//------------------------------// // Old Wounds // Story: My little Boss: Snake is magic // by WardenGage //------------------------------// The man plodded through the orchid grunting with every step. In front of him stood a jet black pony in a cloak. "It's good to see you are awake. But it's too bad you wont get to move much. I think you will be of great use to me." The pony's horn lit up and the man groaned in pain, losing control of his thoughts. "Good, don't resist. You and I have a common enemy. A man by the name of Big Boss..." ___________________ "Hey Snake!" Rainbow shouted at Snake, who was resting on a bench in Ponyville's park. "Hmm?" Snake half opened his eye to see Rainbow hovering a few feet above him. "What?" He sat up and yawned. "Now that your up, remember what you promised Ms. Cheerile you would introduce yourself to her and the class?" Snake shot up and looked towards the sky. His face lost some color as he realised he was late. "Thanks!" Snake shouted as he crouched through a bush and out with the Mosin Nagant and M37 on his back. "Do I have to babysit you still!?" She shouted at him. Snake ignored the insult and jogged in his slouched manner towards the school house. Snake approached the school and slowed to a walk to generate as little noise as possible. When he approached a window, he saw that the class had already started and grumbled to himself. He could hear Cheerile speaking to the class. "Now now children, I'm sure he'll be here soon." Ms. Cheerile said, glancing around at the windows. It sounded like she had told them about him. Approaching the door, Snake drew his Mk.22 and knife. Preparing to enter, he heard the class continue to speak amoungst one another and decided to make a quiet entery. Opening the door slowly, he inched himself into the room. Only Cheerile could see the stealth agent enter the room, as he was masking his own noise with the classes noise. "Class, I think we should be quiet as we wait for him to arrive." The children quieted down, revealing the barley noticable noise of Snake's movement. One filly turned to talk to the one behind her, and saw the yellow uniform of Snake's. She screamed in shock, causing the class to turn and face him. Sighing, Snake sheathed his knife and holstered his pistol. "You would have never heard me if you had continued to talk." He shrugged. "So glad to see you!" Cheerile said "Now class, I wanted you to meet-" She was cut off by applebloom. "Snake! What're you doin here?" Snake walked to the front of the room and adressed the group. "Good morining, as some of you may know, I'm called Snake and i have another nickname, Big Boss." He looked for a reaction and saw none present. "What are you wearing?" One asked. "My uniform? It's called 'Hornet Stripe' and I'm wearing it because the other uniforms I had with me need to be cleaned." The children looked at his equipment and a hoof shot up. "What're the two things on your back?" Snake pulled his Mosin Nagant out and held it like The End. "This is the Mosin Nagant. A Russian made Sniper Rifle that was modified by a man called 'The End'. He was hailed as 'The Father of Sniping' and-" Snake was cut off mid sentence. "Whats 'Sniping'?" Another asked. "It's when someone hides thmselves in a spot where normal soldiers would have trouble reaching them. In that spot, the sniper would wait for his target and then fire." Snake said. "Basically it's just waiting." A filly said. Snake sighed "Yes, it's basically waiting." "So Mr. Snake," Cheerile looked at him. "Yeah?" Snake turned from looking outside. "Why did you choose to do this?" Cheerile asked "This? I had nothing to do." Snake replied. "No, force yourself through so much bad, to get little good?" She looked outside next to him. "I chose to serve my country when it needed me. Fighting is what i'm good at. If i'm not in battle, I can't feel alive. I also made a promise to see the mission through. Without that loyalty and devotion, I can only see myself as a husk, a shadow of the inside. I've got nothing to lose. No love, no family, no friends. I have nothing outside of combat. It's my talent. Killing for a purpose, a just cause to protect my country, my fellow citizens. Not that my country really acknowledges what I've given to them. My life, my strength, my focus, my feelings." Snake touched The Boss' bandana and sighed, "Besides, without purpose, what are we?" He turned to her. "I didn't know you gave so much... I'm sorry for asking." She shuffled. "Don't be. I needed to get that off my chest sooner or later. I should thank you." Snake looked outside at the children laughing and playing on the playground and talking amongst each other. "Besides, these children deserve better than what can be given to them. Some kids in my world are used as soldiers. Killers, pumped full of drugs and hate, not knowing left from right. Only following the pointed direction labled 'Fire here'. Robbed of what makes them children and thrust into a violent and hateful world full of death, pain, suffering, anger, and confusion. What makes us tame? Our morale codes? Our values? No, we don't want to be the bad guy, we want to be the set view of normal, following the crowd and sticking to the shadows when need be." Snake sighed. "Cruel worlds are often the truest view of whats inside us. That truth can make the most innocent violent. War brings out the worst in us." "Why are you telling me this?" Cheerile asked him in complete confusion. "Teach them well. Youth is the best time of our lives." Snake said. One of the fillies burst through the door with a scared look on his face. "Ms. Cheerile, there's a lot of bees outside!" "Children, get inside!" Ms. Cheerile shouted outside. Most of them were already running inside to escape the hostile stingers. Snake continued to stare outside, looking for anything to tell him why these bees were here. He squinted as a flash of yellow became visible behind a nearby bush. "What is it?" Applebloom asked. "No way... How?" Snake went to the door, to be stopped by Cheerile. "Why would you go out there? It's dangerous!" "Not for me, there's a reason this is Hornet Stripe." Snake walked outside and looked back at the fillies all staring out the window at him. "So, the snake comes from hiding... To face his death! You will feel the worst pain imaginable!" The voice spoke. "Pain! How are you alive!?" Snake drew his Mk.22 and aimed at The Pain who emerged from the bushes. "That is not important! What is important is that you will die today! Prepare yourself Big Boss!" He threw bees at Snake, who shook them off. "What!? They should be killing you right now! Not acting like you are their mother!" The Pain shouted. "You don't even remember what your own uniform is capable of? It controls bees, and since i'm wearing the same camo, were on equal ground!" Snake sprinted forward and punched The Pain in the mouth, sending him reeling back. "Come to me my bees!" He shouted. The bees that were not on Snake buzzed to his body and covered him in a protective shield. He then pulled a small object out. "Grenade!" Snake had swapped for his M37 and aimed at the explosive. Pulling the trigger, a familiar bang entered his ears and another familiar sound of detonating explosives overlapped the noise. "What! How!?" The Pain screamed as the bees flew away from him in random directions. Snake dropped the shotgun and aimed his now drawn Mk.22 at The Pain's neck. Time slowed as the hammer on the pistol slammed into the firing chamber, igniting powder and sending the round down the barrel. The tranquilizer stuck out like a sore thumb as the anesthetic poured into the bloodstream, taking effect almost instantly. The Pain dropped to one knee and looked up at Snake, who was surrounded by bees. "Kill me." The Pain said. "Kill me!" "No, your not the real Pain." Snake grabbed the collar of the uniform. "So who are you!" He looked into The Pains eyes and saw a twinkle. "You've done it again, son of The Boss. You refuse to let the hate and brutality out. Most respectable. But he is close, and I am not the last. He will bring the others to kill you. Kill him first, it's the only way." The true Pain spoke. Snake released him and let him fall to the ground. "Here, a gift from The Sorrow and The Boss." He held a radio up. Snake took the radio from him and hot to one knee. "Who is 'He'? Where can I find him?" Snake leaned down to The Pain's mask. "He is always near. This isn't the first time he's tried to kill you. He used Trixie. Now he uses the dead to do his dirty work." The Pain was gasping for air in between words. "Go." Snake stood up and turned away as his chest ceased to rise. "PAIN." His voice rang out. Snake looked down at the radio, which was now covered in bees. He brushed the insects off and turned the dial, hearing a click. He entered his frequency and heard a buzzing in his ear. Turning the radio off, he unzipped his pack and put the radio saftley inside. The bees dispersed when all presence of the Pain's energy disappered, leaving him and a class of confused ponies. "What was that?" Cheerile approached Snake, who was scanning the bushes for any movement. "That was an old wound that was just opened. Do you see anyone out there?" Snake pointed at the brush. "No, why?" Cheerile looked out and saw nothing odd. "Because he said 'He is always near'. so he must be controlling others and disposing of them when they become useless now." Snake pulled a pair of Thermal Goggles out and put them on. When they lit up, a faint heat signature was present in the brush. Approaching slowly, he saw the hood of a cowl and red eyes. "Stop!" Snake pulled his M1911 out and aimed at the figure, who took off running. Snake took off after the mystery being. The trees and bushes coupled with his blind right eye made for minimal visibility and Snake soon found himself chasing nothing. "Damn." "Snake! What happened here?" Twilight rushed up to him as he exited the brush. "Old wounds from the past." Snake looked where the Pains body was and saw the grass begin to stand at attention, a few blades waving in the wind. "That doesn't help. Who was here? Another human?" Twilight had obviously asking the class. "Yea, another human. Not himself. Being controlled by another." Snake put his canteen against his lips and took a drink. "Where is he?" Twilight's eyes twinkled in hope of meeting another of his species. "He's with the Cobra unit again." Snake looked skyward. "What do you mean?" Twilight looked skyward also, seeing only clouds and the blue sky. "I don't see him..." Turning her attention to him, she understood what he ment. "You did what?!?!" "I ended his pain." Snake replied crossing his arms and closing his eye for a few seconds. "Besides, he would have killed everyone here. He wasn't himself, he couldn't follow the rules of engagement." "Rules of engagement?" Twilight was shocked at what he was saying. Kill a member of his own species. "Rules a soldier follows in cities and populated areas. No harming civilians." Snake had done what was necessary and was right. "Snake, you need to tell us what's going on here. What followed you?" Twilight stared at the still figure. "I don't think anyone followed me, just is using others from my world. The dead." Snake scratched his beard and began to walk in the direction of town. "And here," he tossed the radio at her. "press that button on the side to contact me." "Where are you going?" Twilight looked at the radio then to him. "Sleep. If what The Pain said is true. I expect more." Snake spoke as he walked away. Twilight closed the door to the library and sighed. "Spike! I need you to send a letter to princess Celestia!" Spike peeked up the stairs. "What for?" Twilight levitated a price of parchment over to her. "For Snake."