//------------------------------// // Act 1: Hero-A Soul Can't Be Cut // Story: The Winds of Redemption // by RagingPonyRider //------------------------------// Nothing. Everything was so dark. It did not help that he could not move. So this is death? Heh, should have known. I've been fighting, killing, for so long...I never did think too much about what death's like, did I? Nothing. Bladewolf, what are you doing right now? I hope it’s better than being sent to the nearest landfill. Or maybe the pound would be more appropriate? Nothing. He could not see, move, smell, taste, or hear a single trickle of noise. He decided to think some more about the situation. Raiden...Raiden. Did you get to Pakistan? I don't know what you expect to see there, but if it's Armstrong...well, what do I care? Nothing. There were no scream to fill the void. After all, there was no air in his dead lungs to pass it through his windpipe. He could not use his cybernetics to flay around, hoping to touch something to guide through the void. “So here you are. Bet you weren't expecting me, did ya?” He wanted to scream “Who’s there!” but either his voice could not pierce the air due to the lack thereof, or his lungs and vocal cords were dead. Regardless, he was just glad something else was inside the darkness. “Oh, sorry about that! Here!” He heard a snap of fingers, and the black of the void was replaced with blinding white. He would have shielded his eyes if he could. However, he could not help himself as he gawked at the figure before him. The phrase “large, serpentine monster” was the first thing that came to his mind. The thing’s hands were a lion paw and eagle talon, its feet were of a lizard’s and a goat’s. Sam would have taken in more of the creature’s details if it didn’t start talking. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Discord, the spirit of disharmony.” Despite his diplomatic demeanor, Sam was only reminded of Armstrong. He wished he could frown to express his distaste, but it was useless. “Oh, that’s right! You can only see and hear me all my glory right now! Here, let me help you with that!” Discord snapped his talon, summoning a black leather couch out of nowhere in the process. However, that was not the only thing that appeared. Sam realized that he could breathe again, and choked and coughed before air could properly pass into his lungs. He fell to his knees to help keep balance, as if it was an eternity since he has walked. He heard a whistle, and Sam looked up to see Discord gawking at him. “Well, that’s a weird body! All shiny and metallic! But I admit, it’s nothing compared to mine.” To emphasize, the draconequus gave a loud yawn. “Nobody asked for your opinion.” He narrowed his eyes as he focused more on Discord, but stayed his hands. Was it a real freak of nature? “What the hell are you?” Discord sighed before sitting up straight. “Sheesh, you’re not a good listener, are you? I knew you were dead, but I didn’t know you were deaf, too” Sam blinked at the comment. So this was still death? Purgatory, perhaps? He scratched his head as he contemplated on his situation. "Now before we start anything, I just want to say I very much admire your work." Discord's smile threatened to split his cheeks. "Nothing like good ol' street justice to get the stress out, no? "Again, what are you? You're obviously not just some ordinary animal." Chuckling, Discord wagged a talon at him. "I told you, I'm Discord, the spirit of disharmony. And I know all about you, Jetstream." Sam's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that name?!" He gripped his sword, hoping to intimidate the answer out of him. He only scoffed at the attempt. "Oh, please. You really don't think you have any power here, do you? I brought you back from the dead, for pete's sake! What do you think you could do?" "This." Now, sufficiently ticked off, he pulled from his sheath, a long, scarlet...rose? "What the?!" "Come now." Discord walked up to him, frowning with disappointment. "Did you really think I would bring you back without some precaution?" "Where's my..." The flower fell through his fingers and he chuckled at the realization. "Oh yeah. This is death, isn't it?" "Yep. Just be lucky that I brought you back to life with your suit on." Discord tutted before pulling a glass of chocolate milk behind his back. "I could care less about my modesty right now. Give me a weapon and maybe I'll be in the mood to talk." Sam tapped his sheath to emphasize. "Do you take me for an idiot?" Discord asked irritably. "Just hear me out will you? Here." His lion paw snapped and a red puffy chair appeared behind Sam. Sam inspected the furniture carefully but took the offer. He let the cushion sink as he tried to make himself sociable again. He did not want to be so lenient with a stranger, but he saw no other choice. "Alright. I'll bite for now. Not like I'm busy." "That's the spirit!" Discord pumped his paw and offered him a glass. Sam tossed it over his shoulder. "Sorry, but I was warned about taking stuff from strangers." "Aw, pooh." "I just got stabbed in the gut. I don't know about you, but it's the worst thing I think anyone could feel." "Even if it was from someone you trusted?" Sam hoped Discord did not see him clench his fists. "That's none of your business. Have you been stalking me?" "Only recently." Discord answered, shame nonexistent. "But I did my homework." He pulled out a couple video tapes. One labeled "MGR-C" and the other "MGR-DLC-J". "You're one sick bastard, you know that?" "Aren't you at least a little happy someone's took the time to make a little biography of your exploits?" "I don't need a recollection of my life." Sam leaned deeper into the chair. "Why would I need reminders of all that?" "Don't think of it like that." Discord smiled. "Mistakes are something to learn from." "Forget it," Sam sighed and got off his chair. "Just tell me what you what straight out, and I might listen." Discord pouted. "Alright, I'll give it straight: I brought you here do a little errand for me. I can't do much myself. Everypony's still on edge, even with my reformation, and bringing you is going to help me reestablish myself." "What makes you think I'm good PR material?" Sam jested. "I'm a killer, not a businessman." "Exactly!' he squealed. "There's some nasty stuff going on where I'm from, and I want you in there. It would cause quite the misunderstanding if I starting zapping critters left and right, you see?" "I see." Sam walked up to Discord, frowning. "You want me, a veteran killer, to go out into a foreign place for wet work, while you swoop in for the glory and kill me." "Kill you? Dear me, no! You're too important to die!" "So there is some other reason you want me." Discord slapped his forehead. "D'oh! Listen, it's not going to be like-" "I'm done." With that, Sam constricted the draconequus's throat, expecting those bright eyes to pop from their sockets. "Send me back to hell, that purgatory, or whatever. But I'm not going to be working for someone who's so terrible at business." A snap later, and Discord turned into smoke, reforming behind Sam. "Now now, Sam. That's hardly the right attitude for a new job," Discord muttered. "Equestrians aren't going to like a grump in their country, especially with a pony like Pinkie Pie among them." "I said I'm not going to work for you." Sam said. "So don't talk like I will." "The place I'm sending you to is called, as mentioned, Equestria." Discord pressed on, pretending not to hear him. "Filled with, brace yourself, not people but ponies." Sam fought to keep from smirking. A place filled with horses? Like what he read from Gulliver's Travels once? He only read it once, but remembered it's descriptions of a perfect race of horses that were extremely misanthropic. "Don't confuse yourself with actual ponies. These ponies are nothing like what you're thinking of and are more of something you might see in cartoons. All colorful, lovey-dovey, and friendly. Heck, even I'm from Equestria!" He spread his arms wide and shook his mismatched body parts, causing them to wave as if they were made of string. "Are they as crazy as you?" Discord smiled but shook his head. "Nah, they hate me. Even after their precious Elements of Harmony-" Both Discord and Sam groaned, each for different reasons "-reformed me." Sam cracked his knuckles. "For the last time, I won't work for you, no matter how much you'd pay me or even if you brought me back. But if you want me alive, send me back to Brazil." Before he could say anything else, chains materialized and coiled around Sam like snakes. His breath escaped him as he lost balance and fell to the ground. "What the-!" "Uh-uh-uh!" Discord walked up to him, and wagged his talon again. If Sam hated him before, he loathed him now. "You don't seem to understand how important this is. And believe me-" he smiled even wider as he used his magic to levitate him helplessly "-you're more vital to this than you think." "Damn you-kuk!" His shouts were broken by the chains tightening again, making him scream in pain. No matter how strong he was or how strong his cybernetics made him, the steel cables would always constrict just enough to shut him up. “Now, just one more step.” Another blinding light and the chains uncoiled, dropping Sam to the ground. As he recovered his sense of balance, the sheath on his hip grew heavy. “If you're still unmotivated, you can just stay where you are and die." Sam looked around him. It was dark again and Discord was nowhere in sight. He lost his footing. The floor beneath him disappeared. When he woke up, he tasted grass and dirt and spat out any excessive saliva. Remembering what happened just moments ago, he he got to his feet and looked at his surroundings. At first glance, it appeared to be a forest or a jungle of some kind. Layers of greenery and an occasional tree limited his vision to a ten feet radius. It was easy for the flora to pass off simply as shrubbery and trees to layman, but some of the plants were unrecognizable to him. He reached for his sword again. He gazed upon the crackling blade and clenched it with his prosthetic hand, as if to confirm whether or not the blade was real. Don't get too attached. It's probably got some tracking device in it. I should toss it as soon as I get a replacement. The draconequus’s last words rang inside his mind, making him clench his head with his left hand while twirling the sword in his right hand out of habit. It would be easy enough to kill himself. A growl rumbled the ground, pulling him back into reality. With weapon already in hand, he got into a stance, ready for an attack to strike any moment. Never mind. If I'm going to die, it's not going to be by getting mauled by wild animals. He did not have to wait long. A pair of green eyes glowed from the shadows of a brush. Eventually, what looked like a wolf made of twigs and barked stepped out, baring its teeth at Sam. After a moment to recover, he couldn’t help but laugh at the display. “You’ve got to be kidding me! I expected a real wolf, not a dog carved from a tree!” His jest was short-lived, though, as the timberwolf’s growl grew louder. Sam recovered enough sense to notice the approach of more of the wooden canines. He spun on his heels, mentally tallying the wolves in his mind. About twenty in total. This should be easy. “You fellas should meet my friend. He could probably teach you how to be real wolves.” His taunt worked. One of them lunged at him, mouth wide. Sam reacted instantaneously and kicked the timberwolf hard enough to send him flying. The creature smashed into a tree and exploded into a pile lumber, almost comically. “You’re kidding me? Looks like you’re all bark and no bite!” Two more timberwolves. Two more kicks. Two more of the same result. “Come on! Give me something I can really kill! You’re just fodder,” he taunted again. Another growl shook the air, but this one was exceptionally louder than the rest. Sam halted his provoking and looked up into the blue sky. Laconically, it was a giant version of the wolves he had been toying with. The only difference was easy to identify: it was going to take more than just a kick to take it down. The giant wolf reeled its head down and spotted Sam in the midst of its miniatures. The combination of size, sound, and spontaneity of his appearance actually succeeded in faltering Sam, if only for a moment. The look on its face was obvious: it itched for a fight, especially against a target it could so obviously squash under its foot and swallow with a single bite. To demonstrate, the giant raised one of its paws and smashed a nearby tree, along with some of the timberwolves, like a toothpick. The rest of the pack was smart enough to vacate the scene. They didn't want to be caught in the middle of their master’s claws and Sam’s lightning kicks. The samurai only smiled at his newest foe, realizing that now he could turn all his focus onto a single target. He never fought a monster made of wood, the only opponent comparable was the modified Metal Gear Ray unit he fought in the World Marshal building. His suit’s mask formed around his grin and he got into his stance again. “Let's just get this over with.” As it to reply, the giant timberwolf howled, and raised another paw to squash him. It was an average day for Fluttershy. Tend to the animals in the yard, especially tend to Angel Bunny, and visit Rarity for their weekly get-together. She whistled loud enough to turn many heads to her direction, and the animals flocked to her, literally, in the case of the bats, flamingo, and other winged critters. Fluttershy unloaded the bag of feed she carried onto the ground. Normally she would have taken greater care to divide the food among them, but she had to make up lost time due to sleeping in. Rarity wanted her to model for a new dress she was designing, and she insisted that a real mare was necessary. The meek pegasus pony could hardly turn her down, and it cost her time well into midnight. "Now, everyone! Remember to share!" she warned, albeit unsuccessfully, over the barks, squeals, and caws. Nevertheless, the animals were understanding enough to slow down their eating, allowing Fluttershy to leave them alone and enter her own cottage to bring Angel's personalized breakfast. The rabbit in question was waiting by the doorway, tapping his foot on the ground with the most grim scowl that was ever seen on a bunny. "Oh, I didn't forget about you, Angel!" The pegasus pony sprinted through the doorway and within a minute, she appeared with a decadent salad, composed of cabbage, apple slices, pears, a cherry on top, and various other fruits and vegetables. Angel gave a satisfied smirk before devouring the morsel, ignoring his owner's pleas to slow down. Fluttershy, knowing full well of what was to come, reentered the house and brought a cup of tea. "If you need it, here's some tea to drown it down, okay?" she asked kindly to the rabbit. Angel responded to her warning with an even worse scowl than before, as if being condescended. After a few second of Angel's annoyed growl and Fluttershy's soft smile, he returned to his breakfast ravenous as ever. It only happened a couple times, after all! It was nothing to be worried about! Besides, he didn't need water to- At that moment, a guttural howled pierced the air, causing Angel to choke on a bit of carrot and Fluttershy to jump into the air. Simultaneously, animals immediately scampered from their feed. After recovering from the initial shock, Fluttershy twisted her head, trying to keep track of all the running and flying animals. Thankfully, they knew all too well the cottage was the safest place, and was orderly enough to form a straight stampede instead of crowding around the entrance and leave Fluttershy's teacup untouched. The same could not be said for Angel's salad. "My goodness! What was that!" She turned to the Everfree Forest behind her cottage and gulped. Despite her words, she knew exactly what that noise was. It was an animal in pain, but not just any animal. "Oh, what should I do? I never had to tend to a timberwolf! Usually, they're strong enough to take care of themselves in there..." She knew that from their last encounter with them, they were indeed strong enough to fend themselves and form packs to fight against larger animals, so she never actively searched for them. However, she could not leave an animal desperately in need! Besides, there was also the chance that the timberwolf could be fighting against another animal, which meant another animal could be injured. Despite this, she still felt uneasy and her hooves shook at the idea of two predators going at each other. Meanwhile, Angel thrashed about, trying to reach the still-upright teacup. "What do you think, Angel?" He could only respond with hacks and coughs. Fluttershy rolled her eyes and pushed the teacup towards him. He frantically dunked his head in it, ignoring first-degree burns for the moment. Another howl. Fluttershy knew she was running out of time, and that cry was the final push needed for her to spring into action. "Angel, you tend to the animals inside while I'm gone okay?" Even as she asked, she ran to the forest entrance, only stopping once to look back at Angel. The second howl startled him so much that he ended up flipping the teacup, pouring the rest of its contents on his body. Dyed in orange from the tea, he grimaced as he nodded. "Great! Thank you! I'll be sure to make you an even better lunch when I get back!" With her final confirmation, she sprinted into the forest, swearing to herself to not stop until she found both the suffering timberwolf Or what was left of it.