I Prefer the Term Freelancer

by One of the Crowd

epilogue

epilogue: step one: protect ponies, step two:????, step three: profit

***Canterlot one week later***

"I think a monument to my greatness should be right here" Isaac said pointing to a random spot on the canterlot ground near a hedge maze.

"You know that's where discord was originally imprisoned, right?" Luca asked as she clung to Isaac's back since she was to lazy to walk today. Isaac just looked back at her and grinned before saying,

"They have to replace one being of chaos with another don't they?"

"Please, the only chaotic thing you do is walk on two legs,"

"You wound me" Isaac grinned as he started to carry the changeling along the path back toward the castle itself which stood proudly against the skyline with its pristine white towers. "If we ever retire, you want to live here?"

"I don't know, to many snobs around here"

"There are snobs everywhere, but I see your point"

"Besides I hear ponyville is pretty exciting, Even when we retire we wont get bored from doing nothing"

"God, you reminded me when I was there and discord got out" Isaac shivered at the thought of being trampled by rabbits again since it took the doctors three days just to find all of the bone fragments in him.

"You know we are the thrill seeking type"

"Yeah, you kind of did make me an adrenaline junkie"

"Did it start with our first contract or when I surprised you with appearing as a female dragon"

"The first one" Isaac said calmly while trying to look interested in something else since he didn't want Luca to see him blushing. They passed many different sculptures depicting various ponies and villains throughout equestria's history when they walked over to a relatively new one of Sombra. There was an inscription underneath that read,

A pony who sacrificed everything to protect his people only to become the one who harmed them.

"You think ponies will eventually stop fearing Sombra" Isaac asked as he read the inscription.

"Have they stopped fearing you?"

"Well I kind of a mercenary Luca, even if we only pick the contract that deal in protecting others they don't need to know that"

"True, but you'd expect them to put two and two together" As Luca said that they finally reached the entrance hall to the castle which was decorated with balloons and confetti obviously by pinkie pie. When they had returned to canterlot Celestia though Isaac had decided to give up on the contract only for him to ask for a bonus as he held up a gem in a cage. Celesia asked why it was in a cage when Isaac said it growled at him before laughing his ass off. After locking the gem deep within the forbidden archives Celestia had decreed there be a celebration today and Isaac would get a special reward which he detested greatly.

Walking in Isaac was met with the smiling faces of five ponies and one face that was more disgruntled appearance. Isaac decided that since he gave pinkie a chance he could give one to applejack.

"Listen applejack whatever the hell you're pissed about can you just tell me"

"You lied to me repeatedly, put my sister in danger, and stole some of my apples"

"You kept asking questions about things I told you not too repeatedly and you kept asking anyway"Isaac began before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I kept my eyes on your sister the entire time she and her friends were diving into that lake, besides how was I supposed to know there was a lake monster in there,finally I paid for those apples you just didn't accept the currency I gave in exchange" Isaac reached into his bag before producing four bits, "This should cover it"

Applejack just looked at him slack jawed at everything he just said and then handing her bits as if it would fix everything.

"Ah still don't trust you"

"Did I ask you to trust me" Isaac said before walking further down the line of ponies only stopping to ruffle Twilights hair when he reached the end of the row where the princess of the sun stood.

"Are you ready for your special reward, Isaac" she asked.

"Is it a useless title or a useless lesson"

"No Isaac, I am giving you a job offer"

"I already like this"

"You and your companions shall work as a special task force for the crown, however your still your own group. You will be the first offered an jobs that the guard can't quite complete"

"Like you were going to hire someone else, but that sounds nice though next time no mind control"

"No promises"

"Great"

"Sister do you mind..." Luna walked into the room and looked over to see Isaac and her necklace.

"Hey moon moon, what have you been doing"

"I've been looking for my necklace since it disappeared after you returned it"

"Really, I wonder where it is"

"We believe it's around your neck"

"Well would you look at the time, We'd love to stay but we got other jobs to do" Isaac then proceeded to bolt out of the castle so fast that in the wonderbolt's academy spitfire yelled 'THAT'S AN ACADEMY RECORD' which confused many of the ponies she was currently training. The other four of their merry band were already waiting by the gate with their cart full of coin as Isaac was sprinting down the street yelling for them to go ahead and go when the Lunar princess dive bombed Isaac.

"THOU THINKS TO STEAL FROM THE CROWN, THOU SHALL FEEL THY_" Luna stopped yelling and began giggling as Luca had turned herself into a bird and started to tickle the night princess with her feathers while Isaac made his way out of the city.

"Alright first things first, Who wants to by a small Island?"

Author's Note:

Well thank you all for staying for the ride and hopefully you'll stay a little longer as I go into all the ways this story changed from what was originally in it and here to help me is none other than pin-

Hi i'm super excited to help explain how this story changed as crowdy here wrote it!

Um yeah, alright so let's begin with the idea. originally when I came up with this story it was only going to be Isaac and Gilda working as small time mercenaries the story however changed but was still very similar.

Ooooh, how about you tell them how Silver was originally a diamond dog, but the idea was scrapped do to how you wanted the story to go.

You just told them that. Anyway why the diamond dog was scrapped was because the cast already composed of mostly previous villains.

Another character that changed was Luca who originally was you guessed it Gilda, but I decided against that and created Luca that way I had more influence in her personality and I had more to work with if I chose to implement the fact she was a changeling.

Hey, why didn't you give Flim and Flam a more important role, at least silver had something going on.

Ah yes, Flim and Flam were originally going to play a bigger role in the story, but since I keep a lot of story ideas in my head I tend to forget certain things such as whatever it was those two were there for. (It had something to do with applejack though)

Finally the time it took to write these chapters was actually shorter than I thought it'd be considering creating ideas, writing, and (horrible) editing. In total each normal chapter took between 2-3 hours to write. (If that's slow don't criticize, If it's fast then yay me)

So are we done here crowdy?

Yes pinkie, we're done. You going to be here for the next story?

I don't know, but I do know that it's time for your 'finished your first fanfic party'!

Well guys and girls, mares and gentle colts-

Shouldn't it be gentle stallion?

hush pinkie, anyway as I was saying I hope to see you all next time on whatever the heck I write.

Comments

[rikusorasephiroth]

Sequel?

[One of the Crowd]

6221529 I wasn't planning on writing a sequel originally, but that doesn't mean there wont be one I just have to come up with a basic idea for that story. With that I thank you for reading and hope to bring you many more stories you will enjoy!

[rikusorasephiroth]

6222124 Well, as long as there's a chance of a return from the Freelancer Contingency Unit, I'll be content.

Also, just as a heads-up, you've set yourself a minimum standard with this fic. Every one after it has to at least match its quality.
Surpassing it is an unnecessary precedent, but is always welcome, but if you do a worse fic, you'll lose watchers hell-western-crooked.

I'm not trying to intimidate or dissuade you, just letting you know the worst possible scenario, short of getting shut down by an admin'.

[One of the Crowd]

6222153 Really I set a standard? I didn't think I wrote this story very well whenever I go back over it, but that could just be my self esteem trying to be a butt again. Oh and i didn't say they would never return I'm making them like mascots so they will occasionally come back for specials probably as one shots though. Also as for the worst possible scenario I follow a certain philosophy of assume the worst but hope for the best. Anyway thank you again for reading and I hope to make more stories you will enjoy and with that I hope to see you next time.

[rikusorasephiroth]

6222408 First fic sets a standard expected from you, but if you feel this isn't the best it could be, then good.
You will strive to be better, meaning the only viable outcome from you is improvement.

On the topic of personal philosophies, mine is 'Plans are an invitation to disappointment, but guidelines are necessary'

[One of the Crowd]

6222428 A wise philosophy to follow. I know this is setting the standard on what I can do which is probably why I'm looking at it as worse then it could be since everyone wants to put there bet foot forward and all. That reminds me though if you don't mind my asking what did you like about the story exactly? If you don't wish to answer just say so I'm just curios as to what my strengths here are and what I need to focus on more.

[rikusorasephiroth]

6223466 I liked the progressive nature of it and, despite the length, the 'flow' of the story, given how consistent it was.

The characters were also likeable in their... uniqueness.

[One of the Crowd]

6224323 Thank you, the flow of the story was actually one of the things I was most worried about thinking. At one point I thought I was making it take too long then another I felt I was rushing it and now I'm rambling sorry about that. again thank you for taking your time to answer my question.

[One of the Crowd]

6293020 Thank you for the assistance!

[One of the Crowd]

6581362 Been awhile since anyone commented on this story. Thank you for the compliments, and I know it's...not the best. I've been trying to improve with my other stories so maybe you'll like them even more. Thanks for commenting and I'll see you later.

[JazzTheFox53rd]

This is pretty good for it being your first fan fic story. I will definitely fav this story. Also you got another follower.

[One of the Crowd]

6581462 Really? well, thank you. I don't know what else to say so...Try another one of my stories? I don't know, thanks again though.