Heroes of Vice

by Vectoro

Chapter 1

There were three things I noticed when I first woke up: it was dark, it was cold, and I felt like I had been used as a training dummy by a particularly pissed-off bunch of ponies.
I hadn't moved and was still lying down, staring at the stars. That thing about being a training dummy? I didn't mean just physically. My mind was a mess, like a thick fog surrounding all my thoughts so I had to fight to actually see them. I was so bent out of shape that I wasn't sure whether I was actually seeing the stars or if this was something my mind conjured up.
After a while, I thought about moving, but soon found that that was clearly not happening in the near future, at least not without help. The most I could get was turning my head to the side, only to find a far less entertaining sight: a wooden wall. That brought me to a question.
Where was I?
I tried to think about what had happened before I fell asleep, or was knocked out, but the sudden rush of thought made me wince in pain. I was in no condition to think, but my panic brought adrenaline. With what seemed like the might of the gods, I pushed myself up from the floor. I sat up on a bench, a wave of nausea passing over me from the sudden movement. I was able to hold it back long enough for me to see the bodies of two dead ponies in the boat with me. That was more than enough for my last meal to make its way out of my body via my mouth.
After a few long, loud heaves, I pulled my head back into the small rowboat that I sat in. It sat on the shore of a river, rocking ever so slightly from the water pushing onto the land. I had emptied my stomach well enough to look at the two corpses in front of me. One was a blue-coated unicorn mare with a deep indigo mane and a cutie mark of a broken shackle. Next to her lay a small crossbow with the word Free carved into the handle.
The other was an armored pegasus stallion with a bright yellow coach and a fiery orange mane. His armor covered his cutie mark, and I did not care to get close enough to take it off. A sheath was strapped to his side, under is left wing. From it, the hilt of a long sword protruded. I found my eyes lingering on that longer than I expected.
It would be okay for me to take it, I thought to myself, right? He isn't using it anymore, and its not like I knew these ponies. Or did I?
I pushed those thoughts aside as I realized something: I had no memory of anything. At all. Where am I? What happened? Who am I? I asked myself over and over again, but the answers did not come. Nothing did. It was not a fog blocking my memories; they just weren't there. I looked around, hoping the area would somehow provide clues. Nothing. Just hills in one direction and hills in the other. I did notice, however, that the two ponies had died from some sort of plant with thorns. Multiple of the things were sticking out of each of the bodies. I suspected that they were poisonous.
So why didn't I die?
The look at the area did nothing but raise more questions. I felt the cold chill of eyes watching me, though from where I couldn't tell. Realizing it was likely a predator, I wrapped the pegasus' sword in my magic and pulled it from its sheathe. It took me another moment to realize that I had used magic without any memory of it. It must be instinctual for unicorns, I thought and was satisfied with that explanation.
I needed to get to safety. If I found a road, I could follow it until I reached a town or a village or even just a shack. I really didn't care at this point as long as it put some thing between me and the outdoors. Floating the sword in front of me, I stepped shakily out of the boat. I decided to follow the river, knowing that somepony must have settled next to it for easy access to water.
I had gotten maybe half a mile before my legs gave out. I fell to the ground with a dull thud, my telekinesis collapsing with me. The sword landed in front of my face, so I got a good look at it. The hilt was curved and made of a green-colored metal with silver embellishments. The curved steel blade was engraved with the word Peace. I huffed at the irony of a weapon named Peace, especially a pegasus crafted one. I blinked.

How did I know that?
I started going through possibilities. Had I been a soldier? A blacksmith? Maybe even just a student or a librarian? Nothing rang a bell. No time to think, I told myself, I have to find shelter before I get eaten. I looked around, hoping to find what was watching me, and thus a direction to avoid, but saw nothing. I figured that if I could see the predator, it wasn't a very good one. So with all my remaining strength I stood up and took a few steps....
...and fell back down.
I simply was not able to move. It was as if my muscles had turned to pure lead. I would go back to the boat and start a fire, but that was too far, let alone somehow happen upon some form of shelter. I could hear the screeches of birds of prey coming from somewhere far away, muffled by distance and a cool breeze. I shivered, thinking that if the animals didn't kill me, the cold would. The screeches got louder and louder. If I play dead, they won't attack me,I told myself hopefully. Then the rock landed in front of my face.
Adrenaline pumped through me, allowing me to stand up and see my attackers. As I did, another rock about as large as two of my hooves together landed where my head had been lying. I looked up to see five hawks flying in circles above me. I jumped to the side to avoid another one of their crude weapons. I winced at the movement, but pressed on. They'll run out of rocks eventually, I told myself. If I can dodge until then, all I have to deal with is the dagger-like talons and sword-tip beaks.
One decided it didn't want to wait that long and swooped down at me with incredible speed. I was fast enough with my sword to kill the bird, but not to avoid getting three long slashes across my back in the process. I staggered, threatening to fall, but adrenaline, my only companion, kept me going. One down.
Another rock fell from the sky, catching my tail between it and the ground. It only took a moment to free myself, but that was long enough for the last hawk to drop its stone right on my head. If I hadn't caught it with my telekinesis, I would have been dead. Another of the birds dove for me, talons extended for the kill. I thought fast and put the rock between me and it. It hit it with a bone shattering crunch, its limp body falling to the ground. For good measure, I dropped the rock on its head. Two down.
I was exhausted already. Just a few birds and I am already about to pass out. At least they're out of rocks, I thought just as one slammed into my head, knocking me onto the ground. My already blurry vision began to fade. The last thing I saw was a light coming up from over the hill, then I blacked out.
******
I awoke to the sight of an old, rotting wooden ceiling. Another unfamiliar sight. I hoped this wouldn't become a recurring thing.
I was in a small, ramshackle cottage. I could tell that it had been beautiful and cozy at one point, but currently it looked like it would crumble from a particularly heavy sigh. The wooden walls were splintered and moldy, and the floor had multiple holes in it, falling down into darkness. The door, was warped and barely hanging onto its hinges. I was lying in a cot that seemed out of place. It was in much better shape than the rest of the house, though by no means perfect. The sheets looked new, as if they had just been sewn. They were slightly itchy, so I suspected that may be the case. There was a simple dresser on the far side of the room that looked useable, if only barely. On top of it was a candle in a plain holder, which provided enough light to see, but not enough to make out small details.
Physically, I felt much better. The only problems were a bruise on my head and the cuts on my back. Mentally, I was much worse for wear. My thoughts were even more flooded with questions, and a headache caused by the rock twisted my thoughts. I could barely make out anything in my head, but one thought was clear enough for me to grab onto it. Look around.
That seemed like a reasonable suggestion. I rolled off of the cot and put my hooves under me. The floor creaked loudly, threatening to put me in the basement the hard way. I tried levitating the candle to me, but the effort hurt my head too much, so I opted to just hold it in my mouth. Each step was just as creaky as the last, and I knew anypony who might be in the house with me would know I had awoken by now. They were probably on their way to my room at that moment. I figured they were friendly for bringing me to safety, but you can never be too cafeful.
I made it to the door and pushed it open, stepping into a small living space. From this room, I could get a good look at the layout of the entire cottage. This was the largest room, with the possible exception of the basement. It was a single story, plus the basement, and it only had two rooms: the bedroom I had just come out of and this one. The bedroom was tucked in the back corner of the house, and the rest of that wall was taken up by a cooking area and the entrance to the basement. The door was in the middle of the front wall, and in much better condition than the door to the bedroom. On the wall to the front door's right there was a hearth with a few red embers still glowing inside of it.
The head of a mare popped out of the basement. "Oh! Good morning, dearie! I was wondering who was making that noise." She was an elderly, but fit looking, earth pony. She had a silvery-white mane in a tight bun, and a warm and inviting burnt-orange coat. A pair of bifocals was perched on her nose. She had a cutie mark of an apple tree.
"Who are you? And where am I?" I asked slowly.
"Woah there, no need to get your mane in a tangle. Why don't we settle down and talk about this like civilized ponies, hm?" She gave me a look of a mother chiding her child.
I hadn't realized it, but I had my knees bent, ready to either dodge or attack accordingly. Should I trust her? I thought to myself. I have yet to see a reason not to.
Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I stood up straight and vulnerable.
"Good. Now come join me for some tea."
******
"So, Mrs. Orchard, where are we?"
From my conversation with Sweet Orchard, I had learned that her husband Berry was on his way home from a small trading post to the east when he saw me fighting the razor hawks. He had just gotten to me when I passed out and scared them away with a torch. He brought me to his home, had his wife tend to my wounds, and went out to harvest some herbs. Supposedly, they would be able to clear my head.
"You really don't know? Not that Farmville is a famous place or anything," she said with a hint of contempt, "Even if we provide most of Acreage's food." Seeing the look of confusion on my face, she elaborated. "This community is called Farmville, which is west of Glen, which is west of Acreage, the capital of the Earth Republic. Glen is the trade town that my husband just came home from."
As if on cue, Berry Orchard came in through the door carrying a basket full of various plants in his mouth. He was a strong-looking, brick-red stallion with a grey mane and beard. He had a cutie mark of a raspberry bush. Noticing me, he place the basket on the floor and approached me.
"Well, howdy! Ah'm Berry Orchard, and it is nice t' finally meet ya!" He extended a hoof in my direction, and I put my own out to meet it. As soon as it was within his reach, he grabbed it between to hooves and shook it furiously. I felt like he would dislocate it if I didn't let go.
"Likewise, Mr. Orchard."
"Ah see ya already met mah Sweetie."
Mrs. Orchard blushed.
"So," I began, changing the subject, "I heard you were bringing some herbs?"
"Oh, yes!" He seemed to have completely forgotten abut the basket by the front door until I said that. He walked over to it and picked it up. Mrs. Orchard took it from him and brought it to the cooking pot that hung over the fire. She began to pull leaves, buds, and flowers off of stems and throwing them into the pot. Berry turned to me.
"So, y'all 'ave met us, but we 'aven't met you. What's yer name, and what were ya doin' on the road in the middle o' the night?" he asked me cautiously. I was slightly startled by the sudden change of tone, as if he had just remembered that he was supposed to be distrustful.
I took a moment to think, but it was a wasted one. "I don't know," I told him with a look that begged to be believed. He looked at me for a long, awkward while, and then loosened up.
"Ah believe ya. Amnesia is a common symptom o' gettin' hit on the head," he said bluntly. "With luck, this tea'll get yer head clear."
I didn't tell him that I didn't know anything even before fighting the hawks. I just sat and hoped that whatever Mrs. Orchard was cooking up would restore my memory like he said it would. It was a long shot, but it was better than nothing.
Why don't you let me look at those cuts on your back before the tea is done," Mrs. Orchard said as she walked back towards us. I nodded, stood up, and let her examine my wounds.
"Well the good news is I don't think they'll scar. Bad news is one tore right through your cutie mark on your right side. It'll look odd for a week or so, but it will grow back."
I opened my eyes wide. How could I be so stupid? Why hadn't I thought to check my cutie mark earlier? That was the surest way to get at least a glimpse of who I had been. I jerked my head to the side and saw it. A sword. That was it, just a sword emblazoned on the field of charcoal grey that was my coat. I sighed. I don't know what I was expecting, (maybe a complete biography of my life written on my flank) but that sure wasn't it. At least at this point it was fairly safe to assume that I was a soldier in my past life.
"Mr. Orchard..."
"Please, call me Berry."
"Berry, did you happen to pick up my sword when you rescued me?"
"Can't say Ah did. Hope it wasn't special or nothin', was it?"
"No, but it would feel wrong leaving unarmed."
Both of the Orchards gasped, "Leaving!?"
Mrs. Orchard spoke first,"You aren't leaving until you are fully healed, and I will see to it myself if I have to."
"If your tea works as you say it will, I should be able to leave in a few hours. If not, than I will still spend no more than one more night here. I do not wish to overstay my welcome, or overextend your hospitality," I told them bluntly.
"Nonsense," Berry spoke up. "Y'all can stay as long as ya want, so long as you don't do nothin' to mess with our business."
"I thank you for you generosity, but I really must go. I have a sort of..... task to do," I assured them.
"Are you starting to remember why you're here?" Mrs. Orchard questioned.
"No, I just thought of it. And it is important."
"Well, we won't force ya t' stay, but we'd feel awful bad if somethin' were t' happen to ya," Berry chimed in. "But if it's as important as ya say it is, Ah'm sure y'all will get it done. Yer more than capable; I saw ya take down two razor hawks, and you were pretty banged up already."
I nodded and gave him an awkward feeling smile. "Thank you for understanding."
"Your tea is ready!" Mrs. Orchard walked to me and put a cup of steaming liquid between two of my hooves. I poured the warm tea down my throat. It was delicious; sweet, earthy flavors blended with exotic and spicy aromas. It seemed to warm my entire body and fill me with energy. The haze in my head started to clear, revealing more blank space. I didn't remember anything more than I had before, but I could think a lot more clearly, and my head didn't hurt.
It didn't take me long to down the whole cup, after which I wanted more. I restrained myself from asking for more and thanked them for it. I told them that I would rest for a few more hours, then leave.
"Rest as long as ya like," Mr. Orchard called to me as I went to the bedroom.
"Thank you Mr. Or.... Berry."
******
I dreamt of darkness. It surrounded me, making me cold. As far as I could see, which could have been nothing more than a few feet or forever, there was darkness.
Then, above me, two identical lights appeared. They looked like miniature stars. I watched as they danced around each other, making graceful swoops and jagged dashes. As they danced, they descended. It took them minutes, hours, days, I couldn't tell; time seemed to be moving however it wanted. But eventually they came to eye level. I looked in awe as they transformed into two ponies. One a strong young unicorn wielding a sword. The other, a wounded unicorn stallion, pleading for help.
The young pony walked up to the fallen one and put a hoof on his shoulder. I thought he would help the older one up, but that was dispelled when he raised the sword to strike him down. I tried to run up to stop him, but I could not move. I was locked in place, forced to watch as the young one brought his sword down. His blade hit the wounded unicorn...
...and they changed again. Now I saw seven earth ponies. Six were sitting at a round table a little farther back. The last was closer, pouring drinks. The six a the table seemed to be having a wonderful time as they spoke and laughed. It was utterly silent, as if the world had lost sound. The seventh poured the last of the drinks and pulled a vial out of his pocket. He dumped a portion of its contents into six of the seven chalices and brought them to the table. To each he handed one of the chalices with the extra ingredient, taking the last for himself. One of the ponies proposed a toast, and the others obliged without hesitation. Each drank from his cup, and one by one, the poison killed them off. The seventh pony finished his drink and walked away, completely unfazed...
...and they changed once more. Three pegasi, one of which looked like a high ranking officer of some sort, stood in a tent staring at a war table. There were maps an markers spread across it. Every once in a while, they would engage in short, heated debates about one thing or another. Suddenly, another pegasus burst into the tent wielding two crossbows mounted on her back. She fired a bolt into each of the two ponies to the sides of the officer, then turning her weapons towards her. They stood staring at each other for a long moment, then the invader fired...
...and everything disappeared. The stars, the ponies, and even the darkness faded away to a more digestible scene. I stood on a road in the dead of night looking at a burning cottage. Flames roared all around me, and I realized that the whole village must be burning. I would never find out; my eyes were locked on the cottage. It looked somehow familiar, but I couldn't place why. In the background, a storm was approaching, but not fast enough to save the town. I could hear the rumble of far off thunder. A jagged bolt of pure light and energy hit the ground in front of me...
...and I sat up in the bed, sweating. I didn't know what to think, but I put it in the back of my mind to process later. I must have been asleep for hours, which meant that it was time to leave.
******
While I slept, Mr. and Mrs. Orchard had gathered supplies for me. I tried to convince them that they didn't need to do that, but they were insistent upon me taking it.
"We wouldn't let you go out there without any supplies, especially with how far you're going," Mrs. Orchard said with a sad smile.
I nodded. I had decided to go east and travel to the capital of the Unicornian Sovereignty, Castor. It was a long journey, about six weeks trot from Farmville, but it was the only place I could think of that would hold any answers about my past.
I checked the saddlebags they had packed for me. There were two skins of water, a large knife, flint and steel, a bedroll, a map, a small bag of coins, and enough food for about two weeks. A closer look at the coins revealed that they would only be of use in earth pony cities. There was also a handkerchief embroidered with the image of an apple tree on one corner. I figured it had fallen in by mistake and floated it to Mrs. Orchard.
"Take it with you," she told me,"We have some friends in Pastern that will gladly help you out if you show them you know us. It will add about a week to your travel, but if you do decide to go, look for Forge and Cast Iron and show them this."
"Thank you. I just might."
Mr. Orchard came out of the basement carrying something wrapped in a cloak. He gave both to me, and I unraveled the cloak.
"The nights 'round here can get pretty harsh, an' unless ya happen upon a tradin' caravan, yer likely gonna be spendin' them alone," he explained. I was thankful for something to keep me covered while I walked, as I knew that I would be traveling through the night, at least for tonight. It was already past noon and I had slept all day, so I didn't feel like I would need to sleep. I was also hoping to get to Glen before I needed to.
Wrapped in the cloak was a sword in a sheath. I strapped it to my back and drew it. It was a simple earth pony broadsword, but it was in good shape and easy to hold with my telekinesis. They each took a step back as I gave it a few swings.
"Woah there, partner. Settle down now," Mr. Orchard chided. "There'll be plenty o' things to attack while yer on the road."
"Be careful in any earth pony towns. This gods damned war has made everypony paranoid about unicorns and pegasi," Mrs. Orchard told me.
I sheathed my sword. I hadn't heard of any war until now; I hadn't seen any evidence of war at all since I woke up the day before. But it was too late for me to get them to explain. I had already wasted enough time in Farmville. I put it in the back of my head to ask about once I got to Glen. "Thank you, once again, for your hospitality. I assure you that I will repay you as soon as I can." I turned to leave, but they stopped me.
"Now wait there just a minute. You aren't going to leave without giving us your name, are you?" Mrs. Orchard said in a convincing voice.
I stood there for a moment just staring. I needed a name, something to be known by. I had been thinking of what it would be, but I hadn't come to a decision yet. But at that moment, I did.
"My name is Firebrand. Look out for my name."
I stepped out the door, started walking, and didn't look back.