Author's Note

Character Tags: OC, Royal Guard
Tags: Slice-of-life, Violence

Set: 1512AD; a few months after the end of The Broken and The Damned.

Sterotypes

"And then, that mother-bucker has me do all the drills, WHILE wearing a saddlebag full of rocks", Pinpoint said, throwing up his hooves in exasperation.

The other three ponies around him listened to his story, either looking at him or developing interests in their mugs of cider. Around them, at other tables or the bar, were dozens of other Royal Guards, being served by the establishment's staff. Said establishment was called 'The Golden Horseshoe', the most popular Royal Guard bar in Canterlot.

The only pegasi of the group, Downwind, asked, "Remind me what you did again?"

"Get this. He said that I wasn't 'Holding myself in a manner befitting a soldier in a professional army'", he said, imitating a Pryhan accent. "All I did was not focus on nothing but that flocker for, like, ten seconds!"

Another one of the guards, Cinderblock, said, "Well, I mean, you did have a daydreaming problem before the Invasion."

"That's beside the point!", Pinpoint said. "These guys show up out of nowhere, and just assume that they can boss us around like colts! It's insulting!"

Silver Steel, the final guard of the group, said, "Look. Everyone's getting a bit heated, so why don't we all just calm down. Talk about something else."

Pinpoint said, "I don't know. I'm perfectly fine with complaining about them."

Silver Steel sighed, rubbing the base of his horn in frustration. "Pinpoint. We got our flanks handed to us, and they came and put them back where they belonged. Princess Luna put them in charge of our training because they're better fighters than us, and-"

"And how is that our problem?", Pinpoint asked. "Not our fault that they've all been killing each other for as long as they can remember. Besides, why do they need to take over guarding OUR leaders! Even if those barbarians can beat us up, that doesn't mean they're competent enough to take care of our job!"

"For once, I agree with Silver Steel", Downwind said. "Can we please talk about something else?"

Pinpoint leaned back in his seat, grumbling, but didn't say anything else. Following the resulting silence, Cinderblock asked, "So, how is everypony's families coming along?"

"Fine", Cinderblock said. "My little sister's almost done with her degree."

"It wasn't thrown off due to the invasion?", Silver Steel asked.

"No, not really", Cinderblock replied. "A decent amount of the materials were decayed or broken, but the extra money from the Crown helped cover it. I have just enough days off to head to Baltimare in order to attend her graduation."

"Yeah, things are more-or-less the same up in Cloudsdale", Downwind said.

Pinpoint asked, "What happened up in Cloudsdale, anyway? I didn't see it when I first got free."

"Well, the city was decently well-defended, and the weather factory made a bunch of wind to blow it away", Downwind said. "The city made it as far as the west coast before the bugs finally shut it down. It was only moved back to its original place a few weeks ago."

Pinpoint took a massive swig of cider, looking into the now empty cup. "Aw, empty. That just me, or anypony else?"

"No, I'm empty", Downwind said. Cinderblock and Silver voiced their agreement.

Pinpoint nodded, turning to Silver and asked, "Come on, let's get another round."

"Coming", Silver said, standing up and following the other unicorn, the mugs held in their auras.

The two of them didn't notice the door open, nor the stares greeting the two newcomers. They arrived at the bar at about the same time, placing a few things on the counter at the same time; the Royal Guards laid the mugs, and the newcomers laid several Equestrian bits.

"Another refill", Pinpoint said.

Another voice said at the same time, "Two cups of your best wine, please."

The two groups turned to one another, and Pinpoint's eyes narrowed. The newcomers were a pair of Pryhan soldiers, a caragor and a demigryph. They were wearing simple clothes, white tunics with purple trim and grey crusher caps with golden badges and purple trim as well.

The bartender said, "If you don't mind, I'll take the Regulars first."

"That's fine", the caragor said.

While the bartender filled up the mugs with golden liquid, Pinpoint asked, "What are you doing here?"

The caragor said, "One of my best soldiers here, Decius, has just become a father. I am taking him out to celebrate."

"Well, perhaps you might go find a better place to do that", Pinpoint said.

The caragor turned to look at him in mild irritation. He asked, "This is a soldier tavern, no?"

"A Royal Guard bar", Pinpoint said, despite Silver Steel's silent protests. "And last I checked, you are not Royal Guards."

The caragor chuckled, turning to Decius. "The famed 'Harmony of Equestria' in action, eh?", he said, before chuckling once again. Decius did the same, albeit nervously as opposed to the caragors good-natured one.

Pinpoint asked angrily, "What did you say?"

"Merely pointing out the fact you're being a hypocrite to your nation's ideals", the caragor said. "Now, your drinks are ready, so how about you piss off and let us enjoy our night?"

Pinpoint sputtered, before growling in anger. He moved forward, intending to give the smug Pryhan a piece of his mind, only to be stopped by Silver Steel wrapping his chest in his aura. "Pin", the other stallion hissed. "Ale filled up our mugs. Let's just go."

Pinpoint said back, "I'm not just gonna let this guy get away with-"

"Get away with what?", the Caragor asked, smirking as he turned back to the Royal Guard with a cup of thick red liquid in his paw. "Get away with pointing out you not living up to an ideal you swore an oath to uphold?"

Pinpoint shook off Silver's magic, getting up and knocking the Caragor's wine aside. As the red liquid spilled from the cup, Pinpoint barked, "Listen here you mother-bucker! Just get the buck out! Nopony wanted you here, nopony asked you to be here! I suggest you go take your war-mongering and your crucifying and go back to your huts!"

The caragor just stared at him, watching as the unicorn panted in front of him. He fixed the stallion with a flat look, before switching over to a withering glare. He said, "I suggest that you read up on what you speak of before you babble about nonsense. You know the books are right about you degenerates!"

The bartender asked, "Books? What do you mean?"

"Unlike you, who forgot everything in your arrogance, we remembered everything", the caragor said. "We made many of the luxuries that you enjoy today. We were united and in a golden age for almost a thousand years while you were driving yourselves to extinction in the snow! Pryha has changed greatly in a thousand years since YOUR leader burned almost a hundred and fifty thousand to ash in the Great Scorching. And yet, you're all still the same wasteful, hypocritical, fat degenerates." He laid several more bits on the bar. "We'll take the whole bottle. Come, Decius. Let's just go enjoy ourselves with our comrades."

As the two Pryhan's left with the bottle and another bar-pony came up to clean up the spill, Silver stepped in front of Pinpoint. "What the buck, Pin!?"

"Just shut up. Let's get our drinks and go."