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// Chapter 10: Conflicting Hearts 
// Story: Caverns & Cutie Marks 
// by TheColtTrio 
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	The six ponies looked at each other across the intersection in silence, sizing the opposing party up. One of the bandit ponies, a dark colored stallion with an unusually well-groomed mane for a bandit, stepped to the edge of his square and assumed a relaxed posture.
“Hello, what have we here?” the bandit pony drawled. “Welcome to this crossroad. My name is Land Bet. I’m the primary toll collector of this intersection. And who might you three be?”
“Can it, smoothie,” Purple Heart snarled. “We have to fight another encounter not long after another. Getting hit by Treebeard back there didn’t do my HP any favors. I’m not amused.” He glanced at the list that hovered in the middle of the intersection. Sitting at the top was Rainbow Dash followed by two of the bandit ponies, including Land Bet, then there was Purple Heart, the third bandit pony, and finally Twilight Sparkle.
“Ok,” Purple Heart muttered. “Looks like we’re facing a rogue, ranger, and a warrior.” Twilight cocked her head as she looked in puzzlement at the purple stallion.
“And you know that how?” she asked. Purple Heart jerked his head at the list.
“Observation,” he explained. “Classes like rogues, druids, and rangers will have higher initiative while warriors, clerics, and wizards will have lower initiative.” Twilight nodded her head, understanding what the stallion was getting at.
“Ranger, druids, and rogues get an advantage that increases their chances of getting the first strike in,” she realized. “That’s why they are higher up the list.” Purple Heart chuckled.
“You’re learning,” he complimented. “Keep it up, and we may live through this.” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat noisily, demanding her companions’ attention.
“Any advice, Purple Heart?” she asked, a panicked note clear in her voice. As Purple Heart considered the question, Twilight pouted for a moment in silence. Originally, she had been the one who led her friends in times of danger. They had trusted her to make the right choices and had allowed her to carry their lives in her hooves. The magenta alicorn couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of the new earth pony they had met just recently that seemed to have a great deal of knowledge about what was going on while Twilight was still in the dark. Twilight was jerked from her reverie when she heard Purple Heart speak.
“Go after the pegasus,” he ordered, gesturing towards the dirt brown pony floating beside Land Bet. “Test the waters.” Rainbow Dash nodded, looking at the list for the pegasus’ name. Twilight looked across the path at their opponents. Land Bet was an earth pony with a dark brown coat the color of chocolate. His clothing was threadbare and patched but the glint of studded armor was apparent under his outer-wear. A pair of cruel-looking daggers were sheathed in his belt, identifying him as the Rogue.
The pegasus bandit and the other earth pony wore garb similar to Land Bet’s but their choice of armament differed greatly. A number of javelins were visible in a quiver at the pegasus bandit’s hip and a massive hammer was slung across the earth pony’s back.
Ranger and warrior I assume, Twilight thought to herself. Purple Heart was right. The magenta alicorn turned to watch Rainbow Dash prepare her attack.
“I attack Foul Wing with my bow,” the blue pegasus declared as she pulled her bow from its sling and set an arrow to the string. The marker and reticule appeared over the pegasus bandit as Rainbow Dash drew the bowstring back to her cheek. Waiting for several tense seconds, Rainbow Dash watched as the reticule tracked over the opposing pony’s body. Just as she was about to release at the pegasus’ head, the earth pony with the hammer spoke.
“Taunt,” he rumbled. Time seemed to slow as Rainbow Dash’s body suddenly twisted of its own accord and lined up with the Hammer Pony, dragging her aim along with it. The arrow whizzed away, hitting nowhere near its intended target. With a dull thunk, the arrow embedded itself in a tree several yards behind the trio of bandit ponies.
“Um...” Rainbow Dash mumbled. “What happened?” Twilight and RD both looked in puzzlement to Purple Heart for an explanation. The purple earth pony’s muzzle was twisted into a grimace as he looked at the Hammer Pony. The list at the intersection’s center blinked once and Rainbow Dash’s name moved to the bottom to be replaced by Fowl Wing.
“Just as I thought,” he growled. “There’s an interrupt rule.” Twilight cocked her head in confusion.
“A what rule?” she asked. Purple Heart opened his mouth to respond, but Fowl Wing snatched the moment away.
“I attack the winged unicorn with a javelin,” she croaked, hefting one of her weapons from her quiver. The marker appeared over Twilight’s head and the javelin sped towards the magenta alicorn.
“Twilight, dodge!” Rainbow Dash screamed. Then something interesting occured.
Rainbow Dash had inadvertently activated the interrupt rule when she said ‘dodge.’ As a result, Rainbow Dash jerked a yard to her right and touched Fowl Wing’s javelin just briefly. But the minute contact between pegasus and javelin was enough to skew the javelin’s trajectory so that it passed within inches of Twilight’s right wing, nearly nicking the feathers. Fowl Wing gawked in awe for a moment before howling in fury. The list blinked once and Fowl Wing’s name moved to the bottom to be replaced by Land Bet. Purple Heart glared at Rainbow Dash, making the blue pegasus cringe.
“Do you realize how close that was?” he growled darkly. “When it’s my turn, I’ll deal with you,” With a huff, Purple Heart turned to scrutinize Land Bet as the earth pony considered his options.
“I use Sneak,” Land Bet clucked, shaking his head at Rainbow Dash as he dissolved into the background. “For shame, dear. Fowl will be out to get you now.”
“Um...isn't  that cheating?” Rainbow Dash asked, gesturing at the spot where Land Bet had been. Purple Heart huffed again as the list blinked and Land Bet’s name moved to the bottom to be replaced by Purple Heart.
“No, its a perfectly logical and irritating course of action,” he snarled. “Particularly for a rogue. The fact he can do it during combat worries me. Anyway, at least we aren’t facing a mage. That’d be worrisome. Aside from that, his Taunt is still in effect… Guess I’ll have to attack him.” He jerked a hoof at the large earth pony. Twilight cocked her head.
“Why?” she asked. Purple Heart groaned.
“Because the purpose of ‘Taunt’ is to draw attention to one’s self,” he snapped. “That’s why Rainbow Dash’s arrow missed her target.” The purple earth pony swung around to glare at Rainbow Dash. “Speaking of which, why did you tell her to dodge? You wasted an interrupt for us!” Rainbow Dash frowned.
“How could I have known that would happen?” she retorted. “I’m not as knowledgable as you when it comes to stuff like this. So, if you have some advice, shout out! I have absolutely no idea how to do this kind of thing!” Twilight’s eyebrows rose at Rainbow Dash’s outburst and looked at Purple Heart to gauge the earth pony’s response. Purple Heart sighed and rubbed a cheek with a hoof.
“Touché,” he mumbled. “My apologies. I’m not used to playing this kind of thing with amateurs.” Rainbow Dash stiffened at the purple earth pony's words and frowned at him as he turned away to regard the Hammer Pony at the opposite end of the intersection. Twilight smiled at Rainbow Dash. She agreed with and understood her friend’s outburst at Purple Heart’s snide comment. He did have more experience and knowledge than both of them put together and he still expected them to perform on par with himself. That made him appear selfish and caused Twilight to question his morality as well as his true nature. The magenta alicorn’s thoughts were interrupted by Purple Heart’s voice.
“I charge at Hammer Hoof,” he declared. Almost instantaneously, Purple Heart was launched across the intersection and rammed square into Hammer Hoof. The bandit pony grunted at the impact and stumbled back a pace. The green bar over his head winked once before shrinking to about a three quarters its original length.
“And now I’m screwed,” Purple Heart muttered as his name sifted to the bottom to be replaced by Hammer Hoof. The bandit pony grinned and lifted his hammer from his back.
“I attack Purple Heart with my warhammer,” he growled, raising the weapon with both hooves over his head.
“Eh, piss,” Purple Heart muttered, bracing for the imminent impact. Then the hammer struck. Originally, Purple Heart had only 80% of his full health. That is until the hammy made contact. Half of Purple Heart’s remaining health zonked out instantly. Twilight and Rainbow Dash gaped in awe and horror as the purple earth pony struggled to get back to his feet.
“Ow,” Purple Heart groaned, rubbing his neck with a hoof. “That hurt.”
“I’m sure it does,” Hammer Hoof agreed. Purple Heart froze.
“‘Does?’” he echoed. “Not ‘did’?” Hammer Hoof twisted his muzzle into a sneer but remained silent. Twilight frowned in confusion before noticing something that had changed about Purple Heart’s health bar.
“Um,” she mumbled and pointed at the shrunken green bar. The purple earth pony, Rainbow, and Hammer all looked at the bar over Purple Heart’s head. It was holding steady at about 40% full with a green flame icon at one end. The turn list changed, sending Hammer Hoof’s name to the bottom and bringing Twilight to the top. Then Purple Heart’s health bar shrunk slightly. Twilight and RD gaped. The two visible bandit ponies snickered. Purple Heart blinked in surprise.
“...Wat?” Purple Heart babbled as tiny green flames sprung up across his body. “Why am I on fire?” Hammer Hoof grinned.
“Afterburn,” he grunted. “Enchantment.” Purple Heart stared silently into the middle-distance for a moment before speaking again.
“Debuffs,” he muttered. “Perfect. Hey, Discord. How long does this thing last?” The Discord-like voice boomed across the sky.
“The Enchanted Fire Afterburn Debuff,” the voice explained. “Removes 10% of the total Health bar per turn for the next four turns. There is no way to dispel this debuff.” Purple Heart looked back at Rainbow Dash and Twilight, his face twisted into a grimace of pain.
“Looks like we’ve got a time limit now,” he wheezed. “Better make this quick.”