//------------------------------// // Chapter 6~Familiar faces // Story: Hellfire Dash // by Centurion Pike-Wall //------------------------------// Umbra awoke to a weird, wet feeling on the back of her head. It slid her hat down a bit, and in her brief panic, she slid the hat back up towards the top of her head. However, she could still feel the wet object along the back of her neck, and it was really bugging her. So, she reached back, and pulled out a... a fish? Sure enough, a slimy fish had hit her in the back of the head. She stood up, looking around behind the wall. Right behind it was no sign of any water, so it couldn't have jumped out of a creek or something. She looked right, and again found nothing like where a fish could've come from. A similar sight greeted her when she looked to her left. However, when she looked up and straight ahead, she saw a charging bear. With a yelp of alarm, she dropped the fish and took off. She had just cleared the wall when the bear climbed over it, and went for the fish. After getting her breathing under control, she realized that the bear looked oddly familiar. That familiarity was confirmed when she heard a familiar soft voice call out, "Harry! Harry, where did you go!?" Coming out of the woods, stopping just behind the walls, was Fluttershy. She said, "Oh, there you are, Harry. Why did you run off?" It seemed she then saw her shadow, as she looked up and saw Umbra. "Hello there. What are you doing up there?" Well, it would be a bit suspicious for her to just fly off without answering. Besides, she also kinda wanted to see her, and so, landed next to the bear. Fluttershy was almost unchanged in all the time she had been in the Devils service. Her hair was still in the same style as always, pulled down over half her face. She also wore the same outfit as she always seemed to wear: a green sweater over a darker green dress. Something about the way she held herself, or something to that effect, seemed different though. It was then that she noticed the small, golden ring around her left hands ring finger, and it was all clear. She was married; to who, she didn't know. She wanted to say congratulations, or something to that effect, but held herself back. She said, "Your, erh, friend here, almost trampled me." "What!?", Fluttershy said. "What do you mean?" "Pretty much exactly like I said", Umbra said. "A fish hit me in the back of the head while I was taking a nap, and next thing I know, this thing runs out chasing it like a dog a stick." "B-but, his fish was in his feeding trough. How did it get all the way out..." She stopped, as she seemed to realize what it was, and scowled. "Angel." Turning back to her, she said, "I'm terribly sorry. Even after all this time, my little Angel Bunny is quite the trouble maker." As if to prove her point, Umbra felt something hit her in the side of the head. Looking to the side, she saw an all to familiar white rabbit, holding what looked like a straw. Even as the two of them looked at him, he shot another pea, this one hitting square on her sunglasses. The surprise sent her stumbling back a bit, nearly bumping into the bear, who looked back at her and growled. "Angel! That's not nice! Say sorry to... I'm sorry, I never got your name." "Umbra Venandi, miss." Fluttershy resumed, "To miss Venandi here." The stupid rabbit just blew a raspberry and ran off. Fluttershy just gave an exasperated sigh, and said, "I'm so sorry about that." "Are you willing to sell the rabbit?", Umbra asked. That sent the mare into a confused look. "Why?", she asked. "Cause it looked not that bad, and I haven't had good meat in a long time", she said, flashing her razor-sharp teeth in a massive grin. Her look shifted instantly into one of horror and she stepped back. "T-that's horrible! What's wrong with you!?" Umbra, realizing what she just said and to who, lowered her head and looked at her boots. A side effect of her daemonhood, she supposed, but that didn't make it any better. She gave a light snort, and said, "Yeah. Guess I'm a bit of a sick buck. Sorry, I'll just, I'll go. Have a nice day, miss." She spread her wings to take off, but was stopped by Fluttershy saying, "Wait." Turning around, she said, "I'm sorry for loosing angel. How about I make it up to you?" Umbra wanted to say yes, but couldn't take chances. "No no. It's fine. I was just taking a nap, and will be on my way. Like I said, have a pleasant day, ma'am." And this time, without waiting for a reply, she took off towards town. Part way there, she landed on the road, deciding to stretch her legs a bit. As she walked, she thought about what exactly she was doing here. Why was she around these ponies who she knew would find out about her, past, eventually? She could just camp out in the woods, wait for the second one to show up, then just kill him and leave. Simple, and she didn't have to be constantly on edge and slip up. However, another part of her mind answered it for her; It would be too damn suspicious. She had already agreed to Twilights hospitality, and if she just packed up and left the next day, they might get suspicious. They could investigate, which would lead back to her. Even when she went back to Hell, her next contract could put her out close to Ponyville, or they could be visiting the city it was at. Or even they just link where she'd been, and try to track her down. The Boss made it clear: have no tails, and talk to no one from your past. She had already broken rule number one just by being here, and she didn't want to break the second. She was so distracted by these thoughts, she didn't hear a loud buzzing sound behind her. She did hear when somepony shouted, "Look out below!" A shadow formed over her head, and she didn't have time to look up before a scooter slammed into her back, just between her wings, and slammed her into the road. Fortunately, her hat stayed on, as that would be an awkward conversation when whoever it was recovered. She said, "Whoever you are, please get off me!" "Eep!", cried an unfamiliar voice. "Sorry, sorry! I was just trying something out with my friends, and I messed up, and I-" "Slow down kid." Umbra stood up, brushing off her jacket and cargo pants, and turned to face the pony who crushed her. She was a younger filly, about maybe 15 to 16, in a red tank top, magenta short shorts with white trim along the sides, and a black bike helmet. Underneath her clothes, she made out orange fur and a magenta colored mane, revealing who she was instantly. Scootaloo. Again, another thing had changed about her: in this case, a multi-colored shield with the picture of a wing on it. "Look, you said you're sorry, so, I'll just be on my way." Before either of them could do anything, another two figures came running down from a nearby hill towards them. One was an earth pony with yellow fur and a dull red mane, wearing a white t-shirt, overalls, and a red bow. The other one was a white furred and lavender-maned unicorn wearing a light green dress. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom; the other two members of the CMC. If she stayed, she was truly bucked. "Are ya ok, miss?", Apple Bloom asked. Umbra adjusted her jacket, and said, "Look, I should be going. I'm fine, so, have a nice day, and I'll be on my-What?" She cut herself off when she noticed Scootaloo almost freeze. She followed her gaze towards her jacket, and the tank top beneath it. The black strap of her knife holster could just be seen around the leather jacket. Scootaloo said, shaking herself out of seeming trance and rubbing the back of her head, "Oh, sorry. It's just, well, most ponies don't carry around weapons, and, well..." Most ponies reacted this way. "Oh, ok then", Umbra said. "Part of my bosses policy." "Who do you work for that has you carry a knife around?", Sweetie belle asked. "Can't say." After the look on their faces registered with her, she said, "I'm not a gangster, if that's what your thinking. My employer just likes for his employees to take certain, precautions. That's all. Now, may you three please just let me get back to where I'm staying, I'd really-" "Well, who do you work for?" "Like I just, said, I can't tell you", Umbra said, rubbing her temples. She liked Scoots and the other crusaders, but sometimes they drove her up the wall. "Now, I'll be taking my leave. Have a nice day." Not wanting to take any more chances, she took off again, and didn't land until she reached Twilights castle. She didn't even bother with the front entrance; she just slide through the open window. She slid shut the blinds shut, and tossed her hat on the nightstand. Jumping up on her bed, she just marveled at how close a call that was. And also made a resolve to have a talk with the Boss after this about giving Abaddon command of these missions.