Chapter 7
The dart soared through the air, becoming embedded in the dart board. Another bullseye.
I sighed as I picked up another dart with my wing and performed a backflip, spinning midair, sending the dart towards the board. The dart landed on top of the one already on the board, perfectly stacking itself onto the first dart.
“Oh, yet another perfect game,” I said aloud in a fake excited voice. I went to pick up another dart, but lost motivation before throwing it.
Stepping outside into never ending sunlight, I looked around at all the structures around me. But no inspiration hit me.
It had been a few months, at least, since I’d been trapped with that woman. But luckily I was able to set up my little settlement just far enough away from her that I could just barely see her campfire. I would have gone further away, but the land is on a loop or something, no matter which way I go, I always end up back at her camp.
From what I can tell, she’s spent the majority of her time just sitting around, sometimes she’d go for a run or do some kind of training, but not much else.
I, on the other hoof, have been a little more productive. I’ve been using the infinitely replenishing supplies to build a tiny town for myself, most of the buildings are unused, as I built them out of boredom. But I did build a gym and bar, which is where I have been spending most of my time.
Plus, I think I’ve been able to improve my flexibility through months of work, so I have that going for me. So this whole thing won’t be a complete waste. I just wish I could have been training my Ego or something, but Lance didn’t allow those here. Asshole.
The only thing is, this is all so very boring! Lance has far exceeded my expectations for his willingness to wait us out. I thought he would have given in by now.
Not sure what to do next, I just head for the gym. At least I can do some more training. Again.
ooo000<^>000ooo
The next morning (Approximately)
I stepped out of my house, staring up at the blinding sun, frowning.
After a bit of stretching, I took off on my morning jog. Morning for me at least, seeing as the sun never went down. A bit of an oversight on Lance’s part, eternal daytime may not have been the best idea.
As I jogged past the last building of my makeshift town, I broke into a full gallop, picking up speed. The wind whipping against my bare fur, as I wasn’t wearing any of my clothes today. No need for them.
While my town slowly disappeared behind me, I saw it reappear up ahead. Good ol’ endless loop.
However, for the first time during one of my runs, I saw Bronwyn out on her own, coming my way at an angle from the left. She was moving fast, just like me. We didn’t cross paths during this loop.
On the next loop, we barely missed each other. I slid to a halt, turning to look after her.
Bronwyn had done the same, staring back at me.
Our equally cold glares met each other, neither of us speaking.
This marks the first time we’ve acknowledged each other since arriving.
“Woman,” I said with a nod.
“Horse,” she replied, giving her own nod.
A moment of silence passed before I rolled my eyes and turned to face her fully. “How’s this place treating you?”
She eyed me, suspicious of my motives, but responded anyway, “Lance could have given it some variety.”
“Yeah,” I said, looking around at the bland world. “I guess he didn’t want us to get distracted.”
“You’ve seemed to be keeping busy,” she commented dryly. “With all that building and ‘singing’ you’ve been doing.”
My frown deepened, catching the way she said singing, “My singing is fine. At least I’ve been being productive. All you’ve done is lay around and work out.”
“That ‘laying around’ I’ve been doing is called mediating, but I wouldn’t expect you to understand that. Your mind seems way too busy for anything like that,” she said with a sly smirk.
I raise an eyebrow, an unamused look on my face, “Insults? That’s what we’re doing?”
“Insults? I’m only speaking the truth,” she said innocently, still smirking.
Rubbing my chin, I weigh my options. It's clear we aren’t making progress, and our personalities clash too much to just get along normally. Or hold a conversation, it seems.
“I don’t like you,” I say finally, turning her smirk into a blank stare.
“I’m not very fond of you either, horse,” she replied, crossing her arms.
I eye her up and down, “Wanna go?”
“Go now?” She asked, her emotionless face falling into a smile.
“Right now. Hooves versus fist, no holds barred. We go till one of us surrenders.” I roll my shoulders, stretching my wings out.
“That’s foolish of you,” she commented. “You’re just going to get hurt, badly.”
“You down or not?” I asked, wanting to get past all the insults and get to kicking her ass.
She began to stretch as well, looking excited. “Oh, I’m down, horse. I just don’t know why you’re so quick to get hurt.”
Rolling my eyes, I lowered into a fighting stance, waiting for her.
After a few more stretches, she lowered into a strange pose, her hands held low.
We slowly inched towards each other, watching each other's movements carefully.
I can’t see an opening, which leaves only one option.
Music began to play inside my head.
Flapping my wings hard, I shoot up above her, then dive straight for her. She reacted fast, grabbing my hoof as I aimed for her face, and slammed me hard into the ground. Without missing a beat, the moment I bounced off the hard ground I spun, my back hoof catching her chin. As her head snapped to the side, I grabbed her leg, using my wings and body weight to lift her into the air and slam her down hard behind myself.
She also didn’t miss a beat; as soon as she hit the ground, her hands shot out and grabbed my mane and a wing, yanking me down hard. With amazing grace, she rolled over on top of me, holding me down with my own leg and wing.
As she applied more and more pressure, trying to either break my appendages or choke me out, I lifted my lower body, my back legs wrapping around her waist. With a roar, I throw them back down, slamming her backwards into the ground again.
Flapping my wings, I quickly right myself and stand before her. As she quickly jumps up, I buck my back legs for her face. Her reflexes saved her as she caught both of my back hooves in her hands, she then lifted me off the ground, returning the favor as she slammed me into the ground over and over again.
While mid swing, I start flapping my wings hard, twisting my body and breaking her grasp on my hooves. As I came around, I slammed a hoof straight into her face, sending blood spraying as I broke her nose.
In the same instant, she returned the favor, her own fist slamming into my snout, shattering it as well. As I flew back, she caught my leg and pulled me back, slamming a fist into my face again.
Unluckily for her, as her fist met my face, my own hoof found hers. The two of us recoiled away from each other, holding our faces.
I stared down at the blood on my hoof, more dripping down from snout. Working my mouth, I spit out a bloody tooth.
Bronwyn worked her nose with her fingers, looking just as displeased as me.
With a ruffle of my wings, I turn back to her, lowering back into a fighting stance. Not done yet. She did the same, changing her pose.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Six hours later
I stumbled and fell to my knees, having trouble seeing with both of my eyes swollen. I don’t know how many bones were broken in my body, but I wasn’t going to let her win. My body was exhausted, the hours-long fight being almost too much for me. My broken wings and front left leg not helping.
Bronwyn didn’t seem to be fairing much better, her body also covered in cuts, bruises, and at least one broken arm.
We both looked horrible, our swollen faces glaring at each other as we both stood back up and limped towards each other again.
Once we neared, I screamed in pain as I exploded into movement, spinning forward and tackling her to the ground. We rolled around, coming to a stop with her on top.
She gripped my mane and began slamming her fist into my face over and over again. I used my good hoof to block a few hits as I pushed against her, turning us over till I was on top. Rearing up, I slammed my entire body downward, using all my weight to slam my hoof into her face.
Unluckily for me, this caused me to fall to the side, followed by Bronwyn jumping onto me again, putting me in a choke hold.
I fought against her, but she had me in a position that I couldn’t get out of, and the pressure she was applying to my neck cut off my airway. Gasping, I reached back with my good hoof and grabbed her hair. Using everything I had left in me I stood up, with her now on my back, still choking me. I then flip forward, landing on top of her and breaking her grip on my neck.
Now, standing above her, I take the chance and jerk my head forward, clamping down on her neck with my teeth. She got a hand up on my jaw and fought to keep me from fully biting down. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t close my mouth completely, her hand preventing me from finally winning.
Suddenly, her broken arm shot up and she grabbed me by the stomach. Letting out her own gurgling roar, she slowly lifted me off the ground and threw me over herself.
I slammed into the ground, hissing in pain. Bronwyn coughed loudly as she grabbed her throat and rolled over vomiting onto the ground.
This being my only chance, I recover and jump forward, slamming my head into hers. We both fell back, the hit hurting me just as much as it hurt her.
Just to spit me, she reached out and grabbed my leg, pulling me towards herself. Despite her wounds, she began to wail on me with both her hands, the broken one not hitting as hard as the other.
I didn’t just let her wail on me unhindered, I returned just as much as she gave, my own hooves flying past her hands. We battered each other, both of us yelling as we swung our appendages into each other.
This went on till we both fell into each other, breathing heavily.
“Get, off of… me,” I gasped, weakly hitting her with a hoof.
“You’re the one… leaning on me!” she gasped back, her blood mixing with mine as she pushed me off of herself.
We both collapsed onto the ground, staring up into the sky.
“Give up?” I asked breathlessly, shielding my swollen eyes from the sun with a hoof.
“No,” was her only response as she sat up slowly, looking just as bad as me.
I groaned as I also stood up, shaking as I tried to get into a fighting stance again.
She stepped forward and kicked me in the chest. I spun with the momentum of the kick and bucked out, hitting her in the pelvis. We both again collapsed.
“How about,” I coughed, sitting up and staring at her, blood oozing from my mouth and wounds all over my body, “We take a break?”
“Giving up already?” She asked, grunting as she sat there, also leaking blood from wounds scattered across her body.
“Never,” I growled, then wincing in pain. “We’re just not making any more progress here.”
She was silent for a moment before finally responding, “That is a fair assessment. We’ll call it here, for now.”
I nod in agreement, but when I go to stand up, I find my body has given up on me completely. I remain on the ground.
“Oh? Can’t return home?” She asked in a mocking tone, but as she stood and took a step, her body seemed to also give out, and she collapsed to the ground. She rolled onto her back, looking at me with a frown. “Don’t say a word.”
For some reason, I couldn’t help but to laugh. It started as a chuckle, but it slowly ramped up into a full belly laugh, ignoring the intense pain it caused.
Bronwyn stared at me strangely, but after a few moments, she also began to laugh.
“I really did a number on you,” I say once I finally am able to stop laughing.
“Says the one who’s broken to pieces,” she says with a crooked smile.
I raise an eyebrow, rolling on my side to look at her better, “I saw you limping, and don’t think I don’t see that broken arm.”
She held up her broken arm and chuckled, “I’ll give you that one, but I did way more damage to you.”
“Pretty sure I did just as much if not more damage to you,” I countered, smirking.
Bronwyn coughed loudly as she grabbed her chest, looking uncomfortable. “I am having trouble breathing, so I GUESS you hurt me pretty good.”
I lift up one of my broken wings, shrugging, “Yeah, I guess you did do some real damage to me.”
She laid back and looked up at the sky. “I think it’ll be okay if we postpone our fight till a later date.”
Grunting, I also lay back, looking up at the bright blank sky. “I’m okay with that. To be honest, I don’t think I can continue right now.”
“Me either,” she admitted. “If you don’t mind, I think I’m going to let the pain over take me and go unconscious.”
The pain in my body seemed to flare at her words, “Yeah, I think I’m going to do the same here.”
“I’ll recover first though,” she challenged, smiling.
“You’re on,” I replied, hissing as the pain in my body seemed to get worse. It didn’t take long, I passed out from blood loss and pain.
ooo000<^>000ooo
I gasp as I wake up, sitting up in a panic, looking around.
“Beat ya,” Bronwyn said from a few feet away from me, already sitting up and addressing her wounds.
“Barely,” I say back, deciding to look over my own wounds, just to find they’d already been treated. “Okay, you may have beat me by a little more than ‘barely’.”
She rolled her eyes as she tried to set her arm, but seemed unable to get the right angle.
“I gotcha,” I drag myself over to her and take her arm in my hooves. “Don’t scream like a bitch, alright?”
“Just do it,” she says, not looking worried.
With a loud pop and snap, I reset her arm and shoulder. To her credit, she only grunted in pain.
“You didn’t have to treat me first,” I say, sitting back on my flank, rubbing my broken leg.
“Eh, don’t think about it,” she replied, sitting down fully.
We remained silent for a few minutes, quietly looking ourselves over.
“So tell me,” Bronwyn began, looking at me, “Where’d you learn to fight? Its been a while since I’ve met someone who could keep up with me like that.”
I shrugged, “It's nothing special, I just have a lot of training from being in the army and police, but to be honest, I’m mostly self taught. Everything just seems to come naturally to me.” I then wave a hoof to her, “You?”
“Me?” she asked, chuckling, “I’ve actually been trained in many different fighting styles. Not to mention just picking things up as I go.”
“That reminds me; how old are you? You said two cycles, but I have no idea how long that is.”
She pushes some hair out of her face, thinking, “To be honest, that’s hard to explain. A cycle is the measurement of time between the beginning of time till the end of time, which is when time resets for all dimensions. That is unless you are in the Central Dimension, which never got reset.”
I couldn’t fully grasp the idea, “That would make you, what? Trillions of years old?”
“Give or take,” she replied coolly, smiling at my amazed face.
“But,” I began, not sure if I actually can believe her, “You don’t act like someone who’s that old?”
“How’s someone that old supposed to act?” She teased, but at my questioning look, she continued. “I have what's called a Sempiternal Body. I gave up my mortal body long ago when I became an Enforcer for the Central Dimension.”
“So, what is a Sempiternal Body?” I asked, all the new info starting to pile up.
“Now that’s really hard to explain,” she began, “To put it simply, it protects me from aging and the effects time would normally have on my mind and body. It preserves my personality and soul, allowing me to remain constant.”
I rub my chin, thinking, “Okay. Now tell me what this Central Dimension is.”
“Was,” she corrected. “The Central Dimension was, as the name suggests, the center of all dimensions, unchanging and ever present. It held the ruling body that oversaw all of creation and dimensions. When time would come to an end, the Central Dimension would remain in place.”
“I’m…” I rubbed the back of my head, “Not following.”
Bronwyn sighed, but nodded in understanding, “Do not worry yourself, the concept isn’t something one could fully understand in a short time.” She then leaned back, waving a hand, “But enough about me, I want to know more about you. How’d you and Lance meet? WIth him being from an Earth dimension and you a fictional one?”
I chuckled, “Oh boy, is that a long story.” At her expectant stare, I continued, “Well, it all started when I was a filly.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Bronwyn sat back, seeming to digest the story I’d just revealed to her.
After a moment, she smirks, “So, you ate the throat of the tyrant Queen?”
I smiled sheepishly as I rubbed the back of my head, “Yeah.”
“That’s exactly what you tried to do to me,” she rubbed her throat, causing me to chuckle nervously and nod. “That’s brutal. I love it to be honest. Do whatever it takes to win.”
“That’s what I say!” I reach out and bump her fist with my hoof.
She looked to my flank, looking at my cutie mark, “Which brings me to my next question; what's your opinion on music?”
A wide smile grew on my face, “I can’t live without it! I’m always playing music with my implant!”
“Your what?” she asked, confused.
“Oh,” I lift my right hoof and tap the cracked screen of the PDA, shifting through a few menus. “I have an implant that plays music directly inside my head, I always have something playing when not talking to someone. Like, I was playing music during our entire fight.”
“Doesn’t that distract you?” She stared at me wide eyed, seeming impressed.
I waved a hoof, “Nah, I’ve gotten so used to it. I feel it really enhances my actions and keeps me motivated.”
She leans forward, “What were you listening to during our fight?”
“So many songs!” I exclaimed, playing one through my PDA’s speakers, “But this one is my favorite. It’s a human song, called Bad Reputation! I don’t know why, but it just always hypes me up!”
The song played as she listened, nodding along to it. “I’m going to be honest, that cutie mark of yours really caught my attention when I first saw it during one of your runs. But I was a bit too blinded by bias to ask about it. I’m a big music lover! My personal room back in the Central Dimension had a library of almost every song ever created!”
“Oh that’s so badass!” I said in awe. “I would of killed to see that!”
We stared at each other for a moment before I hold out a hoof to her. “I think we need to make this official. My name is Scamp.”
She laughs and takes my hoof, shaking it, “Bronwyn Pendragon. It is a pleasure to officially meet you, Scamp.”
Without warning, a portal appeared next to us and began to violently suck us in. We both were pulled through it and landed in a pile.
I yelped in pain as I rolled off of Bronwyn, finding myself back in my clothes and gear. My injuries from the fight were also gone.
“So? Friends now?” Lance asked, smiling as he hovered above us.
“Yeah, we’re friends now,” I say as I stand up, super happy to not be in constant intense pain anymore. Those injuries would have taken months to heal, and even then, I’d never have been the same again.
“Don’t do anything like that again,” Bronwyn warned as she stood up, making sure her weapon was still there.
“I promise,” Lance replied, crossing his heart.
I looked around, “So, what did you do that entire time we were gone?”
“I didn’t have time to do anything, you’ve only been gone for like two seconds.” He said, looking very proud of himself.
Both Bronwyn and I stared up at him, dumbfounded and angry.
“Now, I know you two are mad, but it couldn’t have taken that long to become friends, right? Like an hour?” He said, waving his hooves in front of himself.
“It took MONTHS,” I snapped, flaring my wings furiously.
“And you made it always sunny!” Bronwyn yelled, pointing at him with fire in her eyes.
“Uh… oops?” He said sheepishly. At our continued glares, he pulled out a card and started to yell something. But I sent a tendril of my Ego towards him, shutting off his Ego. I’d mentally trained on how to do that, so it’s good to see I was able to put it into practice.
Lance’s card faded away, his Ego seeming to disappear. His eyes widened, but as he started to fly away, Bronwyn caught him with her own Ego. She began to slowly pull him down towards us as he fought as hard as he could to fly away.
“Wait wait wait! I’m sorry, okay?!” he yelled in panic, looking back at us as he fought to get away.
I raised a hoof and smiled slyly at him, “I’ll accept that apology after I wail on you a bit.”
Bronwyn gave a sharp nod, cracking her knuckles, “Same here.”
“Oh god!” Lance yelled. “What have I created?!”
He screamed like a little filly as he was finally pulled down to us.