//------------------------------// // 1-2 I Gotta Warn Ya // Story: Renegade // by Slendy //------------------------------// A/N: Those that have read Realization will recognize this... pretty bland town, purposefully I might add. Enjoy. "Woah-woah-woah, you fought a Crystal Necromancer? Is that a thing?" W was skeptical, to say the least, blinking a multitude of times with Astra in awe over Sora's storytelling. If W was honest, he was really good at telling stories, even if this may just be another lie, she was gripped. The Sarkaz made a few waving motions with her knife, as though it were a staff. "So... what, he like makes undead... crystal slaves? Wha...?" Sora chuckled pretty honestly at that, shaking his head before grabbing her wrist to direct her haphazard motions with care, himself reciting what the necromancer once did. "Not exactly, his magic was necromancy, that's certain, but having experimented with the crystal caverns under Canterlot his magic began to infuse with Equestria's, hence the new aesthetic," He quickly let go of her wrist after realizing he was holding her hand for too long. "A-ah, sorry - but yeah, pretty weird guy." W slumped slightly, putting her knife away with a pout. "So I get Slugs, mutated Infected, and metal crabs... and you get the magical crystal-necromancer, tch, lucky..." She grumbled, not liking the favoritism while throwing her fist to the sky again. "Oi, Merchant, where's my sorcerer!?" Once daybreak hit, the trio continued in their direction toward Hoofprint, and with Sora, they were making better time navigating. He insisted on flying W and Astra over atleast the forest but W was adamant about 'not' drawing attention to herself. Reluctantly he agreed and showed them the best way through on foot, it was still a lifesaver, even if W never admitted it. For Astra though, she could see it, the energy bubbling between the two humans that continued to recount the events of their lives in Equestria, Astra didn't say it, but she was happy that W was happy. "W really likes him... but she's wary, like before with the nice Diamond Dogs," Her mind paused, following W's finger as it prodded against Sora's chest with a sly smirk, himself flustered by whatever it was Astra didn't focus on. "Mr. Sora likes her too, but he's worried... or scared? Um... no, not of her..." Astra didn't mind losing herself in her own thoughts at times, it let her follow Miss. Zecora's instructions about 'listening to the world'. Aura was produced by anything that bore life, if she focused on a pony or person, she could see the color of their aura, the core of what made up their personality. W's was red, and Sora's was blue. Both colors had a vast array of meanings, and when Astra focused, the individual parts that make up that aura begin to show, almost like stars in the night sky. It was fascinating and she wanted to know more. Yet, when she looked at her own hooves, she saw only a silvery tint, unable to pinpoint what it meant. Even in Zecora's book, she couldn't find what silver represented. Back with W and Sora, she crossed her arms and listened to what the Aasimar had to say. He put his arms out defensively, eyes drawled into a dull stare with a stupid smile, attempting to remain aloof. "All I'm saying - if physical energy can be converted into thermal energy, how hard would I have to punch a chicken to cook it?" There was silence until he snickered. W, breaking into full-blown laughter with Astra giggling slightly at the reactions. Her snorting led to her clutching her sides, "I-I can't breathe~!" Soon, Sora hid his laughing behind his hand, voice strained to a higher pitch. "It wasn't even that funny...!" "I-It's only funny, because... because I can just imagine someone doing that!" W wiped a few tears with her tail, the audible chuckle or two between her words. "I-I - oh God - I just can't get the image of this Herculean haymaker striking the chicken and there's just nothing left, raw paste and particles and that's it." "Why is so funny?" Sora wheezed, an arm around his waist to help him calm down. "I heard like years ago and I can't get it out of my head!" "The delivery in that stupid voice probably did it - that was perfect," W surmised "I don't get it..." Astra, while liking the banter was a little confused on how the idea of a chicken being turned to paste was funny. W patted the filly's head, smirking. "We're just idiots, sadly, your IQ's probably higher than ours so it'll fly over you, kid, sorry." "Oh," Astra blinked in understanding, then tilted her head. "Um, I think I see the exit?" Her low voice drew their laughter down and back to the unmarked path, true to the girl's observation, there was a large gap in the trees not far from their location. "We made it, about time too," W sighed, rushing with the two of them in toe until they stopped before the edge of the woods, peeking out at the small plains just beyond the forest's edge. Both Astra's and W's eyes widened at the sight, though W was noticeably less thrilled given that it was a town filled with ponies - and something else. Sora rubbed his nape, a hand motioned to the world beyond. "Guess I should say it - welcome to Hoofprint," He chuckled Despite the forests and plains gathered around the area, the town was just outside a large lake, strangely similar to the shape of a hoof, or a circle in W's blunt case. The town had a large, sandstone-tinted wall surrounding the perimeter. All its buildings were made from bright white stone and had stone-paved streets with a stream cutting through the middle toward the lake. W blinked slowly. "Looks like chalk in the middle of a forest..." Then her blunt assessment drew her hand to grab Sora's scalp, twisting it. "Tell me, black smoke normal for this place?" True to her sharp gaze, black smog was rising from the town and had any of them listened closely, distant screams could be made out among other sounds of chaos. Whatever it was, the mood quickly shifted, Astra gulping at the sudden feeling of death washing over her mind. W cocked her elbow, revealing her grenade launcher underneath while flinging off her cloak, basking in the afternoon sunlight. "We need to hel - huh?" Sora blinked, finding her discarded fabric atop his scruffy head, smelling faintly of ashwood. Turning, he saw W adjusted her jacket over her shirt, unzipping it to free her body of any unnecessary heat. "W?" "What? Someone's gotta clean up this mess," Her finger flicked against his chest. "And can't risk someone recognizing you, the last thing I need it to hear I've 'brainwashed' the necromancer-slaying-Aasimar," While gruff and brimming with sarcasm, Sora stupidly smiled at her kindness. "Thanks... but I can still help," But by then W took off in a sprint toward Hoofpint, waving her hand back. "Then look after Astra, Wing-Boy!" By then he couldn't get another word out, shaking his head with both hands on his hips. "Is she always this hotheaded?" "W's nice, she just doesn't like putting people that trust her in danger," Astra answered, hopping into Sora's awaiting arms while he tucked the cloak's cowl over his head. "We can still help, right?" "Hm, of course, that's what she's doing - just hold tight, okay?" She nodded at his words, wiggling into his arms while he bent his knees, legs taut while the wind gathered at his feet. "Here goes - Radiant Soul!" Through the tears in the back of the cloak, the holes widened, splitting to reveal a pair of medium-sized, astral wings that radiated like pure sunlight. Hoofprint was in a state of disarray. From the waters spawned many black abominations, most consisted of black Slugs with hardened shells brimming with a sickly yellow color, their spines more than capable of stinging a few ponies that retaliated. Some even spat a corrosive acid that made quick work of the pavements and brickwork of a few houses, leaving many to flee in terror. Meanwhile, many fled to their homes or up high to evade the prowling, black canines strapped with red harnesses, crystals lodged in their spines, tainting them with the same, twisted infection as the Slugs, even their eyes were a pure, crimson tint, cracks spreading from the sockets. The Hounds howled and snapped at the guards present, disarming them with ease, encircling a few that were caught with their pants down. The one standing before it all in the market's courtyard nearest the entrance to the town was another human-like figure. They were dressed in gunmetal greys and thickly armored barding. The most notable trait is the black helmet revealing their pointy ears and the two black horns jutting atop the helm. It was wrapped in light grey robes around his shoulders and head, the single, blue visor staring down the pony guard with his back to the wall, panting. Lifting his staff the Infected swung the banner sideways, smacking the stallion to the dirt. It didn't speak, a hollow impersonation of the real thing, infused with Originium as it cared little for the ponies, it only desired destruction and nothing more. "No... p-please," The guard tried but ultimately his words were to a mindless drone. Lifting the staff high, it was suddenly met with the force of the sun crashing and burning against its side, flinging the Sarkaz Sentinel across the courtyard for all to see. "What?" "Get up and help any stragglers escape," W sneered, loading another grenade into the chamber with a flick. Her smoldering orbs met the guard's wide eyes. "Well? Got a stick up your ass? Go!" He shifted sharply, nodding as he ran for safety, helping a fellow guard retreat. W cracked her neck, scanning the ruined market of all Slugs, Hounds, and the one hollow Sentinel in her way. "Really didn't want another town after my head, tch-" W's smile was revealed, maddened and twisted with fury. "-Guess I'll just play the role, then!" The second she spoke three Hounds sprinted for her directly, not realizing that a silver top was poking out of the ground. One stepped too close and blew the three of them skyward, reducing their corrupt forms to dust in a heartbeat. Through the sudden release of blazing-hot flames, W's shadow flew through, pointing her launcher down at another two Hounds, stunning them with a blast of brick and dirt, allowing her to move in closer, dropping another mine as it buried itself between them, erupting seconds later once she passed by with her detonator, flinging a C4 into the side of a broken building, bringing down the collapsing wall atop several Slugs. Twirling around, W ducked under the wide swing of the Sentinel's staff, rolling back from another strafe of the polearm as it slammed the staff down, releasing a black shockwave that created a small ring of spikes temporarily. "That's new, interesting," Narrowing her eyes, W spun to her right, a Hound missing her by an inch, instead, it felt the force of her knee crack against its muzzle, her free hand embedding its jaw into the concrete. "Stay." "Head's up!" W's eyes widened once a brown blur sped past her vision, tackling another Hound to the ground as it whined. Sora landed with enough time to hide his wings, Astra tucked in his left arm as she waved slightly. "We can keep any stragglers from wandering off, can you take the big guy?" The questioning look from the Aasimar brought W's world back into focus, smiling through a hearty laugh. "If you've been stalking me as much as you say, then you already know the answer," Her teasing face made him turn around to avoid her seeing his embarrassed face, something she took pride in before kicking a Slug back as its acid hissed against her boot's steel-cap, thankfully it wasn't alot. "Get goin' then." Loading her launcher one solid grenade to the Slug blew it to slag. Several more surrounded the Sentinel as it kept distance between himself and W, the acid raining down before the silverette who was forced back, weaving left and right to evade the dangerous globs of acid that ate away at the courtyard. Spotting a stand, W ran and dived over the counter, smelling the acrid stench from over the counter while pulling off her belt, attached were numerous grenades. "Hmm," Tilting her head left to right, W had an idea and a devilish one at that. Grabbing a splintered panel of wood that could cover atleast half her body she wrapped a discarded strand of rope through two holes were the knots of the wood were taken out, strapping the mismatched board to her left forearm, adjusting it slightly. With a crafty smile, W held her belt of grenades in her right, slinging her launcher back on the strap. "This'll work nicely, hahahaha..." By now, two remaining Hounds, a dozen acidic Slugs, and the Sentinel surrounded the front of the stall, the Slugs acid beginning to pull the supports of the counter apart. Suddenly, two canisters clattered out onto the road, spraying a thick smog into the area, a shadow zipping through as acid failed to catch the moving smudge that bobbed between the remains of stalls and wagons as cover, throwing off their aim. The Sentinel slammed his staff, freezing the Slugs bombardment, silencing the air bar the hissing and occasional growl from the Hounds. The tension became palpable. Shrouded in dust and smoke, W's smile never faltered. With one hand on the edge of an overturned wagon, she leapt high over the smokescreen, brandishing the belt of grenades toward the crowded Infected, her finger caught in one of the rings as it disconnected with a resounding 'ching'. The rack spiraled downward, caught on the spine of a Slug while acid stung W's nose, her makeshift shield raised to take the brunt of the acid while rolling behind another stall with two seconds to spare. "Boom." *BOOOM* A raging inferno quickly spread across the courtyard, causing many to plug their ears once the small mushroom cloud of blazing orange and yellow roared to life, incinerating the Infected while propelling the Sentinel off his feet, the staff the only thing keeping it stable as it held back from the blast. Its armor was torn across its left side, revealing nothing but an inky-black crystal structure in place of a human's, there was no Sarkaz, just a puppet commanded by a foreign force. Yet, at that moment, the gleam in the fractured helmet saw for the first time; A demon piercing the flames with the devil's fanged smile. W pushed through the fire and flames, a blade drawn in her left hand as she struck down onto the pavement, gouging out the Infected's throat. It stumbled, swiping around with its staff, jagged thorns erupting from the ground W narrowed leapt away from, performing a backflip over the length of the staff. She bent her right arm across her chest, the barrel of her grenade launcher poised with a flash soon to follow. "Smile," Her joke followed by that same flash, and the head of the grenade was lodged deep in the Infected Sarkaz's cranium, followed by one last explosion that reduced its whole form to crumbling, black dust to rise with the smoke of dying fires all around the last mercenary standing. "W!" Astra was the first to arrive, bouncing up to the mercenary with a bright gleam in her eyes, though her cute, innocent frown remained. "You were so cool." Sora closed in behind her, rubbing the back of his head behind the cloak. "At first I really thought you were just the kind of person that fought head-first without thinking but... I guess I was wrong, sorry," He felt a little guilty for still retaining that impression after everything the two had talked about prior. Hearing this, W chuckled, shrugging while rubbing her chin. "I do get lost in the heat of things, yeah..." Looking around, she could've done more to reduce the damage, but atleast it was kept to the courtyard. "But hey, what can ya do, a merc's gotta make ends meet." "You!" A voice called from the approaching, timid ponies. It was the guard W saved. "Who are you exactly, um... miss?" He had to give the woman a once over before guessing. A sense of existential dread crashed into W, much as she was glad to have rid the Infected from the town, if they knew who she was it may turn into another incident like Ponyville. Gripping the handle of her launcher carefully, even Astra and Sora looked at her strikingly plain expression as she spoke. "I'm a mercenary, what of it?" "Sorry, it's just... I've never seen somepony like you before." He admitted, rubbing his head. "I-I just wanted to say... thank you, for saving me." "Huh?" W's face dropped, confusion and disbelief rushing over her features. "I... really only made things worse - I mean, I really tore this place up." "We know, but, you saved us, so much so that only a few were mildly injured because of you and your friends," He reinforced, and numerous other ponies nodded or offered a quick 'thanks' or bow of their head to the dumbfounded silverette. "When those creatures came from the river we had no clue what we were dealing with," The guard shook his head, looking around solemnly. "Magic proved to be ineffective against that larger one with the banner, and those Slugs ate away most of our weapons," "The Infected, they're... part of my job to clean up," W admitted vaguely, shrugging dismissively. "So I'm no better, I'm Infected too." "What?" Sora and Astra gaped at the nonchalant look on W's face, she was hardly concerned with the fact. "I'm Infected with the same disease that turned those monsters, well, I dunno if I am anymore but if I am I'll die of it someday," W blinked slowly, sighing once. "Just how it is, really." "Even so, you stepped in and saved our lives, Infected or not." The guard's face held firm with certainty "You saved us!" "Why would we care what you are?" "Thank you so much!" All this praise left W uncertain of how to process anything. She put her hands up close to her chest. "H-hey, look, I'm just not that nice a person, alright?" Then her face fixed into a serious frown. "I'm a mercenary, meaning I'm paid for my services." "You're bribing them?" Sora gawked, unable to make any form of rebuttal "W..." Astra tried to argue but the guard nodded. "Mister, but won't you need money for repairs?" "It's fine, little one, in all honesty, payment could hardly suffice for your help, but we can do that, as a thank you - regardless of your reasons." He was so quick to agree, even though W's less-than-kind expression said otherwise. Now, she was completely defeated. "Please, feel free to stay until we return." As quickly as he came, the guard ran back to a small gathering of his own, all of them discussing the terms of compensation, W was left in silence, unable to blink, let alone speak "..." Not a word as W sat on a lone crate, not even offering a glance to the disappointed faces on Astra and Sora's faces. They were here to help, not peddle Bits out of the ponies, yet not even their words broke W's long silence, it was as if she completely shut down. In no time at all, the guard returned, holding out a pouch in his mouth for W to take, her fingers picking the top open to reveal the glimmering coins within, even Sora had to admit with a whistle, "That's... alot of Bits, you could probably be set for weeks with that - a-are you sure, sir?" He tried to persuade until W tossed the purse of gold coins back into the guard's surprising hooves. "Huh, what's wrong, is this not enough?" He questioned warily, instead, W stood up, grabbing her duffle bag. "Consider it for your silence, I don't need word that I'm here spreading to the Royal Guard - besides, I've got enough coin on me," With that, W wandered back through the courtyard as it was being cleared for repairs, a few ponies thanking her as she walked by, the Sarkaz merely gave a nod and pressed on. Both Astra and Sora remained by the guard's side, shocked by her sudden turnable. "She's clearly attracted alot of attention to herself, some not so kind it seems..." The guard murmured, then offered Sora a few Bits from the pouch. "Here, as my token of thanks atleast - and feel free to stay as long as you like." He smiled up at the hidden Aasimar who slowly returned the kind gesture with a bow. "I will, and thank you - if you need help, let us know." He added kindly, Astra nodding quickly. "We don't mind helping, honest." Hearing this, the guard sighed assuringly, taking the pouch and walking away. Alone, the two followed W from a distance, allowing her time to think, her eyes still blank. "She's confused, no other ponies except for Miss. Zecora and Mr. Mir were ever kind to her." Looking from Astra to W again, Sora followed how her eyes always seemed clouded when the topic came up. He had seen the report first-hand, watched as a pony he trusted with his life became bitter and hateful toward W. It was all because of that Merchant. That made him think with a furrowed brow. "Did he send that necromancer after me? Turned ponies against me too? What about 'Him'," It was a chilling thought, but it was beginning to seem far less superstitious the more the pieces were placed correctly. "Well, atleast she has you to keep her straight," His hand ruffled Astra's mane. "You're a good friend." She nodded then shook her head. "Not just me... you too," He made a 'huh' sound, not following until Astra smiled very slightly. "She's scared because she wants to trust you I think but Miss. Twilight and her friends have scared her into being so cautious, t-that's what her aura is telling me." "I see..." Both orbs lingered on W's back again, wishing to see what Astra sees, maybe then he could understand her further. "I... I hope she can trust me then, hopefully." "Where is it... where is it...?" W berated with her sense of direction some more, scanning the street constantly for an idea of where her destination lied, sadly, her memory was foggy on the details, it had been far too long since she remembered that talk. Slapping her temple, she tried back-tracking, her friends following her strange antics. "Maybe back here...? Grah, where is it!?" "What exactly are we looking for?" Sora carefully piped up, both him and Astra staying a safe distance from her wrath, a comfortable two meters away. "Please don't break anything." Her glare leered with her slow turn, like a door on rusted hinges. "That's the issue, I can't freakin' remember, trying to jog the memory right now - thank you," Yep, she was still pissed and flustered after this afternoon's events "Must you constantly yammer at such a volume? I've still got a splitting headache from your last little stunt!" Her heart suddenly skyrocketed, turning sharply to a small doorway wedged open in an alleyway. Astra poked her head out from behind W's left leg, Sora to the right, both blinking confusingly compared to W's brightened features. It was hard for W to suppress the eased smile she wore, no longer hiding behind a hood. "Your dry tone will never not be endearing, Mir." The charcoal pony with lime-green magic enveloping his horn huff bitterly, "Well? It took you long enough, hmph." To Be Continued...