As Graypot lugs the cart with Ironhoof and Scarlet to the nearest town, Ironhoof begins to have flashbacks.
FLASHBACK: After the events Vince had to run from, he now walks the streets alone and then approaches a dark grimly lit city. As he enters the streets several pieces of garbage floating across the streets, and several homeless ponies gather near barrels of fire. But as he passes by the street, he sees a little mare about his age being rammed into a wall by three other older ponies. The purple mare was crying in help, but several ponies just walked past her not giving a care in the world.
"Please stop this, I will give you all the money I've earned today, just please stop doing this" said the purple mare as her turquoise eyes started to tear up in pain.
"HA, you think this is about money isn't that cute, this is for are enjoyment." "Now lets cut your pretty mane off to while were at it" the pony said as rammed her again. But before the pony could make another move, Ironhoof intervened.
"Leave her alone" said the young colt as he stepped in front of her.
"Ha, what's this, is this a joke step away before I beat the living hell out of you brat" said the colt now picking up a empty glass bottle.
Vince just gave the colt a glare and pressed his hooves further into the ground he then looked the colt in the eyes and said. "I wont let you hurt this little mare anymore monsters."
"FINE THEN, LOOKS LIKE I GET TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE" he then struck his bottle straight on Vince's head breaking the bottle. Vince moved a bit but was still standing, blood dripping from his head. Then Vince just looked back up at the three colts two of them backing up in fear.
"That all you got"
"NO WAY IN HELL COULD A KID SURVIVE A HIT LIKE THAT" he then kept hitting Vince with the bottle till he only had the tip of the bottle left. The colt then looked down at the bottle in fear, then back at Vince still standing his ground. "Y..you are some sort of demon" he then started backing off. "Y..you aint gonna kill me" he then darted through the streets with both his buddies right behind him.
Then Vince simply turned around and looked at the little mare, then he touched her shoulder. As she looked up he spoke, "They cant hurt you anymore", but then he quickly fell down from all the hits he endured. The last thing he saw was her gorgeous blue mane and turquoise eyes as he passed out. He then woke up in a bedroll that was laid out in a little wooden clubhouse, he then went to touch his head but he then noticed he had several bandages around his head. Then the little mare from earlier came in with several bandages and a bag of medicine.
She then noticed he was up and quickly said something "Oh your up now, that's good to see you've been out for some time."
"Oh really, im sorry if I caused you any trouble" he said now in guilt thinking he has made the mare have to tend to him.
"Oh no not at all, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here right now" she said with a slight blush. She then walked up to him with ointment which she used to put on some of his cuts. Oh the poor guy, he looks like he has been through much worse before he came here. She then noticed the necklace he wore around his neck, "That necklace looks really pretty" she said gazing at it.
"It was my...mother's" he said with a tear rolling down his face.
"Oh im very sorry I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories" she said now waving her hooves in front of her face.
"No it is not your fault miss" he said quickly as he wiped his tear away. "I thank you miss, I wish I could offer you more than I could." He then took out a little bag of gold and gave it to the little mare, but she gave it back.
"What you have already done for me is enough, and you can call me Azul what about you."
"My name is Vince Elfguard and I thank you for all that you have done for me."
But before she could say anything, a banging came from the clubs front door. "COME THE HELL OUT OF THERE WE NEED YOU TO ENTERTAIN IN THE STREETS" said a voice from outside. But as Azul backed away in fear, she saw Vince get out of his bed to talk back.
"SHE DOESN'T NEED TO FOLLOW YOU ANYMORE" he yelled back.
"Azul, you better tell your little friend to shut his god dam mouth before you suffer for it" the colt said as he knocked down the door. The colt was gray but was very filthy, he also had a ruffled brown mane, with bloodshot eyes. He was also had a knife in his teeth and was advancing toward Azul before Vince stepped in front. "You must want a death sentence colt, you cant beat me your just a kid, now hand over my property" the colt snarled.
"You dare step into her home and call her your property, you don't own her monster" he said as he stood his stance in front of Azul.
"FINE, YOU WONT BE THE FIRST CHILD I MURDERED WITH THIS KNIFE" the colt then charged at the young colt with his knife. But as the colt was about to stab him in the eye, he simply took it out of his teeth with a simple swing of his hoof. Azul was stunned by this that Vince could disarm a grown colt. As Vince disarmed him he quickly rammed his head against the enraged colt knocking the gray colt back a bit. But Vince's bandages were becoming to become soaked in blood from that attack.
"I will admit that you have some luck, but how far do you think that will take you" the colt then turned his attention to Azul. But before Azul could move Vince pushed her out the way taking the hit as the colt slammed him against the wall.
"Pathetic, you are willing to save the life of an insect you don't even know" the colt said as he propped Vince against the wall chocking him. "Now time to feel the pain you little shit" he then rammed him against the wood and rammed his hoof into his gut. But Vince showed no expression of pain, and then spit blood into the colts face. But before the colt could hurt Vince anymore Azul picked up the knife and slashed the colt near his eye. "AH YOU LITTLE SHIT IM GONNA KILL YOU" but as he turned Vince quickly bucked the colt off of him and proceeded into kicking the colt in the face.
As the colt fell to the floor, he was knocked out, but Azul was trembling as she has a knife with dripping blood she then dropped the knife and ran to Vince. "VINCE GET UP VINCE PLEASE GET UP" she said shaking his body. He then coughed to show that he was still alive and breathing then Azul hugged him.
"Azul.. I don't know how long he will be out, but you wont be able to stay here anymore" he said getting up holding his gut with his hoof.
"But where will I go now, I have no where else to run away to" she said looking for some more bandages for Vince.
"Well this may sound a bit crazy, but maybe you could come with me" he said holding his hoof out.
As Azul came back out a room with two satchels strapped to her torso she walked up to Vince. "If you are willing to I will go with you" she said tapping her hooves.
"Of course im willing to, I cant see you suffer in this town" he then left the house with Azul following him from behind she then closed the door. As they left through the pathway Azul then gave Vince his hat and then gave him a nickname.
"Vince, you are made out of Iron I never seen someone take hits like that and be able to still walk" she commented. Vince just laughed with his new friend as they left to another town.
END FLASHBACK: As Ironhoof still laid unconscious in the carriage Scarlet woke up from her nap to see that Graypot was still going without a single break. He was very determined to get his savior a doctor, but as he kept trotting through the path Scarlet noticed a giant dust cloud appearing from behind the carriage on the roads. Then she heard the noise of a heavy trotting sound, then she realized that there was someone behind them. "Greg, there is something behind us" she yelled to him, as he turned around he quickly saw the huge Buffalo charging at them.
"Why is it I always get attacked in this desert" he said before he started running as fast as he could. But as the Buffalo was gaining on them he appeared to have no mind, he looked like a rabid psycho as he was foaming from the mouth and had glowing red eyes. But Scarlet still had some rocks left from last time and began throwing them at the giant beast. But they proved useless as the beast kept charging at them in maniacal laughter. But as the two ran they came to a dead end and were cornered by the beast. But as the beast now began to walk towards them Graypot then ran up near the Buffalo and began to yell to lead him off Scarlets location as she hid in the cart. "You don't want to eat the little mare she is to skinny, you want the healthy colt right here."
But as the Buffalo stood there in confusion a cloaked pony then jumped in front of Graypot and threw three syringes that all stuck into the mad Buffalo. "That no hurt me dumb pony" the Buffalo said as he began to charge.
"It wasn't supposed to hurt you Buffalo"
"What, uh I feel funny now, I gonna go sleep now" the Buffalo then fell in mid charge sending him dragging through the sand. The cloaked pony then walked up to the Buffalo and pulled the syringes out and turned to Graypot and Scarlet.
"Are you alright strangers" the cloaked pony said as Graypot looked confused.
"Uh no actually we are not, we have a friend and he isn't doing to well, he needs medical attention" he said in a worried tone.
"Well I know a great deal on medical treatment, may I see your friend" the cloaked pony said as it moved closer to Graypot.
"Yes he is in my carriage" he then escorted the cloaked pony to his cart. As he showed the cloaked pony Scarlet and Ironhoof the cloaked pony gasped in shock.
"Follow me pony, I shall let you stay at my encampment for tonight as I treat your friend" the cloaked pony said as it started making its way up the hills east of them. But as all of them followed the cloaked pony, Chamelio watches from a distance.
"Dammit, he is getting more allies each day, what should we do Lord Nerfio" she said with open ears.
"Ms Chamelio, you are a very smart unicorn, find a way to pick off the nuisances" he said in a nonchalant way.
"Yes my Lord" but as she closed her telepathic communication off, she was confronted by a dog wearing a trench coat and a hat that covered his eyes with the shade of darkness. As she was about to say something he began to grin and rammed her against the rocky cliff side with one arm, he then put his claw up to her face.
"You're a pretty one, I would hate to mess up your face for your stupidity" he said with maniacal laughter. As the middle of his mechanical claw began to glow she then asked him.
"Who are you, don't you know what you are messing with" she hissed.
"Ah yes that pathetic cult that always rambles on about chaos in Equestria, though I have to say they have some of the most dangerous spells of any cult I have ran across."
"Wait so if you know, you know what will happen to you if you interfere with are business" she said gasping for some air as his paws clinched deeper into her neck.
But the dog just began to laugh again, "Oh but weakling I don't think you understand, it's the other way around" he said in a grin. "The colt is my target, and I don't like to compete with other competitors so I kill them as well." "So listen carefully, tell Nerfio to lay off before I decimate you and everypony else in his pathetic crew." he then threw her to the ground and walked off and then teleported off into the distance. Chamelio then held her neck and put her hoof on her gold necklace as she took a deep breath.
As night fell in the Desert Graypot and Scarlet followed the cloaked figure as it led them to two small huts. "You may sleep here for the night as I patch up your friend" it said pointing to the left hut. As Graypot moved Ironhoof to the right hut he dropped him softly on the bedroll inside.
"Please get him back on his feet, he is a good pony" he then exited the hut to carry the sleeping Scarlet to her bedroll in the left hut.
"Believe me, I know he is" it then pulled off its hood to reveal Azul's gorgeous long blue mane and sparkling turquoise eyes. "I never thought I would patch you up again" she said as she pulled out some bandages.