Back from the North

by vadram

Something worth fighting for

Something worth fighting for

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There were no cheers, no whistling, nothing.

Every stallion just stood there and stared blankly at the two mares that had broken out into song for no reason, then they went back to their drinks.

“Tough crowd,” Berry said as she climbed down from the bar, and returned to her job of filling the sad thirsty ponies drinks.

“I’ll say.” Pinkie was surprised that her song was unable to make anypony smile. Not one soldier even cracked a smile during, or after her and Berry’s uplifting song.

The front door creaked open, but before anypony could see who has entered the room it had been already closed.

As one would enter the room he could see the half of the place filled by the Nightwatch, the other by Royal Guards, with a clear line separating the halves, path that lead to the bar where only Pinkie Pie and Silky stood, the rest of the bar stools being empty.

Pinkie ordered another drink to oil her creative gears as she planned her next song. Silky was still nurturing his drink when he felt a tiny hoof poking him in the rear.

“Excuse me Sir,” a voice could be heard coming from Silky. He turned and saw a light grey pegasus colt with a dark grey mane and a storm cloud as a cutie mark. Silky and Pinkie turned looked at the colt that was standing in a bar full of sad and angry drunk soldiers.

“Rumble, you know you shouldn’t be in here,” Pinkie scolded him as she walked over to him.

“I just wanted to see the soldiers.”

“Well here we are,” one of the nearby Nightwatch soldiers moaned from his table.

Pinkie walked Rumble towards the door, but the colt was resisting all the way.

“Leave the kid be,” a Guard told Pinkie, “Let him see what Her Majesty's Finest are really all about.”

Pinkie stopped and glared at the drunk stallion who was using a wooden mug as a pillow.

“Well kid, what do you think?” a Nightwatch soldier asked from across the room. “Are we everything you ever thought we would be?”

“Yes!” he loudly proclaimed. “You are brave soldiers resting after a hard day’s work. And I want to be one of you when I am able to enroll.”

The mass of ponies bursted out in laughter.

“Why would you like to join?” a voice asked from somewhere in the room.

“Because it is the right thing to do!”

Again everypony laughed.

“Quiet down!” a large stallion ordered as he slammed his hoof into the table. “Do you want to know what being a soldier is like?”

“I do!”

“Well then, know that a soldiers life is hard, dirty, and most off all it’s painful.”

“Then why are you doing it?” Rumble asked the stallion.

“ZEAL!” the stallion yelled out.

“Yes sir!” a Nightwatch pegasus dressed in full armor stood up in attendance.

“Take it away!”

“Gladly sir! You guys ready?”

“Ready!” the whole of the Nightwatch yelled.

“For a long time we've been marching off to battle.
In our thundering herd we feel a lot like cattle.” The whole Nightwatch was singing.

“Hey!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “That’s racist!”

“Like the pounding beat,
Our aching feet,
Aren't easy to ignore...”

“Hey! Think of instead, a mare worth fighting for.” Zeal sang alone.

“Huh?” Pinkie Pie and Rumble were surprised by the cheery, almost feminine voice that the middle age stallion was singing in.

“That's what I said,
A mare worth fighting for.
I want her prettier than the Moon,
With eyes that shine like stars.”

Another Nightwatch stallion took over.

"My girl will marvel at my strength,
Adore my battle scars."

Then another.

“I couldn't care less what she'll wear or what she looks like
It all depends on what she cooks like...”

Whistling, cheering and shouting drowned out the next stallions last lines. Zeal took over.

“Bet the local girls thought you were quite the charmer.
And I'll bet the ladies love a man in armor.”

The Guard joined their brothers in song.

“You can guess what we have missed the most,
Since we went off to war...
What do we want?
A girl worth fighting for.”

“My girl will think I have no faults
That I'm a major find,” Zeal sang.

“How 'bout a girl who's got a brain
Who always speaks her mind?” Pinkie tried joining in.

“Nah!” was their collective response.

Soldiers were joining in, singing a line before another will continue with the next.

“My strapping ways and turn of phrase are sure to thrill her.
He thinks he's such a lady killer.

I've a girl back home who's unlike any other
Yeah, the only girl who'd love him is his mother.”

A brawl breaks out between the last two but they were quickly separated by an officer.

“But when we come home,
In victory. They'll line up at the door.
What do we want?
A girl worth fighting for
Wish that I had...
A girl worth fighting for
A girl worth fighting...”

As the singing went on, Pinkie managed to get Rumble out.

Author's Note:

Original Song: Disney's Mulan - A girl worth fighting for
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiqmZLOaD8o