Reborn in a Dating Sim: Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Chapter Interlude

Tarnished Tiara looked around for a moment before she neared the armor her brother was using. A pang of guilt surged through her, but she quieted that down. The simple fact was that he’d brought this on himself. If she didn’t plant what was commanded of her on his armor then it would be her, her mother, even her father that would suffer. The command had come through an intermediary of Mithril Shield. She was to plant a collection of explosives on the armor’s back, out of sight, and away from all notice.

Her brother was gone, as was his demi-human servant. That one was something that bothered her far more than it should. Girls had servants as well, but they used them for sexual relief. That was their purpose. Granted, they also did menial chores for the girls, but all too often the over privileged girls often got their backs completely blown out by some beast person. To know that a man could do the same was unsettling. It didn’t seem right. It wasn’t that it wasn’t fair. Because in the grand scheme of things it certainly was fair, but it wasn’t right.

Men were supposed to cater after them, give them extra lovers, and be happy with receiving a mere heir or two. What her brother was doing spat in the face of all of that. It was saying that a man could do anything they could do, and that he didn’t have to have a woman. If it caught on then it would change the entire scope of power. She knew there was more reason for what she was doing, but at the same time she hated it. Granted, she never especially liked Copper Plum.

He was headstrong, opinionated, and yet he never hesitated to help out when she was actually in need. He treated her not like a superior, but like a sister. She wiped her eyes and felt the tears that were starting to fall, “Why am I crying?” she asked herself as she climbed the maintenance ladder, “He brought this on himself, and I mean it’s only right that he have to deal with the consequences, right?”

Her questioning wasn’t really talking herself out of it. Not that it was the intent of it at all. She understood what was happening, and she knew what had to happen. She found the hatch, opened it, and looked at the sight of the machine inside. This wasn’t the armor like the school had. This was different. She saw things inside of it that didn’t make sense. Blinking lights, long metal parts that were connected to other parts, and something that had a strange sign around it.

The sign itself was written in the language of the ancients. She couldn’t dare begin to understand that language, but she could guess that it was some kind of warning. She breathed out, took out the wrapped explosive, and pressed it close. She then began to move back, and as she did she studied the package. A small part of her cried out that she knew this was wrong, and she cursed as she grabbed the package and pulled it out.

“Damn it Copper,” she cursed as she moved down the ladder, “Why? Why do you have to make everything so much harder? Why can’t you just accept your place? Why do you have to be you? I want to hate you so much right now,” she said to herself, if no one else, and she held the package, “I can’t not plant it. If I don’t then he’ll have me, mother, and everyone else killed, but I can’t just let him do that to you.”

She looked at armor, and she saw the chest area. The shielding on the armors was the thickest there. He’d likely survive, and it would likely only knock him out. That way she could save face, and he would be slightly dishonored, but not dead. With that she moved with a purpose and she planted the explosives there. She climbed down, and turned in time to see Copper Plum, Lady Diamond Tiara, the scholarship student, and his demi human servant. She smoothed her school uniform, “Copper,” she said as she neared him, “Drop out, now,” she demanded, “Please, if this continues there’s a very real chance that it will come back on all of us. I don’t want mother and father to suffer for your foolishness.”

He looked at her, “Tarnished Tiara,” he said nodding his head, “I can’t back out. I’ve given my word, and that’s my bond. Besides, it’s not like I’m just doing this for selfish reasons. The prince is going to be running the country someday, and if he can’t tell that Satin is using him then he will make a poor king.”

She rolled her eyes, “You may have a point, but don’t you understand what this will do to you, to the rest of us?” she asked as she looked at him, “Just by accepting you’ve set things into motion that can’t be stopped. If you bow out now then the Prince likely will be merciful. He’ll at least forgive the rest of us. You’ll likely just get your promotion and a hefty amount of your wealth taken as recompense.”

He looked at her for a moment, “Look, I’m surprised that you care this much about me, and it’s a good surprise. I’m happy that my sister actually does love me. But there are things that have to be done despite what the outcome will be. I’m doing this for more than my own pride. I’m doing it because it needs to be done.”

She watched as he moved past her, “Afterward, how about I treat you to a decent meal? Something from the district right outside of the school?”

She watched as he moved, and she hung her head. Her conscience was screaming that she needed to tell him to get out, to not go, to look under the plating, but she held her tongue. She couldn’t give it away. She couldn’t risk her own life. She looked at his servant, and saw the calculating look she had. The rabbit woman was dangerous, and she knew that. She was someone that she couldn’t mess with. Something told her that she was not to mess with her.

Watching him move, the conflict inside of her began to build. If she spoke out, at all, it would get back to Mithril Shield. That would ensure that her entire life as a noble was over. It would make it impossible for her to marry someone worthy, and instead she would have to marry beneath her station. She closed her eyes, feeling the bitter anger building. She hated this. She hated it so much. There was no reason she should even have to do anything for him. He was an idiot, and she didn’t need to save him.

After a moment she looked back at the rabbit girl. She groaned and walked toward her. Without missing a beat she neared her as close as she dared, and hoped that the words wouldn’t spread further. If she was as dedicated as she seemed to her brother then she could potentially have discovered the explosive, and there would be no fault. It was just incredibly bad luck on the case of Mithril Shield. She swallowed down everything she was feeling, “I’d have him check the front of his armor,” she said her voice low, “There’s a noble that wants him more than stopped, they want him dead. Enough so much that they’re willing to threaten his sister in order to have it happen.”

She saw the way the rabbit girl looked, and she was thankful that she didn’t tip her hand, “Which one?” she asked before she could far, “Which one threatened my Captain by threatening you?”

She swallowed again, “The one he faces next. He wishes to see him pay for attempting to stand up to all of them. I’ve said too much, and taken too long,” she said as she walked away, “I’m sure that you’ll do what is necessary.”

With that she practically ran from where she had been. She needed to get back to the stands, she needed to look as if she had done exactly what was intended, and she needed to make it seem that she was willing to stab her brother in the back in order to save her own skin. She didn’t like him, at all, but he was her brother. He was her brother, and he wasn’t completely useless. More than that, she hated to admit it, but she owed him. If it hadn’t been for him she wouldn’t have been inducted into the higher courses at the Academy. She was accepted because of his accomplishments.

“We’re even now,” she said as she made her way to her seat, “Well, not really, but I’m never admitting it to you. Mostly because you’re so incredibly irritating Copper Plum. Still, I hope that this works out. Although, I am uncertain of what it will exactly mean for all of us.”

She neared the area where he seat was when she saw two individuals. Both of them were women, and she knew that they hung around Mithril Shield. There had been something of a rumor that he had trained guards that were actually assassins. Those rumors were that these guards protected him and the prince. They couldn’t get into the middle of a duel, but anything happening outside of it was open game.

“Excuse me,” she said as she tried to make it pass only to have one of them stop her, “Well, Thorny, seems like Tarnished Tiara was a little close to the servant of Copper Plum, right?” the bronze skinned one of the left asked, her forest green hair lightly bounced as she talked, “I mean she was sure chatty with her, huh? What do you think Thorny?”

“She seemed interested in saying something to her alright,” she said as she stepped closer, “Maybe like a little warning about what might be on his armor, but then she wouldn’t be that stupid, would she?” the pristine white skinned one with black and gold hair said, “I mean honestly, it would almost seem like she didn’t think the warning held any merit. Did she Breezy?”

She stepped back, “I didn’t say a word,” she started before she saw hand move, and in it was a small dagger. Her eyes widened, “You know, Tarnished, I find that I trust people when I bring a little pain into the mix. Not much, just a finger or two usually is enough. Remove a finger, and you’ll find that someone is real chatty. Why, they’re practically begging to tell you everything you want to know. Take a second finger, and you can see what was just being said to stop you, and what was being said because it was true. Now, if we work up to three fingers, well at the point everything they say is gospel.”

She shook her head, “I didn’t say anything about it to her!” she exclaimed, trying to find some room to run, “I really didn’t. I mean why would I? My brother is an idiot! He challenged the crown prince, and only an absolute moron would do that! He has to know what will happen to him now! Why would I want to bring more of the same down on me?”

“She makes a good point, doesn’t she, Thorny?” Breezy said, “I mean really, that’s a convincing argument. Why would anyone willingly try to bring down more trouble on themselves, for some stupid, backwater, country baron. I mean, they’d need to be completely insane, or their family.”

The dagger shot out, catching her by surprise, and Tarnished Tiara backed up, feeling something wet moving down her side, “Damn, I didn’t even get a finger, just a little flesh wound. Ugh, I really shouldn’t have taken that two weeks off. I mean sure, it’s nice getting railed by six different demis, but damn, I need to keep up on my training,” she said as she moved closer, “Now, if you run, and I know you want to, then this is going to be so much worse. I mean it will go beyond uncomfortable to completely agonizing in seconds. Get me, Tarnished?”

“Please,” she whimpered, “Please, I really didn’t say a word.”

“Hmmm, nope, I can’t say that I believe you.”

Tarnished Tiara backed up, fearing what was going to happen to her. She considered telling everything, but then it would only be death that awaited her. Then again, there was a chance that she was still going to die. This wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to find some rich Viscount, be pampered, and treated like a queen. She was meant to live a life of prestige and material wealth. She wasn’t meant to die like some beggar in a hall of the Crystal Stadium.

“I really didn’t say anything,” she said, as she backed up, and she felt something behind her, “Please, I honestly didn’t say a word.”

“Really?” Breezy asked as she stepped forward, “Then why is your brother’s little rabbit eared whore behind you?”

“Miss Tarnished,” Artemis said gently, “Please move to the side, I’ll deal with them.”

She did, and she watched as the rabbit eared girl stepped forward. There was little doubt that she was easy on the eyes. She could see why her brother liked her so much, but there was a sort of confidence that she had as well. She moved with a grace that spoke of excellent breeding. She watched as she neared Breezy, and the swift movement of the girl was countered. It wasn’t over done, but each movement that Artemis done was with precision.

“Wait, how?” Breezy asked as she had her dagger blocked for the sixth time, “This isn’t right, you’re just some demi-human sellout! A little slut that wanted to be owned by some man!”

The dagger was blocked twice more before it was caught. Tarnished Tiara watched was it was snatched away from Breezy, tossed, and embedded into the wall. Without wasting any momentum or movement Artemis struck twice, sending Breezy to the ground in agony, “My Captain considers all of his family important to him,” she said as she looked at Thorny, “Even those who would be swayed by the actions of a noble too afraid to fully face him. You both are instruments of that foolish noble’s desire, and I will render those instruments unusable.”

Tarnished watched as Thorny laughed, and then she lifted her skirt slightly to revel a small magi-gun, “Not going to lie,” she said as she lifted the weapon, “I never imagined that I would ever have to use this. It’s funny, the very first time I’m going to have to fire this thing is against a demi-human. Actually, you should be honored,” she stated as she held it on her, “Each time I fire it it’s like I just spent twenty platinum.”

She fired, only to see a blur. She tried to train the weapon again, but instead of getting it on Artemis she found her wrist in the hands of the demi-human. She tried to pull back only for Artemis to pull hard, causing her wrist to feel immense pain. She then wrenched her wrist in a clockwise motion. That caused her to drop her weapon. She fell to her knees, “Wait, please!”

Artemis looked at her, her eyes showing the cold calculating look of the Artificial Intelligence she actually was. There was no mercy there, there was no hesitation, but instead there was only the promise of oblivion. Thorny realized the mistake she had made. She should have taken out the demi-human first. She needed to have done it from a long range, and only then could she have moved forward to take care of Tarnished Tiara.

“If you kill me then it is going to be trouble for your master,” she said, her voice twinged with fear, “I’m a member of a noble house, but more than that I am assigned to the Prince and to Mithril Shield. If I die, by your hands, then it is the same as if I died by your master’s hands. He will be tried and found guilty. They’ll behead him, and there won’t be a thing that can stop them from doing it.”

Artemis looked at her, “Then you won’t die,” she said dropping the arm, “But you won’t be holding a weapon any time soon either,”

Her words left her mouth, and Thorny didn’t get to ask what she meant before her other hand was grabbed. She let out a painful cry when her other wrist was broken as well. She sat on her knees, her eyes full of tears, and she looked up at the demi-human that had defeated her, “Do not come near my Captain’s family again. Do not attempt to strong arm his sister again, and do not attempt to threaten anyone he cares for, ever again. This is your warning.”

With that she turned toward Tarnished Tiara and she walked toward her, “Come with me Miss Tarnished, and I will ensure that you receive medical care.”

She nodded, and she followed the rabbit-eared girl as she began walking back toward the area where Applebloom and Diamond Tiara were setting. She felt the warm slickness of what had to be blood. It wasn’t stopping, so she wondered if it meant that she was going to bleed to death. It was a possibility. She couldn’t ignore the possibility of it, but at the same time getting medical help might save her. She felt like she was going to be indebted to her brother again for this. A small part of her raged at the prospect.

That same small part was told to shut up and deal with it. Her brother was being more than her mother believed he could be. They rounded the corner, and she saw the scholarship student stand up. She saw her starting to wobble, and she moved toward her, “What in tarnation?!” she exclaimed as she held out her hands, “Please hold still.”

A few moments passed, and the healing magic repaired the slight wound she had suffered. She was led to a seat, “Take a moment to relax.”

She shook her head, “I can’t stay,” she said before she looked at Artemis, “I can’t because they weren’t the only ones at his disposal.”

Artemis studied her, “Then, that is all the more reason to stay,” she replied, “If you leave, I will not always be able to follow and protect you. Remain here, and understand that you’re safe for the time being.”

She finally nodded, “fine.”