The sound of rapping against your front door disrupts you from your slumber. With a tired and sleepy grumble, you rub your eyes and turn to face a small clock on your bedside table.
10:30.
Who could possibly be calling at this time of night for a visit? Everypony in the land of Equestria should be asleep by now, surely. No matter, you swivel out of bed and slip some black socks onto your cold feet. Picking yourself up, you wrap a nearby dressing gown around your body and head down the stairs towards the door.
The knocking continues and you release a heavy yawn from your lips as you finish descending the stairs.
''Alright! I'm coming, I'm coming!'' You call, trying not to sound annoyed in your current state of sleepiness. It was never very fun to be interrupted from a pleasant dream, much like the one you were previously having before this moment.
Upon reaching the door, you unlocked it with the key that was currently inserted into the lock and then you opened the door, only to be faced with a hurt-looking Rainbow Dash.
Tears were dribbling down her cheeks and her left nostril was leaking with blood that was running down her snout and chin. You blinked at the sight, taken largely aback and immediately forgetting about your need to sleep.
''Rainbow Dash? What the hell happened to-'' She was on you in a heartbeat. Without a thought to spare, she threw herself around your waist and cut you off from finishing your sentence.
''Oh, Dom!'' Is all she said, clutching herself tightly around your waist as she shivered and wept, almost pushing you over onto your back. More than anything, you could feel how truly cold her body was. Against your exposed leg skin, she was icy cold to the touch.
''Hey, easy, Dash!'' You said, lightly clutching her shoulders and asking her to let go so you could get a clear look view of her injuries. ''Jesus, what the hell happened to you, Rainbow?'' You asked, taking in the bruises covering her face and the blood running down her muzzle, her cyan fur stained a deep, slick red. ''Actually, tell you what, come in,'' You said, closing the front door to your house and locking it again. ''Let me fix you up.''
''Alright, hold still, Dash,'' You said as you brought up a warm wet towel to her muzzle, wiping away the blood. At the touch, she winced in pain and she sucked in air gently between her teeth, trying to remain still. ''Sorry,'' you said softly, continuing to dap gingerly at the blood slowly seeping down her nostril. ''Geez, I don't know what happened to you, Rainbow, but you sure look like you've taken at least a couple bad hits,'' you said, cleaning away the last of the blood and taking out a small wad of cotton ball from the medical kit beside you, pulling off a small tuft and inserting it into her nostril to stop the bleeding. ''So, what happened to you?''
You asked, able to sense the immediate tension in Dash's muscles beneath her skin at the question. She shifted uncomfortably and she turned her head away slightly, almost as if she was cowering.
''Hey, come on, you know you can talk to me. I just want to make sure you're alright,'' You said with worry, placing a hand on her shoulder. You gave it a small reassuring rub with your thumb and she slowly turned her head back to you. Behind her magenta eyes, there was an expression of deep hurt and fear. Something has obviously scared her emotionally, and it wasn't hard to detect when something has affected Rainbow Dash. She was never good at concealing her emotions.
In the entire time of your life in Equestria, coming up to about a few years now, there has never been an instance in which you have seen Rainbow in this state before. For her to come to your doorstep at this time of night is highly strange. It also made you wonder if it had anything to do with...him.
Her coltfriend of nearly five months. A stallion with a grey coat and bright green mane. Lime Quartz.
He wasn't a very honest pony at times, but he wasn't really a nice pony, either. Sometimes, you wonder what Dash saw in a pony like him. Granted, you've only met him a couple of times, but even with those limited amounts of meetings, you could sense his personality through those neon green eyes of his. You could read him like a book.
He drank quite a fair amount during the week, verging on becoming a full-time alcoholic. Christ, was he a mean-spirited pony. Moreover, how somepony like him wanted to be with Dash is beyond your thoughts. You weren't even sure you wanted to know how this hellion of a stallion came to be a part of a wonderful mare's life like Rainbow Dash came to be. To you, he appeared to be just a walking, living, breathing nightmare.
Taking her hooves in your gentle and soft hands, you looked her in the eye and asked in a soft voice, ''Dashie, did...did Quartz do this to you?'' As soon as his name left your lips, she tensed to the point where her skin felt like iced-over metal. However, she didn't look away. Instead, she simply gave a shaky nod, her lip quivering and her eyes sparkling.
''Oh, Dash,'' You said, lightly hugging her, to which she remained still. ''I can't believe that he, of all ponies, would do this to sompony like you,'' You said, although you felt like it was somewhat ironic and sarcastic in a sense. Yes, you did think that Lime Quartz, of all ponies, would maybe do something like this. The only reason you never mentioned it to Rainbow Dash herself was because you didn't want to seem unhappy for her or to discourage her. To you, it was good enough for you that she seemed happy.
So why then, is it that she's here now? Beaten, bloody-nosed and bruised? What exactly happened between her and Lime Quartz to cause him to inflict physical injury to somepony as sweet, loyal and honest as Rainbow Dash?
Just the very thought that he would even lay a hoof on her, the pony that he allegedly loved, makes you sick to your stomach. It's disgusting and unethical. It's what a monster does, and anypony that strikes or raises a hoof to another pony deserves to be sent to jail, preferably for eternity.
''Where is he?'' You asked, picking yourself up and climbing to your feet. An anger burned in your chest and you had to force yourself to not make your hatred known. Oh, Christ, did your fingers itch.
''W-Why?'' Dash asked, somewhat concernedly, as she stared up to you with wide, worried eyes. ''Why do you want to know?''
''Rainbow Dash, you're my friend, and he hurt you. I think the two of us need to have a little chat,'' You said, your tone grim and serious. ''He shouldn't have laid a hoof on you, Dashie. Now, come on, where is he?''
''T-The last time I saw him, he was at th-the Scratch Shack,'' She said quietly. ''You're not going to, um, hurt him, are you, Dom?''
''Dashie, listen to me,'' You said gently, leaning down to her level and lightly placing your hands on her shoulders. ''He hurt you and you're one of my best friends. I can't just ignore this. I can't promise anything, but unless he tries something first, I won't engage.''
She stared into your eyes for a few moments, as if searching deep within your being for the goodness of your word. Eventually, she gave a small nod of her head and she didn't speak another word.
The Scratch Shack was a bustling hotspot for nighttime activities. Most ponies in the town would come here when the week is done to relax, party and share a drink. The owner of this club is a pony whom you knew - a white unicorn with a two-tone electric blue mane by the name of Vinyl Scratch.
As usual, there was a deafening electronic series of soundwaves blasting out across the entire building, with thanks to the overly-massive amplifiers that were a part of the unicorn DJ's setup. It was so loud that you found yourself having to cover your ears as you proceeded deeper into the bar, in search of Lime Quartz.
On any other day, picking him out wouldn't be any harder than catching a cold, but when it was busy and incredibly packed as if it was going for a world record, it was especially difficult to pick him out. However, you had one advantage. You knew Quartz was a heavy drinker, so the likelihood of finding him might be better around the bar area, which was located only a short distance away to the left of the building.
It took some shuffling and pushing to get yourself over there, along with some complaints from the many hordes of ponies crowded around the bar space to make it to the front. Eventually making it over to the front of the bar, you scanned around to find the scruff of a pony with a grey coat and green mane.
Through the darkness that was only pierced by colourful and blinding GEL lightning and strobe lights, you had to squint to acquire a clear view of your surrounding.
Looking left to right, all you could find were swarms of mares and stallions, but none with a grey and green colour scheme. After around minutes of searching, still turning up with nothing, you heard a voice call from directly across from you at the bar.
''Hey, can I get another round of whiskey, gorgeous?''
The voice was gruff and hoarse. It was also slightly slurred, which didn't really come as much of a surprise to you when you saw that the voice belonged to the very scum of a pony you were looking for.
Lime Quartz.
''Make this your last one,'' The female unicorn bartender said firmly, her eyes holding traces of massive annoyance. It became clear that she has had more than enough of this hunk of a stallion for the night. Well, that and apparently his disgusting and blatant behaviour. In her aura of pink magic, she hovered over a glass of golden whiskey, yet before she could set it down, one of Quartz's hooves snatched it from the air and he slugged a mouthful down in a flash.
''Now, you go talkin' like that, and I'm gonna start thinking you've got a crush on me,'' Lime Quartz slurred with a wonky grin and wink at the bartender. ''How about we go back to my home and have a little privacy?''
The female bartender gave a disgusted expression and she gagged. ''Ugh, you pig! One more remark like that, and I-I'll...''
''You'll what?'' Quartz asked as he shoved himself over the counter, pushing ponies out of his way and knocking some to the floor as he leaned over to grab the bartender by the neck, shoving his face into hers, locking eyes with her terrified pink marbles.
''Hey!'' You shouted, loud enough that most ponies in the vicinity stopped what they were doing to glance towards you. Lime Quartz's head snapped to face you, his face of agitation quickly igniting into a deep, burning anger. ''Get off of her!''
''Why? What are you gunna do?'' He asked with a roll of his eyes, shoving the bartender away and causing her to land hard on the floor before turning around to face you fully. ''Why don't you mind your own busin-''
Without a thought to spare, you let your anger take hold and one of your fists threw a hook into his chin, sending the hunk of large stallion flying off of his hooves for a few seconds before he came crashing back down onto the floor, back first.
The ponies around you gasped in shock and surprise at the scene unfolding before them. After he landed, the body of the scumbag of a stallion didn't move an inch. He was just a scruff of grey fur sprawled out onto the floor with his hooves stuck in the air.
Looking over the bartop, you looked over to the bartender sat on the floor, staring back at you with wide, pink eyes. She was a pretty unicorn with a white coat and light blonde hair with a cutie mark that appeared to be three stars in pink.
Offering a hand over the bar, she gave you a weak smile and accepted it, pulling herself back up to her hooves.
''T-Thanks. I didn't know what he'd do if he, um...'' She began, her voice quiet.
''Hey, it's alright now. Don't worry about it. You're not hurt, are you?'' You asked concernedly, thinking how hard she landed once Quartz shoved her to the floor with great force. However, she checked herself over and reassured you with a smile.
''N-No. No, I'm alright. Thanks. I--''
THWAK.
A dull pain burned in the back of your skull and the force sent you to the ground in a heartbeat. You groaned and the ringing in your eyes made it hard for you to tell if the music had stopped in the club or if it was replaced by the gasping of the ponies currently staring at you. Looking up, you came to face Lime Quartz, wearing a twisted smile.
Within seconds of you noticing him, he threw himself on top of you and his weight pressed hard onto your chest, causing the oxygen to be squeezed out of your lungs before his hooves gripped around your neck, beginning to choke tightly.
Gagging and failing to move in a desperate manner to escape, you had no means of protecting yourself against the tyrant on top of you. His hooves felt as if they were made entirely out of lead as they began to gradually grip tighter and tighter around your throat.
Large neon green eyes bore down on your own and you could see your reflection in his pupils. From the lack of oxygen your body was getting, your chest was burning, as if your lungs had been replaced with white-hot coal.
You pulled up your hands, forcing your energy to raise them and grip them onto Quartz's hooves. To the touch, you could feel the sheer amount of muscle beneath his skin. With the amount of strength he was putting into choking your neck, you could feel the blood coursing through his large veins.
As hard as you could, you gripped onto his hooves, trying to force them off of you, much to no avail. Burning tears leaked from your eyes as they were forced out of your body and you could feel the blood vessels in your eyes grow tense, just waiting to burst.
That was when you thought about Rainbow Dash. Although drained of energy, the thought of what this monster did to her fueled an unknown energy in your chest, an energy deep beneath that burning sensation due to strangulation.
It was anger. Pure, white-hot, burning and vengeance-seeking anger.
It caused a surge of adrenaline to rush through your veins, sparking the ignition to your hatred of this lowlife pony. Finding the new strength that now fueled your body, you felt your hands automatically grip tighter than you ever could imagine.
You could feel your nails dig into his skin as your knuckles burned from how tight they were gripping. Although it hurt, you didn't care or seem to notice it too much. All you had on your mind was what you were going to do to this mare-abusing drunk.
With a forced heave, you shoved his hooves off of your neck in a flash, giving him no time to react before you gave a swift thrust of your fist into his nose, causing it to give a loud crack.
He howled in pain as he clenched his nose tight, screams echoing from his mouth and filling the club. Picking yourself up, you continued to give him a few hits to the jaw before working your way down into his chest area.
Eventually deciding to put him down for the night, you gave way to your anger and channelled your energy into a blow that landed quite a haymaker on his muzzle, sending him flying backwards onto the floor where you proceeded to stand over him, one foot resting onto his chest and pressing down, causing him to look at you in fear.
With blood drizzling down his muzzle and down the side of his now-bruised face, he pleaded. ''Ah! No more, no more! I give in!''
''So, you're not going to bother Dashie anymore?''
You pressed down your foot harder onto his chest, causing him to squirm.
''Ah! Yes!''
''You sure?''
Harder.
''Yes!''
Harder.
''You're sorry for hitting her?''
''Yes!''
Harder.
''You're sorry for being an absolute jerk to her?''
''Yes!''
Harder.
''You sure?''
''YES!''
You gazed down into his terrified eyes and you could see the fear written in his pupils. He was genuinely scared for his life with you on top of him with the promise of pain for his crimes against one of your closest friends.
You stared at him in silence for a few moments, taking in his features. For the first time in your life, you could sense a true snippet of sincerity in his eyes. He seems to be sorry, but what if he wasn't? What if he comes back at some point and terrorises Rainbow Dash or her friends again? What if he hits her twice, or worse?
The thought alone gave you icy chills and shivers, but looking down at this terrified stallion, you could tell that he wouldn't even dare to make a repeat out of himself.
Giving him a final glare, you released your foot and placed it gently back down on the floor before scanning around the room and taking in the face of the shocked ponies around you. Many pairs of large, surprised eyes stared back at you with their mouths agape at what they had just witnessed.
Equestria's only human had just shown up at a local club and bar, beaten a pony that had struck Rainbow Dash, the bearer of the Element of Loyalty, and let him go.
On any other day, sure, you would have roughed him up three times as bad as you have today, but the last thing you wanted, especially in plain view of all of these club-goers, was to be portrayed as big a monster as Lime Quartz.
Lime Quartz scurried back on the floor, whimpering as he scrambled himself onto his hooves before retreating out of the club entrance in a hurry, leaving no moment to look back over his shoulder.
Now left with hundreds of ponies staring at you in shock and bafflement, you turned towards the bartender and gave a weak smile.
''Sorry about that,'' You apologised before placing a few bits on the counter. She looked up at you confusedly for a moment, but you held up a hand and halted her next line of questioning. ''For the whiskey he didn't pay for. Keep the change.''
With that, you turned and left the now-silent club and headed back for your home.
There was a certain pegasus in desperate need of some friendly comforting and support.
