The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Code Phrase

The evening air was still and free from breezes, allowing the curtain of mist that fell in place of rain to drift straight and silent, falling like sand sinking in a lake. Ponies walked down dirt lanes, hurrying or chatting or wearing gear prepared for much more rain than the weather saw fit to bring.

Maple sat at a distance and watched, a protective eave overhead and a boarded sidewalk belowhoof that kept even the meager rain at bay. To her left was a splintery wooden support pillar, which she was tired enough to lean against even though she knew it would snarl her mane and prickle her coat. Starlight sat nearby, and Howe... was staring at her with an unusual expression, as if he suspected she was a yak and was trying to pierce her disguise.

"What is it, Howe?" she sighed, having nothing better to talk about.

"Oh, just..." He whistled, and looked away. "Just thinking."

"Mhmmm." He wasn't looking, so Maple didn't nod, but the skepticism was clear in her voice.

"No, really! I am!" Howe protested, holding a hoof to his chest. "Even if Valey would be like, 'Wow, you can do that?'"

"You really want her to ask what you're thinking about," Starlight remarked.

Howe grinned cheekily. "Would you rather I ask what you're thinking about?"

Maple sighed. "What are you thinking about, Howe?"

"Have you ever heard the phrase, 'Never trust an X?'"

Maple stiffened. The silence that followed was filled with the distant voices of ponies traveling home for the night, in the absence of weather and other natural noises of the world.

"Yeah... I thought so." Howe leaned on one hoof, smirking slightly. "Thought I heard Valey give it a mention when we were down in that tunnel. And something about that response tells the Howenator you don't really know what it means."

Silently, Maple listened, nodding for him to go on.

"Maybe it means something different around these parts..." Howe shrugged off into the distance. "But in the mercenary world, which yours truly may or may not have dabbled in, somepony saying that about themselves is lingo for 'Hey, I like you and bringing you bad luck isn't in my contract, but I am being paid by someone who maybe doesn't like you as much as I do or outright hates your guts. In other words, watch your back and no hard feelings if my boss ever suddenly says you need to go.' It's like a way of warning your bros when things could get messy."

"Does it mean that...?" Maple slowly blinked, deciding how much stock to put in Howe's advice... and ultimately focusing on something else. "So you're a mercenary, then?"

Innocently, Howe grinned. "On and off. At the moment... Well, it's complicated."

"It's complicated," Maple repeated, making sure Starlight was still nearby. She narrowed her eyes. "You haven't said the same thing about yourself; not to trust you."

Howe shrugged. "Well, once you're actually contracted against someone, you can't really give them any more warning without breaking your terms..."

With a hiss of magic, Starlight's horn lit teal, and she glared up from Maple's side. "If you're saying you're betraying us, first off, I didn't trust you in the first place, and second, I'll kick your rear."

"Whoa!" Howe backpedaled, waving his forelimbs. "Okay, that came out wrong! Right now, the Howenator is unemployed, got it? Between jobs, no strings attached, I do whatever I want? No horns, please. Unicorn horns are scary."

Starlight's horn went out, but she continued staring suspiciously at the pegasus... and so did Maple. "Where are you going with this?" Maple asked, dubious.

"All right, let's, uhhh..." Howe glanced from side to side, checking his surroundings and taking another step back. "How should I put this? I'm trying to apologize, ladies. For, uhh... the stuff that went down last night, with the Defense Force. What I'm saying is, back then I was being paid by someone else, even though our contract has since expired. To... you know... get you in trouble, and all that. Gerardo, specifically."

Maple stared, waiting for him to continue.

"For that job in particular, the idea was for me to get your crates confiscated," Howe narrated, confidence slowly building. "Now hold on and hear me out, here. Me and my bro Neon Nova, who you met back in Blueleaf, joined up with a band that got hired by Herman a few months ago. Apparently he likes always having some mercenaries on hoof to do the dirty work he can't ask the Defense Force to do, because he never keeps the same crew around for long and always asks us to do the strangest things. Pretend to be members of the Defense Force, guard random corridors in the Flame District, even act like ordinary citizens down here in the Earth District... strange things like those. Neon's actually on assignment in Blueleaf right now, pretending to be from the Spirit of Sosa. Why is Herman helping them so? It is a mystery to all! ...But the important part is that he personally asked me to go take down those crates."

In absence of replies, he continued. "Unfortunately, you just happened to pick the entrance guarded by Selma, who both knew who I was and resented me for trying to steal his thunder, so to speak. I followed Gerardo for a time to see if anything would happen, and also out of regret, as I'm really not a villain and hardly intended for Selma to unrighteously wipe the walls with his face, or for harm to befall you and your filly. The following morning, I went as soon as possible to Herman's office in the embassy to report my happenings, only to find my contract had been terminated! It was quite frustrating."

With a sigh, he finished, "I was apparently singled out, even though I was hardly a failure. So, fueled by remorse and bitter vengeance, I set out with Gerardo to aid you and show Herman and Selma what for."

"That's strange..." Maple muttered, thinking. Neon Nova, sabotaging his town to stoke resentment against the upper districts, was working at the behest of those districts themselves? And Howe was fired for... something. She had a strong feeling he hadn't told the whole story.

"I know, right?" Howe grinned. "Who simply fires someone for seeing through their mission? There's such a thing as an honorable discharge upon fulfilling the terms of the contract, but my comrades are still in service, and this was done with no fanfare whatsoever! Regardless, the important part is that I am presently unaffiliated, yet harbor a grudge against Yakyakistan. As such, any enemy of theirs is a friend to me... and that is why I am helping you! And Gerardo. In case you were wondering about my secret motives."

Maple shrugged. "Thanks, I guess?"

Howe drooped. "You don't sound impressed."

"Impressed? What are we impressed by?" Valey's voice piped up, its owner striding around a corner. "Or not impressed, if it's really wimpy. Hi guys. What's up?"

"Hi," Maple, Starlight and Howe said in sync.

Valey narrowed her eyes. "Not telling, huh? Eh, probably was a really bad joke. Anyway, I cleared the road for us, so let's go go go before anyone catches on and we have to share it again. Come on!"

Comments

[Davidp1522]

I have allready forgiven Valley for maybe backstabbing Starlight and company in the future. So no worries there.

Pancake continues to talk to much though. This time by over emphasizing the supposed reasons he has for working against the yaks.

[sploopy slooder]

seriously howe needs to fuck off. not only is he annoying, hes untrustworthy as fuck. even if valey is kinda sus as well, at least shes helped out a TON . all howe has done is get in their way and run his mouth. hasnt helped even a little.