Note: The next few chapters will feature flash backs of Night Scorcher's life that will tie into the main story line.
Chapter 9
“Buck yeah! Finally graduated from the academy.” said Night Scorcher standing next to a white pegasus with a red mane and a red flame for a cutie mark.
“I know what you mean Scorch. No more SGT. Buzz-wing breathing down our necks every minute of the day.” said the white pegasus stallion.
“Yeah, Hey what unit did you get assigned to?” Scorch asked his friend.
“Umm. Unit seventeen.”
“Oh man, no way me too.” Scorch said.
“Night Scorcher and Blazing Flash, How will this kingdom survive?” Blazing Flash joked. Scorch couldn’t help but laugh at this statement. The two decided to go to the local pub and celebrate their graduation. They headed to “Rusty’s bar” a typical run of the mill, average pony pub. The two friends planted themselves in front of the bartender and ordered two drinks.
“Why do you always drag me here?” Scorch asked his friend.
“Because, the drinks are cheep, the mares are cute and we’er the best looking stallions in the joint.” Flash said picking up his drink.
“Right, now I remember.” Scorch replied picking his own mug up.
“Cheers.” The two friends clanged glasses and began to drink.
“It’s a good life we live, Scorch.” Flash said with a grin.
“The best.” Scorch said as he ordered another round.
Two guards in menacing looking armor walked into the tiny bar. Scorch and Flash eyed the two guards. One stallion and one mare, both pegasi, both outfitted with some strange looking armor. The stallion’s coat was jet black, his mane was dark green and his cutie mark was a lance and shield. The mare was shorter, her coat was light brown, her mane was styled in a ponytail which looked like a shade of orange, her cutie mark was a cloud with a single rain drop in the center.
“Hey bartender, two drinks over here, now!” Exclaimed the stallion raising his hoof.
“Hey, you see those two pegasi over there, across the bar?” Flash asked Scorch.
“Yeah, they look pretty intense. I saw them when we were coming out of the locker room. I heard that they’re some type of new guards the princess is hiring.”
“I’ve never seen armor like that before.” Flash said as he eyed the mare.
“You sure its the armor that caught your interest?” Scorch said as he pointed to his friends now erect wings.
“Oh, crap.” Flash said as he know tried to flatten his wings back to his side. Scorch was fighting to hold back his laughter at his friends situation. The two peculiar guards looked over to the bar where Scorch and Flash were sitting. The two friends instantly turned their heads back to the bar hoping to avoid being seen by the two.
“Do you think they saw us?” Flash asked his friend.
“I don’t know, lets just keep out heads down and keep...”
“HEY YOU TWO!! AT THE BAR STAND UP.” Shouted the mare. As the two friends got up Flash muttered “busted” under his breath. The two turned around to face the two guards.
“Listen guys we don’t want any troub...” WHACK! before Flash could finish the statement the mare had knocked him against the bar and began to beat him into submission. Scorch tried to rush to his friends side, but was held back by the stallion.
“Get out of my way!” Scorch barked at the stranger. The stallion then smirked,
“You can bark little dog, but can you bite?” The stallion then swing his right front hoof at Scorch. Scorch managed to avoid the stallions’ attack and countered it with an uppercut and a barrage of kicks, the stallion fell to the floor bleeding from his nose. His attention then focused on the mare that had stopped pummeling his friend and was charging at him. Scorch managed to dodge the charge as soon as she over shot him he grabbed the back of her wings and slammed her to the ground.
Scorch then raced over to Flash’s side, helping his battered friend to his hooves.
“Hey, are you okay?” Scorch asked his friend.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Flash said getting off the floor. As Scorch turned around the large stallion that he knocked out and mare he had knocked the wind out of had gotten up and both charged at him. Scorch had no time to react. The two pegasi rammed Scorch out the door and into the alley way. The large stallion held Scorch to the ground and began to beat him to a pulp. The mare then came out dragging Flash by his mane. Scorch barely conscious watched as the mare was beating his best friend like a drum. Suddenly he felt something deep inside of him. Scorch found an opening and managed to kick the large stallion off of him and into a wall. He then turned his attention to the mare.
“HEY YOU, DO YOU TREAT ALL THE STALLIONS LIKE THIS, OR IS IT JUST MARE EXCLUSIVE?” Scorch bellowed. Hearing this the mare turned around to pummel him, but found herself frozen in place.
“What the..” Before she could finish her sentence Scorch had charged and slammed the mare into the wall and he was sure he heard bones break. He then turned his attention back to the stallion. The stallion began to rush towards him, but found himself unable to move. Scorch started to walk towards his defenseless target.
“WHAT THE BUCK ARE YOU?” The stallion cried out in fear.
“A stallion that you should never have bucked with!” Scorch said before taking the stallions head and slamming it against the wall knocking him out. Scorch now racing over to his battered friends side.
“Flash! Speak to me. Speak to me Celestia damn it!”
“I heard my name.” said an angelic voice coming from the end of the alley. As Scorch turned his head his eyes fell upon the Princess of Equestria herself. Celestia now looking at the two stallions beaten, bloodied and barely conscious. “What happened here?” She asked in a demanding voice.
“Princess I know this looks bad but....” Scorch’s legs then felt numb and collapsed at the princess’s hooves.