Chapter 1: A Champion Is Chosen
Author's Note
Hello all my loyal readers! I'm back and with a vengeance! This is a story I've been working on for months, and I decide to finally get around to finishing the first chapter. I hope you guys enjoy and be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Chapter 1: A Champion Is Chosen
(??? POV)
The sound of gunshots and stray bullets nearly hitting me was all I could hear aside from my heart beating hard in my chest as I ran through thick pine trees. My feet carried me as fast as they could, making sure that I didn't trip or stumble. All of this, and I still have a smile on my face as I run bow in hand and my quiver on my back, a few arrows inside clanking around with every step.
“He’s this way!” I glance back after hearing a man’s voice to see the owner of said voice aiming his handgun at me.
With little time to waste, I jerked my body to the left just as he fired his gun. Ahead, a large boulder stood in the midst of the trees. Seeing an opportunity, I sprinted for the boulder and jumped up, my legs landing atop the rock before I pushed myself off back into the air while turning my body midair. Once I had spotted my pursuer, I moved my hand back, drawing a single arrow from my quiver, bringing the arrow to rest on the bow, and drew it back. My fingers released the arrow and I watched as it flew straight and true, hitting its mark between the man’s eyes, and seeing him fall to the ground lifeless. When my feet touched the ground once more, I continued to run after saying a quick prayer for the man.
For what felt like five minutes, I dodge bullets and shot arrows, my heart pounding, adrenaline pumping through my veins with every close call. Soon, I could see a break in the forest ahead, thinking that it must be a clearing. I ran harder than I thought my feet could handle as I pushed on forward. The moment I enter the clearing, I can signal my extraction-
I quickly skidded to a halt as the clearing opened to a high cliff overlooking the ocean. Glancing down, the drop must be hundreds of feet, maybe more. How I failed to smell the sea during my run is beyond me, but what I do know is that this isn’t a good place to call my extraction vehicle. I was about to turn and try to find the actual clearing, when…
*Click*
I quickly froze as I heard the sound of the hammer of a gun click. “Hands in the air,” a familiar voice called out. I smiled as I slowly raised my hands up, bow in one hand while my other was empty. “Turn around.” Complying with the orders, I slowly turn around to see a man in a black suit pointing a pistol at me.
With a smile, I lower my hands and clip my bow to my side. “Agent Smith. Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I could have sworn the message I sent to Interpol would have made you believe that I was going to target the Japanese Mafia, not the Russian ones.”
Agent Smith slowly made his way closer, gun still aimed at me. “Well, I did a comparison of your previous jobs and noticed that you hitting the Japanese Mafia seemed rather sudden. Looks like in your attempt to throw us off, you made a mistake.”
I couldn’t help but feel somewhat annoyed. Not with the agent, but with myself. “Guess I got too cocky thinking you Interpol agents would fall for that trick. That’s my fault.” I tried to take a step forward, but when I saw Smith’s shoulders square and stiffen up, I quickly stopped myself. “So what now? You seem to have me at gunpoint, and I’m quite literally over the edge.”
“You are going to come quietly with me and face justice,” he added in an almost robotic tone, no emotion behind his words.
“Justice? Is that what you call it? You know, some would argue that what I do is justice,” I quickly pointed out.
“You take the law into your own hands. You steal and kill-”
“I kill those who deserve it!” I quickly shot back while pointing a finger at him, watching his body tense up more. “As for the stealing, I steal from the corrupted rich. Those who swindle money from the innocent and exploit the lower classes! People who take money from those weaker than themselves! You Interpol agents should be thanking me.”
I could see that he was visibly worried and how he would adjust the grip around his gun. “Interpol has its set of rules, laws, and regulations that we have to uphold. We can’t go barging in and attacking any criminals that we want,” he argued.
I couldn’t help scoffing and laughed to myself. “That’s a fine mantra that basically gives you guys validation to sit on your asses while the real evil runs amok.” I gave the quiver on my back a quick tap and found that I’m down to my very last arrow. With that knowledge, I look back at Smith. “So seriously, how is this gonna go? I’m down to my last arrow and you have your sights set on me.”
He stood there for a moment, his eyes fixed on me. “How about you ditch the hood, Robin?”
I was honestly a bit surprised by the sudden name drop, but I knew Smith enough to know he wouldn’t do so without being certain. I flipped my hood back and smiled. “How long have you known?”
“Just recently. Your name is Robin Loxley, ironic given what you do and how you go about it.” He started to lower his gun before stepping closer. “I went and checked all those people who you robbed, and amongst those people they associate with, your name would always show up.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m surprised you managed to put that together. But there is one thing I would like to correct.” I smiled before pointing to myself. “My name is in no way ironic, nor is the line of work I’m in.” Smith looked somewhat perplexed, and I couldn’t just leave him hanging. “I am Robin Loxley the XV, and I am the descendant of the first.” When I saw his eyes widen in surprise, I couldn’t help but smile. “Oh yes. It’s just as you are no doubt thinking. Robin Hood was indeed a real hero, not just a legend. People think he was a myth, but that’s only because after he retired after saving his kingdom, he went through great efforts to be just that: a legend. And naturally, he had children who he would pass his name and skills onto, but only to their first-born sons. Naturally, not every generation had a son, but the tradition and knowledge would be passed down nonetheless.”
“If that’s true, then why haven’t we heard of such individuals over the centuries? If they all did what their ancestors did, we should have records of it,” Smith argued, and rightfully so.
“Because those of the past who carried the name and his noble task stuck to the shadows never allowing themselves to be seen or heard.” I found our little history lesson rather enjoyable. “Unlike those of the past, I allowed the world to know about me. I figured I could strike fear into the corrupted if they knew that a looming shadow could be hanging around them.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw movement and chanced a glance.
“Eyes on me, Loxley,” Smith ordered, and I returned my gaze to him. “Now, you are gonna drop the bow on the ground and come with me.”
“You were serious about that?” I scoffed. “How about you look the other way this time and let me go? You can’t honestly tell me you are against my line of work?” Carefully, I inched my hand to my bow, doing my best to keep my movements slow.
There was visible confliction on Smith’s face as he debated my request. “You know I can’t do that. I know what you do. You do it for others, but I can’t look the other way.” He started to take two more steps closer, causing me to step back, only for the edge of my foot to reach the very edge of the cliff. “Make this easy for both of us, Loxley, and put down the bow.” I could now see a pained expression on his face. “If you come quietly, I’m sure Interpol will make you a deal. They might be willing to give you a reduced sentence or make you an agent. Just please, don’t do something you’ll regret.”
It was obvious that this was something he didn’t want to do, that he wished this could have been different, but it was clear what he had to do. “I’m sorry for this, Smith. I really am.” In one brief second, I raised my bow and drew my last arrow before firing it.
BANG!!
The sound of Smith’s gun echoed for a few brief moments, the agent with a grim look slowly stared down at his body. When he saw no arrow on him, he looked back in surprise. “You never miss a shot.”
I smiled before lowering my arms. “And I still haven’t.”
THUD
Smith looked back in time to see one of the Mafia goons drop to the ground, my last arrow in his head and a gun in his hand. When Smith turned to look back at me, I had my hand on my stomach where his bullet got me. “No…” The look of shock and regret on his face was too painful to watch.
As I staggered backwards, I did my best to keep my smile. “If it makes you feel any better,” I wheezed as some blood began to drip out of my mouth. “I don’t blame you for any of this.” With one last step, I felt the ground beneath me disappear.
I could feel my body falling back, the cool sea wind billowing on my back as I fell. I caught a brief glance at Agent Smith as he looked over the cliff edge, hand out like he thought he could catch me. And as I closed my eyes, awaiting the end, I had but one question going through my mind. ‘Will I see the gates of heaven or the fires of Hell for the things I did?’
As my mind slowly stirs, I take note of my body’s condition, a habit I always made before I ever open my eyes. I could feel no pain, which is something considering that I had just literally taken a bullet to the gut. Another thing I could feel was that I was floating, or maybe drifting since neither my legs nor body was touching any solid surface. If my memory was correct and I did indeed fall, it would have been to the ocean below the cliff. Yet despite being shot and somehow falling into the ocean without dying from the fall nor drowning, I am somehow still alive. Before I opened my eyes, I released something else. If I’m in the ocean, then why aren’t I wet? Or why couldn’t I hear the ocean, for that matter?
As my eyes opened, all I could see was white. Only white. ‘Did I suffer some kind of blow to my head when I hit the water?’ Most would panic in this situation, but years of training to keep myself calm under pressure kept me from doing so. I could still feel and move my arms and legs, so my first instinct was to raise my hand so I could see it. Sure enough, I could see it, meaning I hadn’t gone blind or am suffering from anything that would mess with my vision. Though I was elated that I hadn’t lost my sight, this did bring up one issue. Turning my head, all I could see was a white void and nothing more. What’s more was that my body was drifting in this empty void. With no solid ground beneath my feet to move myself, I tried moving my arms through the air as though I was trying to swim. Either my efforts were in vain, or without anything around as a means to determine if I was moving from one point to another, I was basically in the same position.
“Well, this is quite the dilemma,” I thought out loud as there was no one around to complain if I talked to myself or not. My voice silently echoed in the vast void, which seemed rather creepy. I may be a man who takes risks and stares danger in the eyes, but even I’m not immune to getting the creeps once and a while. “Well, on the plus side, I’m not in hell or anything. Though I doubt this is heaven either,” I pondered. “Maybe this is purgatory? I did do a lot of good, and, well, I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t do anything bad.” I would talk aloud as a means to keep myself sane, but also to not be left in the silence of this endless void. “Hey, God, are you there? Look, if this about that time in Paris with those four French maids, I swore I had no idea they were married. How was I supposed to know that it was some weird bachelorette party?” I called out, kind of hoping for a response.
But there was no response. Though, if I was being honest with myself, I wasn’t really expecting an answer just like that. “Welp, it was worth a shot at least.”
For what felt like a good half hour, I continued to drift in the never-ending white void. There was not a sound that wasn’t made by me. During this time, I went through all my sins that I may have committed that would have led me to this place and apologized from the bottom of my heart. If this place was indeed purgatory, then it was a matter of seeking forgiveness or to apologize for what I had done. But after listing off the incident in Budapest, I took a moment to just relax and let my thoughts wander. ‘I wonder if dad had to go through this, too. Is he waiting for me along with our ancestors?’
A part of me found a glimmer of hope that eventually I would see my father again. The idea of hugging him and seeing his face brought me some sense of ease as I drift in this void. Though another part of me is willing to bet he will chew me out for dying so young, and without bearing an heir to our name. “Not like I didn’t bother looking,” I said as the idea popped into my head. “What with stealing and dodging bullets, I had very little time to find Mrs. Right. I wasn’t reckless in my bedtime shenanigans, but I wasn’t just going to settle down with just anyone. None of the girls I dated really seemed to click with me.” I groaned as the idea of my dad blaming me for letting the name Robin Loxley make it so that I could afford to wait before going to heaven. “And I’m sure great grandpa is gonna give me hell, too. Yesh, maybe I’m better off taking my chances in Hell.”
“If that is what you wish, I’d be happy to let you take your chances.” A sudden voice quickly snapped me back to reality and I turned and twisted my body around to find the source.
“Who’s there?” I called out as I glanced around, looking for the slightest hint for some other being beside myself. And for a moment, I had considered that I may have just imagined it due to slight insanity. “If someone is out there, show yourself, please.”
For what felt like minutes, my words echoed and the voice I thought I heard did not answer back. I had really believed that I was going insane, even though I pride myself on my strong sense of mental strength. I was going to forget that I heard anything before a blinding light suddenly appeared in front of me. The light was golden and incredibly bright that I had to shield my eyes from it. When I tried to peek through my fingers, I could vaguely see a figure within the light, and though I couldn’t see too well, I thought I could see a pair of wings. “Are you an angel here to judge me?” I asked, unable to hide the awe and curiosity in my voice.
“Something along those lines,” the angel answered. Now that I heard it once more, I could detect a motherly tone, the same that can ease a frightened child. “I’ve brought you here to give you a choice.”
I averted my eyes once more. I wondered if it was because of how bright it was, or perhaps the light was only too bright for those who have sinned, and that it was too pure for me to gaze upon. “What kind of choice are we talking about? Because if there is an option that keeps me from Hell, I’d be happy to take that instead.” Despite my situation, I had to keep a level head, especially when deals are a factor.
“I can give you two choices,” the voice said in its motherly tone, yet it also sounded very serious. “I could let you continue on your way to the afterlife, where your soul will be judged by your God. Or I could give you a second chance at life with a mission that someone of your caliber is no stranger to.”
The first option left me with more questions than answers, but from the sounds of it, I’m not dead yet, and this wasn’t purgatory. The second choice left me with just as many questions. Naturally, I was smart enough to inquire more on my options. “The second option does intrigue me, but before I can make any final decisions, I’d like to know more about what this mission you mentioned entails.”
There was a brief silence before she spoke again. “This is a fair request. But before I do, I believe it would be best if I told you who I am first, and what you can expect later down the road should you heed this request.”
The light flared brighter than it was when it first showed itself before slowly dimming down. When the light became dim enough for me to no longer need to shield my eyes, I was awestruck by what I was seeing. I had seen many things in my life, things that many wouldn’t believe in unless they saw it for themselves, which made it rather impossible to ever throw me off guard. Yet at this moment, I found myself at a loss for words. Even now, my mind cannot fathom what I was looking at. Standing in a white dress was a woman, or at least I would think she was a woman if it wasn’t for the equine-like features. She had a slight muzzle that somehow didn’t seem odd enough for me to look away. I could see a pair of pony ears at the top of her head, poking through her crimson mane that reached down behind her hips. Upon further inspection, I could see the pair of large white wings that matched her fur color, which was ivory white. At the top of her forehead, poking through her mane, was a horn, the kind you would see on a unicorn in fantasy pictures. But what really caught my attention were her large eyes; those teal eyes that almost gave her a cartoonish vibe, yet it wasn’t at all unsettling how expressive they were as she stared back at me. “What are you?” I asked in a tone that was more curious rather than fearful.
She smiled before she waved her hands. Somehow, I found myself sitting at a tea table with a cup in front of me, and my mysterious hostess sitting opposite me. She raised her cup to her lips and took a sip, and when she was done, she gestured for me to do the same. While I was at a loss for words, and many red flags were going off in my head, I figured it would be rude to refuse. I’m already dead, so fear of her trying to poison me seemed pointless. I took a sip of my drink and found it to be one of my favorites: lemon and honey. As I took another sip, I watched as she sat up to straighten her posture and placed her hands on the table pressed together. “My name is Faust, and I am the goddess of my world known as Equus, where my loyal subjects dwell.” I kept my calm as she told me what many would write off as some bad fanfic origin story, but given my position and what led me to this point, I was in no position to write it off as such. So, I kept quiet to let her continue on. “I’ll cut to the chase, Robin Loxley. My little ponies are in dire need of your help.”
“Help? What kind of help?”
She sighed before giving a wave of her hand, and some kind of window appeared to my left. She nudged her head for me to look at it, and when I turned my attention to it, I could see that there were figures moving on the other side. I could see other human-like ponies walking by, all of them wearing tattered rags, and had depressed looks to them, some of which I could see were malnourished and weak. The environment around them almost mirrored the ponies themselves, as the world looked like it was devoid of color, which was saying something considering the ponies had fur and manes in pastel colors. But it seemed like all the colors were faded to reflect their mood. I turned my eyes away as the window showed a child starving to the point where you could see their ribcage. Despite my high-risk lifestyle, I couldn’t bear to see such a sight, especially when there was nothing I could do for them.
Even though these “ponies” as Faust calls them are not of my own kind, the idea of anyone suffering like this made me both sad and angry. “What happened to them? Have they always been like this?”
Faust shook her head, and with another wave her hand, a second window opened on the opposite side. Compared to the first window, this showed a much brighter world. The ponies and the world were such a vibrant color, and everyone inside looked like there wasn’t a care in the world. It was hard to believe that this was what would inevitably become.
“What you see was four years ago. At the time, one of my daughters was in control of the country. But when my second daughter returned, things became complicated. I would explain, but there is a limit to our time together.” I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but something told me that there is more at stake than I know. “To make a long story short, the throne has been taken by a noble royal not worthy to lead. And because of his actions, my ponies are suffering and dying.” I felt a pair of hands clasp my own and looked to see her holding them, a pleading look in her eyes. “My country needs you. I’ve seen the things you’ve done on Earth, and I know you are exactly what they need.” She held my hands for a few more moments before letting go with a look that made her seem like she regretted what she said. “It’s a selfish request, and I don’t mean to guilt you. The choice is ultimately yours to make.”
With a third wave of her hand, a door appeared. I found myself standing before it with Faust and the two windows behind me. “If you wish, that door will take you to the afterlife, where you can be judged. But if I’m being honest, I already know that you will ascend to heaven where your family awaits you.” As she said this, the door opened, and inside, I could see a heavenly staircase leading to golden gates resting on clouds. At the top of the stairs, standing just beyond the gates, I could see the outline of a few people, one of which I recognized immediately as belonging to my father.
I’d be lying if I said that this didn’t bring a tear to my eyes as I could see his silhouette waving to me. “I can understand if you would rather go and be with your family. I doubt there are many who would pass up a chance such as this.” Faust said from behind me, and it was clear that she was losing hope. “The choice is yours to make.”
The temptation was almost irresistible, my hand had already found its way toward the door’s handle. “Sorry you guys, but I’m not done in this life just yet.” Glancing through the door, I looked at the silhouette of my father. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I could tell he was smiling at me. With another wave of his hand, he and the others walked away and out of sight. Without any further hesitation, I closed the door and watched as it slowly vanished into the void.
Turning on my heel, I looked at Faust, who had a surprised look on her face. “While the idea of eternal rest sounds tempting, I can’t ignore those who need my help.” With a confident smile, I walked up to Faust and the two windows. “So before I head out, can you tell me anything that gives me a hint where to start?”
She smiled and nodded. “I will be sending you to a field near a town that is of great importance.” She waved her hand, one of the windows beginning to disappear while the one remaining’s image changed. It showed a rather depressing town, but one that looked like something that came from the medieval era. “This is the town of Ponyville. There is a pub where you should be able to gather whatever information you need.”
While vague, it's better than nothing. Upon further observation of the town, I realized that if this world was set in a more primitive era than the one I came from, this would mean my means of combat won’t be as advanced. Before I could bring this up, I felt my bow and quiver being gently pulled off my person and floated in front of Faust. “Due to the lack of power that I have, I can’t do much in the way of gifts. But I have just enough magic to do this.” My bow and quiver began to glow and rise above us, making it hard to look. When the light finally died down, the two floated back to me. My bow looked no different when I took it back into my hands, but my quiver, on the other hand, was full once more. “Your bow has been blessed and is now indestructible, the same for the bow string. For your quiver, it has been restocked and shall refill over time.”
While the indestructible bow was an amazing gift on its own, I was more taken aback by my quiver. “Does that mean I have infinite arrows?” I couldn’t hide the excitement in my voice. The idea of never running out of arrows was like the ultimate cheat code.
Faust frowned a little. “Not quite. While your normal arrows will replenish almost instantly, your more advanced trick arrows will take time, depending on which one you use.” I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bummed out by that, but a gift is a gift nonetheless. “The same can be said for most of the items on your person as well, including that bag of yours.”
She was referring to the one in my quiver. My quiver is made up of two parts: one that holds the actual arrows, and the other that holds parts I could combine and attach to my normal arrows, giving me a variety of arrows to use while on the fly. Due to this set up, my quiver is larger and bulkier than most would deem natural.
“Now, one last thing I should mention to aid you on your journey.” I was snapped out of my thoughts when Faust spoke up. “My power is influenced by the pony’s faith in me. There is somepony down there who is using my name in vain, making my power weaker. If you can help increase the faith my ponies have in me once more, I can bless you with more gifts along the way, or improve the ones you have now.”
“So you're saying that the more ponies who have faith in you, the more power you can get.” She nodded her head solemnly. ‘This explains why she said she has little time to talk. She must be using what little power she has left just to talk to me, not to mention my gifts.’ Given the circumstances, she is putting a lot of fate in me. “Alright. So all I have to do is restore balance to a kingdom and set a religion straight. Well, that won’t be easy, but you can be sure I’ll die trying.”
Faust smiled warmly at me and nodded her head. Soon, the world around seemed to begin to fade, the white void slowly turning to black. “I wish you the best of luck, Robin Loxley.” Her words echoed one last time before my vision faded to black.
The sound of grass being rustled by the wind was the first thing I noticed as I slowly woke up. Blinking my eyes, I adjusted my vision and saw a sky full of gray clouds. Pushing myself up so that I was sitting, I could see I was in the middle of a grassy meadow. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the field almost mimicked the sky above. The grass felt lush to the touch, yet the color seemed muted. “Just like the window Faust showed me.” Jumping up onto my feet, I decided to take in my inventory to see if what she said was true. Reaching behind my hip, I took off my quiver, and already I could feel that it was full. Like she said, my quiver was restocked, but I wonder if that part about my arrows restocking on their own was true. My quiver can hold up to well over sixty arrows at a time, thanks to having it custom-built, and my arrows being made of a light, yet incredibly durable material. I grabbed a handful of my normal arrows and pulled them out, waiting to see if anything would happen. Sure enough, I watched as, one by one, a new arrow took its place in a mere matter of seconds before all had eventually been replaced. I decided to place the handful I had in my hand back inside the quiver, only for the new arrows to disappear. I guess there is a limit to how many arrows can be in my quiver. “So much for just pulling out arrows nonstop. I could have filled a second quiver. Seems there’s no cheating a goddess.”
With a shrug of my shoulders, I placed my quiver back and pulled out my bow next. My bow was something special to me. The design was something my father left behind for me. When I was young and knew little about what my father actually did, I told him I wanted a bow like the superhero Hawkeye, one that can fold and turn into a bow staff. I had no idea my father would actually take my silly wish seriously. The blueprints were left to me after he died, and building the bow itself took well over seven years. But now, some pony goddess said she made it invisible? “This I got to see.”
Reaching for one of my throwing knives, I tried to cut my bow string. I had three other replacements so it wouldn’t be a loss if it snapped. However, even though I was running the blade along the string, it wouldn’t cut, or even show any sign that I was making any marks in it. To say that I was astonished would be a drastic understatement, yet a part of me felt absolutely giddy. “Unlimited arrows and an indestructible bow?……God I love my new life.”
After doing one last inventory check, I noticed that only a few items that I had on me before I died were gone, and that would be my cellphone and my iPod, which I wasn’t too happy about. “Did she really need to take my iPod?” Lastly, I had this little cloth bag with some gold coins in it, no doubt this world’s currency. However, there were only gold coins, no copper or silver, meaning that Faust was either being really generous, or this is the only form of currency these ponies have.
I walked out of the grassy field and found a dirt road. Looking down the road, I could make out what looked like a town. This must be the town that she told me where I will start my journey: Ponyville. A walk that could have gone by faster if I had my iPod.
After a good thirty minutes, I had arrived at the little town, and just like the window Faust showed me, it was sad and depressing in person. Some may find the humanoid equines disturbing or even off-putting, but all I could feel was pity and sorrow as I passed by each one. There were a few stalls open, most of which were ponies trying to sell produce, or what little produce they had. I could see some trying to haggle with the vendor with items or objects with no worth.
The buildings were no better. They had a rustic, medieval vibe to them, either being made of stone or straw and hay. Like everything else, the town and those who live in it, their colors were dull and sad, like there was no trace of happies in this world. I’ve seen my share of poor countries, but none of them ever felt this dreadful and devoid of hope.
Maybe it was the lack of hope that left Faust in such a weak state, but that of course was just speculation.
As I walked down the streets, not a single one of these ponies that I passed so much as gave me a sideways glance. Whether that was because of my hood hiding my face, or they could care less who comes and goes in the town. Not even the merchants tried to flag me down to try and get me to see their wares, as though they dare not get their hopes up.
“Please, sir, can you spare some bits? Me and my family are so hungry.”
“Get away from me, you little vermin!”
Looking ahead, I saw something that made my blood boil. Three ponies in armor shoving a poor child away with their boots. Their armor looked like they matched the era this world gave off: platemail armor in black with red accents. The child had a pale purple coat and a blond mane, and on her forehead, she had a small horn, meaning she was a unicorn. She wore tattered rags and she looked like she hadn’t eaten much as of late. As I stared at the sight before me, I realized this was the same child shown in the window from before.
“You’re a poor excuse for our race! Crawl back to whatever broodmare you came from!” one of the armored guards shouted as he moved to shove the poor child deeper into the alley. It was then I saw that the three guards were also unicorns, yet somehow, they have no issue being cruel to one of their own.
Pulling the tip of my hood down further, I slowly walked on. The three guards walked in my direction, each one giving off an air of pride like they were the owners of this town. And judging by how the other ponies moved away from the guards, they might as well be.
As I was about to pass by, one of the guards bumped into me. “Hey, watch where you’re going, dumbass!” he shouted before shoving me to the ground and walked on.
Getting off the ground, I dusted myself off and saw the little pony child whimper in the alley, her knees pushed up to her chest. Her body shaking as she cried became more than I could bear to watch.
As soon as I was a foot away, I knelt down on one knee and cleared my throat to get her attention. When she looked up, she could see my face hidden underneath my hood. My appearance must have frightened her a bit because she gasped and scooted away rather quickly. I held up a hand to show I wasn’t going to hurt her. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not with those armored jerks,” I tried to say in as soothing a tone as I could.
For a moment, she kept her distance, still looking at me like I was some kind of monster, which was reasonable, given that I’m not from this world. I smiled and held out a cloth bag to her, and with a shake of my hand, the bag made a jingling sound. Her eyes shifted from scared to surprised as she stared at the bag. She slowly reached her hands out, and I met her halfway and dropped the bag into her hands. I watched as the weight of the bag caused her body to lean forward, making her gasp. When she fixed her footing, she opened the bag and let out an even louder gasp than before. Inside were gold coins, and I could see a twinkle of hope in her eyes as she stared at it.
I felt a wave of satisfaction as I slowly stood up, ready to find the tavern Faust mentioned and learn more about this world, when I felt a tug at my shirt. Looking down, it was the little pony looking up at me with a look of disbelief. She tried to hold the bag up with one hand, but it was too heavy for her to do so with only one hand. “Are you really giving this to me, sir?” she asked, her voice daring not to sound hopeful.
I smiled and knelt down one knee and smiled. “Yes, of course. Make sure you take that home right away, okay?”
“But why would you give me this much? There has to be fifty bits in here,” she said while looking back in the bag.
With a wink and a smile, I held a finger to my lips as I tried to keep her voice down. “Can you keep a secret?” She nodded her head. “You remember those guys in the armor?” Another nod. “Well, when they shoved me earlier, I stole this off them.” That made her gasp again. I shushed her again, the filly quickly covering her mouth with one hand. “Now, I don’t know how long before they realize when they don’t have it, but you should run home as fast as you can. I wouldn’t want them thinking you stole it, okay?”
She looked down at the bag before looking back to me, and in one swift step, she hugged me. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” She started to cry into my chest, and all I could do was hug her back lightly and pat her head.
Before I got back up to leave, I had an idea. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know where the local pub is, would you?”
Following the directions the little pony gave me, who I learned was named Dinky, - ‘Dear lord above, these names are cringe.’ - I found my way to the pub that Faust had wanted me to go to. This was where she said I could gather information that I would need. When I was walking up to the pub, something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. There were more of those armored guards, and they were setting up what looked like some gallows. Along with three nooses. Immediately, my hand moved to rub my neck as the idea seemed so barbaric. To make it all the more depressing, they had the damn thing set in front of what looked like a schoolhouse. Ponies who were passing by looked in horror, but at the same time, they’ve seen this too often.
If this is how they deal with criminals, then maybe it was a way to keep would-be criminals in hiding and to think twice before trying anything. I pushed this thought out of mind and moved on with my original goal. I made sure that my hood was pulled over my head so my face wasn’t easily seen before pulling the door to the pub and walking inside.
It looked like anyone would imagine a pub set in the Middle Ages: wood floors with stain marks from spilt drinks, wooden tables and chairs scattered around the surprisingly large room, drunks sitting together drunk off their asses or passed out on said table, and at the far end of the room was the bar itself. To my surprise, I could see what I would have to guess was a woman, or if I need to be politically accurate, a mare standing behind the bar.
Something about the ponies here that I found rather curious was that they didn’t look creepy to look at. You would think seeing a human with equine-like features would make them unforgettable to stare at. However, they had quite the opposite effect. The equine features extended to merely having pony ears at the top of their heads and a slight muzzle. It was barely noticeable, but still almost human. There was also the fact they all had slightly large eyes that were almost cute, like an anime character’s. Their bodies were no different either. Though they are covered in fur, it was so short and fine that it would look like their skin was just a different color. Only when your hand would make contact with them would you feel said fur. Their body build was almost exactly the same as a human, making distinguishing their genders all that much easier. Needless to say, chicks had breasts, dudes didn’t.
The mare at the counter was a sight to see. Unlike most of the town full of muted and depressing colors, she wasn’t sporting such colors. Rather, she had cyan fur that easily made her stand out among the dark, dingy pub. And if that wasn’t enough, then there was her prismatic hair, or mane in this case; it was literally rainbow colored. It looked messy, but you can easily see different color stripes of the rainbow, all six of them. But that was where the colorful eyesore would stop as she wore a tattered brown shirt and a black apron as she wiped the bar counter with a rather dirty looking rag.
As I watched her scrub, she glanced my way and scoffed. “Are you just gonna stand there wasting space, or are you here to buy something?” She spoke abrasively in a rather raspy voice. Not wanting to provoke her further, I walked toward the counter, every step I took on the floorboards creaked loudly, causing the bar patrons to cast their glares toward me. I paid them no mind as they soon went back to their own worries. Reaching the counter, I took a seat on a very wobbly stool, barely managing to maintain my balance on it. The rainbow-haired mare looked at me and placed her hand down on the counter. “So what will you be buying?”
‘Straight to the point I see. I can respect that,’ I thought to myself as I looked into her magenta eyes, a sight that both surprised me and held my curiosity. “I was told this was the best place to get information.”
She looked rather annoyed as she slammed her fist down on the counter. “Look buddy, if you want information, go to a damn library. Because unless you’re willing to fork over some bits, then you should get out and stop wasting space.” She pulled no punches and looked even angrier than before.
I moved my hand to grab the bag of coins from my hip, or bits, as I’m guessing is the name of this world’s currency. I placed the bag on the counter, much to her surprise. She tried to reach over to grab it, but I smacked her hand away, causing her to pull it back. I reached inside, pulling out one of the gold coins and held it up. “One bit per question answered. Sounds like a fair trade?”
She gave me a glare for smacking her hand, but was quick to swipe the coin from my hand before inspecting it. She examined the coin before biting it to no doubt see if it was authentic. When she was sure it was legit, she quickly placed the coin under the counter, where I heard it dropping onto some more coins with a light clatter. “Alright, what do you wanna know?”
For what felt like a massive exposition dump, I sat at that counter absorbing as much information as humanly possible, and dear lord almighty, there was a lot to take in. This information nearly cost me seventy-five percent of the coins I had left in my little bag, but I can say for sure it was worth it.
To start off, I learned the basics of this world’s economy and lifestyle. The pony race is broken down into four categories. Earth ponies, who were strong and excelled in agriculture. The pegasi, who could fly and control the weather. Then there were the unicorns, who could manipulate their magic much easier than any of the previous two races. ‘I swear, if I hadn’t just been revived from death itself by an anthro pony goddess, I would think I’m in a children’s cartoon for girls.’
Speaking of which, this brought me to the fourth race, which, compared to the previous three, is considered a rarity in that they are seen as deities, and those would be the alicorns. These ponies encompass all three pony races in one, but are a hundred times more powerful. Not only that, but they are said to be able to live for thousands of years while the average pony can live for up to a hundred and thirty years. Kinda jealous, but back on the matter of alicorns.
Apparently, Faust wasn’t the only alicorn in existence here. There were her two daughters, whom she did tell me about, but I had no idea that they were alicorns. Rainbow Dash then told me the moment it all went to hell. Six months after the reformed second sister, Luna, there was an announcement that both the princesses had suddenly gone missing. And literally not soon thereafter did they make this announcement, Celestia’s nephew suddenly proclaimed to take the throne in their absence. You would think the people (or ponies in this case) would quickly assume that he had something to do with their sudden disappearance. But this is where things go south. The crown in this world wasn’t the only thing that matters; much like people in the Middle Ages, religion was just as important. Their Pope stepped forward when there had been an angry mob at the castle’s gates, and he told the citizens that this was the will of Faust herself, that the princesses were on a sacred mission from their mother. And by one of the commandments of Faust, they must follow the leadership of their new king.
Some had their reservations on the sudden change in powers, others were outraged, but no one tried to stand up against the new ruler for fear they might upset Faust’s divine rule. And then the real horror show began.
Canterlot, the once proud capital that allowed any race in, became exclusive to only the nobles and unicorns. See, Blueblood believed in unicorn supremacy. He thought any other race to be inferior. The only race that stood above them were the alicorns, but now with them out of the way and with him in power, he was allowed to do as he pleased. However, this didn’t mean he would accept all unicorns, because even he has standards for his own kind. He would only let those of noble families or with high magical prowess stay. And despite his hatred for the other races, so long as they were nobles and had the wealth and business, they could stay as well.
Families and businesses were cast out, taxes and rules soon were made absolute by law. Never before had the citizens of this kingdom ever felt so much fear as they do now with Blueblood sitting on the throne.
While I was trying to sum up all the knowledge I just took in, I noticed that the barmaid had this saddened look on her face. Up till now, she had a stoic expression, like no matter what you said to her, she’d never let it bother her. Now, however, she looks like someone mourning the loss of someone she cared about.
Pulling out a single bit, I gently slid it over to her. “Bit for your thoughts?”
She hesitated, wanting to swipe in whatever bits I put down as she answered my questions, probably thinking I would want a refund if she didn’t give me the answer I wanted. She took her time pulling the coin towards her. “It’s about my friend Twilight. She left for Canterlot right before Blueblood made that stupid decree. Twilight is a unicorn, and she has really strong magic, too. More than enough to make up for her lack of wealth. She never came back to tell us what was wrong. We tried sending her letters, but we didn’t get anything back.” A single tear rolled down her cheek as she clenched her fist. “Did she abandon us? Did she decide we aren’t worth staying by?” She lowered one of her elbows to the counter to prop her head as she tried and failed to hold back her tears.
I wasn’t sure what to say or do. I had just met this woman not thirty minutes ago, and now she was crying about whether or not her friendship was a lie. Did I have any right to offer her any comforting words? Would they even matter? I wasn’t just going to sit here and do nothing. I moved a hand to lightly pat her shoulder. “I know it doesn’t mean much coming from someone you just met, but from the way you described this Twilight chick, I feel as though she hasn’t abandoned you or your friends.” She slowly looked up, eyes reddish from her crying. “You mentioned something about her being a student of one of your princesses’, right?” She weakly nodded. “Well, it’s just a theory, but maybe she’s still in Canterlot trying to figure out what happened to your rulers. I mean, it’s no coincidence that not shortly after they disappeared, Blueblood takes to the scene.” Despite having no real evidence, I figured some kind of hope was better than none, even false hope.
And it seemed to have worked as she had stopped crying and slowly stood straight back up, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “I-I guess that makes sense.” Though faint, I could see a smile creeping on her lips. “I wanna say I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so rude to you. Its just with what’s happening, it’s hard to really smile.” I waved it off and told her she had nothing to be sorry for, that I understood her plight. “I didn’t get your name, stranger. Mind telling me what it is?”
I was about to say something, when…
*DONG* *DONG* *DONG*
The sound of three bells being rung filled the whole bar, and a chilled coldness filled the room soon after. The drunken stallions who were having a jolly time in the corner suddenly sobered up and had grim looks on their faces. Even Rainbow Dash, a mare whose body was almost a literal rainbow, looked paler than a ghost. Without warning, she, as well as the other bar patrons, scrambled out of the bar, and soon after, I could hear the sound of people (or ponies in this case) rioting outside. So naturally, I too headed outside to see what had everyone so agitated.
When I did get outside, there was a swarm of ponies gathered around near the schoolhouse where the gallows stood by. But due to the crowd of ponies, I wasn’t able to see what it was they were all looking at specifically. Seeing as I wasn’t going to be able to see what the fuss was about, I ran to a nearby building, climbing up to the tall roof to get a better look. What I saw was horrifying.
Forming a perimeter around the gallows, unicorn guards pushed back the crowd of onlookers who were shouting and throwing their fists in the air in rage. But what really had my blood boiling was, inside a metal cage atop a wagon, were three ponies, all tied up and gagged with rope. One had light orange fur and a long blond mane. The other was much taller and stockier built with bright red fur and light orange hair. The last is what had pushed me over the edge; a smaller pony with bright yellow fur and long red hair was crying as she pressed herself against the two other ponies in the cage with her. She was the same age as Dinky, and she was terrified.
I didn’t need to know what had everyone in an uproar. The scene before me told me everything. And I wasn’t going to just stand by and watch.
(3rd POV)
The crowd of ponies shouted and booed as they were held back by armed unicorn guards. When they thought the crowd was getting too riled up, one of them would punch one of the rioters in the face, sending them backwards. This only angered the crowd as they shouted at the top of their lungs, fists thrown in the air. As the crowd voiced their disapproval, some of the guards brought the wagon closer to the stage so the cage was lined up. Once it was locked in place, the guard started forcing the tied-up ponies out. They had a difficult time with the one with red fur, standing a full head over the scrawny guards and wasn’t looking to make their jobs easier. He kept pushing back against the guards, trying to keep the mare and filly behind him from stepping onto the platform. However, a few shock spells from the guards caused the stallion’s body to weaken, and with the might of three guards, he was pulled onto the platform.
One of the guards on the ground who stood before the angered crowd pulled out a scroll of paper and began to read from it. “To all in attendance on this day, we will hang these three for their failure to provide for our glorious nation under the rule of King Blueblood! These three, who refused to not only pay their taxes, but refused to yield the crops that our king had demanded!”
As the guards on the stage pulled out the mare with blonde hair, she thrashed her head around until the gag in her mouth had moved enough for her to speak. “I told you already, we’ve been trying! But we can’t keep up with his demands, especially after you all took Granny Smith away from us!” the mare shouted, only for one of the guards to place the gag back over her mouth.
“Silence! We won’t have any of your excuses!” the guard with the scroll shouted. “You will not weasel your way out of your sentence!” He turned to the crowd and pointed to a portly stallion in a brown sienna-hooded monk-style robe. “You, friar, come here and read them their last rights.”
The stallion walked up slowly with a sorrowful look on his face. He looked to the guard. “Please sir, must we put these three to hang? Surely the king could find some kindness in his heart to spare them in the name of Faust’s love.” The friar had a bald spot on his head, with white hair and sideburns, and stood a little shorter compared to the other ponies.
The guard scowled at the friar, shoving him in the direction of the stage. “The king has given us our orders. So either read them their last rights or return to the crowd.”
Soon, they had the mare and filly walking onto the stage. The little filly was crying and squirming. She was dragged by the ropes around her body, barely able to keep the guard from dragging her to the noose that hung the lowest for her. She looked to the friar as he pulled out his book. She had a look that pleaded for him to save them. But her heart sank as she saw the friar with a sorrowful look and tears in his eyes. She knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything.
“She’s just a filly!” a member of the crowd called out.
“Would the king be so cruel as to kill a mere filly!?” another pony shouted out.
Suddenly, someone pushed through the crowd, punching one of the guards in the jaw. She had a rainbow mane and tail and cyan fur. Rainbow Dash made a mad dash to the stage, hoping that if she was fast enough, she could save at least Apple Bloom.
However, heroic as her intention was, she barely made it two feet to the stage before a spell slammed into her chest, causing her body to convulse into a spasm and fall to the ground. The lead guard snorted as he pointed at the now stunned mare on the ground. “We will hang this one after we finish with these three.” He turned to the crowd of ponies who were silent in fear at what had just transpired. “This is what heroics gets you! Disobey our mighty king and you too shall suffer the same fate as these four today!”
Two guards walked over to the unconscious Rainbow Dash and tied her hands together before dragging her off to the side of the stage to await her turn.
The three Apple siblings could only watch in horror as they had just watched their friend try to save them, only for her fate to be sealed as well. Poor little Apple Bloom was crying her heart out. Soon, she felt a rope wrap around her neck, followed by a tight tug that caused her to gag. And then it hit her all at once; she was going to die. The world almost seemed to slow down, even.
She could see the poor friar reading from his book as he said a prayer for them. Her brother and sister desperately try to break free from the ropes to save her. The executioner slowly walked toward the lever that would cause the floor under her hooves to fall away. She really was going to die.
Her eyes looked to the cloudy sky. She begged for a miracle. She begged that Faust would save them somehow. As her eyes looked away from the depressing sky that nearly matched the hopelessness of the situation, her eyes caught a glimpse of something. A tall, hooded figure stood on a house. They wore dark green clothes and a hood that practically hid their face. She had imagined it was a stallion, given his build. She watched as the figure reached back and pulled out what looked like a bow. Was this some other executioner? Would they kill them if the ropes didn’t? All these questions rushed through her mind as she watched him draw three arrows from behind his back.
Suddenly, she felt the ground beneath her disappear, and soon, she was falling down. Apple Bloom closed her eyes and waited for the end. She felt her body continue to fall in slow motion. She waited for the painful end.
THUNK
THUNK
THUNK
Suddenly, she felt her hooves slam into the ground, causing her to fall forward. The world suddenly picked back up as she heard gasps and felt the rough dirt against her body. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up. There she saw the square hole she fell from, along with the other end of her noose, where an arrow was buried in the wooden beam that cut through the rope where she would have hung from. She heard some gasping breaths from her side and looked to see her sister and brother, both very much alive with their own nooses cut in the same way as hers. Then she remembered the archer from the rooftop, quickly turning her head to see if he was still there. Despite the stage they were under, Apple Bloom could see between the wooden planks to the roof where the stallion stood, only he wasn’t there any more.
“Who did that!?” the lead guard shouted as he faced the crowd while the other guards remained dumbfounded. “Who among you dare oppose the King’s royal guards!?”
The crowd of ponies all took a step back as the guard who was practically foaming at the mouth with rage charged them. There was nothing but absolute silence as the lead guard glared at the crowd, suddenly jerking his head to the side when he caught the sight of movement. A tall, hooded figure slowly made his way through the crowd, making his way to the front, and it wasn’t hard to miss him as he stood a foot taller than most of the ponies in the crowd.
After carefully weaving his way through the crowd, the hooded figure turned to face the lead guard. The figure stood in a nonaggressive posture, and empty handed as well. “You did this? Where is your bow?” The figure simply shrugged, not bothering to say a word. The guard was beginning to feel irritated when he finally recognized the figure, his eyes widening with rage. “You!” he shouted, drawing the sword at his hip. He pointed the tip of his saber toward the hooded figure. “You’re the one who stole my money pouch, aren’t you!?”
The hooded figure raised his hands up slowly and shrugged them again. “Guilty as charged. Gotta say you had plenty of bits on you at the time. I was able to buy some very useful things with it,” the figure said in a mocking tone.
The stallion was now seething with rage, his grip on his blade tightening, making it shake slightly. “You lowly pickpocket!” His frown turned into a sadistic grin as he took a step forward. “Well, since you just confessed to the crime of stealing from a royal guard, I now have the power to sentence you to immediate death.”
The guard quickly lunged forward, the arm that held his sword raised high and ready to slash at the hooded figure. But in one swift movement and timed perfectly, the man sidestepped the blade as it came down. The lack of his sword colliding with anything caused the guard to lose balance and inevitably fall forward, hitting the ground face first, his plot high in the air. A few of the bystanders were shocked while some in the back held their hands to their muzzles as they suppressed a giggle or two.
The guard growled and sat up quickly, turning to the figure who stood opposite of him. “You dodged my attack?” he asked, almost sounding dumbfounded.
The hooded figure gave a mocking shrug and chuckled lightly. “What, did you expect me to stand still while you tried to kill me?” While the head guard was still in a daze, the hooded figure dashed forward, delivering a quick punch to the stallion’s exposed neck. This caused the guard to falter backward, grasping his neck as he wheezed through his injured trachea. “Bet that hurts, doesn’t it? For so long, you’ve treated others horribly without any fear of repercussion.”
The crowd around the gallows all watched in both shock and awe. The hooded figure delivered a swift kick into the lead guard’s chest plate, sending him falling back. An action that didn’t go without response as the other guards who had Rainbow Dash and the Apple family surrounded quickly charged the figure. The figure pulled a bow from beneath his cloak and drew an arrow from the same place. Notching the arrow and pulling it back, he aimed at the closest guard. The moment his grip on the arrow released, the crowd watched as it flew in the blink of an eye, straight into the eye of one of the guards. The scream of pain that erupted from the guard before he fell dead on his knees halted the other guards in their tracks. “Y-you killed him,” one guard said, not a tone of rage, but one of fright as the idea of death had never occurred to them as a possibility.
“Don’t sound surprised. When you come to claim the life of another, expect to forfeit your own should you lack the strength to do so.” The hooded figure moved his hand back under his cloak and drew two more arrows. He notched both arrows at the same time, drawing the string back before letting them cut through the air and into the throats of two more guards. He heard the battle cry of another guard from behind him, his sword raised in the air, ready to bring it down on his target.
The crowd gasped, thinking it was over for the hooded figure, until, with a flick of his wrist, his bow turned into a bo staff and quickly moved it to block the blade with ease. Turning to face his attacker, the hooded figure pushed the stallion backward before swinging his staff downwards, sweeping the stallion’s legs, causing him to fall backwards, and with a swing of his staff, delivered a blow to his head, knocking the stallion unconscious. With another flick of his wrist, the bow changed back, string back in place.
“You filthy scum!”
“Apple Bloom, no!”
The figure turned to see the lead guard holding the little filly at knife point, his blade pressed to her throat as he held her body in front of him like a shield. “You bastard! Did you really think you could get away with killing the royal guard!?” The stallion had a deranged look in his eyes, along with a look of rage. “Drop the bow and put your hands up or the girl dies!” The older sister tried to reach out to her little sister, but was held back by the brother, no doubt afraid what would happen if she got too close to the guard holding his other sister. “Do it! Now!”
The hooded figure stared for a moment before releasing his grip on his bow, letting it fall to the ground and raising his hands up as he was told. “Release the girl now, or you will die,” the figure spoke with a threatening and confident tone.
“You are in no position to be giving me orders! I’m the one with the hostage, and you are on your own!” The stallion’s voice became more aggressive as he kept Apple Bloom close to him while his blade neared her throat.
The figure scoffed and shook his head. “It’s funny that you think I came here to pick a fight alone. My band of merry men have you surrounded, and each one has a bow aimed right at you. Your blade won’t touch that girl’s throat before an arrow strikes the back of your own neck,” the figure said with a smile.
“You lie! You are the only one here, and there are no allies of yours!” Though he didn’t want to admit it, the lead guard began to feel nervous as his hand holding the blade trembled. Was he really surrounded?
“Well, you heard him, men. Go ahead and let your arrows fly true,” the figure said as he looked behind the stallion and nodded. This made the lead guard panic and turn his head away. In that brief opening, the hooded figure slipped his hand into his sleeve and pulled out a throwing knife. In one swift movement, he sent the blade flying through the air till it stabbed the lead guard in the hand holding the blade. This caused him to howl in pain as both the grip on his knife and Apple Bloom released.
The little filly quickly ran as the lead guard tried to pull the knife out of his hand, all the while the hooded figure strolled up to the weeping stallion. Once the figure stood in front of the downed stallion struggling to pull the blade out of his hand, he grabbed the blade from the stallion's hand, and in a quick slash, slit the stallion’s throat with the same blade. The lead guard grasped his throat, trying to gasp for air, but all that came out was a gurgling sound as blood poured from his mouth before falling to the ground dead.
The world fell silent as the crowd watched in a mixture of horror and awe. The hooded figure leaned down to rip a piece of cloth off the now dead lead guard and used it to clean his throwing knife. Once the blade was clean, he tossed the bloody cloth onto the dead stallion’s face. Placing the blade back in his sleeve, the man looked to the three siblings, who were hugging each other now that they were saved and together.
“Monster!” Everyone turned to see that the guard that had been knocked out was awake and panicking. He saw the dead, bloody bodies of his comrades and captain and tried to run away, but his legs wobbled and couldn’t carry his body. He started to dig into the ground, dragging himself away as he crawled. “Someone! Anyone! Help!” the guard called out to the crowd of ponies who looked at him with disdain and hatred.
“Do you seriously think any one of them is willing to save you?” The guard’s body jolted as he slowly looked back to see the hooded figure now standing over him, a cold look in his eyes and knife in hand. The man quickly stomped his foot on the stallion’s chest, pinning him to the ground, making him gasp and flail. The stallion became still as the figure pointed his blade at him. “I could kill you; I should kill you after what you were about to do.” The hooded figure leaned down, causing him to put more weight down on the pinned stallion. “But I have something else in mind for you.” The stallion became stiff as he felt the man drag his blade along his neck, barely scraping it as he spoke. “You are going to pass a message on to your would-be king for me.”
The hooded figure pointed the blade at the stallion’s face, forcing his attention on him. “You tell him that his reign of terror is drawing to an end, and that divine punishment is in his future.” The figure moved his foot off the stallion as he continued to speak. “You tell him a rain of arrows will soon befall his kingdom, and each arrow is aimed at him. No matter where he goes, no matter where he hides, they will find their mark.” The figure kicked the stallion away and watched as the frightened guard stumbled onto his hooves. “You will pass on my name. This will be the name that will spark hope in the oppressed and strike fear in the hearts of those whose sin has invoked Faust’s wrath. You tell him that Robin Hood is here to bring justice to this kingdom.” He glared down at the frightened guard and leaned down. “Think you can pass that message on for me?” The guard nodded his head rapidly and quickly started running away with his tail between his legs.
The hooded figure watched the stallion run until he was out of sight, then turned his attention to the Apple siblings. “I’m not sure how long it will take him to reach his king, but if I were you, I would gather your belongings and go into hiding. There is no guarantee he’ll forget to mention that you haven’t been killed.”
Picking up his bow, the hooded figure turned to start walking in the direction of the nearby forest. He stopped when he felt a sudden tug at his cloak. Looking down, he saw the little filly was now looking up at him, a look of warmth and gratitude. “Thank you for saving me and ma siblings.” There were tears in her eyes, still scared from the near death experience, but happy that she had been saved.
Robin smiled down at the little filly and moved a hand to gently pat her head. “Anytime kid. Now, you and your brother and sister better get moving, okay? Find someplace to hide out till the guards give up on looking for you.” The little filly nodded and ran back to her siblings, who hugged her, tears in their eyes.
Robin continued on his walk toward the dark and foreboding forest, confident that his first impression would send a shockwave that would spread throughout the whole kingdom. And with luck, strike fear in the king’s heart.
Chapter 2: The Fall of Ponyville
(Robin POV)
I had entered the eerie forest near midday, but now I could see the sun was slowly beginning to go down. This dark and foreboding forest was sending shivers down my whole body, a feeling I hadn’t felt since the time I spent a night in the savannas of Africa, where I could hear hyenas and lions roaring in the distance. I had my bow out and an arrow notched for good measure as I walked deeper in. At times, I could have sworn I saw glowing eyes peering out of bushes looking right at me, but whenever I turned to face them, they would disappear.
Any normal person would be panicking and running for the hills. However, from a young age, I was trained and put into similar situations so that I could remain calm, even under intense pressure. I kept walking while also making sure I wasn’t being followed by anyone or anything. I had no idea what creatures dwell within this new world. As far as I know, there are anthro talking ponies, so nothing is outside the realm of possibilities. Being calm aside, I knew I wasn’t gonna spend the night in the middle of this forest and sleep.
But that may not be an issue as I find myself following some kind of trail that cuts through the forest. Sure enough, in the distance, I see what could only be described as the ruins of a long-forgotten castle, surrounded by a moat. The only thing connecting the two sides was a very old and rickety bridge. “I swear if I reach the other side and find a giant pink female dragon, I’m gonna lose my shit,” I joked as I carefully made my way across the bridge, breaking two of the wooden planks and nearly falling down each time.
When I had finally reached the other end, I took a moment to catch my breath and survey my surroundings. I hadn’t seen any trace that there could have been any other bridges aside from the one I had just used, which tells me that no large animal could have crossed it without falling inside, meaning that I could very well be the only one around. Well, that’s what I’m hoping for at the very least.
Once I was close enough to the ruins, I saw that there wasn’t much of this castle left standing, barely a roof to shield me should it ever rain, but beggars can’t be choosers. I searched the perimeter a few times to make sure that I was the only one inside this broken-down castle, but also to see if there were any rooms with at least four walls and a door. Fortunately, there was one room that did fit the bill, a massive room with tower-high shelves filled with books: the library.
After closing the door behind me, I saw that this room seemed to be the most intact. There were a few windows that had some pieces of glass missing, but the holes weren’t big enough for anything large to slip through. Something odd that I did see there were some pillows that looked fairly new in comparison to everything else inside. It was possible that someone had visited this place some time ago, but not recently since there was a good amount of dust built up on the pillows. Still, a good dusting and they were as good as new.
“This place should be as good of enough spot as any to get some shut eye.” After picking a perfect spot to get some rest, I lay my head down on the pillow and let all the events that had transpired finally catch up. And just like that, I slipped into slumber.
When my eyes opened up, I saw a familiar place. I was sitting inside a large lobby and had my feet hanging from the chair as I kicked them back and forth. I was sitting, waiting for my father while he was in the middle of a business conference with some people with a well-known company in Mexico. I knew this memory all too well. I was just five years old when dad decided to take me with him on his business trip.
My father was a wealthy man, who made money by negotiating with big companies and helping spread the word of their brand and business. He also helped make small investments in businesses that he deemed worth his time, in exchange for a share of their profits once they were able to make a good profit.
Though I was five, I was home schooled by my parents, and they often hired experienced tutors for things such as learning new languages or subjects my parents didn’t know. Because of this, I was a well-behaved child and never caused problems for my parents. Even now, as I sat in this rather boring and quiet waiting room, I behaved myself, remaining quiet and waited patiently for my father to finish with his meeting.
The building we were in was very modern, with clean white walls, ceiling and tiles. There were a few televisions showing stuff from TV shows from soap operas to the local news in Mexico. However, outside of the building was a different story. I was sitting next to a window and saw the city outside. Unlike the building I was in that made it seem modern and somewhat cheerful, the outside was the complete opposite.
The buildings outside were tattered, run down, and almost devoid of colors besides gray, brown and beige, some of which were almost falling apart. The people were no different as some of those who walked by the building looked as though they hadn’t been happy in decades. Some were dirty and wore torn and damaged clothing and looked ill. There were some who tried to maintain a happy face, but it looked more like they were trying their best not to break down crying. There were children that looked like they hadn’t eaten in days, and almost seemed devoid of life.
The few tourists who walked down the streets all gave disgusted looks whenever they were approached by some poor person begging for money, even when that person was a child. They just shooed them away or threatened them till they walked off.
I had clenched my chest as I felt a twang of pain grip my heart, and tears had started to roll down my cheeks without me even knowing. I had never felt like this before, and I hated it. This was a feeling I didn’t ever encounter before in my life so far.
My eyes caught a glimpse of a woman holding her child’s hand as she walked around, begging any tourist who passed for money or food for their child. One of the male tourists shouted and shoved the woman and child away into an alley, both of whom fell down, and he then walked away. The mother looked hurt, but not badly injured, while the child hugged her to make sure she was alright.
I felt a slight pain in my hands and looked down to see I had them clenched tightly into fists, and they were shaking. I could also feel my heartbeat racing and a sense of anger that I, at the time, didn’t understand why I felt like this.
There were no thoughts when I had jumped up onto my feet and walked over to my father’s suitcase. Before entering the meeting, I remember us visiting a bank and saw my father withdraw a huge stack of bills that he then stuffed into his wallet. I also saw him slip his wallet into the pocket of his suitcase. I looked for that pocket until I spotted the zipper and opened it. Inside was the wallet, and it wasn’t even able to close because of how many bills were stuffed inside.
I glanced around to make sure my dad wasn’t looking and was still in his meeting. I could have grabbed just a few bills, enough that my dad wouldn’t have noticed should they go missing. But there was something inside of me that just spoke out, a voice that told me to take it all to those who really needed it most. And against my better judgment, I grabbed the wallet and quickly ran for the exit, careful not to lose any money and kept it hidden.
When I got outside, I looked around desperately for the mother and child I saw from before. And to my excitement, I saw that they were still sitting down in the alleyway. I walked up to them and spoke as clearly as possible. “Perdóneme.” I called out in Spanish. She turned to face me, and I could see more clearly that she had been neglecting herself. She looked like she was in her mid-thirties, but her face looked pale, and her cheeks were sunken in. Her arms and legs looked like they had atrophied, as though she hadn't eaten in who knows how long. I pulled a thick stack of bills from the wallet and held it out for her. “Por favor tome esta.”
The woman looked at the money with wide eyes, her mouth open in shock as she struggled to raise a hand to gently take the bills out of my hand. She looked down at them and then back to me. “Niño donde conseguiste esto. No puedo aceptar esto.”
She tried to give it back, but I gently pushed her hand back and smiled at her. “Por favor. Necesitas esto más que yo o mi padre. No lo necesitamos tanto.” And then I heard both her and her child’s stomach growl, as if they wanted to chime in. “Toma el dinero. Ve a comprar comida para ti y tu hijo. Deja de descuidarte.”
The woman began to cry. She held the money and her son close to her chest and cried. Before I knew it, she reached out and pulled me into the hug. “¡Gracias Dios! ¡Gracias por este milagro en la forma de este chico amable!” She sobbed and held me close, her son hugging me too and thanking me.
After she had finally calmed down, the two slowly got up to go and find a place to eat. But before they left, the son walked up to me. He was a little older than me, possibly seven years old. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a rosary from around his neck, and carefully moved it over my head and around my neck. “Que siempre seas bendecido por Dios.”I had no words and watched them both walk away, as though they had been given new life.
My act of generosity hadn’t gone unnoticed as more poor people slowly came up to me, some asking for the same kindness. I had no hesitation as I began to pass out money to those in need. I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and joy as I watched their faces light up, and heard some of them wishing me good fortune and blessing me.
I had finished giving the last of the money to thankfully the very last person and watched them leave for the closest food vender. But no sooner after giving that money away did I feel a hand clasp my shoulder. Looking back, I saw my father looking down at me with a stern expression on his face. He guided me into the alley, and in my mind, I felt as though I was about to receive a very harsh punishment.
Once we were far back enough, he stopped in front of me and kept his back turned to me. “Son, did you steal the money from my wallet, and went and gave it to all those poor people?” I felt my voice catching in my throat as I let out a weak yes. “Would you care to explain to me why you did that before I do what comes next?”
Even though I was terrified of my punishment, a part of me told me I should be scared, but proud of what I did. Without any real thought into what I was gonna say, I answered. “Because they needed it!” My father looked over his shoulder as I shouted. “You have so much money, but they don't even have enough to buy food! I couldn’t sit there knowing I could have done something!” I kept shouting, I never once shouted at either of my parents, nor have I ever felt this angry. There was a fire burning in my chest that could not be quelled. “We live with so many luxuries, that I didn’t know until I saw that mother and her son. She was denying herself food so her son wouldn’t starve to death! I’ve never been that hungry and I know that I’m lucky for it.” Tears began to well up in my eyes, because in the back of my mind, I knew that what I did hadn’t solved the problem. “But I was able to bring a smile on their faces by taking from the rich and giving to the poor. And I’d do it again even if it means you hate me!!”
After that last shout, my heart was racing. I knew that I was about to receive a painful punishment, but I didn’t care. I spoke the truth and stood by it. Even when I saw my father turn to face me and raise his hand up, my resolve did not falter. I closed my eyes and braced for the hit.
But after a few seconds, all I felt was a hand gently caressing my head. When I opened my eyes, I saw that he was kneeling down on one knee, and he had this smile that I had never seen before. My father, for as long as I had known him for the five years I was alive, never smiled the way he was right now. He wasn’t a cold man in that he never smiled at his own son, but that it was a simple smile, one of approval of a task you were expected to do. However, this smile put all of those to shame. He was smiling ear to ear and showing his white teeth, and I could see that his eyes mirrored that joy, he looked like he was on the verge of tears. “I’m so proud of you, son.” Even his voice, which was neutral, sounded vastly different. “You truly are a Loxley.”
He stood back up and held out his hand for me to hold. He guided me back out of the alley and held my hand gently as he spoke. “Son, did you notice anything about the bills you took out of my wallet?” The question threw me off a bit. I hadn’t the foggiest idea what he meant by that. I tried to think back on the bills I was handing out, but couldn’t think of what it had to do with his question. He must have figured out that he had me stumped and continued. “The money I withdrew was all Mexican currency, because there are some places around this country that don’t usually take US currency.”
Then it finally hit me. “You wanted me to take the money to give to the people here?” I asked, now beyond curiosity as to what my father was thinking.
He smiled and nodded. “Yes, son. That was a test.” A test? What kind of test would have their child steal money from them, and so much? “Son, I'm willing to bet that there was a part of you that just told you to take that money and give it to the poor, despite the repercussions that would have come after.” How did he know? “I think it’s about time I tell you a little bit more about our family’s origin, and the real work I do that no one knows about.”
That day, I took the first of many steps into learning who I was, and the destiny that would forever intertwine with my life.
CREEAAK
The sound of the wood doors creaking snapped me out of my dream, and immediately, I reached for my bow and drew an arrow from my quiver. From atop the tallest bookshelf where I was sleeping, I turned my eyes to the doors. I needed time for my eyes to adjust since it was still dark outside. I couldn’t have been asleep for more than two hours at best. I could vaguely make out two figures moving through the room, and soon enough, I could hear their voices.
“Are ya sure he came this way, RD?” I heard a rather familiar southern accent, female if I was right.
“Look, he ran into the Everfree, and this is the only place anypony could spend the night without getting jumped by any monsters.” I then heard a very familiar raspy voice. It was Rainbow Dash from the pub.
After a few seconds, I saw what looked like a torch being lit, and then watched the flame move across the room. Soon, other torches began to be ignited and the room became more illuminated. I didn’t need to worry about these two being a threat and placed both my bow and arrow back before jumping down.
When I touched down on the ground, there was a loud thud that made both ponies jump and yelp before turning in my direction to see what had made the sound. “I wasn’t expecting to have guests over. Had I known, I would have tidied up a bit,” I joked as I strolled up to them.
“For Faust’s sake, don’t do that, dude!” Rainbow Dash held her chest as she and her friend caught their breaths. “What were you even doing up there anyway?”
“I was sleeping. I learned how to sleep just about anywhere. Comes in handy when there isn’t a bed for miles.” This was one of many skills I had to learn to make the best of a bad situation. “Now I have a question: what are you two doing here?”
“We came to see if we can find you. We kinda freaked out when you ran straight into the Everfree Forest.” Dash had moved to take a seat over on a nearby table along with her friend. Dash had told me about this forest, that, by pony standards, it was an oddity because everything here grew and lived without the aid of the ponies. But to me, that just sounded like back home.
“Yeah, well, it was someplace that seemed like a good place to hide out for a bit.” I glanced around the walls of the place, and despite its less than ideal conditions, it did have something alluring to it. Like being in this castle felt almost natural. I snapped myself from admiring the castle and looked at the pony that tagged along with Dash. “You’re Applejack, right?” She looked at me and nodded. I could tell she was still shaken up about earlier, and I couldn’t blame her. She and her siblings nearly died, but cheated death only by chance. “I understand if you are still on edge from before, but did you do what I asked before I left?”
She nodded weakly and took deep breaths to calm herself down. “We did. Actually, before Granny was killed.” I saw Dash wince a bit and almost looked worried for her friend. “She had us start building a secret cellar deep in the orchard, with an exit that leads into the White Tail Woods. We’ve been stowing whatever we could when no pony was looking.” Tears had begun to well up in her eyes, and I pulled out a handkerchief from my shirt pocket out for her. She happily took it and dabbed her eyes before handing it back. “Thanks, sugarcube, ah really appreciate it.”
While I wanted to feel bad for this poor girl, I couldn’t for the life of me ignore the fact that, despite this being a world meant to be set in the Middle Ages, she was talking with a western accent. Come to think of it, the people here talk like they’re from my time. Dash even said “dude”. I feel like the book of logic might have been thrown out the window in this world.
“Anyway, after you left, me and mah siblings got to work harvesting as many apples as we could to put in the cellar, and some of our belongings from our home. We’re trying to get as much as possible before they come back to finish the job.” She wept again and I gave her my hankie to keep. I felt like she needed it more than me.
“Well, they wouldn’t be coming back if you had just killed that last guard.” Dash turned her attention to me, and she seemed to have an attitude now. “Why didn’t you kill him? If you did, he wouldn’t be off running back to Blueblood to get help.”
“He would have sent more soldiers regardless of whether I had killed that last guard or not.” Both ponies looked like they didn’t understand what I meant. “They were sent out to do a job that would have taken but a few hours to do and should have been back with a report by the end of the day’s end. Had they not returned, they most definitely would have sent some more to see as to why.” Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash went silent as they both came to the same conclusion and couldn’t really argue with my logic. “Anyway, we have a more pressing matter to deal with.”
“What would that be?” both girls asked.
“Since someone did stop them, they are bound to retaliate. The only thing we need to know is how long we have before that happens.” I leaned back in my chair, thankful it wasn’t old enough to break just from my weight alone. I tried to imagine how long till reinforcements would arrive. “Between here and your capital, how long would you say it would take for someone on foot to get there?”
Both girls looked at one another before Applejack spoke up. “Well, when ah did it, it took me nearly a whole day to get there, and that was when I was in peak condition. Given that feller was a unicorn, I’d say it could take him as long, if not a bit longer?”
So, one day so far, which meant that we might have two days if the trip back takes as long. In theory it should, since a mark of enemies tends to move slower than one running at full speed. But “if” isn’t good enough. “Let's assume they wanted to come back; is there a faster way they can do so in less time?”
“Well, they could take a train.” Rainbow said, making me look at her in disbelief.
“Did you say a train?” She nodded and I pinched the bridge between my nose. ‘So this world is set in a medieval era, yet they have people here who speak like the modern era from home, people with southern accents, and trains……Where the fuck am I?’
Giving myself a moment to finally understand that I’m in a world where magic and pastel colored anthro ponies exist, I decided to just let it go. “Alright, so assuming they decided to come back via train, how long would that take at best?”
The two spoke among each other and I could hear some bickering, no doubt trying to argue the right time. After about a minute or so, Dash turned to me. “At best, eight hours.”
“And is that with them making pit stops to drop off passengers along the tracks?” I figured that the trains here must go around the whole kingdom.
Applejack shook her head. “Nah, that's coming straight from Canterlot to here. See, ever since that varmint Blueblood took over, he’s forbidden anypony who isn’t either a member of the guard or a noble from riding on the trains.” Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Ah tell you what, it was hard as is when he raised taxes, but making it so even us working ponies can’t use the train made it harder to make a living. Hell, no other merchants even bother coming this far out anymore, and those who do shoot up their prices. Makes it harder for us to even get the bare minimum to make food or rebuild our homes.”
“Tell me about it. I have to haggle to buy a single barrel of beer for the bar. I’d be lucky if I can get four without having to sell my wings,” Dash added, looking just as defeated as Applejack.
Taking in all this information, I began to do the math. ‘So, one full day till that soldier reaches the castle. Plus, the eight hour long train ride. Assuming they need to also gather the manpower needed to wipe out a town, as well as prepare the train for travel, that's about maybe another day at best.’ After factoring in all the variables and possible ways the math could be off, I came to a reasonable idea when they’ll be back. “We got less than two days before they come back.”
“Two days? Isn’t that a bit too soon?” Applejack asked, seeming surprised by my rough estimate. “Ah mean, ah would think they would take a bit longer, don’t ya think?”
I shook my head and stood up from my chair to pace around the room. “I highly doubt it. Odds are the king will see this as an insult to his rule. Rulers like this Blueblood are all the same. If there is any sign that his reign is tarnished or besmirched, he will act in aggression. The one thing that can topple a tyrant’s reign is not weapons or power.” I turned back to see the girls now hanging off my every word. “It’s hope.”
“Hope?” both mares asked simultaneously.
I nodded and continued. “That’s right. You see, it takes only for a single spark of hope to grab the attention of a nation. Every cruel ruler knows that a single glimmer of hope can spell disaster for their rule. Because at the end of the day, there are more ponies being oppressed and enslaved than there are guards and nobles in that capital. A cruel ruler knows that a spark of hope has the potential to ignite the fuse that can spark a kingdom into rising up and fighting back. So it’s only natural that the ones desperate to cling to their power will do all that it takes to stamp out that flame before it can grow.”
As I spoke of sparks, I could almost see some in both Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s eyes. As though they only now just began to realize what today’s action truly meant. However, to keep that feeling alive, I needed to come up with a plan to ensure not only the safety of the whole town, but keep the king from breathing down our necks once it’s over.
Over the years as Robin Hood, I’ve used a great many plans to fool my enemies and trick them into leaving innocent people alone. I just needed to think of one that I could do in a short amount of time. I normally would have weeks to plan out my tactics, but after being thrust into a new world and having a short time span, I was in a real pickle.
While passing the library, watching the light made by the many torches flicker and dance around the library, I stopped to look at some sheets of paper along the floor. “Paper?” Something about paper started to nag my mind and was telling me that this was the key.
After a few more seconds, it finally clicked. “I think I have a plan. If it works, not only will Applejack and her siblings be saved, but if we’re lucky, the whole town might be able to get the king and his taxes off our backs for a good while.”
“No joking? That's awesome! What’s the plan?” Dash, who sounded excited, stood up, her wings fluttering.
“Yeah, partner, don’t keep us in suspense. Tell us.” Applejack seemed just as eager, if not sounding more hopeful.
With a smile on my face, I drew one of my arrows and examined the tip to make sure it was sharp enough. “It’s actually very simple, really. You two, as well as everyone in that town, must die.”
(2 days later 3rd POV)
“Sheriff…Sheriff.” A stallion guard called out to another as they slept in their seat.
The second stallion grumbled and opened his eyes, albeit reluctantly. “Oh, what now? I had just gotten comfortable,” he whined as his mind began to stir awake.
“We’re almost at our destination. I think now would be a good time to prepare for our mission,” the first stallion said as he left to go prepare.
Sheriff Swindle groaned and yawned as he stretched his arms and legs out while still sitting. As he woke up, he could hear and feel the train chugging along the tracks. The train car he was resting so comfortably on mere moments ago swayed and bobbed, making it almost impossible for him to not fall back asleep.
The pony sheriff was a slightly overweight unicorn stallion with light gray fur and a greasy black mane. He had yellow eyes and a poorly trimmed five o’clock shadow.
Despite his rank and name being sheriff, Swindle held a very high rank in his majesty’s court. He was also awarded the title of tax collector and commanded a very good portion of the king’s army. This was in part due to his quick adjustment to the sudden change in rulers. Swindle was an opportunist, and a very cunning one at that. The moment the princesses went missing and there wasn’t any sign of them coming back, he was the first to approach the new king and pledge his undying loyalty.
The fact he was a unicorn himself played in his favor. He brownnosed the king so much, he was awarded his title that was far superior to what the princesses had him stationed; a lonely guard placed in a market looking out for purse snatchers and helping lost crying foals find their parents.
Thankfully, he was also decent at magic. The king had stated that only unicorns with high levels of magical aptitude were allowed in his royal army. However, seeing as the king barely knew any beyond lifting objects as heavy as a sword as a qualification, any unicorn who would actually apply to enroll in the king’s army would pass no problem. If the king had been smart, he would have used his secretary as a good point of reference, as she was extremely skilled in magic. But Blueblood was too prideful to let anypony, let alone a mare, outdo him, such as the way of a fool.
The king was a fool, this much Swindle knew, and if he played his cards right, he could brownnose his way to a cushy life. Of course, that’s something he already has a bit of now.
Being in the king’s army came with so many benefits, you’d have to be a fool not to join if you can make the cut. Good pay, free drinks wherever there is a bar, and looking down at all the annoying peasants that he was charged to look out for. So what if he needed to bloody his hands a little? So what if he abuses his power to bully the poor? So long as he collects those taxes, he’s doing his job.
And this job wouldn’t be any problem. All they had to do was go in, slaughter some dumb townsfolk, and make it seem like they had been attacked by bandits.
While Sheriff Swindle was thinking about his master plan, he picked up on a rather unpleasant smell. He sniffed the air and fanned his hand near his nose. “Ugh, what smells like somethin’ is burnin’?”
Not a moment after asking his question did the first stallion come barging into the cabin. “Sheriff, half the town has been set ablaze!”
“What!?” Swindle shouted before moving his head near the closest window and poked his head out. Sure enough, in the distance about a mile away, he could make out the small town of Ponyville, as well as towers of black smoke and burning buildings. And ignoring the rushing wind blowing in his ear, he could hear the sound of ponies crying and screaming in pain.
Within ten minutes, the train docked at the station and all aboard the train rushed out toward the town. Plumes of black smoke began to build as they saw three to four houses set ablaze. When the Sheriff and his posse reached the outskirts of town, they saw the horror that befell the townsfolk.
Bodies littered the ground, some crushed beneath broken rubble, others with two to three arrows in their bodies, blood staining their clothes where the arrows pierced their bodies. Near a collapsed building, a mother and child could be seen lying on the ground, their hands held with arrows lodged deep in their backs.
“What in tarnation is going on here?!” Swindle called out, turning to look at his soldiers. “We were supposed to be the only ones coming out here, right?”
“Somepony help!!” a raspy voice called out from the town. When the group of unicorn soldiers turned to look back at the town, they saw two figures hobbling toward them. Both of them were mares, one was an earth pony who had blood dripping down her body, cuts and bruises and an arrow in her back. Said mare was being dragged by a pegasus with a rainbow mane, and she didn’t look like she was faring any better. “He’s going to kill us. Please stop him before…”
There was a sudden swishing sound and the mare let out a muted gasp before collapsing to the ground with her friend. The moment her body hit the ground, the soldiers could see an arrow had been shot into her back. They all saw blood staining her shirt where the arrow had struck. “Well well, lookie what we have here.” Everyone turned their heads to where they heard a voice and saw a hooded figure standing atop one of the burning buildings, bow and arrows in hand. “More moving targets for me to play with.”
