* * *TWO YEARS LATER* * *
Somewhere in Cydonia, all was peaceful. It was a Saturday night, and a large feast was spread over a rectangular dining room table. Within this house lived a unicorn couple blessed with twin foals. The colt and filly were each seven years old… and based on how much food was on the table, they were glad that seven was a lucky number. The parents who were standing at the table were just glad to have their two little ones in their lives.
“Wow, look at all the food,” spoke the colt.
“Yeah, there’s so much of it,” added the filly.
“*chuckle* All the more reason to thank your father, little ones,” replied the mother, seating herself next to her husband, “I couldn’t have made all this without the ingredients he bought for us. Now have a seat. We will give our thanks to the goddess, then we eat.” The kids just nodded and proceeded to sit themselves at the table with their parents… and as soon as they did, the father put his hooves together to begin the family prayer.
“Dear Mother, we gather here today to thank you for this wonderful feast. We did our best to follow the path You set for us, and we hope that as we continue to follow it, so too will You continue to watch over our family and our people. Heaven be praised.” The stallion’s family repeated the last sentence he uttered and then began to fill their plates with food.
“You’re amazing, my love,” spoke the husband, “I could’ve sworn I bought less than what we have here.” The wife just giggled and kissed his lips.
“You bought enough, dear. Don’t worry so much. We’re here together, and that’s all that matters.”
“Yeah, Dad,” the colt added, pouring himself some orange juice, “It’s not your fault you got laid off. At least you came out okay.”
“He’s right, Papa,” spoke the filly, grabbing a fork for her salad, “Besides, you’ll have a new job soon. Right, Mommy?”
“That’s right, honey,” replied the mother, “And you know what else? While your papa waits to begin his first day of work at his new job, he’s still getting money from his old one through a settlement.”
“What’s a settlement, Mom?” asked the colt.
“It’s a deal where a judge forces a company to pay workers like your father the money they owe them.”
“But why do they have to fight, Mom? I thought the company always pays Dad and his buddies.”
“Not always, son,” said the father, swallowing his mouthful of lasagna, “Sometimes a company can get greedy and stop paying us workers on time. Other times, they don’t pay us at all. Either way it goes, it almost always happens when that company is about to close down. When it does close, us workers are the first to lose our jobs.”
“That’s terrible, Papa,” spoke the filly worriedly.
“It is, sweetie. That’s why Mommy and I tell you two to stand up for yourselves. People won’t always give you what you rightfully deserve. Sometimes you need to show them that you mean business.”
“You bet, Dad,” replied the colt with confidence, mimicking a boxer’s punches, “We won’t let anypony steal from us. We’ll kick their butts if they try it.”
“*chuckle* And kick butt we did, little one. You see, at my job, we have unions – big groups of workers that come together to fight for better pay and other good stuff. We fought the company for weeks through the courts until the judge finally forced them to give us our final paychecks – and more.”
“Indeed,” added the wife, “Through your father’s union, he and his fellow workers did more than just get their money – they showed the whole country that they weren’t afraid to stand up for what is right.”
“Just like Bladewing?”
“*giggle* Exactly like Bladewing.” The colt smiled as he got back to eating his plate of cheese lasagna. It was no surprise that he admired Bladewing, and his father remembered why as a flashback entered his mind.
* * * TWO YEARS EARLIER * * *
It was an warm day in autumn. Leaves rustled gently in the wind as the ponies within the park enjoyed their time. Well, most of them anyway.
To the misfortune of a particular unicorn colt, a vanilla ice cream cone now laid splattered on the cobblestone sidewalk. His eyes slowly began to well up with tears as he whimpered over having lost his precious frozen treat.
“Aw, it’s okay, little one,” the boy’s father told him, “It’s only ice cream.”
“But you got it for me, Papa,” the little colt whimpered, “And I ruined it.”
“I know, but it’s not your fault. It was an accident. Let’s see if we can get you another one. Just give me a moment.” The stallion pulled out his wallet to buy a replacement cone for his son but to his dismay, the wallet was empty. He feared that the day would end with him taking his little one home in sorrow… but little did he know that Faust was smiling upon him that day. Having saw the colt’s tears, she saw fit to send somepony to help them, in the form of a hooded stallion walking with a beautiful mare.
“Give him a replacement cone, sir,” spoke the hooded pegasus, “I’ll be footing the bill.”
“You got it, boss,” spoke the vendor, “That’ll be two bits.” The mysterious stallion nodded and gave him the coins. The vendor in turn procured another vanilla ice cream cone for the little colt.
“Here ya go, kid,” spoke the vendor, giving him the cone, “Be sure not to drop this one, okay?”
“*giggle* I won’t.” The father felt his heart warm as his son smiled once more, the boy happily licking his ice cream. He then turned to face the hooded stranger.
“You have my thanks, sir. I feared my son would come home with me in tears.”
“It’s no problem, my friend,” spoke the stranger, “I saw that your wallet was empty and I felt I had to help. I know what it’s like to have nothing, trust me. I’d curse myself if I left the area knowing I could’ve restored the happiness of a little boy but did nothing. You owe me nothing for this.”
“You have a noble and generous spirit. May the goddess bless you and your marefriend.” The mare smiled and nuzzled her coltfriend as he said that. Just as the father and son duo were going to leave the park, however, the hooded stranger wanted to commit one final good deed.
“Before you go,” he spoke, digging into his robe’s left pocket, “I want you to have this.” The unicorn stallion turned around to face the stranger and gasped as he pulled out a gold pocket watch.
“It’s so shiny, Papa,” said the colt. The father nodded in agreement as the stranger gave him the watch.
“Good goddess,” spoke the father, “This thing is worth at least two thousand bits. I couldn’t possibly accept this, sir.”
“I insist,” spoke the stranger, “I’m sure you’ll have more use for it than I do. Do as you please with it.”
“I… oh, what I can say to such generosity?” The father held his hoof out to the stranger, and he in turn grinned as he shook it. “I sincerely hope Faust pays you back ten-fold for it, good sir. You have no idea just how much you helped my family with this.”
“Always happy to help, my friend. You may go in peace.”
“You as well. But first…” The father turned his head to face his little one. “Son, what do you say to the stallion?” With the happiest of smiles, the boy looked up to the hooded stranger.
“Thank you.” The stranger just chuckled and ruffled the little colt’s mane with his hoof before leaving the area with his mare.
“Wow, what a nice guy,” spoke the vendor to the father, “He gave ya an expensive watch AND bought your boy another cone.”
“Yes… and I shall never forget his kindness. For as long as I live.” The vendor nodded and left with his cart. The father and son soon did the same, the boy especially happy for the good fortune that befell the two of them.
“That stallion was very nice, wasn’t he, Papa?” The father chuckled as he nuzzled his son’s face.
“He sure was, little one.”
“Do you think we’ll see him again?” The father looked towards his left and saw the hooded stranger and his marefriend walking out of the park in the opposite direction.
“Maybe someday. Let’s pray to Faust that we will.”
* * * THE PRESENT * * *
“Is something troubling you, dear?” The sound of his wife’s voice snapped the stallion out of his flashback.
“It’s nothing, love. I was just remembering that day at the park. I still can’t believe it was Bladewing I was talking to that whole time.”
“Me neither, Papa,” agreed the filly, “I wish I was there with you and big brother. Bladewing sounds like a really nice guy.”
“He is. If I had known it was him under that hood, I would’ve asked him to engrave his autograph on that watch.”
“What’s an autograph, Dad?” asked the colt.
“It’s a signature, son.”
“Oh, like the name you write on letters?”
“Exactly. Famous ponies write their autographs on things all the time. If you’re a fan of one, all you have to do is ask him… and if you’re lucky, he’ll sign his name on whatever you like, from as small as photos to as big as carriages.”
“But why do people like autographs so much, Papa?” asked the filly.
“It’s because things that are autographed by famous ponies are rare, sweetie. They’re often so rare that they’re worth many times more than their original prices. I know that watch could’ve easily been worth four thousand bits if it had Bladewing’s signature on it.”
“Wow, really?”
“You bet. From what I heard, Bladewing doesn’t give his autograph very often, so it’s pretty rare.”
“Sweet! Do you think he can sign my bow?”
“I don’t think a bow is something Bladewing can write his name on, sis,” spoke the colt, “Bows are for girls.”
“But you heard Papa, big brother: famous ponies like Bladewing can write their autographs on anything.”
“Well, he’s not wrong, honey,” agreed the mother, “but I think what your brother meant was that it would be better to get Bladewing’s autograph on something that has a connection with him. You know, like a magazine or shirt with his face on it.”
“Oh, okay. How about my cap? You know, the one you gave me on my birthday?”
“Hm… that can work. Would you want his autograph on it?”
“Yes, please.”
“All right, little one,” chuckled the father, “I’ll see if I can get him to sign your cap for you.”
“Don’t forget about me, Dad,” spoke the colt, “I want his autograph on my Bladewing action figure.”
“*giggle* It’s a doll, big brother,” corrected the filly, “Actions figures are just dolls with moving body parts.” The colt blushed as his sister grinned.
“No, they’re not,” he countered, “Action figures are cool. They kick butt and do poses and everything.”
“If it’s small and looks like a pony, then it’s a doll. Boys can play with them too, you know.”
“No, they can’t.”
“Yes, they can.”
“No.”
“Yeah.”
“No.”
“Yeah.” The siblings kept bouncing back and forth with their responses as each tried to win over the other’s argument… and as any parent would be, the couple was amused. However, they weren’t keen on carrying on with their meal in this verbal battlefield.
“That’s quite enough, you two,” said the mother with a laugh, “Your father won’t get those autographs for you if you behave like this.” She turned her head first to her daughter, and then to her son as she continued.
“Honey, you know you can’t force your thoughts onto somepony else. Even if they are fact, that other pony might not see it that way. You must respect their views as they respect yours.”
“Yes, Mommy. I’m sorry.”
“Good. As for you, young colt, you know there’s nothing wrong with boys playing with dolls… and action figures ARE dolls.” The colt grimaced playfully at his sister just as she shot back at him by sticking out her tongue.
“I know, Mom. It’s just that ‘action figure’ sounds cooler.”
“It doesn’t matter what you call it, son,” said the father, “Action figures and dolls don’t make you cool. You do. Bladewing didn’t need to prove to anypony that he’s cool, did he?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“So there you go. Don’t ever be ashamed of what you love... because you’re cool just the way you are. Do you understand me?”
“*sigh* Yes, sir.” The father extended a hoof to ruffle his son’s mane and chuckled.
“That’s my boy. Mommy and I don't want to hear any more fighting between you two tonight... and if you still want me to get those autographs, you will apologize to each other right now.”
“Okay, Papa.” The filly turned to face the colt. “I’m sorry, big brother.”
“Yeah,” replied the colt, “I’m sorry too, sis.”
“Excellent. Now let’s continue with our feast.” The father was pleased to hear his children say “yeah” in unison before resuming with their meals. However, it wasn’t very long before a thought came to the mother’s mind out of curiosity.
“Hm… why did the company close down anyway, dear?”
“Business decision,” replied the father, taking a sip from his cup of water, “SteelWorks has been bleeding money for years. The Board of Directors said they wanted to avoid bankruptcy, but the boys and I knew that was a load of garbage. They just wanted to use our wages to pay the fines the royal government slapped them with.”
“Fines? For what?”
“For lying to RBI officials. It turns out some of the ponies on the Board knew exactly why we were getting our paychecks much slower than usual… and it was because they were secretly funneling some of their profits to multiple criminal organizations. They lied to the RBI in the hopes that they wouldn’t get caught and punished for it.”
“Oh, how awful. They’re a multi-million bit company, and yet they decide to get their hooves deep into shady business anyway. It’s like they have no honor anymore.”
“I’m afraid so, love. Thankfully, Bladewing put an end to all of it. Through him, the RBI learned that the corruption within the company’s leadership spread all the way up to the CEO... and the CEO himself was one of a hoofful of wealthy ponies who funded the Earth Legion’s attack on the Senate building three years ago.”
“*gasp* That’s horrible, Papa,” spoke the filly with fear, “Why would he help bad ponies like them?”
“I wish I knew, sweetie. The CEO was the last pony I expected to be associated with the Legion. After Bladewing and the other Council knights arrested him and the Board members who helped him, they were all tried and found guilty of accessory to both murder and attempted murder as well as high treason, and the few ponies left on the Board of Directors stripped them of their power not long after they were put in jail. We weren’t sure what would happen to SteelWorks, but all the boss and us workers knew for sure was that we had to be ready to stand tall against the Board… for we knew that whatever happened next will not be pretty.”
“It wasn’t, Dad,” said the colt, “The company took away you and your buddies’ jobs one by one until only your boss was left. Even then, they took away his job too… but you guys didn’t let them get away with it.”
“That’s right, little one. With each other’s support, we made things right once more. Looking back on it, I’d say it was a good thing it all happened the way it did.”
“I couldn’t agree more, dear,” replied the mother, “You set a good example not just for our kids, but for all of Cydonia... *chuckle* and now I can brag to the ladies at my own job that my husband helped bring a corrupt company to its knees.”
“I don’t know about that, love. The company Board still denies any wrongdoing to this day, but this much I’ll say: thank Faust that we had somepony like Bladewing to make them pay for all of it.”
“You said it, Dad.” The father watched as his son raised his glass. “Here’s to Bladewing.” Spurred on by his wife and daughter also raising their glasses, the father smiled and decided to join in on the toast.
“May he soon lead us into the promised Golden Age. Cheers!” The family repeated his last word and clinked their glasses together before taking a sip from their cups. It wasn’t long after that before the little TV that stood in the corner of the kitchen counter gave the colt an idea.
“Can we see if Bladewing is on TV, Mom?”
“Ooh, that’s a great idea,” added the filly, “Can we, Mommy?”
“Now, kids,” replied the mother with concern, “You know the rules: no TV watching is allowed during dinner.”
“Aw, come on, love,” spoke the father, “Let them have a little fun. They do their chores and are earning good grades at school. We can make an exception this once.” The wife remained unconvinced, but the husband could tell that she was considering it.
“I don’t know, dear. We may just spoil them in doing that.”
“You won’t, Mom,” assured the colt, “It’s the only time we'll ask you, I promise.”
“Hm… well…” As if nothing else in the world mattered to them, the colt and filly both shot sad puppy-eyed looks at their mom… and to their delight, it worked. She smiled upon the two of them and sighed. How could she say no to such cute little faces?
“All right. I’ll let you watch TV during dinner this once. But are you sure you’d rather see Bladewing over watching ‘Pony Rangers’?”
“For sure, Mom,” replied the colt, “Bladewing’s so much cooler.”
“Yes, Mommy,” added the filly, “We watch ‘Pony Rangers' all the time. We can go a day without it.”
“*chuckle* You heard them, my sweet,” spoke the father with a smug grin, “Let's see if we can catch Bladewing on the news.” Dismayed as she was that she caved in to her children’s demands, the mother couldn’t help but join in her husband’s humor.
“Humph. I swear, you dote on them way too much.”
“What can I say, love? I love them more than I love myself… and at least Papa’s not stingy with the cookies.” The wife gasped at the wisecrack he made of her; by contrast, the colt and filly couldn’t resist giggling as their mom did so. She playfully stuck her tongue out at her husband in defiance, and she made sure to remind him who commanded the cookie jar by lightly slapping his shoulder with a cloth napkin. Without anything more to say between the two, the wife used the remote to turn on the TV. On the screen were VTN News anchors Razor and Crimson Blast, and hostess Sandy Peak was wrapping up one of the many questions she and her companions had for one very familiar pegasus (who was currently sitting on a couch across from them within the studio).
“-gotten used to it. I really am flattered that so many ponies look up to me.”
“Oh my goodness,” gasped the wife, “It’s him.”
“Dad, look!” exclaimed the colt, pointing at the black pegasus, “It’s Bladewing. He’s on TV after all.”
“So he is, little one,” the father spoke, “But calm down. We don’t want to be too loud here. We can’t hear him talk if we are.”
“Right. Sorry.” The father just tipped his head to acknowledge him, and he returned his head to the screen shortly after.
“Nice,” spoke anchor Razor, “It’s great to hear you’re not shying away from stardom anymore, Bladewing. If any stallion deserves it, it’s you.”
“*chuckle* Good to know somepony thinks so… and I can promise that I’ll continue to serve the people faithfully in my role as a Council knight.”
“Right on,” said Crimson Blast, “It’s been more than two years since the king gave you that title. Are your views on destiny the same as they were back then?”
“Hm… that’s a good question. I’ll admit that I still have a little doubt over whether Faust actually controls anypony’s destiny, let alone mine. I can’t see why any immortal being would do that to somepony if we all have freedom of choice. Yet whenever I reflect on my life – from waking up in the fields outside Fredericksmare to after my colleagues and I arrested the SteelWorks CEO – I can’t help but feel that somehow, whether I can see it or not, it was all meant to unfold as it did. Maybe Faust IS in control of my fate and I’m just struggling to accept it still. Whether or not that’s true is beyond me, though. All I know for sure is that my trust in her is much stronger now than it was back then… and as long as I can still make my own choices, I have no issue whatsoever in leaving my destiny in her hooves.”
“An interesting choice, my friend,” said Sandy Peak, “I think I speak for everypony in the nation when I say we’re all looking forward to what you’ll do next. While we’re on the subject, is there any choice you made that you’re particularly fond of?”
“Well, I do have one. There’s this one time where my marefriend and I encountered a unicorn stallion and his son at a park.”
“*gasp* He’s talking about you and big brother, Papa!” exclaimed the filly.
“He sure is, sweetie,” beamed the father happily, returning his gaze to the screen.
“You don’t say,” spoke Razor, “Can you tell us more about it?”
“Of course. I was just coming back with Rose from winning at a game of strength when we saw a little unicorn colt crying nearby. He had dropped his ice cream cone and though he did try, his dad was unable to get him another one. Rose couldn’t stand seeing the little colt so unhappy… and to be frank, neither could I. So, I decided to step in and get him a replacement cone identical to the one he dropped. I then gave the watch I won from my game to his dad. He refused at first because he said it was worth two thousand bits, but I didn’t care. He needed it more than I ever did. Besides, even if I wanted something in return for it, the boy’s happy face would already be more than enough. You can put prices on watches all day long, but a child’s genuine smile is priceless.”
“Well said, my friend,” said Crimson Blast with a grin, “Nothing shows a happy family like giggling and smiling kids. Is there anything you wish you could’ve done differently that day?”
“Well, if I truly wanted to do things a bit differently, I probably should’ve autographed that watch before giving it to the little colt’s dad. I don’t want to sound pompous or anything, but if I had known how prominent I would become in the future, I’m sure my signature could’ve made that watch be worth four thousand bits.”
“Aw, snap,” gasped the colt, “You were right, Dad. Autographs DO make stuff worth more.”
“Told you so,” mused the father, “But it’s okay that he didn’t autograph the watch. There’s no way we could’ve known back then that it was him under that hood.” The colt just nodded and joined his father in watching the screen again.
“Nah, you’re fine,” continued Crimson, “There’s nothing wrong with simply using your name to help somepony in need make a little more money. Right, guys?” Crimson Blast grinned with pleasure as his colleagues agreed with his opinion.
“*chuckle* I’m sure you’re right, Crimson. Whatever that stallion did with the watch, I sincerely hope that it brought him and his family good fortune, whether through selling it or keeping it as a family heirloom.”
“We hope so too, Bladewing,” added Sandy, “I’m sure that little boy in particular looks up to you as a role model. He could be watching us this very moment. Do you have anything you would like to say to him?” The father couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw his son beam an adorable grin, his eyes attentively fixed onto Bladewing.
“I do.” Bladewing turned his head to face the camera closest to him. “Never give in to despair, little one. Things may look bad at first, but there is always a way to make it better. You just have to remember that just as good things don’t last forever, neither do bad things. Listen to the voice in your heart that’s telling you how to end the bad things, and you’ll make the good things all the longer and sweeter. The fight is not over until either you or the bad things in your life wins… so be sure that the one who wins is you.”
“Wise words, Bladewing,” agreed the mother, “If only I could thank you in person for what you’ve done for us.”
“Wow, this is so cool, big brother!” exclaimed the filly, “He’s talking directly to you.”
“For sure, sis,” agreed the colt, “Man, this is SO much cooler than ‘Pony Rangers’.” The two foals returned their gaze to Bladewing not long after.
“Sage advice, Bladewing,” said Razor, “Let’s hope he takes it to heart. Thanks again for coming into our studio.”
“It’s my pleasure, Razor. I look forward to the next time I am invited here.”
“You bet,” spoke Sandy, “Let’s hope it’s soon.” The mare then turned her head to the camera focusing on her, with various scenes being displayed on the TV screen (as well as music) as she described each one. “Moving on with our top stories, we have the governor of Sacerus commenting at a press conference on how his state will implement the doctrines of the New Haven Act if the king signs it into law, then we have news from the Royal Palace on rising tensions between the newly formed Volatis Kingdom and the Dragon Empery and how the nation will react if negotiations between them fall through, and then finally new details emerge on the alleged suicide of notorious smuggler Funnel Ashes suggesting that perhaps there’s more to his death than meets the eye. All this and more after a word from our sponsors, so stay tuned.” Having said these final words, the screen shifted from the studio back to the VTN News logo with a voice closing out the scene.
“VTN Evening News at 9 will return after these messages.” Having heard the last of Bladewing for the day, the mother turned off the TV.
“Well then, kids,” said the mother with a grin, “You got your wish. I hope you're satisfied with the results.”
“Oh yes, Mommy,” replied the filly, “Watching Bladewing talk was amazing. Especially when he talked to big brother.”
“Yeah, Mom,” added the colt, “It’s awesome to know he still remembers me and Dad. Now I can’t wait to meet him again.”
“*chuckle* You and me both, son,” chimed the father, “We may even be lucky enough to invite him to dinner someday.”
“Really? We can do that?”
“Well, I don’t see why not. He got us through the time we spent with the delay in my paychecks. Having him over for a day would be the least we can do to pay him back for it. Wouldn’t it, love?”
“It certainly would, dear,” answered the wife, “But let’s save it for another time. We don’t want to let the dinner we have now get cold.”
“Ah yes, of course.” The father turned his head to address his children. “You heard Mommy, little ones. Let's finish our meal. There will be no further chatter until we are all done.”
“You bet, Dad,” replied the colt, “But first…” The boy turned his head to face his mother.
“Mom?”
“Yes, sweetie?” said the mother.
“Thanks. You know, for letting me and sis watch TV during dinner tonight. Seeing Bladewing talk about me and Dad was better than any episode of ‘Pony Rangers’. I’ll never forget it… and I swear that I’ll keep my promise and never ask you to do it again.”
“Aw, you’re most welcome,” she cooed, “my little stallion.” With nothing else left to be said, the family carried on with their feast.
Within the hour, the whole family was sleeping soundly. With stomachs as full as theirs, one can expect nothing less. But while nothing further happened here, the same could not be said elsewhere. Not far from where this family lived was an apartment building, and laid on a couch in one of its rooms was a young pegasus stallion. A few bottles of beer littered the floor on either side of the couch, a strong indicator that if the darkness of night didn’t put him to sleep, the heavy dose of alcohol certainly did. It was a good thing for him in the end, however, for he would not have to witness what would soon appear on his screen.
The TV in front of the stallion was tuned in to a marathon of what appeared to be a crime drama series. It was displaying a scene where a police chief was speaking to reporters at a press conference.
“... that everything is under control. This-” Before the chief could say another word, the screen quickly warped into static. This blurry sight of gray and black lasted but a second or two, and the stern face of an earth pony stallion emerged from the static. Only his mouth and muzzle were visible, the rest of his face shrouded behind a deep veil of shadow. The angry expression on his face showed any who looked upon him that he was anything but friendly, a profile made more sinister by the whimpering of a young mare hidden somewhere in the background.
“No,” he said in a deep voice, “It’s not under control. For too long was this world forced to be shared with the impure ones. For too long this nation was led by a stallion who has betrayed his own kind. People of Cydonia, you are afraid tonight. You are afraid because you thought it was all over... and you thought wrong.” The screen then zoomed out to include a pegasus mare quivering with fear. Her wings and limbs were bound in rope, and an empty sack covered her head. Only Faust herself knew what was going on, and it was a pity indeed that the rules that governed her prevented her from intervening.
“Please... let me go.” The mare’s vain attempt to negotiate with her captor seemed to give the mysterious stallion a thrill as a smirk slowly emerged onto his face. The fear and anxiety that emanated from the poor girl was like a drug to him: intoxicating and making him crave more.
“You really think I’d let freaks like you go? *chuckle* Foolish girl. Your kind shouldn’t even exist.” The stallion proceeded to punch her face as hard as he could, forcing a yelp from the mare and making her weep.
“Listen well, you dozen saint wannabes. Do you think the capture of our SteelWorks cohorts scares us? We have more friends in high places than you think. All your little triumph did was steel our resolve. This land is filled with ponies ready to stand against you and the corrupt regime you protect... and it’s only a matter of time before the both of you fall to our might.” Another stallion moved into view of the camera holding a musket in his hooves. He pointed it at the mare with malicious intent, and the sound of the gun’s hammer cocking horrified the mare, for she knew exactly what was going to happen next.
“Ple-he-he-ease… don’t do this. I’ll give you anything you want. *hic* Just name it.” The mare continued whimpering nervously as she felt her captor grab her by the head and sat her upright once more.
“You’re in no position to negotiate, my dear. Your life is in my hooves whether you like it or not. It’s unfortunate that it won’t be for much longer.”
“No, wait, please! *sob* I can still give you my body. I’ll give you as many foals as you like. I’ll even raise them for you. Just please… don’t do this to me.” As much as he would enjoy forcing his foals on her, the mysterious stallion had no interest in doing so.
"And let you bring disgusting half-breeds into this world? I think not." The henchman chucked fiendishly as his boss moved his face back towards the camera.
“I hope you’re seeing this, Sky Walker. You may have my partner imprisoned, but this is still far from over. Neither you nor Bladewing can stop the coming storm… and this creature will be one of many that you’ll fail to save from it. May she haunt your minds forever as you continue your futile mission to change the inevitable." The camera then zoomed out to include all three ponies, and the henchman holding the musket moved closer until the end of the barrel was roughly 3 inches away from the back of her head. At this point, the mare lost what little hope she had left and began sobbing uncontrollably, lowering her head to the ground.
“Please, I beg of you!” she cried, “*hic* Let me go! I swear I won’t tell anypony about this! I don’t even know your name!”
“*chuckle* Did I not tell you already, you stupid slut? I’m not letting you go… well, at least not yet.” The mare yelped in pain as her captor felt out her mane through the bag and pulled her head up by it.
“As for my name… you’re more than welcome to know. I may as well ease some of your fear by letting you know who gave you the honor of being the one to help me send my message to the Council Knights.” Having completely destroyed this innocent girl’s will to resist, the mysterious stallion let go of her mane. Her head bobbed for a brief moment before returning to a praying position.
“I am Ares,” he declared with an evil tone, “And I claim your soul for the Earth Legion.” The cruel laughter that now emanated from the two stallions grew from soft to loud as the mare, too helpless to even dry her tear-soaked face, quivered with horror for the last time… and the screen flashed white then turned to black before it could reveal the bloody scene that unfolded.
“Please, no… No… NOOOOO-”
chk-BLAAAAM!