“I like your stuff, it’s pretty. A little bit rusty though, do you ever clean it off?” She asked, jumpstarting me out of my reminiscing. Her hoof trailed around my helmet, feeling the strange grooves and waves formed in the steel. “What is damascus anyway?”
“It’s how the steel is forged. The pegasus wouldn’t tell me how he did it though, he told me that it’s a bit of a secret thing.” I flushed, running an armored hoof across my chestplate. “Serves really well against swords though, and hooves trying to beat my face in.”
“Wow,” she mumbled, staring intently at my armor and smiling. “I want armor like yours.”
“Hm, I dunno b-but I can, I can..” I inhaled deeply, and sneezed violently, letting forth water droplets from my hair that smacked Foam in the face, causing her to grimace and give me an intensely shocked and scared face. She darted to the side, and jumped off the pier. “I thought you said you couldn’t swim!” I called after her, but she was already gone. Damn, this girl is weird. But I couldn’t help but see something sweet in her.
I waited for a while, taking in the sights of the beach. Another storm was rolling in, lightning striking the horizon.
One.. Two.. Three.. Crack. The storm was close, very close, and she hadn’t come back yet. Worry started to wash over me, as I watched every other beachgoer leave the area, scampering around with their umbrellas and towels, among other things. Lightning continually struck, and a small pitter patter of rain could be heard on my armor. Clink, clank, tap.
Lightning struck a nearby building, resulting in ear-splittingly loud thunder that shook me off the bench I was sitting on. Sprinting for dear life, I decided I’d head home, and just hope that Sea Foam would be okay. I assumed that if she’d made it this far alone, she could make it another day without me.
The forest was abustle with birds and animals this evening, multiple squirrels and the likes skittering up the trees to find refuge in a hole in them. Water trickled down from the canopy leaves, onto my head, clinking with each droplet that attacked me. The storm chased me to my house, and threatened to shock me to death, so I quickened my pace to the interior, and was surprised to see Sea Foam standing directly in front of my door.
“Hello.” She said quietly. “I, came here early, to surprise you?”
At this point, I wasn’t going to argue her excuses, whatever she had going on, I wasn’t going to be a part of it. It was her deal, not mine. “Sure. You could have at least told me where you were going though. You had me worried sick for a while there.” I went over to give her a hug, but she backed away as I moved forward. I tried again, and she did the same.
She didn’t say a word, just backed away from me. “What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Nothing, just, what if the lightning shocks me?”
I sighed, taking off my helmet and tossing it to the side. “It won’t, we’re inside.”
“Er, I’m allergic to steel, I can’t hug it.” She was starting to spout off excuses again. And only when I was wet, again.
“You were touching it earlier, stop making things up just to avoid me. If you didn’t want to hug me or be near me, you could have just said so.” My voice was a little harsh, but still sounded calm enough to be heard as a disappointed father, rather than an angered knight.
“It’s not that, I just, don’t wanna rust up the meta-” I interrupted her. “Stop it. Just, stop. At least tell me how you got here before me, when I never saw you at the beach?”
She was silent for a while, looking at the ground in thought. “Uh, you must not have been looking hard enough, I passed right by you.”
I furrowed my brow at her, and saw her expression change to latent fear, not much, but just a tinge. “You didn’t, I know you didn’t. Because you would have caught my attention.”
“Er, y-you, you looked distracted and I didn’t want to bother you?” I exhaled deeply, crimping the bridge of my nose. I didn’t bother to reply, I just stared at her until she sat on the couch and tried to look away.
I walked up behind her and tried to calm myself down, but she shouted and jumped up, avoiding me very clearly. “... Fine.” I said, with an accidental undertone of hatred and frustration. I took off my armor, and set it up in its usual spot, going to my room and laying on the bed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but fine, if you suddenly f.. hate me, then I won’t bother you.”
“I-I don’t hate you!” She exclaimed, trotting to the threshold of my door and looking at me with worry.
“Oh yeah? Then the hell is with you right now then?”
“N-nothing, your armor just scares me, it’s sharp, I’m afraid of hurting myself on it.” She went up to give me a hug, and I placed a hoof softly on her chest and stopped her.
“I thought earlier it was because you didn’t want it to rust, or you didn’t want to get shocked? No, I’m pretty sure you just don’t want me touching you. Could have said so earlier, but -fine-. We’ll do this childish bull if that’s really what you want.”
She made a hurt little noise at my comment, and I angrily looked at her face. I didn’t understand her, one moment she’s fine and dandy, then she won’t go near me, now she’s looking for hugs again? I knew it wasn’t the armor, she had hugged me earlier today while I was in it. I just assumed it was something I had done or said before. But her avoiding my questions and not saying a single clear word to me was very irritating, and I was close to snapping.
“N-no, please, I’m sorry, I just.. I can’t tell you why.. I, I mean, it’s just not you, okay?”
“Then what.” I stated coldly, staring intently at her, getting off of my bed and walking towards her. “What. Is. It.” She didn’t reply, and I growled lowly, hurt and incredibly frustrated that nothing I said was getting answered. So I simply huffed at her and walked past.
“Maybe next time you’ll think to actually respond to me when I ask a fucking question.” Damn. It had been a while since I swore so intensely. It was rare that a damn or hell passed my lips, let alone the others.
She gasped, and I noticed a tear starting to roll down her cheek. Looking back on it, I felt horrible for making her react that way, but I was too angry to care in the moment. I slammed the door behind me, and laid back down on the couch, broiling in the heat of my own anger until sleep slowly caressed its way down my body, and shut my eyelids for me.
Anger, frustration, hatred. I’d felt these commonly in my heyday as a knight-for-hire. The changelings, using me as their pawn, their pony meat shield. I had been a front for multiple of their battles against their enemies, slaying multiple, maybe half a hive’s worth of changelings, innocent or no. I couldn’t tell who I hated more, my employers, or the ones I was sent to kill. Both were just as vicious as the other, attacking me with the same vile vitriol one would expect from a rabid raccoon.
In my dream, I’d seen myself on one of those battlefields. Twenty years ago, when I first began, my first weapon being a hoofaxe I made in my garage, clad in a cloak and barely armored with leather. My horn was straighter, and my face was unscarred. An employer of mine, a proponent of the southern hives, ordered me to strike the eastern hives. I’d heard nothing but good things of them, but I couldn’t go back down on my word, thousands of bits were at stake, as well as my honor.
I’d gone to Manehattan, hiding my face and carrying my axe underneath my jacket. Poison throwing knives were under my boots, and while I hated using those things, the orders were to not make myself known to anyone. I proceeded to the location I was meant to kill a changeling leader at. Rumors had it this leader was an Anax, a near-legendary breed of changeling, but I wasn’t sure if it was true. I brushed it off as some folklore meant to raise the king to a higher level than most others, that old propaganda trick.
I’d gotten into his false lair, a building with large smokestacks surrounding it, billowing steam from their maws. The front doors were gargantuan metal plates, engraved with fancy calligraphy. It read, “Manehattan Power, IV Gen.” I pushed the gates open, letting myself in.
Empty.
It was devoid of life. It seemed like a trap, but I persevered, running towards the ‘Employee’s Only’ door that my employer told me to go through to find their main hive. I smashed through it, and ran into him.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” His voice was rough, angry, and instilled a deep seated fear into me of which had only been achieved by the promise of death thereafter. “This is my property, and you have no right to be on it.”
The employer told me the leader was all black, had a long black mane, and a nuclear radioactivity symbol as his mark. What he didn’t tell me, was that he was a foot taller than me, and looked to be much better built than I.
This large gentleman tapped my chest, which pushed me onto my back, into the middle of the large foyer of the power plant. The tile was cold, and unforgiving on my then-young back. “I know what you’re here to do. But your employer has made a grave mistake. I know who he is, where he is, and what exactly he plans to do should you fail in your task. I will find him and kill him where he stands, and I will go through you first if I have to.”
I was speechless, staring up at the large earth pony glaring down at me. His bright purple eyes shot through mine, inflicting an unnatural fear into my very soul. Slowly a green flame worked its way up on the tip of his horn, and engulfed him head to hoof, revealing his pale white carapace, and hundred talon-like appendages on his jawline. Runes etched into his skin glowed purple, running along his jaw and down his neck, to his jewel-set breastplate. The jewels shimmered brightly, the same hue that his now fully-purple eyes glowered.
“Make your choice here, Damascus.” He said to me, his voice seemingly echoed by thousands of others, accentuating the great darkness that already associated with it. “I’ll let you live, should you kill your employer for me. He is a blight to changelingkind, seeking only to cause chaos and panic in a peaceful race. Destroy him, and I’ll make it tenfold worth your while. Deny me, and I shall have to destroy you along with his hive.”
I pondered how he knew my name, but a loud, sleek noise of metal shearing through porcelain shot through my ears. A long, white sword stuck out merely an inch from my crotch, threatening to rear up at me. Stammering, I agreed to his terms, croaking as I gasped for air. Panic set in, and I found myself pleading for my life, down on my knees begging this deity-like changeling to spare my life. I felt foolish, he’d already promised me life, there was no point in this groveling. After a time, he set a hoof to my shoulder, and an instant calm washed over me, and I could sense a faint smile in him.
“Do what I’ve asked, then return to me. You’ll get your reward, and your honor.” Those were his last words to me, as I got up and exited the building. His words echoed in my mind, and I knew my true mission. Retain my honor, and fight for the good, not for the evil. Protect those in need, and not fight -for- anyone.
I confronted my employer. “Have you done it?” He asked me, with a coy smile. He sat back in his chair, sipping a drink of his, patiently awaiting my answer. There were no guards in here, and I closed the door behind me.
“Not yet.” Was my reply.
Slowly, ever slowly, I moved towards him, unsheathing my axe from my cloak, twirling it in the air. His smile faded, and fear set in him, I saw it in his eyes. They darted from my axe, to me, and a nervous smile returned to fill in for his last one. He couldn’t find a reply, and even if he had, it was too late. My axe gutted deeply into his throat, cutting through to the bone of his spine. His only response was a gag and gurgle, as I forced the rest to cut the bone. The head was mine, to be a trophy meant for my original target, to prove my loyalty.
They say betrayal is dishonorable, evil, and makes one unworthy of trust or any happiness. But if this betrayal is of one who is evil, then, doesn’t that make it inherently good? I surmised this as I stuffed the bug’s head into my pack, kicking the body over onto the floor.
No, I’m good. He had it coming, for a long time. Only a truly despicable, evil being would try to cause chaos and distress in a peaceful society. I’d done the world a service.
As I left the hive, I heard the clamor of hoofbeats and wingflaps, and the final alarm horn being sounded. The horn’s droning became more real, and shriller, until it finally woke me up.
A siren was going off in the distance, blaring into my eardrums through the forest and my house. I looked out the window, seeing that the sky was pitch black. I had thought it was nighttime, but upon a quick check of my clock, it was only twelve in the afternoon.
I sprang off the couch, and went to my bedroom, opening up and seeing Sea Foam on my bed, curled up and breathing slowly. I went over to her, touching her lightly. “Hey, wake up, we have to get out of here to the cellar.”
“Mm..” She moaned lowly, stretching, “Dami..? Are you still mad..?” She asked me, sleepily looking at me with concern.
I paused for a moment, then replied softly. “No, of course not. But please, come with me, the alarm means bad news.” I hoisted her up onto my back, which she sleepily growled at, and walked through my front door. The rain and hail had already started, and winds were picking up, shoving the trees against their will.
I ran with her on my back, a poncho to cover the lady, to a large inclined door leading to my cellar, which was completely surrounded by heavy stone and had only a small window to see out of. I had decorated it nicely however, and there was a couch, among other things inside, so that in an emergency I would at least have some comfort. I slammed the doors behind me, Foam in tow, and laid her nicely on the sofa, taking the portion not held by her for myself.
I hoped dearly that the tornado would miss us entirely, but just to be sure we’d still be safe, I ran up to the doors and held them shut with a metal pipe I kept next to them. I returned to Sea Foam and apologized to her, for lashing out in frustration at her. She smiled sleepily, and gave me a tired hug.
“It’s okay, I forgive you.” I decided not to pry on her issue at all, because I knew by now I wasn’t gonna get any answers out of it. I’d just have to find out her secret myself. I still couldn’t piece together what it was, but I knew it had to do with water. She didn’t like getting wet. At least, not near me..
Maybe she was a witch? Wait, no, the ocean would have killed her then.
“Dami? What’s, going on outside anyway?” She had just fully woken up from her sleep, due to a strike of lightning just outside the window. It caused me to jump, and caused her to leap. She asked her question from under the sofa, looking up at me from the darkness of its underbelly.
“Tornado, sounds like. Maybe a hurricane. It’s weird, this area’s usually too hilly for this kinda stuff..” I peered up at the window, but could only see water rushing down from above, not letting me have insight to the world outside. “Either way, we can’t leave now. Too wet.”
She seemed to appreciate my concern about her wetness fear, and gradually climbed out from the couch when I reassured her that she was safe. Hugging me and burying her face into my chest, she shook. “I-I hope it’s over soon, I don’t like storms..”
My hoof felt cold, and soggy all of a sudden. I picked it up, and stepped again, hearing the slosh of water as I did so. Sea Foam yelped, and jumped back, but this time I didn’t question it. What I was more worried about was why water was on my nice rug.
Creaking metal could be heard, drawing my attention to the cellar door. Water spilled in from the cracks and crevices, bending it at the seams, taking the rusty pipe with it. Fear set in, realizing that I only had the option to pray the water didn’t burst in and take us with it. “Oh dear lord, what do we do, Foam?!” I yelled, but she was on top of the table, heavily breathing, trying to calm herself down.
I leapt up with her, and tried petting her to soothe her. “Foam, what’s the matter?” I asked, but as soon as the words left my lips, a loud crack echoed through the stone cellar, and murky water flooded in, rising up to the edge of the table. Foam jumped up again, standing on the sofa, just slightly higher than the table.
The water chased her though, and while I was okay with being a little wet, she was very un-okay with this. So much so that she didn’t even want to risk me pulling her out of there on my back to escape through the cellar door. It wasn’t safe anyway, I heard howling winds raging outside, forming huge waves of water that crashed against my house, and spilled moreso into my cellar. The water climbed up, and so did Foam.
“Sea Foam, we need to get out of here, now! We’ll run out of air if we stay too long!”
“I-I’m not so worried about that, I can breathe just fine!” She said, puzzling me extremely. I didn’t have time to wonder though, as water smacked me on the back of my head, pushing me under. I was a terrible swimmer, even worse when I couldn’t see where bottom was because of the murky blackness. I gurgled and sputtered, trying to swim my way up, but it seemed like the water kept going, and the initial shock caused me to suck water deep into my lungs. I began to black out, but just before I did, I saw a brilliantly shining hue of sea green in the water. It looked like a fish had washed into my home. Funny, Sea was standing right above it. She pulled me out, just as I lost consciousness.