//------------------------------// // 1-6 Results May Vary // Story: Renegade // by Slendy //------------------------------// "One, two - three!" With a heave, Sora flapped his ethereal wings hard enough to rustle the treetops, but to his heaved sigh, the tripwire was taut against the branches, officially securing the campsite from afar say Cliffheart finally catches up. Hovering there while catching his breath, the ravenette brushing one of his braids aside, feeling the waxy texture against his fingers. "I doubt this will miss Cliffheart... he's getting sharper - W's becoming predictable." He hated to admit it, but Cliffheart wasn't a slouch, if he was up against something entirely new, he'd fail again and again until he found all the exploits he needed. Be it a monster, an Aasimar, or Sarkaz. Sighing, he rubbed his hair again. "I need a bath." Gliding down, Astra was sitting with her eyes closed, muzzle scrunched up cutely while attempting to concentrate on her 'Seer' power. For days now, Sora attempted to narrow down what world Astra could have originated from, when W told him that Astra said she was, 'from the sky', he initially believed her to have come from a world similar to heaven or that lived among the clouds. But he too 'came from the sky', as in he fell to Equestria, which may be the case with Astra too. That, and her nightmare the day before they left Hoofprint suggests she's from a world with creatures that looked like black werewolves. "Hey, Astra, any idea where W is?" This was a double question. He smiled, wanting to test her sensing ability as well as find the missing Sarkaz, even her weapons, and bag were left behind to go venturing into the tall, taiga forest, pines, and spruces shrouding parts of the afternoon sky. The filly was lost in a haze of colors, her body was silvery as usual, but Sora was blue, focusing on his specifically led to an array of blues, like an ocean refracting sunlight, it shimmered with kindness, honesty, curiosity, even... infatuation? Tilting her head, Astra decided to keep that to herself for now as she hummed, looking around the murky outlines of trees for a significant sign of red among blues and greens of other wildlife. Green always meant passive for most animals, some predators had a tint of red or pink, it was fun discovering new shades or meanings to prior colors, it filled Astra's head with wonder. "Um... ah!" She blinked up at Sora who knelt down with a curious brow while following the filly's hoof to the right. "W went that way, I think she found a place to clean and she wanted to investigate." That word, 'clean' was like music to Sora's ears. With gusto, he stood up straight. "Well, I guess if her hunch is right we should probably take advantage of that while we can, the next town is... not a place we want to stay long." Even he couldn't hide his awkward tone. "Are they bad ponies too?" The innocent look drew out a chuckle from the Aasimar. "No... they're..." He wiggled his hands like scales before slumping. "Okay, they're weird, even for talking ponies - right, I'll go find her." "Okay...~" Astra sang softly, returning to her focus while muttering under her breath. "...does W feel that way too?" She had alot to think about. "Okay, she wasn't kidding," Blinking out the disbelief, Sora was certain he'd have seen this from the treetops. Standing just at the edge of a rock formation that acted as a large wall, his eyes observed in wonder at the steamy pools of water surrounding him. It was a natural hot spring, which wasn't uncommon for any point in this region. They were still very far from the nearest town but since the mountains once had active volcanoes way back when the activity from that time left many fissures in the crust, creating these pools almost everywhere. "W? W...?" Not even a snap of a twig. Looking around quickly, Sora kicked off his boots and socks to test if the water was actually safe to sit in, less he wanted to boil himself alive. Shivering at the sudden rise in temperature, it seemed the pool was indeed safe, the water wasn't bubbling either which was another good factor. With a sigh of relief, he quickly glanced around at the trees and rocks to ensure he was safe and after only a few seconds he sank down into the pool with a strained breath, the bruises and cuts he's sustained himself sensitive to the water. "Ahh... best... discovery... ever," After traveling for nearly five days, the water reminded Sora of all the pain his body had been subjugated to. From running to flying, setting camp, even hunting if need be, and genuinely putting up with W's strange antics. Even if his body reacted poorly to the hot sensation, he didn't particularly care, he was happy now. Sinking further into the boiling water he thought aloud, eyes flattened. "Why do I have an eerie feeling W's up to something?" "An interesting assumption; Up to what?" The words to his left enquired. He just shrugged. "Eh, you'd usually try and pull something to keep me on -- Ahh, why are you in here!?!" His mind screeched to a halt, finding that sitting no more than two feet from him was the silverette herself, her expression portraying no sense of shame, only a devilish smile of content. Through the lighter mist, he saw her damp hair stick to her head more, antenna slumped slightly, the tips of her horns dripping wet. Even at the water-level, he could make out her pale skin, red blemishes from the temperature. Especially a very, very significant area of her body that was just barely covered by the water. Sora tore his wide eyes from her attractive body as his face burned hotter than the water itself. Drowning would be preferable. "To be fair, I was here first - besides, I'm sure I contracted something from that river I bathed in after dealing with those Mutts," W shrugged, sitting back in the water with a huff. "You're the one that just up and stripped when I finally pulled my head out from the water," She swore his whole face was glowing with his back to her. Rolling her eyes, W added, "Relax, I didn't see anything due to the steam," She wouldn't admit it, but it was somewhat disappointing "That doesn't make this better!" He yelled, no longer able to focus with an attractive girl literally bathing behind him, he swore this was just the world's way to torment him further. A silence ensued before he heard her move around in the water, the rippling motions made it unclear what she was doing. Getting out? Probably not, so instead he said nothing and tried his hardest to relax, but her figure kept popping up in my head like it was constantly on loop. "You know, if you keep ignoring me I'll just make you..." He hated it when she says that with a tone similarly used when she decided to mess with him. "Guess I'll just have to move closer~" "Okay-Okay! I'm looking!" His body spun around, keeping both his shaky eyes locked to her neutral stare. She was still concealed by the steam and water but now sat only a few feet from his spot. His throat felt dry as he spoke like sandpaper rubbed his throat. "W-W-what?" W looked away, leaning her head back to face the orange sky above. "You and Cliffheart know each other, yeah? What's he like, before he became so obsessed in caging me like it's his fetish or something?" That made Sora snort sharply, looking away from her too, more so to avoid adding more blood to his crimson face. "W-well, ahem, he's... honorable, he was once like you, a pony-for-hire, he'd hunt dangerous monsters, collect things no one else could or would, then he met Mom - erm, Celestia, and soon he became a part of the Royal Guard, helping new recruits improve, he even defended me when ponies were still... shady of my arrival," Lifting a hand from the water he raised it as if to hold his sword. "He taught me how to fight smarter, to use my enemy's weaknesses against them, he's clever but kind, and would do anything to uphold the peace Celestia wants to prolong for however long she can." "So your typical rogue turned knight, yeah?" W bluntly surmised, and Sora nodded. "Yeah, pretty much." His eyes then met her orangy-gold. "I'm sorry," Looking around, W crossed her arms. "Sure, I hate the guy for being a pain in my ass but he's not a fault, that Merchant got inside his head, messed with alot of ponies that didn't deserve it." Brushing a hand out, W grew... timid. "I-I guess I just got focused on how angry I was I kinda... forgot that." Sora nodded, "I understand that, these... memories are now a part of us, and if we let it, deny who we are prior we could... lose ourselves in our own desires," He shook his head at her odd expression, "I, um, used to call myself Valiant, the Aasimar I called myself in DnD, had it not been for my Mom I would have completely forgotten my real name, maybe even my biological parents." "...that's why you hugged me or were you just wanting to be mushy again?" W teased, poking a finger above the water with a sly smirk. "H-hey, it's a legitimate method!" He defended with a blush. "Emotions are bound to our memories, you're not exactly the most trusting of people, and understandably so." "So you did that... because I trust you," "Because I felt safe." Smiling awkwardly, W was left somewhat speechless until she saw that Sora was staring at her antenna that were bobbing in place. "Like what you see?" "Uwah, s-sorry." He blurted out with a blush, looking down while enjoying her pleasant laughter until she pointed up at her horns and sensory pieces. "Perks of being a character from Arknights, they went a little 'anime' with designs so many factions tend to have certain animal traits," W rambled on without realizing it, both imagining a speech bubble above her finger displaying a chibi of herself and a Sarkaz Sentinel like back at Hoofprint. "I'm a Sarkaz so we tend to have horns and demon-like traits, I'm actually a cockroach." She stated proudly. "That explains the reaction times when your antenna twitches," Sora realized as another bubble appeared with a girl with brown hair and bunny ears alongside a boy with pinkish-white hair and bunny ears pointed down. "How is she doing that...?" He didn't dare question the naked, bathing fangirl in front of him in the water. "Some have rabbit ears too called Cautus, there's a whole bunch for various animals," W brushed off the bubbles while leaning back against the bank. One other thought crossed Sora's mind, one that gripped him with a chill before. "What you said back in Hoofprint..." Her brow quirked. "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." "You're... Infected?" The longer Sora pondered her words the more it confused him. So, with a shrug, W added with a wave of her arm, turning it to display the underside of her armpit. To his horror, there were a few black rocks the size of a fingernail embedded into her skin. "I-Is that?" "Those soldiers from Ponyville I killed, they're like me, Infected, part of a group called Reunion who were founded for the sole reason to terrorize the world that discriminated and killed them just because they contracted some incurable virus - Oripathy." Lowering her arm W smirked. "So far nothing's changed, so I might be off the hook, maybe... dunno really." "Are you okay?" His question was quick and worried. W blinked slowly but smiled, seeping her arm back into the water. "'Course, like a little infection's gonna get me-" "W." His voice was stern as she met his eyes, how... serious they were, it was almost alluring. "Ahem, yeah, I am." She spoke with modesty or until something snuck up on them. "I remembered something," Astra spoke up shyly. "Yah!" W and Sora yelped, the former slipping off her perch under the steamy waves, gargling curses on her way back up. "Sorry..." The filly murmured while W coughed up the excess water, Sora turning away from her 'assets' now above the water level, wishing he just stayed at the camp. "I-It's *cough-cough* all good," Splashing back down, W's tail slithered up to poke the pony's chest. "You can tell us more now while I clean you up - can't have you smelling like the dead." Reluctantly, Astra pouted and took off her scarf, hopping down into the water to sit against W's stomach. Sora eventually turned to face them again, scratching his cheek while observing W while she cleaned Astra with a pleasant smile on her lips, happily humming while Astra spoke. It was really sweet to see. "I was trying to focus on my own aura again and I think it made more pictures appear in my head, like a book." "I see, anything on your world?" W added briefly, washing out the dirt clung to the filly's mane. "Mmhm, my... Papa," Astra murmured, looking around at the trees with wondrous eyes. "He was big, like you Sora, and strong, he punched a scary wolf so hard it exploded into a purple ball that exploded again." "Sounds like magic, that's pretty cool," Sora complimented, making her smile slightly, an achievement not many could accomplish. "But then many of them appeared, and some bright, white light turned them all to dust in a flash, like an explosion without heat or a loud bang, just... um, 'whoosh'!" She elaborated by making a waving motion with her hooves, W chuckling while washing out the girl's mane "Kid, you're too adorable for this world..." W admitted, leaning back for a moment. "So a white light that can erase dark creatures and magic..." The woman deadpanned. "Wow, that leaves... literally every fantasy world known to man." "That's still an improvement," Sora added, smiling assuringly at the downcast filly. "You've already improved so much in only a few days, and your memories aren't erased which is another positive - don't worry, it'll all come back to you someday." "Thank you..." She murmured with a bashful blush, even W had to wink. "Such a sweet-talker, ain'tcha?" While this was a good development, W felt oddly nostalgic herself. "...well, guess I'll say something." Thinking about it, W never really thought about her goals until she first arrived in Equestria, where the childish idea she could be some kind of hero still ran rampant. "I wanted to be someone that inspired others, that's what my goals were believe it or not." Her neutral expression hadn't flinched at all, even while Astra and Sora watched her with surprise at the sudden openness. She smirked, shrugging. "It's sad, really; Bullied for being different, and here am I, trying to be something big." "That's not stupid," Sora replied, Astra nodding quickly. "You're really nice, and brave." Again, the Sarkaz laughed, rubbing her brow with her tail. "I'm W, and power often makes people feel strong, take that away, my explosives, this body and all that's left is some introverted girl who... plays guitar, huh?" She stared into space, hand rising to her gaze. "I... forgot I liked playing guitar, and... music in general..." It happened again, her face becoming clouded with fright. "I... really did forget that." "No you haven't," She flinched when a hand rested on her shoulder, meeting burning, aqua eyes that left her entranced. "You keep saying that who you are is just this broken person that deserves to be forgotten, but I think the person you are now is the real deal, W just helped to bring all those positives out." "I um..." Speechless, how Sora did that to W stumped her to no end, was it the water getting to her? And what's up with this stupid feeling in her head? Shaking off his hand, her confidence rekindled. "Well, thanks I guess, both of you - now!" With a hoist, Astra sat on the bank of the hot springs, W shuffling around until her sly look locked to his like a predator. "Less you want a lovely show, best turn around, not that I'd mind I little peeking, hehe." "I... s-s-sure..." His face glowed and he spun around, drowning the lower half of his face under the sloshing waves while W's mocking cackle rang in his ears, Astra facepalming at W's constant teasing. "He's just being nice..." "Yeah, and it's nice to tease him for it, no skin off the nose and all that. hahaha," She paused in the background. "And forget it, I'm not playing music, especially in front of people, kid." "W..." "I'm going to die from a heart attack at this rate... but..." Sora gulped, he really hated his head at times but after so many years the first real human he's seen face-to-face, and a really beautiful girl at that, he couldn't help but take a tiny peek, only a second, nothing more. Ignoring the furious heat rising through his body - "...!!!" W held her jacket around her chest, displaying only her back to the hot springs. That left her milky-white back exposed, Sora could make out a large scar running between her shoulder blades, the right end touching her slender shoulder, many more dotted her back, all in various sizes and lengths. The mentality of him staring dumbly at her still didn't register. He could hardly breathe as she bent down to pick up the rest of her clothing from a rock, Astra hopping past her. It all just left him staring dumbly at her thighs leading up to her rear. Soon, he plunged his head under the water, despite the hot sensation burning at his wide eyes, he could hardly remove the image not burned into his mind. "What in Equestria is wrong with me!?" To Be Continued...