A Valiant End
A Valiant End
Sin lay naked upon the cold ground of the cavern floor, shivering uncontrollably in the crude, stick and wood constructed "cell" he was currently being kept in. His quivering wasn't brought about by anything to do with cold, but fear. Fear that Critic tried desperately to sooth but had virtually no experience in doing.
No matter what the inner voice said, no matter how inspirational, comforting or encouraging he tried to be, none of it could pierce the vale of terror that consumed the stallion.
He'd gone against changelings before, Canterlot wasn't all that long ago, but this was a different matter. Here, Sin was defenseless, absolutely vulnerable with no means to combat his enemies. His crossbow was being guarded by his captors, the migraine halted any attempt to use the aura, and his hind legs were still barely shape enough for him to walk, much less enter into combat.
'Hey buddy, it's okay. At least they didn't put you in the pod.'
That was true, if there was anything in this entire horrid situation the Federalist could take resolve in, it was that he was spared the pod. He didn't know what it did exactly, but he overheard the changelings talking about how he was "unfit" for such a resource, and that anything he could provide could be taken as he was.
He didn't imagine the parasites were introduced through this method, but then again, nobody knew how the changelings infected their victims. All they knew was that the equine-insectoids sustained themselves off of fear. Well, the Zeborican changelings did, anyways.
According to the Canterlot Doctors, Equestrian changelings didn't feed off of fear, but love. How the entire thing worked was an absolute mystery, raw emotions offering physical sustenance was a slap in the face to physics as it was known. Sin didn't care about that right now, though, what he cared about was getting out of here alive...
"Pathetic." Nightmare spat in disgust. "The Great and Glorious Sinbad, felled and left whimpering like a foal to a group of changelings. Disgusting."
'Yea, we'll pretend you aren't part of the problem.' Critic snapped back in Sin's defense.
Sin lifted his head and forced himself to look at his captors. He knew it was all psychological, that it was a fear he would need to be desensitized to in order to over come, but no matter how many times he looked at them, he just couldn't get over what they were. The vile and horrid capabilities these... things had to them. Especially their queen.
It was a an affront to the most basic of equine rights, the desolation of the individual autonomy and mind. Controlling mindless drones was one thing, but to do what she did to that one pony? The Red Mage?
She didn't just make him obey, she made him want to obey...
It was the worst fate Sin or any libertarian minded individual could ever conceive of. A fate worse than death.
Clopping was heard from the caves entrance, and soon, a pair of ponies walked into the view of the light. One a sooty grey earth pony stallion and the other...
Sin's eyes widened as they locked onto the red of the crimson stallion before him. He thought it an illusion at first, but as he blinked repeatedly to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks, a small hope and dread crept into his heart.
The stallion's own eyes widened for just a moment as he saw the Federalist, but quickly sank back to the dead and depressed scowl he wore when he walked in.
Crimson pelt, red eyes, a white mane, and two belts that criss crossed over the pony's back and chest, both belts holding a variaty of small stones about the size of an orange within their pockets. It could only be one pony, and even even as he took in the changelings with no hint of fright or even acknowledgement, Sin couldn't stop himself from hoping.
"Thirty-Three." The changeling called Blister said, his disguise dropped long ago. "Is this whom I think it is?"
The earth pony shifted in the way changelings do and smirked. "An old friend returns. Our mother's favorite toy, Valiar." He tapped the stallion on the back a couple of times. "He came willingly, he wishes to return to the queen's side."
Sin's mouth dropped a little, his hope flying away like a butterfly on a disturbed branch. Valiar had abandoned Canterlot after the changeling invasion out of shame.
The pony acted so disgusted and angry with himself once Chrysalis' spell was broken, Sin had tried once to speak with him, but the oaken pony was too late to catch him before he fled. He couldn't believe the unicorn was seeking her out again.
"Yes." Valiar mumbled, his eyes going from one changeling to another. "I need her. Nothing makes sense without the queen's guidance. All of this thinking, all of this uncertainty, it's driving me mad. Please, take me to her."
The newly arrived changeling smiled with glee. "See, he wants to return to the fold and become one with the hive like we do. The queen will be very pleased with us if we return with him."
"Can you tell me where she is?" Valiar asked monotonously.
"Oh, right. We do not know the current location of our matriarch." Said one of the changelings.
Sin might have been wrong, but he could have sworn he saw Valiar's jaw clench a little at the admission.
"We do believe, that she might be in the swamps south of here." The dominant changeling declared, his own glee matching that of the other two. "We have established communication with her only three times since the invasion, she wishes us to stay here and give reconnaissance on the city for a secondary invasion."
Valiar nodded blankly. "I must return to her, she needs my protection."
"Do not worry. She is well protected."
Valiar's head tilted. "Well protected?"
The changeling nodded. "Yes, hundreds of our number rallied to her upon our retreat. She is fortified, and able to hold her own against an attack force of over five hundred should the need arise."
The red mage nodded. "Take me to her."
"Give me a second, and I shall let her know." The changeling closed his eyes, and ignighted his horn for a moment. The room was quiet as the thing communicated with it's superior.
Finally, after a good minute of gut wrenching silence, the dominant changeling broke the connection. His face gave away the bad news before his words did, however.
"Mother has declined your services, she said that your fall to another pony demonstrated your incompetence. You are not welcome among us."
Valiar stared for a moment, his hollow eyes slowly morphing into an annoyed and disgusted scowl. "If you are not going to take me to Chrysalis, than you are of no use to me."
Sin made the terrible mistake of taking that microsecond to blink, in the time his eyes had shut, all of Valiar's stones burst from their belt. Three of them slamming into the changelings and sending all three sprawling. The one closest to him met his end as the stone smashed through the bug like armor of his neck, and then out the other side, leaving the drone to fall and grasp at it's neck in a fruitless attempt to cling to live.
The other two, having a split second longer to react, dodged as best they could from the fatal blow. Though they weren't killed by the initial attack, neither had escaped unharmed. Each sporting heavily cracked dents on their flanks.
One growled and reared on it's hind legs in preparation for a spell, but the crack in it's armor gave way at just the wrong time and it fell over in a howl of pain, the attack sizzling to nothing as concentration was lost.
The last changeling, the dominant one, spread his wings and shot directly for Valiar, it's horn aimed for the unicorn's throat.
Sin's breath caught in his throat as the unicorn held his ground, making absolutely no movement to dodge. Was he out of his mind?!
The changeling closed the gap in no time, and just before he'd reached Valiar, the single stone that Sin recognized to be his personal protection stone rushed for the to intercept the insectoid head on.
Sin cringed from the impact and small clanking in front of him drew his attention to a moderately stubby and black curved piece of chitin that had some kind of foul green liquid dripping out of it. The changeling's severed horn.
'Tapio's beard.' Critic said in awe of the brutal display.
Sin could also hear the Nightmare cooing with admiration as well, complimenting the crimson unicorn on his performance.
All the while, Valiar stood exactly where he was the entire time, never once moving to engage the enemy himself. His eyes trailed about the room, observing each of the fallen changeling's around him with cool disinterest, as if the small skirmish was nothing more than an inconsequential inconvenience.
The red stallion's eyes trailed to Sin and he quirked a brow, apparently surprised to see the Federalist here.
The contact wasn't to last, however, as a few coughing sounds revealed that the second changeling to fall was still very much alive. Injured, unable to right himself onto his hooves, but alive.
Valiar broke away from Sin and marched to the fallen changeling. "You." He said, placing a hoof on the things leg and pushing down. "You heard where the queen was. Tell me where that bitch is so I can repay her for what she did to me."
The changeling hissed in pain and tried to pull free, but the more he thrashed, the more weight Valiar placed on the limb. Sin was a little surprised to the extend of weight that he hole filled legs could suppor-
Crack. Crunch.
"GAAAAHHHHHH!" The changling cried, it's voice a mix of hisses, clicks and howls of agony. Sin covered his ears to get away from the sound.
"Where is she!?" Valiar barked.
No reply came, save the changeling reaching over to hit his hoof in a futile effort to get him off.
Sin couldn't believe he was feeling sympathy for a changeling, but his method of torture was much more quiet and restrictive than Valiar's was.
"We told you! We told you already! She's in the swamp! She's in the swamps!" The thing cried.
Valiar twisted his hoof, bringing down new cracks and more than a few squishing sounds that sent his prey into another fit of screaming.
"I was just there." The unicorn proclaimed after the cries subsided to breathless hashes. "I wondered Froggy Bottom Bog for the better part of two months looking for her and saw nothing. Care to try again."
"She's there! I swear it!"
Valiar humphed. "That's what the last changling said too." He summoned his stones and four of them broke off from the rest. Three of the stones formed a triangle, red electricity arching and humming between them, growing in concentration until finally it was a full and constant connection that bathed the entire cave in an a brilliant red light.
The forth stone set itself behind and in the middle. It glowed a bright crimson and shot forth energy into the middle of the three stones, the beam condensing as it passed through, and contacting the ground a foot or so away from the changeling's head.
"Your kind are independent thinkers. You respond to pain and incentives that go against your queen." He pointed to the beam that was now, inch by pain staking inch, approaching the changeling's head. "This is going to kill you in less than thirty seconds if you don't tell me what I want to know."
Sin cringed at the threat, even from the distance he was away, he could feel the heat that radiated off of the pin point beam.
The stallion was also kind of hoping the changeling would tell him where the Chrysalis was. Sin had his own score to settle with that manipulative bitch himself, but no matter how close the laser point came, the changeling swore up and down that the Froggy Bottom Bog was where his matriarch resided.
As promised, twenty seconds was up and the beam made contact with the changeling's webbed ear. He screamed, he screamed and jerked his head away, but it was a pointless gesture. A mere second or so of reprieve from his ultimate end.
"IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" It cried, the beam cruising slowly onto it's head.
That lead to the final scream and beg for mercy. One quarter of the way across, beneath the ponies eyes, but over the muzzle, the beam seared the changeling's head in half, forcing the stink of burnt chitin and organs to take to the air, an odor so pungent that it almost made Sin gag.
The spell dispersed and the cave returned to it's gloomy and darkened state, with nothing but the untouched lamp post to illuminate the place.
Valiar turned away from the corpse he'd made and looked to Sin, eyes twinkling in the dimness of the candle light. "It's you." He said dryly. "The magically immune pony from Canterlot."
Sin swallowed and forced some sense of composure. He had taken on that?!
"Yea." Was all he could say.
"Hmmm." Valair appraised, looking as if in thought. He summoned a stone and destroyed the cage in one fell swoop, making Sin cover his face and head with his legs.
Once he'd brushed off the debris, the Federalist stood up on wobbly legs. "Thank you." He said.
Valiar nodded in response.
Sin quickly found his cloak, Crossbow, and saddle bags he'd been carrying and reattached them. In the time he took doing this, he'd have figured Valiar would have left to be on his merry way to hunt down Chrysalis, yet when he'd finished, the Red Mage was still very much present, looking at the stallion with scrutiny.
"Did you want payment?" Sin asked, figuring he owed Valiar something for his rescue.
Valiar shook his head. "No. If I remember correctly, you're name is Sin, right?"
The Federalist nodded, secretly stringing his crossbow with two bolts... Never hurt to be safe.
"Captain Shining Armor said you're a survivalist. Am I correct in assuming that means you're also well versed in tracking?"
Sin froze, already knowing where this conversation was going. He could track in the wilderness, it wasn't something he'd admit to if question by anyone else. Master Tyken, as a griffon, had taught him how to track game as part of his training regiment, which wasn't something most herbivores considered "good form". Still, tracking had saved his life when the stallion had resorted to the ultimate taboo in order to survive, and he was glad he knew the skill.
"You want me to help you track down Chrysalis?" Sin asked, preparing himself for what might just be the thing that finished him off. He waited for the nod of approval and said. "Sorry, but I've got revenge of my own to carry out."
Valiar's eyes flashed and he was upon Sin in a breath, his stones falling upon the pony and stoping within one foot of contact. Sin stood with his crossbow at Valiar's chest, his hoof resting on, not the primary trigger, but the secondary. The one that would activate the incendiary bolt.
The two weren't far away from each other, a foot or two maybe. Not enough time for the red mage to recall his stones to protect him if he felt the need, not that it would help, considering the damage wouldn't come from the contact of the bolt, but the explosion of firey liquid within.
Sin had seen the stallion's personal protection stone intercept single and solid attacks well enough, but he doubted it would be able to save him from the liquid that would burn him alive. Neither of their deaths would be pretty or painless, but both of them would die.
"This isn't about petty revenge." Valiar growled, his eyes looking down at Sin's own. "This is about eliminating a threat to Equestria, an abomination that was never fit to exist in the decent world."
Sin pushed past the pain the pressure in his hind legs caused and sneered. "Indeed, is that why you demanded to know where she was so that you could 'pay her back'?"
The stones around Sin began to hum, red electricity bounding off of them at random and bathing the cavern, once again, in a hellish red glow. He pulled down slightly on the trigger, hitting to within a millimeter of release.
"I'd rather not get us both killed, Valiar." Sin said, trying to sound confident. "But I think you should also know that I'm more of a die on my hooves rather than live on my knees kinda guy. Threats don't work with me."
The red lighting overhead intensified, it's hum and slight flicking giving way to a full and steady light and sound.
"You think I care what you want?" The mage declared in foreboding voice.
"If you want me to help you track down Chrysalis, I think you'd better start." Sin replied.
Valiar quirked an interested eyebrow. "Really?"
Sin saw an opportunity here, one he wasn't sure if he'd regret or not in the long term. Valiar was a powerful unicorn pony, a very powerful unicorn pony. One of the most capable he'd ever seen. Brutal, efficient, deadly and most of all, he knew how to get the job done.
Unlike Krystal and Scootaloo, Valiar could prove to be a valuable asset to the Federalist. If not in countering Sombra or Clover the Clever, than in distracting the girls from interfering.
"I am currently tracking another threat to Equestria." Sin explained, recalling the events of the protest of Canterlot and the damage caused by the Trotski organization. He also recalled his own mission to eradicate the Trotski, to both protect the nation as well as for his own personal reasons.
This piqued Valiar's interest, and slowly, the thunderous hum and hellish glow of the lightning began to dissipate, allowing Sin to lower his crossbow.
"They seek to dethrone Celestia and Luna?" The Red Mage asked. "Do they not realize that their leadership and guidance is all that has kept our empire together?!"
"No, they don't." Sin said. "Here's the deal. You help me get rid of the Trotski, and I'll help you find Chrysalis. We both get rid of two threats, we both help each other, and we both get what we want." He held out a hoof, his non crossbow bearing hoof.
Valiar looked down at the offering for a moment and then looked down in thought. Sin hoped he'd take the offer, Valiar was just the variable he needed to tip the scales and throw the Trotski off. Soarin attacked alone a few hours ago, but Sin could barely stand against the stallion alone. The next encounter wouldn't go in his favor if Sombra was with him.
"Very well, I shall first help you in dealing with the Trotski, and then you help me in ending Chrysalis. So long as you give me your word."
Sin bit his lip in shame. No, this time would be different, this time he wouldn't break it.
Valiar connected hooves with him and the two shook.
"You have my word."
"WHERE IS HE?!" Panzy spat.
Scootaloo cringed in sympathy but didn't dare speak. Not after what had happened last time.
"I don't know, please, stop..." Krystal cried, holding her hoof over he head, attempting to protect herself from the assault the pony mare was putting her under. "Please... Please, I'm sorry."
The pink pegasus ground her teeth and stomped on the mare's shoulder, making the battered pegasus whimper in pain. "I know you know where he is!" She yelled. "I saw you with him in Appleloosa! He's here, where is he! Tell me you stupid little-"
"Alright Panzy, that's enough." Clover said sweetly, her magic restraining another slap from the pony's hoof.
"Pft, whatever. I need a smoke." Panzy spat. She stroked her bloodied hoof over Krystal's side, ruining the mare's prestine coat in a tainted crimson, and began walking. She paused, giving a contemptuous look back at the two before grunting in disgust and leaving the room.
Clover pulled up her chair and sat down infront of Krystal, using her magic, she pulled the pegasus from the corner she was cowering in and turned her to speak.
"This doesn't have to be this way, deary. Just tell us where Sin is, and this all goes away." Clover said, that fake and disgustingly rich sweetness in er voice making Scootaloo sick to her stomach.
The filly struggled against her bonds, but not matter how hard she tried, she couldn't wiggle free. She wanted to, even though she knew she'd be useless, she couldn't stand watching Krystal being beaten like she was.
Her muzzle was worse than bloodied now, the hot liquid having fallen down to her chest from her nose and mouth where Panzy favored hitting her. One of her eyes was blackened and going puffy...
Scootaloo looked away before she could see more of what was becoming of her friend. She couldn't stand what she was looking at. Krystal... the nicest, kindest and sweetest pony she'd ever met, right up there next to Fluttershy, was being beaten and tortured for information she just didn't have.
She didn't deserve it, nopony could have deserved it less than her. Scootaloo gritted her teeth in contemptuous hatred and frustration. He angry eyes going to the door the pink pony had gone out of.
These were the ponies... Oh how wrong she and Krystal were in trying to protect them...
The filly looked back to her friend and felt bile coming up her throat.
These were the ponies Islander was after, Scootaloo wished she would have known, she wished that she would never have stopped him, or threatened to have stopped him. She thought he was just being cruel, that Islander was just trying to take out frustration where they didn't need to be taken out, and hurting others in the process.
She didn't know just how cruel these pieces of trash were. She didn't know they would do... this to get to him.
She didn't know, but she knew now.
"Please, I don't know where he is..." Krystal sobbed, wanting the hurt to stop.
"Tisk tisk, you don't want me to go get Panzy again, do you dear?" Clover said gently.
That was it, that was the last straw. Scootaloo couldn't take it anymore, if that meant she was the one to get the beating, than so be it!
"Leave her alone!" The filly yelled. "She said she doesn't know, so just stop."
Clover cast a side long glance at her, her gentle eyes twinkling with horrible mischief.
"Scootaloo, no..." Krystal wheezed, opening her good eye and looking at the filly imploringly.
Scootaloo held the pony's gaze, her stomach gurgling at her in protest, her mind screaming at her to stop in the interests of her own self preservation.
She ignored the protest and the screaming, Scootaloo had been nothing short of useless for too long, and even if it bought Krystal only a few minutes reprieve, the foal would be dead before allowing that kind of abuse to continue.
"Oh Panzyyy!" Clover called aloud. "I think you might want to come in here."
Scootaloo gulped, hoping beyond hope that Angle had found Sin.
Angel scurried through the storm, his heart pounding in his chest as he scanned the wood work for the stallion he desperately wanted to find.
The brown pony was on his list, but new mama needed him. It was infuriating that Angel couldn't help her himself, but he knew what he was capable of doing and what he wasn't. Those horned ponies were bad business, they could move things without touching them, and Angel was very much a thing they could move and dismiss easily.
He slipped on a patch of wet grass and slipped to the ground, sliding and rolling over himself as he tumbled down a hill. The rabbit lay there, panting and squinting at the sky as the rain assaulted his pelt. He'd been searching for a good hour, scuttling about the area, wanting to find the help he needed to find.
It was so dark, he could barely see where he was going. How could he hope to find the brown pony? How could he get the help new mama needed? To save her, how could he do anything? How could-
Angle smacked himself and forced himself to his feet. No, no he couldn't indulge his self pity. New mama needed him, and he was going to help her.
Straining his ears, Angel listened for something, anything he could hear. Usually, his ears were great and he could hear anything he wanted, but all he could hear now was the falling of rain all about, when the lighting didn't deafen him for a brief moment.
He gritted his teeth and jumped up and down in frustration.
This was hopeless! It was too dark to see, too loud to hear, wet rain was all he could smell... Gah!
Not knowing what to do, Angle pronked off into a full sprint north, up yet another hill. He had to keep going, his lungs may burn, his sides and paws may ache, but he had to do something, he had to find him, he had to-
The rabbit froze, his right ear twitching in the rain.
He thought he'd just hear-
He perked up and turned left, a sudden flash of lightening giving him just enough illumination to see the brown cloak off in the distance. He strained his ears, just to make sure and smiled as he recognized the sounds of talking, a voice he knew.
He jutted forth as fast as he could.
"So these friends of yours." Valiar said, loudly enough to be heard over the rain and slight wind. "Will they be alright with what we intend to do?"
Sin bit his lip as the two walked down the bluff. "No, but I need to find them. I gave my word I'd look after them."
Valiar gave Sin a quizical look. "You promised you'd look after them, even though they don't approve of what you're doing?"
Sin's eyes went distant for a moment, thinking carefully how to answer that question. He didn't want to start his relationship with Valiar off on a lie. "I did, and I've made a terrible mistake." He yelled looking around. "We need to find them, I don't like the idea of them being stuck in this storm."
Lighting flashed and Sin looked out to see something approaching them, something small, fast and white.
The Federalist felt his heart leap as Angel ran forward to greet them. "Angel!" He greeted, happy to see the rabbit. "Tell me where Scootaloo and Krystal are, I need to talk to them!"
The rabbit nodded but did something Sin had never seen him do before. The rabbit began punching himself in the face for some reason and then pointed down the bluff.
Punching himself in the face? What did that mea... Oh no.
"Angel, are... are the girls at that house by the lake?" Sin asked tentatively.
To his horror, the rabbit nodded.
Sin's stomach dropped and he turned to Valiar. "Get ready for another fight!" He bellowed before taking off full trot. Or as close to a trot as pony with a limp could go.
Scootaloo scurried as quickly as she could, a crash of a vase shattering in the corner she was just in.
"You missed again, Panzy." Clover said, holding Krystal in her magic besides her on the couch. "Maybe you should have just left her bound, you wouldn't have wasted so much time."
"Shut up, this is stress relief." The pink pegasus replied, grabbing another vase and tossing it, this one hitting the wall just behind Scootaloo. The filly failed to watch her footing and stumbled as a few shards of previously broken ceramic embedded themselves into the tender part of her hooves.
The game was simple, Scootaloo wouldn't be beaten outright like Krystal was. Apparently there was no sport in hitting a foal like that. Instead, she was to play a game of dodge vase. The dodging part was simple enough, but where the torture lied was in dodging the vases while simultaneously avoiding the sharp and pointy shards that were already on the ground.
Using her wings, Scootaloo took the weight off her hooves a little and just avoided another delicate piece of houseware, this one a glass wine bottle. The filly cringed and looked back, her nose crinckling as the stench of the watered down alcohol hit her senses.
"Breaking things does help relieve stress." Clover said non nonchalantly. "Just make sure not to hit her on the head. Don't want to make her too loopy."
"Don't worry, I WONT!" Panzy answered, her final word emphasized with the effort of throwing a larger wine bottle.
Scootaloo tried to dodge, but just as she was leaning down to leap, a stray piece of glass found it's way into her hoof, and the filly buckled down from the pain. Another round of pain hit her as the wine bottle scored on the very top of her back, shattering on impact and covering her in both the old drink and glass.
Scootaloo fell to the ground and curled around herself, determined not to scream.
"Scootalo- gah!" Krystal wheezed, her call cut off as a fine golden aura surounded her delicate throat, crushing down into her windpipe. She struggled for breath, pawing uselessly at the magic.
"So sorry dear, but I'd rather Panzy not be distracted. She's finally gotten her first hit." Said the lilac unicorn.
Scootaloo opened an eye and then closed it again.
It was unbelievable how surreal this all felt to her. She could barely process it all, she would think herself in a nightmare if it wasn't for the fact the pain in her hooves and sides from broken pieces of glass told her she was awake.
How? How could ponies be this cruel? This mean? This hateful? Why were they doing this to them? Scootaloo and Krystal had never hurt them, they'd never done anything to them. Then why was this happening to them? What did they do to deserve this kind of depraved treatment?
"You might wanna let go, Clover. I think she needs air." Panzy said.
Scootaloo's eyes opened in horror.
"No." Clover said plainly. "I grow tired of this little game. I believe it's time we finally got some answers. If pain will not suffice for our needs, than perhaps a more... permanent sacrifice shall."
"No..." Scootaloo whispered. She needed to do something! She needed to stop them before they... they...
"NO!" Scootaloo screamed, forcing herself upright, not caring about the pain shrapnel digging into her hooves.
Krystal's desperate wheezing and struggling became more frantic as the unicorn's grip began to lift her off the couch. "I'm sorry dear, no what?"
"Stop it!" Scootaloo cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Stop it! Please, you're killing her!"
Clover gave her a pleasant little chuckle, as if the filly had told her a rather humorous joke. "Yes dear, that's the idea. Tell us where Sin is, and I'll stop."
"I don't know! I don't know! If I knew, I'd tell you! Please just let her go! PLEASE!" Scootaloo begged, all defiance and anger now gone, replaced by an impending sense of doom and dread.
"Gah uh, ahh... H- help... me..." Krystal's struggling began to slow, bit by bit, her forelegs began to slowly inch away from her throat.
"Hmmm. Wrong answer." Clover said shaking her head.
Scootaloo watched with wide, pinprick eyes as Krystal's hoof slowly fell to her side, her body going completely slack.
BANG!
The front door slammed open, drawing the filly's bleary attention and hope.
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
Sin charged in, his crossbow already firing off a shot.
Alot of things happened after that, there was another pony with Sin, there was yelling, shouting, magic casting of red and gold, somebody screamed, threats were made.
But through it all, through the fighting, the yelling, the spells, Scootaloo's focus was transfixed on the unmoving, lifeless body of the pegasus mare she'd just lost.
Silent tears fell for her, the... the closest thing she had to a mother in the past few years. Scootaloo felt numb, her mind subtly denying what she was looking at. She wanted Krystal to start coughing, to cough, sit up, and give her a reassuring smile. Yet, as the seconds dragged on, Krystal did none of those things. She did nothing but lay there, not moving, not even breathing.
Sin loaded and reloaded his crossbow, taking a final pot shot at Private Panzy's retreating form as she carried her wounded companion away. He didn't see the pain he inflicted, he didn't care if they screamed, he just wanted them dead, dead and fucking dead!
But it was too late, they were too far gone, now. Even Valiar's magic wasn't hitting close to their position.
Shaking with rage beyond recognition, Sin turned back to the couch where he'd seen Krystal, all his anger suddenly turning to dread and dispair.
He ran to her side and placed an ear to her chest. He gasped, no heart beat.
"No, no, no, no!" He denied, his chest heaving with desperate effort. This couldn't be happening, no, no, not this. Anything but this!
'Give her mouth to mouth!' Critic screamed in desperation.
Sin searched his memories on the specifics. He quickly undid the teal bandana around her neck, took a breath and then pressed them down onto Krystal's, forcing her lungs full of two breaths and then pressing down on her chest for fifteen heartbeats.
"C'mon. Come. On!" Sin grunted which each thrust. "C'mon Krystal, stay with me!"
He gave her two more breaths and went back to her chest. "No, no you can't die here. You can't die! I- I owe you a train ride, remember? I promised you a ride on a train."
Still no response. He checked her heart beat again and grunted in frustration before continuing his motions. Two breaths, fifteen heart pumps. Two breaths, fifteen heart pumps. Two breaths, fifteen heart pumps...
He didn't know how long he'd been doing that for, long enough that he was out of breath now. He checked her pulse again and grew increasingly distraught.
"Scootaloo, get over here and say something! Say something Tapio dammit!" Sin barked, but nothing came of it, the filly was frozen in place.
"Fuck!" Sin shouted, turning back to Krystal and giving her two more breaths, desperate to breath life back into the pegasus.
"Dammit Krystal don't do this! Don't you fucking die on me! You're stronger than this, be strong like your mom said you were! I promised your parents! I promised you! And... and you promised Scootaloo! You promised to teach her to fly, to take care of her! She needs you..." He cut off, leaning his head down to hers and said very softly: "I need you."
Still nothing, nothing at all.
Sin's mouth began to quiver, dread, defeat and loss pulling at his stomach.
He gritted his teeth and fought the tears that threatened to come. How could this happen? How could he let this happen to her? To them!? How could he be so careless?
The stallion lifted a foreleg and slammed it down onto his aching hind leg to break him from the thoughts. He needed to keep going, he needed to keep her blood oxidized.
"Don't die, don't die! C'mon Krystal! You're a fighter, you're tougher than this, I know you are. Just like your mom said, right?"
Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.
"C'mon kiddo, you're stronger than this. You wanted to be a singer and a mother! You need to be alive for those things!"
Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.
Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.
Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.
Sin checked for a pulse again and gripped the mare's lifeless hoof for a quick second before giving her another pair of breaths.
This couldn't be how it ended for her, this just couldn't be it. Krystal Melody was so full of life, so full of youth and innocence, a mare who was too good to go like this... And yet, no matter how many times he'd given her breaths, she just wouldn't wake up.
Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.
Two breaths, fifteen beats.
Two breaths, fifteen beats.
Sin kept going, his own body and it's pain and needs be damned. This was his fault, this was all his doing. And he'd be six ways of damned before he gave up on her.
Two breaths, fifteen beats.
Two breaths, fifteen beats.
The stallion took a second to catch his breath, his eyes going to the still pony's face. She looked peaceful now, no pain on her face, no hurt, no anguish or suffering. A few stray hairs of her electric blue, bi-colored mane covered her beautiful face, caught on the swollen eye.
Sin's jaw quivered over the peaceful state and he began to sob in guilt. This was a terrifying peace, the ending peace, a rest he didn't want for her to have. A rest she would never wake up from.
Again, he went back to his work.
Two breaths, fifteen beats.
Two breaths, fifteen beats.
Two breaths, fifteen beats.
He didn't know how long he'd gone on for, minutes or hours? The stallion's adrenaline pushed him to continue, to give her the chance to recover that she deserved, that he owed her.
Two breaths, fifteen beats
Two breaths, fifteen beats...
Stats
Page generated in 0.083 seconds
Total duration
1,117 users online
1,784,710 hits today, 1,996,409 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
7478490 Sin had pushed her aside when he was facing down Smart Cookie. He didn't touch her during the Macintosh confrontation at the rock farm.
And prepare for a roller coaster ride in the last three chapters I've set up now... You might hate me for a while.
... No?
Maybe.
I'm not hot bloodely angry, but I'm sorta wondering why, at this point, is this happening...
But that doesn't mean I expect there to be no reason.
I'm conflicted, a death like this would be good or at least make for an interesting development for the overall story. On the other hand you just killed Kyrstal, which makes me want to beat you to a pulp. For now I'll wait to see what happens in the next chapter, before I make a decision. Though I doubt most of your other readers will feel the same.
7478573 jooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooy.
7478593 It will all be explained in the next chapter. No deus ex crazy shit like last time, there was a reason for it. (Aside from trying my hand at dark fic.)
This was one of the core chapters I'd conceptualized when I started the journey arc. Returning Valiar back into the mix and having a darker conflict. Something that would devastate Sin and be completely his fault to make him really think about what was important.
Freedom and a lack of attachment, or a little restriction and relationships.
Try to put a spin on the "protagonist does something bad, needs forgiveness from friends, ends up he's not there to fix the real mistake" and so on. But instead of the "misunderstanding" plotline we all see to often, it's actually something that's worth it? I think?
Well, the story's main premise is a hard critique of the Brutalist Libertarian mindset and it's relationship to social interactions...
It's hard to balance all this and make it a good fic.
7478610 Awww, c'mon. She was too new to the story, you guys can't have grown that much of an attachment to her, right?
7478638 She was a good, likable, and well written character that is easy to get attached to. At least in my opinion she was. If you get any flames for this you have no one to blame but yourself for writing her so well.
7478502 You may also like this one from the same video game. It is the theme of Blade Wolf.
A pity. Still, if that is how it must be, then so be it. Too bad Sin can't just use one of his Trap Bolts as a makeshift defibrillator. Then he could revive Krystal, then leave her in a hospital, or something.
7479582 Umm, well, you see the thing about that is that the trap bolts don't run off of high voltage. The damage done isn't in that, but in the Amperage. A taser with high a high volt count doesn't account for much, if what I've researched is to be believed. What does the harm is the amps in the electric stream.
The Trap Bolt focused less on wattage and voltage in favor of Amperage. With only sixteen volts behind it, just enough to carry the current.
There wouldn't be enough volts to restart the heart, since most defibrillators need 100-300 volts. But the Amperage would be enough to really mess up her heart if Sin tried that.
7479618 yeah amps are what get you killed
7480732 Huh? Wow, umm, I was expecting you not to like the way Sin had handled that...
Congratulations, GIWU, you've legitimately surprised me. A very incredible thing to do, well done, sir.
7480836 *shrugs*
I'm not happy that Sin was forced to do this, but I could not legitimately find another way for the message to get across for Scootaloo and Khrystal.
I know that Sin had try to reason with them back in Appleloosa (though I probably would have used different ways and words to argue the point), but the fillies could not be reasoned with and were gonna make a decision that was gonna cause more harm than good in my humble opinion.
If reason was not gonna sway them from Sin's goal to save Big Mac's life, in which lethal force is necessary in this case, then experience will certainly demonstrate the folly of the girl's undertaking. However, I thought the experience was going to be from something worse, like if the whole group was captured by the Trotski as a result of the fillies' actions. Glad that was not the case.
Again, I'm not happy that Sin had to do this, but I could not figure out how else the fillies will be stopped from making a life-threatening decision.
Now....................I'm dreading the consequences of said decision. I know the fallout is not gonna be pretty, at all.
7482980 Krystal may be able to interfere with the Nightmare's influence, but they don't know that...
Ah crap.
In my humble opinion, that fear is legitimate. When you are completely helpless, defenseless, and virtually at the mercy of beings who can do unspeakable horrors to you, it is VERY easy to get scared. I don't blame Sin for this.
For now.
hmm
Fuck! You! Do something useful instead of condemning him you winged ass BITCH!
*SHIVERS* Yeah.
Yeah, that's worse.
Didn't expect to see him.
AW you gotta be- *pressed lips*
At least you tried.
Figures.
WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT a minute.................is he.......................?
Oh that does it! For this continued aggression on the part of Chrysallis, the next time we meet her, she needs to die!
So taking her on solo is going to be near impossible. Let alone, a full force.
Quite the bitch she is.
oooooooooo. My favorite kind of death to inflict on the enemy.
Probably.
Ooooooo. That has to hurt.
He's faced tougher opponents before.
Should have figured that he would go on a revenge quest against Chrysallis. I don't trust him to restrain himself though, not after that massacre he inflicted in Las Pegasus.
You were saying?
I'm not.
This is gonna be painful.
So.........who's up for burnt cockroaches? I heard they have plenty of protein inside.
Nice to see you too.
Props to Valiar for this.
Fair enough.
True.
.................oh boy.
Valiar just violated the NAP. Now, we have a Mexican stand-off. Let the fun begin.
Considering what Chrysallis plans to do, I agree with his sentimentality.
This is getting intense.
Hurah.
...............I don't like this guy..................at all.
I do not feel comfortable having this guy around the girls. I don't trust him.
This sums it up well.
Took the words out of my mouth.
Fair trade.
This is a very risky though. Valiar has a set of morals that put me on edge and he doesn't seem to respect other people's choices, which is a big nono to me. Plus, I do not trust him being around the girls...................if Valiar does accompany, Sin needs to take a lot of necessary precautions in case something goes wrong.
Jeez, someone has bad breath.
Damn.
Ah, the good cop, bad cop routine. Great.
She needs to die. I hate her right now.
Angel got away in order to find help.
The amount of hatred I have for Pansy is increasing.
Now Scootaloo is starting to get it. I just kind of wished she would have learned it differently and safely.
Scoots, if these ponies were willing to commit murder and assassinate Big Macintosh, what made you think they wouldn't go through these cruel and evil measures? Sin made it VERY clear how cruel these troskis were, you just chose to hold on to that naivety you've been taught and did not acknowledge the harsh reality until now.
You have my respect Scoots.
*proud smile*
C'mon Angel! Hurry!
Unfortunately.
Damn.
That's right Angel. Scoots and Krystal are counting on you.
I hope that means he found him.
Found him.
That was the Kid's doing.
Yep. You guessed it. NOW HURRY!
Time to kick some ass.
IS PANZY TRYING TO CUT AND STAB HER OR SOMETHING?! THAT FUCKING BITCH!
This is gonna be painful.
Oh crap. That has to hurt.
Fucking bastards.
Sometimes, they do it for the evulz and take pleasure out of hurting others, regardless if they deserve it or not. They're that selfish.
O.O Oh shit.
SIN! HURRY THE FUCK UP!
YES!
No..................please tell me this is Scoot's just exaggerating, SHE CAN'T BE DEAD!
But how did they get away?! Sin and Valiar had the element of surprise and came through the only opening the Trotski could have used to escape.
...................
Will it work?
.............
..............
..............
...............
................
...............rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr[/size]rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAMN! THE! FUCKING! TROTSKIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSS!!!!!! DAMN THEM TO ETERNAL! SUFFERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.........................
........................
.......................*tears of sorrow flowing*
Well that is the horrible reality there facing. no one can deny the painful truth.
anyways great chapter.
7484932 Yea... you're not mad, right?
7485394 OF COURSE I'M MAD! I'M MAD AT LUNA FOR NOT ARRESTING THE TROTSKIS SOONER, I'M AT MYSELF FOR SUPPORTING SIN'S DECISION TO THREATEN THE FILLIES, WHICH INDIRECTLY CAUSED THIS WHOLE SITUATION, and most importantly, I AM OVERWHELMINGLY FURIOUS BEYOND REASON AT THE DAMN FUCKING TROTSKIS!!!! I didn't like them that much before and considered them an annoyance at best. Now they have committed the greatest sin in storytelling: KILLING A SWEET AND INNOCENT LITTLE GIRL THAT I HAVE GROWN TO LIKE.............................
...............................
...............................
My wrath will not be quenched until every. single. member of the Trotski leadership is dead.
Hope that answers your question.
7485727 Aww, c'mon dude. She was introduced so late to the story, barely had any presence here.
You couldn't have gotten that attached to her, right?
7486365 You be surprised how fast and easy I can get attached to sweet and innocent kids, especially girls. It's just my nature.
7486516 Okay, but to be fair, she wasn't a girl, she was over 20 years...