[Canterlot] Discipline

[Corsair]

Bonfire entered his small office in the barracks of the Royal Guard in Canterlot. The office wasn't much, just a scuffed, scroll-covered desk with a bright lamp. There was a large portrait of Princess Celestia on one wall, but otherwise the walls were pretty bare. Bonfire circled around to the back of his desk. He removed his helm with his hooves and laid it on an empty spot on the desk. Free of the helm, he shook his short orange and yellow mane in an attempt to straighten it a bit.

Singling out one of the scrolls on the desk, Bonfire's horn lit up with a red glow. The scroll unrolled, and he spent a couple of minutes reading the contents. Putting the scroll aside, only then did he look at the two guardsponies standing at attention before him. Both of the white pegasus before him looked as if they had been in a fight. Their coats were filthy, their armor no less so, and dented in places besides. The one on the right had one of his wings in a sling, while the one on the left was obviously favoring his bandaged front leg.

Bonfire fixed the ponies with a glare. "So, which one of you wants to explain this?" he asked them, calmly.

Both of the ponies began to talk at once. Bonfire slammed a hoof down on the desk. "I said ONE of you explain !" he shouted, letting some of his anger show.

The two guardsponies looked at each other for a moment. The one on the left nodded, and they both turned back to Bonfire. " Well, Sergeant, it was... it was a bet," the right pony said, nervously. "Silver Spear and I decided to see who could run the obstacle course fastest... at night."

"While you were on duty?" asked Bonfire, turning his attention to Sliver Spear.

The pony with the wounded leg swallowed nervously. "Yes, Sergeant," he answered.

Bonfire began moving around his desk as he spoke. "So, you two geniuses decided to have a race, on duty, at NIGHT, on the advanced obstacle course?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "And you BOTH injured yourselves enough that you're going to miss duty?" He moved around so that he was directly having the two errant guardsponies.

The pair just dropped their heads and mumbled out "Yes, Sergeant."

Bonfire began a rant that questioned the two pegasus' parentage, and went on from there. "And NOW I have to rewrite the whole duty schedule because you two are unfit for duty!" he concluded. The two guardsponies were avoiding his gaze now. It almost seemed to them that flames were jumping in the sergeant's eyes.

Bonfire finally turned away and walked back behind his desk. His horn began to glow again, and a quill rose from the inkwell. He began writing on the scroll he had read from earlier. "You're both on KP for the next month," he announced, "and count yourselves lucky that I don't go to the Commander and get your pay docked."

"But Sarge!" Silver Spear began.

Bonfire glared at the pegasus. "Care to make it two months?" he asked, menacingly.

The guardspony just gulped in reaction, and mumbled "No, Sergeant."

"Good." Bonfire finished what he was writing and rerolled the scroll. "Now get out of my office. I want to see that armor repaired before the end of the week."

The two pegasus both snapped back to attention, and then turned to leave.

"Oh, and by the way," Bonfire said to their retreating formed. The guardsponies froze and turned back. "There had better be some good hay fries at lunch tomorrow," Bonfire said, smirking.

The guardsponies left, heads down in resignation.

((I know I didn't leave a whole lot of room here for a reply, but wanted to post this as an introduction.))