On My Honor
Chapter 18
By Honored Service
Edited/Preread by Spirit of Harmony and Duncan Zundel
“And so that’s what I think.” I told Tune as I sat on his back, next to the dead King Sombra.
“Okay, so Nightmare left your mind and now that you 'welcomed the void in', this void also took on properties of the original Nightmare that had been sharing your mind previously?” The robotic voice seemed to be quite understanding of this whole magic voice demon brain...thing.
“Kinda. But see, the void was actually Nightmare all along. Only powerful magic users can use the void, and since Twilight stopped using the stuff after her thing with Sombra, that really only leaves two other users, Celestia and Luna, and maybe Starswirl the Bearded, back when he was alive. So since Luna can use the void crystal stuff, that would mean that she gave into the void, becoming Nightmare Moon. Nightmare, or the void, then left her once he was forced out of her, convinced Chrysalis to take him on, and then transferred to me when she died. So really it’s been this void stuff all along. Nightmare, shadow humans, balefire, everything that he was and created, was really this void magic in a different form.” I took a deep breath, “Wow, is this what Pinkie feels like all the time?”
You just have it all figured out, don't you? You were able to get all that out of what, a few sentences?
“Shutup, dipshit. It wasn't that hard to figure out. I'm taking your ass to the princesses, so we can figure all this shit out.” I glared at the carnage passing by as I reentered the devastation that used to be the camp. Bodies from both sides were strewn about everywhere. Members of the guard were gathering friendly forces bodies and lining them up for identifying while the enemy they was being placed in mass graves on the outskirts of the camp.
You’re not going to kill me. You feel whole again, like a void has been filled. You like having me back. I have taken from your memories and become the friend that you so dearly missed.
“I don't need to 'feel whole again', you melodramatic cloud. I have plenty of friends to help me with that, and you were never one of them.” I spat back as Tune slowed to a halt before a group of easily recognizable ponies. And one shadow. And… well actually there were a lot of creatures and members of the guard around me. Most of them were the few members of the Equestrian Honor Guard that had passed the rigorous training… and all their weapons were now aimed at me.
Ummm...shit.
Seems you’re not the only one with trust issues.
“Hey guys, what's going on?” I asked nervously, stepping forward towards Stand Bold who had his crossbow leveled at me, pink bolt glowing faintly.
“Take not another step Honored.” The voice came from behind me and her voice was trembling with sadness.
“Luna?” I turned to look behind me but stopped when I heard the heavy bolt of a weapon locking back.
SH-CLUNK
“Um...Luna?” I asked again, turning to face the barrel of her 240 machine gun. “What…? What's going on? The fuck is this?"
“I still think we need more guards!” I glanced over my shoulder to see the young dragon holding both of his swords at the ready.
His name was Benton, and he was the first non-pony to make it through the EHG training. He was a blademaster, and with his scales, wings, and flamebreath, he accomplished more than any of his fellow trainees at the time. His dark blue scales glistened in the late afternoon sun as he turned to face me with his deep purple eyes. “I saw what he did on the battlefield today, and if what you say is true Princess, than we have only seen a fraction of these new powers.”
“Hey, guys, what the fuck? Is this really necessary?” I coughed and looked around, “I mean I know I went a little bit overboard, but I didn’t harm anyone friendly.” I felt like I was pleading with my friends to believe me. They were supposed to trust me, I just saved them and helped kill the asshole king. The king!
“Everyone look, see I killed the king!” I charged my magic and lifted the lifeless body of King Sombra off the back of Tune. “See? I did the mission! I stopped this guy from killing everyone and taking over Equestria!” I shook the body around for everyone to see before dropping it on the ground. Every weapon was still trained on me and the faces seemed just as tense as before.
“Honored you need to put your weapons on the ground and allow me to place a magic nullification spell on you.” Luna said from behind me.
“Luna you can’t be serious.” I turned to face her and found the machine gun still aimed at me. “I have done nothing to deserve this treatment!”
They don’t deserve to even be in your presence.
I pushed the voice from my mind and noticed that the guards had moved closer and that my gauntlet was aglow with a mix of blood red and pitch black magic.
“Honored I will ask you one more time before we use force.” Luna had tears in her eyes as she meet my gaze and stared me down. “I have witnessed and experienced void magic first hand. It will take you. And I will not lose you. I won’t let you go down this road as I once did.”
“Y’all truly believe that I’m not myself?” I asked the group around me. No one dared move or speak. “After everything I have done for this world, everything I’ve done for this place and this is how I am treated?!” my voice was steadily growing as I felt anger setting in.
Unleash yourself. Give in. Show them why you deserve respect.
Luna launched her spell at me.
I ducked and rolled to the side, her spell connecting with Stand Bold, freezing him in place and sending him toppling over on his side, frozen in a look of surprise and anger.
I jumped to the left and side dashed using a quick burst of magic and rammed into the Princess of the Night with my armored shoulder, knocking her to the ground. I quickly ripped my pistol from its holster on my thigh and aimed the .44 magnum right into Luna’s face as I panted above her. I stopped and looked down into her eyes and saw something that shattered every fiber of my being.
Fear.
I looked around at all the faces around me. Every one of them had the same thing etched onto them.
Fear.
I dropped the revolver to the ground and stumbled back falling to the ground and pulled my legs to my chest, I began to shiver as I was slammed backwards by at least five guards at once.
You are pathetic. What happened to the King of Demons?
I received hooves to my face as I was stripped of my weapons. Everything was taken from me save for my pants and the belt holding them up. I continued to be beaten by every guard save for five of them. The Elements of Sanctuary. They stood by and watched with pity on their faces as I was held down. Luna stood to the side as well, crying openly, but with a look of sadness and anger as I was brought to my knees before her.
“For the crimes of void magic practice, and attacking of a royal princess, I, Princess Luna co-ruler of Equestria, sentence you Honored Service to death.”
I snapped my eyes open and stared at Luna.
“Honored I will ask you one more time before we use force.” Luna had tears in her eyes as she meet my gaze and stared me down. “I have witnessed and experienced this void's magic first hand. It will take you. And I will not lose you. I won’t let you go down the same path that I have.”
I shook my head before looking up to Luna and smiled. “I am myself, I am in control. I will go peacefully.” I knelt down and began stripping myself of all my weapons as every eye was glued to me, watching every move I made. I stopped for a second, realizing
I am in control.
I am in control.
I have the power and I am in control.
I still have my power.
“Honored.” Luna stated my name. She added no emotion, no love, and no kindness to it. “There is one thing that we must still do.” She continued to stare at me as I gave her a questioning glance.
“I’ve given you everything, even my belt buckle knife Luna, I have no weapons left on me.” I held my arms out and showed them emptied handed.
Luna looked away and nodded. Benton and Hammer Strike both came forward and stood on either side of me. “Honored, your gauntlet. I need to remove it in order to insure that the magic nullification spell to work properly.” Luna couldn’t meet my eyes.
“But it’s fused to my… oh.” I turned and watched as Benton and Hammer each grabbed ahold of my arms and held me in place as Luna’s magic reached out and latched onto my gauntlet.
“I’m going to enjoy this.” Luna said with a sneer. “Let’s see how badly you cry.”
“LUNA!” I screamed as the guards surrounding me all jumped at my outburst. “Nightmare or the void or whatever is in my mind is fucking with everything I see. I don’t know what’s real or what’s not!” I jumped off of Tune and sprinted to the guards as they all scrambled to get their weapons up at me. I began to dump weapons on the ground and scrabble to try and pry the gauntlet off my own arm but to no prevail. “Please just make him stop, I can’t tell what’s actually happening!”
“LUNA?” I screamed, but suddenly I was alone.
I am in control Honored. I have your mind. I am everything you are and have ever been. When we're done here, you'll be nothing but a shell, a puppet bent to my every whim. You are never in control in here.
“Honored.”
The voice was faint, a whisper almost in the distance.
“Honored.”
“Help.” I choked out, lost in a swirling sea of darkness that tried to swallow me up and take my very mind from me.
“Honored you must fight it.” The soft voice called out, “This is your mind, your realm. All Void is doing is hiding you in the depths. It is trying to control you through fears, your nightmares. Fight him! Be strong.”
“I will Luna. I will fight him.” Luna hadn’t given up on me. None of this was real. I was lost in my own mind, but at what point had that occurred?
‘Let’s find out.’ I summoned a jet ski and suddenly I found myself on it, revving the engine. I reached up and pulled the goggles down over my eyes and adjusted the brown Stetson perched on my head. I tugged at the collar of my duster before shooting forward on the Jet Ski over the black abyss that was trying to keep me lost.
“This is my mind Nightmare, and I won’t lose it!”
I do love a good fight.
“Then brace yourself Nightmare,” I smiled as I imagined myself in a new contraption, “because we are going to have a blast.”
“How long?” Celestia asked Luna as she approached the charred remains of the training camp. Princess Celestia came as quickly as she could after receiving word that the battle was over and the newly formed King Sombra was defeated.
She was elated to hear of the crushing defeat to Sombra, but the news that Honored Service had been lost to the void magic crippled Celestia. She knew that this was going to happen, but she thought the risk was worth it, and to a degree she had been right.
“It has been hours.” Luna said guiding her sister to one of the only remaining building still standing. “He rode back into camp with the dead king on Tune, but then promptly fell off and entered the Void Mind. Killing Sombra gave Void the needed power to overcome Honored’s will and fight his mind.”
“We must hope that Honored can mentally beat him. Or I’m afraid we might have to do something drastic. The only thing we can do if we lose him.”
“Honored win in a mental battle against an evil magic energy that has been doing this since the beginning of time?”
“Oh buck me.” Luna grumbled as she looked to the human laying on the cot.
“I think that he may need some help in there.” Celestia said.
“And who,” Luna asked, looking to her sister, “will be bold enough to enter the mind in that state of turmoil?”
“You rang?” Spoke the oddly charismatic and slightly insane voice of Chaos.
A loud rumbling blasted through the never ending black plane of nothingness that was currently Honored’s mind. A flash of blue zipped through the air as a sleek blue aircraft zoomed through the space, chasing after a wisp of void magic.
Honored jerked back on the throttle and put his F35 Lightning II fighter jet into a wide arching loop. “I love being able to do anything!” Honored screamed while sending the plane into a screeching dive before opening armament doors beneath the aircraft. “Welcome to my world Nightmare!” Honored screamed as an ungodly and incorrect amount of missiles fell from the plane and sped towards the dark mist.
Stop this fighting! I am to be in control!
The voice echoed over the entire blank universe that surrounded the two. Time had ceased to mean anything as Honored kicked Nightmare’s nonexistent ass from every possible memory and scenario that Honored could fathom. Nightmare experienced everything the human had, all in a matter of seconds, the pain and anguish the human had, both on his home world prior to Equestria and then everything that had happened in Equestria.
Nightmare could only sit back and try to deal with everything thrown at him. And then he had to experience more after that. Everything Nightmare feared, the human winning and turning him into a slave. The human killing him, but reviving him and then killing him again in a more painful way till Nightmare begged for death.
Nightmare had used all of Honored’s old memories of the previous Nightmare to build himself into the Nightmare he was now. And nothing he had learned had prepared him for the raw savagery that Honored was putting him through. Nightmare vanished around another missile as it exploded below him, propelling him upwards through the Void Mindscape.
You insolent fool! I will be in control!
“Well things change asshole!” Honored screamed as suddenly the screaming of the strange machine stopped and Nightmare dared a glimpse behind him. Rather than that gravity defying death machine, Nightmare now found himself looking at the human standing within another strange contraption.
It seemed to be made of metal and stood just over fifteen feet tall. The machine had two legs and arms with the center of it being covered in thick metal armor. Honored’s face could be seen sticking up where the machine’s head should have been. Honored simply smiled before a glass panel with metal housing slammed forward covering his face and blue lights filled the heads up display in front of Honored’s face.
A robotic voice filled the air as the machine took a step towards the floating wisp of Nightmare. “Twenty Millimeter Vulcan Cannons Online. HellHive auto rockets engaged.” Nightmare watched as Honored swung the machine’s arms forward and three barrels extended out from the robot’s appendages. Two rectangular pods flipped up from over the machine’s shoulders and opened revealing forty small missiles.
“Game on.” Honored said before launching his version of the Goliath Armored Support Transportation thanks to the minds of the Atlas Corporation. The chain guns attached to both arms began to spin and suddenly Nightmare wished to be back being chased by the flying machine as this one impacted him with over 800 rounds a minute of lethal firepower.
Then the missiles impacted Nightmare.
He wished for death again. But this was Honored’s mind.
And death wouldn’t come.
“Well this certainly is… rather boring.” Discord said as he appeared along a pitch black plane of existence. “I mean you would think something call the Void Mindscape would be more… chaotic? Oh well no matter, time to find Honored and … save… him?” Discord watched as a limp flying cloud of mist impacted the ground in front of him. Discords words tapered off into a question as he stared at the creature of terror.
The demon of sin.
The beginning of every end this world had known.
Void magic.
The Nightmare looked up at the lord of Chaos and Discord felt nothing but pain and fear reeking from the Nightmare.
“Wow. You really thought you had him beat.” Discord pointed out as a shrill sound filled the air.
I beg you end it, make him stop, make this plane cease to exist.
“I’m afraid that this isn’t my call.” Discord spoke while looking up and slowly stepping back from the crippled creature, “it’s his.” He raised a talon and pointed it behind the Nightmare as the screaming increased.
Walking with a miserably slow pace towards the Nightmare was Honored.
He was wearing all his normal armor except instead of gold, it was entirely black. Pitch black with gold trim along all the armor’s edge. A long black cape followed behind him as black and blood red magical flames licked at every inch of Honored. His mouth was split into a gut wrenching smile as his elongated canine teeth dripped with blood and a sword dragged next to him in his grasp.
But that wasn’t what terrified Nightmare. It was the screaming.
Around Honored, thousands upon thousands of yellow tendrils flew through the air around him, shimmering like the sun on the water. The screaming came from these wisps that continuously flew around the creature as he walked menacingly forward till he stopped before the Nightmare, the screaming at deafening volume that made the Nightmare once again wish for anything to make the sound stop. It grated and cracked the Nightmare’s mind as the thousands of screaming voices continued to echo around the Nightmare’s conscious.
“Death will take you soon Nightmare. Void. Whoever you are.” Honored’s voice was laced with venom and spite as he looked directly at the creature before him.
Discord watched from afar and merely was thankful that he hadn’t done anything to gain the humans destructive attention. It was true what the other sentient species in Equestria thought about him. Demon King. Every nation around the planet had thoughts on this creature. The minotaurs loved his war bent path of destruction. Ponies loved and feared him for his protection. Changelings hated and feared him for their near extinction at his hands. Griffons wanted to declare war against a single creature for the chaos and turmoil he had single-handedly put their nation into. The Mareabian nations wanted to do nothing but keep this demon mortal away from their land, terrified of what he might bring and whatever an American Human was.
And the last remaining Draconequus, well he wanted nothing more to make a friend out of the world’s greatest chaos maker besides himself.
“Nightmare, I think you deserve to know one last thing before I banish you from the Void Mindscape within my consciousness and kill you. Again.” Honored was stone faced, no emotion. No anything. Just a stoic machine.
“These tendrils, as you thought of them. These yellow wisps,” Honored gestured to the ever screaming and mind numbing flashes and shimmering yellow wisps, “each one is a different life I have taken from this world. I remember every single one of them. Maybe not the name or the face, but I know every single last one of them.”
“Manticore.”
“Timber Wolves.”
“Ophiotaurus”
“Hundreds of Changelings by my hand.”
“Thousands at the landslide I caused.”
“Hundreds more I hunted down after that.”
“Queen Chrysalis whom you remember well I’m sure.”
“Tunnel Rats.”
“Griffons.”
“Griffon King.”
“Ursa Major.”
The Nightmare shrunk back as each new name was said, he was bombarded by an even louder scream as the yellow wisps flew off the human and smashed into the Nightmare and launched him farther back as the human continued his assault. His assault with the souls he had taken.
“Jungle Cats.”
“Ahuizotl”
“Desert Scorpions.”
“Every Shadow Human that used to be an ancient Human.”
STOP!
I cant- I cant take anymore!
Honored was silent as still thousands of yellow wisps circled him, ever shimmering in the air, representing the lives he had taken.
“You may be free.” Honored whispered before throwing his arm forward, aiming the sword at Nightmare. The remaining souls all rushed forward along the blade and slammed into the fragment of Void. Nightmare released one last echoing scream as he dropped to the ground which began to materialize along the plane. Slowly the remains of the Equestrian Honor Guard training camp surrounded the Discord and Honored. The Nightmare was gone, he had simply vanished.
“Are we back?” Discord asked looking around and snapping his lion’s paw, but nothing happened.
“Not yet.” Discord turned to face Honored who was back to wearing a simple outfit of blue jeans and a collared shirt and brown combat boots. “We need to talk.”
“Well I’m all ears!” Discord said before having hundreds of ears slowly appear over his body.
“What happened in there, everything I said and did to Nightmare, that shit has to be kept a secret Discord.” Honored said while giving the chaotic creature a genuine look. “If my friends or the Princesses find out what I really am, what the Void did to me, I feel that they might overreact.”
“Ah, say no more my destructive and brash human,” Discord wrapped an arm around the human, “I know all too well what you mean. My lips are sealed!” A zipper appeared and then a lock snapped around the zipper on Discord’s mouth before he tossed away the key. “Mhhmh mhmhm mmmhhmh!”
Honored smiled for the first time all day. Well for the first time that didn’t involve killing. “Thank you Discord. I mean it.” Honored then looked at Discord, “I think I’m ready to go now.”
“Then we shall away.” Discord grabbed the human by the back of his shirt and vanished from his mind in a flash of bright light.
"And that's your field report?" Celestia asked from across the large oak desk in her personal office. "You destroyed the Void?"
"Yup."
"With only your, and I quote, good looks and breath-taking mental wit."
“Mhmm.”
“And you’re sure he’s dead.”
“Ugh YES! It’s like I didn’t just get done explaining this to you.”
“Honored you’ll excuse me if I find it hard to believe that you did that.” Celestia rubbed a hoof around her temple as she stared back at the human. “And I still want to look into your mind to ensure that the void is completely free from your mind.”
“Of course Celestia.” Honored bowed and flipped his worn and ripped up hat from his head, “search away.”
Celestia cleared her mind and reached out, searching for Honored’s mind. Upon detecting the human’s mind she peered forth into his mind, searching its depths for any sign of the void that could be still residing in it.
“Find anything yet?” Honored’s voice echoed through his mind as Celestia searched through memories and details floating aimlessly through his mindscape.
“No. Please let me concentrate.” Celestia grumbled as her conscious flowed through Honored’s mind, sifting through the memories that swirled around her. Memories of his Earth were of great interest to the Princess, but she was here for something else. “Wait.” Celestia felt an icy tingle as she entered another memory.
“I found something.” She said with a shudder as she chased after the fleeting chill that racked her conscious mind.
“Fuck. Are you kidding me? This guy just won’t quit.” Honored echoed through the mindscape.
“This one feels different, like it’s just a memory of the void, but active.” Celestia said as she entered the memory.
Celestia or Luna, you have found my memory. It is either one of you because this dolt of a being is too stupid to bother searching for any remains of me.
“Hey that’s offensive!” Honored boomed, “I was going to look… eventually.”
“Honored shush.” Celestia commanded as she watched the memory. “This is just a memory left behind, not the living void.”
If you've found this memory it means that Honored beat me. The void me. He did what so many others failed to do, including yourselves princesses. This memory is left behind to tell you but one thing.
As long as the information of the void is present in the world, I will always be. Luna, Celestia, Honored, you all and will forever contain a dormant part of the void because you know how to wield it. The power corrupts just as so many before were corrupted.
“For starters,” Honored said in a bored voice, “I destroyed the book written by Sombra that I learned from. It’s a start but he’s right, as long as we know how to control the void, it still exists.”
“Then we just won’t use it.” Celestia stated with a frown. “There is no other solution.”
“Not use it?” Honored sounded shocked as Celestia closed the void memory and stepped back into the mindscape of the human soldier. “But I had control over it the entire time. I mean sure it got a little messy here and there. But I was never lost to the void!”
“Except for the part where you couldn't tell what was real and what was the void making you think was happening.” Celestia said with a smirk. “Honored, we can’t use this. You join us, Luna and myself, in the burden of knowledge. You must never use void magic again, and you can’t ever teach it to anypony. Or anyone. I know you would teach something non-pony if I didn’t say that.”
Honored was silent as Celestia looked around the memories swirling in Honored’s mind. She stopped and opened one, watching as the human warrior broke down alone in a room and cried. She immediately recognized it as the time when he locked himself away in the castle after defeating Nightmare and saving Canterlot. “He really was your friend, wasn’t he?”
“You know Celestia, for the briefest of moments, I wanted to believe that he was back. We worked together.” Honored said sadly while closing the memory and opening up a series of memories that showed the adventure the two had while romping through the wild, causing all kind of cheeky shenanigans.
“I thought that we could go back to that. Just like the old times.” Honored soon stood before Princess Celestia in a manifested form of himself. He was different. This self of Honored had no scars on his face and arms and he was clean shaven, no stubble. His hair was lacking any of the splotches of fiery colors as it did normally. Rather than armor, he wore a simple set of blue athletic shorts and white t-shirt that had a strange symbol on it.
“Honored?” Celestia asked poking a hoof through the person before her.
“This is me before the teleportation thingy that brought me here.” He smiled. “I wasn’t always all battle scarred and scary.” He laughed, then flashed a few memories showing the college and everyday life for him before Celestia. Honored brought up more memories showing military training, and then more training that seemed different. Honored noticed her look of confusion and stopped the memory of him sliding down a rope covered in military hardware and a rifle slung at his side. “This was during the time I was in the military while back on Earth. This was when I began to see my ability to be a soldier.”
Celestia simply nodded and watched as everything passed before here up until the strange device exploded and Honored was hurled into her universe. Even through the memory she could feel the chaos magic at the point of the explosion.
“You can stop Honored.” Celestia said as she tried to drape a wing over the thought up Honored next to her. Her wing simply went through the mind-person. “I know you’re okay and free of the void.”
I looked up to only be tackled to the ground by a white alicorn. Celestia wrapped me in a hug and pulled me close. “I’m glad that you are back Honored.” She said while nuzzling into my shoulder. “Luna would never stop blaming herself if you gave in.”
“I… I never thought about that.” I said looking to the ground. “I hope she can forgive me.”
“She already has.”
I spun around and shoved Princess Celestia aside before leaping forward and wrapping my arms around Luna’s neck. “Luna!” I cried out and pulled her closer.
“Ack! Honored... can’t... breathe!” Luna choked out. I let her free from my grasp and coughed awkwardly as she sucked in air. “It’s okay Honored, I missed you too.”
“Well now that everything is back to normal,” I said turning to face Celestia, “now what?”
“First you need to say thank you to somepony.” Luna said nudging me towards the door.
“Okay I’ll go, but first I need to get a thank you present for him.”
“And this is…?” Discord asked picking up my ‘thank you for making sure I didn’t get trapped with the void’ present.
“It’s a M32 MGL.” I said picking the weapon from his talon and aiming it down into the Everfree Forest behind Fluttershy’s cottage. “It’s a multiple shot 40 millimeter grenade launcher. It’s too big for me to carry with my normal kit, and ponies can’t handle that much kickassery in an easy to use platform, so I thought what the hell, you can have it Discord.”
“I… I don’t know what to say.” He said choking out a few tears before bending over and picking me up. “So teach me how to use this contraption!”
“Well for starters like everything, it’s a weapon, yadda yadda, yadda, dangerous, not a play thing so use it carefully.” I took the weapon and flipped the cylinder open revealing the six open slots for the grenades. “Drop six rounds into these, rounded end down, and then close it.” I demonstrated before bringing the weapon up and aiming into the trees.
BLOP
One grenade arched through the air and smashed into a tree, creating an explosion of splinters and chunks of wood. “Now you try.” I handed the weapon over and watched as Discord raised it slowly giving it a curious glance. He looked back to me and I waved him forward.
SQUEAK
The weapon squeaked like a rubber duck, and the grenade arched over the ground where it exploded into confetti. The tree still fell over, but confetti littered the blast zone.
“Again!” I shouted laughing.
SQUEAK
Marshmallows
SQUEAK
Balloon Animals
SQUEAK
French fries
SQUEAK
Shit load of bubbles.
The surrounding area of the explosions were littered in random objects, but the damage was still done as if the regular high explosive HOUND round had gone off.
“Well I guess that’s one way to do it.” I said staring in disbelief at the chaotic carnage that had covered the blast zone. “So I’ll take it you like it?”
“I love it!” Discord leapt into the air and flew in a circle before landing beside me. “Such a random weapon. So strange and bizarre. It’s perfect. Thanks Honored!”
“Well thanks for making sure that I didn’t get trapped in my own mind.” I gave him a pat on the back before looking at the box at my feet. “Well I still got another hundred rounds in this box, want to do some more?”
SQUEAK
I looked out my window of my bedroom as the sun was beginning to set over Ponyville. It felt so good to be back in my home. A nice short happy war. Save for the almost getting my mind turned to jelly by void magic. That could have been bad.
“Mew!”
“Yes Selene,” I asked reaching down and taking the manticore kitten into my arms, “what do you want little, fur ball?”
“Mew.” She meowed and began to purr as I cuddled the mythical creature into my chest.
“Yeah I think it’s going to be okay for now. In fact I think there’s one thing I should take care of very soon.” I walked over to my desk in the study beside my bedroom and opened on of its many drawers. I rummaged around inside as Selene began to chase scraps of paper around the top of the desk.
“Ahh here it is!” I pulled out the document that was given to me by Chief Will. “Selene I think I need to go and find out some more info about becoming a Vulture with the Black Claw mercenary group.”
“Mew?”
“Yeah, I mean after I’m done serving the Princesses of course. I gotta have another job lined up. And besides that not for… well actually I didn’t read that part of the contract, I guess a few years… yeah let’s go with a few years.” I shrugged and walked back into my room, reaching under the bed and pulling out a large green overseas bag.
“Come on Selene, we’re going to Griflin!”
“Okay you’re taking a vacation… after just getting back from destroying another army and recovering from having your mind taken over by an ancient dark magic entity?” Luna asked me as I sat across from her at the palace dining hall.
“One, it’s not a vacation but a business trip. Two, that was a smallish army. Three, I got the magic out didn’t I. So I don’t see the problem.” I retorted before slicing into my dinner. Which was a salad. With no meat.
I hate this place.
“It’s in the middle of Griffin territory… You know the species that blames you for all of its problems.” Luna said sipping on a glass of wine while enjoying her salad. How is that? It’s just a shit load of leafs and grass. I mean all the ranch in the world can't fix a salad.
“Oh what’s a few angry griffons here and there? It’ll be okay I swear. I’m taking Selene with me and she’s like half griffon.”
“They are literally nothing alike.” Luna rubbed a temple with a hoof.
“Both are easily angered and fight like beasts.” I smiled and raised my glass up for a victory sip.
Luna just sighed and stared at her bowl of tainted leaves and grass. “Okay, but please, no fighting.”
I simply stared at her with a deadpan look.
“Okay that was silly of me to ask.” She said before standing up from her place across from me and walking around the table till she rested beside me. She draped a wing across my back and sighed. “Honored I have nearly lost you so many times that I don’t think I could stand it again. Please just be careful. And I know you’re about to say that you will be, but you never are. You always end up doing something ridiculous.”
I looked up to the concerned princess and smiled. I leaned up and gave her a kiss on her neck before smiling and standing up, “Yeah, and that’s why ya’ love me!” I wrapped Luna in a hug and walked away from the table with her in tow.
“You know one of you could at least have said good afternoon!” Celestia called out from the head of the table as we both laughed down the hall.
So here I am… just sitting on this airship… all alone.
“Mew?”
“Yeah Selene I know. I really should have brought something to read or play with. I mean I had my laptop but that shit needs electricity.”
“Sir if I might interject for a second.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my Ipod. Tune had wanted to come too, but something about a rolling war machine entering a highly populated area with me seemed like a bad idea.
“What’s up buddy?” I asked the red line on the screen that I had come to know as Tune.
“Sir I run on electricity.”
“Oh.” I stopped walking along the deck of the airship Luxury Liner II and slapped a hand to my face.
“Mew!”
“So as I might add, you could essentially charge a laptop the same way as I am, but there is a slight chance that as well will develop a semi-sentient mind as I have.” Tune spoke as I continued to just breathe in my shame.
“Yes I realize that now Tune. And no I don’t need that sass from you Selene.” I grunted as a pony walked up from behind me.
“Excuse me, um sir?”
“Sup?” I turned and smiled at the small foal. He looked to only be about ten but he had a cutie mark on his pale yellow flank. He had a long brown mane that seemed like it was due for a cut soon. The pony stared up at me with large green eyes that beheld excitement and fear at the same time.
“Are… are you really Mr. Honored Service of the Equestrian Honor Guard?” He asked with a trembling voice. I looked up from the colt and noticed a few other small heads poking around the side of doorway leading down into the airship.
“Did your friend’s put you up to talking to the ol’ scary human?” I asked crouching down so was I closer to the foal’s eye level. He nodded rapidly before looking up to me. I cracked a smile and then stood up and waved the others towards me. “Y’all can come out. I’m not going to eat you.”
Slowly the groups of school foals gathered around me and I sat down against the side of the airship as the wonder feeling of air rushing past me put a smile on my face. “So what can I do for y’all?”
“Mr.? Can you tell us a story?” One of the younger of the foals asked. She had a light blue coat with a purple mane and no cutie mark.
“Hmmmm. I suppose I could, but do you mind if I have some help from my friends?” I received nods all around. On cue Selene jumped into my lap and got a few aww’s from the foals as I pulled the small black rectangle from my pocket and held the Ipod up to the foals, “This is my smart friend Tune, and he loves to tell stories.”
“That I do young ones.” They all gasped at the voice that was emitted from the Ipod. Tune began delving into a wonderful story of our adventures together and the fun times we’ve had. Of course everything was censored for the foals’ age group.
"Well that went better than expected!" I said while turning from the group of kids and their beaming parents. The first adult showed up about half way through the story with me battling an ancient sun God, they didn’t need to know that the sun God was Celestia. They ate the stories up and loved every moment of it. Not to mention that I joined in helping Tune and had fun too. It was a good time killer as well.
"So how much time did that waste?" I asked the pocket robot butler thing.
"Sir it was only forty-five minutes."
"And how long is this flight?" A sinking feeling sitting into my stomach as he said that.
"Over a day. This isn’t an airplane sir, but think of it as a blimp, a rigid airship built for comfort and luxury." Tune spoke as I walked back towards my cabin.
"It just better not be filled with hydrogen." I shook my head, "freaking floating death trap." Once in my cabin I began shedding my armor from my body. I was opting for the duster and golden Equestrian leg and arm armor. I hung the duster up on bed frame and dumped the leg and arm armor in a shiny pile on the floor beside it. I unclipped the chest armor that had long gone from a digital green pattern to a nice faded green brown color. I had removed the pouches from the chest rig that normally held my M16/M4 magazines and replaced them with something smaller.
More pistol magazines and pouches for my primary weapon magazines. I had decided that since I was heading to Griflin as a peaceful traveler that I should go with a minimal amount of weapons. Well at least one they couldn’t see. Under the duster I had two pistols under each arm, two on each side of my hip, the Glocks with their silencers in the double holster on the small of my back, and the .357 and .44 revolvers on either thigh. Then I had my primary weapon attached to a single point sling hanging by my side under the duster. One KRISS Vector submachine gun.
"I still think even this amount of weapons is a tad bit unnecessary."
"Hey Tune?" I asked while kicking my boots off and laying back onto the bed.
"Yes sir?"
"Shut up."
"Very good rebuttal sir."
I awoke to being slammed to the floor of my cabin and shouting ringing out through the entire cabin area in the ship.
"Honored Service!" I got up off the floor and ripped my door open to see a pony wearing a white hat and black neck tie running towards me. He was out of breath and stopped, panting at the door. "We... We are being followed." He stopped and breathed deeply. "Pirates over the ocean. We sent a crew member toward the nearest port, but it could be hours till help gets here."
I sighed and walked back into my room, sliding my boots back onto my feet and throwing the chest rig on before clipping it up. The armor soon covered my legs and arms before the brown duster was added over everything. I reached down and picked up my brown Stetson and placed it on my head before turning to the crew member pony. I pulled my .44 revolver from its holster and held it at my side while I flicked my left hand down summoning a ball of red magic into the center of my palm.
"And that is why I bring lots of guns Tune."
"Duly noted sir." Tune said before releasing a robotic sigh. "What shall I play for this occasion sir?"
"Hmmm something... Monumental." I said with a smirk, stepping onto the deck of the airship and looking around at the empty deck, save for a few crew members of the large luxury airship. I turned to face the stern of the ship and watched as an airship painted black was certainly gaining on us.
"Well this will be all sorts of fun." I said flicking the revolver's cylinder open and inspecting the rounds before closing it. "So Tune do you think they are peg leg and eye patch pirates, or Somalia 'look at me, I’m the captain now' pirates?"
"I'm not entirely sure sir. Allow me to extensively research pirates found along the coast of Equestria and Griflin for you." I rolled my eyes as the ship continued to approach.
"I can do without the sass Tune."
The pirate airship was much smaller that the Luxury Lines; there was no way that it could have more than fifty crew members for its size. I could easily handle that many... In fact, I’m sure that if I could bored it I could have my own airship.
"Sir I’m detecting a spike in your heart rate, why would you need and airship? You pretty much have direct control over Fast Skies whenever you want." Tune added as I watched the ship pull right behind us. I slowly walked to the stern of the ship and stared down the pirates that all were standing on the bow of the ship. The pirates were a ragtag mix of diamond dogs, griffins, changelings, and a small number of ponies. They all stared back at me with shocked expressions except for the few changelings who dropped coils of rope and swords to the deck of their ship and leapt over the side into the air while muttering "Nope".
“Welp, at least some of them have heard of me.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASj81daun5Q
I launched myself across the gap between the two airships and landed on the pirate ship's deck. I spun around, drawing my two Berettas and leveling them at the pirates that were still standing on the bow of the ship. They stopped what they had been doing, staring at me and the two weapons that were aimed at them. They all looked back and forth at each other before looking back to me.
I smiled and then fired.
“Think he’s going to be okay?” Ship Worthy asked his friend and crewmate High Sails. Both had been members of the Luxury Lines II for almost a year. They had heard plenty of stories in both of their travels, and the human of the Equestrian Honor Guard were some of their favorites.
“I’m sure of it.” High Sails said while creeping towards a cabin window.
“What are you doing?!” Ship called out as his friend peered out the window.
“The human is fighting and you’re not going to watch?” High Sails said looking back to his friend, “This is literally a once in a life time opportunity and I’m not going to waste it!”
The human walked forward as the pistols clasped in his hands each spit out their lethal payload. One firing nine millimeter rounds, and the other firing gouts of raw magic into the pirates. The would be pirates dove to the deck, but it was too late. The first four of the crew caught the deadly shots through their heads. They all snapped back and hit the deck, blood already forming around the bodies as the human continued his vicious assault. The two griffins sprung into the air and twisted, trying to dodge the rounds as they left the weapons.
Honored lifted the magic-firing weapon and began firing at the two flyers, while his normal pistol was kept trained on the diamond dogs and ponies. The sound of swords scraping against scabbards filled the air as more of the crew rushed from the belly of the pirate ship and joined the crew on the deck.
“Get ‘em lads!” Called out a rough and scratchy voice, “See that he is killed and then we are goin’ to string him up!”
The lone human stood on the deck of the pirate ship, completely surrounded by the gang of merciless bandits. Griffins and pegasi circled the air above him and sat along the rigging, swords drawn and ready to strike from above. Diamond dogs and a couple of unicorns and earth ponies covered the deck in a large circle around the human, a variety of swords and weapons all pointed at him.
“And just who are ye to come aboard mah ship, killin’ mah crew?” The same scratchy voice hollered out from atop the deck towards the rear at the helm where a unicorn pony stood. He was tall and wore a red overcoat covered in shiny gold buttons. His light blue coat had cuts and scars across it, and he had lit candles tied thought out his black mane and tail. Atop his head rested a large black tricorn hat with gold trim and a large red feather plume. The human narrowed his eyes and smiled before licking his lips at the captain, or better yet, at the hat.
“I like your hat.” Honored said while staring. Everyone aboard the ship looked at one another before shrugging, “I hope you aren’t very important.”
“Kill him lads.” The captain spat on the deck before easing back to watch the slaughter.
For a moment, not one soul dared to move aboard the pirate the ship. Only the occasional moaning and creaking of the riggings and masts filled the air. Then Honored Service moved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2hRTLdvdnk
In a flash, the human leapt to the side and rammed his pistol into the face of a startled diamond dog wielding a scimitar. Three quick retorts of the pistols ended his life as Honored wrapped an arm around the body and kicked off, sending the body launching it into one of the unicorns who was holding two daggers in his magical green aurora. The unicorn stumbled backwards as the bleeding body collided with him. Honored jumped to the side and fired a solitary pistol shot into the unicorns horn, causing the unicorn to scream in agony before being kicked into the railing of the ship. Honored spun and drop-kicked the dazed pony before planting another kick and sending the pony tumbling over the edge and down to the water far below.
CLANK
Honored lifted the pistol and caught the blade of a diamond dog midair along the barrel of the Berretta. With the sword still held midair, Honored leveled the other handgun and fired the entire remaining rounds into the diamond dog before letting the dog drop to the deck. He shot his foot forward, and kicked a dropped cutlass into the air, spinning and lashing out with a kick that sent the curved blade through the air and impaling another dog as he came running towards the human fighter.
As Honored fought, the captain watched from the helm. The captain, Blackmane, was very displeased. His strong and veteran crew was being cut down by one hairless landlubber ape. “Mr. Switch.”
“Aye Cp’n?” The voice came from beside the captain.
“Go and earn that first mate spot.”
“Aye aye.” A loud thud filled the deck as a large hulking shadow loomed over the deck. At the shaking of the deck, the pirates entangled with Honored stopped fighting and backed away, leaving the human panting and staring at the back of the deck where one hell of a minotaur stood up to his full height. At almost eight feet and weighing nearly five hundred pounds, this moving mountain stood above Honored.
Mr. Switch reached over his shoulder and removed the largest sword Honored had ever seen. It was easily as long as he was and as wide as his thigh. Honored took a tentative step back as the minotaur began to spin the blade and whip it around his body in an impressive and unbelievable display of swordsmanship.
Honored slowly dropped both Berettas to the deck and placed both his hands at his side.
“Oh no little lass. No surrendering now.” Mr. Switch said as he took a step forward. He raised the weapon up to strike, “You should have thought ‘bout that before ya’ decided to board the great pirate ship Black-“
BANG
The whole crew was silent as Mr. Switch, the first mate of the ship, stood very still, mouth hung open in a strange manner. The back of his neck and base of his skull currently located on the mass five feet behind him.
Mr. Switch tumbled forward, impacting the deck with a thud that caused a few planks of wood to bend up from the deck. Standing before the dead minotaur was Honored with his silver .44 magnum shining in the sunlight. Honored raised the weapon to his lips and blew against the end of the barrel.
“I really want that hat.”
The crew all took a step back from Honored, and few even dropped their swords.
“Oh no little lasses. No surrendering now. “Y’all should have thought about that before y’all attacked the badass Honored Service.”
The remaining pirates, realizing their fate to fight the strange creature, roared into the air and rushed forward all at once, hoping to overwhelm the single assailant with sheer numbers. Swords and daggers glinted in the sunlight as Honored stood facing against the crew of the pirate ship. He slowly lowered the revolver to his side and eyed the targets that were rushing forward towards himself.
He grinned.
Honored dashed forward in an incredible burst of speed thanks to a bit of magic and put himself in the center of the rouge sailors. He wiped around and slammed a boot into the head of sword wielding diamond dog while spinning the pistol around and leveling the revolver into the face of a very shocked sandy colored pony wearing a red bandana.
BANG
The pony tumbled backwards as Honored spun around and punched another dog backwards that was driving a dagger down towards Honored’s lightly armored back. He threw his gauntlet up and deflected a slash from a unicorn that narrowed his eyes at the human. Honored dropped backwards to the deck of the ship as the sword passed right over him. From his position on the ground, Honored fired his gauntlet and propelled himself along the ground while firing the remaining four rounds from the revolver into the unicorn and the three closest pirates. All four targets collapsed to the deck, chunks of their heads missing.
“Tune, another if you will?” Honored asked as he flipped into the air and landed behind the group of pirates, all of them spun around and stared the human down, noticing their thinning ranks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plR9Q4LWos4
Honored flipped the cylinder closed on the revolver and all the pirates took a step back, the swords in their grasps seeming powerless against the single soldier and his arsenal of hand cannons.
Smiling like a recently escaped asylum patient, Honored reached down and picked a scimitar up in his gauntlet and gave it a twirl before shaking it and watching as red fire traveled along the curve of the blade.
Honored sprinted forward and leapt of a stack of crates and landed on top of the last diamond dog and drove the blade through the chest of the dog while it screamed and howled in agony, the smell of burning flesh and fur filled the air
Ripping the blade from the body, Honored aimed the pistol at the nearest pirate who staggered forward, tripping on the tangled mass of bodies, waving his sword madly, trying to score a hit on the human. Honored knocked a slash form the sword to the side using the barrel of the .44 magnum before pressing the end of the weapon against the earth pony’s forehead.
BANG
Honored leapt backwards, somersaulting over the pegasus that swooped down low, intent on impaling the human. Honored landed and tracked the pony for a few seconds before squeezing the trigger and watching the pony spiral out of the sky and tumble towards the water below.
Honored slashed the sword to the left and then swung up, blocking two ponies at once as they tried to work together assaulting the human with lightning fast hits, trying to break his defense in anyway possible. Honored felt the pressure being pitted against him as the two ponies drove hit and slash against him, trying to find an opening.
Honored flipped into the air sideways, dodging both blades by inches to his front and back. He landed atop the one pirate and fired the revolver directly into the top of his skull, the body crumpling to the deck under Honored’s weight. The final remaining pirate roared in anger and hurled his sword at the panting human. Honored casually sidestepped around the blade as it whistled through the air and approached the lone pony as he looked around trying to find a weapon or something to use against the slowly approaching human.
“Please… I did –“ The pony didn’t get to finish his pleas for mercy as he was lifted into the air and tossed like a rag doll over the side of the ship.
Honored stood, shining silver revolver in one hand and shimmering red scimitar in the other on the body strewn deck of the Black Gem. The only other being alive and moving on the ship was the captain, who moved slowly from the helm, down to the deck.
“Ya really think ye’ can best me do ye?” The captain spoke while slowly circling the human who stared the ships commander down.
“Well I did just fuck up your entire crew… Even if I left now, you’d be stranded here. So the only reasonable thing to do would be to kill you.” Honored pointed out, lifting his sword and dipping towards the pirate.
“Then have at ye’!” The captain roared and jumped forward, his light red magic pulling to long sabers from across his back and slashing them at the human.
Honored dove backwards as the blades sparked together. He aimed the pistol at the unicorn pirate but felt magic jerk the gun to the side, sending the round impacting harmlessly against the mass of the ship. Honored narrowed his eyes, but smiled before pulling the trigger over and over again, sending the round completely to the side of the pirate, missing him every time.
“Ye be the worst shot I’ve ever laid me eyes on!” The captain laughed as Honored stood straight up and then grinned.
“Really? Well that’s too bad. Because I hit exactly what I aimed for.” Honored raised his hand and dropped the sword before making a simple two fingered gesture to the side of the captain.
CRRRRRRR-SNAP SNAP SNAP
The captain had just enough time to turn and watch the mast of his ship, sawn clean in half by bullets, collapse towards him, ropes and cloth snapping and tearing on the way down. Honored quickly grasped the hat of the captain’s head in his magic before the mast smashed to the deck with a sickening thud.
“And that’s how you make a cruise more exciting!” Honored exclaimed while admiring his newly won prize. He reached up and removed his Stetson before settling the tricorn hat upon his head.