Fading Suns: A New World

by David Silver

11 - Duty

Twilight burst into the candy shop and came rushing up to Laud, who was looking far better than before, but still not perfect. The way her features turned from annoyance to shock showed that much. "Are you alright?" she asked. "I am so sorry!"

An opportunity was present, but he wasn't sure how to leverage it. "What pony do if not-princess hurt princess?" That was awkward, but the point was carried.

Twilight blinked at that. "They'd be taken to jail, I mean, unless... Celestia might forgive them, depending on the circumstances." She pointed to herself. "Come to think, plenty of ponies have hurt me, on accident in the end. We worked it out."

They were a peaceful people, despite terrifyingly potent magic at their finger, er, hooftips.

"Why, are you mad at someone?"

He shook his head. "We fight together." He gestured away from himself and back at himself. "Good fight."

Twilight blinked at that. "It really was a boxing match? I thought Spike was being (unknown)... Well... if you enjoyed yourself and so did Bon Bon, no harm there, in the end... Come on. Let's go home." She turned to lead the way back to her castle, and Laud didn't fight the idea.

Laud had things he wanted to read up on. A shame he had barely gotten started with reading. "Princess Twilight?"

"Mmm? Oh, you can just call me Twilight if you prefer." She smiled over a shoulder before nudging the door to her castle open with a glowing horn. "What's up?"

"I... do... not mean to... bother." He spoke slowly, trying to get out a proper sentence. "Can you read... to... me?" No wait, that's not quite right. "For me."

Twilight's ears went up as they went inside and she closed the door behind them. "I'd be delighted to. What boo--"

The door they had just passed echoed with a knocking from the other side. "Twi? Ya in there?" A female voice, with an accent. Laud had to work to decipher the words.

"Come in," called out Twilight in response. "We're right--"

The door opened to admit an orange pony inside with a quaint hat on her head. "We got trouble!" Her eyes strayed to Laud. "Oh, there he is... huh, anywho, Trouble, real trouble. Th' cave worms are (unknown). Ah already asked Fluttershy and she says there ain't no stoppin' them."

Twilight lifted her shoulders, an act no normal horse could accomplish. "So let them (unknown)?"

"Well, normally we would, but this year they're goin' right through Ponyville, dead center." She sat down just to bring an arm down across the opposing hoof to emphasize the dead center.

Twilight stiffened at the news. "Get the rest of the girls."

Laud knew that tone of voice, even if it was horse noises. A battle was coming. He would not, could not, stand by. He rested a hand on the hilt of his blade. "I will help protect these people." Even if they had horrifying magic and should be able to defend themselves.

Twilight tilted her head at Laud. "I really don't want you getting hurt, more than you already have."

Laud dropped to a knee to be on Twilight's level, looking in her eyes. "You will not ignore this."

"No, I can't."

"I can't," he echoed back at her. "I am with you."

She was still a moment before a nod came to her. "If it means that much, than alright. Please, be careful. Applejack, get the girls and we'll meet in the square." She saluted crisply and took off at a gallop. She was one of the horses without extra parts, so running quickly was the best she could do. No flying or magic.

"What's going on?" asked Starlight as she descended the stairs, Spike just behind her.

"The cliff worms are going to attack Ponyville," spoke Twilight with a determined tone. "We have to stop them."

Starlight vanished, just to appear beside Twilight. "You're not planning on going without your student, I hope?"

Twilight smiled. "Not if you're offering. Laud's coming with us too."

Spike didn't look quite as eager to join. "I'll... protect the castle."

Twilight didn't seem to have much mind set on him. "We should get going." She trot with purpose to the front door with the two that were ready to march with her.

Starlight looked aside at the human beside her. "I know you can fight. You plan on using that sword of yours?"

"If there are beasts, yes." Laud so no reason to spare rampaging animals from his blade. "You will use your magic?"

"Of course," she half sang out, her horn glimmering. "We'll protect Ponyville."

Twilight glanced over her shoulder. "You two sound way too happy about fighting. You do know what we're up against, I hope? They have teeth this big." Her horn glowed as she made an image of a great tooth. "And they have plenty to go around. But it gets better. They prefer (unknown) their (unknown) whole if they can."

Starlight's confidence diminished a little. "Oh, well... still, we'll all be there. Some worms won't stand up against all of us."

Twilight turned around and walked backwards. "This isn't 'some' worms. We're talking about basically all of them, together. This is no laughing matter."

Laud was distracted from the walking battle a moment just watching Twilight walk backwards a moment. These magical beasts were not horses, no matter how artificially they resembled them. He made a quiet promise to try to stop calling them that. "Is there a ... group fight ponies, besides your friends?"

Twilight looked confused a moment before she shook her head. "There are some guards." She turned back around. "They'll help with the... ponies not fight." She clearly dumbed down her words on purpose. Frustrating, but also helpful. "We will fight."

Alright, no backup from whatever the local militia was. Laud patted his blade. He would fight side-by-side with magical equines. Sure.

Starlight pointed ahead. "I see them!" Ahead, in the center of town, was all of Twilight's friends, gathered and ready. Mostly. The white unicorn looked least pleased to be there. Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus, looked terrified. Rainbow and Pinkie spotted them coming and moved to intercept. One flew, the other bounced.

"So here's the big guy that threw down with Bon Bon?" asked Rainbow, appraising Laud. "I coulda taken him."

Twilight raised a hoof between Laud and Rainbow. "We're not here to fight each other."

"Yeah!" piped up Pinkie in a chipper tone. "We're here to fight big mean worms that tried to eat my sister once. Buncha big meanies."

"Maud?" asked Laud, startled.

"Uh huh. She wasn't paying attention and snap! I had to pry it open to get her out and she was still studying her rock." Pinkie turned mid-jump, having never stopped bouncing. "They're on the way right now!"

Everyone looked where Pinkie did, but no worms were in sight, yet.

Fluttershy coughed into a hoof. "It will take them a few hours to get here."

Laud frowned at that. "I know late to ask, but no defenses?" No fortifications of any kind, really?

Twilight shook her head. "Ponyville isn't a very large town. We don't have a wall, if that's what you're expecting. We don't need one, usually."

Rarity snorted softly. "Except that rabbit (unknown)."

A few chuckles murmured through the group, leaving Laud wondering. "What rabbits do?"

Rarity looked up at Laud. "Oh, pardon. How very rude of me. They came rushing through town, scared some ponies half to death, but didn't cause any harm in the end. I don't believe we've had the (unknown) of an (unknown)." She offered a hoof up at him. "My name is Rarity, pleased to meet you. I'm told you're (unknown)?"

Laud met the hoof with a balled fist, but she looked subtly displeased. The way she spoke... He uncurled his fingers and took her hoof in hand. That got her attention. She was watching him intently. He dropped to a knee and gently kissed the hoof. She colored brightly and let out a string of tittering giggles. "A proper gentleman! It will be a pleasure serving at your side." She reclaimed her hoof.

A faint rumbling met their ears. Twilight frowned in its direction. "Let's meet them at the edge of the town instead of in the center." Noises of agreement rose from the crowd and they set towards the incoming shaking. "Fluttershy, any advice for dealing with them?"

Her eyes darted left and right. "Oh, well... they're very pack-oriented. If you make enough of them (unknown), all of them should go away. They don't like to... talk much."

Rainbow clopped her forehooves together. "Got it. Smack enough of them and the rest follow. Easy! They've tried to chomp me before, but I'm way too fast for 'em." She dropped down in front of Applejack. "Bet I smack more of 'em than you."

"Yer on!" They met, hoof to hoof, with a loud clop and mutually shared smirks of confidence.

Pinkie drew a cannon. An entire cannon. She clearly had no space to be holding it, but she pulled it free from the void itself. Its wheels were painted bright and cheerfully, but it was still a cannon. "Nopony's getting past me!"

It seemed even the 'normal' ponies were still ponies, which meant they had magic. Magic was simply part of their being. They didn't even question it. Laud's own questions were forced to wait as the first worm burst from the ground like a dolphin from the waves, arcing to catch Fluttershy on its way down. Applejack shoved her friend out of the way and gave a tremendous kick, her hooves catching the beast's nose and arresting its charge with a pained cry.

It was far from alone. The sky darkened under the mass of fanged worms cresting up and over the defenders. Laud drew his blade free. It was time for it to earn its keep. The first that tried to catch him directly met its cruel edge on equally sharp teeth, but the reinforced blade proved tougher than what nature had provided the beast, and with a grunt of effort, Laud severed several of those fangs with a shove. The beast collapsed, mouth held shut against immense pain.

Its defeat left no time for victory as others moved to fill in the ranks, snapping viciously. Pinkie fired her cannon with a loud report, but instead of a cannon ball, or even a beam of magic, as Laud would have accepted, there was... glitter. She had shot them with glitter.

His moment of distraction cost him, as a jaw closed on his leg. He spun his blade and brought it down on the head of the biting beast. It sank wetly into the skull of the beast, only meeting resistance in that first instant before he pressed into what he assumed was its brain. It spasmed and shook, but ultimately fell limp, another victim of battle.

A muffled cry echoed out. It was Fluttershy. She wasn't being devoured. She just looked horrified. She was also staring at Laud and the worm he had dispatched. Was she worried for him? That was nice. "I am alright," he assured as he moved to rejoin the battle. Their ranks were already losing cohesion. It seemed the cost of taking the town was quickly reaching the limit of the price they were willing to pay, and some of them were breaking off.

Ponyville had been defended. Its citizens would not be hurt or killed, not that day. Not while Laud had any power to prevent it. To allow anything else would be admitting he was no true Hawkwood, and he'd rather die than accept that possibility.

Twilight was heaving, her own magical attack having taken some stamina on her part. "Is that all of them?"

Starlight blew smoke off of her horn. "As if they had any chance against all of us. Hey, Laud, you alright?" Her eyes were on his lacerated leg.

Author's Note:

Laud fights against a true foe, and does not hold his punches. Fluttershy may not approve.

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Comments

[Warrior Kitten]

I would like to point out that Maud was in the mouth of a Quarry Eel, the things in Ghastly Gorge that stick out of their holes? The Ambush Predators? Not a "cave worm"

[David Silver]

8250184
This is what Laud heard.

He's trying, I swear!

[howard035]

Too bad Maud didn't help in the defense, she could have pulped a bunch of them.

8250184 I think "Cave Worm" is just a dumbed-down translation of Quarry Eel.

[Warrior Kitten]

8250344
8250349
Ah. Its really confusing without an indication of translation.

[Booster Spice]

Dash should be getting feelings of Deja U?

[Vutava]

She dropped down in front of Applejack. "Best I smack more of 'em than you."

"Bet

[David Silver]

8250982
Rainbow! Watch your grammar!

[FanOfMostEverything]

Lethal tactics aren't common around these parts. It'll be interesting to see how the ponies react to Laud's methods, and vice versa.

[Autumn Maize]

Rarity looked up at Laud. "Oh, pardon. How very rude of me. They came rushing through town, scared some ponies half to death, but didn't cause any harm in the end. I don't believe we've had the (unknown of an (unknown)." She offered a hoof up at him. "My name is Rarity, pleased to meet you. I'm told you're (unknown)?"

You need to close the parenthesis on the first "unknown" there.

[David Silver]

8252154
Fix'd!

[Autumn Maize]

8251739
Yeah, I'm pretty sure Flutter's shock was about him killing the critter, not his leg being hurt.

[tsaukpaetra]

Meanwhile flutters is having a heart attack at the unusually gory violence...

[iloveportalz0r]

Noone's getting past me!

Why not "No one"?

[Animatorsnake]

8252704
Might be a little of both, but yeah Flutters definitely reacted badly at the sudden death of another living creature