The Winning pony and the Templar

by Ebony Gryphon

Chapter Five

Within Ponyville, the usually busy midafternoon venues and businesses fell into an unsettling silence, aside from the squeaking of shutters as frightened pony’s and humans gazed out of their hiding places. In the center of town, a lone mare wandered, a Pegasus to be exact. Not an uncommon occurrence by any stretch of one’s imagination, but this one was different. Her coat was a dark grey, similar to that of storm clouds, her mane a light golden color. So similar in fact to the mares age, one’s first look would think her Derpy resurrected, but this mares frame also had a lithe muscle tone to it, suggesting she was a warrior. And unlike the warm, maternal warmth give off by the wall eyed female, this one had a distinctive edge to it. Like, if you so much as looked at her wrong, she’d take your head off.

But what was truly different, and solidified her position as not Ditzy Doo wasn’t her cutie mark, which in this mare’s case was crossed swords, but were her eyes. Her eyes were an icy blue, exhuming a cunning and intelligence many assumed their towns mail mare never had. Several human males, and three females, walked out into the middle of the street. As they drew closer, from their new angle, all could see that under her fur, scars could be seen, criss crossing a dashing across her frame. The mare’s eyes locked with theirs. She looked… beautifully sad. Quickly a creature of contempt became a creature of pity. Unsure what to do now, the humans looked at each other a moment, then back at the mare.

The lead male walked forward, and folded his hands behind his back.

“Swiftblade, former member of Clan Kicker, former member of the Royal Guard… what is your business here? We have much to spare, and shall gladly do so with you. But know this: this is our home.”

Slowly, the mare lips lifted into something that may have been a smile.

“Small world. It’s also mine.”

A new voice sounded, “ That it is.”

All heads turned towards the voice, and the human’s leader nodded.

“Is that so Eli?”

Nodding back, the human walked towards the mare. The pony visibly relaxed, and her cool eyes warmed slightly. She still looked angry, but that was quickly becoming a matter of her feature structure rather than actual emotion.

“So, you can vouch for her?”

The human nodded.

“She’s my wife.” Coming up to her, he gently ran his fingers over her neck, and closing her eyes, leaned against him companionably. A murmur of surprise went through the humans, though not one of disgust or anger. Merely… surprise. The humans circled up, and after a few moments of hurried whispers, the leader went back, his face visible relaxed.

“In that case Eli, we can only offer our apologies. I hope your mate could forgive our actions.” All the humans looked at her expectantly. With a shrug and nod of assent, the humans dispersed, and a few began to filter from the homes to open stalls. All humans, no ponies. Rolling her eyes, Swift muttered, “I think we might want to clear the streets. I don’t anyone’s going to sell shit with us standing here.”

…………………………………………………………………………….

Garret frowned as he walked down the stairs of his bar, the green and red maned mare standing in the middle of his bar eliciting a pause in his stride. Silently, he continued his trek, and coming to the bottom, folded his arms across his chest.

“Can I…” his brows knitted together slightly as the mare gave a small yelp, and whirled around, eyes wide. Smiling warmly, his tone softer, he continued, “ help you ma’am?”

The mare exhaled, pressing a hoof to her chest.

“Maybe after I restart my heart…”

Chuckling, Garret uncrossed his arms, and walked to the wooden bar.

“Your Blossomforth right?”

Somewhat calmed, she nodded.

“I am. How’d you know?”

Garret shrugged and taking a cloth out of his pocket, began to wipe down the bar.

“Cloud’s in here a lot. She talks about you and work a lot. Now, you surely didn’t come in here merely to chat I take it.”

Sighing, Blossomforth shook her head.

“No. Actually I was hoping she’d be here.”

Giggling at the expression on the humans face as he turned back, she snarked, “She talks about you so much, I figured by now the two of you were having a little sleep over.”

Ignoring the comment, Garret shook his head.

“Nope, I haven’t seen her in a couple of days.”

“Me neither. She didn’t see her dad off, and he just assumed it was because she was sad because he had to leave so soon.”

Garret frowned, and scratched the back of his head“Did she leave on vacation, or something like that?”

Blossomforth shook her head.

“She’d have told someone.”

Garret rubbed his chin. Walking away from the bar, he pointed a thumb at the doors.

“Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“Her house.”

………………………………………………………………………

Blossomforth sighed as her fourth knock on the door elicited no response. Turning her head up towards the human, she shrugged her wings.

“See? I told you. I came here before.” She turned around fully, and began to walk away.

“Maybe she’s…” she winced as her words were drowned out by the sharp snap of splintered wood and the slam of door on wall. Whirling around, she gaped at the now broken door, and the human walking through it.

“What are you doing?” she hissed.

Ignoring her completely, Garret walked through the door. Gnawing her bottom lip worriedly a moment, Blossomforth followed. As they strode into the middle of the room, Blossomforth's eyes darted to and fro, looking for any signs of her friend. A low moan drew her eyes towards the bedroom. In a flash, Garret was at its frame, and he gasped, “Tears of Elohie…” and dashed into the room. Heart thumping at the sound of his tone, the mare rushed over, and finally seeing what was inside the room, held a hoof to her mouth in horror.

Cloud Kicker lay on her side on her bed, fore and hind legs bound, the rest of her held down by ropes going over her and tied under the bed. Her ankles on both were cut and bleeding undoubtedly from the struggling the mare had done. Her eyes were closed, her breath shallow, but its sound still bringing some relief to Blossomforth. But that relief deflated again at the sight of her friend’s wings. The two appendages were drawn out painfully, and held out and together by two leather straps. From what she could see, whole tufts of secondary and edge feathers had been pulled. Thankfully, whoever done it had spared the primaries, so Cloud could still fly, but the lavender wing was still covered with scabbed blood. A holed ball gag had apparently stifled any screeches as she had been tortured.

Garret kneeled onto the bed, and gently shook the mare. Cloud Kicker shifted restlessly in her sleep, and her eyes fluttered, then flew open, full of panic. Holding her down, Garret shouted, “Hold it! It’s me, it’s me!”

Stilling her struggling, Cloud Kicker gave a muffled plea, and Garret undid the clasp holding the gag in place. Drawing a few breaths, Cloud winced as she worked her jaw a moment, and began to shift again. Garret stilled her again.

“Don’t move yet, ok?” He looked over his shoulder, and snapped, “Blossomforth, go get someone from the hospital! I don’t care who, just someone.”

The mare nodded, then bolted from the room. Turning back, Garret stroked Cloudkicker’s mane and neck, repressing a shudder over the griminess of the sweat soaked fur. Laying her head back on her pillow, Cloud Kicker scowled.

“Fucking Rose…”

The humans scowl easily matched the pony’s.

“She did this to you?”

Cloud Kicker nodded, and smacked her lips.

“Can I get some water?”

“Wait a sec, okay? Let’s see what the doctor says.”

“Fucking cunt…” Cloud Kicker snarled.

“How long have you been like this?”

The mare scrunched her muzzle, thinking.

“Uh, let’s see. The night before my sister was supposed to arrive. Shit, dad must be pissed I didn’t show up to greet Alula…”

“Never mind that, you’ve been like this nearly three days?”

“I’ve got a lot of endurance…” she winced, and worked her jaw again.

“Damn it… I think I might busted something in my muzzle…”

Garret shook his head.

“Why did she do this?”

Cloud Kicker shook her head, and coughed.

“No idea… she just tied me up, said I’d like it. Once she had me, she just started pulling, giggling as she did. All she said when she was finished was that the guard would never look until the villagers complained about the stink.” She winced as she stretched her wings slightly.

“Could you undo the straps?”

Again, the human shook his head.

“Gotta wait ok?”

The mare sighed, and then whimpered.

“My heads killing me…”

“You’re dehydrated. Just stay with me, the doc will be here soon.”

Cloud Kicker’s eyes flashed, and she ground her tooth in anger.

“That twat better run for the hills, cause the second I can, I’m gonna run her through.”

Garret chuckled, and patted her side.

“Get behind me, Blossomforth, your dad, little sister, and Rainbow when she finds out.”

At this, Clouds head lifted, and shook vehement, a slight whinny of dismay in her voice.

“Don’t you dare!”

“Why not? She’s your friend, she should know…”

The mare rolled her eyes, and laid her head back down.

“You and me… we’d just bruise her up a little…”

At this the human chuckled darkly.

“Well… maybe not a little…”

Not taking the bait, Cloud Kicker continued as though he said nothing, “… but Dash… she’d kill her, flat out. And I’m not going to have a friend, especially an element, sitting in a cell because of something I did.”

Garret sighed and shook his head.

“Cloud, you could have died. How did you get yourself in this situation?”

Grimacing, the lavender pony looked down at her tied together forelegs.

“Underestimating the knot tying abilities of someone without magic or hands.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Garret was beginning to dislike hospitals. The smell of disinfectant and the knowledge that within its walls ponies and other sentients, albeit necessarily, suffered made his stomach turn. This feeling was intensified with the knowledge that his friend was one of those. His concerned for her was not lessened with the doctor telling aside from slight infection in her wings and ankles, she otherwise had no medical concerns.

Blossomforth stood up from her seat, eyes tearing up. “Will… will she…”

Looking over, the brown coated unicorn smiled.

“Fly? Of course. I’ve rarely seen a constitution like hers in a Pegasus. Its almost human in terms of healing rate and endurance. I’d advise against flying though for a while. Without the secondary’s, it’s far too dangerous…”

Blossomforth scowled and snarled “I know that! I’m not a feathering idiot!”

Both human and pony looked at the mare in shock.

“I… I never said you were ma’am…”

“Its okay doc.”

Gazing at the mare a moment, the unicorn cleared his throat.

“However, there are definite concerns over her mental state. I overheard her offering…” the stallions cheeks and ears darkened somewhat in a blush, “Certain… favors to the nurses and orderlies. I found no trauma… well, no trauma there, and she claims all her assailant did was tie her up and tear some feathers, but…”

He frowned as he was interrupted by sudden snickers. Garret managed to calm himself first, while Blossomforth could only cover her muzzle with a hoof to stifle the giggles.

“Your new here, ain’t you doc?”

.................................................................................................................

Cloud Kicker scowled as she scooted up along the back of the hospital bed, shifting to try to coax some comfort from the cushions. Any pegasi who lived anywhere other than the clouds quite quickly got used to terrestrial sleeping arrangements, but this damn thing was like granite. Blowing a lock of hair out of her face, she looked up at the ceiling.

“I’m bored… bored, bored, bored…”

The mare yawned and looked out the window, then looked down at her hooves, and the bandages around them.

“I’m so bored…”

Turning her head to her wing, she began to count the feathers. Again. It seemed Rose had been more interested in pulling then actually doing any damage. Despite the still stinging wounds of helpless tufts and secondary’s, Cloud Kicker wasn’t all that worse for wear. Just very bored, and very pissed. Finishing her task, the mare looked back at the clock.

One minute had passed. Grimacing, Cloud Kickers right eye twitched. Why didn’t they teach her that fancy standing shit her parents did in the Guard. A minute of this was enough to drive her nuts, Celestia knows how much hours of standing silently could do to a pony.

Looking back up at the ceiling, the lavender mare resumed the arduous task of killing time.

“Rose, when I get my hooves on your freaky flank, I’m going to buck you halfway across Equestria…”

“If your sister doesn’t kill you first.”

Cloud turned to the sound of the voice, and seeing the mare at the door, felt her heart skip for a moment. Swiftblade. When they were foals, the two being only a year apart, they played together all the time, her nickname at the time Swifty. As they grew, playing turned into long nights talking and sparring, and eventually going to west hoof together. When she ran out of the ceremony, abandoning the life her parents, and even Swift had wanted for her, Swiftblade stuck with her. She didn’t agree with her decision, but said she’d always be her friend.

That changed. About a year after the humans first arrived, Cloud Kicker’s correspondence suddenly stopped, and concerned, she flew back home. No one said what happened, but when she went into Swifts room, all the mare did was stare blankly at the walls. Though she left right afterward, Cloud Kicker later learned that Swift hadn’t said a single word for three months after her friends visit. When she heard she finally was starting to open up again, Cloud Kicker took a sabbatical, and went to visit her again. At the time, Swift looked like the most broken and exhausted creature the lavender mare had ever seen.

They talked for about an hour, Cloud’s heart breaking. Though her old friend smiled, they were so phony it hurt just to watch. After that, Cloud Kicker cut off all ties. Though they never slept together, Swiftblade was Cloud’s oldest and dearest friend. Fluttershy and Derpy were both her lovers once upon a time, the grey mare walking into her room was her first love. After she found out not only was she Alula’s godmother, but also her legal guardian should anything happen, Cloud Kicker was… well, madder than a wet hen her parents didn’t trust her with her own sister. Two seconds later, after an internal evaluation of her life up to that point, she felt happy. Maybe she’d be able to patch things up. But now, with the mare in front of her, and she could say was Swifty looked… different.

In their time apart, Swiftblade had gotten back much of the muscle she’d lost while in the asylum. Though both her wings and coat gleamed with a careful preen and brushing, the fur couldn’t hide the numerous scars over her barrel and legs. Aside from the scarring, physically, Swifty was still the vibrant ten pound of sexy in a five pound bucket the Cloud Kicker knew at West Hoof. But her eyes… all her time, from fillies playing in the park, to both of them squealing over their respectively owned cutie marks, to even the asylum when she’d last seen her, Swiftblade had always had the most gorgeous sky blue eyes Cloud Kicker ever saw. It was part of her appeal, and many a night, when she didn’t have company, those eyes would dance in her imagination. But now…

The color hadn’t changed. They were still the same blue she loved, but now the coldness of ice rather than the warmth of the day’s sky. Though they warmed somewhat at the sight of her old friend, the orbs didn’t lose their entire chill. As she walked, Swiftblades gaze held steady with Clouds, though her face betrayed no emotion. Suddenly, Cloud Kicker was reminded of when, in another hospital, in another time, the same mare walked into the other room, her eyes the same. That day, the day that Swiftblade had found out from Fluttershy what happened, she had walked in the same slow careful walk, the same held steady gaze, and it, in truth, terrified Cloud even years later. It rarely happened, unless she’d changed so much that she was a different mare now, but when it did, you didn’t want it to happen to you.

Swiftblade was pissed.

“So…” the mare said softly, making Cloudkicker’s blood chill in her veins. No one, not her mother, not even Fluttershy using full on Stare, had that effect on the lavender mare. In that simple word, it made her feel as she did when she felt Swifty’s wrath, how she was so disappointed, and how she when she was done being mad they might be able to be friends. In all their time together, aside from that one time when Cloud Kicker was laid up, Swifty’s voice never went into this way with her. And now, as an adult mare who could do what she damned well please thank you very much…!

“… here you are.”

Cloud Kicker winced. Nope, still scary. Smiling sheepishly, she said, “Uh, hey Swi…

Faster than her eye could follow, Swiftblade’s forehoof slammed into Cloud Kickers jaw. For a moment, as the mare slumped to one side of the bed as stars danced in her eyes, Cloud Kicker felt her heart break again. Swiftblade, if she didn’t already, hated her.

As she rose back up, her shock slowly turning into rage, she glared at the mare, who pressed a hoof to her lips.

“Shut up.” Her words weren’t loud. In fact, they were spoken just above a whisper. But hearing their cold fury, Cloud Kicker own rage was instantly iced.

Pulling her hoof away, Swiftblade continued.

“You bucking bitch. You never write never visit. My one true friend, and she abandons me.”

Cloud Kicker looked down to the bedspread, ears flattening to her skull.

“I should be pissed about that, but I’m not.”

Ears perking, Cloud Kicker looked back, and her hopeful smile dropped like a stone.

“I’m pissed because of Alula… Cloud, you’ve always been a good, though not always perfect, and definitely not appropriate or for that matter responsible, sister to Alula. She loves you.”

Shaking her head, Swiftblade sighed.

“Right now, your little sister is at our home, crying her eyes out cause she thinks you’re dying. Because you weren’t careful.”

Swiftblade stood up again, and walked to the door.

“It would break her heart if you did die. I know you’re not used to it, but please try to take others into consideration.”

Pausing at the door, she said, “Cloud, when I’m done being mad, I really hope we can be friends again.”

Author's Note:

Thanks as always to Chengar, who I hope will forgive me for this chapter^^

Now, as for humans.,. humans, though often associated with the Word and elemental magic, are classified technically as earth beings. As such, like earth ponies, they have superior endurance and fortitude. However, while said ability to endure and recover from trauma is excellent, muscle wise they about average. This means, while they'd be able to outlast, and with superior agility and their bipedal stance, outflank a earth pony, they wouldn't be able to lift one over their head. Of course, there are those rare ones who do grow large enough to do so, but their agility is offset by the burden of said bulk.

I don't know if that made sense