open The Dark Millennium

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Once In A Blue Moon,

Colenso stared on helplessly the entire time, trying to get up, but found that his experimental debuffing spell didn't really do much. He took a risk, and cat paid for it. Damnit Colenso, you should have played it safe. His eyes drifted away once Cat approached, he didn't want to look at her. He had a duty to his partner, and he tried something new, even when he knew it could result in loss. At the moment, he felt that he might as well test it out when no pony was in risk of dying, but now he felt the sting of failing those whom counted on him.

Instead of taking her hoof, he strained and winced to get up. It only took a moment, but it was still difficult, he just felt as if he didn't deserve her help at the time. He took a deep breath before putting on a smile and responding, "Whoa, that sucked... I'll be fine, and I'll see you for the massage when we get done for the day..." After which he stepped past, hoping Cat would just let him, and that Ardent would just ignore him.

[Hederik 119]

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon

 

The last fight wrapped up soon as Cirrus and her partner were able to take out one of their opponents in a flanking maneuver, then finish off the second with minimal losses. Afterwards, the major instructed them to revive their comrades and head on down for breakfast, then leapt up and exited the hall via the balcony. Looking in that direction, the two officers noticed Midnight groggily gathering himself from the sprawl in which he lay, but Ardent Rush was nowhere to be seen, probably having left even before the supervising officer in much the same way. Once the armored unicorn recovered himself enough to walk and Cirrus made sure her first opponent got out of his close encounter with the wall in one piece, the group was ready to go for breakfast, this time able to adopt a more leisurely pace as their schedules always had a sizeable gap left for the first meal of the day. Thanks to that, whether the first training sessions ended on time or a little late, everyone would have enough time to eat in peace. Oftentimes, there was even long enough left afterwards for the Cadets to pursue an activity of their own choosing.

 

The walk wasn't overly long, even though the mess hall was located in the lower levels of the central segment of the academy, in the near vicinity of the One Way Door - the gates opening onto the descent towards Pony Valley. The path thither overlapped with the way towards their dormitory as well; a substantial perk of the particular training hall they were assigned to for the morning.

 

Before they even passed the door on their way out, Midnight's helmet took on a bright orange glow and removed itself from his head, guided by the unicorn's magic, in the embrace of which it stayed for the time being. Letting out a sigh of relief, he then winced a little, missing a step as a sharp pain flashed through his back. "I don't know about you," he addressed his three companions, "but I'm dropping all this garbage and hitting the showers before I eat anything." Another few steps, and another grimace shot through his face. "That she-devil," he hissed through gritted teeth, then quickly straightened back up, "which poor soul did she thrash while I was out? I do hope Major Tide didn't loose her onto one of these two newbies..."

 

"Actually, I believe she fought our two fellows right here," piped in Cirrus, helpful as ever. Not having been shown up today has visibly put her in a high spirits.

 

Midnight turned a disbelieving gaze towards Carto and Colenso, eyeing them suspiciously. "And you're none the worse for wear? Man, teaching me to fly must have left her more tired than I supposed," he chuckled, then after a moment asked despite himself with an undertone of worry, "You didn't... beat her, did you?"

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

After which he stepped past, hoping Cat would just let him, and that Ardent would just ignore him.

 

Realising that he had taken something quite hard, even if she couldn't tell quite what, Cat decided to wait around for the rest of the group to recover and regroup - watching Midnight clamber to his hooves was as good as therapy, and Cirrus was always good company. Maybe Colenso would be more inclined to talk over breakfast. 

 

 

 

"You didn't... beat her, did you?"

"Not in so many words," Cat answered, lifting her head to reveal the bruise on her neck, "Headbutted her right in the chest, then whomph - flat on my back with her on top. A pity I'm not that way inclined, as she's quite the looker," she didn't pause and look over at Colenso, tempting though it was, "and she clearly liked me, given that I wasn't used to rearrange some architecture. A pity to break the poor mare's heart," she feigned mock solemnity, and managed to hold the expression for all of two seconds. Remembering her mid-fight insight, she continued, "I reckoned that if I got in close she wouldn't be able to maneuver or build up momentum, but clearly I missed something," She tried to recall the last moments of the fight, "her front legs were definitely above me, I'd just made contact with her chest... how she brought her back legs round I have no idea," she ended with a shrug. 

 

"Anyway, how'd she manage to send you flying like that? Almost took my head off, and you must weight - what, not far off half a ton with all that on? There's fancy moves, and then there's that perpetual motion machine of a pegasus," 

Edited June 7, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Colenso ruminated on his mistake as his partners joined him on their way to grab their first meal of the day. As they spoke, he listened and looked on with wide eyes. He didn't feel the need to speak up, not until...

 

 

"That she-devil,

He brought his line of sight forward along their path, slightly disturbed that he judge her merely upon the fact that he lost to her. He mentioned, almost offhand, "She's skilled, hardly yet to be deserving the title of She Devil though." Afterward he winced and continued painfully, "With that said, we lost..."

@@Once In A Blue Moon,

His eyes shifted to Cat and his gaze shifted downwards, before he mentioned in a rather dejected manner, "And it was my fault. I'm sorry, but instead of doing what works, I took the liberty to try to use a spell."

[Hederik 119]

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon

 

Cirrus shook her head and Midnight whistled, marveling at the force that must have gone into the blow that caused such bruising. Afterwards, Cat's sly wit elicited a snigger from the male, but he quickly became serious again as the matter of Ardent's fighting techniques was brought up.

 

"That's just it," he said, glancing at the fellow unicorn. "Like Cat's saying, she's ridiculously fast. And extra strong, I mean, most earth ponies I've trained with had their hooves full just trying to tip me and she straight up lifted, carried for a good few meters and then sent me flying like that? That is weird," he ended, looking ponderous.

 

Cirrus clicked her tongue and directed a disbelieving glare at Midnight. "A typical quitter song. I can't do that but she can, she must cheat is where I stand. Or is it just jealousy speaking?" she added inquisitively, turning her head curiously.

 

"You haven't seen her-!" began an indignant reply from the armored stallion, cut short by the mare.

 

"Oh yes I have - a pegasus needs to see everything happening around - and our modest friend here isn't doing her justice. Also, you're forgetting how much farther in training than us she most likely is. Three, four years at the least is my guess?"

 

By now they have reached the dormitory, where Midnight immediately began levitating pieces of his armor off his body onto a rack standing behind the head of his bed. "Thing is," he argued, some of his words coming out muffled as the space between them was obstructed by the flying metal plates, "we have faced more than a few elder officers. For pony's sake, I have once beaten-"

 

"- Colonel Twine, with his own quarterstaff," the others said in unison, having heard of that feat dozens of times before.

 

Midnight had the decency to look abashed, but went on despite that. "None of these ponies displayed abilities beyond what is reasonably possible to achieve," he stressed, rejoining them so that the group could resume their walk towards the mess hall.

 

"Oh, and you're such a great judge of what is possible to achieve," chortled Cirrus. "Like when you almost peed yourself hearing you'll be fighting Colonel Twine with his quarterstaff," she teased cheerfully.

 

Midnight bowed his head in clear annoyance, although there was a blush he was trying to conceal as well. "That was a long time ago," he muttered, and fell silent.

 

The hush went on until they reached their destination, currently bustling with activity as officers of various ages, ranks and standings came and went from the breakfast being served. Midnight broke off towards the right, where the academy's baths beckoned him with a promise of a shower, asking before he went if any of them would be joining him, to which Cirrus replied with a laugh, seeming to have unending amounts of good humor for today, "You may not be, having spent the training catching a nap, but some of us have actually worked out hard and are famished!"

 

The double doors were open, as usual, revealing behind them an oblong, spacious hall, well lit and aired thanks to a row of high and slim, currently unshuttered windows on either side wall. In the spirit of military practicality, the seating spaces were two massive trestle tables, with long benches running on either side of them. On the far right of the hall, on a slightly raised dais located to the side of the room, a smaller, although still sizeable, rectangular wooden table marked the elite's table, where the highest ranking officers would confer together and escape the commotion at least somewhat. Currently, there were a good few ponies sitting around it; definitely more than would be the daily usual, although the number of those top-notch warriors seemed to fluctuate uncontrollably form week to week, which has long ceased to amaze anyone.

 

Beyond that, the turn-up was pretty standard, with ponies milling to and from the open kitchen set up in the corner opposite from the high table. Of what it had to offer, the Cadets were free to pick and choose, grabbing as many helpings as they wished and expected to be able to keep in during the mid-day exertions.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

"And it was my fault. I'm sorry, but instead of doing what works, I took the liberty to try to use a spell."

 

 

Though Cat privately agreed, at least in part, she suspected that wasn't what Colenso needed to hear.

 

"Look, we were done for the moment we lost sight of her, and we probably never stood a chance," she grimaced at that, having always tried to tell herself that if she tried hard enough she would be as good as any other pony, "The spell didn't work and that's that. But come on, that short little teleport thing you did worked wonders - I really thought I had you then. Just be sure to do what works when it gets serious, whenever that might be."

 

 

"Oh yes I have - a pegasus needs to see everything happening around - and our modest friend here isn't doing her justice. Also, you're forgetting how much farther in training than us she most likely is. Three, four years at the least is my guess?"

 

 

"You really think you will be able to do that in four years time?" Cat interjected, "We're all training to be soldiers, but she's a natural killer. She could easily have killed me with that blow, or broken my back, or rammed something sharp into my neck in her first attack... I can't think of anypony that could take her one-on-one, to be honest. Maybe some of the best combat unicorns," she let them slip back into their debate.

 

Battered though she was, there was still an ember of pride burning inside her, and rather than ask for help she unbuckled and removed her armour herself, wincing as she bent round for each strap. She also gave the bruises on her back a quick examination; they didn't look too bad, but she could already feel the ache setting in; the rest of the day was going to be distinctly uncomfortable. Just like every other day. 

 

 

"You may not be, having spent the training catching a nap, but some of us have actually worked out hard and are famished!"

 

 

Cat gave her an incredulous look, sweat still dripping from her mane and running in rivulets down her legs, tinted red from the cut on her right hock. Cirrus looked bone-dry.

 

"Not all of us can blow dry ourselves on the move," she snarked, "And I prefer not to drip sweat and blood into my porridge. Just no pranks this time," she addressed that last remark to Midnight, referring to a previous incident where she pulled the rope to dump the water on her head, and nothing happened. Looking up, she had been rewarded by a face full of water that Midnight had been holding in the bucket by magic. Unicorns. Always the unicorns.

 

One cursory and thankfully prank-free shower later, and having changed the bandage on her leg, Cat trotted into the mess hall, feeling if not refreshed then at least clean. She chatted to Alto Cord over a bowl of porridge, a fellow earth pony and low performer in combat training and with whom she had become good friends with over the years, casually bemoaning flight and spells and the many injustices against earth ponies wrought by those with wings or horns.

 

@@Colenso Rivers. 

Spotting Colenso, she bade Alto Cord farewell and trotted over to see him.

 

"You feeling better now there's some food inside you?" she asked cheerfully, "Anyway, I'm going to see if I can blag myself a helmet from the quartermaster. You want to come along?"

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Enters@@Once In A Blue Moon,

Trying to make him feel better wasn't going to help, but he didn't want her to think he was just a downer, with a smile, "Yeah. She was something." Then at her comment about their fight, he felt uncomfortable, but humorously waved it away, "Oh dear, you do flatter me so."

@@Hederik,

Colenso didn't even have to look up for his next response, but agreed with Cirrus, "Maybe she has an unnatural advantage, but that actually prepares us for unfair fights in the future. Which are almost 90 percent of all encounters. Think about it, how many times are either side actually evenly matched?" Entering the dorm and putting away his gear, he continued, "Anyways, you've always been the type to underestimate your opponents." Then, running his tongue along his teeth, he answered, "Yes, a shower does sound nice, and we should have enough time to eat afterwards."

 

In the dining room, Colenso sat in an empty space of one of the middle tables. While it was by choice, he liked to think it wasn't because he was a loner, but more because he found conversation more detrimental to his eating time. He wondered as he spooned porridge into his mouth about what his parents were doing or eating at this particular moment. Goodness he missed them, and he always had a nudging regret when it came to his decision to leave, but how else could he reach his maximum potential. No other way. 

 

 

"You feeling better now there's some food inside you?" she asked cheerfully, "Anyway, I'm going to see if I can blag myself a helmet from the quartermaster. You want to come along?"

He was finishing up when he heard a voice directed at him, to turn and find Cat speaking to him. "Yep. I like mah' oats." Wow, he didn't even have to try to sound like a moron. Perfect, maybe his mind was degrading. As for her request, he quickly gulped the rest of it down and answered, "Sure, let's go." He saw it as a perfect opportunity to spend some more time with Cat, whom always seemed to treat non earth ponies with a tad bit of contempt.

[Hederik 119]

@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@Colenso Rivers

 

Having been left alone with the prospect of breakfast, Cirrus shrugged mutely, went on alone and was nowhere to be seen by the time everyone else came in. She was supposed to participate in today's extended flight maneuvers, so perhaps she'd gone to mingle with the other pegasi beforehoof.

 

Within the hall itself, a typical, random mixture of everything could be heard, from amiable conversation, through teasing and mocking up to heated discussions. Presently, just as the two Cadets were about to head out of the room, one particularly unlikable voice ringed nearby, deep and spiteful. "-all these bigwigs about, I tell ya, we'll get our asses handed to ourselves a dozen times today," a few agreeing statements followed before the first voice rose in a yell of, "Careful with that spoon!" after which a clatter of metal could be heard.

 

Turning reluctantly, they beheld the unsurprising sight of Jade Facet, a lumbering mass of an earth pony with his usual escort of twin unicorn siblings, neither of them particularly tall - and next to their leader, looking like runts. The three near-graduates were universally disliked, even in the group to which they belonged, but cared little for it, perhaps even thrived in it. At the moment, Jade was looming over a young pegasus officer, her muzzle splattered with porridge and a spoon laying beneath her bench seat. She was very focused on looking away from the bully standing behind her; something that couldn't be said about a pair of her colleagues sitting on the opposite side of the table, yet none of them was rash enough to stand up to the massive earth pony.

 

"Good choice to ease on the chowder," the ridicule continued with a chorus of sniggering to back it up. "Rumor is, Star's going to be on the hunt today for fatsos like you, easy to catch and gobble," this was accompanied by the earth pony's jaws clamping right next to the mare's ear.

 

"Not so easy to gobble, though," the unicorn brother piped in. His real name had something to do with water, but by now everyone knew him only by the nickname bestowed on him probably by the bundle of muscles he so blindly followed - Jinx. His sister, of whom there were a couple particularly nasty theories circulating around, went by Minx, and wasn't slacking in the delivery of raucous laughter at her brother's remark.

 

Facet pantomimed measuring their victim, then said seriously, "Nah. Just a morsel for'em anyway." Noticing a lack of reaction from the pegasus and either overlooking or disregarding the glares from her companions, he waved a hoof dismissively and tossed his head, motioning his clique to follow him onwards.

 

Star: one of the most popular legends among the officers, an unending source of teases, taunts and jeers from the older generations towards the younger ones, and apparently an absolute mess of exaggerations, myths and ghost tales that had been growing for years on end. According to different sources, Star was supposed to be either a stallion or a mare, a three-headed dog, a demon, a specter, a giant squid or a face carved into a mountain edge. Its (his, her?) abilities ranged from reading minds to shooting lightning out of the eyes and stopping time. Whenever anything reasonably relatable could be heard around this enigmatic name, it was immediately buried under a heap of suppositions and theories so wild it soon cast away any vestige of being real. As such, it lost its edge to anyone who attended the academy for longer than a few weeks and was generally perceived as a rather tasteless topic. Therefore, hearing the bulky bully abuse it was no novelty or surprise.

 

The nasty group moved on, passing Colenso and Carto without notice, but Minx did unfortunately spot them eventually. Her expression was solemn as she addressed the mare in a calm voice, "Yo, Kitty Cat," said she, dragging the vowels lazily. "Look out for them generals, you might get a promotion soon." With that, she trudged on beside the other two, who stopped and stared with disbelief after her. Taking note of that, the mare turned and shrugged. "What? I hear one of their hoofstools broke recently."

 

The trio broke into a fit of laughter that lasted until they were quite a distance away, probably sparing a few souls from more brilliant insights.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

"Yo, Kitty Cat," said she, dragging the vowels lazily. "Look out for them generals, you might get a promotion soon." With that, she trudged on beside the other two, who stopped and stared with disbelief after her. Taking note of that, the mare turned and shrugged. "What? I hear one of their hoofstools broke recently."

 

 

"Trying to batter some sense into your skull, were they?" Cat retorted, irritated by the height jibe.

 

 

The trio broke into a fit of laughter that lasted until they were quite a distance away, probably sparing a few souls from more brilliant insights.

 

 

 

@@Colenso Rivers. 

 

"I'll show them when I make pathfinder," she muttered, ostensibly to Colenso but mostly to herself as they kept walking towards the armoury. Her mind having moved on to her ambitions, she started talking about what she wanted to do after graduation.

 

"Ranging out in front of the main force, keeping low and staying out of sight... blazing a trail through the unknown... finding the enemy and reporting back alive... I didn't even know that such adventures were possible, before I came here, but now I can't think of anything else I'd want to do. So I just keep going, hoping and praying that I'll make it through," realising that she had been rambling, she fired a question over to Colenso "So why are you here, Spacey? I don't recall you ever saying," 

 

I don't recall you saying much at all actually, at least, nothing serious Cat thought to herself with a pang of guilt. Here she was, walking along talking to a pony she had known for years, and she didn't even know what motivated him. Only that his name and a head that was apparently completely clear of thought or worry had led her to nickname him Spacey. Not the kindest of names, Cat thought, again feeling bad.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Hederik,

@@Once In A Blue Moon,

Mention their names to him, he knew who they were. If you asked him their names, he really couldn't tell any pony. He typically tried to leave things alone when it came to their trio. He just felt he had no place in an unpleasant situation, why force himself into one? He cringed at the scenario behind them and pleaded desperately in his mind as it approached, No no no no no no no no Noooooooooo, I don't like thiiiiiiiiis. It seemed that they were going to get away unscathed when unfortunately the... Sister? Noticed them and made a snide comment towards cat. Oh jeeze, I'm in this one. He nudged Cat with a devious smile and brought his lips to her ear, obscuring them with his hoof in a whisper, "Just make it appear like I'm telling you a saucy rumor" Keeping his eyes on Minx the entire time.

 

 

"I'll show them when I make pathfinder," she muttered, ostensibly to Colenso but mostly to herself as they kept walking towards the armoury. Her mind having moved on to her ambitions, she started talking about what she wanted to do after graduation.   "Ranging out in front of the main force, keeping low and staying out of sight... blazing a trail through the unknown... finding the enemy and reporting back alive... I didn't even know that such adventures were possible, before I came here, but now I can't think of anything else I'd want to do. So I just keep going, hoping and praying that I'll make it through," realising that she had been rambling, she fired a question over to Colenso "So why are you here, Spacey? I don't recall you ever saying," 

   "I believe you'll make it. Your too durable not too." Heading to the armory at a comfortable pace, just some time to relax and listen. Her ambition, it brought joy to his heart. Joy that lasted until she asked him of his. He felt no real reason to hide this, "I can do more good here, because this the only way I can reach my potential." His eyes shifted down in open thought, "I don't know. When I was home, I taught myself all I could, but when I couldn't grow any further, I still felt the power within me of what I could be."

[Hederik 119]

@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@Colenso Rivers

 

The way to the academy's depository of armor and weaponry took them a few levels down. As the front doors they were now leaving behind were on the ground level (what was ground level this high up the mountain anyway), it meant they were now leaving the part of the school that was built and entering that which had been dug into the mountain upon the side of which the complex building rested. There were doors aplenty opening on the corridors they traversed - except they were all locked shut. A few dead-end pathways branched from the one Colenso and Cat were in, leading to even more impassable entrances. Cadets themselves would rarely come this way, but it was common knowledge that these were the warehouses of the academy, containing mostly lots and lots of training equipment, as often as not worn down to shreds by years of heavy use. Unsurprisingly, there were a few preposterous notions about this underground as well, the most notable of which had an entire race of underground ponies living in tunnels that led throughout the entire mountain range surrounding Pony Valley, with some of these doors serving as passageways between the two worlds. Others theorized that the academy was perfecting a new species of dust that would actually go away when blown onto.

 

Despite not having any reason to visit this part of oxymoronic, high altitude basement itself, the officers in training nonetheless knew the paths through them rather well, for there was an area of crucial importance located underneath them, even deeper within the mountain. Given away from afar by the temperature steadily rising the lower they got, there lay the academy's forges. What incredible engineering feat made it possible was uncertain (it would most likely take an emotionally-subdued introverted geologist to even wonder at it), but the majority of heat necessary for this craft was supplied by several troughs, though which there was a constant circulation of lava, feeding into these from the walls themselves. Having swam a few feet through the open, the molten rock substance then disappeared back whence it came - into the unknown. Needless to say, the constant heat delivery combined with limited, bordering on nonexistent airflow created a stuffy atmosphere, very sauna-like in its nature.

 

At present, the forges saw little use - there was some nameless soul hammering out the dents from an unornamented breastplate, but other than that the workstations were unoccupied. Having come this way for different reasons, the earth pony and unicorn duo passed by without any ado. Turning twice as the corridor led them, here branching to the sides no more, they came upon a chamber unlike any other within the school's walls: a comfortable one. Judging by the standard of its surroundings, it was downright luxurious.

 

Several soft armchairs stood around a beautifully carved table, a dozen of halfway-done wood and stone sculptures standing in a wild disarray on its surface next to a chessboard complete with a full set of intricately detailed pieces.There were chests of various sizes lining the walls, as well as armor racks and weapon stands displaying some of the most masterful creations that could be seen in the academy. Upon many open shelves, even more sculptures stood, these ones finished - and how! Exact replicas of several major buildings found in Pony Valley, complete with minuscule figurines of ponies, bigger, very lifelike statuettes of ponies in various intense poses, a stunningly beautiful tree wrought of pure white marble, its leaves shards of jewels carved in astonishing detail. There were a few mythical creatures there as well: a changeling done in some unknown black wood, a dragon with tiny scales made from steel, a striped pony done in the same black wood interwoven with pale birch and many others...

 

In a corner opposite the entrance, currently laid upon a chaise lounge and perusing some book, there was an ashen gray unicorn of a rather unusual body build. His front limbs were enormous, bulky appendages attached to a chest that was just as well muscled. Towards the hindquarters, the stallion's body thinned, to the point of looking emaciated around his cutie mark of crossed hammer and chisel. For those who beheld the quartermaster for the first time however, that wasn't as much of a shock as the fact that the unicorn's body ended there, only an ever-greasy red-and-orange tail and two nigh-invisible stumps of legs adorning the sickly behind, making him look very much like half of a pony. Presently, he heard the clop of their hooves and looked upwards, brightening immediately.

 

"Visitors!" he cried, clamping the book shut with his hooves and placing it daintily into a heavy-lidded chest standing beside his sofa before pulling himself a little upwards. "Come, come! Who have we here? Ah, yes, the young cartographer, Carto... Drawing? Sketch, that's it! And you must be, uh..." he appeared troubled, looking over the other unicorn critically, then shook his head. "Sorry, my mind is void." Suddenly, he laughed loudly, and patting his side exclaimed, "Sorry, just pulling your leg, Colenso, a lonely craftspony having his fun. Come then, what brings you two to my solitary kingdom? Have you time for some fun and games with old Fair Lock? Or have you maybe brought me some tasty tales?" he asked vigorously.

 

The stallion's behavior was far from abnormal - for him at least. Spending most of his time secluded in the academy's dungeons, he nonetheless appeared to know of mostly everything that went on above him and all parties involved. He was also an absolute bookworm, quite possibly having read every title available in Pony Valley's library as well as the academy's own. For all his talkativeness and love of gossip, the stallion's past was a mystery, one not unlike others that could be found in the school, as there was a myriad of stories and theories surrounding it. Contrary to other matters, however, the quartermaster himself was the source of ever new versions, gladly sharing them with any willing listener. There might as well have been a few entirely truthful confessions among these and nopony would be the wiser for them.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

 

 

"Just make it appear like I'm telling you a saucy rumor"

 

"Oh don't worry, I have one already," Cat winked at him suggestively, "About a certain unicorn with an eye for some feathered flank... don't look like that, I'm just teasing. You should talk to her though," she added as they walked on.

 

 

 

   "I believe you'll make it. Your too durable not too." Heading to the armory at a comfortable pace, just some time to relax and listen. Her ambition, it brought joy to his heart. Joy that lasted until she asked him of his. He felt no real reason to hide this, "I can do more good here, because this the only way I can reach my potential." His eyes shifted down in open thought, "I don't know. When I was home, I taught myself all I could, but when I couldn't grow any further, I still felt the power within me of what I could be."

 

She smiled at his confidence in her, and nodded encouragingly as he said his piece. Feeling a bit better about herself now that she'd actually bothered to find out a bit about her friend, she continued to engage in small talk as they made their way down.   

 

 

 

Several soft armchairs stood around a beautifully carved table, a dozen of halfway-done wood and stone sculptures standing in a wild disarray on its surface next to a chessboard complete with a full set of intricately detailed pieces.There were chests of various sizes lining the walls, as well as armor racks and weapon stands displaying some of the most masterful creations that could be seen in the academy. Upon many open shelves, even more sculptures stood, these ones finished - and how! Exact replicas of several major buildings found in Pony Valley, complete with minuscule figurines of ponies, bigger, very lifelike statuettes of ponies in various intense poses, a stunningly beautiful tree wrought of pure white marble, its leaves shards of jewels carved in astonishing detail. There were a few mythical creatures there as well: a changeling done in some unknown black wood, a dragon with tiny scales made from steel, a striped pony done in the same black wood interwoven with pale birch and many others...

 

Cat gave an appreciative whistle.

 

"I take it back. If this is how furniture gets treated I'll be a footstool any day," she remarked to Colenso. Despite knowing that she probably shouldn't, she had a little nose around the room, "Did they use these for wargaming, do you think?" She asked, looking over the model buildings and ponies, "... against mythical creatures?" she added, looking at the dragon. She lined up a number of ponies in front of it, the lead unicorn levitating a giant warhammer by its side in an aggressive pose, chuckling at the spectacle.

 

 

 

"Visitors!" he cried, clamping the book shut

 

"AH!" Cat jumped, guilt written all over her face, having not noticed that Fair Lock was in.

 

 

 

Come then, what brings you two to my solitary kingdom? Have you time for some fun and games with old Fair Lock? Or have you maybe brought me some tasty tales?" he asked vigorously

 

"Um..." Cat paused to collect herself, "Well, sir," Was he an officer?, Cat thought to herself, trying to remember if she should have saluted him as well. She was so used to dealing with officers that outranked her that addressing a senior pony that might not be an officer, combined with the shock of his 'sudden appearance,' had thrown her for a loop. Realising that she had stopped again, Cat continued.

 

"I was in combat training this morning with Colenso here, and as a result of a rather desperate maneuver on my part he very nearly drove a knife into my skull," she looked over at Colenso, "Thankfully he was a bit more... careful and controlled with his attacks," she shifted her wounded leg as it twinged from the memory, "But I was wondering if I might be able to requisition a helmet, one that shields the top and front of my head in particular. Lowering my head is usually enough to keep my eyes safe, but I'd like to be able to deflect blows from a blade or similar if I have to."

[Colenso Rivers 85]

 

"About a certain unicorn with an eye for some feathered flank...

He cringed in slight disgust the moment that she mentioned an actual rumor. He didn't care for them, but he initiated it, so he had to commit. This is why he tried to stay out of things like that. When she first spoke the words, hr didn't quite understand, a mystery he didn't care to figure out, until it hit him as plain as day. His eyes shot open and he almost jumped back reflexively. He responded, "What, no no no no no..." And as they continued, he added in a half whisper, "Listen, I won't lie, she's pretty, but there are much nicer mares who are also pretty. I just don't know what I think or feel about what she does, not who she is...." Oh dear, he almost blew his cover. To be honest, he honestly knew he liked some things about her, but hated others, and still a lot remained yet to be determined.

Afterwards, the conversations shifted to topics more pleasant and casual.

 

"Did they use these for wargaming, do you think?"

He was absorbing all the quality that filled the room, and he asked himself I wonder if anypony even uses these anymore. "Hmmm. I don't really know, but it's beautiful craftsmanship." He took a moment to brew over them when he asked himself if any of these mythical creatures were more than just mythical. The thing was, he already learned things in this place he thought previously impossible, might as well have taken the mile.

 

"Visitors!" he cried, clamping the book shut with his hooves and placing it daintily into a heavy-lidded chest standing beside his sofa before pulling himself a little upwards. "Come, come! Who have we here? Ah, yes, the young cartographer, Carto... Drawing? Sketch, that's it! And you must be, uh..." he appeared troubled, looking over the other unicorn critically, then shook his head. "Sorry, my mind is void." Suddenly, he laughed loudly, and patting his side exclaimed, "Sorry, just pulling your leg, Colenso, a lonely craftspony having his fun. Come then, what brings you two to my solitary kingdom? Have you time for some fun and games with old Fair Lock? Or have you maybe brought me some tasty tales?" he asked vigorously.

Fair Lock, a pony he had come to learn to adore because of his intense hospitality. When he stumbled on his name, Colenso gave a slight chuckle and answered back, "Yeah I missed you too." He felt a twinge of guilt, and he would have actually liked to spend time with the stallion, "I would love to spend time here, but sadly I've got other engagements today Sir."

[Hederik 119]

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon

 

"Ah, typical," the stallion laughed, waving a hoof dismissively, "running you all ragged until you don't know which way is up. Some things never change," he sighed, even though he lost none of his jovial appearance.

 

Having heard Cat's request, he grinned and bobbed his head. "Very important to keep the noggin' safe, yeah. Wish I had done the same for my poor back legs when I fought that hellish wyvern, probably wouldn't've been able to chew my legs clean like that. I forget, have I told you that story yet?"

 

Off the top of the two ponies' heads, the stallion's legs were already lost to a horde of undead ponies, chewed off by a turtle (or was it a tortoise?) after being trapped during an avalanche, hewn off by a single strike of a particularly vicious training partner's blade and... something about a smithing accident.

 

While the artisan made storekeeper prattled on without a hitch about his supposed battle against yet another being straight out of wild mythos, the incapacitated stallion nonetheless lost no time in grabbing a tape measure from a shelf behind him in a gentle telekinetic grasp and checking this and that dimension of the earth pony's head. "-next thing I knew, I was lying on a surgical table and watching shreds of those dreadful, thin fangs being extracted from what I had left of the hind legs," he finished, then suddenly levitated a helmet off one of the racks standing in this mix of living room, art gallery and toolshed of war. "Try this one on," he instructed, passing it to Carto so that she put in on herself. The object in question was marvelous, made of polished steel, with two obsidian bands running around it, one encompassing the temples and occiput, sticking forwards a little to shield the sides of its wearer's muzzle, and the other following the center of the head, elongated on the front end to serve as a visor as well.

 

Noticing the mare's expression, Fair Lock laughed aloud. "No, dear, I won't be giving you this one, not unless you take the rest of the set too, and frankly I don't think you have the bulk for it. Come, though, put it on," he encouraged, and as she did so, used his magic to move it about on her head this way and that, testing how well it fit. "A little too wide, as I thought, but it's mostly right. I'll grab you something just right now, wait here a spell."

 

Having said that, the stallion pushed himself off the chaise lounge, but instead of flopping on the floor, he landed on a little vehicle comprising of a flat cushioned seat and three small wheels attached to it that he must have extracted from beneath his seat at some point during the conversation. He looked quite hilarious, a muscular front of a pony attached to a thin body mounted on a board with wheels. He was far from pathetic on it though, in a single shove of his powerful front legs propelling himself across the room towards a door that led to yet another storage depot and disappearing inside. A few moments and a little clangor later, he reemerged, holding in one foreleg another helmet that he carelessly chucked towards the mare, then with a laugh caught in telekinesis a feet or so before it reached her, holding it aloft for her inspection.

 

This one was a little more down-to-earth, but still not too shaggy itself, with a thick steel dome ending in a minute cap above the eyes. There was no visor, but towards the end, the leather serving as inside cushioning ended in two elongated flaps with thinner plates of metal attached to these, serving as additional protection for the back of its wearer's neck.

 

"This one should fit perfectly," the quartermaster said with a wink, closing the door behind him and pushing himself towards his guests rather than back to the reading couch.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

"No, dear, I won't be giving you this one, not unless you take the rest of the set too, and frankly I don't think you have the bulk for it. Come, though, put it on,"

 

 

"I don't think anything with a visor is quite what I'm after," Cat agreed, "Wielding a sling with no peripheral and limited forwards vision would be... a novel experience."

 

 

This one was a little more down-to-earth, but still not too shaggy itself, with a thick steel dome ending in a minute cap above the eyes. There was no visor, but towards the end, the leather serving as inside cushioning ended in two elongated flaps with thinner plates of metal attached to these, serving as additional protection for the back of its wearer's neck.

 

 

Fastening the strap, Cat tried moving her head around. The armour around her neck didn't limit her freedom of movement much from a technical point of view, being well-designed in that regard, but it did produce significant discomfort when she bent her head around. Simulating the movements involved in reaching for various stowed items, she concluded that as long as she knew where everything was there wouldn't be an issue, but if she had to rummage through her saddlebags then it would get quite painful. The rest of the helmet was a good snug fit for her, not moving when she nodded her head violently or gave it a few shoves with her hoof.

 

 

"This one should fit perfectly," the quartermaster said with a wink, closing the door behind him and pushing himself towards his guests rather than back to the reading couch.

 

 

@@Colenso Rivers. 

"It does, though the weight will take some getting used to," Cat said, "No more premature mane-cuts for me," she grinned at Colenso, "I don't recall thanking you for that, by the way. Missing that winning blow could have lost you the match. Considerate of you, if a bit wet," she chuckled, stopped, then corrected herself, "No, sorry, I don't mean that. I mean thanks." A bit less insensitive banter, eh Cat? Keep the thanks sincere, or he might not be so obliging next time. 

 

She experimented with the helmet a few more times, as much to cover up the awkwardness of her joke as anything else, and it was when she tried to don or remove it quickly that she encountered some difficulty, "Would it be possible to have the head-strap clasp replaces with a quick-release clasp?" Cat asked sweetly, "Like the ones on my ammo bag? I know they aren't exactly regulation," she faked a look of remorse "but I'm a skirmisher first and foremost - I won't be wearing my helmet all the time, and the less time I spend fiddling around with it the better," she gave Fair Lock her best winning smile.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Colenso Rivers 85]

The first helmet, while of high quality and probably providing exceptional protection, seemed a tad too heavy for her style of combat, but his assumption of this being a benchmark for estimations was not unfounded, and was quickly verified as it was removed. As Fair proceeded to tell another ludicrous story about his injured legs while searching for a suitable helm for Cat, Colenso continued to absorb the pleasant aesthetics of the furniture and other works in the room around him and silently listened to his tale. A wyvern, hmmmm. He would like to see one, unfortunately they were not. However, given it's particular ferociousness, he would have to reconsider.

Cat's voice awoke him from his thoughts and he turned to see her wearing a much more suitable helm. He was surprised to hear her thank him though, being visibly if only slightly taken aback. He was almost worried about her until she added a saucy quip at the end, which he would grace her in kind with a somewhat childishly offended, "Oh, Awww." He hoped he didn't sound serious. He knew she was grateful and didn't want her to start becoming to sensitive of his feelings. Unfortunately, she recovered with a quick apology and he had to respond the only way he knew how, "That's okay." He did so hesitantly, things like that with cart he had always felt were unsaid because she meant what she said. Did this mean he had to relearn her? What a task...

[Hederik 119]

@@Once In A Blue Moon

"Stop, stop, you're going to give me diabetes if you continue to smile like that," laughed the smith, then gently took the helmet off her head and put it onto his table, pushing an unfinished wooden carving aside with it. Having rolled himself to the furniture as well, he grabbed the tabletop and gracefully hauled himself to a wide padded backless chair. He worked expertly, and in a matter of moments presented the modified headwear to the mare. "See if it isn't too tight, although it's better to err on the side of caution." He paused for a while, then asked curiously, "Have you thought of how you'd like to carry it around when you don't wear it?"

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

"See if it isn't too tight, although it's better to err on the side of caution."

 

 

Running through a few tests again, Cat pronounced her satisfaction with the helmet - she could remove it with a single hoof in seconds, and although two were preferable she could don the helmet with a single hoof as well.

 

 

"Have you thought of how you'd like to carry it around when you don't wear it?"

 

 

Going up to one of the armour models, Cat gave the helmet a thoughtful look, holding it in various places.

"If my ammo bags go there, they'll need to be accessible... bedroll goes there... a-ha, if I place it like so, along my back, I can offset it to the right and put the helmet on it and fasten it here..." she continued to gesture to and maneuver non-existent baggage on the ponikin, "...then I just need to move some of my spare ammo bags over to my left keep balance. Perfect. Yes, it should fit," she concluded, "Thank you very much, sir," she smiled again 

 

"Well, unless you were after anything, I have the sinking suspicion that we are due somewhere else," Cat said, turning to Colenso. 

 

 

 

@@Colenso Rivers. 

Cat had a thoughtful look on her face as they left the armoury, and as they ascended from the lower levels she eventually managed to put her thoughts into words.

 

"Do I offend you when I make a sarcastic remark, or call you 'Spacey'?" she asked Colenso, "Or if there's anypony it does bother? Just... you remember that little footstool jibe Minx made?" Cat paused, still trying to assemble her thoughts into a cohesive point.

 

"It hit at just the wrong time, and... eh... it kind of hurt," she frowned, admissions of being hurt by jokes something she was disinclined to admit to, "And I got over it, that's fine, but we all know Minx as a bully because of moments like that, same as Jinx and Jade," her frown deepened, "I don't want to be thought of as a bully. Unless you tell Jinx she hit a nerve, then I will absolutely bully you," she added, falling back to her more familiar 'tough banter' speech. 

Edited June 15, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Colenso Rivers 85]

 

 

"Well, unless you were after anything, I have the sinking suspicion that we are due somewhere else," Cat said, turning to Colenso.        @Colenso Rivers.  Cat had a thoughtful look on her face as they left the armoury, and as they ascended from the lower levels she eventually managed to put her thoughts into words.   "Do I offend you when I make a sarcastic remark, or call you 'Spacey'?" she asked Colenso, "Or if there's anypony it does bother? Just... you remember that little footstool jibe Minx made?" Cat paused, still trying to assemble her thoughts into a cohesive point.   "It hit at just the wrong time, and... eh... it kind of hurt," she frowned, admissions of being hurt by jokes something she was disinclined to admit to, "And I got over it, that's fine, but we all know Minx as a bully because of moments like that, same as Jinx and Jade," her frown deepened, "I don't want to be thought of as a bully. Unless you tell Jinx she hit a nerve, then I will absolutely bully you," she added, falling back to her more familiar 'tough banter' speech. 

Colenso shook his head and turned to leave with her, calling out behind him to Fair, "Goodbye, my friend."

On their journey through the halls, the peaceful silence was laced with concern. shown to him by the question from Cat. His eyes took on a melancholic look, but tried to give her a reassuring smile as he put his thoughts together carefully, "The fact that you care enough to give me a nickname means I matter, even if just a little. I figured the sarcasm is just how you deal with the discomfort of sincerity." He knew he was giving himself away a little by saying this, that maybe he took more deep thought than what he appeared to have previously. However, as a general rule of disclosure and trust, what is given, should be returned. He trusted her, kinda. As she described her feelings towards Minx's comment, a more concerned expression took over, and he responded hesitantly, treading carefully, "Cat, I would never tell anypony anything you tell me unless you tell me to. As for Minx's comment, she doesn't matter. I'm sorry that it hurt you, but what else can I say other than I'm here for you." Something Colenso had always been good at was sincerity. Withholding it to keep up his appearance would have been.... Cruel.

[Hederik 119]

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon

 

Smiling at them cheerfully from his workplace, the master artisan waved a hoof, dismissing any notion that rendering his services could have been any problem. "Always a pleasure to see and help you younglings. Take care now," he called as the duo turned to leave, calling after them, "Come back anytime!"

 

After a moment had passed and the two officers were gone for good, his smile soured and he hung his head. "No one ever does come back," he muttered disconsolately. "And I didn't even remember to send them on a book run!" he added as an afterthought, chuckling more lightheartedly. "Fair Lock, you oldster, you oughtta wear a helmet too lest anything more spills through that sieve you call a skull!" With his mood brightened significantly by the self-addressed quip, he gazed at the half-done figures scattered before him, wondering what to put his hooves onto. Instead, he noticed one of the white pawns standing two steps away from its assigned field on the chessboard occupying the other half of the table. "Hello there..."

 

* * *

 

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart

 

The rest of the early morning and most of the afternoon zoomed past for Carto and Colenso, as they separated to attend the race-specific training sessions planned for the better part of the day. The earth pony mare had to endure a mustering regimen first, dull and boring if at least not overly taxing. If she'd ever hoped to get away with an easy day, however, such delusions soon got trampled as she and her kin were sent down from the mountain, almost to the valley below. There awaited a periodical allotment of supplies (by and large, foodstuffs) coming out of the valley's produce. One trip down and back again in full gear, save any packs and bags to allow for the added weight on the return. It was no short climb either, so most were left soaked and wheezing afterwards. And it was not the end, as everypony faced two more such trips, although mercifully they were allowed to do these without being needlessly encumbered anymore.

 

A small consolation resided in the fact that along the way, if one dared to peel their eyes from the wide albeit rocky path, the skybound practices of the pegasi could be observed. While from the viewpoint of those unadorned by wings many of the performed maneuvers and formations could be perceived as easy tasks for the experienced officers, the sheer exhaustion coming from being forced to remain airborne for hours on end was a harsh test of their stamina. It was hardly uncommon for the younger, less hardened fliers to plummet from the skies as their strength gave way. As far as anypony's knowledge, there had never been any casualties, as the other participants were constantly on guard for one of the newbies needing to be saved - and deciding to quit before coming to the breaking point was not an option. A popular tale told of an officer who had once done that and was later prohibited to touch a hoof to the floor in the presence of any supervising officer for a month.

 

Meanwhile, the unicorn Cadets left all but alone in the school's walls were hard-pressed to stay on their hooves as well, running through intensive magic stress training. They would be instructed now to shove at each other with their magic while opposing the other, now to allow themselves to be carried in their peers' telekinesis. They ran laps, instructed to swing their weapons this way and that, all the while reciting the Ode to ponydom. When all but the hardiest began to display signs of nearing the point of absolute exhaustion of their magic reservoirs, they switched once again to the more physical art of horn foiling, wincing at every strike of abused horn against horn - or against anything else, really - but pushed themselves ever further despite the pain.

 

Though on a daily basis such endurance courses would only happen for a while, with the remainder of the day being devoted to more intricate, personalized training to develop everypony's best unique skills or prompt acquiring fluency in different arts, there happened once in a while a day such as this, when everypony would get run ragged. And this did, in fact, mean everypony, as the presence of superior officers was prevalent in all the groups. While still being there to guide and oversee, they were exerting themselves equally to the younger ponies, often motivating them just by allowing their stellar performances to be observed and imitated.

 

As evening drew near, so did the exercises, and the school's baths had to endure a wild onslaught of tired, sweaty officers, proud of their achievements if they were able to feel anything at all anymore. The dinner, as was usually the case on such occasions, was a little more exquisite - not to mention abundant - than would be the expectation otherwise. A feast though it was, the meal didn't mark a final reward of the day for the Cadets, however, as they split back into their dormitory-based groups to head for the more mentally-challenging part of their daily struggles.

 

Thus, as the world beyond the windows became enveloped in twilight and there came a faint sound of the crickets' music, the ten Cadets found themselves seated in the comfortable chairs of a small lecture room on the academy's top floor. The lamps were dimmed and the lectern empty, as their teacher hadn't arrived yet, giving the run-down Cadets a little longer to delight in the feeling of just being able to sit back and relax. Everypony from their group was here, even Toad, whose group had actually gotten a similarly exhausting run through the rough surroundings of the academy, with focus on cooperation between the different races of ponies. Apparently he'd done quite well during its course, as he was relating some of the wilder obstacles there had been to Midnight and Rabble Buster, the earth pony stallion glancing curiously at the occasional intrusion into the story from a pegasus mare called Gale Wind, whom everybody called Gal for short. Cirrus Streak was splayed on her desk, looking halfway bored and the other half dead, while the teal unicorn stallion Reverie did just what his name suggested and sat in his place, apparently lost in silent meditation.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

the ten Cadets found themselves seated in the comfortable chairs of a small lecture room on the academy's top floor.

 

 

Trudging in a little later than most, Cat didn't particularly feel like hearing... pretty much anything from Toad for the time being, so she went to sit with Colenso. It wasn't that she didn't like Toad, so much as she just couldn't find the effort for an energetic conversation; 'Spacey' was much easier in that regard. 

 

@@Colenso Rivers,@@SilverHeart. 

"Hey," she said, expending the minimum effort on greetings, then looked past Colenso at the unicorn beyond him, "Oh, hey Silver, I didn't see you this morning," she almost collapsed into the seat, savouring the feeling of taking her weight off her legs. Realising that she probably looked rather undignified with her face flat on the desk in front of her, she pushed herself up and slumped back in the seat instead, halfheartedly rummaging through her saddlebag in search of paper, quill and ink.

 

"Shall I ask how your days went, or should we skip straight to the commiserations?" Cat asked, directing the question at both Colenso and Silver, "I for one have learnt the importance of eating less, so that there are fewer s*dding food sacks to carry up to the academy," she grumbled, "And if you want my advice, don't add any salt to your food for the next week or so; it turns out that when you have a water-permeable sack of salt on your very sweaty back, the results are not pretty. Still, I got away with it and I'll remember to put it on the cart next time," she gave a tired grin.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[SilverHeart 741]

Silver Heart

 

@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@Colenso Rivers, @@Hederik,

 

Silver sat in her chair slumped against the desk. Her muscles and bones ached from the three trips down the mountain and back. For now she could be happy that it was over, at least until tomorrow came. And then it would be more grueling exercises and lessons with an all too brief respite at the end. She quietly groaned as she forced herself to sit back up and look around the room at the other Cadets gathered there to see if anyone had been missing. A quick glance about the room confirmed that everyone, except their teacher, was present and accounted for. She had a veritable buffet of ponies to talk to.

 

Now, if only her muscles weren't protesting even the thought of getting up to talk to someone. She'd have to settle for somepony near her. Silver glanced between Reverie and Cirrus. Both were relatively close to her and neither looked particularly interested in speaking. Between the two, Cirrus looked less preoccupied than Reverie did. Silver opened her mouth to speak but before she could voice a syllable Cat called her attention.

 

"No, I left early to..." she paused, it took some effort to actually remember what exercise she had done that morning. After the first year it all started to blend together for her. "...help treat the injuries of Cadets that got hurt during some combat exam. I think." she responded sounding a little uncertain if she had actual done that.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Colenso strode through the grounds, a book in the satchel on his side, and into the lecture hall after a nice dinner and cleaning himself, he was almost ready to sleep, but not until he fulfilled the rest of his duties. One was some very much needed intellectual work. After an arduous day of training after draining himself in combat, he was actually quite pleased with his performance, always discovering new limits. However, he knew he needed more work on his foiling techniques, he was satisfied with the fact that he was more than capable with his carver in close combat. While there wasn't necessarily a pep in his step, he wasn't exactly dragging himself into the room.

 

@@Hederik,@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart,

He was reading about a substance said possible, but considered impossibly difficult to generate. Wasn't his forte, seeming a tad too destructive and hard to manipulate, but he was enjoying his reading, and maybe, if he ever became a master of the arcane, he would find use of dark matter.

When Cat took a seat next to him, he placed the ribbon at his page and politely closed it, turning to her with a calm and friendly, "Hello there, Cat." Then her mention of Silver triggered a sudden awareness of the unicorn in him, he turned to Silver and apologized, "Oh, sorry. I didn't see you there, I guess I was just so set on reading I didn't realize whom I was sitting next to." With a nervous smile. He didn't really know Silver all that well, he guessed he always just got the vibe that she thought him too incapable and stupid. Either that or she just never thought to approach him, which he guessed was his fault because he never approached. Huh. First to Cat, he responded with a, "Learning something new every day, and you made it. I'm sure you weren't the slowest out there. You get better every time..... I don't know. I'm tired, but then again, I feel okay." Then to Silver, with more of a tone of surprise, "By the way, Silver, I was very impressed with your performance today. You were great out there."

[Hederik 119]

@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart, @@Colenso Rivers,

 

They were not kept waiting long before the doors could be heard opening behind them and a mustard yellow earth pony mare trotted in, an easy smile on her face as she gazed at the tired unit gathered and greeted them with a warm hello. As she went by them, carrying only a small satchel bag, she turned up a few of the lamps, just enough to make it comfortable to read and write. Positioning herself at the lectern, she grabbed a thick, stuffed notebook from her bag and, opening it before her, tossed her head to clear a few strands of dark purple mane interspersed here and there with bright blue from her eyes, two merrily glowing rubies that they were. Avidity was her name, and she was one of the few officers who dedicated themselves to the more scholarly pursuits and would often occupy the younger officers in the evenings, teaching them of the world's past: as far back as the nigh-mythical beginnings of the pony race, and as recent as some of the Pony Valley history. Much of the time was spent on studying the culture and history of Equestria, a paradisiacal nation that apparently existed for a thousand years or more... until a few centuries ago. The exact amount of time that had passed since then, the cause and nature of its downfall were matters still unclear to the gathered Cadets.

 

"Alright," she said, paging through her notes, "I see you do sorely desire to get this over with and seek your beds, and boy do I not blame you for that after today," she laughed cheerfully. "Let's not belate that moment then and dive straight into Spear Shaker's Origins of Equestria, shall we?"

 

"It's stupid," mumbled Cirrus, not deigning to lift her head off the desk she lay on. Avidity always insisted that they ignore rank during her classes and treat her as an equal. "I know the preface says it was a traditional Hearthswarming play, but..." she paused for a while, long enough for Gal to pick up the thought.

 

"It's a grotesque, excessively exaggerated, childishly naïve story fit for foals at best!" she whined, then continued in a more collected manner, "The characters are utterly unbelievable, and there are so many plot holes! If Commander Hurricane did in fact command an army half as big as the sum of civilian earth ponies and aristocratic unicorns, the pegasi would have pacified the other races just like that. And that's just one of the problems-" she paused on the intake of breath, seeing Avidity's raised hoof.

 

"First off, that was an impressive opening statement to memorize," said the teacher, amusement tinging her voice. "Let's not spill all of your arguments at once, though, lest we forget the former before moving onto latter. Does anyone have a rebuttal to the military conquest theory?" she asked, gesturing with a hoof to all the others.

 

"The play has the pegasus soldiers nearly starved by the time they realize something's amiss," said Midnight ponderously after a moment. "Hunger breeds desperation, and thus equipment and organization could not have been enough to subdue the earth ponies. And the unicorns were living in castles, so I don't sere how the hungry army could lay siege to them."

 

Next to speak was Reverie, unmoving as he asked in his calm yet carrying voice, "Why were the pegasi soldiers at all? Spear tells us only that they collected food taxes for commanding the weather, but if that's all they did, what was their military nature based on? I say there had to have been an enemy that the pegasi were holding at bay, and if they allowed themselves to engage in a civil war, they would have been crushed from outside."

 

Avidity nodded to the speech, adding, "Equestria was not a warlike nation. By the time of Spear Shaker's birth, there was nary a trace of any military forces being on the upkeep and the story he described was already older than all but two living ponies. Equestrian ponies did not know war, and they didn't want to, yet not all traces of it had been erased from their tales and minds."

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

I say there had to have been an enemy that the pegasi were holding at bay, and if they allowed themselves to engage in a civil war, they would have been crushed from outside."

 

"But why only the pegasi then?" Cat asked, "If there were a serious external threat, then the earth ponies and unicorns would need soldiers as well, else the pegasi could simply have lifted their protection and left them undefended. That would have given the pegasi the ultimate bargaining tool - a threat that demanded unity and unconditional support of the military," she paused, thinking, "And indeed, they could simply have taken what they wanted regardless if they were the only significant military force - literally flying away into the sunset with their stolen goods. So there must have been something holding them in check. If not earth or unicorn militia, then the Princesses? Were they influential then, or was that later?" she asked, trying to remember what order the events she had been taught came in.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon