A hush fell over the bar as Azure Night walked through the doors, his cloven hooves clicking audibly against the beer-strewn floor. He was dimly aware of the patrons glaring at him from every angle, but he paid them no mind as he tapped his hoof on the bar. A fat, lumbering mouse-like creature peered down at him through half-lidded eyes, but Azure would not be intimidated.

“Cider. Neat.” Azure grumbled. “Make it a double.” Azure waited several seconds, but the bartender did not reach for a bottle or a glass, nor did he move at all. Finally, Azure rolled his eyes and stared up at the bartender. “Is there something wrong?”

“As a matter of fact, there is.” The bartender replied. “We don’t serve your kind.”

“… Really?” Azure sighed. “Look pal, I’m not looking for trouble. I left my swords at the door and everything, just give me my drink and I’ll be out of your-!” The rest of Azure’s sentence was drowned out by the dull scraping of chair legs as the patrons stood up and approached the bar. A large fish-like creature with a long tail and a mohawk-like fin on his head pushed past the others and slammed his fist on the bar.

“Let me lay it on the line for you, pony.” The fish-man grunted. “The last time ponies showed up in this town, one of your kind beat me to a pulp and fried me with her magic, trying to figure out where her little friends were! And I’m sure as hell not going through that again.” Azure closed his eyes and exhaled through his nostrils.

“Fine, whatever.” Azure sighed. “I guess I’ll go look for a trough to drink from.” He turned away from the bar and adjusted the cloth band on his left foreleg before approaching the door.

“Hey, lookit!” laughed a blue, bipedal tortise. “The little pony’s got himself a bracelet!”

“What’s that for?” called a burly purple boar. “Something t’ remember your friends by?”

“None of your business, pork belly.” Azure snapped, but before he could leave, a large, muscular hand grabbed him by the neck and lifted him into the air.

“This one’s got a smart mouth.” The purple boar grunted. “What do you say we teach him a lesson, boys?” The patrons gave a collective nod of agreement, and the fish-man started forward.

“First thing’s first,” He chuckled. “Let’s see that little bracelet of yours. With a lightning movement, he whipped the cloth from Azure’s leg and unfurled it for all to see. “Hm, looks like some kinda picture. Lookit all these colors and-ARGH!” His sentence was cut short by a flying liquor bottle, which smashed against his head and spewed its contents across the bar.

“Give. That. Back.” Azure hissed. His eyes were flashing, his teeth were gritted and his glowing golden aura was preparing to throw another bottle.

“Why you little-!” The fish-man lunged at Azure, who swung his leg up and kicked the beast in the jaw. Before anyone could react, Azure kicked the purple boar in the stomach, causing him to wheeze painfully as he dropped Azure on the floor.

“GET ‘IM!!” The grey boar bellowed as Azure leapt onto the bar and threw several more bottles at his attackers. The bartender tried to grab Azure, but with one well-placed kick to the face, Azure sent the massive mouse flying into the liquor shelf. Pieces of broken mirror rained down on his head, and the spilled liquor gathered in an unappetizing puddle around him, but he did not get back up.

The tortoise charged at Azure, who leapt on the beast’s back and sent him crashing into a nearby table, which overturned and knocked the tortoise to the floor. He tried to get back up, but Azure leapt onto the tortoise’s head and pummeled him into submission. With an enraged roar, the fish-man grabbed Azure in a bear hug and squeezed with all his might. In desperation, Azure nodded his head sharply, and his horn poked the fish-man hard in the eye; the fish-man gave a great howl of pain and released Azure, who kicked his adversary in the stomach before running around behind him and throwing him through a nearby wall. A patron with a long, thin nose froze in his tracks, and retreated up the stairs when Azure glared at him.

The two boars bore down on Azure, kicking and punching him from all sides, but Azure ducked down and swept the legs out from under the grey boar before biting the purple boar on the leg. With a wave of his horn, Azure lifted a nearby chair into his magical aura and smashed it over the head of the purple boar, and then bucked the grey boar in the chin, knocking out one of his tusks in the process. Azure panted heavily as he scanned the room, noting the broken furniture, stained walls and unconscious patrons before approaching the hole in the wall where the fish-man lay motionless. Azure’s horn glowed once again, and a swatch of blue fabric flew out of the hole and into his hoof. He sighed as he observed the fabric, the only remaining piece of a tapestry detailing his ancestors’ history, and carefully tied it around his hoof. Azure then slipped behind the bar, took an unbroken bottle of cider and dropped a small sack of coins on the bar before ambling onto the street and toward the setting sun.

 A gift for featuring his ponysona, Azure Night.