"Lethal force authorised."
Climbing through the mountain tops, Jhin mumbled to himself. War is a perfect art to witness, but none so artistic as the single shot sparking it. Like a paintbrush making the first stroke, it’s the true ecstasy of starting a piece and watching it finish itself. Taking out a note he read the target’s name. “Queen Chrysalis, queen of the Changeling Empire and mother of many. Hm, war, orphans, such a sublime tragedy!” he cackled. Turning over the note to see the picture of his target, he whistled. “Hideously elegant.”
Peeking his head over the rocks, a black hive, the size of a castle towered over the rocks beneath. It glistened in the early morning sunlight, with drones flying around it either guarding, running errands or even just exercising. Taking out his barrel extension and pistol he connected the two together to form a sniping rifle. Normally that would be enough, but Jhin took it the extra mile by opening the extended compartment on his shoulder to connect it to. Once the barrel had made its connection, four pistons lined vertically sprung out the back of his shoulder. A hextech-magical mass accelerator it was called, able to amplify the damage of his four stored bullets. His ‘prosthetic’ arm and legs? just a gold plated piece of armour to handle the recoil from the shot.
Now… he waits.
Taking a step out the train, Twilight stretched, having a bad case of bed mane. Quite obviously she hadn’t bothered with the train lavatory being hogged by everyone and their mothers, literally. Thank goodness Rarity was always nearby with her comb. Canterlot seemed to be rather crowded, then again it is Sunday and every colt and mare was out in their most fashionable.
“The passengers on the carriage in front of you heard some commotion, is everything alright?” Sleet’s voice chimed in behind them.
“Oh everything’s fine now, darling!” Rarity replied in the middle of combing Twilight’s mane before focussing on Fluttershy’s and her own. “It was quite a fright, this green skeleton-headed ghost was quite the ruffian.”
A stallion stepped forth, clearing his throat to grab their attention. Prince Blueblood stood with a neutral expression. “Welcome to Canterlot, I’ve been sent by my auntie to escort you…- Are those the humans and whatever that is-“
“Yordle,” Teemo corrected.
“Yordle, whatever, I suppose that must be them. Your flying carriages await,” he extended his hoof in motion, his voice still as pompous and arrogant as ever.
“Please don’t tell me I have to share a carriage with you,” the fashionista outwardly grumbled, hoping he heard it.
Chuckling, Blueblood replied, “Why would I share a carriage with you? After all, why would I willingly associate myself with poor excuses of Canterlot Elite?”
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, getting up in the prince’s face. “Rarity’s got more Canterlot in her horn than you have actual royal roots!”
“Are you implying I’m adopted!?” Blueblood growled.
“If the horseshoe fits. Now if you wanna stop talking to my friends that way, it would be best to get a move on before Celestia puts you in your place again.”
Snorting, he turned with his head upright to his own carriage. The pegasus guards chuckled amongst each other at witnessing such a sight, receiving Blueblood’s patented ‘Upper Class Sneer’ in return. It however looked ridiculous enough to have no such desired effect much to the pompous prince’s annoyance.
“Thank you, dear, that jerk always thinks he’s got it made.”
“No prob, nopony messes with my friends!” Rainbow Dash smiled, placing a hoof to her chest. “Let’s go hopefully Spitfire will be there, haven’t seen her since my first official time of being a Wonderbolt.”
Getting into the golden carriage, Twilight looked above to see Rainbow Dash taking the fast route by flying there herself. Of course, ever impatient. “The ponies here look so stuck up,” Tryndamere mumbled
“Well, he’s not wrong,” Rarity clarified. “The boutique in Canterlot is running smoothly but honestly, they are so picky!”
Ashe asked, “You have boutiques all over Equestira?”
“Not quite. Only in my hometown of Ponyville, Canterlot and Manehattan. Shouldn’t we be moving by now?”
“Oh, did you need those pegasi?” Blueblood snidely remarked from his carriage. “I only paid them to carry the carriage here, they should be halfway to the castle by now.”
Tryndamere felt his blood boil at the royal’s smug smirk, his teeth clenched and his grip focussed on the handle of the ornamental sword. Inhaling to let out a signature mocking shout he was interrupted by the most unlikely of sources.
“You jerk!” Rarity screeched, standing. “I demand you give us our promised transportation, THIS INSTANT!”
“Yeah you big meanie!” Pinkie added.
“You’re…not very nice,” Fluttershy also added, hiding behind her mane.
Scoffing, Blueblood replied, “Why should I? You’re making a mockery of yourself as it is without you and your freaks being paraded in the sky.”
“Because the only fool here is yourself,” the archer interjected, a visible smile on her face, Tryndamere knew what was coming and stifled a cackle. “As a royal of my homeland, I know all to well citizens hold high regards for their leaders. If the Canterlot elite were to say… see their role model breaking a promise in public. What would that say about your image? I’m sure a snake would show more honesty to his nest than you do to your own people.”
Inhaling sharply, the prince gazed all around. Surely enough there were eyes gazing in disappointment, followed by whispers. Both of the current situation and of past experiences various ponies have had with the spoiled brat. Giving in, he screamed, “Alright! Fine!” He turned his attention to the two pegasi stifling their laughter. “You two, fly our ‘guests’ to the castle and get someone to fly me home at nightfall.”
“Ice cold tongue?” asked Twilight with amused grin.
Tryndamere chuckled. “The coldest.”
In the training barracks in the vast back yard of Canterlot Castle various soldiers were doing their daily training routine. Of course Braum could not help joining in to give tips on handling a shield, Lucian however decided to assist with lecturing the archers on good aim.
“Ok, friends, take aim!” Braum hollered to a group of unicorns, his shield at the ready. “Fire!” Within seconds bolts of magical energy began flying at him, being blocked by his unbreakable shield with no effort whatsoever. Looking over the shield, Braum saw the unicorns charging up a large collective blast. No doubt seeing how much it can handle. Grinning the strongman prepared for their magical bazooka, seeing the giant ball of swirling energy careening towards him at unbelievable speed. A blast of that size would most certainly knock him off by the sheer force. Leaping forward he angled the shield , the ball bounding off the angle and into the sky where it dissipated into a bright light. “Do you get the idea now? Small projectiles use ‘door’, big projectiles use ‘ramp’. I hope it helps you in the future.”
“Man..the heck is this thing made of?” a unicorn asked, horn smoking from magical residue. “We could really use the material for better shields.”
“Sorry, but this material is unique only to this very shield. Ancient magic. Even if you could the weight would make you break legs.”
“Doesn’t look that heavy…” another replied.
Chuckling, Braum placed the shield standing. “Be my guest.”
An aura coated the shield, the unicorn in front of Braum straining heavily. Taking a breather, he waved over some other unicorn soldiers who joined in, all unable to even budge the mighty shield. “Holy damn… how strong are you!?” one exclaimed.
“According to stories he could punch all the way from the top of a mountain to the base,” Lucian answered, wiping his lightslingers with a cloth after training. “This guy can punch the ground and you’d be knocked on your backs from the air alone.”
“Please, you flatter me!”
“I hope I’m not bothering your training session?” Celestia’s voice chimed in from above, her wings beating the air as she landed with the grace of a swan. “But we have word your friends have arrived to Canterlot safely.”
“That’s good news,” chuckled the purifier, placing his lightslingers into holsters. “It’d be nice to catch up on what their experience was like comin’ here.”
“They will arrive in a few minutes, I take it you will be waiting for them at the castle gates?” she questioned.
Before Lucian can answer, Braum sped past him like a bullet. “Race you there!” he challenged with a hearty laugh. For such a man with a large stature, he was no slouch when it came to stamina either.
Sighing, Lucian started walking.
Witnessing this, Celestia giggled to herself. “Humans are so interesting.”
Deep in the bowels of the Sablestone Mountains, Border of Bandle City, the sounds of machinery clicking and whirring filed the air. It had been so long since the Bandle City civil war had ended, but personal vendettas never truly end. Hopping off a platform to a control panel, Rumble tinkered away at various controls. “Banish me, will they?” he mumbled. “Take my girl, will you?”
Slamming a fist onto a big red button, Rumble cackled to himself. “You can’t hide from me anymore, Teemo!” A large circle of metal lit up, blue energy sparking to the centre creating a portal. The metal was in a rusted state, so the portal could only last so long before dissipating after one transportation, the insane Yordle had pondered what to send for months until the idea of his prototype came to mind. “Of course they never counted on me taking leftover tech from the junkyards to make this.” Rubbing a scar on his neck, Rumble growled. “Thanks for leaving some of your torn fur as a bio signature, this device will send my creation to end it all for me. No hope of survival.”
"Lethal force authorised."