The barkeeper looked out the window and saw that the scheduled storm was still at full strength.
"Huh, the weather team is really going all out with this storm." He mumbled to himself, then shrugged.
A storm meant that his customers would stay as long as they could in hope of better weather when walking home. Which meant they would spend more bits on food and drink.
He looked out over the fully-seated homely - but loud - tavern, and took note if any of the guests seemed to be out of drinks, and wasn't he in luck. The group of local youngsters seemed to be all out of ale.
"Oi young'n's, you in need of some more of ol' Langley's prime Ale?"
The youngsters looked up and towards the bar at the dark green unicorn at the sound of his voice.
"What was'at you said Langley, if we needed more Ale?"
A pegasus stallion with a coat white as snow and a twister of ice for a cutiemark said as he looked up.
"You darn tooting right we do!"
A large yellow earth pony stallion with an anvil cutiemark yelled.
Two almost identical darkgreen unicorn mares only distinguishable by their different manes, one having a wild spiky blue mane while the other had her long silver mane with a dark blue streak looked up at him smiling and nodded their confirmation.
Langley smiled and took down a keg of ale from the shelves behind him with his magic. He then grabbed their tankards and floated them over to him, filled them to the brim with a his own brewed dark ale and floated them back to their respective owner.
"You guys owe me a grand total of 40 bits each tonight, just so you keep track on it and can hoof up the bits when you leave!"
He said with a friendly smile adorning his muzzle.
The youngsters laughed and one of the mares took a sip of her ale.
"Yes uncle, we will keep that in mind."
Langley gave a snort of amusment.
"Don't try to pull the family card on me Azure Glow, I might be your uncle but you will not get to walk out putting it on your tab."
He gave the mare with the spiky mane a stern look and then shifted it to the other mare who wilted a bit under his gaze.
"And that goes for you as well, Misty Veil."
The shyer mare just nodded and looked down into her tankard.
"Enjoy your evening young'n's, and give me a holler if you need anything."
He gave them a nod and put the keg back up on the shelf.
An hour passed with some of the guests giving up hope on better weather and leaving for home.
Langley cleared the empty tables and looked around the now almost-empty tavern giving a happy sigh.
He looked towards the table were the youngsters were seated and saw the earth pony gave him a smile.
"Oi Langley, do you by any chance know somepony in the army we can talk to?"
Langley narrowed his eyes and looked him straight in the eyes.
"What would you need to talk to an soldier about, Brimstone?"
Azure fidgeted in her seat at the slightly angry voice.
"Look uncle, I know you ain't really keen on ponies leaving for the army nowadays, but we're all grown ponies who gets to make our own choices. So if you could just tell us if you know someone in the army we could talk to we would greatly appreciate it."
She gave him a big smile and tried her best to look like a cute little filly.
Her uncle looked at her with an impassive face.
"I can't believe this, my own nieces want to join the army, the same army that is the reason your older brother is dead and buried in a foreign country."
He looked at first Azure, then Misty, with an angry but steady gaze.
Azure looked away from his gaze while Misty meet and kept it.
"And that is exactly why we want to join! To keep the family legacy alive, and to be able to get revenge on the thrice cursed Diamond Dogs who took him away from us!"
She all but shouted her last words while looking at her uncle with tears in her eyes.
He looked on her with a steady gaze and then slowly shook his head.
"I was afraid this day would come, but I'm afraid I don't have any contacts left in the army anymore."
The pale pegasus slowly put a wing over first Misty and then Azure who was by now also crying.
"There girls, it'll be alright."
"Thank you for the information, sir."
He said while looking up at Langley with a neutral face and then went back to comforting the distraught mares.
Langley gave a heavy sigh.
"You're welcome, Ice Wind."
He then turned his gaze towards the poorly-lit corner where a scarred pegasus stallion was seated. He looked at him a little before he recognised him.
"Oi, Steel Wing, get over here, I think these youngsters wants to talk to you a bit."
Langley made his way into the kitchen.
"I'm going to get more firewood."
He said as he passed through the door.
The large, steel-grey pegasus looked up from his tankard, looked at them for a few seconds and got up. He walked slowly with a heavy limb on his right hindleg over to their table.
"So you want contacts in Her Highness's army do ya?"
He eyed them all with a curious, but at the same time, critical eye.
Ice Wind looked up at him, winced at the large scar running straight over his face, and quickly collected himself then nodded.
"That we do sir, do you happen to know somepony we can talk to?"
Steel Wing gave a small chuckle at the younger pegasus reaction and looked at him.
"Yer dam right I do, served in it myself for 28 years as well, reached the rank of captain. Then got an honorable discharge for being wounded, and not seemed fit to continue serving, even though they sometimes ask me to come back to help with training the new recruits."
He shook his right hindleg which bore a large jagged scar straight across the thigh. Right above it was a pair of crossed wings with sparks flying from them.
"Had my good shares of action before it, even took part in the quelling of the Zebrain Revolt back in the days."
Brimstone looked him over and looked skeptical.
"The Zebrain Revolt? That was almost fifty years ago sir, you hardly seem to even be forty."
The grey pegasus laughed, and took a swig from his tankard.
"Ha! I like your flattery boy, but looks can be decieving. You're looking at a seventy-seven year old stallion with a lame leg."
Brimstone nodded and started to look over all the scars crisscrossing the older pegasus body.
"Since you were a captain and also helped train new recruits, you don't happen to know where we can get the training to join The Celestial Berserkers, do you?"
Steel Wing almost did a spit take on the ale he was drinking and looked in chock at the large earth pony.
"The Celestial Berserkers boy, that's your ambition?"
The young earth pony merely nodded in response.
"The Berserkers aren't something you can train to join boy, they're hoofpicked by Celestia herself among the top tier fighters in the army, the fiercest fighters of the entire Solar Legion."
He looked around the table at each of the youngster with his gaze settling on Brimstone who met his gaze with one of his own.
"And most importantly, they're truly and completly devoted to serve their Goddess. If she told them to cut their own throat they would do it without batting an eye."
He looked over the earth pony once again.
"They're the best fighters on Equis, nothing can stand against them if Her Highness decides to send them into the fray. And you, a blacksmith if I saw your cutiemark right, wants to join their esteemed ranks?"
Brimstone looked uneasy and looked over at Ice Wind for some support.
Instead it was Misty Veil that looked up at him.
"I-It's not just Brimmy, we all want to."
She dried her face of tears with the back of her hoof and then looked up at with steel in her eyes.
"We want to be able to avenge my brother."
The others nodded in comfirmation at what she said with determination in their eyes.
Steel Wing looked at each of them in turn and then laughed.
The youngsters looked at eachother confused.
"Excuse me sir, but what is it that you find so funny?"
Ice Wind finally asked, still with his completly neutral voice.
The older pegasi calmed down and looked at him.
"Your drive and determination, it reminds me of when I was your age, and I also had my eyes set on joining the esteemed ranks of The Celestial Berserkers."
He took a swig from his ale and looked at them once again.
"But let me tell you a tale, a tale that dates back to The Zebraian Revolt. Sit back, take an ale, and listen to Ol' Steely here tell you of the Battle at The Weeping Hills."
--->Flashback<---
The Battle had been raging for almost eight hours now and it seemed like the zebras had the upper hoof.
Celestia stood on top of a steep and high cliff clad in her golden armor, her halberd resting against her shoulder. Beside her stood a dark brown unicorn stallion clad in battle scarred golden armor and a small contingent of soldier stood behind them. From there she had a perfect wiew of the battle raging on the hills below, or as perfect it could be with the currently raging rainstorm.
"It would seem the battle is going poorly for us, General Ironbreaker."
The old stallion looked criticaly at the battle where the ponies where being thoroughly pushed back at all fronts, and gave a heavy sigh.
"So it would seem, Your Highness, I'll personally lead the reserves and join in the combat so we me claim yet another victory in your name."
He bowed low and started to turn around to head down the cliff.
"There is no need for that, General."
Celestia looked at the old stallion with an expressionless face.
Ironbreaker looked at her with confusion.
"No need, Your Highness? If may be so frank to say, that if we don't send in reinforcements this instance we will lose against these damn striped rebels."
He stomped a hoof to emphasise what he meant.
"We will not lose and we will lose far to many of the reserve, they're not properly trained yet and to many would needlessly die. I'll send in my personal garde to assist the army."
The old stallion looked taken aback and looked at her in confusion.
"Your own garde, but who will defend you then Your Highness?"
He all but screamed and fear was clearly written over his face.
Celestia smiled and looked down at him.
"I'm expecting you to do it general, you are a seasoned fighter from The Solar Legion, are you not?"
Ironbreaker looked at her in chock and then bowed down low.
"I'll do my utmost to make assure your safety, Your Highness."
"I expect nothing less from my best general."
She then turned her gaze towards the battle once again.
"Commander Solar Flare!"
A large white unicorn stallion in his late fifties clad in silver-grey plate armor adorned with glowing dark red runes walked up from the soldier contigent, and stopped behind her slightly to the left.
"Yes my goddess?"
Celestia looked back an him and gave him a sweet smile.
"It's time to put the boys to work don't you think?"
Solar Flare gave a smile in return.
"Ay, I would say it's 'bout time Your Highness."
He gave a crisp salute and then turned around to face the general staring him straight in the eyes.
"If any harm comes to her and you're still alive,I can assure you that you wished you were in the deepest pit of Tartarus instead of being at the mercy of me and my men."
With that said he turned around to adress his soldiers, completly ignoring the dumbstruck general.
"Alright boys, you heard our Goddess! It's time to show these zebras the true might of The Solar Empire!"
He looked each of the soldiers infront of him in the eyes.
"These zebras have turned away from the true light of the sun and instead worships the wicked stars!"
He walked slowly back and forth along the line as he kept up his speech.
"Today we will be the sword that cuts down those unworthy, those unable to see the light of our goddess!"
He took a deep breath and fixed his eyes towards the battle raging below them.
"Today we fight for the glory of our Goddes!"
"Gloriam Celestia!"
Solar cried for all what his lungs were worth.
His shout was echoed by his soldiers.
The pegasi clad in dark red plate reinforce chainmail armor took wing and picked up their landbound brethren.
"Where to commander?"
The pegasus holding Solar looked out over the battle.
He saw in the corner of his eye Celestia walk up to the edge of the cliff, her horn glowing a bright gold.
She slowly rose up into the air, eyes closed, wings flared and horn glowing ever brighter.
Her eyes opened and were glowing white. Her eyes flashed and a large gust of wind came out of nowhere bringing a large amount of dust with out.
When he looked up after having shielded his eyes from the unexpected dust cloud he saw that all the rainclouds had been swept away and the sun was shining unaturally bright at the center of the zebraian army.
"Take us to the center and do it low and quick, we want to avoid the zebraian archers."
"Ay sir, we'll be there in a jiffy!"
And as soon as those words where said the pegasus went into a dive to drop altitude and gain speed.
The rest of the pegasi following close behind them.
He leveled out at around four meters above the ground.
The wind went howling past them as Solar prepared for combat by starting to build up magic in his horn.
As they passed over the rear lines of the pony army they had the unnaturally bright sun shining down on their backs and he once again gave out a battle cry.
"Gloriam Celestia!"
The rest of his soldiers echoed it once more. The ponies looked up with hope and awe in their eyes, while the zebras looked up in terror and backed away seeing the mightiest foe The Solar Empire could throw at them short of the Goddess herself.
Ponies could be heard crying out in elated shouts.
"It's the Berserkers!"
"Now we have victory in hoof!"
"Give 'em hell boys!"
"Look, it's The Celestial Berserkers!"
Solar grinned and then unleashed his magic and mererly a second after that the five other unicorns in his contingent did the same. Six large torrents of golden and red fire streamed down from their horns straight into the zebra ranks as they flew by. Turning armor and weapons into molten pools of metal and bodies into ash.
"Gloriam Celestia!"
The iconical battle cry of the The Celestial Berserkers was heard right after the torrents of fire stopped and the zebras who looked up at the sun and tried to see something through the unnatural brightness from the sun could barerly make out over thirtie large earth ponies clad in golden heavy plate armor wielding halberds, great axes and war hammers decending down on them being dropped by the pegasi carrying them.
They clashed down among the already dissoriented zebras, crushing the one's they landed on and swiftly killed the ones surrounding them.
With the zebra formation where they had landed completly crushed they quickly formed a hollow circle.
Solar Flare and the other unicorns clad in armor similar to Solar's were dropped down into this hollow circle and during their fall they all pulled out their weapons, two scimitars covered by red glowing runes.
They landed with a heavy thud and Solar looked up and around on the carnage that he and his boys had caused in just mere fifteen seconds. All around them were the broken bodies of young zebras, fighting for their false belief.
"Good beginning lads! Now let's continue this!"
He took of in a sprint towards the edge of the ring of heavily armored earth ponies.
"Gloriam Celestia!"
Solar shouted as he jumped over the earth pony and straight into the ranks of terrified zebras closesly followed by the other unicorns with their swords cutting down towards the zebras.
The closest zebras tried to back away but they were pushed forward instead by those behind them before being cut down.
The earth ponies echoed his cry and followed him in the charge, plunging into the zebras and cutting them down in the dozens.
The pegasi dived down from the sky on the zebras who got the unlucky idea to try to attack the earth ponies in the rear.
They shortly killed of the attacking zebras with their wingblades and then joined in the charge taking up the flanks.
Solar Flare looked around and saw only Zebras around him except for his fellow Berserkers.
"Solar Rose!"
Suddenly everypony gathered around him in tight cluster with the unicorns in the middle in a tight ring with horns glowing.
The zebras saw an opportunity to surround them and charged from all sides, but they couldn't even budge the heavy earth pony stallions holding the outer lines of the formation and was instead cut down in numbers enough for them to start piling up around the small circle of ponies.
The horns of the unicorns glowed a brighter red which slowly engulfed the entire contingent of ponies while the zebras backed away from the strange dome of red magic.
Some tried to turn around and run but was hindered by their own.
"Blossom!"
A deafening explosion and the large red dome of red magic cracked open, and petals like those from a rose made of red fire flew away from it and landed among the zebra ranks, instantly turning those it touched into ash.
Solar Flare looked around and there in the distance the ponies lines could be seen through a crack in the now broken zebra formation.
"On me brothers!"
He charged out of the cluster with the unicorns and earthponies formed a wedge behind him and the pegasi took flight and covered the rear.
They cut a swath through the remaining zebras and made it to the lines of their pony brethren, of which many looked at them in awe.
Solar Flare turned around and his soldiers formed up behind him and faced the zebras who were backing away and reforming their lines.
He looked around at his fellow berserkers and the ponies behind them. Many of the berserkers where stained by blood, but none of it their own. The same couldn't be said about the ordinary soldiers behind them, many had open wounds or wounds that wore makeshift bandage.
He gave a short grunt and turned around to face the now reformed zebra lines.
He raised one of his swords into the air and pointed it skywards and then lowered it until the tip pointed at the zebras.
"Gloriam Celestia!"
He and the rest of The Celestial Berserkers cried out as they charged as one into the zebra ranks, followed shortly by the ordinary pony army.
Solar and the Berserkers cut a bloody swath through the lines opening up an huge gap in the Zebrain center that quickly was filled by pony soldiers.
Suddenly every zebra in front of them threw their weapons away, turned around and started running for their lifes.
Solar looked around and saw that so was the case across the entire battleline.
"Victory! We have won another victory in the name of The Goddess!"
"Victorem Solaris!"
He saw hundreds of dead and wounded, both pony and zebra. But he knew he needn't look after his berserkers among them.
Solar saw the pegasi in the army take flight and started to kill of the fleeing zebras.
He held up his hoof and stopped his own pegasi from doing the same
.
"Take us back to our post, we have neglected our sacred duty for far to long."
The young steelgrey pegasus nodded and picked him up while the rest of the pegasi picked up the rest of their landbound bretheren.
They flew over the pony lines who where cheering and calling out their praise to them.
Solar Flare ignored them and looked up towards the cliff where he saw his goddess standing tall with an impassive face, with the rays of the setting sun playing across the sky behind her. The pegasi took them up to the top of the cliff and let them off and then landing themselves.
He walked up to the front of the formation and gave a salute.
"The zebras are routed, another victory in your name has been achieved My Goddess."
He said and bowed down deep.
End of flashback
Steel Wing took a large swig from his tankard and then smashed it down onto the table.
"And that youngsters, is how The Celestial Berserkers fights."
