//------------------------------// // Barrier's Cadet Days - The Dragon and Fire // Story: A Pony Displaced: Homeward // by NoLongerSober //------------------------------// A young unicorn stallion grumbled as he rose from his cot, muttering curses as the sun glared into his eyes. “Didst thou mope and drink again last night, Barrier?” The charcoal stallion looked over his shoulder at an orange pegasus with a two-toned blue mane.  “That is none of thy concern, Flash,” Barrier replied as he headed for the barrack’s door, the pegasus following closely behind. “In other words, ‘yes’.” Flash rolled his eyes before fluttering in front of Barrier’s face. “Barrier, thou must move on from that Ransacky mare. It has been over a year since she left.” “Her name was Ran Saki,” Barrier spat with venom in his tone. “She was a wondrous mare and I still miss her dearly.”  “I understand, Barrier,” Flash sympathetically said as he flew to Barrier’s side and patted his shoulder. “I’m certain I’d feel the same if I lost touch with Fleetfeather. Still, thou cannot mope forever, my friend. I know she would not wish that for you.” “Perhaps thou art right…” Barrier muttered as they trudged along, making their way towards the field where several other cadets were falling in line.  “Cadets, at attention!” a stallion’s voice barked, making all the cadets fall into a neat row and throw up salutes. Soon, a large red earth pony stallion in full armor stepped in front of the trainees carefully looking over each one. “We have a situation developing near Baltimare. A dragon has started threatening the city, demanding food and drink in exchange for not reducing the city to ash. The princesses have ordered we incapacitate the dragon while they tend to the war effort.” “Due to how thin our troops are stretched, thou shall be drawn in to aid with lower priority positions on this mission. Understood?”  “Sir, yes, sir!” the cadets barked back in response, their voices darkly harmonizing. “Thou will be separated into two groups to deal with this situation,” The stallion continued as he stood in front of them. “Half of thee shall be tasked with aiding the civilians in evacuating while not drawing the dragon’s attention. The rest of thee will be providing the dragon with alcohol and food dipped in a sleeping draught. With any luck, the dragon will be put to sleep, so the more experienced soldiers are able to capture and relocate the dragon.” “Now!” the stallion barked as he glared at the cadets. “Head to the armory to be outfitted and prepare to move out towards Baltimare immediately! We will be ready to depart in under three hours, do I make myself clear, cadets?” “Sir, yes, sir!” the cadets all shouted back in response before they started to head for a building by the castle. While Barrier’s face remained as glum as it previously was, Flash’s grin stretched from ear to ear.  “This is glorious!” Flash’s wings flared as they trotted along. Barrier was certain the only way his wings could be any stiffer was if Fleetfeather was sticking her rump directly in his face. “We shall be protecting Equestria by facing down a fearsome dragon!” “Rein thyself in, Flash.” Barrier gave his friend’s side a light jab. “This most likely will be a very dangerous mission. Hast thou read books about dragons?” “Bah!” Flash spat and dismissively waved. “How dangerous can a dragon truly be? I’m certain they only grow to be the size of Princess Celestia.” “Perhaps if the dragon is a teenager and an especially short one at that,” Barrier shot back. “Many adult dragons tend to be over twenty or even thirty feet in height. Not to mention they have claws that can slice through stone like a hot knife through butter, breath fire that is hot enough to melt iron and have scales that can stop almost any sword.” A tiny smirk crossed Barrier’s features as he saw the color begin to drain from Flash’s coat and his pupils shrink into pinpricks. “Be prepared, Flash,” Barrier turned his face stern once more. “This could be the most dangerous assignment we ever face, even without griffins.” *** Barrier sighed as he and Flash trudged along, pulling a heavily laden cart. It held eight massive barrels full of some of the strongest brandy that Baltimare could provide. “All the preparations we took, getting fitted for armor and traveling all the way to Baltimare,” Flash grumbled as he and the unicorn at his side trudged along the dirt road that lead towards a cave. “And we have to act as delivery colts.” “We’re still doing something important for the mission,” Barrier’s ears stood at attention as he heard something grinding against the soil approaching. Soon he spotted another pair of guards pulling a now empty cart behind them, heading back towards town.  The unicorn and pegasus gave a nod to their fellow guards as they continued on their respective paths. “At any rate, we shall soon be facing down a dragon. Don’t do anything foolish to anger it and be prepared to flee should things go south,” Barrier said as the mouth of the cave became visible in the distance.  To the side of the cave’s entrance was a collection of large barrels to match those they were delivering. Some were stacked together neatly while some seemed to be casually tossed aside and smashed against the ground. As the pair started to draw closer, they both heard a deep grumble while the ground beneath the pair started to shake. Steady. Barrier swallowed as a large, white scaled claw emerged from the cavern’s entrance. The two guards came to a halt as the beast started to emerge from the cave. The dragon’s scales were a pearly white while a set of purple spines ran from the top of its head to the base of its tail. The forty foot beast seemed to lumber forward as Barrier noticed the deep red beneath the creature’s dark violet eyes. Here goes. “Dragon,” Barrier barked, drawing the dragon’s eyes away from the barrels. “W-we’ve thy next shipment of brandy.” “Hey!” the large beast spat and drew closer. Barrier thought of using his magic, but the creature quickly grew too close for him to be able to do anything too meaningful. “First, I am a dragoness! Secondly, I have a name. I am Galer and thou best remember it!” The dragoness’ speech was quite slurred. Barrier hoped that she’d soon have enough to pass out.  She’s had to have at least… The stallions eyes briefly darted from the angry dragoness to the empty and shattered barrels, thirty six barrels worth of brandy. She’s got to have enough booze to kill ten ponies in her already. “My apologies, ma’am,” Barrier’s magic uncoupled himself and Flash from the cart and the two slowly started to move away. “At any rate, we’ve got another shipment of spirits for thee.” “‘Bout damn time,” the dragoness muttered as she picked up one of the barrels and pried the top off with a single claw. The creature swiftly guzzled down the barrel’s worth of brandy before tossing the barrel onto the pile and picking up another. “Damned pony, thinking I’m a male,” she grumbled loudly before chugging down half of her second barrel. “Another fool, just like Fiery.” Barrier and Flash continued to slowly back away from the cart, unsure of what the drunken dragoness would do as she began to finish off what alcohol remained. “No sudden movements,” he whispered as the pegasus next to him shivered. “TO TARTARUS WITH HIM!” Galer furiously exclaimed, slamming the barrel into the ground. The barrel seemed to explode into a cascade of splinters and nails that Barrier was barely fast enough to stop from showering Flash and himself, throwing up a shield spell. “I DON’T NEED HIM TO LIVE A SATISFYING LIFE! I… I have…” Barrier and Flash felt their blood turn to ice when the dragoness’ eyes fell upon them as his spell lowered.  Galer thrust her open hand out towards the pair. Flash darted into the air to avoid her grasp. Barrier started to raise another shield in front of him, but the force of the dragoness’ giant claws shattered the shield before it could fully solidify, snapping the charcoal stallion up like a tiny toy. Barrier felt Galer squeeze him tightly against her scaley digits as she lifted him up to her face. The heat from her breath felt like being blasted by the most intense moments of a summer afternoon, a distinct contrast to the autumn evening around them. The unicorn coughed as he tried to clear the heat and smell of brandy from his lungs. “Thou art a male…” Galer’s eyes struggled to focus on the pony in her grasp. “Perhaps thou shalt suffice.” “Release him at once!” Flash shouted as he charged towards her at speeds Barrier had never seen a pegasus fly before. He was hurtling towards her like a shooting star.  Flash’s muscles ached as he pushed himself harder than he had ever before to try to rescue his friend. The pegasus pony soon crashed into the dragoness’ snout, bouncing off of her like a pebble thrown by a foal. Before he could gather enough strength to try flying away, Galer flicked him off like a mosquito with single talon, sending him crashing into a tree where he collapsed like so many of the broken barrels. “Now, let us see thy skill with thy tongue, stallion,” Galer said before giving Barrier a squeeze. The unicorn yelled as the dragon’s crushing force made his bones scream in pain before his voice was silenced by something being stuffed into his mouth. Suddenly, the pony felt as if his mouth was being set blaze. Barrier struggled to open his eyes from the pain of the dragon’s grip and the burning heat in his mouth. When he managed to open his eyes, he was stunned as he felt the tip of the dragon’s tongue had been stuffed into his mouth. The charcoal unicorn wanted to scream, but he was muffled by the wriggling mass of thick flesh that was exploring his mouth. The poor stallion wanted to bite down on Galer’s tongue, but the muscle was so large in his mouth that he couldn’t move his jaw at all. Oh goddesses, why?! Why is this dragon prench kissing me?! Dear Faust and Zacherle, make this burning agony stop! As if his prayers were heard, the dragoness pulled her tongue away, making the stallion gasp for air. “Hmm… not very satisfying…” Galer said as she looked the pony that was trying to rid the taste of flames and dragon spit from his tongue. “And thou art too small to make a good toy…” I’m going to kill you, foul beast! Barrier cast a killing glare at the beastess who was scratching her chin in thought. I will tear out thy heart and feed it to thee! “Still,” the dragoness licked her lips as she raised him closer to her face. “Thou should make a decent snack.” Barrier felt his blood run cold at the dragon’s words. His struggle against her grip increased in ferocity, but it wasn’t enough to make him budge an inch. He felt Galer’s intensely hot breath as she opened her jaws wide, giving him a grand view of the moonlight shining off of several rows of fangs thicker than his foreleg. Damn, damn, damn! Barrier felt the sweat pouring down his face from the heat and terror that was working its way into his gut. Why did I never bother learning to teleport?! The onyx stallion felt his stomach lurch as the dragon tossed him forward. His flight was very short lived before he smashed face first into her spongy tongue. His muscles ached as he tried to turn around, but Galer’s jaws were already starting to seal themselves shut. Barrier grit his teeth and started to charge his horn. He could barely get his belly off the tongue before he was slammed up against the roof of her mouth. He felt the air being pushed out of his lungs before the tongue fell back down. Not even an instant passed before the tongue started to slam him against the hard teeth. He was rapidly tossed into the walls of the dragonesses mouth, each surface he slammed against as hard as any boulder, with the sharper parts occasionally cutting into the unicorn. When the slamming eventually stopped, Barrier was left gasping in the humid chamber. His body was aching and bleeding from the short experience. He was so sore, he couldn’t muster the energy to fight back as the tongue slid underneath him and started to rise up once more, giving himself a feeling of weightlessness as he started to slide towards the back of her throat. A boiling fury was building up in Barrier as he looked over his shoulder, seeing the opening to the dragon’s throat growing ever closer. “No!” Barrier exclaimed as he started to rise up, his horn starting to glow brightly. “I am NOT dying today!” Despite his brave proclamation, the unicorn started to feel himself being pulled into the dragon’s throat as a thunderous *GULP* rang through his ears. Now! Barrier’s horn shone like a beacon as he formed a solid sheet of magic directly below him before growing it upwards and around himself to provide shelter from the heat and moisture. His face slammed against the side of his shield bubble as the entirety of the dragon’s body seemed to quake around him. Got… to… focus… Barrier tried to focus as he split his concentration on maintaining his shield while he looked upward towards his next target; the dragon’s uvula. This wasn’t helped by the beast wildly shaking about as the shield began to expand slightly and further block her airway. The shaking grew more and more violent as he reached out with his magic before he finally managed to grasp onto the uvula before giving it several hard tugs. After a few seconds, the sound of a geyser reached the unicorn’s ears. Looking down into the beast’s esophagus, the unicorn winced as he saw a geyser of brandy rushing up towards his shield. Barrier strained as the force of the vomited brandy clashed against the shield, but it held firmly. With nowhere left to go, the wretch either fell back down the esophagus or, as he had hoped, flowed into her airways. The flailing of the dragoness became more intense as she panicked. More brandy geysers rushed up to try to dislodge the meaty clog, but the unicorn shield kept deflecting it back downwards. Barely three minutes had passed since Galer had attempted to swallow Barrier before a far more violent crash racked the dragon. Soon the beast had collapsed to the ground and one final geyser struck the shield. Assuming the dragon had taken its final breath, Barrier allowed his shield to drop, letting the rush of disgustingly sick brandy send him barreling back into the dragon’s mouth, slamming head first into the wall of teeth. The dark unicorn gasped and shuddered, feeling too weak to even stand in that instant. All he could do was cough and gag as he futilely tried to rid the stench of regurgitated brandy and other fluids from his nostrils. After a few moments, a sound reached his ears from outside the dragon’s jaws. One of the noises sounded like Flash shouting something. Once he found he’d rested long enough to get back on his hooves, the jaws of the beast slowly started to open, despite that the dragoness’ dark heart had ceased beating some time ago. “I don’t care if thy damned horns, wings and muscles explode from the effort! I’m not leaving my friend’s body in to rot in a dragon’s belly!” Flash furiously barked as the teeth started to part, giving Barrier a glimpse of several ponies straining to open the dead dragon’s jaws. Horns were flared with all their might while earth ponies and pegasi were pulling the lips with grappling hooks. “Do not make funeral arrangements yet, Flash,” Barrier weakly said as the jaws parted further. His hoarse words drew stunned looked from several of the ponies. Flash Sentry himself was especially gobsmacked as the ponies parted the mouth wide enough to allow the unicorns to levitate their charcoal companion out. “Barrier!” the bandaged pegasus ran past several of his compatriots before he came to a halt before the woozy unicorn. “H-how is it possible? How art thou alive?!” “Sheer determination, my friend,” Barrier replied as he weakly tried to walk away. “Now, if thou shalt excuse me, I am in desperate need of a bath.” “Negative,” the captain barked at Barrier, holding him in place with a single hoof. “Thou art to be escorted to the medical tent to have thy injuries treated and disinfected. Understood?” “I do not believe that necessary, captain.” Barrier tried to push the elder stallion’s hoof away, but he was barely able to lift it, doing little more than giving it a nudge. It was then he noticed the sheer number of cuts that decorated his body. Looking himself over, he saw several more cuts along with what would likely become bruises, all topped with a generous coating of dragon vomit. “Then again…” “Fleetfeather!” the captain shouted, making a blue pegasus with a pink mare rush out of the crowd to Barrier’s side. “Escort him to the medical tent immediately.” “Aye, sir,” Fleet replied before hesitantly placing a wing over his slimy back. “Come along, cadet.” “Yes, ma’am,” Barrier said before sighing. After a few moments of silent trotting, a stray thought entered Barrier’s mind. “Dost thou think I may be allowed some of the remaining brandy we saved?” The pegasus mare gave a snort before chuckling. *** After a long time spent being washed off by doctors and nurses before being submitted to the burning sting of disinfectant and the faint bite of a few stitches, Barrier had emerged from the tent, glad that this mission was finally over. “Thou art looking better, Barrier,” Flash said as he trotted up to his side. “Tis certainly better than being inside a dragon’s throat,” Barrier gave a sigh before facing his friend. “What has thee heard from Canterlot?” “It seems while the princesses wish the dragon could have been bested without killing it, they are glad that Baltimare may now rest easy.” Flash said as he gave his neck a rub. “Also, many of our fellow cadets wish to meet with the great dragon slayer.” “Tell them to leave me be unless they art offering me something to drink,” Barrier replied flatly. “I wish to forget this whole experience before I submit request forms for teleportation courses.” “I can understand why.” Flash nodded as they trotted along towards the barracks. “At any rate, we art to depart for Canterlot in approximately four hours.” “Finish with one grueling task, start another. Such is the way of the royal guard,” the unicorn grumbled as they trotted along. “Dost thou need any help packing?” “I am already supplied,” Flash said before giving his saddlebags a pat. “Wouldst thou like some assistance?” “Nay, Flash.” Barrier started to pull ahead of his pegasus compatriot. “I believe some time alone will do me some good.” “Very well, if thou insists,” Flash replied as he flared his wings. “I shall meet thee at the city gates when thou art ready. Farewell, Barrier.” In only a few moments, Flash had disappeared from sight while Barrier kept heading for the barracks, passing several ponies along the way. As he drew closer to his destination, a pegasus mare caught sight of the bandaged unicorn making his way inside. “Hmm… so that is the dragon slayer of Baltimare…” *** “And that is the last of it,” Barrier muttered to himself as he sealed up his saddlebags and placed them on his sides. Before he could turn around, the sound of a pony tapping a hoof against a wall reached his ears. Sharply turning as quick as his aching form would let him, his eyes fell upon a pegasus mare standing in the doorway. “Hope I’m not interrupting thee, dragon slayer,” the cream colored mare said with a distinctly Gallopfreyan accent.  “Thou art not, but I do not wish to waste my time talking with ponies wishing to thank me or asking me about how I slew the beast,” Barrier gruffly replied as he headed for the door. Just before he could reach the frame, the mare shot out her left wing, blocking his path.  “I did not come here to do that,” she replied as her right wing reached into her saddlebags. “I came here to offer thee a gift.” Barrier was stunned by what she pulled from her bag. It was a crystalline bottle of Galaxy Crown Select, one of the finest and most expensive spirits to come from the Crystal Empire. “H-how? How didst thou get this?” Barrier stared at the bottle in awe as the mare chuckled.  “That matters not,” she held out the bottle to him. “Still, I believe a hero such as thee deserves not only a reward, but something to help one forget thy injuries.” “Among other things,” Barrier muttered before his magic pulled the bottle from her grasp and stored it into his bags. “I thank thee greatly, Miss…” “Ember, my good stallion,” she cheekily said as she turned around, making sure to brush his snout with her soft orange tail. “Still, if thou wishes to regale me sometime, I would gladly listen to thee.” “I… I think I may, Ember,” Barrier said as his eyes wandered the form of the fitly toned mare. “I think I may.” Ember chuckled as she stepped forward. “Best come along. Captain Armorhide dost not tolerate tardiness.” With a nod, Barrier started to follow along. He had soon struck up a light conversation with the pegasus before they met up with their fellow soldiers. As they set out for Canterlot, he made a mental note to be sure he’d have to speak with this mare more when the opportunity presented itself. *** A little after a week had passed since Barrier and his fellow cadets returned to Canterlot. On that day, he had received a summons that called him to an office in one of the higher towers attached to the palace. As he stepped into the room, he spotted a unicorn stallion with a darker coat than his sitting behind a fine wooden desk. “Magic Barrier,” the dark unicorn sighed as he leaned forward in his chair. “Dost thou know why thou have been summoned?” “I assume this has something to do with my request to be taught teleportation magic,” Barrier hesitantly stepped closer while trying to still sound confident.  “That is part of the reason for this,” the stallion vanished in a flash of green before reappearing a few feet in front of him. “Based on thy actions in Baltimare and some of the abilities that thou hast demonstrated, thou has been selected to undergo specialized training under me to forge thee into a soldier able to handle any situation thou may find themselves in. This training will be hard and potentially dangerous, but I believe thou hast what it takes to become one of Equestria’s finest warriors. Dost thou accept?” “Sir, yes, sir!” Barrier threw out a salute immediately. “I will undergo whatever training thou sees fit.” “Excellent,” a small smirk crossed the taller unicorn’s features. “We shall begin at five hundred hours tomorrow. Dismissed.” “Thank you sir,” Barrier said as he lowered his saluting hoof. “I will not fail thee…” His eyes quickly darted past the older stallion to the golden name plate sitting upon his desk. “Captain Sombra.”