W.A.F.E.

by DNA Hochburger

The demon with the mask

In a bar in middle Canterlot playing when the last chapter stopped.

The light brown pegasus slams his mug on the table, wiping a bit of lather from his muzzle with an angry look on his face. "I can't believe her," rages the stallion, but his scream is almost drowned out by the noise of the tavern.

The stallion next to him pats him on the shoulder in comfort. "Calm down, Hoof. I'm sure she just had a bad day, besides she is an armmaster. I'm sure she has a lot on her hoofs."

Hoof Slam turns to look at his friend. A light gray pegasus with a dark blue mane which style reminds of a wave and deep dark green eyes. His cutiemark is a smiley. "Oh yeah? Just because she's an armmaster doesn't mean she's better than everypony and is allowed to talk to us like that."

The other one scratches himself at the side of the head. "Actually it does."

Their conversation is stopped when the other patrons start to cheer and stomp. They turn around to see what the fuss is about and see one of their friends stand in the middle of the arena. One hoof raised in the air by the referee to declare his victory.

The place they are at isn't just any ordinary tavern. Inside is an arena for fighting. Anyone who can get ten victories in one evening gets a free meal. That, of course, leads to it being more a spot for guards and soldiers rather than for normal civilians.

The winner steps out and is immediately greeted by his marefriend who hugs him. They walk together over to the counter where Rock Solid orders his free meal before they go to the table where they sit.

"Congratulation Rock on your victories," says the gray pegasus.

"Thanks," replies the brownish grayish earth pony. He has a short brown mane with the stems being a shade darker and an also short kept brown tail, that is little more than a stub in length. His cutiemark is a rock with a shattered hammer next to it

His marefriend is an average sized pegasus but still looks small beside his massive form. She has a pink-purple coat and purple mane and tail color. In her short mane sits a subtle red hairband. Her cutiemark is pink fumes.

"Yeah good bucking victory, Rock," growls Hoof Slam under his breath.

Sweet frowns at her friend's demeanor. "Are you still angry?"

When the brown pegasus doesn't answer Nice answers for him. "Yeah, he's still angry at her. I don't know why he's mad at her. When I met her she was nice enough. Maybe a bit on the cold side, but nice."

Just then the waiter comes and puts Rocks order in front of him. He takes a bit, chews and then says, "Let him be. He is only mad because it went against his special talent."

Hoof Slams special talent is being an authority figure, so it makes sense that every time somepony decides something over his head that he gets angry. Sadly that is almost every day, because of his low rank. But today is unfortunately especially bad.

---

Hours later deep into the evening the four friends leave the tavern and walk down the road.

After some minutes Sweet Smell suddenly stops and puts her nose up in the air. "Oh what a nice smell."

All three males turn around to look at her. Rock asks, "What is it?"

She doesn't answer instead of her face shifts from happy to confused. "But what is that other smell? Sweat? She's running. Maybe some evening jogging? Wait, what are those other smells?" She sniffs the air and her eyes rip open. She immediately turns to her friends. "Guys, I think a mare is getting chased."

Nice Guy is already in the air, "Where!?"

The mare points in a direction and the gray pegasus darts off. Hoof Slam tries to follow but barely lifts off the ground before he crashes.

Meanwhile over the rooftops, Nice finds the ones Sweet talked about and finds that there is one earth pony mare that is chased by what seems to be five unicorns. The flying stallion starts to frown at the scene and at the same time the smiley on his flank starts to shifts into a frown too.

---

The other three finally arrive too and what they find should surprise them, but it doesn't. On the street lay five unicorns in various states. Two had broken horns, two are not moving, but still breathing and one won't be coming up again... ever... because he's dead and we will leave it at that.

A couple of meters away sits a shivering mare that is being comforted by Nice Guy. They look around the aftermath of the fight if you are able to call it that. Sweet and Rock nod to each other and go to do their procedure.

The brown earth pony first helps Hoof to lean against a wall before rounding up the unconscious ponies but letting the dead one alone. So much blood.

At the same time, his marefriend sends a signal flare into the air to signal other guards before she goes over to Nice and the other mare.

As she walks closer she notices the mare more. She's a darkish turquoise earth pony mare. She has a rounded off purple mohawk which has two lighter streaks running through it. Her eyes are a pink-purple, the pink being more intense. Her cutiemark are three gears covered in pink fur.

"How is the status?" she asks.

"She is unhurt, I am mostly unhurt except a small burn at my cutiemark," replies the gray pegasus while looking at his flank where a small scorch mark is, "And well you see how good the attackers fare."

The female guard looks back at the unicorns. "Don't you think you went a bit overboard this time?"

He lowers his head a bit and admits, "Yeah."

Their conversation is broken by a quiet, "Thank you."

The two guards turn to the mare who looks at them a small smile forming on her tear stained face. She leans for and hugs him, much to his surprise. "Thank you," she says again, more confidently than before.

Nice looks for help to Sweet who holds back a chuckle behind a hoof. He turns back who is currently hugging him.

He awkwardly rubs her head, not knowing what else to do and responds, "No problem, Miss..."

She lets him go and rubs one of her eyes before replying, "Please, just call me Fluffy."

Just then three winged night guards come, hover above them and point their spears at them. The seemingly oldest of them says, "Hold right there! What happened here?" Further down the street round three more nightly guards, approach them in a gallop.

Sweet answers. "I and my friends here are day guards. We were walking home from the Bravern* when I smelled that this mare here," she points at the mare, "was in trouble. We came to rescue her and when we were done we called you."

Before the night guard with the bat like wings can say something reply Nice interrupts them, "This is a lie. My team has nothing to do with this. I did this alone."

The thestral lands before the gray pegasus and stares hard at him. "You want to tell me that you, a single pegasus, took out five unicorns? What's your name?"

"My name is Nice Guy, sir."

"Never heard of you," states the senior guard with an unimpressed voice.

There is a second of contemplation on the gray pegasus's face before he answers, "You might know me under another name, sir. The demon with the mask."

All night guards stiffen, but not for long as the leader of the nightly squad looks at his men. "You know what to do."

A unicorn and an earth pony step forward and put shackles around all of his hoofs and wings connecting them together. Then four of the guards in armor start walking towards the castle with Nice Guy in tow.

The other two other night guards turn to the unarmored guards. "You are day guards, correct?"

Rock nods, "Yes."

"Report back to the castle immediately and take the civilian with you for interrogation."

They salute and then say in unison. "Yes!"

Sweet Smell helps up Fluffy and Rock Solid heaves Hoof Down on his back before they also walk to the castle.

When they are out of earshot one of the guards says to the other, "Can you believe we just met the demon with the mask?"

The other one looks to the remains of what used to be a pony and then answers, "Yes. Yes, I can."

Author's Note:

So this was actually at the end of the last chapter, but decided I wouldn't and instead post it as it's own.

*Bravern= short for Brawling Tavern the place with the arena inside.