Chapter 22
“You’ll have to pull these out to have a look, I have no desire to cut my fingers off.” Mister Blackmoor set down two leather sheaths upon the counter. There were no visible grips, no pommels, no crossguard, just some brass snaps holding one end of the sheaths closed. “These are unique and none too popular, but the smith that produces these keeps making them, insisting that they’ll catch on eventually.”
Almost breathless, emotional, Flicker popped the brass snaps and opened the end of one of the leather sheaths. He saw the glint of fine steel, and an angular chisel-point, made for penetration through almost anything. With his telekinesis, he pulled the blade out and held it up for close examination.
It was curved somewhat, but not too much. Just enough for good edge-friction during a swipe or slash. The back of the blade was thick, and the edge was keen. Both ends had chisel-points, for stabbing and penetration. Said chisel-points could also be used for slashing, and Flicker knew that these would punch right through bear hide and bear fat with relative ease. Steel plate wouldn’t be much of a problem either, he reckoned.
The blade was about twenty four inches long, so it had some length, but it wouldn’t be ungainly in tight quarters. He held it up to his eye and peered down the length of the edge. It was straight and true, beautiful, and the young colt felt the first blushing heat of infatuation. The blade could be held anywhere, at either end, or even in the middle. With his telekinesis, he didn’t have to worry about things like sharp edges, and this sword was all edge.
Holding out his foreleg, he shaved off a patch of hair and let out a low whistle.
“There are also two smaller daggers tucked into semi-concealed flaps in the sheaths, miniature versions of the blade you hold. I think you’ll find them useful in your profession. I know that Doctor Sterling keeps a baselard stowed away upon himself for emergencies.”
Flicker nodded and got down to the dirty business of buying. “How much?”
The diamond dog looked thoughtful in reply, and his eyes narrowed. “I’d need at least five thousand gold bits to make a fair profit—”
Flicker let out a disappointed groan.
“—but, this is your first purchase from me and I want you to come back. I will let them go, the two swords, the two matching daggers, and the custom made sheaths… all of it for three thousand gold bits.”
“Flicker,” Doctor Sterling whispered in a low, tremulous voice, “he’s selling them to you practically at cost. If you wish to cultivate a professional relationship that will benefit you for the entirety of your life, I would suggest that you accept and make this purchase.”
The colt realised that he was being given an opportunity, that a door had been opened for him, that he was being given the chance to be outfitted like the wealthy and the privileged. His mouth was dry and there was a rushing down in his ears. The burrito from earlier was still behaving in a monstrous manner in his hindgut, and being a pony, he was a hindgut fermenter.
“I would be honoured to accept your offering, Mister Blackmoor. Thank you, for giving me a chance at such a deal, and with these blades I will be the envy of my peers. Thank you.” Flicker bowed his head, and he saw a glimmer of emotion in the old dog’s eyes.
“One day, son, you’re going to bring your own apprentices here, and they will buy blades too… if not from me, then from my own son or my daughter. When Doctor Sterling was but a wee apprentice himself, his master brought him here to me, and he purchased his first real weapon from me… that baselard I mentioned.” The old diamond dog looked wistful, and a bit sad. “Doctor Sickle was a fine pony. I miss him terribly.”
“As do I,” Doctor Sterling said to Mister Blackmoor in an almost inaudible whisper.
“If I might inquire, what happened?” Flicker asked.
“Rabies.” Mister Blackmoor looked pained from saying the word. “Being a good doctor, Sickle wrote down his every symptom, every ache, every pain, and when his mind started to go, he kept writing for as long as possible, so that others might learn from his passing. He provided a tremendous amount of learning to the medical community and his painful sacrifice brought much understanding.”
“I’m sorry, Doctor Sterling.” Flicker looked up at his mentor.
“We’ll have a reliable cure someday.” The doctor cleared his his throat and when Piper brushed up against his side, he gave her a warm, grateful half-smile.
“I’ll need your account information, son. In three days, once the transaction clears, I’ll have the blades delivered to you.” Mister Blackmoor gave the colt a nod. “I look forward to a long and prosperous relationship between the two of us. I thank you for your patronage.”
“And I thank you for the fine deal that you have given me,” Flicker replied. “I’m ready to give you my account information…”
After emerging from Mercenary Alley, Flicker felt different. He had grown up in some way, he had endured some fundamental change, but he couldn’t quite figure out how or why. He suspected that his mother and father would be proud of him, as he was investing in his future, his career, himself. His mind wandered back to the day that his mother had brought him to Canterlot by train. Such a scared colt he had been, so full of uncertainty, so timid… so weak.
But then he had found his true face, and his true face had set him free.
Distracted, he fell into line beside Doctor Sterling, with Piper and Hennessy walking side by side behind him and the doctor. Piper had pulled a book out and was reading, while Hennessy was doing a bit of sightseeing. The doctor seemed pleased and walked with a noticeable smile.
Pulling out his wand, Flicker decided it was time for a bit of practice. He concentrated, allowing a charge to build, and when he felt that he had a sufficient charge, he shouted, “Luceat lux vestra!” Much to his surprise, he had success on his first attempt, and a tiny glowing orb orbited around his horn, glowing with a warm, yellow light.
“Nice work,” Doctor Sterling said as they walked.
Taken with the doctor’s praise, Flicker tried another spell that he had never been able to cast on his own, a practical spell for any unicorn. He allowed a charge to build and thought about the spell inside of his head. This spell was more mental than anything, and could be performed without words, but Flicker was going to try it with words, just to see what would happen.
Whispering, he said, “Quiete pedes.” This spell was all about quiet, so whispering felt appropriate somehow. Ears perking, he realised that his hooves no longer made a sound as he walked. Fizzling, the glowing orb circling around his horn died in a shower of sparks. That was fine, he could summon another. He felt alive with the heady rush of knowing that he was using magic, spells that had previously been out of reach for him.
Magic was all about confidence and self assurance, and right now, Flicker had a surplus of both. Now that he had successfully cast a few spells, he swelled with confidence and his spirit soared. This magic thing wasn’t so hard and he felt that he could get the hang of it. With this wand, he could be a wizard, sort of. There was no shame in using a wand, after all, Wicked had a wooden leg. It was just a prosthetic, something to aid him.
Flicker paused and thought about Wicked’s wooden leg. It too, was wood, and had a brass cap at the end. Wicked was a scary good wizard… the wheels inside of Flicker’s head began to turn and he wondered… was Wicked’s leg a wand? It might explain a few things. It might explain a lot of things. If this was true, Wicked had a secret.
“RATS!”
Ears perking, Flicker’s whole body jerked at the shouted word, and then he heard it again. “RATS! RATS EVERYWHERE!”
Rats were everywhere, and he didn’t have a sword. This was very, very bad. Flicker, his rat-sense tingling, began to look around, his eyes narrowing, and he spotted his most hated foe—rats. A brazen mess of them right out in the open, spilling out of a pile of grain sacks loaded into the back of a wagon.
“Miss Pie, your rat pipe! Play it, play it now! We need to lure them away so that we might dispose of them safely and away from the public!” Doctor Sterling’s voice was one of seasoned command and he snapped Piper from her moment of alarmed panic. “Mister Nicker, no fire!”
Scowling, Flicker held back, but remained ready. His eyes fell upon a true monster of a rat, a grizzled creature at over a yard long. It stood up, its beady eyes blazing as Piper’s piping started and the rats around it began to sway. Spellbound by Piper’s music, the smaller rats began to shuffle along, obeying Piper’s will, but the big rat resisted.
With a snarl and a hiss, it took off, shrugging off Piper’s influence with ease.
“Mister Nicker! Run him down, if you please!” Doctor Sterling commanded.
Only too happy to obey, Flicker took off down the street after the monster rat, with murder blazing in his eyes. If only he had a weapon to subdue the horrific mutant rodent. Had Flicker been in control of his senses, he might have used his wand, but he had already slipped it away into his pocket.
The rat was just out of his magical reach. Flicker tried several times to grab it in his telekinesis, but his magic had a limited range—beyond a certain point, his telekinetic grip was nonexistent. This rat was fast, too fast, and with these mutations, they kept getting faster and smarter. This one had to be moving at a good twenty five to thirty miles per hour down the street.
Flicker, under optimal conditions, could match the rat for speed, but with his ripped open, body spackled side and his current state of being, he was slowed a bit. As such, the rat was getting away, and it infuriated Flicker, whose body flooded with adrenaline. The rat scurried up a six foot garden wall with ease, and disappeared over the top.
Under normal circumstances, Flicker could make such a leap, but he was not in peak condition. As he jumped, his front fetlocks smashed into the top edge of the wall instead of clearing it. The rough bricks sliced him open, drawing blood, and peeling away skin. He somehow managed to clear the wall and had a rough landing on the other side.
The rat was getting away, looking for a hidey-hole that it could slip inside.
Spitting with rage, Flicker forced his body to perform, pushing himself to the very limits of what he was capable of in his current state, with two battered front fetlocks and body recently exposed to the forces of a powerful explosion. His hooves clattered over cobblestones and he tore through the park after his prey in relentless pursuit, a tireless rat assassin.
“Rat!” a maintenance worker wearing an orange vest shouted as he danced around.
It was then that Flicker saw it—right there in the back of the parks and recreation maintenance wagon. The chainsaw… he lifted it in his telekinesis and as he passed, he grabbed up some safety goggles… as one had to follow proper safety procedure. There had to be order or everything would be chaos. He put the goggles on, as one had to follow the rules of safety.
With a few yanks of the pull-start cord, the chainsaw came roaring to life, buzzing, and smoking. Flicker held it overhead and ran after the rat, determined to catch it, and then he was going to give it a little chainsaw loving. Ponies in the park screamed and ran for their lives, and Flicker pitied them, they lived in such fear of such a wretched, hateful little creature—the rat.
The crowd was worthless and weak.
Flicker had no idea that the crowd was running from him.
Flicker endured another rough landing as he lept over the wall. He had kicked away from the top of the wall with his hind hooves, and he had flown, just as he had been trained to do. Flying through the air, one could catch up to a running rat, one could gain ground, and Flicker was doing just that. If he could just get close enough, he could get a good grip on the rat with his telekinesis, and this would all be over.
“Die!” Flicker bellowed in the most fearsome pubescent voice he could muster. “DIE!” He revved the chainsaw for punctuation and kept running, ignoring his pain, and unaware of the growing crimson stain on the side of his coat, where his side had once more torn open. He was oblivious, he was a pony with built in blinders. All he could see was the rat, and the rat had to die.
He ran down the cobblestone street, the crowd fleeing, and the rat ran down the center of the lane, no doubt looking for a drain to slip into. The drains on this street had iron grates over them, good luck for Flicker, bad luck for the rat. Flicker ran down the narrow street, his frock coat now bloodied, missing most of his tail, his back half was bald, and he looked very much like a pony that just escaped from the sanitarium.
The rat scurried up another wall, and Flicker made himself ready for another leap.
Landing, Flicker interrupted a garden party. He heard the cry of, “Tally-ho! Rat!” and Flicker realised that he knew that voice, that was Fancy Pants, a very kind and genteel individual. He liked Fancy Pants, and considered it a privilege to do work for the good-hearted noble. He had cleared rats from Mister Pants’ polo clubhouse.
“Une tronçonneuse!”
And that would be Fleur Dis Lee. He had no idea what she had just shouted, but it must have had something to do with the rat, as now the guests were all fleeing, screaming, and stampeding away. Flicker demanded more from his body, and his hooves tore divots in the fine lawn. The rat was almost close enough now, if only he could gain just a little bit more ground on his prey.
The chase needed to end, and quick. Flicker saw where the rat was heading. In the rear corner of the wall, there was a low patch of land with a drain pipe, to keep the walled in yard from filling with water and flooding. Reaching out with as much will has he could muster, Flicker discovered that he could grip the rat’s tail.
Had he pulled out his wand, he would have been able to crush the rat with his telekinesis.
Flexing his mental muscles, he grabbed the rat by the tail and squeezed as hard as he could to get a good grip on the fleeing mutant rodent. The rat was yanked backwards with a squeak, and Flicker crowed in triumph as he revved his chainsaw in anticipation. It was time to make ratburgers again. But something went wrong with his vicious yank, and the rat let out an agonised squeal as its long, scaly tail was torn off from its patchy, balding, diseased backside.
Left holding a bloody, squirming tail, Flicker watched as the rat slipped into the narrow iron pipe, escaping, and fleeing from reach. Trembling with rage, Flicker stood there, still holding the rat’s tail, spitting out incomprehensible curses by the score. He killed the chainsaw motor and lowered his weapon as Fancy Pants approached.
“Good show, my boy, good show. The rat got away, but that’s okay. There’s always tomorrow and there are plenty of other rats to be caught. My goodness, my boy, are you bleeding?” Fancy Pants’ voice became worried. With a look of concern, Fancy Pants sent up an emergency flare to call for help as the crimson stain on Flicker’s side grew ever larger. “Good heavens, my boy!”
Snarling, Flicker stuffed the bloodied rat tail into a pocket in his coat so it could be disposed of later. As his adrenaline coursed through his veins, he could hardly feel anything at all. Sucking in a deep breath, he turned to look at Fancy Pants, and tried to calm himself. After a few more deep breaths, Flicker felt some of his senses returning, and with them, pain. Intense pain, right in his side, and it wasn’t a stitch from running, either.
“Mister Pants, you’ll need to excuse me… but I’m feeling a little lightheaded…”
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7766506
The doctor gasped because Flicker wanted to duel wield. I thought that was rather obvious.
Called it! Sort of.
And come on Flicker, if you die killing one rat what about the millions of others? There's only so much Flicker to go around.
7766650 ah. I fear I am a bit jaded with unicorns who easily multi task with there telekinesis.
I forget how common, or not, it is in your universe.
7766696
Unless he somehow learned the magical equivalent of the Shadow Clone Jutsu... but then I'd think the rats might just start committing suicide as they'd know they had no chance then. That is if they are as smart as they seem to be becoming.
7766704
That'd probably be the case.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu: Remember GM's, never let your players take the protagonist template, it's OP."
7766698
Multitasking is one thing, but dimachaerus style is a skill that must be learned. It is complicated, difficult, and takes time to master.
Poor Hennessy. He now has to compete with a pair of inanimate objects for Flicker's attention.
Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie appeared to throw Flicker a "congratulations on gaining a nemesis party"
I ordered a plaugue doctor mask at about 5AM yesterday. I like this story.
I can just see tomorrow's headlines.
And for the tabloids...
Very interesting chapter. Nickers swords sound dangerous in the grasp of someone trained in using them
7766854 you sure there would be any difference between the two
You will never be forgiven for saying such travesty.
In actuality it would would normally be said
“Une tronçonneuse!” as in "A chainsaw!"
I wander if Fancy pants has anything to do with the rats?
I just had the most horrific thought. The rat he cought part of... mutation to regenerate. He's gonna pull out the rat tail to be disposed of and get bitten but a baby looking mouse with a super long tail...
Your stories inspire some amazing thoughts as well as disturbing ones.
Keep up the amazing work
7766951 ....Wouldn't calling it a sword be a bit.... Innacurate? It'd be more apt to call it a razor blade on a string, minus the string.
7767049 its a sword to a unicorn a sword that only another unicorn could use.. Though a razor blade might be accurate. Because only a unicorn can use it doubt they would catch on especially for services where another pony might need to grb and use it in a pinch
You know, I think meeting Fancy Pants will be of benefit to Flicker. Please, do continue this line of thought.
good chapters, i hope Flicker will be the new Rye, he who brings death with him
7765832 sward art online, good anime. the special skill of the main charterer was dual wielding.
7765838 it's a good anime, not the best but good watch
7765895 "the death dealer" he expended above rats
7766038 LOL
7766598 kill la kill was amazing and with two swords it does give that feel
7766831 while not a mask, i do have some plans for later... engraving plans
Ouch. Flicker is going to end up a very ugly pony with a lot of scars if he keeps up like this. And he wont care.
Flicker really needs a few more dots in Wits.
Just saying.
Didn't he just buy swords? Why did he need a chainsaw?
7767470
Read the chapter and this time, pay attention. The answer is right there in plain text. If you skim, you will miss vital details.
7767477
Oh, duh... Of course he wouldn't that much money on him fo an immediate transaction. My bad.
Specifically unicorn only (or telekinesis only, I suppose) swords and daggers? Neat.
Glaives? Okay. Not a common request at all, especially with no grip.
And damn, what a Rush of Blood to the head will do, you got a wand damnit! You even had it out!
7766828 THIS!! This right here needs to happen!! <3 <3
Oh god yes!
....
aww, you didn't deliver
7778026
Wait for it...
When I read the word 'chainsaw' my mind immediately went here:
This is one of the more interesting action scenes I've read in rather a while...
A chase scene more about Flicker's half-crazed lack of sense than the fairly real threat of a rat resisting Piper's magic.
Not quite falchions perhaps, but close.
This pleases me.
7766721
7766704
Joyously, the Grand Community of Rats took hold of equestria with it's pestilent claws. It seemed nothing could stop the furry tide, nor the disease it brought with it. By the thousands, no, the millions they flooded the very streets of canterlot. They could not be stopped. They could not be slowed. Their victory was absolute.
Then Flicker Nicker found the mirror pool.
Flicker's unicorn swords.
orig01.deviantart.net/a23b/f/2017/217/d/c/flicker_s_unicorn_swords_by_lynx318-dbj0pc7.jpg
oh GOD I just had a terrifying thought, The MLP universe is an multiverse right? That means some day dspite them being seperate universes we have the possibility of The Bogeypony Bucky, Dim Dark, and Flicker all sitting down to tea together ( I know not in canon for either verse but I'm damned if that thought doesn't fill me to the core with fear XD