![](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/74348879/Duskfields/Lightning%20Runner%20Avatar.png)
and
~Same boring night, Same boring time~ Lightning thought as he trotted through the grasslands of Duskfields
~If its like normal, it will probably be a rabbit or two~ He saw a few sets of eyes peering out of bushes, but shrugged them off as-from what he remembered-Rabbits had glowy eyes. He heard some bushes rustle in the distance “Damn Rabbits” He muttered “It could be worse though” He continued, as if talking to somepony.
Soon, he heard a little rustling, and the eyes started to slowly move up to him. They weren’t to far away, and certainly getting closer.
~What could I have that those Rabbits would want? I don’t have any food on me do I?~ He looked in the pockets of his cloak
~No... Then what do they want~ He turned around towards the eyes “Look, rabbits if you want to snuggle with ponies, there’s a whole town of them over there” He pointed his hoof in the general direction of Duskfields “I have duties right now, I can’t play”
The eyes moved just a little bit closer, only a meter was between the Lightning and the eyes. “Hehehe...” All of a sudden, a pegasus jumped out of the tall grass, a large whip held firmly in it’s muzzle. In a sudden flash, the pony snapped it’s weapon down on Lightning.
“AH! FUCK!” Lightning jumped, the whip hitting his leg, as he got away “You chose the wrong pony to mess wi-” An earth pony grabbed him, leaving him open to another strike
Another pony, a small unicorn, slinked over into the general area, a little knife hovering beside him. He simply looked at Lightning and grinned slightly before moving closer to his winged companion.
“Let me go!” Lightning attempted to break free, but he underestimated the Earth pony’s strength “Can you atleast speak, or are you that type of pony who just kills without uttering a word?”
The unicorn coughs lightly. “We dislike playing-talking with food, you understand.”
“Food? You bastards you actually eat your kill? What in Amug has this... stuff done to you?!” Lightning reacted with disgust
The unicorn blinks. “Amug? Like a cup?”
Lightning was surprised by their lack of knowledge of Amug, as everypony should know who he is “Amug, the god? You don’t know who he is... pray tell, what are your gods if you don’t believe in Amug?”
The unicorn laughed lightly when he realised what the poor pony was saying. “You speak of gods? I truly feel pity for you, in that case. We need no gods, only rulers and worthy masters. I assure you, our masters were here before the eldest of dragons crawled out of there eggs.”
The pegasus grinned. “Keep the meat still, I want to tenderize it a little” he smiled and and got his whip ready for another lash.
Lightning braced himself for another lash
~Oh Amug... I’m going to die... I’m going to die~ was the only thought that came to mind at the time.
“Calm down, i’ll only make it painful” The burly pony then snapped the iron whip down, firmly across the pony’s chest, leaving a nice gash and maybe a few broken ribs.
Lightning screamed in pain
~If I’m lucky... they might let me go...~ He was way too optimistic
The unicorn with the knife actually tisked at his comrade’s actions. “Oh, calm down now, friend, no need to rush the process. In fact, we might want to keep this one alive.”
“W-Why... Why should I be left alive... I thought I was just food to you!” Lightning yelled
“Because if we just kill you now you’ll rot, while if we took you peice for peice...” the pony was lying, but just wanted to get the pony more worked up.
The unicorn looked almost upset at the pegusus’ words, and looked at Lighting with faux apathy. “Oh, no, you are worth to us for far more than just food. You want to know why, pony?” He raised his knife a little higher.
“S-Sure... w-why not... Doesn’t look like anypony is going to save me” Lightning’s optimism left as he heard the last bit
~Great I’m not going to get a quick death~“Why, my dear stallion, you have a wonderful, young, family. A family with a young and tender foal. We could kill you now and go into your house and snatch away your child now and raise her among our own, or you may live and we feast on foal-flesh tonight. Either way, it’s your choice, as the alternative is to eat you, kill your wife, and take the foal tonight.” the unicorn said, smiling all the way.
“Y-You bastards! You wouldn’t touch her!” Lightning once again tried to break free of the Earth pony, still failing
The unicorn snickered. “Who say’s we haven’t already, fool?”
“I don’t care what you do to me, but touch my daughter and you
will face all that I can throw at you!” Lightning yelled
The pegasus laughed and gave his side another good lashing, “Go ahead, throw-” The pony lashed him again, this time going over his belly. “everything you’ve got”
The unicorn looked at the battered stallion and simply smiled widely and the knife nearly touched his midsection. “Now, I didn’t hear anything about me not touching your wife. Light brown coat, dark pink-purple hair? I must say, stallion, she did look mighty
fine for a pony like you. I must wonder what vallant act you did to catch her eye, hmm? It surely wasn’t your brains.” the unicorn then swiped the knife cleanly across his upper torso, leaving a shallow wound ment solely to hurt.
Lightning screamed in pain again, he was sure by now somepony was on their way “I-If you want to know...I... I was in the upper class area.. o-of my hometown... I had... charmed her with my charisma...” Lightning grinned “What else...?”
~This is hopeless~The unicorn sighed. “Oh, shut up. I don’t need to know your life story. Besides, if it means anything, Sweet Potato is going to live tonight if you simply shut up and accept your fate.”
“T-That is how cowards die... I
will get out of your friends grasp... and I will shove that knife down your throat” Lightning threatened
The unicorn giggled. “Flirt.”
“Apologize now, and I won’t snap your leg like a twig.” The Pegasus said as he picked a rock up.
“Oh? I’m sorry... Sorry that I can’t bash your skulls together” Lightning bluffed
knowing that he couldn’t do that
The unicorn sighed, and flicked the broad side of his knife against Lightnings nose. “Be quiet before I fetch your foal.”
Lightning shut up, not for himself, but for Mist
“Now hold still.” The pegasus smiled as he held the stone up in the air, mainly for dramatic effect, but also to make the pony more stressed. “heh” Then a loud howl was heard in the distance. “Aren’t wolves just majestic creatures?” The then smashed the large stone against the pony’s leg.
“F-Fuck you...” He managed to say between breathes, pain coursing through his body
“What’s that? speak up a little... oh looks, seems I didn’t put enough gusto into my smashing.” The then brought the stone up and smashed down again. “looks like I got it this time... now it’s all nice and bent.”
The unicorn took a quick stab into Lighting’s uninjured leg, and all but dragged a line in Lighting up to his upper torso. “No cursing, unless you want your foal to be renamed Bloody Mist.”
“W-why don’t you... just go and eat wolves or rabbits... there plenty of those...” Lightning asked
The unicorn shrugged. “You misunderstand our intent. We do eat rabbits and wolves, and other things as well. However, our masters hate ponies, and our masters at the moment hate this little hamlet quite a bit.” He paused. “Also, ponies are plump, and unlike cattle they are not almost entirely fatty tissue.”
Lightning’s eyes darted around “A-are there more of you...I-If there are... just s-send them home...”
Another loud howl was heard, this time much closer. “Heh, you look so tasty when your wriggling around like that...” He brought his whip up again, this time ready to swing at Lightning’s face. “I’ll make you nice and pretty this time...”
Lightning braced himself for the incoming pain
~Amug... what did I do to deserve this... what?!~The was a sudden gush of wind, and as soon as it passed, there was a metal suit armor with what appeared to be a fedora hot glued to top of the helm, and a spear lodged within the lasher’s chest, effectively impaling the pegasus before he could even lower his whip.
“Thank Am-” Lightning was pushed into the ground by the Earth pony before it ran towards the armored pony with a sword drawn
“Pony, you do not know what you have done!” The Earth pony shouted
The pony made a loud grunt and pulled the spear out of the pegasus’s chest, the sadistic bastard falling on the ground holding his chest, before effectively blocking the pony’s sword.
The Earth pony back up and readied himself to strike again “You will not get away with this!”
Lightning shakily got up, pain coursing through his every nerve. He began to limp off towards town, hoping the unicorn and Earth pony would be killed instead of chasing him.
The unicorn looked at the new pony, smiled meekly,and popped away in a burst of magic.
The earth pony swung at the pony, hoping to hit something vital, or at least something to cripple it
A knife quickly popped it’s way point-down right above Lightning, which was quickly dropped.
The pony dodged the sword by sidestepping to the right. The earth pony left himself wide open when he struck, letting the spearpony throw a jab at the thing.
The knife, somehow, landed a foot or so away from his head. However, there was a lock of purple-pink hair tied to the end of it.
“What the?!” Lightning yelled out in surprise “What the hell...” He limped over to the knife “No... Sw-Sweet Potato?”
The Earth pony fell to the ground “Even if you kill me... there
will be more” He said to the pony
Against the laws of physics, the earth pony’s brutal sword suddenly began to float low to the ground, then higher, eventually higher than anything had the right to be. Like a archer aiming a bow, it stayed in place but it’s point began to lock onto Lighting’s general area.
“Please don’t send more, I prefer not to squander my time slaying you brutes...”
The Earth pony grinned “We don’t... negotiate with things our master hates”
“ You make things difficult...” The pony thrusted it’s spear through the earth pony’s chest with deadly precision, this time hitting him right through the spine. “I wish could have met on more friendly terms... I wish you the best now and good day.” He then pulled the spear out, and looked over to the last discordant in the group, “I’ll be on my way now, I hope you’re willing to forgive me.”
The unicorn, who revealed himself rather close to Lightning, clapped slowly.”Good show, a pity. Before you leave, I must ask out of respect, are you interested in coming back with me to camp? You seem like a decent stallion, and you are worth the two poor souls you have dispatched already”
“I don’t associate with brigands.” The armor suited pony walked ever so slowly over to the unicorn. “Now, I can’t allow you to simply walk off these lands, and I know this sounds cliché, but I’ll promise a swift end if you let that pony go.”
Meanwhile, the sword shifts from Lightning’s direction to what was possibly the back of Reds neck.
The unicorn rolled his eyes. “ I can teleport, you understand. Also, I insist you do not turn around, as I want to savor the look on your face when you fall to a dead ponies sword.”
Lightning looked up from the knife after admiring it for some reason “Look out!” Lightning yelled out, hoping to catch the ponies attention
The pony just took the cue and dashed forward at the unicorn, spear on the ready, hoping he could outrun the sword that was probably behind him.
The sword dropped to the group in a instant, but the knife buried in the dirt twisted out of it and found it’s edge on Lightning’s throat. Meanwhile, the stallion simply popped out of existance and popped back in on the far side of the area, near the sword.
“What the hell!” Lightning yelled out, trying not to move around much to avoid his neck being sliced
The pony looked over to the bloody mess that was Lightning. “Oh stop being a yellow bastard already. Holding a knife to his neck is only prolonging the task at hand.” He inched just a little closer.
The knife blade found itself a millimeter deeper in Lightning’s poor throat.
“ I insist you do not insult me. Also, I belive the term is ‘hoof’. The task at hoof. For shame, what do they teach young foals like you now?” The unicorn sighed. “Anyway, we could settle this like gentlestallions, where we give each other our names and then try to brutally murder each other, or we could simply give our names and murder each other brutally.”
“Just let me go and you can do whatever you want to this other pony...” Lightning pleaded
“I’m Redhat, count of county Donskoi, displeased to make your acquaintance.”
“I am Silent Night, former priest within the duchy of Hoovingrod, now elite member of the western hordes, pleased to make your acquaintance. I must say, however, that after eighty years of living there, I always was under the impression the eastern noblities always prefered female rulers, but I trust your judgment.”
“If you’re going to duel, can you remove this knife... its kind of... painful” Lightning asked, hoping they were finished
“I’m an only foal, now please, I wish not to exchange pleasantries any longer.” Lightning then heard a little whimper, and a white ball of fluff got next to him, “Bonnet, please fetch me that dagger.” The dog then bit down on the handle.
The unicorn laughed lightly at the sight of the little dog. “Adorable. Frankly, almost as adorable as Lightning’s foal. A pity, if it was not for the fact I plan on taking one, I would almost feel needed to take the other.” Never less, the sword next to him began floating off the ground, albet somewhat slower than it did before. “A knife against a sword? A pity that I shall kill nobility today.”
“What the hell are you getting at?”
“ I wonder what would happen if I took your hat?” the unicorn said airly.
“You’d ruin my sub-par fedora and I’d have to hot glue another worthless hat to my helm.”
Lightning began backing away, hoping to get back to town with his guts still inside of him
Silent stopped the nice act. “It’s magical, you daft twit. A nice part of being close to true reality is the ability to sense obstructions against it. Give me the hat, and I leave.”
“The thing is hot glued to my helm? how on earth do you plan on having me remove the bloody thing?”
The unicorn shrugged. “Take off the helm, then. Really, now, the more you talk the more I become bored, and I will remind you that I can teleport. At will. Please, just toss over the damnable thing and I will leave without killing anything.”
“Just do it Redhat! It’s better than risking your life” Lightning said, turning around
“And his life, and his wife’s life, and his child, and your little dog’s, too.” Silent half-nickered.
The pony sighed, and slowly started to pull the hat off his helm, before finally taking it off and throwing it at silent’s face. “there you go, you happy?” the pony’s voice was higher pitched than before.
Lightning was confused at the change in pitch “Umm Redhat? You okay?”
Silent Night blinked as he picked up the hat off the ground. “Odd. Well, I am a stallion of my word. I go now.”
With that, he does, but not before the lock of hair on the knife blows off into Lightning’s face.
“What? Oh...This” He smiled, grabbing the lock of hair with his hoof, sticking it under his wing “Hey Red.. thanks for coming when you did”
“Uh... your welcome.” Red then ran over in the direction of lightning “I was so worried” the pegasus then went down and gave bonnet a hug. “Oh... and you don’t look all too healthy...”
“Considering I was whipped, cut and beat, I’m
sure I would be fine” Lightning said sarcastically
“Well, do you want some assistance? I could try to carry you back to the fort.” Red wasn’t very good at trying to sound like she had a deep voice...
“Y-Yeah sure... now time to change the subject... Why do you sound like a mare? You playing with me?” Lightning asked
“I have a medical condition.” Red then tried to pick up the pony, before hearing a loud wheezing over yonder. “Seems I didn’t put the lasher down...”
“Let him rot” Lightning said bluntly “
What Medical condition?”
“Pardon me, but I need to be professional about this.” He got up and walked over to the downed pony. “Can you wait there for a tad bit longer while I dispatch this brute?”
“Sure, just make it quick, these wounds hurt like hell and I don’t plan on spending the night here” Lightning said
The pony moved over to the downed pegasus. “I’m sorry to do this, but you honestly left me no choice.” The lasher just made a few gasps and hacks, before feeling a spear driven through his head. “Finished.”
“Good now we can get back home and get me patched up” Lightning said “Now... What Medical condition do you have? Not to be nosy or anything, just small talk for the way back”
“It’s rather personal.” The pony then picked up Lightning and placed him on her back, before walking off to the gate.