BoyWonderBolt Presents,
The Loss of Innocence
Chapter One
Preview
Tapdancer isn’t a fighter; anypony can see that if they just look into his optimistic little eyes. No, Tap is a lover, a dreamer, a poet; he makes for the worst kind of warrior. He is young, and to his defense he is undeserving of all this war driven chaos. See, I feel bad for the kid because I remember when my hopes and aspirations were mauled by reality, and that feeling stung. Nopony wants to ruin the life of a young stallion just finding his hoofing in this world, and yet he we are, myself, Tap, and four other ponies waiting atop a hill until we will ultimately ambush an enemy patrol squad as it makes its rounds below us. Poor old Tap just looks so eager to do it too, with his tear stained face and his uncontrollable shaking, his hushed mumbles and his confidence faking…Hell, maybe I'm a poet too.
A distraction mission they had called it. They told me what a hero I would be once my body was mutilated and soaked in blood. It was a distraction mission for sure, but it was also a suicide one. The true goal was just to distract a large number of patrol units so my hot headed peer Hurricane Hoof, of equal fucking rank, could lead his squad into Ponyville undetected. So I wonder whom he slept with to draw the longer straw.
Really I would give my life gladly; Equestria was so bleak these days with the war and all, it really didn’t matter what you hoped to do, it just wasn’t going to happen. What pisses me off about this mission is that they assigned young Tapdancer to it. The generals, those bigwigs, get to live another day at the expense of a blooming pony; the thought of it all makes me sick. What makes it worse is that the leaders flat out told Tapdancer what he was assigned to. If Tap had had anything left it would have been hope, but I am sure that hope was killed the minute those generals opened their disgusting mouths.
I look over at him now and I guess for the first time I realize how handsome Tap is. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not gay but I can completely appreciate another stallion’s figure, and I just think Tap has some really nice features. For instance he has these really bright blue eyes, though a little bloodshot and tear filled they are still beautiful. Oh and he has this funny mane that looks either grey or light blue depending on the lighting. Funniest thing is he doesn’t even have a cutie mark yet, but I guess that’s why I keep saying that his life is going to be wasted with so much potential unused. Acknowledging his beauty just makes it all the harder to know that within twenty minutes he will be dead. Maybe, just possibly, I will be killed before him though, and that would be nice…it would really be nice.
So suddenly my dreams of demise come to a stop. Lightning Mane, the lookout amongst the six of us here ponies, motions for all of us to strap on our armor and to equip our hoof blades. It’s funny that I even have to say hoof blade because it really is just the saddest invention ever. I mean Hell, it was created just so earth ponies and pegasi could easily have a sword or spear or any melee weapon at their ready. It was purely made for killing, and knowing that makes me sick every time I put one on; of course I still put it on every time, so I guess I'm not so high-and-mighty after all.
Now all six of us ponies are ready, physically that is; I don’t think anypony is ever mentally ready for battle, it just happens and then it’s over. The six of us wait patiently for my signal to run down the side of this hill, and to give it our all. The four pony patrols will never see it coming.
Suddenly, from deep in my subconscious, I'm yelling and my hooves are charging and my body is aching and thoughts of everypony I ever loved are moving through my mind. Within an instant I have already killed a gentle looking, orange-maned pony. I hope I was quick about it…
The other patrols are disposed of just as quickly. So far none of my men are even wounded, but how long can that last?
I wipe my bloodied blade on the leather armor of the nearest dead pony. For the Hell of it I snatch her hoof blade off of her leg and I strap it onto my own. Who knows how many patrols I can kill before I die with two of these bad boys on?
It takes about ten minutes before another guard patrol comes into sight. We knew it would be a decent amount of time between each squad of guards, but I never could have guessed ten minutes. It is so torturous to have to wait knowing that you will eventually be overwhelmed in foes, but somehow I can still function. Maybe that’s how legendary soldiers do it, they can just block out pony feelings and emotions and just transform into apathetic killing machines. Maybe one day people will remember the tale of Stone Sour, the helpless martyr. Ha! Martyr might not be the right word, let me try victim-or-circumstance.
My thoughts are distracting me. The enemy squad is right up to mine now, and they aren’t being ambushed so I guess they have a far better chance of surviving than the last one did. Being that there are only four of them again I don’t even get to battle one because my comrades are swift in their strikes and the battle lasts only a minute. Shock consumes me when I see a young mare lying dead at the feet of Tapdancer. More shock rips me apart when I see the lack of emotion on Tap’s face; maybe he is a legend-to-be.
Yet another guard squad rolls into sight after, yes again, ten minutes. It’s crazy to acknowledge how well a small town like Ponyville can manage such a good militia, and yet they do it so perfectly. This squad of foes doesn’t approach mine once they see us; unlike the last squad they stop and two of them head back, quickly, to presumably acquire reinforcements. I quickly yell for my squad to follow my lead, and we run.
The two guards that stayed behind stand firm and still until Tap, the other four, and I are feet away. As if a switch was flicked the guards begin running, super sonically, right at us. They collide, with sword and spear raised high, right into Lightning Mane and me. My two blades easily slice the spear off of my opponent’s hoof blade, and then she doesn’t stand a chance as both of them impale her unarmored throat. However, out of the corner of my eye, I notice that Lightning Mane loses his fight via a slash to his face. Black Jack, a rather attractive mare amongst my squad, and Lightning’s lover, runs straight into her heart shattering foe. The both of them die simultaneously with a sword through their necks.
Off a little way behind a building I can hear a large group of ponies in heavy armor, marching. Now there are only four of us, and I fear the worst. Tap begins shaking all of a sudden and he starts crying. His apathetic mode must have shut off.
Twelve heavily armored ponies and the two remaining lightly armored guards from earlier begin moving quickly towards us. I can feel my body surge with adrenaline, and it feels good considering I am going to be dead soon enough. I take a good hard look at my three remaining comrades and nearly say some grand speech that all heroic leaders give, but instead I manage: “Ready? Okay then let’s go.”