Chapter 2: Trouble in Canterlot
The Red Hoof compound in Ponyville was an old Pegasai base that was used as a front during the war. It was old and run-down when Blue Arrow and his unit found it, but with a little work and determination, the place was turned into a Red Hooves compound, complete with barracks with beds to sleep on, a mess hall, where the Cakes would deliver food to them every month, free of charge. The Cakes were among the few ponies who were supportive of the Red Hooves, as they were foals during the war.
Also included in the compound was a training room, an armory, and a rec room with a pool table, book shelf, and television and other assorted entertainment services.
It was the rec room where Blue Arrow would spend his time in the morning, watching the Equestria News Channel and chomping on breakfast. The privates of his Red Hoof battalion would come and go out of the rec room as he sat. They always greeted him with a quick salute and a "Sir".
Blue Arrow merely nodded in their direction as he watched a developing story about a fight that happened at the Ponyville Dance Club the night before.
"The fighting got so crazy, that club owner, DJ PON-3, has closed the club for the weekend for clean-up and repairs..." The anchor pony on screen said. "The cause of the fight was local weather patrol captain, Rainbow Dash, who inadvertently attacked PON-3 when she saw her 'singing' with her coltfriend, the new DJ... "
"Eh...bloody Papyrus..." Blue Arrow laughed. "Got 'imself caught up in the bonny craziness he did..."
"I sure did, commander..." Papyrus said behind him as he walked in with Dynamo. Blue Arrow angled his head to see Papyrus's mane all messed up and his eyes a little bloodshot.
Blue Arrow stifled a chuckled, "Good Celestia above, lad... Did ya' get caught in te' middle of that brawl, then?"
"No sir..." Dynamo smiled slightly. "I think he's just had a little bit too much salt to lick..."
"Shut it, Dynamo..." Papyrus shoved him. "But yeah, Rainbow Dash kinda did go crazy on the DJ for some reason. I think she has a crush on Ace..."
"Who the bloody hay is Ace?" Blue Arrow turned his attention back to his food.
"The new DJ slash singer at the Club. PON-3 hired him after that rave that shut down the club for a day a few days ago, remember?" Papyrus cocked his head at his commander.
"You know the commander doesn't keep track of such things..." Dynamo sighed heavily. "You still have a lot to learn, colt..."
"I er...sigh...yessir..." Papyrus looked down.
"COMMANDER!" Flying Sunstar crashed through the doors into the rec-room, shoved two privates aside, and galloped up to Blue Arrow. "Commander...change the channel to channel 2..."
"Why?" Blue Arrow raised an eye at his corporal as he removed his food tray from his lap. "What's wrong with Equestria News?"
"Well, channel 2's got it..." Sunstar coughed through his pants. "Wait, wait... Look! EN's got it now!"
The anchor pony leaned back in his chair and put a hoof up to his ear. "What's that?" He listened for a second as the editor pony off-screen related something to the reporter through his ear mic. The reporter ponies eyes widened as he turned to look at the camera.
"Fillies and gentlecolts, it seems we have some...breaking news..." he coughed slightly before continuing. "It seems that all communication with Canterlot High Security has been lost and a steady stream of smoke is rising out of the prison as we speak... We now go live to our reporter in the field, Cammy, with the story..." he gulped. "Cammy?"
Blue Arrow was struck dumb as the sight of Canterlot and a small stream of smoke rising from where the prison was. Alarms blared in the background as the field reporter mare, Cammy, was standing on the outskirts of Canterlot in front of the wall. "Thanks, Chuck. We bring you live to scene where an explosion shook the streets of Canterlot a few minutes ago and, as you can all see, a steady stream of smoke is rising from the prison. The Royal Guard Pegasai and the Canterlot Division of the Red Hooves of Celestia have been dispatched to the prison in case of a break-out. More on this as it develops."
At this point, several Red Hooves started gathering around the flat-screen television, staring or gasping in worry at the sight of the smoke. The camera went back to the anchor pony, Chuck.
"Thanks, Cammy. Officials have declined any details as to the amount of threat the explosion will have to Canterlot, but they have assured the public that they have the situation under control. Now, a word from our sponsors..."
As a commercial for the Wonderbolts air-show derby came on, the Red Hooves started talking worriedly all around the distraught commander and his superior officers. Blue Arrow slowly stood and turned around.
"Everypony, please! Please, calm down!" Blue Arrow held up his two front hooves and silenced the room. He put his hooves down and sighed. "No pony has any need to worry, alright? The Canterlot division has this covered..."
"What if they can't? What if the need reinforcements?" A private asked.
"They won't bonny need reinforcements!" Blue Arrow barked. "They're not even needed... The Royal Guards will have it contained by now, whatever it is..."
"You heard the commander..." Dynamo said. "Everypony back to your business please."
With grunts and muttering, the Red Hooves al left or went back to what they were doing.
Sunstar came up and muttered to Blue Arrow, "What is this is worse than the Royal Guards make it sound like? What if this is something big? We should be prepared..."
"Then by all mean, old timer, prepare the troops!" Blue Arrow barked sarcastically. "We won't be needed. I'm sure they have everything covered over in the capital, savvy?"
Sunstar frowned, his glasses sliding down his muzzle. "Eh...yessir..." he stood aside and let Blue Arrow pass through the doorway.
Papyrus walked up and watched Blue Arrow disappear out the doors that led outside. "Wow...will he be okay?"
"Eh...the commander is okay..." Sunstar shrugged, pushing his glasses back into place. "He's just on one of those moods where he thinks we're a pointless organization now..."
"The commander means well..." Dynamo said as he walked by. "It's just he needs to be left alone sometimes..."
Papyrus sighed as Sunstar and Dynamo left. "Clearly..."
"Bloody rookies..." Blue Arrow said as he walked down the street. He stopped and kicked a rock and sighed. "Celestia would be disappointed in my division...I mean, look what we've become... The laughing stock of the town... Only called upon to deal with domestic disturbances..."
Blue Arrow eventually reached the square, where he then stopped and gazed at the pillar of smoke rising in the direction of Canterlot. "I thought it would be out by now..."
He squinted and then gasped. "What a bloody second..." His eyes widened as he noticed two more pillars of smoke rise also in the direction of Canterlot.
"Oh no..." Blue Arrow muttered as ponies in the square started gasping and pointing hooves in the direction of the smoke.
As Blue Arrow looked, he noticed a small figure flying through the sky from Canterlot. Blue Arrow squinted and gasped. "A Royal Guard Pegasus!" He shouted out loud.
Before anypony could ask him what he was talking about, the war-hero was off faster than a speeding blast of magic.
Upon reaching the Pegasus, he saw that his wings were about to fail him. Why? A large set of cuts, three directly in a row, were carved gruesomely into his right wing.
Blue Arrow recognized him at once. "Captain Sixer, sir!"
The captain looked up from trying to stay aloft and gasped, "Blue Arrow! ARGH!"
The guard Captain's wing finally failed him and he tumbled down towards the ground.
"Hang on, lad!" Blue Arrow shouted before bolting down after the falling guard.
Blue Arrow caught the captain in his hooves and flew down towards the square. He gently laid the injured guard Captain on his back on a park bench. Ponies gathered around screaming and gasping at the guard's injuries.
"Blue Arrow...grrrr..." The captain grunted as Blue Arrow laid him in a fashion so his right wing would be up. "Glad to...rrr...see you..."
"I'm not glad to see you, mate!" Blue Arrow barked. He turned and yelled, "Somepony get a medic, dammit!"
"I'm a doctor!" A yellow stallion with a red mane and tail ran up from a wagon he was pulling. "Dr. Blaze Carousel. What happened here?"
The Doctor bent down and examined the wing. "D...grrr...dragon..."
"Say what now!?" The Doctor gasped while pulling out some bandages. "Are you sure you're not hallucinating?"
"Aye, lad." Blue Arrow scoffed. "What really happened?"
"No, Commander Arrow!" Sixer cried out in pain as Carousel wrapped his wing. "A dragon...attacked Canterlot...and...and Discord escaped...gaaah!"
He gasped in pain as the doctor tightened the bandages. Blue Arrow leaned down toward the injured captain, a look of pure shock on his face. "Discord? Discord was the cause of the prison break?"
The captain nodded and growled as Blaze applied some salve to firm the bandages. "He...errr...he escaped and killed almost everypony standing guard at the prison...he...ARGH...he came to the castle and...and took the princesses captive..."
Shoved Dr. Carousel aside and grabbed the Pegasus Captain by the shoulder. "What did ya' just say, lad?"
"He...he captured the Princesses... and killed...killed all her guards..."
Blue Arrow got even more up in his face. "The Red Hooves! What of the Red Hooves in Canterlot, mate?"
Captain Sixer stopped grunting in pain and blinked back a single tear as he looked up at Blue Arrow. "D...dead...all of them..."
Blue Arrow let go, a look of shock on his face. He slowly turned and looked at the numerous pillars of smoke rising from Canterlot.
"They...they stood no chance..." the captain sniffed sadly. "I'm...I'm sorry, Commander..."
Blue Arrow stared into the distance for a moment more, before bolting off in the direction of the compound.
"Commander wait! Don't do anything stupid!" Captain Sixer tried to get up and follow him, but a sharp tear of pain from his wing kept him down. Dr. Carousel pushed him back down and said, "Now so fast, soldier. Take this remedy and wait for a couple minutes..."
The captain accepted the red bottle the doctor had given him and drank the medicine.
The mayor of Ponyville galloped out of town hall and stopped next to the captain. "Soldier! What's going on?"
"Madam mayor..." Sixer sat up on the bench and frowned. "You might want to call a town meeting..."
OC:
Blaze Carousel (c) Le Critical Writer