Equestria has defended itself from countless terrors without fail through the strength of friendship. Well, just wait until they get a load of me.
What's it been? 1000 years? That's funny. It feels like much longer than that.
Let me tell you, being trapped in stone that long can do crazy things to a guy. And when you were a little off your rocker in the first place... But now I'm free. The leaders of this disgusting place trapped me here, and now they're going to pay. I'm going to show them the real definition of insanity.
Do you want to know one thing I've noticed about being trapped in stone? You tend to go through a cycle of emotions.
First of all, you'll feel anger towards whoever put you in your stony prison. A hot flame, eager to escape and wreak havoc once again, but after about twenty minutes with nothing to do but admire the scenery, the anger eventually fades and is replaced with your second emotion.
Regret. You'll go through your final moments of freedom and slowly realize all of the ways you could have avoided being put here in the first place. You could've simply killed the heroes instead of using an overly complicated death trap, or killed them yourself instead of telling your minions to do it. Or you could've ducked when you saw the giant rainbow blast headed towards you. Just saying.
Then comes boredom. The usual sentence in your marble cell lasts about one thousand years, give or take. During this time you're completely paralyzed, only able to ever move your eyes a few centimetres. There is absolutely no interaction with the outside world. Many would say all of this time with nobody but your own thoughts is almost certain to drive anyone mad. They would be right.
But eventually you'll tire of boredom.
That's when something begins to build deep within you. Something hot... Smouldering. It's a pressure deep inside that builds and builds and builds. It's so much hotter than anger and it doesn't really want to get out too badly at first, but it's a force that's constantly growing. Every time you see a free being on the outside, and every time you remember what it was like to be able to do... anything. And after a little while, you'll realize what it is.
It's pure hatred. Plain and simple. You see, anger is just a flame. It's plenty hot, but without a constant fuel supply, it burns itself out. But hate? Hate is like the magma deep underneath your feet. It's always there, Just waiting for it's chance to get out. Then, like a volcano, it explodes, beautifully and horribly at the same time.
And with about a thousand years to build, there's going to be one hell of an explosion.
----------
Today's the day. I can feel it. I know I've said that a ton of times already (786, to be exact.) but today seems like a great day for a break out. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, three little fillies are arguing in front of Discord's statue-
Oh.
Holy shit! Today really is the day! I'd scream with joy, but I'm a little preoccupied with my rock impression. Straining my ears, I can sort of make out what they're saying.
"-Call me things I don't know the meaning of! And it is too chaos!" The orange pegasus growls. I've never seen wing's like her's, they're so tiny. Like chicken wings. I wonder what they taste like?
"Is not!" The white unicorn shoots back. Her voice is so high. I wonder what she would sound like if I set her on fire.
The three of them start to scuffle, and it's actually kind of funny to watch, until what I presume is their teacher comes to break up the battle.
But I'm no longer concentrating on what she's saying. I've noticed a crack has begun to form on Discord's chest, and It's slowly growing.
Stone cracking. It's not really a very exciting thing to most, but I watch in awe as the spirit of chaos himself is freed from his prison by something as simple as an argument between a few tiny ponies. Admittedly, I'm a little jealous.
Then my attention is pulled away as the school group reaches the foot of my "Statue".
"Whath thith one, miss Cheerilee?" A horse with a lisp? Really?
"This statue represents insanity. It is a carving of a psychotic being who supposedly came to Equestria about one thousand years ago." Wow. This lady knows her shit. Cool.
"He looks angry." A yellow filly with a bow in her hair adds.
And with that, the group moves on.
About twenty minutes after they leave Canterlot gardens, Discord's statue explodes loudly, scattering pieces of rock everywhere as an evil laugh echoes throughout the gardens.
Showoff.
Then he stretches. I can practically hear his joints popping from here.
"Oh, it's so good to be free!"
No shit, buddy. We're all so happy for you.
"The chaos I'll create, the nations I'll enslave!" He snaps his fingers, and a nearby hedge is turned into pure caramel.
He half walks, half floats past me.
"Okay, my first stop should probably be-" Suddenly, he stops and backs up until he's in front of my once again.
"My, my. Aren't you a rude one!" He chuckles a bit as he peers at me. "Most ponies wouldn't know what that gesture means, them having hooves and all, but I do."
Ah yes. I was unluckily turned to stone as I flipped Celestia the bird, my face angrily contorted into a snarl that clearly said Fuck You.
"You'll probably create a lot of chaos if I were to set you free, wouldn't you?"
You bet, baby.
"And on the off chance I was retuned to this wretched place, you'd continue causing chaos, quickening my release."
If my mouth could salivate, it would. My freedom depends solely on this guy's decision.
"Still, it's a tad risky, I've heard you're a little unpredictable..."
He looks at me, grin on his face. He's teasing me.
After a couple seconds, his smile grows.
"Oh, what the heck!" He snaps his fingers, and a tiny pickaxe appears in this left claw as a mining helmet materializes on his head, complete with a light.
He lifts the pickaxe, which could have only been about six inches in length, and brings it down, hard. Then he stops a few centimetres from the top of my middle finger and taps it lightly.
A tiny crack, about as wide as a hair, forms.
I hate this guy.
"What?" He acts hurt, as if he could feel my anger.
"Oh be so sendimental, you and I wouldn't want to quarry, now would we?" The spirit of chaos doubles over laughing like it was the funniest thing ever.
He turns to leave. "Don't worry," He starts giggling again. "After this, I'm sure we'll have a clean slate.
I'm trying so hard to hold down a scream of rage.
He takes a step outside before he calls over his shoulder. "I almost forgot." Then he teleports a few inches from my face.
"Rock on!"
The top of my middle finger breaks free, and stands a little taller.
I can feel it. I'm so close to escaping, I can almost smell the fresh air. It's just after the middle of the night now, not counting the times the day and night cycle rapidly switched.
I'm assuming that was Discord's doing.
Actually, speaking of Discord, he's back. They carried him in about an hour ago, and returned him to the exact same spot he was in before. Ironic. Before he was frozen in a position that looked like he was singing, but now he just looks freaked out. Serves him right. Knowing him, he probably made the biggest scene he could to attract as much attention as possible. Yeah, fantastic plan. I'm going to be smarter. You can bet on that.
In a single fluid motion, I twist both my wrists. Pebbles land softly on the grass surrounding me. Then I flex my fingers and dust flies. I extend my elbows before rotating my shoulders. Arms free. I move my neck to one side then bring both hands up, colliding with the sides of my skull and shattering the stone covering my head. I take a deep breath of cool, night air as I pull my legs free on their bindings and step off my platform. Happily, I run my fingers through my mowhawk and trace the scar that runs across my cranium.
It's been so long I've forgotten what it's like to feel things. Now that's crazy. I've basically forgotten what it's like to have a sense of touch.
But enough of that. I can't simply teleport away from canterlot like Discord did. I'll have to sneak out. Before I do, though...
I casually saunter up to Discord's statue. I've waited a long time to do this.
"You know, hermano... I think a lot of people like you," I gesture towards him with my hands. "Take your freedom... for granite." I flash him a toothy grin before turning on my heel and walking away.
God damn, that felt good.
----------
I peer over the balcony as a cool breeze runs through my hair. I can practically see the exit now. It's one of the passageways that transport expensive goods, the kind of stuff ponies think is too valuable to put on the main train. I've been watching this particular shipment for about twenty minutes now, as a pair of royal guards unload the boxes. The only other pony present is the train's driver, and he wont hear what I'm about to do next over the sound of the engine.
When they drop the last crate on the ground I make my move.
I grunt as I jump from the balcony, knife unsheathed and glinting in the moonlight. One of the guards looks up as I land on him, my knife plunging into his chest. His partner lets out a yelp of shock and raises his spear, but I dodge to one side and kick the handle, knocking it from his hooves. As it clatters to the ground, I drive my blade into his throat. A splash of crimson hits my face as he falls. I wipe it off.
Quickly grabbing the bodies, I hide them in the shadows about fifty feet away. Then, I grab both of their spears, stick the pointy ends into the ground, and place their helmets on top. Sure, it's a little theatrical, but I want sun-bitch to know exactly who she's dealing with.
As I walk away and flick my knife downwards, leaving several scarlet drops on the ground. Then an idea comes to mind. Wiping the blood that I missed on my cheek, I leave a little message for celestia on one of the soldier's golden helmets. Then I hop into the empty train cart as its driver pulls away, completely unaware as to what just happened.
----------
Princess Celestia's day stated out as a pretty good one. She woke up, raised the sun and prepared to eat breakfast as she casually sipped her tea. Discord had been defeated by the elements of harmony, all the chaos he had created was vanquished, and to top it all off the chef had made her favourite red velvet pancakes. Levitating the fork to her mouth, she prepared to take her first bite.
"Princess! You must come quickly!"
Dropping the fork, she cleared her throat and prepared to politely address the pony who had so rudely interrupted her morning.
"Yes, Flash Sentry, how can I help you this fine morning?"
"One of the statues in canterlot gardens has broken free!"
Instantly, her blood ran cold. "Is it Discord?"
"No, you majesty. It's someone else."
----------
Wide eyed, the monarch of the sun examined the mess of rubble that had once housed the being she had dubbed 'insanity'.
"When did he escape?" She looked to the guard.
"Sometime around the middle of the night, your highness."
She weighed her options for a few seconds before replying. "Alright, I believe that the best thing to do at the moment would be to arrange-"
"PRINCESS!"
Jumping a little, Celestia turned her head to address whoever had screamed at her.
"Yes, what seems to be the-"
"You must come quickly!" The guard barked, interrupting her. "There's been an incident at one of the train yards!"
"Very well." She replied, already nearly positive as to who had caused the trouble. "Lead the way."
----------
"How did this happen?" Celestia practically growled. Her suspicions had been proven correct. "How is it possible for one being without any magical powers to kill two of my guards and escape Canterlot without a single pony knowing?"
The bodies of a pair of guards had been discovered, along with their weapons and armor. Statistically speaking, it was no great loss, but the fact that it had been done so easily was... unsettling.
"Your highness, it appears he is skilled in combat and stealth." The guard replied, apparently regaining his previously lost composure.
Suddenly, attention of the princess was drawn to one of the two helmets left sitting atop a spear. Reaching out with her telekinesis, she grabbed it and held it close to her face. A message was messily scrawled on the helmet in what she presumed was blood, judging by the smell. It was short, rude and to the point.
Catch me if you can, bitch.
-V
"This is a game to him." She breathed. "Taking the lives of innocent ponies. It's just a game to him."
Bewilderment quickly turning to anger, she gritted her teeth. The helmet proceeded to be noisily crushed into a small golden ball under the strength of her magical power and dropped at her hooves.
"Orders, you majesty?" The guard inquired, standing at attention.
Celestia cleared her throat before speaking. When she did, her tone was solid and determined. "Tell the royal guard to search the city. There's still a chance he may still be hiding in Canterlot. They are to arrest any bipedal figures on sight and bring them before me. Understood?"
The guard nodded curtly. "As you wish, princess."
"I will personally send a letter of warning to Twilight Sparkle and her friends to be on the lookout for this monster in Ponyville. If he has left the city, something tells me that's where he'll be headed."
The guard issued a salute before walking away.
Out of earshot from anypony else, the princess turned around, eyes closed.
Wow. Alright. This train really sucks. You'd think they'd make the ride smoother to protect all of the 'precious goods', but no. It's bumpy as hell and I hate it.
But while I'm stuck on this ride, I figure I'll take a little inventory. I currently hold: one Kimber Warrior .45 calibre pistol, its holster, three eight round magazines, making twenty-four bullets for my gun. I'm going to have to use it sparingly. As you probably guessed, I've also got a knife. To be specific, it's a silver seven inch Ka-Bar with it's sheath. Also in my possession is one broken-ass walkie-talkie. I don't know why I still carry it around. Those three things, the clothes on my back, and the various belts, bracelets, and necklaces are all I've got.
But it's all I'll need.
You've probably noticed that I'm not where I should be. Yes, as much of a suprise as this may come to you, I'm not from Equestria.
I don't remember much about what my life was like before I came here. It's... kinda been a long time. All I really know is something happened, some sort of accident, and now I'm here. But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. I may have gotten trapped in stone, but before that, and now, I constantly experience a freedom unlike anything I've ever felt before. And power. I feel a power over these ponies. They used to fear me.
And soon, they will again.
----------
Owlowiscious had never really liked his name. It was long, annoying, and hard to say. Something like Hedwig would have been nicer, but such is the life of a pet owl.
Hearing a fiery belch, he quickly woke from his nap and turned his head to investigate. Spike, that little dragon he found rather annoying but respected and sometimes admired, was holding a scroll and running towards his master, Twilight Sparkle. Owls have very good hearing, so he didn't even need to strain his ears to hear their conversation.
"Twilight!" Spike exclaimed.
"Yes Spike," She replied, turning from the bookshelf she had been sorting. "What is it?"
"You've got a letter." The dragon exclaimed, holding it up.
Taking the letter in her magical grip, the unicorn examined it.
"From who?"
"By the look of the seal, Princess Celestia."
"Ooooooh!" The lavender mare smiled, eyes lighting up. "Let's see what it says!"
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I write you this letter with a sense of urgency. Another one of the dangerous beings previously held captive in Canterlot Gardens has broken free. The royal guard and I are searching Canterlot as you read this, but I suspect he may have already escaped the city. If he has, there's a chance he may come to ponyville. Unfortunately, scouring all of Canterlot is taking a lot of time and effort from the royal guard. Never the less, I will spare a few soldiers to keep ponyville safe. These soldiers will bring the elements of harmony with them. Do not hesitate to turn this being to stone.
He is called insanity. As the name implies, he is psychotic and unpredictable. You will easily recognize him as he is one of the few bipedal creatures in equestria. He possesses no magical abilities, but he is dangerous in combat. Do not engage him if you have another solution.
Get to your friends. Keep them safe. I have the utmost faith in you.
-Princess Celestia.
"This is bad." Twilight breathed, lowering the letter and beginning to hyperventilate. "This is really bad."
"Hey! Cheer up, Twilight." Spike exclaimed. "You guys beat Discord, and he was a reality-warping spirit of chaos! From the what I heard from that letter, he just sounds like some crazy dude who punches people. I'm pretty sure you guys can take him."
"You know what, Spike?" Twilight answered, a small smile creeping onto her face. "I think you're right. I'm totally overreacting."
"I mean, you're the Elements of Harmony! Nothing can stop you guys."
"Okay Spike that's-" Twilight said, feeling like this was going a bit too far.
"You're so tough, and strong, and-" Spike continued.
"Alright, I'm just going to get the girls and bring them to the library. Then I'll explain our situation to them." Twilight exclaimed quickly, slamming the door on her way out.
"Jeez. What's her problem?" Spike asked no one in particular, as he waddled away.
Owlowiscious hooted once as his head rotated to follow the young drake.
What a strange dragon. He thought to himself, before going back to sleep.
----------
Well, the Everfree Forest is just as much as much fun as I remember. Once you get into the denser parts of it, everything gets really... spiky. I mean seriously, what's the point of putting thorns on everything? I've been poked in places I didn't even know I had.
No, not like that.
After I jumped the train, which obviously doesn't stop at the forest, I took off in a dead sprint until I was obscured by the trees. I don't want to be seen by anything. Not yet, anyway.
In case you were wondering, I'm not simply wandering around this painful forest without good reason. I'm looking for something... a sign.
And I'm pretty sure I just found it. Brushing the dirt away at the base of a tree, I lay eyes on exactly what I was looking for. To a normal person, it wouldn't look like much, just a scribble of chalk. But to me, it's so much more. At the base of this tree, is an eye. Or more accurately, a drawing of one done in white chalk. I'm getting close.
----------
After about an hour of cuts, bruises, and scrapes later I've arrived at what I think is my destination. It's located pretty close to the very heart of the Everfree, where the jungle is the densest and the spikes are the spikiest.
From what I can tell, the outpost is pretty well maintained. There aren't any walls to it, and it seems to have about a dozen buildings constructed from assorted materials, with a few ponies patrolling the area, armed with various swords and daggers. Personally, I'm just surprised it's still standing, seeing as I founded it about a thousand years ago.
That's right.
Right when I first got here, one of the first things I did was gain some followers. It wasn't really all that hard. You give a few speeches in public areas along with promises of gold and various other riches, and these ponies will do whatever you say. They're so much more gullible than humans. I took whoever would follow me into the forest and proceeded to build a base camp. We pillaged and whatnot, pretty much just living off of other ponies’ misery.
Chances are, the pirates I originally put together have long since disbanded, and this is just some gang occupying the place. Either way, I’m sure I can get them to work for me. Criminals tend to change allegiances pretty quickly.
Almost casually, I leave the bush I was hiding in and stroll right up to the front gates.
As about fifteen assorted and very menacing weapons are thrust into my face, preventing me from taking another step. I tap then end of a spear quickly with my finger, testing to see how sharp it is.
“It’s nice to see you too, amigo.”
----------
“So why’d ya go and bring us all here, Twi?” Applejack asked, one eyebrow raised.
“I’m also curious.” Rarity interjected.
All six of the Elements of Harmony were currently standing in the library, five of them looking rather confused.
“Before I tell everyone the news, I need to be sure you’ll remain calm. Okay?” The purple mare asks.
Fives mares nodded in response.
“Alright. So, earlier today I received a letter from Princess Celestia.” Five sets of eyes watch closely, unsure if the news will be good or bad. “In the letter, she explained that one of the captives in Canterlot Gardens has broken free and is currently somewhere in Equestria. She said that-“
“Wait a second.” Rainbow dash interrupted. “You mean like the Canterlot Gardens Discord came from?”
“Yes.” Twilight answered as she raised an eyebrow. “What other Canterlot Gardens are there?”
Fluttershy responded to this news by attempting to make herself as small as possible.
“So there’s another super scary villain we have to face?” Pinkie questioned, seeming quite unfazed by the news.
“Not exactly.” Twilight replied. “This being, or 'Insanity' as he is called, possesses no magic abilities. I’ve been told he is a skilled combatant, but as long as we don’t fight him, we should be fine.”
“That’s good ta know.” The orange added. “But how do we know what this feller looks like?”
“I’ve been told he’s bipedal. I also have a feeling-“
Rainbow Dash raised her hoof.
“Yes?” Twilight asked.
“What’s a bipedal?”
Twilight face-hoofed. “Two legs, Dashie. Two legs.”
“Oh!” The pegasus nodded. “Okay.”
“Celestia is going to send some of the royal guard here to Ponyville to protect us and they should arrive in a few days. So until then, what do you girls think we should do?"
"What if we were to move in pairs?" Rarity suggested.
"I second that!" The rainbow mare added with a grin. "Get it?"
"Sounds like a good Idea to me." Twilight replied. "All opposed say nay!"
Six mares were silent.
"Okay. Fluttershy, you're with Rainbow Dash. Applejack with Pinkie, and Rarity, you're with me."
"Splendid!" Rarity exclaimed.
"I'm going to have an 'Applejack's hanging out with me all day' party!" The pink earth pony practically yelled.
"Hoo boy." Applejack huffed as she was dragged from the library towards Sugarcube Corner.
"C'mon Flutters!" Rainbow Dash said, nudging fluttershy with her hoof. "Don't you have like, some, animals to help or something?"
At that, the timid pony's face brightened. "Actually, there's this bear at my house with a sprained ankle. He's in a lot of pain and he seems to bite anyone who tries to help him. If you could hold him down while I fix it, I'd be really grateful."
"Eheh." Rainbow chuckled uneasily, unsure what she was getting into. "Sure Flutters. Whatever you say."
While Rarity began to tell the purple unicorn all about a new fashion line she was working on, Twilight began to relax. She couldn't help thinking,
I think we're actually going to be okay.
----------
I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be okay. I mean- these knives look really sharp and there's a lot of them pointed at me. That would make anyone worried. Plus these ponies look tough. They've all got scars, either from bites, claws, or burn marks. That's good. I'll need tough ponies for what I have planned.
"What do you want?" A gruff stallion with a red bandanna over his mouth growls at me. "How did you find this hideout?"
"Thats... pretty simple." I reply, spreading my arms wide, as if gesturing to the entire base. "I built it."
"Bullshit." One spits. "This place has been here forever."
I give him a flat look before breaking into a grin. I can tell my canines are freaking him out a bit. "So have I."
He's unsure what to say to that, so I turn away and talk to the other ponies who are pointing their weapons at me. "Listen to me." I start. "I don't want... to hurt any of you."
"Oh? Then why are you here?" The masked pony asks, getting ahold of himself.
I let the focus of my gaze leave him, instead concentrating on the buildings. "Why... am I here?" I ask, repeating the question. "I am here, to join you!" I point back at him, now. "Or more specifically, to lead you."
He looks stunned. Then he breaks into a bit of a chuckle. "Well, sorry buddy. We've already got a leader."
"Oh?" I ask. "Well then, let me see him."
He mulls this over for a second before nodding. He obviously can't see the harm in it. That, or he really doesn't like his whoever's in charge.
A couple moments later I'm in front of one of the buildings. This one seems to be much more lavishly decorated than the others. A bear skin is splayed out in front of the door, mouth spread wide open.
One of the ponies walks to the front door and knocks on it three times. "Hey boss! There's somepony here to see you."
Then we stand back as what has got to be the biggest earth pony I have ever seen squeezes through the doorway.
He's a little taller than I am, easily six feet to my five feet ten inches. I mean he's got to be a freak of nature, because most ponies aren't much taller than four feet. He's got a wicked build, too. Well, for a pony I guess. His hooves are easily as big as my head. Gunmetal grey coat, too.
When he sees me, he simply lets out a grunt.
"Wow." I say, dumbstruck. "You got a name, big guy?"
"Bull." One of the stallions answers for him.
Bull. That makes sense. He's got one of those nose piercings like you'd put on a bull. He's completely bald, and by the look of it, blind in one eye. He's got three scars running down his face, one of them rakes down his eyeball. His chest and fore hooves are also covered with scars. Claws made them, from what I can tell.
"So." I start, clasping my hands together like a businessman would. "What makes you-" I point at him. "-fit to lead these stallions?" I finish by gesturing to the crowd that had gathered when Bull had left his house.
The same stallion who spoke for the giant nudges me before saying, "Bull here beat a bear to death with nothing but his hooves once. I'd say that makes him leader material."
"I agree."
My response clearly shocks most of the ponies in the crowd.
"Alright." I say, sounding bored as I walk up to the goliath. "Lets just... cut to the chase."
He cocks his head to one side slightly, so I'm pretty sure he's listening to me.
"I-" I speak slowly, pointing to myself as I do so. "-want to lead... these ponies." I point to the crowd.
I get no response.
"You... are currently leading these ponies." I point to him, then to the crowd again. "Do you see the problem here?"
He stares at me for a second before nodding, slowly.
"Oh!" I exclaim, scratching the back of my head. "That's great hermano, because I thought for a second there that you didn't-"
I'm cut off by the sound of a knife being unsheathed. Looking, I see that Bull is now holding a machete.
I reach for my knife, but stop as he turns to his side and slashes the side of the house, leaving it embedded there.
"So that's... how we're gonna do it?" I ask raising my eyebrows. "Fine by me."
I take my knife and stab it onto the side of the house, beside the machete.
The crowd of ponies quickly forms a circle, the giant standing on the opposite end of it, studying me with curiosity. It looks as though our fight is going to take place in the clearing of the base. The buildings all line up opposite to each other, while Bull's house is on the end.
He makes the first move. Letting out a roar, he charges me, hooves held above his head. He brings them down to crush me, and I sidestep. His hooves meet nothing but the ground as I kick his head with my right foot. He stumbles.
After he regains his balance, I notice a bruise on the left side of his face. He stands up on his back hooves so that he towers over me and throws a left hook. I block with my left arm and counter with my elbow. As it smashes into his chin, his head snaps back, a thin trail of scarlet follows it.
I duck under a clumsy haymaker and hit him with three jabs to the face before landing a kick on his chest that sends him sprawling.
He's back up quick, though. He puts his head down and charges me again, I simply move to the side and he misses completely.
I can't help but let out a chuckle. Tired already?
My celebrations are cut short as a punch connects with my jaw, knocking me off balance. My visions swims for a split second as I shake my head to clear it and face my opponent once again.
Lucky shot.
I grab his next jab, twist the leg I'm holding, and bring my knee to his ribs. Hearing a satisfying crack, I throw an uppercut that knocks him back onto the ground.
He looks up at me, his eyes wide. He's panicking. Looking around quickly, he spots the same thing my vision is focusing on.
His machete.
Because I knocked him down closer to the weapon, he gets to it first. As he slashes at me, I notice that any trace of a fighting style is long gone is this stallion. His attacks are wild. Unpredictable.
He brings the machete downwards and I jump backwards to avoid it. Instead of simply withdrawing it for another swing, he whips it upwards, and slashes me on my left shoulder.
White hot pain shoots up my arm and across my chest as I scream in pain.
He grins with a bruised face and bloodied nose as he prepares to stab with the machete. As he does, I move out of the way, grabbing the hoof holding the weapon and forcing it closer to the ground.
Then I stomp on the knee joint. The sound of his scream mixes with a sickening crunch. Bending the leg in ways it should not, I bring the machete at eye level with him.
For a split second, I gaze into his eyes, wide and terrified.
His screams are cut off as I force the machete into his throat. Almost immediately, his hoof slips from the weapon and he falls backward onto the ground.
Slowly, The world comes back into focus. I'm aware that the crowd has doubled in size since we began fighting. I'm also aware that almost all of them are staring in shock, their eyes filled with fear.
Panting, I yell to the crowd. "Anyone else?"
They continue to stare. The crimson pool around the giant continues to grow.
Finally, the same pony who had spoken for their former leader trots up to me. His eyes are full of something else.
Respect.
"Is there anything I can get you, boss?" He asks.
I look at him, a smile creeping onto my face.
"I want a cheeseburger, some pussy, and a cigarette."
I walk into Bull's house, hoping that he knew what at least two of those things were.
The first thing I did after shutting the door to my new home was groan in pain. With the adrenaline from my fight already beginning to wear off, the pain I felt in my shoulder was worse than ever. In front of that crowd, I held it down. But now, I let it out.
Quickly tearing off my red tank top before it got anymore blood stained, I examined the wound. The gash couldn't have been more than four or five inches long, but the blood was still steadily seeping from it. I needed some bandages.
Pushing my door open, I briskly walk outside and quickly catch sight of the same pegasus who had spoken for the gang's former leader.
"Yo!" I exclaim, pointing at him with my right hand, "Mask pony! Yeah, you. C'mere!"
He trots over to me quickly, scratching the back of his neck with his hoof. "Okay, the boys and I aren't exactly sure what a cheeseburger is, but I'm sure I can find a pack of smokes around here. Also we've got a few mares around here who would probably more than happy to-" He stops suddenly, recognizing the pained look on my face then his eyes slowly moving to the blood beginning to seep through my fingertips.
"At this point... some bandages would be nice."
"Yeah, looks like you fucked up your arm pretty good there." He states. "Well, you're in luck. We've got a unicorn who more or less functions as our medic around here. I'll take you to her."
I follow him to one of the smaller buildings in the camp, where a dull green colored unicorn mare tends to my wounds.
"So..." I start, feeling like I should at least try to make conversation, "you got a name, mask pony?"
He looks a little surprised that I'm showing interest in him. He hesitates before pulling down the bandanna. His coat is a light brown, and his mane is slightly lighter than that of his coat. His eyes are a dull blue, but those don't catch my attention nearly as much as the knife scars running all the way up his fore hooves. It looks damn cool. Well, cool for a miniature talking horse, I suppose.
"Razor Blades." He replies, before raising one of his eyebrows. "You're that statue from canterlot gardens, aren't you?"
I can't help but crack a grin at his realization.
"What'd they call you?" He asks, pondering for a few seconds. "My parents took me there as a colt... something about being crazy... Insanity! That's it!"
I shoot him a deadpan look.
"But that can't be your real name, right?"
"Name's Vaas." I tell him. "Vaas Monte- Ah!" My words are cut off as the mare who was tending to my arm casts a wave of green magic over it, stinging me where my shoulder is cut and causing me to wince in pain.
I grab her by the mane with my good hand and bring her face inches from mine. "What... the fuck... did you just do?" I growl as her eyes fly wide open in fear.
"I- it- it was just a healing spell!" She stutters. "It sp- speeds up recovery and numbs pain. I'm sorry if it stung! I- I should have warned you."
Razor Blades clears his throat. "So, uh... Vaas. After you're finished getting patched up, I'll give you a tour of the facilities. How's that sound?"
I stop glaring at the mare and nod to him. She works easily twice as fast now, and I'm out of the building in a few minutes. In a few more, I'm in the clearing and Razor is pointing out the buildings and what purpose they serve.
"That's the armory." He says, gesturing to one of the smaller buildings. "It's not unusual to find some weapons in caravans we rob, so we store 'em in there. There's more than enough to arm all the ponies around here."
"And... how many are here and ready to fight?" I ask.
"I'm not sure, exactly." He ponders this for a few moments. "... Probably between eighty and one hundred ponies."
I grinned. I could have managed with far less, but that would require stealth. And honestly, I'm getting a little sick of sneaking around. I feel like blowing something up.
He pointed to a group of three larger buildings. "That's where most of us sleep. A group of us watch the camp during the night while the others rest."
I nod, motioning for him to continue.
"Alright, you've already seen the where the medic stays..." He trails off as we continue walking. "And this is the mess hall."
"The what?"
"The mess hall." He repeats as I raise an eyebrow. "Where we eat. Besides that, most other buildings are used for business, whatever that may be. We tend to cover a lot of professions around here."
"Speaking of eating, I'm... kinda starving."
"Oh, right. I'll tell somebody to bring something to your place."
I show my thanks with a grin before retiring to my house. It isn't long before I'm fed. Mostly fruit, but something's better than nothing. I unlace my boots before throwing myself on Bull's old bed. It isn't too soft, but for me, it's more than enough.
One thing I never though I'd miss while I was stoned was... sleeping.
----------
After waking up sometime around noon, I walk outside with a bounce in my step. When I reach the clearing in the middle of the camp, I gesture widely with my arms, catching the attention of several ponies.
"Everyone... pony, whatever." I pause in thought for a few seconds before screaming at the top of my lungs. "Can I have your attention?"
The crowd swells in size. Eventually, all the ponies in the camp have gathered around me, waiting to see what I have to say.
"For as long as any of you can remember... you have lived under the rule of the princess." A couple nod, but most just give me blank stares, unsure where I'm going with this. "But ask yourselves... What have the princesses ever done for you?" A murmur starts, ponies quietly asking each other the same question as me. "Nothing. That's what." A shocked silence follows.
"For as long as any of you can remember... your rulers have given you nothing." I hang my head, as If I feel sorry for them, before raising it, a small grin on my face. "But today, I'm going to offer all of you a way to change that." They stare expectantly at me. I've got them right where I want them.
"All of you..." I gesture to the entire crowd. "Can show the princesses how little power they actually hold." I raise my voice. "We can pillage Ponyville! The little town will fall at your hooves! From there, we take Canterlot! Then we take all of Equestria!"
They gaze at me, stunned. I sigh. "Aren't you tired of being bandits? You could be kings! Queens! Each of you could have your own castle!" This gets them excited.
"For as long as you can remember, Celestia has enslaved the minds and bodies of ponies just like you. Our swords will not stop until until the princesses fall to their knees!" The crowd roars as I scream. "I AM VAAS MONTENEGRO, AND I WILL LEAD YOU TO GLORY!"
I spread my arms wide.
"TODAY, PONYVILLE! TOMORROW, EQUESTRIA!"
----------
We hid in the foliage around the edge of the forest. The town in easily visible the distance.
I turn to Razor Blades, he's beside me, a pair of knives in his hooves. "They're all clear on the plan, yeah?"
"They should be." He answers. "You explained it three times. You walk in front, everypony else follows behind you. We don't attack until you give the signal. During the attack, everypony's free to kill, steal, rape... pretty much whatever they want as long as they don't harm these six ponies without your permission."
He holds up an old flyer for the grand galloping gala, pointing to the six mares in one of the pictures.
"Oh, and no fires." He adds.
I nod. "Good."
I begin walking out of the bushes, gun unholstered, knife unsheathed. The other ponies slowly fall in behind me. The weapons they carry vary. Everything from curved swords to heavy war hammers. Most are stallions, but there's a few mares thrown into the mix as well. Their colors vary as well, but they all have on thing in common. They all wear red. Some have red vests, others have red bandanas over their mouths or over their foreheads. A few simply have red wristbands.
It must have been quite the sight, an alien creature with a huge allied force of natives dressed like him, simply marching to wherever he told them to go. We walked like this for a little while, until I saw what appeared to be a small cottage on the outskirts of the town.
I motioned for the group to stop. "Stay here for a second. If you hear anything loud, come get me."
If I was lucky enough to have guessed to who lived here, I'd easily get one of the ponies I was searching for.
----------
Rainbow dash sighed, holding her bruised hoof close.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Deer kicked you, Dashie!" The yellow coated pegasus exclaimed. "He's normally very nice."
The two friends were currently sitting in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Rainbow Dash had decided to stay the night and continue to help her friend take care of her animals, but the job seemed to get more and more dangerous as they day went on.
"It's no big deal." Rainbow Dash replied. "I'm just happy that it wasn't the bear who managed to hit me."
Fluttershy's face suddenly brightened. "I know! I left some lemonade in the backyard. I'll go get some for you."
The cyan pony attempted to get up, but her friend quickly held a hoof on her shoulder. "You just stay right here and relax. I'll be back before you notice."
She sat back on her haunches with a huff as Fluttershy happily glided away. So far, there had been no sign of this insanity guy, but it was always fun to hang out with her friend. The two didn't really have that much on common but that didn't mean she-
Wait. What was that noise?
She could've sworn she had heard, some sort of muffled sound. Like... yelps. After debating for a few seconds, she decided to go around back and check it out.
She stopped immediately when she rounded the corner and saw the scene before her.
A tall, bipedal figure with a mowhawk and freaky dark circles around his eyes was currently holding her friend off of the ground, his paw covering her mouth as he held her face inches from his and spoke very intensely.
"You!" Rainbow dash growled, her eyes narrowing into angry slits.
He turned to face her, seeming a bit surprised. When his eyes focused on her, he broke into a grin. A grin with sharp teeth.
"Me." He answered. His voice didn't sound like any pony's she had heard. It was weird and scratchy.
"You're going back to Canterlot Gardens, freak."
He let out a quiet chuckle in response.
"Put my friend down. Now."
He responded to this by dropping Fluttershy on the ground, roughly. Then, as she attempted to get up, a boot collided with the base of her skull, hard.
Rainbow's eyes flew wide open as her friend slumped to the ground. Vision turning red, she let loose a scream of rage and flew at the creature, hooves outstretched.
BANG!
She wasn't quite sure what happened next. One second she was flying, then there was a loud noise, then all she could concentrate on was the pain that tore through her right wing. This caused her to lose altitude, hit the ground, and skid a good ten feet before coming to a rest, vision swimming. She was vaguely aware that someone was speaking, although she couldn't quite make out what they were saying.
"... Take blue bitch... hideout..." She strained her ears. "The yellow... too."
She felt two pairs of strong hooves haul her up roughly before her vision faded to black.
----------
Twilight Sparkle was quickly pulled out of her library by Rarity. The white unicorn was eager to show her friend a new line she was working on, and maybe get some constructive criticism.
"Rarity, hold on a second." Twilight said, stopping and pointing with her hoof. "I think something is going on in town square."
It was true. A large group of ponies had gathered in the centre of town. Pushing through the crowd, the two friends quickly saw what was causing all the fuss.
A group of about twenty royal guards had arrived in Ponyville. What caught Twilight's eye, however, was not the guards, but who led them. Standing in front of his soldiers, was a white unicorn with a blue mane. Unlike the other guards, he wore no helmet and his armor was much fancier than that of those he commanded.
"Shining Armor? Is that you?" Twilight asked, having made her way to the front of the crowd.
The commander made a double take upon seeing the lavender unicorn. When he recognized her, though, his face immediately brightened.
"Twily!" He exclaimed, motioning for her to follow him. As she started walking, he nodded to a pair of stallions, who immediately began reassuring the crowd that everything was going to be fine.
"What are you doing here?" She asked when they managed to make it out of the circle and stood on the edge, where there was a comfortable absence of ponies.
"The guard isn't supposed to show up for at least two more days!" She exclaimed. "And I never expected you to be here, of all ponies. Aren't you really important?"
"It's not like I'm the captain." He tittered. "Yet."
"But still, what's with the early arrival?" She asked, eyebrow raised.
"Well, I convinced the princess to send us early while she finished combing the city. She's not leaving a single stone unturned." His tone turned serious. "With how unpredictable this guy is supposed to be, she thinks he's trying to bait her into leaving the city undefended."
Twilight nodded. "That makes sense."
A small smile grew on his face. "Besides, what kind of brother would I be if I didn't protect my little sister?" He reached out a hoof and ruffled her hair.
The purple mare swatted it away, laughing. "I don't need protecting! Do I really need to remind you of Discord? Or Night-"
BANG!
----------
God damn, I'm a good shot. First, I hit that rainbow bitch right in the wing as she was flying at break-neck speed towards me, now I hit this guard straight in the neck. The purple one reacts pretty much exactly how I expected her to. She jumps at first, when she notices her brother choking on his own blood, she collapses on him with her hooves over the bullet hole in his neck. She's trying to stop the bleeding.
That's cute.
Walking up to her, I kick her swiftly below the ribs and laugh as she gasps for breath. Then, I place my boot on the side of her head, forcing her to stare into his eyes.
"Do you see this, hermana?" I growl at her. "You probably think I did this, thinking I'm the bad guy, thinking- thinking I'm just some evil fuck who just kills stuff for no reason."
This guy. I swear, I've never seen anyone choke for this long. He's a fighter.
"But the thing is... the thing is, Celestia aimed this gun." I wave my pistol in front of her eyes briefly as tears steam down her face. "I just pulled the trigger."
Finally, the guard dies. As the life leaves him, I see her horn flare to life and fill with energy to do some sort of teleporting spell or something.
That's quickly stopped as I bring the butt of my pistol down on her head.
Looking up, I see that my ponies moved in as soon as I fired. By the look of it, they took the guards completely by surprise. We've lost very few, and not a single royal guard is standing. Meanwhile, all the little civilian ponies run around the streets in terror. A few of mine are still looting the bodies of the guards. I point at them, then to the feeing crowds.
"Don't just stand there! Go on! Enjoy yourselves!" With that, they disperse, all committing varying acts of sin.
Grabbing the purple unicorn by her mane, I drag her behind me as I set out in search of the three other ponies I was looking for as a small smile grows on my face.
An entire town to wreak havoc in. This is going to be fun.
"Okay, you and me... We're gonna play a little game. It's kinda like... wheels of fortune. Except, there's no wheel... and I aint gonna give you no fortune."
"Come here... come here. Okay, here's what we're gonna do."
...
"You're gonna choose... which one lives, and which one dies."
----------
"You bastard!" With that, the white one with a purple mane straight up charges me. You've gotta hand it to these ponies, they've got balls.
Hm?
Oh, yes. I picked the purple one up and was going to carry her to a safe place, when this crazy bitch with a british accent attacks me out of nowhere. She must have been stunned by what I had just done and just got over it. Also, why she didn't just attack me with magic I'll never know. I guess blind rage can do that to people.
Anyways, a pair of my guys tackle her to the ground and come up holding her a few moments later. She's yelling something I don't understand at them, so I cut her off.
"Yeah, uh... take her back to the camp. Make sure she's tied up. Separated from our other prisoners." I hold purple bitch up. "Take her too. Same deal." They carry her off as Razor Blades walks up to me.
"Any plans boss?" He asks while wiping some of the blood off his knives.
"Well, I could go for some cake." I smile. "There's a bakery around here, isn't there?"
----------
Pinkie Pie was scared. That was quite unusual. Normally she'd just giggle at the ghosties, but that didn't really work against scary ponies. They weren't just scary, they were mean, too. She'd seen them hurting over ponies and stealing things..
"Don't worry Pinkie." Her friend Applejack whispered. "Everything's going to be okay."
The two of them had decided to hide behind the counter of the bakery until they could come up with a plan that could solve this mess. Granted, it was a horrible hiding spot, but every time the duo had tried to find someplace better, a red pony had run by the door, scaring them back into hiding.
They weren't alone, either. There was at least five other ponies hiding under tables or whatever other furniture they could find. The Cakes were among them.
"What're we gonna do?" The pink mare asked. "What if they come in here? What if they-"
Her ramblings were cut short as a boot collided with the door of the bakery, sending it flying open. They ducked down as several beings entered the building. They couldn't see them, but they could hear them.
A long sniff was about the first thing they heard. Followed by a single voice.
"Oh... god." There was a short pause. "It smells fucking amazing in here, doesn't it, hermano?"
"Sure does, boss."
"I can see cupcakes right there, in the counter." Another pause. "Those look good, can you get me one?"
"No problem."
As the hoofsteps got louder and closer to them, the two mares held their breath, praying that they wouldn't be spotted.
There was a shattering of glass, then the steps faded before loud chewing was audible.
"Wow. This... this is fucking great."
More silence, them shuffling and a gasp.
"Oh, fuck. I'm sorry! I had no idea I was with... a lady." Scrambling. Muffled yelling.
"Where are my manners?" A chuckle. "It was so rude of me to talk with my mouth full." The muffled yelling became whimpering.
Another male voice spoke up. "Don't hurt her! Please! I'll give you anything! just don't-"
A loud smack was heard.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
"You son of a-
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Whoever was yelling took a few breaths to calm down before continuing.
"What's your name?"
"C- Cup Cake."
Pinkie gasped before quickly covering her mouth, fearing she had been heard.
There was a short burst of laughter that confirmed her fears. "What did I tell you? Where there's one, there's always more."
Realizing that her hope of escaping had been lost, Pinkie quickly turned to her friend and wispered. "Applejack, he knows I'm here. I'll distract him, take the back door. Get to Sweet Apple Acres."
"But-"
Pinkie shook her head, eyes intense. "Do it."
Applejack waited a few seconds before nodding.
The voice continued. "Okay, whoever's behind the counter can come out, or I'm going to hurt this lady. Badly." Another pause, Pinkie could swear he was doing it just for dramatic effect. "I'll count to five."
"... One."
"... T-"
"I'm coming out!"
As the earth pony slowly stood up from the counter, she took in the scene around her. A bipedal figure was clutching Ms. Cake and holding her off her hooves, a blade at her throat. Mr. Cake was in the process of getting up as blood ran from his nose. Several tough looking ponies were holding the other ponies who had taken shelter in the bakery at knifepoint.
"Hey!" The tall being exclaimed, dropping the mare and pointing his knife at her. "I've been looking for you."
The pink pony didn't answer him.
"What the fuck?" He asked. "You deaf?"
Upon hearing this, she sprinted forward, catching her oppressors by surprise. She easily got by the first two, and knocked the tall guy off balance as she sped out the door.
"Shit!" She heard a pony call from inside. "Get her!"
She looked back to see the group filing out of Sugarcube Corner and into the street after her. Everything was going according to plan.
Or at least it was, until she tripped. She only caught a glimpse of what it was, but it looked like a pony. More specifically, a dead one. She should have watched where she was going.
Anything else was cut off as the mowhawk man attacked her. He was on top her in a flash, trying to hit her with something metal.
"Mother fucker!" He growled as she blocked his weapon with her hooves. "Making me run!"
"Stupid little-" She never heard the rest as whatever he was wielding collided hard with her forehead and the world went dark.
----------
"Little pink..." I paused and took a breath. "Cocksucker."
I turned my head to see a group of five at the group of pirates looking at me, stunned. I guess they were surprised I beat a mare without a moments hesitation.
Or something like that. I don't know. These guys are kinda pussies.
"Thanks for the help... shitheads." I spat.
I swear a few of them flinched.
Okay, that leaves... only one more, and then I'll have all the element bearers which will greatly reduce my chances of getting stoned again. With that risk out of the way, I'll be free to do what I want. At least for the next day or so... until Celestia decides to come looking for these mares.
But, first things first.
"We're still missing one." I said as one picked up the mare and carried her off. "The farmer. We need her."
One of my guys piped up. "I heard she lives on the outskirts of town. By a big orchard."
"Then that's where we're going." I replied, a smirk growing on m face. "Lead the way."
----------
Applejack had never run so fast in her life. Every instinct, every synapse of her mind, every fibre of her being was screaming at her to go back and help her friend Pinkie Pie, but she fought them off. She had to get to her family. She had to protect them!
As she burst through the front door of her home, she could already tell that there had been some sort of commotion. Her kitchen had been totally ransacked. Pots, pans, and cutlery of all sorts littered the floor. She was about to go upstairs to check her bedroom when she heard yelling from her backyard.
"Where the hell is she!?"
When this question was answered with nothing but silence, she heard a loud smack.
Wasting no time, she galloped to the back door which was wide open. With her eyes as wide as the doorway, she took in the scene before her. Her brother was being held by a stallion about the same size as he was while a smaller colt with a red headband hit him.
Oh, and her sister was being held by a third goon and forced to watch. So there was that.
Applejack saw red. She immediately charged at the pony hitting her brother and bucked him with all her might. Years of hard labour had made her legs powerful, and she was almost sure she heard ribs breaking as the blow connected. The bigger stallion dropped her brother and tackled her, using his weight to pin her down. After struggling for a moment, she freed her left hoof and delivered a satisfying punch to his jaw.
Which he answered with one of his own. As her head snapped back and hit the earth, her vision swam. He was too heavy. She couldn't fight him.
As he raised his hoof to strike her again, something collided with his face, knocking him off her and onto the ground beside her. The sun was in her eyes as she looked up at whoever saved her from her attacker, but she could tell he or her was... very tall.
"You look like you could use a hand up, hermana."
----------
I hold my hand out to her. Come on you stupid blonde bitch. Take it.
I can tell she's hesitant. But that doesn't make any sense. Why should she be?
"Come on!" I exclaim, spooking her a bit. "There's more of them coming... I can get you to a safe place."
She's still thinking about it. What does it take?
"Your brother and sister can come too." I say, attempting to inject as much warmth into my voice as possible. It isn't really my strong suit. "What are you waiting for?"
Finally, she takes it. Grasping her hoof, I pull her up.
And promptly punch her in the nose as hard as I can. She falls on the ground, holding her face while crying out in pain.
Seriously, how stupid can you get? I can't help but laugh.
In between bouts of giggles, I manage to get some words out. "You- you fucking ponies..." I'm bent over laughing at this point. "G- get more- more gullible every day.... I swear!"
Motioning for the goons I had brought with me to come out of the house. Honestly, I'm surprised that my goons could get I walked over to the stallion I had kicked in the head.
"Look at me. Hey!" I get his attention. "Look at me... okay, do you know why I did what I did?"
Blank stare. Goddamnit.
"Hey! You fuck!" I swear to god. He's pissed me off. Let's see if another kick to the ribs will loosen his lips. "ANSWER ME!"
"Y- yeah I do." He finally gasps. I can tell he's already got a black eye. "You told us not to hurt them. I- I should have listened."
He doesn't deserve an answer, so I don't give him one. Turning away, I take a look at what's going on. Let's see, I've got one element bearer, and by the resemblance these three have to each other, her brother and sister.
"Grab them." I order as a pair of my guys pick up the two siblings and place them side by side in front of Applejack. I drag the mare of the hour closer to me. She's still a little dazed, and she looks exhausted, not to mention the bruises on her face.
I gently brush a strand of hair out of her face.
"... How are you, Sophie?"
----------
"What!?" She exclaimed, eyes flying open as I explained the rules of our game. "You can't do this! I- you- please!"
Her red brother was loudly making pleas for the lives of his family while her younger sister simply cried.
"Hey. Hey. Shh. Just stay quiet." I say to the pair before turning back to Applejack. Grabbing one of her hooves, I place it over mine, which is holding my pistol. She's fighting my grip, but she's still weak. That, and there's another stallion holding her in her place.
"Don't- please! no no no no- STOP!" She's getting more and more terrified as time passes. I'm slowly moving my hand to the left and then the right, alternating between pointing the gun at her brother, then her sister. Chances are, she doesn't even know what my gun does, but she can probably guess that it's going to do something bad.
God damn, that crying is really annoying.
BANG!
The gun goes off with a crack as a single casing falls to the grass and the filly slumps to the ground. Her siblings both cry out in unison as it happens. I can feel the pain in their voices.
And I love it. What? I never claimed to be a good guy.
Quickly twitching my hand to the left, I pull the trigger again. The recoil briefly snaps my hand back. At the same time, the red stallion is thrown backwards onto the grass.
Applejack is screaming at the top of her lungs now. I look at her, faking surprise.
"You- you... greedy, you!" I laugh as I push her away. "I give you one and you take two!"
If she had any fight left in her, it's long gone now. She curls up into a ball, cradling herself while sobs wrack her body.
"Grab her." I say before a few stallions pick her up and carry her off. She doesn't even fight back.
I turn to Razor Blades. "Okay, we're done here. Let's bounce."
He nods before fallowing me. I could've sworn I saw something flash across his face before he nodded. It was either regret... or disgust.
----------
Spike had never written so fast before in his life. His writing quill danced across the paper, creating a messy, scared script. The message wasn't very thorough, but he hoped it would get Ponyville the help it needed.
The knocking on his door was getting louder by the second.
There! I was done. He quickly rolled it, and lifted it in front of his mouth, preparing to send it.
Just then, the door was knocked off it's hinges by a group of three ponies. Quickly sending the scroll in a brilliant burst of green fire, he leaped under Twilight's bed.
As the stallions entered the library, he prayed to the sun and moon that the letter would reach it's destination.
Twilight Sparkle regained her consciousness rather slowly. As she lifted her heavy eyelids, the world around her remained a blur of colors, leaving objects indistinguishable from one another.
Squinting slightly, she managed to make things somewhat more clear. She was in a small room, resting against the back wall, and facing the doorway. The room itself was dark, the only light source being the spaces in between the wall planks that allowed sunlight to seep through.
She groaned. On top of the fact that her vision was still slightly blurred, her head was splitting like a log. She was currently experiencing one of the worst headaches of her life.
She quickly assessed her situation. Blurred vision, terrible headache... those two things were both symptoms of head trauma, something she was growing more and more convinced she had.
But, when had she been hit on the head? She searched her memory, but could't recall what had happened.
Fantastic. Might as well add amnesia to the list of things what were currently wrong with her brain.
'Alright, first things first.' She thought to herself. 'I need to get out of this room and find out where I am. I'll work out an action plan from there.'
With that thought, she stood up.
Or rather, she tried to. When her attempt failed, she realized that both of her fore-hooves had been chained to the wall behind her, which seemed much more sturdy than the other three walls of this shack. She was permanently stuck sitting up.
Despite being imprisoned, she let a small grin spread across her face. Her captors must be stupider than she had thought to chain up a unicorn who could simply teleport from her bindings.
Closing her eyes and concentrating, despite her headache, she prepared to do just that. As she casted the spell, she waited for her body to be transported.
The was a loud fizzle, followed by a pop.
The unicorn opened her eyes to see a single spark slowly fall past her face and land on the ground.
This... could be a problem. She attempted to glance up and see what was wrong with her horn, but looking at it was impossible do to a combination of it's placement on her head and the way she was slumped against the wall.
She yanked on the chains restraining her, becoming more and more frustrated by the second as they didn't budge an inch. Why was she even chained up here, anyway?
Come to think of it, what was on her face? She stuck out her tongue and licked at the residue on her cheeks. It was salty.
Were they... tears?
Suddenly, as if a dam had been shattered, her memories came rushing back to her in a flooding torrent of images. She remembered everything. The attack on Ponyville, the insane being that had attacked her, the Royal Guard arriving, and her brother.
Trapped, helpless, and alone, Twilight Sparkle remembered why she had been crying.
----------
I quickly but silently opened the door to the shack. There was six of them all arranged in a row in some of the deeper foliage behind the camp. Each one contained an Element of Harmony, and I was looking forward to some one-on-one time with each of them.
To be honest, I was almost giddy. I had withdrawn the majority of my forces from the pony village, a few of them had wanted to stay a while longer to search for additional plunder, and I said it would be fine. The rest had returned to the camp carrying as much loot as they could. The few pirates that stayed behind informed me that the six mares had been brought back to the outpost and restrained so they wouldn't escape. The unicorn's horns had been smashed off, and the wings had been bound on the pegasi.
I had to admit, these ponies kind of knew what they were doing. Although I suppose it would come natural, seeing as how they're all the same species and I'm an outsider.
Once the door was open, I stepped inside. The shacks are all small to the point where putting more than three ponies inside wouldn't leave them room to manoeuvre. They all have a single window, which I open after shutting the door to let some light in. Then, I see Applejack.
She's been suspended about two feet in the air, hanging from chains by her fore-hooves. As the light hits her, she looks up at me. Her left eye has blackened, leaving it swollen half-shut. That, along with the dried blood caked to her nose and the lines left on her face from constant crying, leave her looking like absolute shit.
I crouch down in front of her. She glares at me with her good eye.
Sighing, I speak. "How are you, Sophie?"
She spits in my face. Like, full on spits. In my face. I recoil in surprise and disgust before cleaning my face and standing beside her again.
"Look." I growl. "I'm gonna forgive you for that. I'm gonna forgive you for that, because-"
"Fuck. You."
"Excuse me?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Fuck you."
I roll my eyes.
"You are angry, Sophie. You..." I paused to suck in a breath. "... Are angry. I get that. I get it. I mean, without family, what the fuck are we?"
I stared off into space for a moment before continuing. "Where I came from, I had a sister. And... there was a time when I would do anything for my sister, you know?"
I stared directly into her eyes, she wasn't glaring at me as much now. "The first time I ever killed, was for my sister."
My face began to contort into a scowl. "But it was never enough for her. No no no no no please." I growl as I stand and take a few steps away.
"You see, the thing about our loved ones-" I whip around to face her, "Our FUCKING LOVED ONES... is that they come and they BLINDSIDE you every fucking time!"
I'm pacing in circles now. "So they say to me, they say, 'Vaas! Vaas! Who THE FUCK IS IT GOING TO BE?" I'm screaming at the top of my lungs. "ME, OR THEM? THEM OR ME?"
I take a few breaths to calm down and let out a chuckle. "You know? Like, like they fucking think I have to make a fuckin' choice."
I pause to look at her now. Her eyes, which previously glared daggers at me, were now wide with fear.
"By the way, your hair, like, really sucks." I reach out a hand to brush some of the dirt and shit out of her hair, but she flinches away instantly. I roll my eyes.
"But the thing is, I ended up having to make the choice. It didn't really matter, in the long run, because now I'm here."
I inch closer to her. "We all have to make choices in life, Sophie. Some are easy. Others, are not. But... you gotta decide sometime."
I put my hand under her chin, forcing her to look at me. "Do. You. Understand?"
No response.
"If you would've just made a decision, one of them could've lived. One of them could have just pranced away into the sunset, but no. No, you fucking choked."
I stood up to leave.
"We all have to make decisions, Sophie."
I open the door before calling a few words over my shoulder.
"Just remember, whatever your choice was, neither of those fuckers knew your real name. Your real fucking name."
With that, I close the door and leave the mare in darkness once again.
----------
"Look bro," The stallion said, "I'm just sayin. The guy's fuckin crazy."
"What do you mean?" His friend asked.
"What do I mean? I- ah!" He stopped, wincing as his broken ribs stung him for the thousandth time today. "What I mean is that I saw him kill a two siblings while their sister watched! That's a little fucked up, don't you think?"
"I dunno..." The bigger of the two sighed.
They were sitting in the building that had been designated as the treasury. The two had been tasked with sorting the loot from the Ponyville attack into shares so that everyone received equal amounts.
"I don't like him." The smaller one spoke up again. "It's only a matter of time before this crazy son of a bitch slips up, and gets us all-"
"And gets us all what?" An unfamiliar voice asked.
The two turned to see a familiar stallion with scars running along his legs appear from the shadows.
"Uh- noth- nothing!" The smaller stallion exclaimed quickly.
"Really?" Razor Blades asked, "Because to me, it looked like you were badmouthing our new boss."
The little pony swallowed.
"But that's crazy, right?" He continued, "I mean, a little shit like you, talking smack about somebody who filled the treasury? No, that just doesn't happen."
"You're right, I- yeah." The other pony stuttered.
"Good." He said. "I'll keep this to myself, but If I hear that this happens again, I'll be sure to let Vaas know."
He took a few steps closer to the smaller stallion and asked a single question. "Understand?"
"Yes."
Turning to leave, Razor cast a quick glance at the larger stallion, who had clearly decided that silence was a good option, before leaving.
----------
Bronze Cross was nervous. Like, really, really nervous. He had been told to guard one of the buildings that housed a prisoner named Rainbow Dash so that Vaas could interrogate them.
The problem was, the prisoner had never shown up.
He hadn't told anyone, especially not Vaas. The man had a bit of a temper, and Bronze certainly did not want to face it.
But as he approached the shack, clearly expecting to see a prisoner which was not there, the stallion was beginning to regret his decision to keep the information secret.
"Yo!" The human called out, raising a hand in greeting. "Is she ready?"
Bronze Cross simply stared back in response, eyes wide.
Vaas was right beside him now, eyebrow raised. "I asked you a question, man."
The pony nodded dumbly, sweat dripping down the back of his neck.
Vaas began opening the door, but quickly lurched forward towards the pirate, making him jump.
After starling the stallion, he laughed. "I get you guys ever fuckin' time."
With that, he went inside.
Bronze could hear him.
"Dashieeeeeeeeeee!" He called, seemingly unaware as to where the blue pegasus was. "I'm sorry I shot your-"
Silence. Then footsteps. Then the door being kicked open.
The man was on Cross in an instant, pushing him against the wall of the shack and pressing a blade to his throat.
"Where is she?" He growled, eyes wide. "Where, THE FUCK... is she? Did you help her get away? Huh?"
The stallion shook his head. "She- she never showed up!"
This stopped Vaas in his tracks.
"She WHAT?" He screamed, throwing Bronze Cross to the ground roughly. "Are you fucking serious? Are you fucking kidding me?"
He paused to think for a moment before continuing. "Where's the asshole who brought her in?"
"He never showed up either." The pirate replied cautiously.
"FUCK!"
----------
Rainbow Dash stumbled, nearly falling over and impaling herself on the sword she had stolen. The forest was thick, and navigating through it was nothing if not difficult.
How had she gotten here? It was hard to remember. Her vision was blurring slightly around the edges and it took an immense amount of effort to concentrate on the world around her and not the pain radiating from her wing.
She had... She had been dropped by whoever was carrying her. Yes, that's when she woke up. Then they had a fight of some sort. She was pretty sure she had killed the other pony, judging by the blood on the blade she was carrying.
Where was she going, though?
The mare squinted as she tried to recall her destination.
Yes, she had seen some mean-looking stallions carrying Fluttershy away, so she had been following them. Unfortunately, she had lost sight of the group a little while ago and was now simply wandering in the direction she had last seen them.
She had to find Fluttershy. She had to save her friends.
Sword clutched tightly between her teeth, the blue pegasus winced in pain once again before continuing onwards.
----------
The door was flung open violently. So much so, that it hit the wall and bounced back, causing Twilight Sparkle to jump in surprise as the man entered the room.
He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, which let small wisps of smoke rise from it. With him, he carried what apeared to be a mirror. A rather dirty one at that.
As the bipedal figure crouched down in front of the unicorn, she saw that he looked angry. His brow was furrowed and his lips were pressed into a thin line.
Wordlessly, he took the palm of his hand and used it to clean the face of the mirror, then he raised it so that she could see her reflection.
She was a mess. Her hair was tangled, her eyes were red and bloodshot from crying, and her horn appeared to have been smashed.
Wait a second.
That's why she had been unable to teleport from her bindings. Without her horn, she wouldn't be able to cast any spells at all. It looked as if it had been hit with a hammer slightly below the middle. If she made it out of here, it would probably grow back in a few weeks.
That was, if she got out of here.
Still silently, the being removed his smoke and examined it for a second, before jamming the butt of it directly onto Twilight Sparkle's eye.
Immediately, she screamed as the pain exploded from her face.
When she calmed down, she noticed the man's expression had barely changed at all. He looked slightly more amused, but he was still not saying a word.
"Why are you doing this?" The unicorn gasped, her now injured eye now shut tightly.
"Let me tell you... a story." He began, "A thousand years ago, Celestia trapped me in fucking stone."
Twilight continued staring, unsure if there was more to the story.
He stared right back at her.
"So it's all about revenge, then?" She asked, dumbfounded. "You did all this, took all these lives, just to get even?"
The being chuckled. "No. I don't play to get even. I play to win."
The unicorn glared at him with a single eye. "You'll never win, Insanity. You'll never, ever, get away with any-"
"I'm sorry, what?" He interrupted, his head tilted to the side, jaw hanging open slightly. "What did you say?"
She was silent.
"What, THE FUCK, did you just say?"
"I said, 'You'll never get away with this.' Princess Celestia is going to hunt you down and-"
"No, not that. Before that."
She looked puzzled. "You'll... never win?"
"Nope, right- right after that."
"... Insanity?"
The being immediately stood up, pacing angrily around the room. "Fucking insanity! I give one fucking monologue and I never fucking live it down! Fuck!"
He looked at her again. "My name is Vaas Montenegro."
He moved inches from her face. "VAAS MONTENEGRO! VAAS MONTE-NEGRO, YOU STUPID CUNT!"
He took a few steps back, panting heavily. "I mean- like- what kind of name is 'Insanity', anyways? It's- It's fuckin' stupid."
With that, The creat- 'Vaas' fell on his haunches, staring at her.
For the next couple of minutes the pair did just that. Stare at each other.
Then, suddenly, his face brightened. "Although, that reminds me of something."
He cleared his throat and scooted a little closer to the restrained mare.
"Did I ever tell you, the definiton... of insa-"
"I don't care."
Vaas froze. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open in surprise.
"Did you just-"
"Still don't care."
His face relaxed. His body lost its tenseness.
"Alright then, you go."
Twilight looked surprised for a split second before she began speaking. "Vaas... you are going to lose. That's the way this world works. The good ponies win and the bad ponies lose. Celestia is going to arrive, my friends and I are going to be freed, and you are going to be put back into your statue."
Her eyes were determined. She believed what she was saying. "The six of us have a bond stronger than you could possibly imagine. There's no way you can overcome that."
Vaas stared directly at her, his face expressionless, or at least it seemed to be until she noticed his face beginning to turn slightly red. Upon closer examination, she noticed his cheeks were slowly inflating. Then it hit her.
He was trying not to laugh.
As soon as this realization donned on her, the human burst into a huge fit of insane laughter. This went on for some time before he finally calmed down. He wiped his eyes and crouched down in front of her.
"Okay- okay, that was funny." He chuckled before becoming more serious.
"First things first. When I'm talking, shut your mouth." Twilight opened her mouth to retort, but he cut her off. "Seriously. Shut your fucking mouth, or I'll kick your fucking teeth down your throat and shut it for you."
"Now that that's out of the way, come with me." I continued, as I reached for her bindings, "Let me show you how powerful your 'friendship' really is."
----------
I got four of them lined up in a row. I had my guys bring chairs to tie them to, so that they could watch what was about to happen.
The fifth, a bitchy white unicorn, was tied to a rock by her waist so that she couldn't move, and so the others could see her.
"Look." I started, gesturing to the four mares that were tied up.
"Your friend here-" I pointed to the purple one, "-Seems to think that your friendship is super powerful, or whatever the fuck."
Three of them glared daggers at me, the yellow one just looked afraid.
"Well, I'm gonna show you it's not."
I turned and gestured to one of the pirates I had brought with me. "Do it."
He nodded and used his magic to pick up a small tank of lantern fuel I had found lying around the camp and began pouring it all over the mare on the rock. She quickly began coughing and sputtering as some of the foul liquid got in her mouth.
As this was happening, I removed a small book of matches from my pocket.
"The choices you have made in life-" I removed a single match from the package, "'-Have brought you here today."
My goon quits pouring the fuel, allowing her to see what I was carrying in my hand.
"Oh, please no!" She exclaimed, struggling with the ropes that tied her down as I advanced towards her. "No, don't do this!"
Two of her friends joined in as well.
"Stop it!"
"Don't hurt my friend!"
The orange one was silent, and the yellow one just began crying.
"Don't cry." I growled, "Do not beg!"
This only made them louder.
"SHUT UP!"
They were quite for a few seconds.
"I need to focus, these matches really fucking suck." I said, as I attempted to light the match once again.
Suddenly, I squinted, looking to the sky. The sun... was brighter than I remembered. Weird.
A couple more attempts and I finally got it to light. Cradling the life in my hands, I said a few words.
"You know, I think it's really beautiful... that the four of you are willing to die for one of your friends, because-"
Suddenly, I'm cut off as a literal shockwave of air hits me, the pirates with me, and our prisoners.
Anyone standing stumbles, and the pink one's chair gets knocked over.
I lift the match to my face to see that it had been extinguished, a thin line of smoke trailing from it.
The sun had managed to get even brighter than before.
I swallowed. There's only one pony who could make an entrance like that, and she should not be here this early.
"You two, come with me!" I exclaimed taking two of my four with me.
"What about the prisoners?" One that was staying behind asked.
"Stay here- and- uh- fucking guard them! Make sure they don't go anywhere!" I paused. "Do not fuck this up."
With that, I turned to leave, with only a single thought in my mind.
If all the signs are right, then she's already here.
"Did I ever tell you... the definition... of insanity?"
Pure contempt. That's all that's in her eyes when she looks at me.
Like I'm not worth her time.
"Insanity, is... doing the exact same, fucking thing, over and over and over again... expecting... shit to change."
I'm lounging on a pile of crates. Loot stolen from ponies I couldn't give a fuck less about.
There's no pirates here, just her and I.
Me, sitting on my crates, cigarette in my mouth, and her, standing there, surrounded by floating jewels, with her hair flowing, despite the distinct lack of a breeze.
"That. Is. Crazy."
I've been causing trouble for far too long. That's why she's here.
She's come to get me. Like I'm a dog off it's leash.
"But the first time somebody told me that, I dunno, I thought they were bullshitting me, so boom, I shot him."
She should respect me. She should fear me.
She doesn't, though.
"But you see, the thing is- the thing is... he was right. And then I started seeing, everywhere I looked, all these fucking pricks, everywhere I looked, doing the exact. Same. Fucking thing..."
At this point, running away from her would just be a waste of everyone's time.
"... Over and over and over again- thinking- 'This time is going to be different! No, no, no, no please... this time, is gonna be different!"
She won't kill me.
And I'll be back.
I could do without that condescending look, though.
"I'm sorry, I don't. Like... the way... you are looking at me!"
She seems a little startled by my outburst.
We're closer together, now.
"Okay, do you have a fucking problem in your head? Do you think I am bullshitting you? FUCK YOU!"
She's looks like she's more than fed up with me at this point.
Good.
As I pause to catch my breath, the jewels start to get brighter and brighter.
Knowing that my time is almost up, I scowl and flip ol' Celly the bird.
----------
Battle is a funny thing, you know? I always kind of thought of it as two tides crashing into each other until one gives way and is obliterated.
As I burst into my camp with a pair of pirates behind me, I can see the tides battling one another. I can also clearly see that my tide is losing. It doesn't matter where I look, royal guards clad in gold colored armor swarm the ponies that inhabit the outpost, overwhelming them through sheer numbers.
I've entered the fray within seconds, knife in hand. One of the guards notices me instantly and swings a sword in my direction. I evade the attack and slash at his face before introducing it to the heel of my boot. His helmet flies off his face as he hits the dirt a few feet away. I can't help but chuckle.
"Hey, hermano!" I yell, pointing at the stallion. "If you spent all this time making your fancy-ass armor, why didn't you get a fucking chinstrap?"
Quickly sidestepping, I dodge a spear thrust, leaving my new opponent off balance. Taking advantage of this, I grab the top of his helmet and slam my knee into his chin. As he reels back I stab into his neck and push him away.
After looking around for a moment I manage to catch a glimpse of Razor, who is busy fighting a pair of guards near the edge of the battle that appear to be getting the better of him. As I attempt to make my way to him through the mass of fighting ponies, one slices his ear and he falls to the ground.
I quicken my pace.
He's back on his hooves by the time I reach him, but I can tell he's tired. Once I've reached him I use the fact that neither guard has seen me coming to my advantage by gabbing one and throwing him to the dirt and stomping on his chest as hard as I can. But as he gasps for breath his partner slams into me from behind, knocking my to the ground. I scramble onto my back just in time for him to land on top of me, pummelling my face with his hooves. I struggle to get my hands in front of my face so I can defend myself, but it isn't long before I'm seeing stars. Then, in an instant, the stallion goes limp on top of me.
I push him off and take a second to focus my gaze so that I can see Razor Blades staring back at me, half and ear and half a grin on his face.
He holds up a hoof. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
I respond with a finger of my own. Guess which one it is.
"Maybe you're not quite as tough as I thought." He says as I climb to my feet and wipe the blood from my lip.
"And you're a bigger asshole than I thought, fucker." I snarl in return. "Why didn't you get him off me sooner?"
He shrugs, although I can tell he's watching the fight that's happening around us. "I figured you could handle it."
Ignoring what he just said, I change the subject. "How the hell did this happen?"
A couple more guards move in on us, weapons drawn.
"Somebody squealed." Razor says.
And the fight starts.
"Who do you think it was?" I ask, slamming my fist into an armoured mare's face.
"I've got my suspicions, but nothing concrete." He replies as he ducks a punch.
"So have you seen-" I'm cut off as a guard sends a blast of magic towards me. I can feel the heat as it flies by and hits a tree, singeing it black.
"Seen who?"
I swing my blade at the unicorn, who moves backward to avoid my knife. As she does this I kick out her legs and hit her in the jaw with my boot.
I'm panting. "Who- hah, -Do you fucking think I'm talking about? The big cheese!"
"No, I haven't caught a glimpse of her yet." He replies as the remaining guards begin to back away from the two of us, probably deciding that engaging some less dangerous pirates in the camp would probably be a safer bet.
"Besides, I'm pretty sure she's the type who let's her lackeys do all the-"
Just as the words leave his mouth a wave of dust hits both of us, obscuring our vision.
"Never mind." I cough.
I strain my eyes and the dust begins to settle and manage to make out a pair of glowing yellow orbs staring back at me.
"Took you long enough." I deadpan.
The eyes narrow.
In a couple more seconds, the dust has settled enough so that we can see each other clearly. I motion for Razor to leave. He does.
We're on opposite sides of the battlefield, both of us on the edge, looking in. Her eyes have returned to normal, each one shining a pale magenta. She looks just like she did a thousand years ago, minus the armor she wore back then.
For what feels like it could be hours, we simply stare at each other, sizing each other up, looking for weaknesses.
She makes the first move. I see it coming as bright yellow energy begins to build around the tip of her horn. Acting quickly I run into the fray and grab the closest pony I can get my hands on. This turns out to be one of my own pirates, but I'm a little desperate.
There's no time to find something else and frankly, I don't really care. I hold the unlucky stallion in front of me just as Celestia unleashes an unrelenting burst of magic from her horn. A continuous yellow beam finds my equine shield as the pony screams in pain and the smell of burnt hair assaults my nostrils. By the time she's done there isn't much left to hold onto. I drop the smoking remains of the pirate to the dirt and face the princess once again.
She looks more annoyed than she did before. As the battle rages on around us, I see her horn charge again. This time, however, there's almost no time to react.
In an instant she's teleported to me, hitting me with a pair of punches to my jaw. Despite the pain, I manage to block her third by catching it in my palm.
She answers this with a kick to my gut that sends my flying through the air. The wood comprising the door splinters as I smash through it and land on my back. I pull myself up onto my hands and knees, attempting to catch my breath.
I'm going to need a new strategy.
----------
Rainbow Dash crouched in a bush, a sword tightly gripped in her teeth.
She was watching.
She could see that most of her friends had been tied to chairs except for Rarity, who had been fastened to a rock opposite them. There were a pair of guards in the area as well. One was busy patrolling around the chairs while the other sat by a rock, picking his teeth with a knife held up by unicorn magic. Both wore red rags.
The pain in her wing had dulled considerably to the point where she could now see, and think straight as well as move without stumbling too much. Despite this, she knew that she was in no shape for a fight. Especially against two armed ponies at once.
So, after weighing all her options, she decided to go with stealth.
Picking up a rock, she cocked her hoof back and threw it across the clearing so that it ended up in some dense foliage.
Immediately, both stallion's ears perked up and their heads snapped to face where the rock had landed.
"What was that?" One asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Beats me." His partner replied, pulling the knife away from his teeth. "Go check it out."
"I don't wanna check it out." The first stallion shot back. "You do it."
"Well fine, if you're gonna be a little bitch about it." The second grunted as he levitated his knife and made his way into the bushes.
While the two had been arguing, the blue pegasus had made her way to the other side of the clearing so that she could easily sneak up on whoever went to check out the disturbance.
"See, what did I tell you?" The pirate laughed. "There's nothing here!
As she inched closer, the pirate froze, sensing that something was behind him. before he could react, she sprinted and tackled him to the ground. He fought her for a split second before going limp. Surprised, Rainbow Dash drew back and found the sword she was carrying had been stained red. She had killed the other pony with sheer dumb luck.
Before the fact that she had just taken a life had time to sink in, she heard a familiar voice fall from the clearing.
"Hey, you alright in there?" The remaining pirate called. "I heard a noise."
There was a pause then she could hear hoofsteps coming towards her, followed by the sound of a sword being drawn.
"You'd better not be fucking with me, dude." He growled.
As he got closer, he recognized the shape of his partner's body laid out on the forest floor.
"Whoever you are, you'd better be a hook-" He never finished his sentence. Almost as soon as he began to speak, the blue pegasus swung her sword at him from behind. As the blade met him he let out a cry of pain and stumbled forward before slumping onto the ground beside his former pirate comrade.
Panting, Rainbow Dash ran to her friends.
"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed when she laid eyes on her.
"Rainbow Dash, you're alright!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed, face lighting up.
"What happened to those big, mean, pirates?" Pinkie Pie asked.
It was a harmless question really, especially for one such as Pinkie, but the words triggered bile that threatened to force it's way into Rainbow's mouth.
"They..." She paused, wincing. "They can't hurt you anymore."
Applejack stared forward, refusing to acknowledge that the world around her existed.
"Darling if you wouldn't mind, these ropes are a little tight for my tastes." Rarity added, straining against her bindings.
I grab into the edge of a window in the shack and pull myself up, groaning.
As soon as I can see out I'm scanning for the sun monarch. It takes me a few seconds to find her amongst the chaos, but it looks like she's turned away from the shack she knocked me through and is now bust beating a couple of pirates senseless.
"FUCK!" I exclaim, pulling a sizeable splinter from my forearm.
Speaking of beating pirates senseless, the amount of my own goons seems to be dwindling pretty badly at this point. Most have been killed, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated and the few survivors left are fighting what is quite obviously a losing battle. Among these survivors is Razor Blades. He's been totally surrounded by this point, though he's still fighting tooth and nail to stay alive.
That is, until a familiar yellow blast of magic hits him and knocks him off his hooves. He never saw it coming. The guards all attack him at once as soon as he's down. He never stood a chance.
It doesn't look like I have too many options left here. Honestly, I don't I've got more than a single option.
Having finally caught my breath, I push myself out of the door in a dead sprint, hoping to put as much distance between myself and the ruler of this place. I get four or five seconds of running before her eyes focus on me and she drops the pirate she was holding up a second ago. Instantly, a group of her guards ready themselves to chase after me.
"No." She simply states, raising a hoof. "I'll deal him. He won't be a problem much linger, my subjects."
Hearing that, I take off into the forest, wind blowing in my face and princess celestia herself in hot pursuit.
----------
Princess Celestia was angry, to say the least. Enraged would have been a better word for it, honestly.
As she chased the creature she had dubbed Insanity through the forest, she strained to catch of glimpse of his fleeing form. He was more nimble than she was, and he was navigating the thick mass of trees and shrubs far easier than she was.
"Vaas!" She yelled, using his real name for the fist time in a millennia. "Stop running!"
She could have sworn she heard a chuckle from ahead of her.
"You got my helmet message... right?" He shouted at her over his shoulder.
She gritted her teeth upon hearing this taunt and fired a wide beam of solar energy in response. The blast seared apart the plants blocking her way, allowing her to see him more clearly. He obviously noticed this and quickened his pace.
"You aren't going to escape!" She exclaimed, firing a pair of thinner, quicker projectiles at him this time. One skinned his thigh, making him stumble, but he did not fall.
The symphony battle had faded behind them, leaving only the sounds of her hooves hitting the earth in her ears. Flying was out of the question because the denseness of the forest made it impossible to see down and find something running.
She fired another shot, this one missed as well but it obviously startled him and he dove forward into a mass of tangled trees and out of her sight. By the time she had traversed this area, she found him staring back at her, a knife in his hand.
Behind him she saw that there was no forest left to run to. Looking out at the gap she could only guess that there was a very steep drop beyond the two of them. She could see a flock of birds flying away and could hear the crashing sound of a waterfall. Sunlight shone down upon them in glorious beams. She relished every one of them.
"So..." He stared at her, face expressionless, scratching the back of his head with his blade. "Long time no see."
----------
This... this... BITCH!
She comes to MY camp and fucks with EVERYTHING I worked for? Oh, I'm going to make her bleed, you can bet your ass. Back at the outpost I stifled my anger because defending that place was my top priority, but now that it's a lost cause I'm pissed off.
"How did you find me?" I ask through clenched teeth.
"I received a letter." She answered, beginning to circle me.
"From who?"
"Does it really matter?"
"Yes it does, Because I'm going to slaughter whoever sent it... like a FUCKING PIG!"
We stare at each other while I pant for couple more moments. It's rather strange, this peace between enemies, this calm before the storm. And it's at this point that I decide I've had enough of the calm.
"So what? Huh? What's your fucking plan here?" I ask, eyes narrowing. "Are you gonna bring the elements back?"
Her teeth grit as she hears this.
"Let me tell you right now why that's not going to work, hermana." I growl, pointing back to the camp. "I know that you can't use them anymore, and I've broken at least or of two of the new fucking carriers and I'm pretty sure that the fast one's dead."
"No." She replies. "That's not what I plan on."
"Then enlighten me... you bitch."
"Vaas," She starts, all high and mighty. "For your crimes against the citizens of my fair nation, you will face death."
I can't help but titter in response. "So no trial, then?"
She stares right back at me.
"Well, it looks like I broke you, too." I smile, "Can't say I'm fucking surprised."
She pulls a golden knife out of the air in a display of bright magic, the weapon falling into her hooves. It's blade looked about six or seven inches long, it's handle encrusted with a variety of small jewels.
"I'm glad it matches your outfit." I chuckle, getting into a fighting stance.
"For all that you have done to hurt the ponies I have sword to protect, Vaas, this is your punishment."
I'm already acting as this little display happens. I growl and viscously slash at her, she weaves and dodges my attacks with little to no effort. She's faster than I expected. After another missed swipe she blocks my blade with her fore hoof, holding it there for just a second. There, I see it, my chance. If I can just drop the blade down and catch it with my other-
My train of thought is cut off as she slams the butt of her blade into my jaw and kicks me back, stumbling me.
She goes on the offensive while I'm reeling back and I struggle to get out of the way of her attacks. I block a punch and answer with a kick only for her to seize the leg and twist, throwing my off my feet and onto the dirt.
I scramble to my feet while my hands find my knife.
I touch my fingers to my nose and draw them back to find them bloody. I can't help but laugh.
"If- If you seriously think that... killing me will solve anything, you're retarded."
She approaches me slowly, knife held in front of her.
"The ponies I've killed, the damage I've caused, that's not a wound that will heal!" spitting on the dirt and getting to my feet. "And just fucking trust me, I'm the kind of guy who... inspires followers."
"Not if I can help it." She states.
She comes at me more aggressively this time with a stab aimed at my midsection. I quickly sidestep and throw a punch that she ducks under. As she comes back up I manage to land a kick that makes her take a step back. In retaliation she continues her assault until I'm backed against a tree.
Before, I noticed how fast she was, but now I see that she's quite disciplined as well. Her attacks may lack the ferocity mine carry, but they are far more calculated and precise.
She throws a powerful jab that misses and instead makes contact with the tree I'm standing in front of. As she reels back in surprise and pain I turn and brake off a sizeable tree branch before swinging it as hard as I can. The wood cracks as it connects with the side of her head. She stumbles back, stunned.
I charge her, hoping to tackle her to the ground, but she recovers faster than I expected. When I reach her she quickly moves out of the way and I go past, unbalanced. She keeps hitting me after I've fallen to the ground, battering me until I can taste blood.
She pulls back to finish me off with her knife, but I take this chance to roll out of the way and get to my feet.
I can see a few scratches on her face. Most of my body aches from punishment. I spit, but this time it's blood.
"I'm going to FUCKING KILL YOU!" I roar, charging her again.
I don't even land a hit. My punches have gotten a little clumsy and she capitalizes on this. After blocking my knife she disarms me and stabs her horn into my shoulder. I never really noticed how sharp the thing was until now. I scream at the top of my lungs as it cuts into me, and I can swear that she's smiling. She pulls her head back and I can see her horn stained red. I fall to the ground but refuse to look at the wound.
Crawling, I manage to get a hold of my knife once more and slowly get to my feet.
"You..." I sigh. "Are a fucking SADIST!"
She just stands there, waiting for me to come at her.
"You could've killed me a ton of times during this fight but you didn't!" I scream at her and blood flies from my mouth. I can feel sweat dripping down my face. "You want to watch me suffer..."
I smile. "Maybe you and I aren't so different."
I come at her with all I've got, punching, kicking, and swinging my blade at her. A lucky hook from my good arm stuns her long enough for me to slice at her throat. She reels back and the blade swung by my clumsy, wounded arm catches her on the chest, rewarding me with a satisfying cry of pain.
"I'm going to burn your fucking shit nation to the ground." I growl, panting.
"Fire will lift you off my shoulders!" I yell as she comes at me once more.
She kicks at my legs, but I manage to jump back.
"Fire is clean, quick, and sure!" She slices the side of my stomach.
"Fire leaves nothing to rot later!" I scratch at her eyes with my fingernails.
"Antibiotic!" She kicks me in the face and I'm almost positive my nose is broken.
"Aesthetic!" I grab her shoulders and land a head butt directly at the base of her horn.
She pushes me back. I look behind me and see a drop. A very far drop. I'm standing at the edge of a cliff, now. Not a metaphorical cliff or anything, and actual, literal cliff. There's nowhere fro me to run. Princess Celestia, blood dripping down from her horn into her eyes, readies her blade for a final strike.
"Practical." I say.
I throw my knife. It spins end over end, blade glinting beautifully for a moment in the sunlight as it flies toward my opponent. She dodges it almost effortlessly, but that was to be expected.
As she moves out of the way of the projectile, I pull my gun from it's holster.
This thing probably would have come in handy earlier in the fight, but that doesn't matter now. I let loose a shot. You see, all a gun really does is focus an explosion in a single direction. As the bullet leaves the chamber and the gun kicks back in my hand I can't help but smile.
The bullet hits her in the midsection and she falls backwards onto the ground. I aim the gun at her head while she's still groaning in pain. Her eyes focus on me, wide and surprised. I'm sire mine are wide and crazed.
Then, something happens. Some might say beautiful, some might say horrible. In a flash, I see the night sky. All the stars and the moon for a second I'm stunned. Then she's in front of me. Blue eyes angry, mane flowing just like Celestia's.
Then there's this terrible sound. A sound I'm familiar with. My mouth and eyes fly open in surprise and the illusion breaks. I can see the whole world around me in threatening detail.
I look down to see a sword wedged firmly in the middle of my chest. I can barely feel the wound. The rest of my body screams in agony, but there must be too much shock. Was this new pony here the whole time as backup, or did she just arrive?
It's funny, the time these questions tend to hit you.
I glance towards my hand carrying the pistol. The new pony is with Celestia now, tending to her wounds. She's completely disregarded me already.
I aim the pistol at Celestia.
My hand is shaking.
I need to steady myself.
Instinctively, I take a step back and panic as my foot meets air and I begin to fall.
I'm not sure how far the drop is, I could have been falling for seconds or hours. I look up as I descend, watching the side of the cliff shrink smaller and smaller. There's a thin trail of blood coming from my chest and face and I watch the droplets fly upwards instead of how they normally fall downwards. I watch as my pistol slowly slips from my grip and hangs in the air above my hand.
That's the sound that greets my ears as consciousness is trickled into my being. I awake slowly. Very slowly. The first thing I'm aware of is the dull ache in several parts of my body as well as a stiff bed beneath me. Opening my eyes answers nearly all of the questions I've been having.
I've always hated hospitals. Mostly because of the fact that whenever I'm in one it's never by choice. My head is a little cloudy, probably from whatever painkillers they're pumping into me via the intravenous protruding from my leg. It takes a lot of restraint not to simply tear it free and walk out of this place, but restraint has always been something I've been known for.
My throat is dry. I twist my head around, attempting to locate some form of hydration until I notice a pitcher sitting near the side of my hospital bed, along with a few disposable cups. It's out of my reach, and using magic to acquire it would probable be a bad idea while I'm under the affects of this medicine. I could lose control and end up vaporizing some poor patient three rooms over.
Raising a hoof, I feel the bandages that have been wrapped around my chest. They look clean, so they must have been changed fairly recently. This probably means that-
"You're awake!"
My sister stands in the doorway to my room, eyes wide and mouth stretched into a smile.
"Yes Luna, I am." I reply, managing a small smile. "I'll go ahead and say that I've seen better days during my rule, though."
"Was... Was that supposed to be a joke, sister?" She asks, raising an eyebrow as she moves to my bedside.
"For goodness sake," I groan as I blow a few stray strands of my mane out of my eyes, "I'm laying in a hospital bed with a gunshot wound. The least you could do is try and humor me for once."
"Not on your life." She chuckles. "I'm quite glad you're alright, though."
"As am I. Could you... pass me some water, please?"
And she does.
Then we sit peacefully for a while. Her at my side as sunlight lazily streams in though the blinds that try in vain to cover the window to my room. Neither of us really want to address what happened, but we both know it has to happen eventually.
"How long was I asleep for?" I ask, breaking the silence.
"A couple days." She replies, sipping her cup of water. "The doctors said it was normal after surviving a wound like yours. You did wake up earlier than they had expected, though."
"I see, how long should I expect to be in this hospital bed?"
She smiles at this. "I was wondering when you would ask. I know how much you hate hospitals. The doctor said that he should be able to discharge you in about ten days. Luckily for you the bullet passed through your shoulder and out the other side without breaking any bones."
I raise my eyebrows at this.
"Yes." She says, "Did I mention that you were lucky?"
I can't put the elephant in the room out of my thoughts any longer. "Are Twilight and her friends..."
Her face hardens. "They're..." She pauses, drawing in a breath, "They're alive."
She's being vague on purpose, that much I can tell. Guilt hits me like a train.
"This is all my fault, isn't it?" I ask, turning to her. "If I hadn't been so damn blinded by-"
She places a hoof on my shoulder. "Sister." She says intensely, "Lister to me. This is not your fault. What happened was the doing of a madman, and he's gone now. Blaming yourself won't get you anywhere. All we can do for now is recover."
"You.. you saved my life, luna." I say as my vision blurs slightly thanks to the fresh tears that threaten to seep from my eyes.
She hugs me tightly. My chest aches a little, but I don't complain.
"You should probably get some rest. I can handle raising the sun until you have your strength back. We'll talk later, don't worry." With that, she turns off the lights and leaves me alone with my thoughts.
----------
I'm far less groggy the next time I awake, although I'm alone for far longer. I think about Vaas. How he taunted me, how he tricked me into being so damn stupid that I decided to face a psychopath all on my own, and of the innocent lives he took just to draw me out and make a point. I's like to say that I think about that last one the most.
Later on in the day the doctor visits me along with Luna and says that I'll be stuck in this damned hospital bed for at least ten more days. I'm disappointed, but not surprised. He tells me that I should expect to be walking with a crutch for at least a few more weeks, but I'm hoping that my alicorn healing will speed up the process of my recovery.
"Where are twilight and her friends?" I finally ask my sister, once the doctor leaves us.
Luna bit her lip and paused. "Are you-"
"I am."
"Alright." She sighed, "Rainbow Dash is currently in the same hospital as you here in Canterlot while she's having her broken wing mended. In an incredible act of bravery she managed to find and save her friends while you were attacking the pirate camp despite her wound. She won't stop trying to intimidate the doctors into letting her go stay with the rest of her friends." She chuckled, shaking her head, "How typical of the element of loyalty, hm?"
I couldn't help but smile. As horrible as Vaas was, he had been unable to break the spirit of the aspiring wonderbolt.
"Twilight is currently mourning her brother back at her library, which luckily wasn't raided by pirates during the attack on Ponyville. It's quite a sad affair and the fact that her horn and eye were damaged aren't helping her... but I'm confident she'll pull through. Her physical wounds will heal and her emotional ones eventually will as well. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie are with her, and though the three of them are all quite rattled, they are strong mares and I'm sure that they can get past this. Plus, having them with Twilight can do nothing but good in these hard times."
Luna's look was one of grim optimism. But It's clear that she was leaving a certain pony out.
"And Applejack?" I ask, fearing that she was left out for a reason.
Upon hearing the farm pony's name, my sister's face lost it's look of optimism. "Applejack... hasn't fared quite as well as the others, I'm afraid. The loss of her siblings had taken an enormous toll on her and the doctors have informed me that she is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, at least significantly more so than her friends. She is being kept here and is receiving help, but there's no telling when she'll be fit to be released. I fear she will be in here for the foreseeable future."
"She will eventually be alright, though, right?" I asked.
"I hope so, sister." Luna sighed, looking at the wall. "I hope so."
----------
I can't move. I can't- I CAN'T MOVE!
....
I can't feel my body. I'm just sorta like... a presence. It's like I can't... feel... where my physical being starts and where it ends. I don't understand- I just WANT-
Okay.
Calm down.
Deep breaths.
Just take a few deep breaths and- and notice that your heart isn't beating in your chest. Yeah. Why don't we just focus on wrapping our heads around that for a minute.
...
So I must be dead, then. This is death.
Huh.
This is going to be really fucking boring. I can't say I'm looking forward to-
Oh hold on second.
Yep. Those are my fingers. I can move them and- Oh that's my arms! Man, I've got great arms, dude. Okay, I can feel where my face is now. Stuff is falling into place. This is good. I'm just gonna open my eyes and-
Nothing. I can't see anything. I can't make any noise with my mouth, either. Maybe if I wait long enough I can-
Pressure. Not pain, but pressure. Something is pushing me down, but something is also pulling me up. I don't want to fall. Okay, move your fucking arms, tread water, do something!
C'mon!
Fight! FIGHT THIS! FIGHT!
----------
I wake up like I've been thrown into a river. Coughing and gagging.
I get to my knees and throw up onto the ground. There's a little blood in it, but once i wipe my mouth and spit a few times I can't help but laugh.
"I'm- I'm alive! Heh heh ha ha HA HA HA HA HA HA! FUCK YOU, CELLY!" I roar, flipping off the sun with both hands.
"You are, indeed." A familiar voice chuckles behind me, making me jump. "Thanks to an old friend, of course!"
I turn around to see two different sized red pupils sitting in a pair of yellow eyes that just so happened to be attached to the most mismatched person you'll ever meet.
"Most people say that death is set in stone, but to them I say, boulder-dash!"
