The chugging of the train was the only sound loud enough to drown out the snoring of the sleeping drunken pegasus beside Onyx. It would seem taking five shots of straight whiskey was enough to knock even her out.
The unicorn merely rolled her eyes at her friends drunk slumber, turning her head to look out the window and watching the landscape drolly go by.
She hated train rides, especially when she didn't have a book or at least some company. Preferably some pony who was awake.
It would surprise most ponies to find that Onyx wasn't actually anti-social, but that she just never thought to get involved in conversations. The way she acts is often because she doesn't think much beyond just listening to those around her. She never bothers to think about giving her own input.
Ruppy was about the only one who could hold a conversation with her, though Aerial seemed to be learning too. Silver was getting there as well, though he seemed a bit reserved around her, like he was dodging a question he wanted to ask. Other than those three, there was really no pony else that she could call a friend.
Even the ponies she was with back in Manehatten weren't close to her. Sure, she had say in what happened in the quarter of the city of they ran, but she never really knew any of them. Most of them were assholes anyway.
Onyx was lost in a daze thinking about her relationships with the ones around her. Perhaps if she wasn't, she'd have noticed the change in scenery as the train took an unexpected turn, and was no longer headed for Canterlot. Instead going north through Ponyville to the capital, the train went south, headed towards the Everfree.
It wasn't until Onyx saw the black forest pass by that she realized something was wrong. Did they get on the wrong train? No, she clearly remembered hearing the call for the Capital Express. She quickly scooted over to wake her friend, “Ruppy, get up. Somethings wrong.”
The mare batted a hoof and rolled to face away, “shuf up..”
Onyx rolled her eyes and stood from her seat. She grabbed the hind hooves of her friend and ripped her out of the seat. Ruppy hit the floor with a loud thud, and hollered at her rude awakening.
“Ah! The fuck Aerial!”
The unicorn gave her an inquisitive look, “Onyx...” she corrected.
“I said that, didn't--” she was cut off by the sound of the train car slamming open. Three burly stallions stepped in and strolled down the isle.
“What the--” Ruppy began, only to stop as the stallions came to their seats. The pegasus stood, and Onyx charged her magic.
“What?” the tan mare asked.
One of the guards kept eyeing the two of them, scanning their appearances closely. He looked back and nodded to the other two. All at once, they rushed the mares.
“Don't you think they should have been back by now?” Twilight asked as she paced around the table in Silvers living room.
“Twilight, they're fine. These things take time. Besides, I've heard the train in Las Pegasus runs late all the time. Something about there being something tied to the tracks.”
The mare sighed, “Okay, I guess you're right,” and took a seat after wearing a groove into the tile floor, “I suppose I'm just overreacting.”
Silver let out a light chuckle as he scooted over to let the mare sit next to him, “If you get this way about all of your guards, you're gonna have trouble giving them orders and sending them out on missions.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, “Well I'm sorry for worrying about the well being of some pony else, but Ruppy and Onyx aren't trained like the Royal Guards. They might not be able to handle some things.”
It was Silvers turn for an eye roll, “Twilight, those two were raised in that world. They can handle it better than any guard ever could, and I wouldn't trust this with any pony else.”
“Yeah, I guess you're right...again. I wish my guards will be at least something like Celestias and Lunas, all strong and confident and loyal.”
The wolf chuckled lightly, “You know the two guards are completely different, right?”
Twilight cocked her head, “What do you mean? I thought they were both part of the Royal Guard, but just protected different princesses. Like how you and Star Shine do.”
Silver nodded, “Well, you're right. But there's more to it than that. Each guard is different in the way it operates, which gives each it's own strengths and weaknesses. Celestias guard are bold and shining, defining themselves in broad daylight and keeping order among the citizens. They take pride in their service and have no issue showing it off to the towns ponies. They have not only numbers, but physical prowess as well and with Tia's wisdom to guide them, they're damn strong.
“Lunas guard takes a more quiet approach, and are an opposite to Celestias. They lurk in the shadows, silent and patient, handling the messier affairs of the nation. There are things that go bump in the night, and the night guard are the reason why silence follows that bump. They are what's keeping the underworld from spilling out and chaos spreading. They are not quite as bold as the day guard, but they are most certainly there, and what they lack in numbers, they make up for in personalized skill sets.”
The explanation brought a new light to the way she saw the Royal Guard. The mare had always wondered why she never say any of Lunas guards, and eventually figured they were just wearing the same uniforms as Celestias. But it would seem that they were around a lot more than she knew.
“Wow...I never really knew much about the guard, other than they protect the Princesses and the nation. I didn't think they both had their own specific roles to play. I feel like I have to meet some kind of standard now that I have to have my own guard.”
Silver laughed, “There is no standard. This is just the way Luna and Tia prefer to have their guards operate. You can command your soldiers how ever you please.”
“Oh,” well that was a relief, “Well, I suppose if anything I just want them to be friendly. Not so much an authority figure, but some pony who is always there to help. Some pony any pony can talk to. They don't have to be special, but just an average pony willing to do the right thing. I don't want them to hated and feared, like how some ponies feel about the Royal Guard, but just well liked.”
Silver gave a gentle smile, “That's just like you. So intent on not coming off as authoritative, but rather an equal. It's admirable, really.”
A small blushed found it's way to Twilights cheeks, “Um, Silver? Would you be considered a part of my guard?”
Silver hummed, “Well, technically, I'm not part of any guard. Any one of the princesses could ask me for something and I would comply, so I suppose the answer would be both yes and no.”
Twilight sighed sadly. She wasn't even sure why she bothered asking, since Silver was guarding Luna now. If anything, he would be part of her guard. Maybe she could convince him to switch back? The thought had occurred to her before, but she never really gave it a try. She couldn't really think of a way to do it anyway. Anything she could think of would just seem desperate.
A loud slam from the front door flinging open pulled Twilight from her scheming. Silver quickly shot a wing over the mare and glared the the figures walking in.
“Silver! We're back! And we brought some friends too!” Ruppy shouted as she strolled in. Onyx was just behind her, pulling behind three unconscious stallions in her magic. She floated them over to the couch and tossed them down as if they were gym bags.
“Ruppy, could you please not try to break the door off the hinges?” Silver sighed as he lowered his wing.
The pegasus looked back at the door as it squeaked close while Onyx shut it, “Oops, my bad.”
Silver rolled his eyes, “Now, you said something about bringing friends home?”
The mare perked up, “Oh yeah! These jackasses over here tried to jump us on the train,” she said before giving a swift kick to the gut of one of them. He coughed hoarsely and stirred from his unconscious state.
“Oh, so that's why you were late,” Silver said as Onyx joined them.
“Actually,” the unicorn spoke up, “We kind of got on the wrong train.” She rubbed a hoof behind her head as a Ruppy scowled at her.
Silver simply chuckled and shook his head, then the stallion on the floor began coughing again.
“Hey, if you get blood on my floor, I will kill you,” the wolf threatened.
The mare on the couch had decided to take in interest in the conversation, “Why did you bring them here?” Twilight asked as she looked up from the couch. She actually kind of felt bad for the poor stallions. After all, she'd seen Ruppy and Onyx fight through a building of armed thugs and emerge unscathed. Those three couldn't have known what they were getting themselves into.
“Simple. We're gonna interrogate them,” Ruppy answer, “After that, we'll just hand them over to the guard. But I wanna know who the fuck sent these assholes after us.” Onyx nodded in agreement.
“Well, that's all good and well but what about the book?” Silver inquired, “Did you get names, or should we ask them for that too?”
“Oh yeah,” Ruppy recalled, before fishing out the cards from her bag, “These three have magic for sale, probably grimoires or spells. This last one is the mare that wants the weapons.”
Silver took the card and read the numbers. Unfortunately, there were no addresses, “Hmm, I'll see if Luna will get the homes for these three. As for the other mare, give her a call and see what she's willing to buy and sell it to her.”
“Cool, but can I do that later?” Ruppy asked, “I still need answers from the Three Fucktards over here,”
Silver shrugged “Sure, just get it done in three days.”
“Deal,” then she and Onyx dragged the three of them down the hall and to the stairs. The basement should be low enough to muffle their screams.
“So, what are you gonna do?” Twilight asked. She seemed to be remarkably calm about all of this.
“I'll do what I do best; steal.” Silver explained, though it sounded a bit like gloating, “First I need the addresses. Then, I'll go steal the books.”
Twilight gave a curious look, “All of them? Don't you only need the one?” The mare asked.
“Yep. But it's not out of greed or anything, I just don't think it would be wise to let them be sold off in the black market. Too many ponies with different intentions.”
Twilight nodded in agreement, though she felt Silver might still be hiding something, “Well, I suppose you should go see Luna about those cards. I still have portfolios to sift through.” She ended her statement with a long sigh and hung head.
Silver chuckled, “Hey, buck up,” he encouraged, wrapping a wing around her and pulling her into a gentle hug, “How about I drop by later and help? Luna said she had some of her own paper work to catch up on and the day court is closed for the day.”
“You don't have to come,” Twilight replied, “I know you have your own things to do. Besides, you're supposed to be guarding Luna and Celestia at all times, not just when they're outside or around other ponies.” In reality, Twilight really did want him to come, and pleaded desperately in her mind that he would ignore her words.
“Well I want to make sure you don't end up hiring some nutcase by accident, so I'm coming anyway. And besides, I feel clingy if I stick around those two for too long, so I like to leave them to themselves for a while. They'll be fine anyway, they know not to leave the castle without me.”
Twilight let out a small sigh of relief. Perhaps maybe cuddles would be in her near future?
In the basement of the home of the wolf, a very interesting conversation had begun.
“You know, if you just tell me who sent you,” Ruppy offered, “I'll make sure the guard put in the deepest cell they have. They may even agree to throw you into Tartarus.”
The bound stallion on the floor just laid there and huffed as he tried to regain his breathes. It would seem kicking some pony in the stomach too many times made them loose their breathe, not that the mare didn't already know it.
“I...won't...” he huffed out.
“Okay, is this loyalty or something else? Cause I really can't tell,” she said as she stepped closer, “I mean, here I am, beating the unholy shit out of you, and you won't say a thing! That's either die-hard loyalty, or fear.”
“I'm not scared of that little shit!” the stallion hollered, only to shut his mouth moments after.
“Oh, is that so?” Ruppy smirked, “So tell me, what's this little shit got that makes you so loyal then? Is it dirt? Hostage? Or maybe just a debt?”
The stallion didn't speak again, but instead just laid his head on the floor, but this told the mare all she needed to know.
Ruppy sighed, “Look, neither of us are enjoying ourselves here, so I'm gonna make you an offer. If you tell me who employed you, I'll take care of them and take back whatever they have on you. That way, you can be happy again, and I won't have a target on my back. Sound good?”
The stallion actually chuckled at the offer, “If things were that simple, I've had killed them all a long time ago.”
“Them? It's more than one pony?”
The stallion remained silent for a while longer, but eventually let out a long sigh, accompanied by a cough, “Can you really do it?” he asked.
Ruppy cocked her head, “I kicked your ass three times over, drunk might I add, so I think I'd be okay.”
He shook his head, “You don't understand. These guys aren't your normal thugs. They took over Manehatten in just a few days, killing any pony who didn't side with them. Apparently they named themselves after some badass group from a hundred years ago.”
Ruppy broke out a huge grin and fell to the floor laughing, “You—you mean the Fallen Kings?!”
“You know them?” he asked.
“Know them?! Fuck, I'm the one that crushed them! Ahahaha!!” her howling laughter echoed through the basement, “But I guess I wasn't thorough. Oh man, forget our deal, I'm gonna kill them for the fun of it.”
“No, wait! You don't get it! You didn't beat them before and now they're even stronger! They aren't the same! They've got a hell of a lot more muscle and money. You can't seriously expect to take them on!”
“Ahahaaa,” Ruppy finally managed to collect herself, and leaned down closer to the stallion, “Hey, I'm gonna let you in on a few secrets. Did you know this place had a library?”
The stallion looked at her in confusion, “This isn't some joke, you're gonna get killed and I'm gonna get screwed for outing them!”
“I get bored a lot after training,” she continued, ignoring his pleas, “so sometimes I like to stop and read a good book. The guy who owns this place has a hell of a taste in literature. I remember one of the first books of his I read was called the Fallen Kings.”
The stallions panic only grew, “Then you know what they can do! They have that name for a reason!”
“But that wasn't the only thing I found,” Ruppy said standing up. She walked and began to weave through the stacks of boxes and moved some aside until she picked up a specific one, “Now, this isn't any book,” she called over as she dragged the box in front of her captive, “But I'd say it tells a story of its own.”
She popped open the lid and rummaged through, then held out a sheet of paper.
It was a bounty.
On it was the face of a wolf, one the both of them had seen before. While he wasn't fully coherent, he did catch a glimpse of his hosts face and remembered it well enough to match it to the one on the paper. After all, he didn't see many wolves in his life. Or any at all, actually.
WANTED:
Saber “The Shinning Fang”
Affiliation: The Fallen Kings
Crimes:
Mass Murder, Theft, Mass Destruction, Illegal Arms Manufacturing, and numerous other crime
Bounty:
270,000,000 Dead Or Alive
The captive looked on in horror, “He's...”
“That's right,” Ruppy assured, “This is none other than one of the original Fallen Kings. I've seen what he can do, and trust me when I say, the little pricks in Manehatten are shit compared to him. But he has his own thing to take care of, so me and Onyx will be handling this.”
“Wait, Onyx? You mean the Shadow Mare?”
Ruppy whistled, “Man, I haven't heard that name in a while. But yeah, that's her.”
“But does that mean you're...”
Ruppy stood and smirked, “Go on...say my name, bitch.”
“Rupture....” The stallion froze in horror. He heard rumors of the two mares even before the Fallen Kings took over. They were bonafide monsters. She didn't need a nickname because her real one fit her perfectly.
“Look, I've heard of you two before, but trust me, you can't do this!”
“You know, you're awfully concerned about me. Don't tell me our time together made you fall for me, cause if so, you're one kinky bastard.”
“I don't care about you, I care about what happens to my sister if they—” the stallion stopped himself. He'd let himself slip.
“Oh, so it was a hostage.”
“Look,” he said sternly, staring at her as if his eyes could bore through her skull, “if you go and pick a fight and die, they're gonna know one of us outed them. They won't care if I'm already dead, they will kill her.”
“What's her name?” Ruppy asked suddenly.
The stallion only looked on in confusion, but answered anyway, “Scootaloo. I sent her to Ponyville to keep her away from them, but they found her anyway.” His head dropped in shame as his sentenced finished.
“*sigh* Damnit, now I feel bad for the asshole.”
She knew she'd feel bad if she didn't do anything, so she did the only thing she could do. “Well then I suggest you go find her,” she said almost reluctantly, “Me and Onyx are going to be busy in Manehatten, so I suggest you go look after her and make sure no pony comes after.”
“Wait, what? You're just gonna-”
“Yep,” she interrupted and untied the ropes around his legs, “Besides, the wolf upstairs is on good terms with Ponyville, so I don't think he would appreciate it if I caused trouble for the town or its inhabitants. Especially if it just a little filly.”
The stallions face contorted with confusion as he slowly stood. His mind was clearly clouded with doubt as to whether or not to trust this mare. “You beat the shit out of me, kidnap me, beat the shit out of me again, and then let me go to look after my little sister. What the hell?”
Ruppy blew raspberries, “Like you weren't gonna do the same to me.”
"How do I know you won't screw me over?" he asked.
Ruppy sighed, "Onyx, the Shadow Mare you're so afraid of, is like a sister to me. I'd kill anything or one who so much as even thought about hurting her, and would do anything to make sure she's happy. So I understand why you would keep running with the Kings. You can't fight back against them, so you're doing the only thing you can to keep her safe."
The stallion actually smiled at the sentiment. She understood, and while he knew she could be lying, he decided against not trusting her. He lifted a hoof in an attempt for a shake, only to put it back down after pain was sent shooting through it.
“Meh, you'll be fine,” Ruppy said with a wave of a hoof, not a hint of guilt showing. And in truth, she really didn't feel any. He did try to jump her after all, “Honestly I'm surprised you can stand. Most can't take a single punch from me without coughing up something.”
“I'm durable and heal fast,” He informed as he worked the pain out of his hoof. He extended it forward once again, “My name is Beats. And not like the vegetable. Like music.”
Ruppy shook the hoof, “Rupture, but call me Ruppy.”
Beats looked the mare up and down. It was a very strange meeting, the strangest he's ever had by far. But if she actually succeeded in what she had planned, he wouldn't care if they met in a lollipop field. He'd be grateful for the rest of his days.
Ruppy walked past the confused stallion and up the stairs, “I suggest you stick close. Silver might kill you if he thinks you escaped.”
Beats gulped. He'd never seen a wolf before and looking at the wanted poster certainly didn't help calm any anxieties or fears he already had. He trotted up the stairs slowly after the mare and followed her up to the first floor. On the couch was Silver watching the T.V. and snacking on chips. He spun around and faced his guest.
“Oh hey, would you look at that? You're still alive,” he said with a mouthful of chips. He'd already dropped off the cards to Luna and was simply waiting for a response. What better way to kill time than snacks and T.V.
“Yeah, apparently he heals fast,” the mare answered, “Have you seen Onyx? I got what I wanted.”
“She decided to drag those other two out back. Something about the cliff and some chairs,” he replied and turned back to the T.V.
Ruppy rolled her eyes and headed to the back door. That mare had a thing for theatrics when she decided to be creative. She slid the door open and stuck her head out, “ONYX! I GOT WHAT WE WANTED! COME BACK!” and slid the it closed again.
She turned to Beats, who stared at her quizzically, much like he had done most of the day. He was broken and bruised, but noticeably recovering. He wasn't lying, he did heal fast. Really fast.
She never really bothered to pay much attention to his appearance before, but now decided to take a closer look. He was a pegasus, his mane and tail were short and orange, his coat a deep brown. His eyes were a bright ruby red, and were actually quite stunning. His body itself seemed slim, though Ruppy knew from their fight that he was stronger than he looked.
“Why don't you go clean yourself up?” Silver offered, surprising the stallion, “The bathroom's down the hall, first door on the left.”
Beats nodded slowly and left to go to the bathroom, limping slightly. It would seem he didn't heal as fast as he'd like. Just as he left, Onyx stepped in through the back door with the other two captives, “Are we good?” she asked, dropping them on the porch.
Ruppy nodded, “Yep. Beats, the other guy, said the Fallen Kings had somehow gotten back on their hooves, and got bigger and better. I suggest we finish what we started.”
Onyx agreed with a nod.
“You hear that Silver? We're starting a war with the Kings, you good with that?” Ruppy called over her shoulder. The sentence itself would cause panic to most ponies, but to the beings in the room, it was just another day at the office.
“Yeah, that's cool,” Silver said dismissively, “I don't need you guys to help getting the books, so just go do what ever. Just don't get killed, it's hard to replace talent.”
Ruppy smirked, “Sweet! Onyx, we're going to war.”