Imbalanced: New Age

by Nameless Narrator

The Noose Tightens: Hunters

[Blazing's Entry]

One of the things about travelling long distances on hoof is boredom, and this time it wasn't overly different. However, not doing so alone has its advantages in offsetting said issue. While Veronica herself wasn't exactly friendly, her companions had no problems sharing some stories from their old assignments which helped pass the time. Even Flora joined in from time to time with anecdotes from Legion training, careful not to share anything about her being a Blops member. Heh, that's what they call themselves in casual conversation. When even Veronica after few days came to the conclusion that we weren't secretly trying to escape she chimed in as well.

I've spent a day or two recounting to Flora anything I could recall, either from experience or from what I heard, about Corrupted. I told her about my deteriorating state, about types of Corrupted, about mental changes. I explained my makeshift insight into their mind I gathered throughout my time in new Equestria, and anything I considered important. I patiently repeated myself until she seemed to understand everything and could recite most of it by heart. The mercenaries were interested as well and came with some information about Corrupted weaknesses they gathered like the special acids, something called napalm, and ultrasonic devices temporarily shocking their excellent hearing.

As for the mercenaries themselves, the three remaining with Veronica are called Shaw, Astral, and Sheila. When I asked why there were more of them when they caught me near Manehattan the first time, I was told that missions around Equestria require more hired talons for safety. Veronica's group usually consists of five stable members plus temporary help.

Shaw is the guy whose foreleg Crimson Heart cut off, and is the team's big and scary front line, a role with which the new mechanical prosthesis must be helping quite a lot. He's the scarred, experienced nice guy type, and after some time spent around him I can quite undestand why he was the one Camile wanted to stay with. He joined Veronica when he realized a noble's daughter with a working brain could pay him far more than any continuous long-term service in the Griffon Imperial Legion would.

Astral's name, more suited for a pony than a griffon, was explained when he told me his mother was a pony. As it turns out, pony and griffon parents can have both pony and griffon foals as well as two kinds of hippogriff foals. I've always thought a hippogriff is just a pony with talons on their forelegs, longer, lion-like tail, and possibly some plumage on their lower back. As it turns out, you can have the griffon-headed version as well. In my defense, I've met TWO hippogriffs in my whole existence, so it makes sense my experience is limited, and both Straw Basket and Desert Shade were the pony kind with no feathers other than on their wings.

Sheila, much like Shaw, used to be a GIL soldier, but left the Legion way before joining Veronica and became a caravan guard. One time, her caravan was inbound for Saddle Arabia, but got ambushed by one of many nomad tribes in the imperial deserts to the east. Veronica's group was travelling with them at the time and helped survive the brutal attack. The nomads were driven back at a high cost, and when the caravan got to its destination, Sheila joined Veronica for money and more interesting assignments.

Veronica herself, as I gathered from Barley before, is a daughter of one of the most influential noble families of the eastern Empire - the Redtalons. Unfortunately for her, while she is in her early thirties and as such the oldest successor, due to some political thing she's not allowed to be the next Redtalon leader. Griffon succession in noble families is a convoluted maze of contradicting traditions and pragmatism no one can really understand without being born into it or working years inside the system. What I DID gather, though, is that all her subordinates respect her. They don't exactly like her personality, because, to be fair, she isn't likable and she's not trying to be, but they seem to be willing to jump into fire for her. That said about being a good leader, she's an average fighter at best. She uses a gun and a spear with a tip being made from some strange alloy that allows it to bypass magical protections and doesn't crumble when hitting a real object.

Oh well, the town on the horizon is Steinheim. A small border settlement just like Drachenberg was. Let's see if Veronica was genuine and lets Flora go. If so, ball's in Flora and Bucket's court. I just need to rest up as possible. For some reason doubtlessly connected to true death, I feel torn away from my body, as if I was displaced just few inches. Every movement is a tiny bit delayed, I feel numb, but not as bad as after directly using Void's power. It's as if my soul was being ripped away from my physical body and not returning back after rest. I really need to stop myself from using the stolen power, or... it can't end well. On the good side, I can at least move my previously completely dead foreleg and feel it a little. It only took almost a whole week. Great...

[End Entry]

---

Final Sanctuary, my pocket dimension. A temple in the middle of a silvery grey, dessicated, dead desert. It's never been a home, rather a place of rest, and right now it is a fortress. Legions of dead are ready to move at my command, divine barriers are in place, and I am awaiting the assault of alicorns infuriated by the death of my sister and two others. The longer I wait, the more unavoidable it feels. Somepony must have investigated their disappearance already and found out about my involvement. I do not wish for bloodshed, but my kin have been manipulated by my sister on behalf of the gods for far too long. I will not be able to talk my way out of this conflict using reason.

Our creators put powerful failsafes into our society without most of us noticing. Now those who should be my allies in this fight against our worst enemies are on their side without even knowing.

I feel a presence touching the divine barriers I set up around this place. It is not forceful, but incessant, and it disappears after what passes for a short time in place where the term has no meaning. Perhaps just a scouting attempt before the main assault?

"Not bad, not bad. Took me a while to get through. You're getting better," I hear a dry voice from behind me as I turn around, surrounded by the blue fire of souls fueling my still new power. The speaker rolls his eyes, "Yes, yes, very scary. Now turn that creepy fireplace off, I've got news."

The intruder is a white alicorn with golden mane and sapphire blue eyes. Skinny and small for a stallion, although still overshadowing alicorn mares. Dark bags hang under his eyes, but there's a smile on his perfectly scuplted, thin muzzle. Yes, that smile is evil, sneery, and sarcastic, but that's how Magnus always looks. Always self-confident, snarky, posh, and completely sure of his intellectual superiority over anyone. Aside from when in the company of mares, though, that makes him break down into a silent type who has no clue what to do or say.

"What is going on, Magnus? More importantly, whose side are you on now?"

"Mine and mine only," he grins, "which has for some time already coincided with yours. What made you think I would throw you to the bastards who destroyed decades of my research, you idiot? I should thank you for finally turning your bitch of a sister into charcoal more than anything."

"Magnus, I hated doing that and I would not have done so if I believed to have another choice. If you return to your attempts of drugging alicorns and teleporting them into your laboratory for experiments like you used to I will stop you just like my sister did."

Magnus rolls his eyes.

"You moralists make my advancements in fields of magical theory needlessly difficult," he raises his forelegs when I scowl at him, "Just kidding. No vivisections without asking first, I get it. Now can you stop pretending to be my dad, Void, and just shut up?"

"I am listening."

"The plague is over."

"What?"

"The plague is over. It devoured over half of the planet and disappeared without a trace. No more afflicted species, soil is fertile again, everything is suspiciously calm and clear. I'm pretty sure Scream will pop in any minute now for a celebratory cocksucking."

Yes, Magnus doesn't like my partner much, but it sounds worse than it really is. Scream makes fun of his lack of socializing, but they respect each other and work together on magical projects because either of them has to grudgingly admit they are the best mages in existence. Also, they are both inherently immoral, which helps. It didn't help that Scream had an affair with him which she ended by clearly stating she already had far more than Magnus could ever offer her. I felt strangely conflicted about that. Nevertheless, being angry at the alicorn of Lust for openly pursuing her aspect would be foolish.

"Come on, be nice to her."

"Outside of business? In your dreams. Now, let me reiterate, since you don't look like you're grasping the reality. The plague is-"

"Over, I get it."

"You look very... dissatisfied with it."

"Magnus, it was a divine construct. Our creators have manipulated us mostly successfully so far."

"I checked the afflicted areas myself. It is not just temporary, the thing is gone."

"That is good to hear, but I cannot help feeling we missed something."

"I've missed having time to relax, actually."

"No, I mean that the plague was not a normal disease which died out because there was nothing more to infect. It was crafted to achieve something, and it disappeared when that goal was met. I think it was meant to kill someone or destroy something, and us alicorns were not it. No matter what 'deal' my sister struck with the gods, they would not have obeyed it if it did not suit their plans."

"Why am I getting the feeling that you're gonna send me all over the globe again?"

"You are helping me willingly, Magnus. It makes me believe you actually have a conscience and a strong sense of right and wrong."

"Stop making it worse!"

I chuckle and change the subject.

"How is the situation with alicorns?"

"The angry mob with torches and pitchforks isn't coming, believe it or not. Old lovey dovey's in charge now, spouting the usual crap about unity and need to rebuild rather than fuel hatred. Smart guy when he wants to be."

The alicorn of Love, always one to be trusted with improving morale and stepping up in crisis. His successor one day will have big horseshoes to fill. However, now that this place is safe I can finally have a rest.

A new presence arrives, one completely untouched by my barriers.

Scream, levitating a cake, winks at both of us and stretches.

"Told him the news already?"

"Yeah, I did, and you know how happy he was? He was so ecstatic he wants us to teleport all over the planet and look for something."

"And I even baked him a cake," Scream pouts.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I look at the levitating pastry.

"How dare you?!" she shoots me a fiery glare, "Now no cake for you," she tossess it on the marble floor where it starts smoking and eating a small crater.

"I apologize, Scream, let me just get some adamantite cutlery to scoop it off of the floor before it melts through to the planet's core."

She sits on her haunches, crossing her forelegs. I walk over to her and hug her.

"Come on, honey, you will do it right one day. All you need is for Magnus to invent a new kind of biochemistry and discover what you are doing wrong."

And everything goes white, chunky, and sweet.

Can't breathe! Must... chew... through...

My head pokes out of an alicorn-sized cake. Considering my coat isn't melting, it must be store-bought.

"Congratulation for not having to hide anymore, Voidie, although I wouldn't get too close to our city yet," Scream beams and licks a chunk of cake from behind my ear, "Hmm vanilla, some ponies just aren't creative."

"I refuse to eat a cake with Void inside it," Magnus frowns, a plate and cutlery levitating around him.

"Be careful what you wish for!" Scream's horn flashes, and soon after there's a second alicorn cake with a smaller head sticking out of the top, "Here's one of your own."

"Ehm, before we 'celebrate' or whatever this is supposed to be, mind if I ask for your help again?"

"Mmmph?" Magnus doesn't bother to stop chewing.

"We have to scour the border areas of where the plague reached and discover what disappeared from there. Something must be missing and we need to find what."

"Deal, now shut up and eat, killjoy," he tosses a piece of cake at me.

"Alright. Thank you two for everything," I dig into my sweet prison.

"Miiind if I join in?" Scream, standing on her hind legs, whispers into my ear, "Unlike the prude there, I don't mind eating an alicorn, cake or-SPLAT!"

"I heard that," Magnus gives her messy face a smug smile.

And then the cakes sprout tentacles and eat everyone.

***

Okay, Void's dreams are getting weird. And here was I thinking that getting rid of Suitie will be the end of the tentacled part of me reliving his stolen memories. It seems that the corruption slowly taking over doesn't need Suitie's presence anymore, if it ever did and I wasn't just wrong in my assumption.

Warmth wrapped around my barrel keeps me steady as I stumble, realizing I fell asleep while walking for a second. Flora's strong wing has been the crutch I needed throughout this whole trip. Thankfully, the boxy buildings of Steinheim are within reach, and while I'm not too keen on being alone with Veronica and her companions, at least I'll get some sleep on the train.

I look up at the sky.

I've been feeling eyes on me ever since Drachenberg. Yes, I know there are a bunch of bounty hunters for whom I'm a ticket to a comfortable future around, but this is different. The black dot high above in the sky I noticed before is around again. That has to be it, someone has to be tracking me from up there. The thing is that I have no clue who or what it could be. It's not a griffon or a pegasus, the thing is too big and too far up in the bright blue sky. Size-wise, it could be a dragon or an airship, but I can't come up with any reason for a dragon to be trailing me, or for an Imperial airship to be hanging around for this long.

Could someone be tracking me in such way from Equestria? Hardly, flytraps are supposed to make air travel impossible.

My train of thought is cut short when we enter the shade between two houses, and Veronica stops the entire group.

"As per our arrangement, you are free to go," she nods to Flora who unwraps herself from me and nods, "However, if you even breathe a word about me and my business here... well, let's just say that the Redtalon name stands for long reach and no fear of shedding blood."

Flora rolls her eyes, clearly far less threatened or impressed than Veronica hoped for.

"Yes, yes, I might wake up with a pony's head in my bed. You know what? Make it a whole pony and we have a deal. Earthpony, no, zebra, make it a zebra," Veronica's eye twitches while Shaw covers his beak with his talons, "What? Decent action in a backwater hole like Drachenberg is pretty rare."

"Get... the hell... out of my sight..." Veronica hisses.

Flora stands up straight, salutes me, winks, and takes the closest street towards the common landmark of any griffon city - the Imperial Legion fortress.

Having to rely only on my own legs again, I slowly plod forwards when we move out towards the town center where the train station doubtlessly is. I'm kind of hoping that Flora manages to organize a rescue party quickly, kicks Veronica's ass, and I'll be a free pony again, but that's too ideal to ever happen. My plan about informing Bucket is better and will catch Veronica off guard. Especially when she doesn't seem like trusting Flora in the slightest, and all the others are ready for a fight or flight situation breaking out any second.

In the end, we reach the dome of the train station undisturbed. The train west is already ready by the platform, there are surprisingly few griffons standing around for this time of the day, and I can't help feeling it's strangely quiet. My captors, however, don't seem bothered in the slightest. I guess I just don't have the instinct for the flow of life in griffon cities. Veronica quickly grabs some first class tickets using the privilege of my golden one, and we're ready to board.

Astral and Sheila get on the train first so that I can't run away through the car and get lost somewhere. Then it's my turn to move my lead bars, I mean legs, up the stairs and...

...see the Sheila staring straight into a barrel of a levitating gun while Astral is lying on the floor, a hoof painfully shoved into his beak.

Wut?

"Redtalons hunting citizens of Equestria in this part of the Empire?" I hear from outside, and my head turns so fast I have to rub my suddenly hurting neck.

Veronica immediately turns around, spear at the ready, only to see empty air wobble and reveal a big griffon aiming a shotgun at her. Next to him, a black, emerald-eyed, blonde-maned female hippogriff is raising a rapier at Shaw.

"Desert... Shade," Veronica growls.

"Nice to ruin your plans again, Ver," Desert Shade grins and calls out, "Back, Scroll, drag the other two out, we're not going anywhere yet. Hey, Blazing, stop staring and come here!"

Meh, from one armed mercenary group to another, the plan remains pretty much the same. Anyway, Des' squad is much nicer than Veronica's.

"I'll fucking kill you..." Veronica spits out.

"Redtalon assassins on my back, what's new?" Des nods to Lyam who ties Veronica up, "Do I have to remind you that didn't work the last time when I led your 'revenge unit' into a Corrupted ambush? I actually just wanted to drag them through Equestria a bit, but when I found out you sent your younger brother after me just because we happened to be on different sides of a job... I just had to teach you a lesson, little girl."

Veronica starts struggling in Lyam's grip, but to no avail. When the big griffon is done with making her a rope burrito, he moves onto Shaw but is stopped by Des. Strong Back and Rolled Scroll, in the meantime, 'escort' Astral and Sheila out of the train. Des snaps her talons loudly.

"I'm in a good mood today, guys, so since you're only Redtalon employees and not their direct servants, I'll let you go. How about that? You can visit this vengeful bitch in prison or when her daddy pays a small fortune to get her out of a lawful arrest."

A muffled "...kill you..." comes from Veronica with her face smooshed against the ground.

From Shaw's change in posture I immediately know he's about to kick backwards at Rolled Scroll and start fighting. His mechanical foreleg is as good as a sword, or even better, in any close combat.

"Everyone at ease," I hear Veronica's quiet, defeated, but firm voice as she manages to roll over on her back, "The half-breed bitch is right, We knew what this job entailed and there's no reason for you to sit in prison with me. Meet me at the usual place when I'm out, it shouldn't take more than few weeks."

"Politics..." Desert Shade shakes her head, "but hey, we get gold out of it so I can't complain. Plus we can always catch her ass again, hah!"

Veronica's bounty hunters salute and disperse. To my surprise, no one is trying to stop me when I reclaim my saddlebags and sword. Not that I'm in a shape to fight, but you know... I feel like they're not taking me seriously.

"You wanna ride Lyam or Backie?" Des ask me out of nowhere.

"What?"

"Too late, you're walking," she chuckles. I must look more confuzzled than a cat under a disco ball.

Well, it's not like I have the option of just walking away, do I?

"Umm," I ask hesitantly as we walk through Steinheim towards the fortress. There's one thing that might give me some insight into things, "How did you find me? Last time I saw you was on the ferry."

Des looks at me incredulously and facetalons.

"You... saw us on the ferry and didn't come? I thought we missed you by one. Why?"

"What do you mean why? Aren't you here for the bounty on my head?"

"Oh, you know about that?"

"Well yeah! A guy tried to kill me shortly after we split up in Vanhoover, then Veronica's mercs got me near Maneattan, but I managed to escape, talk to the Silver Sun second in command and found out that the bounty was not real. The thing was, I thought you were on my ass for it too."

She shakes her head.

"Sorry, that makes sense. I just... was kinda pissed you dragged us through quite a chunk of the Empire for no reason. First and foremost, I'm not here for the bounty. Happy?"

"Internally celebrating already."

"Great, there's the distrust and snarkasm I can get behind. But no, it's true. The bounty on you is real, but I don't think anyone who would have killed you would get it, if you get my meaning."

"Someone wants me dead but is not willing to pay the money?"

"I... am not sure. There are a lot of things I don't know and I'm making a lot of assumptions based on incomplete clues and little to no evidence, but my guess is that the issuer doesn't want you dead per se."

"A million bits on my head isn't really a 'not wanting me dead' thing. If it was on capturing me then maybe, but just my head?"

"Look, that's why I said I wasn't sure. A lot of things don't make sense to me as well, but I'm on your side, believe it or not."

"So I can just walk away and take a train back to Equestria? No stopping me from your side?"

"Nope, although I'd like to avoid that. Would you stick around if I told you I have an idea WHO put the bounty on you?"

"Who?"

She gives me a smug smile.

"I said an idea, and I'll keep it to myself until we deal with this, let's say, four-legged chicken problem," she pokes Veronica slung over Lyam's back.

"I'll find you..." the Redtalon daughter grumbles.

"You're welcome to try," Des just shrugs.

"So, how did you find me anyway?" I ask.

"Smarts and magic."

What? Am I losing all my powers? Even my innate and trained magic resistance?

"Magic? Magic shouldn't work on me. I was kind of banking on it this whole time."

"Scroll, knock Veronica out, will you?"

The unicorn's horn flashes, and Veronica goes limp. Desert Shade continues.

"Didn't want her to learn some of our tricks, for both your and my sake. You see, being able to innately unravel magic cast on you isn't as useful as you think when someone knows about it. In fact, it actually makes you easier to find rather than more difficult."

"What?"

"More stuff to keep you interested and stay around, mister Light."

Author's Note:

Hooves up who trusts Desert Shade!

Comments

[Razjel]

7726355 Don't burn it. You still have more chapters to write, so the delay of buying new keyboard won't be good. But thanks anyway

[Two_Madmans]

No, I mean that the plague was not a normal disease which died out because there was nothing more to infect. It was crafted to achieve something, and it disappeared when that goal was met.

To kill alicorn of life?

Size-wise, it could be a dragon or an airship, but I can't come up with any reason for a dragon to be trailing me

Darky can be reason.

[Anonymous Critic]

"Yes, yes, I might wake up with a pony's head in my bed. You know what? Make it a whole pony and we have a deal. Earthpony, no, zebra, make it a zebra," Veronica's eye twitches while Shaw covers his beak with his talons, "What? Decent action in a backwater hole like Drachenberg is pretty rare."

Huh. Usually if there's a Godfather reference, it involves a deal and an inability to decline.

[Anonymous Critic]

I don't know how much I trust Des on this... then again.

On one side, she is certainly a respectable mercenary, so I doubt she would take up a contract that has a good chance of being completely fake all evidence considered, let alone one against someone who is notorious for saving the world... at least in the right circles of people who still remember about him after over two hundred years have passed. Not to mention the known beyond friend of Cromach... the leader of the Silver Sun... which since the SS is trying to stop great evils that come about, taking out a powerful ally of them would hurt everyone in the long run when the next Big Bad Guy comes around... and no amount of bits is worth potentially dooming the world in the long run, along with yourself. And that's if she'd survive the wrath of Cromach...

Yet on the other flip of the coin, she is still a mercenary, and mercenary's are normally naturally not for good or bad, but for the highest paycheck, regardless of side, and the contract is pinned for a very large stack of cash... Not that much of an argument for her being a bad guy on this one... but still, a solid possibility. Plus there's the question of what she has in it for herself? Of course she could be counting on Blazing, or the Silver Sun given his connections to the order, paying her after the fact...

All in all, it's a bit mixed, yet I believe she's a good guy. Doesn't mean I doubt that she has an ulterior motive though...

[Blewfire]

Not me, not even as far I could throw

[Nameless Narrator]

9893037
Considering that ponies aren't too big, you could actually toss her a little if you're an adult.