on his scabbard with keen interest, both his deer ears perked up. "Miss. Jessica I suggest staying a safe distance, a young lady like you shouldn't get too close, especially with these two riled up," Even he shivered, probably sensing our tension nervously. "I'm not one to judge but it looks like a fire might break out." Back with me and W, "Oh please, you've suffered way worse than a tail-pull, Roach," I rebutted, pushing her knife away so easily with my own burning glare. "But if you want to go I'll be happy to kick your ass into fixing your own problems?" W ditched the knife, cracking her knuckles as a fire of red and blue scorched between us and our murderous glares. "I'll take that bet, oh great and wise Doctor." Now we were butting heads, shoving them against one another, "Why, thank you, Operative Cockroach." My sharp tongue flicked back with venom at her twitching smile. "That's it!" She tackled me first as my fist struck her cheek, the two of us tossed back as she slammed her knee into my side and I shoved my hand against her cheek, using the leverage to headbutt her. With this being W she immediately did the same, the two of us recoiling with a curse before her legs straddled my waist, throwing two fists across my forearms. "Hah, not this ti-!" Using my elbows I propped myself toward the right, throwing her down while I delivered a left hook to her shoulder and her own mirrored my action as we rolled, punching and kicking one another with brutal force. "You're such an ass, you know that!? Every-" Another right hook. "-Single-!" Another. "-Day I put up with your shit, and not once do you ever take responsibility for it!" W quickly snatched by wrists, throwing me off her stomach, quickly hopping up to charge me down, wiping the blood off her cheek. "Like you're one to talk! Heh, even all these years and all that amnesia took away your skill, how tragic - ah!" I threw a discarded bullet casing at her, seeing the steam puff from her head. "Did you just throw a fucking shell - ah - stop that - ah - Kaid, I swear to God!" This one hit her on the nose. "Oh sure, blame it on the amnesia, how original of you to think so little during a fight," While I stood up I tapped my forehead. "May only have bits and pieces but, hehehe, pretty sure I still won most our fights, then again, you're still predict - gah!" She tackled me to the floor with such ferocity, pinning one of my arms with her hand, the others locked by the forearm. "'Predictable'? I'm a mercenary for a reason," She grinned down at me, licking the blood off her lips. "Getting me rilled up won't save you this time." "Did it ever," My fist wedged to her cheek as she pinned me with her knee. "I'm not done yet." "I never said I was either." "At it again I see," Our bodies froze with the colors slowly seeping from our bodies at the strict tone of voice. "And with such vigorous energy too, how wonderful." "Oh crap, it's Kal'tsit!" Our minds froze with possibly the same words. Standing above us was the woman in white and green herself, and with an aura so cold it might as well be turning us to ice in seconds. I've only ever felt this once but from where I did not know, but her body was frigid with a bright blue aura. Standing next to her was the exasperated partner of mine, Amiya, she was even pouting disapproving at me while my fist lodged itself against W's face and her foot was wedged against my stomach. "Doctor..." That was all Amiya had to say as we blinked twice up at Kal'tist, her arms crossed, finger tapping to her bicep. "Kaid, W, I do hope you two still have some energy, I do believe this damage to Rhodes Island will require a little more manpower than usual," Both of us raised our hands, trying to form an excuse before her eyes leered down. "Am I clear on the matter?" "Ah... transparently." Our fire died out quickly with a flat tone, and soon she walked away, all of my team looking around as though they weren't listening, well, say for one who was my student, he looked ready to make it worse. "And here I thought we'd actually see these lovebirds duke it out for real this time, aw well..." Null deflated beside Cardigan, herself giggling "I heard they did this alot when they grew up together long ago, so cute." After that I don't think being slapped across the face with Patriot's shield would be such a bad thing, actually, that might be a mercy, I couldn't even look at W now as I shoved her off my stomach. In return, her fist jabbed my side before Kal'tist could see. Some time passed and our progress was... okay, I guess. Neither of us were good at this work, although we spent most of our time just sitting there, watching the machines do all the work for us not saying a word. It wasn't... untrue what Null said, though the idiot could stand to use his inside voice, I just... W is... very complicated. Sitting at the edge of the elevated platform facing the blown apart wall I juggled with a small, amethyst crystal in my hand, feeling its power vibrate every time it grew closer to my palm, it felt really warm when it did. My eyes then glanced over at W. She kept her back to me just a meter away, and she was still, merely inspecting her grenade launcher inquisitively. "It still bothers me," Was her first words in almost an hour of mind-numbing boredom. "The whole fact you were him the whole time, tch, how stupid is that I never realized it sooner? You both were awkward messes," Her tone made it sound like she found herself pathetic, but that's not true. "And how many died and you can't recall? Bet that's a kick to the teeth." My eyes were downcast, reflecting off the crystal I rubbed my finger across. "Yeah... I hate it, because of what you said, I... I don't know, and that scares me," I heard her shuffle but I refused to look up from my frown. "I'm the 'Great and wise Doctor', tch, yeah right, I still don't believe that, or rather, not in the person I was before." Pausing a moment to reflect on it, I added. "You never bring it up, why now?" I felt my body tense as I found W's body pressed against my back, feeling her hair tickle my neck with a long-drawn sigh. "Don't know, call it nostalgia I guess," W chuffed hollowly at that, her head against mine. "I hate it, why'd it had to be you, of all the people in this world, it was you behind that mask I feel so... twisted about." It wasn't her fault. I never told her back then for fear of what I became, and now she's forced to try and move on, I wouldn't blame her if she didn't but I... she's... Running my hand through my hair I rested my back against hers. "Sorry, I really wish it was different-" "I don't." My eyes opened wider at that, her voice was strangely solemn, enough to draw my head around to meet her glowing, eyes like crackling embers. "I got my idiot friend back didn't I?" And that smile, how long since I've seen it this kind. Call it just a misdirection all you want, but this was her, my friend was still here, my... yeah, W was still there. Smiling at ease, I felt my head rest against her own, our eyes closed and that familiar, black tail wrapped between us. Not now, but maybe soon I'll get this off my chest, W is the reason I'm here now, and I won't let this second chance slip away again. After our lengthy silence. "Say, you think she's watching?" My mirthful tone combined with the feeling of W's eyebrow curving up told me she was more than aware. "Bet she's furious~" That almost made my stifled laugh escape. "Who cares, I certainly find the idea of someone watching exciting," Eh? That threw my head back as I felt a steady rise of blood to my face, W's fingers tip-toeing up my chest with a coy smile. "And for the record, my tail's sensitive if that wasn't obvious, Doctor~" "Please stop, W, W?" If I tried to get away she'd tease me more, if I gave in she'd win. What the hell do I do now!? My eyes felt like they were spinning as her gaze grew closer. ~*Sigh* I thought I said to fix the wall not... this!~ From the speakers above, Kal'tsit was indeed watching, can't imagine this was something she intended on observing, so, in typical fashion, W went in for the kill. I winced as she hopped into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck as I tried to ignore her... really attractive body against mine as best I could. "What's the matter, Kal'tsit? Jealous I get the strong, supportive Dr. Kaid all to myself, hehehe." She was enjoying this a whole lot more than me, that was certain. "God, someone kill me..." Today was a long day. Several days before 0-7 in Equestria... "Ugh wha - huh?" Aoi, who resided in the body of W startled herself awake, looking around only to realize she was still in bed, eyes peeled toward the large tarp that was draped over the section of the wall that was destroyed, her way of keeping the cold out. Looking down at her bare stomach, having stripped down to just her sports bra and panties. Astra was still nuzzled in beside her like a pet - though she'd admit that was the last thing she would ever title Astra as. "What a weird dream?" Sighing out a yawn and wiping the drool off her cheek, she stretched then tugged the blanket over her body again, snuggling against the warmth of her bed with the filly beside her. Soon, the strange dream faded from memory. To Be Continued... Author's Note Okay, I'll be honest, no idea why I did this. It spawned from a rare moment when my mind is... very destructive of my motives in life. Like, you ever kinda lose all that drive to do anything for a period of time and then your mind starts making you question everything you're doing? Your hobbies, your usage of time? It's... not something I have talked about easily, and a part of me wrote this in an attempt to clear that toxic mentality. I dunno, just... atleast something good came out of it I guess. Well, even if it's not connected to MLP (Sorry) I thought I'd share it here due to this being the only Arknights story on this site (Far as I'm aware). To sum up, just a funny/cute moment between the real W and the Doctor (You) with a few other characters in the background. I hope you enjoyed this random little bonus, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter, Renegades. P.S. The relationship between the Doc and W in this isn't canon, trust me, there's alot more complicated stuff going on.
0-8 She's Never WaryThe sun had set across the Everfree, a large thicket was cut away for a small camp set for the Royal Guard. Many patrolled the area to keep the dangerous creatures at bay though the pony's numbers certainly were a good deterrent. Under a tarp, Twilight helped Cliffheart, who was still bandaged up after their most recent battle with W, in determining the best course of action for the looming peaks of the ruined castle not far from the trail. "Are you certain she'll be there? This creature sure loves to run away from fights she starts," Cliffheart couldn't deny it though, a small part of him was on cloud nine, the first challenge to usurp his last job before becoming a part of the Royal Guard. The idea left him feeling like his first job when he was just a teen. Twilight nodded, rubbing her chin. "She's often seen hunting herself but always makes trips back here regularly, and... previous engagements left me... strained in investigating further," The taut tone of her voice, and the fact she winced at the words told Cliffheart all he needed to know. "...how did she even corral that many crocodiles in one place?" "Say what now?" Even a few guards behind them stopped to blink and stare at the purple unicorn, only for her to huff and shake her head. "Her impossibly ambitious traps aside, it's her explosives I'm worried about, and that stunt she pulled," It worried Twilight greatly, even Cliffheart. "That wasn't magic but... she was already so resilient to it before and then she just, I-I don't even know WHAT that was?" It was no lie that everypony present was tense, those that saw her display of magic. A whirlwind of metal that tore through their magic like paper. It was harrowing to think such a monster had abilities comparable to that of unicorns. She was a force of nature, a demon. "This is why we don't invest in stupid projects, 'kay?" W blinked as she closed off the trap that led down into the pit that was filled with sticky slime, only she accidentally lost a grenade and it kinda... made it into a fire pit? W's hindsight wasn't exactly stellar as she'd have liked, then again, she wasn't the real W, to begin with. "Okay then-" Pulling the lever, the doors shut, cutting off the smoke once her tail whisked most of it out of Astra's face while the filly coughed. "-new plan, much as roasted unicorn sounds like a nice meal, we've got too much heat to stay much longer." Her growl wasn't hidden by her strained grin. "They've got the place surrounded, clever, clever." "Why can't we fight out?" Astra asked, and W had to admit, she was loving how less timid the little pony became Ruffling her mane, W clicked her fingers. "No can do, best we can afford is to take a loss and try escaping, taking them on will only lead to them tailing us for miles, what we need is breathing room," It irked her to back down from a fight, but now she had a goal, and a real enemy to chase, she wasn't going to find the Merchant locked in chains. "Just say what's on your mind, kid, I won't bite." A strange face had remained plastered on Astra's snout ever since they ran from Ponyville. W was the first to admit emotions weren't her strong suit, heck, her own were a rampant mess on the best days. It was hard to imagine any of this made sense to Astra, how the filly remained silent for so long concerned W of her mental health, the last thing she wanted was for Astra to end up like her or worse. "I... I can't do anything right," The whitette admitted, lowering her head in shame, rubbing the floor with her hoof. "You took care of me, you hurt yourself for me, and... and I can't do anything to help." Her eyes were shaken, and W was left silent, face unreadable for the most part. There was a thought that passed through W's mind at times that left her breathless, fright and joy mingled together when it occurred. Kneeling down, her fist tapped lightly to Astra's chest, tapping with her index finger jutting out slightly. "Now you listen here, Astra," Her voice was stern and commanding, drawing the filly's eyes back to meet her ember orbs head-on. One thing came to mind, an old saying that kept W... no, kept Aoi moving every day, "Kid, you've got the makings of greatness in you," The words rolled, without doubt, confidence in every letter, and a genuine, proud smile on the Sarkaz woman's lips. Her hand waved wide, "You gotta take the reins someday, make your own path with or without me," Her fingers tapped the filly's heart, standing tall as Astra's wide-eyed stare never left W, "Stick to it, grit against the pain! And when the time comes, you'll get the chance to really test your mettle and show not just me but the world what you're made of!" Had it not been for her own fake confidence W might have stumbled over her words, but it was the truest words she could muster. Astra's face was ajar, a complete loss for words, or until she pressed her face against W's legs, nuzzling closer to the woman's body as best she could. W smiled gently, patting her head to gauge her eyes of any more doubt. "I just hope I can be there to see you light this world ablaze, kid." Clearing her throat, she scooted Astra along, the filly wiping something off her face. "Now, you know the plan, meetcha at the tower, kid." With a final nod, the little pony ran as fast as she could, waddling off with her backpack. Alone, W lost her smile, replaced with uncertainty while peering down at her open palm, the glove torn at the front, revealing her skin beneath. That power of hers... it left her second-guessing what she was exactly. "W can't use Arts, not that I know of... so why did that happen?" It wasn't a bad thing, more questions she needed answered eventually, it just annoyed her she had to wait so long. "Well, no use crying over spilled milk, better set the stage, hehehe..." Her toothy smile returned, and she picked up her cloak. "Wanna fight me, come get me, little ponies~" Not long after devising a capture plan, Twilight and Cliffheart led their team into the ruins familiar to the studious mare. It was strange being back to the place she and her friends found the Elements and battled the darkness that consumed Princess Luna. Sadly, she felt angry, for a monster tainted that memory and this place, turning it into their nest. It may have been a bunch of broken walls and empty rooms, but it was still something significant to her. "Um, Twilight?" Cliffheart poked the mare out of her daydream once they entered through the crooked doorway leading into the throne room. To her gasped shock, and the murmurs of the ponies behind them, the throne was occupied. It boiled her blood, seeing that toothy smirk glaring back at her amethyst eyes. "Look who was waiting." "I can see that thanks," She snorted, horn beginning to glow brightly, even as W sat there, left cheek upon her fist propped on the armrest, her wail wagging as if to wave at the ponies mockingly from atop the throne. "Ah, have you come to bow to your Queen? You shouldn't have," She mocked with a cackle that riled up the Guards while W stretched, leaning her right hand against the top of her weapon. "Bet I'd make a great monarch, atleast I'd do something besides sitting on my ass all day pretending like I know everything, tch, and that Princess of yours calls herself a ruler," W giggled almost hysterically at the idea. "Oh God, that's gotta be annoying for Luna!" "Shut your mouth, beast!" One Guard snapped, only for his throat to hitch as a silver blade struck the seam in the tiles just before his hooves. This frightened many to backing away, afraid it may be another one of her explosives. W hummed a tune at their fright, making a 'Pop' sound that made them almost piss themselves. "Ahahahaha, I love this..." She cooed, leaning forward. "So, Sparkle Butt, want to try listening now? Or am I not decent enough to have a proper conversation with, hmm?" Every fiber of W's being wanted to blow the Princess's favorite pony up but sadly she knew better than to bring the complete attention of the monarch on her head, and besides, she was corrupted too just like Applejack, she was just as much a pain in W's ass as she was a victim. "No!" Twilight stopped her hoof. "You attack innocent ponies and threatened their lives, you hurt Rainbow Dash and me, and Cliffheart, and so many more!" Those eyes were filled with anything but friendship. "You took that filly and... and-" "-Told her to say those things?" W lost her smile for a distasteful frown, almost disgusted by the ponies. She even removed her cheek from her fist. "Can you tell me with certainty that you believe that every word from her mouth was a lie? That her voice hitched with malice or deceit? That her body twitched with worry or fright?" She leaned forward. "Well? Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, can you?" She wavered, "I - but she-" The Sarkaz's eyes narrowed, she saw it, uncertainty. People and ponies were very much alike. All give off bodily functions to indicate lies, maybe a habit they've picked up or that fact they are too honest for their own good, it was all too easy to pull apart once you've seen and heard so many pretty little lies wrapped up as truths. "-No," Closing her eyes, her magic expanded, so did Cliffheart's. "I won't be tricked, not this time..." Silence reigned, and W's smile twisted, not with malice but sickly joy. A small part of her wanted this just to end, peacefully if need be. Sadly, all she could feel in that moment was an insatiable desire to burn the disgusting stains from her sight - The Merchant's manipulation be damned. "...Then you've already lost any and all respect I had left for you," W's eyes blazed with hatred. "This is for degrading me to this point, you bitch." Her tail flicked out her detonator and she quickly pressed one of the black buttons, signifying the start of her game. "HAHAHAHA - BOOM!" *BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!* The floor suddenly lost its footing under several ponies, many dodged to the sides or ran for cover. The dust concealing the fact many pitfalls had opened up under the weakened floor, leaving a number of ponies stuck down in cramped pits. Twilight was helped up by Cliffheart, his magic discharging with many others toward the throne. W slipped behind the chair and rolled for the stairwell leading up to a spiral staircase located in a tower. "Dammit!" Cliffheart sighed, waving to his guards. "Help the others escape, three of you come with me and Twilight, do not let her escape!" "Right!" The trio and Twilight replied, following the ex-hunter toward the stairway where he threw half of his bo-staff into the hall, triggering a wire across the mid-section of the doorway, making the door retract and almost smack him in the face, his magic catching his discarded polearm and the door by the hinges. "Tch, typical, all flare no substance." He mused, motioning for them to follow his hoofsteps "Coming from you, that hurts - long journal entry about that one tonight," The ponies all gasped once a chandelier smashed between them, the pointed tail flicking around to tug a spear from one of the Guard's magic to slap Twilight across the cheek and into the wall. Using the element of surprise, W leapt over two bolts of magic, spearing the ground and using the flexible polearm to flick herself across the narrow yet tall hallway and toward a corner. Landing on both feet she stuck her tongue out and used a knife to cut another rope. "Cliff!" Twilight reacted in an instant, erecting a shield over his body to block the several chairs, tables, and stools that were suspended in a net against the ceiling. The darkness of the hallway made it almost impossible to see. The many pieces of furniture shattered on contact, and W's tail slipped away up the spire, her cackling reverberating off the walls. "Are you alright?" Cliffheart blinked, looking to Twilight before sighing a smile, nodding. "I will once we wipe that smug look off her face - Let's move, and watch your step, the traps are clearly meant to be obvious, she wants us to take our time," As he spoke he kicked his polearm out, the carpet bending downward where it stood out like a sore thumb. The floor then collapsed into another pit. "See?" The Guards and Twilight all awed at the insight of the ex-hunter, and he led them forward quickly and carefully. The group cautiously approached a flight of spiral stairs snaking around a pillar, it was the only way forward to the rest of the ruins. Taking the vanguard, Cliffheart rose up the staircase with Twilight and the Guards, all careful not to step further than their commander who's eyes locked to every step, checking the cracks and any seams that had been tampered with. It was all basic one-oh-one trap placement. He chuffed, smirking at the lack of effort. "She's either placed all her cards in confusing us in the main chamber or she's not as smart as I gave her credit for." Cliffheart's smile began to falter once light reached their eyes, and a gleam of ember orbs met his started gaze head-on. "Yah!" "Hello there," W grinned ear-to-ear, kicking a plank out from a large barrel beside her and Astra. Twilight and Cliffheart both yelled in fright while the guards attempted to retreat but it was far to late. The large wave of slime swept them off their hooves. The four tumbled down the stairway again, slimed and slippery while W's laughter could be heard all the way down. She clutched her stomach, wiping a tear from her eye. "That was great! Dear God, did you see the utter look of panic in his face!?" W giggled, stumbling down into the open air of a balcony alongside Astra, the filly hiding her smile behind her copy-cat scarf of W's. "Now, please keep all hooves, horns, wings, and tails within the frame of the slide at all times." W motioned to the right where the wall had broken off, revealing the makeshift slide of wood, bark, and an assortment of materials that held together against the side of the castle. It wasn't pretty but it was sure better and far more exciting than just some ladder or staircase. Astra nodded and quickly hopped down the slide, slipping away as the slope steepened, building her velocity down into the thicket of the jungle below. Hearing grunts and slippy hooves behind her, W gave a curious middle finger and leapt back-first onto the slide with a cheer. "I... really hate her," Twilight huff, wiping the slime off her muzzle with Cliffheart nodded breathlessly beside her. The two Guards were out cold so all that was left were the pair of them to chase the Sarkaz Mercenary down. "Let's go before we run into another surprise!" "Why a slide though?" Cliffheart hummed, testing it with a hoof, then shrugged. "Well, certainly more practical as an escape than a ladder or staircase I suppose." "Don't give her credit!" Twilight nudged with her hoof, Cliffheart smirked. "Force of habit, my old life is just giddy at the idea of a new challenge is all - off we go!" He took the lead, sliding down on all fours hooves with Twilight copying to an amateur's degree Closer to the end of the slide, W ducked from the surprising ambush of a pegasus from above in a broken window. W smirked, spinning around to grab him by the forehooves, slamming the dumb winged pony into the side of the castle, another narrowly missing her tail's flick, only to be backhanded when she twirled around, grabbing the edge of a wooden beam to swing herself into a large gaping maw under the castle wall. Astra waiting atop the old debris for the whitette. "Love that slide," W grinned, patting Astra's head as the pair took off, turning only to see Cliffheart slam into the wall that marked the end of the slide, Twilight flattening him in the process. "Pfft hahahaha!" If W was honest with herself, this was the most fun she's had annoying the ponies that had been nothing but thorns in her backside. "Another point to this sexy asset, hehe." "Miss W, we did it, right?" Astra inquired, the filly sliding down the mossy brickwork beside a small staircase leading deeper into the dark, damp dungeon chamber, W skipping down the steps. The dungeon was wide with a low-bearing ceiling, makeshift torches lit the way forward, toward a natural cave that led to their desired escape. Behind them, W quickly pulled Astra into her arms, using her cloak to obscure them both once a magenta bolt of magic pierced the cloth. "Almost, kid," Setting Astra down behind her, W took her stand at the vanguard, holding out her grenade launcher. Cliffheart stood at the foot of the stairs, Twilight's horn basking them all in an amethyst hue from the top of the steps. Waving one hand, the mercenary smiled. "Seems we're at an impasse - si that what you're thinking?" "You can't keep running," Cliffheart grunted, spinning his polearm around like it was some vain attempt at intimidation. Neither Astra nor W bought it. Leaning forward with a callous smirk, W rebuttal came sharply. "Oh, I most certainly can-" Her arm fanned out to the dripping walls of the ruined underground. "Equestria's a big place, lots of strange creatures in lots of strange places - Be hard to find me to impress your precious Teacher, wouldn't it, Sparkle Butt?" The purple mare's face lit with rage. "Don't insult Princess Celestia like-" Her words her cut by W's boisterous laughter, hand to her lips to mock in a high-and-might pitch "'Princess'? Wonder why she holds that title and not 'Queen' or 'Empress'? I'll tell you why," W huffed, inspecting the faded red texture on her nails. "It's because she's a useless, lazy, incompetent monarch who relies on bratty ponies who think they're so special because they got their hooves on some fancy, shiny trinkets." W cooed with enough venom to poison the air. Twilight looked ready to burst into flames, even Cliffheart's face was locked into a furious stare-off. "You're not some great heroes, you're just another colorful manifestation of people with power - it's your word against the victim's but everyone will take the side of the 'Heroes of Equestria' won't they?" Twilight's ears flattened, W shrugged. "But hey, I'm no better." W's frown emerged, allowing her grenade launcher to swing against her hip while raising her hands high, challenging them, noticing the subtle flicker of confliction in Twilight's eyes. This was what she waited for. "'Friendship'? Not everyone in the world shares the sentiment, and you haven't even seen the kinds of oppression and conflict that go on out there, have you?" Her words were like a snake bite, sinking deeper into Twilight's mind further and further. The mercenary shook her head, "How far do you plan to go with your 'Friendship'? For someone like me, who's had the whole world turned against her, and for the person you've become, what exactly do you intend to do? Fight me? Help other races? The whole world?" With wide eyes, W stepped back, lifting up her weapon. "I want to know if these are the idealistic and starry-eyed dreams you promised your dear ol' Teacher to achieve, what would she really do once the truth gets out? When the lies are all finally brought down? What will she think of her dear student then and her friends?" "That's enough!" Cliffheart lunged, only to be blindsided by a wall of smoke, blotting out W's view of Twilight's saddened and hesitant face. Through the veil, W raised her weapon high, finger taut against the trigger. "Grah, where did...?" Cliifheart tripped due to the snaking tail, using a small force blast of magic to clear the plume, revealing W with her weapon poised toward the ceiling. "Ah-." The burning embers in the woman's eyes never lost their fire, but that rage simmered with a neutral analysis of Twilight's features, "Hey, I'm not trying to look down on anyone. but the sooner you start to wake up and see how your world ain't so black and white, the better off you'll be - tch, that's the last time I offer advice for free, got that?" Then she lifted a finger, "Oh, one more thing," A smile adorned her face, fanged sharp and on display. "Don't fuck around with a Sarkaz Mercenary." *BOOM* The grenade splashed against the earthy ceiling above, sending a series of deep tremors through the earth, slabs of concrete and particles of dirt falling from cracks that began to split and widen from the flaming obstruction. Soon, the whole ceiling came crashing down, dividing the chamber between the two groups. Twilight and Cliffheart erecting barriers to fend off loose rocks that fell atop them. Meanwhile, W lifted Astra, fleeing into the cave system ahead, following the rush of a stream not far from the exit tunnel. "All aboard," W hummed, stepping into the small boat tied to a rock against the river bank. It wasn't fancy but it didn't leak... after many attempts. Strange how easy it was for W to handle complex explosive devices but when it came to making a boat you might as well have told her to overthrow Equestria with a blindfold on. "Next stop - out of this Godforsaken forest." "Can they find us now?" Astra pipped up while snuggling closer into a blanket they brought with them to stay warm on their long meander downstream. W smiled and cut the rope, pulling it with them to cover their tracks. "I dunno, all of it's a gamble, best we stick to the river for a while to be sure," It wasn't the best solution but they needed to move, otherwise, the Merchant would get away. "We've gotta find him, maybe figure out stuff instead of always playing Guess Who." "What's 'Guess Who'?" That simmered W's irked mind a little while directing them with a wooden paddle fashioned from driftwood. "Nothin' important, kid, just get some sleep," Keep her voice low and assertive. W focused solely on the river ahead, content to allowing the young filly her rest with the events that transpired today. All of it left a sour taste in her mouth, one she was happy to rinse off now that they were moving. "...goodnight... m-mo..." Astra soon fell into her slumber, exhausted from the running and chasing. This left W to feel her distant eyes grow wide, looking down on the snoozing filly with her head against their bags and a blanket nuzzled over her body. For the longest time, the stream carried them, allowing W to stare and stare toward the young pony left in her care. "Did she... was that..." Her throat felt dry, unable to speak while her heart picked up dramatically. For the first time since arriving in this crazy world, losing herself as W the Mercenary. Aoi let a smile touch her lips. "Sleep tight, Astra." Humming along to the beat in her head, she sailed them deeper into the Everfree, their destination unknown. To Be Continued... Author's Note If you can guess where the modified quote came from, I applaud you. W, as I said, is quite literally insane, but since Aoi's mentality is present she's more empathic, atleast with Astra. So I felt they needed a moment like this. Besides that, this was just a middle finger to Twilight and Cliffheart, won't be seeing them for a while now, haha! Well, that ends Castle of Glass, now to somehow structure a story from this point onward... I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter, renegades! Next Chapter: Do What I Told Ya Free at last from the Everfree, W and Astra make camp near the highlands of an old mine. Unfortunately, they are given a job by its occupants, much to W's chagrin.
0-9 Do What I told YaNightfall was encroaching fast across the wilderness of Equestria. The bank of a river steadily flowed not far from the rocky terrain that began to rise, reaching toward the rich mountains filled with precious stones and crystals, Rambling Rock Ridge. It bordered the very last tress of the Everfree not too far away. However, surprisingly for the desolate region, a fire steadily flickered among some of the boulders, two shadows sitting by the fire. "A human...?" The figure murmured, taken back by the strange woman with white hair that they could easily mistake as the moonlight. Slowly, they slipped back behind the rocks before neither noticed the eyes watching them omnivorously. "-I think I can see your aura better," Astra added, squinting so tightly W almost mistook her for trying to set the Sarkaz on fire. "Like... um, it's red but I can see other stuff too." "My emotions I'm guessing?" W surmised, turning the fish she caught around on its stick to cook it evenly. "Yeah, Seers typically have this strange ability to see souls, nothing fancy but it makes for a good lie detector." Astra's ears fell flat. "...why are you sad?" This caused W to flinch, and quite noticeably too. "Is it... about Miss Twilight? Or the Guards?" "All of the above really," The woman admitted with solemn eyes. "I never asked to become public enemy number one, that Merchant's gone and ruined any and all chances they'd listen to me now, so we're on our own." "I don't understand..." W looked to the downcast filly, her eyes looming over the book in front of her given by Zecora. "They did nothing wrong and were turned against you, and all you've done is help everyone, it's not fair..." Listening to this, W chuckled dryly, reaching around the flames to ruffle her mane, offering her sharp smile. "Often the things we want most are the hardest to reach," Leaning back to look up at the dark sky, W pondered a little on the Merchant before adding. "Doesn't matter, once we find that bastard we'll fix this, and I'll help you find your memories too." That made Astra gasp slightly, looking up at the Sarkaz with wondrous eyes. "Tch, you'd think I'd forget about that? Who do you think I am, kid?" "N-no, I-I just..." She turned red slightly upon seeing W's knowing grin through the flames. "I want to help too..." "You've already helped me, don't you see that?" "You're trying to carry the world on your own, I get that but don't worry about that just now," Patting her flexed arm, W admired her body's toned features. "May not look it but I'm one durable woman, I can take a few hits for ya." Her antenna twitched, and her fingers coiled around the handle of her grenade launcher. "Speaking of..." She kicked up the dirt and held the wide muzzle against the tip of a rough, stone spear. "...I've really had a bad day, so please, just try and make it worse, smartass...es?" By now, W noticed that the one creature wasn't alone, in fact, there were several bipedal creatures standing by the rocks, holding makeshift weapons. "Astra, stand close." "Mmmhmm," She hugged W's legs while the Diamond Dogs approached the campfire, all hesitant at the woman's snapping tail and crackling eyes, not to mention the metal object she held out before them. The little pony's eyes flickered around the crowd, hesitant before both her silver orbs widened at the flakes of dark blue smothering their forms. "...they're scared." W chuffed, glaring back at the leader holding the spear against the rim of her launcher. "Heh, guess they're smarter than they-" "No... of something else, it scared them away," She whispered, and W hesitated, realizing her finger was a hairpin away from setting off a bloodbath. Her aim never faltered, and her voice struck with scorn. W sighed, exasperated, "Really making this harder, kid - alright, what's it you want, mutts? Kinda want to rest after being evicted from my home," Much as she wasn't happy about the idea of living in ruins all her life the Castle was still a safe haven for her to be just normal, or as normal as a Sarkaz Mercenary can be. The one in front, who wore an eyepatch over his scarred, right eye grunted. "Horn-Lady and Little Pony in Diamond Dog territory, you go!" He huffed, electricity forming between his eye and W's, other Diamond Dogs, and even Astra grimacing at the fact. "I don't see your name on this rock, Patches," She snapped back, both weapons taut. Quickly, Astra scrambled between them, though her light shoving only succeeded in drawing their eyes down briefly. "P-please, wait, why are you scared, Mister?" Looking once more to the filly's big, silver eyes, the lead Diamond Dog folded his ears back, growling lowly. "Please?" "Hrm... black creatures swarm mines, hurt tough Diamond Dogs, we tougher but they so many, so we flee, injured and... scared," That last part was a struggle for it to get out. Now, W glared around and noticed that they weren't all built to fight, some were clearly hurt, and others didn't have any real idea how to use the weapons they carried. "It's like they just handed a weapon to whoever could walk straight," Steeling her glare, W lowered her weapon. "Fine, what's going on, and what do you mean 'Black Creatures'? 'Cause right now, sounds a little racist on my end." The scarred Diamond Dog lowered his own spear, looking up at the dark cliffs ahead. "Creepy slugs and spiders that go boom shake caves, ruin shiny stones, and attack Diamond Dogs," His foot stomped sharply. "We crush Black Creatures! But... they keep growing," His eye flickered with fright. "They hurt many, we afraid to lose more..." "The Infected..." W sighed, rubbing her chin while eyeing Astra's concerned look for the Diamond Dogs around them. Much as W hated to admit it, they were all in the same boat. "Oi, patches-" To her amusement, the patched Diamond Dog turned to her, spotting her fanged smile as her tail poked in his direction. "Let's make a contract - a deal to be simple - I clear out the Black Creatures, and you let Horn-Lady and Little Pony go, sound fair?" A few that heard her declaration murmured and grunted among themselves, Patches seemed to take a keen interest in her words, looking around. "You help Diamond Dogs?" She shrugged, rubbing the tip of her right horn. "So long as you keep your end of the bargain and let us go, I won't add you to the list of pest control, get me?" She received a blank stare, realizing her colorful threat flew over them. Rubbing a hand down her face, she ignored Astra's slight giggle. "Ugh... I will help you, yes - Do, We. Have. A. Deal?" The red tick above W's head was becoming prevenient. Patches nodded hastily, "Diamond Dogs okay with deal, we let Horn Lady and Little Pony go, remove Black Creatures for Diamond Dogs!" "Keep calling me that name and I'll call you roadkill..." Shaking her murmur under her breath, W turned to Astra, holding out one of her grenades, that being a smoke grenade. "Take it, kid 'till I get back." Seeing this, then W's serious face, Astra shook her head. "B-but I want to help, please?" Much as it warmed the merc's heart to hear that, she smiled and ruffled her mane. "I haven't said it since Ponyville, but thanks kid, for sticking your neck out for me," This made her tilt her head, W handing her the grenade, seeing it plop into her hooves. "You've helped me more than I think I'm willing to admit right now - so trust me to get this done - and if need be, use this to come find me, got it?" Although hesitant, Astra slowly complied to W's wishes, allowing the cloaked Mercenary to stand, passing a sharp glance to the patched Diamond Dog. "One last thing-" By now, the Diamond Dog felt his blood freeze upon the cold sensation of W's knife pressed against his collarbone, the angle behind the boulder obscuring the sight as W leaned in, eyes burning into the Dog's ice-blue orb. "-You pluck even a hair from her head, and you'll wish the Infected tore yourself and your kind apart." Not bothering for his reply, W relinquished her blade and grabbed her rucksack, beginning to make the climb toward the caves across the highlands. "Stay safe, Astra." Was her silent prayer to the innocent little filly. The caves running through Rambling Rock Ridge were large enough for many to fit through, or a single, unhinged mercenary. Lighting wasn't an issue, the many deposits of crystals lit the tunnels in a shade of light blue. Magic coursed through the earth and into the minerals, some grew in smaller clusters of pinks and yellows. Many boulders and veins along the walls glimmering with precious metals. It astounded W extensively while running her hand across the wall to her left, following the pathway like a maze, hugging the left-hand walls past old mineshaft supports and rusted rail tracks. "Had this place existed back home, not even a grain would be left," W's voice reverberated off the damp walls, turning left again to see the path ahead stretch endlessly on a railway, and a lone cart just begging to be ridden. One thing she had to admire about Equestria was their lack of need to consume beyond what's necessary, to places like this hold no value other than to be spectacles for travelers. "Tch, those mutts sure picked a nice home - grah - maybe I'll grab something for... Astra!" After giving the old minecart one last heave the wheels groaned and snapped off the grime clogging their wheels. Quickly, W hopped inside and tucked her arms in to avoid the low-bearing beams and rock formations. Soon, she began to pick up speed on the slight slope encroaching ahead. The minecart chugged along the old tracks once more, the wind combing through W's hair while she held her hand atop her antenna, inspecting the road ahead for any sudden cuts in the line. The glow of crystals flew by like strobe lights, flinging her left and right around sharp bends she sure would have thrown her out if she wasn't careful. A bright light quickly encapsulated her, blinding the woman as the crystals refracted off each other, piercing from the walls and ceiling of a massive, excavated cavern, the railway stretching across a rigidity bridge. Mounds of rock and dirt lined the many levels the quarry was excavated between, going down several layers, expanding outward ahead of her. While the minecart slowed its crawl across the bridge, W's eyes widened considerably at the sight below. Hugging the back wall of the cavern was a large protrusion of onyx rock, the formation jagged, jutting from the earth like a sore thumb. The dark texture was semitransparent in the pitch under the crystals. Many were mutated, turning a saturated honeycomb color. Surrounding the crystal were many arachnid-like Slugs, their abdomens swollen dark red while they crawled around a few normal variants of themselves. One, however, stood out the most. Clad in dark greys and white barding, clutching a longsword now fused by Originium crystals growing across the wrist, a mask covering what was once a human underneath, its breathing heavy by how its hunched form rose and fell with every second W slipped by, coming to stop at the other end of the bridge. But the horns and tail distinguished the creature to the silverette. "It's a Sarkaz Mercenary like me?" "Color me impressed, didn't think they were around in the game..." Stepping quietly out of the minecart W crawled toward the edge of the cliff, analyzing the cavern below. The whole host of Infected seemed to be drawn to the massive Originium crystal, guarding it. W had never seen them act this way before, what was the Merchant up to? She shrugged, tugging out several C4 bundles while pulling the pin on a grenade with her teeth. "Party time, hehehe..." She 'dropped' the grenade into a small growth of blue crystals below, seeing it clattering between the minerals while slipping back to hide from the blast. She couldn't help but grin at the carnage to ensue. *BOOM-SHATTER!* The whole cavern became refracted by blue particles and shards of crystal that showered down on the unsuspecting Infected. W ran across the bridge again, unloading payloads of high explosive ordinance with a satisfying 'thunk' every time. The red Slugs and their arachnid counterparts all scattered, some blown into red paste while the spiders exploded upon death, destroying more crystal deposits and leaving behind small craters. The Sarkaz Infected looked to W, sporting her twisted smile while raining hellfire from above. Turning, it dug the edge of its blade across the soil, approaching the base of the bridge, ignoring the chaos that erupted around it. Up above, W kept up her dance with an inferno raging below. Her constant bombardment was enough to fend off any of the Slugs that drew too close to the support beams below, just the railway she balanced on was groaning in protest due to age. Her eyes ensured to pick her targets carefully, firing grenades into the explosive Slugs as their bodies aided in destroying the newer growths of Originium. "It'll take alot to bring that larger crystal down, better make this quick - Sarkaz are easily infected by this stuff." Pivoting on her heels, her iron-sights were locked to the large crystal, intending on weakening the mineral. Her trigger finger was taut, then misfired under the sudden sway of the bridge, launching the grenade across the cavern and into the wall. "What the hell...?" Looking down, her eyes narrowed at the sight of the Sarkaz Blademaster as he tore his mutated blade through one of the support beams, dividing the metal cast that bound the wood together. "Ah, crap!" One section of the bridge began to snap and bend under the loss of foundation, swinging toward the right as W ran across the bending portion, leaping down into a roll as dust and broken remains of timber flew past her eyes. She couldn't see in the plume of dust, but her ears snapped at the subtle disturbance of rock. Rolling forward, the blade passed over her, barely missing her tail while it wrapped itself around her waist. Swinging her arm outward the barrel was deflected by a blade, disarming her as the silverette backpedaled from a thrust as it sliced her cheek. The dust began to settle, revealing the Blademaster as it swayed toward her, scraping the tip off the ground while W's eyes flicked to her discarded launcher, then to the Sarkaz Infected. Grinning with a slight chuckle, she withdrew her own dagger, inverting it. "You're a funny one," Then her fangs were brandished. "Come and cut me up then!" They rushed each other, the Infected thrusting his katana towards W's chest, yet she effortlessly evaded it while the Infected continued the violent offensive. One did come close, W leapt back, allowing the Infected to strike at her chest but with the mere centimeter of the katana sliding against her jacket's hem she parried the attack, striking with a solid kick to the stomach. Breaking into a low sprint, W slid under a horizontal cross and gouged out a large chunk from the Infected's thigh, pinching her fingers into the dirt to rise with a powerful slash to the shoulder blade. Flipping over the Infected sweeping blade W pressed her boot to its crown, slamming it down into the dirt with all her body weight, kicking the mutant across the cavern while her antenna trembled at the skittering sound plaguing her eardrums. Diving to her right, one of the Infused Slugs erupted in a gooey sludge, another scampering toward her. "Hmph," Dropping a grenade at her left foot she reeled her leg back and punted the device until it jammed itself in one of the bulging abdomen cracks. The inferno of gold and tiger overtook the Slug, and W winced as one of the smaller ones prodded her shin with a spike, instantly earning a kick and blade through the crown. "Little rat - ah..." Rubbing the sore spot she winced as blood tipped her fingers. Swinging her dagger down to the left, she severed two legs off a pouncing spider as it flew by her face. Grabbing a broken crystal she rammed the point forward like a spear, impaling another behind her while running to avoid the blast. She smashed her left fist through another arachnid's stomach, kicking backward to throw one of the grounded ones into a group, seeing the chain reaction of unstable Originium go off like fireworks. Bits struck her body but not once did the Mercenary flinch, eyes trained on the lack of a visible, human Infected. W twirled around, withdrawing several throwing knives that made their homes in the corpses of disintegrating Slugs. Panting, W still had to destroy the Originium formation. Questions of why it was down here and how ran rampant through her head, still drunk on the excitement of combat briefly. "Here goe - ah!" The silverette threw herself onto a knee, blocking the vertical slash from the Infected Sarkaz, itself growling at her determination to evade the inevitable. Or until it swept her left foot with its own tail, grabbing the scruff of her shirt, slicing her wrist when she used her bare arm to deflect its bladed hand. The Infected snarled, flinging her headfirst into the dirt, watching as her body contorted in many painful angles, landing in a heap under a pile of large, blue crystals, leg pinned and dagger imbedded in the ground far from her reach. W moaned under the rubble, attempting to move the wedged mineral to no avail, even while the Infected Blademaster loomed, carving a delicate line through the earth. "Shit, this... isn't how I saw this unfolding." With a furrowed brow, W kept trying to move and wiggle under the weight but sadly, her 'inhuman' strength wasn't as big of an advantage as she's claimed. "Think, W, what about that stunt before, back in Ponyville?" Looking down at her hands, she felt... wrong. Arts, there was no mistaking the strange, otherworldly feeling, it was like magic but it wasn't, something of a variant maybe. W, as far as what Aoi knew, couldn't use Arts, she used weapons that were manufactured for Arts but never her own. What exactly did the Merchant do to her body? Thinking back on that day, how did W pull that off to begin with? Astra was crying, and she was being accused with no hope of escape. "I felt... scared, suffocated... furious," Clenching her fists, practically ignoring the looming threat of the Infected before her. W's eyes were hazy, focused solely on that feeling again, the idea of being treated like some monster, all of this anger was not just toward the Elements, but to Him, the Merchant. "The only reason I'm here is because of him. So many others have probably suffered the same or worse fates than me. That wasn't fair, to me, to them, to anyone! So why do I have to keep putting up with his bullshit!?" Grinding her teeth together, W felt her whole body become riled up with rage, her blood was boiling over. She bit her cheek, tasting copper while straining her lower muscles against the crystals. Then it came, the feeling of weightlessness washed over her like a calm before a storm, and with a sudden, moonlight blur, a smaller whirlwind of metallic force shaved the minerals around her, fracturing the illuminated crystals with a warcry. Stumbling onto her feet, it was clearly not as strong as the last time, but that didn't matter. Grinning with blood-stained teeth and malice burning in her eyes, W snapped. "Disappear, get the hell... out of my way!!" Her voice tore through the cavern. W tackled the Infected by the waist, plunging to smaller knives through its jugular, hacking and slashing at the pale skin through the torn barding, enjoying every second of its spilled, blood staining her body as though it were paint. Shoving her knee against its abdomen, W procured a small C4 charge from her belt, shoving the sticky device against the Sarkaz's faceplate, outright refusing to acknowledge the blade that sliced at her hip, then her shoulder. "Boom, hehehe." She gave it one last wink and kicked the Infected aside, its back pressed to the main Originium mineral. *Beep* The Infected barely had time to react to the sudden wave of searing heat that consumed its head, blowing the Infected body to pieces in a crimson blaze before W's satisfied eyes. Letting how a heavy breath, her body slumped slightly, sadly, her work wasn't done, even with the cavern practically another explosion away from falling apart. Cracking her knuckles, W ignored her injuries and grabbed her rucksack, pulling out several more C4 slabs. "No rest for the wicked, eh?" Later that night, W startled Astra and the Diamond Dogs surrounding the fire by throwing a few shards of the crystals she destroyed into the fire, turning the once orangy-yellow tone a shade of royal blue. "There, sealed off the cavern, so long as you don't dig in that area anymore you shouldn't find anything - no promises though," She wasn't some scientist, she didn't know if simply reducing the Originium to dust would solve the problem, or be a temporary solution. "Your welcome, Patches." Though her cynical tone said otherwise. "Horn Lady bleeding," The eye-patched Dog grunted, pointing to her many fresh wounds that had clotted over during that time. Hearing this, Astra rushed to W's side, just as the merc took a seat with a sigh. "Are you okay?" The pleading silver eyes locked to W, and the woman let her guard down somewhat, thankful she was unharmed. "Told ya I'd get it done, right? And a few cuts and bruises are just a little reminder of that," Shrugging off the buzzing pain that did permeate across her body, W locked eyes with the lead Diamond Dog. "No survivors I could find, just dust and Infected." It whined lowly but looked assured. "Diamond Dogs keep deal, Horn Lady and Little Pony can go later, nightfall still long." Much as W hated it, he was right, and she was far too exhausted to worry about leaving now. "Diamond Dogs thank, Horn Lady - Little Pony nice too." "Is that so?" Looking to Astra, the filly shook her head bashfully, hiding the smoke grenade as W snatched it back. "I-I just helped them rest t-that's all, and... kinda said stuff about you," She looked at W as if awaiting to be scolded by her parent. W blinked slowly, then eyed 'Patches'. "Oh? And what might that be?" She inquired in a neutral pitch. Two Diamond Dogs spoke up behind Patches, expressing actions with their fists. "Horn Lady tough, beat stupid ponies up for being rude!" "Horn Lady can make big booms of fire with her hands!" Another then added, waving its spear high. "Horn Lady fought gold ponies too, made them look stupid, hahaha!!" Hearing all this praise of her talents, not a single lick of scorn or distrust. How Astra managed to lift the spirits of a group of scavengers with exaggerated stories of her battles with Ponyville and the Royal Guard. It made an honest laugh escape W's lips, and a faint blush rising to her cheeks with a toothy smile. "Haha! Yeah, you heard that right, mutts!" She wrapped her good arm around Astra's neck, hugging her closely. "I kicked those stuck-up ponies to the curb! Made them all fear me too!" Many took heed of her challenging words with excited murmurs. Getting comfortable, W grinned as the campfire illuminated her face with a devilish tint, arm wide toward the stary sky. "You want to hear more? Then listen up!" ///Act II - Boulevard of Broken Dreams\\ To Be Continued... Author's Note So starts a new act, much is to come in this one as we cover the major chunk of the story that I'm totally not making up as a go along . I really can't thank you all enough for liking this so far, I'll do my best as always. Hope you enjoyed it, appreciate the support, seeya in the next chapter, Renegades! Next Chapter: Reflection Leaving the Diamond Dogs behind, W and Astra press for the town nearest Canterlot, Hoofprint, and proceed to cut through a large forest that overtakes the rest of the journey. But they are not alone.
1-0 ReflectionContinuing their journey, W carried Astra on her back while holding the book out for the filly to read, the merc solely focused on the dirt road ahead of them. Since they departed from the Diamond Dogs, Astra had learned from a few books about medicine and helped patched W up after her battle, much to the surprise of the silverette. "So, when were you gonna tell me about your little trick in medical?" Her teasing voice snapped the pony out of her trance, feeling her shuffle against W's back. "Miss Zecora gave it to me, b-before Ponyville was attacked," The shy filly replied. "I wanted to help so I learned about medicine and other stuff..." That earned her a small pat on the head from W's tail, the woman's smile facing ahead as they came across several ponies ahead. "Look at you, growing up so fast under my nose," W's cheeky eyes caught a glimpse of Astra's bashful face and the tiny smile that appeared. "Just keep readin', I got this." Steeling her nerves, W put all the swagger she had into calmly strolling by the ponies communing with a trader of sorts. "What's going on in this neck of the woods?" "Are you kidding me?" The pony in complete plate mail armor sounded aggravated, waving a used sword in his magic at the cloaked merchant. A part of W flinched at the sight but relaxed once she saw it was just another pony. "I went through hell and back to hunt the Fowl Beast to protect everypony in Hoofprint, including your blue ass!" He then jabbed a hoof at the unfazed merchant. "And all I got for it is a bloody toothpick sword that's weaker and lower quality than the one I already got!?" "It is quite a rare specimen." A moment later, W nearly choked on her own laugh as the knight's team jumped in to hold the pony back from tearing the merchant apart, yelling nonsense and cursing so loud everyone from Canterlot and beyond could probably hear him. "He's very short-tempered," Astra murmured in W's ear while they passed them by, the snickering Sarkaz skipping along into the roofed forest ahead. "That's probably not all he's short with." While W cackled loudly to herself, Astra's brow rose, attempting to understand what made the pony's lack of height so humorous? She even murmured down at her own hooves wrapped around W's shoulders. "But I'm small too?" Sadly, neither noticed the cloaked figure resting their back against the opposite side of a tree, head tilting upward once they pass by without picking up on their presence. With a bend of their posture, their body left the ground with a silent brush of the wind and a rustle of leaves. The forest was gigantic, radiant, and primal. Its canopy was almost darkened by the trees acting as a rooftop, say for a number of wounds in the branches casting light upon the enchanting grove. Bushes made their progress slow, with W scouting out the best, and direct route through. So far, they pressed on without issue, say for a few ravines that popped up to tear the landscape. "This is a really big forest." Astra admired with big eyes. "Good, less chance we're to be caught by the Guard here," W smiled with a chuckle, cutting away another bush to clear the way forward, finding the area to be a little more open yet confined by the trees. "Huh, this looks promising." Stepping through, she lifted her head and found that the sun had turned the sky orange, even the air felt less humid. "We've been walking since sunrise... guess we should call it a day." At that, W blinked and turned to see Astra huff, flopping to her stomach. The filly had walked for a good majority of the trip, and as much as it would be tempting to sit and relax, W tossed her two waterskins. "Here, go see if there's a spring nearby, I'll set up camp." "Do I have to?" It wasn't often Astra complained, but it did level a sense of normality for W, one she was happy to hear, it meant Astra was still a kid and not some violent brat thanks to W's antics. "Tsk-Tsk-Tsk, just one little job then you can read more of your books," W cooed, then held up one that was tinted green. "I got a new one before we left~" She had hidden it and had it not been for Sparkle Butt and Cliff, Astra could've had it two days ago. "Okay..." He sighed but quickly grabbed the empty waterskins and ran off into the forest. She could handle herself just fine, W knew that well given her survivability before the two crossed paths, and this wasn't the Everfree. "Now then... camp-camp-camp..." W murmured while spinning slowly on her heel to inspect her surroundings and what to work with. Once Astra vanished from W's watchful eye, she stopped and resumed her work on the campsite. Setting up the placement of a fire, rolling out what covers they had to sleep on, etc. Clicking her tongue, W tapped her hand against her dormant grenade launcher, looking around the small grounds of their camp. "Okay, fire? Check. Food? Check. Place to set up a tent? Pending..." Then her fingers clicked and her face brightened. "Oh! And removal of little rats hiding in trees?" She swung the launcher over her shoulder, feeling the recoil bump as the tree's branches were splintered with a non-lethal grenade that only served to slice through many branches like a softball with a screwdriver on the end. "Yaaah - ow..." "Check," W holstered her launcher and turned with her knife drawn, stepping toward the branches and leaves decorating the spy once nestled in the treetops. "You're a complete dumbass if you think I wasn't the least bit suspicious of any of the Captain's followers tailing me," Her blade was drawn down while the pony moved to sit upright. "I warned ya not to follow me - guess now I have some lever - w-what?" For the first time in forever, W was stumped, hesitating long enough for a foot to kick her knife away from her reach. The pony wasn't a pony. What soon rose onto its knees was a human, a real, bipedal human. His skin is tanned and he has freckles on his cheeks. His contrasting aqua eyes stared back into her burning ember ones. He had a slim build, warm black hair, with short twin braids that fade into an aqua color. His clothing left him looking much like W. His clothing consisted of an olive coat, the sleeves rolled up at the elbows with shoulder pads, and a belt both dark grey. Underneath, he wears a white collared shirt and a light red bandana around his neck. He also wears black trousers and dark red boots colored black at the toe. He scampered back, ducking as a horizontal strike sliced over his hair, followed quickly by a downward plunge. He finally pushed for the assault, drawing a long, silver sword downward to block W's leftward slant. He was fast, able to quickly pivot and bring the blade upward again with a sudden vertical slash to follow, W's own reactions just managed to parry his blows. The boy's follow-up quickdraws in an 'X' were tight and struck true against W's measly dagger, but she had him on the defensive. The guy was quick to turn the tables on W, something no one had done without some underhanded trick. Once he made enough distance, he sheaved his blade and stumbled back, hands held out before him, looking frazzled from her retaliation from before. "Wait-wait-wait, I don't want to - yah!" Quickly, he evaded the knife that lodged itself in the trunk behind him. "Should've taken your chance! Human or not, I'm not falling for anything else you throw at me!" W glowered, rushing the timid young adult, himself managing to keep his distance from her knife's edge, even avoiding the reach of her tail as it attempted to trip him up. "Nimble, not bad I guess." Her sharp smile made his face pale. "Wait, I'm not here to fight you - I want to talk!" He yelled before tripping over a tree vine, with that misstep, W's right fist came crashing against his cheek, creasing his cheek until he plummeted to the earth. Dazed, he suddenly yelping once he struck the earth, straddled by W who held her blade close to his throat, silencing him entirely. Yet he saw it, her eyes were hazy with hesitance and it frustrated her, even her tail jittered in place, wanting to lash out. "You get one sentence, if I'm happy with your answer I don't press further," W leaned down with a frown. "And believe me, it won't be pleasurable." Unable to nod, he carefully chose his words in a particular order that would hopefully save his jugular. "I-I wanted to f-find you," He felt her hand tense, pupils dilating. "N-Not like that! I-I mean I wanted to s-see who you are!" It still didn't stop her from glaring hatefully into his orbs. Suddenly, it dawned on him. "...you're like me, aren't you?" His expression softened. "You've been sent here too, as someone else?" W flinched, and her grip on the knife loosened across his neck. "...who... are you?" She felt herself repeat those same words, only Aoi spoke in W's steed, and for a split second, her vulnerability revealed itself until she shook her head, slumping against his stomach. "Start talking, I don't feel like kicking your ass now..." "S-sure, but u-um..." He slowly felt his face simmer red, looking anywhere else but at the beautiful woman currently straddling him. "I-I'd rather explain without you atop me p-please?" Slowly noticing this herself, W carefully removed her body off of his, turning her head to continue with her plans with the camp, that, and to bury whatever thoughts sudden spurred into her mind. "T-thanks, I-" "-I may not want to punch you again, but don't make me regret it," W snapped, glaring over her shoulder. "Start talking... whoever you are." "R-right, well, my name is Sora... and I'm displaced, like you," The guy known as 'Sora' replied, smiling slightly at the idea he wasn't the only human anymore, so-to-speak. "I honestly can't remember alot of my old life, I've been here since I was ten." "That long? Tch, so how many bounties have the Royal Guard placed on your head?" W somewhat joked bitterly, though Sora didn't say anything, alerting W into turning fully with a groan. "Are you fucking serious?" "I-I'm not working with them!" He defended "But you clearly aren't being tugged along on a chain like some animal! You know, like what they've wanted to do to me for weeks now!" Her hand yanked at her own neck. "I've been looking into that!" "So you've done your homework on me, flattering." "I know it wasn't your fault!" Finally, his words managed to freeze W for the uncounted time that day. She stopped moving dry bundles of branches, instead, she looked down at her knees, eyes wide beyond measure. "...what did you just say?" It was hard to gauge her reaction with her back turned to him, and her whispered voice put him on edge, enough to stifle a response for a moment of silence. "...I know it wasn't you who attacked Ponyville, I saw it," Her head was low while he spoke, rubbing his nape. "I-I can fly so I decided to follow Cliffheart and... I saw him too, on the rock, he's... the one that sent me here years ago, I... I never thought I'd see him face-to-face ever again." W sat there, rubbing her bandaged arm tentatively, her eyes struggling to remain hateful. How she stupidly wished someone else would believe her, that they could see what she had seen, felt how she felt every waking day. It took another human being like her to finally say those exact words she dreamt of hearing someday. Shakily, W lowered her arms. "I'm W-" Sora head lifted to meet the back of her head, antenna bent low. "-That's who I've been displaced as, a Sarkaz Mercenary." "I don't think I've heard of W before?" Sora drew a blank, and his confused face made W softly chuckle, turning to face him with the first honest smile she's worn today. "From a small game called Arknights, probably before your time," She brushed off, crossing her legs. "So... what now?" It was no surprise something had to be done between them, two displaced in the same world wasn't something W was familiar with, so the actions were all new to her. Sora shook his head. "I don't know, maybe.. I can help?" Her brow rose questioningly, only to me a nervous smile. "I may not look it, but I've lived in Equestria longer than you, I know the best routes to take if we want to avoid the Royal Guard, and they're very persistent." "Really? Haven't noticed." W motioned to her body, then sighed. "Come on out, Astra, he's fine... for now I guess." Out from the bush popped the charcoal filly, herself scooting closer to W's side, the waterskins in her mouth. "Dwn't hwrt W." She warned with a cute huff. W soon smacked the back of her head lightly, forcing her to spit out the waterskins. "Don't talk with stuff in your mouth, you'll choke," She reprimed, then smiled toward Sora darkly. "Hear that, Wing-Boy. She's got her eyes on you," "Haha... no problem," He smiled sheepishly, watching the filly scamper off to where their sheets were set up. With that, W returned to working on the fire, tossing the sticks into the circle of stones while fishing through her duffle bag for a new knife, picking out a small piece of flint. "Oh, and Sora?" "Yeah?" He was hesitant to move, all things considered but saw the one eye watching him with a very human glow that kept him enraptured. "...you're not bad with a sword," He blinked, then stifled a small chuckle, closing his eyes, "Heh, thanks." Meanwhile; The blurry image of the kindling campfire between W, Astra, and Sora faded away, a hand discarding the image passively. An Abyss weaved its way in the cracks dividing worlds, seemingly lifeless, an empty, dark place where energy traveled between. Floating masses of rock, pillar, and debris slowly rotating in a loss of gravity, spilling out into the blackness beyond, that same infected substances, seeping into the marble, breaking it apart like a parasite. Through the shrouded darkness, under flashes of distant, white lightning was something beyond the crumbled remains of steps forged from the debris. A large throne cobbled together from the rock. One person sat atop this forsaken place, their hands rested against the marble seat, adjusting their position while lifting the left hand, holding it toward the silhouette that appeared under another flash. "In this place, I filled heads with ideas of grandeur and purpose, you will be no different," Whatever it was, snarled, bringing its head low enough to feel the touch of the person's hand against its cowl. "She is on my trail, go, take the girl from her," The creature's head rose, the sound of crystals fissuring filling the void, and the snap of bone and muscles becoming prevalent. "And if need be, kill the Mercenary." For a moment, darkness swirled in a distant storm, before the creature lifted its head, snarling a gnarled breath. ... ... ... "Take. The. Girl." To Be Continued... Author's Note The big reveal, another human displaced and he believes W! Woot-Woot! Sora's actually based on the Aasimar I used in my first ever DnD game, what a destructive force of nature he was too... before Storm Giants turned him into fish-food. Oh, and the scene before with those travelers and merchant is a reference to an animation about a game I love. Still, hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: Pull Your Strings While W reluctantly allows Sora to accompany them while sharing their stories, another's journey is set in motion.
1-1 Pull Your StringsNightfall descended on the unnamed forest. Astra was snoozing softly under W's cloak, the silverette still hunched by the fire, staring intensely at the flames, or that's how it appeared to anyone on the outside. Inside she was quite tame, mulling over the new wave of information she had been given just from the arrival of her new... acquaintance, she still wasn't sure what to call him. A human, technically speaking, displaced just like her. "Level with me," Her voice sounded over the crackling embers, startling Sora from his own trance. "How come I'm the ' Beast of the Everfree'? You're human too, why didn't they draw that obvious conclusion?" Sora thought for a moment. "It might be because I've always referred to myself as an Aasimar, I have told the likes of Celestia and a few others I'm human," He saw W raise a finger, so he added with an apologetic smile. "Twilight's never met me directly, so she's never known what a human looks like - that, and with your demon-like appearance I think it might have confused ponies if they tried to draw a comparison between us," Then he motioned to her. "I made sure to change that once I heard the report myself." "Great..." W pouted, looking elsewhere. "You live it up in Canterlot, praised and all, I get treated like I spat in their faces - ungrateful fucks," Shaking her head, W noted his odd expression before quickly adding out of character briefly. "S-sorry, I've only really had a few that I could talk to, and you're like me... I dunno, guess you can get the picture better." "No-no, it's okay, I... wasn't really accepted for the first few years here, can't say I don't still resent a few ponies either," Sora sighed, rubbing his nape. "It's funny, really, so much has changed yet I don't feel I've really... changed, you know?" W never spoke, staring through the fire that crackled on to listen to Sora while he allowed his eyes to linger on the sky above the trees. "...before this world, I had a pretty normal life, not some rich family's son or poor beyond measure, just... ordinary," He smiled. "I always liked mythology and fairy tales though, the idea of... falling into those worlds excited me, a place beyond our own yet so similar," His hand reached up, reminiscing without concern for W's thoughts, afraid that if he looked he'd see how annoyed she was by his rambling. "One of them feels like it's back to haunt me though, 'A girl fled from the consequence of a choice, having never learned from her mistake she only succeeded in spreading it', my... Mom said that the day before I went to that stupid festival I..." He closed his eyes, shaking out a sigh. "It feels like I've been doing exactly what that girl did in the story," "You feel like you ran from your mundane life, instead of trying to make it something more," Hearing her verbal reply, Sora met her ember eyes masked by the flames, and the soft frown on her lips. "You worry you'll turn out like the girl in this story, making things worse for others around you but look at you, dude-" She motioned to Sora with a chuff. "You're an Aasimar in Equestria, and you seemed to have it easy compared to my first few weeks here... just because you've spent years wondering if you made the wrong choice, how about focusing on what you can earn from the ones you have." Sora stared deeply through the fire, his understanding of his actions led to the events of his life now in this world, and yet, she just dismantled his darker take on his new life in one answer. It wasn't a complete fix but... he smiled, genuinely, "Thanks I... I think that's a good way to start," W's tail flicked with her humorous huff, choosing to lie on her back, arms crossed behind her head. "So... what about you?" "What about me?" W snorted, "What's there to know about a nobody?" He to him the venom in her tone meant it was a sore spot. "I'm W now, who I am before doesn't matt-" "I think it matters," Sora added quickly but with a steady voice. Even if W was innocent in his eyes, her mentality on people outside of Astra and a few was very thin, if he said the wrong thing it could set her off. "If... if the person you were before didn't matter, then how come you're here? I doubt you knew the Merchant was the real deal, like me, and I was ten." Rationalizing his question, he worried she might snap, her body barely even flinched. "Like I said, what about me?" W repeated again, staring up at the stars angrily, feeling only embarrassment at even recalling her old life that felt so much farther away. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows either. "A nobody with very little socially, a blank slate, who cares?" Did she hate herself? Maybe years ago she wouldn't be so callous, the ponies certainly didn't help, even prior to them, her teenage life had been a living hell, in her perspective. When her head turned briefly, she chuckled, "What's with that face, Wing-Boy?" Sora's face was upset slightly, more-so for the girl he watched spit nothing but venom back at herself. W turned her head to the sky, eyes hazy. "Expecting some emotional breakdown of how fucked up my life was? How I was bullied for not following the status quo?" Now her nails dug into the soil. "How, even clawing for a scrap of respect, left me feeling worse about myself?" Her voice rose, then she brought it down, remembering Astra was sleeping. A silence passed between them and the fire before W moved again. She sat up, running her left hand over her respective horn, feeling its smooth groove down to the tip. "When I picked up that scarf, it felt..." "Right," Her ember orbs met aqua, the Aasimar nodding slowly. "I... was offered this sword," He held up the silver blade in its scabbard. "Hehe, how crazy is that? The very replica of the one I gave myself in DnD, my very first weapon and I never knew." "But it felt right," W concluded with a sigh, hand now brushing across the scarf. "Someone else is suffering too, he picked up an item before me," Her heart twisted slightly. "I wonder if he's here too?" It was an impossible idea, but after seeing Sora, maybe not. "Tch, here I am placing bets on improbabilities like I'm some sage - Nah, that's Lil Miss Seer over there," Her tail prodded toward Astra. Sora watched W's smile rest assuringly at Astra, then looked to the slumbering pony. He remembered that day so vividly. How Twilight, Rainbow and Cliffheart were... so unrecognizable to him. He's seen and heard of them both for so long, but those ponies... they weren't the ones he cared for or admired, just... twisted. All because of that same Merchant that tore them away to this world, and now he was beginning to poison it. "You care alot for her," W nodded slowly to his words, unable to see his smile and kind eyes. "She defended you and you fought for her, but you never took any lives - even if you wanted to." "And I did, I... could so very easily do that," The way her voice trembled, it was as if she was afraid of the idea herself. "It's his fault, but... but they..." "I know-" "Don't give me that bullsh-" "Look, I get it because I do understand," Sora kept his word in firmly, hand to his heart as her blazing eyes crossed with his. "I might not have been hunted or hurt the way you were, but I was an outcast for so long, Celetias could have just locked me away, but she didn't, she worked with me and helped me when no one would so much as spare me a second - I relied on her, just like you rely on Astra to keep you grounded." "To what exactly? Who I was before? To some moral guideline of good and evil?" W scoffed, but Sora never once looked jaded by her sharp remarks, in fact, he sat back reassuringly. "To your humanity when no one else could." It was a long time since anything people said to W struck her. Maybe it was all because he was a human, the first human she's met in so long and a nice one at that. A small part of her didn't believe it, not in everything Sora said he was, it was all too good to be true. Yet, she had been around Zecora, Astra, and Mir. Nothing they said ever really struck W though, nothing that she could honestly admit to having taken to heart. It made her feel awful at times, deep down. With that, W grabbed two spare blankets, nothing fancy or heavy but it kept the cold out atleast. Tossing one over the fire, Sora jumped as he fumbled about to catch it. By then, W already rolled it out and threw it over herself, turning away from the fire. "I think we're done for the night - you can argue philosophy with me tomorrow, Wing-Boy." "Y-yeah, okay," Defeated, he knew arguing further wouldn't help, frustrating as it may be. He didn't really plan out how he'd go about speaking with W, anxiety, and fear ran rampant, especially after seeing her in action. On her own, W was a force of nature compared to him, his only real advantage was to rely on his wings and swordsmanship. Tucking the rough fabric close to his body, he tried to get comfortable on the rough dirt patch, using his own bag as a pillow. ... ... ... "Sora?" His eyes crept open, peeking over his shoulder to the back of W still turned his way, the tail wrapping around like a belt to her waist. "Do you really think someone like me is worth trying to help?" His breath hitched, remaining silent in his loss of words. W chuckled. "Figures, making this up as you go..." His head sunk at her hollow tone, ashamed to have hesitated at all. "Well, g'night then." Silence passed and after risking alot to find her, Sora finally spoke up. "Yes, without question." Strong and assertive in every word that defined him to this point. "A-and goodnight too." He couldn't see it, but a tiny smile broke W's facade, her tensed form finally relaxing. "...thank you." Somewhere... The barren landscape was littered with blood, weapons, and black crystals, all slowly beginning to dissolve into dust. A long blade lit with smoldering embers tore across the sand, fanning flames and a dust cloud through scores of Infected, their bodies crumbling to ash in an instant. The blade plunged forward, sending a slither of flames in a wave fashion through two red Slugs, their dark puddles of acid evaporating under the glare of the heated blade. One slanted slam dispersed the sand cloud, flinging the burning Infected away from the host of the sword, its fire extinguished. Wading through the devastation of corpses and twisted abomination was a lone pony clad in rigid, badly worn, and charred armor. A strong field of orange magic clutching the longsword with a metal curve coiled around the blade that was dragged through the dunes, disturbing the crimson sand. A faint trace of embers flickered and died once it left their armor with every step and pull of the dry wind resonating from the dark skies above, roaring in reverence at the death and chaos sown into the badlands. *Bzzt-Zap* The sound and sensation drew their sword forward, barely grazing the magical appearance of a scroll stained with the seal of the Royal Guard. Lowering their guard, they took the scroll in their magic, embedding the tip of the sword into the sand. Unrolling the scroll, the unicorn read the words quickly and without a stutter. One, long nod of understanding passed, almost as if it was a puppet on strings. "I see..." His aged voice murmured through the slits in the helmet's visor. Pocketing the scroll into some mysterious storage, his magic wrenched the coiled sword from the sand, a small flourish of heat expelling from their movements through the vanishing corpses, embers dancing around his form. "For the Light of Equestria, I will slay this 'Beast'." Yet, with every hoof that disturbed the sand, faint sparkles of glass were left in his wake. To Be Continued... Author's Note Players and pieces are in motion now. I apologize that the last two chapters have been kinda short but it's to build on all the characters that are involved in this act. Plus, I never intended on the chapters ever being so long to begin with, that's just how my creative flow goes time-to-time, hehe. Still, between the three acts planned, this is the largest, covering a good majority of the story. The next one's gonna be fun! I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: I Gotta Warn Ya Soon, W's group arrives at Hoofprint, but a warm welcome isn't on their list of expectations.
1-2 I Gotta Warn YaA/N: Those that have read Realization will recognize this... pretty bland town, purposefully I might add. Enjoy. "Woah-woah-woah, you fought a Crystal Necromancer? Is that a thing?" W was skeptical, to say the least, blinking a multitude of times with Astra in awe over Sora's storytelling. If W was honest, he was really good at telling stories, even if this may just be another lie, she was gripped. The Sarkaz made a few waving motions with her knife, as though it were a staff. "So... what, he like makes undead... crystal slaves? Wha...?" Sora chuckled pretty honestly at that, shaking his head before grabbing her wrist to direct her haphazard motions with care, himself reciting what the necromancer once did. "Not exactly, his magic was necromancy, that's certain, but having experimented with the crystal caverns under Canterlot his magic began to infuse with Equestria's, hence the new aesthetic," He quickly let go of her wrist after realizing he was holding her hand for too long. "A-ah, sorry - but yeah, pretty weird guy." W slumped slightly, putting her knife away with a pout. "So I get Slugs, mutated Infected, and metal crabs... and you get the magical crystal-necromancer, tch, lucky..." She grumbled, not liking the favoritism while throwing her fist to the sky again. "Oi, Merchant, where's my sorcerer!?" Once daybreak hit, the trio continued in their direction toward Hoofprint, and with Sora, they were making better time navigating. He insisted on flying W and Astra over atleast the forest but W was adamant about 'not' drawing attention to herself. Reluctantly he agreed and showed them the best way through on foot, it was still a lifesaver, even if W never admitted it. For Astra though, she could see it, the energy bubbling between the two humans that continued to recount the events of their lives in Equestria, Astra didn't say it, but she was happy that W was happy. "W really likes him... but she's wary, like before with the nice Diamond Dogs," Her mind paused, following W's finger as it prodded against Sora's chest with a sly smirk, himself flustered by whatever it was Astra didn't focus on. "Mr. Sora likes her too, but he's worried... or scared? Um... no, not of her..." Astra didn't mind losing herself in her own thoughts at times, it let her follow Miss. Zecora's instructions about 'listening to the world'. Aura was produced by anything that bore life, if she focused on a pony or person, she could see the color of their aura, the core of what made up their personality. W's was red, and Sora's was blue. Both colors had a vast array of meanings, and when Astra focused, the individual parts that make up that aura begin to show, almost like stars in the night sky. It was fascinating and she wanted to know more. Yet, when she looked at her own hooves, she saw only a silvery tint, unable to pinpoint what it meant. Even in Zecora's book, she couldn't find what silver represented. Back with W and Sora, she crossed her arms and listened to what the Aasimar had to say. He put his arms out defensively, eyes drawled into a dull stare with a stupid smile, attempting to remain aloof. "All I'm saying - if physical energy can be converted into thermal energy, how hard would I have to punch a chicken to cook it?" There was silence until he snickered. W, breaking into full-blown laughter with Astra giggling slightly at the reactions. Her snorting led to her clutching her sides, "I-I can't breathe~!" Soon, Sora hid his laughing behind his hand, voice strained to a higher pitch. "It wasn't even that funny...!" "I-It's only funny, because... because I can just imagine someone doing that!" W wiped a few tears with her tail, the audible chuckle or two between her words. "I-I - oh God - I just can't get the image of this Herculean haymaker striking the chicken and there's just nothing left, raw paste and particles and that's it." "Why is so funny?" Sora wheezed, an arm around his waist to help him calm down. "I heard like years ago and I can't get it out of my head!" "The delivery in that stupid voice probably did it - that was perfect," W surmised "I don't get it..." Astra, while liking the banter was a little confused on how the idea of a chicken being turned to paste was funny. W patted the filly's head, smirking. "We're just idiots, sadly, your IQ's probably higher than ours so it'll fly over you, kid, sorry." "Oh," Astra blinked in understanding, then tilted her head. "Um, I think I see the exit?" Her low voice drew their laughter down and back to the unmarked path, true to the girl's observation, there was a large gap in the trees not far from their location. "We made it, about time too," W sighed, rushing with the two of them in toe until they stopped before the edge of the woods, peeking out at the small plains just beyond the forest's edge. Both Astra's and W's eyes widened at the sight, though W was noticeably less thrilled given that it was a town filled with ponies - and something else. Sora rubbed his nape, a hand motioned to the world beyond. "Guess I should say it - welcome to Hoofprint," He chuckled Despite the forests and plains gathered around the area, the town was just outside a large lake, strangely similar to the shape of a hoof, or a circle in W's blunt case. The town had a large, sandstone-tinted wall surrounding the perimeter. All its buildings were made from bright white stone and had stone-paved streets with a stream cutting through the middle toward the lake. W blinked slowly. "Looks like chalk in the middle of a forest..." Then her blunt assessment drew her hand to grab Sora's scalp, twisting it. "Tell me, black smoke normal for this place?" True to her sharp gaze, black smog was rising from the town and had any of them listened closely, distant screams could be made out among other sounds of chaos. Whatever it was, the mood quickly shifted, Astra gulping at the sudden feeling of death washing over her mind. W cocked her elbow, revealing her grenade launcher underneath while flinging off her cloak, basking in the afternoon sunlight. "We need to hel - huh?" Sora blinked, finding her discarded fabric atop his scruffy head, smelling faintly of ashwood. Turning, he saw W adjusted her jacket over her shirt, unzipping it to free her body of any unnecessary heat. "W?" "What? Someone's gotta clean up this mess," Her finger flicked against his chest. "And can't risk someone recognizing you, the last thing I need it to hear I've 'brainwashed' the necromancer-slaying-Aasimar," While gruff and brimming with sarcasm, Sora stupidly smiled at her kindness. "Thanks... but I can still help," But by then W took off in a sprint toward Hoofpint, waving her hand back. "Then look after Astra, Wing-Boy!" By then he couldn't get another word out, shaking his head with both hands on his hips. "Is she always this hotheaded?" "W's nice, she just doesn't like putting people that trust her in danger," Astra answered, hopping into Sora's awaiting arms while he tucked the cloak's cowl over his head. "We can still help, right?" "Hm, of course, that's what she's doing - just hold tight, okay?" She nodded at his words, wiggling into his arms while he bent his knees, legs taut while the wind gathered at his feet. "Here goes - Radiant Soul!" Through the tears in the back of the cloak, the holes widened, splitting to reveal a pair of medium-sized, astral wings that radiated like pure sunlight. Hoofprint was in a state of disarray. From the waters spawned many black abominations, most consisted of black Slugs with hardened shells brimming with a sickly yellow color, their spines more than capable of stinging a few ponies that retaliated. Some even spat a corrosive acid that made quick work of the pavements and brickwork of a few houses, leaving many to flee in terror. Meanwhile, many fled to their homes or up high to evade the prowling, black canines strapped with red harnesses, crystals lodged in their spines, tainting them with the same, twisted infection as the Slugs, even their eyes were a pure, crimson tint, cracks spreading from the sockets. The Hounds howled and snapped at the guards present, disarming them with ease, encircling a few that were caught with their pants down. The one standing before it all in the market's courtyard nearest the entrance to the town was another human-like figure. They were dressed in gunmetal greys and thickly armored barding. The most notable trait is the black helmet revealing their pointy ears and the two black horns jutting atop the helm. It was wrapped in light grey robes around his shoulders and head, the single, blue visor staring down the pony guard with his back to the wall, panting. Lifting his staff the Infected swung the banner sideways, smacking the stallion to the dirt. It didn't speak, a hollow impersonation of the real thing, infused with Originium as it cared little for the ponies, it only desired destruction and nothing more. "No... p-please," The guard tried but ultimately his words were to a mindless drone. Lifting the staff high, it was suddenly met with the force of the sun crashing and burning against its side, flinging the Sarkaz Sentinel across the courtyard for all to see. "What?" "Get up and help any stragglers escape," W sneered, loading another grenade into the chamber with a flick. Her smoldering orbs met the guard's wide eyes. "Well? Got a stick up your ass? Go!" He shifted sharply, nodding as he ran for safety, helping a fellow guard retreat. W cracked her neck, scanning the ruined market of all Slugs, Hounds, and the one hollow Sentinel in her way. "Really didn't want another town after my head, tch-" W's smile was revealed, maddened and twisted with fury. "-Guess I'll just play the role, then!" The second she spoke three Hounds sprinted for her directly, not realizing that a silver top was poking out of the ground. One stepped too close and blew the three of them skyward, reducing their corrupt forms to dust in a heartbeat. Through the sudden release of blazing-hot flames, W's shadow flew through, pointing her launcher down at another two Hounds, stunning them with a blast of brick and dirt, allowing her to move in closer, dropping another mine as it buried itself between them, erupting seconds later once she passed by with her detonator, flinging a C4 into the side of a broken building, bringing down the collapsing wall atop several Slugs. Twirling around, W ducked under the wide swing of the Sentinel's staff, rolling back from another strafe of the polearm as it slammed the staff down, releasing a black shockwave that created a small ring of spikes temporarily. "That's new, interesting," Narrowing her eyes, W spun to her right, a Hound missing her by an inch, instead, it felt the force of her knee crack against its muzzle, her free hand embedding its jaw into the concrete. "Stay." "Head's up!" W's eyes widened once a brown blur sped past her vision, tackling another Hound to the ground as it whined. Sora landed with enough time to hide his wings, Astra tucked in his left arm as she waved slightly. "We can keep any stragglers from wandering off, can you take the big guy?" The questioning look from the Aasimar brought W's world back into focus, smiling through a hearty laugh. "If you've been stalking me as much as you say, then you already know the answer," Her teasing face made him turn around to avoid her seeing his embarrassed face, something she took pride in before kicking a Slug back as its acid hissed against her boot's steel-cap, thankfully it wasn't alot. "Get goin' then." Loading her launcher one solid grenade to the Slug blew it to slag. Several more surrounded the Sentinel as it kept distance between himself and W, the acid raining down before the silverette who was forced back, weaving left and right to evade the dangerous globs of acid that ate away at the courtyard. Spotting a stand, W ran and dived over the counter, smelling the acrid stench from over the counter while pulling off her belt, attached were numerous grenades. "Hmm," Tilting her head left to right, W had an idea and a devilish one at that. Grabbing a splintered panel of wood that could cover atleast half her body she wrapped a discarded strand of rope through two holes were the knots of the wood were taken out, strapping the mismatched board to her left forearm, adjusting it slightly. With a crafty smile, W held her belt of grenades in her right, slinging her launcher back on the strap. "This'll work nicely, hahahaha..." By now, two remaining Hounds, a dozen acidic Slugs, and the Sentinel surrounded the front of the stall, the Slugs acid beginning to pull the supports of the counter apart. Suddenly, two canisters clattered out onto the road, spraying a thick smog into the area, a shadow zipping through as acid failed to catch the moving smudge that bobbed between the remains of stalls and wagons as cover, throwing off their aim. The Sentinel slammed his staff, freezing the Slugs bombardment, silencing the air bar the hissing and occasional growl from the Hounds. The tension became palpable. Shrouded in dust and smoke, W's smile never faltered. With one hand on the edge of an overturned wagon, she leapt high over the smokescreen, brandishing the belt of grenades toward the crowded Infected, her finger caught in one of the rings as it disconnected with a resounding 'ching'. The rack spiraled downward, caught on the spine of a Slug while acid stung W's nose, her makeshift shield raised to take the brunt of the acid while rolling behind another stall with two seconds to spare. "Boom." *BOOOM* A raging inferno quickly spread across the courtyard, causing many to plug their ears once the small mushroom cloud of blazing orange and yellow roared to life, incinerating the Infected while propelling the Sentinel off his feet, the staff the only thing keeping it stable as it held back from the blast. Its armor was torn across its left side, revealing nothing but an inky-black crystal structure in place of a human's, there was no Sarkaz, just a puppet commanded by a foreign force. Yet, at that moment, the gleam in the fractured helmet saw for the first time; A demon piercing the flames with the devil's fanged smile. W pushed through the fire and flames, a blade drawn in her left hand as she struck down onto the pavement, gouging out the Infected's throat. It stumbled, swiping around with its staff, jagged thorns erupting from the ground W narrowed leapt away from, performing a backflip over the length of the staff. She bent her right arm across her chest, the barrel of her grenade launcher poised with a flash soon to follow. "Smile," Her joke followed by that same flash, and the head of the grenade was lodged deep in the Infected Sarkaz's cranium, followed by one last explosion that reduced its whole form to crumbling, black dust to rise with the smoke of dying fires all around the last mercenary standing. "W!" Astra was the first to arrive, bouncing up to the mercenary with a bright gleam in her eyes, though her cute, innocent frown remained. "You were so cool." Sora closed in behind her, rubbing the back of his head behind the cloak. "At first I really thought you were just the kind of person that fought head-first without thinking but... I guess I was wrong, sorry," He felt a little guilty for still retaining that impression after everything the two had talked about prior. Hearing this, W chuckled, shrugging while rubbing her chin. "I do get lost in the heat of things, yeah..." Looking around, she could've done more to reduce the damage, but atleast it was kept to the courtyard. "But hey, what can ya do, a merc's gotta make ends meet." "You!" A voice called from the approaching, timid ponies. It was the guard W saved. "Who are you exactly, um... miss?" He had to give the woman a once over before guessing. A sense of existential dread crashed into W, much as she was glad to have rid the Infected from the town, if they knew who she was it may turn into another incident like Ponyville. Gripping the handle of her launcher carefully, even Astra and Sora looked at her strikingly plain expression as she spoke. "I'm a mercenary, what of it?" "Sorry, it's just... I've never seen somepony like you before." He admitted, rubbing his head. "I-I just wanted to say... thank you, for saving me." "Huh?" W's face dropped, confusion and disbelief rushing over her features. "I... really only made things worse - I mean, I really tore this place up." "We know, but, you saved us, so much so that only a few were mildly injured because of you and your friends," He reinforced, and numerous other ponies nodded or offered a quick 'thanks' or bow of their head to the dumbfounded silverette. "When those creatures came from the river we had no clue what we were dealing with," The guard shook his head, looking around solemnly. "Magic proved to be ineffective against that larger one with the banner, and those Slugs ate away most of our weapons," "The Infected, they're... part of my job to clean up," W admitted vaguely, shrugging dismissively. "So I'm no better, I'm Infected too." "What?" Sora and Astra gaped at the nonchalant look on W's face, she was hardly concerned with the fact. "I'm Infected with the same disease that turned those monsters, well, I dunno if I am anymore but if I am I'll die of it someday," W blinked slowly, sighing once. "Just how it is, really." "Even so, you stepped in and saved our lives, Infected or not." The guard's face held firm with certainty "You saved us!" "Why would we care what you are?" "Thank you so much!" All this praise left W uncertain of how to process anything. She put her hands up close to her chest. "H-hey, look, I'm just not that nice a person, alright?" Then her face fixed into a serious frown. "I'm a mercenary, meaning I'm paid for my services." "You're bribing them?" Sora gawked, unable to make any form of rebuttal "W..." Astra tried to argue but the guard nodded. "Mister, but won't you need money for repairs?" "It's fine, little one, in all honesty, payment could hardly suffice for your help, but we can do that, as a thank you - regardless of your reasons." He was so quick to agree, even though W's less-than-kind expression said otherwise. Now, she was completely defeated. "Please, feel free to stay until we return." As quickly as he came, the guard ran back to a small gathering of his own, all of them discussing the terms of compensation, W was left in silence, unable to blink, let alone speak "..." Not a word as W sat on a lone crate, not even offering a glance to the disappointed faces on Astra and Sora's faces. They were here to help, not peddle Bits out of the ponies, yet not even their words broke W's long silence, it was as if she completely shut down. In no time at all, the guard returned, holding out a pouch in his mouth for W to take, her fingers picking the top open to reveal the glimmering coins within, even Sora had to admit with a whistle, "That's... alot of Bits, you could probably be set for weeks with that - a-are you sure, sir?" He tried to persuade until W tossed the purse of gold coins back into the guard's surprising hooves. "Huh, what's wrong, is this not enough?" He questioned warily, instead, W stood up, grabbing her duffle bag. "Consider it for your silence, I don't need word that I'm here spreading to the Royal Guard - besides, I've got enough coin on me," With that, W wandered back through the courtyard as it was being cleared for repairs, a few ponies thanking her as she walked by, the Sarkaz merely gave a nod and pressed on. Both Astra and Sora remained by the guard's side, shocked by her sudden turnable. "She's clearly attracted alot of attention to herself, some not so kind it seems..." The guard murmured, then offered Sora a few Bits from the pouch. "Here, as my token of thanks atleast - and feel free to stay as long as you like." He smiled up at the hidden Aasimar who slowly returned the kind gesture with a bow. "I will, and thank you - if you need help, let us know." He added kindly, Astra nodding quickly. "We don't mind helping, honest." Hearing this, the guard sighed assuringly, taking the pouch and walking away. Alone, the two followed W from a distance, allowing her time to think, her eyes still blank. "She's confused, no other ponies except for Miss. Zecora and Mr. Mir were ever kind to her." Looking from Astra to W again, Sora followed how her eyes always seemed clouded when the topic came up. He had seen the report first-hand, watched as a pony he trusted with his life became bitter and hateful toward W. It was all because of that Merchant. That made him think with a furrowed brow. "Did he send that necromancer after me? Turned ponies against me too? What about 'Him'," It was a chilling thought, but it was beginning to seem far less superstitious the more the pieces were placed correctly. "Well, atleast she has you to keep her straight," His hand ruffled Astra's mane. "You're a good friend." She nodded then shook her head. "Not just me... you too," He made a 'huh' sound, not following until Astra smiled very slightly. "She's scared because she wants to trust you I think but Miss. Twilight and her friends have scared her into being so cautious, t-that's what her aura is telling me." "I see..." Both orbs lingered on W's back again, wishing to see what Astra sees, maybe then he could understand her further. "I... I hope she can trust me then, hopefully." "Where is it... where is it...?" W berated with her sense of direction some more, scanning the street constantly for an idea of where her destination lied, sadly, her memory was foggy on the details, it had been far too long since she remembered that talk. Slapping her temple, she tried back-tracking, her friends following her strange antics. "Maybe back here...? Grah, where is it!?" "What exactly are we looking for?" Sora carefully piped up, both him and Astra staying a safe distance from her wrath, a comfortable two meters away. "Please don't break anything." Her glare leered with her slow turn, like a door on rusted hinges. "That's the issue, I can't freakin' remember, trying to jog the memory right now - thank you," Yep, she was still pissed and flustered after this afternoon's events "Must you constantly yammer at such a volume? I've still got a splitting headache from your last little stunt!" Her heart suddenly skyrocketed, turning sharply to a small doorway wedged open in an alleyway. Astra poked her head out from behind W's left leg, Sora to the right, both blinking confusingly compared to W's brightened features. It was hard for W to suppress the eased smile she wore, no longer hiding behind a hood. "Your dry tone will never not be endearing, Mir." The charcoal pony with lime-green magic enveloping his horn huff bitterly, "Well? It took you long enough, hmph." To Be Continued... Author's Note Ponies accepting W? Mir's back? So much is happening that our Sarkaz merc can't keep up. This was always the plan with Hoofprint since the Merchant had only really targetted the Elements and a select few but that's all I'll say. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: Through the Dark Reuniting with Mir, W might finally have a lead on the answers she seeks, however, some questions will lead to painful truths.
1-3 Through the Dark"Wow, you weren't kiddin' about bringing your work wherever you g - ah!" W remarked, smirking through the pain while admiring the state of the small shop tucked away in Hoofprint. It was cozy, the walls shelved with many herbs, potions, and ingredients. A vast selection stored in rectangular slots over the counter on the wall. A small stairway leading up to the left. The counter was supported by two oak beams fixed with a lantern each. The floor was the same, creaking under their feet while the group sat on stools in the middle of the shop, a small table between them with select drinks on display. Astra was happily munching on a sandwich, courtesy of Mir. The stallion's dull emeralds never once shifted, pouring the light pink liquid onto W's exposed wound on her forearm. "Hmph, given your most recent transgressions with the Royal Guard left me with little choice - hold still!" He snapped, noting the strained look on W's face, the potion working to clean and clot her wounds with a hiss. For W, she might as well have stuck her arm in a fire. This seemed apparent given the few boxes yet to be unpacked, that alone caused some slight grief to emerge on W's face, the pony letting go of her arm as she clenched her fists slowly. "I... sorry." Her muttering left an odd silence before Mir sat on his stool, huffing. "What concerns transpire between me and those under Princess Celestia's command are not your concern - something that is misplaced," Mir added, looking at Astra who finished her sandwich. "I suppose she has improved with this 'Seer' ability of hers?" W nudged Astra who jumped out of her thoughts to nod quickly. "I-I have, Mr. Mir, W helped me alot," Even that innocent reply made Mir's stone-cold expression lighten momentarily. "So... is he always this crotchety?" Sora murmured in W's ear while the unicorn was distracted, or so the pair thought until a telekinetic hand swiped the hidden Aasimar's wrist. "Ah!" "Pfft, little hint - don't ever think you can hide anything from this guy," W smirked, watching as the sharp pupils followed her own. Mir had managed to slip past the Elements and the Royal Guard to get here without a trace, he wasn't just some herbalist, he's a damn monster himself. "You've taken on risks before, and now you have more - what a headache," Mir rubbing his temples before sighing, levitating a parchment across from the counter quickly, unfurling what was a map to their eyes. "Idle chatter aside, I suppose your next route would be to Hollow Shades." "Why there?" W inquired, and Mir stared at her as if she had two more antennas. The Sarkaz threw her hands up. "Do I look like I've had time to research the very history of this world?" "Irrelevant!" He slapped the table, circling the forest on the map. "There are rumors that come by and while most would drawl on like a speaker with a speech impediment, this unlikely story yields some... merits." Not a single person missed the grating pitch in his tone. W crossed her arms. "Well, by all means, keep impeding." She joked, seeing him eye her with a flat glare. "Oh please, you walked into that one." "Pah!" He dusted off her comment and looked around as if he was being watched. "Since you clearly lack the abilities to enact initiative on your own, there is a rumor of something that can answer any and all inquires you may have - again, rumors - so any and all hope of such an existence is to be taken with a logical grain of salt." "You're talking about The Dealer?" Sora finally spoke up, blinking with a muddled expression, smiling slightly as if it were a joke. "I mean... I've heard of the rumors but... no one's ever found him, or even remotely knows where he is - he might as well be a fairy tale, even I know that." "Hrm shows what level of insight you have," Mir muttered with dry wit, glaring at the hidden human with a side-glance to the curious girls. "For a Prince, you certainly have lacked development on the idea of what is and isn't reality, even the most farfetched-" Gears ground to a halt, the very air grew stale and taut around W. Astra seemed slow on the uptake, digesting the words herself. For W, her whole world twisted, all centered around the same Aasimar she's only known for roughly a day. That small window of knowing to W felt like weeks, she did care about Astra, more than most people she's ever known, but Sora was different. He was kind and offered her a moment to finally vent, and not just to a waiting ear, but to someone that understood where her anger originated. She let her guard down. "Woah-Woah-Woah, wait a minute!" The gears turned, and her face quickly contorted just as sharply. "You-!" "W-wait, W, I-" It was far too late. By the time he tried to reason with her, hands raised, W flew off her seat, punching him across the left cheek before she slammed her left arm up against his chest, forcing him against the wall as many vials buckled from the force. Held to his throat once more was her knife, only now her eyes were glazed with spite and malice, he swore they glowed. "P-please, wai-" "Shut you damn mouth!" Her voice snarled, pressing the knife's edge just below his adam's apple. "You're a Prince? Hell, you're that bitch's adopted son, aren't you?" Much as Sora wanted to defend his said mother, he also didn't want to die at the hands of W. She laughed, and it felt so hollow and painful to hear. "I freakin' knew it... hehehe, I really let my guard down once and... and then you..." Her eyes were somehow cold and ablaze all at once. "Too good to be true, tch," Her hand pressed the knife closer, and Sora grunted from the force of her arm against his chest. "W-W, what's-" The mercenary's tail flicked back to stop Astra from moving. "Don't, Astra, not now..." Even toward the filly, her voice was strained with hate. "Now tell me, what else am I missing from the picture, Mir?" The stallion hardly looked phased at all, almost as if he anticipated this outcome, though he did huff at the sight of his unorganized shelves. "Before you rudely interrupted me and nearly broke something - hm, he is the reason I was not as xenophobic as the rest of these ponies," Mir waved his hoof. "He is of similar nature to you, and while it's common knowledge to most ponies in Canterlot, he is, as you put it so bluntly, Princess Celestia's kin." That brought out a cackle from the woman, her antenna twitched alongside her born fangs. "I was kidding about that! But you seriously are her son!? Hahahaha, what fun!" Her arm pulled him back and smashed his back against the wall, earning a pained grunt from the boy. "So what's the plan now, Prince Sora? Gonna go call your pal Cliffheart to come tag me? Or perhaps ask Sparkle Butt and her merry friends to turn me to stone? Huh, what's it gonna be, you rat!?" It was all a blur to Sora. He could see it clear as day, her face twisted in rage, her muscles were tense and refused to budge until so much as a twitch emanated from him. But her eyes, both ember irises were shaken, trembling with terror and pain. He refused to reveal this information, not because he didn't trust W, but because he didn't want her to look at him and only see the title he wore. Most of all, her eyes only reminded him of himself That Day in the crystal caverns. "She made a choice to put others before her own life!" Sora grunted, rolling to avoid a row of crystals that split the earth, grazing his forearm. "So do I, even if they never accept me!" The necromancer stopped and stared into Sora's determined eyes, then his skeletal face clicked into a sinister smile, sockets' glow curving with glee. "You really think killing me will send you back, don't you?" His words made Sora hesitate, blades forced to a halt. "W-what?" He shook his head, holding firm. "No, you're just saying that to-" "-Get into your head? Is that what they told you, you lessen the burden?" The necromancer continued, nodding his head. "Oh yes, I aware you aren't from here - well, your appearance more than speaks volumes, even to me - but, let me offer you some... wisdom, for being such a thorn in my side!" No one could mistake the venom in his tone. "Even if you stop me, by some narrow window, some fading hope this world gives you - beating me... won't send you home." The next words drove the final nail into Sora's heart, as it split in two. And the undead enemy savored the despair that cascaded from his face, the abomination relished it. "The ties between yourself and your world are gone." ... ... ... "You can never go back." Having closed his eyes, Sora lifted his gaze to meet W eye-to-eye, not once breaking contact with a strong resolve. "I still believe you, even if you don't believe a word I say," He returned, putting his free hand against her wrist, even though it made her grip on the blade tighten further. "Yeah, my Mom is Celestia, and I know Cliffheart - but that pony wasn't him! The Merchant did this, to both of us - you idiot!" Her face flinched slightly. "Because of you... I finally get to find the reason I was sent here, I... can finally know why." "He's honest," Astra piped up, now standing between Sora and W, her eyes never leaving his ocean orbs. "I thought he was scared of you, but he was scared to tell us anything that might make you angry or scared-" "That doesn't excuse shit!" W snapped, but she threw him off to the side, running a hand through her hair. "Whatever, just get lost and don't ever come near us again - we're done here." Right now, W just needed to vent before she blew a hole through Mir's shop. "...I want to hear him out." W's hand froze on the handle, turning around to face Astra who didn't move from beside Sora, himself looking up from his downcast form. Confused, W sighed and turned to face Astra. "Look, kid-" "I want to hear him out!" That was the first time Astra ever raised her voice against W. She wasn't angry, in fact, all the emotions simmering around her were beginning to become defined, she could understand it, all of it, both sides and their reasons without a single word. Gaining the same courage she saw in W, the same that inspired her, the little, silver-eyed pony stood her ground. "I know you're trying to protect us, and that you're scared - but you're being... immature!" That struck W visible, her lips parted without even a breath. "Just because you're in pain doesn't mean I feel the same way - I am, but I want to know why too, why I'm here, why you and Sora are here," Astra continued, waving her hoof wide, stomping it once with a huff, her eyes matching the same fire that would adorn W's. "We don't have answers but we still made it this far anyway, even if I'm still useless, even though you've been hurt, we've been in bad situations before, but that was fine because we did it our way." Astra turned to Sora, smiling gently. "And I want to know why Mr. Sora's here too because I trust him." He was also stunned but managed a thankfully smile until Astra turned to look at the dead-silent stare on W's face, and how her eyes looked around, conflicted. "I trust you so much, you saved me, and I want to help you too." "...what the hell is wrong with me?" Looking down at her hand, W just felt sick. Lost was a good way to describe her feelings, she had bottled up everything and kept herself closed off, even to Astra. What made W listen was exactly what she told Astra before leaving the Everfree, that glow, it was starting to show across the filly, and that made the pain the woman's chest tighter. "...I-" "Aaaaah!!" W instantly flung the door open as she broke onto the streets of Hoofprint. Moments after the scream was heard the three followed after the Sarkaz to investigate. Once out onto the edge of the alleyway. Two ponies ran past them in terror, whatever scared the color out of their coats was gone, only a disturbance of a tile from one of the roofs as any indication someone or something was there. Then, there was complete and utter silence for the party. "What... just happened?" Sora murmured, scratching his head under the cloak. "Hrm, the ponies here aren't known to be jumpy unless it is particularly threatening," Mir offered, himself enchanting his horn. "Something is amiss." W turned, tired both emotionally and physically, "Yeah, but what were they running fro-" *Bam!* Suddenly, something large and heavy struck W and Astra to the ground. The mercenary spun around, only to feel something sharp slice against her forearm, rows of crooked teeth sinking against her bare forearm as she was thrashed in the jaws of a monster, thrown across the alleyway in seconds, landing on her face. "Ow..." Looking at her arm, it was already caked in blood, and the smell made her eyes widen. "What the hell wasYaah!" She kicked up to her feet, only for the creature to body slam her with both legs, teeth sinking around her left leg this time, horsewhipping her into the cold, dusty earth as W was flung into the side of a building, cracking the brickwork, flopping onto her chest with a hoarse groan. Between her locks, her whole body rushed with electricity after sighting the monster, and the unconscious filly in its right arm. A bipedal human - though 'human' was a vague term. It was still wrapped in old, torn dark barding with a white cloak atop it, bound with black belts across its waist and shoulders, the robe split at the groin, ending around halfway up its thighs. The arms were blackened with Originium crystals jutting from the coarse skin. The hand mutated into large claws, one of which clutched Astra. The left was melded with a crossbow, crystals protruding from the river and around the hand now infused to the weapon. The most horrifying sight was the hood that barely covered its grotesque face. Crystals grew from the head and through the cloak, the eyes no longer visible through marred skin. The jaw had split wider with a jack o' lantern grin lined with mismatched teeth that parted for a canine snarl, the crystals cracking at the strain on the mutant's bone structure. Its very aura was drenched in blood, its whole body ravaged by the worst Oripathy could do to the human body, pure Originium crystals infused into its flesh and bone. It stood as the very dead-end of infection. The sight made W's throat dry, and bile almost reached her throat. "Astra!" Finally, Sora lunged to free the unconscious filly, only for the monster to snap its head toward the Aasimar, holding the pony out, forcing the revealed Prince to hesitate, keeping both his silver swords back, only for the crossbow to rise with a wind-up of unstable, amethyst energy that, had Sora not immediately rolled to evade, would've torn his head off, the corner of the roof above W splintered off into rubble. "This creature is attempting to use her a shield, clever - although not so much for us," Mir grimaced, stepping forward to produce several vials from his saddlebags. The glowing contents quickly flew through the alleyway, striking the spot the creature previously stood, its arm backhanding two away before lunging for the unicorn. Mir huffed and threw a green vial down, creating a small flash that gave him a narrow window to dive away from the crossbow's bolt as it split the pavement with enough force to fling the herbalist backward. As Mir rolled onto his back, W pushed past him, her confident persona all but gone. Her whole expression was twisted with malice, eyes blazing hot while bearing her fangs at the abomination. "Give. Her. Back!!" She quickly loaded her launcher, raising it toward the mutant without a shred of hesitation. Her whole vision might very well have seeped in blood, her own wounds hardly stung, the woman now riled up with rage. She couldn't hesitate now, the first person she came to trust was right there, in danger, so like hell W would stand by and do nothing! Yet, her efforts were held back as it placed the filly ahead of itself momentarily to keep W from advancing. The abomination quickly stepped back, tucking the filly against its chest as they all gagged at the sound of bones breaking and crystals fracturing inside its mangled form, with a faint whiff of rotten flesh from its teeth. "No." It snarled in a deep, gnarled voice. Its eyeless face lingered on W's recovering form, tempted to follow its other order before clutching the child tightly. Turning away from the three, it leapt for the edge of a building, clawing up with its crossbow's river acting as a hook before wedging itself up onto the rooftop. "Did... did it just..." Sora was a loss for words, or until W sprinted after it. "Wait, W!" "Astra!!" W screamed after the filly, landing on the roof and breaking into a mad sprint after the cloaked creature. "No way! No way am I losing anything else to this world!" Even as her pupils dialed to pinpricks, her blood was on fire. To Be Continued... Author's Note I'm a horrible person. Doctors and Renegades of all ages let me introduce you to a boss from an event, The Forsaken. Probably the worst thing to happen to a person when infected by a massive amount of Originium, it's like radiation but worse. I hope you enjoyed the cliffhanger, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: Find the Light The Forsaken has taken Astra and W is in hot pursuit, but can she reach the filly before she slips from W's fingers for good?
1-4 Find the LightPonies worked through the afternoon to repair what damages were made during the Infected assault, working on cleaning up and supporting buildings that may require a little support until they could be tended to. Almost everypony was busy, be cleaning, crafting, or reinforcing the buildings, even providing those that worked with food while they broke for breaks. Above a street, everypony screamed in fright as a large, twisted monster slammed into the middle of the road with a snarl, only for its legs to fold and propel the beast across to the next building, claws sinking into the brickwork, flinging debris back at the second shadow that pursued it on foot, leaping after it. "It's getting away!" W growled at herself for allowing this to happen, her whole body burning with perseverance. She leapt from building to building, always a step behind the agile Forsaken as it made strides to widen the gap between itself and the Sarkaz hunting it down. Cracking its neck around to spot the silverette, Forsaken growled, drawing back its melded crossbow, the purple energy vibrating through its crystalized arm and to the tip of the bow, channeling into a dark amethyst bolt of Arts energy. The bolt was expelled, tearing through the rooftop under W's feet. She tucked and rolled onto the next roof, immediately sprinting despite the few cuts she received, evading to her right of another bolt, this one just grazing her shoulder, the wound burned and hissed, cauterizing the gash in seconds. "W! Jump!" Looking back, she spotted the now aloft Sora, much as she hated it her toes curled against the edge of the next building, leaping as high as possible, feeling his hands clasp around her right, handing her a metal claw and binder. She gasped, then felt the wind slap across her cheeks. "Go!" With one, wind-powered spiral, Sora flung W like a slingshot toward the beast, giving her enough hang-time to clear the outer wall of Hoofprint alongside the fleeing Infected. Swinging the binder around, she flicked the bladed claw down at the Forsaken, grunting as her arms felt they'd pop from their sockets the second the hooks embedded themselves in its flesh and fabric, slamming her body into a nearby tree while she was tugged down to the ground, sliding across the dirt as the pair entered the forest, Sora wincing at how the Forskane snarled, maneuvering its body to crash W into every available tree in its path. "Okay, not quite as I pictured," He winced, rising higher into the air to fly just above the mounds of the trees, spotting the pair through the gaps, and the gleam of a purple bolt as it burned through the treeline, Sora barely left with enough time to evade the strikingly precise attack. Down in the forest, W grunted as she felt her left side bruise against a tree trunk, her stomach flattened against the dirt. Shaking off the buzzing in her ears, she grabbed the binder tightly in both hands, tugging herself up with enough leverage to hop to the side of a tree, propelling herself forward against the trunks, using the Forsaken's own power and momentum against itself. Her ember orbs widened, spotting Astra's tranquil face bobbing against the fold of the Infected arm. The sight fanned her flames, and with three blades procured off her belt, she flung the tips as they sunk into the beast's vertebrae, verbally provoking the abomination into adjusting its posture to draw the crossbow over Astra's head, the bolt charging up in W's pupils. "Shit!" Looking around quickly, W had to grit and bear the pain as she threw herself onto the side of a capsized tree, the wooden structure taking the massive blast of energy, dirt, and splinters obscuring her vision, unable to feel her feet snap a longboard of bark off the folded trunk. Skidding out into an open trail, she was pleasantly greeted by the sight of a makeshift board of bark under her feet, no longer trailed across the ground like roadkill peeled along by a car tire. Kicking with her left leg the front of the board rose, bumping off a rock, granting W enough time to adjust her landing to the right, missing a tree and another bolt while the Forsaken flung its arm wide to the left, blowing the bottom-half of a tree to pieces, capsizing the evergreen to fall in W's wake. Not wanting to finally lose her ground, W fell backward onto the bark, narrowing skimming the top of the falling tree, instantly kick-flipping onto another log, grinding across it while yanking back on the binder, raising her grenade launcher to counter the amethyst bolt mid-trajectory, the two payloads erupting in a purplish-orange halo that billowed the foliage that W ended up crashing through, keeping her feet pressed to the board. She swiveled to her left and right respectively to avoid being pierced by even just one bolt from Forsaken, itself unable to retaliate completely while carrying Astra. With the trees beginning to close in, W was going to run out of places to move. The Forsaken snarled, leveling its crossbow to the treeline ahead, unleashing several smaller Arts attacks to devastate the terrain, ripping roots and chunks of land from the earth. This ungodly eruption of lilac sent tremors through the earth, trees fell and small brushes were set ablaze while it ran by, leaving it all for W to almost feel her heart shake. Her eyes narrowed, gripping the binder so tight it cut into her palm. Pulling back, she balanced herself on the back end of the board, drawing the iron-sights of her launcher down just a few feet ahead of her. Not a second more the 'thunk' and puff of smoke smacked her nose and tongue, and the ground blew apart under her, the thermal and kinetic energy throwing her high above the trees, leaving her airborne momentarily. "I said... give-" Her fist tightened the binding. "-her-" Blades began to form around her body, sharpening the glare in her eyes. "-BACK!!!" Even from a distance, the Forsaken had no time to react, W yanking on the binder with inhuman strength, practically firing herself like a human missile that drove the soles of her boots through crystals and down against its marred, cracked skin, finally tumbling against the Forsaken as it roared angrily, lashing out to scratch and kick at the woman's assault, feeling her own teeth sink deep against its bicep, her left hand's finger prying deep into its throat in an attempt to gouge it out. Neither could stop themselves from rolling down a slope, and over the edge of a forest ravine that scored through the earth, leaving them weightless. With one kick to the stomach, W wrenched Astra from its gnarled hand, even as that same crooked mass of flesh dug deep into her leg, drawing blood. W screamed in rage and agony, teeth knitted, her own face a twisted form of animalistic hatred while shoving the barrel of her launcher against the monster's chest, ready to blow it to pieces. *Thud!* From seemingly the sun itself, Sora swooped down in a wide arc, wrapping his left arm around W's waist, his right cleaving through the Forsaken's claws with his silver blade, freeing the girls and allowing the abomination to plummet with a howl into the dark ravine. W almost didn't realize who had caught her, ready to pull the trigger had a hand not run down to stop her fingers with his own. W blinked, eyes readjusting to the world filled with color to find a nervous smile adorning the Aasimar that held her closely, a filly groaning in discomfort between them, though she remained unconscious still. "S-Sora?" Hesitant but unable to fly herself, W let him carry her across the roof of the forest, both finally able to lower their guards until they arrived back at Hoofprint. "..." Her eyes closed, wanting to look elsewhere but at his face. "W?" She didn't respond, and he felt he knew why. It was his fault for never saying anything from the get-go, she's been hurt far more than him, he could rely on the ponies around him everyday, she had nothing but a little girl and her own thoughts for a good majority of her time in Equestria. "'A girl fled from the consequence of a choice, having never learned from her mistake she only succeeded in spreading it'" That story festered in W's head again, why now? She passed it off as a mere way of bridging understanding between the two of them but... now she realized she was doing the same thing, letting distrust dictate her choice. He helped her get Astra back, that fact felt personal. Her arm secured itself around the filly between them tightly, almost afraid to let her go at all. Even her tail curled up between them, supporting the little pony's lower body. "Does Celestia think the same way as Twilight?" She broke the stale silence, not bothering to look his way, but he did admire how the golden sky contrasted her silvery hair and solemn gaze. "Is she out to cage me too?" Her tone was flat but not her face, lost and conflicted. "No," Sora answered softly, facing forward. "She's only ever wondered if you're like me until the reports of your 'attacks' reached her, then she viewed you as an invader of sorts," He didn't sugarcoat it, nor was it possible to sway his Adopted mother's view until she could see W personally, which only succeeded in spreading the fearful idea W was a monster. Sora sighed, then nudged her temple with his forehead. "Hey, I know... I should've told you, but-" "It's fine." Quick and direct, and he almost didn't want to accept that, despite how irritated she may become. "Trust is... a risk - guess I didn't want to play so close to the chest this time." He could almost hear her dry wit. "Then I hope it's a risk you can take on me again." Finally, her face turned to meet his, smiling slightly at his dorky he was with his wording, but it was a nice change of pace. Their silent stare lasted a while until Sora's wings flickered, almost losing his focus while shakily facing forward, stammering while a tint of pink dusted his face. "W-well! Let's just, um, g-get back to town and rest! Yeah, just relax!" "His arms are tense..." W blinked once, tilting her head while she stared, then left her picking thoughts for later, resting her head against his shoulder while facing the direction of the ravine, only to see a sea of emerald green stretch out ahead of her toward a mountain range striking the horizon. "That's Canterlot huh...?" The girl fell down a sharp slope, rolling through the damp mud and leaves, coughing once she tumbled to flatter terrain. She gasped, hearing the huff and sharp growl drawing closer. "I don't... want to die... Mama!" Blood and sinew clung to white teeth, a breath that made her insides turn horribly at the acrid stench of rotten flesh. Two beady, burning yellowish-red eyes swam with hunger, the long tongue hanging out the corner of its armored mouth. The girl's body was shaking, silver eyes staring back in the reflection in the large, wolf's orbs. Now, she was pinned between a rock and its large, white claws while it sniffed out her terror. Tears stained her face as she held her ears, trying to block out the sickening growls and noises that the monster made, it thrashed against her eardrums, just as badly as its roar split the sky. "...mama... help me...!" All she could think or feel was Death looming over her, she couldn't even scream anymore. Then, the deafening silence was interrupted, and she peeked out to see the jaws widen, shrouding her in darkness, drowning one final scream. "Waaah, stop, stop, stop!!" The sudden wail from Astra shook W from her trance while tinkering with one of her plastic explosives, eyes wide as the filly sobbed in her bed. She cupped her ears with her hooves, eyes jammed shut as if the shadows were about to swallow her, "Mama!" "Hey, hey, Astra, what's-!" W was cut short upon approaching the filly's trembling side, the charcoal bundle burying her face into the woman's shirt, sobbing loudly through the fabric. On instinct, W put her arms around her, keeping her wrapped safely. She ignored the door opening, focusing all her attention on the terrified pony in her arms. "Shh, it's okay, kid... it's just a nightmare, shh..." Rocking her back and forth gently, W's heart almost shot to her stomach, as if the Forsaken had come back. "Mama's dead... they all died... s-s-she killed them...!" Astra hiccuped, afraid to lift her face from the warmth enveloping her. It wasn't a nightmare, it was one of the last things Astra could remember at all. "She hurt them, she killed my Mama...!" Leaning her head down, W kept her hold on Astra while she whispered. "She won't hurt you, kid, I promise, shh, it's okay now, I'm still here, I'm not letting you go this time." She be damned if she allowed it. "W?" Sora spoke up, worry crossing his features while he watched the Sarkaz rock the frightened child carefully. W met his eyes once, nodding with a tired smile. "...l-let me know if you need anything, okay?" He added quickly. "Sure," With that, the door closed over, leaving only W and Astra illuminated by the lantern on the desk where W worked, though she could hardly prioritize that now, not until Astra was okay. "Astra... who killed your Mom?" Painful and rude as it might be, W wasn't good with this and that was all that was on her mind. Astra couldn't recall anything until now. "*Sniff* b-bad l-l-lady, h-her *hic* h-hands burned e-every *hic* t-thing..." Her head shook against W's damp shirt, not that it mattered. "Mama..." "Shh... it's okay," Hugging Astra tightly, W's gaze fell to her neutral glare. "She's like us too... the Merchant stole her away but her memories must've suffered in the process... but where did she come from?" Looking down at the filly, her fingers combed her snow-white mane, now cleaned of dirt and grime from the day, no longer needing to use rivers and ponds to clean for the time being. "Whatever happens, kid, she won't hurt you, I'll blow all your fears to ashes." That gauged a small gasp from the pony, her silver eyes bloodshot from crying, tears still rolling down her muzzle. "B-but *hic*." Then, her snout crinkled from W tapping two fingers to her nose, smirking to reveal a fang. "May get beaten, burned, cut, and so on, but I will, everything you're scared of? I'll blow it all away," W was sure of it, more than ever before. "I promise." "B-but *sniff* I-I yelled a-at you..." That's what was eating at her too? W raised a brow, then chuckled, ruffling her mane as she got comfortable against the bed's headboard. "And? I... should have considered why he wanted to keep that to himself - heck, I'm no better," W felt a little embarrassed thinking back to it. That only melted to pride when Astra snapped at her, she wasn't trying to throw some kind of tantrum, she just spat the words W refused to reason with. "I dunno what's to come of this, with Sora... but you're right, kid - so if you ever need to yell at me again," W saw her eyes staring up at her while she grinned. "You have my permission to curse me out too - but only when I'm being a total dumbass." "Mmhm," Astra sniffled, nuzzling back into W's chest, and the Sarkaz relaxed back against the pillow, her own eyes beginning to feel heavy. Today had really tired her out in every aspect, but so long as Astra was safe, she'd do it again. The next day, W was busy sitting out in the sun with nothing but her sports bra on to cover her chest, a bandana tied around her forehead to keep her bangs clear as she worked on making a few thin, wire grapples that she could swing like the one Sora gave her to tag the Forsaken. It was tricky but the ponies were nice enough to give her the wire she needed to thread together. It was tricky but she already had one complete, though not perfect it was something useful, even as a tripwire. "W-W-W-W-" Sora had his mouth plugged by her tail's tip, only for her to immediately retract it after a strange sensation shivered through her body. "Uwah, okay, what the hell is it now?" W asked bluntly, placing the threaded wire down to take in the frightened look in his eyes, Astra galloping up beside him, their bags in toe. "Uh, what's-" Her antenna flicked and she quickly swiped the materials she had into her duffle bag, snatching up her shirt and jacket from the chair. "You've got to be kidding me..." Once the three were hidden in an alley nearest the rebuilding of the market. W's blood boiled, Sora looked nervous, hand tense against the wall with Astra peeking between W's legs with worried eyes. Standing at the front of a small platoon was the red unicorn with the stupid blonde mane. Cliffheart. Neither missed how a red aura began to bubble across W at the sight, Astra didn't bother checking her emotions, it was painfully obvious. "Ah, you must be the one stationed as the captain here, correct?" Cliffheart waved to the same stallion that W saved, and the one that thanked her with Bits too. "Yes, sir," He gave a salute. "What do we owe this visit from the Royal Guards for?" Cliffheart looked around at the devastation still in need of repairs. "Well, I heard word that some strange monsters had attacked the town, I'd have come myself but the report said the matter was quickly dealt with by a 'Mercenary'." W facepalmed alongside Sora, Astra bobbing her head between them while looking at her own hoof. "Why did I say that?" "Why did she say that?" "Why are they doing that?" The Hoofprint guard looked a little taken back before nodding, he had no clue so W couldn't hold him for it. "Ah, right - a traveling mercenary had stopped by to gather supplies and offered their assistance - believe me, not much of Hoofprint would be left I'm afraid if not for their help." He was... defending her? Again, W didn't have the words to gauge a real reply, it was odd having ponies back her up. Cliffheart's orange eyes narrowed a little, clearly racking his brain for the words. "And this... mercenary, anything odd about them? Weapons? Appearance? A name?" He was really trying to squeeze whatever juice he could from the guard, and W felt her fingers reside on her launcher, only for Sora's hand to press to her dainty hand, lifting a strange look from the woman, but she ultimately backed down, easing her fingers off the trigger. "We're busy tracking what's named the 'Monster/Beast of the Everfree', heard any rumors of it?" The guard looked lost, then his eyes widened with a surprised face. "The monster of... ah, yes, a few new adventurers were supposedly off to try and capture this beast - heard they ran into trouble along the way with another monster, however," Then the guard shook his head. "I'm afraid this mercenary looked nothing like what many have described, only thing odd I can say was that they refused the compensation we offered as a 'thank you'," His hoof waved dismissively, but W caught it, his left eye passed over her location, he smiled. "Sadly if you wanted to chat with this hired pony yourself you'd have to track them down among Hoofprint's forests, no telling when they'll return." "Think that's our window, come on," Sora nudged W's arm, and the Sarkaz quickly wrapped Astra into her arm, picking up her own bag to quickly escape into the alleyway. She hated to bail on Mir but once he saw who was currently paying a lovely visit he'd understand. "So, where to now?" Sora asked, hopping out into the street once the coast was clear. "Where else, Wing-Boy?" She huffed, grinning ahead. "We've got a Dealer to catch." To Be Continued... Author's Note Guess the good is only met with bad. Astra's memories are starting to become clear, and the trio is now on the move again, trust and all. Things won't be easy, and trouble is bound to follow, and maybe something more, hmm? Well, I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter renegades! Next Chapter: Picture That Still on the run from Cliffheart, the trio are on their way to Hollow Shades, in hopes of finding The Dealer. After clearing up another mysterious deposit of Originium and giving the ex-hunter the slip. The trio finally has the time to rest, and W takes the time to reflect.
1-5 Picture ThatTwo days later... *Boosh-Ping!* A blur of red, black, and white sailed by two Guards, detaching the wire from the muzzle of their launcher to sling themselves between the dozens of trees, rolling down into the clearing, drawing a knife instead while the ponies scampered into view, drawing an exasperated sigh from the Sarkaz, tail flicking angrily. "You know, you guys could do so much better, right?" W sneered, hand on her hip while displaying her sly smile. "I mean, just look at me? I got the curves that'd put any girl to shame, hehe." "Do you ever stop talking!?" Cliffheart huffed, spinning his polearm to poise it defensively. By now, W was surrounded by several Guards amongst the trees. It was a pain but the ex-hunter caught up to them and almost got the drop on the group had Astra not felt their malicious auras closing in, that, and one of them fell into a random pitfall W dug up just to test a few new traps. Drawing her knife close to her chest, W kept her guard up, eyes peeled for so much as a twitch she didn't like. "Where's the filly?" "Wouldn't you like to know..." Cliffheart sighed, bitterness in every word. "You can't keep running from your crimes." "And you can't keep sexually harassing me." That made his orange orbs widen. "W-what? I haven't done anything like that!" He spurted out in the first truthful words W had had the pleasure of hearing. She smiled, shrugging her head to the left, faking innocence. "See, now I'm falsely accusing you, isn't this fun?" Her constant prodding was the one thing she had against the Royal Guard. She had no filter. "So yeah... um, whatever your name is." "I. Am. Cliff. Heart!" By now, even the other Guards were starting to doubt if W was stupid or just playing dumb. Some bet it might very well be both. "And. I. Do. Not. Care." Now W frowned, lowering her guard with a disappointed scowl. "Honestly, why would I care even for a fraction about the very same pony that's been a thorn up my ass for days now - more so than Sparkle Butt was - and that's saying something given her ass-kissing to Celestia." "Watch you mouth!" Bingo. W grinned, slipping down to her knees to strike with her right foot against the muzzle of the first Guard, his spear clattering to the ground with blood and spit while the others rushed in with Cliffheart. The next lunged with their spear, only for W to backflip, her feet taking out the spear once she landed, spinning herself around to backhand the stallion with the butt of her knife, followed by a mean left hook to the snout. The third had her right boot pressed against the stomach, his eyes following the silverette as she spun around, delivering a painful snap-kick to his neck, knocking him out cold. During her twirl, W snatched the head of a fourth spear by the neck, bringing it down on her knee to snap the staff, she flicking the spear half upside down, bringing it up through the helmet of the unicorn, shattering the spearhead with a ringing chime that left the pony dazed until he too fell over. "You guys really suck at this whole, 'capturing' thing," W tilted her head left, evading the jab of the staff while diving backward over the horizontal swing, her own blade blocked by Cliff's barrier. It collapsed, allowing the staff to jab against W's right shoulder, spinning her around, knife drawn down against another small shield, deflecting the blow and leaving her exposed for a jab to the stomach and a crack of the staff against her head, leaving a welt. "Ooow!" "This ends here!" Cliffheart declared, bringing his weapon down to shave across W's knife, herself flinging two daggers he quickly evaded, lunging forward with a backswing, W swiveled right, thrusting her knife forward. Cliff parried it, splitting his staff in two, the right piece smacking W's cheek while her blade grazed his cheek, cutting the strap that held the helmet, freeing his blonde mane that his widened eyes pierced, barely avoiding another throwing knife by batting it away with the left stick. His magic could react in time, the thin, crimson barrier flickered out, the mercenary's fingers seeping through like snakes to curl and bring a solid left cross to his raised forehoof. Through the wisps of red, W swiped with her right leg, dropping the Captain while using her knife to pin the retracting left stuck between a rock and the dirt. She quickly snatched up the right half, even as the magic faded, it burnt her hand through the glove. Cliffheart wasn't through, however, quickly adjusting the angle on his back to press his forehooves against her hands, the two wrestling on the ground. Cliff managed to use W's own weight to throw her behind him, buying him enough time to straddle her own waist, pinning her arms by the wrists with a refined variant of telekinesis, even if the sight of her wrists smoking lightly upset his stomach. "Give up already, you can't run forever!" He grunted, applying his hooves to W's shoulders to keep her from straining his magic further. For a flash, fear scored her demonic eyes until all that remained was a fiery conviction. "Then you can keep failing forever, Captain." Though it burnt her wrists, visibly making the woman bite back a grunt she shattered the veil of red and coiled both hands around Cliffheart's throat, cutting off the airflow instantly. "I could snap your neck and leave you to rot," Her iron grip worsened, ignoring the weak, desperate kicks he forced. "I could burn all your bodies to ash and bone and no one would find the remains - don't you get it? I'm a merc who will do whatever it takes to get by." With one strong heave, W threw his body across the forest, his back striking a tree, landing on the silver strip of wire crossed between two oaks. By the time Cliffheart ceased his gagging, he realized it too late, now suspended from more wires nestled in the treetops. W giggled at the sight, lightly tapping his nose to rock him back and forth. "Try to get down before the blood rushes to your pretty little head, Cap, bye~" "G-get back here!" He yelled but she just tucked her scarf closer to her smile, humming softly to herself. "W!!!" She showed him The Bird, vanishing into the forest. "And that about sums up the fight, if you can call them flailing angrily a 'fight'." W summarized under the massive roots of a tree, time and geography resulting in a small, semi-underground cave beneath a tree. It was far away from Cliffheart and his Guard and secluded enough to light a fire and start cooking dinner. While Sora patched up W's wrists, Astra kept the pot's stew stirred. "Ah." "Sorry," He smiled awkwardly while applying the healing bandages to her wrists. "I've never see magical burns like this before, then again, I've never known a person to have a high resistance to magic at all." W chuffed, biting her cheek. "I'll take the compliment - Astra, add that to the list, 'Highly resilient to magic' - fu... ngh!" That made her wrist recoil, but the binding remained while her fingers twitched. "His magic's stronger, guess I forced his hoof." W blinked, then shook off the use of pony-terminology. Sighing, Sora packed the extra bandages and healing potions Mir gave them, "Well, it's not perfect but hopefully they'll be healed by tomorrow," He shook his head. "You really are too reckless sometimes." "Give up already, you can't run forever!" The absurd words stuck to W's mind constantly. Could she really keep this up for much longer? Keep Astra safe? Keep them from discovering that Sora, their freakin' prince, had been helping her? Can... she still be herself? That made the memories of her fights with Equestria all the more surreal, she wasn't W per se, but with the constant abuse of her body, her mental stability, the gravity of her mission, what much was left of Aoi? She didn't say it, a bad habit of hers, but while her life back home wasn't something to aspire to, she was somewhat content, and now that was gone with no hope of returning. All that remained of Aoi was memories and her personality. But how long would that last? "What the hell's the line between us, eh, W?" Her own tail snaking up made her jump. Closing her eyes, W fought back that fear. "I'm a failure." Without a word, W stood up and made her sharp exit from under the tree. "I need some air." It was ironic since there was a breeze passing through the cave constantly. Sora stared off at her abrupt departure, and Astra stopped focusing on the pot, frowning sadly. "W's scared..." "About what?" Sora inquired, looking to the little seer for a clear answer. "Not about Mr. Cliffheart, but I think it's about her dreams," Astra rubbed her chin, brow furrowed. "Hmm... it's weird, she mutters alot and says alot of names I've never heard," Astra's eyes wandered a bit between Sora and the fire. "'Doctor', 'Reunion', and I think stuff like the Originium monsters too, and um..." The more she thought about it, the less she could recall. "I think W's remembering stuff too, but not stuff she's experienced before." "Like overlapping memories?" Sora suggested, the filly nodding slowly. "That makes sense, it's happened to be a few times - heh, I almost forgot my real name because of it, used to say Valiant instead," Now, that realization sunk in, Sora grabbing one of his twin silver swords. "I'll be back, call if you need us." "Okay," Astra waved, then looked up. "S-sora?" Pausing at the roots, he looked back to the worried look on her face. "Please help her." "Why won't you come back...? I can help you...please," Turning to her right, W saw the still conflicted state of the Doctor - no, her old friend that had no sense of who or what he was before. A part of her hated that, the person she was after was no longer there, just some hollow husk. Another... stung, it, of all people in the world, it just had to be him, the person that was there for her, that comforted her before her life became so much worse. "Tch, 'helping me' would be to leave me be - for the best, really," She huffed, turning her attention back to the city below, arms crossed tightly under her chest. "I get it now, more than before - bunch of stuff is screwed up now and I need... to sort things out, alone." She wanted to take his hand now but she needed this, for both their sakes less she does something that pulls the webbing of her plans apart. "Got my own agenda I can't just let slide for anyone, even if... it's you," "I..." His head lowered a moment, then rose with a determined frown. "I get it - I just hope that... we can see each other again." His words always remained so goofy. It was a strange change of pace W had long since forgotten the feeling of. Reaching over, she patted his heart, simultaneously dropping an old, folded card into his hand. She flashed him a grin, and hopped onto the edge of the rooftop, dangling her life against the concrete. "You're still too nice to a girl as messed up as me - hmph, I'm glad that hasn't changed." With a flick of her tail to mean goodbye, she dived off the edge, disappearing from his starstruck view. "Don't die, Kaid." "Stop!" W grabbed the sides of her head, squeezing her temples as if to shut out the false memories. It made her pace, frustrated that another slither of a life that she never had come to infect her mind. Who was Kaid? That Doctor from the first memory she had? That city too, what was it called? Again, W slammed her head into the side of a tree, ignoring the blood that trickled down her face, thanking that the buzzing sensation cleared her mind a little. "Just... stop..." It was growing unbearable. "Leave me alone already..." Who was she? Was she W or Aoi? What part of her was real? Who was she? "Get out of my head already!" She kept hitting her temples. "Dammit, why did I pick up that stupid scarf!?" *Thump* A sudden warmth hit her back, folding around her torso. "Calm down, you need to breathe," It was Sora, but even so, W still fought, almost throwing him aside. "Get off of me!" Her voice dripped with venom, she didn't mean it but her emotions were spiraling out of control. "Leave me alone!!" "Just... calm down," Not once did he raise his voice, hugging her tightly with his head against her nape. "You need to relax and take a deep breath, these memories are just a side-effect of being Displaced, the real you is still here," His left hand moved to rest against her heart. "You're still you, W - come on, deep breaths." She did as she was told, mimicking his motions with a heavy inhale, holding it for a few seconds before releasing. The motions repeated for almost a minute, her panic attack settling in his arms while the two fell to their knees. W let her arms hang limp against her sides, head down while shaking. Not even Astra saw her this shaken, and W preferred it that way for the girl's sake. Sora wouldn't say a word, W hoped. "Tell me about your life before this, it usually helps," Sora murmured, not unwrapping his arms from her body, leaving W defeated and a mess of emotions. She didn't even try and fight back, aimlessly following the fireflies in the treeline ahead of her. "I... have a serious phobia of wasps, so much so I'll run the second I see one get too close," Why was she saying this to him? It didn't matter, her lips were already moving of their own accord, sinking into his arms. "One day I was cornered by one without realizing it - I quickly took one of my friend's bikes, and I rode it as fast as I could, laughing like an idiot," W's smile was broken but genuine, voice barely a whisper. "Heh, I never knew how to ride a bike until then - stupid how my own fear fixed that..." "Atleast you got to finally ride a bike - with a little fear added in," Sora nudged to boost her spirits, hearing her giggle gently, feeling her body relax against his chest, head tilting up just enough for him to see the pain-stricken look in her eyes, a tiny smile of content on her pale features. All glossed in the moonlight, surrounded by fireflies. "I'm still terrified of them, funny, given all that I've done," She reminisced, running her hands over her bandages. "...are you... really Sora?" It wasn't a case of curiosity of what his identity was, that didn't matter to W. What did, was how it would affect her gradually. His hands tightened at her sides. "One and only," He smiled slightly, eyes curved at her strangely quiet shift in personality, it was peaceful. "Sora is my name, and... even if I have memories of the Aasimar I am now, the person I was from the beginning will always be here, it's who I am, that's something no amount of false memories can change," He quickly added, "I believe that's the same case for you." Her eyes widened slightly, feeling herself sink deeper into his embrace, his words tickling her ear. "I met W, but the person underneath is my friend, regardless of what happens." "..." How many days had she wanted to hear that too? That... she was still Aoi underneath, sure, she liked being W. The Sarkaz that was strong, confident, who didn't take shit from anyone, it felt so liberating to be... herself. Had she know the memories would crop up, that this new world would turn its back on her, then she'd have never taken that scarf. Peeking up, W felt... safe, somehow, that alone was worth all this pain, right? "...what's with the cheesy lines?" Her smile shined again. "Not used to all the hugging too..." Sora chuckled nervously, rubbing his neck quickly, avoiding her eyes. "Eh? S-sorry, guess being stuck around ponies that really like showing affection kinda rubbed off on me, it's been a long time." His arms shuffled, losing their firm hold on the mercenary, or until a black appendage slithered around to run across his arms, curling lightly around W's chest and his biceps. "..." She didn't speak at all, eyes hazy, looking only toward the little green motes amongst the trees. Sora felt a little hesitant to move at all, but judging by how W kept herself rooted against his chest, he doubted moving would help. Relaxing his muscles alongside the silverette, he kept her close until she felt like moving again; When the W he knew would come back and tease him for his soft, supportive side. He was alright with that. Time passed by and W spoke again. "Why the Infected?" Her inquiry drew his eyes down on her silver hair. "Of all the things he could've sent after me, Sarkaz Mercenaries, W's old teammates from way back, heck, even visages of Rhodes Island, why the monsters and people infected with Originium?" Sora pondered on her question, adjusting his hold on her waist while peering up at the fireflies. "He did the same with me I think, the Necromancer was a Fallen Aasimar that conjured crystal beasts using the materials in the Crystal Barrens, he made a villain that had ties to my body, to Valiant." "So the Infected, the Slugs and Reunion Soldiers, they're my equivalent," Looking off to her right she felt her hand play with the aqua highlights of Sora's braid, the action soothing her state of mind. "...I chose W 'cause she was strong alone," Finally, she admitted it, closing her eyes momentarily, seeing her original form shadowed by W's protectively against the dark with a toothy grin. "A mercenary who made a deal with her enemies to get in close, fought against everyone and everything with a smile and a laugh, she was strong, fearless, and everything I wanted to be... and everything I've become." Irony seeped into her mind since day one, how Equestria turned against her at the flick of a madman's wrist. She was her own army and nothing more, in a way, she used those that did trust her to her vantage, but to survive as W had in a world devoid of kindness even a good person has to get their hands dirty. "You have us now," His words lifted her eyelids. "I mean, I'm here, same with Astra, s-so that's not the case, and I think the W you are now i-is better, you know, then the one you admired." W nodded gently against his collarbone, enjoying his presence selfishly with a smile. "Dummy..." Somewhere... The moonlight grazed a dark, gloomy ravine with its dull radiance. Rocks and boulders were piled at the base of the earthly scar, some tumbled simply from a light breeze traveling through, and some shifted due to gravity itself. *Boosh!* A deformed, cracked hand shot from the rubble, clawing away at the boulders with black claws flaked with semi-transparent crystals that grew slightly to coat and mutate the clotted wounds across the arm. Whatever lay beneath the earth growled, reaching out toward the moonlight angrily, thrashing under the prison of stone. To Be Continued... Author's Note I'm loving the moments between W and Sora, he's a good support for W in a way Astra can't fill. As Sora puts it, Astra is the person keeping W's humanity together, making her focus on what she wants to prove. Sora is someone that W can hopefully feel comfortable allowing her walls to come down around. But that's just me rambling, can't spoil what's to come, hehe. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Results May Vary While approaching their destination, and after Sora helps set up camp within a unique region of the forests the trio reflects as they finally relax. P.S. Again, the memories of Renedage's W aren't canon to the game's W - believe me, there is a big difference.
1-6 Results May Vary"One, two - three!" With a heave, Sora flapped his ethereal wings hard enough to rustle the treetops, but to his heaved sigh, the tripwire was taut against the branches, officially securing the campsite from afar say Cliffheart finally catches up. Hovering there while catching his breath, the ravenette brushing one of his braids aside, feeling the waxy texture against his fingers. "I doubt this will miss Cliffheart... he's getting sharper - W's becoming predictable." He hated to admit it, but Cliffheart wasn't a slouch, if he was up against something entirely new, he'd fail again and again until he found all the exploits he needed. Be it a monster, an Aasimar, or Sarkaz. Sighing, he rubbed his hair again. "I need a bath." Gliding down, Astra was sitting with her eyes closed, muzzle scrunched up cutely while attempting to concentrate on her 'Seer' power. For days now, Sora attempted to narrow down what world Astra could have originated from, when W told him that Astra said she was, 'from the sky', he initially believed her to have come from a world similar to heaven or that lived among the clouds. But he too 'came from the sky', as in he fell to Equestria, which may be the case with Astra too. That, and her nightmare the day before they left Hoofprint suggests she's from a world with creatures that looked like black werewolves. "Hey, Astra, any idea where W is?" This was a double question. He smiled, wanting to test her sensing ability as well as find the missing Sarkaz, even her weapons, and bag were left behind to go venturing into the tall, taiga forest, pines, and spruces shrouding parts of the afternoon sky. The filly was lost in a haze of colors, her body was silvery as usual, but Sora was blue, focusing on his specifically led to an array of blues, like an ocean refracting sunlight, it shimmered with kindness, honesty, curiosity, even... infatuation? Tilting her head, Astra decided to keep that to herself for now as she hummed, looking around the murky outlines of trees for a significant sign of red among blues and greens of other wildlife. Green always meant passive for most animals, some predators had a tint of red or pink, it was fun discovering new shades or meanings to prior colors, it filled Astra's head with wonder. "Um... ah!" She blinked up at Sora who knelt down with a curious brow while following the filly's hoof to the right. "W went that way, I think she found a place to clean and she wanted to investigate." That word, 'clean' was like music to Sora's ears. With gusto, he stood up straight. "Well, I guess if her hunch is right we should probably take advantage of that while we can, the next town is... not a place we want to stay long." Even he couldn't hide his awkward tone. "Are they bad ponies too?" The innocent look drew out a chuckle from the Aasimar. "No... they're..." He wiggled his hands like scales before slumping. "Okay, they're weird, even for talking ponies - right, I'll go find her." "Okay...~" Astra sang softly, returning to her focus while muttering under her breath. "...does W feel that way too?" She had alot to think about. "Okay, she wasn't kidding," Blinking out the disbelief, Sora was certain he'd have seen this from the treetops. Standing just at the edge of a rock formation that acted as a large wall, his eyes observed in wonder at the steamy pools of water surrounding him. It was a natural hot spring, which wasn't uncommon for any point in this region. They were still very far from the nearest town but since the mountains once had active volcanoes way back when the activity from that time left many fissures in the crust, creating these pools almost everywhere. "W? W...?" Not even a snap of a twig. Looking around quickly, Sora kicked off his boots and socks to test if the water was actually safe to sit in, less he wanted to boil himself alive. Shivering at the sudden rise in temperature, it seemed the pool was indeed safe, the water wasn't bubbling either which was another good factor. With a sigh of relief, he quickly glanced around at the trees and rocks to ensure he was safe and after only a few seconds he sank down into the pool with a strained breath, the bruises and cuts he's sustained himself sensitive to the water. "Ahh... best... discovery... ever," After traveling for nearly five days, the water reminded Sora of all the pain his body had been subjugated to. From running to flying, setting camp, even hunting if need be, and genuinely putting up with W's strange antics. Even if his body reacted poorly to the hot sensation, he didn't particularly care, he was happy now. Sinking further into the boiling water he thought aloud, eyes flattened. "Why do I have an eerie feeling W's up to something?" "An interesting assumption; Up to what?" The words to his left enquired. He just shrugged. "Eh, you'd usually try and pull something to keep me on -- Ahh, why are you in here!?!" His mind screeched to a halt, finding that sitting no more than two feet from him was the silverette herself, her expression portraying no sense of shame, only a devilish smile of content. Through the lighter mist, he saw her damp hair stick to her head more, antenna slumped slightly, the tips of her horns dripping wet. Even at the water-level, he could make out her pale skin, red blemishes from the temperature. Especially a very, very significant area of her body that was just barely covered by the water. Sora tore his wide eyes from her attractive body as his face burned hotter than the water itself. Drowning would be preferable. "To be fair, I was here first - besides, I'm sure I contracted something from that river I bathed in after dealing with those Mutts," W shrugged, sitting back in the water with a huff. "You're the one that just up and stripped when I finally pulled my head out from the water," She swore his whole face was glowing with his back to her. Rolling her eyes, W added, "Relax, I didn't see anything due to the steam," She wouldn't admit it, but it was somewhat disappointing "That doesn't make this better!" He yelled, no longer able to focus with an attractive girl literally bathing behind him, he swore this was just the world's way to torment him further. A silence ensued before he heard her move around in the water, the rippling motions made it unclear what she was doing. Getting out? Probably not, so instead he said nothing and tried his hardest to relax, but her figure kept popping up in my head like it was constantly on loop. "You know, if you keep ignoring me I'll just make you..." He hated it when she says that with a tone similarly used when she decided to mess with him. "Guess I'll just have to move closer~" "Okay-Okay! I'm looking!" His body spun around, keeping both his shaky eyes locked to her neutral stare. She was still concealed by the steam and water but now sat only a few feet from his spot. His throat felt dry as he spoke like sandpaper rubbed his throat. "W-W-what?" W looked away, leaning her head back to face the orange sky above. "You and Cliffheart know each other, yeah? What's he like, before he became so obsessed in caging me like it's his fetish or something?" That made Sora snort sharply, looking away from her too, more so to avoid adding more blood to his crimson face. "W-well, ahem, he's... honorable, he was once like you, a pony-for-hire, he'd hunt dangerous monsters, collect things no one else could or would, then he met Mom - erm, Celestia, and soon he became a part of the Royal Guard, helping new recruits improve, he even defended me when ponies were still... shady of my arrival," Lifting a hand from the water he raised it as if to hold his sword. "He taught me how to fight smarter, to use my enemy's weaknesses against them, he's clever but kind, and would do anything to uphold the peace Celestia wants to prolong for however long she can." "So your typical rogue turned knight, yeah?" W bluntly surmised, and Sora nodded. "Yeah, pretty much." His eyes then met her orangy-gold. "I'm sorry," Looking around, W crossed her arms. "Sure, I hate the guy for being a pain in my ass but he's not a fault, that Merchant got inside his head, messed with alot of ponies that didn't deserve it." Brushing a hand out, W grew... timid. "I-I guess I just got focused on how angry I was I kinda... forgot that." Sora nodded, "I understand that, these... memories are now a part of us, and if we let it, deny who we are prior we could... lose ourselves in our own desires," He shook his head at her odd expression, "I, um, used to call myself Valiant, the Aasimar I called myself in DnD, had it not been for my Mom I would have completely forgotten my real name, maybe even my biological parents." "...that's why you hugged me or were you just wanting to be mushy again?" W teased, poking a finger above the water with a sly smirk. "H-hey, it's a legitimate method!" He defended with a blush. "Emotions are bound to our memories, you're not exactly the most trusting of people, and understandably so." "So you did that... because I trust you," "Because I felt safe." Smiling awkwardly, W was left somewhat speechless until she saw that Sora was staring at her antenna that were bobbing in place. "Like what you see?" "Uwah, s-sorry." He blurted out with a blush, looking down while enjoying her pleasant laughter until she pointed up at her horns and sensory pieces. "Perks of being a character from Arknights, they went a little 'anime' with designs so many factions tend to have certain animal traits," W rambled on without realizing it, both imagining a speech bubble above her finger displaying a chibi of herself and a Sarkaz Sentinel like back at Hoofprint. "I'm a Sarkaz so we tend to have horns and demon-like traits, I'm actually a cockroach." She stated proudly. "That explains the reaction times when your antenna twitches," Sora realized as another bubble appeared with a girl with brown hair and bunny ears alongside a boy with pinkish-white hair and bunny ears pointed down. "How is she doing that...?" He didn't dare question the naked, bathing fangirl in front of him in the water. "Some have rabbit ears too called Cautus, there's a whole bunch for various animals," W brushed off the bubbles while leaning back against the bank. One other thought crossed Sora's mind, one that gripped him with a chill before. "What you said back in Hoofprint..." Her brow quirked. "I'm Infected with the same disease that turned those monsters, well, I dunno if I am anymore but if I am I'll die of it someday," W blinked slowly, sighing once. "Just how it is, really." "You're... Infected?" The longer Sora pondered her words the more it confused him. So, with a shrug, W added with a wave of her arm, turning it to display the underside of her armpit. To his horror, there were a few black rocks the size of a fingernail embedded into her skin. "I-Is that?" "Those soldiers from Ponyville I killed, they're like me, Infected, part of a group called Reunion who were founded for the sole reason to terrorize the world that discriminated and killed them just because they contracted some incurable virus - Oripathy." Lowering her arm W smirked. "So far nothing's changed, so I might be off the hook, maybe... dunno really." "Are you okay?" His question was quick and worried. W blinked slowly but smiled, seeping her arm back into the water. "'Course, like a little infection's gonna get me-" "W." His voice was stern as she met his eyes, how... serious they were, it was almost alluring. "Ahem, yeah, I am." She spoke with modesty or until something snuck up on them. "I remembered something," Astra spoke up shyly. "Yah!" W and Sora yelped, the former slipping off her perch under the steamy waves, gargling curses on her way back up. "Sorry..." The filly murmured while W coughed up the excess water, Sora turning away from her 'assets' now above the water level, wishing he just stayed at the camp. "I-It's *cough-cough* all good," Splashing back down, W's tail slithered up to poke the pony's chest. "You can tell us more now while I clean you up - can't have you smelling like the dead." Reluctantly, Astra pouted and took off her scarf, hopping down into the water to sit against W's stomach. Sora eventually turned to face them again, scratching his cheek while observing W while she cleaned Astra with a pleasant smile on her lips, happily humming while Astra spoke. It was really sweet to see. "I was trying to focus on my own aura again and I think it made more pictures appear in my head, like a book." "I see, anything on your world?" W added briefly, washing out the dirt clung to the filly's mane. "Mmhm, my... Papa," Astra murmured, looking around at the trees with wondrous eyes. "He was big, like you Sora, and strong, he punched a scary wolf so hard it exploded into a purple ball that exploded again." "Sounds like magic, that's pretty cool," Sora complimented, making her smile slightly, an achievement not many could accomplish. "But then many of them appeared, and some bright, white light turned them all to dust in a flash, like an explosion without heat or a loud bang, just... um, 'whoosh'!" She elaborated by making a waving motion with her hooves, W chuckling while washing out the girl's mane "Kid, you're too adorable for this world..." W admitted, leaning back for a moment. "So a white light that can erase dark creatures and magic..." The woman deadpanned. "Wow, that leaves... literally every fantasy world known to man." "That's still an improvement," Sora added, smiling assuringly at the downcast filly. "You've already improved so much in only a few days, and your memories aren't erased which is another positive - don't worry, it'll all come back to you someday." "Thank you..." She murmured with a bashful blush, even W had to wink. "Such a sweet-talker, ain'tcha?" While this was a good development, W felt oddly nostalgic herself. "...well, guess I'll say something." Thinking about it, W never really thought about her goals until she first arrived in Equestria, where the childish idea she could be some kind of hero still ran rampant. "I wanted to be someone that inspired others, that's what my goals were believe it or not." Her neutral expression hadn't flinched at all, even while Astra and Sora watched her with surprise at the sudden openness. She smirked, shrugging. "It's sad, really; Bullied for being different, and here am I, trying to be something big." "That's not stupid," Sora replied, Astra nodding quickly. "You're really nice, and brave." Again, the Sarkaz laughed, rubbing her brow with her tail. "I'm W, and power often makes people feel strong, take that away, my explosives, this body and all that's left is some introverted girl who... plays guitar, huh?" She stared into space, hand rising to her gaze. "I... forgot I liked playing guitar, and... music in general..." It happened again, her face becoming clouded with fright. "I... really did forget that." "No you haven't," She flinched when a hand rested on her shoulder, meeting burning, aqua eyes that left her entranced. "You keep saying that who you are is just this broken person that deserves to be forgotten, but I think the person you are now is the real deal, W just helped to bring all those positives out." "I um..." Speechless, how Sora did that to W stumped her to no end, was it the water getting to her? And what's up with this stupid feeling in her head? Shaking off his hand, her confidence rekindled. "Well, thanks I guess, both of you - now!" With a hoist, Astra sat on the bank of the hot springs, W shuffling around until her sly look locked to his like a predator. "Less you want a lovely show, best turn around, not that I'd mind I little peeking, hehe." "I... s-s-sure..." His face glowed and he spun around, drowning the lower half of his face under the sloshing waves while W's mocking cackle rang in his ears, Astra facepalming at W's constant teasing. "He's just being nice..." "Yeah, and it's nice to tease him for it, no skin off the nose and all that. hahaha," She paused in the background. "And forget it, I'm not playing music, especially in front of people, kid." "W..." "I'm going to die from a heart attack at this rate... but..." Sora gulped, he really hated his head at times but after so many years the first real human he's seen face-to-face, and a really beautiful girl at that, he couldn't help but take a tiny peek, only a second, nothing more. Ignoring the furious heat rising through his body - "...!!!" W held her jacket around her chest, displaying only her back to the hot springs. That left her milky-white back exposed, Sora could make out a large scar running between her shoulder blades, the right end touching her slender shoulder, many more dotted her back, all in various sizes and lengths. The mentality of him staring dumbly at her still didn't register. He could hardly breathe as she bent down to pick up the rest of her clothing from a rock, Astra hopping past her. It all just left him staring dumbly at her thighs leading up to her rear. Soon, he plunged his head under the water, despite the hot sensation burning at his wide eyes, he could hardly remove the image not burned into his mind. "What in Equestria is wrong with me!?" To Be Continued... Author's Note I wanted to try and space out their journey a bit for these moments, pretty much the end of arc 2 to 3 will consist of the big plot points, that, and they're funny. I'm reeeeally teetering on the edge of Teen and Mature, dun-dun du-dun-dun~. The next one's just as over-the-top as you'd expect. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Im'ma Blow Up W's team has encountered a problem, how are they to cross the mountains standing between them and Hollow Shades? Simple, talk with the crazy cultists that worship a magical gateway through the mountains, duh.
B2-0 The LastThe end of the world, how could one describe that? The feelings and surroundings before the end are seemingly lifeless. An absence of life itself, the wind was all that remained before it would become the dominant sound, no more cries or screams of war, the color that filled the world felt empty and drained. For W, it was all she could ask for. Her feet kicked through uprooted soil and gravel, not a single building remained intact, ruins and rubble scarred the world, the land marred with fires and corpses. The ponies that despised her lay in broken, charred heaps of flesh. The mercenary could still hear them screaming for the hope that would never arrive, desperately clinging to loved ones and children as their worlds turned dark and numb. Worst of all was the stench in the air, rot, and decay turned the clean air acrid and still. W was alone in this world, no Merchant, no ponies, nothing to bother or harm her. So why did she search the kingdom she let burn, her satisfaction at the sight of the Royal Guard unable to suppress the endless masses of Infected like her? In due time her feet found that answer. Her blood was like ice, locking her muscles and causing her grip on a burnt grenade launcher to slip, hearing it clatter to the road. This world could rot, she wanted nothing to do with it so once she arrived at the next town she cut her ties entirely. Leaving Astra in Sora's care, they weren't a part of her problems so they had no reason to follow a madwoman on some hopeless vendetta. She made the right call, didn't she? I mean, the two of them were smart, they could handle themselves without some deranged Sarkaz dragging them along, right? Right? Two swords lay shattered by her feet, bloody and smeared with ashes. By her sunken eyes was Sora, complexion ghostly pale compared to when she last crossed eyes with him. He was crushed under a fallen wall, his legs utterly smashed to pieces, his blood had dried under him, face staring for eternity into the sky. He wasn't breathing and his eyes lost that aqua glow she missed. "Sora... hey..." Kneeling down she tried to invoke some reply but nothing came. She shoved harder and all that did was tilt his head away from her. W didn't realize it at first but tears were crawling down her face, moving his shoulder roughly. "Hey! W-wake up, you idiot! Wake up!" Nothing... he... wasn't here anymore. "Sora?" Her voice croaked, looking around frantically. "Astra! Astra!?!" Not even a stir in the rubble, only... her breath hitched so sharply she thought someone slit her throat. There wasn't much to investigate, not far from Sora's body was... the tattered cloth familiar to W's own scarf, the same cursed object that bound her to this body. It was torn and caked in blood, nothing but blood staining the wall of a building and pathway, and a few clumps of charcoal fur. "No... no-no-no-no-no..." She started to hyperventilate. "Why... they did nothing wrong... they... they!" Her tears kept flooding, hysterical hiccups coughing up from her throat. Falling to her knees again by Sora she gently adjusted his head, closing his eyes so that he could rest against her lap, biting her lip while her forehead rested against his colder skin as her sobbing grew louder until she screamed for all of Equestria to hear if any were still alive. There was no one. W got what she wanted. She was alone with only the remains of the two that trusted her most of all. "Hah!" W jolted upright from her sleep, a freezing sweat shivering across her skin as she panted heavily. Swiveling around with her launcher instinctively held in her hand she scanned her surroundings. She was in a forest, the one near the hot spring. To her heartfelt relief, the raven-haired idiot and Astra were sleeping soundly. "...what did I...?" Looking down at her hand she could see herself trembling. "Would that really happen? Will I... kill them?" Licking her dry lips she leaned back into her makeshift pillow, tugging the sheet over her shivering form, curling up so tight her tail wrapped around her arms. Her horrific nightmare kept her awake, staring at the lingering flames in the campfire, afraid that they'll go out if she blinked. They were safe, they were alive and well and that was all that mattered. "I won't leave you guys... I promise." It wasn't just out of pity, rather, she couldn't bear the idea of being alone anymore. To Be Continued... Author's Note A little short I wanted to squeeze in to really give a sense of W's mentality as of late. She hates many ponies and would like nothing more than to leave them all behind, including her friends for their own sakes. However, fate would see to it she gets her wish, a world where she is all that remained. W could easily leave it all behind but at what cost? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades!
1-7 Im'ma Blow UpW stood at the top of a large control tower that overlooked the ruins in the mobile city below. People believed the catastrophes were the worst the world had to offer yet compared to human nature it can be just as toxic if not more. While the chaos reined, W had her chance, however risky it may be. Call it a foolish hunch or roll of the dice that dictated her actions in life. Most of it could be seen as crazy, but that was W incarnate. To say the current conversation was anything she wanted would be a lie, like listening to a banshee's venomous cry, "-To maintain this mutual benefit relationship between us, I will keep modifying our future plans. Can this slightly increase trust between us W?" The woman herself, the blazing dragon that could level entire streets with just her fingers, a living inferno. Talulah turned to the mercenary smiling so confidently in the face of the Draco, her tail swishing with a mixture of anticipation and fright. Another thing a mercenary remembers, forgetting to feel fear will get you killed. Especially this bitch. "Really? Then I'm quite touched by it," W smiled, playing dumb, acting the role of a deranged Sarkaz who should've died long ago. But what right did she have to say if her sanity was whole? She's a 'Devil' that is all there is to say upfront, the rest remains her own convictions. "Of course..." Talulah began but W's mind was elsewhere. "It's true." Talulah's face barely registered W's silence, a fraction of time between them. Slowly, her hand rose. W's eyes barely flickered, muscles tense. "Ah, I know that move." She's seen it before a million times and still gets a rush. Talulah played the part of an assassin all to obviously, although, why would she need to hide this strength? The air in front of W snapped and hissed, the air growing hot within seconds. "I just made you mad, but you shouldn't be that mad to an extent that you'd want to kill me right?" Her face stretched with a crocodile grin, retrieving a grenade from her belt, the pin pulled. Bright orange cracks of lightning began to form at her fingertips, W hunched down with a sharp smile, feeling the hot wind comb through her hair. W flicked the grenade forward, hopping back herself to put as much distance as possible between them, the grenade erupting into flames and shrapnel, a blaze outright devouring the world and the Arts that warped the floor a mere second prior. W blinked, shaking her head as it pounded slightly from the interruption of the memory. Although now her whole body felt hot for a solid minute. Over the hill, a new town came into view under Equestria's sun, pressed up against the side of the mountains cutting in the way of W's journey to Hollow Shades. Keeping on hand around her duffle bag's strap she grinned at the small town similar in architecture to Ponyville, large plains between the forest's edge and the new destination. "So, what's so important here that'll help us cut our time in half?" W was curious ever since they woke up this morning, whatever Sora knew it was enough to put a skip in his and Astra's step, leaving W utterly perplexed to whatever revelation laid ahead. Sora smiled, motioning to the mountain peaks. "Hard Rock's a strange town but it has exactly what we need to cross through the mountains into the roofed forest - then it's just a day's travel to Hollow Shades, simple," Now Astra shared W's skeptical look, both shadowing the Aasmiar who led the way. "The locals are a little much but I think you'll like them." "Why's that?" W smirked with a knowing look as he hesitated. "A-ah, what I mean is, they'll accept you, like Hoofprint," He shyly scratched his head. "To explain, there's alot of old relics from Equestria's past, one such relic is called the Stepping Stone," He lost his positive demeanor once meeting W's blunt stare. "Really? 'Stepping Stone'. What's a window cleaner called, a 'Wishy-Washy'?" She snickered at her joke, Sora deadpanning momentarily until they reached the outskirts of the first few homes and farms, grabbing W by her cheeks to tilt her head forward and up slightly with a sly smirk. In no time her laughter hitched, and she swore her eyes bulged. "Woooow!" Astra beamed at the sight, hoping to hang from Sora's right shoulder for a clearer look at the spectacle Poking up about the rooftops against the face of a sharp cliff was a large, dark-stone archway, angled and cubic in manufacturing with strange, white cracks dividing pieces of the archway's spines. "That's the Stepping Stone, or a fancy way of saying, 'Gateway through to the other side of the mountains', any questions?" Her ember eyes met his humorous look before jerking her face free, pouting cutely while tugging her bag closer against her cloak. "...lucky you're cute..." No one really heard what W said, not even W herself as she took the lead in groveling through town. The whole town was as Sora described, not a single pony cared for her arrival, some even waved with alot of hearty energy than Ponyville. The strange thing that caught W's eye was the significant amount of pony-sized holes in the walls, though she didn't particularly care, this place was kinda out in the middle of nowhere. Once through the small town, the trio stopped before a small, cobblestone wall overlooking what appeared to be an old dig site nestled against the town. Wooden staircases led down from several points around the cliff into the old quarry. Centered at the base against the mountain was said Stepping Stone. The massive, basalt spines rising higher than the buildings and thicker than a tree trunk, strange, mystical energy flowing through cracks in the faces, almost like runes. All of this was illuminated with crystals that looked to have been mined from where the Rambling Rock Ridge. "Huh, so that's what they're used for...?" W murmured before something suddenly exploded behind them, Astra scampering behind W while Sora facepalmed with a groan. "What the hell?" Blinking with her brow raised From the dust of a new hole in the building behind them emerged an autumn-furred mare with her disheveled, amber mane tied into a tough ponytail, her tail medium-cut and messy too, eyes a smooth black. After dusting herself off, she waved a hoof back at the two ponies inside what appeared to be the side of a shop the trio had passed. "Haha, hope that helps with the reservations, guys!" Shaking loose bits of brick and dirt from her mane, the mare turned to the group, slowly beginning to smile. "Hey there, Travelers, passing through? Sorry 'bout the scare, gotta make room for expansions somehow, yeah?" "Um... yeah?" W murmured, unable to vocalize a reply before smiling excitedly. "I like this place already." "Of course you do..." Sora sighed defeatedly, he alone drew a gasp from the mare who zipped closer to him with a smile. Both Astra and W's brow rose when the timid Aasmiar scratched his freckled cheek. "H-hey, Onyx, nice meeting you again." "Well-Well-Well, if it isn't our little Prince - mmfph?" Her muzzle was clamped by Sora's hand, W looking around quickly, thankfully, not many ponies were nearby. Pulling back, Sora pressed a finger to his lips exciting a curious smile from Onyx. "Oooh, what's the troublemaker gone and caught himself in this time, hmm?" "Erm, about that." His eyes glanced over to the girls and Onyx followed, eyeing up the shy wave from Astra who still hid behind W's intimidating posture, the woman tucking her grenade launcher behind her cloak. "Onyx, this is W and Astra, girls, meet Onyx, a bit of a demolitions expert." "Hey-hey-hey, it's 'Professional Anarchy' I'll have you know," That brought a grin onto W's uncertain face when concerning the strange mare. "Heh, see, she gets it - destruction is an art," That then drew a parallel grin on Onyx's muzzle, chuckling loudly at the Sarkaz's words of the wise. "Took the meanin' out of my mouth!" She shuffled closer to Sora's legs, nudging his knee. "You should've told me you had a friend like this - might have dropped by sooner." "Sorry, W's... the reason I can't have ponies see me," His point of tucking his face behind his own hood was very indicative of that need to remain concealed. Spotting how anxious he was Onyx nodded slowly, waving her hoof. "Come on then, I got a place that'll give us time to clear the air - tell me, she one of those Aas-i-mar's like you?" She broke apart the word horribly, W just snickering under her hand. "And what's with the pointy tail and antenna? And the horns - *gasp* is she a dragon!?" "Onyx, just... *sigh*." Since the moment W met Sora, she never once saw him this flabbergasted by one person before, other than herself, of course. It was funny to see it from a different perspective. Since they knew each other W let her defenses down ever-so-slightly until they found a way to activate that gateway. "Oh, this'll be good," W commented, meanwhile Astra kept staring at Onyx though, only for the mare to smile once she caught the curious filly's stare. It didn't take the group long at all to debrief Onyx on the ordeal presented to them. Onyx was as Sora said, a demo with a strange gift to bust down walls and such with just her body, something about her talent resulting in her increased durability. She was one of the lead demolitionists in Hard Rock, the many holes in town were their way of expanding without the tedious need to gradually pull walls down. Onyx was deliberate with her destruction, and 'Art' as W saw it. She could cause chaos and control it to an accurate degree. "Woooah, so you're all from other worlds - gotta say, thought Prince here was the only one," Onyx rubbed her forehead, smiling slightly over the news. "Lemmie see if I got it straight. You want to get to Hollow Shades to look into some rumor of a pony that could tell ya where to find the jerk that put ya three in this situation, BUT, in order to do that you're lookin' to use the Stepping Stone, that about right?" "You're not certain, Miss. Onyx?" Astra pipped up. The group sat overlooking the town from a small, grassy ridge. At the formal greeting the filly gave her, Onyx lost her smile a little, apologetic. "Sorry, squirt, but things work a little differently here than in Equestria's towns - gotta prove yourself worthy of passin' through ol' Steppy." "'Steppy'?" Astra's head titled left, echoing the word as Sora added with a motion towards the quarry. "She means the Stepping Stone - as I told you, this town's strange - e-erm, no offense." He caught himself, Onyx just waving away. "No harm here, Prince!" "R-Right, as I said, they respect the ponies of old that built the archway, it's the landmark of their town, they don't let anyone use it on a whim unless they prove they're tough enough to handle whatever they're wanting to find on the other side," Sora elaborated, W nodding slowly while taking a bite of an apple, brow knitted against her forehead. "If we want through we gotta show these ponies we're the real deal?" "Exactly!" Onyx hopped to her hooves with a toothy grin, patting her chest. "Luckily, I kinda owe Prince here - I can rope a few favors in, all you have to do is show these ponies what you're made of! Sounds fun, right?" Even without Astra's help, the radiance of anticipation rolling off of Onyx was enough of a hint she was itching to plot this out. "You're really going to help us out?" W was skeptical, sure, Hoofprint was alright but so was Hard Rock? That only solidified the idea the Merchant only affected a certain number of ponies, but how long would that last? Cliffheart was still hot on their trail too and they'd all be caught up in the crossfire. It was a strange and conflicting situation W had to play far more delicately than prior to her arrival. "I... don't know." "W, we have to try," Sora patted her shoulder sternly. "There's no other way, Cliffheart won't stop but if we can use the Stepping Stone we have a chance to finally pull him off out tails - or yours." He joked slightly, seeing her smile struggle to lift but he understood, trust was a dangerous thing with W. "I'm going to regret this somehow..." W's bitter thoughts aside she smirked slightly though it was forced. "Well, what's the fun in taking the easy road? Alright, Miss. Boom, bring it." Her face lit up at the title. "Oooh, I like this girl - alright, gather at the Dust Pit in an hour, I'll round up a few representatives to make it all official!" With that, the mare stood up and... literally leapt off the cliff, hopping across the small points jutting from the wall like a mountain goat. "She's really good at that," Astra added, head tilted to one side in fascination while Sora pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, she's the reason I've nearly had a heart attack." That alone was enough for W to chuff, but again, she found herself staring back toward the outskirts of town. With every minute Cliffheart was drawing closer to finding them, if they wanted to escape, they needed that portal. "Hey, W?" "What's up?" She blinked, glancing over her shoulder at his wary face. "If it's about how I'm feelin' don't get yourself twisted about it, my problems are mine alone, don't need you worrying your pretty little head over me." Her tail rose to pat his forehead as she rose, stretched out her arms. "Right! Let's give these ponies a show - wonder how we 'show what we're made of'?" "Can we move here when my job's done?" W was buzzing with anticipation, a first in a long time in Astra's and Sora's eyes. They made it to Dust Pit. An old, and small quarry that had been outfitted to serve as a fighting pit. The only other level of the quarry used as an observation wing for all onlookers. Down in the center of the rectangular pit was the object of their 'Trial'. A big, black rock. "So, what's the rock for?" Onyx sat atop said large obelisk of rock with a cheeky grin. "This here's your opponent. Using whatever methods you want, the three of ya have to destroy this here boulder to prove to all these lovely patrons you're worth lettin' through ol' Steppy, get me?" The three nodded slowly, so the autumn mare clopped her hooves. "Sweet! Alright-Alright-Alright! How's everypony doin' today, feelin' thirsty for some mayhem!?" A massive chorus of cheers resonated across the Dust Pit, fueling the air with a strange sense of competition, all to see a big rock be reduced to rubble. W had some strange expectations for these ponies, so far, nothing she could possibly conjure could come close to this turnabout, not that she didn't like it, these ponies knew how to turn chaos into entertainment. Onyx turned back to the trio. "This here's a big chunk of obsidian left behind from the old mines, stuff's harder than most rock you'll find around here, all you got to do is break it, simple, right?" Of course, her words caused many to start doubling over in laughter. Sora stood there, rigid at all the attention under his hood with Astra sat between his legs looking around in wonder. W was still grinning like a child on Christmas Day, her fingers taut against her grenade launcher. "Well, good luck to you three!" With Onyx now away from the blast zone, W turned and did a curious bow to Sora. "After you, Prince." She winked, seeing him stifle a response while tucking his hood closer to his head. Switching places to look after Astra, the girls let the so-called royalty do the dirt work first. "Have fun~" "Good luck, Sora!" Astra blurted out sheepishly, earning her a small, relieved smile from the timid Aasimar who withdrew his twin silver swords. One of which gleamed a little brighter due to it being the original he fell into Equestria with. Sucking in a breath, he took his stance, wide, and strangely unique to what most ponies would call effective. The wind gathered around his body, bristling through his cloak while he solely focused on any weak points his sharp eyes could discern. Both longswords were enchanted with a radiant, pearl-white glow before streaks of light trailed behind Sora. W was surprised to have missed it for a second, his speed, regardless if he had wings or not, was spectacular. Sora struck the obstruction with several clean, divine slashes of light from his blades, leaving gashes of pure light on the surface of the obsidian behind him. Turning around, the light faded, and sadly only a few scars were left in the chunk of volcanic glass, the bits taken from the face littering the dirt. "Damn..." Slumping, he sheaved his blades, walking back around to W and Astra with a solemn face. "Sorry, compared to you I'm only really good at flight and casting light." W didn't blink, simply stepping past him while patting his shoulder softly. "Leave it to me, and thanks," That last part confused him but before he could ask W threw her own cloak into his arms, tugging the strap of her rucksack around, unzipping to reveal the plentiful bounty she had stored up over the many weeks of her tinkering away by her lonesome. "Hehehe..." No one understood what W was doing, why she inspected the boulder, sticking strange, rectangular boxes to specific points with putty. First, there were three, then eight... then twelve... then a dozen more. By now, Sora's face began to pale, eyes growing wider and wider with each additional C4 the mad-woman added to the pile. "U-Um, we... should probably step back - like, right now!" "M-Miss. Onyx, w-we should really move a-away!" Astra nervously called to the perplexed mare. By then, Astra was scooped up in Sora's arms while he ran for a small ditch close to the walkway that led down into the Pit. "Hit the deck!" He screamed, diving down with himself covering Astra protectively. Up above, W stepped a comfortable distance from the obsidian with a manic smile that only matched her crazed eyes. "CONTACT!" She held out her detonator and pushed the big red button. ... ... ... Sound completely ceased to exist for a split second, only an ear-racking ringing and sudden galeforce battering the stands as W's chained explosion set of a bright, burning orb of fire and debris before her shielded eyes. The heat expanded, blowing dust and dirt everywhere while the big kaboom finally reached everypony's ears, practically splitting the earth under the Dust Pit due to the sheer magnitude of explosives used. W's jacket and scarf flapped behind her antenna and hair, revealing her fanged grin and broadened eyes at the miniature mushroom cloud left in its wake. Once everyone's hearing and the visible plume of smoke passed. Astra poked her head out alongside Onyx and Sora, the trio staring, eyes wider than plates at the state W was in. She had survived the blast, standing there to bask in its glory with a proud smile and her hands stretched down at her sides, welcoming the aftermath, and the almost nonexistent remains of the obsidian obelisk. Her clothes were covered in dirt and scratched up in many places but she was smiling. "Ah... hail to the queen," Licking her chalky lips, the crowd was quick to burst into a roar of pleasure over the display of high explosive ordinance. Turning around, W put one arm over her now bare chest due to her shirt and part of her jacket being incinerated. The sight alone made Sora turn away with a maddening blush while W giggled through her teeth, fishing out a new shirt and jacket from her bag, itself unscathed. "Well, Kool-Aid lady, did I pass or what?" Onyx was caught between wonder and laughter, blinking as if the sight was a trick or ploy. But no, she truly witnessed the very thing her life was worth living for. A power unlike any other, beautiful as it was deadly. "Hehe... hahahaha! W-well how about it folks, think our traveler from the woods passed with flying colors!?" *APPLAUSE* While the town was in an uproar of jubilation, Astra smiled slightly. "She's happy." Hearing this, Sora leveled his eyes to the filly who continued to watch while W balanced putting on a T-Shirt while holding up her fist to accept the praise of the masses. "You think so?" He wasn't uncertain, W's smile spoke volumes of that, but it was clear her mind was still plagued with alot of questions and uncertainties herself. "Mmhm, her smile is real." His eyes followed forward. W grinned for all the world to see, a tiny blush on her face while waving her grenade launcher in her free left hand, scarf, and shirt flapping in a warm breeze left by her destruction. W felt it, her heart racing, skin crawling with excitement, this was what she had always wanted to feel, to be a part of. For the first time in a long time, Aoi felt like she belonged here. Sometime later, with the approval of Hard Rock's locals, the trio were free to travel between the Stepping Stone. Down by the archway, a small raised platform etched with runes and ancient scripts remained dormant as Onyx hopped up the old steps. "Well, guess this is farewell - sure you don't wanna stay the night, place can get real crazy after a display like that?" Her offer was tempting to them all, to finally have a place to rest that wasn't under a canopy. "Sadly, Cliffheart's going to have seen that and think it was W, so..." Sora trailed off, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, Onyx." Her hoof waved while the pair stood away from Astra and W who investigated the archway further, Astra pointing at the runes with a confused W listening closely, brow furrowed. "Quit fussin', always next time - oh, and bring her too, I like her," Again he nodded before adding. "So... another human like you, bet that's a lucky draw for you, eh Prince?" "Wha?" Sora's face was ajar at her wiggling brow. His head turned to W, seeing her arms crossed with a funny serious face trying to follow whatever Astra was saying. "Hmph, dense as always," Onyx shook her head, patting his leg. "You'll figure it out, bud - now!" Clopping her hooves, Onyx drew their attention to the central circle on the platform. "Right, to trigger ol' Steppy you first got to stand here, then, say the name of the place you want to go, easy-peasy." "I see," W murmured, stepping onto the rune with Sora and Astra in toe. "On three I guess, ahem, One." "Two..." Sora drawled. "Three!" Astra squeaked. "Hollow Shades!" Together, their voices caused the ground to shift and groan like an ancient dragon emerging from slumber. Many half-buried stones removed themselves from the earth to rotate around the Stepping Stone's newly defined orbit, the runes cast a bright azure that swirled, gathering between the ribs of the doorway. The sound of withered gears turned under their feet, causing the outer rings to turn and align, spelling out words and phrases in a forgotten language. All eyes were wide alongside the winning smirk on Onyx's muzzle before her face fell, spotting a group of ponies alerted by the gateway above. "Uh, you guys might want to pick your hooves up and fast!" Her warning drew them to spot those above. To W's scowl, it was Cliffheart and his merry band of idiots. "He's quick, I'll give 'em that." She huffed before grabbing Sora's shoulder. "Ladies first," With a shove, he was thrown headfirst through the vortex with a yelp. Astra nodded to W and leapt after him, leaving W to give Onyx and Hard Rock one last look. It sucked, she really wanted to see more of the town but sadly that would have to wait. "Thanks for the show, love this place." Onyx winked, brushing her amber bangs from her face. "Anytime - Keep the Prince safe for us!" "Will do - hey, Captain~!" W waved over to the scaffolding, spotting the know-it-all Captain from afar, his attention drawn to the silverette who threw up her middle finger and stuck her tongue out. "Bleh~" Skipping back, W threw herself into the swirling vortex, vision twisting and spiraling among the colorful stream of blues and whites that pulled her through a vast tunnel of light, hearing Astra and Sora squealing not far from her ear. It was hard to tell where she was going, spinning around without gravity's support made her dizzy but she was more than happy to finally have escaped the Royal Guard's eye. Somewhere underground the dull thud and rumble of the earth kept most subterranean creatures at bay. The caverns were extraordinarily hot before the Merchant's silent pause. His hand whisking away a small vision of W and her team vanishing into a vortex he had not seen before, its design and architecture old, perhaps older than he was. Looking forward, a large, molten trail of rock hissed, tinting the path forward a hellish orange, a large, moving form of magma shifting out of sight with an almost grotesque growl. "Here, this should provide some assistance," Lifting out a small clump of charcoal fur he had ascertained from the group's stop at a hot spring he held out the fur to a skeletal snout as it sucked in the lingering odor of its owner. The jaws split with a hollow growl, many more howling or snapping at the familiar scent. "Go, while my little hunter recovers, go finish the job." His words were cold and direct, shooing away the beasts that scampered off through the caverns, leaving red contrails in their stead. "This is the beginning of the end Aoi," A pair of lifeless, purple eyes reflected the flow of molten rock ahead. "I cannot wait for you to see it." To Be Continued... Author's Note This was a fun one, W really showing what's she made of to a town of anarchy-obsessed ponies! Finally, the team is approaching Hollow Shades, but what stands between them and The Dealer? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Perseverance The Stepping Stone spits the trio out inside the forgotten ruins of an ancient building. While searching for a direction to follow under the roofed forest. Sora makes a chilling discovery, one that may put W's life in jeopardy.
1-8 Perseverance"-the exiiiit!" Sora finished crying out before his face met slate, sliding across the ground with a groan. Behind him, Astra yelped while thrown from a similar gateway to the Stepping Stone, only old and coated in forestation and moss. She landed atop Sora's back with a cough, both groaning from the unpleasant travel. "Okay... mark that as something I never want to experience again." "Ugh... stars are everywhere." Astra's head spun before she flopped to his left, trying to regain her sense of direction. "Fuuuu - ack!" W was no better, colliding with a half-broken pillar, sliding down its remaining length with a whine. "I think I crushed my tail... and my horn." Her fingers rubbed the right horn tentatively while her tail slithered out from under her stomach, resting against the ground. "Guess we made it." "Barely, my stomach's in my throat and I don't think it's supposed to be there," He muttered, shaking his head. "Guess we can't complain, we did just cut our travel time in half." Stretching out his aching body, Sora took in their surroundings. "Easy for you to say, you don't have fucking extra body parts to worry about," W grunted, still soothing her horn after wacking it off the pillar. Then she patted her chest. "Guess the extra padding has other uses, heh." They stood within the shadowy remains of an old temple or church. The roof was gone, replaced with very few cracks in the forest's roof. The forest had retaken its rightful place among the ruins, their source of light were the many vibrant, bioluminescent plants and small creatures that gave off a colorful glow. Despite the rough entrance, the trio took the time to admire the sights of a world forever bathed in darkness. "It's like an endless night," Sora murmured beside W, the two in awe over nature's spectacle. "I always wondered if places like this existed in our world, never would have imagined coming to another would mean I'd get to see it." "Guess there's a silver lining to all this," W said in an almost unrecognizable voice, it was soft and tender, even if only for a moment. Clapping her hands, the mercenary took point on a fallen slab of concrete. "We should probably find us a place to set up camp 'till we know where to go from here," Her hand rested on her chest with a knowing smirk. "Take it from the girl who lived in ruins, no one likes unwanted intruders." "Right, I'll check the outskirts for anything," Sora decided "I'll go too," Astra said rather quickly, hopping alongside the Aasimar who got a stern look from the Sarkaz. "Look after her, Wing-Boy." Assuring her with a nod, the pair took off through a collapsed wall while W threw off her bag and launcher to assess their surroundings for a safer spot to set up shop. "Not much here but rocks I guess..." While W worked on creating a small firepit she winced from how her tail moved. Carefully she adjusted how it sat against the ground before continuing her work in peace, the hooves and feet no longer in earshot, giving her a momentarily lapse of serenity to hum her body's theme song. "Wonder what Astra wanted from Sora? Guess he is nicer than me, not much Astra can learn from a girl who only ever smiles in the face of anarchy, guess I can thank this body for that." Her mirthless frown was very indicative of that. "Sora... wonder if he likes me?" To say her chest didn't fill with worry it was all a front would be a lie. While distracted, a metal shadow shifted with the grace of wind, every movement calculative, stalking up on the back of the mercenary lost in her own thoughts. A large item rose, an almost invisible haze shifting across the shaft with lingering flakes of embers. In one, large breath, the figure lunged down from a small ledge above, by the time W noticed, all she saw were flames. On the prowl for any hostile creatures, Sora took point with his silver sword, hacking down any vines and shrubbery that obscured their path forward. Astra admired the sights of a world thriving in the dark, and for a second she wanted to simply explore with the Aasimar who too shared her enthusiasm for adventure. However, she had to tell him something away from W's sharp ears. "Do you like W?" "Huh?" He caught her words perfectly, it was the timing that made him stop to address the filly. "She's a little abrasive but I get that, I think she's a nice person under that persona of hers." Even in this new lighting, Sora could see he was being analyzed by the Seer. "Why'd you ask?" Astra pulled herself up onto a lopsided pillar, using it to follow Sora at chin level. "W likes you too." That made him miss a swing, lodging his sword into a tree trunk. "Sorry, I'm distracting you." "N-no, it's fine, bad handle," Yanking it free he pressed forward. "She... likes me?" "Mmhm, not because you're a human like her, but... you make her feel safe," Astra explained, skipping onto another pillar ahead, sliding down its length. "W cares alot about me, I like her too, but I'm scared the mean ponies might hurt her and I can't do anything, not... like this," She looked at herself before lifting her head to Sora's neutral expression. "She confides in you, she can be safe around you without that worry." This small revelation left Sora speechless, rather, it brought about an old memory that tugged at his mind. A twelve-year-old Sora sat by himself in the Royal Gardens, it was always very quiet there, and none of the mean Noble ponies could bother him with their hateful words, even after Celestia warned them, they'd find ways to crawl under his skin. He really liked it when ponies would stand by him but that didn't stop anything from reaching his ears. So he came out to watch Equestria from the edge of the cliff, somedays he let himself fall, stretching out his divine wings from the ether to simply feel happy. "Hey, kid, whatcha doing out here by the edge again?" That voice! Spinning around, Sora quickly wiped his eyes dry to see the red unicorn facing him with an almost neutral expression, wearing an outfit more suited for a person, or pony, on the road as some form of a bounty hunter. Cliffheart. Noticing the stains on the young boy's freckled face he grimaced. "Same ol' stuck-up ponies, picking on kids these days..." "I-It's fine, M-mom threw them out quickly after f-finding out." Sora sniffed, turning back around to the sky. Then something blunt whacked the back of his head. "Ow~!" "Seriously, that one was on you - turning away from a hunter," Sora's glare met the smug grin on Cliffheart's muzzle before his magic spun his staff through the air. "You've got to grit your teeth kid, bite back against them otherwise you'll just be another stepping stone for them." "B-but then they'd be r-right, t-that I'm..." Sora was again struck on the head lightly by the staff. "Stop doing that!" He pouted, making the crimson pony chuckle. "There we go, biting back feels good, right?" He admired how the meek child's scrunched-up face lifted again, but his eyes were far too honest. "Look, anypony can be a 'monster'. Griffon, Dragon, Changeling, you name it," Twirling his polearm, the blunt end tapped to Sora's chest. "But we've all got a choice - be a monster or be the guy that fights monsters, some agree, some don't, you just have to be willing to stick by those like you and believe in them and yourself." There was a stretch of silence as Sora digested Cliffheart's words before the hunter cleared his throat, scratching his nape. "Geez, I sound like my Master, ugh - come on, kid-" His magic formed into an imitation of a human hand, waiting for Sora to take it. "-Show me your fangs, or I can just keep hitting you 'till you do, heh." "-hey, Sora?" Astra's voice snapped him out of his trance to look upon a small cobblestone staircase curving off to the right toward an ancient array of pillars and archways. Astra stood around the middle, pointing a hoof down to the courtyard ahead. "There's a fire here." "What?" Confused he followed the dark filly forward toward the source of a crackling noise amongst the trees. There, nestled dead-center in the ruins was a campfire, although something was off, both with its appearance and the atmosphere. Carefully, Sora drew one of his swords, keeping Astra close to his legs while the pair approached the fire, looking around. "This... isn't a normal fire - and there's no one around too." "It feels... hollow," Astra's fur shivered, pressing her closer to Sora's calf. "In the fire, something is burning." While that was obvious she was right, not wood but... a sword embedded itself in a small pile of ashes at the base of the fire, not a speck of timber in sight. Upon closer inspection from the pair, the black sword wasn't even burnt by the flames at all, funneling the embers up the length of the blade. A coiled sword. The beating of Sora's heart stopped - pupils the size of pins before stumbling back. "O-oh no..." "Sora?" She felt a rush of panic slam into her soul, soon, her own worries began to bubble to the surface. "I-Is this bad-" He turned sharply, the color drained from his face. "W!!" Neither hesitated while making their return to the Stepping Stone, shoved through bushes and branches in an effort to cut as much time as possible between them and W's location. Scratches stung their faces while they ran and made hasty turns but with their adrenaline on high neither noticed, seeing a flash of bright orange from afar through the vibrance of the dark forest. Sora helped Astra climb over a large lip toward the wall, the pair scrambling up to peek through the large hole in the wall to inspect the surrounding area. There wasn't much to see at first, or until W came flying past Sora's eyes straight down the middle of the building, two knives intersected against a large, blazing sword as it stuck vertically, slamming her back into the ground on her knees. The tiger orange veil on the hilt drawing back the coiled blade to its owner. W was smiling madly, discarding her broken knives in favor of one inverted in her left, and her grenade launcher in the right. "Hahaha, been a while since I felt actually threatened, and by a pony no less!" This was no ordinary pony, W could feel it clearly with every stroke of that sword. It was a unicorn decorated in badly worn and charred armor, vibrant embers crackled and popped across its armor, flaking off in a silent breeze behind it. The greatsword was charred black, blazing hot with a strange, coil of metal twisted around the blade. Completely fixed on the fight, neither noticed Sora or Astra spectating from afar. The unknown pony adjusted his stance accordingly. "For a beast-" The blade's hilt was poised high, the tip of the sword low. "-your survivability is admirable." Not another word passed as he rushed W, a column of flames rushing from his left hoof to force W into the path of his sword. She leveled her sights and unleashed a large payload that struck the sweeping blade. Through the smoke and flames, the sword grazed a few strands of hair while W skipped back, carelessly dropping a grenade and its pin. She dived under a diagonal cross of the blade, moving away from an explosion that tossed the knight to her right, another stream of fire gushing from his hoof like a fountain of volcanic slag. W hissed as some stung her skin but otherwise was able to retrieve one of her mines, tossing it to where the ruined knight landed, another explosion flinging the impervious knight sideways. To her surprise, the knight recovered by embedding his sword into the ground, slinging his hoof around the handle so that his back hooves could buck W's forearm, shoving her back while the blade carved a line of fire toward her, building heat and friction in the edge. Narrowly she slid out of the rising slash, diving over a cross-slant that left her on the defense, tossing several knives from her belt, though that did little to halt the monstrous knight from wrapping his magic around her ankle, flicking W across the hall and into a pillar with an unpleasant 'slap'. Slumped, the knight steadied his approach toward her form, careful to stay out of her reach while ensuring she wasn't conscious. "Hmm... what are you exactly?" While pondering on this notion, he quickly brought his sword high, swishing down for Astra to gawk in fright at the sight of the blade's metamorphosis. It was thinner and had elongated into that of a spear. Drawing back, he charged with the intent to immobilize W who's eyes snapped wide, performing a handstand to hop over the reach of the spearhead, pressing her boots against its length to kick the pony in the helmet, rolling away from the wider arc of the weapon. "So you were bluffing." "No shit sherlock." W huffed, not wanting to spare a moment to chat before the knight charged a current of gold light into his left hoof, static and random bolts discharged while the energy manifested into a small spear of lightning. With a thrust, he tossed the bolt skyward, and W was frozen for a second out of clear stupefaction. The lightning bolt scattered into a dozen replicas, descending upon W who rushed behind a pillar, evading them stream of electricity that tore through the concrete, the blast almost taking her legs out from under her while wrapping her tail around her waist. Turning to her target she almost lost her stomach as the spear was caught between her hands by the shaft, keeping the blade out of reach while sliding back on her heels, biting her cheek. The knight huffed and drew the spear down, discombobulating W enough for the knight to shorten his spear, the embers scattered like roses, unveiling the scimitar through flames and ash. And yet, W froze, eyes wide and mouth ajar with only a single phrase to say at that moment, perhaps the most delicate words she's spoken to date. "You're the one from the convention..." A subtle tilt of the scimitar's descent and both found its edge lodged into the slabs beside W's foot, herself still staring down at the armored pony in shock, his own hidden under the helmet. A long, almost unbearable pause passed before the knight spoke, voice remaining aged and wise. "How do you know of that?" "Because I saw you," W murmured, pointing to the blade at her foot. "You bought a replica of that Coiled Sword. You're the Soul of Cinder, aren't you?" Now that she had the pieces in place, the fire, the changing weapon, and the lightning spears all made sense it was almost laughably obvious. "It's really you... I... I never would have thought..." "Me neither," His sword reverted to its original state while leaving it buried in the ground. "...I see now, something is amiss, less you really are a monster toward these kind ponies." "Tch, kind my ass, tin man." She chuffed before noticing Sora and Astra peeking out from their hiding spot. She was about to say something before noticing the cracks webbed up the edge of the pillar, and the bits of rubble crumbling from the unstable ceiling above. Without thinking her body moved of its own accord. "Get down!" Her hand shoved them aside in time before the ceiling collapsed from her fight, effectively trapping the mercenary who cried out from the pain flaring from her leg. The dust settled again, displaying W who's right leg was pinned beneath the concrete, trapping her for whatever else was bound to fall due to the chain reaction from the crumbling ruins. "W!" Sora rushed to her aid, sinking his sword under the stone to wedge her leg free, even as she winced from the relief of pressure from her limb. Up above, the rest of what remained as the ceiling shifted and split, eventually collapsing under the lack of support. Astra closed her eyes, cupping her ears in fright while Sora refused to look up and simply did all he could to pry W free with his sword, herself attempting to shuffle out against the pain. "Hyrah!" A single, blazing streak of iron tore through the concrete above, raining rubble and debris upon the group while a heat blast threw the larger chunks far from their sight. The Soul of Cinder landed with a grunt, sheaving his sword while moving alongside Sora to help free W with his magic. "So this is where you ran off to, Prince." "S-seriously? Him too?" W glared weakly at the embarrassed Sora who tried to smile reassuringly, but by now she was far too caught up with her injury to care. "Fuck... ah." It wasn't broken but clearly sprained while she attempted to stretch it out flush against the floor. "W..." Astra shuffled over to her, looking a little misty-eyed for the injured Sarkaz. With a strong grin, she patted the filly on the head, allowing her to sit by her side while refusing to visibly show her pain. "I didn't see it..." "It's all good, kid, next time we have to wander through ruins, can we not?" W sighed, leaning up against a slumped slab of concrete to face the silent knight and the timid Sora. "You boys want to start talking? May be down a leg but I can still kick your asses." A bluff but anything to keep up appearances while Astra rushed to grab a few things from their bags to help W's leg. "R-right, um, if I'm honest, I-I didn't know Cinder was back in Canterlot." Sora's poor argument didn't subdue W's dark glare while she awaited a decent answer. "I wasn't, I was informed of, 'The Beast of the Everfree' while exterminating creatures out in the Badlands, had I known it was another Displaced like ourselves I'd have shown some restraint." That drew out a laugh from the silverette in question. "Aww, afraid to disappoint the Royal Guard if you killed me?" Her sickening coo forced out a long sigh from Cinder. "...I apologize, Miss, I... was ill-informed," Looking back at the crumbled ceiling he elaborated. "What monster would risk her life for the innocent the way you did? No, something is terribly amiss, perhaps the Abyss has risen once more?" "Seriously? He gets the Abyss and you get a Necromancer? What the fuck, Merchant?" W was appalled, allowing her head to slump against the concrete while biting her lip from whatever Astra was doing to help lessen her leg's injury. "Since I'm, you know, stuck like this, want to share your story? Got nothing better to do?" Cinder took a moment to consider her words. For the longest time, Sora was the only other Displaced, and now another sat before him, possibly with more to offer, and who happened to have seen him that fateful day. "Was she that girl with the hoodie?" "My real name is Kaid, and over forty years ago I was once a regular human being..." To Be Continued... Author's Note Bet you thought he was gonna be their enemy, huh? Twist! It's that passerby from the very beginning who bought the Coiled Sword. His little backstory is up next with a fabled answer to a question. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: The Only Thing Cinder reveals a little of his transgressions as Sora had done before, and perhaps something that may lead them toward The Dealer's whereabouts in Hollow Shades. And Astra has another episode, only it is not what it seems.
1-9 The Only ThingPerseverance. If one thing I have learned to live with is that I was never one for perseverance for I lacked the drive to pursue such motivation in life. The day I woke among the ponies of this world I felt... foreign and afraid, not of them but of myself. I could hardly call fathom the strength I may wield behind my sword, the durability of my armor, of a flame that yearned to burn brighter than the sun itself. In its essence, the First Flame burned inside me, wanting to set the world ablaze. The creatures of the Abyss came for Canterlot, their corruption seeping through the cracks, to bring the peaceful nation down without sense or reason. In time, I learned that one does not simply push aside fear in favor of perseverance, It is a term used to measure one's resolve, to accept the burden of their mistakes, of the toughest choices and fears, and continue regardless toward a world without conflict. I was a coward, and that alone made me stronger. And that alone, set the Abyss on fire While a fire brought a much more solid and foreboding glow around the small camp set amongst the ancient ruins. W sat with her back flush against a slanted slab of stone while her strained leg remained slightly propped up with a blanket. All eyes were focused solely on the newest addition to the fire, a lone ruined knight who seemed to be enraptured by the flames. "It is true that the man you saw that day was I - however, time has clearly fluctuated," His helmet tilted toward Sora. "For all of us." He put his forehooves together. "When I arrived, the events of this world's show had yet to transpire, so I had no direction, my body was... human, but that was a long time ago, I am content with this form, it has certain charms, especially for a Hollow, though I do not believe I am such." "Sorta like how I'm not sure I'm even Infected," W replied for the first time since Astra. "No Merchant?" Kaid, or Cinder in Equestria, shook his head. "Sadly I have not heard his voice in all this time, though my foe was indeed an acolyte of the Abyss, thankfully it wasn't severe otherwise Equestria would be a pale imitation today." "Spectacular," W huffed, rolling her eyes a moment. "Well then, guess I can catch you up on the latest shafting I've been given." Before anyone could interject, W remarked with a wave of her hand and pitch dripping with venom. "I've been shot at, stabbed, sliced, burned, restrained, had my name run through the mud, called a monster, been manipulated, forced to run and hide in forests for days on end - Oh, did I mention how the Merchant's twisted a handful of significant idols in Equestria into being my mortal enemies? Or what about how they sent You to detain or kill me? Sorry, guess I missed the part where I'm supposed to just tuck that under the rug." Even with only a single reply, W left them all speechless. Astra could feel all her potent emotions that were hidden so well. The Sarkaz's aura was spiked with jadedness and scorn, eyes burning hotter than the fire between them. Not once had W taken her eyes off of Cinder, she didn't trust him, and Astra could feel it, regardless of her Seer abilities. "I... cannot dispute your claims," Cinder sighed, bowing his head. "You do not trust me, I would act no differently in your place, you have suffered great injustice and that I unforgivable, I apologize for my actions, W." "..." She kept her silence, looking down at her leg. "...do you know who The Dealer is? If so, then you can stay, otherwise, get lost." "W..." Sora tried to speak out but a metal hoof held him back. "You need not worry, Sora, she has every right to distrust me," Much as he wanted to say otherwise, Sora knew what it meant to keep the truth from W's ear, she took it like a slap to the face. "As for The Dealer... yes, I have met him myself." This notion spiked a series of gasps from the group. "Seriously? T-that's great, right!?" Sora grinned, seeing W's face lightened a little. "What's his deal then? How would he know about the Merchant, about us?" She motioned to the group before Cinder spoke, tapping a hoof to the ground. "His name is Gambit, a Dealer and mischievous character who can offer anyone a wealth of knowledge and power for a price," Cinder shook his head, almost out of reluctance. "If we wish to find the reason for our existence in this world... we would need something of value that he wants, he will not cooperate otherwise." "Crap..." W slumped back, Sora sharing in her posture "We don't exactly have our pockets lined with treasures." He sighed while Astra blinked widely, looking to Cinder expectantly. "Astra?" "I might have something," Without another word Astra trotted toward their belongings, fiddling with the bags diligently, then she gasped, pulling something out with her hooves. "I-I found this before I met W, w-will this work?" Displayed before the group was a crystal the size of a human hand. It was pitch black and retained many small splits of white across its polished surface, even for a raw mineral. W picked it up from the filly's muzzle, inspecting it. "What the hell is this?" She weighed it with both hands. "Heavy too," "I have never seen an ore like this, perhaps it may be of value to Gambit, we can only hope," Cinder proclaimed, looking at W directly, fiery eyes greeting concealed ones evenly. "I have lived a long and fruitful life in this world, regardless of my body or transgressions brought about by the Merchant, so, for one last venture, allow me to help you see to the end of this manipulator." "'Last venture'?" Sora muttered, eyes curved in worry for the old knight who shared a chuckle, patting the Prince's shoulder. "Ahem, I may have... seriously grown to accustom to speaking with this vocabulary, I just want a vacation," Despite his age, Cinder's tone of voice came off as Irish to W, the sound making her smirk slightly while the Lord sighed. "And I want a damn drink but noooo, can't have booze in the armory they say, tch." "Hahahaha... Oh My God, we have fucking Irishman helping us, this is rich," W snickered, Sora sharing a small chuckle while Astra smiled, seeing W offer her the crystal again, W winked at the skeptical look on the filly's face. "It is yours, kid, better you than me." "Does this mean you accept my offer?" Cinder inquired to the nonchalant 'eh' and shrug from the woman, her tail pointed toward his throat. "Keep up your end and we'll see if I don't bury you in a shallow grave by the morning... or night or... what the hell is the time anyway, I can't see shit," Her arms threw themselves up at the dark ceiling, unable to tell where the sun or moon were. Later that day/night, W remained by the fire, not that she could move anywhere else in her condition. The silverette winced while attempting to adjust her spot, already missing the ability to walk like a normal human being. "Dammit..." It was a pain but rather her than her friends. "You okay?" Sora asked but saw her blunt stare, causing him to chuckle lightly. "Sorry, dumb question-" His face lit up, however, "-here, I can help." "How...?" She tensed a little before seeing him move to sit by her injured leg, cupping her ankle with his right while resting his left on her injury, again, making the girl bite her cheek. "A-ah... easy there." "Sorry, just try to relax," Closing his aqua eyes to focus, a gradual, pale gold shimmer enveloping her leg with a strange, soothing warmth. At first, her pain remained as it were gradually easing to a mild throbbing sensation until Sora opened his now heavy eyes, appearing to be quite drowsy. "Hah... t-there... done..." Completely taken back, W bent her knee and felt nothing but a dull pulse in her leg, whatever he did just healed her injury in a span of seconds. "Healing Hands..." It was one of the few tricks an Aasimar had or atleast the ones aligned with Good/Neutral. Then she quirked a skeptical brow. "And it never occurred to you to use it before because..." Then she gasped, seeing the ravenette struggle to hold himself upright without her hands pressed to his firm chest, keeping him stable. "H-hey, you good?" "Y-yeah, it takes... alot from me, more than flying," He managed a weak smile while wiping the sweat from his brow. "I'm useless though, can't do much but heal minor injuries like your leg, even then I'm completely tapped out." "Useless?" That wasn't a word she's associate with Sora, given what he is, what things he's capable of if anyone had a minimal amount of tricks it was her. Explosives and a so-and-so Arts she couldn't even use properly. "When that Thing took Astra I barely could keep up, I... even tried to stop you," His eyes were cast to the fire again, not wanting to look her in the eyes. "When Cliffheart chased us I couldn't help without being spotted and identified, and back at Hard Rock my swords couldn't so much as put a dent in the obsidian without your help, and now with Cinder here you... don't need-" "Shut up," Sora jolted from her fist jabbing him in the stomach, seeing her tail come dangerously close to his eyes. "Don't you dare say that to my face," Never before had he heard her voice get so serious, not without a level of sarcasm or dark humor that is. W sat up straight, lifting his face by the chin so that he could face her directly, face scrunched up angrily. "You still helped me get Astra back, and besides, those gashes you left on that dumb rock helped weaken it, otherwise I doubt my explosives would've done much more than burn my clothing off." "R-really...?" It was hard to believe, or maybe he just felt this way because it had always really been him and his unique abilities. Cinder didn't stick out unless absolutely necessary so W and Astra were the first like him to exhibit unique abilities publically. Letting his face go, W leaned back, smiling up at the roofed forest. "You seriously worry too much - if I'm honest... wish I knew you before this," His eyes widened at her honest look skyward, a small smile played at her lips. "Cheesy as it sounds, I'm glad I did." He was speechless. "I, um..." "W?" Shaking both from their moment was none other than Astra, her sleepy gaze lost to a pang of worry. "Hey, kid, what's up? Bad dream again?" W replied on reflex, Astra's dreams were often filled with nightmares so W took it upon herself to ensure Astra told someone, most of the time it was the merc. One nod was all W needed before waving her over while Sora sat beside the pair, body attempting to recover from his healing ability. "Hit me." Astra looked around, snuggled up against W's side while the woman's arm wrapped around her protectively. "I... think something followed me to Equestria," That froze them both immediately, a drum of doom resounding in the humans' hearts. Both gave each other a small glance, allowing the filly to continue. "They were big... scary, those wolves I-I think..." Her eyes rose to them in panic. "I-I brought them here, I... I led them t-t-to..." "Hey, shh," Hugging Astra close to her side, W stroked her mane while placing one hand on her grenade launcher instinctively. "It's alright, whatever it is we'll take 'em down, just like the Infected, no sweat." Reassuring the shy filly wasn't easy, without her memory completely filled in left Astra conflicted and confused constantly. "It's okay..." "I just want to know where she came from, then maybe we could help more," Sora whispered in W's ear, herself nodding. "Whatever it is we'll find out soon enough, for all we know, they'll be tracking her like the Infected are to me." "Or that Necromancer was to me." Sora reinforced the possibility. The Merchant had sent the Forsaken after Astra before, what's to say these 'Wolves' won't follow? No matter what, neither of them would let harm come to the filly again, nor would the knight who listened in from afar, his hoof resting upon his sword. To Be Continued... Author's Note Kaid, the Soul of Cinder is the last to represent. I realize I never did give Astra her own term to roughly encapsulate her flaw, I might change that if I can. Cinder isn't like the others as he has come to terms with his own flaw, his role in the group will be established in time, promise. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Better Be Brave After many trials and tribulations, the group finally arrives at the outskirts of Hollow Shades. To their shock, one is there to greet them all in person.
2-0 Better Be Brave"-my point stands, DS Two was bloated with bosses when it's not needed," W waved her hands passively between Cinder and Sora. "I'm not saying that it isn't, but some have their charm," Cinder complied, cutting away the vines between them and their undetermined pathway through the roofed forest. "I dislike the future PVP bosses." "Ugh God, I hate that church in the Ringed City!" She moaned while leaning her head against Sora's shoulder, much to the boy's embarrassment while aiding the silverette in walking a little more comfortable until the effects of the medication soothe the last of her injuries. Astra poked Sora's calf, drawing the ravenette's orbs down to the quiet filly. "What does 'PvP' stand for?" "'Player versus player', a term used in games, example, if I and W went head-to-head in a game it would be 'PVP'." He elaborated for the curious filly caught out of their loop. "I'd totally kick your ass - both of you have been excommunicated from video games for years in Equestria, I, on the other hand, have not." W put a hand on her chest with a smug grin, only to quickly yelp as Sora deliberately shifted his weight, forcing her to balance herself. He took a little pride in seeing her become quiet and flustered herself, "Ass..." Their journey was almost coming to a close thanks to the addition of Cinder's 'Bonfires'. Since he had spent a long time in Equestria, he provided a little bit of context to how he traveled across the land... "So this thing can warp us closer to Hollow Shades just like that?" W snapped her fingers, resulting in the ponified Hollow nodding to her action, his hoof outstretched to the pommel of the coiled sword resting in the embers. "With this I have crafted an assortment of counterfeit blades, recreating the Bonfires that served players among Dark Souls, they allow me to traverse Equestria in hours instead of days," As he explained his methods of travel the trio stared at the fire together in awe. Noticing this made the old Displaced chuckle. "Well, it suits my needs, although the larger quantity of people can take its toll on my stamina." "Again, I probably have an incurable illness, one of us can see souls, another is a manifestation OF souls, and the other can fly and heal things..." W's antenna twitched with her faked smile. "Great, I feel like I got short end here." "So that's why there's a bonfire in the smithy...!" Sora beamed, earning a silent look from the girls as he grinned sheepishly. "Ahaha, sorry, I don't really go down there often." "The more I hear of where you live the more I want to blow it up," W grunted, totally not from envy, no-no. "Mr. Cinder-" His head titled to Astra's voice, meeting the child's large, silver eyes. "Your aura is... strange, like alot of others on top with strange shifts, kinda like waves." "Get used to her pointing this stuff out, by the way," W teased while ruffling her mane. "It is fine - sharp observation, due to my Displacement as the Soul of Cinder I am a manifestation of the Souls that rekindled the First Flame of Dark Souls, so my abilities are stem from previous warriors, that is why my soul may appear abnormal to a Seer." While the answer seemed to satisfy the curious girl, Cinder kept focused on her eyes, and of her warning the night before. "Just where did she come from? Perhaps our world or another? She hardly fits the look of any discernable characters I am aware of." "Hey, look!" Sora spoke up, gliding down to land before W with a smile. "Up over the ridge, I think I see the town." This news, coupled with everything the trio had been put through gave them a much-needed energy boost. They jogged up the hill, Cinder following shortly after to spot through the illuminated woods the town of Hollow Shades. From the glow of the forest, the town wasn't far, the glow of lanterns dotting the treeline. The buildings were gothic in design, looming among the trees and against the cobblestone walls that protected the town. Their grey-brick walls stretched taller than your average house, black-tiled roofs with a tint of dark purple to them. Lanterns swung on black chains and between the trees. Some trunks sprouting vibrant, bioluminescent plants for an added variety of color. Cinder bowed his head with a hoof outstretched toward the buildings. "Welcome to Hollow Shades, Sora, W, Astra." "Heh, why thank you," W giggled, taking a second to bask in its eternal night. A large weight was beginning to ease off her shoulders, the answers she sought for weeks were there, somewhere in that town. "Almost there..." Astra spoke next, though her voice was shaken, eyes dilated. "U-u-um, w-w-W?" "Huh?" "After all this time, you have finally made it-" The sickly smooth voice immediately earned the chime of a grenade vacating W's launcher, the large shell missing its target by an inch, striking a nearby tree with a devastating amount of splinters and bark. The force and suddenness of the attack barely resulted in a flinch. "-I guess congratulations are in order," Everyone was on edge once more. Astra remained between the trio with Cinder raising his sword to guard the filly, Sora raised both swords with a sharp glare beside W's hellish face. The look she sent the man's way was nothing short of sickening, bloated with venom. "Finally feel like chatting, huh?" W snarled while her tail thrashed off the ground. Dressed in black ragged clothes, face obscured behind the cloth and a hood was the being all had suffered from. The cause of all that was pitted against W stood there, mocking them atop a tree branch with a frightening calm demeanor, as though all were played into his hands. The Merchant spoke with a small bow and tip of his cowl. "I apologize for my rudeness to you before, I simply... admired your vicious drive to succeed, to prove your worth to these degenerate Equines - I have felt the same way in a certain case." "Why are you here?" Cinder kept a cold, low tone with the Merchant. He walked toward the edge of the curling branch, light as a feather with every step taken under W's sightlines. The Merchant lifted a hand before him as if to grasp a globe. "I had no reason to be here other than to say... turn back," His voice was low and gravely. W snorted, holding her launcher toward his center mass. "Want me to come up there and call you 'Master' while I'm at it, asshole?" Barking back W quickly added. "Admit it, you just want to kill us right now, don't yo-" "No, that would be a step backward," The Merchant replied coolly. "Fine then, go, perhaps then you will understand your roles, and realize the futility in picking a fight you can't win," His head lowered, shaking until a deafening cry reverberated from the town ahead. "Hmm, seems they found you, Warrior." This time, his eyes were revealed, piercing amethysts trained on the confused Astra. "Huh?" "W? Hollow Shades, it's-" Sora froze when he saw W's arm trembling, her face scrunched up in rage. The Merchant was standing there, to Sora, he was an enemy but compared to W, this might as well have been the very person who tore everything from her hands. Sora, Cinder, even Astra had something to support them when they arrived in this world, but W? She had nothing but herself and a hatred for the Merchant. "He's making her choose..." "Which is more valued to you, Aoi?" W visibly flinched, finger pressed to the trigger. "This world or your childish revenge?" "Stop screwing with me...!" She hissed yet remained rooted, even while the Merchant slowly strolled toward the trunk of the tree, a ripple in the air forming at the cast of his hand. "You can't run forever. I'll kill you!" "No-" He paused briefly, shaking his head. "-You won't." Like mist, he vanished from their fingers. Everyone stared at W, still shaking, hand forever poised toward the tree. "W..." Sora approached her, resting his hand on her wrist causing her to flinch and lower her weapon, head down in defeat. "We'll get him, count on it." "..." She said nothing and instead, turned to the town crying out in peril. "...I'm a mercenary-" She pulled away from Sora's hand, much as it did put her at ease. "-I've still got a job to do." She left without another word, leaving them all to consider the sudden encounter briefly. Sora sagged his shoulders, a hoof patted his lower back, belonging to Cinder. "She has endured far more than most, leave her be, she will come around." "I just wish I could've said something than just... that." It felt so empty to him too. "In time, come, Hollow Shades requires our aid, come," Kneeling down, Cinder allowed Astra to hop onto his back, and soon the pair took chase. "...they're here... it's the Wolves..." Those harrowing words alone forced the Hollow and Aasimar to run as though their own lives were on the line. Hollow Shades had seen better days than most, unlike today under the constant dusk. Bat Ponies and a handful of ponies ran in terror to their houses and places far from the monsters that terrorized the streets and torn down stalls and anything not made of concrete. Dark shadows ran across the sharp rooftops and hid among the shadows cast in alleyways. Howls and cries of beasts ran rampant from the eastern entrance to Hollow Shades. One group of Bats were kept close by a Thestral with a spiked mane wearing a red bandana; With just his hooves he twirled a moonlight spear to face the creatures. Using its length to keep their snarling jaws back, buying the innocent Bat Ponies a chance to flee. "What, afraid of a little toothpick are we?" He jested, keeping an almost confident demeanor over the large, imposing figures. "Heh, bunch of overgrown pups is all you are." One's glowing eyes narrowed, muzzle lifting at a growl before it pounced, swiping the spearhead away, he quickly returned it, carving out the creature's eye as it howled, slapping the spear down into the dirt, leaving the Bat open to be gouged on the spot. It pounced and his eyes widened considerably. W grasped a sign hoisted by chains on a corner balcony, using the mounted piece to whip around the corner, finger pressed to the trigger the second she sighted the monster. With a single 'thunk' the pellet struck the large figure, blasting it far from the Bat Ponies and across the street. It shook itself amongst the smoke, disorientated that it didn't see the grenade rolling by its feet until it was consumed in a large plume of smoke and fire. Landing beside the unique ponies, W kept her crooked smile, eyes cast as bright as the glowing fauna. "Nice toothpick." The bandana-wearing Bat smirked. "Nice boomstick." Through the dark mist left by the creature, more took its place, thereby offering W a view of what she was up agains - her eyes froze over the sight, gripping her launcher tighter while shrugging off her cloak. They were large, dark, werewolf-like creatures with their bone exposed along their snout, eyes casting a red contrail. Most stood on all fours while a few bent upright on their hind legs with a slouch. Bodies muscular under a coat of jet black fur. "Grimm..." The words whispered off her tongue confused the Bat ponies until she huffed, glaring down those still standing there to gawk at the hairless ape. "Well? Do I look like a Guard to you? Run!" The spear-pony quickly ushered them behind W and far from the pack of Beowolves circling her from the streets and buildings, all enchanted by her potent scent of rage and bloodlust. Due to the Merchant all W wanted, no, yearned for was to make something around her writhe in pain, to be buried under her boot, to feel everything she felt and so much more. The first Beowolf lunged for her nape, sneaking upon the Sarkaz who simply folded her arm over her shoulder, obliterating the wolf's head, leaving it with a stump that crumbled away. Reloading with a flick, W hopped back from a pair of claws, kicking it across the snout and into the line of silver saw through the sky. Sora spun around, splitting its head in two while performing a helix spin to disperse two more Grimm that attempted to ground the Aasimar. "You really love getting yourself in trouble." "You should really have grown used to my charm." She smirked, popping another grenade off as it struck the corner of a dilapidated building, tossing a Beowolf from the edge. With a bump of her tail off Sora's awaiting fist, the two separated, charging toward the frenzy that followed their emotions like the scent of blood. "Boom!" W slid on her back, evading a diving wolf while sticking a C4 to its gut, leaving another on the ground before pouncing over a bipedal Grimm, using its snapping jaw as a stepping stone over the horde as her fingers slammed down on the shiny red button. Three chain explosions tore through the horde, freeing the air for Sora to spin-kick a Beowolf into a stand, sending planks flying that his swords carved through, blinding the second Grimm while blocking a claw swipe of the third. Using the blinded one's back he pressed his feet to its spin, lunging to amputate the third, kicking off its face, splitting the skull in one vertical slant. A grenade bounced between the stand and the blinded wolf, blowing them to charred chunks. Sora roared at the top of his lungs, leaping into a spin to sever another pair of arms from a Beowolf, followed by an uppercut with the edge shoved through another's jaw and out the top of its head. Pulling out, Sora flew under a set of claws, slicing another down. Flicking his left blade back, he enhanced it with light, blinding the sneaky Beowolf briefly for the upper half of its jaw to come off clean horizontally. He waited for another two wolves yet a mine's little bobble poked from the dirt road, erupting into an inferno, leaving only dust in its wake while a demon flew through the flames, drop-kicking another in the chest for Sora to take advantage of, impaling it with both tips of his swords, tossing the corpse aside while both pressed their backs together, facing the late arrivals from the rooftops. W flicked her hair back, nudging Sora's shoulder. "Fly-Boy, we got the Big Boi!" Looking in her general direction, he felt his heart skip at the somewhat larger Grimm approaching with the corpse of a small wolf crumbling in its hand. Its bone structure is more visible, this time with its rib cage protruding out of its chest. Its claws are also longer, and the bones appearing out of its forearm thicker. Its knees have more external bone poking out. The black fur, however, is still visible. With a single sniff of the air, the glowering eyes leered past the duo and toward Cinder who carved through the stragglers with a blazing spear of brimstone. The Alpha's gaze traveled further, spotting the small filly helping a few Bat Ponies to their hooves to escape, then it howled in rage. "Crap, it's after Astra!" Sora warned, putting W on high alert with her sights set immediately to the large wolf, firing a grenade as it yanked up one of its underlings, using it to bat the explosive through the treetops above. Even Sora blinked slowly. "Huh, that's a new one." "The Big Bad Wolf's got talent, cute." W cooed, loading another while Sora deflected the swipe of a Beowolf behind her back. "Come on, we can do this." "I've got your back." That alone was a comforting thought to her, the pair dividing once more to wither down their enemy's numbers. Over by Cinder, he held back a Beowolf with his longsword's face, shoving it back with a searing hiss of flesh and fur melding together. Spinning around his magic tore a streak of fire through the air, burning through three Beowolves with a single slant of molten metal, his right hoof poised over Astra to scorch another approaching from the alleyway. To his admiration, the filly was barely fazed at all by the heat, from spending so much time with W it had simply become second nature to her to never fear fire or loud noises. She liked it. "Duck!" Cinder followed her command, diving under a wolf's swipe as it clattered across his helmet and pauldron, only for his longsword to curve upright, severing the limb while twirling to cut the beast in half. "Are you okay?" "A mere scratch, thank you for spotting for me." He saw her give a little salute of her hoof, so much like how the brash Sarkaz woman acted. Now he could see it, this filly wasn't just W traveling companion, it was as if she was her mentor. "So that is who you are," "Hyrah!" He grunted, batting another aside for a pair of Therstals to pass by. "Follow the charcoal girl's words, she will direct you both toward the safer streets." "T-thank you!" The male complied as the numbers began to thin, say for those cornering W and Sora alongside the Alpha. "Mr. Cinder, I think everyone's clear of the east!" Astra blinked after focusing briefly on the area, finding no other traces of emotions from sources outside of their immediate area. It was a little stressful poking at the emotions around her, especially the Grimm, they were... hollow, just like in her dreams and memories, they were empty, a blackness surrounding their form. Then she gasped. "Behind you!" "Hmph," Cinder held firm, erecting a large, tiger-orange barrier to parry the Alpha's encroaching claws, seeing them hook against the veil to actually vault over his form, solely focused on the filly standing no more than three feet away. Lowering the barrier, Cinder moved with a great deal of speed, weapon clanging in the air, inverting with a bright whitish-cyan glow atop the pommel. Drawing his magic into the tip of the pommel, a cascade of Farron Hail cut across the brief gap, the darts piercing and shattering against the Alpha's platted growths like glass, some piercing its flesh. This did little to stagger the Grimm as it slammed both forearms into the dirt, missing Astra who managed to roll aside at the last second. Backing away, she was low enough that Cinder conjured a great deal of magic from his soul into the staff, embroiling the blade with a massive sky-blue Soul Greatsword that came sailing across the street, severing a few lamposts and sweeping against the Alpha's ribcage, throwing the beast backward. Safeguarding Astra, Cinder summoned two large Crystal Soul Spears to batter and discourage the Alpha as it thrashed through the attack, fracturing their forms with sheer strength. Up above, W slid down a rooftop, firing a grenade as it fractured the left-hand side of the wolf's muzzle, her feet pressing against the snout while retreating toward Sora. Finally, it lost its interest in Astra and gave case, tearing through carts and barrels in an effort to peel back the mercenary's flesh. "I-It's my f-fault," Astra murmured behind Cinder, the old stallion turning to her. "I... I always knew they w-would come... I... I was scared." The news was a little hard to hear, her face scrunched up with tears. "I'm sorry..." Cinder said nothing, under his helmet he swore his eyes couldn't get wider. His head snapped around to his allies facing the Alpha and its remaining forces. Then to the scared child before him... the child from Remnant... "That's it..." Cinder withdrew, quickly kneeling beside Astra. "Astra, look at me," She did, trying to focus on anything but the fighting. "Your family, W, Sora, they mean alot to you, don't they?" The question confused her, why would he ask her something at a time like this? What made those factors important? "What?" He moved from her sight, cupping her ears so that everything became muffled and distant. Her focus again returned to the Grimm that slowly cornered W and Sora, the larger one keeping W from using her launcher. "Mr. C-Cinder?" "Do not focus on the battle, think closely about those that love you, those I have mentioned, anyone and everyone who you have grown to trust," Cinder's voice was calm and assertive, and so she did, thinking of them all, how they made her feel warm and safe, and happy again. "Focus solely on the feelings they give you, that warmth in your heart..." Gently, her eyes grew heavy, leaving her lost in a void where all was highlighted with color. Auras clashed and merged from huddled families and ponies that fought. Red and blue bouncing in tangent against a black emptiness that enraptured the Creatures of Grimm, hollow and cold. Memories of W saving her, teaching, and caring for her filled the empty spots in her mind where only pain and fear resided in memories of her home. Sora and his kindness, his quirky personality clashing with W's. Mir's blunt but strange form of counseling, the nice ponies they met along the way, the Diamond Dogs that sat with them by the campfire. It was so warm, so... loving. "Life is beautiful... it is precious... and it must be protected." When Cinder stepped away from the timid, shy little filly, her body shimmered with a dazzling, silver veil over her body, reaching up to her big eyes that peered toward the dark world, spanning a large ray of light that wrapping itself around the two like wings, piercing Hollow Shade's gloomy atmosphere with the strength and radiance of the sun. The Grimm wailed in agony under the indomitable gaze from such a small soul, their coats reduce to nothing but black ash far and wide. W and Sora both shook from the rush of combat, staring at one another then back at Astra who single-handedly disintegrated every Grimm left in Hollow Shades. The charcoal filly stumbled back into Cinder's hooves with a dozy smile reminiscent of W's, throat parched while that silver aura fizzled out. "I... think I got them..." Seconds later she passed out from the shock, leaving the trio stunned, although W's her heart pounding away. It shook the mercenary to her core, "Silver Eyes... tch, of course, it was..." And she couldn't be prouder. To Be Continued... Author's Note I believe one of you called it - albeit it was never my intention - but hey, plans change when you're on a roll! That completes the circle of Displaced. Arknights, DnD, Dark Souls, and RWBY. I gots a spicy chapter up next that maaaay lead to a one-shot, hehehe. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! P.S. The final of the three acts is next!! Next Chapter: I'm a Bad Girl With Hollow Shades liberated from the Grimm, Astra remembers a little more of her home while Sora and W decide to join the town in celebration. And a few drinks may be enough to pull down another of the stubborn mercenary's walls.
2-1 I'm a Bad GirlThe sound that pierced the silence in the room was merely the chime of a clock. For the last hour, the trio sat amongst themselves in a building designed to act as a small medical center. Most of the rooms were filled with those caught up in the Grimm attack. The results of which led to one final truth being uncovered. Astra was from Remnant, that was her home. Her eyes were heavy, struggling to stay awake long enough until her check-up was complete. From what Sora and Cinder received from the staff it was a case of 'magic burnout', this implied Astra being so young for a person with an Aura and Semblance meant she overused both to help evacuate ponies caught in the crossfire, not to mention her Silver Eyes. For W, all she did was sit there and stare at the filly, never once leaving her side for reasons neither could pry from her lips. "I remember... my Papa was like me, he could use... that glow like me," Astra croaked, trying to stay awake a little to answer. "I-I think the scary lady... she wanted to... to..." No one needed to hear it, Cinder sat beside her bed, ruffling her mane. "Now-Now, lass, rest, we can discuss your abilities tomorrow," It had been a while since he felt the need to use those old terms. Nodding, Astra managed another tiny smile. "I-I did it... I was... helpful..." Soon, the medication and lack of energy knocked the young warrior out. Those words made W sigh through her teeth, brushing a few strands from the filly's eyes with just her tail. "Always were, kid," W soon returned to normal, crossing her arms as she leaned against her chair. "Sparkles, what's the deal with Astra? She like Ruby from the show?" Cinder... strangely sat up straight at that, something Sora shook his head for, "Now you've done it..." "Her father was a Silver Eyed Warrior, a rare trait that upon awakening its power can vaporize or petrify Grimm and all creatures made of darkness, most were hunted down to an extremely rare few, like Astra; The ones that attacked her home must've known of her father," Cinder crossed his forehooves. "As for her 'Seer' ability that would be her Semblance, they vary on the individual, and using it constantly today drained her aura." Both stared at him for the longest time, processing this information, except for W who knew quite well what the show was but didn't feel the need to stop the old man from rambling. W smiled lightly with a lazy stare, "You're a fanboy aren't you?" "..." She slapped her thighs and quickly shot up. "Well, that's all I needed - adorable as it is - heard these Bats wanted to celebrate with actual alcohol and I'm not gonna miss this chance so if you excuse me..." "Wait, what about-" She already left by the time Sora got a word out, combing his fingers through his hair. "Sorry, but what about Astra? Isn't she worried about her?" "Precisely why I am staying," Cinder replied, turning to Sora with a small chuff, seeing his face twist with guilt and interjection. "Do not look at me that way, lad, you both fought tooth-and-nail for these people," Patting the boy's shoulder he swore he could see the Hollow's smile through the helmet. "Go, take this night to enjoy yourselves, I shall watch over her." "I... well I guess I haven't really eased up since meeting her," It was a tempting thought but he felt bad about leaving Cinder to watch Astra by himself. Or until the door swung open again, and the Hollow's magic quickly snatch a green bottle before it could knock Sora on the forehead. "Yah!" "On me... you know, for helping her," W murmured from the doorway awkwardly, playing with the tip of her tail between her fingers. "Well, you comin' or not, Fly-Boy or is a little drinking too low-class for a Prince?" Sora sagged with a deadpanned stare while Cinder chuckled. "You'll never let me live that down, will you?" "Not until you're on your deathbed, hehe," She winked, sticking her tongue out before tugging him away with her tail. "Now stop complaining and loosen up a bit, for Astra's sake too since she saved our asses." His reluctance gave way to acceptance. "Heh, sure." By the time W and Sora arrived at the predetermined destination. Most were busy with clearing up the streets of debris, thankfully, the Grimm don't normally destroy unless it's in their way. Most were taking the night, as W found out, to simply celebrate their survival. Compared to the likes of Hoofprint, the Bat Ponies here were more fixated on the jubilation of victory over the Grimm than something as small as a few damages. No one died which was another thing they annoyingly kept asking to thank W and her friends for. "Ah, look who decided to finally turn up!?" It was the same Bat with the spear who spoke with a mug in his hoof. The large open tavern had a deck facing a few buildings toward a river that ran through Hollow Shades. Lanterns helped illuminate the area around the edge on an overhang. Some light strung across the gap leading toward the bar to their right. It was only a small rectangular building with two floors. The first clearly to sell and a staircase to the bar's left leading to storage. Once the odd pair of humans were spotted, many cheered and praised them in passing. Sora smiled and thanked them for W who instinctively kept close to his side, something his chest felt tight upon contact for. Cupping her hand he helped her remain calm while the two stood by the bar with the Bat, his off-hoof offered to them. "Pleased to meetcha, the name's Blackthorn - saved my flank and many others with that boomstick of yours." That caused W to smirk, "Aw? Is the little Bat upset I stole his thunder?" He laughed, calling the bartender over, herself smiling in silence while setting up two drinks for the pair. "Haha, you know it! But by Luna's grace you sure put up a fight, and you, boy, your swordsmanship is something I'd expect from the Guards." "I... was tutored under a few, t-thanks." He replied bashfully, causing Blackthorn to nudge W to lean down for a whisper. "Bit on the shy side this one?" "He is, adorable, isn't it?" She didn't hide the fact her voice was loud enough for Sora's face to turn red, the pair laughing at his expense. "Oh sure, laugh it up..." He quickly took his mug and slammed a good gulp of it down. To his surprise, he didn't immediately gag. "Huh, it's sweet?" "Sure is," The Bat mare behind the counter replied, topping off a few for customers to her left. "It's brewed specifically to retain a sweet aftertaste, makes it easier for newcomers to alcohol to handle the bitterness gradually." "Or if you just want it to stay down easier," Blackthorn chuckled, motioning to a pony passed out on a table already. "Lightweights, what can ya do?" "Ironic since his name is Light," The bartender giggled but shrugged it off as W hesitantly took a sip, her antenna perking up. "Like it?" "Holy hell this is actually not crap," With gusto, and the few onlookers, Sora included, she chugged the whole mug in one fell swoop, slamming the wooden mug down with a toothy grin. "Aaaah, man I missed beer!" She quickly fished around in her pockets along her belt and put a few Bits on the table. "Saving these was worth it, keep 'em coming!" The bartender smiled and did so without complaint, Blackthorn laughing as he too ordered a refill. Sora joined them at the stools, drinking the rest of his in time, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. However, he noticed that something caught W's eye after her second drink was gone. Peering over her shoulder he saw that she spotted a lone ash guitar sat by a stool, not a soul bothered it. Looking down, her fingers were taut, mimicking the action of holding one. "You said you once played, right?" His voice startled her and her eyes became unfocused. With a reassuring look, he nudged her shoulder. "Go on." "I... don't think I could," He excused herself poorly. "I-I mean, I've been blowing things up for so long - might have lost touch a-and you know, not mine so..." "W, one thing you're bad at is lying," He smirked, for once making her blush slightly at the idea that her ability to lie was horrid or maybe it was because she did want to play, she really did but in front of people was another matter. "How would I know I won't just sound like a wailing banshee?" It was always the thought on her mind, ignoring the desire as best she could "It's like trust-" He began, seeing her stand up straight with a sigh. "-A risk, yeah-yeah, I hear ya," Nodding dumbly to his words she spun around with a cute pout. "I will smash it over your head if I suck." "Please don't, my pocket's light as is." He snickered, leaving her to grumble and pick up the instrument, taking a seat next to Blackthorn who eyed her curiously but kept his silence behind his mug. W studied the instrument with a careful touch and inquisitive eye. It was heavy but cared for. The ash polished up and the strings tight without signs they would fray after only a few pulls. Tilting it in her hands she adjusted the guitar to handle the bridge on her right hand, holding it from the bottom with her hand on the neck. "Okay, how do I do this again...?" Taking a few practice tests, the memories surfaced quickly for her, Aoi knew this well. Each point of the instrument like her own body. It just... felt right again, like with her grenade launcher, the instincts were there, yearning to be tested again. "Music is about expression, about having fun regardless if you're good or bad, right, teach?" Thinking of her weird tutor did help in keeping her mindset on recalling what she knew how to play. "Ahem, okay..." W kept her voice low, focused on recalling the song she learned what felt like years ago. It was gradual, adjusting the strings and correcting her fingers between frets. It was a little nerve-wracking since she's never once played for people, let alone ponies as a first audience. Given her life in Equestria, she had become accustomed to the spotlight, good and bad, and has done stuff beyond simple performance on a stage, so to speak. Her melody started off quiet and almost ominous in tone though with a lighter pitch due to the instrument being a guitar. Closing her eyes a moment, W let herself drift into a flow she had lost, "It happens every night, I watch my world ignite, But there's no waking from this nightmare. The stage is always set, The place I can't forget, The hidden eyes that I can feel there..." Sora was back by the bar, leaning with his elbows back. To say he was lost in his own world was an understatement. W had a very snarky and almost condescending tone of voice but her tone had completely switched off, replaced with a smooth and sharp voice, singing with purpose and passion he had never seen before. It was beautiful. Picking up her pace, W's eyes shot open to concentrate on her rhythm. "My eyes are open wide, I'm racing to her side. There's nothing that I won't do for her. But this is not a dream. My mind repeats the scene. I can't forget it and it's torture," She made some subtle mistakes from lack of practice but managed to maintain her flow, strumming along to a song only she knew. "That was before. But not anymore. I've left it behind. As much as I lost. Once I'm across, I'll find," In W's own head, she was back in her room, sitting on her bed with her legs crossed while playing key instruments off her laptop while her guitar filled the void, it was peaceful and she was content. That same serenity was stretched over her face and played in her fingers. "I've found the strength to grow so much more. A whisper to a roar. No more crying. It's time for me to soar~!" Her smile grew, picking up her melody with force for the awe-struck crowd. Bet they have never seen something like her with this kind of talent, but sadly it was one of the very few songs she knew well and by God, she was gonna play it like it was the last thing on Earth. "Feel like I'm finally unbroken. Feel like I'm back from the dead. My strength back and confidence growing. Out of my way, 'Cause I'm armed and ready - Armed and ready. Ready; Armed and ready - I'm ready! Armed and ready - Ready! Ready; Armed and ready~! For the rest of the night, the so-and-so party continued with plenty of stupid games and drinking. It was strangely peaceful for W, to feel as though she belonged for a fraction of time. Her worries were gone thanks to the booze that kept her smiling stupidly with the crowd. Soon, things returned to a quieter state, most finally calming down as the night grew longer. Strangely enough, a tipsy Sora noticed the distinct lack of a Cockroach Sarkaz among the ponies. "Huh, where'd she...?" Sensing his confusion, the bartender nudged his arm, pointing a wing toward the river not far away. "I saw your friend wander off that way, I think she wanted to get some time to herself," Then she smiled at the boy. "But somepony should check up on her, less she gets herself in trouble." "Thank you," Slowly rising, Sora shook his head to keep his sense of balance evenly dispersed. "Okay, one foot in front of the other, no flying - remember what happened to Georgia." This had happened once before but that was the first time he had ever drunk, to begin with, thanks to Cliffheart. Moving away from the commotion gave Sora time to feel the atmosphere of Hollow Shades. Compared to other towns spanning Equestria, it felt like eternal tranquility of nighttime, life bloomed in colorful patterns and in the darkest shades. A place like Canterlot had its fair charms, but underneath some of the posh and upper class, there were the spots for the less fortunate, those places held the most spectacular sights. Underground groups and spots for all walks of life. Hollow Shades was those hidden worlds given space to grow. Passing under a balcony to a large building, crossing a wooden decking that lined the river like a hem he spotted the mercenary by herself, watching the world go by her passive eyes. She looked lost in her own world, she didn't even see him approach. "Thought you wanted to 'loosen up' tonight, your music sure seemed that way-" Sora startled W from her thousand-yard-stare by the river. "-are you feeling alright?" "Someone's worried, cute." She teased though with a little less confidence than before. "So... guess I broke my word about playing again, kinda suck at that." "It was... amazing," That made her chest twist again with that stupid sensation. "Really, I knew you played guitar but... wow." "H-hey, come on now, I'm good but not that good, dude," She rolled her eyes playfully. It was a hobby, sure, but not like she was some amazing member of a band or anything. "I mean it, you looked like you had fun." His honesty was so annoying to her because she couldn't just lie to escape it, or lie to him at all. "So, about being out here, are you really okay?" It worried him since she drank quite alot too, not that he was any better, just walking here was a little tricky. "Nah, just... thinking about..." "Everything?" He guessed to which she nodded, clicking her fingers. "Always sharp - yeah, I guess lately I've been worried about how long... I'll be me," Her eyes loomed down over her hands. "It's inevitable that my mind is merging with W's own and I just kept saying to myself, 'If I just focus, keep fighting, beat the Merchant to a pulp, maybe I can still be me'," He could see it, her smile was wavering. "I-I really believed that to the point I got drunk on the hope, I got reckless, I wanted to fight more and more than I... yeah..." For once in this melancholy, Sora smiled, standing next to her to stare up at the blue fireflies that decorated the treetops above like stars. "I kept training," His reply drew her ember orbs to the left. "I thought that if I kept learning to fly higher and higher, to reach the stars that I could hold onto who I was, not the Aasimar I had become but the normal child I was before, then I realized something important, like the fairy tale my Mom told me." "That was?" By now W was much closer, wanting to listen intently to his story, and his eyes met hers, enrapturing her. "That was the mistake I was making; I was scared of forgetting who I am, my name, my past but that wasn't why memories filled my head of a life I never knew, rather, they were always there, those memories, they're our dreams, our daydreams given form," The revelation threw W through a loop, her eyes unexpectedly wide, jaw unhinged somewhat. "Haha, it was hard to believe at first but the desire to fly as high as the stars, that was the very thing that made this body, the Aasimar Valiant special, when I became him his memories were made real too." How many weeks had W contemplated who she was, what she was turning into without answers? It plagued her, dreams of a life she never had, memories flooding her mind that left her conflicted and scared of herself, of the monster she may turn into. All this time it was her, she had dreamt of W many times outside the game, childish scenarios of her antics further beyond the canon story. They were her dreams, all of it was her own making! Aoi wasn't... just a shell. For the longest time, it felt like the opposite for so very long, and now... she felt weightless and impulsive. "Then... am I still me?" It was a final hurdle, the last of her walls refusing to give. Nodding slowly, Sora stood straight, ocean blue orbs locked to her tiger eyes. "Whether or not you're a Sarkaz or I'm an Aasimar, we're still us on the surface," Without thinking, his voice continued, neither noticing the lack of a personal bubble between them, W's tail instinctively curling to bob behind Sora's back. "You're still amazing, with or without this body or memories." Dumb as it sounded, he smiled with a shrug. "Does that answer your - mmfph?" Many questions still rampaged in W's head. It was an awful buzzing that kept her awake many nights, regardless of the company she now traveled with. The lack of exchanged answers for her questions left her like she was constantly thirsty, yearning to drink something, anything to satisfy her craving. Now, she had answers, the reasons were laid out for her to digest and break down. Her mind was now void. What was next? She wondered. If the day comes when the Merchant is gone, and by some miracle, they succeed. What then? What... was she to do with these new memories and gifts? It was a gamble, like all her plans and actions. To place a bet on mights and maybes. It could have been the alcohol stimulating her mind, but she didn't care. The 'what ifs' didn't concern her for this night, for one night, she wanted to forget the Royal Guard, to drown the anger and cruelty brought by the hooves of the ponies that were turned against her. To be... wanted and nothing more. The deeper her lips pressed to Sora's, the more she grew hungry. Despite how this risk may fracture one of the few friendships she had in this world, to her astoundment, he was just left bewildered, face matching her red pigment. Gently, his hands grabbed her shoulders, only to dig her closer against his lips as the pair parted shortly after, remembering to breathe. Neither knew why they did that, or what compelled each other to continue at all. "I..." W panted, still holding her fingers against his sides, his hands grasping her shoulders firmly. Slowly, her eyelids became heavy, a vampish smile on her lips. "...surprised you didn't pull back." He stopped and stared as his eyes wandered, the effects of alcohol making it harder to restrain from tracing her defined curves to the point he wanted to slap his forehead. "Why am I..." He blinked, then remembered something recently sparked in his head. "Do you like W?" "Huh? She's a little abrasive but I get that, I think she's a nice person under that persona of hers." Even in this new lighting, Sora could see he was being analyzed by the Seer. "Why'd you ask?" Astra pulled herself up onto a lopsided pillar, using it to follow Sora at chin level. "W likes you too." "That kid..."Sora blinked, realizing he hadn't quite let go of the image still burned into his head, not that the effects of drinking let him do much thinking at all. He then chuffed, leaning closer to meet her gaze. "Like you'd give me much choice," "Hm," W and Sora gradually resumed the kiss a little less passionately, moving frantically and hotly, obscured by the dark overhang of the building beside them. W grabbed the back of his head, holding him while both his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer as the pair faded into the bliss that quickly overtook their senses, lost in each other's embrace. ///ACT III - Come To Light\\ To Be Continued... Author's Note Bet you didn't see that coming, haha! Guess I'll add the 'Romance' tag. Let me clear this isn't really romance like with my Indomitable story, moreover it's just instincts, alcohol, and hormones at work - I'm no smart person so don't ask me to try and explain it just thought I'd clarify that it isn't love... not yet anyway, you'll see. Oh, and due to the 'implications' of this act, I maaaay have something more mature for what happens next, if you want to see it let me know, it'll be separate from this story and to be blunt, it's smut, what else can I say? I might just upload it regardless if I'm bored despite the fact I have never written smut before, haha, what a pain. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Pull Your Strings With the team rested, some more than others, they plan to confront The Dealer, Gambit with the help of Cinder. But just what are they expecting to discover in the dark below?
2-2 Pull Your StringsTo say W was on a high note would not do her mood justice. She had her ups and downs, sure, but a working bathroom with a hot shower? Now we're talking. She sighed again in bliss against the hot pellets that struck her bare skin, the sweat purged from her body while bathing in the fact she could take a shower again. Something so simple brought her joy, that, and another key point to her day. *Knock-Knock* "Aoi, are you still alive in there?" Hearing her real name threw her off her high for a moment, turning to the door out the corner of her eye with a smirk and tiny blush. "Best day ever, what's up?" She knew why he was asking but she was feeling dangerous. "...you've been in there for twenty minutes," His blunt tone only made her giggle. "Hey, I'm not complaining, door's unlocked," He'd either had to wait or come in with her, no other opinions were present in her mind. "Shame too, this is really good." His groan rattled through the door. "...you're impossible, come on, Aoi~" "Hm Hm Hmm... Hm H-Hm Hm Hmm...~" W soon slipped back into her trance, cleaning her horns delicately. Not long after, steam exited the bathroom to the room and from it W emerged with a towel around her body, stretching her arms with a content sigh, hair tied back for once while she dried off. To the left where the bed was Sora had quickly turned away after gawking like a fish for too long. Displaying her fanged grin W strolled up to sit behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "You know you've already seen all there is to see, Fly-Boy," She then faked surprise, gasping with a hand on her chest, posing as her towel pulled against her body to the eye unable to resist peeking around his braids. "Or is the sight of me in nothing but a towel too sexy for you, hmm?" Sora sighed, lowering his head. "You really are impossible," His smile said otherwise before grabbing his own stuff folded by his lap. This forced him to turn and see W looking over her things with a rare eased smile tugging on her lips, tail moving side-to-side in tandem with her mood. Deciding to even the odds he quickly flicked her tail, causing a sharp, girlish yelp to exit her lips. "Just get changed, not unless you want to explain to Cinder and Astra where we've been," That caught her for a moment, along with that stupid smile of his. "A-and yes." The door shut before he could gauge her reaction but judging by the small flop to the bed it clearly worked. While strolling back to the medical center Sora and W walked in silence, primarily because neither really knew 'what' to say to their companions. They got drunk, said some cheesy things, kissed a little too much, and woke up in the same bed together completely nude. Kinda hard to put that into words without it sounded scandalous or awkward. For W, she basically had the time of her life and now was stuck wondering what they were now. Friends with benefits? Partners? Lovers? It was all a mixture she hadn't the mental capacity to fathom yet. For Sora it was more or less the same, one thing was clear though. "I woke up with a beautiful girl in my arms!" "I woke up with a handsome guy holding me!" Both looked in different directions, gradually, Sora managed to find some unspeakable confidence as they turned a corner. "S-so um... a-about last night..." "No idea what we are, huh?" Like telepathy, she had read his mind. One nod and she brought her gaze around completely, folding her hands behind her head. "I mean... I dunno, it's weird - n-not you, hell, t-that was... wow." Using the same words he described her musical skills wasn't helping. Exhaling slowly, she kept her heart in check. "I know it wasn't what either of us expected, I get that, so... why not stick with... p-partners..." Her head was low, obscured under her bangs. "What?" He didn't catch it, only seeing the bashful girl staring back through her locks, playing with one of her antennae. "...Partners... u-us, u-until I dunno, something..." Explaining her feelings wasn't her forte, it all comes and goes like a fight. Everything explodes from the start and W loses herself in that moment. "I-I don't want to ruin what's already here, you know?" Sora actually nodded along, playing with the hem of his coat's sleeves. "I get it, s-so long as you're fine with... me?" Like before, W smiled lightly and bumped her hip to his. "Wouldn't have done it if I didn't, dummy." His own smile returned, standing at a comfortable space beside W until they could see their allies up ahead. To his right, W cracked her knuckles, adjusting her bag against her back. "Now then, let's finally see this so-called, Dealer?" "And hope we get some answers." That was music to their ears. The group now followed Cinder who trekked up a steep slope shrouded in mist. Wherever Gambit was only Cinder knew where, and it just so happened to be hidden in and around the foggiest point in Hollow Shades. W carefully stepped forward, shadowing Cinder's movements with discomfort for the uneven terrain. "You sure this Gambit guy lives in some random woods in a random part of Equestria?" "Would you rather I tell you it was in a volcano, lass?" He hummed but she could tell he found her discomfort amusing, seeing as she just flipped him off. "Hmph, follow and we will reach the 'Mouth'." "That sounds scary..." Astra murmured, sticking close to W while using her semblance to navigate the fog. "My aura can't see very far, something... is blocking me?" "That's never good," Sora murmured in W's ear but she remained silent, keeping tabs on the armored Hollow ahead. She wasn't sure, like most things today, how she should feel. Excited, pensive, it was all swarming her mind. Her answers were so close and yet she feared - no - was terrified something would impede her further, something would happen and prevent this final step from achievement. "W?" "..." Not a word and she sped up to find that Cinder had stopped, hoof out to keep W stationary, making her impatience show. "Why are we stopping, sparkles?" "Less you want to fall-" He curved his hoof downward, clearing the fog with a small burst of flames, revealing the sudden end of the cobblestone road. "-then please, keep walking." "Oh..." She felt a little embarrassed and stepped back. "Guess I'm up," Sora cracked his knuckles, wings emerging from the dark like shards of glass. "I... don't know how heavy that armor is though," His curious gaze fell to Cinder who merely pulled back a few steps, wiggling his armor before lunging over the edge, vanishing into the mist. Sora just stood there, dumbfounded. "Or that, that works too." "Yeah, I'm taking the elevator down, thanks," W quickly wrapped her arms around his neck comfortably while Astra hopped onto his shoulders. With the girls secure, Sora hesitantly fell off the edge into a freefall state, using his wings to glide at a gentle pace, the weight of two extra bodies more than enough of a counterbalance to fall steadily. "Weeeeee..." W cooed jokingly with Astra giggling in Sora's ear. "Always find some way to make a situation less terrifying, huh?" He smiled at her winking face as his wings kept the trio illuminated in the dark. "You love it." That he did but wouldn't say otherwise. Down and down into the dark below the less bioluminescent plants grew. Only a dark maw that devoured the light except for a small gathering of embers emanating from the bottom and the light of Sora's wings. "Here," With his right hand around W's waist, he could touch her jacket, focusing a little the red highlights of her coat became a bright cherry red, offering up more light to their surroundings. "Brace yourselves." With a short warning the trio grunted once Sora met the base of the Mouth, Cinder awaiting them by a small bonfire that was resting at the bottom of the cavern. It took a second for W's head to click, pulling away from Sora to inspect the volcanic shoot above. "So you literally killed yourself, that's hardcore," "Whichever bonfire is closest is where I will rekindle, it... is not always preferable to kill myself but it can provide its advantages," Cinder murmured, shaking his head. "Onward, Gambit is not far." "Might want to stay up here, Astra." Sora offered, feeling her hooves coil around his shoulders tightly with a nod. "Lead the way, Cinder." And with that their journey continued through the dark, damp cavern in search of Gambit. Cinder used his coiled sword as a torch, W with her jacket and Sora with his wings. Last, Astra felt around the many caves and passages for a soul. So far her Seer ability couldn't even sense her own hooves, it was almost blinding. "I can't see anything, sorry..." "Don't worry about it, place can't go on forever," W shrugged, tail whipping the side of Cinder's armor. "You left a bonfire but not a landmark, seriously?" "It was not my intention to ever come back here, my mistake," Cinder snorted before turning back to the cave ahead He suddenly crashed into Sora and W as the darkness became illuminated by a set of large, golden eyes staring back at them, practically the size as W with a massive, jack o' lantern grin on its onyx face. "Nice work, travelers, you did it! Five stars! High-Fives all around! Congrats on finally slipping past that slimy little Merchant's eye." It... He, cackled, face shrinking down to rest on... something, standing just over six feet tall. Smiling, the creature wore a black suit, with a fur lining for his cuffs and collar, a golden tie, a white shirt, and a top hat with two cards strapped into the side with velvet fabric, both an ace of hearts and spades. It also wore crimson, fingerless gloves to allow a set of sharp, white claws to pierce through. "It's good to see you again, Old Hollow, Cinder, Kaid -- whatever your name is, it seems fate has sent you in for an appointment, fantastic!" His smile couldn't possibly get any bigger. Stomping down he looked to sit on nothing as the darkness dissolved, and light returned the second he sat down on a large, black ash seat embroiled with etchings and a fabric cover. "W-Who, what... what are you?" W gaped, Sora just nodding behind her shoulder with Astra, weapons somehow gone with a simple click of its fingers. "H-hey, the hell did you-" "Tsk-Tsk-Tsk, I'd rather not be shot within my domain, thank you." He put quite austerely The large chamber was tall and rounded at the top like an observatory, rows of books lined the walls entirely, containing jars and artifacts here-and-there. A large, gold chandelier swung up above holding onto some wax candles. Four paths created an intersection where we stood, leading off into large, black-iron doors. The floor between the paths were littered with riches and all sorts of random items, weapons, armor, relics, and even copies of W's weapons! "How did you..." Sora murmured as the large entity leaned forward, extending a clawed hand to W with a mischievous chuckle "Allow me to reintroduce myself to the newcomers," He sat back up again, hand raised high to his... emporium? "My name is Gambit, The Omniscient Nightmare." It took W a second to catch her breath, sucking in a lungful once she reached slowly for his awaiting hand, shaking the icy appendage with a shiver. "Hehe, sorry, my hands get cold often, Aoi was it?" Again, another who knew her name before he waved his hand around the crowd. "W the Mercenary. Kaid the Soul of Cinder. Sora the Aasimar. And last, little Lumi the Silver-Eyed Warrior." "'Lumi'?" She echoed, everyone's eyes now on the silver pair darting around the room behind W's legs. "But my name..." "Was lost due to a temporal shift, quite unfortunate, you may never retain all your memories again - well, your name is your choice I suppose," Gambit rambled, clicking his tongue. "Out of all of you, she is a victim of this... Merchant's little game," Even Gambit couldn't withhold his disdain while contemplating the creature behind W's entire life becoming a series of chaotic events. "I'm... Astra," The filly stated firmly, no longer hiding behind W's legs for a moment, the silverette watching her stand proudly. "Astra is my name, I know it is." If W let it her face might have broken its neutral state for a warm smile at the girl's insistence on maintaining the temporary name she had grown accustomed to. Gambit's smile never fell, merely his head tilted side-to-side. "What a bundle of defiance in something so small - you've done well to raise her, mercenary, gold star to you both," He joked, cracking his neck. "Well, that heartwarming sight aside like with all that travel my halls, what is it you wish to know, travelers?" This question seemed to piqued Gambit into leaning unnervingly closer to W in particular. She looked around expectantly, eyes landing on Cinder who motioned silently. "This was your path, you have the right to ask." "We're all after the same thing regardless," Sora assured the woman who pondered on her next words carefully. "Ah-Ah-Ah, I don't operate for free," Gambit put his dark hand forward with a cunning leer, a smile twisting artfully. "U-um, is this valuable?" Astra quickly scampered forward with the crystal in her possession next to W, offering it up to the mercenary who plucked it with her tail, flicking it into her hand. Upon inspection, Gambit's eyes widened, taking a small shuffle back at the sight of the mineral. Was he afraid of it? "Hrm... Midnite, and raw too, very rare even by my standards..." He seemed lost for a moment before clicking his fingers, taking it from W to levitate it close to his hand. "Hehe, you kids are either brave... or far more foolish than you think," Tossing it into a small box he quickly discarded the mineral. "Alright! A rare ore in exchange for my services, by all means, ask away little Aoi - oh, and choose your words carefully, no backtracking." "This is it..." W looked at her hands then closed them tightly with a glare, facing the Nightmare that wore an almost expectant face constantly. "I... Gambit, tell us... who is the Merchant?" The air was taut, not a soul breathed, not even Astra who failed to even snatch a glimpse at Gambit's soul, or simply, there was too much to bear on the surface alone. ... ... ... Gambit chuckled darkly, his eyes expanding so wide that gold completely encompassed the room and all that resided within reach of his gaze. "Very well, let us take a trip down memory lane..." Gambit's voice faded away, and when W looked, not a soul was in sight, only a while void of which she was its only occupant. "What the... hey, kid, Sora... Cinder?" She blinked, finding nothing except a gust of wind carrying gold dust past her hair. Sora saw the same, and a scene began to form. It was a world like Equestria, a kingdom so large it spanned the meadows and reached toward the clouds. The hustle and bustle distant from his ears while standing upon a dirt road winding toward the kingdom bathed in sunlight. " Lost in a distant world stood a kingdom, grand and expanding, faced with darkness its people had no warning of." Cinder stood in solemn silence, seeing a figure materialize past his form, taking in the radiance of the kingdom with a timid stature. "One lone wanderer came to this land from another, given a task of which only he could perform." Lumi's eyes widened alone. The man looked to be within his twenties, his face still held a tiny bit of fat but otherwise was quite charming. His hair a dusky grey and scruffy with the kindest jade eyes. His clothing wasn't of this magical world, wearing scruffy trousers with a white handkerchief between his belt and white dress shirt, a pair of dark green farmer gloves, tools attached to his belt. "His name was Robin." The scene changed, warping W within a throne of a castle. Before her stood the timid boy under her scornful eye. He stood before both the King and his guard's captain, a young girl with long, braided blonde hair and a stern expression to pair nicely with her emerald eyes that watched the outsider stand with a seal etched into his right palm. "He came from a world he could not speak of, saying he was lost, only know that he must do something that will help the kingdom and its people. The King listened to the boy's woes, taking advice from those he trusted and consulted with, then, he gave his decree to the boy without a home or a direction of which to follow." "I have listened to you, do not kneel to me, child," The King raised his hand to see the boy's face shoot up with surprise at his informal behavior. "If what you say is to be believed, if that seal upon your hand is what I believe to be a sign then I shall grant you a choice, do you accept?" "I... y-yes, I do!" He said it without thinking, unable to think of another way around his situation. The King smiled slightly, "Very forward, hmm... my choice is simple; You may leave to live within my kingdom's walls should the task grow to much for you," He paused, allowing him to digest his words. "Or, if you are to help my people stem the flow of this corruption you are to work under my Captain and follow her every command, so long as it is not inhumane." "What?" She and Robin blurted out. The King raised his hand to silence them both. "Now, what is your answer?" He waited. Cinder stood by Robin, analyzing how his form shook subtly under the eyes of the people, his gaze traveled, never leaving either the Captain or the King. That same flurry of gold motes passed by Sora, causing him to stumble into another sight that was very reminiscent of his time with the Royal Guard. He stood in a training yard, weapons and equipment left scattered while Robin was forced to defend relentlessly against the Captain's vicious assault. One strong swing was forced back by the seal on his palm, a small force blast of magic that gave him the edge he needed to attack with his wooden sword. Sadly, Sora winced as her own shield dug into his stomach, dropping the young man like a sack of bricks. "How can you possibly save this realm? You can barely stand yourself," She huffed, shaking her disappointed eyes away from him. "I spent years learning, training, fighting for this kingdom... don't think of this as some game your magic can win-" She turned back to him with a frown. "-sometimes, magic can only take you so far." "I-I know that," He hacked, wiping the spit from his cheek while grasping his training equipment again. He was covered in bruises from their sparring but managed to stand regardless, that alone drew her gaze again over her shoulder. "But I... was chosen, I don't know why but I... I have to try," Cinder observed his sloppy footwork, he was bound to lose consciousness soon. Yet he pressed forward. "I-If I fail... then it was all for n-nothing, my choices were... f-for nothing..." Astra winced behind her bangs only to find he had not landed face-first in the dirt, instead, the Captain kept him raised against her arms, herself staring down at his sweaty face with an aura swirling in shame, anger, and... admiration. "You are a fool..." Lifting him onto her back, she discarded the buckler and sword and slowly aided in taking him back into the castle. "The days grew longer, and so did the Captain and Robin's training, both in the art of swordplay and mastery over his magic, Seal, the manifested power to absorb energy." Sora leaned against a weapon rack, analyzing their fight closely. Robin drew his shield up to block the Captain's thrust, diverting the sword to his left with the buckler while copying her action. Seeing this she wrapped around to his left, curving her sword around in a horizontal arc, feeling the wooden blade batter off the buckler as she turned to guard. His foot somehow snuck behind her own, tripping her until his sword was poised at her chest, the pair panting. "Copying me are we?" She hummed, seeing him smile bashfully. "Learned from the best." Lowering his sword he reached out with a hand, hers grasping it with a tiny smile. The world twisted and became something new in W's eyes. Darkness thundered in the black storms above, purple streaks of plasma discharged and scorched the earth atop a ruined keep. Robin stood with the Captain back-to-back against hordes of twisted abominations made from inky, purplish-black substances. A mage fought up high with an archer, the pair raining hell upon the horde across a bridge while an assassin carved her way through the dark forces like a bladed whirlwind. "Their journey across Anima became long and hard, facing the creatures spawned from the great devourer of the world, the Collapse Dragon, Kranon. Allies were formed, pacts made with the most unlikely of characters. And a brotherhood was forged in the events that unfolded." The gold veil fell by Astra's hooves, revealing a massive war against a jagged world twisted by black rock and rivers of molten purple slag. An entire kingdom laid siege on the world. Bolts of various magic and arts were showered upon the enemy's seemingly endless hordes. Many were large, eyeless serpents. Some were small grunts like the knights, their weapons fused to their flesh and bone. Casters hid among the ridges, faces shrouded by large hats, magic gathered by their fingers, concealed by their robes. Worst were the large, flaming creatures with burning mauls caged by chains as they slammed them into the earth, splaying molten fire everywhere. "While the forces of man raged against an inevitable end. While the world tore itself apart, ruptures splitting the sky, Robin stood before the centerpiece of its annihilation, those he trusted and confided in standing by his sides." A great shadow loomed over a new scene in Cinder's visor. He tilted his head and saw what could possibly shroud the world in darkness. From a large tear in reality spawned a massive beast, its body serpent in form, coated in metallic, dark purple scales and jagged plating curved along its sides, strange, sapphire crystals protruded as opals along its vertebrae. The head was a maw of teeth into a void, large forward-facing horns curved to guard its face, a single, glowing vortex for an eye glowering at the ants beneath its mighty wings. The membrane of the segmented bone structure formed of pure energy. The battle was horribly one-sided. Kranon stripped holes through the world, carving through their defenses, their magic, and their traps all but naught against something completely impervious to damage. Kranon would cast streams of energy upon Robin's team, igniting the world an amethyst blaze. With tremendous speed his body uprooted the crust of Anima, so much so W thought she would fall into the ravines formed by its mere presence. As Robin's allies fought bravely with all their might, he took his stand with a great deal of effort, blood dripping down his face while the Captain tried to hold him back weakly. "W-wait, if you do this... y-you could... I..." Her eyes were practically begging him not to yet his arm pulled away gently, smiling over his shoulder with a fearful but brave face. "If I didn't, what kind of fool would that make me?" Giving a small wink he turned and rushed for the slithering dragon, wings beating with enough strength to ward of a sudden payload of magic from afar. Turning right, Robin gasped as well as Astra who spotted the sight of the Kingdom's armies gathered along the edge of the crater, distracting Kranon for Robin to move in undetected. Charging the beast, Robin dove past Sora who followed the man's actions. The tail swept round, forcing Robin to leap, bracing the pain in his side as the tail brushed a small wave of flames. Turning quickly, Kranon spotted him and brought its head around, a large beam of energy spurted forth as a powerful blast, again, forcing him to retreat as the area he once occupied was blown away in the ensuing explosion. The sheer force knocked him away and into the face of a barrier erected by the mage of his party, the injured sorcerer grinning. "Get back in there!" *Boosh!* Another hail of elements and arrows riddled Kranon's head as it carved through another rupture, forcing the dragon to lower its mouth and snarl at the discomfort as it unleashed another barrage of lasers from its wings. Not wasting a second, Robin rushed up the dragon's back, swinging himself around while conjuring several hardlight platforms under him. Swinging around to the cracked fissure in the monstrous dragon's chest he brought his hands forward, the seal on his right glowing brightly as he plunged his palms into the burning wound, screaming in pain. "Rrrraaaaa!" Kranon thrashed from the discomfort but was unable to pry the boy from his chest, feeling his power fluctuate, attacks flaring wildly in agony under the sudden pull toward Robin's hands. "In one bold action, a simple farmhand slew a monster of unfathomable power, purging Anima of its scourge, of a plague that would have ravaged a world and beyond." Light obstructed the world, blinding W who was met with a new form of illumination. Gone was the chaos and death that scarred a beautiful world, instead, she stood atop the castle walls overlooking the kingdom. Fireworks staining the sky in an aroura of colors. The mage sat on a crate alongside the assassin, the girl playing with a knife in her hand. The archer swung his feet over the wall walk, bottle in hand. For Robin and the Captain, they sat together overlooking the kingdom embroiled in jubilation, her head on his shoulder, their hands intertwined. Astra sat there, staring at the two closely. An all too familiar feeling resonating between them. The breathtaking sight soon dissolved under Gambit's choice words. "However... a world stagnant by peace cannot last, nor can chaos remain unopposed..." When Cinder focused again, he lowered his head. The kingdom, in one single frame, was burning. The skies filled with rain; Fires refusing to die out through the shattered windows of the castle. Inside, so many laid dead by Robin's feet, blood-soaked into carpets and torn tapestry. What turned W's stomach was the sight of the Captain, blood pooling under her while she sat in Robin's arms, her eyes beginning to grow hazy and unfocused. His own orbs filled with tears, unable to withhold their weight. "Please, answer me...!" He snapped up at the sky piercing through the collapsed ceiling. "Why... why can't I save them!? Why am I even here!?" Nothing, not even a breeze. "Answer me!!" Lowering his head in distraught before a misty-eyed Astra. "It's all my fault... I-I should've told..." Her hand reached up to flick his nose weakly, and through it all she pulled back a warm smile, blood dripping down the corner of her mouth. "You a-always were a-a fool," She teased, her hand fell to her stomach. "If this was to be fate th-e-en... I-I'm gl-lad... I c-could share it... w-wi-ith you-u..." "Where love once bloomed only despair and grief remained to consume him. The last of a kingdom of corpses." The world changed, somewhere among ruins a forest Robin stood, face hardened with resolve while painting strange markings into the stone brick floor. Each was encircling another ring, creating a series of layers to a ritual none could decipher. W observed closely, watching how each stroke of the brush was careful and deliberate until the man stood at the center, his seal glowing a dark purple. "He stole the power of Rupture from the Collapse Dragon, twisted its strength into his own, to cast himself upon another world of his choosing; If the one that sent him far from his home, refused to answer his pleas would not heed others like him, then he must be stopped." "Come forth great veil of nothingness, blanket me in your ascendance and grant me a needle through time, scatter my essence upon a world's chosen consumed by selfish desires, let me peer into their sins and set them free." The cryptic chant caused a reaction under Astra's hooves, the seals brimming with magic, turning and expanding into a large gash in the ground before Robin, the runes peeled from the stone to form a cone of dark wind. His face lit up with joy. "Y-yes, I did it! Hahaha..." Reaching down to his belt, he patted the sword strapped to his side. "I can't fix this, Jack, but I can stop it from happening again, I swear." Stepping through the gateway, the gold motes reworked reality around Sora, himself strolling forward to find that the world was unlike Equestria or Anima, instead, he overlooked a city skyline drenched in a downpour. Atop one of the largest buildings in the skyline he gasped, seeing that Robin held another person by the face, the seal glowing sharply in the artificial light of a billboard as the man's energy was drained, reducing him to nothing more than a pile of dust. "He searched the Realms of other Displaced, targeting those that have taken their powers for their own benefit, ruining the worlds they were meant to protect. By his hand alone, his infamy grew, and utilizing the Displaced as tethers he conjured great spells to collapse the tainted spots among the worlds in Ruptures, leaving no trace of his involved behind, say for a few ruins and craters." With each transition, the worlds changed constantly around Cinder. Ones similar to Equestria, others were that of pirates or in the vast existence of space. Every sight was worse than the last. Armies lay defeated and broken, their so-called 'Champions' drained of their powers until they were nothing more than dust and bones. The essence of their existence infused into black obelisks to channel Ruptures into the battlegrounds, leaving destruction behind to cover the rift that closed soon after, Robin's presence no longer sensed among the worlds he 'Purged'. "The hero that saved Anima had died, all that remained was a husk yearning to devour more." When the world faded, W spun around to find that she was back in Gambit's Emporium alongside her friends. All shared her look of bewilderment and fright. And sat on his throne was Gambit, twirling the same knife the assassin once held. His smile everlasting. "Had a nice dream, little travelers?" The air was still with the weight of what was told, the dark tale spun with such elegance was far too ironic. Gambit sat and took in all he could feel, the worries and signs of relief, heavy depressions of blue lifted from shoulders, and others applied in gradual deposits like a wave against the coast. Questions gave rise to frustration and discord, but one shadowed his own methods, analyzing the room with solemn eyes. "He was like us and... he felt so lost," Sora's face was hurt, not only because of how he would be used to destroy Equestria, his home but how the Merchant, the real one abandoned Robin to simply suffer without a sign at all. "He turned against them and... killed so many people." "He has lost his way, fallen to darkness." Cinder muttered, understanding the Merchant's pain but not once feeling an ounce of sympathy "It doesn't make sense," W's voice was low when she raised her head, ember eyes scorching with emotion. "Why all this? Why use us? Last I checked he turned Equestria against me, he threatened this world with the Abyss and a freakin' necromancer! Why!?" Gambit smiled, leaning back in his chair with a huff. "Weren't you listening? I'm hurt, I put alot of effort into those visuals," Mockingly his smile fixed to his face, rotating his hand slowly. "You asked me, and I quote perfectly, 'Who is the Merchant?'" His impersonation of W's pitch was scarily accurate that her finger curled back into her palm. "As I said, he lost his way," Cinder spoke up, stepping forward along the edge of the catwalk. "His intentions were true to his word but all of those powers he took, and the resulting use of Rupture corrupted him, Robin was consumed." It then dawned on Astra, gasping. "Kranon... h-he's still alive!" The startling discovery caused a chill to enter the chamber, Gambit himself muffling a laugh behind his smile. "Kranon is what the Realms call a 'Vex' very tricky creatures given they were all locked away; The Seal drained his power but his consciousness remains," Gambit spun another vision, this time between himself and those present in a haze of gold. Gambit's vision depicted Robin's hollow face and the dark shadow that caged his body with a single, glaring eye over his shoulder. "The fool believed he destroyed Kranon, instead it bided its time, using the grief and isolation that consumed the farmhand and the power he stole from Displaced to grow and fester until there was nothing left but Kranon." He dispelled the smog, leaving only his cheek creased against his fist. "Oh, I wonder though, you stand here squirming in your booties, to what causes this strife, hmm?" "He's not a Merchant, then... then how did we get here?" Sora couldn't wrap his head around it. Sure, it had been a few years but he was certain that Displacement cannot occur without a Merchant, my the constructs of fiction anyhow. The longer Sora considered the methods or possibility that Kranon used Robin's ability to siphon strength into another he came to a harrowing conclusion. "No..." "What is it, Fly-Boy?" W pressed only for his eyes to pierce through her head and toward the culprit behind her. She turned, her own orbs wide, antenna standing on end. "Hehehe... I never said I was a saint, didn't you warn them, Hollow?" Gambit mused like a child pulling a prank, eyes curved like crescents at their reactions. "Gambit is a dealer, he doesn't care for sides only his own," Cinder confirmed their theories. "So, that would lead us to assume your wares were given to us by his hand?" "Correct," Gambit clicked his tongue, wiggling his fingers between a pair of cards left unseen as he spoke, ignoring W's hateful glare while she stood in Astra's line of sight protectively. "Don't you get it, travelers? This is all a big game of chess. You are the players against Kranon and his pawns, you've made moves accordingly, however, the part I play isn't so meaningless as player one or two, no-no," His eyes glowed bright, a symbol like two diamonds around his left eye reacting the same way. "I'm the one who will decide which side will win." W wanted to run, coming here despite the answers she had received, the very calling as to why she endured so much heartache, only to find out Gambit was the source of it all. If the Mer - no, if Kranon never found Gambit, herself, Sora, Astra, Cinder, they'd be where they belonged, home and safe. Or three of them would be. Her eyes quickly glanced to Astra then back at Gambit's, as if he knew what she was thinking. What didn't he know scared her most of all. "I dislike Vex, well, bar two exceptions," His finger rose to hold their questions. "Now, I will give to you two things in return for such a rewarding game - to really even the odds against such a foe. One; what his intentions are with you and this colorful world of ponies. And Two; where you can find him." "Really?" Astra spoke up, causing the Nightmare to giggle himself. "Why, of course, I'm not above offering the losing side a little edge if I feel generous, isn't that one of the Elements that govern this world?" His grin never faltered, snapping his fingers to cause a screen to appear, revealing the base of a mountain, and the ragged figure of Robin's possessed body strolling inside with numerous Infected. "He's located under Canterlot, possibly to prep the kingdom for the wildest of parties no doubt," Another deliberate crack of his digits and the screen shifted to that of a chalk diagram of W, Sora, and Cinder. The three of them with dotted lines leading toward a strange, three-horned contraption with Kranon at the center. "With the decades he's spent gathering energy from Displaced, not only has he ascertained enough power to perfect this little project of his, now he holds a large fraction of temporal energy left behind from Displaced upon traveling between worlds, you three are the 'Tethers'." "I don't like how that sounds..." W muttered. "I wouldn't - hehe, you see, you three will provide a foundation, a lure of sorts for a great calamity, the likes of which not even the mighty Discord could possibly imagine! With this, Kranon will summon forth a disaster that will tear this world apart by forcing another Realm's laws upon Equestria's, that tension will grow and expand before it simply... snaps!" He hissed, breaking the chalkboard sharply to startled the group. "If he does this, Robin will be erased from time in the aftermath, no Robin means no one ever trapped Kranon, he will be free from his fleshy prison, his real form reborn." And like that, all was laid bare. Silence, no comments, no more questions remained. Only silence and shock at what was to come, what... they were to Kranon, merely objects whose sole purpose were to die alongside the world that either hated or trusted them, the results didn't matter in the end. The real threat was the very being that sent them to a faraway land in the first place. Sensing the gloomy atmosphere, Gambit cleared his throat, leaning back on his chair. "Well, since we're within my own space we have time to contemplate the inevitable fates of worlds before I can whisk you all on your merry way, whatever that may be, so... take your time," He waved his arms wide, then snapped a finger forward with a glare. "But no touching my merchandise, clear?" Three nodded, W just... walked away. "Hey, W-" "Just leave me alone," Her words cut across Sora's sharply, head low with each step she took to the farthest corner of the Emporium. Her tail curled around her waist as she walked, no longer feeling anything. "Hey, Aoi, what're your choices?" Looking up from her documentations, she leaned back against the wall with a window facing the outside world. Her eyes were aloof and distant. "Dunno, maybe a college or just a job at that cafe, I'm fine with either really." She shrugged, turning to look at her closest friends. "And what? You're actually trying for that apprenticeship at that fancy game development studio?" Her friend smiled, patting his chest confidently. "Duh, I've been coding mods for years, this stuff's made for me, and if I can make some more money on the side, win-win, right?" "Always the optimist." Aoi rolled her eyes, turned to place her left cheek against her palm, facing her female friend. "What's your master plan then?" "College, if I can clear that on to Uni, hopefully," She smiled nervously. "I'm a little anxious though, it's alot of coursework and strange hours compared to school." "I hear ya," Looking back at her reflection, what exactly were her plans aside from some part-time job to keep her free time? Was that all she needed or was that her way of skipping out on real-world issues? For the longest time, Aoi kept staring off into space, wondering what she was really good at, to begin with. Blinking, W stared back at her aloof expression against a small grave shield with a green crystal in its center. That had been the first time she ever wondered why she didn't stick with her college like her friend, why didn't she apply to an apprenticeship she liked, or why she stuck with some part-time job at a cafe? And now, what was she anymore? A mercenary? A tether? A... monster? "When I came to this world-" She flinched at Cinder's voice, never bothering to look up from her spot on the catwalk edge. "-the sight of a creature on two legs, bound in black metal that burned hotter than a dragon's flame scared so many. And many more wanted me dead, I was a monster unlike any seen before. I could carve rows of enemies down with a single swing, scorch the land where I walked... I was an indomitable force of nature." "If all you're going to do is lecture me, visit a school or something," Even her retorts were empty. "What the hell am I?" "You are a Displaced, like us." Cinder spoke gently "Is that all? Am I just some useless pawn, is that it?" Her eyes were wide, disbelieving her reflection. "You are not." Cinder countered. "How would you know!?" She snapped back, eyes shaking with fright, fist curled up tightly. "You didn't have the world turned against you on day one!? I did, forced to live day after day in some fucking ruins in a forest scavaging for food while everyone called me a monster, hated me for no reason!" W glare through his visor. "Sure, you were treated badly but they listened eventually while no one ever listened to me! Aoi was nothing, W is nothing here too, so what the hell am I!?" Weeks of torment came crashing to the surface, spat back in Cinder's face like the many times he too felt the pressure cave in, to see it repeat before his eyes was an experience he had never felt before, and understood far too well. Raising his hoof, W flinched once it landed on her head, ruffling her unkempt locks gingerly. "W or Aoi, they are just names, whichever you come to associate with, regardless of their pasts, retain the choice to do better, to find their purpose; Your life is yours to choose, a tether, a beast, a nobody, or even my friend." The words lifted her head again, a sorrowful look plastering her features but this was understandable, she was lost and terrified behind the confidence she wore like a badge, hiding her burdens. Looking down at her reflection again, W could see Aoi staring back at her, the same stupid girl that gave up once things got too tough. That made her scowl, picking herself up, discarding her ragged cloak while clenching her fists, bring her right across her own cheek. W stumbled into her own left cross, crashing against one of the shelves before delivering a final gut punch to herself, collapsing with a cough while wiping her lips dry of spit. For a moment she let the spike to adrenaline jumpstart her body with a tingling sensation down to her tail, it was almost blissful, "Hah... hah... my choice, huh?" Slowly she rose again, dusting off her jacket before yanking the strap of her duffle bag off the ground, slinging it over her shoulder. "Then fine, Sparkles." The pair strolled over to where Gambit sat patiently, Sora and Astra watching W worryingly from the small marks on her face, with her sharp smile she patted Sora's back. "Why the long face, Fly-Boy, we've got a dumbass kingdom to save, and a boatload of thank you letters to receive when we do!" In passing she ruffled Astra's mane, hearing her hum with delight at the playful tickle behind the ears. "Hey, Gambit, we're ready to go." He was busy flicking through cards, grinning away at her confident approach. "Had little heart-to-heart?" Looking around quickly he snapped his fingers, the floor in front of her splitting wide open with a vortex similar in nature to the Stepping Stone. "This will drop you off outside the caves, happy travels, I'll be watching from the edge of my seat, little travelers." "W?" Stopping an inch before the rim she spun around to Sora, feeling his hand rest on her bicep. "Once we go through we'll have not just Canterlot but all of the Royal Guard in the area, if they catch you, then..." She always found his worry endearing, especially on his stupid freckled face. Flicking one of his aqua-tinted braids she stuck her tongue out, folding her arms over her chest. "I'd like to see 'em try, peace!" With a skip she fell backward, her weapons reappearing as three more shadowed fell after her inside the gravity-defying wormhole. "-again with - Ow!" W grunted, face firmly planted into the grass until she propped herself up on her elbows. "Ack!" Cinder landed atop her, leaving her breathless while her eyes became wide, white circles. "Ack!" Sora added himself atop Cinder, W's soul escaping between her lips until Astra flopped atop them all safely. "My head..." Sora spoke dizzily, flopping to one side with Astra, Cinder grunting on the opposite end. "My back..." W croaked, peeling herself from the small dirt outline of her body, clutching her chest. "I think I just lost a cup size, and my lungs..." Paler than normal W observed as the rift closed above them, leaving only the chirping of birds and clanking of metal further up the hillside. "Astra, go take a look, Im'ma come back to ya once I stop seeing two suns..." With that, W fell back into the grass. Since the rest were currently recovering from the trip, the whitette nodded and tugged her scarf over her muzzle, skittering up the hill to investigate the sounds. Using her semblance she could sense a dozen ponies ahead of her, all flushed against the mountainside with equipment and tents. Blinking she hid behind a rock to observe, spotting the familiar shiny armor they wore. Many patrolled small ledges with other tunnels but none were inside strangely enough. It didn't take long for Astra to return, motioning up the hill. "Guards everywhere, I think they're scared to go inside." W just stared off into space for a second, her mind suddenly became very muddled with... images, like flashes of a life before her gaze. Sora also noticed this, tapping her shoulder. "W?" His worry shook her quickly, a strained smile on her lips. "Ah, sorry I just... wow, feel like a whole freakin' world slammed into my head," It was faint but now those images were starting to fade. She shrugged off whatever the name 'Horus' was before clicking her fingers. "Right, well Astra, that's where we're heading," W surmised, patting the filly's head. "Right, with that we just need to find a way past dozens of... erm, well, I was going to say 'trained guards' but after the last time I crossed paths with them I'm beginning to doubt that," Rubbing her chin, Sora smiled away while patting the armored pony next to them. "Huh?" "Cinder, think you can do me a solid?" The Hollow lifted his head toward the Prince, and unbeknownst to them, a sly smile formed. "Excuse me, may I inquire as to whom is in charge here?" Cinder spoke boldly, startling several tense guards from their posts. One who stood by a desk, a map detailing the layout of the early cave systems on display. The pony turned nervously, eyes wide. "L-Lord Cinder! I, um, i-it's an honor, sir," The guard saluted Cinder who reciprocated the action. If he were being honest, that always made him feel awkward, the customs of the Guard were so formal it was suffocating, yet with the Night Guard, he felt at ease. "Is it any wonder Lily suggested the post for me," He chuffed to himself. "No need for formalities, lad, I have recently been informed of some troubling development under Canterlot, am I to assume the issue resides before us?" While keeping the guard and a few of his men distracted. W led Sora and Astra between the rocks, shuffling past the disorganized guards no longer solely focused on their posts and more of the intimidating presence of Cinder. Out the corner of Cinder's eye, he gave a subtle nod of his head to W who flashed him a toothy grin. "Um, yes sir, but s-sorry, the orders from Princess Celestia were to restrict access to any outsiders, t-that would have to include you, sir." It was obvious Cinder's appearance constantly intimidated newer recruits, it was a double-edged sword in most cases. However, it works in Cinder's favor for situations such as these. "I understand, no need to look so shaken, lad," He patted the guard's shoulder. "You are committed to a fine job, however, if such a threat were to cause the unwanted deaths of your comrades I would feel equally as responsible." The pony shook his head. "N-no, this wouldn't be your fault, sir-" "I know, and yet, it was those same actions that led to... unfortunate circumstances in my past, had I gone against my commanding officer's word, maybe things... would be different," Cinder sucked in a long breath, calming himself before the green guard. "Please, allow me to provide my own investigations, should any consequences come of this I shall take the fall." "But sir..." He looked hesitant then scratched his mane. "Ah... I really hated these orders too - okay, okay... here," His magic levitated over another copy of the cave network. "This is the most we've managed to map out, it should be a good place to start, a-and sir, please be careful." Cinder chuckled lightly at his words, "You are a fine guard, lad, you have my word, now, let us pretend I was never here." With that, the Hollow turned for the entrance his allies entered, now with a map and a clearance to his name. Under his breastplate, his hoof tapped a space where something clanked against his armor. "I shall not fail them this time." The entry was promising, many long and winding paths diverted from the centralized cavern, a stream of water entering a pond in the center. This wasn't as difficult as W expected since they had a Seer with them. "Astra, where exactly are we going?" W inquired, the Sarkaz stopping before three dark entrances with her tail scratching her forehead, visible confusion on her face. "I didn't major in geography." "Hmm... I think this way? No-no, this... way, huh?" The little pony kept bringing her hoof back and forth, then frowned. "There's something like Mr. Gambit's home, it's making everything fuzzy but this way feels stronger." Her hoof stopped on the left tunnel. The group immediately strolled down the tunnel, carelessly wandering into the dark as the group jogged up beside her, using Sora's illuminated swords and Cinder's embers to navigate. W jumped over a crack in the ground, the void staring back. "How far down do these tunnels go?" "I think most ponies believe they could go on forever, saying that the ones that mined for resources eventually dug too deep," Sora answered, shaking his head. "I don't want to know what could be further down." W put her arm up. Through a hole in the wall a large, oval room shifted on its own, the clank of metal shambling by with bright crystals lighting the way. Turning around, Astra pointed to a second tunnel instead. Soon they stood inside a larger cavern than before, several tunnels spanning the walls. They stopped, giving the filly time to tune out the world and search the earth further. Cinder paused a moment, assessing his sword before inverting it within his magic, then, with a small chime five crystal balls surfaced around his head, casting a brighter shade of light onto the cavern walls. "That would work far better," Once light basked the cavern that's when W realized how... smooth the texture of the walls and floor were. The formation of rock below looked to have been molded and recently, most was blackened until halfway up the walls like something had torched the cavern and a single tunnel ahead lost in the dark. "This looks like a magma tunnel but... it's new?" Something about this made her feel queezy. Sora's face suddenly lost all color, eyes the size of pins while W's brow rose upon turning away from her investigation. "What?" Through the dark of one of the caverns was a growing pulse of amethyst light, and it was crackling. Time crawled as she turned to inspect the dark, like observing an angular fish's bobble waving in the void. Whatever it was glowed brighter with each inch W's posture shifted. W wasn't fast enough to move before a barrier of tiger light encompassed her from the piercing blast, though the shockwave more than sent her flying on her ass. Sora rushed to cover Astra, helping the filly move away from a set of claws that tore through the dark, tearing a layer of rock off the ground. Standing in the center of them all was the gnarled form of the Forsaken as its crossbow recharged, leveling its crooked arm to Cinder's staff as several Farron Darts battered the creature's form only for its own bolt to shatter the crystals, blowing the wall behind Cinder apart. "Kill... them all." It hissed, blocking Sora's twin slants with just its forearm, batting the winged human away while firing another Arts blast to cut off his assault. Forsaken evaded a grenade blast while posing its crossbow high, ignoring the knives and crystals that tore against its marred flesh while its roar shook the caverns. "Disappear...!" "Brace yourselves!" Cinder proclaimed, retreating in time before the flash of purple shattered the ceiling above, webbing the cavern while the world groaned in protest. Large boulders broke free, smashing through the floor, dislodging more of the caves structural integrity. "Sora, Astra!" W couldn't see straight, a large slab of slate dividing her view entirely, flinging the mercenary back once the ground under her slid backward. Before long the floor caved in, the Forsaken along with them and tons of debris. To Be Continued... Author's Note This has to be the longest chapter to date but I couldn't split it up, now we know that the Merchant's, or Robin's, true intentions are for the good of all those Displaced, or that's how it started, now Kranon is calling the shots. The truth is revealed and Forsaken is back! What happened to our heroes and how will they prevail? Ain't that the most cliche line I've written as of yet? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Going Toe-To-Toe Separated, Sora and Astra locate Kranon, discovering what he plans to create. However, in order to stop him, they must find a way through the Infected and the Forsaken itself.
2-3 Going Toe-To-ToeA sharp ringing perforated Sora's eardrums as he stumbled out from the rocks around him, slowly keeping himself pressed up against a wall until his vision recovered, checking his hands for any slight fuzziness to his sight. Once a minute or so passed he checked around and found that Astra had survived, thankfully. "Hey, Astra?" Shaking her slightly the filly sat up much the same way, that was when she hopped to her hooves. "Woah, slowly, we fell pretty far." "I'm fine, see?" She stepped back to show that, miraculously, her body was unscathed, smiling a little. "I-I think it's that aura thing Cinder talked about, it protected me." Just then, her body gave off a small, silvery sheen before dissipating. "Huh, lucky," Sora smiled then frowned once he saw the way they had fallen was gone say for one passageway left for them to take. "Guess Cinder and W got trapped someplace else." "I hope they're okay..." The whitette murmured, feeling Sora run his fingers through her mane. "If I know Cinder well he's stubborn like her, they probably headbutted the boulders out of their way," Keeping the girl assured he took the vanguard, drawing one of his swords. "I just hope that Forsaken thing isn't with them? It tore the cavern apart like it was paper." The sight froze his heart that he almost got himself killed trying to fight it. The Forsaken wasn't like anything he's faced before, it had no real weakness. Traversing the only viable tunnel forward the duo kept to the shadows as light poured in from afar, the whole cavern looked to be molded by molten rock, most of the surfaces were smoother than natural caves, and bumpy say for the center where the magma clearly flowed through. What unnerved Sora was that no history of Equestria speaks of volcanic activity under Canterlot, and this looked far too clean to be old. Ignoring the abnormal formation the pair winced at the glare of something bright ahead so hugging the left wall Astra tried to look ahead, feeling her vision clear. Dread and death hung in the air, it was so pungent she almost threw up, shaking off her stare. That was enough to put Sora on edge, peeking around the corner to investigate, a strong breeze striking his face. "Um, Astra, I think we found the hornet's nest." Tilting the girl's head toward the exit she too shared his bug-eyed expression. It was as if the whole cavern ceased to be. Wherever they were underground, the world expanded into a massive open cavern over a black abyss below, like something out of an old game with an underground level. Many rocky bridges and outcoves spanned the walls and pillars stretching out of the abyss like fingers. Across to their far-right was the biggest space available. Many mineshafts from decades ago laid in ruins. Minecarts pushed along by white-robed humanoids, the Infected. Rocks were broken down or tossed into the abyss. All of it made room for the centerpiece of the mine system's architecture. Three large black obelisks like angular 'Cs' were built atop the plateau. Several rings of onyx rock circled the structure three times, standing before it all were the Forsaken, itself hanging off one of the obelisks as its snarl reverberated off the gorge's walls. Standing by the third outermost ring was the tattered hero of another world, Robin, although now they knew better, Kranon was calling the shots. "Interesting, I had expected the mercenary and her allies to have found their way here, I suppose your actions fared well," He mused up at the Forsaken as it clawed its way down the surface of the obelisk. "If you find any trace of them, ensure they merely stay out of my way." "Guess we're not expendable yet," Sora huffed, somewhat thankful for that atleast. Nudging Astra, he pointed toward the many bridges webbed across the gorge. "We can cross the bridges to another cave system but..." His finger fell. "I don't know where W or Cinder could be, and if Forsaken ends up prowling..." It was a tough call, they could see it, the very instrument that could end the world was there but past so many Infected. For Astra, perhaps it was a foolish idea, however, she had learned from a talented mercenary that sometimes that's a merc's greatest asset. "He thinks we're still lost, he's not expecting us," She felt Sora's eyes on her while she devised her plan. "If we can destroy one of the obelisks the lure won't work, but if we send it flying into the abyss we can cut off his whole plan even longer." "Thereby providing us with greater time, heh, it's... well, very risky," Looking to her with worry he knelt down to her level. "The second he sees us he'll not let us close to that thing, and I'd need something alot stronger than two swords to bring a sizable chunk of that ridge down." Luckily for the ravenette, a pair of silver eyes gleamed all too similar to a hotheaded Sarkaz. "Leave that to me." Sora had always wanted to say this. Taking a few steps back he readied himself for a running start, "Here goes..." Rushing toward a minecart, diving headfirst into the metal box as it swayed on the edge of a slope. Sitting forward Sora drew his swords, feeling his velocity increase once the old wheels started turning. The tracks rumbling beneath them with a sharp whistle of the wind. "Leeroy Jenkins~!" "We've got company." Kranon, who had heard the unfamiliar voice from afar turned to one of the tracks running parallel to the left wall in his perspective. Inside, only Sora could be seen. Both made eye contact before Kranon raised a hand. "How foolish, do not allow him closer." Under his word, several Infected Soldiers rushed across the rigidity railway, red Originium Slugs sloshing under the tracks to dissolve the tracks and derail the Aasimar. A few leapt down from the passages above. With a single stroke of his right, he volleyed the first Infected over his head, plunging his left through the second's abdomen, repeating his action while his minecart gradually leveled out. Once in reach, he braced his foot against the lip of the cart, launching forward and over the horde the second his cart yerked forward from the lack of continuous tracks. Spreading his wings with a flash of light he swept down, sliding on his heels while twirling to decapitate two Soldiers, roundhousing a third once he took flight again. Drawing his right sword forward he poised the tip toward Forsaken who had begun to charge his crossbow. Sora's eyes hardened on the sight of said weapon, soon, it bloomed with a radiant glow that left the beast wailing from the sheer brightness. Twirling down onto one of the many ledges along the mineshaft's walls Sora kicked a Slug over the edge, carving another in two as it attempted to jump him. At that point he crossed his swords, blocking a Soldier's own weapon while another moved into his left, on instinct his wings curled the Aasimar around to slash with a long arc of silver, cutting it to ribbons as he threw the other high into the air with a single, powerful uppercut. Sora's eyes were never so focused before, this wasn't some average fight, this was by far the most serious fight in his life, for his home's life. "Hyrah!" A twin, downward cross-chop tore up the tracks with a wave of wind and kinetic energy, flinging many Slugs backward. More moved in from the many shafts, this time it were the Acidic variants from Hoofprint, and even one of the other Sarkaz in robes as it raised a banner, enhancing the enemy's movement speed. "Oh no..." Evading the blobs of acid that corroded the earth, Sora spun backward and rushed the frontline, reeling back his right sword, slamming it forward into a Soldier that split the horde. Twisting his handle on his left Sora spun around, carving a vicious spiral through the Slugs and Infected, using a Metal Crab as a vaulting point over the wave of black glass that tore a ring around the Sarkaz Sentinel. Using the banner to his advantage, Sora pressed his knuckle against the flat head of the staff, spinning over its figure before drawing his right blade down the middle, plunging his left through its lower back. With his surroundings clear the ravenette gasped, feeling nails drag into his side, followed by a firey pain piercing the skin across his right shoulder. The Forsaken lunged with its recharged crossbow, tackling Sora over the edge as the two tumbled down a small strip and over the edge. Separating upon hitting solid ground. Sora reeled back to check his shoulder, seeing blood beginning to cauterize over the wound, his flesh stinging before he leapt back, evading the claws that nicked his side, followed by a lesser bolt from the crossbow, forcing his back to a wall. By now Sora was sweating and shaking. The Forsaken snarled, pacing to keep most of the Aasimar's blindspots covered while Slugs and Soldiers circled in, effectively cutting off any chance of escape, even above a few waited for him to fly out of reach of the ground units. "R-really starting to see holes in this..." Kranon had observed this for a great deal of time, never allowing his guard to fall with the crafty Aasimar. Now cornered the corrupt Displaced spoke. "I fail to see what your intentions were? Your fight was tenacious and yet... you are all alone." Not even Sora missed the condescending tone in his voice. "Oh, you know, just being a good distraction." He smirked, then a second passed and a blinding ball of silver struck Forsaken's jaw, sending the abomination clambering across the plateau until it fell over the edge, howling in rage although Sora doubted that would effectively kill him a second time. Between all of the Infected, Astra's aura shattered from her dive, leaving her a little fatigued as Sora rushed to protect her, keeping his stance wide and his eyes roaming over every target. "Nice hit." "T-thanks, I hope I didn't take too long?" She murmured worryingly at the open wounds on his body. With a weak smile, he shook his head. "Not at all, time for the next phase." "Right!" Astra pipped up, hopping onto his good shoulder in time for the pair to fly away from the lowered swords that broke the silence. Up above several Metal Crabs spun their metallic legs in an effort to peel their flesh apart. The first only met the back hooves of the filly while Sora inverted his rotation, hacking one through the center of its abdomen while booting the third far across the cavern, landing on the crumbling edge of another elevated walkway. "You think I would stand by and allow a few measly insects and undead soldiers to handle the work?" To their fearful eyes, Kranon's hands began to split apart under his clothing. Everything up to his elbows appeared to glow with several rings of unknown origin, a dark purple hue overtaking his charcoal clothing. "I look forward to taking your power of flight, Aasimar." "Come take it, Kranon." Sora sneered, completely silencing the beast. It was as if the air itself became deathly still, the two sharing a quick look before focusing on Kranon, although he was nowhere to be seen. Behind them, his form appeared in a small buzz of light, a hand-stretched toward the filly, the seal humming with dark light. Time froze and Sora's ear twitched with a shiver of adrenaline. "Astra!" Sora swung around only to suddenly deflect a palm-sized beam of hot plasma while the left curve around with a familiar, rugged sword, his own skating against its face, locking both into the ground before Kranon vanished again, appearing to their left to violently kick Sora in his bloodied side, flinging the pair over the drop toward the Infected below. He was relentless, once Sora leveled out his wings he cried out as his magic was disrupted from another focused beam of light as it scorched from a small rupture to his right and left, Kranon standing above with both hands through separate ruptures. The tears vanished and Sora crumpled to the earth, Astra grunting beside him while Infected shuffled closer, swords and Slugs slithering around them. "Sora, Sora!" She tried to shake him to his knees but he struggled, the many assaults taking a toll on his body. "That fall from before must've injured him internally, adrenaline kept most of the pain from affecting him until now..." Astra was effectively on her own and with no clue as to how to wield a sword, let alone with hooves. "No more aura so no more Seer semblance, maybe my eyes..." Thinking back to Hollow Shades she squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out noise as best she could. She had to try something, anything! Only picturing happy memories and thoughts, she let them fill her heart wanting to protect Sora and herself. She can do this, she can save him too! "Focus... come on," Blinking, not even a flicker of light refracted off the many swords that rose in her peripheral vision. Panic overtook her. "No no no!" "Ugh..." Sora felt his eyes focus and... heat to his right? Without thinking his arms pulled Astra under his form, a moment later a large wave of fire burned through the Infected, a large figure sliding through the flames with a rising slash of a molten sword, sending a torrent of rising fire through the earth, blowing the many Slugs flying into the air, exploding like fireworks of slime. "Heh, hey Cinder." "You have quite the reputation for instigating trouble, Prince Sora," The Hollow pony tapped Sora on the forehead before taking up a defensive guard with his blazing scimitar bound in his magic. "Come now, we have a Lure to destroy." "Right, stay close Astra," Sora murmured, managing to shake off the dizziness for a moment longer. "Break!" Taking flight, Astra hid behind Cinder who performed a front flip, bucking the first Soldier in the jaw while slashing in a curved pattern through three Slugs, their acid not so much as grazing his ruined armor. Grabbing one slashing for his flank by the nape, Cinder threw it into another Infected, building an intense amount of electricity in his left hoof, swinging it wide. "Hmph!" It wasn't meant for this but the gathered lightning instead fanned out, creating a wide arc of gold bolts to sweep the area, decimating a number of Soldiers and even another pair of Crabs, their bodies acting as conductors to chain a volley of lightning across the plateau. Cinder helped Astra onto his back while retreating to the far left of the Lure, however, more poured in from the tunnels. Huffing, he ducked from another beam of plasma from Kranon, blocking several swords with his similar, dancing in an elegant blaze that rippled and scorched all in his path, Astra observing it all with wide eyes. "Keep your head down, lass." Conjuring another impressive conduction of lightning against his left hoof Cinder barely acknowledged the Metal Crab that spun into view of his scimitar, merely banishing it from his sight. With a long spear of plasma, he volleyed the Splintering Lightning Spear high into the sky, seeing it multiply, honing in on the Obelisks that Kranon guarded against any and all interference from Sora, the boy keeping his distance. "Did you believe I couldn't predict what you were capable of, Hollow?" The Merchant hummed, hovering before the volley with his hand raised to discard the bolts, only his eyes widened, seeing they flew in the complete opposite direction, instead, a green blur spun by his face, the streaks of lightning passing by. "What!?" "Of course, but who said I would go for such an obvious target?" Cinder mocked with a hidden smile as Sora flew down in a narrow cone, his swords crackling with bright silver bolts of lightning as his body roared like thunder, piercing the delicate foundations of the obelisks like a hurricane, his olive coat dancing behind him while he screeched to a sudden stop moments later. Many bolts of lightning flashing amongst the obelisks, scarring their forms. Silence overtook the battle and Kranon chuckled in a dark, almost satanic tone. "Is that all? I expected more from the thorns in my side, I suppose I predicted a little too much from a few tethers." His mockery wouldn't last, eyes wide upon spotting Sora who banished his wings, pointing a sword up at the smug Vex. "You're right about that, but I've been told my swords can leave quite the impression." He gave a wink and took several steps back. *Thunk - BOOOOOM!!* Instantaneously the obelisk became engulfed in fire and tiger-gold light, a large section of the plateau sinking forward while the foundations of the earth fell apart, a number of heavy stalactites crumbling into the surface due to the shockwave that forced many to shield their eyes and cover their ears while the air continued to wail. Up above, Kranon's eyes finally came face-to-face with the same, anxious teen he tricked that day as her blazing embers looked to him as though she crawled out from hell. "You....!" Nothing could mistake that tone as the real being in control as both hands shook with rage. "How... how did you... there was no way your explosives could damage-!" His voice hitched, glancing back at the smirking Aasimar who nervously shuffled around the destruction and back toward his allies, W landing a few feet away. "Why do I have the sneaky suspicion this plan is going to hurt?" Sora was apprehensive but followed along with the filly's cave drawings on the wall. "Step one-" She wasn't really listening. Pointing to a stickman in a minecart with her in a cave. "-you use the old rail system to get the drop on Kranon and distract his Infected while I use my Seer semblance to find W and Cinder. Step two-" She tapped the sketch of herself with a bubble around her and Cinder hiding with W. "-Once I find them I'll explain the plan quickly and come back to hopefully remove that Thing temporarily." "Wait-wait, how?" If anything she should be the last person to go near something as unstable as the Forsaken so she tapped her chest. "My aura, I think I can use it a little more like a shield to ram him off the edge, it won't kill him but he won't expect it either, not even Kranon," She spoke with confidence not normally seen in a child but again this was a child raised with no memories by W of all people, sometimes that was a good thing. "I can handle it, promise." The two held eye contact a little longer, Sora crossed his arms while Astra pouted angrily until Sora reluctantly caved in, worried for what W might think if she were here. "Okay... just don't do anything too reckless." She smiled slightly, the most she could. "Thank you - ahem, step three, Cinder will jump in and use his lightning spears and aim them for you while you fly at the perfect angle to strike the obelisks all at once," She tapped the sticks that acted as his swords, and the bolts that traveled around them. "Alone your swords might not do much but if infused with that amount of magic power they can leave them scarred enough for W to finish them off!" Then it dawned on him. "Like with the obsidian boulder.... I weaken it and W can blow it to pieces afterward, hahaha, that's amazing!" He was genuinely impressed by Astra's plan W held up her fingers nonchalantly. "Risky yet a plan you'd never predict," Her coy grin was enough to antagonize anyone. "How's that for a couple of tethers?" Kranon remained stationary in the air, hearing rocks crumble past the now dismantled Lure, spotting the hook of a crossbow winch up Forsaken's form onto one of the rocky bridges, the monster pawing at the ground angrily. "I was going to give all of you an easy and painless demise, now I see that was very... pedestrian of me," He looked at his hand, inspecting both sides. "Perhaps a lingering ghost of this farmhand's sympathy runs through my veins still - he was foolish to think my power could be taken so easily." The very earth let out a humungous roar, yet W kept her eyes to Kranon, raising her grenade launcher. "I'm not some cliche hero with some fancy monologue so I'll just save you time and say this," Their eyes met and fire met death in a tidal wave of tension. "I am nothing like you." "...then you will die." With that, a rupture appeared, allowing the Merchant his chance to escape, leaving them all with nothing but piles of rocks and dusty old wood. Oh, and a mutated abomination of Originium. "W, why did you-" She put her hand up to stop Sora "We've bought ourselves time to get things ready, he'll be back and we need others that'll hear us out to help when the inevitable happens," Much as she wanted to pull the trigger neither her nor her allies had any strength or resources left to pull off a counter-offensive against Kranon, for now, they only needed time. Looking ahead, the Forsaken was coming. "You need to get out of here and get everyone we can trust, otherwise none of us we'll be sitting pretty soon." "What?" Astra blinked, hopping off Cinder's back as W turned away to face Forsaken. Lacking her semblance Astra still felt dread creep into her chest. "You... aren't coming? Why?" "Hey, come on, we can still run before the Guard finds-" His hand gripped her wrist but stopped upon seeing her gentle smile and kind eyes. "He'll just come after us," She didn't like it either but someone had to warn Equestria, anyone who would care to listen. She was... meant to do something else. "I need you to find people to help us." "But for what? It'll take him ages to rebuild the Lure!" Sora yelled, not wanting to let her just slip away when he could help too. His whole body was locked with fright for the reckless Sarkaz that refused to budge, retaining her smile for his worry to build over. "Why... dammit tell me!?" "Do you trust me?" Again the word 'Trust' was the subject that always cropped up. W had always was reluctant to trust people, Equestria turning against her wasn't very helpful and yet she met three amazing friends, one of which she... might feel more for, so that alone pushed her to try and do better. Robin fell to grief and anger, W couldn't allow that to repeat on her or anyone else like her. "Sora?" His head bowed, biting his lip bitterly. His fingers pulled at her skin but ultimately fell, raising his head to hers, feeling her own fingers wrap around his wrist gently. "You come back... you come back!" He was trying to bottle up his emotions, poorly but she understood, letting him go as he helped Astra into his arms though the filly tried to pull away. "Take care of Astra for me, Fly-Boy." She joked lightly, seeing him stare at her for another moment of hesitance. "No, don't go!" She whined, trying to push away from Sora's arms. "Please, ma-!" She froze once she saw W give a small wink and flick of her hand. "Be back later, kid, make sure to scold me," Turning away she didn't want to bear the sight of seeing Astra balling her eyes out, the last to pass by was Cinder, himself lifting a hoof to her leg, neither saying a word. "Don't get all sentimental on me now, Sparkles." She mused, hearing him snort. "Good luck, my friend." One last nod and W was alone once more, left to stroll with a hum toward the Forsaken that prowled on the bridges, stalking her movements while scraping the earth with its crossbow. W lost her ability to smile, becoming featureless say for her eyes that could scorch the world, her antenna and ears twitching at the distant sobs of a filly and clank of metal. She had people to rely on, all her cards were out on the table, going all in. "I am nothing like you." "...then you will die." The Forsaken cracked his neck making W shiver in distaste, adjusting her grenade launcher while holding a knife in her left tightly. Swallowing the lump in her throat the pair were at a stand-off. "Round two you ugly mother fu-" W was forced to duck to his left, avoiding the claw's descent, followed by the hulking beast to bash her with the crossbow against her chest, throwing W across the walkway, rolling back onto her feet to spot the abomination thundering toward her like a rugby player. Keeping steady she felt her arm recoil from the launcher, fire, and debris showering Forsaken who tore through the smoke and into her bladed left hook, the knife lodged deep into its throat as it stumbled by her form. Pushing up, Forsaken shook his head angrily and punched the bridge, turning on his knees and standing back up to face the boot that split a number of crystals from its marred skin. Forsaken retaliated, throwing right and left crosses towards W who quickly tilted each shoulder back to avoid, shoving his crossbow aside as it flashed. W then performed a palm-heel strike to its chin followed by a head grab as she pulled the torn hood down and cracked Forsaken's head against her knee, in sudden succession W spun on her left leg, striking out with a strong right kick, throwing the Infected into the ground. Hooking her foot under her grenade launcher W flung it back into her hand, loading another shot as fire and kinetic energy staggered Forsaken, a few sparks from its crossbow splitting her left cheek yet she merely loaded another shot only for the grenade to ricochet off its weaponized hand while he charged. Gasping from the sudden swipe to her left hip W leapt away, feeling the same hand coil around her throat, sweeping her off her feet. Gritting her copper-tasting teeth W spun her legs around the length of his arm, twisting her throat free until the crossbow's river smacked her forehead, the same hand grasping her ankle, thrashing her high and back into the walkway on her back, seeing her body to flail across the dirt painfully. Lifting her launcher vertically W didn't think before she shot another round high into the ceiling above, hearing it rumble and quake under the mountain. The sudden disturbance caused a large section of the ceiling to collapse, raining down atop herself and Forsaken as the two ran at each other, avoiding the shower of massive collections of rock and granite. Neither cared to acknowledge the chaos breaking apart the bridges and their pillars. Forsaken swiped left, missing W's neck by a hair while she struck his knee, followed by an elbow to the jaw. A massive slab of granite soon separated them, only for Forsaken to kick the wall towards W, forcing the mercenary to vault atop the mass with Forsaken counterbalancing the opposite side. Positioned like a seesaw W's section rose, sliding down and over Forsaken's amethyst shots while dropping several grenades to disorientate the beast. The Infected rose after W, crashing through a boulder with a sharp turn, lacerating the edge of W's jacket and shirt. He did it again, the claws deflecting off the launcher's barrel while the stock smacked his shoulder. She leveled the muzzle against his face only for him to sway the second her M32 left the chamber. A large chunk of granite fell between them, yet the abomination barreled straight through it, tackling W to the ground, she was quick, however, shifting her elbows under her to push up with both feet, slamming them into Forsaken's abdomen. Unfortunately, the beast landed on a descending chunk of rock, forcing the debris to impact the ground faster, blinding W to the first that bruised her face, followed by a narrow evasion of the claws extended with crystals, stained with dried, fermented blood. Rolling to her right, W procured two more grenades from her belt, hesitating for a split second about pulling their pins, but she reluctantly did so, hearing the cling of the timers. Moving to her feet she threw the two explosives at her feet, seeing the projectiles slowly clattering against the supporting pillar's face, disappearing into the darkness. Turning, she grabbed her launcher and fired a payload to throw off Forsaken's aim in time for his bolt to tear through the hem of her sleeve. *BOOM-BOOM* The twin eruptions shook the mountain and the rocky highway they stood on, from under both Forsaken's bloodied feet and W's, the cracks snaked their way up the pillar and across the surface of the bridge. An earth-shattering rumble made its way through their bones. Both looked at each other then to the only section that was unaffected by the ruptures, the plateau. Once the land shifted down by two inches the two broke into a fierce sprint for the safety of solid ground. From under W's feet struck the severe lack of ground, her feet flying over the increasingly widening gaps. Forsaken gave chase, crawling over the top of a mound, utilizing fallen stalactites to vault toward W, crossbow once more missing her by a few strands of silver hair. W kept hopping between small slithers of stone, pushing off her toes at the very last second. Quickly, W drew two knives while sprinting for the last widen ravine between her and solid ground. Inverting her hold she leapt high, plunging either blade into the rigid wall, scrambling to brace the wall while her feet kicked for a perch. Meanwhile, she spotted the crooked form of Forsaken lunge for her legs, willing to bring the mercenary down with him. Hoisting all her strength onto her right arm she threw her back against the wall, raising her grenade launcher, finding its muzzle pointed at its chest. "Tch, boom." Hissing the words the flash from her muzzle forced her to shield her eyes as the grenade erupted against Forsaken's chest, hearing it wail in pain as those screams plummeted deeper into the many chasms below, rubble tumbling after its form. "Hah... Get up from that." W breathed, grunting as her feet slipped against the sharp drop. With her bloodied left over the edge, she threw herself onto solid ground, panting madly while unable to lift even a finger. She was beaten, bruised, and sweaty. Yet, her ears throbbed at the consistent stomp of hooves. Flipping herself onto her side she spotted another cave entrance. Unable to even mutter a groan of distaste her heart sank like her eyes. Cliffheart appeared, bo-staff drawn to her form alongside spears and shields, none willing to risk taking a step forward until their commander gave the word. He saw the destruction behind W and her exhausted state of simply attempting to stay awake. "It can't be..." He had to shake his head, believing it to be a trick, and yet there she was, unable to move an inch. It almost felt... disappointing that his most dangerous hunt would conclude with his prey laying before him, unable to fight back. Sighing through a heavy breath he approached her. "So this is it, huh, nothing, not even a smile?" "..." She stared up at him, coughing a few times. "...h-happy, C-c-captain...?" Her voice was so frail, not a trace of humor or sympathy, she was done. "...quickly, grab me the iron cuffs and bring a stretcher, can't risk our magic with her," Cliffheart waved to his troops, watching W as her vision became blurry, her energy fading away to nothing. The last thing her ears could properly place was Cliffheart muttering under his breath. "...it's over." To Be Continued... Author's Note Well... that happened. Kranon's plan is on hold but at the cost of W's freedom. What is to happen next? Well, we all know. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades. Next Chapter: You Must Play To Lose "And now I have nothing left to say."
2-5 Born to LeadA day after W's departure... Just along the outskirts of Hoofprint, a few travelling caravans were set up outside, many local guards moving supplies to and from the town walls with the lead guard, Tera Cotta and Sora working on organizing and distributing the products, some to be taken with them to Hollow Shades and others for the town itself as a back-up supply line. Everything needed to be ready for when Kranon turned his eyes to Canterlot again, and since W helped to clear Hoofprint of Infected, they were more than willing to lend a hoof. Cinder sat facing the charcoal filly by a small, empty campfire, who stared toward the working ponies curiously. She wanted to help, but Cinder insisted she needed to focus on training herself if she wanted to be more than a liability. Harsh, but she knew he meant well by it as a form of 'brutal honesty', something W offered many. "To expand one's Aura is to broaden your understanding of yourself, to delve into what you may refer to as your 'Inner Demons', your soul is a part of you that cannot lie or hide, if you wish to grow stronger, you must overcome your own walls, and despite what some may believe, we all have these walls, some far higher than others and there is no easy method to proceed," With that, he clopped his hooves softly. "Now, tell me what you know of the three gifts you possess?" "Um, I have a silver Aura which is a shield, but it has limited energy," Astra nodded to herself slowly under the stoic Hollow's unknown gaze. "And I can use my Semblance, which is like a sword, to peer into other auras and see emotions, but Grimm don't have a soul, so they're blank voids, and the more I focus, the more detailed the aura becomes," Then she pointed to her eyes. "And my eyes are a rare silver which can turn Grimm into dust or stone when I wish to preserve life." "Exactly," Cinder's hoof stretched forward with a wave. "Preservation of life is the counterpart to Destruction the Grimm and those like it wish to bring. Your father held this power too; however, forces in Remnant sought to end their rare bloodline, the attack on your village was one such incident," He saw her face become downcast. "And yet you lived through a mishap, as Astra Lumi, their sacrifice for your survival paid off." Her memories were returning by the day now. Her silver eyes and looks were all that remained of her Mama and Papa. She had nothing left but their memory, only now she had people she wanted to protect. W gave up her freedom to buy them all time; she didn't want to be a burden anymore; she wanted to help more as her Papa would. "I don't want anyone else to die..." She muttered, then felt a metal hoof pat her mane. "Then you must focus, close your eyes and focus solely on your own aura and nothing more." A nod and she closed her eyes, now she was in a void, but her hearing was still clear, but she peered into the dark any small sign of sparks, like someone lighting a fire "Okay... can you see your Aura? Like a small flame in the void?" Obviously, she couldn't respond since she needed to focus... There! She gasped, finally sensing a flickering, white flame against the void; that's her Aura, her very soul. Just then, she saw the sparks flash in her hidden vision; they were silver and faint against the void, but her soul was there, hers moved more and flowed with a sense of emotion behind it; hers was filled with a sense of unworthiness and guilt. "I know you must focus, but you must stay calm, you need to breathe slowly, feeling your Aura travelling through your body, your emotions play alot in how you can perform, but if you can control it..." In a few seconds, the flame looked to enlarge slightly, the wild flicks of embers soothing little by little. Astra smiled, removing herself from that void, seeing her blink with fascination and wonder in her expression. "Your Aura increased because you allowed for serenity to take over your mind; you overthink without realizing it. It's not a massive increase, but it serves as a good idea of where to start, no?" Cinder mused, seeing her happily nod with her tail once again swaying. "How do you feel?" "Strange... like my own Aura was flowing down a stream... if that makes sense?" Her dumbfoundedness was expected, not many learned about how Auras work right off the bat, and Cinder had never imagined he'd see a person from Remnant, let alone a Silver Warrior. "It does. Picture your soul like the Source of a river, this bottomless, pure pool of water, your Aura is the main Stream that your soul flows down, it can split off into many other Streams like your Semblance, but all of that leads to the Channel, your own body," Cinder explained then stood up. "Well, we can practice in our free time; let us see if Sora requires our aid." "Okay." Quickly, the filly shot ahead of the old Hollow, hoof once more against his breastplate where a necklace hid. "Let us see where this journey ends..." "Um. h-hey, Mir?" Sora stepped into the herbalist's shop to find many baskets of crafted elixirs and medicines. Taking a moment to take insight collectively, Sora spoke. "Wow... um, never mind." "If all you came here for was to gawk, then go elsewhere," The disgruntled stare from the matching black pony to Astra remarked while pouring mixtures into vials, visible sweat dotting his brow. "This process is delicate and does not require the endless drabble of mouths to decrease my effectiveness further." "Right, sorry, I just brought you the plants you wanted, Star Berries, the ripe ones?" Holding up the two baskets caused the stallion to turn and levitate them out of Sora's hands, inspecting them closely with a grunt. Sora was kept on the spot for a while. "Hrm, they will do," He didn't sound too convinced, but Sora wasn't going to question the angry pony making a butt-load of medication. "W has certainly picked such a valued time to put me out of business at the rate of decreasing value my wares offer." "...sorry," Sora knew all of this was sudden on alot of ponies. Still, as things stand, explaining why he needed a metric ton of Bits would further lead to suspicion. If W was right on whatever her hunch was, she had to be having a hard time up in Canterlot to give them all this chance to prepare without the Royal Guard hunting her. "Hmph, irrelevant!" He tossed one of the bad berries at Sora's head. "Whatever she is doing is never without purpose, that is what I've learned in my observations, and if you play a role, I suggest you play it well and stop contemplating what you do not need to know currently." "But what if she's-" "Irrelevant!" He tossed an empty basket this time, glaring dully at the timid ravenette. "I do not believe her actions to be wasteful, requiring this volume of medicine means that with certainty her 'hunch' is correct, a believe most ponies would call this blind optimism, 'faith', so I suggest considering such before contradicting your motives, Prince." "Right, yeah," He didn't mean to sound as if he mistrusted W, he didn't, but he was worried for her. Without anything to say, Sora turned and left Mir to his work, not seeing the old stallion's eyes locked to the boy's back, shaking his head with a grunt. Another day had passed, and nightfall had struck the forest trail. Without the need to take all the supplies from Hoofprint with them, Cinder utilized his Bonfires to speed along their travels across Equestria. Returning to Ponyville to acquire a few key potions personally from Zecora, the zebra is more than willing to offer her aid in their time of need. Inside, both Cinder and Astra were eating alongside Zecora while Sora sat outside the zebra's hut, watching and listening to the Everfree come to life at night. He knew he shouldn't be worried, imagining W teasing him again with that flirty look on her face, 'Aw, it's cute that you're worried Fly-Boy' or something close; with W, it was a mystery. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to push his mind elsewhere. "You seemed lost in strife-" Zecora startled him from his daydream with a small frown. "-what has brought along this plight?" "I... okay, I see what W meant when you only talk in rhymes," He tried to pass off with a joke, but it didn't really convince him either. "Yeah, sorry, I just... needed time to think." "A choice was made that you did not wish to go through, I was told it was W." She worded strangely, but Sora understood, recalling how she just... smiled back despite the severity of the situation. "Yeah, she... didn't want us to be hunted anymore, by the Royal Guard, Cliff, Forsaken - all of it, she... bought us time, and I'm grateful, but I..." He paused with his hands frozen mid-expression, slumping them against his knees. "It's just I, she is..." He couldn't even say it himself, regardless of how little time had occurred between them; W was... something Sora never realized he missed about being human. "She once sat here and watched the stars, a time when she had no cause," Zecora motioned to the window to their left. "She pondered her life and those who sought to cause strife, but my single act of kindness brought her light." Sora never heard of this before, looking up at Zecora, who smiled, knowing what was going on inside the boy's head, tapping his temple. "Your soul and hers are tied, and that feeling has grown with time." "I..." He turned away to hide the embarrassment on his face. He wasn't sure before on what 'that night' made them. And now she wasn't here, and Sora felt lost, like he had no real direction other than to follow through with her words like a lost puppy. Placing his head in his hands, he groaned. "Why isn't this easy? It's like I'm useless now, and now I can't even ask her what... I - we are." He meant no offence to quite a handful of mares that worked at the castle. Some were genuinely personalities he was into, but he was still human regardless of his ability to fly and even use magic if he had the affinity for it. When he met Aoi, though, she was stern, humorous, confident, strong, and had a strange way of caring that when she meant to be kind. Even if Aoi somehow became the person she was before turning into W, he didn't care because it was still her regardless of her looks. Of all the people he's met, Equestria and back home, she was... amazing. Zecora sat with him on the step, keeping her eyes to his distraught face. "When you meet again, you should be strong and tell her then." His head shot up in flabbergasted shock, but Zecora put her hoof to his lips. "If she gave her life away that day, then surely she feels the same way." That slowly calmed Sora down, so much so he chuckled again. "Hehe, sorry, but do you seriously have a rhyme for everything?" His amusement made her brow raise quizzically, then sighed through her nose. "No." She smirked as he chuckled again; inside, Astra shuffled away from the doorway with a soft sigh as Sora's sorrow quelled itself gently; she and Cinder knew he was troubled by W's sacrifice toward the Royal Guard, W would feel the same if the roles were reversed. She was happy he no longer felt as useless as he believes. "Son of a--grah!!" Sora fell back, clutching his nose as he, for the uncounted time, fell backwards as the perpetrator kept trying not to chuckle at Sora's repeated loss of composure. "I can do this--" "Yeah-Yeah, I know!" Sora shook his head, running his hand over his nose. "What the hell do you expect? You're wearing steel... what is it even made of?" Cinder flexed out his right hoof as though to examine the gauntlet. "Mmm, good question?" Sora just stared at him as he was serious, "If it's any consultation, your skill has improved with a sword over the weeks, I'm impressed." He said something akin to that every time. Cinder is like a machine; even Sora could land some solid punches on Cliffheart and Shining Armor, but the energy he's giving off is constantly is terrifying, like a slumbering beast and those eyes under Cinder's helmet, piercing through to Sora's soul with every gaze. He radiates with experience, and his combat style is inhuman. He held a magically conjured hand out to Sora, pulling the Aasimar back onto his feet while tapping a hoof to his chin. "Hrm... your wings and healing hands are your strongest tools, and while your affinity for similar magic has fallen short thus far, I feel you are close to your magic's true potential." That raised a brow, "'True Potential'? But... what else can I even do?" Was there a level deeper than that? Just as Sora inquired an explanation, a gathering of butterflies were drawn to them, more specifically, to Cinder's stoic form; one landed on his outstretched hoof, body simmering with embers, almost glowing the point the sunlight refracted off his rugged armour-like heatwaves. "A soul is the purest form of yourself, it's what makes you and I so different, and the deeper you go, the more you learn about yourself and grow to accept the person you are at your centre, that's when your power can truly manifest - those foundations make up Remnant the most, but the lesson is universal," He then let the butterfly go, almost lost in memory as he continued. "At my centre... I am a coward, but I accept that fault and in turn discovered that I am a hopeful person." "The world isn't perfect, and... I won't always be there to save everyone, but I will be; every day, I will strive to be there for anyone who wishes to have another in their corner to battle against adversity," He put a hoof on his chest. "I'm not perfect, nor am I trying to be the hero of the story, I am just me, and right now, I want to save our home." His words were genuine and sounded a little like some superhero, but they were real to him; this was his ideology, the path he's chosen despite his reluctance to fight, but if it means protecting those he cared for, he'd sooner throw his humanity away to do it. Just what lengths have Cinder gone to for this idea of balance? How much has he had to give up to push himself this far? Could Sora ever accomplish that? While Sora's admiration grew for the strange Hollow, he looked off toward the forest, unmoving. Many years ago... Dark. Surrounding Cinder was nothing but darkness over the lip of the wasteland surrounding him. As though a fragment of a desert were torn from the world, left to float alone in a void. Apart from himself, he looked up to see nothing but the mass murder of ravens around the remains of a great skeletal frame of a long-forgotten beast. This was it, his final stand, to end such impurities. He gave a bitter smile under his helmet, hoof brushing against the necklace he concealed under his armour as he readied his greatsword, the last momento of his comrades etched into its aura as colourful embers. The wind picked up under a black sky, threshing through his ruined armour. The frame of the dead rose with heavy, clanking motions. The ravens fled into the marionette, these corrupt creatures acting as muscle and flesh, rebuilding what was once myth now reincarnated with a dark shadow wafting in the gathering wind. Bones ground each other, wings stretched, the gaps blinking like torn leather. Picking up from beneath the dark earth, the jaws realigned, clanked, and fixed into place, releasing a hollow echo of a roar with a black breath. Staring up at the bones of the dragon, the Hollow took one step and fell into a deep, dark void, the edges of his eyes encircled by that same abyss, a sensation of drowning yet breathing racked his lungs and poisoned his mind. He was lost in the beast's consciousness. "Traveled so far... lost so much... and all for the sake of selfish mortals," Spoke a dark, booming voice that surrounded his mind, aged by time and decay. "Do not stray from what is yours; they expect loyalty without reward, for you to be complacent without a thought; I do not believe in such selfishness," He couldn't move his body, only his head toward the silhouette that manifested as a twisted reflection. "I wish to congratulate you on your journey; With a gift, to help you finally take control, to break your chains." A dark hand appeared before him, and Cinder smile warmly at such an offer. "You know, if you offered me such a thing when I arrived, then I would take that hand with no fear, but..." He clutched his hoof closer to his chest, the ghostly apparition of a mare by his side. "I have not come this far just to fall again, especially to You." The ravens mimicked the sound of familiar voices laughing, that mocking cackling melting down into a dark hiss between dusty bones hanging over his form. However, those same ravens were moulded by his hooves, sinking their hooks and claws around his ankles, infecting his body with their darkness. He struggled to move, noticing his sword too was being melded by the tar-like abominations. They intended to bury him like all the rest and continue a never-ending ruin and decay cycle. "Then allow me to help you break free..." The knight panicked for a moment; he may have just played the part of the fool after all. His eye caught the faint sight of a pony's astral form; for a moment, he thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him. However, even as the darkness crawled over his form, pulling him further in a frigid slumber, his eyes never lost themselves; instead, all they could see was a gentle scarlet. A bright light pierced the veil with his sword blazing, burning away the abyss as quickly as the ravens conjured it. The large head of the dragon reeled back from the blinding light; wings stretched wide to challenge the very source of its damnation. The knight stood forward; his heart was no longer frozen with fright and doubt. "The only thing I have to break here... is you." "Then you shall die." The dark echo of the drake warned. Its ancient frame rose, aided by the black mass of winged servents, and the skull's sockets bore down on the Hollow. "Come then, pawn, show me the power this so-called 'freedom' has drugged you with." "...I was always free." He readied his sword as he smiled. "Hey, Cinder? Hello~?" He didn't respond. "I think he's daydreaming?" "His aura's mellow," Astra murmured, the duo stepping closer to the statue of a Lord of Cinder. Both gave each other a sudden glance, then approached in little steps. "I think he's asleep." She whispered. "Well, he is in his late fifties..." Even for an older man, Sora was impressed Cinder could move so fluently though that may have been down to his inhuman body turned pony. Reaching up to touch the helmet hiding the mysterious knight, both leaned closer to take a little peek underneath. "Wonder what he looks li-" ... ... ... "Sorry," Both shrieked in fright once the statue turned to them, no longer lost in a trance. Looking down, Cinder comically turned his head to the side as Astra and Sora hid behind a tree stump. "Did I miss something?" "Nope!" "All good here!" Cinder blinked slowly, not that they could see it. "Hrm, well, come now, my Bonfire connected to Hollow Shades is not far." "We never speak of this again," Sora murmured from behind the stump; Astra just held her hoof out. "Speak about what?" They shook on the agreement Deep underground beneath Hollow Shades, Cinder walked the lonesome caverns alone, lost in the dark without his armour and sword brandishing flames to guide him onward. He was alone, Astra and Sora sleeping after another long day preparing for the final battle ahead of them. Cinder didn't sleep much, or not in a long time. "Well-Well-Well, someone's eager for knowledge," Cinder barely even flinched upon stumbling through the barrier that concealed Gambit's home, the large Nightmare sinking again after he failed to startle the Lord. "Still sunshine and rainbows with you, it seems; professionalism is so hard to come by in this era." Gambit waved his hand nonchalantly, looking rather bored for an inkling. "Had a lovely chat with Luna, tried to worm personal information out of me, tsk-tsk-tsk, data protection is a serious rule with me." "I am aware; I suppose it was about what we asked of you prior?" Cinder inquired, and Gambit nodded but said nothing nor implied anymore than the bare minimum. "Well, I wish to know something myself, to do what many cannot." That drew Gambit's eyes closer. The golden curves narrowed with dark delight. "Oh? By all means, humour me." "How do we defeat Kranon the Vex?" Cinder spoke clearly and concisely, never mincing his words on the matter. "To clarify, I am not looking to kill a Vex, rather, to slay Kranon in particular." Leaning back in his chair, the Nightmare put his claws together and close to hide his jack o' lantern smile poorly. "You know the rules, Displaced, what do you have that I certainly don't? What is your price for such valuable knowledge? Although you seemed to be lacking in the wares department in that inventory of yours." His finger circled mockingly. "You are mistaken," That silenced Gambit's short laugh. "For I do have something you've never had your hands on before." To Be Continued... Author's Note What a lovely little adventure for our trio during W's time locked away, but what is to come of them all? Especially Cinder's deal? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: The Choice Is Yours Suddenly, Sora returns to his home for two reasons. One, to finally stand his ground. And two, to save the girl who's suffered enough.
2-6 The Choice Is YoursSeveral days had passed since Sora had seen her face, and already it was stirring something sickly in his stomach. He kept focused on the task at hand, but he felt like he should've done more every day, put his foot down, and dragged her away regardless. Instead, he, Cinder, and Astra abided by her wishes, and now they stood before Canterlot Castle. It had been two or three weeks since he left the walls in search of W; how much had happened in such little time, he wondered? The bright blue sky wasn't as clear as he'd have liked either. A large, black storm front wasn't far from Canterlot; from his estimate, the front won't be here until the afternoon, so any hope of hiding among the clouds was out of the question if they needed to escape. Once knelt by a wall, the trio ensured no pony followed or spotted them. "Remember the plan?" Sora refreshed, kneeling before the two ponies. "I shall shadow you from an exterior entrance," Cinder recalled. "And I'll find W." Astra, in particular, was buzzing with determination. So much had changed for her in only a few days. Per Cinder's request and ingenuity, the filly wore a belt with a few select items lining the leather; within her cloak were lighter objects of interest too, fitting for a thief or a mercenary. "Sora, will you be okay...?" She couldn't shake the bubbling dark blue shade of his aura; it hadn't improved since they left W behind. "...your aura...." Smiling lightly, he patted her head, leaning back to look over the wall facing the castle entrance. "I'll be fine; you guys focus on your roles; I'll take the burden this time." "W's done enough of that herself." "Then come friends, operation ugh... Piccolo is a go," Both Sora and Astra snickered at the horrid name for their plan. None could see the Lord's bemused face. "Of all names you allowed 'Piccolo'?" "What, it's a good name." Sora didn't try to hide his grin, quickly clearing his throat and patting his cheeks. "Alright, here I go; wish me luck." Once within view of the castle, Sora felt a wave of serenity wash over him. He didn't regret leaving in search of the 'Beast of the Everfree'; it had led him to so much he felt was robbed from him the second he arrived in Equestria. But being back under its shadow was a strange, homely comfort. Steeling his resolve, he tossed aside his cloak upon the approach of the guarded gatehouse. The second he came up the hill, the two ponies spotted him, immediately drawing their spears. "Hault, who - P-Prince Sora!?" The first to his right gaped as though he had seen a ghost. With a short smile and wave, Sora greeted the two. "Hey guys, sorry for my absence, you wouldn't believe what Cinder will put you through on a trip," He joked as they shook their heads, the one of the left speechless. "U-um, sorry, Prince! Please, welcome home!" He stuttered as the Aasimar shook his head at the formalities, but as a so-and-so 'Noble', it came with the territory, a good thing he wasn't new to the concept after so long enduring the good and bad. "You guys keep up the good work, and thanks," With a kind bow, he stepped through the white stone walls and into the courtyard, a few other guards were on patrol, but none dared to approach him. They were all good ponies, well, most of them, but they sometimes wouldn't speak with Sora unless it was urgent or he instigated the conversation. In all honesty, he remembered why he left in the first place. He leaned his head back with a reminiscent smile. "Out there I'm an equal again..." Inside the castle, he didn't take the time to admire what he took for granted or missed. He had a job and an important one at that. He could have easily located the dungeons and found W from his movements, but he fought against his wishes and relied on Astra to see the girl's rescue. Sora had one job, and if he failed, then Canterlot and possibly all of Equestria would fall. "Ah!" One of the housemaids yelped, dropping a vase on those stupidly precarious podiums. Having spent a long time fighting and training, Sora swept forward and caught it, saving the blue-haired mare from a scolding from the guards or her boss. "T-thank you, s-Sora!?" She, too, gasped at his return, and in fact, she hugged his legs tightly in response. "You've come back!" "Hehe, I missed you too, Swift," The blue mare let go quickly with a timid smile as Sora adjusted the vase. "Honestly, who even likes vases like this anymore? I keep telling Mom they're just tacky." The mare giggled and whispered under her hoof. "I believe Princess Luna likes the feel of old-fashioned decorations, being isolated for so long." "Hrm, yeah, that makes sense," Though Sora's flat gaze told otherwise. "No wonder the Night Guard come to me for help; she's impossible at times." His aunt was... weird. She liked new things but had a habit of sticking to old traditions. He couldn't recall how many... dark sentences she would murmur about giving to some of the less agreeable Nobles. He happily agreed, given his background. "Well, love to chat, but I've got something really... stressful to tell Mom." "O-oh, sure, sorry for keeping you," She stepped aside but not before Sora ruffled her mane, seeing her rigid form relax a little. A trick that worked well with almost everypony, given they were animals. "...you seriously make it hard for most mares to resist, you know?" She smirked slyly. With a wave, he passed by. "Sorry, already um crap... f-forget I said anything, Swift! Swift?" He mentally slapped himself once the sight of her 'gossip face' caught his eye. "Oh boy... I've done it now." Even after all these years, she still found a way to catch him off guard. This was it. One doorway and Sora was anything but prepared for what had to be said, what he may have to do. It tore at his gut and caused his heart rate to rise. Inhaling slowly through his nose, pausing, then exhaling, he pushed the doors open with a loud groan of the hinges, alerting anyone and everyone to his presence. His scabbard tapped off the edges of the doors as he squeezed through, the guards on the opposite side shocked by his entrance, unable to vocalize a response before he smiled. "Sorry that I'm late getting home... Mom," Nervously scratching his head, he faced the mare as tall as a human sat upon her throne, woefully unaware of the threat sinking its teeth into the country. There was a flash and pop in the air before Celestia stood before Sora almost intimidatingly. Stepping back slightly to view her face Sora wasn't certain of how she'd react. His, ahem, 'training' away from the castle with Cinder was abrupt, and explaining the lie so that she wouldn't contact Cinder, thereby dismantling the lie, was even harder than he realized. A piece of him didn't truly believe she fell for it; this was a pony that had lived well over centuries. Her hoof rose to touch his face, prodding a few of his fresher scars that had appeared since travelling with W. "These seem new..." She murmured with an almost unreadable expression. "Y-yeah, Cinder's a very odd teacher, but it worked out, I think, I... I really feel I've gotten stronger," Though it wasn't just CInder alone. "I learned alot." Then, Celestia smiled, wrapping her hoof around her baby boy tightly. "That's good; I'm happy things worked out for you," His own arm wrapped around her neck, enjoying the pleasant warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. There was a distinct difference between embracing your parental figure and someone you cared for outside of family; it was a sweet variation. Pulling away, she wore a cheeky smile. "You certainly smell like you've been rolling around in ash for weeks." "Ah hahaha, yeah, a few hiccups here and there," Sora chuckled lightly before a door to the far left of the thrones opened up to reveal a familiar red unicorn. "Cliff..." Something was different, though; his face was... conflicted. Whatever spell he was under quickly lifted upon meeting Sora's worried eyes. "Sora, heh, hey kid," He grinned, trotting over while ignoring the aversion looks some of the guards gave him for the informality. Once close, he jabbed the boy's side. "What's with leaving me hanging to go along with that dust ol'... heeey, Princess?" He grinned sheepishly at the humorous look on the alicorn's face. Puffing out his cheeks to clear his throat, he stepped back. "Hehe, sorry." "No need to be so rigid; you two haven't seen each other for a while, don't feel the need for formalities now," Celestia's face faltered slightly. "Even with the pressing concerns as of late." Playing dumb, Sora waved a hand toward his mother, "What do you mean? I remember CInder telling me to wait back at Hoofprint a few days ago, but he never said anything," Celestia, while reluctant, felt it was only right that her son from another world should know, "Recently myself and your aunt have looked into a matter concerning a being that goes by a name we referred to as, 'The Dealer'," Hearing this, Sora almost gave away his fright at what they might have discovered but kept his composure, another thing W had passed along in her time spent by his side. "The Dealer? You mean that old fairy tale you told me when I was a kid?" Faking ignorance kept the tale spinning. "He is no myth, as much as that would be a mercy, he is known as Gambit, a clever and omniscient person who will offer one whatever they desire, for a price, one that I have used myself, Cinder too years ago," Celestia prattled before concluding. "Luna is in the process of tracking down his whereabouts to speak with him further, but nothing good has ever come of his words." "Why's that?" Sora pressed, now worried for whatever Gambit had told them about Kranon; what if he worked with the Vex? "But no, that wouldn't make sense; he seemed to loath him regardless of helping him in Displacing us." "Gambit has been known to 'deal' with many, good and evil ponies and creatures alike, to him, reality is a game that he deems is his to play constantly, never choosing one side in favour of seeing where things go before ultimately siding with no one, however, the times I have heard of him siding with one, the opponent was never to win again." Her words were deep and threatening. Gambit to Sora was an enigma but not dangerous, though that could've been a false sense of security. Gambit didn't need to threaten anyone because... he knew every outcome; he was smart enough to plot and ploy with reckless abandon. "Wow... well, I'm not sleeping tonight," Sora blinked, clapping his hands toward Cliff. "So, how did... your mission go?" He almost felt bitter saying that. Cliffheart was... blank, looking around the hall. "It was... unexpected, but results are results, and the Beast known as W was detained and has been very uncooperative since her incarceration, though that surprises no pony really," Even Sora couldn't hide a tiny smirk at W's stupid inability to listen to others. "She's been quiet for a while, though, even with other prisoners, she's just stopped responding to anypony." Now that sent a chill up his spine. "What?" He was breathless before shaking his head. Much as he loved to be here with those he loved, he had to do this, for W, Cinder, Astra, heck, Equestria itself. "Um, actually, there is something I wanted to tell you, Mom, Cliff." Stepping away from them both, Sora put his hand by his heart, ensuring he didn't have a heart attack at this very moment. Sucking in all his leftover confidence, he stood his ground. "Cinder and I didn't just train, we did, but... we've seen what was in the mines under Canterlot, I... he ensured I wasn't seen." This news drew a wave of silence and shock, Cliffheart having the nerve to ask. "What? What did you see?" He was almost ecstatic. "We saw nothing down there but Her. Did either of you see something? Anypony else, this... this could change everything!" Sora held a solemn gaze. "I saw... a man, just like me, he wore black, his eyes were... burning with rage and obsession," Sora could paint a picture so clear someone could sell it. "He made a structure out of black rock, his name was... Kranon." Celestia stepped forward, placing a strong hoof on her son's shoulder, ensuring their eyes met. "Sora, tell me everything, spare no details," Much like what W had retold, it seemed Sora's story matched with the description of this 'Kranon' perfectly. "Did he speak of anything else?" Just then, another door burst open, a guard stepping through. "Princess, Captain I - oh, my apologizes, I didn't know you were" "It's fine, soldier; what's to report?" Cliffheart waved him to hurry along with his message. The unicorn shifted sharply and saluted. "Sir; The two prisoners that assaulted the creature have been... very demanding they'd speak with you, spouting nonsense that might drive the whole dungeon mad," Much as Cliffheart hated clean-up, it was partially his fault. What none saw was the dark shade Sora's aura took; without Astra, none could see it fester and ferment. "'Assaulted' They... what did they...?" Sora's heart shook in his chest, and his blood boiled considerably as wrenching himself from his Mom's hoof. "What did they do...?" No one heard him, so he spoke up a little more, head bowed while his knuckles turned white. "What did they do to Aoi...?" By now, all attention was drawn to the furious face on Sora's features, something many felt was worse than Celestia's by every account. Something so riddled with a fury that it could shatter stone. "What did they do to W!?" Gone was his reason to hide and lie behind some flimsy story; he was done pretending to be okay. He wasn't okay, not when the girl that meant so much to him was suffering under his very feet. "What?" "Did he just say the creature's name?" "How does he know this?" Many voices were heard but were met with a strong gust of wind emitting from Sora. "Quit calling her that name! She's W, like me, she's suffered like me!" Sora yelled, swinging his arms wide with blood building in his face. "Do you know how hard it was just to sit there and watch as she took hits she never deserved? How much I had to bottle up for her sake as she cried over how she felt everything was her fault!?" "Kranon did everything, to me, to Cinder, to W!" He stomped again, his wings bursting to life without any control. For once, Sora was biting back after so much time just shrugging off insults, ridicule, and suffering for the sake of others. For once, he wanted to be heard by everyone, not just Cliffheart and his Mom. Turning to Cliffheart's horrified face, he continued. "Don't you get it; he's been manipulating you since the beginning! He forced you and the Elements to target W, force her to hide, steal, and fight just to survive! He poisoned your sense of justice and kindness and turned it against her!" "I-I didn't... I..." He clutched his temple in one hoof. "Why did I... no..." The hold Kranon had was slipping; Sora could see it, feel it! "You're my best friend; you were the first pony that ever saw me as more than just... this," Sora shook his hands at himself. "A human stuck in a body that was never his, and you didn't see that, you saw me, and I want to believe the same stupidly persistent pony I trust can see that too." "He's working with the creature...?" "Princess, what should we do?" Upon hearing this, Sora spun around, glaring daggers at the pair that said this. "You think you're ones to talk? I bit my tongue for my Mom's sake, for my Aunt too so they could be at ease about me, but screw you!" He threatened those who never saw him as a person, not a Prince, just some animal for the first time. And he was sick of it. "You come near me or dare touch a hair on W's head, and I'll kill you!!" "Freak!" One snapped, drawing his spear toward Sora, much to a great number of guards' shock, none more than Cliffheart and even Celestia who's whole body trembled with rage. "You think I'm afraid of some farm animal?" Sora's face wasn't hesitant or passive. No, this was everything he had sealed away, breaking free. He was stronger than the child that had no one to turn to upon arrival in this world, but because of the kindness of a few, he was able to draw his swords forward. "I'm Sora Rhodes. My parents are Sarah and Cole Rhodes. My adoptive Mom is Princess Celestia. And if I have to fight my way to W, so be it." "Correction," The doors slammed shut, revealing the armour-clad state of Cinder, himself waving his greatsword through the air. "You are not a Prince," He hummed, stepping forward past many that were unsure of what to say or do, some held their weapons against Sora, but Cinder paid them no mind. With a single flick of his sword, he brandished it toward the guards, embers blazing. "You are human too." "Something I had almost forgotten." Not a soul moved; the tension was high before only now had it boiled over. Celestia was ready to raise her voice to silence the in-fighting, especially against those that threatened her son, regardless of his lies. Cliffheart was left in a daze, his head shrouded in confusion. Cinder and Sora stood close together, their plan had fallen apart, but opinion B was still on the table. *CRASH!* The air shifted dramatically like a wail of a piano, one of the glass murals shattered, and a large, dark form tore through the shards, arm cast a dark purple. Cinder reacted in turn, guarding both Celestia and Sora. "Get down!" He demanded before a large burst of purple energy struck his sword, flinging the Hollow across the hall and into a nearby wall, embedding his form in the concrete. Something stumbled against the marble floor, lifting itself with snaps of bone and broken glass underfoot. In the levelling dust, Sora's eyes widened immeasurably large. "I know... she's here... the girl...!" A large, irregular jaw unhinged a growl, brushing aside the dust for Sora to stare back at the marred flesh that covered the upper jaw of the Forsaken, the hood shredded, revealing crystals and deformed bone jutting from its scalp, the lips peeled back with a gargled snarl. "Kill... the girl!" *Rumble...* The drizzle of dust from the ceiling caused quite the stir in Courier's side of the cell, lifting his head slightly to catch the dust fall to his hoof. He chuckled gleefully. "Quite the party upstairs." He lowered his head as the clop of hooves ran through to W's part of the dungeon. She remained unresponsive to the noise. "I told ya, it's coming from upstairs," The left guard grunted, whacking the back of the right guard's head. "Okay, first, ow, second, how could we know?" He raised his hoof to W. "She's pretty much immune to magic-less she wants it to affect her, which is never." "You know the rumbling up top's starting to cause a stir down here," Courier's voice drew their eyes, seeing him flick his cunning grin toward the Sarkaz laying like a corpse. "This place's older than all of us, same with the restraints on her; what'll happen if one got loose while you're picking your hairs tryin' to keep your heads screwed on tight?" "S-seriously?" The left one blinked, looking to the motionless girl, then to Courier's winning smile as he sat back against his bed. "Hey, I'm just tryin' to do good during my time, brother, up to you what you believe," He tipped his cowl. "But I wouldn't want to see the blood spilt if she's loose, get me?" The right sighed, looking around quickly before coming to a tough choice. "You watch this one, I'll go check the creature's restraints," He fished out his keys with his horn, jiggling the lock on W's cell while the younger guard nervously threw his gaze between his higher-up and Courier, still retaining his grin under his hood. Once inside, the guard prodded the Sarkaz with his spear, lifting her tail as it rattled the chain, nothing, not even a stir or breath. "Is she dead?" He didn't care otherwise but saw that true to the prisoner's word, her right cuff's wall bolts were loose from the commotion up above. Nothing a little magic couldn't fix. Applying his magic to the bolts and pad, he neglected the tail that snaked under his throat. "Ah!" It gripped like a viper, choking the stallion until his muzzle met the stone wall, knocking him out immediately. By Courier, the younger guard gasped, only for a hoof to yank at his breastplate's collar, slamming the kid's face into the bars, resulting in the same knockout. Courier dusted off his hooves, procuring a set of keys from the guard as W used her tail to grab the keys and unlock her cuffs, rubbing her raw wrists with a scowl. "Fuck, that feels better," She huffed, smirking at how she used the rough edges of the wall like a saw against her tail's weaker chainlink, breaking it over a day ago. "Hey, Courier, you - huh?" When she looked, his cell was already vacant, leaving the guard inside and a note by W's open-cell with the bold initial of a 'C' on the front. Her sceptical face slowly morphed to a relieved sigh. He was good company for what it was worth, and she wished to have told him that personally. Picking her dirty body off the ground, W let every joint in her body pop after many hours of constant discomfort slip away with a fuzzy sensation across her body. "...W?" Another voice cut the silence as W exited her cell, cracking her neck with a blissful sigh. Her heart genuinely skipped upon seeing the troublemaking filly trying to sneak around the shadows of the dungeon, only breaking it upon realizing the mercenary was out and safe. The filly's eyes glistened before pouncing into the woman's chest, sniffing slightly. "...m-mama." W shifted sharply, face turning a little pink before ultimately relaxing against the cell bars, rubbing the little pony's back gently to soothe her, though it couldn't last. "Come on, kid, I've got a score to settle." And a few days' worths of rage to unleash, and maybe a sandwich. Forsaken lunged for Sora, who quickly took flight, evading its lumber attack as the bent and mangled muzzle of the crossbow hummed, firing a burst of Arts high to knock Sora down and in range of its claws. Spinning sharp for a snap-kick, he deflected the claws, landing behind Forsaken to carve two large strokes through its skin, the muzzle flash sending him flying backwards on his ass as the beast took charge. It grunted under a gold barrier erected behind it and Sora, Celestia's horn buzzing with holy light. "Stay away from my son, monster!" It sneered at her and raised its crossbow to the barrier, unleashing a venomous stream of energy that ultimately decimated her magic, allowing it to swipe at Sora had his boot not met its chin followed by a stream of red-hot flames scorching its skin, forcing it into retreating, unleashing several volleys of purple light from its arm, keeping any guards from advancing while hooking its digits into the wall, swinging over and away from Celestia's magic beams, using its own to retaliate if not for Cinder deflecting the shots with protective swings from his sword. "Sora, take it down!" Cinder commanded, pointing a hoof up at the tapestry suspended on the wall while charging a lightning spear into his hoof, tossing it forward as the electricity splashed, missing Forsaken as it continued to swing across the ceiling like a monkey. Taking flight, Sora weaved around another burst of Arts, performing a descending helix twist as he tore off the tapestry, seeing the heavy cloth catch Forsaken unawares. The abomination crashed to the floor, shredding the fabric while locking the Originium crystals growing from his forearm to Sora's vertical swings, the pair bracing one another, the pressure flinging Sora over Forsaken, evading a streak of energy while a column of fire erupted under the beast, tossing it across the throne room. With a sharp slant, Sora and Forsaken struck, fist to the blade, followed by a simultaneous left swing, each of their attacks made little to no connection other than abrading sparks and crystals the shockwaves pushing Sora back while deflecting every swipe he could, or until amethyst filled his gaze and pain ruptured against his chest, scorching his clothing as he crumpled to the floor but not before he blinded Forsaken with another enchantment of light imbued onto the deformed crossbow. "N-now...!" Sora huffed while the combined strength light magic from Celestia and a large Chaos-infused fire orb hurled toward the monster. Both attacks completely consumed Forsaken in a divine, hellish inferno that left many to shield or advert their eyes, unable to stand the force of heat directly. "Sora, are you okay?" Celestia quickly knelt by her son's side while he winced from the burnt portion of his shirt and coat, applying his glowing palm to the smoking state, sighing once the rush of a light breeze tickled his chest. "Well, guess all that running and fighting paid off, huh?" He smiled dumbly up at Cinder and his Mom, the former chuckling lightly. "Very tru-" He raised his scimitar, embers rising at the smoke ahead of them. "Kill... them all," From the smog, Forsaken's jaw hung open, bones realigning and breaking as crystals clattered to the floor like glass. "Kill the girl! Take the girl! Kill Everything!!" He was shambling over to Sora's location, crossbow mangled and beyond repair as it swiped its claws toward them all, everyone in range frozen in fear over the state of the inhuman animal. "Kill!" It stomped and Cinder's curved sword glowed. "The!" Celestia readied her magic, even if it did little to phase the creature. "GIRL!" *Thunk-Boom!* Fire and hot air struck the ponies, and Displaced, the force of the explosion against Forsaken's cheekbone flung the creature back, utilizing its claws to slow its tumble with a hiss. Astra slid into the throne room from a doorway, and beside her, made Sora unconsciously smile with relief. Dressed in her combat skirt and favourably attire, lowering her grenade launcher was the pissed off Sarkaz herself, W. Her tail flicked sharply, but along her wrists and end of her tail were the red markings from her cuffs, cuts, dirt, and the occasional bruise marking her arms and face. Both orbs sunk against Forsaken, burning all the unpleasant sights of ponies from her sight. She snorted, blowing the bangs out from her eyes while taking slow, careful steps forward, dropping off her duffle bag for Astra to catch quickly with a huff. "Stay back, kid..." Her tone was flat and apathetic; she wasn't anywhere close to Aoi; that girl wasn't here right now, just the sadistic grin splitting across a mercenary's face. "I can't wait to kill you again." Forsaken was already high above her spot, claws splitting the concrete by the time W leapt out of reach, landing to fire a grenade that was banished by another swipe of its stumped left arm. W deflected his second swipe with her launcher, then the third while his boot pressed to her stomach, shoving the disgusted Sarkaz back. W quickly bent to her left, feeling the vibrations from the crystalized arm sail by her skin; she ducked under a frantic, horizontal stroke then blocked a thrust, two impact grenades in one hand. She slid her left forward; both grenades tossed into its chest for an ear-splitting blast of thermal energy that left the frenzied creature reeling in agony, flesh cooked and peeled within the robes. While in a daze, it spun around in a wide arc, one that W effortlessly skated under, diving over another horizontal crescent while kicking Forsaken in the teeth, landing safely to kick up one of Sora's silver swords to her right. Both closed in, striking near W's left calf, the mutant claw and silver edge deflecting. W moved much faster and with precision. Striking twice across his chest, his left shoulder to throw him off balance, then a solid stroke to the hip, followed by his lower back. He turned to retaliate, only for another blast from a small impact grenade to ward off his claw's swing, W crisscrossing the scabbard over his chest, striking him atop the head while twirling over a slant to deliver a strong snap kick to his chest, flinging Forsaken into the wall with enough force to shatter the face of. With Forsaken pushed aside, W scampered to the opposite end of the throne; legs bent as she built up pressure around herself, hearing the air slice and whistle. The concrete under her boots fissured, her Arts propelling the mercenary forward at an alarming rate. In seconds, Forsaken barely managed to guard in time to stop the longsword from carving through its wrist while simultaneously driving him deep into the wall back-first, fragments of its hand crumbling at W's feet, reducing the appendage to dust. W did a small twirl and landed; the guard rejoiced for her swift counterattack; however, Astra's fur shivered after taking a small sense of the area, the Forsaken's aura was growing. "W!" She nodded and quickly dived back from the monster's arms, slamming into the ground, itself lunging to bite her instead. Growing tired of this, W rushed forward. She dove over a chomp, allowing Forsaken to bite down on the thick leather belt that she used to wench herself onto its irregular back. Hastily tied and gagged Forsaken before it shook her off, throwing the mercenary far enough away to grunt. "Hey, dipshit?" It turned to her, and while it couldn't see what she held, everyone who's seen W's weaponry knew what her fingers were embroiled with. Several pins from grenades now strapped and bound to the abomination's head and neck. "Walk away from this." Frantic, the Infected clawed with mere stumps and bit down on the fabric after catching the ticking of several mechanisms around its throat, reeling and yanking with all its might before the throne was engulfed by a bright, orangy-gold light and small fragments of rock and hardened skin. Lowering her arm, W panted and saw that through the smoke, the Forsaken stood tall, headless, and its arms were blown away up to the elbows, parts of its collarbone and spine exposed before it fell to its knees, crumpling to the floor as it shattered into thousands of pieces. Silence and the faint crumbling of rock and dust filled the air, except for W, who turned to face her friends, who she admittedly missed alot. Pointing her finger down at the remains of the Infected beast. "I swear to God if he comes back from that, I Quit!" In seconds, the trio were standing around her, Astra hugging W's legs while Cinder patted her waist. "So glad you're okay!" Astra teared up a little, neither spared time escaping from the dungeons, Courier having slipped out unannounced. "You never cease to surprise me, lass." Cinder huffed lightly, earning a small bonk to the forehead from W. "It is good to see you too." Standing in front of her was Sora, both staring at one another for a good few seconds until W smiled weakly. "Sorry I worried you," She murmured, losing her strength to stand as she fell against his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his arms wrapped around her back tightly, his own head against her shoulder. She swore he was trembling but couldn't tell while linking an arm over his back. "Worth it..." "Don't ever do that again, please," He muttered to her, squeezing her tightly while wanting to shield her from any that dared to come closer. "Promise... Fly-Boy." He couldn't hold in a small, pained chuckle at that, W herself doing the same. Right now, she felt safer than anywhere else in Equestria. To Be Continued... Author's Note Finally, he's dead! Three times, very durable. And after only a short departure the team is back together again. Things are shaping up for the finale and I cannot wait. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: My Life With Forsaken gone and W's team whole again now they have to work around how to convince Canterlot of the real threat on the horizon.
2-7 My LifeWhat felt like an eternity since the day under Canterlot's crust W had been reunited with her team, and Forsaken was now nothing more than a pile of rocks and crystals. Sora helped W stand to lean against his side; Astra and Cinder soon stood by her feet to protect her from the many guards that now raised their weapons. Without their knowledge, many had circled in to corner them. With ire plastered on her wounded face, W groaned. "Really? I just saved your asses, and we're still doing this shit?" With her words, one timid guard spoke up. "Lord, Prince, don't make this difficult," From his shaky voice, he wasn't just uncertain of this, but he clearly never intended on fighting several strong adversaries. "Okay then-" W grinned devilishly, raising her launcher. "-no one will really miss a few specks of sand in the long run, right?!" Some flinched at her fanged grin. "Beast!" One spat, and that alone caused W to leer forward, nuzzling Sora's shoulder as he awkwardly stood there as her walking stick. "Didn't I tell those other pervert guards, this ass is taken? Guess who by you walking glue factories?!" She giggled, enthralled by their paled faces and disgusted looks at her implications toward the Prince. "I'd love to give details but the kid's present so..." "Please stop..." Sora whined into her ear, wishing he was Fallen Aasimar so he could conceal himself in darkness. One brown pegasus, his higher-up, barked orders while Celestia was left in a stupor, processing things without a word. "That's enough! We have our orders, and that's to capture that freak and any that conspire with it, including those three." His jaded eyes scanned those surrounding W; Sora noted that W's tail slithered to wrap around his waist protectively. "Do not make us have to leave here by force." Cinder mused, swishing his scimitar until the embers scattered, unveiling the greatsword beneath the flaking rust. "That's... enough," Trotting between the standoff, Cliffheart shook his head, glaring daggers at the brown pegasus. "Rocklock, stand down." "You're siding with that thi-" He was silent once Cliffheart poised his polearm toward the pony's face; that's when all saw the serious look given by their captain. "You forget I outrank you, now stand down." Complying with his orders, the tension left the room awkwardly, spears and magic lowered or disrupted while Cliffheart twisted his head around to stare back at Sora with a weak smile. "I could hear you." "...hehe, good." Sora nodded then saw that his Mom was approaching them; he held onto W tightly without realising it. He didn't know why he was afraid, but when your parental figure can move a celestial body, it can warrant uncertainty when their expression is unreadable. W had felt many kinds of energy from people in all sorts of places. Their ideology and status were on display, and for the Princess, it was still the same as before, the sun radiating from her eyes. Adjusting her position against Sora's side, she maintained eye contact with the monarch again, never once looking away for the longest time. Then she saw it; guilt trickled into the mare's eyes. "Sora, would you mind seeing that W here receives medical treatment for her injuries?" This astonished him, noticing how neither female took their eyes off the other. "U-um, right, yeah, I will." Nudging W, he helped her wrap one arm over his shoulders to keep her steady as Astra followed closely. "Cinder?" They stopped and looked toward the silent knight who waved a hoof. "No need to wait; I shall handle the details personally. See to it W is tended to," With that, they left the old stallion with the most uncertain air to have ever accumulated in the throne room. "Well, that was something - ow," W bit her cheek as the gauze was applied to her hands, binding up her cuts and fresh wounds. If there was one thing W could appreciate, it was the gentle softness of a real bed; her ass had never felt comfier. Aside from the stinging across her arms and face from the rubbing alcohol, she was feeling better, physically, that is. "You guys staged a whole big rescue for me; I'm touched." "Of course we did," Astra pipped up beside W, the filly glued to W's side though the silverette was more than happy to oblige, missing the little silver warrior too. "Sora made all the plans and backup plans too." Sensing the inquisitive eyes on his head, he blushed a little. "W-well yeah, knowing who we were rescuing, we were bound to go off the record eventually." He smirked while tieing up the last bandage, seeing her hold in a yelp. "Smartass," W huffed, ruffling Astra's mane between her fingers. "Well, thanks, you guys really pulled through for me after... I couldn't." There wasn't any way of hiding that she certainly regretted staying behind the fight the Forsaken, but if she could beat him, which didn't work, and keep the Royal Guard off their tails, which did, then it was worth a few more scars. "If I had known that thing could survive having a mountain fall on top of it, I'd have coordinated a more... tactical approach." "Idiot," Soon, a hand-chopped atop her head, making the Sarkaz flinch from Sora's hit and angry look. "You couldn't help but be reckless, almost killing yourself. Are you serious?" "I-I was scared you would..." Astra looked down at her hooves, not wanting to finish her thoughts. With an unreadable face, W leaned forward, tugging the pair into an embrace, one against her side and the other to her shoulder, eyes staring forward, her hands tensed against them. "I'm sorry," Patting their backs, she sat back against the bed with a huff, glaring between them. "I'd say more, but you're here; what now, Sun-Butt?" The debilitating name caused Astra and Sora to sit up straight, the latter paling at W's mocking title for his mother, who stood in the doorway with a mixture of emotions plaguing her features. "W..." He nudged but saw she wasn't going to bite. "It's alright, Sora; given the recent transgressions W has endured, I do not blame her for feeling animosity toward me and my subjects," Celestia placed a hoof on her chest, bow her head toward the displeased woman before her. "Allow me, as one of the ruling monarchs of Equestria, to apologize for everything that has happened to you, from your capture to the disgusting treatment you've endured under my nose, if there is anything I can do to make my apology reasonable, please tell me." A new breed of tension hung around the woman present, face expressionless; Astra couldn't even sense what W was feeling in the slightest. Once Celestia raised her head, she saw W pointing at the bed, specifically the ground under it. "I want those Elements of Harmony on their knees apologizing to me, except for Fluttershy and Applejack, the former having never done anything to me, and the latter hasn't bothered me as much - aside from the bruises - that girl can kick." "Seriously? W isn't that a bit-" She didn't stop for Sora, continuing without complaint or rest; her heart was beating with excitement though, a giddy, self-satisfactory feeling of relief. She had spent weeks dealing with their torment, how they twisted her image and spread it across Ponyville and beyond; it sickened the mercenary to her core. Kranon orchestrated the attacks, but it was their hooves that did the dirty work regardless; W couldn't just forget that! "Twilight's brown-nosing. Rarity's side comments on my appearance and clothing. Rainbow Dash's insistence on beating me black and blue... Pinkie Pie threw a large toaster at me, which is unforgivable," W's face was strict on the matter. "Wait, what?" Astra voiced the party's concern over that last one, seeing W pale considerably. "I don't think there's a word for it, but I have an aphobia of toasters now." Shaking her head, she added. "And I want... say, Fly-Boy, how many Bits would I need to be set up for life? Or enough to make a bunch of nobles faint at the mere mention of it." "W!" Sora gaped but saw her eyes; she wasn't playing around nor reciting any smart comments; she was dead serious. "I have been humiliated and had my name run through the mud since day one, living in ruins and trees like a fucking monkey, and now I'm trying to save the very kingdom that I would love nothing more than to let burn someday - hell, I've been thinking, why not let it burn, fuck this world and every last one of Celestia's precious subjects," Her voice was venomous for all the right reasons to her. "However-" She put a hand to her chest almost mockingly. "-Since I'm feeling generous, I'm willing to fix your problem," Her eyes narrowed. "And I'm not doing this for you, Princess; if Kranon wins, my world's gonna wrapped up in my mistakes... so, how much?" Reluctantly, Sora let out a breath he was holding, ghosting his fingers through his hair. "About five-hundred-thousand Bits, give or take a few thousand if you factor in luxuries." It was a rough estimate, but W nodded regardless. "I should also have the pleasure of killing those two perverts but rotting in cells is fine too - So yeah, both those things, do that after we stop the world from ending and I'll not blow this castle off the mountain, sound good to you, Princess?" To their surprise, especially W's, Celestia didn't hesitate to answer. "Very well, if that will persuade you into helping my ponies survive this calamity, I'll accept your terms and see to them personally." "You know I'll never trust your word," W warned sharply, eyes pinned to Celestia's. "I will never trust a single damn horse again, especially your student." "I understand, despite the circumstances, the faces of my subjects won't fade from your mind," She agreed softly. "If you wish to exact any other punishments, allow me to bear them." "Wait, Mom..." Sora tried to talk, but she put her hoof up with a smile. "I know you felt the same she has, but you had me, and many more that were there from the moment you arrived in this world, but Miss W here had no one for quite some time," Reluctant, Sora sat down as W passed him a side glance before clearing her throat. "Cut the Miss stuff, I feel old already - but, um... didn't think I'd get this far," W was honest, scratching her nape bashfully, so she waved a hand. "Eh, I was gonna do this whole bait-and-switch but fine, ruin my fun, send the Bits to a pony called Courier, lives in the less fortunate areas. He'll put all that coin toward fixing up lives better than me - if he asks, tell 'em the Renegade sends her regards or whatever - you know, since you clearly can't be bothered helping them yourself." This came as a surprise to the lot; W never openly admitted her ulterior motives, whatever caused this change of heart both pleased and worried Sora. W was different; she seemed passive, almost emotionless; he half expected her to be cackling or demanding his Mom be on her own knees; instead, she was helping others less fortunate than the Nobles of Canterlot. "And I'm not gonna kill 'em, plus you didn't know so... yeah, whatever - I just want this to end." W felt breathless, she had so much more to say, but she wasn't willing to press her luck right now. Celestia smiled gently, complying with a nod. "I can see to that, for now, I must return to discuss more of this Kranon alongside Cinder," Then, her pink orbs widened slightly. "Oh, and he wished to pass along a key piece of information," The three listened intently before Celestia left, hoof to the doorframe. "His Center, that is Kranon's fatal flaw." And with that, the three were alone again. "W, can you please not almost antagonize the scariest mare in Equestria?" Sora flopped against his seat, feeling a nervous cold sweat run down his spine. "Where's the fun in not poking your Mom with a stick?" She snickered then stopped once she saw his worried state, flicking his nose with her tail. "I'll hold back if it'll make you feel better." "Thank you." He grinned slightly while Astra looked between the two, their auras weaved together like fine cloth again; with a nervous face, she zipped closer to the door like a rusty machine. "I'll um... go check on Cinder, maybe he can help me train or something um, get well W! Um... bye!" She was gone in the blink of an eye with a dust cloud in her wake, leaving the pair alone again without a soul to bother them. Not a word was spoken before W sat back against her bed, looking up at the white ceiling with both hands on her lap. "A Catastrophe-" Her words drew up his eyes to her solemn ember orbs. "He'll create a Catastrophe and destroy Canterlot; that amount of disruption in the timeline will tear Equstraia apart; he'll have killed his body and freed himself." "But if that's all it took, then why hasn't he killed himself?" Morbid as that sounds, W smiled and tapped her chest, then it dawned on the ravenette. "He can't... Robin's-" "His 'Seal' is what's keeping Kranon trapped; killing him normally would drag Kranon with him, so, if he erases Robin from existence, he'd have never been trapped, to begin with, thereby freeing him without a scratch," W surmised when she mentioned Kranon's plan to Cliffheart. The more she narrowed down Kranon's logic, the more sadistically clear his intentions were. He craved release, literal release from the body that's his prison. "Damn..." Sora wrapped his head around it, but it frightened him how far one person would go for freedom; strangely enough, he felt W knew that too well. Moving past what was to come, he nudged her side, seeing her antenna flick. "Aoi, are you... okay?" Smiling back, she turned her head to him. "'Course; Sure, body stings a bit, and I could really use a drink, non-alcoholic, but I-" "Aoi," He held her hand tightly. "Are you okay?" Her smile wavered; that stupid look on his face never ceased to slip between the cracks in her armour. Her hand tensed in his before W shook her head, hiding her eyes by dipping her head down. "I didn't want to go... but I had to try something, I... it was all I could think of..." Her voice broke, and tears fell from under her bangs onto their hands. "I... I was so scared I'd die, a-and then they beat m-me and... and a-almost..." Her other arm wrapped around her form, shivering at the idea; she couldn't move much in her restraints, even now her raw wrists ached and itched. *Thump* Her head buried itself against his chest, breaking down in his arms after hiding all of her stress and fear behind W's mask. Her fists were curled up against his arms while Aoi balled her eyes out in fright, pushing against Sora's chest while he comforted her, rocking the frail girl behind all that confidence gently. "Shh, it's okay now," He rubbed her back in slow circles, feeling anger and relief flood his head. "I'm here, Aoi; you're okay." Sora soon sat behind W, hugging her across her waist again while she sat between his legs with her back against his chest, head resting under his head while silence accompanied the partners. The last time W was held this way occurred when Sora helped her contain her sudden outbreaks of false memories, it was still annoying when they plagued her dreams, but once she grew accustomed to their invading presence, she grew to expect them. If she never met him, what might have happened to her mind? What about Astra? Again she shifted her head against his chest, listening to that soothing sound of his heartbeat like the day after their little 'exercise'; it was strangely comforting to listen to. How? That was a word she often used to describe her problems, how she ended up here, how she was chosen above all others by Kranon, how she could fall for the first guy that didn't try to kill her in Equestria? No, it was more than that; she was chained and stripped of her identity; even before her incarceration, she had nothing but her name and the foolish hope she could seek answers with nothing but explosives and a girl that could be a great therapist. Sora grounded her hopes realistically; he shared things with her, and in return, so did she. When her mind was a mess, he didn't just sit around waiting for W to answer and talked to her, comforted her like no one ever would back home, not in that way he executed. Aoi's new body came with a sacrifice, a pact she had no say in, but this silly, timid, kind Aasimar kept her humanity from falling apart. "Sora... tilt your head for a sec, will ya?" She muttered gently, feeling his chin adjust to her left. Once his head was level with her eyes, she turned her own head, pushing up to lightly peck him on the lips, savouring that buzzing sensation right down to the tip of her tail. The tingling in her chest caused her to smile again. "Much better." "W-what was t-that for, n-not that I'm complaining." He stuttered out. How he wasn't used to something as simple as her kissing him after what he's seen still baffled her, but it was what made him cute, so she didn't mind. "Can't a partner express her gratitude?" She winked, her face dusted a little red herself. "Seems that pretty head of yours is doing a lot more good than your realize," She flicked his forehead with her tail, enjoying his light chuckle. "I still dunno about us, but... I wouldn't mind trying to be..." He was certain he heard her correctly but nudged her. "What was that?" Her head was bowed, hiding her embarrassment. "I... wouldn't mind... trying to be." W's eyes crossed with aqua again while her free hand played with one of his braids again, the pair smiling lightly together. *Rumble...* The moment broke from the sound reverberating from the window to their left. The pair poked their heads around, the once blue skies slowly tainted by dark clouds creeping in from the horizon, flashes of purple surfacing at the rim of the front. "Guess we're out of time." W grimaced, hand tucked tightly with Sora's. "Better save the world then, huh?" He never believed he'd have to repeat those words, silver lining; he wasn't alone. "The Catastrophe is here." Sunlight could be seen glaring from the edge of the world under the dark sheet of a swirling storm front, cracks of amethyst striking amongst the clouds and thunderous roars. Jagged blades of rock took root across the land, some impaling the walls of the kingdom. The wind was hot and heavy, large issues of molten rock snaking toward the kingdom's outskirts with dozens of Infected of various mutations. With both arms outstretched like playing the part of a conductor, Kranon's eyes glared with a dark brilliance. "This will be my salvation," Ahead of him, a large form tore through the earth, hissing and growling beneath the surface, drenched in magma as fountains of the slag poured onto the glade, burning the lush fields to ash. "Go Pompeii, unleash... chaos." With his hands closed, his army marched on Canterlot. The Catastrophe roaring. To Be Continued... Author's Note The End is here! Four Chapters remain and only one will remain. Now it's W's turn to put her knowledge of Arknights to the test for what's to come. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Ignite! Kranon has brought a Catastrophe to Canterlot's doorstep. With the streets burning W puts her wealth of knowledge on the game to the test in hopes to save the kingdom and the world.
2-8 Ignite!Canterlot was set ablaze. Streets ran rampant with chaos and screams that formed an orchestra of death under a grim sky: infected Originium Slugs, both gelatinous and arachnid variants tearing through stalls and detonating against walls. Metal Crabs spun like saw blades, shredding the armour of many Royal and Night Guards as though they were butter. The worst were the crystal-plagued Reunion shambling through streets like zombies, ripping apart doors and soldiers in their way, sword clashing and magic taking many shots to put one down only for two more to fall in their place. However, what frightened the Guard to their core, those on the frontlines as citizens evacuated toward the castle, was the sight of a horrendous glow straight from the bowels of Tartarus itself. Flaming spheres crashed into shields and magical barriers, exploding onto the streets and buildings, ablaze many buildings. A large fissure snaked its way through the earth, a channel of flowing magma that begun to surface, large protrusions of obsidian spurting streams of fire in its wake. The world itself tore itself apart, unleashing an unearthly roar. Inside the castle within Celestia's throne room sat a large table meant for day-to-day discussions between Celestia and Nobleponies. Now it was littered with maps and diagrams of Canterlot, surrounded by Guards of various stations. Cliffheart stood next to Luna and Rocklock; to the Lunar Princess's left was Celestia. Cinder inspected his notes alongside Astra on the opposite end, the filly young but familiar with what he discussed in private beside her, the girl's head nodding in understanding. "We have to be prepared for the enemy before they reach the gates; if they break our only foothold, we'll spare no chance of reclaiming the rest of Canterlot." One declared with a few voting on their side. A Bat Pony shook their head, motioning to the dark purple skies through the shattered window. "If we don't find the source of this storm, we may not survive at all, and what about the citizens? Sure, we can defend but against an endless enemy? Hardly!" "That's not all!" One newer scout returned to draw the eyes and ears of all ponies present. Saluting quickly, he spoke. "One street, in particular, travelling through the commercial district, there's... fire, just... fire everywhere, and it's moving - nothing we've done can make a dent it whatever's channelling it." "Oh great, more good news," The recovered Cliffheart muttered into his hoof, waving to the scout. "Please, any other reports, bring them in as soon as possible; we'll need all the information we can get." "Sir!" With that, he galloped away as the ex-hunter slammed his muzzle into the table. "Cinder, I... really could use your cryptic words right now." He motioned to the old Hollow, who hummed deeply, then Astra sat up on her stool. "It's not Kranon, perhaps another Infected we've never seen before?" She suggested. "We would need more information to discuss with W if that were the case." Cinder added. "Somepony want to ask why a filly is sitting here?" Rocklock grunted with his wing pointed to the silver-eyed pony who perked up at the mention of her age. Then her already neutral expression formed into a disinterested frown. "This isn't a place for a foal to be playing." "Sir, do you have any experience in conflict with an unknown race that is highly resilient to magic? Perhaps you've fought against the creatures that explode upon death, or the crustaceans with armour plating thicker than most weapons can pierce?" Astra left no room to breathe, and some swore her eyes gave off a shimmer of moonlight. "And what of the humanoid men with the swords, some infused into the flesh and bone? If not, I highly suggest saving your breath as every second count as of current events." A few actually snickered at how a young pony just shut down a senior guard with logic and professionalism. Though Rocklock bit his cheek in anger, ultimately complying. "Fine, but what of the fires? Care to explain that mess?" "It's Pompeii and a damn annoying Infected at that," W sounded from the doorway to Celestia's left; all ponies present watched as the Prince strolled inside at the mercenary's hip, a few guards still unsure of her motives, but she clearly lacked any compassion to care, waving a hand dismissively. "High temperature in the air, fires breaking out from a stream of magma creeping its way from nowhere, sounds a lot like the Slug from hell." "I'm sorry, a Slug is doing this?" Cliff blurted out, rubbing his forehead. "You know, after everything that's happened, I'm just going to nod." "Probably best if you don't want your head to spin," W remarked, approaching the table with maps of every district in Canterlot. This was good she could work with this. Tapping the commercial district marked with fire hazard markers, she elaborated further. "Pompeii is a volcanic Slug, but due to exposure to Originium, it's mutated and grown into a living volcano that will destroy everything and anyone in its path." Drawing a line down the streets, W's brow quirked once she noted where exactly Kranon told it to go. "Huh, hey Sora, does this route jolt your memory?" Tapping the page, he followed her finger and quickly realized the creature's path. "It's heading straight for us-" Many present gasped and murmured in a panic. "-if it does, it won't matter if we station the castle as a safe zone; it'll just burn its way here regardless." "So then we must prepare to intercept it beforehand," Cinder proclaimed until W put her hand out. "Nah, let it burn all it wants; it buys us more time to kick it where it hurts," W grinned, quickly cutting off any smartass comments. "Oi, Captain, how long will it take pegasi to gather sources of water? Preferably... thirteen-thousand-five-hundred gallons? Give or take." Everypony present looked to her as if she grew two heads, and the silence was irritating her to the point she banged the desk. "Look, I'd love to give you all a lovely pep-talk about how I hate everything you've done to me since I got to this backwater world, but quite frankly, I'm more concerned for how many lives you're all willing to waste away contemplating my methods of doing your jobs for you," Waving her arms wide she asked. "So, any questions?" "It'll take us roughly half an hour; I suppose it doesn't matter if the water is fresh or not?" Cliffheart murmured and saw the Sarkaz nod. "Okay, Rocklock, gather every pegasus we can find and get them to help transport as much water as they can to... where exactly?" He asked nervously, then saw where W pointed. The street is only three blocks away from the castle walls. "Right... where she's pointing." "Are you insane?" Rocklock blurted out. "We're putting the lives of Equestria's citizens in that creature's claws?" "Hands dipshit," W snapped, brushing off his glare while wiggling her fingers. "Don't like it then, by all means, go poke Pompeii with your fancy sticks see what happens but don't come crying to me when this place is turned into the world's biggest bake-off." She warned, and after a small staredown, the pegasus huffed and waved for some to follow. "Ta-Ta now! Okay, next, Celestia, Luna, you two need to focus on getting everyone out of the kingdom before Pompeii arrives." "And why's that, wouldn't our efforts be better suited to the task at hoof?" Celestia inquired; while W was brash and very informal, she was her kingdom's best lead on combatting these monsters, then saw her deadpan face. "You're basically the Goddess of the Sun, so unless you can waterbend, you and Luna here have the highest magic stamina of anyone else, only you two can teleport the injured and what-not out of the hot zone, implying we fail, of course." W was on a roll and kept going, switching back to Sora. "Fly-Boy, does this world have concrete blockades of any kind?" To her relief, he nodded. "'Course, used for construction of newer, more modernized buildings, especially in major cities," She grinned knowingly before his face lit up. "I get it, that's it!" "What's 'it'?" Astra asked as Sora flipped over a map and grabbed a marker, drawing two lines and then a curve at the end of the other. "The street Pompeii will take, it's flat, there's no slope, so his velocity will be much slower, but with the buildings and a concrete barricade, we'll create a horseshoe to keep the flow of magma around Pompeii from spreading to nearby trees and residential homes nearby!" He devised, and the guards all nodded along, some smiling at the crazy but effective idea. "As so with Pompeii stalled, we dump enough water atop it to harden the magma, leaving it vulnerable to direct methods of attack, clever." Cinder complimented while Luna stepped forward. "And what of Kranon? He will not take our actions lightly without retaliation," Luna raised a valid point, one that W grimaced at. "No, he doesn't care; he knows we'll be focused on saving everyone that'll buy him enough time to finish whatever else he's planning, preparing himself for the end of the world," That was the only factor W was uncertain of, what was Kranon doing if not attacking them head-on? Why use the Infected if not to distract and divide his enemies? "I don't know..." "Then I shall ensure he sees no progress of his own," Cinder put forward, sword risen from his scabbard. "Focus on stopping Pompeii and allow me to buy you time." "Can you even fight him? Who knows what powers he has now?" Sora asked but received only a silent stare from the stallion. "You... knew that, didn't you?" "You have your fight, and I have mine; my powers are not suited for such a battle, but you two are," He motioned toward the humans. "Do not worry for me; I have handled far worse than a man who has lost his mind." "That's what worries us," W added, but with her hands creased against the table, she let out her breath. "Fine, just... you know what I mean?" "That I do, lass," Turning around, Cinder slowly marched away, not before Astra rushed to his side. "Hey, wait, kid-!" "I can help him too; I'll be careful!" Astra shouted back, cutting W off as Cinder waved a hoof. "Not to worry, I believe her power may be what I need in this battle; she will go unharmed!" Sora had to put his hand on W's to keep her from moving irrationally, everyone seeing the tension in her features. "Fuck... you better, or I'll shove my boot up your ass, both of you!" She yelled until they disappeared out the doors, leaving her to punch the desk so hard a portion splintered. "Freakin' brat..." "She learned from the best," Sora proclaimed with a smile. "She'll be fine." "That again is what I'm worried about, but fine," Clapping her hands, then to her cheeks, she raised her voice. "Alright! Waiting for some grand ol' speech!? The world's falling apart out there, so get moving'!" "RIGHT!!" All present declared, scattering like ants while Celestia met W's gaze. "You worry a lot for her, Astra, I mean?" While only her, Luna, and Sora were present, the woman wrapped her arms behind her head bashfully, turning to hide her pensive expression. "Wouldn't any parent, Sun-Butt?" With that, she wandered off to prepare her own gear with Sora in-toe. As they ran, she quirked a humorous look toward her partner. "You totally got that idea from Volcano, didn't you?" "You know you're never one to strategize anyhow." He retorted in kind, hearing her giggle despite the threat ahead of them; it was relieving to hear. "Hey, if it works..." Canterlot was in a state of coordinated pandemonium. As the glow of a raging inferno crept closer and closer from the streets, the Guards worked around the clock to evacuate the last of the citizens inside as unicorns worked to levitate over large, cuboid slabs of concrete, melding them together to form large concrete dividers between the two buildings facing the castle's outer hillsides. Bat Ponies watched the skies for any movement, intercepting the Infected that stormed the mass construction team in droves. Upon sweeping closer, the street became engulfed in a fiery explosion thanks in part to the cunning smirk plastered on W's cheeks, herself tossing her remote detonator between her hands. "Boom," She loved her job. Looking back at work on the barricade, she grimaced. "Good thing this isn't actually a volcano." Shaking her head, she leapt down off the balcony and onto the street, dropping more mines to create a vein in the road to pool most of the magma into a single point. "Hey, W, you should come see this!" Up above, Sora hovered while motioning toward the end of the street. Giving a short wave, she watched him take the vanguard while strolling casually down the abandoned street. During her mellow walk down ruined blocks, she caught the clop of hooves behind her, drawing back her eye for a moment. "What's wrong?" Her tone shifted as though she expected something to have gone astray in such a simple plan. "Aren't you as lovely to talk to as ever," Cliffheart snorted as W kept walking, the orange eyes following her step. Looking around awkwardly for a time, Cliffheart eventually spat out what was plaguing his mind. "...I'm sorry-" "Don't remember asking," She retorted, causing him to flinch while her tail whipped around to point at his nose. "You and the Elements really put me through hell, especially you and Sparkle Butt." "I know, I... am well aware," Cliff couldn't ever shake those memories from his head; they were etched in and wouldn't fade for a very long time. "To think I was used, my own code twisted to... do the very thing those nobles did to Sora." It sickened him every time he found that little boy sat all alone, crying. How many nights and days did W do something similar? This drew her stroll to a halt, simply basking in the heat of the kingdom and the sight of chaos on the horizon, large thorns of black earth uprooted from the crust, painting the world in hell's image. "You never answered my question. Were you happy? You won; you caught the notorious Beast of the Everfree." Cliff grunted. "You call that satisfying?" He pressed forward, motioning to the ruined street. "I lived for the thrill of the hunt, I've seen so much before I got roped into a desk job - but you, you were everything I dreamed of back then, a hunt where neither side is the prey, two hunters outwitting the other," His smile was hard to mask, W could tell. "I may have been in the wrong, but I can't shake how thrilling it was to chase you - so when I found you, defeated at my hooves, I think... seeing that made Kranon's hold on my mind slip, my dream was... stripped away in that split second." "Guess there was one silver lining," Her tone lifted his head to see her wicked grin over her shoulder. "It was exciting when you almost caught me," Then she winked. "If the world's against me again, you better hunt me down, Captain." The two soon shared a small laugh, hunter and hunted. "Tch, you can bet on that, Creature." She giggled and soon continued on her stroll Sora spotted the pair's approach while he hid behind a corner store, motioning them to move quickly and quietly. W slipped in next to him with Cliffheart by their feet, the trio peering around the bend only to recoil slightly from the extreme heat that brushed by, embers scattered from a hot gust of wind. "What the hell is that?" Sora pointed to the glow emanating from the centre of the road. The glow originated from just shy of the road's brickwork, the cracked bricks crumbling back into the stream of fire that followed the abomination hidden by debris. While its volcanic stream didn't burn anything, the beast underneath vomited small payloads of fire that broke up the street, smashed through windows to set fire to their insides. It was a moving apocalypse that was beginning to surface. Volcanic sludge pooled out before it, a large body rising to stand just over six feet tall. It was coated in thick, basalt and obsidian hide, large protrusions jutting from the back, the funnels that produced the many fireballs flung into the empty, burning streets. Inside wasn't even slime, just pure, molten slag with a core burning so bright it was as if they stared directly at the sun. "So that's what we're up against? What kind of world are you from?" Cliff gaped, licking his dry lips while peeling his face away before his whole body could be set ablaze by the monstrous Pompeii. "Terra isn't a world you'd ever want to visit if racism doesn't get to you first, the Infected will." She remarked pointedly. Lightly slapped the boys on the shoulders, she wandered back in the direction of the barricade. "Now then, let's go stop a volcano." "I get the feeling you're enjoying this too much." Sora grimaced with a faint smile as the woman just cackled loudly. Not long after the trio returned to the concrete wall at least six feet high to compensate for the sheer size of the Infected, all present finally had a strong look at just what horror approached them in a gradual crawl. Pompeii roared with such ferocity that windows shattered, both from the heat and its earth-trembling cry. Crimson Infused Slugs crawled around Pompeii, rushing the barricade with shrieks while normal Beta Slugs crawled behind them. W didn't sit by and wait, her job was complete, but she turned to Sora beforehand, grabbing his shoulders tightly. "Sora, listen, I need you to fly up as high as you can and wait until we turn this walking slag into crust, get me?" His eyes widened slightly, recalling how little his swords affected obsidian before. "You're the ace in the hole here." "I-I can't," She didn't budge on his refusal, holding him firmly. "Aoi, I can't do it, my swords won't-" Her hand came up to bonk him on the forehead, bringing his face so close their noses touched. "Will you stop thinking and act just this once on impulse? You're more than an Aasimar; stop thinking this body is the endgame," Letting go, she lifted her launcher, hopping atop the makeshift wall-walk's edge toward the Slug horde. Her form was radiant in Pompeii's glow in Sora's gaze. "You're a Prince; embrace it." Lunging toward the first arachnid, W stomped on its head and vaulted back, effectively punting it into the horde as it exploded. Some ponies above used magic to deteriorate the others until W moved in close, striking with strong kicks to trigger the chemicals in their abdomens while firing a series of frag M32s, stripping a layer off the road to blind and shred the Slugs as some approached from her blindspots. "Duck!" She did, and a polearm swatted one of the arachnids that pounced, Cliffheart fanning his staff wide, breaking spines protruding from the Slugs while W blew them away with one thunk from her launcher, tossing C4 high into the air to rain debris from ruined buildings atop the Infected. Pivoting on his heels, Cliffheart erected a barrier to ward off a burst of Arts at their feet from a robed Sarkaz. "Big guy!" "On it!" W ran through the dissolving barrier, booting the Sentinel in the face as it rallied the Infused Slugs to rush her position. Dropping a mine, W rolled back from the issuing explosion, a polearm parrying the staff of the Sentinel from her face, giving her ample time to load another grenade, shoving the muzzle of her launcher against the Sarkaz's chest. "Boom!" The inferno tore through its hollow body, reducing it to crumbling dust. "Get back, hurry!" One of the spotters above cried out, hiding behind several magic barriers as four fireballs splashed against their faces, causing the Guards to grunt and yelp in fright. Turning around, the remaining Infected were burnt away by Pompeii, the beast decimating anything and everything in its path, four blasts honing in on the pair as W slid under Cliffheart's erected shield a second before the payloads detonated, himself sweating up a storm so much he quickly undid the clips of his breastplate to free his movement. "Man, I hate this boss," W coughed, wrapping an arm around Cliffheart's chest before sprinting back toward the wall where a set of magic steps awaited her, a series of flaming attacks raining down with wailing descends behind her. One struck close and forced the mercenary to wrap her tail around her waist to save it. "Out of my way! Out of my way - yah!" She yelped while diving up and over the wall, rolling behind the newly erected barrier to endure Pompeii's assault. "Thank you..." Cliff coughed up beside W, the pair pulling themselves back to their feet/hooves. As the remainder of the street began to fade under Pompeii's assault, his magma slowly pooled into the small trench W had created, slowing the magma flow from gathering by the concrete. This was the final assault, the lava would brace the wall soon, and Pompeii unleashed an almost constant stream of fire to batter and weaken the unicorns, several others on standby for emergencies. Bat Ponies hid among the rooftops while Earth Ponies watched the wall for leaks or stood atop the wall to aid in protecting any unicorns that lost control of their magic. W and Cliffheart looked around in the dark skies, no sign of those tasked with gathering payloads of water in clouds and magic, nor was Sora within sight of W's gaze. Many were rooted to their posts, unable to move as the wall buckled against the full weight of Pompeii's magma beginning to fill across the base of the wall, some of the slabs starting to shift backwards through soot and dirt. Pompeii roared once again, producing another volley of explosive payloads to rival W's own. Her weapon wouldn't dent it, nor could she enact the finishing blow without causing magma to fly everywhere. "It's all on you, Fly-Boy." There was still no sign of support as Pompeii destruction engulfed the street, and beyond in fire and brimstone, the very path carved appeared like a corridor from hell itself, the heat staggering to behold, the sheer intensity from a single creature rivalled that of an elder dragon's breath. High in the clouds, Sora kept himself aloft, observing the battle of endurance from the safety of the skies, his mind racked with anxiety and fear of his own inability to complete the task at hand. He wasn't as strong as Cinder or W; they had various attacks and methods; without his swords, he was vastly limited in capabilities, even they couldn't cut it, so how could he possibly win? Below, Cliffheart's ears flicked, and many more turned to the same sound in the air, "That's it, lower the barriers now!" Cliffheart yelled statically. "Any with water spells, keep throwing everything you got onto Pompeii, don't you dare let up!" W demanded, helping to move several unicorns in front of her while firing a few blank grenades to intercept the remaining fireballs, seeing them detonate like fireworks. Above again; That was when a cold gust of wind tickled Sora's hair, and below and in the sky surrounding him came large quantities of white, puffy clouds pulled along by numerous pegasi, even citizens not in armour were helping to move along large clusters of cloud packed with water. Unicorns below did much the same, levitating large deposits as one through the Guards to the front of the crowd. Many barriers fell, and some even used low-tier water spells like hoses to dampen the air and apply a constant veil of liquid to the massive abomination of fire. A great weight pounded in Sora's chest at the almost heroic sight of countless ponies moving in formation to toss and drown gallons upon gallons of water onto Pompeii, the massive beast's wailing drowning under the sloshing liquid and steam. The magma started to crust and compact with every ounce of rain, salt, and freshwater pulled from the clouds like a waterfall. "Okay..." Flapping back, Sora closed his eyes and held both silver swords flush against his sides, descending like an arrow while his mind raced, feeling the wind move to cone around his head. It was a cold, night say for the sight of the moon embedded with the morbid symbol of a mare across its face. From what Sora knew, it was his aunt; he knew his Mom never wanted to talk about it much as it remained one of her biggest failures as a sister, so he never pried beyond that. Just there, sat on one of the statues in the garden, was the mare in question he waited to see again. Her mane was a soft lilac while her eyes were that of gold, spinning around on her flank with a fanged smile. "You want to know how to fly better?" She repeated what he requested of her earlier in the afternoon, tilting her head to roll the question around in her mind. "Uuuum, probably best you ask one of the Shinies, Bats operate a little differently from-" Shinies was a nickname the Night Guard gave their counterparts; their rivalry remained unchanged. "But none of them understands the sky like you, not Bat Ponies but you, Selene," Her words were caught in her throat, again silent as she tapped her hooves to the bland statue she sat upon. With one wing curled to rub her chin, she asked. "What makes my flying different from others?" His eyes blinked wide at her smirk. "Yeah, I know you know, so I'll bite since you're complimenting me and all." Flapping up once, she did a few slow, graceful twirls without so much as flapping an inch, landing before Sora with a bow. "Flying is about more than just using your wings to catch the wind; you and the wind are one, partners in a dance day or night, you flow into a groove only you both can feel. You let yourself become a traveller and the wind your guide; with that, you can do more than just flap your wings and fly; you dance as part of the sky." "'You dance as part of the sky'..." Sora murmured the words before a pair of hooves took his hands, tugging him forward with a cheeky smile. "Come on then, won't you treat a lady to a dance in the clouds?" She joked as her laughter only made his maddening blush worse. Smiling to himself, Sora let the tension in his wings lessen, his magic flowing to the astral appendages increasing on their own. At the same time, he followed the direction of the wind that spiralled, his speed increasing in the flow almost as if he were in a wind tunnel. With each increase in his own velocity, his wings began to streak a contrail of aqua blue. Parting his eyelids, his form shot toward the scorched earth with a small clap in the air behind his boots, his olive coat flat against his body until he swished his swords forward, fanning out his body and wings seconds before he came too close to the ground, causing his tailcoat to fan out like an extra pair of wings. Pompeii was immobilized in a thick obsidian shell, a large gust of wind tearing over the heads of dozens like a bolt of silver lightning. In a blink of an eye, Sora carved through the mass of volcanic rock in a streak of silver, his feet cratering the ground around him, swords were drawn to either side like his radiant wings, now overflowing with magic power. In contrast, a massive, silver cross shredded Pompeii in a single stroke of silver. The beast moaned out a final, deafening wail, the core splashing against the road while the body crumbled and dissolved in the lingering puddles of magma. Any Infected that remained quickly turned tail and fled from the sight of the winged human with eyes blazing sapphire, his wings scattering blue embers, a living embodiment of sky towering over the corpse of Pompeii. "I... I did it? Heh... hahahaha!" Sora gasped, falling to his knees with relief as his wings shimmered behind him, observing his reflection in his twin swords. "Thanks... Selene, I owe you a dance later." Tapping the face of the blades to his forehead Sora rose just as a fist connected to his shoulderblade. "Ow, what was-" A quick pass of lips against his own rejuvenated him as W grinned like she had won the lottery, swinging him around briefly. "You crazy bastard, ahahaha! That was freakin' awesome, I told you!" With a growing smile, he agreed by tapping his forehead off hers. "Yeah, you did," "Both of you." Although his joy slowly subsided as both saw the ponies above cheering and praising one another, Cliffheart was still staring at them with a determined face, one nod for them to go while the calm lasted. "But we're not done; Cinder can't fight Kranon alone." "No rest for the wicked - let's move it!" She patted his shoulder, the pair quickly sprinting in the direction of the lingering chaos across Canterlot. W's heart thundered against her ribs, blood pumped into her legs, increasing her speed over the rough terrain. "We're ending this hell, right here!" Sometime during the fierce battle with Pompeii, Cinder stepped away from the ruins of two buildings and into a large, empty courtyard, ruins of stalls and benches lining the edge, burn marks, and the signs of battle littered the area. The only other living creature in the region was that of the man dressed in rags, behind the body of a man who had fallen victim as all Displaced had. Kranon the Collapse Dragon. "Look how far you've diminished, and for what? These equines? This world?" Kranon held a hand around at the chaos unfolding. "I have fought and seen many worlds, and They believed a farmhand had any real way of defeating me? What chance do three inconsequential tethers have against a Vex?" "You claim to be a nigh-immortal being, but that was long ago," Cinder paced with Kranon, the pair circling the other until they stood in the centre of the courtyard. "That seal has weakened you; you are fallible like all other creatures," His flames billowed in his own heatwave. "You failed to kill me, to kill Sora, and foolishly neglected W and Astra's intervention, your Forsaken and soon your Pompeii shall fall." "I know, they never could stand against the human quality that is perseverance, that is all you humans are, rats refusing to die until the very last drop of blood," Kranon surmised, raising a finger to Cinder with a dark twist in his tone. "But, let's not pretend you are here for anyone but yourself, Hollow; I know why you came here," He leaned forward as if to whisper the words in his ear. "The Abyss was my puppet, so that makes me the one who slaughtered your comrades like rodents, including that annoying little Bat." Not a soul other than the one hidden away could feel the rising heat surrounding Cinder, he was silent, but his heart was flooded with fury, pure, controlled, and direct fury. Sensing Cinder had nothing more to say, Kranon stepped forward. "Come then, you worthless Hollow," Kranon declared with a wave of his hand, flesh and cloth split across his forearms with magic. "You shall join your comrades in the end." Within Cinder's inventory, he closed the tab with just his eyes, magic weighing a small, blue crystal shaped like a shard of glass. It was a fragile and tempered piece to his collection and a relic an old friend left for him to use someday. Letting out the breath he had held to contain what slithers of fear he held for the Vex standing before him, Cinder felt his body ease into a colourful flame within his soul. "'Hollow' you called me? Tch, do not spit such peasantry words in my face, drake," Crushing the relic in his magic, a great light bloomed in the darkness, enrapturing all those that could witness as a knight stepped forward with his greatsword clasped between his fingers. A towering posture of a human draped in ruined armour, flames pouring from his sword's edge. "I am no Hollow, no equine, no Displaced." Cinder cupped the handle in both hands, gently inserting the tip into the cracked brick road, flames pouring into the face of the blade, drained from the environment surrounding the pair. These flames licked and embroiled the knight, with a great thrust of the sword, its length grew to that of a longsword, flames erupting from the coiled sword, blinding Kranon momentarily to reveal a knight touched by crimson flames, his sword a brilliant glow of embers, lingering specks of colourful flames invoked from within the sword's soul. "I am a Lord of Cinder." To Be Continued... Author's Note I'll say this since I actually liked studying Volcanoes in Geography, there's a thing called Flash Boiling that would naturally occur once water is introduced into an environment that's ambient pressure is lower than the water's saturation levels. Don't ask me what that means that info is like stitched into my head for years now. Then again this is fanfiction in a magical world so I feel I'm obliged to bend reality for the sake of entertainment. But hey, the more you know! Pompeii is... really frustrating to fight, heh, be glad I didn't do it like an event quest in Arknights where you fight TWO of them at ONCE. Well, I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: A Fatal Move While the battle rages on against Pompeii, Cinder confronts Kranon with the last trick up his sleeve. But are a Lord of Cinder and Silver Warrior enough to stall Kranon long enough?
2-9 A Fatal Move*Ba-Bum...* ... ... Magic pulled and peeled skin; clothing flowed like tattered wings. *Ba-Bum...* ... ... Tempered metal clasped a blade blazing with colour, a furious crimson flame embroiling their chest. *Ba-Bum* ... ... Kranon clapped his hands together; over three dozen amethyst seals dripping with a sickly pale glow infected the courtyard. From their runes spawned more Infected, many corrupted Reunion soldiers armed with blades ready to rend the Lord of Cinder to rashes. He barely flinched at the army charging toward him, lowering his sword near his right shin, pointing it backwards. The second the Infected drew close, his arm sliced up in a slant to dispel the shades in embers, charging headfirst into the group, slicing through the feral Infected that riddled his armour with their attacks and scratches. An orange arc erupted from the blade, with a flick, the blaze carved through the shades with ease. Cinder's fist connected to the next, his foot creased against the neck of another, performed a roundhouse through two more. The vex watched bitterly from afar. He lunged down, only for Kranon to shift halfway into a shadow, grabbing Cinder's breastplate and throwing him over his head and back into a large gathering of Infected. They proceeded to topple onto him like corpses, kicking and punching the downed fighter for a moment before a snap and crackle of flames rippled through the tarmac, dispersing or incinerating them; the Lord's blade skewering two more through the crowd. He kicking the blade through the chest of another, caving its skull; Then delivered a right hook while snapping the neck of another with his left arm. Bracing with his longsword, he shoved his body up against one, flipping over its shoulder and kicking it into the group, tearing a sizable path through the crowd with a flurry of swings attached to the point a chain of flames. Clutching one by the face, he barreled through the masses; using it as a shield, Cinder threw the beast into Kranon, who vanished. The Hollow blocked a kick to the abdomen, followed by a flash as he tossed an Infected aside. With a sudden plunge to the earth, flames erupted from the epicentre, expunging any other Infected from interfering, his sword drawn wide to sever what remained in two, barreling toward Kranon. The Hollow moved like lightning, shadowing Kranon in a single beat, sword rising through the earth to shower the Vex in flames and dirt, the beast evaded with a flash of blue light, appearing behind the Lord a fair distance away with his left-hand raise, a glow appearing on his palm. "Repulsors-" A solid beam of energy scorched across the courtyard, refracted by Cinder's sword as he evaded the second beam, casting a bolt of lightning toward Kranon, who easily circumvented. "-Iron Man." Upon Kranon in seconds, slicing right; the monster evaded while diving over the returning swing followed by a downward thrust to expel flames, the force shoved the Vex backward. Cinder's eyes sharpened, holding the face of his sword to block a beam from Kranon's chest, the funnel of energy driving the Lord back several meters. A leg materialised to snap-kick the man's neck, a hand grasping the back of his helmet to propel the Hollow across the courtyard. "Temporal Displacement - Noximillion, the Clockmaker." Never once speaking, Kaid landed with a heavy impact into the brickwork, lunging under another beam that followed by a swirling seal of fire under his foot, the force of a column of flames flinging the knight from the earth and into a waiting axe-kick. He swivelled his head and grasped Kranon by the ankle, spinning to toss the monster down onto his heels only to be impaled by a sudden barrage of homing lightning rods. He rolled and quickly warped to evade their strikes, missing the sight of a blade as it tore across his right arm, burning the Vex's forearm as he vanished, stumbling in place. "Hmph-" He flicked his fingers upright, producing several seals across the ground around CInder. "Fire Manipulation - Talulah." From the next eruption, the Soul of CInder's arm unleashed a massive volley of lightning spears, their forms streaking across the sky to intercept several crescents of solid ice, the contrasting elements evaporating on contact in a series of explosions, masking the Hollow, who brought his sword down atop that same broadsword attached to the Vex's hip. Flames ushered out around in a halo of hellfire. "Ice-Make Magic - Gray Fullbuster." With a twist of his free wrist, another light blue seal emerged around his wrist. "Ice-Make; Snow Dragon!" The enormous serpent slammed into Kaid's chest, breathing a plume of frost in his face as the jaw sunk around his midsection, burying him into the earth. At the same time, several searing slashes melted the beast in time for him to catch the flash of teleportation, bringing a lightning bolt down at his and Kranon's feet. The latter was flung back by the electrifying burst, leaving him exposed to Cinder's follow-up wave of molten rock as it tore through the earth, consuming Kranon, or at least shreds of his clothing. Kranon appeared once more, dusting off the soot and embers from his shoulders, eyes trumpeting with rage. "I have stolen the gifts of countless Displaced, some of which still reside within this ghastly body!" Kranon growled, an ice formation lifting him a few feet off the ground, conjuring many flaming seals to his left and right with arms outstretched. "I have not come this far to be denied by some lowly human filth I have no purpose for any longer!!" "Then clearly... you show that you never learned from your failure." That snapped the last of Kranon's patience, triggering dozens of bolts formed of concentrated fire to rain down on the human, who moved at lightning speeds. Flames rippled through the earth, stripping away what remained of the roads while failing to catch the swift actions of the Lord who carved his way forward, blazing through the weaker embers that scorched his armour. With one, horizontal swipe a wave of flames cleared away the dust, revealing the exposed Vex meters away. "Ever heard the phrase, 'Flashbang through the door'?" "What - GRRRAAAAAH!!" Kranon couldn't register it before his eyes were seared from their sockets, blinding the monster to a flash of divine light that left him wailing in agony, blemishes of black smoke hissing across his skin. Kranon poised his left arm in the direction of the light, firing a series of plasma bolts to intercept what he couldn't see. Astra slipped out from the building, using the rubble to sneak her way across the courtyard to safety, hiding her tracks by tossing several firebombs Cinder had given her; the small explosions keep him distracted, forgetting of the knight that stormed into his perimeter. Raising his longsword in both hands, flames of many colours gathered at the edge, rushing toward the tip before Kaid swiped Kranon by the feet, juggling the Vex in the air with three more consecutive strikes as his body crumpled to the ground, sword inverted to plunge through the monster's core, a rush of adrenaline evaporating inside the knight's inferno of a body. A clash of metal and arcs of flames flew past himself and the distant Astra, the dust settling from the final stroke only to grunt in pain once a dark purple claw sunk into his stomach, sapping Cinder of his energy while his sword's edge buckled against a long scorpion tail, a dark purple aura fizzling out after having blocked the fatal blow off to the side and utilising the ability to carve away the Lordr's embers. "Hahaha, Scorpion Faunus and Aura Disruption - Tyrian Callows." Tearing his arms away, Kranon flicked his wrist, a large arc of ice and snow rupturing between them to bury Cinder on the tarmac while he warped to the middle of the courtyard. "I know you're here, girl, a mistake I intend to correct," His arms gathered with varying amounts of energy until many red and blue glyphs appeared in a halo across his body. "Hyrrrah!!" Fire and ice burst and impaled the world, shattering windows and flattening cover, one such slab peeled away to reveal Astra, frozen in place by an ice shard that froze the ground under one of her hooves. Kranon spared no expense in blowing a fraction of the Displaced's armour off his right shoulder, exposing the peachy skin under a burnt cloth. At the same time, another solid glacier of ice erupted under his legs, trapping him temporarily until his sword carves through the geyser. With a tremendous amount of strength behind his leg, he used the momentum of plunging his sword forward to intercept several blades of ice, allowing his body to soak up the stakes of ice for Astra. "Cinder," He turned to look at Astra. Her eyes were glimmering, and she gives him a subtle shake of the head. He gives her a determined and reassuring smile, denying her wordless plea. "You will be fine," From behind his back, he procured a compact black bundle of ash still burning. Crushing the Ember, his body's flames increased once more, and his wounds faded away. With a swish of his longsword, the fire rekindled before the might of Kranon, his seals aligned to face the pair that defied him. "So you've decided to risk your life for a weak warrior such as her?" Kranon spoke with bemusement, yet Cinder only stepped forward; sword rose in his right, briefly placing his left across his bicep. "I am doing what Lily would have done!" He yelled as magic bolts of fire and ice smothered the sky surrounding Kranon in short bursts. Using his rejuvenated energy, as brief as it was, the Displaced swung his blade up and across, the sword tore the elemental arrows apart, and Astra could only observe in awe as she was narrowly saved by the close shave of a coiled sword, each swing and flip deflected or shattered the hail of attacks that flew between her and the Vex. It was a shell-shocking sight. "Tch!" Kranon gathered his magic, warping in various locations to confuse Cinder until he was on top of the Lord, bringing down a torrent of energy from his chest. He instantly evaded the barrage, using a burst of fire from his soles while tossing up a lightning spear to blot out Kranon's view of him until all the monster could see was the burning reflection of various flames as the hot metal carved a massive line through the left side of his face, the arc of fire burning continuously for several meters, dividing a building in half with the Vex inside. However, before his burial, Kranon snuck one last Ice-Make spell, a large, Super-Freeze Arrow heading straight toward Astra at an alarming rate. Kaid saw this all move in a crawl, gravel displaced under every step he took moving forward—a voice reverberating in his mind, a constant reminder of what this meant. "You are mistaken," That silenced Gambit's short laugh. "For I do have something you've never had your hands on before." Gambit chuckled, twirling his finger toward Cinder's chest. "Your soul is impressive for a human, but we both know they are the equivalent to pocket change to me, nor is that sword of yours worth much in value, I could print them." He waved dismissively. "No, not just my soul, rather, something you do not have," Cinder worded slowly, ensuring that Gambit did not misread his words. "My Dark Soul." Shielding herself with her forehooves, she braced with her aura as something ice-cold struck her cheeks and not her body. Peering up sharply, she saw an arm frozen in ice, amputated once the Hollow broke free from the sub-zero frost, saving her weak aura from the burden. He gazed down upon her with a slow nod, one she smiled up at. It was relieving to see her unharmed; her silver eyes had done what he needed, Kranon's core no longer shielded behind a veil, the one instrument that could wither that wound in his armour had worked. Cinder and Astra had- Gambit was still, fingers together before his face, eyes slit with an almost unusually solemn tone. "You realise that without your Dark Soul, you will-" "I know-" *Boosh!* A blade skewered itself through Kaid's chest, not a drop of blood, say for a few, dried stains of black across the old sword's edge as it pried itself free. "-I will take my last breath for the sake of my friends." "You're so weak," Kranon muttered, vanishing once the deed was done, returning to the site of his ritual not far from the courtyard. Once gone, Astra's face was a sight of horror as CInder collapsed onto his back beside her, a large gash through his chest unable to close while his embers drifted away or died against his armour. "No... no," She murmured, kneeling beside him with tears filling her eyes. Even with her hooves, she couldn't pull the wound close; there wasn't anything to stop from leaking out; he was more of a Hollow than his name gave him credit for. "Someone... had to take the fall in this..." He murmured as his finger stroked away a stray fear on her face. In his hand was a small, lingering flame, one that enraptured Astra while she bowed her head, anger seeping its way onto her grieving face. "Kranon... will take the fall, I promise... I promise..." She wept gently, feeling her hoof fall to the flame in his hand, and her body became invigorated by its touch, feeling a warmth kindling in the sword beside her as it shorted and adjusted its length to match someone slightly more extensive than she was. She couldn't see it, but he was smiling, but she didn't need to see his face to know that as his soul was fading away. Then, a light caught their eyes, through the Catastrophe's dark hue, the sun hadn't set, its form lingered on the horizon, bathing them both in its heat, wrapping them both in light. With the last of his strength, Cinder procured from his neck a silver necklace that he gently tucked over Astra's teary face. On the end of the chain was a fusion of amethyst and jade, the two halves connected within a cage of silver as it caught the light. "Hmph, let this flame... guide thee, lass... good luck..." "I'll be there soon, Lily." When she lifted her head, the man's body soon crumbled to ash and faded embers carried by the wind, leaving her with only a sword and necklace as her body began to change, but not before she embraced the coiled sword against her chest, silver eyes jammed shut with fresh tears. Had anyone been nearby, they would have heard her sobbing wails pierce for miles. To Be Continued... Author's Note Short but... all for Cinder and Astra. Conflict is not without sacrifice, and one was willing to take that plunge. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the final chapter, Renegades. Final Chapter: I'm a Renegade Kranon's spell to free him of his prison is once more intercepted by his foes. In a last-ditch effort to save countless worlds from his desire to devour, can W, Sora, and Astra prevail?
3-0 I'm A RenegadeImmediately after leaving the filly to wallow in grief, Kranon returned to his ritual site. It was a place flattened out near the edge of the mountains, a large drop behind the alter constructed with the ruins of buildings surrounding the edge behind him. The elevated site was shaped like a semi-circle with two elevated platforms to the left and right. His magic seals circled pillars, and a central podium held a special rupture bleeding white streams of light similar to code from a computer screen. A black and white mesh beat within the rupture on the altar. "The spell is nearly ready, but before I finish off what Pompeii set in motion..." He turned the grotesque scar across the left side of his face black and dripping with purple blood. Raising his hand to the blip approaching fast, he grinned. "I expected you'd come to find me first - Air-Strike Shield!" With a massive plume of fire, something struck the emerald barrier shaped like a grave shield, withholding the force of flames as a sword shattered the defence with a single plunge, a small frame of a human child nearing their teens swung the coiled blade around, striking the air that displaced. Above, Kranon's arm glowed with another magic seal. "Ice-Make Crescent Blades." The dozens of arc descended only for a stream of flames to evaporate their frames, almost striking the Vex. "So your magic is strong? How interesting." The younger armour-clad child's eyes burned inside the helmet, giving off a faint sheen of silver. "You are going to pay for everything you've done!!" Astra screamed, fire building across her new form without control, her power flaring to life. With a torrent of fire under her, Astra flew toward Kranon, swiping down in a vertical cross, inverting her spin to feel her blade recoil from Kranon's own, his hand snaking forward to bury her vision in a wall of ice, hearing him zap behind her to blast a beam of energy into her back, striking her head with the pommel of his blade. Her body struck the ground, rolling away from a rising whirlwind of flames, grasping her sword with the pommel risen to produce a streak of several dozen Farron Arrows to intercept Kranon's retaliation. Focusing as best as she could, her magic built at the pommel until burst, conjuring three crystal balls around her head, the seeker orbs distracting Kranon long enough for a radiant Soul Greatsword to narrowly graze his hip as the girl flew past, pivoting on her heels to swipe the massive magic sword around to see it crash through another Air-Strike Shield. That alone didn't stop her, so Kranon rolled over the astral blade, unable to avoid the prodding spear that came soon after, his hands burning while clasping the tip of the spear while Astra kept charging, flicking sharply to toss the monster into the air. "Her reactions are faster... could this be due to her youth?" He realized his folly all to late, using an Ice-Make Shield to take the brunt of a Chaos Fire Orb blew the chunks away, the tip of the spear parried by a stroke of his own sword, using her confusion to roundhouse the brat into a nearby building, avoiding another flaming orb with a simple backhand of frost. "You really believe you alone can hold mastery over so many magic attacks? How pedestrian." "No, I can't!" She huffed, pushing aside a table to stand at the edge of the wall. "But I can still do this." The slits in her visor began to glow, so Kranon acted on instinct, warping behind the child before she could blind him, thrusting his blade toward her back or until two boots were pressed to his marred face, a ring of fire expelled from the soles, tossing her skyward, the spear striking, curved at the tip. At the same time, she landed to cast a haze of white over her body once the house was torn to splinters, Kranon lunging for the child with several columns of fire and ice erupting all around them. His body warped again randomly, forcing Astra to continuously turn and steady her form until a scorpion tail almost caught her thigh, leading her into backflipping far from the lunge of two arms brimming with dark amethyst, casting another Chaos Orb to shatter what little remained of his aura, leading to both hands coming together for a combined repulsor blast, the short bursts heavy and caused her arms to buckle before a large battle-axe of ice crashed into her chest with resounding force, tossing the girl high into an awaiting array of fire seals, the coiled torrents of flame slithered toward her form. She spun around, swiping them around until she slid down a fallen pillar, chased by Kranon to continuously unleashed elemental attacks that set the world ablaze in a tundra, massive glaciers of ice formed to keep her cornered. Rushing up the face, she swiped in frantic strokes over Kranon's head; his arm twisted to deflect the blows with ease as the girl spun on her knees, spewing a stream of fire under his feet until he warped away after realizing she attempted to bait him toward her scimitar as it left a sizable gash on his chest. Where he appeared was exactly as Astra guessed, right before the foot of the ritual itself; So, before he could act, she closed her fist over a tense flame, seeing the ground under his feet burst open with a roar of tiger flames, although it little in the way of harming him atop a geyser of ice, looming high over the child with a small chuckle or until it caught in his throat, eyes wide at the unbelievable site of blinding white light gathered at the pommel of her sword, charging and compressing further. "S-Soul Stream!" She grunted, extending her arm with a warcry, producing a torrential stream of pure souls toward Kranon, compiling enough pressure that her heels embedded themselves into the mud just to keep her standing with both hands clasped to the staff. "Air Strike Shield - Second Shield!" Two thick hardlight barriers formed before his hand, keeping the massive wave of light from so much as grazing him, and yet the child refused to cease her assault, pooling magic from a seemingly endless source that was starting to break apart the first shield much to Kranon's furious shock. "How... can one mongrel handle such strength!?" As Astra screamed out her grief and rage in one desperate attack, she could feel a pair of hands on her shoulders, steadying her subconsciously with a young face by her ear, smiling. Her head rose sharply with a gasp, "My power is no longer tethered to my age, lass, it will never be strong again once this war ends, so do not feel burdened by your inexperience," Underneath her ruined helmet; fresh tears dribbled down her cheeks, her soul magic fluctuating. "M-mr Cinder..." A hand gently tapped two fingers against her crown. "Train well. Eat well. Laugh well. Fight well. Live well," He smiled, "As I once heard... go... set your heart ablaze." Kaid let her go, waving behind his back as his essence faded away with both hands in his pants pockets. "Let it all out, burn the sickening storm away for me, oh, and good luck, Silver Warrior." Choking down a sob, her heart... burned silver. "I will... I will... I WILL!!!" She screamed so loud her lungs could burst; increasing the final burst of magic into shattering the first shield and straight through the next, the volley of pure spiritual energy sawing through Kranon as his wail was drowned in the ensuing explosion of light, ripples tearing down the lingering walls of ice and extinguishing the last of the flames. In the wake of the attack, rocks crumbled, and a rumble ripped through the Catastrophe above. "Hah... hah... I-I... did it..." Looking toward the altar, to her disappointment, Kranon stood tall although, 'intact' wouldn't be the correct word. His entire right side was burned badly, his fair singed and arm completely disintegrated, a mere stump of what it once was. His eyes were hidden, leaving her with just a crooked smile. "Hahaha... You aren't as easy to kill as I thought; however, it seems you've underestimated the length that form of yours lasts." His finger pointed down at her waist. Looking back, Astra saw her tail had returned, poking out from the armour, and now her helmet's ears were no longer at the sides of her head. He cackled again, fist drove against her cheek, his knee coming up to crease against her stomach as the child dropped in front of his boot, lodging it across her chin, observing how her body tumbled back into the mud. Bending down, he clasped her visor with his hand, the Seal emerging across his skin with a sinister glow. "I made a mistake, so, allow me to put you to bed - and give me that strength!" He squeezed tighter, barely phased by her kicks and punches while her fingers attempted to reach for her fallen sword. "I don't need your fire, just enough magic to patch myself up; tch, you think you're the hero? Like this useless farmhand? Like the Hollow? Like your precious Mercenary!?" He kept squeezing, hearing her cry from the pain. "I'll crush your head and pluck that strength from your mangled and shredded corpse!" The seal glowed brighter. Astra's vision started to cloud. And Kranon's smile expanded to inhuman lengths. "No..." She hissed, embers slithered into her visor through her grit teeth. "Graaaaaaah!!" She swung a blade forged of soul magic, slamming its broad edge against Kranon's nape, sinking the blade an inch through his flesh, seeing his twisted grin hesitate, baring his fangs. "I. Won't. Lose. Again!" "Burn...!" Her words ushered all of Cinder's strength to cremating them together in a hellfire. The blade sunk another inch, drawing blood from the undead abomination. "Let go of me!" Kranon released the seal, bringing his fist down to knock her out; he grunted, feeling her scalding fingers coil around his wrist, struggling to hold his strength back. "H-how can one human... some damn miscalculation is holding back my power!?" *Shatter!* His palm-heel strike shattered the sword, the blue shards threshed aside, giving him ample time to raise his free hand to her helmet. "I'll meld your flesh to that carcass--!" *BAM!* The skin was creased and split with the combined might of two leather boots pressed deep against Kranon's cheekbone, the sudden force rocketing his mangled body through the dirt and half-buried at the steps of his altar. The embers dispelled; Lifting himself with one hand, Kranon eye couldn't possibly get any more unhinged. W and Sora shielded Astra; weapons raised to threaten the weakened Vex as he crawled to his feet, nearing the rupture with a dry laugh. "Hey, kid, had a makeover without us?" W smiled reassuringly until she noticed the very distinctive design of her equipment, almost lowering her launcher. "Astra, why are you...?" Her head fell to her legs, shaking her head slowly with a sniff. Sora's eyes widened before he bit his cheek. "Not again..." He shook just as angrily as W, her face unreadable, but her tail and antenna were twitching madly, teeth ground together. "Bastard lied to me," Whatever happened, he must've done something to find Kranon's weakness, and it cost him without any of them knowing. Kicking herself now wouldn't help; it'll be wasteful to Cinder's memory, so she just sucked it down into her stomach and turned her attention to Mr Chuckles by the rupture. "Sora, help me wipe that smirk off bitch-boy's face." "With pleasure," He brandished his swords in time for Kranon to realize his enemies weren't going to sit around asking questions. The sight of the human possessed corpse in hysterics unnerved the three a great deal until its remaining eye landed on W with a deranged aura; Astra could taste it in her mouth, Death. "You've been such a thorn in my side; I took away your name, your body, I had you treated like the dirt you humans are, and yet here you are!" His fist closed, the runes reacting in turn to its creator's silent decree. "When I'm done tearing this world to pieces, I'll go after your world, Remnant, and every other Displaced like YOU!!" He shuffled back, stumbling toward the rift while placing a seal on his chest. "My creators could never understand how I felt, a desire to consume all, I just want to devour everything in my sights without control or restraint!" While he ranted, W spat off to the side and rushed him with a grenade shot toward the rupture, only for a sharp gust of wind to disrupt its travel, that same whirlwind slamming into her gut, flinging her into Sora's arms. "I am Kranon the Collapse Dragon, Vex of the God of Space, and I... Am... REBORN!!!" "No!" It was far too late now; W only chance to end everything was cut short by a breeze, a single, heavy breeze. Kranon fell into the rupture, and the static in the air instantly fell silent. Rubble trickled down to the earth, and a stray crash of thunder from above were the only sounds the group could make; everything else became dull and muffled under their own heartbeats. ... ... ... No… “No… get ready; he's coming..." W grimaced as her head slowly turned toward the large ruins, their markings revitalized in the silence. Something untamed was distorting the world; sound and an earthquake that could be felt down to her bones shook and splintered the land around them. This was the end; the final hand dealt to her since arriving in this unfair world. And ironically, she was willing to defend it with her life. She drew her grenade launcher high with the appearance of two silver blades and a smouldering coiled sword to her left. The acrid air blown from the surge of energy was astounding; the hairs on the back of her neck stood up from the static, and while her fear grew wider and wider, the mercenary kept still; she had to face her fear head-on now. Both W and Aoi. A large brass arm soared into the air from the lightning behind the altar and over the cliff itself, smashing its mechanical fingers through the stone. At the same time, another did the same, lifting the shadow to loom over the trio with a large, glowing array of spotlights upon them, crushing all that obstructed the altar, leaving the site untouched. *UUUUAAAAHHHH!!!* The screech of metal felt like razors to their ears, the trembling in their vision subsiding enough to bask in the shadow of the massive construct. The mechanical beast was gargantuan, housed within a strange armature that resembled a massive V-Shaped chassis copied into layers as though it were a serpent’s body snaking down into the world below. The segments and their jagged ribs all clanking to the left and right while the chassis rose high. The angular head was shaped to closely copy a vulture with two jagged slits for amethyst eyes bared down on the Displaced, the non-existent maw screeching torn metal and rust. From its scythe-like shoulder, blades sprouted glowing, purple wings, streaking as though solidified code caged amongst the machine's skeleton for a membrane. A single thresh of the wings causing W's tongue to tingle. The sharp, jagged appendages beating slowly while many luminescent feeler tentacles flew in the breeze, adding to the massive construction that reminded W vividly of a race of machines she knew of all too well from another world entirely. "There's no way... he stole the power..." The words dried in her throat, choking down a lump. "...of the Vex Collective." Sora felt his jaw unhinge. "You mean the same biomechanical race from that game where they can warp through time - oh, I see why he chose this then." He didn't need any more answers. The massive form of Kranon flew through the air, arms consumed by streams of purple data as the very ground they walked over began to warp and change. “Brace yourselves!” W screamed “Let’s give it all we got!” Sora assured them all before reality flashed with a bright, milky white of static, the altar warping away with their vision. Once light drifted away, W and her allies found themselves atop a brass and white-stone ring spanning the size of half a football field, many chunks were risen out of sync with the rest of the ring, and certain points looked to have meshed together with old and new pieces haphazardly. Far below, the massive span of Canterlot under siege could be seen while many platforms in the distance phased in and out of time every few seconds. "The world was starting to collapse, and what better way than with the Vex's time manipulation?" Sora gulped, turning away from the edge with Astra shuffling far away from the lack of solid ground. "How sweet of him to give us our own private killing floor," W remarked dryly, inspecting the dark clouds around them. "Um... speaking of, where is he...?" "If he warped us here, then that means..." Everyone turned at Astra's insinuation, looking toward the inside of the ring as something bright reflected off the edge of the ring. "He's very close." "[bSoon, my body shall be free!" Kranon's screeched resounded in the Catastrophe, large, black shards of rock descending from the clouds as they spoke. Some shattered once Kranon soared into view, wings fanned out for a deceptively majestic machine, the head craned down toward them, eyes blaring while the hands buzzed with purple lightning much like the rupture against his chest. They had no other choice but to fight him head-on! Raising their weapons, the hands of Kranon came crashing down around them. "Keep talking big, tin man-" W sneered, tossing her final belt lined with grenades toward one of the arms. "-you'll fall apart like always!" The pins were gone, and a chain reaction tore up the arm's barding pieces, forcing the appendage to recoil in shock. "Everyone, get ready to jump!" Huh? W looked to Sora, to the right of her, the large hand slammed into the edge of the ring, sending a large wave of golden code spiralling toward them; not wishing to be caught in the flow, they all jumped as high as possible, seeing the wave dissipate after a short burst. "It's like the Oracles! If that code strikes us, we'll be erased from reality!" "Oh, come on!" W yelled at the unfairness, but when did Kranon ever intend to comply? From the bowels of Kranon sprung a torrent of lasers from its hands, the two lines dividing W and Sora to one end, while Astra ran toward the right, the lasers passing over their heads with searing heat, crashing into the wall with a blast of heat. When the plasma ceased, the trio scrambled to their feet, divided, the forked tail cracked the stone where W once stood before the body of Kranon spun in the air, sweeping the entire area with its tail and knocking W into the air. Adjusting her descent, she planted her feet on one of the plateaus, pushing back to avoid the claws of the Vex scaring the wall as it flapped its massive wings around, slamming its hands onto the ground as W rotated to near the inner-side. Suddenly, volleys of golden lightning appeared from the clouds, striking Kranon's right eye. Far to the right, Astra held her sword like a staff, summoning a series of crystal bolts and large shards of soul energy, staggering Kranon's vision constantly for Sora to land a solid, horizontal cross down the length of Kranon's beak, causing the head to recoil sharply. The wings flared again while W spotted Sora flew under Kranon and across to his backend. The Vex spun slow yet gracefully across the ring, the wings blaring out several lines of white lasers, one of them striking Astra across the chest, throwing her to the ground. At the same time, Sora latched onto the tail, sinking his blades in-between the vertebrae. While distracted, W continuously fired payloads of grenades, tossing mines to where one of the hands move to rest before erupting into fire and shrapnel. "W, I don't think my magic can do much to damage his armour!" Astra waved from afar, still attempting to utilize all of Cinder's remaining strength while W went with the motions, attempting to conjure some half-baked plan as Kranon swayed to his left, heading back for the centre. Resting high on its back, Sora swiped away with each longsword down the entire length of the spine; sadly, all Kranon did was dip downward, the tail flicking up sharply, throwing Sora from the spine, the forked end swiping down to slice him in two. The sight petrifying W mid-thought. "Sora!" W screamed, yet a spark of silver caught her eye, his blades locked between the forked appendage, flicking himself around to land with a stumble at the edge of the tail. "*Sigh* Idiot..." He followed with a right swing to the joint, then a backflip to smash his foot against the Vex's lower prong, making it roar with aggravation as it moved around the ring and back to the centre; Sora leapt through the air and landed with a stumble beside W raising a thumb. "Sorry about that, but that did little to phase it... you know it's a little confusing calling him a Vex when he's both a Vex by name, and he took the form of a fictional race too." He stood up beside W while seesawing his sword to visualize his confusion. "Bad guys often never make it easy with the names they take, huh?" W quipped or until a large shadow cast itself over them. "Oh, not again." The wind tore through them with Kranon sailing over their heads, this time swinging its whole body around in a tremendous dive, the tail sailing down toward them The partners screamed, leaping far across to the lower level with Astra, the tail slicing straight through the metal and stone, severing the chunk from the ground completely followed with a double helix, snow-white lasers slicing through more segments of the ring, with all of them narrowly pivoting around the deadly beams hazardous trajectories. "Take him down!" W barked regardless, grenades and hand-held ones batted by Sora's swords and an array of soul and fire spells cast from Astra battering Kranon's thick chassis while the silverette continuously thought of some solution that would benefit them in this hopeless situation. How could she turn an undefeatable enemy into a vulnerable target? What was this thing's Achilles heel? Could she really do as she promised? Would she... die? "Get down!" Sora tackled W under him; the second he did so, Kranon's claws peeled by their heels, the abused screaming metal torn from the environment made her ears bleed. Pushing off of Sora, the two of them stared back at Astra, the new Lord of Cinder, high in the air as that golden wave of code swept under her, followed by two lasers to her face and gut, knocking her down to the ring. "Astra!!" Turning to look at the imposing Vex, it finally struck W what she had to do, lifting herself, the image replaying on a loop in her head. "That's it..." It was right there this whole time - no, before he even became this incarnate of another race of Vex, it was right there, and Cinder gave it away. "It's Center... is in the Rupture itself." Her words didn't quite register to Sora before he saw that same, pained smile on her face. "...for Cinder." "W...? Aoi...?" She shook her head, giving him one last salute before spitting straight toward Kranon. "AOI!!" Sprinting under lazers was the easy part as the large hand flattened the ground W once stood on, using the arm as leverage onto a small platform that had displaced into the area, hooking her fingertips against its surface, she vaulted up and slid down the slope, hoping to the next small segment then another before she dove headfirst between the intercepting arms' fingers and through the Rupture. The second she did, her whole world inverted and was pulled through the eye of a needle. "Yaaah - ow!" Her face smooshed against the black surface of the Rupture. Surrounding her was nothing though a strange atmospheric glow illuminated her blank environment. There was absolutely nothing but emptiness, that, and many tears in and around the darkness held static images of many worlds, some far less colourful than others. "Woah..." Picking up her launcher, she turned to the only other person in this place, glaring back at the one-eyed human. "Tch, figures you're an emo." "Humourous, aren't you?" Kranon mused, motioning to the images. "Yes, these are worlds I have since left behind, some thrive and others... well, I already told you of my cursed hunger." "You devoured worlds, no wonder you were locked away." W huffed, holding her ground and her glare. "You stole from more than just a bunch of assholes; you started taking any world you saw fit to steal. Displaced from, good or bad, you're just a monster desperate for power." "Aren't you?" He recited off the top of his head, seeing her eyes twitch. "The moment you picked up that scarf, you wondered how much more fulfilling your life could be with W's strength, her charisma, tch, her assets compared to your lacking fleshbag of a body - you are no different from anyone wishing for power. Me? I simply cannot and do not wish to stop anymore," He lifted his arm wide. "If my creators wished for me to be a Gatekeeper to other worlds, I deserve compensation!" He kept pressing his point; gravity itself trembled. "Why do you continue to fight for them? Sure, the ones I manipulated were victims who followed complacently; why fight for them? Why trust them to keep their word if by some miracle you succeed?" He saw it, W was hesitant to answer. "I wouldn't blame you to simply 'perish due to heroics' to escape; they are... a primate form of humanity, even I wouldn't tolerate their incompetence compared to your kind's." W knew why she was here; her silence wasn't out of hesitance of their paper-thin loyalty; no, she knew why she jumped into the monster's jaws. "I'm not here for them; I'm here for myself, my friends, and my family, so who cares if they die by the dozens, I certainly won't shed a tear." Drawing up her launcher, W glared. "And what right do you have to spout that crap? All you want is to get back at a kid that bested you by destroying entire populations!" "A few worlds can be replaced in mere nanoseconds, girl, who will miss a few lost souls? Death?" He scoffed. "So long as the balance is kept, he could care less what happened to billions of lives!" He threw his arm forward as though to catch W's face between his fingers. "No one will miss your world or Equestria, just another two specks of sand in a desert." Venom dripped from his tone, never once leaving her ember's smouldering gaze. "Every life is precious, you don't care for anyone else but yourself," W murmured breathlessly, finger sliding to her trigger. "So trust me-" Raising her sights, she readied for one final fight. "-no one will miss you." Kranon sneered, lifting his hand as flames spurting from the skin like sweat, the air crackling with stray bolts of orange in the dark. "I still have one little trick," His eyes lost all sense of emotion, mutating similarly to W's, blazing like a red sun, and a ring of fire expanded outward from a dome of searing heat, blowing W backwards, the abyss ignited in a ring around them both. "That world you love so much, and yet, you never could defeat Her." Realization dawned, the familiar fabric stretched in the darkness, vibrant and blood-red. "Shit..." Lifting her launcher and another mine, W stood against a living dragon taken human form. In place of the possessed farmhand was now a woman with black horns jutting from her head, tipped red. Her hair short grey curls fading light red. She wore a ruined, onyx dress with a white undershirt under a black blouse, the hem of the dress crackling shades of dark embers, a torn armband fluttering behind her near a scaly tail. Clasped in her right hand was a black longsword as it burst with a column of fire stretching toward W in a wide arc: the Deathless Black Snake, Talulah. She evaded it, feeling her eyes sting from the intense aura surrounding the faux Draco as Kranon swiped again, relating a torrent of rising flames from the ground, catching W's leg while she swept it aside, firing a grenade while tossing the mine. Both explosives struck the flaming sword, knocking Kranon back, his very feet infecting the black earth with molten webs. "Still distracting..." He muttered, clutching a flame in his left, igniting a column to W's left; she dived, rolling away to backhand the sword with her launcher, tossing two grenades with a scoff. "Guess you can't fight us on two front - gah!" The blade sliced across her left forearm, almost digging deep enough to sever it had W not blown a sizable blast in Kranon's face, seeing him grunt and retreat, face singed while her arm bled and cauterized. That made her brow quirk. "He's avoiding me? No... he has to!" It hit her like a brick. "If he really had a copy of Talulah's strength, I'd be an ashen stain by now, and he keeps blocking my explosives, he's... fallible." Molten strokes of light split the abyss, forcing W to roll and sprint in a curve, leaping over the fiery slants from afar, propelling her own explosive ordinance across the gap; sadly, most missed or were cut mid-flight. Changing her gameplan, W kicked a smoke grenade under the flames, spraying the plume wide, giving her a split second to avoid the arc that banished the smokescreen, revealing the several landmines and the detonator in her palm. "Boom!" The three plastic explosives lit the void in a powerful glow, the kinetic energy sending shrapnel across the battlefield, slicing Kranon as he shielded his chest, shards prodding his fleshy cage. Through grit teeth, flames roared and simmered, the accents of red turning cherry in hue. "I have had enough of your interference, Aoi!" He snarled, unleashing several large waves of fireballs, completely cutting any chance of evasion. So W stood her ground, wrapping her tail around her waist while ripping the last belt from under her jacket, a line of grenades for her launcher. The first made an audible 'thunk' blowing the first fireball to embers, loading another with a slap she dispelled the second, waves of blinding heat rippling past her sides. "Why... won't... you... DIE!?" "Cause-!" Another blast, she stepped forward. "-I'm not-!" The final avalanche of flames was blown away, W's devil-like form stepping through the lingering flames toward the faux Talulah. "-a bitch!" Curling her left arm back, she brought across the face of the descending blade, striking Kranon across the cheeks as his illusion of Talulah shattered, the blade slicing across W's arm. Still, her scream of defiance kept her fist moving forward until she knocked the Draco on her ass. "Hah... and for the record..." W glared, loading the last grenade of the belt. "...I just used Thorns to beat her." Taking up the sword once more, Kranon lunged, a wave of flames rising with the edge, severing a few strands of silver while W swivelled under the strike to gut=punch more of the illusion off Kranon's skin, the shocked half-expression on both faces turning to disgust. He doubled back, slashing left while W dipped her head back, slinging her launcher in favour of throwing punch after punch against the face of the searing blade, which in reality, was the old one strapped to his waist. One taut right hook broke the illusion, parrying the flames and knocking Kranon against an invisible wall in time to see the muzzle pointed in his direction. "Alright, Houdini," W huffed, "It ends, so spare me the monologue and go back to being a legend." One strike, just one more, and it was over! There was silence, say for their laboured breathing, or, until he smiled, the last of Talulah's shell shattering. "Did you forget who gave you that scarf?" With one curl of his fingers, W's body suddenly pulled, dropping her line of sight. Wracked with pain in her stomach, as forced her down to her knees, clutching her stomach as a dark purple liquid was coughed up in placement of blood, tasting like oil. "Without all that power, you are nothing more than a defenceless child playing pretend - wake up as the farmboy did and see how reality can be cold." A shuddering force knocked W backward, losing her launcher and duffle bag. "I...!" Her voice hitched once she saw that her jacket was no longer as high quality as before, replaced solely by the red jacket she wore to the convention. Her plain black shirt with a fancy skull stitched into its surface visible. Her jeans were still ripped, and her black and red trainers dirty and covered in smudges from lack of proper care. Her arms, no, her whole body was skinnier, lacking W's toned, defined body and curves; even her bust was half its size again. Feeling her hair dangling by her shoulders, she ran her fingers through it; gone were the wilder hair, longer at the back with only her bangs curly and unkempt with chocolate-brown eyes. W was no more, instead, just the normal, bland... Aoi. Out of instinct, Aoi reached for the top of her head, even her temples desperately to find her horns and antenna were missing, including her tail. Every inch of her body was no longer the one she was stuck with, but it felt as though Kranon tore a piece of her forever. "I'm W now, who I am before doesn't matt-" "I think it matters," Sora added quickly. "If... if the person you were before didn't matter, then how come you're here? "Just because you're in pain doesn't mean I feel the same way - I am, but I want to know why too, why I'm here, why you and Sora are here," Astra continued, waving her hoof wide, stomping it once with a huff, her eyes matching the same fire that would adorn W's. "We don't have answers, but we still made it this far anyway, even if I'm still useless, even though you've been hurt, we've been in bad situations before, but that was fine because we did it our way." "Good luck, my friend." That last faint echo felt as though it brushed against her ear. Shaken, Aoi curled her fingers against the blank ground, bitterness fading away. "It's funny, strip away a person's power and what is left underneath? Nothing," Kranon sneered, receiving no shred of backlash from the defeated girl. She was simply lost. His eye narrowed, biting back a snarl of disappointment. "Just a weak, pathetic human," With another pulse of invisible force, Aoi and her weapons were tossed back, the girl rolling onto her side. "Let the last moments of your life be as they always have been, for nothing." His hand rose, dripping with purple magic like flames only for his face to hesitate, lowering his hand slightly. Aoi pushed up slowly, fingers curled around her bag's strap and her grenade launcher, the former a little difficult to balance at first against her back, but she managed quickly. Her head was low, loading a new grenade with a sharp flick of the barrel. "It wasn't for nothing," Aoi muttered, lifting her head to brush aside her bangs, staring hatefully toward the abomination of a God. "I may not be some flashy hero or have some pre-written destiny set out for me, but I'm fine with that because I led myself here, my choices not yours!" She screamed, raising her sights to the scarred and weakened Vex. "Whether or not I'm a Mercenary or a student - Aoi or W - I am whoever I chose to be!" As Aoi took a step forward, Kranon swore those disgusting, emerald eyes were looking back at him that day, that seal etched into their hand. "If I fail, then it was all for nothing; my choices were for nothing!" Hidden in her chocolate-brown eyes was a faint blemish of fire burning in her irises. "Ignorant mongrel!" With a swipe of his arm, a large black void with a white edge tore through the space between them only to be blown away by a grenade as Aoi winced, holding her launcher in both hands to handle the recoil as she loaded another, sprinting in a wide circle toward the Vex. "I'll ensure to erase every existing parallel of you!" Her eyes remained focused and unchanged, watching how the energy gathered to a tip against his fingers. "He can't use anything else but his Ruptures now, there's nothing to draw power from, and my weapons are still here?" Looking around briefly as she rolled under another dark sabre of distortion, blast the ground ahead of her to blind Kranon to her movements. "No... my body is still here, somewhere in this place, so maybe if I can get him to the Rupture..." Glancing back at the scar that left to Equestria, Aoi had now formed a plan. "I have spent COUNTLESS eons awaiting my escape!" Kranon shrieked, the gathered distortion travelling like a jagged riptide toward Aoi, who fished around in her duffle bag. "I refuse to be starved a second time!" He continued to gather and materialize waves of distortion between his fingers Aoi tossed forth several charges of C4, running away from the approaching waves to detonate them all in a large inferno of white and orange, seeing Kranon's furious gaze through the simmering flames. Rushing in a b-line once the flames died, she pounced over another wave, feeling something painfully sharp release the blood from her left shoulder, her body tumbling across the darkness, a large gash staining her clothing a deeper shade of red. Gasping, she bowed her head under another wave, a few strands of hair vaporized until she pulled the trigger on another payload, blinding Kranon, who stood only a few meters away. Her arm seized up, but it wasn't broken yet, so she refused to stop now. The moment Aoi stood up to sprint, she had to quickly guard her chest with her launcher, the metal peeling at her eardrums as that old, reflective sword of Kranon's recoiled off the thick barrel. Reacting immediately, Aoi swung the muzzle to her right, backhanding Kranon while yanking her hand free of her bag to drop a mine between them, herself rolling away while scrambling to push the detonator, feeling the head rush through her clothing and toss her into a short tumble. Kranon shook off the ringing in his ears, readying his sword for her next- "What are you-?" A petite fist creased against his cheek, drawing blood from his lesser marred side as he felt his vision cloud with the sight of his machine form in Equestria continuing to struggle in defeating a half-human-pony child and the Aasmiar. "HYRAAA-" Aoi's face twisted with fury, taking the edge of the sword across her cheek as she angled herself to embed her knee into his side, tackling Kranon through the Rupture with a heartfelt cry his own barely resembling that of a human, his hand unable to touch her face to tear her head off its shoulder before both felt the excruciating sensation of being squeezed to a fine point. "-AAAH!!" Dark skies were surrounding Aoi and Kranon as the pair fell far over the rings and displacing structures. His human form melded into the Rupture, exposing his valuable form against the large, wailing machine as it lost its momentum, steadily descending above Aoi, reaching for her with a large hand. Her form was starting to reverse, hair a mesh of long and short locks while one horn appeared from her right temple, eyes a merge of hazel and ember-orange, one pupil the shape of a demonic cross. Her tail had returned, and parts of her clothing began to change, infused with lingering red sparks where two edges collided. The air screamed in her ears as her tail disconnected the clip of her duffle bag, body slamming against the wrist of the arm as she rolled across the length of the metal limb, leaping until she had her fingers digging into the human Kranon's cheeks, shoving her duffle bag against his chest with one final stare into his eye, fear and fury intertwined. "Weren't you listening to me-!?" Kicking him rightfully between the legs to escape the thresh of the left arm of the Vex, W raised her sights a final time to her bag, sighing out a grieving breath for her infinite storage, but her finger squeezed the trigger, knowing what had to be done now. With her eyes to the Collapse Dragon flailing toward her, she smirked, eyes on fire. "-Don't fuck around with a Sarkaz Mercenary." *Thunk!* One final grenade left the muzzle with a flash, piercing the bag with a massive flash and almost inaudible reverberation in the air, the massive faux variation of the Vex Collective was consumed in a tremendous flash of gold, scarring the Catastrophe like a star, the sonic boom striking W in the gut as her body spun a few times through the air, her ears ringing. In contrast, the last shred of Kranon was consumed by fire and a series of smaller eruptions across his metal body. As her vision began to cloud, a dark figure closed in with a hand reaching toward her face, their body obscured by the death of a Vex. ... ... ... "...hrm," W stirred on the ground, her head propped against Sora's lap as her body shot up on reflex, reaching for her weapon. "Wait, where's-!" "Hey, wait-wait-wait, it's fine, it's over," He assured the Sarkaz as she sat up in his arms, feeling a little better with them pressed to her shoulders. "You were only out for about a minute, give or take." "It was deafening too," Astra was glued to W's hip, her body no longer human much to her disappointment, but she retained Cinder's armour, taking off the helmet to free her mane again. "I... I thought you were... w-when you went into the Rupture." W ruffled her ears quickly with a wink. "Like I said many times, it'll take more than that to kill me," Although she decided to withhold how she basically fought, said Vex with only her normal body and equipment that left her arms buckling and possibly sprained. She still held the injuries from that fight too. Groaning, W leaned against Sora's chest. "I think I broke a rib or two... and my shoulder's numb." "Idiot," His hand struck her forehead, and while she couldn't see his face, she knew he was probably worried sick. So, without allowing him to start his heartfelt rant, she lifted her tail to wipe away a stray tear on his face. "I know, but if I stopped being reckless, what kind of an idiot would that make me?" She mused, eyes blinking wide a moment later, lifting her head to Astra, who was running her hoof over the helmet. "Astra... he's..." W bit her lip, antenna curled down as she struggled to get the words out. She let out a pained chuff with a smile, growing a little misty-eyed for the smartass Hollow. "...he left his power with a good head on their shoulders." That caused the filly to smile through her tears, leaning against W's side as Sora rested his head on W's shoulder, herself shaking out a breath. As the three silently grieved for their fallen friend, W noticed that the skies were clearing away for a golden ceiling, the sun itself starting to set after being stuck in its perpetual state. With the Catastrophe dissipating, all that was left were many destroyed buildings, dark rocks jutting from the earth like rotten thorns. Just short of half a dozen meters from their spot on the ground were the large remains of Kranon's faux Vex form, the Destiny kind, not his term as W had to keep reminding herself. The machine was a mere death pile of torn metal and wires, yet a light emanated from the wreckage. Her flabbergasted state eventually drew Sora and Astra's eyes to the glowing machine. From under the arms and lifeless wings sprung many colourful motes of light, similar to snowfall. A vast array of colours dazzled the trio, sailing off into the sky to fade into nothing. "What... is this?" W murmured, eyeing Astra for a moment. "It's them... all the spirits Kranon consumed," She smiled a little warmly for the motes of light dancing through the sky, a resonating sensation of freedom and jubilation shared amongst even those that had harmed their worlds. "They're free." "Look...!" Sora pointed toward the one hovering by the shredded head of the machine, a familiar sword clasped in an astral hand. The mote expanded into a person with a young appearance, clothing fitting for a farmhand. At the same time, he brushed a few stray bangs from his green eyes that focused on W in particular, smiling fondly at the woman with a small tilt of his head, resting the tip of the sword into the soil before him. "Thank you..." He looked up at the other motes with a short breath, looking back at her. "From all of us." Without much else to say, W smiled stupidly, waving her hand shortly. "Anytime, Farmboy." She couldn't resist as he retained a peaceful smile, fading away like all the others. Kranon the Collapse Dragon and the Farmhand that sealed him away... were gone. Somewhere under Hollow Shades... Gambit lightly flicked the King off the chessboard with a satisfying 'clatter' of wood. In its place was his Queen, the Renegade. The Renegade's own men were to the left and right, a Rook, the Aasimar, and the Bishop, a Silver Warrior. His game was filled with many close turns and compelling routes toward numerous ends. One might say that is chess in its entirety, well, a normal game of chess, that is. For Gambit, he could envision the countless scenarios, paint pretty pictures of triumph and failure; all had their motives, but this one was as he anticipated since the little silverette’s arrival as a mercenary. One piece, in particular, was played with his fingers, eyeing the Knight represented by a ruined knight, a faint crackling of embers lingering on the piece. His eyes narrowed as he sat the piece off the board again, seeing the embers vanish only to appear on the Silver Warrior. With a flick of his wrist, he procured the silent, burning black flame with a distinct white glow to its form. It wasn't hot, nor was it ice-cold, just a dead, empty thing. "Well, what a fun game this has been, Kaid, oh yes, what fun it was..." With a satisfied grin, Gambit caused the flame to vanish, leaving his concluded chessboard behind. Construction was underway for another day that week. Canterlot was still in quite a terrible state of disrepair long after the Catastrophe had vanished with the death of its creator. The worst were the streets caught in Pompeii's path, many of the Guard and construction workers tasked to clear the rubble and ash that remained of dozens of buildings. It wasn't pretty, and Canterlot would struggle to get back on track for a few months, but most if not every citizen was safe, many injured, severely or otherwise, but safe regardless. The worst part were the large blades of black material sticking out of the ground in many locations. Those points were quarantined until the rocks could be removed to reduce any unnecessary safety hazards and keep ponies from becoming infected with Oripathy due to the formation of familiar, semi-opaque black crystals, Originium. Inside Canterlot Castle itself, one garden decorated with many statues depicting many historical moments had one visitor that day. Bearing a ruined suit of armour that looked as though it would fall apart with a simple breeze stood as sturdy as any other metal forged into armour. Astra Lumi finished brushing her hooves through a small dirt plot, checking her work slowly with the many decorative flowers she planted in the bed. Looking up, she admired the smooth stone carved in such short notice, Robin's sword forever fixed into the slanted slab on the front of the burial slab. Trotting around to the slab, she sat on her haunches and put her forehooves together with her eyes closed, feeling a warm breeze brush through her mane while silently praying to the statue. "I'll do my best." "Don't try too hard, or you'll start sounding like him too," The voice broke the girl's trance to find the smug smile on another silverette's face. W chewed on an apple she 'procured' pointing down at Astra before hopping off the Statue of a Hydra, using its body as a slid to land on the ground. She closely admired the filly's handiwork with the flower bed, leaning down, surprising Astra when W placed her own rose on top of the plaque. "There! Perfect for a fanboy like him." "What about Robin?" Astra inquired though W brushed off the filly's worry. "Eh, he's probably into all the girly flowers too; guys usually hide that sorta thing," She joked, tapping her foot off Astra's leg while walking away. "Come on, 'bout time for the main event." "Coming, Mama!" That was something W had to get used to hearing, the title causing her to almost trip on an uneven slab but smile like a giddy idiot all the same. Turning back to the memorial, she didn't say anything, offering a smile as she turned her head, waving behind her back as she left with Astra. "Please don't do something needlessly reck - oh who am I kidding, you will." Sora sighed as W patted his head. "Look who's learning," She cooed, pecking his cheek for good luck. "Trust me, I got this... been stuck in this damn place for a week, so I'd like to think I had this all planned out in my head by now." "That's what worries me," Sora added as the trio pushed through the main doors to the throne room. Luna wasn't present since she needed her beauty sleep, so Celestia was present for the meeting. But it wasn't the Princess that was W's immediate concern; it was those turned toward their entrance that sparked a tempo in W's chest. With a casual wave to her boyfriend's mother, W grinned lazily. "Hey, Celestia, sorry for the delay had to check up on an old friend." Very old and nerdy, in her opinion. "No need to apologize, W; we weren't waiting long." The rather informal manners exchanged between the two eventually sparked questions. Primarily from the purple unicorn herself, God W didn't miss her ugly mug. "U-um, Princess Celestia, why is it... she not - I-I mean she's-" "Aw, did I just overthrow your spot as Celestia's favourite, Sparkle Butt? My bad," W relished the sight of Twilight's face burning with embarrassment and rage. "Let's not beat around the bush, ladies - and Spike, can't forget the main drake." Said dragon just perked up and waved shyly. "Lovely as always, now-now, let's hear it, all four of you in particular." "W, are ya sure this is righ'?" Applejack quickly suggested, allowing Fluttershy to hide behind her form, clearly still unnerved by W's appearance. But the farm pony saw it, the lack of empathy in the woman's gaze. "I'm sorry? But you seriously think that I'm going to brush aside all the crap you all put me through?" W paced, listing off all her memories bitterly. "Dash's short-tempered personality left me with many bruises, cuts, and aching muscles for days at a time, Applejack, while you didn't do much, you still did your fair share of damage to me, Rarity with her destructive comments about my looks and occasion telepathic slam into nearby trees," She looked down at her hooves as W said this, Dash didn't say a word. "Pinkie... need I say more?" Even the bubbly mare didn't look all that springy. "And You," W brought her hands down toward Twilight, who kept her wary eyes on W and her strained smile. "Where do I even start with every single microsecond I spent around you. Injuries, lies, manipulation, hurting Astra," That part, in particular, caused W's tail to thresh sharply. Her finger then poised down at her boots. "Kranon manipulated you all, but those days still hurt, and I want to hear it, so get on your knees and beg, now." Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle all knelt at W's sight, heads low as the sight gave her a wave of notification, recalling how she was beaten into the mud, forced into magic chains that burned at her skin. The sight of ponies wishing her locked up or dead, some not bothering to hear her cries to listen. It was the worst moments of her life, and yet... she met Astra, found a guy that... accepted her flaws, and while it was short, she found a rival who acknowledged not W's strength, but Aoi's. She had found what she was looking for. "Nothing we say can undo what we did, and we know it was wrong... please forgive us... forgive me," Twilight croaked up; she was terrified that W would lift her launcher and just blow them to pieces there and then. One of the silverette's scenarios was where she finally snapped with her Arts or left Canterlot to burn. But that would make her no different than Kranon; she would have learned nothing. With a smirk, W sighed with a great and long stretch, patting her hips. "Ahh... that felt great," W beamed, turning around while giving the room a wave. "Well! I got what I needed, I forgive ya, but-" She stopped the four from looking to happy amongst themselves, pointing a red nail at them all, eyes blazing hot. "I will never trust any of you again; in fact, I hope someday that village of yours burns to the ground, and I hope I never have to see any of you ever again, especially you, Twilight Sparkle," W shouted over to Celestia, the mare relaxing in her throne after the tension aired out with that clear warning. "Celestia, my compensation's been sent to Courier, right?" "It took time given the transactions toward businesses and reconstruction of Canterlot, but yes, he has recently received the allotted sum you requested," The alicorn assured W, who stared for one last moment before shrugged, tugging her new duffle bag over her shoulder, giving the Monarch the same backward wave. "Tch, woman of her word at least - seeya around, Princess," Her farewell was brief, but she had places to be, motioning to Astra and Sora. "You two coming?" "Excuse me, W..." She paused, turning back before exiting the doorway. The Monarch looked... timid. "I'm sorry to bother you again, but... can you promise me something, as a Mother?" "Mom?" Sora murmured from his spot, looking up at the vacant throne as Celestia appeared before her subjects and son with a heartfelt expression; Astra could feel it; dread and sorrow were welling up since they arrived today. "And that is?" W asked, not realizing the same, golden motes of light started to appear around her; the last they did, she was whisked away to Equestria. "Huh? What the hell?" Her star-struck face forced her arms to scatter the light, noticing the same began to appear around Sora and Astra. "Sun-Butt... want to explain this?" She... just smiled, "W, I cannot begin to thank you, not only for saving my kingdom but for saving this young filly," Her hoof motioned to Astra, her eyes wide with wonder at the twinkling lights. "And, for giving my sweet little boy a chance to be happier when... he's gone." Her voice hitched. "Wait, w-what's...?" Then Celestia trotted up to his side, smiling warmly upon his frightened expression. "No... n-no, I'm..." The revelation finally slammed into W, her own heart quaking alongside the confused state Astra was left in. "Oh, Sora..." Celestia slowly pulled her son, human or not; she loved him dearly. "I know, but without Kranon, there is no longer anything maintaining your presence in this world," It hurt so much, it was unbearable to think about, but no spell in Equestria could stop this. Celestia... was powerless. Lowering his hand, he almost turned around, unable to look up at his mother had something blunt not rattled off the top of his head. "Ack - why!?" He cried down at the crimson guard before him. Cliffheart wore a knowing smile, tossing Sora his twin swords, watching the Prince stumble to catch them against his chest. "Don't make this a sob story already; somepony needs to keep that Beast of the Everfree out of trouble, better you than a Royal Guard." He chuckled, standing by his Prince, his friend, one last time as the motes gathered. "You'll miss me!" W grinned snarkily. Unknown to her, she was correct. Cliffheart watched as the greatest hunt of his life slowly began to fade away to nothing alongside Cinder's new Flame, sword clutched to her side protectively. "Cinder... gave a lot for all of us, and that filly needs proper training with a sword that I doubt W can provide in her world." "But what about-" The bo-staff cut him off pointed at his nose. "Prince Sora, I think Canterlot can survive with one less pony slash person for the foreseeable future, it'll be tough, sure, but we'll manage," Cliffheart gave a wink and patted the Aasimar's leg. "I mean, Captain Armor bailed to the Crystal Empire and left me in charge, and hey, things are still running smoothly regardless, no?" He waved his hooves wide at the lack of ruins surrounding them. He did have a valid point. "But as a cherry on top, really want some stallion back home hittin' on your girl?" "What was that last part?" W demanded, not quite catching it as she choked on a mote of light. "Ack, ugh, taste like copper!" That final straw broke the camel's back as Sora attached his scabbards to his belt, "...I hate Swift so much right now," Then he faltered. "But... Mom I..." Celestia nuzzled her son's forehead, eyes gentle and kind, holding back tears like her sister behind her. "You will always be loved in this world, and I will never forget that, nor will my subjects," She bowed her head toward Astra and W. "And I will never forget you both either - my promise... is to take care of my little prince." W was monotone, feeling very conflicted on returning home, but that was her fear, wasn't it? To be normal again, that issue was dissolved at the memories of her time in Equestria; she fought against Infected, the kingdom at her back, and against an abomination of the Gods themselves. What was a normal life compared to that? She perked up with a fanged smile; tail whipped around to salute. "Have my word; I'll keep him in line once I find him again." And she would most certainly search the ends of the earth for this dork. "W," Twilight found her voice, looking conflicted as her eyes met the Mercenary. "I know it might not mean much but, I am... so sorry." "You already apologized, idiot," W chuffed, scratching her nape. "Want a lesson, then let ol' W enlighten you," Lifting her eyes around the many characters she's met, good, bad, and conflicted alike. "A show I watched taught me something important; 'The single quality that is common across every living creature on this planet... is fear'," Eyes lit up at her words. "It's the enemy of trust, and those that know to use it will manipulate the truth to suit their needs, to overcome fear you have to trust, to take a risk against what your fears are telling you - Sora learned that with me, I learned that with them, and... Cinder sacrificed everything to preserve it," With the light growing around her, W smiled genuinely, "Just... keep an open mind about others like us, 'kay?" The Princess smiled, tears sprung from her eyes. "I will... thank you." Through the motes of light, W clutched her duffle bag tightly; it was... over. Astra hugged her legs; Sora embraced his Mom and best friend one last time as the Elements teared up themselves. It wasn't a fair solution, but... at least neither side would be alone. "I'm coming home... W, goodbye." Were W's last words to the magical, vibrant world of Equestria, a weight like no other lifting away. "I love you, I always will," Sora murmured into Celestia's chest, Cliffheart just rubbing his Prince's back in circles, keeping his smile regardless of how he felt. "I love you too, sweetie." "'Till next time; You were a fine Prince, Sora." *Shatter!* ... ... ... ... ... Then there was nothing... ... ... ... ... "Ah!" Aoi stumbled back into an empty stall, grabbing her chest tightly with sweat trickling down her face. The crowd was boisterous, as to be expected from a convention. It took her several seconds to realize she wasn't dead or floating in an abyss like before. No, she was back; Without an ounce of shame, she unzipped her jacket, an average bust greeting her under a skull T-shirt. Even her body lacked it - wait, "Well, there's a positive." Her body retained its toned form, something she wouldn't be giving up easily. She continued to prod at her skin, no horns, tail, or antenna; she was effectively human again. One new addition did strike her with a mini-heart attack, the fact the torn scarf of the mercenary she was before still hugged her neck. Almost on instinct, she wanted to rip it and throw it away. Her fingers were taut a moment before sighing, leaving it in place. Aoi smiled slightly, realizing she was rested against the old stall of the Merchant's, now it sat vacant and devoid of life. With a hand pressed to her eyes, she let out a shaky breath. "Guess I'm back - how's that for a nobody, Kranon?" And the world would never know she saved their asses; now that was tragic. Then she shot up. "Oh crap, Astra!" No longer wallowing in her own self-pity, Aoi shot her eyes around the stalls, even behind the Merchant's, for any indication of a coiled sword or a little girl with silver eyes. "Crap-Crap-Crap!" "How did I forget that!? But wait, if I can't find her, then does that mean she's back in..." Shaking that harrowing idea from her thinking, Aoi tucked her scarf closer. "Mercenary's job is never done." Aoi shot into the crowd with a newfound purpose, putting her tricks as W to the absolute test. She lacked her stronger abilities, but she was still W deep down. Once at a crossroads, she started asking people. "Hey, any of you seen a little girl with silver eyes?" The first pair shook their heads. "Oi, seen a girl around eight-to-ten, has white hair like mine?" "No, sorry," Dammit! Again and again, her questions bore no fruit; she was without intel. Normally, Aoi would panic; instead, it only poured more fuel into her eyes. Spotting a box, she slipped through the crowd to gain a better point of view. Hands to her cheeks, she called out. "Astra!? Astra, you hear me, kid!?" Some gave Aoi a few odd looks, ones she glared down at. "What? Got something to say?" They shook their heads, not wanting to anger the girl further. "Come on, Astra... where the hell are you?" Biting her lip, she leapt over a few heads, continuing her search on foot. On-and-one, she investigated, unsure if Astra would even be here, let alone in the same country. Without realizing it, someone bumped into her, the two jolting back. "Wha? O-oh, Aoi," No way... Had today not already thrown the once Mercenary's head through a loop, the familiar voice that felt so lost to her made the whitette's heart skip. It was Jaye, the guy with faux-brown curly hair and blue eyes. "Huh, that's a nice scarf; it looks expensive." "Hey, Aoi, you've been gone for like... very long; we were getting worried," The girl who was normally the timid one beamed, Alice with her shoulder-length blonde hair and emerald eyes, even freckles like a certain Fly-Boy she knew. "Yeah, you know, red and black really does suit yo - huh? Eh?" "You guys..." Without thinking about it, Aoi pulled the two against her shoulders, hugging them tightly with a shaken breath. A faint smile splitting her lips. Aoi wanted to say so much, tell them so much, but her worries came first, for Astra's sake. "Sorry, just..." Pulling away, leaving the pair worried and confused for their introvert friend, then seeing her eyes burning with determination. "I need your help right now, I... I need to find a girl, eight years old, has hair like mine and silver eyes - hell, she's probably lugging around a coiled sword too." "That's... oddly specific?" Alice murmured, patting Aoi's shoulder. "Are you okay? What happened?" "Nothing important; we need to find Astra," Aoi affirmed, waving her hand. "And no one else here is useful besides you two, so please, help me." Jaye was the first to step forward. "Anytime we're friends, comes with the territory." Why did he suddenly remind Aoi of a certain annoying hunter in the Royal Guard? "Sure thing, Captain," She found herself chiming before splitting from their sides. "I'll search north; you guys take west and east, then converge!" "Got it!" They complied with her frantic orders. Minutes passed, the trio divided but communing through text constantly, asking people and security for any sign of the lost girl. On the hunt for a wayward child, W kept sprinting through the crowd, ignoring their complaints while she entered the central building, the crowds packed but dispersing near the back end. Up above to her left was Alice waving her arms down at Aoi, pointing toward her northeast. With a salute, she took off, diving over seats and slipping between people in her way. If she followed the route, she'd enter the quieter place nearest the entrance; everyone packed into the smaller sections of the convention. A sharp while caught her ears; she swore invisible antennas twitched. Again, upon the level above directly above her, Jaye smirked, waving toward the northwest, toward a line of pillars facing the massive glass wall where the entrance was, people flooded in and out of the facility. Taking his instructions, she sped off, eyes snapping around at the many groups and individuals in haste. Somewhere, Astra was here, Aoi could feel it, W knew it. Both wouldn't stop trying. "W...?" Her feet screeched to a halt, turning sharply to her right nearest the last pillar. Had shock not already riddled her mind, this might have knocked her out faster than Kranon ever could muster. "I can't feel her aura..." She murmured. A girl no older than eight stumbled around with a coiled blade clutched between her hands tightly. She wore a black skirt with striped leggings and black shoes with decorative embers on the straps. Her shirt was white with the symbol of a decorative pony in armour, akin to Cinder himself. Her sleeves rolled up. Her hair was only a few inches shorter than Aoi's, the bangs clipped with another ember pendant, revealing those lost, dazzling silver eyes and rosy cheeks. "..." Aoi couldn't hold back a few misty tears, shaking them away to approach the girl slowly, hand to her hip. "Why is it you always make me worry, kid?" Her voice broke a little. Astra gasped and shot her head forward upon hearing Aoi's voice, eyes brimming with her own tears at the different but familiar grin stretching over their face. "M-mama...?" Now that finally pushed Aoi into moving a little faster, meeting the filly-turned-human halfway as she was tackled into a hug. "I-I-I'm s-sorry!" She muttered into Aoi's shirt, the ex-merc wrapping her arms around the Lord of Cinder. "Shh, it's fine... found ya, didn't I?" She whispered, stroking the frightened girl's head gently, relief flooding her form while tapping her forehead to the Seer's. "It's okay; we're here..." That drew the teary-eyed girl back. "I-Is Sora here?" Sadly, Aoi shook her head. "Oh..." A flick to the nose cut off that notion quickly, Aoi's friends behind her. "Hey now, since when has a little inconvenience ever stopped us? Knowing that idiot, he'll find some magical way of crawling back like a lost puppy." Her laughter made Astra pout. "That's still not nice..." "Who said I ever was, kid?" Ruffling Astra's hair, she beamed. "Look at that, now we match!" "So... who is this girl?" Alice asked, cooing at the sight of the timid child clutching to Aoi's jacket. "She's so cute~!" That drew the pair's eyes, looking for an answer in silence. Astra could see it though, Aoi was spiralling downward in fright, worry, anxiety, and so much more. "U-um, will they believe us?" She murmured to Aoi's ear. "Alice? Probably not. Jaye? Dunno, kinda going through a blur if I'm honest," Aoi admitted, scratching her head. "Say, how much are you guys willing to believe if I told ya the truth? Or would you prefer a totally not made up story I'm currently thinking of off the top of my head?" "Say, Aoi-" Jaye knelt, holding out a folded note. "Before we parted ways, you dropped this, I didn't read it, but I thought I'd wait 'till we met up again." He smiled, handing it back. "I never had this from Equestria?" Shrugging, Astra sat on Aoi's lap, her friends circling close to read whatever was inside in... particular font. "What the hell...?" Dear Mercenary, W, Aoi, whatever... If I've played my cards right, this lovely little letter should've been handed to you from your friend, Jaye; I bet that's a head-scratcher, huh? I'll keep this brief; Since your little excursion against Kranon was very successful, and I'm furrowly entertained, I found it within myself to allow you, Sora, and little Astra to keep your gifts, consider it a 'Quest Reward' for everything you've done - bet your friends are perplexed right now, I'm making lots of bets thus far. Moving on! I do hope they prove to be valuable in the event Kranon's influence causes any... misinterpretations in the future, oh, and here's a little something extra, a bit of wisdom on my part. You aren't someone special; you were just one in a million in a state of probability. You're alive; that's already special enough, don't you think? Sincerely, The amazingly talented Nightmare, Gambit "Bull, I'm calling bull," Alice flat out denied everything Aoi and Astra told them, changing the fact everyone was a magical talking pony; otherwise, there'd be no saving themselves. "So this Kranon guy up and kidnapped you-" "That's a fancy way of saying, 'torment'," Aoi muttered from her seat at a cafe, cheek in hand. "-so he could use you, Displaced as W, a guy who was an Aasimar, and another who's the Lord of Cinder, just so he could erase the body he was trapped in from time, effectively making it like he was never trapped, to begin with?" Alice summed up nicely. "Add in the kingdom was after my head, Forsaken, Pompeii too with a nice little bow on top, and yeah, basically that," Aoi smirked, sipping her lemonade. "Ugh, I miss Hollow's beer..." It dawned on her she should've smuggled some back with her. "Yep, BS, but a nice story," Alice smiled until Jaye rubbed his chin, looking intensely at Aoi and Astra, the latter eating a sandwich happily. "I dunno, Aoi's... different," That quirked a few brows his way. "Like, don't get me wrong, sounds really stretched, really cool too, but Aoi... you've never been this... um?" "Assy?" Alice guessed. "Snarky?" Astra added. "Oh sure, throw me under the bus, why don't you...?" Aoi grunted, turning with a pout. "Exactly! N-not the name-calling part, but your personality just seems confident and outspoken," He smiled, nudging her shoulder to draw her steely gaze. "Regardless, you look like you've improved your self-confidence a lot." Aoi just stared, processing that for the longest time. W had given her many opinions for how this journey of hers would end, abandon the world that did nothing but torment her, there were good moments, though, and she ultimately chose to help save it, not for Equestria, but them. Her parents and best friends, and now she had so much more. Strangely, she felt a ghost form of W's knuckle tap off the back of her head, disappearing with a sheen of the scarf in the sunlight. She smiled, "Thanks..." It didn't matter if they believed her or not, she was happy, and out there, an Aasimar's head was spinning. "What now, though? If he's back at the same point I was then... he'll be younger than me." That alone dropped Aoi's spirits; she didn't care much for age gaps, but... this was definitely significant. "There's my luck again..." "Still, this 'Sora' guy you talked about, he sounds like he's caught your eye; I'm shocked, you usually give this disgusting scowl as someone spat in your drink," Alice threw her hand to her heart. Aoi deadpanned. "Seriously? I've been shot, stabbed, and hunted but me having a boyfriend is what sticks?" That made their eyes widen, Astra smiling slightly behind her sandwich while it dawned on Aoi, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh God, why did I say that...?" "Aoi's got a boyfriend!? It's happening, Jaye!" Alice swung him back and forth while he looked pleasantly surprised. "Tell us everything, no details left unturned, you hear!" So everything Aoi said was gone, replaced with only Sora. "I so didn't miss you, idiots," She smirked, Jaye and Alice returning the gesture until Aoi stood up and stretched, trying to bury the feeling in her chest that sabbed hotter than a knife. "Ah, nice day, and the convention's still on for like... another day after?" "Hey, no side-stepping!" Alice huffed while Astra hopped to her feet, fixing the coiled sword to her back. "So, where'd you like to start our new adventure, kid?" Astra had no idea what to expect from this world, but Aoi would ensure she got a taste of the best it had to offer, for her old parent's sakes. "Um... mama?" She murmured, wanting to spare her parental figure from more endless questions from Miss. Alice. Astra's face brightened significantly; her semblance had caught someone approaching through the endless waves of emotions and colourful auras, defined by its gradient of blue that she memorized like Mr Mir's, Cinder's, and so many more she met in Equestria. She pointed forward, her chest curled tightly. "O-over there, look." "Huh?" She tilted her head, inspecting people coming and going from the convention to either head into town or to the nearby hotels. "Uuh, not catching anything, kid - your Seer ability needs some fine tu - *gasp*" Her voice caught her throat, eyes broadened beyond the norm. Behind her, Alice and Jaye saw how Aoi stumbled in place, almost afraid she'd fall to her knees. Someone lowered their phone, panting heavily from how far they ran, how hard their heart was pounding in their ears. It hurt so much, his whole body struggling to stand as he lifted his head. He wore a tan jacket with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a blue shirt underneath with a splash effect. His black cargo pants dirty and worn. His shoes were no better; he looked like he ran through a forest. His hair was a warm black, unkempt, and curly, with two soft, light blue eyes refracting off brown hesitant to meet his. The most noticeable feature were the freckles dotting his cheeks. "I... I... need to... know..." He coughed from the lack of air he had, wiping his brow. "That... sword... and scarf... I know... you... oh boy, I'm out of shape." He chuckled lightly, that stupid smile twisting at Aoi's heart again. "Found you, hehehe..." "But... you were younger before, wouldn't time have passed since then?" Astra's inquiry the boy... Sora smiled, shaking his head. "Yeah... that was a couple of years ago now," He held out a letter. "He... left me this, and everything was like I never left, heh, explaining time has never been my strong suit." Several Years Ago... "Huh?" A younger Sora, who, after a sobbing embrace with his Mom and Dad, frightening them quite a bit, noticed something sticking out of his bag where his item from the now-deceased Kranon laid. Raising a brow while ensuring no one was really around to peek, he pulled out-, "A note?" Curious, he unfolded the parchment, eyes widened considerably at what was written. Dear Prince Sora, Surprised? Time is a fickled thing; if you're wondering about your little Mercenary and Silver Warrior, they aren't here, not yet; they both exist and don't exist as of current events. They will not appear in your time until you are of the age you first met, annoying, but I don't make the rules - hey, I tried it once, and that was... an experience - getting sidetracked, sorry, ahem! Consider the item of your choice as a reward for dispatching that aggravating Vex and the notable title of slaying such a creature, imposing for a mortal. Listen, Aasimar; you have a headstart now; you could go on with your life, experience many things and forget your time in Equestria. Or, you can hold on to the good memories and wait for her - just some friendly advice from someone who has lived his life in a good memory for a long, long time. P.S. I'd suggest looking close to home when the time comes, "wink-wink." Sincerely, The Amazingly talented Nightmare, Gambit "Sora? Sooora?" When he snapped from his daze, he noticed his Mom looking down t him with worry. "Are you okay, sweetie? What's that note for?" "Um... nothing," His smile was soft, quickly wiping a few tears. His heart started to ache, knowing that... those closest to him were further from his reach. His adopted mother, Cliffheart, Cinder's grave, so many were pulled from his control, now, the reckless, stupid, hot-headed girl he couldn't rid from his head was among them, and a sweet little girl that looked up to him. "I'm just thinking how much fun I've had today!" Present Day... "...you're too dramatic, Fly-Boy..." Aoi muttered, lowering her head to the left. Compared to W, she felt... very lacking, I mean, he still looked freakin' handsome dammit! How could she compete? While suffering from her internal turmoil Sora managed to regain his motor functions, approaching the two, Astra smiling a little, Sora giving her a short nod of his head. "...why'd you rush here? Hell, how did you even find us?" Her frown was stern and wavering. "Gambit," He shrugged, not beating around the bush with her. "He was... very creative with his wording; I honestly forgot a convention happened today until he reminded me; guess that confirmed the whole time dilation thing - it's making my head spin if I'm honest." He then glanced over at Alice and Jaye, giving him mixed looks. He became flustered, waving nervously. "Oh, um, sorry, h-hi." Jaye then realized what was happening and grabbed Alice, pulling her away by the shoulders, feet dragging in protest. "We'll give you guys some space..." "Oh, come on, Ja~ye~!" Alice whined, unable to see what was about to happen with Aoi's secret boyfriend. Aoi refused to look up, so instead, Sora grabbed her chin to force her to look up, face reddening further. "I..." He flicked her nose, silencing her and whatever numerous questions she had, something she certainly didn't need now. "Remember what I said, sure, might have been tipsy, but..." Taking a breath, knowing that he left a lot behind in Equestria, but in exchange, he could see his biological parents again, Astra... and... the girl he loves despite her serious attitude problem and many flaws, even after several years. "Whether or not you're a Sarkaz or I'm an Aasimar, we're still us on the surface," He brushed a few bangs from her face, seeing her eyes shaken with fright, "You're still amazing, with or without W's body or memories." Astra smiled at that, turning away to give them some privacy by the pavement, "Aoi... is the most amazing person I know - Does that answer your-" Her fingers pressed to his lips, head low a moment in embarrassment, how easily the roles were reversed. "...you're still a dork... but.. c-can I..." Now she was choking on her own words like an idiot. "Just say it! You've already gone the whole way before; how is this hard!?" Taking some of W's courage, she lifted her eyes with a shaky smile. "Think you could remind me, Prince?" "Not that you'd let me refuse," Sora whispered, leaning closer as their hearts raced uncontrollably. Their lips met, that fear they'd never cross paths again erased alongside their doubts as they pulled closer. Aoi bent her left leg to stand on her toes, needing to hoist herself a little more to reach his sweet lips further. His hand wrapped around her waist, holding her closer. For Sora, he didn't know what to expect next. But he was more than willing to see where that uncertainty led. He waited long enough. For Aoi, her heart was racing like any other day. She finally knew where she belonged. She was home. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝 "Let me ask you — Do you know what it means to take up the blade of a fallen Sarkaz? Get rid of the shackles of common sense with the beats, joking about the disputes over the right and wrong within the chaos. The two of us, let's both try to survive." Author's Note And so another journey concludes. I never anticipated this becoming as popular as it has, a shot in the dark like Indomitable that paid off. I do apologize again if the term 'Vex' got a little confusing given I was talking about two different species but my Vex had been established for years now in other projects of mine. Other than that I wrapped up what I wanted, it actually ended in Equestria but I decided to try something new, with them, Astra included, returning to Earth. Gambit providing a twist of fate to bring the trio together again with one hell of a story to share. I was tempted to write another little Mature piece that happened off-screen during the one-week timeskip but I dunno, probably not. Astra being a new Lord of Cinder is great though, I love just picturing a mini pony in Firelink Shrine armor walking around, or a person in this case. Still, I cannot possibly thank all of you enough for reading and supporting Renegade as much as you've done. I loved every chapter despite the loss of feeling in my hands. I'm taking a break after this. Thank you so much for reading, I really hope you enjoyed this tale, and seeya next time Renegades, Huntsmen, Adventurers, and Ashen Ones! Oh, and the song just kinda has the lyrics that fit W/Aoi as I've already used Renegade for the beginning ^_^
B3-0 New You"Staaaaaare." Aoi couldn't possibly get any more bored if she wanted to. Compared to facing Infected abominations, a kingdom on your ass, and the threat of a world-ending monster, school life seemed... pedestrian, as Kranon once used. She sunk her cheek further against her palm, eyes mulling over needless repetition the teacher droned on about. Having done her fair bit of research back in the Everfree on a lot of stuff from books she 'procured', her knowledge had grown all things considered. *Riiiiing!* "Oh My God, finally!" Aoi grumbled into herself, not caring once for the stares she received from those close to her desk. Packing her stuff up she flung her bag over her shoulder, almost like her old duffle bag. From the open zip, she pulled out her trusty red and black scarf, slipping it around her neck feeling a moderate sense of comfort from the relic. "Like a glove." Clicking her tongue she happily slipped out of the classroom, a certain event awaiting her escape. Passing through the halls of her school alone, he simply admired the fact that in a couple of months she'll need to figure out where to go next; College, an apprenticeship, maybe even just a job someplace? It was a tricky choice but she had the grades for whatever she chose now. Sadly, some things never change, even in her own world. "Guess Gambit didn't leave me this thing to cause chaos, shame really." It was your standard high-school BS, bullies picking on the smaller, defenseless person. It never ends, even now Aoi felt a hateful reminder of that annoying purple pony acting smug. With her muscles taut, she strode forward, hand snapping out like a viper. "Oi, what's got your pants twisted?" Aoi hummed, pulling the blonde idiot's hand from the meek kid's shirt, shoving the boy back into his lackeys. With a heated glare, some that took notice swore Aoi's eyes were burning like embers. "Pickin' on the little guy, petty much?" "The hell's your deal, bitch?" One snapped. "My 'deal' is bordering on an ass-whooping or name-calling, take your pick, freckles?" She challenged. "This has nothing to do with you," The leader of the sad group smirked, coming to give Aoi a once-over, clearly he liked what he saw. "Listen beautiful, we're just trying to show the transfer how things work, you know, little incenti-" "You alright, kid?" Aoi smirked, kneeling down to the boy's height to adjust his glasses, seeing him stare at her with awe. "I'll clean this mess up, but you gotta get yourself a backbone," Flicking his nose, she stood to glare back at the jaded looks from the bullies. The blonde looked to be trying to put on a brave face. "You really want to do this?" "Do what, exactly?" Aoi inquired, cracking her knuckles. "I'm just being a good superior in showin' how to clean up the filth in this place, that so bad?" "Whore!" How many times has Aoi heard that? The one behind the leader moved in some sad attempt to intimidate her, which earned the buff but stupid teen the sweet taste of metal, face pressed against the lockers while Aoi twisted his arm behind his back, hearing him grunt in pain. "Tsk-Tsk-Tsk, that any way to talk to a girl, no wonder you're some slimy bully," She cooed, leaning closer to whisper to his ear. "For the record, I know a guy who's far more charming, and I know for a fact can perform better under the covers than you ever could, heh." With a spin, she saw the idiot tumble to the floor, many reacting positively to the ass-whooping while Aoi raised her toothy smile and cynical eyes to the other two. "So then? Any other comments about my sexy body? Or are we done here?" "Feels good to be an ex-merc." "You've gotten real full of yourself, Aoi." The third in the back snarked, his pale green eyes almost concealed behind his ash-grey bangs, but that sickening smile irked Aoi to no end. She remembered him fondly; her own bully that felt much more like a passing memory, "I mean, the sudden boost of confidence is admirable, even for you, I'll admit." "Is there gonna be a rest stop along the way to the point?" Aoi crossed her arms, tapping her bicep. "And don't act like we're close; use my surname, jackass." The third bully nudged their group's blonde leader, smirking sickly in Aoi's direction. "Say; I heard there's this little brat that's been hanging around Aoi for a few weeks now-" Neither saw Aoi's body flinch say for the younger student she was protecting. "-could always see how smug you are if we found her-" *Bam!* The hall was silent, the bullies paled once Aoi moved with the grace and ferocity of a viper. Her right arm locked itself under the bully's throat, using her left to pin his right to the lockers. None saw it other than the one she kept a painful hold on, eyes crackling like embers. "Touch her... go, I dare you to touch a hair on Astra's head." Her words were soft, bleeding malice that left him quivering as Aoi dropped him like a sack of potatoes. Sighing out her nose, Aoi found her smirk again. None dared speak, stepping back as many chuckled at the ordeal, some of the boys staring at whitette in awe; behind Aoi, the transfer looked far less shaken, her hand stretched back for him. "Come on, kid, school's out for the weekend, better not waste it with these clowns." "Mmhm," Just like Astra once was, he gave a timid reply, taking the beautiful girl's hand as she led him out, smiling at the many who had witnessed the clean and effortless takedown of the so-and-so bullies that Aoi had almost forgotten about since she was sent to Equestria. How things change with experience. Infected Slugs were far more terrifying. "Was that really necessary?" Jaye asked, worried for what Aoi just set in motion. "You know his Dad's got more money than... well, anyone in town." "And?" She pointed to his nose. "Let me remind you I had a freakin' Sun Goddess's lackeys after me before, and I pretty much had her bowing to my whims," Aoi smirked, waving the transfer kid goodbye as he was picked up by his folks, safe and sound, and with a smile again. "That still sounds surreal," Alice sighed, ruffling Aoi's hair. "That was sweet though, looking out for him." "I've had enough of bullies," Was all she said, noticing someone standing by the road just outside their school. Now she felt butterflies return, scowling. "Stupid girly emotions!" "If it ain't Prince Sora-" Her modest call drew his gaze. "-to what do we owe such a pleasure?" "Please stop, I was really starting to get over that three years ago..." It sucked that he got a headstart on adjusting to normal life again, but Aoi didn't care, she got to meet him the way she remembered him. "Hey, Alice, Jaye." "'Sup man?" "Hello~!" "Ready to go? Heard there's this nice cafe not far," Aoi patted her friends forward on the back, slipping up to Sora's side. "The girl who works there is hard not to tip though..." She frowned, another fellow whitette with long hair, almost scary if she was honest how nice the girl was. "Maybe that girl from before it there," A fire sparked in Alice's eyes. "I have a score to settle with her in blackjack!" "You mean Taka?" Jaye guessed, seeing Aoi facepalm. "Now you've done it..." "I swear, she's gotta be cheating, how is anyone that good at cards consistently!?" She ranted and huffed down the road, Sora smiling awkwardly at the sight while Aoi nudged his hip. "Don't worry about her sad need for revenge-" "Like you're one to talk!" Alice yelled. "Please don't antagonize her further, she's already drawing people's gazes." Jaye sweatdropped, trying to calm the overly competitive girl down. "-the place is pretty chill, might have to bring Astra along next time." Aoi thought out loud, or until something pulled her hand closer. "Hm?" Sora cupped her hand, smiling happily. "You really can't let go, can you?" She jolted slightly, looking down while tucking her frown behind her scarf. "I know it's tough, but you're still you." "But..." He leaned closer to nuzzle her forehead, seeing her face start to turn pink. "'But' nothing, I think I care about you a lot more than just your weapons or fancy Arts abilities," Sora dismissed with a wave. "Heck, I can make things glow, heal a little and fly, and Astra's this crazy, Lord of Cinder, Soul-seeing warrior; And we're still ordinary regardless." Aoi processed this, feeling more and more like an idiot for refusing to just let go of the fact she wasn't W anymore. It's been a long, seven days, and it would only get harder but... W left Aoi with a major confidence boost, and much more than some fancy explosives. Interlocking her fingers with the dork's, she murmured into her scarf. "...love you..." Her other hand played with the locks where her antenna would be. He tried not to make a big deal out of it for her sake, simply moving to walk flush against her side. "I love you too, W." She only hid further behind her scarf, steam rising at his chuckle while her hand moved to punch him lightly on the cheek. With the pair distracted, neither realized they had run into someone, the three stumbling back. "Crap, sorry about that." Aoi scratched her cheek sheepishly. "No, it's alright, lass." That tone...! She and Sora stared back in shock momentarily as the young man with raven hair tied into a short ponytail waved off their worries with a kind smile. "I had been lost in thought myself." It took Aoi a moment to steady her heart, that tone of voice, while younger, was unmistakably... Cinder's. His pale blue eyes looked to her with confusion before she offered a faux smile with her eyes closed. "You and me both, heh, s-sorry," She and Sora parted for the man who couldn't recognize them. "Hey, Devrin, what's got you starstruck?" A female voice called out to him not far behind the pair. The girl was beautiful, to say the least; Her hair braided into a soft blonde, bangs pulled back on a hairclip to reveal her warm onyx orbs. She pouted, bowing her head to Aoi and Sora. "I'm sorry for him, this guy's a clutz and a half." Devrin deadpanned. "Aye, laugh it up." He dismissed her tongue sticking out to wave curtly to the pair. "Again, I apologize, I do tend to end up wayward quite often in a new country." "I'm sure you do..." Aoi's frown was soft, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it, just... take care." "And please make sure to watch where you step too," Sora added just as kindly. The man walked between them, briefly, a man in crackling ruined armour parted ways with a Sarkaz in red and black, and a young man with radiant wings a final time. His embers cast between them before the image fizzled away for what it truly was. While 'Devrin' and the girl walked away, laughing without a care in the world, Aoi's best friends noticed the two hadn't followed them, seemingly lost in watching the strangers disappear toward the sun cast in the sky. The two displaced smiled brightly, almost laughing at the oddity that brought a wave of sorrow and joy for the people that were strangers, and yet, so much more. Aoi turned away with Sora, wiping a stray tear from her eye, "Seeya around... Sparkles." End Author's Note Couldn't resist, did it with Indomitable so why not an epilogue of sorts for Renegade? Letting go of what Aoi's been through ain't easy but she's managing. Her friends are still in the grey about if what Aoi and Sora say about Equestria is true. And a sacrificed soul reborn to say goodbye one last time. Well, Renegade's been a blast, first-ever Arknights story on Fimfiction and I'd say it was well-received for a gatcha tower defense game. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya next time readers!
B4-0 Scars FadeIt played on loop, over and over. W leapt across rooftops like a spider-themed vigilante. Webbing replaced with sheer force behind toned muscle. The voices kept crying out, echoing all around. Her feet slid over tiles, every uneven surface grooved to her boots, a tail curved to balance against the uneven material that quickly flew away from her feet. Not a single night had passed she didn't feel her heart pounding, every creak and snap frightening her eardrums. Landing with a solid thud, W was certain no one saw her. Her body felt grimy, it had been that way for several days now. No matter how much she bathed, it wouldn't completely purify her skin. Muck and bits of gravel were buried deep in her silvery hair, now a dirtied brown. Her clothing was in desperate need of needlework, holes, burns, the occasional spot of blood. Yeah, she looked like shit. The bag over her shoulder made her balance sway, same for her duffle bag. Both were vital, a necessity to clear her thoughts of bitterness for one night. That's all, just one lapse of peace over the constant storm that swirled around her life. Two bored, exhausted eyes that reflected embers were on high alert despite the state she was in. Antenna twitching to the slightest noise, her horns itchy. W was close, just a few houses away and - Something heavy, fast, and obnoxious struck her lower back, tossing herself and her 'procured goods' across the muck below. She hated the aftermath of the rainfall for this very reason. Throwing herself onto her toes immediately, she swiveled and pointed her grenade launcher at her attacker, panting like a cornered animal. "You seriously have bad manners, Skittles," "Pah, like you're on to talk!" From above, that annoying blue pegasus had been watching W's attempts to slip away unseen. She'd give the monster credit, she was good at it until today, her mistake was thinking Rainbow would be anywhere but the clouds. She had a job, not that W could recall. "What's wrong? You usually go all rabid by no - hey!" She dodged what appeared to be a knife wedged in the tower behind her. "Fuck. Off." W was tied, hungry, dirty, and irritated. Cracking a forced grin, she chuckled. "I'm feelin' mighty generous today, Crash, wanna call it quits while I'm ahead? Save you the hospital bill when you wake up from a coma." "As if!" She charged, typical. W avoided her assault, or she thought she had, slipping in the mud as her face became cold and wet, and pain flared in her back again. That pegasus had kicked her real good this time, so much so W was certain her ribs were close to breaking. Managing a strained wheeze, she snaked her tail around Rainbow's right foreleg, twisting the mare off her and into a nearby barrel, seeing her shatter the object as W scrambled to grab her things. "Get back here!" Rainbow's cry was met with a smoke bomb between her hooves, blinding the mare as W heaved the two bags into her aching arms. Inside the dirty burlap sack were a few apples, other odd trinkets and tools, and most importantly, a few pink, blue, and green bars of soap. Tightening the string, W heaved it over her shoulder, wincing as it rubbed against one of her bruises but she knitted her teeth and pushed off her good foot. She needed to run, her energy was spent today as is. That's right, she ran, as fast as her burning legs could go. She had to hide. She needed to shelter herself in ruins. W wanted her revenge, she craved it. Aoi just wanted them to leave her alone. Both wanted to scream until their lungs bled. "No!" Again, Aoi shot up from her bed, covered in sweat that thankfully didn't cling to her shirt, since that was discarded in her sleep by her own body's wishes. She sat there, tucking her knees up as she yanked the only thing she could think to comfort her. That same rugged scarf Kranon had tricked her into buying. Despite that memory, it gave her strength, it warded off her nightmares, it drugged her on a power she could never imagine obtaining as some run-of-the-mill high school girl. Her breathing was shaky, she was shivering at the memory. It wasn't the worst one she's had, but it was enough to make her heart leap to her throat, her skin itch, her teeth hurt. Burying her face into the article of clothing, Aoi wanted to scream so badly. Her parents would immediately come to her aid, worried again as to why their daughter was curled up in the corner of her room, threatening the shadows around her like they held her at spearpoint, burned her wrists and ankles with magic. Made her feel like a monster in her own skin. She hated them all. If not for Kranon threatening her home, her family, she would've done it. Razed the whole kingdom of those pastel-colored ponies until they were forced to live in ruins, starving like animals. She would show them how weak they were, how powerless one person could make them. W wouldn't care for power or domination, she wanted a fair take, they should feel a fraction as she had those long, cold, lonely days. So wrapped up in her own head, Aoi didn't realize her door had opened and closed. Standing before her with those big, silver eyes visible between soft white bangs. "Mama?" That one word made Aoi's stomach twist as she found herself unable to crack a grin. Nothing was said before Astra had latched herself around Aoi, burying her face against the older girl's chest as her small arms locked around her back tightly under Aoi's arms. Astra could see it, the torment that swallowed the light from Aoi's eyes, the despair, hatred, and pain that continued to haunt her mother figure night after night. Sora didn't know, rather, he knew only the surface-level of what his lover was going through. Aoi broke, burying her head against the little girl's as her own arms scooped Astra close in terror, sobbing just quietly enough not to arouse suspicion from the other occupants in the house. A small, honest soul had unknowingly saved W and Aoi that fateful day that felt so long ago. She was timid, curious, and lost. The little filly stuck to W like glue, she saw W for who she was, where so many lies and deceptions would tell otherwise. This one girl held together the stitches in Aoi's heart, allowing the scars to fade with time. "There, there," Astra whispered, patting her mother's back. She smiled, nuzzling closer to the girl she looked up to needing that same level of security as she did in Equestria. "I love you." "Heh *sniff*... me too *hic*," Aoi murmured, kissing the top of Astra's head. She didn't feel like sleeping for a while, but she was okay with that, so long as Astra got a good night's rest that would put the girl's mind at ease. Though, no one said she had to do that just yet. End Author's Note Didn't expect this? Neither did I, another one of my sleep-deprived spurs of creativity. I think I made it abundantly clear how W has and will never forgive the people/ponies that wronged her. This is part of that long process of healing even after the story is over. But she's got the likes of Astra and Sora to mend those cracks. Just a little wholesome moment at one of Aoi's low points. Hope you enjoyed this sudden revival from the grave, appreciate the support as always, seeya renegades!
B5-0 Alternate EndingNon-Canon Ending The doors to the Castle were shot open, W leapt out and over the steps with a warcry. "FREEDOM~!" Once on her knees, W let the outside sunlight bathe her form until she heard the familiar patter of human feet behind her. Turning while standing Sora finally caught up with her, panting. "Skipping leg day are we?" She teased, waving. "Come on, we've got the whole world to see still!" "W-wait, I can't leave," He stopped her with Astra tilting her head up at him. "I mean, I'd love to but I need to stay, at least until Canterlot's been fixed up." W just stared at him curiously, inspecting if he drew a set of extra arms or something. "Come ooon, I need a guide to this world, and I don't feel like using a map - you're the map!" She chimed. "I like traveling with you, Mama does too," Astra added to reinforce the argument, W lifting the filly to squeeze her forward like a plushy in armor. "How can you deny this cute face and mine?" W pouted, seeing Sora hesitate, running his hand through his hair. It was clearly bothering him, that much she could make out. Setting Astra down she gave the idiot a small smile. "Hey, I can make detours back, not like you're hard to pick out from a crowd." His eyes lifted to meet hers again, aqua and ember in synergy. Then she stretched to crack her lower back. "And my backside sure won't forget, that's certain." And he went right back to a furious red tint. "A-are you s-sure? I... I don't-" With a gust of sharp wind, W moved to flick his nose, standing inches from him to pat his cheek quickly before boldly capturing his lips with her sweet ones, holding the kiss just long enough to see everything from the neck up turn crimson, W's own cheeks dusted pink when she parted with a smack. "Partners stick together, yeah? Just don't get drowned in politics before I get back," With that heated farewell she turned and jogged back down the steps, nudging Astra's flank, the silver eyes remaining fixated on Sora's blue aura, how it stilled with guilt, joy, and love for the Sarkaz walking away with one arm holding the strap of her bag. "We'll be back soon, promise!" Astra blurted out before running off with W toward the main gate. She hadn't fully recovered from her battle either, a few bandages were hidden under her jacket and shirt, wrapped around her shoulder, and ones around her stomach. Sora wanted to go or even try to keep her longer but W was never good at sitting still and being cooped up in the Castle for a week had driven her mad. Lowering his hand he almost turned around had something blunt not rattled off the top of his head. "Ack - why!?" He cried down at the crimson guard before him. Cliffheart wore a knowing smile, tossing Sora his twin swords, watching the Prince stumble to catch them against his chest. "Just go already, somepony needs to keep that Beast of the Everfree out of trouble, better you than a Royal Guard." He chuckled, sitting by the edge of the step watching the greatest hunt of his life casually walk back out the castle gates with Cinder's new Flame trotting beside her. "Cinder... gave a lot for all of us, and that filly needs proper training with a sword that I doubt W can provide." "But what about-" He was cut off by the bo-staff pointed at his nose. "Prince Sora, I think Canterlot can survive with one less pony slash person for quite some time," Cliffheart gave a wink and patted the Aasimar's leg. "I mean, Captain Armor bailed to the Crystal Empire and left me in charge and hey, things are still running smoothly regardless, no?" He waved his hooves wide at the lack of ruins surrounding them. He did have a valid point. "But as a cherry on top, really want some stallion out there hittin' on your girl?" That final straw broke the camel's back as Sora attached his scabbards to his belt, "...I hate Swift so much right now," With a short wave he took off with a large thresh from his wings, flying high and over the castle walls in a single stroke. "Aoi!" "-and I said we - oh crap," She didn't have time to dodge and simply caught the Aasimar by the arm, swinging him over Astra and down onto his feet in her arms, blinking with mild shock. "What did I tell you about startling me?" "I-I'm coming w-with you..." He panted for a moment, standing up straight to look at her blank face. "About time, come on," She smiled and interlocked her left hand in his, tugging him down the road to the bridge. "But wait, I need clo-" A smaller bag was tossed into his free arm by Astra, the filly looking away sheepishly as he followed his hand up to W's insinuating smile. "You planned this?" "Duh," "You invaded my personal space." "Tch, Sora I am ashamed you would think so low of me," She put her hand on her chest in mock fashion then rolled her eyes. "No I didn't," She waited until his guard was down before adding. "Swift did." "Of course she did...!" He yelled to the clouds as W would, then he felt her head rest solely on his shoulder, hand pointing toward the kingdom ahead. He didn't try to hide the fondness of having her this close again. "So, where to?" "Wherever we like so long as it's fun," Aoi whispered, not caring where their road led so long as these two didn't leave. Her tail snaked around to wrap itself around his waist. "Now we should start running." "Huh?" Both Astra and Sora blurted out as something caused a stir in the castle grounds behind them. "SOMEPONY BROKE INTO THE KITCHEN A STOLE A BUNCH OF FOOD!!" "NOT AGAIN, JERRY!" "W-" "You actually did it." Astra blinked at the mercenary's cackle, her hand tugging Sora forward with haste, Astra now realizing why her bag was so heavy, to begin with. "And to the whole of Canterlot, fuck you!" She gave the castle the bird, laughing madly away from the perplexed guards. In the sunlight, W's hair flew to one side with her antenna bobbing in her bangs' place, revealing her bright ember eyes and wide, joyful smile with her hand stretched outward, locked with Sora's while her tail weaved in the air alongside her jacket, short skirt, and scarf. It was a magnifying sight, and one that left Sora's throat dry and his hand tightening around her own. End Author's Note Still had this collecting dust in my files, eh, why not? It's non-canon, of course, but this was the original draft for the ending to Renegade, as you can tell, a lot less drama and fluff, plus none of the whole returning home. That's when I realized I've never seen a displaced return to their home, at least in what I've read. And this one felt somewhat lacking hence the massive change I made to the final product. So! hope you enjoyed it, I appreciate the support as always; seeya next time, Renegades!
0-6 Live a Life of Sin"They're here... the Infected," The last thing W wanted was to tie herself into more of Ponyville's problems, if anything, this was karmatic justice for everything they've done to her. Why should she lift a finger for a bunch of hostile strangers? The black skies rolled in from nowhere, and wherever that bolt of lightning struck down was more than likely the source. It was no Catastrophe, but to these ponies, it might as well be a massacre. Spitting off to the side, W sneered and held up her grenade launcher. "Astra, let's go!" Kneeling down, she let the small pony hop onto her back, hooves wrapped securely around her neck "W-what are you doing?" Turning to look at the element still somewhat discombobulated, she could see the skepticism in her eyes. "Why are ya goin' to help us?" That brought out a high-and-mighty laugh from the silverette, eyes curved in distaste. "Oh? I'm not doing this for you - far as I'm concerned your whole race can bite the dust," Not even the impending bloodshed could hide her sickened smile at the glare Applejack sent her way. "You and your friends made an enemy of me, you think just 'cause the kid and I patched your mentality that'll automatically make me forget what you've put me through? All the days I've had to suffer through just to get by?" Now that glare was gone, replaced with shame, unable to hold the mercenary's glowing gaze. "But-" Applejack saw W turn away, "-There are innocent lives that I can save, so by hell, I'll be the one to do something about it - so do me a favor, and get out of my sight." Not long after, W and Astra were gone, solely focused on the chaos that was rising from afar. Massive explosions of red light expanded through-out the central road cutting through Eastern Ponyville. The crimson-tinted Orginium Slugs mutated into arachnids leaping onto anything that seems to antagonize them. Their abdomens glowed, consuming their host and segments of buildings in a powerful, explosive haze, leaving only rubble and slime in their wake. Ponies ran in terror from the assault, some left cornered by these twisted creatures that skittered toward them slowly, taunting their demise with a flick in their cracked armor. Two ponies were huddled behind a wagon, pinned by the looming shadow of a mutated, deranged human, his crystallized arm raising a pair of mutilated claws dripping with its own blood and infection. The pair jammed their eyes shut in fright as the claw swept down, only for something hot and powerful to blow them back onto their haunches. When the two mares looked up, the crystals sprouting from the monster's back had shattered, itself groaning on the dirt until a black and red trainer was planted deep against its jaw, a blade coming down with a maniac's smile. "That's six," W chuffed, twisting the blade jammed into its temple for good measure before pulling back, a strand of blood spilling onto the ground. Beside her, Astra approached the two mares. "Are you okay?" Their petrified eyes soon drifted to Astra's kind and worried orbs. "Astra, go and help any stragglers out of this mess," W requested, turning to the horde that was shifting through the street. So far, every one of the Infected was being corraled down a single road, if she let them through they could begin to separate into larger groups, making it impossible for her to keep the chaos to a minimum, she needed the ponies out of her hair. "I'll take care of these rodents." "Are you sure?" Astra meekly spoke up, then blinked when she saw the thumb raised to her with a toothy grin and cute wink. "Leave it to your badass friend, kid." Once separating, W charged toward the next wave of abominations, a few ponies trapped, some waved pitchforks, and a strange assortment of items to push back the encroaching horde. One at the front, using his magic to blast back another Slug as it exploded against an abandoned stall, his eyes were wide at the sight of the red and black mercenary charging toward them. "Look! The Monster of the Everfree!" "Is it coming to hurt us too!?" "Please, no more!" W grunted but brought her left fist back, craning the trajectory to fold against the jaw of another human Infected, throwing it backward and away from the crowd, startling them all when W took the vanguard. "Get your heads out of the gutters, I'll keep these freaks busy, run!" Was her only demand, running off with the pod of unstable arachnids crawling after her, completely disregarding the ponies in favor of the single Sarkaz woman. "Mindless animals that'll follow anyone if they gave them the incentive to." As W sprinted down the subtle slope in the street she kicked up onto an overturned wagon, firing another M32 just behind three Slugs, causing them to fly over an elder pony, himself seeing them scamper on their backs while W flew past him. "Go on, get out of here!" Again her mind raced with 'Why'. All these ponies ever did for her was distrust and fear her without a second thought, and yet, she couldn't stand it, letting any of them die. Rounding to her right she brought her foot between a mother and her child, feeling the vibrating 'snap' of the mandibles belonging to another Slug as it flew into the sky, exploding in a hail of red dust and rock. "Run, don't look back!" Soon, W came to a crashing halt on her heels. In front of her, two Infected draped in whites, reds, and blacks just like her stood their ground, a blade in one hand each, eyes glowing a piercing scarlet under their tainted hoods. The Infection had wracked their bodies and minds, jutting from their backs and across their deformed arms, these were Infected like W, only they belonged to the extremist group of Arknights, Reunion, only the Originium in their bodies had completely overrun their minds, turning them into feral ghouls. "Tch, well shit," W smiled, looking back as her tail flicked harshly at the large swarm of highly unstable Slugs, all gnashing their teeth and crawling steadily toward her. "Guess you caught me, whatever shall I do?" Cooing at the two mindless humans she dropped whatever kindness was left, replacing it with a sinister smile fitting of a fanatic, eyes wide with malice and a lust for violence. Flicking out her remote from her left sleeve, she flicked the button with her thumb, winking. "Die, hahahahaha~!!" *BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!* The once dark and burning world was soon cast in a hot, tiger orange behind W, shadowing everything bar her eyes that watched the two mutants charge toward her, bits of black rock and red slime flying past her cheeks while she lowered her form, lunging at the two with her own drawn knives. Twisting her head off to the left slightly, the fangs of a Slug missed by a hair, her tail coming up to slap it across the street, the explosive creature making a brief smokescreen for the two animalistic humans. W brought both knives across above her head, blocking the vertical slant, kicking the human off to her side, inverting her left blade to gut across the monster's abdomen, bringing it down to its knees where the right knife was plunged through the mouth and out the nape. Using both hands she swiveled the blade and tore up through the scalp, killing the creature instantly while the other rushed her with a growl. Ducking to her right and kicking up a loose stone with her foot it merely cut the object in two, dragging that same forward momentum down and through a table behind the slick mercenary. W ducked and spun forward under another leaping Slug, gutting it too while tossing one of her knives through a second's abdomen as it fell close to the Infected human, itself rolling away from the building explosion, this one, in particular, was smarter than it appeared. Keeping her guard up, W pulled the pin on a grenade on her belt, tossing it behind her to discard the three Slugs scampering behind her, hearing them explode alongside the grenade that bounced between their thick bodies, not once did her eyes leave the fallen Reunion Infected. It raised its own clever high, blocking W's downward slant from the right, breaking its guard. W swung wide to block its diagonal laceration from the left. This was followed quickly after two quickdraws to form an 'X'. leaving W only to defend herself, blocking both at alternating angles. It continued to strike relentlessly like a startled beast, its moves sluggish and carrying weight with every strike, something W could exploit. Stepping back she let the next, powerful slant barreling down over her antenna, the two appendages becoming flush against her bangs while she swept down on her hands, kicking out the Infected's feet with ease, seeing it tumble forward. W planted her elbows firmly, folding her legs around the back of its waist, throwing the creature behind her head in a leg-variation of a German Suplex, burying its head into the earth while rolling away from the creature that struggled against the ground. When W turned to face it, she grabbed a grenade from her jacket, grasping the human by the cheeks to pry its maw open, suffocating it with the explosive device. With one foot on its chest, she shoved it back, pulling the pin alongside it, smiling darkly. "Boop." The second it reached out for her figure, W shielded her eyes from the following explosion, feeling bits of crystal batter her body while all that remained was a, thankfully, a corpse reduced to crumbled dust and crystal. While grateful for the lack of blood and viscera, it still bothered her enough to inspect the remains with her fingers, sifting through the gravel for anything other than rock and minerals, to her skeptical eye, that's all there was. "Dust... what the hell?" Taking in a quick observation of the town, so far, nothing else seemed to explode or alarm her senses. The danger had subsided, those mines she dropped during her shepherding of the Slugs and Infected must have taken out the large majority. What was more foreboding was the appearance of human Infected, and tough ones at that if not for her experience in crossing paths with such abominations, guess her body wasn't just for looks, lucky her. "???" Her ember eyes locked to one lone figure atop that spire of basalt at the edge of town, rather, her whole body shivered with goosebumps again. The sight was... infuriating to imagine, he very skin crawled, even her eyes glowing brighter in sheer rage at the mere sight mocking her from afar. She blinked, expecting it to be just a trick of the returning afternoon light or maybe a final Infected to put to rest. No... "No freakin' way...!" ... ... It was Him. ... ... ... The Merchant. "Hey, Aoi!" Turning at the chipper voice, the girl hidden under a plain, red hoodie smiled slightly at her blonde friend who waved just a few feet away, her left hand dragging away the third member of their group, though he seemed a little nervous. "We're gonna go see what Funko Pops they have of Destiny! Wanna tag along!?" Silently, Aoi shook her head, motioning for them to go along while her other hand pointed at the stalls selling various recreations of items and clothing based on games, manga, anime, and so on. The two gave their temporary farewells, leaving the meek girl to her own thoughts as she wandered with the flowing crowd, keeping a good grip on her personal belongings to ensure not a soul thought to snatch her stuff passing by. It was strange but Aoi didn't mind places like this, a world where she wasn't herself, lost with a new name, identity. No one knew her, and vice-versa, she could be someone new. A small smile graced her lips while moving to a particular stall in the corner of a bend in the line of shops. It gave her a mystical vibe, the man himself dressed for the occasion in black robes and a bandana covering his aged face, leaving on a pair of ancient, amethyst eyes to greet her, someone else walking away from the stand with his desired counterfeit for what appeared to be a coiled sword from Dark Souls. "Welcome, stranger," Aoi suppressed a chuckle at the sharp interpretation of a certain trader from Resident Evil, he even had a fake blue flame burning in a black lamp, very fitting, she thought. The Merchant motioned to the racks of odds and ends, many tools and items of dozens of media. "Got lots of rare things on sale today, would you like to see?" Nodding, Aoi took a moment to inspect all of the many articles of clothing and interesting weapons. She couldn't get something like a weapon or anything too heavy to lug around all day, instead, she focused solely on the clothing on display. Then her eyes anchored themselves to one such article of interest. It was a tattered, black scarf with a fade of red at the torn end, a red streak through the hem in the middle of the scarf. "I-Is that W's scarf from A-Arknights?" She mentally cursed herself for stuttering. Not bothered by her shyness, the Merchant nodded, lifting down the neck warmer to hand to the girl who pulled down her hood, allowing her long, white hair to stand out, though most of it was tucked under her jacket to keep it from getting caught on anything. "A good eye, and the only one I have, are you interested in buyin'? Only costs thirty, high quality too." It was an interesting offer, usually stuff of this quality cost near double what he was offering. Aoi was skeptical, but... it did feel nice, and it complemented most of her outfits. Giving it some apprehensive thought her hand reluctantly dug into her deep pockets, if anything if she just paid for it here and now she'll stop moaning about the 'mights' and 'maybes' if she refused. "Here, t-thank you." She handed him the allotted amount and his eyes, for a brief instant, gleamed with satisfaction, then quickly passed on a small chuckle. "Hahaha, thank you," Aoi had to giggle slightly at his constant character performance, wrapping the warm fabric around her neck, allowing the torn end to rest down her right shoulder blade perfectly to mimic W. If Aoi was honest, if she cut her hair shorter and maybe got some contact lenses she could probably pull off a convincing W cosplay, sadly her confidence would be a far cry from the mercenary. If only Aoi realized it then, how dizzy she felt after slipping the scarf around her neck, or how her whole world began to fade of color. Something snapped, not in W, but in Aoi. "You... what the hell are you doing here!?" She demanded to know, the very reason for her weeks of hell was standing there, staring at her like she was an animal in a zoo. Furiously, she lifted her grenade launcher to his figure, loading another M32. "Hey, asshole, tell me why you did this, right now!?" Silence, and, he turned away, not before speaking in a voice that was far deeper and collected than any sane person should be. "...let this world... swallow you whole." He was gone, not a trace or sign other than a faint flicker of light, almost as if he was a mirage in W's shocked eyes. Her arms dropped the weapon, letting it swing under her armpit, unable to move a finger at all. He was gone, the person who sent her here, was he... doing all of this? To her? Ponyville? Those Infected? Was this just some sick joke to him? That person Aoi passed that day during the convention, did he suffer the exact same fate as her? Was he here too or someplace else, treated like a monster for being an innocent gamer wanting something memorable to hold dear? W was furious, only now, that fury had a target, and a living, breathing one at that. The Merchant was her enemy. "Miss W!" Falling out of her malice glare toward the crumbling spire of rock, she was relieved to see Astra was in good health, galloping up to her feet with an eased face. "Are you hurt?" W snorted, patting her roughed up body. "Like a few Slugs can take me out, who do you think I am, kid?" That made her eyes sparkle again, filling the silverette with confidence despite being in the same town that doesn't exactly think too fondly of her. Rubbing her chin, W had to make the call. "Much as I'd like to chat with Mir, and possibly get brain damage, we should head back while the town's still in disarray." "Alright," Astra nodded immediately, herself probably on edge after the incident. Then Astra's ears became plumb. "...there's alot of hooves behind us." W's brow creased, forgetting to lift her hood back up over her distinctive features. If it was Sparkle Butt she could handle her magic just fine, if it were the whole elements then that could pose some difficulty, hopefully, that idiot farm pony doesn't screw her over. "So, you're the infamous, Monster of the Everfree, eh?" That wasn't a voice W recognized. Much as she wanted to avoid a fight, she had to address this to ensure it wasn't anything too - "Shit..." Not the word she wanted to use but an accurate one to the surrounding clop of hooves and metal clanking with metal. Clad in white and gold plated armor fitting of royalty, holding spears between teeth or magic, and with a familiar, solar sigil embedded in their breastplates. W grimaced, her fingers resting over her array of weapon choices for what would essentially be another hard-fought battle. "Look who finally graced us, kid, Royal Guard." Not even her sarcasm could hide away all her venom. The one in front stepped forward with confidence akin to W's. Dressed in his own armor though he wore an old, worn coat over his body, faintly concealing the two staff segments hidden within. Both orange eyes burning with intent to fight, he too came prepared. "Happy to finally be meeting face-to-face, creature, you may call me Cliffheart," His grin fell to a stern, almost malicious smirk. "I'll be taking you back to Canterlot now." To Be Continued... Author's Note Okay, let me be clear, I have no experience in fighting moves, so that 'Variant of a German Suplex' was just what came to mind when I envisioned the move W used, if you know the correct term let me know, that would be appreciated ^_^. Still, things are going from bad to worse, the Royal Guard is here. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya, maybe, in the next chapter! Next Chapter: Ice in her Veins Confronted by Twilight, Cliffheart, and the Royal Guard. W is forced to stick around and face the consequences of manipulation and fear, but with her own mentality on edge, who will snap first under temptation?
2-4 You Must Play To LoseCanterlot was considered a wondrous place to visit, the capital of Equestria itself was an architectural marvel in history. Yet it was dark today, grey skies leaked rain, turning the streets gloomy and tasteless. If you believe those that lived in its shadows, then you'd know this was what many believed Canterlot was. A place for the greedy, snobby upper-class while those underneath aren't spared a second thought. Sometimes, that reality can be almost concealed by all the sunshine except for days like these. Any that roamed the streets still quickly forgot about the rain upon spotting Cliffheart and the Royal Guard pulling along a large cart with a cage. Inside was the beast on display like she were a zoo animal. W sat there with her legs cross, head down at her bound wrists, her weapons, and bag held by another pony she couldn't see. Her face was devoid of emotion, even the burning sight of her demonic eyes had lost their glow like the day, she was simply a shell. Each bump in the road served to keep her alert though, listening to the murmurs and the clipping of hooves, even the grind of the wheels against gravel. She didn't really care where she was taken only that she knew nothing would help her escape this now. She ran and ran, now, she had to simply wait or die in a cell. Already she thought of Astra with her head stuck in a good book again at the ruined castle, piles lining her sides. Cinder polishing his sword, somehow making a blade that looked so worn so sharp or when he showed his nerdy side after all these years. Sora... if one thing made her curl up a little it was the idea she might not see him again. What did that say about her feelings? "-hey, wake up." She wasn't even asleep but her head was low enough to obscure her face. They had stopped before a large building, another castle. It was a large courtyard with many other buildings but not much else stood out in the rain, not that W cared. The cage was opened and her cuffs were yanked forward by magic, tossing her onto her hands and knees into the mud. "Get up, creature or do you wish to crawl in the mud?" Slowly, W rose to her full height, seeing magic enchant her restraints to keep her steady, again, she couldn't stand properly given her injures so escape was impossible. Once ready, Cliffheart waved his hoof to move everyone along and out of the rain, that was good, it helped W clean off the dirt and blood that clung to her body. Soon they were inside and out of the cold, taking time to dry themselves in the warmth of the entrance hall, itself bright and immaculate. Although not a soul dared to so much as dry W, her guess is they wanted her to feel as uncomfortable as possible while ensuring she was as beastly as possible. Cliffheart turned to her, orange eyes brighter than her dull orbs. "Wait," He held up his troops to approach W and cast a small spell over her body, she flinched but relaxed once she felt her body shiver at the warmth that dried up the rain over her body. "Can't have her tracking puddles everywhere." "But sir-" "-She is to see Princess Celestia, regardless of who she is I'd rather not explain to her why I brought a creature that looked like it had been dragged through the mud to her hooves." Cliffheart sighed then led them on without a word. Another painful tug on her chains and W moved once more, wrapping her tail around her waist. W's eyes wandered the castle walls, it wasn't much on the outside but within? Well, she had to bet a fortune of a thousand was around every corner. It had a red carpet decorating the middle of every hallway. Tapestries of the Lunar and Royal Guards. She even saw some Bat Ponies too, that got a few heads turning once they saw W and her lifeless posture. Most of the walk left W's mind to wander until something happened, and for the longest time, nothing ever did until a large pair of oak doors stood between her and the Monarchy. Gold embroiled the doors as magic pushed them apart, guards waiting inside only gasped in shock at the sight of the demonic-looking woman who was tugged in by ponies. There she was. W lifted an eye to the end of the carpet where three thrones sat. two were unoccupied say for the centerpiece of this whole world, the very embodiment of the sun itself. Princess Celestia. She was everything ponies and W's own memory could recall, regal in appearance yet calm on the surface of such power to move the sun itself. Her pink eyes landed on Cliffheart then finally met the silent state that was W with shock until her expression fell to an impassive stare. She was judging the woman and said woman couldn't care less. "Princess," All that entered bowed before her say for one that tried to pull W onto her knees. She didn't even budge. "Hey, on your knees before the Princess!" W said nothing, nor did she feel the need to even look at the monarch anymore. She wasn't W's ruler, hell, she wasn't even from the UK so she had no reason to care for a 'Queen' at all. Princess Celestia was only the name of a bitch who happened to be Sora's adopted mother, but since he wasn't here she didn't have to bite her tongue. "I said, kneel, creature!" Something sudden stung across W's back, like a lightning bolt struck her spine, causing her to grunt and fall to her knees in a heap, the lack of energy she had making it impossible to stand for a time. Panting through her teeth she remained silent, staring at the floor and the sight of her own sweat dripping off her nose. "My apologizes Princess, the creature has been very unresponsive to commands since we captured her." One Guard excused. Celestia nodded then spoke as only a few Guards remained standing by W to keep her still. Cliffheart standing in front of the silverette. The red stallion cleared his throat. "It took some time but it seems she was present under the mountain where the rumblings were taking place. My only guess is that she was the one responsible for the quakes, since then, nothing else has been reported, even Lord Cinder was present to confirm this." W smiled slightly for a moment, she knew he'd play the role perfectly. Up above, Celestia considered the words of her subjects before speaking up. "Cliffheart, I can't thank you and your forces enough for all you've done," He bowed his head with a bashful smile. "All in a day's work but I gotta be blunt, Princess, we found her barely able to lift a hoof, my guess she was caught in the middle of a fight, maybe with Lord Cinder but I'm unaware." Cliffheart wasn't so keen on the idea of taking credit for another's work but since he had no reports it left his findings scarce. "I'll hopefully get in touch with him soon to confirm this." "I understand," Her ancient gaze fell on the kneeling human similar to Sora, and asked softly. "If I am correct your name is W, or so you've claimed?" Again, not a soul heard W speak. While Cliffheart was agitated he felt... conflicted about all of this. Why was W simply on her last legs when they found her? Why didn't Lord Cinder mention her before? In every attempt to capture her W seemed to somewhat enjoy the thrill of it, he had to admit, he felt like his old self again thanks to her. And now here she was, capture as he wanted and yet it felt so lackluster, she didn't even crack a smile. Celestia tried again. "What were your intentions down in the old mines under Canterlot?" Repeating herself did nothing more than the first question. W was simply without answers. Her lack of replies led to one guard punching her shoulder, hearing her wince from the burn mark across her shoulder. "The Princess has asked you a question so speak up!" He snapped and earned nothing, even as he grabbed her horn, yanking her face at an angle to reveal her eyes to the world. "Perhaps that little brat you had with you will - !!!" Everypony stopped breathing for a second, the very guard clutching her horn stumbling away in terror as Celestia received a response from W. Her hair had fallen back, revealing her blazing eyes to them all, specifically toward the guard that threatened Astra. There was no other gaze like it, something to rival Celestia's own as the pupils looked uncanny to that of a jagged cross. Whatever was wrong with W she was still certainly listening. Cliffheart huffed as W lowered her head to her cuffs. "Guards, take her to the dungeons, and ensure nopony leaves her alone for the remainder of the day, do you understand?" Those present saluted their captain as W was pulled to her feet, her face shrouded by her hair once more. "And... refrain from bringing up the filly." "For all our sakes." Whatever W's intentions were with the filly, Astra, it was something he didn't feel like evoking again. However, those same eyes led Celestia to meet with W again later that same day. It was a long and winding story, told with replacements for Sora and Cinder to conceal their identities. No one was sure how long the tale lasted before W leaned against the wall of her cell, no longer smiling as she had from the beginning of her tale to Celestia. The old mare had listened to every word without need to ask questions, she simply wished to know it all before applying anything that may silence the woman again. "And now you know everything I know, sorry about the repeat of the last part but I felt we could all use a refresher on the shafting that is today for me," Her vulgar language was also something the Princess simply ignored, again, to keep W from growing silent again. Despite how uncomfortable W's cell was she found a nice groove in the cobblestone to act as a seat since she only had a bed that felt like sleeping on slate. W wiggled her head almost sarcastically. "Well? Any burning questions, your majesty?" "One more disrespectful line from you, and I swear-" A guard was cut dry by W hoarse laughter, seeing her grin while chafing her wrists against her shackles to lean forward. "Oh? What, you gonna poke me with that stick of yours? I'm trembling in my skin," She cooed softly, licking her dry lips. "But please, the grown-ups are talking so sit there and stay quiet - sorry, you were gonna say, Sun-Butt?" Despite the tone, Celestia noticed that her eyes refused to look up at her half the time, her spirit wasn't as sturdy as it was in Cliffheart's reports, the only other time she saw that light was when the filly was brought up before when said little pony scolded her for attacking her party member. A sense of motherly pride it seemed. "You spoke before about this 'Kranon the Collapse Dragon', is this the creature that has orchestrated everything?" Celestia asked and W couldn't place if she believed her story or not, honestly, she would be lying if that wasn't her intention. "And about this corruption, I don't feel any different, nor have the other Elements last I spoke with them." Cliffheart defended though it was clear he too was skeptical of his own defense. "Why bother, you don't believe me so stop humoring me already," W sighed, slumping in her chains, not even with a dramatic pose or emphasis for her words. "Doesn't matter now, I'm in here, you're out there and Kranon's now got nothing left to lose, who cares what you think of me." It wasn't as if she had given up, rather, there was simply nothing left to say. Any questions they had they could find in the retelling of her life in this world. W had effectively answered any questions that weren't of personal bias. Celestia couldn't hide the fact much of her tale left her speculative herself. What grounded it all was that her own son was what she claimed to be, a Displaced, so was Cinder. The issue was is that they gave their lives for Eqeustrea where W sought to cause discord. Something didn't add up. "And how do you know I might not take your word and say that what you've spent the last two hours telling me isn't true?" That did cause an antenna to raise. "Then I'd say, 'where the hell was that kindness when I showed up in your stupid world'?" Her voice, for the first time that day, spat with such potent venom. Her eyes weren't filled with anger, all Celestia could feel was grief and shattered trust. Whatever W was, Celestia felt she knew almost nothing now. With a short bow, Celestia stood up. "Cliffheart, please ensure guards are on patrol regularly and make sure to get some rest for your work," Facing W who now lowered her head, adjusting her posture to keep the blood from draining out of her arms, the white alicorn added. "Thank you for your time." "..." The Sarkaz said nothing, returning her eyes to the sun that now peeked out from the clouds from the small window, it was the afternoon. "Hey, Aoi!" Turning at the chipper voice, the girl hidden under a plain, red hoodie smiled slightly at her blonde friend who waved just a few feet away, her left hand dragging away the third member of their group, though he seemed a little nervous. "We're gonna go see what Funko Pops they have of Destiny! Wanna tag along!? W frowned at the sunlight, lowering her head again. "I miss you guys; What would you think of Aoi if you saw her now?" Inside a private living room for herself and her sister, Celestia sat upon a sofa next to her sister who had been waiting for her. "So, how did the interrogation go, sister? You took... far longer than I was expecting," This was evident by Luna yawning to herself. "Sorry, but I believe I have been met with a near abundance of information, though I am unsure of where to start," Her features were creased when she was overthinking things, it happened more often than ponies realized. Luna, with her sisterly charm, smacked Celestia on the back of the head. "Ow!" "Better?" The younger sibling smiled slyly to the silly pout on her elder sibling's face. Clopping her hooves together, Luna sat closer. "So, what is it you wish to know?" "Are you a fortune-teller now?" She merely received a curious stare from Luna. Taking in a breath she played along. "Something doesn't quite add up when concerning Cinder and Sora." "Were they not on a training journey together?" Luna questioned from what she heard from her Guard. "They are, though Cliffheart's platoon had no record of sighting Sora during his investigation of the underground mines, not unless he told him to remain at Hoofprint which I highly doubt knowing Sora," Celestia tried not to smirk at her son's inability to sit out of an interesting event or two without flying off his seat to poke his nose about. "However, it's about another character in her story. Him, Gambit." That name brought Luna's mood down significantly, almost to the point her muzzle faded of color. "S-sister... are you sure this was the name it gave you? C-could it have been the-" "No, she spoke clearly and confidently, every detail, his personality, all down to the letter," Celestia worded so firmly it could snap bone. The name itself terrified the sun princess herself. To believe that... He was here and had spoken and dealt with W directly. The last she heard of this was with Cinder himself. "Luna, I believe we have a great deal of work ahead of us." "So the usual." She mirthlessly drawled, thankfully returning the far less pensive mood. "Yes, the usual." Although Celestia wished that were the case now more than ever. Day two since W's incarceration was much like the last. Her wrists were raw from the chains and her tail too. They upgraded her cell a little. Now she shared it with one of her only nearby neighbors and a ball and chain kept her tail from moving while her feet were free. Sadly, her attempts to break free were ineffective. It was hard to tell the time when the sky was cloudy but she could roughly guess it was lunchtime as the guards brought food, actual food though it looked pretty basic and bare. Water and bread. Lovely. A guard kept his eyes on them while the other pushed the tray inside, snorting at the sight of W's slumped state as she peered between her bangs. "Tch, maybe if it gets desperate it'll eat the other prisoner." The tasteless joke got a small chuff out of the hooded thief. "Charming, I'll be sure to put you on her menu," He hummed, enjoying the dissatisfied look on their muzzles. Once the gate was shut he shuffled over to procure the trays, plopping down before W with a lazy grin. "Well, guess we're stuck like this together, let's say we skip the part where you intimidate me and just jump to the good stuff? They call me Courier." "W, a mercenary," She murmured before a piece of bread was held out to her. "Heh, guess they don't really understand I can't eat without my hands," She jiggled her arms before taking the offered food with a nod to the pony who took his hood down. His coat was ash grey in the light and his mane was a warm black and curled at the tips, some bangs covering his right eye where it appeared to be a scar underneath. "You heard my so-and-so crimes, what about you?" After taking a drink then offering one to her he seemed to ponder. "Done alot of things, sister. Most of which ponies call 'illegal', hmph, shows what they know," He patted his chest. "Back where I supplied place had folks that couldn't make a bit or had nowhere to go, ponies there treat each other like allies, not all buddy-buddy but mutual respect, that kept them going, kept all of us going where these snobs don't care to bat an eye for." His voice was gravelly but deep when speaking about nobles. "So you hate Sun-Butt too?" W guessed, swallowing another piece of bread. Courier shrugged, "She's without question the most stressed of the bunch, can't say keeping track on all the ins and outs of this place is doing her any good," He didn't hate her given the importance of her role but it didn't excuse her lack of aid. However, one thing did make him chuckle. "Now there's somepony to keep an eye on, bet you'd like him sister, calls himself Sora, according to sources he's the monarch's adopted son." He seemed especially giddy at the mysterious gossip he picked up on. W kept her smile hidden, a pain stabbing in her chest. "...is that so? What's... what's he like?" She leaned back, staring toward the only source of sunlight. "Hrm, met him once - brother helped out without anypony noticing. Cleaned up our home a fair bit, even stuck around to give out supplies he had, even taught our shotty guards how to do their jobs better!" He laughed lightly, gulping the last of his water. "He's a little green but got a better heart than most, anypony who gets on his bad side I feel for... well only slightly." He squeezed his hooves together to emphasize. "Yeah..." W felt breathless, eyes sunken. "He really is an amazing dork..." Another day and W wasn't fairing any better. She wasn't as well kept as the other inmates, another thing she could thank Kranon personally if her hunch was correct but even she refused to ask Gambit for that kind of answer, it was painfully obvious he'd sooner roll in his chair laughing. W was in her cell alone, Courier returned to another cell until Cliffheart arrived. Apparently, he wanted to ask W a question, and much like an old doll, her lips were stitched up tight. Her body was cold given the gloomy day, but most of her time felt that way. Her wounds from her battle with Forsaken were still healing since the lovely ponies of Canterlot Castle, surprise, didn't like her very much. And the rags they had her wear in place of her combat skirt and clothing weren't ideal for comfort or insulation. While Courier was asleep on his bed, W noticed two guards coming into view of her cell. Adjusting her dead-weight posture she knew what was to come. "Why does the Princess even allow some filthy creature to rot in the dungeon?" The one to her left scoffed so her lips curled back. "They let you stay here, don't they?" If Courier was awake he'd have called out the burn but sadly it was just herself and two lovely ponies. The right bashed on the bars in some vain attempt at intimidation. "Watch it, creature, less we stick a muzzle on you!" He hissed, that one action practically refilling W's ammo. Her hand curled in its chain to point his way. "Cleaver, did you come up with that one on your own?" She cooed, stifling her snicker when his face crinkled with spite. Kranon was very methodical, he targetted a key few that would set W's image to Equestria ablaze, after all the taunting she's pulled over Cliffheart and his men that reputation was now snaking back around to bite at her wrists. She effectively brewed their hated of her and Kranon had no need to raise a finger. *Bam!* W felt her lungs empty without realizing what had happened. Her world fell forward and into a white hoof as it struck across her cheek, another bucking her side as she yelped. For the first time since her imprisonment two guards had finally had enough of her insults. The door was wide open but W had no strength or movement with her hands to try. All she could do was hang there like a tapestry against the wall as the guards kicked and punched her relentlessly. Once the punching had ceased W spat out a glob of blood, coughing and hacking while her vision spun a little. By now, Courier had woken from his light snooze to find two guards pinning W against the wall, blood dripping down her chin. "Hey-hey, what the hell are you two up to, huh!? Oi, answer me you hoof-kissers!?" Panic began to settle in from his side of the dungeon, banging on the bars to try and draw their attention elsewhere and to draw attention from other guards nearby. They ignored his attempts as the white one held W's face up by one of her antennae, seeing her face wince from the sharp tug on the sensory appendage. "Y' know, doubt anyone really cares what state this thing's in anyhow - still looks better than most mares." Had W not felt cold before, ice froze up her veins at the insinuating tone. Yet it felt like it wasn't the first time she's heard that, no matter the vagueness, her blood turned to ice. "Hey, your call I ain't biting," The other huffed, turning away as W felt her head thrown down and a hoof move against her leg. "Get off of her, you hear me!?" Courier continued to bash on the bars until his hoof felt it would break, bashing the length of his forehoof against the surface. "Dammit, where the hell is the other guards!?" Ignorance was the guards' major flaw and W would pay that price dearly while feeling her tattered, oversize shirt lift inch-by-inch. Her heart was racing in her ears before blood burned under her skin, had the second guard seen this he might have caught a glimpse of the satanic eyes glowering into the back of his head. "...sorry but..." W whispered until the white pony was close to unveiling his prize, that was when her right leg curled up and around. "...this fine ass is taken!" Striking like a jackhammer her shin rose and struck across the pony's jaw, tripping over her left as both wrapped up and around to squeeze the white pervert between her steel-like chokehold. His hooves flailed in vain to escape, face turning red as W squeezed harder, wanting to hear something pop or even snap with a single twist. By now the other guard noticed the sudden retaliation and rushed to knock W out. Not wanting them to have their way with her unconscious body her heart flooded her body with enough adrenaline that the wind picked up around her, and a small burst of serrated wind tore across her cell. Blood flew from gashes and light cuts, dozens of incisions lined the walls and floor around W's form while she felt herself flop onto her ass, releasing the passed-out guard from her legs, the other laying head-first against the far side of the cell. By the time hooves clopped into view, W panted, feeling a great deal of relief as Courier did. "Told ya I'm no pushover, Gandalf." "Huh, who did I call that again...?" "W-what happened here!?" Cliffheart's orange eyes flickered amongst the unconscious guards then to the bloodied and beaten W who panted against her cell's wall. To his right Courier waved a hoof with anger in his one visible eye. "Those two might've had their fun with her and trust me, you would've heard it, tin pony." A common slur used by those that didn't particularly favor the Royal Guard. Cliffheart analyzed the cell and the frazzled state W was in before sighing through his teeth, glaring down at the ponies. "Jumper, Cross, get those two out of my sight and lock them up, now." Not one pony dared to so much as suggesting otherwise, none noticing the conflicted state on Cliff's face before he ran a hoof through his mane, approaching W who suddenly pressed her back to the wall. She... was frightened by him? "...W, what hap-" "I just told ya, tin pony, one was about to have their way with her 'till she snapped." Courier relayed angrily. Keeping silent, Cliffheart fought against some strange notion he should be leaving her here to rot and instead focused a spell around her bruises and blemishes. "Fuck off..." W spat by his hooves, and while her eyes had regained that fire he felt no such pride in seeing it as it were now. She was on the defense, if he allowed it she might even attack him. Her face scrunched up from the warmth that spread across her wounds, clotting them gradually while Cliffheart wiped his brow of sweat. "...having a change of heart... get lost, thought you wanted this?" "Not like this, and you know it," He admitted, knowing that baseless talk of his own glory would shut her up completely. "W, what exactly is Kranon planning? If even a shred of what you told the Princess is true, wouldn't he just build another Lure someplace else?" That was one of the many thoughts that ravaged her head but something stuck out in Gambit's visions of Kranon's gradual control over Robin's body and power. Every world's Displaced that he slew and stole the powers of he used Lures that harmonized with the Displaced, the Tethers. Once active, the second he leaves the world behind no trace of the Displaced or Kranon remained, just... a crater. "You never wondered why there are three of us in Equestria?" Her words were hollow for a moment, picking her head up as his magic faded to stare at her evenly, seeing her fists shake in her shackles. "Why three Displaced exist, why he hasn't made himself known to any of you? Using me as his little scapegoat?" The words were strained but Cliffheart felt it again, conflict in his own head, it felt like white noise to his ears. "How do you know about Lord Cinder and Price So-" "Kranon, he doesn't need us anymore, he would've done away with this world painlessly but now all he craves is release," W lifted her head, eyes slanted but fueled with anger. "Even if the world and beyond knows he doesn't care because he'll finally be free, he'll create a disaster that will destroy this world's timeline, and when it all falls apart he'll be reborn in the fallout, the sacrifices of hundreds will be undone in one action alone." "What... disaster?" Cliffheart shivered and W never lost contact with his tensed stare. "Like the world my body comes from, he'll create a Catastrophe that will annihilate the kingdom, any that survive will be like me, Infected." The Abyss couldn't be controlled, DnD was much the same with its creatures, and Grimm were too easily stopped with divine magic. But the Infected? They resisted magic, they could be controlled. "Let me ask you again. Are you happy Captain? Is my imprisonment given you what you wanted, well, has it?" Her voice broke a little before W sunk her head, no longer wishing to speak with anyone after today. "If I'm honest... you can all burn with me." How long has it been since W was locked up here? She couldn't really care if it had been days or weeks, what else mattered while she remained chained to the same wall since she got here? Sat atop her bed her eyes could make out the sight of moonlight through the porthole of the dungeon, the only real way to tell the world hadn't ended yet. Kranon wasn't going to wait much longer, he would attack any moment now and she had neither the weapons nor the allies to help her. Why? That was the one word W hated most as it plagued her for weeks. Why her? Why all of this plotting? Why... did she bother at all? The more she pondered, every day she kept asking herself the big question; This world tormented her, abused her mind and body to the point any human would just break. It was a giddy concept, to sit back and let this whole world burn, let it all rot for what it did, sure, they technically weren't at fault but it was their magic, their hooves, and their faces imprinted in her mind. Would anyone blame her if she just... gave up? Her home wouldn't know, her actions have set off a domino effect. Despite how much she hated this world it had pieces that made her hold on, more so for her Earth. If she didn't do something they would suffer for her actions, Kranon would do the same to Earth, then the next, and the next until he was satisfied. An endless cycle of death brought about by a lack of action to try just a little more, to simply... move on. She missed seeing Astra copy her antics, learning about the world and herself, even scolding the Sarkaz for her recklessness. She wanted to fight Cinder again, the first real challenge that didn't feel like her life was on the line, he was someone who understood her and would fight fairly with a cunning merc like herself, she wanted to hear more about his favorite shows too, that old fanboy still buried inside that armor. Sora... her eyes softened, lifting a chained hand toward the moonlight. He must have been angry with her for doing this. She could see it now, feeling his fist strike her shoulder while he yelled at her, for a nervous Prince he sure didn't act like one, he cared more than she was willing to admit. In only a week-and-a-half he had seen more of Aoi than most have seen in years. That stupid smile, his laugh, the way he just... accepted her antics and then some. Unlike with Astra, where W knew the kid needed her to grow. W felt... safe again with Sora, the burden of saving the world felt so much lighter. All of them just made the burden... easier. "You look like you've got quite the story to share," Courier spoke up beside her, his own back against his awful bed, his eyes were hidden by his mane and hood say for a small smile. "Go on, sister, I won't bite." W was reluctant at first but then thought about everything before Equestria. "I... was at a convention with my two friends, they... heh, they were seriously a handful, maybe because I was more inclined to keep to myself," It was funny, if she didn't give in to their whining she might not be here. Lifting her hand as close to her neck as possible W scowled. "If I just didn't pick up that scarf... I'd still get to see them, hear them bicker like children 'cause they wouldn't hurry up and admit they liked each other, how freakin' stupid is that?" "Here I have people now, I feel like the more I just kept moving, focused on what was ahead then I could... I-I could try to forget about what was stolen from me," W's voice was starting to break, eyes hesitant and misty. "I... the more I fought, the more fabricated memories that appeared the harder it was to forget... that I can't ever see them again." Biting her lip until it bled, W felt her whole body tremble. "Just us sister, ain't no pony judging down here, that's what a court's for," Courier murmured gently, keeping his eyes hidden as he heard her hold back a sob. "I-I miss them... so much... my parents, my friends... I-I can't ever see them again," Closing her eyes W tried to get comfortable, curling up slightly on her rough cot, shaking from the cold and the reality she tried to hide for so long from the world. To Be Continued... Author's Note And like that, we come full circle. Celestia doesn't seem entirely convinced things are as they seem, and she and Luna know who Gambit is? Good thing those tags are in place, huh? Seems Cliffheart's starting to change and W might finally break. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Renegades! Next Chapter: Born to Lead Meanwhile with Sora, Astra, and Cinder. The trio works their way across Equestria as fast as they can to ascertain aid for Kranon's next immediate move against Canterlot and the world. Cinder helps Astra understand her powers while Sora tries to keep his worries together.
