//------------------------------// // Conflicts // Story: Equestrian Mercenaries. // by JT //------------------------------// Rainbow, Applejack, and Fluttershy both sat on the floor of the library, eyes wide with wonder at the story being told to them. "So there I was, I just won a fistfight with a giant mutant, nearly as big as I am! When this lady comes up to me and says!" The trio all leaned forward, eyes becoming impossibly wide. "What did she say?" Asked a infatuated Rainbow. "She said. Get the fuck off my property!" Elijah spanned his hands wide, making a gesture of surprise. "WHAT! YOU DO ALL THAT WORK AN' THAT CHICK TELLS YOU TO LEAVE? UNBELIEVABLE!" "I know right? I didn't even get paid, not that she could have paid me afterwards." "What do you me-" PLOP. A scroll bearing the royal insignia appeared and landed on Elijah's lap, who unrolled the parchment, and shrugged. The rest of the Mercenary band, who sat around the room, lifted their heads in surprise, and each (Excluding Mark, on account of his helmet.) Gave quizzical looks. Luke was the first to ask his question. "Well, what's it say?" Elijah set down the scroll, took his pistol out, and loaded a fresh stripper clip into it. Putting the metal strip back into a pouch on his waist, he stood. "We just got hired." The ponies all gave confused looks towards the giant. Applejack raised her hoof in the air like a school filly. "What da ya mean, hired? What's the job?" Elijah shrugged, and holstered his pistol again. "Some things called 'Black Wing Brigades' Raiding the borders, the letter said that Lethal force is authorized." This elicited a whoop from the Mercenaries. Who immediately set to loading, checking and cleaning their respective firearms. The Ponies jaws fell, their eyes grew wide with horror. "Black Wing Brigades? The savage Ponies and griffons who raid towns? You're going up against them?" As if to punctuate Rainbow's statement, a bag filled to the brim with gold coins, materialised and landed on a nearby table, spilling it's contents. "We also get paid in advance." The group of Ponies and Mercenaries walked through the town, a few Ponies evaded and avoided the band of Humans and Element Bearers, who chatted happily to themselves. Elijah, began looking for their mode of transport, spotting only some Royal Guards heading their way, he looked back. 'Wait a second, Guards?' The thought intruded his mind like a naked old man barging into a National Nun Reunion. There were Guards heading their way, headed by a white stallion bearing a silver type armor. Twilight ran up to this Stallion and embraced him. "Shining!" "Twiley!" The two broke apart, Twilight gestured to Elijah and the rest. "Shining, this here is Elij-" "Elijah, Mark, Luke, Hayden, and Josiah, yes I know, I was informed by the princesses about our........Guests." Shining Armor said the phrase through gritted teeth, speaking the last word with difficulty. It was obvious he did not like them. "And I assure you, your services are no longer needed, the Royal Guard has things all under control." Shining expected the humans to be relieved, these were black wings, he had heard the stories of prisoners being torn apart, tortured. He shuddered, Castrated, then forced to eat their own bits. But when he looked up, he nearly dropped his jaw in amazement. They were pissed. Each Mercenary wore a mask of anger, hate and just plain rage, even the two wearing helmets had an aura of hatred emanating from them. The largest one, Elijah, raised his hand and pointed a finger at him. "No can do, doughboy, we get paid, the job gets done, company policy." "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to pass on to the tr-!" Shining armors voice was cut off when something grabbed his throat, cutting off his oxygen, and slammed him into the ground, knocking the rest of the air out of his body. He heard a click, and felt a large cylinder press against his fore head. "YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH MY MISSION! I WAS PAID, AND THE JOB WILL BE DONE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" Shining's Guards leveled their spears at the mercenaries, who in turn shouldered their rifles. "Don't even try it, if you so much as make a single move, we'll pepper you with so many holes, you'll whistle when you walk." One of the guards jabbed his spear in the groups direction. "Surrender!" "I'll surrender one bullet, where do you want it?" The opposing sides wouldn't back down, all the while, Shining was still being choked by Elijah. The Guards eventually started inching their way towards Shining, trying to get close enough to free their Captain, at least till he was thrown out of the way like a ragdoll. He then landed in some trash cans, resulting in a loud racket. Elijah gestured to the rest of his squad, beckoning them to get to the train. "Come on, it's not like they can hurt us anyways."