“Sure. Why not?” Rekka jeered, crawling off the bed and landing on the floor face-first. The green pegasus began to laugh as the stallion who still held him pinned in magic started a series of attempts to walk in a straight line without tripping or running into things a hefty few times. Eventually, the red-maned unicorn fell in front of Tenmei, who was also giggling nonstop.

“Hey, take a breather, man!” The earth pony chuckled, flashing a warm smile at his friend.

Rekka’s horn sputtered, and his crimson magic literally sizzled before fading. Nagare landed on the floor sprawled out, his legs having gone numb from how long he was held in place. He glared at the unicorn as blood rushed through his veins, wings barely twitching.

The earth pony looked at the pegasus. “Chill, bro.” He said, still smiling.

“Until I can move my legs, that’s a no-go.” Nagare replied curtly, an eyelid twitching.

Tenmei got up and made his way to the only dresser drawer in the room, stumbling and tumbling on the path. As soon as he was in front of the damn thing, he opened the drawers with a hoof.

His eyes widened as he saw the contents. There was a bottle, some hoofcuffs...the rest reeking of and covered in mildew and rot. He shut the drawers posthaste. “Sweet Celestia, they need to clean up around here!” He exclaimed, backing away from it quickly.

“I’ll take you word for that.” Rekka murmured, rising onto his hooves just in time to watch his companion backpedal away.

Nagare also rose, circulation having returned. He smiled darkly. “Remember when I said ‘don’t make me leave this table?’” He asked, causing the unicorn to glance at him.

“No?” The red-maned stallion replied, blinking. He noticed the pegasus approaching him with wings spread wide.

“You should.” The green one stated, still smiling.

“Quit shaking your feathers at me, ya belligerent peacock.” The unicorn hissed, horn flaring up for round two.

“Listen here, fire ant,” Nagare began, his smile widening. He spread his wings wider, still approaching his companion, “I am not tolerating anymore charades. We’re settling this tonight!”

“How?” Rekka asked, his single-word question stopping the pegasus in his tracks immediately.

Tenmei stumbled to the stallions whose argument was once more igniting, using the silence hanging between them as a distraction. As soon as he was within range, he grasped Rekka by the neck with his front legs, just tight enough to yank him into a hug. “Quit fighting, guys.” He said, shaking the unicorn in his grasp for a moment or two.

“He started it!” Nagare yelled, pointing the accusing wing at the unicorn.

“Did not!” Rekka hollered back, pointing the accusing hoof at the pegasus.

“Guys, what about our truth-or-dare game?” Tenmei asked with a now-visible frown on his muzzle, causing the other two to look at him. “Couldn’t we sort this out without hooves flying everywhere?”

“Fiiiiine.” Both would-be combatants groaned in annoyance, one closing his wings and the other lowering his hoof. With that, Tenmei released his grip on the unicorn, sighing in relief as they finally relented for the time being.

The three positioned themselves around the table shortly thereafter, a tense silence holding the entire room for a few moments.

At least, until Nagare spoke up. “Who goes first?”

“I ‘unno.” Rekka answered, shrugging. “All I know is it was Tenmei’s idea.”

“Then he goes first.” Nagare replied, looking at the earth pony. He eyed his zircon necklace for a moment, then wandered off to the chained topaz adorning the unicorn’s neck. Green eyes moving to his own body, he spotted an opal also hanging by small chains around his neck.

Another tense silence. Tenmei looked at the two stallions and he cleared his throat. “Rekka, truth or dare?” He asked.

“Truth.” The unicorn replied, smiling smugly.

“Why’s the tip of your horn red?” Tenmei asked, a smug smile of his own adorning his muzzle.

The unicorn jumped, instantly breaking a sweat. One of his eyes twitched, and he cringed. “I...I have no clue.” He said.

Tenmei rose onto his rear legs, using the table to support himself in the process. “That means you have to do a dare!” He cried, eyes glinting with excitement.

Rekka leaned back, his horn flashing for a moment. “W...what?” He asked, cringing.

Before the earth pony could answer, the door swung open violently. “They’re in here?” Asked a feminine voice--one belonging to that of a tomboy.

“Yeah, I chucked them in here after the red one kissed the greenie.” Answered an irritated masculine voice.

“THEY WHAT?” Shrieked the first in shock. A cloaked pony with visible purple wings trotted into the room, and all three stallions froze upon seeing the figure.

“Oh fuck.” Nagare murmured, eyes wide as he cringed.

“‘Oh fuck’ is right! We were worried sick about you!” The figure replied, removing the facial garments to reveal a purple face framed with narrowed eyes and a scowl. “Come with me, I am personally wrangling you three back home!”

“Is there a taxi?” Tenmei asked, somehow oblivious to the fact Yuuki was now present and more than irate. He was so drunk he honestly thought he was talking to someone else.

“Yes, there’s a taxi! And I brought it myself!” Yuuki answered, a hoof connecting with her face.

Another stallion with light blue eyes, white pelt, and sleek grey mane trotted into the room, and the first thing he did as soon as he entered was let one of his front hooves wander until it just barely touched the hip of the agitated mare. It didn’t go unnoticed--Yuuki quickly snapped her head towards him, eyes narrowing even lower. “And what are you trying to do?” She asked, a brow twitching.

“What am I doing?” The bloke asked, just as oblivious to the building rage as Tenmei. He chuckled drunkenly. “Just checking out your goods is all. You’re so sexy I could fuck you for weeks!”

Before any could react, Nagare spread his wings and ascended into the air. Flying with drunken rage and inexplicable grace, he rushed right at the stallion and knocked him flat on the floor with his hooves. Yuuki quickly backed away, sensing trouble brewing.

“She’s not interested.” Nagare hissed, his muzzle right in the face of the one he toppled. He noticed that he had a horn on his head, and something seemed to click into his mind. “You got us drunk, didn’t you?” He asked, appearing to sober up somewhat.

“Yeah. You guys missed out!” The pinned unicorn replied, smiling darkly. “A sexy mare’s always interested in hot, dirty sex!”

That earned him a punch to the mouth, sending some teeth flying out in the process. “She isn’t!” Nagare yelled at the top of his lungs, blood rushing through his veins. Rage was building up within him now, and coupled with the fact that he was drunk, it only made matters worse.

“Should I get him off the blabbermouth, or should I sit tight and watch?” Rekka asked, brow arched. The unicorn pushed Nagare away with surprising ease, eyes narrowing since he just had some teeth knocked out. He rose to his hooves and tackled his attacker, trying to deliver some punishing punches of his own. Each attack was blocked by a foreleg before it was returned in kind.

A few royal guards showed up with one of the unicorn variety. He broke the fight up before it could get any uglier than it already was, and the bloke who was hitting on Yuuki was spitting out slurred remarks that hardly made any sense.

Until, that is, one that did make sense caused another few guards to hold Nagare down because of how angry it made him. “I will take that bitch right over there, and I will knock her ass up!” The bloke screamed.

“You will do no such thing, you sickly twat!” The pegasus shouted back, eyes turning red from his rage alone. He struggled and kicked and flapped his wings, but with so many guards holding him down, the effort was futile.

Another few guards escorted Tenmei and Rekka out of the tavern and into a waiting carriage outside.

“What’s your name, son?” Asked the horned guard who kept the drunken unicorn at bay.

“My name’s Brilliant Star.” He replied. Only now did the guards put him in cuffs. “What did I do?!” The unicorn cried, eyes wide in surprise.

“Brilliant Star, you are under arrest for attempted assault, child rape, public indecency, assault with a deadly weapon, the rape and murder of a barmaid in Appleloosa, and partaking in the kidnapping of a total of ten foals.” Answered the guard as he dragged Brilliant out of the room. As soon as the bloke was out of his line of sight and immediate earshot, Nagare calmed down.

The guards let the pegasus go when they felt he wouldn’t tail after the unicorn and leave a trail of fire in the process, and he hung his head in shame.

“Escort him to the…?” One guard asked, looking at Yuuki as he spoke.

“Yeah...I’m not gonna reprimand him or the others. Starting to think Tenmei was kidnapped, to be perfectly honest with you. Go ahead and load him in the taxi.” Yuuki replied, sighing in relief. Even so, worry did flash in her eyes for a single moment.

Author's Note

Well, that escalated quickly.

~Dragon