//------------------------------//
// First shot 
// Story: Equestrian Mercenaries. 
// by JT 
//------------------------------//

Elijah sat in an undersized bench, his helmeted eyes scanning the scenery as it flew by. He sighed, and removed on of his gauntlets. Underneath it, the flesh was a rose color, as if agitated, and the veins were black. He slipped the gauntlet back on and continued staring out the window. Everything quiet in his mind, save for one thought.

"Six months."

"What was that Elijah?"

Elijah jumped and looked over at Twilight, who held a concerned look.

"It was nothing. where are the boys at, We need to come up with a plan."

"They're in the back car, doing.....something?"

Elijah got off the bench, which groaned in delight, and walked through the door leading into the last car, as soon as he passed through the door, he was assaulted with noise.

Inside the cart, all his fellows were drinking, smoking, and having just plain fun. Josiah stumbled by with a bottle of the pony equivalent of whiskey, took one swig, and crashed on the floor.

"Lightweight."

Elijah continued his march into the car, finding everything to be right as he passed by Luke holding a bottle to hisa mouth and hayden with a cigar rolling between his thumbs. Mark was laying on a bench, sleeping.
All was well.
Elijah found a nice spot on the floor, sat down and leaned back. Letting out a tired sigh as he passed into sleep.





"Elijah! Wake up! We're almost there!"

Elijah's eyes fluttered open to reveal Mark standing over him, offering a hand up. Elijah grasped the hand and hauled himself onto his feet.
His hand instinctively went to the pistols at his waist. He found his revolvers handle and drew it. He brought it up to his face and examined the cylinder, each round inside as big as his thumb with enough powder behind it to blow through a tank.

"You plan on using Ol'Ark today?"

"Yeah, figure if I can kill one in such a bloody way, the others will lose morale and surrender."

"Sounds good, come on, the others are up front."

Elijah and mark passed into the next car and began addressing their gear. Elijah took a glance out the window to see a train of ponies walking back towards ponyville. Each one sad and downtrodden.

He visibly swelled as he prepared himself for battle.

A few minutes later, the train came to a halt in front of a burning town. There were audible clicks as bolts were slammed into place and clips loaded. Elijah spun the cylinder on his revolver, watching it spin effortlessly.

The door opened and they were met with a barrage of arrows. The others ducked as the arrows flew. But Elijah stood rigged, the arrows bouncing off his armor making a clang noise. Soon the barrage stopped and a few shouts of surprise were heard.

"What is that thing?"

"Is it with us?"

"Does it like gravy?"

Elijah stepped out onto the ground, only to be confronted by a black and white griffin waving a sword at him. It was futile seeing as the griffin barely passed his waist.

"Oi! You can't just come in here and act like you's the boss! Why I ought to gut ya and fuck yer corpse just fer sherwin' up! Now me an' me boys here won't take a single act of dummeh as long as you here. Oi, are you listenin'?"

Elijah didn't respond. He just raised his revolver to the griffin and fired.

The bullet passed through the griffin's chest, the kinetic energy and mass of the round blowing the torso apart.
When Elijah lowered the revolver and holstered it. All that was left was a gristly corpse of legs, trying to stay standing.
His 'Fellows' stood behind him with the remainder of their commander splattered across their faces.


Meanwhile Twilight was mortified at the display of violence, and prowess, and sheer hate. She felt tears well up as she turned to Luke and the rest of the squad as she cried.

"Why don't you help him? He's going to get swarmed!"

Luke wrapped his arms around Twilight and whispered into her ear.

"Look, Elijah's pissed and it's best just to let him vent out, and don't worry, those bandits won't be able to hurt him."