It's Raining Sunlight

Chapter 5

When the sun rose the next morning, a group of ponies were up already. They all stood at the side of a certain bed. All waititng for the pony to wake up. After a little wait, his eyes starting to blink at the morning sun.

Batter slowly awoke, still feeling heavy after the bad sleep. He couldn't close his eyes properly the whole night. After he had awaken fully, he saw all the ponies standing around his bed. "Huh...? What's wrong?". But before he got an answer, some of the ponies shoved him out of the bed. He crashed onto the floor, causing him to realise what was happening.

All ponies surrounded him, giving him a angry look. One of them gave him a swift kick in the stomach. He gasped as the pain flew through his veins. Many more joined the first pony as they kicked Batter as powerful and as much as they could. Everywhere, kicks flew at the now terrified pony. He tried to protect him, but they're were too many. The pain was unbearable now, feeling like all your muscles were smashed and all your bones were crushed.

The beating continued, until finally a Royal Guard came in, hearing the noise. "HEY, ALL OF YOU STAND BACK!" the Guard yelled. They all looked up and took a step back. Batter lay there, shivering and bloody. The Guard looked at him with slight concern. "You okay?". Batter tried to stand, but failed as the pain made all his limbs feel like solid rock. He looked at the ponies one last time, seeing them all grin. And then all went black.

He woke up in the ER, still feeling the pain coursing through his body. The nurses were busy looking after others, but one stood at the side of his bed. "Don't try to move, or else the bandages may get loose." she said with concern. Everything was dizzy at first. Things swirling in the distance, voices sounding more like gibberish and his body felt like it was on a boat... when it was storming.

But before he had regained his consciousness, he heard a voice. "Rock, please let me stay with... him... he can't live without... his...". Then a spray of red appeared before his eyes and he sat up, gasping loudly. "Ooh dear! Please stay calm, sir." the nurse said as she tried to lay him back down on the bed. "No, please, don't touch me..." he said, trying to sound calm. "Please, sir, it's my job to take care of you and I don't want you to open your wounds.". But he didn't take it. "No! The training will start soon! I can't come late, or else I will lose it all!" he exclaimed, jumping out of his hospital bed and running towards the door. Some nurses turned around to stop him, and so did some Guards. But Batter was outside in a flash, running towards the group of recruits.

"Okay, young ones, today we will be practicing with weapons. I presume none of you ever hold a sword before." a rather young Guard explained. None of the ponies held up their hooves. "As expected, but not to worry, I, Sir Gural, will teach all of you how to properly wear a weapon.". He took the sword he had hanging beside his side and unsheated it in a flash. Many ponies were looking in amazement as the stallion hacked away at a group of training dummies, increasing his speed everytime.

At last, Batter had catched up and stood behind the group of ponies. He couldn't see what was going on, but at the sound of the other ponies, it must be amazing. Suddenly, a stallion bumped into him, opening a wound and filling his side with terrible pain. "What the buck are you doing here? Weren't you beaten up by us this morning!?" he snapped rather loudly. "Please, leave me alone. I'm here to train, nothing more." he calmly replied, trying not to cry under the sheer pain. The stallion gave him a grumpy sniff and went back into the group.

The demonstration had finished, and many of the ponies were clapping at the young stallion. "Thank you, you're too kind~" he said, bowing down at the group. "If you train hard enough, you will be able to use weapons like this sword in no time. But for now, all of the grab a wooden sword from the weapon rack and started practicing on the dummies. Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT spar yet. You're all still inexperienced, and I don't want any crying pony telling me that the other had hit him. Now, you may begin!".

All ponies ran towards the weapon rack and took a wooden sword. They started looking at it, mostly disappointed it wasn't a real one. Batter took his own sword and started slashing at the wooden dummy. The Guard was right... he thought. It's kinda hard...

After the weapon training (and the many ponies who had to go to the ER, because they didn't listen to the Guard), there were the usual thing like powertraining, the running course and teaching in the library. "Please, don't let there be a sparring session..." Batter whispered to himself. Too bad, there was one. It wasn't him in the ring however, just two stallions trying their best to impress the crowd, but most of them laughed at how inexperienced they were at fighting.

The night had struck Equestria, and many of the recruits returned to the sleepingquarters after dinner. The training was way more exhausting then yesterday. Batter had a terrible day, almost being unable to breath and sometimes he even blacked out for a moment. Many of the wounds had opened up as well. Luckily, the trainers always seemed to care about his well being, even if they sometimes sounded more like scolds like: "Stand up, recruit! I've seen ponies with broken legs walk better than you!" or "What the hay are you doing!? Yesterday you were atleast active!". Atleast they noticed him, others just ignored him.

He didn't go back to the sleepingquarters, he stayed outside, looking at the sparkling moon. The courtyard was quiet, only some talking could be heard from some of the Guards, chatting about the usual things: Lifes, children, marefriends or their husband. Batter continued to walk, his thoughts drifting of. Many were about the times with his gang, the 'incident', the times in jail and... that mare. The mare he saw in his dreams, the one willing to let him rut her all night long. She looked like someone he new, but the points were vague. He couldn't see her face, her cutie mark or even the colour of her fur.

Thought after thought, he walked through the courtyard. Hoovesteps could be heard. He turned around. The general stood there, looking at him with a stern look on his face. He knew what he had to say. "Look, sir, I'm sorry about what happened to that stalllion. But I couldn't control myse-". But his halfhearted protest was cut of as the general spoke a unique word: "Batter Up...".

"H-how do you know my name!?" he asked with concern. The general stepped closer to him. "Didn't you heard what I told you when we talked in the library? I know all about the incident that happened two years ago. I even know all the names of the gangmembers who survived or didn't run away.". Batter suddenly remembered it. "But why did you remember my name? I was just-". "An Enforcer?" the general quickly spoke, smirking a little. "Yes...".

"Look, Batter Up, I believe the fact that you try to show you are Royal guard material, but after everything I've heard about what happened, it starts to look like you don't have the right attitude. I mean, breaking a stallion's leg, just because you're angry? Running out of the ER while you had to heal, causing shock to many of the patients and nurses?" the general asked in a scorning voice. All Batter could do, was looking at the general with the biggest concern he ever felt. This could be the end for his career. "For these sorts of things I can arrest you even!," the general exclaimed with pure anger. "But at the same time...". He started to calm down. "I did get a lot of instructors, complimenting about your commitment. They were impressed at how strong, quick and smart you are.". Batter looked up in suprise, the instructors were talking about him that way? "In fact, the one who sounded most impressed was the drill sergeant, he said that your fighting skills were... astonishing." the general said, sounding a lot less angry now. "That's quite impressive, considering it coming from him..." the general laughed a little. "Yeah, never knew he had a soft spot for a stallion!" Batter laughed. The general started to laugh a bit harder, which caused Batter to laugh louder as well. After a little while, they both laughed rather loudly. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Batter laughed as tears of joy rolled down his face.

But soon they stopped, as one of the Guards ran towards them. "General, General!" he yelled. The general quickly turned serious again. "What is it, soldier?" he asked. The soldier quickly catched his breath. "We've got some problems in Canterlot, sir! A group of thugs are vandalizing some stores in on the west side of the city!". The general shook his head. "Those same guys again, why don't they ever leave...?". He then looked at Batter. "Soldier, I want you to join me on this mission. We don't have much time, so we better start moving." he said, giving him a slight smile. "Yes, Sir!" Batter Up replied in a confirming voice. Then they both took of, together with the Royal Guard.

My first mission, just on the second day~ Batter Up could hardly hold his squeak as he followed the general, now accomponied with a group of Guards. After a long time galloping, the arrived at the carnage. Many ponies were laying to the walls, scared stiffless as the group of thugs continued to vandalize any and all stores they could get their hooves on. Some took the owners out and beat them up, while others took all the bits, food and jewelry. "HALT! YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST!" the general spoke. The group of thugs looked at him with unpleasent eyes. "Make Us...".

To be continued.