Dissonance

by FirstClassBroconut

Chapter 1

“Finally! A night off!”

The trio of guards laughed as they sat down in a booth together in the Wild Fishtail Night Club. As custom of it being a Friday night, the club was an ocean of ponies either dancing to the DJ or just sitting as they were enjoying a drink or two.

“I thought Trip Wire would never let us off after your blunder, Sea Mist!”

Sea Mist, a blue coated pegasus with a dark green mane slammed his hoof onto the table, having to yell over the music, “I keep telling you it wasn’t me! Scoots was the one who did it!”

Scoots, an orange mare with a purple mane, took a quick sip of her Hard Apple Cider before defending herself, “You always blame me!”

“That’s because it’s always your fault!”

Sea Mist slapped the mare across the back, earning him a punch to the shoulder, “What about you, Mint Leaf!” She pointed an accusing hoof at the mint and dark green unicorn. “The water didn’t just suddenly decide to turn scalding hot on its own!”

The unicorn’s eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped in mock astonishment, “Are you suggesting that I made the major run out of those showers screaming bloody murder while sporting his bare oak leaves?!”

The Scoots and Sea Mist fell on each other laughing at their friend’s act. It had been far too long since they had had a night off. The head of Traverse’s guard, Trip Wire, was an old stallion who was more paranoid than a pony his age should be. He believed that evil was right around the corner for Equestria, even though no pony knew if Equestria even had enemies. Therefore, the guards of Traverse were always placed on high alert 24/7, which could either frazzle weak pony to nothing where they would be kicked out of the guard and most likely sent to an asylum. Or they become some of the most elite guards around, not saying that was an achievement because they were still less trained than a soldier in the Equestrian Army.

But none of that mattered, not tonight anyway. The three friends sat silently after the laughter had calmed down and drank.

Yes, thought Scoots, this was long overdue.

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“So Scoots!” Sea Mist yelled. “Who do you think would win?”

Scoots looked between the two ponies, “I don’t know…any weapons, magic or wings?”

“Nope!”

She smiled at her egotistical friends; just like stallions, always trying to get a mare’s approval. She really did enjoy it when they asked stupid questions like this. They continued to stare at her, waiting.

“Hmm…well it’s just so hard! I mean, Mist took down that red Pegasus pretty quick. But he was drunk so that doesn’t count besides stylish points. And you, Mint, you are certainly crafty, but not always in a good way. So I would have to saaay…the winner would be me!”

Scoots smiled again and turned her head towards the dance floor as the two stallions gawked at her. Sea Mist was the first to recover and hit the table, “Now that’s just mean, Scoots!”

“Yeah! How dare you deny us our little rivalry!” protested the mint green unicorn.

But she wasn’t paying attention to either of them. Instead she was lost in the music and the dancing of the city ponies. She was usually guarding these ponies right now, it was nice just to find out what they exactly did every night as Scoots went on duty.

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by Sea Mist socking her in the arm. Scoots spun around to him, “Alright fine! I think-“

Mint Leaf cut her off, “Scoots! Look at the bar!”

The young mare turned her head to see four stallions standing around a cloaked pony at the bar.

"Think we should step in?" Sea Mist asked as the three watched, interested.

The four stallions were obviously pestering the cloaked pony who continued to sit and drink its water calmly and occasionally bat a hoof or too away as the ponies tried to remove his hood.

"Nah," she answered as she turned her head back. "He's the one that chose to come into a bar with a hood."

But Sea Mist and Mint Leaf didn't turn around. After a few moments, Mint Leaf tapped Scoots on the shoulder, "I don't think he chose that!"

Whirling her head about, the orange pegasus saw the cloaked pony was now in the hooves of one two of the stallions with a bag on his head. She saw his struggling to get free, but he was so much smaller than the earth ponies. They dragged him out the door and the guards all shot up, "NOW we step in!"

Shoving dancing ponies aside, they dashed into the warm night and looked around for the gang. Straining their ears, they listened but the music from the club blared through the walls. Then they heard small yelp of pain and they galloped to the alley beside the club.

At the end of the way the two pegasi and the unicorn saw the four stallions standing in front of the pony they had bagged. The four took turns kicking and punching the lump of pony who was crumpled up against the wall.

"Freak!" yelled a magenta stallion as he kicked his captive.

""How dare you come to our town!" yelled another as he spat on the pony.

"YOUR town?" yelled Sea Mist.

The ponies turned around and magenta laughed, "Hey look boys! We got some do gooders!"

"Actually," Mint Leaf stated calmly, "You got the city guard."

One of the ponies stepped back and looked a bit frightened by the sight of the law enforcement in front of him. The other three laughed

Suddenly there was a rustling of leaves next to him as dark blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail emerged from the small patch of woods beside the road. Cinder Block paid no attention to the visitor as the mare walked up beside him and smiled, “Well that was certainly interesting! I give your ‘I’m-pissed-off-time-to-kill-somepony’ rage a snazzy eight out of ten! You really could’ve used a better line then “you should’ve let her go.” Seriously!”

Cinder kept walking, “He insulted my mother.”

The Pegasus leapt into the air and floated with her wings beside the unicorn, “Yeah I heard him, but that still doesn’t excuse your bad line! Why didn’t you just try to rip out his heart and scream Kahlii-Ma?!”

“I’m sorry. Maybe the next time I’m going to kill somepony I’ll come to you and ask for a better line!”

The Pegasus flipped silently in the air and landed on the ground again, her hooves deathly silent, “Sweet! Let’s go find somepony now and try out a few!”

Cinder Block rolled his eyes, “And ponies say I’M dangerous!”

The two ponies laughed as they headed down the road towards Everfree Forest. Cinder’s hooves clopped loudly in the night as they hit the packed dirt. While mutli-chromed pegasu’s hooves seemed to float across the dirt as they walked under Princess Luna’s silver moon.

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