//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: House Invasion (Edited) // Story: A Parents Legacy // by Lunar Flarion //------------------------------// Having a cold wasn’t very pleasant for Oasis, he was on and off, he fell asleep for long periods of time and was awake for a small amount of them. Viper had never seen Oasis have a cold, nor has she ever seen a cold, so she was rather nervous and easily shaken by little things. Stringy had seen it before and helped Viper nurse Oasis back to much better health. However, Stringy had found out too late that they had run out of chicken noodle soup and had to run to the market to get some more, along with other things like tissues. This left Viper to take care of the colt. Viper nuzzled Oasis as he laid under the blankets, once again, asleep from the cold. The covers were wrapped tightly around him and Viper held him close to her chest for warmth, but every once in a while she would unbundle him and let him cool off, something to do with a fever. She licked his cheek whenever he started to stir to calm him down, from what Stringy had told her, sleep is the most important part of recovery, right after medicine. Once again, she felt him stir but was too late to calm him as he awoke with a slight jolt and a squeak. He felt his mother’s hooves wrap tightly around him. He looked up, and with a rather hoarse voice, asked,” C-can I have s-something to drink?” Viper nodded, yet she reluctantly let him go to grab him a glass of water because of the motherly instinct that told her to stay with him. When she finally forced herself to leave her sick kit, she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a small plastic cup and filled it with water. As she filled it up, she realized that he may be hungry, he hasn’t eaten since last night, so he must be hungry. She knew that Stringy was out to get more chicken noodle soup and other things, but she knew that they had something she could give Oasis. First, however, she quickly walked back to his room, the water held firmly with her tail. She sat on the bed and helped Oasis drink the water, once he was done, he laid back down and fell back asleep. She took the cup back to the kitchen and looked around for something she could make... without the small chance of the house being burned down. Just as she found a can of pineapple, she heard a knock at the door. Though, she ignored it, even as it got louder. She popped the top off of the can and poured it into a bowl. She grabbed a fork and put it into the bowl then picked it up and walked back to Oasis’s room. The knocks at the door grew louder, yet Viper didn’t listen, she laid the bowl down onto the side table next to his bed and held Oasis close to herself once more. She slowly drifted off to sleep, her tail wrapped around Oasis as she finally slipped into the land of dreams. *BAM BAM BAM!* Viper awoke to the loud sounds of somepony that had banged on the door. She wanted to growl, but she didn’t, she looked down at the form of her kit who was still asleep. She gently removed her tail and nuzzled her colt once more before she jumped off the bed and walked towards the door. With a loud roar, one of a very furious mother that could scare away an Ursa Major, Viper roared,” WHO ARE YOU!? WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE PUPPETEER DO YOU WANT!?” A weak female voice answered,” I-I have a package for... for String Theory?” “I don’t know of any packages he had ordered! Leave it at the front door and leave it there so that he can pick it up!” Viper roared back with a low growl. “It might be stolen!” the mare replied. “I DON’T CARE! LEAVE!” Viper replied with a stomp of her hoof against the cold tile. “Well... I have some papers you need to sign!” the mare replied, her voice still weak, yet Viper could hear the hint of anger in her voice. “I can’t write!” Viper replied, though this was a lie, Stringy had taught her how to read and write many things, but she didn’t trust this mare. “Then I can’t leave without the papers signed!” The mare replied. “THEN LEAVE!” Viper yelled and before the mare could argue, Viper left the front door and walked back to her kit’s room to make sure he was still okay. She once again wrapped her tail around Oasis and held him close, even as he began to wake, she kept her tail wrapped around him as she offered him the pineapple in the bowl, which he ate happily. That was when the knocks started up again. “Mama...” Oasis asked weakly as he looked back at his door,” Who is at the door?” “A random mare that says she has a package for your father,” Viper replied as she nuzzled his cheek,” Go back to sleep and don’t worry about it.” Oasis laid his head back down, but Viper knew he wasn’t asleep and the knocks grew louder and... closer... Viper slowly grabbed the blanket and covered Oasis with it as she got off of the bed, went back to the door, and opened up the door with a slam, this scared the mare who still stood at the door so bad she slipped and fell onto her hindquarters. Viper growled as she saw the mare completely, she didn’t have a package, she didn’t wear the uniform. With fury and rage, Viper growled,” I told you to leave, and not only did you NOT do that, but you also lied about the package you claimed to HAVE!” The mare, who was a light tan earth pony with a scarlet mane, seemed to be in awe at Viper. Viper knew the mare, even though it was long ago, she remembered the mare from the small group that Stringy had glared back at when they glared at her and Oasis. She was too angry and too focused to notice the stallion and another mare as they rushed in and punted her from the door entrance. She landed with a loud thud as the two walked in. The stallion, who was a dark purple unicorn, commanded in a deep voice,” I’ll get the hybrid thing, you kill her.” The other mare, who was a yellow pegasus nodded and reached out to grab Viper, but Viper was too quick as she bit the hoof as hard as she could, jumped up, and ran to Oasis’s room. She heard the earth pony mare yell to get her, but she paid no mind as she slammed the door shut and pushed the dresser in front of the door. Oasis had awoken because of the noise and was on the verge of tears as Viper jumped onto the bed and held a defensive stance towards the door. She heard a loud thud as the door moved inward a bit, then a green aura wrapped around the door and it was ripped off of the hinges. There stood the purple stallion and the pegasus mare, who held a bat. Viper hissed dangerously at the attackers as the stallion climbed over the top of the dresser and into the room. Viper didn’t waste a second, she charged up a shot and let it loose. It found its target as it pierced the stallion’s chest. He let off a loud yell followed with a groan. The two mares pulled the dresser out of the way and both entered the room. Viper charged another shot, but the pegasus mare quickly flew and grabbed her by her throat. Viper slammed against the wall with her tail pinned below her, she felt the mare punch her in the chest and they both heard a low snap. She screamed as the earth pony mare picked up Oasis. She turned to leave but soon was ignited by an electrical light that nearly blinded Viper and caught the pegasus mare off guard. The mare dropped Oasis back onto the bed and fell over with a loud thump as her head slammed against a wall. Viper saw that the pegasus was distracted and quickly bit down on her hoof and shot a final shot that punctured the mare’s leg. She let off a yelp and fled, her wings drooped slightly as she bumped into the wall, Viper’s poison had already begun to work. Viper ignored the pain around her throat, chest, and tail as she jumped onto the bed and checked on Oasis. He was out cold but he still breathed. Viper held him close in a tight hug as she looked at the other two. The stallion was still alive but was too dazed to see that they had lost the mare... she was fried. Her mouth was black and her mane stood on end. She was dead. Viper started to wonder about the pegasus, but a loud female scream caught her attention, as well as the sound of a very angry Stringy. She watched the door as a large familiar and friendly figure appeared before her, it was her husband. In his magical grasp he held onto the mare’s arms, she too was knocked out cold. As soon as he saw the two, he rushed over and let the mare’s arms drop to the ground. He slid to a stop and looked at them, even with the lack of eyes Viper could tell he was worried. He wrapped his arms around the two. His voice, even for a seasoned warrior from years past, was shakey as he asked,” Are you two okay!?” “I’m fine... just a... cracked rib is all,” Viper replied as she held Oasis’s unconscious body close,” But Oasis overdid it, we need to get to the hospital!” “H...hehe...” the two heard the stallion laugh,” They won’t help... a MONSTER... like you!” He groaned as Stringy got up and walked over to him. Viper felt the heat that radiated off of him, Stringy was beyond angry. He crouched before the stallion and spoke softly, yet those words carried some much edge, she could hear Death shudder to enter the room to claim the mare’s life. “What makes you so sure?” Stringy asked. “Be-cause!” the stallion laughed,” When the... the princesses find out she killed... TWO of her subjects... she’ll have you arrested... and hauled off to the dungeons!” “You seem to be mistaken,” Stringy told him, his face grew closer to his,” The princesses know me and my family, you can say that we share blood in the paper sense.” “W...what does that mean?” the stallion asked. “It means this,” Stringy replied, in an instant, his hoof shot up and slammed into the stallion’s snout. This movement caused the stallion’s head to jerk back and leave a small crater in the wall of the house. No doubt the stallion’s nose was broken now he too was knocked out. Stringy grabbed the two intruders and tied them together with his metal cables. He grabbed Viper and Oasis and teleported to the hospital. Viper and Oasis were taken in quickly and examined. Stringy... “convinced” them to let him be with them as they were examined. First was Oasis, who had extended too much magic and would be asleep for a few hours, other than that, he didn't have any other injuries they could find. Viper, on the other hoof, had suffered a cracked rib, it wasn’t too serious but the doctors insisted that they at least warp a bandage around it as to let it heal more properly. Stringy agreed and Viper did too, though rather reluctantly. Another thing the doctors found was that Viper was once again pregnant with another foal, a shock to be sure, but it was one of the things that showed the silver lining of that bad day. Viper was overjoyed that she nearly worsened the crack in her rib. The day was bad, yes, but it had gotten a little better with that news of another bundle of joy on the way. However, on their way back home they both agreed not to tell Oasis that he had accidentally killed a pony... at least no so till he was older. Stringy paid what was owed, grabbed the kit, and walked home with Viper who held a mile long grin. The family returned swiftly to their home and saw that a small amount of repair needed to be done and the two alive criminals needed to be dealt with. Yet, as Stringy looked at the house, he noticed that the mailbox had its little flag up. He groaned, most likely bills, yet when he opened it he found a small letter with the royal seal on it. Stringy didn’t know if the day had gotten better or worse with the sealed letter, yet he hid his expression well as he simply told Viper that it was a bill. When they walked in, they found the two house invaders still knocked out, yet they had a body on their hooves. Stringy found the body, picked it up, and went back into town to the Crematorium, many ponies looked at him in awe, fear, and shock. When some stopped him to question him, he told them what had happened, when a news reporter stopped him, he told the reporter the same story but warned that, if the news studio ever came to his house and pestered them, there will be trouble. Stringy came back and told what happened in town to Viper. They just hoped that this wasn’t going to cause some grand domino effect. He told them that he heard that the group didn’t have any parents to go to, no relatives either, so they just proceeded with the process and Stringy paid for it. Viper then questioned him about the “bill”, which she soon found out was a message from the Princesses. Viper was now in the same boat as Stringy, she didn’t know whether to be happy or upset at the letter, she didn’t really care for the princesses, but she knew the power they held. With some more hesitation, Stringy opened the letter. What was inside was not at all what he had expected, not in the slightest. It was a letter that asked if he could stop by... for a family reunion.