Bronze Hoof

by cowboybird

The Battle of Wethoof: Part 4 (19)

The Battle of Wethoof Part 4

Second Arc: Delay of Game

Gear ran through the back alleys, dodging buildings and attacks coming from his rear. Although none of the three stallions chasing him were unicorns, they could still lob rocks and debris at him.

One rather large chunk of rock slammed into the wall where he had just been, cracking the visage and obliterating the projectile.

Gear chanced a look behind him, only to find that two of his pursuers were far too close for comfort. The third, most likely the one who had just thrown the rock, was a little ways behind, but quickly catching up with his comrades.

Gear moaned as he realized the reason why.

His short unicorn legs were no match for the strong workhorse muscles of the royal guard’s earth ponies. Although he was more agile due to his small frame, Gear calculated that they would be on him in less than two minutes.

Quickly devising a plan in his head, and approximating where in the city they were at, he took a sharp left.

This allowed him to further stretch the distance between himself and certain death.
If for just a moment.

Gear’s ears swiveled, catching the sound of three very angry stallions rounding the corner.

Although Gear was never very physical, even when working on the Peach’s farm, he loved the way he felt when exerting himself.

Air flooding into his system, veins pouring blood to his muscles, sweat beading on his brow.

He felt scared.

He felt alive.

The unicorn took another left as the sound of horseshoes on cobble resonated close behind.

He heard one of the guards yell in irritation, followed by another rock smashing into the wall next to him.

A right this time, down a back alley that led to the south.

Although the adrenaline coursing through him was wearing off, Gear was coming to his destination.

He took a left, and chanced a glance to his right.

The alleys that led to the main street zipped by, lending him a stop-motion idea of where he was.

Two blocks ahead and I’m home free.

His goal was right in front of him, just three lengths ahead.

Suddenly things went wrong.

On the stretch between turns, one of the rebels had caught up to him.

Gear felt a strong pair of legs wrap around his barrel as he lost his footing, tumbling through the darkened space.

Gear watched as they started to slow, the chemicals in his blood seemingly slowing time down. Whether it was destiny or cruelty,

Gear slid into the main street on his jaw with his pursuer riding him.

Blood rushed into Gears mouth, leaving its irony taste everywhere.

“Now…I…Gotcha!” The rebel said between gasps of air.

The stallion flipped Gear onto his back, probably so he could see the face of the pony who would kill him.

The other two joined their comrade, looking even madder than the one on top of him.

They took a moment before composing themselves.

“I say we gut him and feed his entrails to the jungle!” one said.

“Nah, we gotta slice off his stallion-hood and watch him bleed out!” the other retorted.

This got a positive response from the other two as they each began pulling daggers out of their armor.

“Listen guys, as much as I’m sure you enjoy fantasizing about my genitals, I think you have bigger problems.” Gear said, trying his best to inch his waist away from the oncoming blades.

“Oh yeah, like what?” The one on top of him said.

“Like the royal guard.” Gear said, pointing his hoof above his head, and in front of the three rebels.

Like angels back from a battle with the devil, the last of the royal guard stood proudly in the settling sunlight. They all looked tired
and beaten, but their golden armor betrayed not a hint of fatigue. Each held a short sword in their mouths, save for one pony who
had a hoof-mace on his right leg, which was currently stretched out towards the three.

“Put the blades down boys.” The mace-wielding earth stallion said. His voice was deep and demanding, as if ‘no’ wasn’t in his
dictionary. Clearly a veteran officer of the guard.

The rebel on top of Gear slowly climbed off, keeping eye contact with the officer at all times. Gear watched as the three of them slowly
lowered their blades, and dropped them.

The clink of steel against cobblestone was all Gear needed to get up and walk towards his saviors.

The white earth stallion ordered some of his subordinates to tie the three “scum” up before turning his attention towards Gear.

“Are you alright citizen?” He asked.

“Yeah, thanks to you guys. I didn’t know if you’d still be here or not. But I’m glad you were.” Gear said, sitting roughly on his flanks
before rubbing his jaw.

He winced at the pain, before feeling it more gingerly. It didn’t seem too bad, just some road-rash. However considering the size of it,
the wound might leave a scar.

The officer seemed to take notice of his jaw. He pulled Gear’s head in with his hoof, and gave it a look over himself.

“Don’t worry son, it’s just a superficial cut.” He released Gear, and gave him a solute.

“Second Lieutenant George S. Satin at your service. Me and my men are what’s left of the Second Platoon here in Wethoof. We may
look a little raggedy, but we are still battle ready.” Satin’s tone was proud, and contagious.

Gear took a moment to survey the remaining platoon, and found a bunch of beaten down ponies. But each held a glimmer in their
eye, as though even death couldn’t stop them from defending the weak.

Bronze would like them.

“What’s your name son?” Satin said, offering me a hoof.

Gear took it, and was dragged to his hooves.

“I’m Gear Head, I’m part of the reserves…kind of.” The unicorn said, drawing an odd look from the Second Lieutenant.

“Sort of?” He took a second to think before lighting up like a light bulb. “You must be one of the special Forces Captain Founder said
she was bringing in!”

The stallion slapped Gear on the shoulders, eliciting a small squeal of pain from the petit unicorn.

“She said there were two ponies, a bath, griffin, and minotaur!” Gear stopped in his metal tracks.

Special Forces?

“She said that you bunch would help turn the tide of this battle in our favor. So, how’s it going at the market? I assume we won, and
you were leading those three to us so you wouldn’t have all the fun?” Once again Gear found his shoulder throbbing from the force
that came crashing down on him.

Satin laughed, a good, hearty laugh.

And then he saw Gear’s expression.

“That’s it…right son?” He asked, concern finding hold in his voice.

“I’m sorry sir, but Flower Founders attack force got wiped out. My friend Nar-Kuth and I came upon the remains of the battle, found
their headquarters, and infiltrated it. I was leading these three away so that Nar-Kuth could take out their leader and stop all this
bloodshed. Before I led them off, I saw Flower chained up on a wall unconscious. As far as I know, she is the only survivor.” Gear
choked back a sob at the memories of the carnage that he had seen.

Second Lieutenant Satin went deathly quiet before responding.

“My son was in that attack party.” He said, his prideful voice now tainted with grief.

Before Gear could offer his condolences, Satin’s mood bounced from depressed back to prideful.

“He died a soldier’s death, just like a proper man should. We need to move on men!” He was addressing the platoon now, “We need
to push forward and finish what the others started. Their deaths shall not be in vain! We shall quell this rebellion in the name of the
Princesses!” Gear could tell that most of what he said was forced valor, but the unicorn decided that the army stallion needed his
space. There will be time for grieving later he supposed.

“So, tell me son, where is their headquarters?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Toni flew through the Wethoof, darkly realizing the lack of activity. When they first arrived the skies had been alive with activity from pegasi. Ponies of different colors would go about their day, some delivering packages, others trying in vain to control natural clouds
that would coalesce in the jungle, then float into the town. Just like in the other pony settlements and cities around Equis, Wethoof’s
skies were usually abuzz with activity.

Now they were vacant, save for a few embers and smoke clouds that whisked their way across thermal vents created by fires.

Where the flames had come from she didn’t know, but they re-kindled something inside of her.

A memory that had long since been forgotten.

Ghostly screams teemed through her mind as bits and pieces of something terrible began to emerge.

Whatever it was, it could wait until she found Quick.

Focusing on the task at hand, Toni scanned the skies for the familiar griffin she had begun to love.

“He couldn’t have gotten far…” she mumbled, ducking back into the alleyways of the city and landing.

The pegasi turned a corner, and ran straight into a pony

She quickly backed up, wary of the pony before her.

He seemed to be of the guard, given that he wore armor. However, the armor he wore definitely wasn’t from the royal guard. Dark
armor surrounded his barrel and hooves. His coat was a dark ashen color, giving the illusion that he was made of shadows. The most defining feature however, were the pair of bat wings that adorned his sides.

“Identify yourself!” He said in a deep, commanding voice.

Although Toni wasn’t usually the scared type, she found this pony quite frightening.

“T-t-toni.” She stuttered.

“Are you part of the insurrection that plagues this city?”

“Um…no.” She backed away, only to have him cover the space.

“Then are you a civilian?” He barked.

“Kinda…” She trailed off, momentarily forgetting her fear and pondering whether she held Equestrian citizenship.

“Yes or no!” He demanded.

“No?” Her questioning tone seemed to put him off for a split second.

“Well, I’m just passing through with some friends of mine when this whole thing started. I got separated from them, and that’s why I’m
wondering the city. I just want to leave with my friends.” She was going to say more, but tears began to spring up in the corner of her eyes. She just met this new pony, she didn’t want him to think of her as a crier.

“Very well. What is your name?” The soldier-like tone in his voice didn’t seem as hard this time, more gentle and caring. Although it
wasn’t much, it made Toni feel much less threatened.

“I already told you, my name is Toni, and this is my cheetah, Death Bringer.” She rummaged around in her hair for a second before
retrieving a small turtle from it.

The shelled creature reached out with its neck and rubbed its head against the bat-pony.

His face contorted into one of shear confusion, and stayed like that for a good minute before Toni placed her pet back into her hair.

Through all his years being a guard, through all his travels throughout Equis, all the strange and odd things he’s seen that some only
regard as myth, the seasoned warrior could only say one thing.

“What?”

“Oh! That reminds me! What’s your name?” Toni asked, replacing the turtle in her hair.

“Uh…Mah…Ch…” Stuttered the guard before composing himself, “I am Sargent Nock. I’m the vanguard for Princess Luna’s
entourage. Since we haven’t been interrupted I assume you’re not being fallowed, which leads me to believe you are either trying to
leave the city, or are looking for someone.”

Although he didn’t exactly ask a question, Toni decided to answer like he did.

“I’m looking for my friend Quick Beak. He’s a griffin who was helping the guard fight the rebels, he took off and now I need to find him.”

Tears began to well up in her eyes again, leaving the stallion uncomfortable.

“Don’t worry ma’am, we’ll find your friend once I’ve secured an LZ for the princess. I was supposed to find the garrison here and
establish a safe area around it. Do you happen to know where that is?” Nock said.

Toni looked back the way she came, then faced the dark guard.

“That’s where I’m coming from, my friend Bronze Hoof is there facing off against a lot of meanie rebels. Do you think you could help
him after we fine Quick?”

“Finding your friend will have to wait, and as for helping your friend…”

At first Sargent Nock was going to refuse and find another LZ, as the Princess’s safety was his major concern, but then he saw
something that his years of experience couldn’t have prepared him for.

Toni was giving him puppy dog eyes.

Not just any puppy dog eyes though, the mother of all cute/sad faces. Her lower lip was quivering with barely sustained sobs, he eyes
were big and bright and had a gleam in them that spoke to his inner hero. Her face was flush with red, accented brightly by her white mane.

“Oh, alright.” He said, beaten.

“YAY!” Toni exclaimed, immediately bursting from her sad façade into one of joy.

“Yeah, yeah. Just lead the way.”

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