//------------------------------// // Inner struggle // Story: WonderVerse: The Tale of Death Drop // by Animak //------------------------------// The howl of the wind is absent here. The training room doesn't have any windows to the outside so I'm stuck using candle light here while I'm fighting hard rubber dummies. They do their part I suppose as it is me whom isn't working it right. The noise that is heard is the sound of chains rattling. I take a break walk to the bench that I had rearranged to be handy but far from my practice area. It like most of the furniture in the compound is roughed up. I squirt water into my mouth as my go over the practice routine again in my head. My thoughts are so loud in my head I almost don't hear the hoof steps behind me. “Yes?” I ask to whoever is behind me. His deep voice nearly gives me a tingle in my scalp “ I felt you screwing your practice up from outside so I came in” Descent. He gives me the once over and he's further annoyed at what he finds. I'm on the bench in the full Wonderbolt suit with my red headband on my brow with my red goggles around my neck tightened up like a choker. He looks again at my chain weapons I've put on. Above my fetlocks on my hind legs are my celestium greaves with the 1.21 meters of celestium steel chain attaching the two. On my forehooves, also made of celestium, are braces with celestium steel chain but unlike the greaves they aren't attached. Fully extended the chains on the braces are 2.71 meters with the end link on both modified to accept different attachments with iron weights on both now for training purposes. Along with this is an enchantment to bring the end back to the bracer. With a simple thought I demonstrate this to Descent whose unimpressed at this. “So Wonderbolt paychecks got you those huh?” Descent asks me. “ Yes among other things” I tell him. I'm about to take another drink from my water bottle when Descent walks up to me. ” Take them off Death Drop” his eyes narrow at mine. I put my bottle down and work to take my equipment off. Unlike my previous pair which locked on me with a key these have a spring switch which I press then turn to remove. After I've taken off my greaves I set them on the bench. “ Exercise number 42” Descent tells me as he goes into a area were I don't have training dummies set up. I follow him there and we both get into the same stance and begin. In 7 minutes I'm on the floor near wheezing as my mentor looks down at me not having broken a sweat. “ I felt this possibility on my way in, and it troubles me” Descent hangs his head a bit. I've managed to sit up “ What do you mean, you've taught me everything sir, my hoof styles are all from you” Descent then interrupts me. “And you've mastered the difficult and dangerous Pegatorix chains, but that isn't the problem though Death Drop” He then walks and kneels beside me “ Are you trying to fight, or trying to kill Death Drop?” He asks me point blank. I hesitate with my answer worried what my mentor will say afterward, but in the end I decide to be honest with both of us “ I am trying to kill sir” Descent nods “ Yes, it is clear from how you were practicing to our spar, but what was the rule on killing” He asks me. “ When there are no alternatives, save for if it's the mission” I recite. “ Yes, aside from when death is the mission you only kill when the opponent leaves no choice” He gets up and circles around me. “ You were among the best assassins the Shadowbolts have known, able of stealth and distraction, of grace and brutality, of cunning and simplicity . Now tell me Death Drop, what is our current mission” He asks me with his hoof on my shoulder. “ To stop the old regime of the Shadowbolts from destroying both Wonderbolt and Renegade sir” I tell him. “ Fairly paraphrased but yes. So tell me...where in that does it tell you we need to kill?” He asks. I take a breath then exhale “ No where sir, but we all know what the crystals are doing to them, myself more then most, if we don't bring killing intent I fear for all our safety” I tell him. “You're half right, you do know more of what the crystals can do more then most but the killing intent not so much” Descent tells me. He then heads toward one of the dummies “ Rule 3 of the code?” He directs at me. I pause for a moment before reciting the line “ Know your limit”. He walks back to me. “ Pushing yourself to be better is one thing, but this doesn't seem to be that” He says knowingly. I hang my head “ I know, this is me trying to gain something back I probably shouldn't even with my good intentions” I drone a bit. “ Which would be?” he questions. “ Blood lust sir.” tears start to fall from my eyes as she comes to mind. Descent shakes his head “I've seen blood lust Death Drop and you've never quite had it, more of a taste for it near the end before...” He stops as I look back toward him “ before her, and here with all the practice of the killing techniques of both hoof and chain her eyes appear on them” I point to the rubber dummies. “ Along with that I feel like if I can't bring all I know I can and that I'm betraying the already slowly mending trust in me the Wonderbolts have in me. What can I do sir?” I ask him. But a different voice answers shocking both Descent and I “ You follow your heart soldier”. We both look to see Spitfire hovering in the entrance to the training area. “ My apologizes Gentlecolts, I was on my way from meeting Rivet about repairs in the areas where the propeller shafts punched through to my office when I came across the conversation at “to stop the old regime” and stayed to listen” She tells us " That's rather rude Spitfire” Descent tells her. “ Yes but it is part of my job to know if something is bothering any of the flock” She retorts back at him. She then locks eyes with me “ Death Drop, Yes our trust in you is still fragile, Yes a pony with killer instinct would be of much help in our current plight, but No it doesn't need to be you, and No I don't want it to be you” She tells me. Seeing me confused she goes on “ With your speech in the courtyard you bared yourself in a way few would have the courage to do so, as while the situation prior to our meeting before that called for the higher ups knowing it didn't necessarily mean everyone had to know. As you can imagine from time to time the higher ups of the Wonderbolts have covered up unsavory things regarding some members of the flock as to maintain group cohesion and order. Most of the time these are piddly and asinine things like debt, gambling and deviant sexual preferences during times of history that wasn't seen as proper with the odd severe thing swept under the rug but your confession of inner darkness would have been the most heinous thing we would have kept a hush on had you not wanted it out in the open” Spitfire tells me. Descent is visibly unnerved while I'm still confused. “ I've heard of stories where ponies have worked hard to keep dark secrets, you used an opportune time in which it could have been buried and instead revealed it to every pony here. To me that tells me your willingness to be at every ponies mercy and accept your responsibility for your actions, and while there is gossip about you behind your back about what you did there is one thing no one here questions about you” Spitfire is almost nose to nose with me. "And that would be what captain” I ask. “ Your dedication to every pony here” She tells me. “ So tell me Death Drop, are you willing to fight for us” she asks. “ Yes” I respond. “ Are you willing to die for us” She barks at me. “ Yes” I reply. “ Do you want to kill what could be your old allies and friends” she barks back. “ No Ma'am” I tell her. “ If in the course of the mission that option isn't no longer available will you” She asks me. I hesitate for a moment before coming to grips with myself and answer meekly “ Yes Captain, I will”. Good, but another thing Death Drop, I'm not certain of the Renegades code but a momentary tactical retreat is an option for the Wonderbolts, Celestia knows I've done that a couple times, as you were Gentlecolts” She says as then takes her leave. Descent snorts a bit watching her leave “ Momentary tactical retreat, a fancy way of saying running from one fight into a different one and just what do you think you're doing?” He shouts at me as walk toward the bench “ Putting my equipment back on so I can practice fighting with killing moves instead of just practicing killing moves” I tell him. “ Exercise 66 first” he barks at me going back to the empty practice area. I giggle to myself as I walk towards him. Getting into the proper stance it is almost like we are a true mirror. Both of us are sweating and panting after an hour of hoof drills with him sweating less then me though 'the tough bastard' I think to myself. We both get water as he puts his hoof on my shoulder again “ Congrats you graduated Descent academy again” He gives a couple throaty chuckles. ” Really cause I don't remember there being a graduation party after that supposed first time” I kindheartedly retort back at him. “ What do you mean, we went to a bar and there were drinks” He tells me. “That you made me buy and bring to every pony at that table” we then laugh together and he turns to leave. “ Are you going to be ok” He asks me. I turn to him as I fiddle on my equipment's' switches “ I believe so sir” I tell him. He nods to me and leaves as I've finished putting my equipment on. The next hour is filled with my getting chain practice on non staring dummies and a better sound of chains rattling about.