//------------------------------// // Closer to home. // Story: DLairgkht World // by Groupiegatalo //------------------------------// Morbiss stands at the exit for the forest with Nigel by his side his halberd in talon. Nigel laughs with glee as he wipes his halberd on the grass cleaning it of the blood and green juice that has collected along it's blade and shaft. Morbiss keeps a cool face as the sun start falling below the horizon signaling another end of another interesting day. Thus the beginning of a interesting night will happen. Wonder if he's- I'm good. Well that answers that. "Night comes fast. And our destination faster." He says pointing up towards the castle of the two princesses that looms closely over head, "Just a few more miles right?" "Seems so..." Nigel says nodding his head and looking behind him, "And how are you Fluttershy?" Fluttershy comes up from behind her hooves sprayed with blood along with some of her tail and mane. She shivers and shakes her head, "I wanna go home..." "Home is with us now ya little murderer you." Morbiss says chuckling, "After all, after all of this, you'll have no home to return to." Nigel nods his head, "Damn it all! As long as I can help you out with turning over the fight in power I'm fine with having no home." "Aye. What do you think the griffins will do when they learn that you helped me?" Morbiss asks waiting for the persona shift. "If they ever find us out buddy." Nigel says placing his halberd to his back and walking out to the opening in front of the forest, "Wonder how many awards I'll get if I do tell them. Or how many mobs I'll have come after me." "What about your home?" Fluttershy asks her voice almost emotionless. Just a ping of sadness can be detected, "I know you say you don't care, but do you?" "Hm?" Nigel asks turning around still bathing in the moon's light. "You're home. I was always made to believe that griffins live in death and decay. Murder is suppose to be their thing. How would your family feel and your people feel about you just forgetting them all?" She asks staring at the ground, "I know what they'll say to me. My people. They'll do a lot of bad things to me too..." "Well that's the price you pay for following a mad man." Morbiss says laughing and slapping her on the flank. "Well, to answer your question. I don't really care. I've had many fun times with my family and we all parted ways once I became of traveling age. For all I know my family could be dead. What does it matter?" "Because my family will never hear from me... I also consider my friends my family... If they still want me after all of... this. Than at least I'll still have a home." Fluttershy responds never answering his question. "Well Fluttershy. If it makes you happy I don't have a home." A changed Morbiss speaks up, "Other than the one inside of Celestia and Luna. At least close to a home." "Oh?" Fluttershy response with a little bit of enthusiasm, "Than maybe we could-" "Don't kid yourself honey. You'll have to take that up with the big man himself..." Morbiss says walking down the dirt road toward lights on the horizon, "Now who wants to sleep in some soft beds?" "I would love that..." Nigel says flapping his sore wings a bit, "Sleeping out doors can be quite stressful... especially when you know there are ponies trying to kill you." "Don't forget the pixies." Morbiss chides bring back unpleasant memories for the griffin. Nigel shivers while shaking his head wildly, "Never! Again!" "Nigel..." Fluttershy speaks up as Morbiss gets a little bit further ahead, "Do you think... He'll ever accept us?" "He has Fluttershy." Nigel says shaking his head, "As a creature more used to studying human natures I have to say that he has accepted us in a way special to him." "I... I don't-" She says shaking her head. "Don't worry about it so much." Nigel says shaking his head, "If you worry yourself over the little things you'll miss the big picture." "The big picture?" "Yes!" Nigel says laughing and moving faster to catch up with Morbiss, "The big picture of how we're the craziest most dysfunctional family there is! We're of family of madness!" Silence from Fluttershy as she slows down a bit. Family and friends help each other. In a way she's been helping him out, but he hasn't helped any of them as far as she can see. She doubts that either one of them, the personalities of Morbiss, will ever help Nigel and her. If they do than, they'll do it for their own reason(s). Though she'll still help. Because that's what she does. Help pon... people. Fluttershy has to agree with herself that she might be losing her mind just a bit from all of this... murder. "Heh..heh..." Walking into the town, known as blandville, all bloodied as they are has proven to be very effective at letting the locals know that they're hear for serious business. Upon entering the town they're greeted by the screams of earth ponies, their foals and colts, their galloping bodies as they push, shove, and trample each other in fear; and the shambling of swords against their sheaths as they bounce in a hurry. Fluttershy tries to calm them down, but her voice is over come by their screams. Which attract the guards as well. Morbiss laughs at Fluttershy's attempt at trying to calm the situation while Nigel takes off his halberd and stare the guards down making them question what their next move will be. Morbiss walks up beside Nigel forming a short blade in his right hand and pointing it at their captain. Two flicks up indicate that he wants him. The captain mutters something lowly before he stands on his hind legs and takes out his blade gripping it with his right fore hoof. Morbiss has to give it to the pony warriors of today. They've finally gotten better on their hinds legs than on all four. That was one of their disadvantage that they've improved on lately. If the time would allow he would applaud them. But the magic bolts that come flying, prove other wise. Raising a hand a wall of dark energy rises quickly stopping the bolts in their tracks. The front line follows up as the wall falls. A spear comes flying which is easily dodged and a sweep of the halberd leaves a pony headless but brings in two more attacks that miss barely. For Morbiss the fight is child's play. The captain follows up the flank with his subordinates trying to distract him from him so the captain has an easy attack to kill him quickly to prevent the damage to them and the area around to a minimum. Though, if they were smart, they would realize that he's out of their league. One behind and two in front. Morbiss summons a shield and beats on it twice to signal the fight is on. The pony in back, a heavily muscled white coated pony using a long hammer, swings with ease hoping to catch him off guard. Swinging back, Morbiss catches the attack with his shield and drop his arm a bit throwing the impact off a little making the muscled pony stumble forward. The others come forward with the red, smaller earth pony leading the charge. Their swords impact and a shove forward breaks them up as the captain comes with a straight thrust to Morbiss' chest over the red pony's head. He leans back dropping his right arm and swings towards the captain with a low sweep hoping to cut a let, but he simply jumps over it. A roar is heard and Morbiss jumps back as the hammer slams into the ground leaving an impressive indent into the dirt path. Morbiss chances a quick look at Nigel who is blocking two attacks at the same time before flying up into the air to miss three swords into his back. All the guards are on their hind legs as well. Very impressive. The three who are fighting Morbiss come with the red pony taking a jumping lunge at him that easily gets batted away with the shielded left arm and a sword swipe comes up to cut the muscled pony right up his center, though not deep, followed by a jump to the right to prevent his head from being smashed in along with his body. The captain comes from over the hammer and brings his sword down with both hooves towards Morbiss who raises his shield in time to prevent the blow but also he gets knocked to the ground where the captain stands over him pressing his sword against his magic hoping it gives way so he may finish he fight. "Heh. You're persistent. You guys are a lot better at fighting than the Ponyville folk that's for sure." Morbiss says looking at the muscled brute who starts walking over dragging his hammer behind him murder dead set in his purple eyes. The smaller red earth pony gets up and starts walking over as well as sheathing his blade. "And you're pretty good yourself." The captain says, "Guessing you're Morbiss huh? I only heard rumors so there was no need to tell any of the others. But to my surprise you come and bring your ass on a plate to me." "Sorry pal!" Morbiss shouts using his strength to rise up throwing the pony in the air, "But I've got lives to take!" The captain lands a bit back stumbling than finds a shield in his face sending him rolling across the ground blood flowing from his mouth. "Captain!" The two yell before looking towards him. Morbiss takes the advantage, "Never look away..." Morbiss first strike the nearest target, the brute, quickly finding his heart in one fatal stab and ripping it out sideways spewing blood towards the captain on his right. The other one hears the anguish yells of his partner and tries to take our his sword. Morbiss grabs the hammer while running forward, does a full spin planting his foot down, and smashes it into the ponies skull with strength god like ripping his head part way from his body and sending him flying in a cascade of red into a nearby building no doubt crushing his body from the high impact. Morbiss than turns to the standing, dazed captain and throws the sword which catches him in the chest, missing his heart, before he throws the hammer, a little off set, and it slams on the top part of hilt of the sword sending it up and cutting through his throat and upper half of the captain's body. The sword disappears and the hammer lands with a thud as blood pools near it from the dead body that flops to the ground with a wet smack. "Help!" Morbiss turns to the sound to see Fluttershy shackled by mages and Nigel halberd-less and bleeding from multiple magic wounds, holes from blots of magic, with two unicorns dead and three earth ponies dead near him. "Nice boy. Hard fighter. Though with time.." Morbiss says as he form a bow in his hand. He raises it and pulls back the dark string forming three arrows in a line on it before he turns the bow side ways. "Now let me save your ass." He whispers as he lets the arrows fly catching two unicorn in the throat breaking the hold on Fluttershy and another in the head of a charging earth pony who was going in for the kill on Nigel. This catches the rest of the groups attention, a pale blue unicorn and two white earth ponies, and they all turn and watch Morbiss walk to the body of their captain and tear his head off from his body and raises it to the dark night sky as if offering it to the gods, "Your captain is dead. Leave now or die along with him. Your choice." "You monster!" The unicorn yells charging up a spell but finds himself tackled by Fluttershy with amazing strength, but not enough to keep him down. The unicorn smacks her across the face sending her sprawling to his side and than quickly finds himself weightless before black overtakes his vision. His head now separated from his body is rolling at the feet of Nigel as he shakes his head, "Now that's just poor... you never hit a lady..." Nigel looks at the others, though injured and bleeding, and gives them death glares raising his bloodied talons to fight. The two earth ponies don't falter as they raise their weapons to their centers and go back to back. "No please..." Fluttershy speaks up rising up slowly, "Please... no more blood shed..." Nigel looks at the two earth ponies before scoffing and goes to help Fluttershy up. Morbiss smiles inwardly seeing as Nigel has a soft spot that others could exploit. In fact from the flinch the one facing him, he almost did. He looks at his partner and whispers something and soon they're both facing Morbiss their sword posed to fight. Morbiss raises his right hand into the air gather energy from the night into it. "I'm sorry Fluttershy but." He lowers his hand and two beams fire out striking the last two standing ponies in their hearts, "You'll have to speak up if you want others to hear you correctly." With bodies and blood splayed across the area the ponies that were cowering in the streets or standing there watching and hoping as this all happen are all crying and cowering on the spot. Some of them are even begging not to die. Morbiss groans and looks at Nigel and Fluttershy. "Nigel! How is she? I would rather her be able to talk and calm down these ponies before I have to." Morbiss says walking up to the body of the big brute and making sure he's dead by kicking it. "You okay?" Nigel asks feeling her chest and wiping a bit of blood from her mouth. She nods her head and stands up on all four. She doesn't bother looking behind her as she faces the crowd, "Gu..." She swallows as she hears them whisper amongst themselves, cry, and yell. "E-E-Every..." They continue completely ignoring Fluttershy who stands up taller finding the noise more and more annoying. "Everypony shut up!" Fluttershy yells catching every pony and Morbiss by surprise. Morbiss turns around nodding his head in approval of this outburst. "Now listen! I know things seem bad! But none of this wouldn't have happened if you listened to me in the bucking first place!" She yells panting and almost falling over. At the same time she feels proud of herself, an overwhelming guilt of yelling at them fills her as well. She's never been the one to raise her voice and yell for a long time or at anypony. Even when she does she usually says sorry after. But standing there and realizing about what Morbiss meant during one of their conversation... "I get it Morbiss... You have to take things into your hands... or hooves if you want them to change. I get it now." Fluttershy says sitting on the ground starting to cry, "If I had been more assertive they wouldn't have died... I could have stopped all of this... couldn't I?" "Yep. Sucks when you realize the bad guy is right doesn't it?" Morbiss says laughing and walking to the left side of Fluttershy, "Now! Fluttershy say what needs to be done while the live stock is listening." "But-" "Fluttershy. Don't clam up on me now. If it makes you feel any better, if they don't listen at least they'll have a quick death." Morbiss says forming a knife in his hand. Fluttershy keeps quiet for a minute before taking a deep breath and speaking. "Now listen. I know things look dark and grim. But we don't want to hurt anyone. They.... We're on mission. We only want food, water, and a place to sleep for tonight. As long as we get what we want we'll pass on peacefully. Right?" "Right. I don't feel like spilling any more blood tonight. Well. Maybe just a bit more. But I won't as long as they don't make me. Unless someone wants to make an example?" Morbiss holds up the knife into the air and wiggles it a bit, "Anyone? No? Thought so." Fluttershy stands, "Who's the inn keeper?" A brown stallion comes forward shaking. "Please... just take us to some beds. I'm very tired." Fluttershy says walking up to the stallion who flinches back. The stallion doesn't speak and simply nods his head. He turns and starts walking a little stiffly towards wherever he's leading them. Morbiss walks over to Nigel and helps him walk behind Fluttershy and the Innkeeper. "Also a medic would be nice too." Nigel groans leaning against Morbiss as she presses a hand against his deepest wound trying to get his life liquid to flow slower. Nigel lies in his bed bandages wrapped around different parts of his body while Fluttershy sleeps in hers. Morbiss simply stands before the window that looks out towards the Canterlot castle. Lucky for them a train passes through here, every so often, that passes through two places before going to the castle. And thankfully it should be here tomorrow. If they ride the train they'll be there by afternoon tomorrow. So the sun will already be down like now. Dark Morbiss would contact his lighter side, but things haven't been too great between the two of them. Both Morbiss are anxious of finally being free from all of all this. Whether they win or lose. "Sir?" A stallion calls out. Morbiss turns around his hands behind his back, "Yes?" The stallion before him is gray manned with the cutie mark of scissors that go well with his sheen silver coat. It gives off a beautiful shine really. Guess that's why he's the rich one around here. Or what he has been told is rich. "We have three bags down stairs full of supplies like you asked. But um..." "Yes?" Morbiss asks impatiently. "We've been wondering about what you uh plan on doing?" The silver coated stallion asks shuffling his hooves uncomfortably under the harsh gaze of Morbiss. "Its best if you leave and don't worry about it." Fluttershy speaks up raising her head. "You're awake?" Morbiss asks looking at her. "Yea... It's kind of hard to sleep..." She responds never looking at them. "It'll only get worse!" Morbiss says laughing. The silver stallion turns and leaves out of the room taking the mood of the room in and deciding that this would be the best option. Morbiss turns back to the window. "So are you going to try to keep convincing me? It's been sometimes since we've been able to actually talk." Morbiss asks keeping his voice low. Silence reigns. Neither speak and hold their tongues as they mull their thoughts. Morbiss is intent of killing and Fluttershy was on intent on stopping him. She believes she still can, but the important thing is: is whether she wants to or not. She has seen a lot of the land so far and has learned a lot about the griffins and the humans. Apparently history is a lot darker of a subject than she grew up with and believed. So much has happened and they've all been kept in the dark. That's what leaders aren't suppose to do. There might be a repeat of the past and no pony would ever know except the ones who have passed it down. And even than, who would? They would be too much in fear that they would worry about being gotten rid of for telling something that is supposed to be erased from history. They need a better leader. Not one who forgets the past but learns from it. Apparently as long as everyone stays fat and lazy while the select few bath in power and strength they'll be okay. Fluttershy realizes that they've never stopped having the war, but have been at a stalemate. All that they wait for is a drop in power. A disturbance. Something they can work off of. Now as Fluttershy looks at Nigel and Morbiss she realizes that the war has been waiting for them. In now, of all times, Fluttershy feels the need to let something take place that she feels that she could stop. Not just for Morbiss to have a peace of mind, but for the ponies and all the other races. So they can finally get a clear definition of peace. So the stalemate can finally be over. The raiding and killing. It could finally stop if things are done right. "Morbiss. I could lead the people couldn't I?" Fluttershy asks staring at him. Morbiss shakes his head, "A wimp like you?" "No. I'm no wimp... I'm kindness. Kindness can be strong as well as week. I might be weak physically, but I can calm the crowds and speak out if I know I'm doing it for the good of them. Celestia and Luna are kind of... bad ponies." "You're just now seeing that?" Morbiss scoffs, "Well it doesn't matter. Just rest and get ready for tomorrow." Morbiss watches as a pegasus flies off towards the castle on the horizon, "We'll have a full day ahead of us tomorrow." "Why do you say that?" She asks. "Just a haunch." Morbiss says shaking his head, "Just a really strong haunch." With that Fluttershy lies down and starts falling asleep with Morbiss smiling and watching the pegasus fly off no doubt to warn Celestia and Luna. Nigel lies in bed sleeping peacefully recovering from his magically inflicted wounds. Night passes on slowly, but for others it passes on too fast. Though Morbiss doesn't spill anymore blood, it doesn't mean more blood hasn't been bled somewhere else. Morbiss' smile grows bigger as he feels his little lock on the pegasus disappear. Influence is a very strong thing. Especially when used right.