“Are you sure you should be moving at that pace?” Fluttershy asked worriedly as she flew beside a striding Purple Heart. “Your injuries are still pretty bad and you yourself pointed out how injuries take longer to heal now.”
The purple earth pony sighed, feeling a tightness in his chest as he panted lightly for breath. As much as it irked him, the yellow pegasus was right. He shouldn’t be putting such stress on his still healing body. Bowing his head in acquiescence, Purple Heart slowed his pace to a meandering walk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fluttershy breathe a sigh of relief.
“You really care for your friends, don’t you?” Purple Heart said. Fluttershy gave a small smile and nodded. “You don’t see Wits, Light, or me as dangerous ponies to stay away from? We did lie to you about what we really are.” Fluttershy’s smile shrunk slightly as she mulled the question over.
“I do care for my friends,” she answered finally, settling a penetrating blue gaze on the purple earth pony. “All of you are my friends.” Her tone brooked no discussion and yet Purple Heart tried to speak.
“But-”
“Shush,” Fluttershy warned, eyes narrowing at her companion while she raised a resolute hoof to silence him further. “All of you are my friends. And I don’t see Wits, Light Patch, or you as dangerous. Just scared and wanting to go home. As for lying about who you really are...” Fluttershy fell silent briefly before speaking again. “You have your own secrets, just like Wits did when he was working against Mister Holdfast.”
“Secrets that could have hurt people,” Purple Heart pointed out.
“Did we get hurt?” Fluttershy shot back, eyes glinting with determination.
Purple Heart didn’t immediately answer and Fluttershy nodded her head resolutely. “See?”
“Fine,” he relented. “But still, it’s bad practice keeping secrets from friends.” Fluttershy’s smile returned and she turned back to the road, humming happily. Purple Heart just sighed, eyeing the road ahead. Their progress was halted when a poof of multicolored smoke erupted into existence just in front of them. Coughing, the duo waved their hooves to clear the smoke. They squinted, trying to see through the cloud that then rushed away from them to form words hovering in mid air.
To my wonderful, yellow, pink-maned friend! And the other one,
It just so happens that I have enough juice to give everypony two level-ups to equalize the playing field a smidgen. It’s not much, but it’s more than what you had previously. Do you want to pick for yourself or shall I do it?
Two clouds of smoke detached from the upper message to form two words below it: ‘custom’ and ‘auto’.
“I’m lazy,” Purple Heart admitted. “But I also want to know what the carp I’m getting before I get saddled with something I don’t like.” He paused for a second, realizing what he’d said. “No pun intended.” Fluttershy giggled softly and waved a hoof through the smoke word. The two selections disappeared and more smoke words appeared, listing the offered abilities for the two ponies to choose from.
“Huh,” Purple Heart grunted, eyeing the options. “Ima choose these two. I need more suicide tactics. As if my mentality hasn’t been as such.”
“You did go up against somepony that seemed to be as strong as Celestia not too long ago,” Fluttershy commented softly, waving a hoof through her two selections. “Though, I don’t think you’d go out of your way to be suicidal.”
“I don’t,” Purple Heart replied, making his choices. “Lethal things just hit me sometimes.”
Fluttershy gave the purple earth pony a look.
“Hey, not my fault,” he evaded.
The selection dissipated, flowing into more words.
Dearest friend of mine, you have chosen the Summon Familiar ability. It will allow you to call a great flying creature to your aid to either assist in battle or carry you swiftly from place to place. You have also received an augmentation of your Stare ability. Most ponies will freeze under your brilliant gaze now.
Purple Bruise, you chose the Endure All skill and the Doom Whomper feat. Endure All is a passive skill that allows you to continue fighting whilst unconscious and the Doom Whomper feat is a pseudo-suicide attack where you headbutt somepony and damage both yourself and your target, mostly your victim though.
Now, I have a town to fortify. Be good! Take care of yourself, dearest Fluttershy! I packed a lunch for you! Purple Heart… Don’t get hit.
Fluttershy scooped up her sack lunch as the smoke cleared, its message disappearing with it.
“Kinda laying the kissing up a little thick, isn’t he?” Purple Heart grunted. “Although, gratuitous kissing up is seldom wasted.”
“He knows I’m less than pleased,” Fluttershy said, a small scowl marring her normally kind features.
“I can imagine.” Purple Heart rolled his neck and resumed walking down the path. The two continued on in silence for some time until Fluttershy plucked up the courage to address something that had been bothering her since their encounter with the newly ascended villains.
“Do you miss Navee?” she inquired. The only sign that the question had affected Purple Heart in some fashion was a brief hesitation in his stride. She flapped a beat harder to advance past him. Coming around his shoulder, Fluttershy saw a blank expression on the stallion’s face.
“Do I miss Navee?” he said softly. “No. I didn’t know her enough to feel the ache of missing her.” A grim look of displeasure crossed Fluttershy’s face. As if sensing her ire, Purple Heart continued speaking. “That doesn’t mean I don’t regret her death. She was my subordinate and as Primarch of the Emerald Legion, it’s my duty to protect my subordinates. And I failed. Epically.”
Fluttershy’s glare softened once she heard his further explanation. She had started thinking that the Purple Barbarian was once again falling into his habits of being crass like he had during their stay in Gallopilli. But, he apparently wasn’t. He felt regret. And that didn’t call for her ragging on him.
“So,” she hummed. “You, Wits End, and Light Patch are humans?”
“Yes,” Purple Heart replied shortly. “Discord thought it would be amusing to bring three extremely strange and unusual humans into a fictional universe made of pastel ponies. Honestly, I don’t understand how he didn’t see his downfall coming. He went and brought us of all people and we aren’t exactly known for our sanity. Could it be his hubris or did he think like the rest of the universe did about Earth that we are ‘mostly harmless’?”
Fluttershy blinked confusedly at the Purple Barbarian’s rambling. She only understood parts of what he said and felt as if she’d missed a joke.
“What do you mean about your sanity?” she inquired, picking one of the terms she was familiar with.
“You interact with Pinkie Pie on a day to day basis, jes?” Purple Heart asked. She nodded. “In terms of randomness, Pinkie Pie takes the cake, no pun intended. Us though, we’re just plain devious and unkind.”
The yellow pegasus cocked her head. “You’re jerks?”
“Oooooooh yes.” He chuckled. “We are exceptional jerks who are only polite when it suits us.”
“What has that got to do with your sanity?”
Purple Heart turned and peered at her with wide eyes. “Everything,” he whispered. Fluttershy shivered and elected to move to less creepy subjects.
“What about your cutie marks?” she asked.
“You mean the lack thereof? A human being’s occupation, favorite thing, or lot in life isn’t defined by a picture on their butt,” he commented. “Most humans don’t decide on what they want to do until they’re in their late teens. I’m still struggling to find what I want to do. Though, some humans, usually in a bout of rebellion, get pictures on their butt. Then they regret everything.”
Confused at the last part of Purple Heart’s speech, Fluttershy decided to move the conversation along. “What things do you like to do?”
“Oh, a number of things. Writing, playing video games, acting, being lazy, reading, watching anime and movies… There aren’t many simple career choices in there. I’m still in college for carp’s sake.”
“Oh.”
They fell once more into a companionable silence as they walked through the forest. It didn’t last long however.
“You do realize that we’re pretty far away from the Emerald Legion base?” Purple Heart inquired. “Do you think we could test out your Summon Familiar ability? I mean, I don’t mind walking, but we’ll get there quickly if we use the familiar and it won’t aggravate my wounds as much.”
Fluttershy squinted at Purple Heart, searching his innocent looking face for the laziness that he’d mentioned earlier. However, she only saw sincerity. And she had to admit, he’d hurt a lot less when they finally got to the base if they flew instead of walked. Well, she would fly, he would walk. Sighing, Fluttershy nodded in acquiescence.
“Summon Familiar,” she intoned, activating the ability. The pair waited for some great creature to appear.
Their waiting was met with nothing.
“Ehm,” Purple Heart coughed into a hoof. “Why’d nothing happen?”
Fluttershy shook her head weakly. “I’m not sure,” she replied, brow furrowed slightly in confusion.
“Could it be a dud?” Purple Heart asked. “If Discord trolled us, I’m going to-”
A ground shook when something landed behind Purple Heart. Fluttershy’s blue eyes widened in surprise and then her face became a mask of joy. She grinned, eyes bright as a small sound came from her mouth.
“Squee!”
Purple Heart blinked and whirled around. He gaped.
“Ye carping heck,” he breathed. “Where’s his umbrella?”
Sitting before the two ponies was a massive, rotund creature that looked to be the size of the Bandit Chieftain from way back at the beginning of the campaign. Two dark eyes eyes peered down at them. The creature’s nose quivered and it yawned, revealing block-like teeth. It was dark grey in color, save an oval of cream fur that covered its stomach and chest. Its cream-colored chest had seven dark grey chevrons of fur there, seemingly for decoration. Two conical ears perched atop his head and six long whiskers, three on each cheek, radiated out.
“Isn’t he adorable?” Fluttershy sighed, staring up at the massive raccoon-cat hybrid.
“It’s Totoro,” Purple Heart whispered. “It’s carping Totoro. That’s it. I’m dead. I’ve died from blood loss.”
Fluttershy merely ignored Purple Heart’s ramblings, stepped past the purple earth pony, and looked up at Totoro.
“Excuse me,” the yellow pegasus said. “Would you please take us to the Emerald Legion base? It’s...” She trailed off, looking around to Purple Heart, her gaze questioning.
“Oh,” he grunted. “It’s under a mountain near the village of Mistakwe.” Fluttershy turned back to Totoro.
“Could you please take us there?” she asked gently. Totoro’s eyes softened and a wide smile appeared on his face.
“To-to-ROOOOO~” he called, leaning over to pick up Purple Heart. Fluttershy giggled at the purple earth pony’s discomfort and latched on to Totoro’s shoulder. With his passengers secured, the raccoon-cat creature pulled out a nondescript black umbrella and a top which he spun before jumping lightly on. He then sped up into the air, grinning madly as one of his passengers matched his grin while the other remembered his dislike of heights.
* * *
“Thank you!” Fluttershy waved happily at Totoro. The cat-raccoon-bird thing returned the gesture from its perch atop a massive tree.
“Come on,” Purple Heart urged, waiting impatiently a cavern mouth in a small hill. “We need to get moving to dodge the patrols.” The yellow pegasus turned and trotted over to join the purple earth pony after waving good-bye one last time to her summoned familiar. As the two drew closer to the cave entrance, Totoro faded from sight, dismissed.
“Do you think we can get in without anypony noticing us?” Fluttershy asked softly as they entered the cave tunnel system.
“Nope,” Purple Heart replied, rubbing his bandaged chest with a hoof. “The patrols outside are easy to avoid. In here is a whole other story. Last I checked, the total strength of the Emerald Legion amounted to maybe a thousand ponies and the greatest concentration of them is here at home base. If we don’t get spotted, then we’re in trouble.”
Fluttershy frowned in confusion. “Wouldn’t we be in trouble if they spotted us?” she asked, keeping her voice low.
“Different kind of trouble,” Purple Heart elaborated. When he didn’t continue speaking, Fluttershy nudged him gently.
“Which is?”
“If we run into patrols inside, we’re in the kind of trouble we can fight our way out of,” the purple earth pony explained. “If we don’t find anyone in here, then Bael managed to gather the Emerald Legion to his banner against me. In that case, we’re in the kind of trouble where our task of beating the buggers just got a carp load more difficult.”
“Oh.”
“Yah. So, seeing Legionnaires here will be better than the alternative.”
“Do we have to keep talking then? I don’t want to fight them,” Fluttershy whispered. “Talking will lead them to us.”
“Fair point,” Purple Heart relented, his voice dropping in volume. The pair of ponies pressed on in silence. As they moved deeper and deeper into the Legion’s base, they came upon ruined furniture and equipment. Several rooms were empty, save for dilapidated and destroyed contents. Others bore nothing but dark red splotches.
“Is that…b-blood?” Fluttershy stammered when they came face to face with a darkly stained wall. Purple Heart’s face was grim as he poked the wall with a hoof. When he pulled it away, viscous red liquid stuck to his hoof.
“Or strawberry jam,” the purple earth pony answered softly. He took a small lick and his face twisted into a grimace.
“Please tell me it’s just a bad batch of spilled jam,” Fluttershy pleaded. Shaking his head in disgust, Purple Heart spat on the floor, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.
“Too much iron,” he mused. “It’s still warm too. There must have been a battle here recently.” He ignored the whimper of fear from his yellow companion as he wiped the blood off his hoof.
“So, bad trouble?” Fluttershy inquired, following behind Purple Heart as he resumed walking.
“Not yet, I hope,” he replied over his shoulder. His posture was now more guarded than it had been before they encountered the bloody wall. “Be on guard. We don’t know what could be awaiting us further in.”
Fluttershy merely nodded in agreement, electing to hide behind Purple Heart. If the purple earth pony was irritated by her choice of protection, he didn’t show it. He seemed to settle further into himself, as if he was satisfied by her course of action.
They continued on past several more empty side chambers before eventually coming to the largest hewn out room they’d seen yet. On the furthest wall from the entrance was a number of tables laden down with covered serving plates. Presumably, this was the mess hall. Several long wooden tables that were most likely eaten at by the hungry Legionnaires were scattered around the hall in various degrees of disrepair. The few that were intact sat on their sides, as if they’d been used as cover for combating ponies. This was further proven by the arrows and spears that littered the hall. And yet, there were no corpses. Fortunately for Fluttershy.
“Okay, I’m concerned now,” Purple Heart mumbled, looking sadly at what remained of his Legion.
“Do you think some might have escaped?” Fluttershy asked, hovering above the ground to avoid the red splotches.
“I unno,” Purple Heart replied, stepping into the ruined mess hall. “I had a telepathic link to my Legion, but I have the distinct impression that Bael severed it somehow. I’m not exactly surprised though. Technically, I’m the Emerald Legion’s grandfather in a roundabout sort of way as the Emerald Seed was created by Bael himself.”
Fluttershy blinked and furrowed her brow in confusion. She looked at Purple Heart questioningly, silently asking for an explanation. Feeling the yellow pegasus’ gaze on him, Purple Heart glanced over his shoulder and met her questioning eyes. Stepping neatly over a destroyed bench, he sighed.
“Discord made Bael from my emotions, I think,” he explained. “So Bael has, however small, a part of my personality and essence within him to give him definition as a living creature. Hence, it’s reasonable to think of him as my offspring.” The Purple Barbarian frowned after finishing his speech. Then he blanched.
“Carp,” he swore. “I have a son. I’m too young to have a son. I’m only twenty! I can’t have a son now! Mom will kill me! Granted, I have to survive this catastrophe first, but still! She’s gonna-”
Emboldened briefly by her irritation at the stallion’s rambling, Fluttershy smacked Purple Heart upside the head, ceasing his rambling and successfully floofing his mane briefly. He blinked once at being interrupted and stared at her. Instantly, Fluttershy flinched and shrunk in on herself.
“Sorry,” she apologized weakly. Purple Heart shuddered, eyes wide with surprise.
“No need to apologize, Fluttergibbs,” he replied, waving a hoof dismissively. “Even if I was pissed off, I’d never do physical harm to Wits’ waifu.” Fluttershy balked mid-air and frowned, turning to eye the purple earth pony.
“What is a ‘waifu’?” she asked, her tone remarkably cold. Purple Heart stumbled over a piece of table and crashed to the ground.
Carp, did I say that out loud? He wondered, whirling around to look at Fluttershy. He tried to keep a straight face when he saw her cold, questioning stare. Fudge bollocks, I did.
“What,” Fluttershy ground out, “is. A. ‘Waifu’?”
I swear to any god thing that is listening, sans Bael, Holdfast, and Just Duty, PLEASE GET ME OUT OF THIS SITUATION! Purple Heart hoped his prayer was heard. Surprisingly, it was.
A clatter sounded from the door that lead to the kitchens. Forgetting her quarry for a brief moment, Fluttershy’s hard glare swivelled to the door the sound came from. The door swung open and a white earth pony stallion about Light Patch’s size entered the mess hall. His mane and tail were black, a stark contrast against his white coat. A chef’s hat was perched on his head and an apron wrapped around his hindquarters. A large wooden spoon sheathed through his apron like a sword bounced off his hip as he walked. He looked up finally and both Purple Heart and Fluttershy could see tear tracks that traced down his cheeks. His green gaze flicked between the two ponies unseeingly until they stopped on Purple Heart. Recognition flooded his face and he pulled the wooden spoon from his apron.
“TRAITOR!” he screamed, whirling the spoon in his hoof before gripping it with his teeth. He charged the stunned pair, jumping over ruined tables and benches as he advanced on his target.
I take it back! Purple Heart squawked mentally, staring at the vengeful colt. I’ll explain it to her! I didn’t ask for THIS!!!
Any further thought was interrupted by the rapidly approaching spoon wielding colt intent on bequeathing severe physical harm upon Purple Heart.
“You left us alone against the Demon!” the white colt cried, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks as he took a wild swing at Purple Heart with his spoon. “We were slaughtered by his hideous beasts when he came for us!” The spoon was cast aside when Purple Heart dodged away. The colt kicked powerfully at a fallen table, sending it flying towards the Purple Barbarian. Eyes widening in surprise, Purple Heart leapt over the massive wooden missile. He landed, having successfully avoided the table. However, his success was short lived as he was instantly set upon by a furious barrage of kicks from the cook pony. Fluttershy stared at the fighting earth ponies, uncertain about what she could do about the sudden conflict.
She noticed a flicker of rage flash across Purple Heart’s face as he finally retorted to the cook stallion’s accusation.
“And killing me will fix what, exactly?” the Purple Barbarian sneered, deflecting a kick and responding with a punch. “I was injured a little over an hour ago! Nigh fatally! What could I have done if I had been here to repel Bael?!”
The white colt darted forward and managed to sneak within Purple Heart’s guard, bringing his green eyes up to stare directly into surprised cobalt orbs.
“You could have helped!” the stallion snarled, ramming his head up into Purple Heart’s jaw. “Not so many would have been lost!” Fluttershy squeaked in fear as Purple Heart fell back limply, obviously stunned from the attack. The white colt stood over his apparent commander, glaring down at the fallen stallion. With soft beats of her wings, Fluttershy edged slowly towards her companion and friend, hoping to provide what medical attention she knew. Her progress was halted when Purple Heart spoke.
“Some survived?” he asked softly. A shudder of surprise ran down Fluttershy’s spine when she heard such a weak, guilt ridden tone come from the Purple Barbarian. Light blue eyes flicked to the white colt and she saw a look of surprise on what little of his face she could see. He obviously hadn’t been expecting such words and guilt from Purple Heart. The white colt jerked a nod.
“What’s your name?” Purple Heart asked, looking up at the cook pony.
Hesitating briefly, the stallion shuffled from hoof to hoof as he considered answering. He opened his mouth and said, “Tray Tore.”
Fluttershy frowned curiously at the subtle shifting of Purple Heart’s face as he restrained himself from reacting to the colt’s name beyond a nod of acknowledgement.
“I am sorry, Chef Tray,” the purple earth pony said, bowing his head. “I wish I had been here to assist in fighting off Bael, but I was otherwise occupied.”
'Otherwise occupied fighting Bael' you mean. Fluttershy thought.
“Are there any Legionnaires here who need medical attention?” Purple Heart asked. Tray Tore jerked another nod. “Will they be willing to follow me to avenge their comrades?”
Again, the white chef colt hesitated in answering. “You’ll have to ask that directly,” Tray Tore allowed. “Only three score survived and over two thirds are injured. You aren’t exactly popular right now.”
“I can imagine,” Purple Heart muttered. Believing that the fight was over, Fluttershy whizzed over and set about looking over the purple earth pony’s injuries. “Can you lead me to them?”
Tray Tore sighed and nodded. “We’ve been barricaded in the kitchen since the attack,” he said. “Follow me.”
Purple Heart heaved himself to his hooves and followed after the chef pony with Fluttershy trailing behind them.
“Do you think they’ll help us?” Fluttershy asked softly.
“Not all of them,” Purple Heart replied. “But I hope enough do. I need at least fifty to benefit from my Primarch prestige class.”
“The more followers you have, the greater your power?” Fluttershy inquired as they moved around tables and upended benches towards the kitchen.
“The more subordinates I have, the greater our power,” he corrected. “It’s a pseudo-symbiotic relationship.” Tray Tore stopped by the kitchen door and turned to look at the ponies.
“Some won’t be too enthused at seeing you,” he said to Purple Heart. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” Purple Heart nodded. “I need to explain myself. I need to do this.”