Sand and dirt whip through the harsh windstorm as a lone, cloaked stallion makes his way to the door of The Hoofbeat Inn. He raises his hoof and opens the door, quickly stepping in and leaving the storm behind him. After shutting the door, he surveys the room, it was rather small compared to what he was used to, but this was a small town.
The room had four round tables at which sat four earth-ponies each. To the right side there was a crackling fireplace and to the left a staircase leading to the rooms upstairs. Straight ahead was the bar whisc he headed straight for and sat on a bar stool. The barpony, a tall unicorn with a short, green mane and braided tail. His light blue coat was dirty from the day and covered in sweat, you could easily see the exhaustion in his eye.
The cloaked pony turned to the tender, "Water, kind sir."
"Any salt?" replied the blue pony.
He shook his head and while the barpony went to the back room, he turned his eyes upon his fellow late night drinkers. At one table sat four mares of older age all gossiping silently and throwing quick glances at him. To the right of that table sat four older stallions, probably the sad husbands of the mares, playing poker. To their right sat two young couples a little older than him enjoying a couple drinks and a salt lick. Finally, to their left, sat four off-duty guards, their magically embedded armor made them all look exactly the same, but he could tell one was a mare and that was about it.
The barpony returned with a large glass of clear and cold liquid and set it down in front of the lone stallion. He nodded to the pony and through back his hood, a gasp was heard from the girls in the corner which caused everyone to turn. His mane was long, dirty and black which matched his coat except the fact that it was a dark grey. But what was the cause of all the attention sat upon his brow, a horn broken off four inches from it's base.
Suddenly their was a great commotion, the off-duty guards quickly stood and surrounded the pony, the two couples ran upstairs and the mares ran to their husbands who paid them no mind and just watched the guards. The barpony slipped into the back room and could be heard telling himself it was alright.
One of the guards finally said, "Pardon us, sir...but would you mind coming with us?"
The stallion raised his glass with his front hooves and took a drink, "Yes i would, i like it in here out of that windstorm." His voice was smooth and a little deep, and if used correctly could control practically anypony.
Another guard, the mare, spoke up, "Whats your name?"
He took another drink of his water and turned around, "My name is Moonless Night." The guards stepped back when they saw his eyes, a vibrant purple that seemed to see into even the guard's minds.
The mare was the first to recover, "What's your business here, Moonless Night?" The other guards shook out of their trance and stepped forward.
"I was prefer being called Night...and I am just passing through on my way to the Everfree Forest to pick some ingredients for a medication." Which was true. Although he loathed the idea of being so close to Ponyville, he was ordered to retrieve roots of a plant that only grew in Everfree
Another guard, who was slightly shaking asked, "Why is your horn broken?"
Night turned his eyes on the young and frightened guard, "I was ponynapped, and my capters broke it so i couldn't get away...luckily enough, some royal guards who had been reported to about a missing pony, somehow found me. They just happened to be a few seconds too late...now if you will excuse me, barpony! I am in need of a room for the night..."
The blue and green pony, trying not to look scared, came out of his hiding spot with a large key, "Room 13, s-sir! H-Have a good um...night!"
Night nodded to him, withdrew a few coins from a pouch, placed them on the counter and headed upstairs. The stairs were spiraled and when he reached the top, he saw most of the doors in the long hallway shutting quickly. He slowly walked down, reading the numbers when he reached his at the end of the hall, Room 13. He placed the large key in the hole, turned it, and headed inside for the night.
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As the sun set over another summer day, Hefty Tip sighed, time for rush hour. And as if planned, the quests of the win started returning from their day of whatnot and sat down at the tables: the gentlecolts playing poker, the two young couples, the gossiping mares and the four off-duty guards. Then Night, who Tip hadn't seen a hair of all day, came down the stairs, still wearing his dirty cloak. He ordered a water, took a bar table-chair and sat in a corner by the warm fireplace with his hood up.
Hefty Tips was having a fairly good night, all was quiet unlike the night before...until two large Stallions walked into the bar and straight up to Hefty who thought, not some more strange ponies!
The large ponies sat and threw their feet onto the counter, the short one slapped his hoof on the counter, " 'ey give us some drinks on da house!"
Hefty Tips looked at them nervously, "Sorry boys, no free drinks." His eyes darted to the swords attached to their belts around their waist.
They laughed and the larger spoke up, "Oh come on! Me and Scythe have been a workin' all day for dis!"
The barpony nervously smiled, "Than you should have enough money to pay." Another glass at their swords.
Scythe leaned forward, " 'ey man, you give us dose drinks, or me and Sickle here will be makin' ye's close up shop."
The guards appeared behind the thugs stallions, the mare spoke up and Night smiled at her boldness, "There a problem here boys? No money no drinks, get it?"
The stallions stood slowly, "Yeeaah we get it." They stood still for a second like they were from and suddenly, with rather amazing speed, they turned and drew their swords placing them against the mares exposed neck. "Now i don't think you gets it though."
All the guests excpet Night, the guards and Tips screamed and ran for the stair, Night sat there quietly, the guards drew their swrods and Tips ran for the backroom again.
Night stood, lowered his hood and spoke loudly, "Before someone gets killed, here, take some of my money." He grabbed his pouch with a hoof and placed a large amount of coins on a table next to him.
Sickle and Scythe lowered their blades and smiled, "I like this guy, Scythe! We should tail him and keep takin' money..." Scythe chuckled, "Or we could take his whole pouch now, whatcha say 'bout that Sickle?" They both laughed maliciously.
Night smiled and the larger thug practically screamed, "What's so funny, colt?? Think your broken horn scares us?!"
"I was just wondering...how you two will ever get any mares if you keep acting like two foals with sticks?"
Sickle glared angrily, "Your whore of a mother seemed pre-" he never got any farther. Scythe looked at the stallion who fell to a large heap on the floor as blood started flowing from his head. Scythe's eyes looked at Night who's broken horn was glowing and a long, bloody baton floating in the air beside him as anger burned in his purple eyes.
"You killed him!!" Scythe roared. He swung his sword down at Night who clinched his teeth and raised his baton to block the furious attack. He stopped the strike and raised a second baton which he used to whack the stallions front-right leg, breaking it.
Scythe screamed in extreme pain as his broken leg crumpled under all the weight he had on it from the wild swing. As he fell, Moonless Night swung his baton again and smashed the other fore-hoof in two.
The broken thug stallion whimpered as he lay in crippled in a pool of his friends blood. He looked up at the dark grey stallion staring down at him through his piercing purple eyes. He tried to raise his sword again, but his concentration was lost when Night stomped on one of his shattered legs.
"Never. Insult my mother you son of a bitch." He holstered his batons under his cloak and walked to the guards, "the larger one is dead and Scythe will be crippled for life." He turned his eyes upon the mare who sat on a bar stool staring at the bloody mess, "That was very bold standing up to them."
Moonless Night walked to the door of the Inn, raised his hood and walked out into the young night hours.