Twiastasia

There were strange noises overhead. Anon did not know what they were, and, in his battered, semi-unconscious state, could not yet perceive such sensations at all. But they persisted, and they annoyed him. As time passed, he focused more and more on what he was experiencing, and it brought him closer and closer to the waking world. The wind gently blowing across his body. Thick, solid things touching at him. The noises in his ears. With time, he could open his eyes slightly. And he could think.

And he thought of Gile.

“Augh! Whar! Where!?”

His words were sounded heavy and foreign as he bolted upright, scanning his surroundings, his memories fading in. There was a fight. Gile was hurt. Twilight…

Now wasn’t the time to think about Twilight. His brother took priority.

“Shit, man! Scared me half to death!”

Anon pulled his dagger and flung at the mare’s voice. He received a punch in the head for his efforts.

“Fuck’s sake! Calm yourself alien! I’m on your side!”

Fully lucid now, Anon looked at the mare. She had a yellow coat and brown mane. She wasn’t with their attackers. At least, he hadn’t seen her with them.

“W-who are… I remember you.”

The mare smirked. “Lovely. I remember you too. Had lots and lots of thoughts about you.”

“W-... What?”

“Fizzy Taps. You’re Anon, if I remember correctly.”

“I-” Anon had begun to speak, but caught a glimpse of his friend.

“Oh my God, Gile… I-I’m gonna fucking murder those-”

Fizzy put a hoof on his arm. “Easy there big guy, your friend is stable. Damn lug took a bolt to the chest and he’s still kicking.”

“W-what? How do-”

Fizzy held up a bloodied crossbow bolt. “Because I dug the thing out of him. Both of them, actually. He’s gonna wake up in a lot of pain, but he’ll wake up.”

Anon wiped tears from his eyes. “You’re a doctor? But I thought-”

“I owned a bar in Tamar. You know how many drunk idiots end up half dead on the floor most nights? More than you think. Honestly, this isn’t even the first near-dead griffon I’ve seen turned into a pincushion, but I’ve fixed worse.”

“... Holy fuck. I… T-thank you so much.” The human wrapped Fizzy in a hug and quickly regretted it, clutching his chest in pain.

“Yeah, and you didn’t make it out unscathed either. Now you would’ve been dead, if not for that armor of yours. The Tartarus is it anyway? You have metal like, sewn into your clothes?”

Anon gently ran a hand over his heart, feeling the bit that took the brunt of the damage. In a frenzy, he opened his shirt to see it. A bloodied, dented Tamar-minted bit had been his savior. The irony was not lost on the human.

Fizzy eyed the thing with sparkling eyes. “Oooh, you’re clever. You’re lucky you had them all so tightly packed in there, or else you would’ve just added shrapnel to your already untreatable wound. Seems Mare Luck sides with you hm?”

“Fizzy… You have no idea just how unlucky we are. That pony-”

“So that really was Twilight? The Twilight? I didn’t get a very good glimpse of her, half dead myself in the mud, but wow! No Anon, you are anything but unlucky. To have a treasure like that with you, and to be spared by Zara? I mean, ho-lee shit!”

Anon couldn’t rise from his knees, opting instead to stay close to Gile, at his side.

“... And you’re sure he’s gonna wake up?”

The mare rolled her eyes. “Wake up? Yes. Fly? Ehh… Maybe in a year? Maybe never? I can treat some injuries, but I can't diagnose a recovery besides 'stay off it for a while.' ”

Anon did NOT like how nonchalant this pony was being over this situation.

“How… Why are you even here? Were you traveling with them?”

“Not by choice, that’s for damn sure. Some months ago they barreled into my bar, held me at bolt-point, and questioned me for everything I knew about you two. Next to nothing, mind you. Said the wrong fucking thing, then boom!” Fizzy clopped her hooves together. “Stabbed in the breast and whisked away as their cart pulling slave when their ‘riding’ stallion was tired. Got the lashes to prove it.”

Fizzy bared her back at Anon, showing off her bloody scars. “Lemme tell ya, long fucking way from Tamar, to Cabaluus, to this bumfuck nowhere ditch. Guess I played dead well enough for them to leave me with the other corpses… Not that either of you are corpses! Well, I thought you were at first, but… the little victories, yaknow?”

The still semi-freshly dead griffon lay a few yards away from the troupe. It was a harrowing sight for Anon. He’d seen the dead before, sure, but he had never killed another. Stabbed? Yeah. Maimed? Mhm. Beaten? More than once. But never killed.

He knew Gile hadn’t ever either, before now.

The rain had washed away some of her blood off Gile’s claws, but still some remained, as it always would.

“... Why… Why did you save us?”

Fizzy’s past sarcastic tone faded, and her mask dropped. “... The Black Stripe tortured me, Anon. They dragged me through Tartarus to get to you. I felt every step I took, every lash I remember. I had a lot of time to think about you two, as they forced me forward. I was sure they’d never find you. Tartarus, I was sure the Twilight Bounty wasn’t even real. But that griffon caught your trail somehow. The Black Stripe was focused in Tamar, but they had been building up contacts in major cities across Echidna for a while now. You guys were just on hoof, so you never would’ve outran them. But my point is… I wanted you two to live, just to spite those bastards. I lived under their oppression in Tamar for decades, they always got their way. If I couldn’t stop them, even when they were using me, I wanted to deny them at least one thing: Your deaths.”

Anon felt his hands ball up into fists, shaking with rage. “Oh, I’m gonna fucking stop them. Once Gile gets up, we’re going to track them down and I’m going to rip their fucking heads off for what they tried taking from us, taking from me.” He gently ran a hand down Gile’s back, barely containing his rage.

“Kid… I want those monsters dead too, but they’re The Black Stripe-”

Now it was Anon’s turn to cut Fizzy off. “They bleed like anyone else.” He flicked his head toward Gwen for emphasis.

Fizzy just shook her head. “Anon… I don’t know if you’re any good of a stallion or not, part of me wants to say no, because I know you’re a thief, but… You need a lot more than a just cause and luck on your side to get at Zara.”

“Which one was she? The zebra? I’m gonna slit her FUCKING THROAT FOR WHAT SHE DID TO GILE! WHAT SHE FUCKING DARED TO TAKE FROM US!”

Fizzy couldn’t face the human. She layed on her side and looked into the distance. “Don’t be so eager to throw your life away, alien. Nopony I’ve ever known to be targeted by The Black Stripe lived past their visit besides us. No amount of riches is worth your life.”

“This isn’t about riches for me anymore.”

“Well revenge is even less worth it!”

Anon shook his head, a dark expression on his face.

“It’s not about revenge anymore either.”

Fizzy would’ve questioned further, had Gile not awoke with a sputtering cough. In an instant, pain be damned, Anon was by his face, whispering gratitude.

“Thank fucking God. Gile, Gile can you hear me? Please buddy, you’re gonna be fine…”

The griffon’s eyes slowly cracked open. “Anonn…? Is this Tartarus?”

Anon couldn’t keep the smile from his face. “Worse buddy, Echidna.”

“Then wake me up when we’re fucking dead… Oogh, my damn wing…”

“He’s lucky. That saddlebag thingy of his couldn’t protect his wing, but it did protect his organs. The other bolt looked like it hit an ugly spot, but as long as it doesn’t hit your windpipe or a vein, you’re gonna be hurtin’, but you won’t be dead if you have a medic.”

“Who the Tartarus is that Anon… Tell her to shut the fuck up…”

Anon howled with laughter despite the pain it caused, much to Fizzy’s annoyance. Gile was going to live.

And they were going to get Twilight back.

…

“By the WINDS that fucking hurts, wow…”

Gile slowly staggered to his paws, careful not to move anything too fast. There may not have been any real damage to his limbs but, he was still woozy from the mixture of blood loss and his puncture wounds. The pain did not stop him from wrapping Anon up in the bearhug to end all bearhugs however, nor did Anon’s pain stop him from giving it back.

“Ah’m so fucking glad you’re okay, man.”

“This world isn’t worth going through alone. Besides, I’d have no one to talk to if you died.”

Gile surveyed the area. “So… They took her huh? Any idea where they went?”

Anon was going to answer, but he noticed Gile’s eyes fixate on the nearby corpse. He had no idea how the griffon would take it. Gingerly, Gile took tentative steps over to the fallen girl.

He spat blood beside her head.

“Fucking idiot. Don’t EVER fuck with me or my brother.”

… Better than he could’ve hoped for, really.

“... Drachen, Gile. Fizzy said they were heading for Drachen.”

The stocky griffon smiled smugly at Anon, which he returned. “Wellll then I think our next course of action is obvious. We go into Drachen, find their cart, rescue Twilight, keep her with Fizzy, then repay them for so generously slowing down our trip by who-fucking-knows how long.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Fizzy couldn’t keep her voice from rising. “Seriously? I take back any good things I said about you two out of pity for you both almost dying, you’re both idiots. I’ve told you I don’t know how many times already: You can’t beat them! Especially not with how injured you already are!”

Gile looked lovingly at his muscled forelegs. “Don’t count the underdogs out of the race so early, mare. We’re scrappy as can be. Besides, they got the jump on us before, suckerpunched us while our backs were turned. If we can’t beat them in a fair fight, and they don’t want one to begin with, we’ll play ball.”

Fizzy raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What’s your genius plan then? Where’s your ace card?”

“At the moment? We’re the ace card. The plan will form around us. We may be thieves, but the past few months have shown me that, even if we aren’t heroes, we’re pretty good adventurers.”

“Oh puh-lease. You’re thieving nomads at best, and thieving hobos at worst.”

“Call it what you want to, but we’re good at what we do, and we didn’t come this far just to get fucked up and left to die.” Gile winked at Anon. “A wise, though ugly, human once said ‘I want us to be able to have withstood the world and it’s shit and still come out on top. Because we’re stronger than it.’ “

Anon offer Gile a quickly-accepted fist bump. “Damn straight. Think it was a handsome human that said that though.”

“Hmm. Only ever knew one, and he’s so ugly his skin is turning purple to try and disassociate itself from him.”

The wicked bruise on Anon’s chest seemed to unleash a wave of pain at that, but he took it in stride. “That was such a stupid line I don’t even know what to say about it-”

“Okay! Seriously! You two!” Fizzy planted a hoof down as the two had begun walking in the vague direction toward Drachen. “Enough games! You’re going to get yourselves killed! Even if you were totally giving up on any hopes of getting back at The Black Stripe- which you should- you shouldn’t even be GOING into Drachen! They’re there! They could be anywhere! And you-” she pointed a hoof at Anon “stick out like a sore flank! They’re gonna know, and they’re going to be very upset when two creatures they thought they killed, well, weren’t! I watched those monsters burn down my bar as they dragged me along in there stupid fucking quest to find your dumbasses! M-my home! My only claim in this horrible world! They committed atrocities in Tamar and never batted an eye! What can you do!?”

Anon had had just about enough of Fizzy’s doom and gloom. “And what are you gonna do out here Fizzy? Live out in the wilderness for a few nights until you assume they’ve left the only nearby civilization for miles around? Then what? Go into Drachen and start all over from scratch? There’s no other option for us, none that we’ll accept anyway.”

“I-I don’t know! But I saved your lives! Don’t just throw away this chance you’ve been given! I-I’ve seen so much death and evil! The heavens gave me my chance to do some good and make things a tiny bit better in this disgusting world!” She had been on the verge of tears before, but was sobbing now. “I-I-I did something good… P-please don’t let my mark die out so soon! C-change your ways, be good, o-or come with me and we can find somewhere better! I have nothing else!”

The mare crumpled to the ground in tears. Gile got a good look at her so scarred back. The mark of The Black Stripe. Anon walked over to the pony, taking a knee.

“Fizzy… We know the risks here. We’ve already faced them once, and nearly lost our lives. We would’ve, if not for you. But you didn’t give us another chance to live. You gave us another chance to save our friend. We didn’t start this journey with the best intentions, but we have traveled with Twilight for the better part of four months. Gile was the only friend I ever had in this world, and I was his. That changed when Twilight came into the picture. That changed when you did again too.” Fizzy finally looked up Anon, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “This isn’t about the bounty anymore. It’s about getting our friend where she belongs.”

Gile approached as well, his voice now gentle as Anon’s. “I think I speak for Anon too, when I say that I get it if you don’t want to go into Drachen. But you saved our lives, and… Can’t believe I’m going to say this-” Gile squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “-Ifyouwanttocomewithuswe’llletyouandwe’llcutyouinontherewardwhenwegettoEquestria.” Anon patted him on the back as he whined at the future lost wealth.

Fizzy’s jaw dropped slightly, her red eyes wide, darting to gauge Anon’s reaction. He nodded in agreeance.

“Y-you two… Y-you’re both insane, you know that?” She laughed through her tears in disbelief. “G-got nothin’ to lose I guess… The Twilight Bounty, can’t fuckin’ believe it…” Her voice trailed off as she tried blowing her nose.

…

“Okay, getting me to follow through with your crazy quest across the world, assuming you two even live through the night was one thing, but not even waiting ‘till tomorrow morning? You guys basically just woke up from almost dying!”

Gile fumbled with his makeshift bandages. Those raggedy blankets really were paying off in spades. Anon instinctively felt for his bits and thumbed at the dagger in his waistline. “We slept through the whole day, we wouldn’t get any sleep now even if we wanted to. Besides, they could be gone from Drachen by tomorrow, and who knows if we’d ever catch their trail if they were.”

“You weren’t sleeping! You were unconscious from almost dying! Why can’t I get that through your skulls!?”

Gile flashed a trademark smile. “We’re just built different, Fizzy. Besides, Anon says it’s not about revenge for him, but if I’m really never gonna be able to fly again, I need to give these Black Stripe assholes something more to remember me by than just their griffon friend.” The last few words were said in a growl.

“Dark, Gile.”

He shrugged. “It was kill or be killed, and they’ve done way worse than just try to kill me.”

“Seriously, the only reason I sound so chipper right now is because Gile’s alive. It’s a very thin mask for my absolutely quaking fucking rage.”

“Ditto. We’ll see you in a couple hours outside the outskirt farms, Fizzy.”

The only reply from the mare was a shaky ‘M-mhm.’

Under her breath, Fizzy muttered “please be safe.”

…

On a small hill, just outside of what might be considered city limits, the thieves stared down at Carriage Co. , Drachen’s biggest facility for all of one’s carriage needs, be it repairs, upgrades, supplies, and most importantly- storage.

“You remember what Fizzy said the thing looked like?”

Gile turned to Anon.

“Yep. Do you?”

Anon held his fist out.

“Yep.”

Gile accepted the bump.

“Let’s go save our friend”