//------------------------------// // 5 // Story: Armored Core: Mutare Ad Custodiam // by Zeroraid //------------------------------// Another dawn meant another day slaving around collecting the trash. Sunset couldn’t help the frown that crossed her face as she hopped off the vehicle she and Applejack were traveling on and started heading out for the nearest trash pile. By the spirits she hated picking these things up. Who in Tartarus just leaves bags of trash parked on a curve? “I hate to say it, but I prefer pulling them out the bins.” She grumbled as she started lifting up a pair of bags and headed back to the garbage truck with Applejack in tow. “Agreed.” The girl muttered as they tossed the bags into the back of the truck. “By the way.” “What?” “I know you snuck out last night.” For a moment Sunset didn’t bother responding as she continued picking up the trash that had been left at the edge of the streets. “Mind telling me where you went?” “Nowhere important.” She finally responded, turning to look at Applejack as the girl just gave her a hard look on her face.  “Nowhere important huh?” “Yeah~” Sunset dragged on, taking a moment to lift more trash into their truck before looking at Applejack. “Just needed to get out for a bit, get some air and all that.” Applejack didn’t say anything for a second as she stared at the other girl and crossed her arms.  “Sunset, you’ve been out getting air every night for the past week.” The freckled teen. “What’s going on?” “Nothing.” Sunset muttered, rolling her eyes. “I’ve just been going out.” She stated. “Is that a crime now?” “No, it ain’t.” Applejack muttered as she and Sunset stared at each other for a moment. “It’s just… if you’re gonna be going out at night, be careful will ya?” Sunset noticed that Applejack’s grip seemed tighter than before. “It ain’t safe for us girls to be out so late by ourselves.” Sunset just stared at Applejack for a moment, seemingly lost in confusion for a moment before realization hit. “Oh.” She muttered as she scratched her head. “Right, good point.” She fell silent for a moment as Applejack just stared at her in disbelief. “Ya can’t be serious.” Applejack muttered. “You didn’t think about that?” Applejack stared at the girl who just looked away in embarrassment. “I swear girl…” The girl muttered, raising a hand to her face, stopped before it could touch her forehead and lowered it.  “Anyone ever tell ya about how ya got bad habits? The kind that can get ya in some serious trouble?” She asked. “Yes actually.” Sunset shrugged as she grabbed the last trash bag and headed over to the rear of her vehicle. “My old mentor.” She grumbled. “Mostly concerning my ‘charming personality’ putting me at odds with others.” “Nothing about your habit  of sleeping in the buck?” “Please.” Sunset rolled her eyes again as she put a hand on her hip. “She did the same thing.” Applejack just stared at the girl before her for a moment. She sucked in a breath before looking away. “So that’s where you get it.” “Trust me, I didn’t get it from her.” The girl admitted. “I mean everyone sleeps naked where I’m from.” Applejack’s head couldn’t have whipped around fast enough. “Pardon?” Sunset just shrugged as she hopped back onto the garbage truck. “Come on, we got more trash to grab.” She wasn’t wrong. Holding out a hand to help Applejack up, the girl just stared at her for a moment before shaking her head and taking it. “Yeah~ rather not continue this conversation anyway.” The Sphere’s Administrative office wasn’t the most interesting place in the world. Not that there were many places left in the world that were interesting to begin with… Regardless, sitting in her office, Administrator Rarity Belle couldn’t help but sigh in annoyance as she looked at the tablet on hand, her eyes glancing over the digital files that were presented to her. The thin line that had crossed her face slowly started to drop as she did. “Administer Rarity.” A voice called out from over her intercom as she reached over and tapped a button. “What is it Dauntless?” “You have a visiter, a Mr. Dawnbreaker.” Hearing the name Rarity flinched slightly before looking at her machine. With a deep breath she hit the button again. “Send him in.” “Yes mam.” Without a word the administrator set her tablet down as she awaited the arrival of her ‘guest’; her face as impassive as ever. Outwardly she looked absolutely fine; as calm and composed as she had ever been. Inwardly though, she was nervous. More nervous than she had been in a long time. For the first time in a long while, the girl seemed ready to leave her post and go anywhere else. So long as it was far away from ‘him’. “Lady Belle.” God she hated that voice. If there was anything; she always thought it belonged to some fabled demon - maybe an incubus or something along those lines; alluring like an angel, but there was something behind it that just set off alarms in her head. Some edge, some poison that slipped out whenever he spoke. Rarity just kept herself steady as looked at the man watching him make his way into her office with a grace she could only dream of acquiring. Dawnbreaker, he walked with a grace that only rivaled his natural allure. Still, there was always something… off about him.  Handsome as he was, he looked relatively normal; but there was always this ‘air’ about him that just felt off… wrong even. “Dawnbreaker.” Rarity spoke his name with a professional smile lowering her head in gratitude. “It’s good to see you again.” She was lying and they both knew it. “I wasn’t aware that you were in town. If I certainly would have cleaned up my office a bit.” “Well~ you know how I like to drop in unannounced.” Standing before her desk the man smiled at her, and it was something that made her shudder on impulse. That smile, it was like a snake, those burning eyes - as beautiful as they were - were not human. He looked less like a man and more like some otherworldly predator that was circling its prey. Worst part was… she wasn’t aware how accurate that claim was. “Well, don’t just sit there in silence.” Dawnbreaker began. “Tell me beautiful, how have you been, how's little belle?” “Sweetie is fine.” Rarity admitted, her eyes glancing towards the picture that was on her desk. One showing her and another during much happier times. A picture that Noticing her glance Dawnbreaker rested his rump at the edge of her desk as he took the picture into his hands. “Hey, I remember this day. I swear, look how happy your baby girl is for you.” ‘My baby girl…’ Rarity fell silent as she just nodded her head reaching for her picture before taking it back. “My sister is fine.” Dawnbreaker just gave her a knowing look as she stared at the picture. “Still using that lie, huh?” Dawnbreaker muttered as he leaned forward, his hand reaching under her chin to raise her face to meet his. “Whether you admit it to her or not, she’s your daughter.” He stated and the two just stared at each other. “Speaking of which!” Pulling back Dawnbreaker stepped away as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. “Here’s the current location of your baby daddy.” He stated dropping the file on the table. “Feel free to pay him a visit, I know you’ve been meaning to after all.” Rarity didn’t say anything just looking at the file before looking elsewhere. “What do you want Dawnbreaker.” She asked. “Can’t I just come in to visit an old friend?” ‘We are not friends.’ Rarity thought to herself. There was no way in this world o the next that she would consider the man who owned her to be a friend. “No you don’t; or rather you can’t.” She stated. “You visit only when you want something done.” The man just chuckled as he got to his feet and started walking around the office. His fingers touching almost any and everything he could find that piqued his interest. “So what do you want me to do?” “Where to start?”