Guardian Chap 34

by ~Sunjian54

The Equestrian Guardian

Chap 34

David returned to the train platform Technia by his side to see the area in chaos. Guardian army ponies were doing their best to hand out armor and whatever weapons they had to the volunteer ponies that had joined up just a few hours ago. "Technia go wait in line with the rest of these guys while I go find some of my men." He said as he began pushing his way through the crowd to get to where the armor was being distributed. As he approached he saw some volunteers trying on and admiring their armor as soldiers continued to pass it out. "DAVID!!!!" A voice shouted from the front of the train. David immediately turned and ran up to the front of the train. Only to find Bio and Devin red faced and angry. "WHY THE HAY DID YOU LET ALL THESE GUYS ON BOARD!?!?" Bio said his teeth grinding in rage.

"We need soldiers, and these guys all want to fight." David answered looking out at all the volunteers.

"How many did we get anyway?" He asked smiling.

"200" Bio growled.

"That's great!" David said happiness filling his heart. "No it's not." Devin responded stamping his hoof.

"We barely have enough supplies to equip 400 soldiers. This means, now HALF of these volunteers are not going to get weapons or armor." He said shaking his head.

"I know." David said nodding in agreement. "But I highly doubt most of them will make it through training. After all… you are going to give them the Bio treatment aren't you General?" David said winking at Bio.

Bio's scowl instantly turned into a devilish grin as he nodded his head. "I knew we wouldn't have enough armor or weapons for this many troops, but I knew that not all of them would be able to survive the training regimen anyway. So the way I see it, we take on as many as we can find… and if they don't pass training, then we don't waste armor or weapons on cowards." He said confidently. "Bio take any of the newbies wearing armor and run them into the ground." David commanded.

With a quick salute Bio ran over and began gathering up all the stallions who were wearing armor. "Up for a drink Devin?" David said pointing his thumb toward the city. "Sure but David I've been thinking." Devin said as he walked off the platform and back toward the town with David. "We need troops and there is no way we'll be able to reach the far off cities without wasting too much time. So what if I fly to Cloudsdale, Hoofington, and Stalliongrad to see if I can find us some recruits there?" Devin asked as he and David entered the Manehattan bar.

"That sounds like a great idea Devin. Once we're ready to leave I'll send you and some other pegasi to Cloudsdale.  After that, you decide where you want to go." He said as they sat down at the bar.

David normally didn't dare drink for the fear he would become addicted to it. However being the general of an army, and knowing you have to save the world does put a lot of stress on you. So he had decided to have light drinks whenever he could. David picked up a menu and began glancing through it as Devin waved the barkeep over. "What will it be?" A female pony answered. "The strongest thing you got for me, and what do you want?" Devin asked nudging David's ribcage. "Heck with it. I'll take a bottle of Strawberry Vodka." David said putting the menu down, only to see a familiar brown face with yellow eyes.

"Miss Sundae?"

"Guardian David?" Butterscotch Sundae replied. David eyes filled with tears at the sight of this brown mare who he hoped he would see again. "I'm so glad you're alright Miss Sundae!" He said as he flung his arms over the bar and around her neck. "I'm glad you're alright too!" She said hugging his neck. All the while Devin looked on with a confused look on his face. "Do you two know each other?" He said scratching his head. David let go from the hug and nodded his head. "Kind of, we met at the Ponyville ice cream shop. She runs it, and now apparently runs a bar where I'm guessing she can drink whenever she wants?" He said cocking an eyebrow at her.

She giggled as she turned and brought them their drinks. A large shot glass filled with an amber liquid for Devin, and 2 large silver bottles for David. "The second one's on me." She said putting it in an insulator bag with her magic. "So… what brings you two here?" She said as David poured the pink/silver liquid into a glass. "I'm gathering an army to take back Canterlot and slay Nightmare Sol." He said taking a sip from his drink and ignoring the slight burn it was causing in his throat.

"Sounds like you need that drink then." She said pouring herself her own glass of alcohol from a small flask she had attached to her fore hoof. David drained his first glass and began to pour another. "Why did you leave Ponyville Miss Sundae?" He asked taking a sip from his second glass.

"Well after those guards came and burned down the ice cream shop. Along with the rest of my rum!" She said as her eyes sparked with hatred. "I decided to move to Manehattan and help run the bar." She giggled as she rang up their tab. "Well I bet you'll have more fun here than at the ice cream shop." Devin said chuckling. Butters only smiled her beautiful smile. David and Devin paid the forty bits, bid her farewell and walked back into the town only to see Bio run by with the volunteers trailing behind him.

"MOVE IT YOU MAGGOTS!! IF YOU WANNA BE IN THIS ARMY YOU HAVE TO PROVE IT!!!" Bio yelled as he ran circles around the trainees. "Well… at least he's doing his job." Devin said as he shook his head in disbelief.

David was slightly appalled at what Bio was doing. The trainees looked like completely drained as they ran as fast they could. Sweat drenched their manes; some of them had red faces from breathing too hard. "This isn't what I had in mind." He whispered as they continued to hobble by. One trainee fell to the ground with a sickening crack, which could only mean he had twisted or broken something. As he groaned in agony some ponies came by to help only to be blocked by Bio's tail.

"DO NOT HELP HIM!! GET MOVING ALL OF YOU!" He shouted as the group ran past the injured stallion. Bio continued on as well but not before noticing that David had run over and picked the stallion up and was helping him to run.

"PUT HIM DOWN DAVID! YOU'RE INSPIRING WEAKNESS!!" He shouted as the stallion continued to groan as he ran. "Weakness is showing that you don't have the heart to help Bio. Or… showing that you just don't care." David snapped as he and the stallion ran by. The stallion continued to hobble and groan at the pain in his hoof but David kept pushing him forward. "I...I can't…" The stallion said dropping do the ground. David grabbed the stallions brown front hooves and got him back on his feet. "Yes you can." Was all he said as he kept moving. David continued leading the stallion until they got back to the train station where they had all started from.

"I have a list of all those who will be joining our army. If your name is not on the list, then hand over your armor to an Equestrian Royal Guard, or throw it in a pile near the platform" Bio commanded as he paced up and down the platform giving orders. Sadness filled his heart as David watched the stallion he had helped finish the race turn in his armor. Bio's voice once again echoed around the train platform. "The 40 of you who have passed may go get your helmet and sword from the Royal Guard. The rest of you go home." His voice was cold and almost heartless in the way he spoke to the soldiers who had tried so hard to prove they were army material, and had fallen short just because of a few mistakes.

David pushed his way through some of the now sobbing volunteers to get to Bio. He had planned to just get Bio's attention and talk to him. Instead he walked up, turned him around, and laid a fist smack dab into his face. "WHAT THE HAY!?!?" Bio screamed as he struggled back onto his feet. "I wanted you to train them. NOT DESTROY THEM!!" David shouted back. "You wanted me to run them into the ground and I did. We need tough and now they're tough." "Yeah and now they'll tell everyone what a slave driver General Bio is. This is gonna hurt us in the long run."

Bio huffed and took the second group of volunteers away leaving David alone.

Time passed as David talked to the new volunteers who had received their armor until Bio came running back at full speed with the 2nd group behind him. "T-They've found us! Nightmare Sol's Eclipse Guard… coming this way!" He gasped. With the mention of her name the volunteers began to panic.

"Nightmare Sol's Guard?!"

"We don't stand a chance!"

"How did they find us?!"

"Help us Guardian!"  David immediately took charge by jumping up onto the platform.

"ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!! They're looking for us because they FEAR us!! GET YOUR WEAPONS AND ARMOR!! IT'S TIME FOR THE GUARDIAN ARMY'S FIRST BATTLE!!!!"

He shouted as the Royal Guard and Volunteers began to follow Bio to the battlefield. "Well time for your first command David." Devin said as he ran past him sword at the ready. First battle… the words echoed through David's mind. "Watch over me Dad…" David whispered as he ran toward his proving ground battlefield. Next Chapter: Chapter 35 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 49 Minutes