Warforged in Equestria : Chapter Seventeen - Law

> Armor.

> Each set is the same.

> It's a uniform.

> Signifies some form of guard, military, or militia.

> Trained fighters regardless.

> A great deal of information is processing now.

> Exits, cover, formation, possible angles of attack, vulnerabilities, current position...

> Everything you would need to use to level the playing field in a six to one fight.

> You don't even need to use any of this information however, as an attack never comes.

> Instead the guardsman simply looks down at Spike and smiles before speaking.

> "Good morning Spike. Is Twilight Sparkle in?

 

> Wat?

> Your mind doesn't even process the H.

> Why would six guardsmen come looking for a librarian, at what can't amount to later then 7:00 AM.

> Spike shakes his head and gestures to the stairs.

> "Yeah she's here, but she's still sleeping. Need me too wake her up?"

> The guardsman shakes his head.

> "No need, we're just going around investigating reports of a strange creature in P0nyville, it was last seen in this area and we were hoping Miss Sparkle could shed some light on what it is exactly."

> Wait a minute they couldn't possibly be...

> "Oh yeah? Any idea what it looks like, I'll write it down and see if Twilight knows what it is when she gets up.

> The guardsman smiles and pulls out a rolled parchment, while spike readies his quill and paper.

> You don't even bother to question how he's holding it.

> The guardsman mumbles to himself for a moment before reading from the parchment.

> "Uhh... Lets see here... hmm... Ah here we go."

 

> He clears his throat and begins to speak.

> "Creature is described as being more than twice the height of a p0ny, walking on two legs with strange extra appendages, has eerie red eyes, and a strange mark on it's forehead."

> Oh by the Gods they can't be that oblivious.

> "There's more, apparently the creature was seen attacking a citizen not far from town square, nop0ny was injured but we are considering the creature hostile until...

> This frustrates you to the point that you don't bother to stop and think before blurting out.

"I attacked no one"

> ...

> Silence and stares.

> Okay, yeah that was stupid.

> They missed you completely while you where standing in the open, you both get to do one stupid thing.

 

> You're in luck however, they don't outright attack you.

> Instead they rush through the library door and form a semi-circle in front of you, each dropping into a defensive stance.

> Honestly if they had been human guards wearing plate mail, and wielding bastard swords, you MIGHT be worried.

> Instead they are all wearing what you wouldn't even consider quarter plate, less then an eight of an inch thick, and unarmed.

> They don't even have a Unicorn amongst them, so you couldn't foresee this going badly.

> If the armor is made of anything less than adamantine you would have no problem punching a hole clean through it, the guard, and the other side of the armor.

> This would be stupid for two reasons however, first and foremost because you don't actually want to fight them.

> Second, because exerting that much force is slow, and dodging such an attack would be easy.

> Come to think of it, it would also take you hours to clean up the blood.

> "Creature, you have heard the..."

> Nope none of this.

 

"I have a name, and I refuse to allow myself the indignity of being called 'creature'. Anonymous, or even Warforged will suffice."

> The guard scowls at you.

> "Regardless, you stand accused of assault and battery, now come quietly or we will use force to detain you."

> You laugh at the guard.

> Your laugh seems to un-nerve him.

"Accused by whom?

> The guards scowl deepens and his voice lowers like he's attempting to sound threatening.

> How cute.

> "Multiple witnesses claim to have seen you assault one Rainbow Dash in broad daylight"

 

> Oh yay this again.

"That was in self-defense. Did you ask her what happened or merely come to the conclusion that red-eyes and big means evil?"

> One of the guards coughs, and none of them speak.

> Yeah, thought so.

> Guards. Always with the guards.

> He's a Warforged, at a bar, alone in a corner!

> Musta done something, lets haul his ass off to jail!

> Not so easy when you don't have any proof of wrong doing.

> Or when the one you're trying to arrest can snap you in half.

 

> You really need to get your head checked for damage, cause you just keep losing track of what you were doing!

> Right, the guards.

"I trust this can be worked out without any... unpleasantness?"

> The guards scowl leaves his face.

> "Alright, but if you are telling the truth we still need to have a statement from both of you."

"I won't lay charges, have her give you the details of the incident and don't bother me unless you have actual evidence that I've done something wrong."

> You stop for a moment and think

"Also I would ask that you do me a small favor and tell any of the p0nies who report seeing me that you are aware of my presence and have already taken actions to ensure their safety"

> The guards looks at you confused for a moment before he realizes your plan.

> "Very well, we shall do so.

> As for Rainbow Dash, if you waive your statement we will have to go solely on her word, if she accuses you we will return and you will be detained."

 

> This statement doesn't worry you in the slightest.

"Thank you. Now if you would be so kind Spike and I have some business to attend to."

> Apparently they had all forgotten that Spike was in the room, because all six guards drop their stances and look at him.

> He looks back at them, offers a sheepish smile and scoots off into the kitchen.

> You just point at the door.

> The guards, no longer having any reason to stick around quickly make their way out the door.

> You close it behind them.

> When you turn your back to the door again, your eyes catch sight of something.

> A better noun would have been 'someone'

> Twilight is standing at the top of the stairs looking down, her face almost as passive as yours.

 

"How long?"

> She sounds tired.

> "Since they knocked"

> You just nod.

> "How often has that kind of thing happened?"

> She sounded concerned, tired but concerned, and her eyes show it.

> You try to remember how many times you'd nearly been arrested for being in the wrong place at the right time.

> The amount of times the guilty had pointed the finger at you and been believed without question.

> You can't.

> There are too many.

"More than I care to remember..."

 

"Good morning, by the way."