//------------------------------// // Revelations of a Monster (18-1/2) // Story: Bronze Hoof // by cowboybird //------------------------------// The Battle of Wethoof: Part 3-1/2 Second Arc: Delay of Game I woke to the sound of a blazin fire that seemed to come from everywhere. I found myself trapped under a bed frame and surrounded by bodies of ponies. Well…Shit. My metal hoof pushed against somethin at my feet, the sound of metal on metal screechin seemed to have stirred somethin nestled up against my chest. In a panic, I started thrashin around, oblivious to the frightened cries comin from the creature next to me. Smoke blurred my vision, only allowin me two feet into its murky depths before everythin became a burnin haze. “Wha…huh?” I managed, my brain still a little fuzzy from my out-of-body experience. “Bronze?” The voice came from the thing that was furiously diggin its way into my body. “What’s goin on?” I asked the voice before recognition kicked in. “Toni?” “Hey Bronze, you’re awake!” The little Pegasus came out from my fur and gave me a hug. “Why are we inside a building that’s on fire? And why are we trapped under a bed?” I asked. “Oh! The rebels caught the building on fire, so I covered us up with metal stuff so falling debris wouldn’t kill us.” She said as though we were talkin over Sunday brunch. “Why don’t we just leave?” “I couldn’t carry you out, you’re too heavy.” The image of Toni attemptin to lift my frame would have made me laugh if it weren’t for the predicament we were in. A whole in the inferno opened through the fire and haze, allowin me to barely make out the rebel ponies outside. There had to be a dozen of them, maybe more which were hidden from the doorway. I looked to the window, findin that although I couldn’t fit, Toni would get through with ease. A plan quickly formed in my mind. I didn’t like it, but it was a plan. “Ok Toni, here’s the deal.” She looked to me, an eyebrow raised. “You’re gonna go get Quick, then me and him are gonna take on the rebels out front just enough for us to get away.” She began to protest, but before she could yell at me a coughin fit wracked her little body. “No buts. We may not burn, but we can suffocate. Even if we survive the fire the rebels would just come in and finish us off.” Tears burned on the edges of her eyes, tears runnin down her face cleaned the soot, addin to her sad façade. “Fine! But you don’t get to die, ok? You’re my best friend.” With that she flapped her wings, and shot out the window. I breathed a sigh of relief before beginnin a coughin fit of my own. I had to get out of here, and fast. I dropped down and did a quick look around the room, Toni’s flappin seemed to clear out enough smoke that I could see the entirety of if…well everythin on the floor. I noticed the bodies of the ponies where me and Toni were havin their fur burned off. The bedframe was still on top of them, searin its hot metal springs into their corpses. Their swords were piled next to them, their wooden hilts gettin singed by a fire that had sprung up next to them. Did they take my axe? They better not of taken my axe. I thought, searchin the room for my deadly companion. I found it thrown haphazardly against the far wall. Due to its razor edge, it was currently buried halfway into the drywall that made up the room. I quickly reached the handle, and tugged on it, releasin my axe from its momentary prison. Subconsciously I tried grabbin it with my other arm, only to remember that it was still MIA. I sighed, and prayed to my player that the boon I receive from killin those few more enemies in his name will compensate for my missin limb. Another coughin fit wracked my body, tellin me that I’d spent too much time in this smoke. I rushed to the door and broke free of the smoke. I started gulpin down air, coughin to expel the toxins from my lounges. When I looked up, I saw a couple dozen or so guards starin at me with surprised expressions on their little pony faces. It would have been cute if a second later they didn’t brandish weapons ad charge me. “Oh Shit!” I screamed, bringin my axe in front of me to deflect a sword that was bein brought down by a pegasus. Just before I retaliated with a strike of my own, two earth stallions, one red one a light green charged me from underneath. I jumped back, narrowly avoidin a kick to the family jewels, only to catch a telekinetic punch from one of the few unicorns that were scattered around the mob. Pegasi began flyin overhead like buzzards circlin a carcass. Earth ponies formed neat lines and advanced with the four or so unicorns behind them, probably chargin some nasty spells. Well, there’s only one thing I could do in this situation. I let my axe drop and spin, so that the sharp end was beneath my hand, and the wooden part was at the front. I raised it high overhead, and brought it down slowly, pointin it directly at the stallion leadin the earth ponies. “LEROOOOOOY JENKINNNNNNNS!!!!!” I yelled, and charged into the unsuspectin phalanx. You would think that these ponies would start to get used to my uncouth battle plans, but apparently not today. The lead stallion’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as I came crashin into him and all his buddies. There were far too many of them to knock out at once, but I at least got half a dozen. That means only four more unicorns, ten pegasi, and sixteen earth ponies. Piece of cake. Nasty, two month old cake, with feces icin. With no real plan, my plan fell apart quickly. The earth ponies regrouped rather quickly, and were now surroundin me. The pegasi began strikin me on the top of the head. And the unicorns let lose their spells. Considerin there were four of them, there were four different spell cast on me…or curses, I’m not sure which. First of all, one of my eyes began twitchin uncontrollably, makin me half blind. Next my flesh leg went numb, sendin me to a kneelin position. There was a big black mark on my chest, probably a fire spell that didn’t work on me. And finally I couldn’t hear anythin. This made me a lil upset. “I’LL MURDER ALL OF YOU WITH YOUR ABORTED FETUS OF A BROTHER!!!” Adrenalin surged through my system, restorin both my eyesight and leg (although I still couldn’t feel it). I began attackin with the blunt end of my axe, knockin several more attackers into unconsciousness. The unheard attacks from above began to irritate me, as I was beginnin to acquire quite the headache. Rememberin the bone protrusion that stuck out from my head, I came up with an idea. I started shakin my head like an enraged bull, catchin one or two of the flyin bastards off guard. I’m not sure if I maimed them or just knocked them out as I was too busy with the earth stallions. I kept pokin at them for what seemed like hours before another spell hit me. My lower back went completely numb, and its surroundin areas were freezin. I turned and looked at the unicorns, one of which was wearin a sly grin on his face. This SOB was goin down after I’ve dealt with the rest of the earth stallions. There were ten or so left, the other six now limpin away, or asleep. I started spinnin slowly, anyone in my pole’s reach received a hell of a smack. After a minute or so of this, I began to spin faster and faster. Eventually I was a livin tornado of non-lethal pain, everythin became blurred as I trusted in the cartoon physics of this world. A whooshin sound began to make itself noticed, and I became aware that my sense of hearin was beginnin to return to me. From what I could tell from the screams and panicked gasps I was tearin the rebel guards a new one. I may have thrown up once or twice, but it was worth it. By the time I was finished with my super-twirl of death technique, only the unicorns and the pegasi remained. The looks on the unicorns faces as I started to approach them was priceless. Fear shook them to their bones, makin focusin on their spells harder to manage. Sparks shot off of their individual horns as tears seemed to well up in their eyes. Just before I reached them the pegasi had apparently gotten over their shock and began dive bombin me again. I swatted at them with my arm, only to find that they would bolt back into the air if I even managed to get close to them. I roared in frustration, my anger growin in me. I reached out and grabbed one of the unicorns, plannin on pullin a Pinkie Pie and gunnin their asses down. My only problem was that I only had one arm. Damn that beetle to hell! Quickly I tried thinkin of some other appendage that would allow me to begin shootin at the flyin rats, and a flickerin light bulb appeared over my head. I grabbed the unicorn’s tail with my tail, and, despite the gasps of his colleges who just now broke out of their magic paralyzin fear, started shootin yellow lazers at the flock of bewildered pegasi. By the time the unicorn’s magic reserves were depleted, and smoke began billowin out of his spiral appendage, only four pegasi remained conscious. I assumed the lazers that had been shootin out of my new magic powered gatlin gun were non-lethal, and by the moans and snores of the downed rebels, I think I assumed correct. That left eight enemies…well seven considerin the blue one I was usin was scurryin to the well to put his horn out. I saw him jump the stone and tumble into the abyss below. I inwardly chuckled. That well was pretty deep. The remainin unicorns began backin away from me slowly, scarred I might grab one of them and use them like their comrade. I have to ask Gear if tail on tail action is taboo or somethin. If he makes it. Come to think of it, the only one of my friends who I had seen since this whole thing began was Toni. Were they alright? How was Gear holdin up with the rest of his unicorn squad? A smack to the back of the head caught me off guard, reelin me back to the present. One of the earth stallions had gotten up, and was currently bum-rushin me. I braced for the attack, only to have him veer to the left out of my reach. Before I had time to be confused a green blur shot across my vision, and into my muzzle. Considerin the pain that was emanatin from my nose, and the blood that began pourin out, I think the bastard broke it. Another strike came to the back of my head, nearly makin my eyes bulge out. I felt a buck to the back of my good leg, sendin me once again into a kneelin position. I turned around to find the earth stallion retreatin out of arms reach. Just as I stood to show him his place I felt a sharp pain in my back, followed by the crack of bone. I cried out in pain, only to find another blow to the top of my head. These bastards had actually made a plan to take me down. Makes sense I suppose. I’m not the fastest creature alive, and with my superior size and build, the only way these little ponies were gonna take me down is by strikin with a hasty retreat. I reached down to where the sharp pain in my back came, findin the handle of what I assumed was a small knife. “Trust me fellas, you don’t wanna mess with me and sharp objects.” My voice carried through the moans of the wounded, catchin the band of rebels off guard. There were a few seconds of silence, interrupted by another sharp pain in my stomache. I looked down, findin a blade hilt deep. I gave it a tug, freein it from my torso. It’s steel frame glinted in the dimmin sunlight, my blood coatin the business end. It looked like a regular knife with a ring attached to the hilt. It looked too small to fit around a hoof, meanin it would fit around a primary feather instead. Throwin darts for the flyin, or so Quick had told me. I also remember him sayin somethin about most bein coated in a toxin of some sort. Luckily, the poison amounts were set to paralyze or kill somethin the size of a pony, not a large beast like myself. Another strike to the back of my head, and another knife strike to my deltoid. I swung out wildly, attemptin to catch one of my attackers off guard. To an onlooker, I must have looked crazy, flailin my arm to and fro randomly. Another buck to the head, and another blade in my thigh. My vision began to fade, darkness creepin in on the edges of my vision. A voice in the back of my head began whisperin to me. You know how to win. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. I didn’t want to send these ponies to whatever hell my player had in mind for them. I was savin those three kills for truly evil creatures of the night. They will kill you. Kill them first. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Damn this guy was persistent. I can only imagine the horrors lived out by those that I killed in his name. Until now, I didn’t know that I would be sentencin them to somethin beyond death, only to death itself. The dragons who were assaultin Minnie? All those Diamond dogs? Even the beetles? Do they all become part of his will? His plans? Another rib cracked as I was sent sprawlin to the road. Blood pooled around my nose, some even comin from my mouth. I managed to get to my hands and knees, and looked at the liquid on the road. That’s my blood. If I die, what happens to my friends? A shadow appeared, shadin my crimson pool from the sun. I felt another blow to my head, and anger surged through me. Everythin went red. No noise. No sight. No feelin. No remorse. The only thing I remember from those few minutes was a seethin hatred for those who would get in the way of my friends happiness. The only thing that mattered was them bein happy. If I were to die, they would be unhappy. My happiness was taken from me when I got Killian murdered, when I shot that kid in Bagdad, when my child died. No. The only thing that mattered now are my companions. Quick, Toni, and Gear. My family. Those who wished to make them unhappy were to perish under my hoof. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When I finally came to, I was surrounded by carnage. Blood and gore filled the courtyard of the once proud complex. Shredded bits of ponies were strewn about. A head here, a leg there. No one was left alive on the compound, save for me. Even the guards who were unconscious were torn to shreds. My axe sat next to me, its scale blade glintin in the sunset. For some reason I was holdin unicorn horns. Four of them, each a different color. Green, blue, red, and yellow. I looked to the well, and noticed drag marks cloaked in blood comin from it, and endin in the torn up remains of a pony. Tears welled up in my eyes. Why did I do this? Because you wanted to. No, I just wanted to protect my friends. And you did, Daniel. With you alive, they will be safe. But how can you justify this? I killed those who were defenseless. They were a threat, even in slumber. They could have been detained! Could have, but now you have fulfilled your end of our deal. The three souls needed have been sent to me. Along with one or two more. You’re a monster! No Daniel, you are. I mentally stopped myself, and looked around. Maybe I am a monster.