Being of Two Minds

by cosmofur

Un arcobaleno inaspettato

There was a long pause, the cult leader had a flare for the dramatic and deliciously wanted to draw out the moment, seeing how helpless the two fugitives in front of him were.

"Back away Banyan." Parker told the young colt, putting himself between him and the cultists.

Parker looked down at the still body of the Mayor, a strained anger filled him, this was no stranger on the ground, Parker felt like he knew him. He looked up at the cult leader and asked "Why?"

The leader looked surprised at the question, but wasn't bothered by it, "That dog? He was the Bitches puppet, all the so called elected officials are. Besides he was not exactly cooperating when we needed his house while waiting for you."

"He had a wife and daughter!", Parker didn't question how he knew that, he just did.

"Oh, don't worry they are safe, already some of the Kin are transporting them to one of our strongholds, along with most of the fillies and mares of the dirt pile of a town. In time they will discover joy in their new role, serving the Stone Heart."

Parker's blood ran cold, were these mad ponies so powerful they occupied the whole town? "Kin? Who the hell are you!" he asked.

The leader seemed to gain confidence and smiled as he answered, "We are the followers of the Stone Heart, an honorable order dedicated to protecting the common pony against the tyranny of the feathered abominations who soil the Canterlot throne!"

Parker stood there stunned, then looking up at the sky, "Damn! Fucking Luna Rebellion fanfics, we were warned! " then looking towards the cult leader, "you're insane! Just stop! These things never work out. Even back in my world"

The cult leader seemed completely unperturbed by Parker's outburst, "See my friends, just as the oracle foretold, at first he would fight us and stand with the evil ones, but in the end the Visitor will become our most powerful tool! And behold he just admitted that he brings knowledge our our struggle from his world!"

The leader returned his attention back to Parker, "We expected you to struggle, but the Oracle also said you would join us when you needed our help to be healed. I figured it was from the wounds on the Traveler's body, but you seemed to already have healed yourself, perhaps you can keep doing that,” The leader gave Parker a feral grin, “but perhaps not."

Parker didn't like the sound of that. He started backing away trying to keep Banyan shielded by his body.

While he had been talking the leader dropped his knives and levitated a thick Branch from the ground. "let's try and try again."

With a swift blast of magic the leader levitated his makeshift club and smashed or hard against Parker's side.

Parker reared up and knowing that it was useless to try talking anymore, he prepared to run. He pushed Banyan forward and away from the villeins, not that the colt needed much encouragement. The two started to run, but they got no more than a few steps before a rain of sticks and stones pelted Parker's hindquarters.

He felt bright fireworks of pain, shooting up his rear hips, the stones and sticks were blunt, but the repeated hard hits, were breaking coat and skin. Parker didn't need to look back to know he was bleeding and hurt. He stumbled another step, then hearing the whistle of the next barrage which was shooting high, over his head towards ... Without further thought Parker threw himself forward and covered Banyan with his body. He did so just in time, while the cultists were using blunt weapons on him, they had less concern for the well being of Banyan, sharp sticks and broken stones pelted his back.

It hurt, it hurt a lot.

“Halt!” the cult leader called out.

Parker turned his head just enough to look behind and see the cult leader gloating. Parker realized the damn equine was enjoying this. “So much for peaceful herbivores!” he thought to himself. Grunting in pain, he bit his tongue rather than say anything to the mad pony, he replied with a glare.

“Such sacrifice, for the colt?” The leader teased. “The Oracle tells us, you’re not even a pony! It’s not like he’s your’s, why should you care?”

Parker didn't bother to respond to that nonsense. Though all this talk about an ‘Oracle’ really was starting to get his goat, somehow they knew he was coming, he had to give the Oracle that much, he knew magic worked in this world, but the rest? Him being willing to work with, even to help, these killers? Parker really wanted to get back at the cult leader with a snappy comeback like ‘Your Oracle’s crystal ball must be foggy’ but while he thought the words, he kept his mouth shut. This was not the time for jokes, he was an explorer, not some sort of wisecracking super hero.

Instead he looked down at the colt and whispered, “Banyan, are you alright?”

The little colt with terrified eyes looked up at him and with a barely perceivable motion nodded once.

Parker whispered, “On three, you run, and you keep running, no matter what. OK?”

Banyan shuddered in fear, but managed to nod again.

Parker whispered “One”

Meanwhile the cult leader continued his rant, “Somehow that foal has fogged your mind! I will end him for this!” The leader switched out with his magic the wooden club, exchanging it back for the knives he used to kill the Mayor.
Parker saw the knives, he knew that he had to jump the Leader first, he wasn't a fighter, but if he could distract the mad pony for even a second, Banyan might have a chance. Trying to keep his whispered voice as confident sounding as possible he said, “Two.”

Parker then closed his eyes for an extra long blink to steel himself, then in one smooth motion he bucked out with both his rear legs at the same time as yelling “Three!”

The Cult leader probably had thought Parker was too injured to buck, and in normal terms he probably was, the pain was terrible and it shot down his body like an electric shock. But while there was a lot of blood from the rocks and sticks, there wasn't any damage to the muscles. Parker’s kick connected, and connect hard. The Cult leader was flung back, smashing back into several of his followers, the knives lost in the telekinetic grip fell to the ground, lost under the sudden scuffle of hoofs and bodies.

Banyan was up and running, while Parker fell to the ground, that buck was all he had left and he was not going to be able to run. He struggled to his legs and turned towards the cultists, a look of hopeless defiance on his muzzle.

The cult leader was still on his side, breathing hard, the angry look on his face could turn a Cockatrice to stone. “Visitor you will die for that mistake!” he yelled, reaching out once again for his knives with his magic.

Parker stood, ready to die, the whole situation was a mess and he wanted out, he just wanted to stick around long enough to be certain that Banyan got away, then death would be a messy and uncomfortable exit, but not one he had reason to fear. He still had a body waiting for him in his home world, and what if he loses the memories of these last few hours? He didn't care much for them.

The cult leader seemed to pause waiting for a response from Parker, but Parker wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. He stood there waiting, listening and trying to judge by the sound how far Banyan had run. He wanted to give the kid the most possible time to escape.

Then suddenly there was response, but not from Parker. It came from the air, off to the side and came in fast, a streak of multicolored light.

With it came a battle cry, “Yahoo! Gang Way!” a brash nasally voice called.

Suddenly everything was in even more chaos. Purple explosions lit up the sky and cultists were being thrown into the air. There were screams of surprise and shock. Bodies were running every direction.

In front of Parker, one cultist was surrounded by a large bubble of purple magic, lifted suddenly into the air and smashed against a tree, to fall unconscious at the roots.

The Cult Leader gave Parker one last angry look then, taking his knives, ran back into the woods, disappearing into the darkness.

Many of the cultists started fleeing after their leader, though some seemed intent on the fight, a group were going after what they must have seen as the easiest target, Banyan. Parker tried to give chase, but he could barely walk and couldn't possible catch up.

Suddenly Banyan was being lifted away from the crowd of cultists, lifted safely in the hoofs of a Pegasus, a rainbow colored streak taking the colt to safety.

Standing in the mayhem and realizing what he was seeing, Parker said only one word.

“Damn.”