CHAPTER FOUR
OLD SOLDIERS
The Queen’s Head was one of the larger buildings in Paddock. A white painted building with black timbering, leaded windows, and the seemingly obligatory flower boxes that proliferated throughout the town, the tavern was the destination of choice for a relaxing drink and to socialise for the local population as well as the palace guards when they were off duty. It was also fairly quiet at that time of day, and the two ponies sat in the pick of the comfortable chairs beside the fireplace, enjoying the choicest spot in the spacious tavern. Architecturally, it was a far cry from what Rush remembered as being a typical drinking establishment in what he’d come to refer to as ‘the human world’, but the sounds and smells were all still very familiar.
One of the barmares trotted over with a tray balanced on her back and two wooden mugs of foaming ale were quickly deposited in front of the two stallions.
“Six bits please, pet.” The mare said.
“I’ll settle up with you later, Tint, if that’s okay?” Grove smiled.
She didn’t seem too impressed: “Make sure you do.” she grumbled, “Oak went crazy last time after he saw the tab you and your mates had built up. Honestly Grove, you’re lucky he didn’t bar you after that carry on.”
“Yeah, yeah” Grove replied, waving a hoof dismissively, “It’s all on expenses this time, so don’t get your saddle in a twist.”
Rolling her eyes, the mare trotted off to serve another customer.
“Expenses?” Rush asked conspiratorially.
“Mmm!” Grove grinned, “Look, don’t sweat the details Rush, we’ve got a golden ticket from her nibs here, and I don’t know about you but I’m damned well going to have a bloody good time. I haven’t had a decent session since…” he shrugged, “Goddess knows. Just get that down your neck.” He motioned towards the beer.
Rush sniffed at the mug of ale and took a tentative lick. It was strangely earthy, with a malty taste that tingled on his tongue. He looked up – Grove was smirking at him with that knowing grin of his. Taking a deep breath, he carefully lifted the mug in his forehooves and took a mouthful.
“Well?” Grove asked.
Rush smacked his lips, “Good. Strange, but good.”
The orange stallion leaned across the table, “So, is it true then?”
“Is what true?” Rush muttered, taking another mouthful.
Grove rolled his eyes, “Y’know, about…” he waggled his eyebrows, “You and…her.”
“I’m not sure what…” Rush shook his head and sighed as the realisation of what the guardstallion was asking finally hit him, “You’re asking about my relationship with the Princess aren’t you?”
Grove suddenly waved his hoof in alarm, “For buck’s sake! Keep your bloody voice down!” He closed his eyes and face hoofed, “Look, I’m off duty, okay? But I don’t want to be up on a bloody charge because of…well…you know.”
“No I don’t know.” Rush said furrowing his brow, “I don’t know how things are done here in Equestria, Grove, but where I’m from we don’t discuss our ‘relationships’, and certainly not with people we’ve only just met.”
Leaning across the table again, Grove lowered his voice, “Okay! Bloody hell, I was only asking…damn…” he shook his head and took another pull on his ale, “Well, can you at least tell me something about yourself, or would you like me to start?”
Rush rubbed his forehead and stared into his beer mug – it was empty already. Truth be told he felt like walking out already; this inquisitiveness, the good natured prying, was one of the reasons he’d hated village life and kept himself to himself in his home in the bamboo forest. His ‘relationship’ with the Princess was nothing to do with anypony but the two of them, and if this was how the rest of the evening was going to go, he didn’t want anything more to do with the inquisitive orange guardspony. Maybe he could make his excuses and-
“Fancy another?”
“Huh?” Rush looked up in surprise.
Grove sighed, “I said, you’ve finished your pint, would you like another?” he closed his eyes a moment and sat back, “Look, Rush, I think we may have got off on the wrong hoof here. I’m sorry if I came across as ’nosey’, okay? I’m used to being with my army buddies and we share everything together.” He smiled drily, “I suppose I forget what it’s like to be with more everyday ponies.” Grove sighed sadly, “If you’ve never served, it’s going to be hard to understand, but I’ll do my best to help you.”
Rush took a breath and stared down at the empty beer mug before him. He could already sense his mood sinking into the depths of the all too familiar melancholy that had plagued him throughout his adult life. It was strange…all this time, he’d been alone. First it was in the mountains after his wife and daughter died, at least, before he’d met Tia. But of course, no sooner had he found her then he’d lost her too, only to find her again after countless years of emptiness. He sighed; Life gave and it took away – it was keeping what you had that was the hard part, and the more you had, the more you lost…like friends…
But that was then.
Grove went to stand up, “Come on then, I’ll get you back to-”
Rush put his hoof on Grove’s and shook his head. With a smile he called out, “Two more please, Tint.”
With a shout of acknowledgement, the barmare began filling another two mugs. Grove snorted,
“I don’t get you.” he said shaking his head, “I really don’t.” The orange stallion sat back down and smiled broadly as Tint appeared with two more beers.
“I’m sorry, Grove.” Rush said quietly, “I’m not used to company. I suppose I just got used to being on my own all the time. My social skills are a little, um…rusty.”
“In which case, I’ll tell you about myself and then, if you like, you can tell me about yourself.” The orange stallion motioned to his panniers, “The boss has told me I’m to be your guide and mentor, so it looks like you’re going to be stuck with me for a little while yet my friend.”
Rush laughed, “You took the words right out of my mouth!”
The two of them broke out in laughter and downed their freshly delivered foaming brews, quickly followed by another, as Grove began to regale Rush with the tales of his upbringing in Equestria. Rush listened intently, hoping to glean knowledge and insight into this new world, and, after they’d both sampled a few of the speciality ales, he was starting to feel comfortably relaxed.
Tint put a few more logs on the fire, sending sparks up the chimney and a wave of warmth over Rush. He smiled happily – he could definitely get used to this…
“…and then the bloody thing was on me, screaming and howling like a demon from the pits of Hades!” Grove nodded emphatically, “You should have seen it! Teeth like knives, eyes burning like the fire of hell, and those bones! Dear Goddesses, it was like a living skeleton covered in armour!” The stallion burped, sinking another mouthful of his ale, “If you didn’t find an uncovered spot, you may as well be throw pebbles at the bloody things.”
Rush nodded, “Fighting one of them was bad enough, but I can’t imagine fighting an army of them.” He shook his head in disbelief, “It looks like we got off lucky.”
“What was that?” Grove lifted his head and wiped his muzzle, “Did you say you fought one?”
“One” Rush replied, “Rend his name was: vicious damned creature too. He killed my niece, several of the villagers, and it nearly had Tia and me before we took the bloody thing down.”
“Oh Goddesses, Rush. Your niece?” Grove hung his head, “I’m sorry.” Suddenly his eyes flew open and his head snapped back up, “Hang on…did you say ‘Tia’? You mean, Celestia, the Princess, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
Grove shook his head in amazement, “You, and the Princess, fought a thestral together?”
Rush nodded.
“At River Valley?”
Rush shook his head, “It was on my world.”
“Pfff!” Grove sniggered, taking up his ale, “The naked monkey world!”
“If that’s what you want to call it.” Rush replied with a huff. He didn’t really care anymore, and took another mouthful of his ale. Damn it, was he nearly out again?!
Grove watched the brown earth stallion with the blue eyes and cream coloured mane sitting opposite him as he drained the last dregs from his latest mug. There was a lot more to this fellow than he thought it seemed. When Lilly had come up with some tripe about a fabricated story of Rush being from another world, and that he’d come through a portal with the aid of that crazy old wizard, Starswirl the bearded, he’d laughed it off – they all had. If the Princess wanted a stallion friend, then what business was it of anyponies? Okay, sure, many Equestrians saw her as this ideal and perfectly pure white entity of unimaginable power who could raise the sun, but many of the palace guards had seen her before the battle at River Valley, and how she’d cried, raged and howled down in the depths of the castle. He paused and thought back to that time, to the stories going around about the archway, the ‘portal to another world’. Many of them had thought it was a fanciful tall tale told by bored guards, others that the Princess was losing her marbles due to the pressures of the war, but…but what if they weren’t stories…what if they were true? Grove finished his beer and lifted a hoof,
“Two salt licks and two beers, please Tint, love.”
The barmare duly appeared and deposited two more beers, taking away the empties and leaving two large lumps of salt.
“What’s this?” Rush asked with a slight slur to his speech.
Grove nodded to himself; so, he’d never had a salt lick either, eh? He grinned cheekily, “Try it. Don’t bite it though, just give it a lick.” The orange stallion beamed at his new found friend who leaned down and ran his tongue along the pure white block of salt.
Rush gasped; the taste hit him like a lightning bolt - a jolt of electricity that shot through his body from his muzzle to his tail and made his legs quiver. He blinked in surprise and licked his lips, going back in for another taste,
“Gods” he groaned, “That…that’s so good…”
“I know, right?” Grove grinned, “East Coast White: It’s infused with mint extract. Gotta go easy with it though, it can really blow your socks off if you’re not careful.”
Rush shook his head in amazement. He’d fed horses mint when he’d worked for the Lord, and they’d certainly relished the taste. Naturally, he’d sampled a little himself, but it had little interest to him past being used in herbal infusions and as a pick-me-up. Mixed in with the salt, tasting it now, it was…ecstasy…
“Easy tiger” Grove chuckled, “it’s one per customer, or else you could do yourself a mischief.” He waggled his eyebrows at Rush who gave himself a shake. “So, you really are from another world then?” he asked.
Rush nodded, “Mmhmm.”
“What, they have ponies there too?”
“No. Well…yes, but not like here.” Rush leaned back in his chair, his inhibitions disappearing like the contents of his beer mug, “It was a planet” he began, “…of bald monkey people…”
**********************
The Queen’s Head was rapidly becoming louder by the minute, and Rush and Grove were beginning to have to raise their voices to hear one another. The salt licks had long since disappeared, but the ales kept coming, together with the questions from the incredulous orange earth stallion,
“So wait, let me get this straight” Grove burped, “you were born on another world, to Equestrian parents, but were born looking like one of these…’humans’?” Rush nodded. “Then the Princess comes along and she’s being chased by thestrals, you kill one of them and then she comes back to Equestria?”
Rush nodded again. He didn’t mention Thorn – it didn’t seem like a good idea, despite the alcoholic fuse that was running through his mind.
Grove let out a long low whistle and stretched his legs, “Unbelievable.”
“I’ll tell you what’s unbelievable,” A voice said behind him, “you having the money to pay for drinking my barrels dry!”
Rush froze, looking at Grove who just waggled his eyebrows knowingly. Deftly the orange stallion rose from his chair and hoofed the bulky tan unicorn landlord a scroll from his pannier,
“Read.”
The landlord reluctantly looked at the scroll and shook his head,
“What? Some sort of…oh…OH!”
Reaching over, Grove plucked the scroll from the startled unicorn and pushed it back into his pannier. “Well?” he asked.
The landlord swallowed, “Well…erm, what can I get you boys?”
Rush waved a hoof, “TWO MORE WHEATBEERS!”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Grove laughed and banged his hoof on the table as the barmare reappeared with another pair of foaming mugs.
“I’ll say this, Rushy,” Grove belched, “I wasn’t sure about you at first, but, y’know…yer alright…” he wiped a smattering of foam from his muzzle, “anypony who can take down one of those bloody things gets my respect.” He took another mouthful, “Damned right.”
“What’s that?” A pink earth pony mare asked pulling up a chair beside them, “Hey Grovey, who’s your new pal? Haven’t seen him around before.”
Grove smiled and clopped hooves with the mare, “Hey Mind, you guys just come off shift?”
Rush looked up and saw a large group of ponies milling at the bar. By the looks of them, they were all off-duty guards from the palace, and sure enough, one by one they were walked over to join their orange coated friend together with his new earth stallion colleague. Now so soaked in wheat beer, Rush just chuckled to himself; he didn’t care…come one come all! He didn’t care at all!
“Yeah, Spar’s boys are on duty now.” Mind raised an eyebrow and stared at Rush, her expression unreadable, “You’re him are you?” she said.
“Uh-huh.” Grove answered, “He’s the one.”
“The naked monkey guy?”
Grove closed his eyes and nodded, “Yup.”
“For…” Rush groaned, “I’m not a naked bloody monkey!” he slurred, “Will you pack it in with that!?”
The pink mare smirked and took a pull on her ale, “Well, you’re the most Equestrian looking monkey I’ve ever seen, friend.” She said, yawning, “Bloody hell I’m knackered…”
“That’s what you get for pulling an extra shift,” A green stallion leaning over her shoulder chipped in, “you’ll be too tired to spend all those extra bits. Tell you what Mind, give ‘em to us and we’ll get the next round in for you – you know, just to save you the trouble!”
“Sod off!” Mind laughed, shoving the stallion away playfully. He just chuckled and joined back in with one of the general background conversations that had sprung up around them.
Rush smiled to himself; this was…different. People back in the village did socialise of course, and there was a local tavern there too, but the atmosphere… He shook his head; it felt so much more ‘natural’ here, like he was…one of them, somehow…
“Hey…HEY!” Grove shouted over the throng, “Don’t worry about that. Hoy! Tint! Next round’s on me and my good pal Rush, here!”
There was a resounding cheer from the assembled ponies and the surprised brown stallion suddenly found himself patted on the back and, rather uncomfortably, the centre of attention. Mind looked him up and down closely,
“Tidy.”
“Huh?” Rush blinked.
The pink mare nodded to herself, “Yeah…I can see why you’d take her fancy.”
“Bollocks!” Another mare barked, pushing in and waving her beer mug, “Sun butt wouldn’t buck somepony like ‘im! ‘e’s too plain.” She smiled at Rush with a toothy grin, “No offence, like.”
“Sure…” Rush muttered.
“Y’know, Siren’s got a point there.” Mind agreed, leaning a foreleg around Grove, “I mean, don’t y’think she’d go for, oh, I don’t know – somepony more…fancy? You know, like one of them highfalutin lords with the poncey manes.”
Siren stood on her hind legs and took on the most ridiculous expression, “Oh my goodness! One appears to have trapped one’s pee pee in one’s pantaloons! Pray help one release one’s errant member, valet! Chop, chop!”
Rush burst out laughing at the green earth mare’s antics. Despite his usual reservations, there was just something so open here, so welcoming, that he couldn’t help but feel as though he really belonged with these ponies. Was this why he’d never felt as if he belonged back in the human world? Tia had said as much, but he supposed that somewhere deep down inside himself, he hadn’t fully believed her - It was all so unbelievable. What a fool he’d been…
“Come on, big fella, let’s have a look at that flank!”
“Eh?!” Rush came out of his reverie with a start to the pushing and shoving of Siren and several others guardsmares who were busy manoeuvring him out of his chair. To his horror, Rush found himself propelled upwards, egged on my Grove who was nearly falling off his own chair laughing while Mind roared her encouragement.
Oh Gods, this wasn’t happening! Hooves pulled him and pushed him this way and that until he was standing, albeit on very wobbly legs, surrounded by very inquisitive mares. One of them, a black and white patched earth pony with a long black mane, poked at his flank making him inadvertently squeak in surprise. This only served to send the mares into more roars of laughter,
“What’s that then?” One said.
“Reeds? Bull rushes?”
“What is he, a gardener?”
“Ha! Bet he knows all about ‘fertilising’ things with ‘you know who’!”
Rush felt like crawling under the table; the banter from the now alcohol soaked ponies becoming a little uncomfortable.
“Hey!” A stallion shouted, shouldering his way through the mass of equines, “Somepony said that monkey guy’s here. Let’s have a look at him.” The pegasus stallion abruptly pushed in. Lighter framed than the earth ponies, but athletic in appearance, the purple male snorted and looked down his muzzle at Rush,
“That’s him?”
From the muttering and snorting, it was all too clear the newcomer wasn’t with the others.
“Not what I expected.” The stallion barked derisively, “You’re trying to tell me he’s the one fettling the Princess?”
“Oh, piss off Yule, who asked for your opinion.” One of the guards said loudly.
The others began to join in:
“What’s your problem? No wings, is that it?”
“Damned posers! You lot are all the same”
“Yeah, sod off and bother somepony else.”
Yule snorted loudly, completely ignoring the comments of the off duty guards, “From what I heard, you aren’t even Equestrian.” he sneered, “The Princess, with a monkey from another world? Don’t make me laugh!” He waved a hoof around, addressing the ponies around him, “You know what I think? I think it’s a joke, I think the whole thing’s some fantasy story made up by orange arse here and his mates.”
Grove shot out of his chair, “Buck off, you feathered freak! Who the hell invited you here, eh? This is a place for soldiers, not for bone idle slackers like your mob.”
The pegasus grinned, “Hit a nerve there, did I? What a damned shame.” He may have smiled, but Rush could see the darkness in the ponies eyes as the his voice lowered to a menacing timbre, “He’s a changeling.”
Silence fell.
Mind shook her head, “You imbecile” she snorted, “Are you trying to say the Princess of Equestria’s coltfriend’s a changeling?” she started laughing, “Any other fairy stories you want to regale us with, bird boy? Maybe he turns into a potato at night, sprouts legs, and runs about making the grass grow?” She lifted a hoof, “Hoy, Tint, what you putting’ in the salt girl?!”
Yule snarled, “Laugh all you like, but I don’t like it. He’s not one of us, and he’s not welcome here.” He took a swig of ale and addressed the others, “The last time monsters came here from another world they butchered our people like they were nothing! They came to take our home and killed our families: every foal, every mare, every stallion…they came to murder us all!” he pointed a hoof at Rush, his yellow eyes glinting, “You’ve bewitched her, and you’ve bewitched our people too! You couldn’t defeat us in war so you’re trying to steal our Princess from us though trickery!”
Grove slammed his hoof down, “Shut up you piece of crap! I don’t want to hear…”
Rush couldn’t listen to any more and rose to his hooves. He fought his own battles, and his fights were noponies but his own. He took a breath, cursing having drunk so much. “Yeah…” Rush stared at the buck and lowered his voice while the rest of the tavern went silent, straining to hear what the new stallion had to say, “I’m from another world.” His eyes never left the pegasus stallion’s face, “My mother was Willow, an earth pony. My father was Silver Spark, an earth pony. They were both Equestrians, I am Equestrian, and this is my home.”
Loud mutterings arose amongst the ponies in the room.
Yule however, didn’t seem impressed. “Ha!” The pegasi’s lip curled derisively, “A dog born in a stable doesn’t make it a pony.” He paused and then his eyes went wide, “Just a minute, did you say Silver Spark? Wait…wasn’t he that disgraced officer? The one who let that thief go after she robbed the Princess?” he shook his head in disbelief, “My Goddesses, it all makes sense now. You’re not a changeling…” Suddenly the temperature seemed to plummet around him, “You’re the bastard son of a thieving whore and a traitor.”
Bellowing in rage, Rush lunged for the pegasus as pandemonium broke out around him and the tavern erupted into a heaving, swirling mass of equines. With a roar, more pegasi, colleagues of Yule it seemed, waded into the fight. Yells, neighs, snorts and shouts filled the air as hooves cracked bone, beer mugs flew across the room, tables were upended and chairs smashed. Rush didn’t care, all he wanted was to beat this scum into paste. Unfortunately however, despite his anger fuelled determination, his assault on his winged antagonist was having no discernible effect whatsoever. In fact, in his drunken state and uncoordinated body, Rush only found himself flailing impotently at the green stallion who was landing more than a few well placed blows upon him despite the heaving press of ponies. As the brawl continued the landlord and staff took cover behind the bar, hiding the money and breakables while their establishment was turned to matchwood by the battling patrons. Earth ponies and unicorns alike threw themselves in alcohol fuelled fury at the equally inebriated pegasi who were finding their agility hampered by the close confines and mass of physically stronger ponies. Meanwhile, lost in a world of their own, Yule and Rush traded blows, but Rush, inexpert in fighting in his equine body, lost his hoofing on the beer slick tiled floor and slipped, dropping his guard. In an instant Yule span and bucked him right under the jaw with a sickening crack that made even Grove wince.
Rush’s world burst with a mind spinning cacophony of light and sparks as the full force of the blow sent him flying into the remains of the table. In moments, Yule came at him again, only to be swallowed up the mass of fighting ponies. Forelegs grabbed him and began pulling him, stunned and woozy, out rear door that Tint was holding open for them. He was only vaguely aware of what was going on, and the words, so garbled and unclear…but…oh Gods, his head!
Outside, the cool air began to bring him round, but it was painfully slow progress until a bucket of water was unceremoniously dumped over him.
Rush nearly screamed in shock, “Gah! B…Bloody hell fire!”
Orange Grove pulled his sodden friend up, “Come on! For bucks sake, Rush, get those legs moving, the bloody watch are coming. If we don’t shift flank we’ll be thrown in the lockup and then it’ll really hit the fan.”
“Gods almighty…” Rush coughed, spitting blood and water from his muzzle, “He really got me good…”
“Could have been worse,” Grove hissed, pulling Rush along, “Pegasi kick like foals. Now if it had been me…”
“If you’re trying to make me feel better, it’s not working.” Rush groaned, forcing his legs to work. He was making reasonable progress despite his painful condition, but most of it seemed to be propelling him sideways rather than forwards.
Whistles, shrill and keening, split the night air.
“Come on, come on…!” Grove whispered urgently, “Move it, Rush! That’s the bloody rips! If they get us, we’ll catch a damn good flogging and I don’t think old sun butt’l be pleased if you end up with stripes on your arse.”
“Who?” Rush gasped.
“Royal Police, mate, ‘RIP’s’ the boys call them. They’re the ones who ‘keep us in line’.” He pulled Rush down an alleyway, “They get us and we’ll be ‘royally’ screwed alright.” He couldn’t resist a chuckle at his own humour.
Rush wasn’t listening. His head was ringing like a bell, but he still managed to give himself a shake anyway and pushed a concerned looking Grove away, “I’m fine, just…just lead the way.”
Grove watched his new friend doubtfully for a moment and shook his head, “Okay tough guy; let’s move.”
The two ponies slipped, or rather ‘staggered’, through the dark streets of Paddock and up to the side gate of the guardhouse. Grove hushed Rush,
“Keep quiet and follow my lead.”
As steadily as they could, the two of them walked slowly up to the gate.
“Halt!” The armoured stallion on sentry duty narrowed his eyes as the two approached and then gradually lowered his spear as they came into the spill of light from his lantern, “Grove? Is that you?”
“Of course it’s me!” the orange stallion called back, keeping his voice as low as he could, “Bunch of those bloody Pegasus rat bags jumped us and battered the Princess’s coltfriend here senseless. Look at the state of him, she’s going to go nuts when she sees this!”
The guard shook his head as he examined Rush’s cut lip, “Damn it! Come on, get your flanks inside. We’ve got orders to arrest any guardspony coming back, but…just don’t tell anypony I let you in, okay?”
“Thanks Jugs, you’re a star!” Grove grinned.
The guard took a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure nopony was coming. “I’ll be in the lockup with you if you don’t shift it!” he hissed.
Back in relative safety of the palace grounds, the two friends hurried through to the ever quiet accommodation wing and then up to the Princess’s chambers.
“Buck me…” Rush gasped, stumbling slightly, “I don’t feel so good…”
“I think you need a doctor, mate.” Grove replied. He gave him a reassuring smile, “Come on, lets get you in and we can have that head of yours looked at.”
They turned the corner into the corridor and, sure enough, there were the usual two guards outside. Thankfully, and apparently expecting them, the two were waved in without a word. Rush all but collapsed on the floor,
“Gods” Rush hissed, “I think I’m dying.”
Grove leaned down and patted him on the shoulder, “Look, stay here, I’ll get one of the lads to fetch the doc and…”
“No!” Rush hissed, “Don’t do that for bucks sake! Tia will…No…no, I’m fine.” He pulled himself groggily to his haunches, “I’m just a bit battered and bruised that’s all. More my damned pride than anything I think.” Rush lifted his hoof to his jaw and winced, “That bloody arsehole; who the hell was that anyway?”
Grove looked over Rush’s head and nodded to himself, “You mean Yule? He’s the pegasus divisional guard commander, and an absolute tool too if you ask me.” He carefully felt behind Rush’s ears, “Don’t think anything’s broken there, but I think you need to stay up and drink plenty of water until we can get you checked out. Mind told me to make sure you keep anypony you think has concussion from going to sleep – otherwise you could be off to the eternal herd before you know it.”
“Your marefriend?” Rush asked curiously.
“Huh?” Grove sniggered, “Well, kind of. We had a fling a while ago, but we’re just friends now. Guardsmares tend to be quite um…’open minded’ about things like that.” He looked up at the wall, taking in the paintings, elegant wallpaper and tastefully carved furniture, “Nice” he said quietly, “very ’girly’ though, don’t you think?”
“It’s certainly not what I’m used to.” Rush muttered, helping himself to a bottle of water from the nightstand, “But it’s Tia’s home.”
An intake of breath, followed by a low whistle, drew Rush’s attention,
“Boy oh boy!” Grove walked over to the long sword leaning against the fireplace surround. On impulse he reached out and paused, turning to his friend, “This is yours…isn’t it.”
Rush nodded, sipping the flavoured water, “Mmm. It was my stepfather’s…well, my ‘human’ stepfather’s to be more accurate.”
“A sword from another world…” Grove shook his head in disbelief, “May I?”
Rush nodded.
With his eyes wide with anticipation, Grove lifted the scabbard in his teeth and carefully drew the sword out with his forehooves. In a surprisingly fluid movement, he was standing on his hind legs, the sword held before him. The light from the lamps glinted along the shining blade and the orange stallions eyes sparkled in the reflected steel,
“My Goddesses…” he breathed, “It’s beautiful.”
“It kills people.” Rush said dismissively. “It has sentimental value more than anything.”
“Are you kidding me?!” Grove nearly shouted, “Look at it! Have you seen the crap we use? How the hell do you make a sword like this anyway? I thought you said there wasn’t magic in your world!”
“There isn’t.” Rush said passing his friend a glass, “It’s made by folding various layers of different grades of metal, lots and lots of times. There’s a high degree of skill and time that goes into make one, sure, but it’s not something you couldn’t make in Equestria.”
“I can’t believe it,” his friend replied, “if we’d had swords like this at River Valley, maybe we wouldn’t have lost as many of our brothers and sisters.”
“Tia told me about the war when she was trapped on my world.” Rush smacked his lips and poured another glass for them both, “She hasn’t mentioned it since I arrived here though, and I didn’t want to mention it myself in case it brought up painful memories for her.”
Grove slid the sword back into its scabbard, a pained look on his face. “We won.” he said with a grimace, “That’s all anypony needs to know. I’m sorry Rush, I’d like to tell you more, but…it’s…it’s hard, you know?”
Rush nodded and looked again at his fathers sword. The dents and scratches on the scabbard held their own story; the blade, many more. He closed his eyes and sighed, “I served the local lord as one of the army healers. Before I knew it, I was fighting for my life.” He shook his head, “War...In my home, my old home, wars, fighting, killing…it never ended. There was always somebody wanting what you had and only too happy to kill you to take it.” He shrugged, “The only way to be safe was to have nothing they wanted.”
Grove’s voice sounded pained, his eyes staring at the sword, “Have you…have you ever lost anypony…close, Rush?” He took a sip of his drink.
“I lost my wife and daughter.” Rush replied. He didn’t normally speak of such things, but here, with Grove, it seemed so easy…
“I’m sorry…” Grove said quietly.
Rush shook his head, “I was the last one of my family left.” he said sadly, “I just wish that there’d been some way to bring them here to Equestria, to see this beautiful land of ours, but…it was never to be.” He gave his mane a shake and refilled their glasses, “What about you?”
“My brother and father were killed at River Valley.” Grove said, wiping his muzzle, “Thestrals hit them hard, pushing them back onto their own reserve line and just hacked their way through everypony in their way. I was with the young ones in the centre and…well…it wasn’t a good place either.” He sighed, “I was lucky.”
“River Valley…” Rush closed his eyes in thought, “That was the place Tia was fighting the Legion, wasn’t it?”
Grove nodded, “Yeah. They kicked the crap out of us big style; got them back though, when the Princess came back.”
“What happened to her sister?” Rush asked.
“Not sure, really” Grove said taking another mouthful of the water, “There was…there was this burst of colour like…like a…” he yawned, “Like a rainbow and…” Grove’s eyes began to sag, “The mare…in the moon…”
Rush got up to walk to the airing cupboard and his head span suddenly, sending him staggering into the bed. Gods damn it! He had to stay awake just in case, but his head was so painful! Trying to focus, he managed to pull out his cloak and couple of pillows, making his friend as comfortable as he could before walking over to the bed. With a groan, he realised he needed to use the bathroom.
His hoof reached for the handle…
**********************
The discussions had finally come to a close, and a relieved Celestia bobbed her head politely with a smile,
“Elder Grisk, Elder Yildin, thank you. I trust you shall enjoy the rest of your stay with us and join us for breakfast tomorrow morning.”
The two long haired ponies nodded dourly and walked out of the hall, leaving the Princess alone with the Chancellor. She rose from her throne and groaned loudly as she stretched her wings,
“I never thought that would end!” She winced at the stiffness in her body and rubbed her eyes, “From now on, Chancellor, we shall be introducing mandatory breaks for refreshments and a limit on how long somepony may speak for. My goodness, how can a pony talk so much!”
The Chancellor smiled, “He certainly did, um, labour the point.”
“A masterpiece of polite understatement” Celestia chuckled, “Now, to bed for both of us I think. I trust there shall be…” She reached the door to see several guards hurrying off down the corridor, “You there, guard!” One of the soldiers stopped,
“Your Majesty?”
Celestia raised a hoof, “What’s going on? Why is everypony rushing around?”
“There’s a fight in the town, Your Majesty.” The guard replied, “It’s being dealt with by the Royal Police and the Paddock watch.”
The Princess sighed, “Alcohol…” She shook her head, “Have the report brought to me in the morning, Corporal.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She didn’t have time for this now, nor the inclination either: she was tired, mentally drained, and desperate for even just a few hours sleep. Bidding goodnight to the Chancellor, the weary alicorn headed off for her bedchamber and a well earned nights sleep. A thought suddenly popped into her head: where was Rush? Hadn’t he gone into town with Orange Grove? She shook her head; no, that was hours ago, and Rush didn’t drink alcohol anyway…so far as she knew. She froze – what if…Oh Gods! She neighed and picked up her pace. If Rush wasn’t in her chambers and he’d been involved in that fight, he could have been hurt! Increasing her speed she rounded the next corner, her fatigue forgotten, and there, up ahead, were the guards standing smartly to attention as she approached. Not even stopping to greet them as she customarily did, she charged up to the doors, pushed them open, and…
“OH, MY GODS!”
There…there was…she couldn’t believe it…Rush was lying on the floor, covered in toilet paper and vomit beside an upturned chair. Beside him, a glass decanter of her favourite elderberry liqueur lay empty next to an orange coated stallion who was draped across the coffee table at some impossible angle with what appeared to be half a sandwich stuck to the side of his face. The guards tried to peek into the room, but the Princess’s horn glowed with magic, shoving the curious ponies out and slamming the door behind her. Taking a shaking breath, she advanced on the prostrate brown earth stallion, her anger flaring,
“Rush! RUSH!” she bellowed.
There was no response.
In a flurry of magic, Celestia snatched up the flower vase, extracted the fragrant blooms, and dumped the contents of the water on Rush’s head. The effect was instantaneous,
“Wh..WHA!”
The Princess flung the doors open, “GUARDS!” Dutifully the two armoured ponies trotted in. “Put these two in the dungeons, and fetch the doctor to look them over.”
“Shall we fetch the maid, Your Majesty?” One of them asked.
She shook her head, “No…” Celestia glowered at the two ponies, “Once they’ve sobered up, I’ll have a little job for these two…”
**********************
“…and what’s more, you not only fell asleep leaving somepony with concussion alone, you later woke up, swilled the rest of my elderberry liqueur and then proceeded to cause absolute mayhem in the kitchens as well!”
Rush hung his head, partly out of embarrassment, but mainly because it felt that if he moved even a inch, his head would likely separate from his body and drop right onto the floor. He closed his eyes; poor Grove was really copping it now…
“Honestly, Your Majesty,” the orange coated stallion protested, “I can’t remember any-”
“-OF COURSE YOU CAN’T!” The Princess roared, “You were so drunk, the two of you, you probably can’t remember cooking half the kitchen’s supply of haybacon, flooding the scullery and nearly setting fire to the palace, not to mention very nearly drowning in your own sick!” Her eyes flashed like purple fires, “I only found out about it this morning because of all of the screaming from poor Tassel whose kitchens are going to take a week to properly repair! And just to make matters worse, we have dignitaries staying here who were expecting to have breakfast this morning!” She shook her head in dismay, “What in the Gods’ name were you thinking?!”
Grove groaned, rubbing his head under the onslaught, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”
“That’s it, is it?” Celestia asked angrily, “You’re sorry?” The alicorn began to pace back and forth, her rainbow mane flowing and rippling in the planet’s magical field as if it were alive. Normally it looked beautiful, intriguing even; right now it looked terrifying…
Grove’s voice dropped to a croaking whisper, “I…”
“And I haven’t forgotten about you, Rush.” The Princess said, turning her attention from the orange pony, “You’ve been in Equestria five minutes and then I have half the Royal Guard beating the stuffing out of each other and who do I hear was at the centre of it all?” Rush grimaced. “YOU!” Celestia roared, “Of all ponies, I never thought, I never dreamed you would start a fight in a tavern!”
“I didn’t.” he said quietly.
Tia huffed loudly, “I have a report here that clearly states that you were the one who threw the first punch.”
Rush nodded, “I did.”
“Y…” Celestia blinked, “But why? Why would you do something like that?”
The brown stallion closed his eyes, and took a breath, “He insulted my parents.”
“Oh, Rush.” The Princess shook her head sadly, “Whatever the provocation, violence cannot be-”
“-I am the bastard son of a thief and a traitor” Rush said pointedly, “…apparently.”
Celestia stared at him for a moment and then sighed, looking to Grove who simply nodded, affirming what Rush had just said. So…that was it. The report had stated that the centre of the battle in the Queen’s Head, which had been half destroyed in the process, had been Rush and the pegasi divisional guard commander. What had possessed Yule Tree to pick a fight with Rush was something she intended to get to the bottom of, but still, she had expected…what? More restraint? Now that she thought about it, how long had she known Rush really? He’d lived his entire life on another world in another culture, and she expected him to change just like that? She shook her head in dismay, more at her own intransigence than his,
“Clean up this mess. We’ll talk later.”
Celestia left the room, leaving the two stallions alone. Orange Grove grimaced as the door banged shut, leaving him quietly nursing the bruise on the side of his muzzle, “I think we got off lightly there, mate.” he said with a wince, “She looked really pissed off.”
Rush lifted the mop in his mouth and dunked it in the bucket of hot water; he didn’t know what to say in reply. He’d found in his life that sometimes it was best simply to keep his own council and say nothing, like he should have done last night. This was why he didn’t like interaction with others, human or pony, because of situations like this. Of course, nopony forced him to drink so much, and in reality it was just bad luck that fool Yule had found him there – or was it? When he thought about it, the pegasus had made a bee-line right for him, so there was at least some suggestion there that he’d been deliberately targeted. A throb of pain lanced through his head and he winced; Gods, what a mess! And not just because of what had happened in the tavern: he was battered, bruised, and suffering from mild concussion. The doctor had treated him last night with some medicine and even magic apparently. Unfortunately he’d been in such a mess he couldn’t remember much – apart from waking up in the dungeon! Worst of all, Celestia had been incensed, partly at what he had done, but also he suspected, due to the disruption he had caused in such an idyllic place. Gods above, why hadn’t he just kept his damned mouth shut?
Grove shook his mane and took a sip of his water - real water this time. As it turned out, the ‘water’ he thought they’d been drinking last night had turned out to be anything but.
“There’s magic and potions for hangovers” Grove complained, “You’d think the miserable sods would have given us something for the pain.”
“It’s part of our punishment.” Rush said dismissively.
“Cruel and unusual punishment!” Grove muttered, rinsing his mop out, “Not to mention that this is all that damned feathered freaks bloody fault.” He rammed the mop into the mess on the carpet. Bitterly he remembered the maids had magic specifically to get stains out too, but of course, this was all to ram the message home to them wasn’t it? He sighed inwardly; he didn’t envy Rush one bit! He was single, happily single too, and was damned glad of it. Of course, as one of her subjects he loved the Princess, they all did - she was like the mother of Equestria. But to actually be in love with her? He snorted; no thanks! She was tall, imposing, and insanely powerful. In some respects she reminded him of that duck analogy Mind had told him once: all serenity on the surface belying the swirling chaos below. Celestia would be hard work alright. Perhaps Rush didn’t mind though, perhaps he was the sort of fellow who enjoyed living with a mare who worked all the hours the Goddesses sent and could turn you into ash if you upset her. He shuddered, remembering the dust storms during the battle at River Valley.
It hadn’t been dust at all.
Beside him, Rush rinsed his mop out again and Grove winced as another jolt of pain ran through his neck. Good Goddesses, it was painful even to watch him! “Do you always use your mouth?” he asked.
Rush looked up, “Hmm?”
Grove peered him curiously, “Like that. I mean, why don’t you stand on your hind legs and use your forelegs, like I am?” he looked at Rush as if he was doing something like standing on his head and juggling plates with his feet.
“I’m not very…” Rush paused, “’coordinated’.” He shrugged, “You saw the result of that last night first hoof.”
The orange stallion put down his mop and glanced over to the sword, “You said you were used to standing on two legs as a human though, right? What’s so different?”
“I have four legs!” Rush exclaimed, squeezing his eyes shut as his head reminded him of the excesses of the night before, “I…OW! Bloody hell!”
Grove lay his hoof on his friend’s shoulder, “Everything takes time to learn. I bet you didn’t learn how to use that sword of yours right away, eh?”
Rush snorted, “No.”
“Well, there you go.” Grove smiled, “Look, we’ll go down to the training yards later and I’ll show you the ropes if you fancy.”
Rush looked around at the room. By the looks of it, it would be a lot later. Gods, how had they managed to make such a mess? He couldn’t even remember leaving the room, let alone making sandwiches. Come to think of it, he didn’t know what haybacon was, but even the thought of food was making his tortured stomach do cartwheels. He shrugged,
“Sure”
Minutes, probably hours later, the two of them finally finished up - just in time for the maid to arrive. She gave them a knowing smirk as she dumped the dirty bedding into her trolley and then unceremoniously shooed them from the room.
“Shower?” Grove asked.
Rush nodded, “Shower.”
Fortunately at that time of day the showers weren’t too busy and the two friends were able to walk straight in. Following Grove’s instructions, Rush was quickly able to work out how the levers worked and in short order, had a stream of blissfully hot water pouring over his body. It was like heaven. He enjoyed a bath of course, but Tia hadn’t trusted him to have much more than a sponge bath on his own until he was more stable on his hooves. He didn’t blame her: the thought of flailing around in a bath without being able to get your hooves under you was a frightening prospect. But this…yes…yes, he could get used to this! He groaned and felt his eyes closing, his head sagging. He could just fall asleep, right here under the warm, comforting water…
“Hey, nob head!”
Rush’s eyes flew open, “Wha?”
“Well done getting all of us extra guard detail!”
Grove looked round at the chestnut stallion with the red mane walking into the showers,
“Ginger? What are you going on about?”
“Last night, dummy! The whole of the guard are talking about it.” The big earth stallion turned on the water and gave himself a shake, “Half the guard are in the cells, and the rest in the bloody infirmary. Poor Jazz has four broken ribs and Pulse won’t be able to fly for at least a week.”
“It’s not our fault!” Grove retorted, “That tosser Yule kicked it all off.”
“Not what I heard.” Ginger said with a neigh, “Your mate there launched himself at him and got a bloody good hiding for his trouble.”
“He was pushed, Ginger.” Grove huffed, “You know what that little rat Yule’s like.”
“We all know what he’s like.” The chestnut stallion replied, soaping himself down, “And we all know why he said what he said.”
Grove froze, “What he said…” he looked at the newcomer, his eyes narrowing, “Why did he say what he said, Ginger?”
The chestnut earth pony lifted an eyebrow, “Because he’s Celestia’s new coltfriend, Grove. You been living under a rock the last few days?”
“And that’s an excuse to insult his mother and father and then batter him is it?” Grove snapped.
Ginger scrubbed his mane under the shower, “Of course not, but he went for him first didn’t he?”
“Let me ask you something.” Grove said turning to face him, “Do you remember Silver Spark?”
Ginger nodded, “Who doesn’t? A damned good pony, that one; I don’t know what happened to him, but I heard the rumours as much as any pony.”
Grove nodded, “This is his son.”
“HIS WHAT?!” Ginger cringed as the soap went in his eyes, “Dammit!” Quickly rinsing himself off, his trotted round to stare at Rush, “My Goddesses…is he really?”
Rush said nothing, letting Grove and Ginger do all the talking. He just wanted to enjoy the shower…
“He has his eyes, and his build.” Ginger exclaimed. He shook his head in amazement, “Well, the son of Silver Spark’s alright in my book.” He smirked, “You gotta love fate, eh?”
Grove furrowed his brow, “Huh?”
“His father’s busted for helping a thief escape the palace and then his son’s knocking off the one who did it.” Ginger lifted a hoof to Rush, “No offence.”
Rush just sighed.
“Doesn’t say much does he?” Ginger observed walking back to his shower.
Grove barked out a laugh, “Can’t get a bloody word in, can he?”
Ginger let out a loud yawn, “So what are you doing with him anyway? Old sun butt got yer foal sitting?”
“I…” Grove paused, then turned back to Rush, “No. I’m just showing him around. Old soldiers stick together.”
“What?!” The chestnut stallion re-focussed on Rush who was trying to drown out the words in the sound of the water running over his muzzle. “This guy was in the army?”
“Not our army, dummy, on his own world.” Grove replied.
Ginger raised an eyebrow, “The bald monkey planet?”
Even Grove facehoofed, “Whatever it bloody well was! It doesn’t matter does it!” He sighed, “Look, Ginger, he took out a thestral to save our Princess, doesn’t that tell you something?”
“Well, yeah, o’course, but if that’s the case, how come she couldn’t do it herself? You saw her at River Valley mate, as much as I did; one thestral didn’t stand a chance against the boss: poof! And that was it!”
Rush turned off the shower and walked up to the inquisitive earth stallion and fixed him with his blue eyes, “There’s no magic where I’m from.” He walked off to collect a towel.
“Y’See?” Grove said shoving the chestnut pony in the chest, and followed his friend to start drying off.
“Well, I’ll admit I know bugger all about magic, but…” Ginger shrugged, “I knew who your father was, and he was the real deal alright - a stallions stallion, if you get what I mean.”
Sitting on the bench, Rush stuffed the corner of the towel in his ear. Pony ears seemed to be very good at catching water: he’d have to be careful of that in future. Still, what this Ginger fellow was saying was intriguing; he’d never met his father, and in some ways, painful ways, he’d never truly known his mother either – not really. He looked up,
“What was he like?”
“Huh? Silver Spark?” Ginger frowned and then looked at Grove, “He was...” he trailed off, staring at Rush as if seeing him for the first time, “like you.” Rush didn’t know what to say. The chestnut stallion simply nodded, “Quiet.”
“He was a damned good officer, is what he was.” Grove added, giving his mane a stiff brushing, “Always did his duty, never complained. He just…got on with it.”
“Aye. We couldn’t believe it when we heard he’d let that thief go. Teatime was there, and he saw him just standing there while the thief ran off through that archway thing.” Ginger shrugged, “He got busted for that, but they couldn’t get rid of him what with the war and everything, so he stayed on to look after the youngsters in the central division.”
Grove picked up the story, “They…” he choked back the words. Ginger lay a hoof on his shoulder and shook his head, finished for him,
“The thestrals fell back and our young ones took off after them.” Ginger fixed Rush with a haunted look, as though he were staring through a window into the past and could see everything - every horrific detail of that most dreadful of times, “They cut us down like we were nothing.” He closed his eyes and took a breath, “Silver Spark, your father, died there like so many of our brothers and sisters. He tried to fight the Legion on his own, to help us…run away…” Ginger’s words petered out; the painful memory was just too much for him.
Rush watched the two veteran stallions for a moment. He saw in them the same haunted looks he’d seen before in warriors who’d been in battle, those who hadn’t fallen in love with all the killing, but rather had seen their humanity tainted in the blood, pain and suffering of battle: the stare that said that their world would never be the same again. He’d seen it too often, and maybe, with what he’d seen himself, he had a little of that same look. Had Tia seen it in him? Gods, he hoped not. Of course, he knew Silver Spark was dead, in some ways he’d felt it in his heart long ago, but…to hear from somepony else…it hurt as though he’d just found out he’d…gone.
“Where is he?” he asked.
Grove shook his head, “I’m sorry Rush, we don’t know. After the first battle, the thestrals had the field; all we could do was run for out lives.” He looked up at Ginger, “We…we never found out what they did with our…our dead.”
Ginger put his towel on the drying rack and passed Rush a bottle of water, “I wish I could tell you more, Rush. I guess things were done differently on your world.”
“I don’t know.” Rush took a mouthful of the water and shook his head, “We cremated the dead usually, and held a ceremony to remember them. What ponies do…” he sighed, “I don’t know. I don’t think I want to know either. Not now.”
Grove gave himself a stretch, “We celebrate.” He got up and walked towards the door, “We remember the good times and wish them well in the eternal herd.” He fixed Rush with a look, “Life’s only temporary, Rush.” The orange stallion smiled sadly, “We’ll see them all again some day.”
“Aye” Ginger said walked past them, “Being miserable don’t help nopony.” He gave the startled Rush a nudge, “Chin up! Even Silver had a bright side eh? Otherwise you wouldn’t be here!”
Rush frowned and then felt a smile spread across his face despite his flush of melancholy. Part of him would have loved to have known Silver Spark, to have spoken to the father he’d never met, and just…talked. Rush snorted; perhaps one day he really would be able to do just that. Yawning, he winced as his jaw twinged, the blow he’d taken last night still making its painful presence felt. Grove noticed him rubbing it and smirked,
“Time we showed you how to look after yourself, my friend.”
Outside the day was still bright and sunny, the warmth feeling surprisingly invigorating and helped to dispel the darker thoughts that were threatening to pull Rush down into their melancholy embrace. Grove stood on his hind legs and stretched, a look of sheer bliss on his face as he closed his eyes and smiled,
“Just feel that sun!” He treated his friend to a broad grin and trotted down the sun soaked steps, “Come on, let’s get you tooled up.”
Uncertain of what Grove had in mind, Rush simply nodded and followed the orange coated guardspony across the sandy courtyard to another smaller building. He had to admit there was definitely something in what Grove was saying about the warmth giving you energy and drive: he felt a pleasant spring in his step and a lightness of spirit that made him almost feel like jumping for joy. Whatever the reasons for it, he actually found himself feeling…happy.
“This looks about your size…”
Rush nearly bucked in surprise as a padded jacket was abruptly flung onto his back. Grove smirked at him,
“I’m going to guess you’re not the best at strapping that on yet, so I tell you what: I’ll do mine, and you copy, okay?”
Rush shrugged, “I’ll try.” He sniffed the air, the oddly strong mustiness making his nose tingle, “What is this place?”
“Training area” Orange Grove said, taking down another set of the padded gear, “We use it to keep ourselves fit and practice our fighting skills.” He began buckling on the various pieces, using a combination of hooves and his mouth to manipulate the large buckles into position.
Rush quickly discovered it wasn’t quite as easy as Grove made it look. Most of the pieces of the padded jacket were already attached to one another with a series of belts, and should have been a simple matter of adjusting them into position and tightening a few straps. The problem however was a noticeable lack of fingers; how the hell was he supposed to tighten straps with no fingers?! Rush pushed a pulled at the things, attempting to follow Grove’s example, but now matter what he tried all he was managing to do was, quite literally, get himself tied up in knots.
“Whoa!” The orange stallion trotted over, shaking his head at the tangled mess of padded equipment and brown fur that was the struggling and red faced Rush. “Hang on, let’s get you sorted.” A few tugs and pulls later, the armour dropped onto the floor, much to the attempted wearer’s relief.
Rush let out a loud breath, “Thanks.” Sinking to the floor the brown earth pony felt the heat inside him draining away. “I don’t know how you do it” he said, rubbing the sweat from his muzzle, “You make it look so easy.”
“Nah, just practice” Grove smirked, “Unicorns are the ones have it easy, what with all that magic and whatnot. Us earth ponies have to use our heads and think problems through.” He shrugged, “Sooner or later it’s as natural as having a roll on a sunny day.”
Nodding, Rush turned to leave.
Grove lifted a hoof, “Hey, where are you going?”
“I can’t do this.” Rush said solemnly, “I’ve only just got here, Grove. For the Gods’ sake, I’ve only just learned to walk and I’m already scared to bloody death of stairs!”
A hoof appeared on his shoulder, “If you’d run away from your problems in the human world, what do you think would have happened to the Princess?”
Rush shook his head, “That’s not the same!” He turned to face the intently staring Orange Grove, “I could rely on my own skill back then. I knew my body, I could do things with my hands; here, I’m bloody useless. Look at what happened last night: I was beaten black and blue by that feathered arse in the tavern, and all I could do was stand there while he battered me senseless.”
“I never thought you for the self pitying type.” Grove said levelly.
“You…!” Rush snorted loudly, “I am not self pitying! I’ve been a pony for what, a couple of days? For the Gods’ sake, Grove, I used to have hands, and believe it or not I could use them actually pick things up! What the bloody hell can I do with these things?!” He reared on his hind legs and presented his hooves to the orange coated stallion, “They’re useless!”
“Useless…” Grove muttered. Solemnly, he walked over to the weapons rack, “You know, Rush, I saw my friends gutted and cut down around me by creatures that had hooves, just like us. I saw ponies I’d grown up with, who I’d gone to school with, turned into screaming, crying masses of broken life, by monsters who we had no choice but to fight with these ‘useless hooves’.” He suddenly span round, a long wooden practice sword snarling through the air, held in his mouth. Rush froze as the heavy wooden blade stopped, hovering inches from his muzzle. Grove spat the sword out to land at his hooves, “If you can’t use your hooves, you use your mouth. If you can’t use your mouth, you find something else – anything else. You never stop, you never give up, and you never surrender…do you understand that, Rush? You never surrender!” He reached forward and shoved Rush hard in the chest, “Now you put that damned armour on or I’ll knock you down and do it myself!”
Rush blinked in surprise; this didn’t seem like Grove, he didn’t-
“I SAID PUT IT ON!” Grove bellowed.
Spurred into action, Rush found himself shrugging into the training armour, using his hooves to hold the ties, his teeth to bite onto the ends and slip them through the fasteners, pulling it all into place with just the right amount of force. In fact, the less he actually ‘thought’ about it, the easier it all seemed to be. It was as if his body already knew how to do these things and his brain was simply getting in the way. Finally he rammed his head into the helmet and looked down at the sword. With a shake of his head he leaned down and picked it up with his mouth.
Grove was already standing outside in the training arena.
“Ready?”
Rush closed his eyes, feeling the sword’s grip in his mouth, and nodded - just as the guardspony’s blow connected with the side of his head. He staggered; the impact was hard, very hard. Blue sparks of light burst in Rush’s vision; his head, still sore from his beating by Yule the night before, now felt like somepony was banging a gong in his skull. Staggered, he looked up into the chestnut eyes of the orange coated guardspony who was glaring at him in cold fury.
Grove huffed and growled low in his throat, “Fight me.”
Rush gave himself a shake and hefted the heavy practice sword. Leaning back, he swung it awkwardly at his opponent. Grove didn’t move, the wooden practice sword hissing past him harmlessly. The next blow connected with Rush’s muzzle, the dull impact taking him off his hooves and sending him to the sand strewn arena floor. Grove was standing over him in an instant,
“Get up.”
Rush struggled to get his hooves under him.
“I SAID GET UP!”
The brown stallion awkwardly pulled his legs underneath himself, pushing his body up as Celestia had show him, only to see the charging orange guardspony bearing down on him like an avenging spirit. Foam flying from his muzzle, Grove’s sword was coming straight for his throat. Rush tried to twist away, ducking, attempting bring his sword up and…
Grove’s sword thudded painfully into his chest. Despite the padded armour, regardless of how blunt the blade was, it damned well hurt! He snorted and spat, glaring at the maniacal orange stallion.
“What’s the problem, human?” Grove snarled, dropping into a low stance, “I thought you’d bested a thestral?”
Rush grimaced, trying to push the aches and pains he was already feeling to one side, and faced his opponent. Grove wasn’t holding back, but…what had he called him? He felt a sudden and unexpected surge of emotion burn through him from muzzle to tail that made his muscles twitch,
“I’m…not…human.” he growled.
Grove sneered at him, “Bull, you’re still human, I can see it in your eyes: the way you talk, the way you think…” he spat his sword out into his outstretched hooves and reared, balancing himself on his hind legs. “The son of Silver Spark?” Grove sneered, “He must be spinning in his grave…”
Rush felt his hooves digging into the sand, “Shut your damned mouth…!”
“Maybe Yule was right.” Grove said, his eyes boring into Rush’s, “Maybe your mother really was a thieving wh-”
Rush’s sword hissed past Grove’s neck, the orange stallion just that bit faster than his antagonist.
“Come on, human!” Grove yelled, “COME ON!”
Rush bellowed past the sword’s grip in his mouth; spittle and sand mingling with his breath as he swung at the guardspony again and again, but each swing, each thrust, failed to connect. Grove’s however, were right on target.
A vicious swing thudded into Rush’s neck, the pain jolting up into his brain.
Grove backed away, flicking his sword from side to side, “You’re dead again, human! The thestral has won! He’s taken your mare for himself and left you for the pathetic scrap that you are, bleeding and…”
Rush leaped.
The brown earth stallion’s sword glanced off Grove’s armoured back and he span as he landed, copying what the soldier had done to him. Rush reared, remembering the feeling of holding Tia’s brush and how the balance had felt: the simplicity of control, the ease of direction. He now held the sword in his forehooves and brought it down with a deafening neigh that echoed off the buildings and seemed to tap into a previously unknown wellspring of strength which was bubbling up from inside him like a geyser. Grove lifted his own sword, deflecting the savage downward cut and twisted away, lunging into an immediate counterattack. Rush dodged, slicing his wooden blade up and caught the guardspony a glancing blow across an armoured foreleg. It did little to slow him, the orange stallion was already coming back with yet another attack.
Back and forth, dodging, cutting, slicing, hacking, the two pirouetted across the sandy training yard. Their bellows, neighs, and snorts of unbridled anger, frustration and sheer rage, had attracted a crowd of guards who were now standing around the perimeter, watching them intently. The two didn’t notice them, so caught up as they were in their fixation with trying to down one another - wooden blade or no.
Suddenly, Rush ducked, aiming a buck right at Grove’s head which caught him under the chin. With a whinny, Grove dropped onto his haunches and spat blood as Rush bore down on him, his sword arcing right for his head. The orange stallion smiled. Rush however, saw it coming too late. In a blur, Grove dropped to the ground, snatched up his sword in his teeth and brought it straight up into Rush’s chest. The brown stallion grunted, gasped and fell to the ground in a heap of legs and steam.
It was over.
Grove dropped his sword and looked down at his opponent. “Now…” he panted, “now you’re learning…” He stared across at Mind who was just shaking her head in dismay,
“Did you really need to do that?” she asked, “Her nibs is going to kill you, you know.”
Grove shook his head, “Then let her.” He looked back at Rush, “Give me a hoof with him, will you. I’d better get him to the infirmary.”
**********************
The oil lantern flickered gently in some unseen movement of air. If you listened closely, you could hear the faint hiss of the flame as it consumed the fuel and sent out its peaceful, warming light. The infirmary was quiet at this time of night; all the medical staff except for the duty doctor had gone to their own beds, leaving their sole patient sleeping peacefully.
Mind brushed a stray hair from Rush’s muzzle and smiled distantly, “He looks cute when he’s sleeping, doesn’t he?”
“Hmph!” Grove snorted quietly, “If you say so.”
The pink mare clucked her tongue, “You went too far, Grove. Seriously, you could have killed him, and what do you think would have happened to you then? Celestia would have had your head for killing her new pet.”
“New pet…” Grove shook his head, “I don’t know, Mind, I kinda like the guy. He’s a bit of a misery at times, but still…I think he’s more like us than he thinks.”
“What, Equestrian?” She asked curiously.
“No. Well, yes, sure, but that not what I mean.” Grove sighed, “I mean he’s a soldier, a fighter, deep down inside. Okay, he’s not a professional soldier sure, but I can see Silver in him, you know?”
Mind nodded, “He’s got his eyes.”
“Aye,” Grove continued, “But it’s more than that, it’s his spirit.”
“I suppose.” Mind shrugged, “I always thought he was a miserable sod personally.”
Grove chuckled, “I know, but still waters run deep they say.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Is that some sort of cliché?” Mind furrowed her brow, “I don’t like daft talk like that – just say what you mean.”
Grove smiled. Mind was a fairly plain speaking mare, an earth pony of farming stock and a veteran of the war as much as he was. She was his friend and, on occasion and after a few wheat beers, his lover. He stretched his neck and took a breath, wincing at the aches and twinges from the blows Rush had landed on him. He was quite good for a beginner: not great, not bad, but definitely showing impressive potential. The brown stallion had surprised him with some moves he never would have expected and, he suspected, Rush wasn’t even aware of fully himself. The fellow had been here barely two days and was already progressing at a surprising rate. Celestia had told him to help Rush, and he had. Sure, maybe not exactly in the way she had intended, granted, but results were what mattered. Whether she forgave him for breaking his ribs and beating him black and blue would remain to be seen. Grove gave his friend and pat on the shoulder and tucked him in while he addressed Mind,
“We’ll just have to see.”
“You’re a pain in the arse sometimes, you know that?” Mind shook her head and turned for the door, “You coming?”
“Yeah” Grove turned the lamp down and followed the mare out, “Good night, Rush.”
The sound of the two ponies faded away into the dimly lit corridor, replaced a few moments later by the faint clopping of another, growing louder, and clearer. Picked out by the yellow light of the lamps, the tall equine approached the sleeping figure in the bed and sighed, shaking her head.
Rush stirred,
“Mmm…Tia?”
“Shhh” The covers of the bed slid away, allowing the alicorn to squeeze in behind him, “Move up.”
“Tia!” Rush squeaked as the alicorn’s warm body snuggled up against him, “There’s no room, I…”
“Oh, hush” she replied, laying a foreleg across his chest, “just relax.”
“But somepony could come in and-” Rush began.
The Princess smiled, laying her muzzle across his neck, “No. Not tonight.” Her horn glowed, floating a key in front of Rush’s eyes.
He sighed and let himself relax, feeling the comforting warmth of the beautiful mare against his back. She made him feel so safe when she was near: loved, protected, and…sleepy…Rush found himself snuggling back into her, his legs quivering slightly as a tingle flowed through his body. He spoke quietly,
“Tia? I’m sorry.”
The white mare nuzzled him softly, “Why?”
“I…” Rush sighed, “I’m causing you problems. I didn’t mean to, but that doesn’t excuse what happened.”
Celestia let out a gentle breath, allowing her magic to run through him, sensing him, feeling every fibre of his being. He’d been hurt, true, but it was nowhere near as bad as she’d feared. Orange Grove had certainly interpreted her instructions in his own unique way, which was not entirely unexpected she supposed, but still, to beat Rush senseless? Naturally she was angry with him, with both of them really, but, perhaps, this was just the way stallions did things…
Stallions…
The Princess closed her eyes and breathed in his scent; he smelled of healing poultices, herbs, and that background muskiness of a stallion. She felt her legs wrapping themselves around him and pulling him to her. She let them…she wanted to feel him tonight.
Rush opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. He wasn’t one for words, and in fact, he never had been. Instead, he simply lay there and kept silent, listening to the soft breathing of the mare beside him and the wonderful warmth from her body as well as the comforting yet strange tingling sensation that was slowly fading away. He stretched his legs and yawned; the aches were gone, leaving only the fading sadness he felt for…
“Rush…”
Celestia’s murmur made Rush’s train of thought derail, making his melancholy vanish like morning dew before the sun goddess’s loving rays. He smiled,
“I love you.”
“I should think so too” Celestia chuckled gently, “My bad stallion.” She reached up and gently nibbled his ear, “Go to sleep my love, you need to rest now.”
Rush shuddered, feeling the Princess let out a sigh and begin to drift off to sleep beside him. Squeezing his eyes shut he tried to will himself to sleep, but after what she’d done to him, just that most simple of things…Gods, it was like a lightning bolt surging through him! He was never going to sleep now! Rush let out an involuntary whimper.
Behind him, Celestia smiled happily.