This Sure Ain't His First Rodeo
Rainbow Dash glided down two full flights of revolving stairs. Her wingtips brushed against flickering electric lanterns. The interior of the Stronghold was surprisingly dim, as if the Syndicate was conserving energy in every manner possible. It was already difficult to see, and it didn't help that the walls had a charcoal black color to their metal surfaces.
“Goodness, me!” Rarity wheezed. “I can't see my own fair nose in front of my eyes! Rainbow, do be a dear—for us and for yourself—and light the way with that Element of yours!”
“No can do, Rares,” Rainbow whispered, hovering to a stop as she lingered above a dimly-lit corridor. She reached forward, felt a few metal support beams, and shifted her descent in order to avoid the obstacles. “This place might be mostly empty, but I'll be darned if I give away my position.”
“She's right, Rarity,” Twilight said. “Besides, she's done this sort of thing before, several times.” Twilight glanced aside while floating down. “Right, Rainbow?”
Rainbow was dead silent.
Twilight blinked. “Rainbow—” She gasped as she and Rarity were yanked aside.
Rainbow had zipped to the far corner of the stairwell. Holding her breath, Rainbow flew up into the bottom corner of a platform's underside and scrunched her body against the crook of the adjoining walls. There, she perched—petite and poised—like a fuzzy blue spider. She watched with squinting eyes as three... four... five stallions galloped up the steps, armed with crossbows and clubs.
“...what could they possibly need us for this time?”
“Something collapsed outside the front gates. A lamppost or something.”
“Verlaxion's dusty womb! I thought Boss Revan was going to fix this junkheap!”
“Shhh! Quit complaining already! This is still the best job available on this floating bucket!”
“Yeah, yeah... let's go outside and play 'construction ponies' already...”
Once the crowd had shuffled by, Rainbow Dash stuck her neck out of hiding. She exhaled with relief, as did her ghostly companions beside her.
“Well done, Rainbow!” Twilight said.
“I concur.” Rarity shuddered. “It's a shameful thing that neither of us noticed their presence ahead of time!”
“It's all gravy,” Rainbow whispered, peeking down at the lower end of the stairwell as she slowly descended. “Not like I can't cover my own flank or nothing.”
“Is it just me, or are these ruffians... well... less formidable than I had assumed they were?” Rarity remarked.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Twilight said.
“Still, not gonna mess with them,” Rainbow muttered, eyes firm. “Never underestimate stupid thugs with nothing better to live for.”
“I'm not sure what depresses me more,” Twilight remarked. “That such is a universal truth in this world, or the fact that you've experience an awful lot to come to that conclusion.”
“I've experienced enough,” Rainbow muttered, zipping down at a faster rate. “Rarity... which way to the maintenance corridor?”
“Uhm... that way!” Rarity pointed. “Two more floors down and to the south!”
“Right...” Rainbow sped down in sporadic dashes, hiding behind one platform after another. “Here's hoping that Silence McGriffon hasn't gotten his goose cooked without me.”
“Silly Rainbow.” Rarity giggled. “Who would ever cook a goose?”
Rainbow sighed long and hard.
“Is... is something the matter?”
“One of these days... just one... I wanna break into a cider mill.” And Rainbow pressed on.
“The truth is, the Syndicate is running out trustworthy hooves,” Revan said from where he paced. “Ponies are leaving the city of Rust in droves.”
“What a cryin' shame.” Bard reclined, smirking. “I wonder why that is.”
“It doesn't matter,” Revan said bluntly. “The reality is that we're surrounded more and more by riff raff with each passing day. This city could certainly use strong ponies that I can rely on.” He shuffled across the office and sat at his desk, staring across the way at Bard. “Ponies who show that they're both qualified and loyal.”
“Mmmmm...” Bard rubbed his hoof against his chest and pretended to examine the fetlock. “Ponies like me, I'm guessin'.”
“You've proven to be more than exceptional in apprehending our leafy-eared friend here,” Revan said with a smug grin.
“Oh... heheh... shucks.” Bard took his hat off and fanned himself. “You bet!” He glanced aside, clearing his throat slightly. “Did it all by myself, too... Eeeeyup...”
“A stallion with your resources could keep a trained eye out for other ponies with similar skills,” Revan said. “It'd undeniably allow the working body of my oranization to be significantly enriched, by your exceptional graces...”
“And it'd be mighty convenient for ya too, I reckon.”
Revan tilted his head aside, squinting. “How do you mean?”
“Y'all tell me!” Bard shifted the weight of his guitar case and smiled. “Seems that havin' me on board as yer new thug would mean drawin' my pay out over time instead of givin' me the six thousand glittery bits you owe all at once.”
Revan simply stared at the mercenary.
“T'ain't my first rodeo, ya feel me?” Bard remarked with a wink. “And, in case yer wonderin', I can read... which is how I know there ain't no fine print on yer bounty posters, partner.”
Revan took a long, calm breath before saying, “A partnership with the Syndicate could be mutually beneficial.”
“Heh heh heh heh...” Bard tossed his hair back and plopped his hat back down. “Reckon ya say that to all the handsome bounty hunters.”
“And...” Revan folded his forelimbs together. “...it'd mean a far richer lifestyle in the long run. That is to say, a great deal richer than a rough life in the sea and air, rushing from one bounty to another, devoid of common luxuries.”
“Heheheheheh...”
“...for you and your fellow companion,” Revan said.
Bard froze in place, blinking.
“I'm referring, of course, to the one that my eyes in the streets saw you associating with in and out of the taverns of the Dust District,” Revan remarked. “The silent griffon with the ice cold goggles?”
The mercenary squirmed where he sat.
“You see...” Revan shrugged, smiling smoothly. “...it's not my first rodeo either, Mr. Bard. So, perhaps you should ask yourself...” His orange brow furrowed: “'What's best for my companion as well as for me?' After all,there may be plenty of fish in Verlaxion's sea, but it's not often you stumble upon a beached whale. Here in Rust?” Revan gestured. “This is where the meat's at, my friend. Everyone that's everyone floats through here at one point or another, just begging to be turned in or captured. You know this. So what do you want for your bounty hunting career? A tender morsel to carry you on to the next sweaty, bloody job? Or a warm seat at the dinner table every morning and evening for as long as you live? I promise you... it's not something that the jerkoffs of Mudtop or Shoggoth would ever offer you.”
Silence.
Bard glanced over his shoulder.
Echo glanced up at him, his slitted eyes blinking.
“Mmmmm... eheheh...” Bard sat up straight, clearing his throat. “Just... uhm... how much a month in bits are we talkin' about...?”
Stats
Page generated in 0.029 seconds
Total duration
1,008 users online
2,739,840 hits today, 2,139,894 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
That was used in a singular sense, sir. How uncouth.
Ohhhhhhh...
...Clock is definitely ticking now...
A fuzzy rainbow spider-grapefruit.
"I seriously haven't had enough drink for this..."
hmmm, i wonder if my prediction will hold true...
Welp...
uhhhhhhh
Also, Bard seems to be thinking about switching sides....
Don't you dare, Bard.
Don't you dare.
I'm hoping he's just trying to stall some more,and not seriously considering ratting out the others.
Don't you become a no good snake in the grass Bard. Don't you even entertain that notion!
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
Oh no no no no no, don't you go turncoat on us, Braeburn 2.0. Unless it's to buy either more time or Revan's trust.
Besides, you wouldn't want your goggled butt-buddy to think ill of you, right? Though it seems he's only after money.
Well, in an alternate universe, you did. Even drank some cider... out of some chalice with alicorns on it?
Subtle.
Bard ain't gonna turn, I just know it's a ruse. If he turns he's fucked. Rainbow will have something to say about that.
Hmmm looks like Bard is stalling.
Looks like this chapter is too.
20 count Aztec pushups and a fifteen kilometer run with a flfty-kilo bag!
Knock 'em out!
Stay on the Harmony side, Bard. You better just be stalling.
I'm watchin' you.
How many animals (or insects) has Rainbow been compared to now? I remember a cat several times...
BARD, YOU BETTER NOT BE GIVING IN. IF YOU DO, I HOPE RAINBOW BUCKS YOUR TEETH OUT.
In the back of Bard's mind he's gotta be thinking of the inevitable moment his face would be reaquainted with a set of fuzzy blue hooves if he betrays the group.
I think he'll make the right decision.
Damn I really hope this isn't what it looks like.
6202923
(briefly does math) imma round that to 9.5 miles and 110.5 pounds
i get on that
in in the morning
6202892 What if it's not an alternate universe, but the past of this universe? This one could still end in cuddles.
6203788 If it was, she would have brought the aforementioned chalice, wouldn't she? Why would she settle for just moon correspondence when she could talk to best pony as well?
It also seems a bit contrived to assume sucking up Discord fixed her... condition, or that he betrayed her after fixing it.
No, this is the story for angsty east horse rage. Cuddles are on the other channel.
I think we all knew that Revan couldn’t be that much of an idiot.
No Bard! Resist the Dark Side and their cookies.
Yeah no, ain't gonna happen.
6202714 Perhaps he misused the term 'y'all' from a strictly grammatical standpoint, yet I fear there's nobody within earshot worth offending.
Irregardless, I think Mr. Bard will do the right thing.
You yellow-liver'd, backstabbin' varmit, you! He better be stalling for time.
If you listen closely, you can hear her humming the Spider-Mare theme.
I'd mention Shell, but he wasn't stupid. An Overpowered psychotic supervillain for sure, but never stupid.
6207581
Naw, I think she was talking about Josho, before she gave him something to live for.
I think Bard is stalling...
Bard's not doing it. He's still putting on the act; I'm sure of it.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
6218642 He isn't doing a very convincing job of it.
Stalling as per the plan, but Revan might catch on...
6210106
I was thinking about the Searonese myself. The entire culture.
6207581
*above*
And yeah. Shell was the ultimate super villain. Not the cool kind that you can look up to for lolz / inspiration. But the kind that Holywood cooks up and uses in a horror series.
Don't you f****** do it, Bard.......¬¬
Twilight should see if she can still use her magic in ghost form. Best case scenario, she can create a light spell that only RD can see. Unlikely, but wouldn't that be awesome?
Oh crud.
Luckily Revan seems to be unable to follow that to its conclusion: If the bounty hunter has a partner, then why isn't that partner with him right now.
I don't think we need to be worried about Bard's loyalties, though. His cut is already going to be much, much higher than Revan would pay him.
I have a feeling this is going to end up happening.
FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Bard you son of a bitch, I swear to Verlaxion, Celestia, Helix and every god and goddess there is...if you stab RD's back...
Yes! It well and truly is!
DON'T ENCOURAGE IT!
8178127
I like that idea!
Or could, I reckon.
....I swear to God, you better not be Shell 2.0 or I'm gonna have a coronary.
....BARD, DON'T YOU DO IT
Stalling