A Crafter's Dream Ch. 53: Retribution (Part 1)
Now, without further ado, I present,
“A Crafter’s Dream”
Steve slowly poked his head out over the cliff edge. About twenty feet below him, two of those black bug-ponies, changelings, stood watch in front of a dimly lit cave entrance, presumably their base. Sighing, he pulled himself back, taking a deep breath as he tried to think of a plan.
“So, this may be a bad time, but I have to go to the bathroom.”
Steve sent a glare to his right, where the two changelings he had captured earlier were tied together, back-to-back. The first one, the female, was glaring, or rather trying to, at her partner. The changeling in question, whom Steve had learned was named Quip, was blinking innocently at Steve with its big, blue, pupiless eyes.
“Well, that sure sucks for you.” Steve responded with a deadpan before turning his gaze back to the two changelings below him. “Okay, so how am I going to get in there?” He muttered to himself.
“So, what are you, anyway?” The Crafter heard Quip ask. Sighing, Steve glanced over at the changeling.
“Why do you care?”
“Well, I mean, I told you what species Vesper and I are, I just figured it would only be fair if you returned the favor.”
Steve’s gaze narrowed at the male changeling. His teeth grit in anger. “Only fair? Only, fair?” He hissed angrily, being careful to stay quiet enough to remain unnoticed, but still get his point across. “Why the fuck would I care about fairness when you attacked and captured an innocent zebra, who is also a very good friend of mine?!”
“Oh come on.” Quip whined. “It’s not like we wanted to, but Vask needed information, as well as a food source. Your friend was just the unlucky candidate. It was either her o-”
“Quip?” Vesper suddenly asked, interrupted her companion.
“Yeah?”
“For the love of the Queen, shut the buck up.” She spoke, her tone laced with fear.
“What? Wh-?”
Quip was suddenly interrupted as Steve grabbed him by his chitin chestplate and lifted him up, Vesper giving a surprised yelp as she was taken along for the ride. Quip gave a nervous gulp when he saw the furious look in the Crafter’s indigo eyes, which was only aided by the pure anger emanating from him. The changeling had been so busy talking, he didn’t notice just how angry Steve had become.
The Minecraftian’s entire body was stiff, his breathing heavy. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. His teeth were grit to the point that both changelings briefly wondered how they hadn’t shattered. It didn’t take a genius to figure out how pissed off he was.
After a moment of silence, Steve finally spoke, leaning close to Quip’s face.
“What do you mean, food source?”
Quip swallowed nervously as he struggled to find the words to answer. Coughing, he cleared his throat. “Um, c-changelings, kinda f-feed off of emotions, particularly l-love. We can s-suck it up from pretty much every other species e-except our own.”
‘Steve, I do not believe he is lying.’ Nightmare Steve commented after a moment of silence.
‘Yeah, I know.’ The Crafter responded in his mind, continuing to glare into Quip’s terrified eyes. ‘I’m just trying to decide what to do with them. Can’t let them go, not yet, at least.’
‘Why not just leave them here?’
‘They’ll try to escape. I don’t know how long that rope I tied them up with will last. But, I may just have a better idea.’
Dropping the changelings to the floor, he reached into his inventory and pulled out some cobblestone.
“Stay still.” He ordered, in a tone that made it clear he was to be obeyed. Then. he began to build a small cobblestone hut around them, with a single opening for them to get air. Wiping his hands on his pants, he looked through the small 1x1 opening.
“Now, I’m gonna get going and rescue my friend. You can try and escape if you want, I just need you both out of the way for the time being.” With that, he stepped onto the edge of the rock face, preparing to jump onto the unknowing changelings below.
“There’s no way you’ll be able to get your friend back.” Vesper spoke, her voice echoing slightly from within her stone imprisonment. “There’s no less than twenty of us, and there’s only one of you. That’s not exactly a fair fight.”
Steve stopped for a second. After a moment of silence, he turned to look at her before nodding. “Yeah, you’re right. That doesn’t sound like a very fair fight.” He gave the duo a cocksure grin. “Make it fifty and then maybe your friends will actually have a fighting chance.”
D-Pad Left: Fishing Rod
Square: Hook
Withdrawing his fishing rod, he swiftly latched the hook onto the ledge, giving it a sharp tug to make sure it was secure. Taking a deep breath, he jumped.
* * * * *
Kip slowly trotted down the stone corridor, his hoofsteps echoing softly off the walls. Normally, Crag would be accompanying him, but due to his rather serious injury, Kip was alone. Sure he could’ve asked Vask to redo the schedule a bit, but Queen forbid anyling ask her to do anything extra. Honestly, Kip didn’t know why she came along at all. But, as a simple excavating drone, he wasn’t paid, figuratively speaking since changelings don’t get paid, to ask questions.
Nearing the entrance to their temporary base, Kip saw Rei and Bane standing guard. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.
“Hey Rei, Bane. I’m here for the shift change.”
Bane arched an eyebrow. “Alone?”
Kip shrugged. “Yeah. With Crag out of commission, I’ll be-”
WHUMP!
Kip blinked in surprise. One moment Bane had simply been standing there, looking at him. The next, he was replaced by the form of a strange, bipedal creature, dressed in a pair of blue trousers and a lighter blue cyan shirt. Before either Kip or Rei could react, the being rushed forward, quickly withdrawing a glowing blue sword from somewhere and clobbering Rei over the head, sending her to the dirt. Only a moment later, a gray boot slammed into his muzzle, knocking him to the side.
Slamming into the stone wall directly behind him, Kip let out a cry of pain before slumping to the ground, breathing heavily. Glancing up, he saw Rei attempting to get back to her hooves, only for something blunt and blue to slam into her skull and knock her out. Looking up, he saw the being turn from Rei’s unconscious form and look at him.
Eyes widening in panic, he tried to run, but the bipedal threw the tool in its grip and hit him hard in the side, sending the changeling sprawling. Heart racing in his chest, Kip frantically tried his best to flee, but something slammed into the back of his head and everything went black.
* * * * *
Taking a few deep breaths, Steve looked over the three unconscious changelings. Thinking quickly, he dragged them out of the cave entrance and into some nearby underbrush. After making sure they were securely hidden, he walked back over to the mouth of the cave, making sure to grab and unlatch his fishing rod which had still been hanging from the ledge. Slowly stepping inside, he was met with a long, narrow corridor. While it was dark near the entrance, there seemed to be more light further down the way.
D-Pad Up: Sword
Unsheathing his blade, he held it out in front of him as both a means of protection as well as a small light source for the otherwise dark cave. He walked carefully, prepared for anything to attack him at any moment. As he neared the light at the end of the tunnel, he suddenly heard something.
X: Jump
Jumping to the side, he pressed himself against the cave wall. Taking a deep breath, he strained an ear to see if he could make out what the noise was.
It was voices. Two, in fact. One sounded like a gruff-sounding older male, while the other seemed like a much younger male, probably a young adult. Leaning closer in, Steve managed to make out some of what they were saying.
“... interrogation go?” The younger voice asked.
“Not good. Could barely get any info from her.” The older voice responded. “When she wasn’t giving us the silent treatment, the bitch kept talking in rhymes, which was annoying as buck.”
“So what did you do instead?”
“Eh, Vask just used a memory withdraw spell and had Nix and Peakt suck all the love outta her.”
“Isn’t that kinda lethal?” Steve’s heart skipped a beat at the younger changeling’s words.
“Yep, turns ponies into lifeless husks. It’s weird, her…” Steve didn’t listen to anything after that as he fell back against the wall, eyes wide and heart racing.
‘Dead, dead, no she can’t be dead.’ His thoughts shot through his mind. ‘She was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, she can’t be dead. She, she was my friend, why? Why is she gone? She’s-’
Steve was brought from his thoughts when both of the changelings suddenly laughed. Gritting his teeth, Steve tried his best to keep himself from shaking in rage.
‘Those, those, bastards! They killed her and don’t even give two fucks about it!!’
‘Steve, please calm down.’ Nightmare Steve spoke in a calm but pleading voice. ‘I understand your anger, but it will only-’
‘Can it, Nightmare!!’ Steve roared in his mind. ‘These fuckers are going to pay!!’
Without another word, the Crafter leapt out into the middle of the stone corridor, immediately gaining the attention of both of the changelings.
One was taller than the other, with a large gray scar running over one of his eyes and one of his gray wings missing. He wore a strange, dark-blue chestplate and similarly colored boots. On his side was a standard sword, held in a brown cloth sheath. The other was unarmed, with no visible weapons or armor.
“What the buck!?” The armed changeling yelled, his horn flaring and his sword whipping out in front of him while his companion jumped behind him for cover.
Square: Slash
Circle + Square: Counter
Rushing forward, Steve swung his sword forward, only to be met by his opponent’s iron blade. Pushing forward, Steve broke past the changeling’s guard before slicing him hard in the side, his sword cutting through chitin like a knife through warm butter. The changeling cried out in pain as he was sent rolling by the blow. Upon coming to a stop, he coughed and groaned, pressing a black hoof to the wound where green blood now poured from.
“Blisk!!” The other changeling cried in distress. Steve whirled around to see the changeling standing a short distance away, terror clear in it’s blue eyes. “Anyling!! Help!!” He shouted, his fearful voice echoing off the cave walls.
Triangle (Hold): Roundhouse Kick
Sighing in frustration, Steve roundhouse kicked him in the face, knocking the changeling to the ground beside his companion. Standing above the duo, he raised his blade, readying himself to plunge it downwards. However, before he could, something hard slammed into his back, sending him flying through the air and colliding with the wall before hitting the ground.
Damage Received - 5 damage. 15 health remaining.
Groaning, he shot to his feet before whirling around to see what had hit him. Only to see a bolt of green magic flying towards his face.
Circle + Square: Counter
Getting into a stance, Steve swung his sword like a baseball bat. The spell rebounded off his blade, flying backwards towards whoever shot it, only for a green force-field to block the shot. Within the barrier were no less than a dozen changelings, all of which were armed to the teeth with a whole manner of armor and weapons, ranging from swords and spears to battle-axes and maces. One rather large changeling even had an intimidating-looking war-hammer hefted over its shoulder.
Growling, Steve held his blade at the ready as he slowly stalked towards the squad of changelings. As he did so, one of their horns lit up and shot a bolt of magic at him.
Circle: Dodge
Steve easily side-stepped the attack. The ease with which he did so sent a slight ripple of unease through the group facing him. The Crafter smirked. Good.
‘Steve, I feel that-’ Nightmare Steve began, only to get cut off.
‘Not now.’ The Crafter responded. Silence for a moment, then a resigned sigh.
‘Steve, killing them will not bring Zecora back.’
Circle: Dodge
‘I know that!’ Steve responded, performing a front-flip as a wave of magical fire passed underneath. ‘But it’ll sure as hell make me feel a bit better!’
‘No it won’t.’
Steve stopped, still a good twenty-five feet from the group of changelings. His gaze was leveled at the group, but his thoughts were focused on the Nightmare’s words. As much as it pained Steve to admit, he knew Nightmare Steve was right.
‘...Yeah. Yeah you’re right.’ Steve responded as the anger began to slowly turn into sorrow. ‘Killing them won’t bring her back. She’s gone, and there’s no undoing that.’ He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, ignoring the tears that now ran down his cheeks. ‘... But she didn’t deserve to die.’
‘I know, Steve. I know.” A beat. ‘Magic bolt incoming.’
Circle: Block
Holding his sword across his chest, Steve blocked the attack, eyes still closed. Dropping his blade to his side, he opened his eyes, looking over every changeling inside the barrier. Taking a moment to steel his resolve, he dropped into a fighting stance, then charged, letting out a loud battle-cry.
‘For Zecora?’ Nightmare asked. Steve rushed forward, sword at the ready as he neared the barrier. Bolts of magic whizzed by, but he remained undaunted as he charged.
X: Jump
As soon as he got close enough, he leapt, thrusting his blade forward as hard as he could.
‘For Zecora.’
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Whoa, chill dude, you're scaring your pet eldritch horror.
i wont spoil it
great chapter
Wow hum ok, so I did not expect that ending, and it's also kind of depressing!
9835005
i feel like i am being left out of the loop here... just wish i new which loop...
i don't think zecora is dead... at least i hope she isnt...
9835165
Let me put it this way. Something one of the changelings say is very important.
9835174
i feel like if he listened to the rest of that statement...
9835165
read the chapter again and look real close at the stealing all love part
9835180
Yes, that statement. Now, what part of it seems off, regarding the current situation with Zecora?
9835199
The fact that they managed to capture the badass at all?
9835180
Yeah, it's the not listening and jumping to wrong conclusions that starts wars.
But it also makes for great drama in stories! Woo! Cliffhangers!
9835199
well if i had to hazzard a guess. i would say something along the lines of, they couldn't find what she loved enough to get love out of her. she didn't weaken like they thought she would, or she managed to resist the drain.
And even after all that, he still hasn’t killed anything.
9835250
One of those three, or a fourth not-dead outcome.
R.I.P Zecora
9835659
she's not dead they hinted that something is different with her and they said Ponies when all the love is sucked out of them Zecora's a zebra different species different results.
Kill the bugs anyway. And send the bodies back to Klendathu.
OY! Don't go full on Uncle on me, and get confusing! (Uncle from Jackie Chan Adventures)
Welp may she rise to fight with him and help him bring her back to life and is steve still living in the everfree
i sure hope there is a good supply of ice and bandages handy. there is about to be a hole bunch of lings in the need.
9836700
Ayah!
9834989
And that is saying something!
Must say, I do love this. Also I'm happy you can do good cryptic. Gotta look for clues. Though I was in the know before reading you little bit at the end
Just as long as it does not cut to something else or a flash back Im likin it so far
That moment when his own Nightmare is more reasonable than he is. FFS, what's his problem? He literally always acts first think later. Well, at least he eventually does.
Pretty thin, the water's
Finally, Steve built something!!