The two met, Blaze gave in. He fell on his back, his sister in his grasp. They enjoyed the other’s presence for a while, then separated. “Okay, okay… Sis, I’m back,” He said.
“I missed you a lot! You scared the crap out of me!”
“Again,” Blaze added. “I had to be honest with you, you know that,” He continued, trying to save himself, when somepony knocked.
“Come in,” Blossom said. A colt stepped in, armor matching her siblings. The colt shut the door and saluted.
“Sir,” He exclaimed.
“At ease, what is it, Private?” Blaze replied.
“By command of General Crimson, I must ask you to follow me to her,” The soldier replied.
“Sure, lead the way,” Blaze said in return. Soon they arrived to the barracks, a mare awaiting them. She had limbs like Blaze.
“Ma’am?” Blaze asked, saluting.
“Sergeant Blaze, is it?” She wondered. Both on hind legs, Blossom next to her sibling.
“Yes, ma’am,” He replied.
“You are the last member we accept, I want you to know that well,”
“Yes, ma’am,”
“For now, I can only tell you what I told the others. The regiments will be completely reformed, be ready… Everypony will have these things,” She exclaimed, hinting at their limbs.
“Understood, ma’am,”
“And… Missy, you best keep your teeth shut as well,” The General addressed Blossom.
“Y-Yes ma’am,” She replied.
“Furthermore, now I must give out your weapons as well, ” The General continued. Turning her attention at a large wooden crate, it’s edges reinforced with metal. “Come, get em,” Blaze stepped forward, reaching. “At first, you must swear to me, -in the absence of the sisters- to only use them for the good of others. Not to pull the trigger, unless you must,”
“I swear,” He replied.
“Good, here’s your new equipment,” She replied, giving him an AK47, SPAS-12, a Colt-1911, a telescopic night stick, restrainers, a serrated bladed knife, telescopic sword, and badge for identification. The firearms attached themselves to the back of his chestplate, the pistol and the rest fit well onto his belt, his badge too. “At last, here you go,” She continued, his rank insignia appeared on the sleeves of his armor.
“Welcome to the Night Guard, Sergeant,” General Crimson exclaimed, saluting her subordinate, but new comrade.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Blaze replied, and saluted as well.
“Dismissed,” She replied.
The siblings left, on their way meeting up with Sonis. “Ah, I was looking for you,” She said.
“You did it, why?” He replied.
“You asked me to wait outside, since you finished with the Princesses, here I am,” She explained.
“Ah, yes. Sonis, she’s my sister, Blossom. Sis, she’s Sonis, a Turul whose tongue and wings the Centaurs took. The sisters solved her tongue, but no more,” Blaze introduced the two. The two greeted one another. They both exclaimed their pleasure to meet the other, and continued.
“So, I have received a message from my King and Queen. They request your immediate presence and apologize for the inconvenience,” Sonis explained.
*Sigh* “I see, I see. Come on, I’ll ask the sisters and we can go,” He replied. They followed him to the throne room.
“What a lovely company,” Celestia said.
“I see you met Crimson,” Luna continued.
“Yes, and I have a request… Two… Three, actually,” Blaze threw back.
“What would they be?” Celestia asked.
“First, I was asked again to leave to the Tuvale Basin. As an honorary leader of their kind, I have duties there as well… Second, I would like you to grant our friend, Sonis the Equestrian citizenship, third, I would like you to let Blossom come with me,” Blaze explained.
“Why would I? She should continue her studies,” Celestia replied.
“I’ll give her an official certificate then… If you can’t do as little,” Blaze threw back, visibly upset. He stormed out of the room, leaving even his sister and Sonis behind. To his dismay, Shadow was on the other side of the door.
*Thud* *Clank* *Groan* Blaze found himself on the ground. Shadow had hit him.
“Are you out of your mind?!” Blaze asked. Then cold metal fingers lifted him and pinned him to the wall.
“What did I tell you?” Shadow asked in return.
“Not to, but…”
“WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!” He asked again.
Two soldiers from the Royal Guard ran to them to solve the problem, but when they saw Shadow’s insignia, they left.
“Just… Hear me out!” Blaze said.
“I AM!”
“I did it for my sister… She… I can give her my salary… She’ll have everything she needs…” Blaze explained his motives.
“Oh. The money you get after killing? Right, if I would have been paid a single coin for each life I took, I wouldn’t be here today,” Shadow replied.
“What do you mean?”
“They will never pay any of us!” Shadow replied.
“They would never lie to us!” Blaze said with anger.
“They lied to you! Like they did to me. To us all! It wasn’t the first they lied to you either!” Shadow revealed.
“Bullshit!” Blaze replied and broke free, punching Shadow in the face.
“Your call. Show me what you can do, asshole!” Shadow replied, pulling his night-stick.
“Guys! Guys! Stop it!” Blossom threw in, afraid to intervene further.
“Stay out of this!” Blaze told her, drawing his own baton.
-Both took their distance, no guard dared to interrupt them.
“I was looking out for your benefit, guarded your ass all night, told you not to accept! You don’t know what I tried to protect you from!” Shadow said, Blaze took it as a taunt, and ignored.
-Blaze swung from the left, Shadow blocked his metal hoof. Having Blaze’s arm stuck, he kneeled him in the stomach, disarming him.
-Blaze dropped to the ground, grasping his stomach.
“H-How was it able to bend that way?” He asked.
“You thought you were the only one to get an upgrade? Think again!” Shadow replied, hitting him in the side of the head. Blaze fell over to the side, holding himself on an elbow.
“Go on. Finish what you started…” He muttered, taking deep breaths.
“I got my point across. I told you not to join as your friend. Now I showed you what to expect if you ignore my warnings as your superior. We are no longer friends…” Shadow said, turning his back on Blaze.
“Remember the last one who turned their back on me?” Blaze asked.
“Are you afraid to hit from the front?” Shadow asked in reply.
“I’ll get you one day,”
“I’ll make sure you will,” Shadow replied, kicking him straight in the face. His head bashed against the wall, knocking him out.
“Hey! I thought you were a nice guy! Come back, you mother fucker!” Blossom yelled after him. Sonis only watched in surprise.
Shadow turned around, drew his pistol and shot her twice. Blossom too dropped, next to her sibling while Sonis left to call for help.
Minutes passed, Blossom was still struggling to keep herself alive, let alone conscious.
“What happened?” She heard a guard ask.
“It was a Night Guard. He beat up the Sergeant and shot Blossom twice!” Sonis explained.
“One is a Night Guard, one is a civilian… Which one first, sir?” Asked a Royal Guard.
“Get the mare, take her to the emergency asap,”
“Yes sir,”
No… No! NO! Save him, idiots! She tried to call out, but she was unable to say a word. She was still lying on her side, Blaze inches from her.
“3… 2… 1…” A guard counted down, and put Blossom on a stretcher.
[Hours later]
<Initializing…> Said a green text in the middle.
W-Wha? What the heck?
<Systems online> His eyes opened, he got out of bed and looked into a mirror.
“No! Heck no! NOOO! Celestia, please, god, no! Noooo! NOOOOOOOO!” He broke out in panic. Then bolted out of his nightmare, waking up in a hospital bed.
“It’s alright, Sergeant. You’re safe now,” Said a doctor.
“W-What happened?” Blaze wondered. Bandages around his head.
“You and Lieutenant Shadow had a confrontation. He is currently in court martial ,” Replied a Night Guard from the door, two of them stood at the door, one each side. They too had the same limbs, standing guard with their rifles drawn.
“Great… Anything else?” Blaze asked.
The doctor and the guards swapped glances. The guards slowly shook their heads, nervously. “Nothing,” The doctor replied.
“Spill the beans while you can,” Blaze warned him.
“Sir, you’ll know in time,” The other guard assured him.
“Fine… What happened to me?”
“You had a severe case of concussion of the brain, a cracked skull, a punctured stomach, and a dent on your left hoof…” The doctor explained. Blaze knew he wasn’t done.
“And?”
“We… We had to cast a special spell on you in order to replace your skull with the same material your whole body is made of now… You no longer need armor, but… Your brain functions just as well as it did before,”
Blaze lifted the blankets and looked down. Now his whole body was made of the same material, except for his organs. “Well, ups and downs…” He muttered.
“I can assure you that your skin, fur, organs and blood system is the original. If you wish, we can sign you up to an experimental procedure which will make you indestructible, without taking your sanity or free will…” The doc offered.
“Where do I sign it?” Blaze asked right away.
“UUUhhh…. I’ll get the papers…” The doc replied in surprise and left. On his way outside he ran into a few well decorated officers, who entered the room. The guards saluted, and the 4 ponies walked in, the door shutting behind them.
“Sergeant Blaze?” General Crimson asked. Shadow restrained and tied to her belt. He and Blaze gave one another a hateful gaze.
“Yes, ma’am?” He asked.
“The court is in progress. We would like to hear your side of the events, if you can remember it,” She replied. Another pony beside the General with a notepad. Luna being the fourth visitor, who only watched.
“Way back, when I had the food poisoning, he claimed he volunteered to be the one to guard me. He told me not to accept Princes Luna’s offer on joining the Night Guard, because I would regret it… I did join, and he started to offend me for it. He was the first to draw his night-stick, but I struck first…. He claimed we would never be paid, and the sisters lied to us all…” Blaze explained briefly. One of the guards left the room to guard the door from the outside, the other stood in the doorway. The group turned their attention at Shadow.
“Is that so, Lieutenant?” Luna asked, visibly pissed.
“Yes, your highness…” Shadow muttered.
“Speak clear when your Princess addresses you!” The door guard exclaimed, hitting him in the back with the butt of his rifle. Shadow only turned around and snarled at him, only to be hit again.
“Behave, Lieutenant…” Crimson said on an authoritative tone.
“Why should I? I know how it will end… According to the traditions and rules of the ancient Night Guard, I challenge the Sergeant to a fight. One to survive, if he wins he gets my rank. If I win, I get amnesty,” Shadow spoke up.
Luna turned her glance at Blaze. “Do you accept, Sergeant?” She asked.
“Any time…” He replied, climbing out of his bed.
“It is settled. In the name and honor of the ancient traditions, Lieutenant Shadow has challenged Sergeant Mithril Blaze to a death battle… The bet is the other’s rank and freedom. It will take place in the Canterlot barracks,” She said, the pony write all her words down.
“Sign here,” The assistant asked the Princess and the participants. The doctor arrived with the papers, which Blaze signed without reading, and the group headed to the named area.
As they arrived, the arena was cleaned and cleared. None allowed to inspect other than the Genera and Princesses. “Here are the rules… No firearms allowed, anything else is fine. Are you ready?” The General explained.
“As I can be,” Shadow replied.
“Bring it,”
“Why am I here again?” Celestia asked, having nothing to do with the Night Guard to begin with,
“Because you too remember our promise about Blaze and Blossom?” Luna asked her, whispering.
“Right…” Celestia said on a saddened tone.
“Begin!” The General yelled.
-The two took their positions again, waiting for the other to strike. Shadow drew his knife.
“I’ll rip you a new asshole with my bare hands,” Blaze taunted. Shadow struck, but Blaze disarmed him and threw him to the ground.
-Blaze grabbed Shadow’s hands and rested his right hind leg against his back, and started to pull. First a few metallic creeks, then snaps, and a loud scream echoed, accompanied by the sound to tearing flesh.
-Shadow fell face first onto the ground, unable to get up, yet not dead by the least. Blaze threw the limbs away, and approached.
“Have you learned not to play with fire?” He asked, hinting at his own name.
“Go, fuck yourself…” Shadow replied.
Blaze turned him to the other side, and held him in the air by the neck. “It didn’t have to end like this. I thought you were my friend,” Blaze explained.
Shadow only spat him in the face, causing him to drop him. Shadow used his magic to control the knife, while Blaze tried to get the spit out of his eye. Shadow launched the knife at him, but when the blade impacted Blaze’s chest, it simply broke to shards. Blaze reacted quickly enough, and used his magic to hold the shards. He fired them back at Shadow, the shards flew like a shotgun fired, and went bone deep in Shadow’s body, pushing him back again.
“I played long enough,” Blaze said, pulling his telescopic sword. Shadow stood up, well, on his haunches, dazed, exhausted, and worn down because of the blood loss. “Any last words?”
“Tell you sister, next time I’ll aim for her head…” Shadow replied.
At that moment Blaze heard his sister call his name. Turning around he saw her. While Blaze looked away, Shadow jumped, headbutting Blaze in the chin. “Brother, no!” Blossom yelled, but she was late. By the time Blaze heard her, they all stood in awe.
Blaze swung, and the group watched as Shadow’s head rolled on the ground. Blaze put his weapon away, and presented the remains to the sisters, who were there in silence.
The General was the first to speak up. “Impressive display, Sergeant Blaze…”She said, clo… Clapping.
“Or to be more precise… Lieutenant Blaze,” Luna threw in, congratulating him.
“Leave the body be, let the others see how the Lieutenant earned his place,” The General gave the orders, and the body was moved to display for a week. A morbid example of what disobedience earns. The General approached Shadow’s body, and removed the rank insignia, swapping it with Blaze’s.
Blaze saluted in response. “Thank you, ma’am,” He exclaimed.
“Well fought, well fought… Brutal, but effective. Just what I would love to see in any pony in my group,” She exclaimed as a compliment, and patted him in the shoulder. “Dismissed,” She continued, leaving him be. The sisters and the General left, while Blaze ran to his sister, her body patched with bandages.
“He wasn’t joking…” He said to her, pulling her carefully to a hug.
“I would’ve died gladly to have you live, big brother…”
“And would’ve took my job? No thanks…” He replied with a grin.
“I didn’t think he would do such…” She exclaimed, looking at the remains.
“Me either. But he’s gone now, forget about him. You’re safe… I will never let anypony hurt you again…”
“I love you, big bro…”
“I love you too, sis…”
[End of Chapter 14]