Sunset's Last Glow

by Note Worthy

Chapter 2: Forced Displacement

Sunset’s Last Glow
Chapter 2: Forced Displacement

Phoenix had no idea how long he had been out for. There was a dull throbbing from the blow he took to the head, slowly stirring from his position on the floor of Zecora’s hut. He went to sit up, only to find that he was now bound with ropes, both his front and back hooves. He blinked as he saw his bindings. After getting over his initial disgust, he admired the quality of the knots.

Skilled pony, especially if the zebra did it. Now, Luna bless me I need some answers. Turning to his side, he looked around the hut from his placement on the floor. In the middle of the large room and lying on his side, he conducted his canvassing, doing the best he could to scoot around. He smelled at the air... something floral? Wooden textures, masks that gave him a scare and vials of potions and herbs did a successful job of encouraging the sneeze that was welling up.

"Ah-choo!" Puffs of slightly damp purple fluttered about, tickling his nose. He sneezed again, shaking his head about. More of the purple dust drifted down. After a third sneeze, he lay back where he'd started from. A sneezing powder? Not... ugh, head still hurts.

"Oh, thank my lucky stars you're awake. Please forgive me my grand mistake." Zecora said from behind him, stifling a chuckle. The medicine zebra slowly trotted up behind Phoenix, staying out of sight.

"Grand... mistake?" Mixture of confusion and curiosity swam through the terse fog of the thrumming in Phoenix's head. His sinuses felt clearer than they had in a long time, and breathing was easy. Abandoning any measure of attempting to stand, the Shadowbolt tried rocking side to side to turn himself to he was facing in the direction of the voice.

"Now, please remain there and very still: we do not wish to see you ill." Zecora started to mill about the bound pegasus, using a small piece of cloth to wipe away the remainder of the dust that had decorated his face. The zebra's look was very apologetic, a wistful thin smile that faded as her gaze found the raised lump on the back of his head. She sighed, hanging her head. "Although it would seem I have done enough: I had not intended to be so rough."

"Where am I? And who are you?" I don't like this. I can't see her, nor can I hear anything behind me. Luna, help me if this is a trap! Phoenix's brow furrowed as he tried to reconstruct the series of events that led him here.

"Zecora is the name by which we are known, and the place you find yourself is my home." As she spoke, her hoof came into Phoenix's line of sight, its black and white nature offering a certain degree of comfort in his current situation.

"Well, thank you, Zecora. Is there any chance you count untie me, please?"

Staying out of sight, the zebra responded "Perhaps after a while once you've had a chance to rest. I believe, for us both, it will be the best."

There was an uneasy pause, the sounds of the Everfree wafting in through the window. Phoenix cleared his throat. He then began to use his hooves and continued leverage as best he could to turn around and look at her. The maneuver took a few moments--including some rather clumsy and hastily contrived moves on Phoenix's part. It was worth the effort, though, as he was finally facing toward Zecora.

"Well, at the least..."

Zecora placed the hovered hoof right on the top of his head, softly. "Now, now, my winged stranger; don't expose yourself to danger. Your head is rather bruised, of this I wish excused."

With a grunt from whatever contusion he suffered, Phoenix closed his eyes and receded, slowly sliding back a bit. "I must admit that your methods of home security are a bit unorthodox but effective."

"My methods may seem unruly, but they are not done cruelly. The Everfree's denizens are varied and wild; from deadly lions to a tiny child."

As Phoenix finished looking around, he saw that he had been relieved of his uniform. Questioning eyes shot toward Zecora.

"Garments so messy did not seem right, so I have made them clean and bright."

This brought a strange glance from the pegasus. He quickly skimmed the room, finding his outfit dangling over the kettles, where Zecora had cast the spell earlier to summon the guards. She had been hoping that it was not going to be too long before they would arrive.

Phoenix stammered. He was used to flying in any conditions, but this was a new world and a new zebra to him. "I-uh... appreciate you tending to my clothes. Would you please give me the privacy of a few moments to put them back on?"

Zecora paused for a second, giving Phoenix a strange look before the light bulb came on and she understood why he would prefer some privacy when re-dressing. "Oh, of course. I understand. I will just be watching the grains of sand." She pointed with a hoof to a rather ornate piece or artwork that had sand flowing all the time. It put her in a position where she would not be looking at him as he dressed.

Buckles and straps, fabric fitting around his hooves and core. Darkest night wrapped him in its embrace, the process done in quick order.

Zecora's ears craned as she sensed that Phoenix was done getting dressed. Leaving the hourglass, she returned back to Phoenix. Not saying a word, she brought the ropes back that she had him bound with before.

"Wait a minute. I'm not a danger to you, why do you want for me to be bound again?" Phoenix blinked in confusion.

"Danger is fickle and wears many disguises and shrouds; my trust is wary of a stranger from the clouds."

Opting to not put up much in the way of resistance, Phoenix begrudgingly allowed himself to be secured with the ropes again. He gave Zecora rather stern glances the whole time she reattached the ropes to behind his wings and his hind legs.

"Please do not allow this to linger in your mind; for all things will eventually be left behind."

Oh, how little you know, Zecora...

Phoenix heard the soft temper of her footfalls as she made her way over to the door. A quick couple of wooden clacks were heard from near the doorway. It opened, and she looked out to see two pegasus stallions, in full armor, were two of Celestia’s guards. “Lady Zecora... we saw your distress signal. Have you been hurt in any way?”

“Nothing that will not quickly heal; thank you for asking how I feel. However, this pegasus I needed to strike down--he has quite a lump upon his crown.” Zecora motioned her hoof over toward Phoenix Ember, bowing apologetically.

“Thank you, Miss Zecora. We will... take care of this gentlecolt and make sure he is properly tended to.” Phoenix craned his ears as the guards made their way past the door and toward the direction that Zecora pointed after letting them inside. Meeting eyes with Silver Plate and Steady Hoof, the inner Shadowbolt inside of Phoenix hissed--their uniforms of polished brass with accents of gold filigree pushed him to the point of nausea. "You didn't mention anything about him being awake, Zecora. Has he said anything, been threatening, attacked you?" Silver Plate inquired, looking Phoenix up and down.

The zebra's eyes were downcast, aimed toward the floor as she spoke. "Aside from entering without stating his arrival, in no way has this pegasus risked my survival. One swing of my stick and down he fell; a poor host am I, leaving him feeling unwell."

Steady Hoof drew near, doing his own cursory assessment of the dark blue buck. "Should have brought a medic. Got him trussed up pretty good. Sir, we're going to take good care of you, all right?"

Only the training and patience that came therein kept Phoenix from spitting right at the hooves of the Canterlot guards. Letting his eyes droop a bit and keeping his mouth shut, the fake headache seemed the best way to go to not say more than was necessary. He merely nodded, unwilling to offer any further information.

"What do you think, untie him? Seemed pretty serious for her to send up a signal flare if it wasn't something she could have taken care of herself." Steady mentioned, not quite as close as his partner.

After Silver Plate meandered over, he helped to fully right Phoenix. “Can you fly, sir?”

Can I fly, yes. For Celestia's guards, no.

The response that came to the question was nothing like what they had expected to hear from the bound stallion. “Don’t talk to me, you vile servant of Celestia. Zecora tied up my wings after she... did whatever voodoo magic or whatnot she did to me. Your capture of me is simply the beginning of the end for your beloved Princess, as Luna will rise and cast the whole of Equestria in darkness!”

Both Steady Hoof and Silver Plate looked at each other for a moment, shocked at the response from Phoenix--yet finding the last part of his statement funny. Phoenix sneered at both of them, his glowing golden eyes piercing towards the guards. “She must have whacked you pretty hard on the head there! Princess Luna’s been redeemed by some ponies out of Ponyville.”

Phoenix could not believe his ears. “What did you say?!?”

“She’s been purified from the evil that was Nightmare Moon. There’s no worry about her Eternal Night as she promised to coat all the land with. What... you didn’t know yet? It happened two days ago.”

Two days? But... I just got back here a couple of hours ago, after the orb broke. What do you mean, “two days?”

The impact of the words hit him harder than the smacks from Zecora’s staff did. His mind began to spin, and within a moment, Phoenix lost his balance, tipping over and feeling consciousness flee from him. “Are you all right? Hey! Hoof! Help me with him!”

Steady Hoof was over to help Silver Plate in a flash, using their front hooves to keep Phoenix from injuring himself again unintentionally. “I wonder what’s happened to him. We’ll handle things from here, Lady Zecora. You don’t need to worry about him bothering you anymore. Come on, Silver... he’s probably going to be a pain to get back to Canterlot to be questioned. I’m not about to take him to Ponyville. With that coat and the attitude he seems to have, I don’t think he’d be too terribly welcome.”

Phoenix didn’t really become too aware of the fact that he was being lifted up and laid between the two pegasi guards. “Oof! What did he eat last, one of the Cake’s super muffins? This colt weighs a ton! Can we even fly with him on us?”

"Stop your whining, Steady Hoof. We've managed to carry all of our equipment and go on a ten-mile fly before. Carrying one pegasus shouldn't be a hassle." Silver Plate gave his friend a snide look, wishing that Phoenix was still conscious and alert. "Zecora, do you have anything to wake him up with?"

Getting past her shame and now recognizing the situation at hoof, the zebra nodded. She made her way to one of her shelves and retrieved a small vial of smelling salts. "This should do quite well, it emits a pungent smell." She opened the vial, recoiling from the scent, it eliciting a sick groan from her as she hoofed it over to Silver Plate.

The pegasus grabbed it with his wing, keeping it as far from his nose as he could. Even from here, this smelling salt was filling the air with its distinct fragrance. Silver's face contorted in slight repulsion, wanting to get this to the pegasus as quickly as he could and then giving it back to the zebra that had given it to him.

The application of the vial's contents to Phoenix Ember did their trick, rousing the pegasus from his fainting spell. He looked around and found his eyes engaged with those of the grey-coated stallion who had captured him.

"Get on your hooves, mister. It's a long flight back to Canterlot."

"Back to where?" Phoenix asked, jarred awake and finding the name that had been referenced confusing. Still being tied up didn't help matters any, either; had it not been for the guards, he would have landed back on the floor unceremoniously.

Silver turned his head back to Steady, the thought of a long flight back to Canterlot not striking him as all that fun either. “We don’t have much of a choice here, Steady. He seems disoriented and I don't think it's a good idea to undo his bindings with him being out of it. We're going to have to carry him. You ready?”

Steady nodded, and the two of them walked as best they could with the immobilized weight of Phoenix’s frame shared between the two of them. They were already dreading this flight--even more, dreading having to file this report. Even with their strength, Phoenix's armor was heavy and did not aid at all in the process of them getting off the ground. "On three, Steady: one, two..." With a heft, the bucks balanced Phoenix on their backs sideways. "Zecora, do you have any more rope? I don't want him to fall off on the way back to the Castle."

The zebra nodded, quickly dashing over and returning a moment or two later with a long coil of greenish vine that she'd fashioned into a rope. "Help secure him to our backs."

Working almost silently, Zecora bound Phoenix across the backs of the two guard pegasi. "He is secure, safe and bound; there's no chance he'll hit the ground." Smiling as much as they could with the unfamiliar and certainly unpleasant positioning of Phoenix behind them, Steady and Silver took a moment to think about the armor that was adding more weight to the flight. It reminds me of the Wonderbolts’ insignia... but it looks corrupted, warped. What is this pony’s deal? Why does he hate Princess Celestia so much... and why does he think that Princess Luna is going to be coming to his rescue?

Without another word, the two pegasi took to the sky, doing the best to keep the unconscious pegasus between the two of them as they soared off and away from the Everfree Forest, making their way back to the capital of Equestria.

---

The flight took a bit quicker than the estimated half-hour, benefiting from the blessed graces of a southern breeze on the increasingly warm morning. Silver Plate and Steady Hoof working as a team to keep the strain on their cargo's body minimal and keep the wind resistance as little of a factor as possible. The two guard ponies breathed a sigh of relief when they noticed the landing pad for Canterlot come into view.

“Thank Celestia for those breezes. From how he was moaning, I think he might have a concussion. Get the medic, but let's get him onto a cart and walk.” Steady Hoof sighed, fluttering his wings as he placed his hooves squarely down onto the pad. Exhausted and out of breath, the two were ready to get Phoenix off of their backs and rest for a minute.

"We're going to need to get him untied. Can you reach into my saddlebag?" Silver asked between breaths.

Steady nodded, moving his wing to lift the flap of his partner's bag. "Got it... okay, lie down, it should give me an angle to cut the ropes." Retrieving a knife from inside of the saddle pouch, Steady Hoof waited for Silver Plate to adjust his angle and sever the connections keeping Phoenix on their rumps. Articulated wings made a sawing action, and soon a loud *SNAP* was heard, the form of Phoenix falling off of the side of Silver Plate, landing on the steel deck.

“Ouch!” he gasped and his eyes shot open. Both Steady and Silver exchanged glances.

“Sorry about that... needed to get you freed, and get that weight off our backs... oww.” Both guards had just finished catching their breath, making note that they were in need of some PT when they were done here.

Alert and disoriented, Phoenix twirled a bit, the bindings on his hooves and wings keeping him from doing much other than just lying there. For reasons that simply defied logic, the pegasus chuckled as he tried to steady himself against Steady’s side. “Normally I would have put up a bit more fight and tried to capture the two of you--I’m glad I didn’t waste my time. You didn’t even bother to check if I was awake or not. Apparently Celestia doesn’t really care if her guardsponies have the cognitive functions of a schoolfilly.”

Steady growled slightly, this golden eyed stallion not even bothering to be thankful for the assistance provided. “You're joking, right? We just flew you back here with you bound on our backs, and you're insulting us?" Scoffing, Steady shook his head, deciding to be the better pony and move on. "Welcome to Canterlot.”

Phoenix looked at the city, and almost fainted--again. Where... where the hell am I? This isn't the Castle... wait, was this... they were building this. Wanted to move from the Everfree, but I never thought this would become the capital.

“This is a joke, right? You colts must have really worked yourself too hard carrying me. I lack any sympathy or consideration for those who are deceived by Celestia’s lies.” Phoenix’s sneering voice wasn’t doing the best of jobs in hiding his confusion and bewilderment upon looking at Canterlot.

Silver Plate walked up and looked Phoenix in the eyes. “Now, you better listen to me and listen really flapping well, okay? That kind of talk will get you thrown in the dungeon and forgotten about. There hasn’t been a voice of dissent about Celestia in the past hundred years. The occasional complaint about why things don’t work out from the surrounding cities, but nothing that she hasn’t been able to handle. Besides, we were given orders to take you right from here to see Princess Celestia herself. So I highly suggest you change your tone and try and make a good impression on her.”

“Feh. Whatever you say, strong and silver-plated.” Phoenix extended his wings to help him levitate off of the ground, knowing that any attempt to walk would be foolish at best, having gotten a good enough understanding of the bindings that held him in place.

“Let’s go. Before we enter, it would be wise that you at least speak your name so that you may be properly introduced.” Steady Hoof said, now taking the patient time to let his hooves be the primary source of motion for him, his wings snapped to their sides.

“Fine. Sheesh, oafs. General Phoenix Ember, Shadowbolt Contingent. I declare my loyalty to Princess Luna’s eventual eternal nightfall, where the corrupt light of the sun shall shine no more.”

“Well... General, forgive if I don’t salute you, but there is no such thing as the Shadowbolts. Now come on.”

The walk from the landing pad to the castle was quiet, although Phoenix was conducting his best job of silent and unnoticed observations, taking in all the new around him. This is a place of peace... no longer a brooding ground for the war we were promised would arise between the Day and the Night. Ponies are frolicking, going about their business, conducting themselves as if there wasn’t a care in their worlds. This lot has become soft. Were the other two generals even here, capturing this city? Why even bother? There’s nothing here worth the time to try and catch. The pathway they chose was obviously not one that would be used by those living in the city, as it seemed relatively untrodden and absent. Security corridor...probably leads right to the heart of the Palace. Wait, I remember this. It’s very similar to the secondary adjunct pathway. Royalty or guards only... or prisoners. How many brethren walked this road, captured by Celestia’s guards and military force? How many... jumped, not wishing to let any of the light that she stands for touch their hearts? Silver Plate and Steady Hoof kept a close eye on Phoenix, directing him down the walkway. They reached a set of double doors, guarded by a grey stallion, who was seated, staff in hoof.

“Ah, gentleponies... made good time getting back here! You promised me that it would take a half hour, and you got back here in 20 minutes.” The grey stallion stood up, moving to unlock the door.

“We would have made it faster if he hadn't been a mess, Rapidfire: he might have a concussion and doesn't seem to have any clue where were headed to. Please tell me that you had the decency to save me that muffin you promised.”

“Uhh... yeah, about that, Steady..." The grey buck tittered a moment, a look on his face of "I screwed up". Moving on to more important topics, he continued. "I shouldn’t keep you here too long; the Princess is waiting and getting impatient,” Rapidfire said, noticing Phoenix’s hooves. “Why didn’t you cut off the rope?”

Silver snorted as they put their hoofprint onto a piece of paper, indicating that they had returned. “Disoriented, like I said... had we done so, we'd probably still be on our way. Give me a hoof getting his hooves undone--can I borrow your staff for a second?” Rapidfire hoofed over the staff to Silver Hoof, which he swung around to the blunted end, and severed the ropes that were binding his hooves and wings. “There. Okay, Phoenix Ember, you should be able to stand up now. Take it easy, okay? We'll be here to support you if you need help.” Silver aided Phoenix up to his hooves, ready to balance him out if it was necessary.

No. You aren’t going to keep me here! You’ll be the first to fall! The thought became action, and Phoenix used his now free hooves to push Silver Plate in the side with all due deliberate force. His intention was to knock the pegasus over the side, but didn’t hit him quite right in the ribs. As the hooves made contact, Silver Plate tumbled to the ground, shocked and shaken up. The next thing he saw was Phoenix standing above him as he was ready to begin trampling the downed guard. Steady Hoof quickly jumped to the aid of his fallen comrade, shouting to Rapidfire “Get a unicorn out here, stat! And where is that medical pony?” Steady used his front hooves to grab Phoenix’s back ones, resulting with the Shadowbolt being spun around. Phoenix had barely enough of a chance to realize what had happened before feeling the thudding impact of Steady’s front hoof to his jaw, which knocked him backwards.

“What the hay is your problem, you foal?! Now we have to lock you up once you’re done seeing the Princess!” Some fast galloping was heard from in front of him, and a deep pink unicorn mare came dashing out of the door. She looked to Steady, then Silver.

“Get him secured now, please, Ruby Glitter, before he hurts anypony else. Rapidfire, escort Silver Plate to the infirmary.” Ruby didn’t really have the chance to ask any questions, the look from Steady Hoof giving the impression that she was better off not knowing at the moment. Her horn glowed a sparkly fuchsia, and Phoenix became wrapped in her magic.

“There. He a troublemaker there, sir?” Glitter asked, placing Phoenix back on the ground and binding his movements.

“That’s about the size of it, Ruby. Less chatter, more walking, please... I’ve had my fair share of this stallion.” Steady Hoof marched ahead, not wanting to waste one more second with this ill-behaving pony.

The walk into Celestia’s chambers seemed longer now, Steady’s echoing hooffalls being copied by that of Phoenix and Ruby as the three of them entered the court of the Princess and co-ruler of Equestria.

“...and please inform Princess Luna that we have postponed dinner until 8 o’clock today due to her difficulty sleeping, steward,” Celestia said from her throne, looking at a smaller pony dressed in slightly formal attire that nodded and turned to head toward another door on the side of the hallway.

Celestia’s attention focused on the three entrants to the hall, her slight smile fading quickly as she noticed Phoenix Ember enwrapped in a unicorn’s magic. “Were there difficulties with bringing him here, Steady Hoof?”

Steady Hoof bowed before speaking. “Not in returning with him here, Your Highness... it was freeing him from his bindings that ended up causing a bit of a fracas that almost got ugly. Thankfully, Ruby Glitter was nearby to help keep him subdued. He was ready to strike down Silver Plate, whom Rapidfire is escorting to the infirmary now. He will also need some medical attention; Zecora might have given him a concussion.”

“I see. Well, I wish he had not done that, but... those actions cannot be undone, can they be....” Celestia’s voice trailed off as she looked at Phoenix Ember. She paused for a moment, and then continued. “I remember you. Who could forget one of the most outspoken supporters of my sister back in the Age of Dissonance?”

“It was not an age of dissonance, you false leader. It was the dawning of a new era, one where the sun did not take its place in the sky any longer, little more than a burning, cursed ball of flame!” Phoenix’s impassioned statement was delivered with all the necessary force to remind Celestia of why she was concerned about him when they had last seen each other.

“Phoenix Ember. I knew my sister always had her favorite guards, but I did not factor for you to ever harbor such hate for me in your heart. She was jealous of the attention that my day received and the lack thereof for her night. But, those ponies with kind hearts such as yours would be ready to attack the very foundations of Equestria to bring forth an eternal night? I think that is the biggest shame of them all. Not that I had to endure a millennia without her was not pain enough--but that, now in this day and time, there be a remnant of that hate she wrapped herself in. I wish there was some way for me to undo the damage that my sister has done to your heart. Perhaps there is. Will you allow me?” Celestia stood, although she easily could have reached out with her magic and touched Phoenix from where she was seated.

“NO! Don’t touch me! I don’t want your foul hooves on a single part of my body, Celestia! You stand for everything I stand against! Luna’s night will reign, you shall see! The Shadowbolts will rise over you, and strike you down! Just as I tried to strike down that guard who thought it was funny to laugh about my talent as a flier.”

Steady Hoof motioned to Ruby Glitter, whom tightened her magical hold on the insolent pegasus. As Celestia spoke, the visible tension in the room waned, her soft tones doing the best to appease to the snarling, angry pegasus. “No, they shall not, Phoenix Ember. The Shadowbolts do not exist anymore in this kingdom. They were dissolved when Luna was banished to the moon. A thing that I wish I could have fixed; alas, that time has gone and we have the now. And in the now, you are here. For your crimes against the Kingdom of Equestria and its subjects, you must pay the price. I hereby order that you be sent to the dungeon until we are able to come up with a way to properly deal with you. You will be treated well, and offered the full extended the courtesy that all of my guests here in the castle have. Until I have conversed with my sister, I do not know what we will do with you, Phoenix, other than welcome you back from the past.”

Phoenix’s burning eyes met Celestia’s. “The past? What do you mean, the past? It's two days after we were supposed to strike while Luna refused to lower the moon for your horrible sun. You’re speaking nonsense, you monster!”

“I speak the truth, Phoenix Ember. It has been one thousand years since I saw you last. And, just as my sister, you haven’t aged a day.”

Phoenix’s world did another somersault. “One... one thousand... thousand years?” All of the color from his face drained as he dropped to his knees, the hidden wobble in them making itself known as his body shifted forward and his eyes caught the tiles on the floor below him.

“It appears as that when I banished my sister, you were caught up in a wake of magic when it was cast. I am not sure how this happened, but it appears to be what occurred.”

Whatever trace of indignancy that resided in Phoenix’s tongue had evaporated. “You mean to tell me that all of my friends... my parents....?”

Celestia nodded slowly, her face expressing a silent sadness.

“I... I see. Well, there’s little here to discuss, then. I am ready to face my punishment, Celestia.” He spat the Princess’ name, the very thought of saying it making his stomach churn. Celestia nodded, which led Steady Hoof and Ruby Glitter, whose mouths were also slightly ajar, to escort Phoenix out of the Princess’ throne room. Celestia watched them go, her heart sinking slightly as the pegasus hung his head a little lower than it was before. Finally, the doors opened, the trio walking out, and the quiet solace of the chamber returned with the soft *thump* of Celestia’s flank to her chair, as she put her hooves to her face for a moment.

Oh, but I do remember you, Phoenix Ember. You were one of my favorites as well. I had you hoof-picked to be one of the Wonderbolts with the potential you had. I admired your duality... your coat of dark navy, representing Luna’s night... and then your eyes and your mane, showing the day that I love so much. Why? When did you start to hate me? Was it because of Luna’s jealousy, that monster Nightmare Moon that she turned into? Or was it for other reasons? The sadness in your voice when you would come into the castle, cuddling into that comfy chair in the library, quietly sobbing as you felt shame from the high standards your parents had for you?

Walls inside of her mind began to collapse, ever so slowly, allowing a small stream of memories and pain caused the normally poker-faced alicorn to become emotional, but she would not allow herself to be seen, even by her guards, shedding any tears.

“I need Princess Luna to meet me in my room as soon as is possible. Please inform her that it is urgent,” Celestia said, standing and moving toward a secret door in the side of the hallway, which opened as she focused her magic into it.

The light of the middle afternoon painted a warm reflection on the floor of the main throne room. It seemed as if it were timed to try and undo some of the hurt and pain it had just been subject to from the diametric opposites that were the alicorn of the Sun and one who would so persistently and foolishly stand against her, even when a hoof of mercy was offered. Silence fell as the room emptied out, leaving only the array of colors to give some life.

Comments

[Borg]

“Ooh... you had better known a pretty good spell to keep my hooves off of you when I get free, you lousy striped foal!” the pegasus said, searching for his attacker from his uncomfortable seat on the ground.

"Of such a spell, I have easily thought:
One I like to call 'tying a strong knot.'
But if that's not enough to keep you at bay,
I can hit you over the head all day."
Seriously, who expects to find a defenseless mare in a forest full of monsters? Sure, the danger's not nearly so concentrated as some Ponyville residents would have you believe, but you don't build a house there without first either learning to defend yourself from much more than an annoyed pegasus, or losing all common sense to a serious head injury.

Phoenix chuckled as he tried to steady himself against Steady’s hooves. “Normally I would have put up a bit more fight and tried to capture the two of you--I’m glad I didn’t waste my time. You didn’t even bother to check if I was awake or not. Apparently Celestia doesn’t really care if her guardsponies have the cognitive functions of a schoolfilly.”

Yeah, because a pony who can't even stand up on his own is such a huge threat. What if you had headbutted one of them in the leg until he said "ow," then done the same to the other after spending five minutes wriggling over to him?

They reached a set of double doors, guarded by a grey stallion, who was seated, staff in hand.

“Ah, gentleponies... I see you’ve returned. You’re a little late, you know. You promised me that it would only take twenty minutes back and forth, and it’s been almost an hour.” The grey stallion stood up, moving to unlock the door.

“Well, we weren’t planning on this one being so heavy or stubborn, Rapidfire... next time, you’re heading out and I’ll stay here.”

I call bullshit. There's not a Wonderbolt in all of Equestria who could make it through even half an hour of guard duty without gouging his eyes out from boredom.

[Note Worthy]

3264912 Rewritten, all of it. One of the dangers of not have pre-readers before deciding to publish a story.