//------------------------------// // Chapter Six // Story: The Winning pony and the Templar // by Ebony Gryphon //------------------------------// While perusing the market, Alula nudged her aunt’s side after catching a glimpse of somepony across the street. “Aunt Swift, can I go play?” Seeing Dinky walking by, the mare gave a nod and a smile. “Go on. I’ll meet you at home.” Alula nodded, and bolted. Coming a few feet behind the unicorn filly, she said, “Hey Dinks.” Dinky twitched, as though drawn from her thoughts, and looked over her shoulder, a small smile across her muzzle. “Alula! You came back…” she sniffed, rubbing a foreleg across her nose. Alula frowned, and walked up, laying a wing over the unicorns back, “You okay?” Dinky nodded slowly, but her halfhearted assertion was destroyed by her tear stain fur on her cheeks and her blood shot eyes. Shaking her head, Alula gently wiped the tears away with a wing. “Let me guess… Diamond and Silver right?” Dinky nodded mutely, and gave a small sob. “Oh Dinky…” “They… called my mom a slut… Said she deserved to die…” Alula’s nostrils flared and she she snarled, “They what?” “Called her a slut, you heard the little useless eater,” a fillies voice sneered. Both pony turned, one cowering, the other glaring as their nemesis drew close. Behind her, a gray filly in glasses and a pearl necklace followed, though was decidedly the more unsure of the two. Rolling her eyes, Alula nuzzled the filly next to her. “Don’t listen to them. Their just jealous because daddy can’t buy them a personality.” Chucklingly coldly, the purple and white mane’d filly sneered, “Oh yeah, like I’m real jealous of the cast aways of a retard and a murdering sow.” Behind her, Silver Spoons stammered, “Diamond-d-d, we shouldn’t….” Wings now fully flared in aggression, Alula screeched, “What did you say!” “You heard me you worthless shit stain!” Walking forward, her teeth fully bared, Alula snarled, “You take that back…” “Make me.” Screeching in fury, Alula charged. Suddenly, a black and white blur streaked out from a alleyway, colliding with the Pegasus. Rolling in the dirt a moment, Chane easily pinned the filly under him, and shouted, “Enough!” Glaring up at her new opponent, Alula growled, “Get… off…” Shaking his head, Chane snapped back, “You stupid mare! Enough damage has been done on their account!” The zebra gave a sharp tilt of his head to the right. Looking over, Alula whimpered. A few feet away, Dinky lay quivering on the ground, her head covered by her hooves. After a moment, Alula realized she was sobbing quietly. Chane let the filly up, and in a flash, Alula was at the unicorns side. Leaning her head down, she nudged the miserable filly, whispering softly and encouragingly. Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes, and scoffed, “What a baby, right Silver? Come on, bump, bump, sugar…” “No Diamond.” The pink filly instantly stilled, mouth open in shock, she managed a slight “What?” Looking down at the ground, Silver set her jaw firmly. “I’m done. You’ve gone too far this time…” Silver Spoon looked up again, and her eyes flashed behind the glasses in front of them “Go home Diamond. You’re no friend of mine.” Not waiting for a response, Silver Spoon took a sidestep, and then walked towards the other foals. For a moment, Diamond stood stock still. But within a matter of moments, her entire body began to shake, and she hissed, “You…. You bench! You bucking filly fooler, you get back here this instant!” Silver spoon said nothing, just walked forward. Eyes tearing up, Diamond Tiara’s teeth ground a moment, then she screeched, “I… I won’t forget this! You’ll regret this someday!” Silver Spoon stopped, and looking over her shoulder, replied coldly, “No more then I regret the days spent with you.” Cheeks burning with her fury, but unable to even begin to respond to the sudden betrayal, Diamond huffed, and sticking her nose in the air, stomped off. Sighing in annoyance, Silver Spoon continued towards Dinky, only to be blocked by Chane, who being a few inches taller, looked curiously down at the grey filly. Locking her gaze with his, Silver simply said, “I just want to apologize.” For a moment, the zebra merely looked at Silver, then with a deep inhale, then exhale out of his nostrils, he stood aside. Smiling sadly, the foal gave a small nod of thanks, and continued over to Dinky and Alula. At this point, the Pegasus was just lying next to the unicorn, gently rubbing her back. Looking up, her eyes hardened. “What do you want?” Ignoring Alula, Silver Spoon lay down in front of Dinky, and said softly, “Dinky… please look at me.” The unicorn merely sniffled, and for a moment, seemed to want to make herself as small as possible, as though expecting another blow. Silver spoon sighed, and looked down. “I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you. I know I can’t make up for it, but…. What Diamond said was completely out of line…. And I’m sorry I didn’t do more now, or in the past when she called you and your mom and sister all those names.” Alula snorted derisively.“What about me?” Looking at the pegasus a moment, Silver gave a small smile. “Your right of course, Alula. We both made fun of you too, and I shouldn’t have done, or allowed it too happened. I hope you can accept my apology.” Alula glared at the filly a moment, then gave a curt nod. “Do… do you mean it Silver?” dinky squeaked, raising a hoof off her head. “I do.” Dinky sniffed, then with a sob, jumped up, and wrapped her forelegs around Silvers neck, and with a sniffle of her own, Alula joined them, wrapping her wings around them both. Chane stood there grimacing, the distinct impression now firmly entrenched in his mind that for the rest of his days, mares would never make any sense to him. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. Cloud Kicker snickered as she licked the remnants of her bite of chili cheese hay fries, and nodded across the table to her companion. “You sure you don’t want anything there Garret?” Rolling his eyes, the human pulled a whet stone and a vial of oil out his pocket. “Uh, no thanks Cloud. I’m not too sure the owner wouldn’t spit in my drink.” Pulling out his basilong, he twirled it open over his thumb a moment, then whistling, began to sharpen it. At the bar, a rather muscled mare with a short mane and pierced ears said, “Hey, the only reason we’d let a chauvinist pig like you in here at all is because Cloudkicker vouched for you.” Garret paused in his sharpening, and looked over at the mare, and grinned. “Hey, how many chauvinist pigs does it take to clean an outhouse?” The mare scratched the top of her head with a hoof, and after a moment said “Well, I don’t know…” “We don’t. That’s woman’s work.” Scowling, the mare slapped a towel onto the counter, and grumbling, left the two snickering patrons. …………………………………………………………………………… Cloud Kicker shook her head as they walked from the bar, Garret at her side. “Geez Gar, you just go around, making friends and influencing pony’s, don’t you?” The human shrugged. “Hey, you’re the one who brought us to a filly fooler bar.” “AS A JOKE! I didn’t think you’d stick around. Never mind your, albeit amusing, personality, your gender alone was making the ladies uncomfortable.” “Don’t know why. I happen to be a lesbian trapped in a mans body, which is pretty convenient when one thinks about it.” At this, Cloud Kicker paused in midstride, then shaking her head, followed Garret. Looking up at the sky, and seeing the stars beginning to come out, she said “Well, nights still young. Don’t you have to get to work?” “Nope. Closed it for the night. But, if you like, we can take a night cap.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. Cloud Kicker took a sip of booze as she watched her companion working the record player. Taking a record out from under the bar, he twirled it in his palm in his palm a moment.Placing the record down, and after putting the needle in place, flipped a switch. From the speakers, a trombone let out a upbeat tone, followed by a saxophone, keeping. Stepping back, Garret nodded as the music continued. Twirling around across the floor, Garret grinned as he came to a stop, holding out his hand. “Might I have this dance, Miss Kicker?” The mare gaped, and shook her head. Grasping her foreleg firmly, Garret laughed as he dragged her up onto her hindlegs. Yelping in shock, then sputtering in indignation, the equine stumbled slightly, and still grinning, Garret placed one of her hooves on his shoulder. After wrapping a arm around her side and across her back, making the mare shiver slightly as it brushed against her wings, Garret gently held the other hoof up into the air slightly. Taking a couple of steps back, he twirled both of them around. “Don’t worry, I’ll lead.” Still stumbling slightly, Cloud Kicker blushed, but took the human up on his challenge. Looking down at her, he grinned and swayed and stepped forwards and back, or from side to side, his partner quickly picking up the motions, and beginning to time her steps with his. “See, you’re getting it.” Grinning back at him, at her standing height, the pony was still a few incher shorter then her human host. The instrumentals faded slightly, and a female humans voice sang This can't be love, because I feel so well, No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs. This can't be love; I get no dizzy spells, My head is not in the skies. My heart does not stand still, just hear it beat. This is too sweet to be love. This can't be love, because I feel so well, But still I love to look in your eyes. At the interlude, Cloud Kicker giggled. “I think this might be the first time any pony’s danced to a human song.” Garret laughed, twirling them around again. “Is that right?” The singers voice interrupted any response, and all the mare could do was nod. My heart does not stand still, just hear it beat. This is too sweet to be love. This can't be love, because I feel so well, At the word well, Garret dipped the mare, eliciting a squeal of laughter as one hindleg was lifted slightly in the air But still I love to look in your eyes. Still I love to look in your eyes. Standing up again, Garret let Cloudkicker back onto all fours, or rather, three of her legs. Holding the left foreleg, he bowed slightly, and kissed the hoof gently, thanking his partner for a lovely evening. ………………………………………………………………. The next morning…. Alula pawed the ground under her forehoof, and snorted in an ancient equine display of challenge. Wings half flared in the way her mother and father taught her, she lowered her head, glaring at her opponent. Taking a side stance, the human child across from her, wearing the grey robes of his art, and a red band with a black stripe on it around one upper forearm, grinned. Even though they were the same age (1), the human male still had the height advantage over the filly. “Ready to dance?” Eli frowned as he crossed his arms. “Silence.” Both human and pony gave a nod, but did not break each other’s gaze. Swiftblade sat on her haunch next to her husband, and stamped a hoof down. “Begin.” Rearing back Alula gave a diminutive whinny of challenge, and both adults winced. Faster then most would have thought possible for a creature on two legs, Alula’s challenger bolted across the ring, and coming near, ducked down, sweeping his leg against the hindlegs. For a moment, the white maned filly kiltered, but with a slight push of her small wings, pushed up and back a couple of feet, taking a much firmer four legged stance. Swiftblade shook her head, scowling. “Alula! Quit thinking like a pony! Your opponent isn’t one!” Letting out a battle cry she sometimes heard her mother and sister use , the filly charged. Still smirking, the human male took a few steps back, tilting his head this way, then that, dodging the wings as they shot out. Snarling, Alula made a sweeping blow to his head, but instead of ducking, her opponent grabbed it, and in a sort of jerked bow, brought his forehead crashing down on the fillies. Yelping in pain, Alula jerked her wing from his grip, and rubbing her now sore noggin, glared balefully at the male. “Michael!” This time Eli barked, “Stow that fancy shit! A head-butt like that does more damage to you then your opponent! And forget gripping the wings (2)! A wingblade would slice your hand to ribbons if you pulled that in battle!” Rolling his eyes, Micheal took another stance. Shaking off her blurred vision, Alula took hers, and after sizing each other up once more, both charged. Eli and Swiftblade watched, occasionally belting out orders as Cloud Kicker walked up. Chuckling, she admired her sister’s match. Kicker or not, she certainly was getting a run for her bits by the young human who was working her over. Despite getting some good blows in, the young Pegasus was definitely on the defensive. “OH ‘LULA!” The filly jerked, and gazed at her sister. Taking his opening, Micheal charged, and wrapping a hand around each wing joint, jerked Alula to the left. Yelping in fright, the filly’s breath was pushed out in a gush as she flipped onto her back. Hissing in pain, Alula’s wing s suddenly splayed out across the ground as she was pinned with a knee to her chest. Pinning a hoof to his leg with one hand, he raised the other one up into the air in a fist. Ears flattening against her skull, Alula now turned her glare to her sister. Unabashed, Cloud Kicker shrugged her wings, and smirked “Pay attention to what you’re doing.” Fwap! In a flash, Eli was in front of Cloud, and open palmed slapped her. Glaring down, he snarled “Don’t you dare come into my training grounds and assume to lecture my students.” That was it! The last few days, all anypony had done was lecture, talk down, or bucking knock her around, and Cloud Kicker had had enough. Leaping to her hooves, she slapped him hard across the cheek with wing. Both adults glared at each other, and then both spoke. “Alula…” “Micheal…” Both pairs of eyes flashing, they glared at the foals, and at the same, once again spoke. “Move.” Smiling coldly, and with a sweep of his hand, Eli said “Ladies first.” Snorting, Cloud Kicker walked into the ring. Turning her wings this way, then, she began to work out the kinks in her wings and shoulders. Turning her head slightly left and right, and feeling the satisfying pop, she turned around, wings half flared in a fighting pose, but blanched slightly under her fur. As she was walking, Eli had removed his shirt, revealing the well-toned frame of a practiced soldier. Across the slight six pack and well-muscled chest and arms, numerous scars criss crossed across his body, much like they did his mate. Unlike Swiftblade though, no fur impeded their sight, and gave the usually gentle looking human a now roguish appearance. Who the buck was this guy? Sighing, Swiftblade shook her head as the foals to seats next to her. Extending a wing over both, eliciting a squirm from the touch shy human (3), she stamped a hoof on the ground. “Begin.” ……………………………………………………………………………………. Fifteen Minutes Later….. Eli screamed as he was bucked backward into the outdoor cadenza of the local restaurant. Smashing the table under his back, he jumped back in an instant. As Cloud Kicker dive bombed, an inch away, the human’s fist arced from the right, sending the mare careening to the restaurant. With a sickening crunch, she smashed through the wall, putting a brand new, and unwanted, door where the wasn’t one before. Running in, Eli knocked aside broken tables and chairs, and Cloud Kicker bucked him in the stomach , sending the human airborn once more. Scowling as he crashed into a human privy, he shouted, “Oh mate, your fucking gone!” Standing up, he bowed down again, clutching the porcelain. With an almight lurch, and sending the bolts holding it down flying, he yanked the toilet up and off it place, and as water gushed, he chucked it at the mare. Ducking under the debris, and screeching in disgust as her fur was covered in bits of shit, Cloud Kicker made to attack…. Splat! Feeling something thump her in the side, the mare glared at the spot. A pie tin was slowly sliding off her, the remains of what appeared to be coconut taking its place among the muck and gore she had gotten in her fury. Splat! Head jolting up, eyes widening in recognition, she watched as her opponent slowly pulled the same type of pie tin of his chest, and faintly Cloud Kicker could make out the seal of the Guard on the bottom of it. Cloud Kickers vision blurred, and as she toppled onto the same side the pie her, her vision faded. And before she hit the ground, she passed out. …………………………………………………………………………….. With a groan, Cloud Kicker awoke. Blinking a few times to clear the fog from her mind, she looked around. Where was…. Bars. Iron bars. And judging from the straw bedding under her, she was undoubtedly in a cell. Curling her lips back slightly, she glared at the human in the cell next to hers, he was leaning against the door of his prison, arms crossed “Oh good, you’re awake. I can finally leave.” Swiftblade sat in front of their cells, laying across the floor, a book on the ground in front of her. A disapproving look in her eyes, she scolded, “You look surprised. Fighting in the streets like a pair of spoiled foals tends to put adults like you in places such as this.” Both pony and human jerked slightly in response. As she rose, Swiftblade continued, “Fortunately, your both stuck in there for the night, and I am unable to get my hooves on you as I’d like…” though neither of them knew it, both felt a shiver run up their spines at the mares words, “So, for now, I bid you both a good evening.” And with a swish of her tail, Swiftblade left the two alone. Sighing, Cloud Kicker took a halfhearted munch of her current bed, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. Cloud beds might be nice, but there was still something to be said about sleeping in hay. Aside from its scratchiness, it was quite warm, and if you crushed it, or ate to much of it, you could always put new hay down. And for a time, the two were in silence, the only sound the shifting of the mare and the slight crunch as she ate. Suddenly, Eli snickered, then broke out laughing. “Ha, I like you Cloud! That’s the first good row I’ve had in years!” Cloud Kicker deadpanned. “You… you like to fight?” Shaking his head, Eli snickered a moment, before sighing. “Nay, milady. Through conflict, you and I have built a deeper understanding.” He reached through the bars, holding out his hand “I’m Eli. It’s nice to meet you.”