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Chapter 2 - Warriors Gather and Tyrants Plan
Mooneye was sitting in his tent just off the road, waiting for somepony to show up.
'Don't get your hopes up,' his mind told himself.
"Shut up," he said aloud, refusing to give up. He was about to go into a complete argument with his mind when there was a noise from outside.
"Excuse me," said a female voice, "Is this where the flyer told me to go?"
'Eat it,' he thought to his own mind as he opened the flap. He saw what he thought was a zebra, though he had never seen one that was black with white stripes. It made no difference the color, though.
"It is," he said, welcoming her in, "Hopefully, others will answer my posters before too long."
"I am glad that I've made it before any others," she said, her accent peaking through her voice.
'Must've been raised here from a young filly,' the rust colored pony thought, before saying, "If you don't mind, I'd rather save introductions until I've got a fair sized group here, that way we only have to say it once."
"Fair enough," she said as she took a seat at the table in the center of the large tent.
"Would'ya like something to drink or eat while you wait?" he asked, trying to be hospitable.
"No, thank you," she said. Before he could say anything else, a shadow appeared on the tent.
"This better be the place," they both heard an oddly old voice say.
"It is," Mooneye said. Before he could reach for the flap, it opened on its own and a sea-grean unicorn with silver hair walked in.
"Good," he said, "I'm ready to start liberatin' those innocent ponies your poster talked about." A black earth pony walked in not a second later.
He cracked his neck and said, "When do we start?"
"I'm waiting for at least one more-" Mooneye started.
"-pony?" somepony else said. In trotted a smallish, blue pegasus.
"Well, I guess that's enough for now," Mooneye said, a little upset at being interrupted. They all sat down at the table, and the half-blind merc placed a map on the table.
"Alright, before we start talkin' plans," he said, "We'd better get to know each other."
"So who's startin'?" the earth pony asked, interrupting Mooneye again.
"I will," Mooneye replied, trying desperately to hide his slowly growing anger, "Name's Mooneye. I was raised in Hoofington, where I spent a couple years as a guard. My little brother joined up with me, and lucky us, we got on the same shift. It was just dad and us; mom was killed while we were tryin' to get to Equestria. Then, one day, there was a particularly bad bandit raid. My bro and I managed to take out a couple of 'em, but the leader spilled my brother's guts on the ground an' took off. I also got this," he said, gesturing to the moon-shaped scar on his left eye, "That day. That was also the day I quit bein' a guard an' became a merc. A year or two later, I was goin' back to Hoofington, and it was under attack again. I ran to my dad's blacksmith store, determined to save him. I burst in the door, an' that same bandit was there, holdin' a gun to my dad's head. I can't remember what he said, but whatever it was, he blew dad's brains out after. But I got him back for that. I pounded his face so far in, even his mother wouldn'ta recognized him."
"My name is Zierra," the zebra started her story with, "And though I am not a very good fighter, as the rest of you surely are, I am an excellent healer-" At that moment, the black earth pony groaned loudly.
"Just my luck," he said, "A healer." He grumbled as Zierra continued her story.
"As I was saying, over the years, I learned a great many things of alchemy. Now, I am second only to Zecora, who was my teacher for many of those years."
"My turn," the black earth pony said, "I'm Body Breaker. I like to fight. I love pain. I hate healers. An' the color orange gives me a headache. I was born in Stalliongrad, in a bad part of town. I was beat up an' tortured everyday. I never fought back, not because I was scared, but because I loved pain. Still do."
"Why would you like pain?" the pegasus asked.
"Lets you know you're still alive," Body Breaker replied. "What's your story, Old Timer?"
"Ah, the young and stupid, always mocking the old and experienced," the unicorn replied, annoyed, "My name is Elemental Fury. I was a student at the Royal Guard Academy, Unicorn division. Princess Celestia said I had alot of potential and gave me a chance. I quickly mastered their combat magics, but I was lacking in the other magics, so I started to make up my own combat spells. I left the academy before I was enrolled in the guards. I'd rather be free that under somepony's hoof, regardless of how kind the pony is." Everypony then turned their head to the pegasus, who was leaning back in his chair.
"And your story?" Mooneye asked.
"Name's Soft Grip," he said, "Grew up on the streets. Managed to live by pickin' pockets. Nowadays I make my livin' as a rouge. Which brings to mind a question: How much am I gettin' paid for this?"
Mooneye's eye twitched. "Paid?" he asked.
"Yeah," Soft Grip said, nonchalantly.
"Fine," Mooneye said, trying to clam down(and almost failing), "When we're done, you can help yourself to the spoils." He then proceeded to tell the gathered ponies why he had gathered them together.
Meanwhile, far to the nort of Equestria, a yellow pony wearing a crown was standing on a balcony, staring down at his dwindling army, standing in at least a meter of snow.
"Poisoned Oaks," he called out. A red pegasus pony with pulsating purple spots on her coat approached from behind.
"Yes, my lord?" she asked, bowing before her king.
"How many times have the rebels attacked the castle?" he asked her, still looking at his soldiers. Each soldier a male, each looking exactly like the rest.
"This last one makes it fifty, my lord," Poisoned Oaks replied.
"How many were nearly successful?" he continued.
"About nine, my lord," the pegasus replied, before convulsing in pain. For just a second, the purple spots disappeared from her coat, giving her time to beg the king before her to stop her suffering, before they returned and she became his steward again.
"She keeps attempting to break your hold of her," he noted.
"Yes, my lord Nightmare King," she replied, getting up, "Her feeble attempts at regaining her body seem to be getting stronger."
"Anyway, how many soldiers do I have left?" he asked her, temporarily forgetting the struggle for control that was just had.
"I believe it to be around ninety, my lord," she replied, bowing again.
"Hmmm," the yellow pony grunted, "We'll need to bolster the troops before too long, and that won't be good for the populace." He stood there thinking for several more minutes, the snow blowing around him but never seeming to touch him.
"Prepare my army," he said suddenly, suprising his steward, "We are going to need to invade neighboring countries if we are to put down this uprising. We may need to conquer the whole planet." The thought of being the unquestioned ruler of the world made him smile, a sight that was both terrifying and sinister.
"Yes, my lord," Poisoned Oaks said, "Thy will be done." She went to the troops below them to give them their orders. The troops accepted their orders as if they were nothing but machines, waiting to be used.
"And that's my plan," Mooneye finished, miles away from the tyrant.
"Sounds painful," Body Breaker said, smiling, "I'm in."
"You will need me," Zierra said, "I will aid you."
"Freedom," Elemental Fury said, "Or death."
"And what about you, squirt?" the rust-colored merc asked Soft Grip. The pegasus replied by pulling out a single bit, tossing it in the air, and flinging a knife at it. It pierced the bit right in the middle, and stuck itself in a support beam of the tent.
"Count me in," he said, "Like I'd pass up an opportunity like this."
"Now that we're all friends and everything," the unicorn said, "I think we should go see the princess. She might be able to get us transportation there."
"Good idea," Mooneye said, remembering how he'd ticked off the princess after their last meeting. The group packed up a few supplies, and went to see Princess Celestia.
Mooneye was sitting in his tent just off the road, waiting for somepony to show up.
'Don't get your hopes up,' his mind told himself.
"Shut up," he said aloud, refusing to give up. He was about to go into a complete argument with his mind when there was a noise from outside.
"Excuse me," said a female voice, "Is this where the flyer told me to go?"
'Eat it,' he thought to his own mind as he opened the flap. He saw what he thought was a zebra, though he had never seen one that was black with white stripes. It made no difference the color, though.
"It is," he said, welcoming her in, "Hopefully, others will answer my posters before too long."
"I am glad that I've made it before any others," she said, her accent peaking through her voice.
'Must've been raised here from a young filly,' the rust colored pony thought, before saying, "If you don't mind, I'd rather save introductions until I've got a fair sized group here, that way we only have to say it once."
"Fair enough," she said as she took a seat at the table in the center of the large tent.
"Would'ya like something to drink or eat while you wait?" he asked, trying to be hospitable.
"No, thank you," she said. Before he could say anything else, a shadow appeared on the tent.
"This better be the place," they both heard an oddly old voice say.
"It is," Mooneye said. Before he could reach for the flap, it opened on its own and a sea-grean unicorn with silver hair walked in.
"Good," he said, "I'm ready to start liberatin' those innocent ponies your poster talked about." A black earth pony walked in not a second later.
He cracked his neck and said, "When do we start?"
"I'm waiting for at least one more-" Mooneye started.
"-pony?" somepony else said. In trotted a smallish, blue pegasus.
"Well, I guess that's enough for now," Mooneye said, a little upset at being interrupted. They all sat down at the table, and the half-blind merc placed a map on the table.
"Alright, before we start talkin' plans," he said, "We'd better get to know each other."
"So who's startin'?" the earth pony asked, interrupting Mooneye again.
"I will," Mooneye replied, trying desperately to hide his slowly growing anger, "Name's Mooneye. I was raised in Hoofington, where I spent a couple years as a guard. My little brother joined up with me, and lucky us, we got on the same shift. It was just dad and us; mom was killed while we were tryin' to get to Equestria. Then, one day, there was a particularly bad bandit raid. My bro and I managed to take out a couple of 'em, but the leader spilled my brother's guts on the ground an' took off. I also got this," he said, gesturing to the moon-shaped scar on his left eye, "That day. That was also the day I quit bein' a guard an' became a merc. A year or two later, I was goin' back to Hoofington, and it was under attack again. I ran to my dad's blacksmith store, determined to save him. I burst in the door, an' that same bandit was there, holdin' a gun to my dad's head. I can't remember what he said, but whatever it was, he blew dad's brains out after. But I got him back for that. I pounded his face so far in, even his mother wouldn'ta recognized him."
"My name is Zierra," the zebra started her story with, "And though I am not a very good fighter, as the rest of you surely are, I am an excellent healer-" At that moment, the black earth pony groaned loudly.
"Just my luck," he said, "A healer." He grumbled as Zierra continued her story.
"As I was saying, over the years, I learned a great many things of alchemy. Now, I am second only to Zecora, who was my teacher for many of those years."
"My turn," the black earth pony said, "I'm Body Breaker. I like to fight. I love pain. I hate healers. An' the color orange gives me a headache. I was born in Stalliongrad, in a bad part of town. I was beat up an' tortured everyday. I never fought back, not because I was scared, but because I loved pain. Still do."
"Why would you like pain?" the pegasus asked.
"Lets you know you're still alive," Body Breaker replied. "What's your story, Old Timer?"
"Ah, the young and stupid, always mocking the old and experienced," the unicorn replied, annoyed, "My name is Elemental Fury. I was a student at the Royal Guard Academy, Unicorn division. Princess Celestia said I had alot of potential and gave me a chance. I quickly mastered their combat magics, but I was lacking in the other magics, so I started to make up my own combat spells. I left the academy before I was enrolled in the guards. I'd rather be free that under somepony's hoof, regardless of how kind the pony is." Everypony then turned their head to the pegasus, who was leaning back in his chair.
"And your story?" Mooneye asked.
"Name's Soft Grip," he said, "Grew up on the streets. Managed to live by pickin' pockets. Nowadays I make my livin' as a rouge. Which brings to mind a question: How much am I gettin' paid for this?"
Mooneye's eye twitched. "Paid?" he asked.
"Yeah," Soft Grip said, nonchalantly.
"Fine," Mooneye said, trying to clam down(and almost failing), "When we're done, you can help yourself to the spoils." He then proceeded to tell the gathered ponies why he had gathered them together.
Meanwhile, far to the nort of Equestria, a yellow pony wearing a crown was standing on a balcony, staring down at his dwindling army, standing in at least a meter of snow.
"Poisoned Oaks," he called out. A red pegasus pony with pulsating purple spots on her coat approached from behind.
"Yes, my lord?" she asked, bowing before her king.
"How many times have the rebels attacked the castle?" he asked her, still looking at his soldiers. Each soldier a male, each looking exactly like the rest.
"This last one makes it fifty, my lord," Poisoned Oaks replied.
"How many were nearly successful?" he continued.
"About nine, my lord," the pegasus replied, before convulsing in pain. For just a second, the purple spots disappeared from her coat, giving her time to beg the king before her to stop her suffering, before they returned and she became his steward again.
"She keeps attempting to break your hold of her," he noted.
"Yes, my lord Nightmare King," she replied, getting up, "Her feeble attempts at regaining her body seem to be getting stronger."
"Anyway, how many soldiers do I have left?" he asked her, temporarily forgetting the struggle for control that was just had.
"I believe it to be around ninety, my lord," she replied, bowing again.
"Hmmm," the yellow pony grunted, "We'll need to bolster the troops before too long, and that won't be good for the populace." He stood there thinking for several more minutes, the snow blowing around him but never seeming to touch him.
"Prepare my army," he said suddenly, suprising his steward, "We are going to need to invade neighboring countries if we are to put down this uprising. We may need to conquer the whole planet." The thought of being the unquestioned ruler of the world made him smile, a sight that was both terrifying and sinister.
"Yes, my lord," Poisoned Oaks said, "Thy will be done." She went to the troops below them to give them their orders. The troops accepted their orders as if they were nothing but machines, waiting to be used.
"And that's my plan," Mooneye finished, miles away from the tyrant.
"Sounds painful," Body Breaker said, smiling, "I'm in."
"You will need me," Zierra said, "I will aid you."
"Freedom," Elemental Fury said, "Or death."
"And what about you, squirt?" the rust-colored merc asked Soft Grip. The pegasus replied by pulling out a single bit, tossing it in the air, and flinging a knife at it. It pierced the bit right in the middle, and stuck itself in a support beam of the tent.
"Count me in," he said, "Like I'd pass up an opportunity like this."
"Now that we're all friends and everything," the unicorn said, "I think we should go see the princess. She might be able to get us transportation there."
"Good idea," Mooneye said, remembering how he'd ticked off the princess after their last meeting. The group packed up a few supplies, and went to see Princess Celestia.
Category Story / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Horse
Size 50 x 50px
File Size 2.6 kB
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