Kratos staggered back, using the Blades of Chaos to deflect the strikes of the manticore's tail sting. While normally such an enemy was no threat to him, fighting was proving difficult this time as Pinkie was attempting to ride it. "Pinkie!" he called out. "Having a bit of difficulty here, and I could use your cooperation!"
"But this is so much fun!" Pinkie called happily, grinning from ear to ear as she hauled on the manticore's ears, causing it to rear upwards.
Seizing the opportunity, Kratos lunged in, striking the manticore across the abdomen, cutting into its belly. The beast roared in pain and collapsed.
Pinkie bounced off the manticore's back. "Why'd you do that, Daddy?" she asked, confused.
Sighing, Kratos delivered the finishing blow to the beast, cutting off its head. "Pinkie, in order to balance against the sins of my past, I have entered the service of the gods of Olympus. I take my orders from Athena primarily. This manticore was attacking that settlement." He pointed to the small village he had been protecting. "I was ordered to kill the manticore so that the villagers could return to their farming in peace."
Pinkie glanced from the people to the dead manticore. "But...couldn't the situation have been dealt with some other way? Without killing it?"
Kratos shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose that could be possible, but I have to trust that the gods made their decision wisely, and that I acted rightly by obeying their directives."
Pinkie sighed. "It's just...I was having so much fun riding it. It's just a shame that you had to kill it."
Kratos kneeled down beside the sad pony. "Pinkie...I get the feeling that, wherever you come from, things are rather peaceful. The lands probably aren't constantly plagued by constant monsters, and the people live at peace with one another. Am I right?"
Pinkie thought about it for a bit. "I guess maybe? I don't really remember much now before you became my Daddy two years ago, and the gods started giving you tasks to accomplish. It's just...this is the first one to involve violence...and killing..."
He pulled her into a soft embrace. "Pinkie, this world is very violent, with death commonplace. I myself am a Spartan, the greatest warrior tribe the land has ever seen. I know death well. I have seen allies fall, and I have slain many foes. I know that on this path I walk, serving the gods to be absolved of my guilt, I will have to do so a great deal more." He gently scratched her behind one ear, knowing that gentle caress often eased her troubled mind. "If you walk this path with me...you will have to face this as well."
Pinkie whimpered a bit, nuzzling into his chest. "...Daddy..."
He sighed sadly. "You do not have to if you do not wish to, though. If you so desire, I will release you from your promise to me-"
"Nuh uh," Pinkie interrupted. "Gotta keep my promise. Otherwise, how can you keep yours to me?"
Kratos chuckled. "I understand." He continued to scratch her behind her ear. "Are you going to be alright?"
She nodded. "I think so. I'll just...have to get used to it." She cuddled into him. "Can...can I sleep with you tonight?"
Kratos nodded, stroking her mane. "You may."
"Should I give you a few hours to enjoy the thanks of the ladies in the village, first?"
Kratos chuckled softly. "You don't have to, Pinkie."
Pinkie smiled happily as she burrowed deep into his embrace. She remained there until Kratos turned in for the night, when she then curled up on his chest as they slept.
Kratos awoke the next morning to the sound of screams and the roar of an angry beast. Leaping from bed, he was surprised and frightened to discover Pinkie Pie had vanished. Calling his Blades to his hands, he rushed from the house the villagers had granted him and Pinkie, to see what was amiss.
Another manticore, somewhat larger than the female he had fought the day before and male, was attempting to charge into the town. However, with each charge attempt was stopped when something large and brown smashed into the creature's face, the spray of crumbs revealing it had the same consistency as Pinkie's cupcakes.
Looking up, Kratos saw that Pinkie was braced on a roof on the outskirts of town, hurling her confections at the manticore each time he charged. Climbing to the roofs, he made his way to her. "What is that you are throwing?" he asked, curious.
"Cakes," Pinkie said, hurling another one.
Kratos blinked. "You're...assaulting him with...cake?"
"Yupperooni!" Pinkie said happily, hurling another one.
As he watched the manticore continue to charge, he shook his head. "I don't think that will work to kill him."
"It will once he takes a bite!"
Kratos raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is it poisoned?"
"Nope!" Pinkie said as one cake finally made it mostly into the manticore's open mouth. Seeing him licking his lips, she pulled out another cake and picked up a spear. "But the spear is." She then hurled the cake at the manticore. As he opened his mouth wide to eat it, she hurled the spear through the cake to go straight down the manticore's throat, where it tore through the lining of his throat and his stomach, both injecting the poison into the manticore's flesh and filling his abdominal cavity with digestive acid. The manticore roared, flailed around for a time, choked on its own blood, then curled up dead.
Kratos looked down at Pinkie Pie. "Well done," he said. "That was a perfectly executed kill."
Pinkie hung her head. "Yeah..."
"What's wrong?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her.
"That manticore attacked...because the one from yesterday was his mate." Pinkie shook her head a bit. "Once she was dead, he would have attacked this settlement relentlessly, to get revenge. He would also have come after you, for killing her, and me, because my scent was on her from when I tried to ride her. To save you, me, and the village...he had to die. I knew I had to make that choice...but I didn't like making it."
Kratos looked down at Pinkie, deep in thought. In this moment she had proven herself to be stronger in character than most Spartan men, having been able to face the burden of wielding death when she was only six years old. A Spartan boy wouldn't even begin his training until seven, and would not face battle of any sort until he was 13. There was a strong warrior hidden inside this pastel pink pony...but a warrior with a fragile heart, one that could easily become a monster if he wasn't careful. He knew now that he owed it - to Pinkie, to the Spartans, and to his dead wife and daughter - to ensure that Pinkie became a warrior, and not a monster.
As those thoughts ended in his mind, Pinkie looked up at him. "Daddy...did I do the right thing?"
Kratos nodded firmly. "Yes, Pinkie, you did." He pulled her into a gentle hug. "You are a warrior through and through. And although it is a little early, if you wish I shall begin your warrior training. We won't be able to train you in the way I was taught, as we will continue to follow the orders of the gods...but when we are done, you will be a warrior the Spartans will be proud to have amongst their numbers."
Pinkie smiled up at him. "I...I'd like that. Will...will the training make it easier to make choices like this?"
Kratos shook his head. "No. Killing will still be a burden to bear, and will get no lighter as you get better at it. But as you become more skilled, your understanding of it will grow...and as a warrior under my command, that burden will be one we bear together."
Pinkie nuzzled into him. "Then I'm ready to train." As he started to pull her into a tighter hug, she bounced away. "Right after the party!"
"Party?" he asked, confused.
"Well the village is safe now, right?" she said, grinning from ear to ear. "We need to help them celebrate!"
As she bounced away happily, Kratos shook his head, pushing himself to his feet. Shrugging his shoulders, he followed her into the village.
Trust Pinkie Pie to make me smile no matter the situation. And being better executed than me trying to write first blood for a much older pony.
Well done good sir
Now I wonder how Pinkie will turn out once she's matured. She'd probably be a more composed, but robust killer than Fluttershy
I actually saw this earleir, but failed to notice that it was by Tatsurou.
Would I call those brown cakes... Death by Chocolate?
fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/014/e/9/pinkie_pie_rimshot_by_perinigricon-d4mbib9.gif
okay, haven't read this, almost certainly won't, but the fates don't make predictions, they craft the fabric of reality. If you want a prediction, you go to the Oracle. What the fates do do is cut the thread of your life at the moment of your death.
Oh, and they also all share a single eye, so if they did tell you what they saw, I wouldn't trust it, personally.
also, the Fates aren't gods- that title belongs solely to the offspring of Chronos and their family. The Fates are older and more powerful than that.
5193470
God of War played a bit fast and loose with definitions in some cases. I'm basing the story description - and the story itself - entirely in how God of War defined things.
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And in god of war, the three fates are the guardians of the loom of fate, which Kratos uses to re-write his own history.
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But the only reason the entire situation even happened is because the Fates told Zues that the Marked Warrior would bring about the downfall of Olympus. Interpreting that to be Kratos' brother led to him being taken, which led Kratos to become a supreme Spartan warrior, and mark himself in memory of his brother, patterned after his brother's birthmark. This created the situation where Ares sought to use Kratos to take over Olympus, which led to Kratos opening Pandora's box to kill Ares...which created the conflict in God of War 2 and 3, which brought about the downfall of Olympus.
It was a self-fulfilling prophecy from the beginning, which is what the description alludes to, that the Fates prediction of these events created the events...although they didn't anticipate their own deaths as a result.
The part about what the Fates can't predict is implying that Pinkie Pie comes from outside the Fates' design, and so they can't forsee her influence on the weave.
Ok, I usually avoid mature stories with the dark tag, but considering that this is connected to your other very promising stories. I decided to make an exception and give this one a chance. So far I have not had any reason to regret. That said, I'll add this to my tracking folder for now.
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It's only "Dark/Mature/Gore" because it's a crossover with "God of War". If you've played those games, you'll get why any story involving that series requires those tags. This story, however, has "Comedy" for very good reason.
5227625 I thought that would be the case. Thanks for confirming my hopes.
i love the spear part
Too...much...cute.....
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
Hehe, no matter the darkness and unhappiness in the world. Pinkie always seems to be one to bring light and cheer on her hooves.. thats if she's not dismembering things
5227625
Good point.
NOW I CANT TRUST THOSE THINGS ANYMORE
5881102 what things?
6017623
THOSE THINGS!!!
CUPCAKE PINKIE IN THE FUTURE
Uh... though few and fairly far between (relatively speaking) not entirely.
besides the bugbears, changelings, Chimeras, cockatrices, demons, diamond dogs, dragons, hydras, vampiric Jackalopes (that's a thing in the comics, apparently), manticores, minotaurs, parasprites, sirens, tatzlwurms, timberwolves, twittermites, and windigoes.... yeah, Equestria is fairly tame.
Hohohohoho, wow Pinkie, nice throw.
hehehe, nice job!
I've been avoiding this story ever since I found it in your story list. I wasn't too sure I'd like it considering the dark tone of the games. I played the first one, it was alright in terms of gameplay, but I wasn't too big on the story. So I never played it again, or it's subsequent follow-ups.
However, I finally decided to get it over with. I've read two chapters and I'm already experiencing that familiar feeling of being pulled into a good story. I'll let you know what I think when I finish the story.
6424614 Same situation here!
6017811 Well they are a lie. A delicious, delicious lie.
...how does a God of War party work? Hack-n-Slash stone pinata? A keg of ale instead of a punch bowl? Two manticore stomachs filled with helium floating from ropes? A giant lava cake with tiny cupcakes?
EDIT: Do they even have mead in God of War? Once again: I'm reading blind.
Wonder how long it'll be before Kratos cracks a smile.
My money's on 3 more chapters.
6292149 ii just imagine that in a monotone non-plussed voice
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In the voice of Maud, then?
Considering everything that pops up from the Everfree alone, I'd say he's no more then 2/3s right with this one...
7873939 Then again, they only need to pull out a maguffin that'll push it away.
7873939 to be fair...that's just ponyville.the rest of the country is tame by comparison. Then again...it's a town that gets attacked so much one of the crusaders in episode 100 casually said it was either a monster attack or friendship problem that would probably be wrapped up in half an hour...
O-O-O-OVERKILL!!!!!
No and yes.
6292149
Nature is so fascinating, isn't it.
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https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fvignette.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fhalo%2Fimages%2F9%2F90%2FSpree-unfriggenbelievable.png%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20121121205517&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhalo.wikia.com%2Fwiki%2FUnfrigginbelievable_medal&docid=1BnrInUsT20EeM&tbnid=9tprtEKd8_ItAM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwiAj423nZDZAhUU-2MKHWBMCZ0QMwg-KAAwAA..i&w=128&h=128&bih=662&biw=1366&q=Unfrigginbelievable&ved=0ahUKEwiAj423nZDZAhUU-2MKHWBMCZ0QMwg-KAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8
I tried to put it as an immage, but didn’t work.
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i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/028/596/dsmGaKWMeHXe9QuJtq_ys30PNfTGnMsRuHuo_MUzGCg.jpg
6047172
No.
Just. No.
First off, my heart. That conversation was lovely.
Second: “I’m not giving him cake! I’m assaulting him with cake!”