• Published 27th May 2015
  • 472 Views, 22 Comments

King and Kingpin - Istaran



The ponified human known as the Itinerant King reaches Manehattan, following up on a lead involving shipments of dangerous dark crystals. What dark secrets will he find lurking beneath the skyscrapers?

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Vicemongers

Author's Note:

Takes place after the Scattered Seeds crossover chapter here.
It's more sexual than I'm trying to keep this story, and also ties in with some of the romantic knotwork of the other. Feel free to skip it if you prefer.

Taking what little was worth carrying, the former whore Apple Core relinquished her apartment, returning the key to the landlady. [It's official now. I'm an Itinerant] she thought to the others waiting outside, before stepping out to join them. Stone Breaker was already disguised, his kingsblood filling his fur with dye from the inside and changing his colors and cutie mark to mask his identity, while Mirror used his changeling magic to similar end with a unicorn disguise, but Apple Core had needed her own colors to make this final transaction, as a courtesy to her landlady, before leaving.

They had intended to correct that oversight shortly, using a convenient hiding place like a public restroom stall to get her out of view long enough to exude her own dye, but they were set upon surprisingly fast. A trio of large earth pony stallions, easily a match for Stone Breaker in size, approached them, led by a smaller unicorn mare whose mean streak Stone Breaker and Apple Core were well acquainted with.

"Going somewhere, sweetheart?" the unicorn asked. "I don't recall you paying off your debts just yet. Do you need a little... reminder, of just how much you owe?"

There was no way they were here this soon by coincidence. The landlady must have tipped them off during the paperwork, somehow.

"Leave her alone, she doesn't owe you anything," Stone Breaker, a bit surprised himself to hear that his kingsblood had subtly changed the pitch of his voice, deepening it just enough to avoid being recognized.

"What's this? You've already found another poor sap to 'protect' you? Listen here, boy," the unicorn said, her magic grabbing Stone Breaker by the neck and dragging him down face to face with her. "Run back to mommy, while you still have legs to run on. This is the only warning you're going to get."

A loud snap rang out, following by a horrifying scream of pain. As the large earth ponies looked, they saw Mirror's forehoof withdraw from the unicorn's horn where dozens of cracks spread out from the point of impact like a spider web. The fight thusly joined, one of the stallions turned quickly, aiming a doublehooved buck at Stone Breaker's face. The stallion, with well honed combat experience now aided by the kingsblood's abilities to improve his reaction speed, caught both hooves with his own forehooves. Holding them off the ground and forcing them apart, he made himself an opening and leaned in, quickly turning the opposing stallion into a gelding with a ruthless bite.

Seeing the blood on the unicorn's horn and Stone Breaker's muzzle, the other two stallions instantly lost the will to fight, turning to flee instead at a full gallop, leaving their injured comrades to the tender mercies of Apple Core's new friends. The two defeated ponies looked up fearfully at the ponies standing over them from where they had collapsed to the ground, holding their respective injuries defensively as they cried from pain.

"Come on. Let's get them to the hospital," Stone Breaker said to Mirror, a resigned look on his face.

At that, the adjustment to his voice was no longer enough to avoid recognition. "Stone Breaker?!" the unicorn mare accused. "How? We killed you! I saw the body."

"Yeah, yeah, you killed me, Crimson Flare. Lucky for you, it's not worth it to me to kill you back," replied, not bothering to disguise his voice anymore. He lifted the unicorn onto Mirror's back, before dragging the sobbing gelding onto his own.

"You might as well have! Do you think the boss will just forgive an embarrassing failure like this? Even if they can restore my horn? And what if they can't?! At least we would have the mercy to finish somepony off..." Crimson whined.

"I'm with Crimson on this one," Apple Core offered. "Or can we at least just drop them and get out of here? They don't deserve this kind of help."

Mirror took a moment to wipe the blood off of Stone Breaker's face with her magic, lest it be too obvious where the injuries came from. "Well we do have another form of help we could give," she offered, confirming mentally what she was referring to.

"NO!" Stone Breaker objected. "Don't even joke about that! They get a free trip to the hospital, and that's it!"

"What are you going on about?" Crimson asked, barely keeping in the conversation, pushing through the pain. "Spill it. You have some kind of... miracle cure, don't you? It's how Stone Breaker is walking around after what they did to him."

"Our boss does. Only for those who swear loyalty to him, though. And if you think your boss is rough on those who turn away from him, our boss has ways you don't even want to imagine to ensure that those oaths are upheld," Mirror explained, vaguely.

Crimson thought about it a moment, and then just sighed, slumping on Mirror's back in defeat. "Forget it then. I ain't getting caught between two bosses."

With that, it was settled. The rest of the walk to the hospital was wordless, if not exactly silent. The Itinerants left the injured in the emergency room without explanation, their injuries plenty obvious for the staff to identify. In a nearby shopping center, they slipped into the public restrooms separately, and emerged later with new coloration, only to reunite a few blocks away.

Apple Core thought to the others over their link. [It's great that we got away unharmed and all, really it is, but someone should do something about them. Something a bit more lasting than running away, and a bit more impactful than just hospitalizing a couple of mooks,] Apple Core mused. [And by someone, I mean you two, because who else would even be willing to try?]

[What did you have in mind?] Mirror questioned, a bit surprised at her forwardness. He had assumed she would be all for running as quickly as possible, but something seemed to have shifted in her outlook.

Apple Core started walking, leading the others through the city. [Well, Vito Calabrese has a lot of money, right? All of it ill gotten. Most of it, anyways. But what if he didn't? Would his thugs keep working for him? Or for that matter, the staff at his cover businesses? And without the thugs, how long would he be able to control those he bullies into submission?]

[You're thinking of robbing the mob?] Stone breaker asked. [I wouldn't have taken you to be so brazen. You feeling alright Apple?]

[Never better! Maybe it's just the rush... seeing you guys win like that. You made it look easy! And maybe it really was? We've got these great new powers, and we can heal back from practically anything! We can't just let it all go to waste, hiding from everypony. We should put our new strengths to good use. For justice!] the mare exclaimed, a grin appearing on her face.

A cough from somepony standing in a nearby alley as she passed caused Apple Core to jump away, pulling up into a haphazard fighting stance before she realized it was nothing, and mumbled an apology to the startled bystander. There was silence in their link for a minute as the mood of her declaration was ruined.

[Back alley ambushes aside, you seem almost like a new pony, Apple Core. It's... good to see. But I don't think we should rush headlong into something like this. I'm all for paying Vito Calabrese back tenfold, but this isn't something we can do hastily. We need to do some scouting first, make sure we know what we're doing. And some training wouldn't be a waste of time. Your stance was quite sloppy just now. And all things considered, I'd prefer you keep a distance in a fight,] Stone Breaker said, breaking the silence.

[Lightning's no good, at least not if there's friendlies anywhere near your target. I learned the hard way how it messes with the kingsblood, even if it doesn't hit directly,] Mirror pointed out. [We should get you some kind of ranged weapon... with our magnetic abilities, some throwing knives could work great.]

[And a new name!] Apple Core interjected. [Something braver. Dashing!] She flapped her wings a few times as she thought. [I know. Call me Sky Ranger!]

[I'll call you that when you've shown me you earned it,] Stone Breaker replied with a playful grin.

[Alright. Let's make this happen!] the newly renamed Sky Ranger proclaimed.

They started by getting themselves a table and eating a nice meal, as they cased one of the restaurants Vito used to launder his money.