//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1:  The Funeral 
// Story: The Cost of Duty 
// by PingSquirrel 
//------------------------------//

        
        “It's nearly two hundred and twenty years since the first defeat of Nightmare Moon and a new peace came to Equestria in its wake. But, it was a peace that lacked harmony. With the harsh hoof of law over her little ponies, she held her land in control but wasn’t loved for it.  There was no doubt that the discontent of the land was fed by the paranoia she had because of the betrayal by her sister a mere two centuries before.  If I were to search here, I would have to be careful.”
                        ~ Excerpt from The Journal of the Unknown, Entry 1, Paragraph 1 ~


* * *



        It was a grey day. The hazy grey skies above the forest above matched the barren farmers’ fields and bleak trees, and the cool air of the late autumn day.  Winter was coming and soon, and not even the pegasi couldn’t hold that fact back much longer.  For the ponies of Farrier’s Creek, the stark bleakness of the day was a perfect compliment for their hearts. An empty, grey world to match empty, grey hearts. Two nights ago, the local baron, Wind Shear, that cared for the hamlet and all that surrounded it, had died and was going to be sorely missed by all that knew him.  For years, he had acted in fairness and sound judgement for the distant Princess Celestia, and now, he was gone.  Out of respect, every stallion, mare and foal of the town had joined in a somber procession for one last walk to carry the old pegasus to his final resting place.  They all were lead by three ponies.

        First, there was a elderly stallion in long white robes that dragged through the dust and grass of that hoofpath. At one time, his black pelt would of been a striking difference against the robes, but now, time has turned it to a mottled silver. Good Word was the local minister for the Church of Faust, and the life had made him soft and portly, but as loved by the local ponies as his passed friend. They had known each other since Word first took his place in the tiny country church nearly half a century ago, and it was only fitting for him to lay his dear friend to rest.  Just behind him was a lanky, pale green pegasus that held his head high as he marched.  He was soft as well, but it wasn’t the stability that came with a devout life that made him so.  Instead, it was the relentless pursuit of nobility that made him eschew any and all physical labour out of fear that other nobles might look at him with scorn for him.  He knew he deserved better.  After all, he was the new baron of Farrier’s Creek by right of succession, and they all had to know that Copper Crown was ready to carry out the commands the Princess. Finally, beside Copper Crown was a small, stocky, forest-green filly with a dark cloak over her body.  She was an earth pony, that was just moving into proper marehood, and was barely able to contain her tears for her dearly-loved grandpa as they made the march.  She steeled her nerves and emotions every time they began to overtake her, and resumed them when she so much as glanced back at the casket.

        “For Celestia's sake,” her father chided her in a harsh whisper. “You're nearly fourteen years old, Celerity.  We nobles have to show strength and resolve in front of the commoners, no matter the circumstance.  Now, walk tall.”

        After she wiped her nose with a hoof, the tomboy lifted her head to look at her father.  He looked strange to her with her grandfather's simple crown upon his brow, but he was still her father. “Yes Father,” she answered in the strongest voice she could muster, but she still was grappling with the fact that her grandpa was gone.  With only a few strides down that path, she resumed her mute state.  Being lost in cheerless thought was not the same as strength, but Copper was happy enough with the silence from his daughter.

        There was little new to see down this path, up the small hill and through the steel gates of the cemetery.  Every pony from the town comes down this path eventually, whether to carry another pony, or to be carried by their family and friends.  The markers of those passed were all in neat rows, with the dates and names to help the living remember those that came before them. Celerity’s mother was here already, and not among the commoners as she was born, but with nobles. Celerity never had a chance to meet her mother as when she came into the world, her mother left it, but she had heard so much from her grandpa and she must of been a wonderful mare. Her father was truly fortunate to have known her, but he never spoke of her with his daughter.

 Between her mother, and her grandfather was a freshly dug plot for one more, and it was here that the ponies began to take places so they may witness the final rites when they happened.  Trailing them all was the wagon that bore the casket.  Not a single voice dared break the silence and the whole world seemed to still around the gathering.  The grey clouds were nailed in place, ensuring not a single ray of the sun may pierce through them to warm the cool earth.  The only sound beyond the shuffling of hooves on the ground was a distantly singing lark.  Finally, Good Word moved beside the casket and all eyes shifted to him expectantly to begin.

“Faust bless all us gathered here today to mourn and show respect for the departed,” the minister opened in a well rehearsed fashion with a hoof lifted to the sky.

“Faust bless us all,” came the well practiced response from the townsponies.  

There was a pause while Good Word looked over the congregation once more, and then he took a long breath.  “When I first came here, I was a young stallion.  A strapping colt fresh out of the seminary,” he said with a forced effort to hide his own wounded heart, “But even with all that energy that I had in my youth, I wouldn't have accomplished half of what I did without help.  My dearest, and oldest friend gave me everything I needed, and more.  We built the church together.  We built the faith of the community together.  We were there to help each other in the darkest of times, and to share the joy of the happiest of times.  I’m sure many of you feel the same about him.”   As he talked, his eyes surveyed back and forth and lingered over Celerity at the mention of brighter days.  

“He was kinder than his history would have him.  He was a fine soldier in his younger days, and fought the gryphons and minotaurs with all the courage and valour he had.  For his strength, he was rewarded with duty to represent Princess Celestia to us, and even though his strength was with steel, his heart was nothing but gold.  A true treasure that we all shared.”  The elderly minister paused and caught his breath so he wouldn’t lose his composure, but for Celerity, it was too much.  She wept openly, and her father would not stop her this time.

“He worked the earth with us.  He moved the clouds for us.  He shared our good years with humility, and hungered with us in our darker years.   We were his little ponies, and he made sure we had all we could.  It’s all we can do to make sure his spirit has all we can give for its return to Faust.  We pray.”


O’ Faust,


Thy written words bring the world to life


We beseech the, 


See us with the strength to love you as Thou deservest


Guide us to love each other as Thou desires


Aid us to be as we were written by Thee


Free from wickedness and sin


Until Thy story ends


        Everypony present knew the words and spoke them except one.  While some were trying hard to reign in their sorrow, for Celerity, it was too much; she gave in to bawling though every word and not a soul could blame her justly for doing so.  Even so, a light kick was given to her rear leg and her bleary eyes lifted to see her father through the wavy filter of tears once more.  He simply frowned at her and shook his head with a harsh disapproval, though he would not speak more of her lack of dignity here.

        “S-Sorry,” she stammered with a herculean effort to catch her breath long enough to speak.  It was all she could say before she retreated into the smallest bundle that the dark robe would allow for her so she might hide her failure to control herself from the town and the world. Maybe, Faust too might forgive her for her disrespect. 

“Let us all give time in silence to remember him, and to send our farewells for his journey,” the minister mercifully continued, so Celerity might feel the attention slide off of her and back to her grandfather.          

The silence was unbroken by anypony. 

~Grandpa?  Why did you have to go?  Does Faust need you so much that she had to take you from us?  From me?  You had so much to teach me, and I had so much left to show you too!  I love you so much!~  thought the little mare as her hoof dug a trench in the ground.  Her thoughts drifted from memory to memory with her grandfather.   All the times he took care of her while her father was away to visit other nobles by recounting old war stories way past her bedtime.  She would listen with rapt attention as he retold how he stopped three charging minotaurs at Broken Bit Pass until it was way past her bedtime, but that wouldn’t end the retelling.

Then there was the Hearth’s Warming Eve where she woke up before even Celestia’s sun, and ended up cooking breakfast with him for the two servants of the house.  Her father never forgave either of them for doing that, but neither of them cared. It became a tradition for them.  She  smiled through her sadness for an instant, while she thought of her father’s face when the event repeated itself the following year.  He was so mad, and grandpa just waved him off.

Then, there was the training sessions.  At first, she begged her grandpa to show her the cool moves he knew with his hoof-blade, and before long, she was practicing under him at the age of six.  She was so bad at it at first, she’d do anything to be spend time with him.  Father didn’t approve in the least, but grandpa was an old soldier, wanting to share with her all he could offer and Crown was out of town to visit another neighboring barony to play politics more often than not.  But more than his lessons, she would miss the pony himself.  

        Cooper Crown stood beside her, and with a empty gaze that was locked onto the horizon without any emotion crossing them for the briefest of instants.  If he could feel them, nopony could tell and he was not about to reveal them to anypony, least he appear weak in their eyes.  As such, he was first to see the flicker of gold in the sky approaching from the north at an incredible rate and his eyes narrowed to try and make it out.  “It can’t be,” he mouthed to himself as he considered the only thing that would make sense for the approaching speck to be.  His wings flared slightly out of his growing nervousness as the gold flicker took shape as a the Royal chariot.  He spoke again, and this time everypony heard it over the otherwise total silence.  “She’s coming here?!” 

        Eyes turned to him in anger because he was interrupting, but he didn’t let an accusation be said.  Instead, he lifted a hoof to point to the sky and towards the flying object. “The Princess comes!  Bow for her!”  Copper Crown commanded sharply to everypony present.  For him the funeral was forgotten and all he could think of was how he was totally unprepared for the Royal visit from Celestia herself!  How could he ever save face for meeting her empty-hoofed was his only clear thought now, but there was no scheme he could hatch to help him now.  Humility would have to do in lieu of anything better to offer her.

        The townsponies did bow until their noses were on the ground out of respect for the One True Sovereign of Equestria.  The Sun Incarnate.  Faust’s Most Loved Daughter.  For all the names that Princess Celestia had, few outside of her capital of Canterlot knew what she looked like.  True, bits had her visage imprinted on them, but they never could live up to the Alicorn of Light’s beauty and power.  The only pony that had actually ever seen the Princess first-hoof in Ferrier’s Creek was awaiting his burial, and it just seemed surreal that Celestia would even arrive in such a small, backwater town.  Yet, the chariot landed gracefully just outside of the cemetery and the two royal guards pulling it unharnessed themselves quickly.  Though they all feared being caught, there were a few ponies that watched the approach and Celerity was among them.  The rest had their noses to the dirt.  

The Princess truly was a stern, and powerful sight as she strode towards the gathered ponies in the silence.  Her every motion was calculated and deliberate as she scanned over every pony present with an eye that seemed to pierce right to the soul, and any that dared to look back would be rewarded with an unreadable expression from the Solar Princess.  She was armoured in every way possible from the world, and she walked with the sense of invulnerability that her cocoon of steel and platinum gave her.  With her rainbow mane wound up in a tight, controlled braid, she wore a shining helm of steel and platinum that was equal parts crown and armour over her head, with her horn guarded with yet more steel.  Her barding was the same polished steel and platinum from tip to tail, hiding her bright white hide entirely.  The Princess radiated power that matched how she towered over her subjects, and the idea of her needing armour was absurd, but she wore it well, and not only that, three guards walked with her as if she could be threatened at any moment. The twin grey pegasi in the standard golden armour of the Royal Guard were slightly behind her, with their lances at the ready ready to end any hostile intentions that they might detect, but it was clear the Unicorn beside her was a cut above even the Royal Guard.  He had a hide nearly as white as hers, but his mane was a deep red, that bordered on black.  If he was armed, it would have to be under the blue cloak he wore, but he moved as confidently and gracefully as the royalty he escorted.  Celerity was quick to conclude that he was a Dawn Guard, for the golden sun clasp of his cloak was the same as her grandfathers.  

        A slight jab prodded Celerity in the side, and she instantly looked down.  She was staring at the Princess, and her guards, and she knew that her father just reminded her that she wasn’t supposed to that in his very direct way.  Her eyes turned to the ground, and could see armoured hooves walk by and to the casket.  There were hushed whispers back and forth from the group, then Celestia turned to face the townsponies.

        “Our loyal subjects, rise!” boomed a voice over them, and there was no doubt in anypony’s head that they just received a royal command that they must act on.  They all rose to their hooves as quickly as they could to look upon their ruler with respect and awe that she deserved and commanded.  Celerity was no exception to this, and she stood silently as the rest.  “Who would be the local baron?”

        Copper nearly fell over himself to step forward, and bow deeply once more to his monarch. “Your Highness,” he grovelled to her total lack of reaction, “I, Copper Crown, your most humble servant, am greatly honoured that you grace us with your presence.  I wish I was better prepared for such a-”

        “That is enough,” the Princess stated, cutting Copper short as if she had heard all that the stallion could offer her in only a few seconds, leaving him stunned and standing in the no-pony’s land between the crowd and the Royal entourage.  Celerity nearly gasped as she had never seen her father shut down so completely, but she was simply terrified by presence of the monarch to make much noise.  The Princess then turned all of her attention away from the stallion, and to the minister, who looked dumbfounded before some of his manners returned to him.  “I wish to say some words for the departed.  That is, if I am not interrupting.”  She wasn’t using the Royal Voice anymore, but her tone was no less demanding.

“Of course you may, Your Highness,” Good Word answered with as much dignity as he could manage given the circumstances.

Celestia didn’t truly need the permission, but it felt right to ask to her.   She walked to the casket, and stared at that simple wooden box but her expression remained entirely inscrutable for all.  Her voice tempered down further to a normal, softer tone like one that a mother might use with her child when she spoke again.  “I have known many ponies in my time, and will know many more before the final sunset,” she started as her hoof laid on the wooden box that held Shear, “Some do so little with they have.  They squander their time among the living, waste their opportunities, and pass into the night eternal without making a mark on the world.  I feel sad for them, not because they passed, but because they will be forgotten.  Then, there are stallions like Wind Shear.  He started without anything beyond himself, and yet, despite all odds and the adversity in his way, he accomplished the impossible and even greater things.  The world could be a much better place if all ponies acted with half the determination he did.  I will remember him as he deserves.  We should all remember him.”  Her eyes closed and she let her stone visage soften as she drew a long breath.  For a brief moment, she looked as sad and hurt as the rest of the ponies gathered, but her station would not allow remain that way for long.  “Rest well, my dear soldier.”  Her eyes opened up once more and her poise returned to her so she could address the crowd once again. 

        “We have travelled far.  We desire the most worthy place that can be offered, so We might rest,” she declared in that rumbling voice once more to assert her complete and total dominion over all those gathered, and that command snapped Copper Crown back into action. 

“My home is your home, Your Highness.  Let us serve you, and show you to your accommodations,” said the gangly green stallion as he bowed deep once more to his monarch, then turned his head slightly to demand his daughter’s attention.  “Celerity!  Come!”

        Celerity didn’t know what to make of the interruption to the service until now, but to hear her father call her made her heart twist.  She wanted to stay!  This was her last chance to say goodbye to her grandfather, and he was going to pull her away to serve a princess she had never met before in her life.  She gritted her teeth and was about to speak her mind, when her father cleared his throat and gave her an expectant glare that forced her to swallow her emotions.  “Y-yes, father,” she finally replied as she moved to Crown’s side and she stood ready as she could be, though she continually glanced back towards her grandpa.

        “Excellent, Baron Copper Crown,” the Princess stated as her and her guards began to walk, and Crown was more than happy to lead the way.  He was already sure that this moment would be one that would forever be a triumphant moment for him as long as he could ensure that nothing went wrong with the sudden Royal visit.  As such, he was walking with the pride that comes with total confidence of success with the four other ponies following close behind.

The path away from the cemetery was no better than the path to it.  The blanket of grey clouds and the cool wind still made for a dismal day that few ponies could enjoy.  For the princess, it was just another one of these sorts of days in another tiny town, listening to a minor noble talk about how great his lands are, and how pleased he was to serve her.  In short, this local baron was distressingly cliche for her.  She had seen and heard this more than a hundred times and thus, she was rendered entirely bored and indifferent to the world as they walked, and, as such, she missed how Celerity was looking constantly at her with scorn in her eyes.

“You’d do well not to look at the Princess like that,” whispered the cloaked guard into the green filly’s ear.  It wasn’t a harsh tone he took with her, but it was demanding. “She is deserving of your respect.”

        Celerity’s eyes went wide with the realisation that her rudeness was noticed, and she turned to look at the stallion.  “He was my Grandpa!” she harshly whispered back at the soldier, ”How could she take me from his funeral?”

        He cast a glance at the armored Princess and like her, Celerity couldn’t fathom what he was thinking until he nodded knowingly.  “You must forgive her, but one of her greatest flaws is that she doesn’t relate to mortals well,” he explained understandingly with a quick wave of his hoof without even breaking his stride.  “She might rule over us, but she isn’t one of us.  She respects the pony being buried here, but she doesn’t let herself share the attachments and emotions that bind us.”

While that explanation was clearly correct, as shown by the cited behavior, Celerity didn’t like it and certainly didn’t feel like forgiving her anytime soon.  Instead, she merely huffed an angry response and pulled her own dark robe tighter around her.  “How’d you know about it anyways?” she muttered.

“Dawn Guards all have a clasp that we wear as a badge of station.  It’s enchanted to alert every other pony wearing one when one of us is injured or dispatched,” he replied in an effort to make conversation.  “It’s too expensive for every soldier, but we are hardly common soldiers.”

She merely shrugged and went back to her silence. 

        The walk was going to be a long one, and while the minor noble was clearly trying to get the attention of the Solar Monarch, the white unicorn moved closer to the filly. “So, you would be the granddaughter of the legendary Captain Wind Shear?  I’m sorry for your loss.” 

        She turned her head just enough to look back at him through the corner of her eye.  “Yeah.  Thanks.  I guess that means something,” she replied sadly, “Did you know him?”

        “Only by his reputation.  He was the leader of the Dawn Guards before my time, but we all still learn from him indirectly.  He taught my predecessor to lead and fight, and I was taught, in turn by him.  I’m Captain Vocem Gloria, the current leader of the Dawn Guards.” 

        Celerity had never met a pony other than her grandfather who could claim to be in the small circle of elite warriors under the direct command of Princess Celestia, but she didn’t imagine they would look like Vocem.  He wasn’t built like a warrior.   He was spindly with overly long legs and a narrow body under his blue coat.  Even his horn was thin and sharp, as it poked through the shortly cut main.  If he’d had glasses, he would look much more suitable tending a library.  In short, he was nothing that Celerity expected.

        “Sure.  Well, I’m Celerity,” the green filly replied doubtingly, “My grandpa sorta told me a lot about you guys.  You’re all supposed to be “Celestia’s eyes in the dark, her hooves beyond her reach, and her will in lawless lands”.  I guess that means you go and do stuff like punish lunar heretics and spy on the gryphons.”

        He quirked an eyebrow at that.  “That is all correct, Honorable Celerity,” he said, using the honorary for her minor station as the daughter of a baron, “We do all those things and more.  Did Wind Shear give away all of our secrets to you?”

        “Nah.  I just really liked his stories,” she replied quickly and she came close to cracking a smile.  Just having a pony that understood what grandpa was nice.  Her dad didn’t seem to care that much about him as much as the barony that would pass to him.  In fact, most of the ponies of Ferrier’s Creek were focused on the fact that Copper Crown would hold the office, for better or worse. 

        “His stories have a certain dramatic flair to them, and to think that they were real events, performed by a pony that was flesh and blood only makes them better,” he replied,  “Though a pony might think he was the Silver Ghost if you took his reputation literally.”

        “Yeah, he was good, but I don’t think anypony could take on the Queen of Dragons.” she said. “I just hope to be half as good as him one day.”

        Once again, his eyebrow peeked up and he leaned in to ask, “He was teaching you more than stories, wasn’t he?”

        Celerity opened her mouth to answer, but stopped herself to check how far away her father was from them.  He was too far to hear a whisper, so she was safe to speak. “Yeah, ever since I turned six.  He got me a wood hoofblade, and we cleared out a bit of forest for a ring.  We even have a couple of training dummies out there!”

        He watched the filly talk with growing excitement and there was no missing how her eyes lit right up with youthful enthusiasm.  It was that energy that made him curious.   “You know, there are those in Canterlot that would of paid thousands of bits to have Wind Shear teach them, even for a single lesson, Honorable Celerity.  But, most of those that could afford such a price didn’t deserve an instant of his time.  If he taught you, you are truly fortunate."

“I could show you, you know. It’s not that far from here to the circle,” she replied quickly with a quick jerk of her head in the direction they would have to go.  It was straight towards the surrounding forest.  If she couldn’t see her grandpa laid to rest, she wanted to remember him with what he taught her.

The stallion didn’t need a second invite.  True, his charge was going to the manor house, but she had two Royal guards already and he really didn’t care to hear the dull ramblings of Copper Crown, especially when he could see the personal student of a legend in action.  He walked quicker, and closed the difference to step between the minor and supreme rulers, much to the Princess’s lack of reaction, and the New Baron’s annoyance.  “Princess Celestia.  This young mare has offered to show me about the town.  For security’s sake, I‘d like to take her up on this.  Of course, the two Royal guards will stay with you,” he stated to the monarch, and she gave a single nod back approving the request.  With that, he dropped back to the filly.  “Shall we, Honorable Celerity?”

“Yeah.  Yeah!  It’s going to be great to show off for somepony other than Spellbound!  But, you really don’t have to call me ‘honorable’.  I’m just Celerity,” she answered as she made a quick turn towards the woods, and Vocem nodded and followed in the quick pace that Celerity set for him.

True to her words, the circle wasn’t far from where they were and soon, the emerged into the clearing.  The earth was worn bare of grass in that ring of small stones, and a pair of crude training dummies stood on opposite sides. One was to represent a four-hoofed opponent like another pony, while the other stood on two feet like a minotaur.  It was more than he expected from the little green mare, but promising too.  Already, she was opening a small box and getting her training blade ready for a demonstration.

“Grandpa said we had to keep our stuff out here, because dad really doesn’t like it,” she replied as she worked the straps into place on her foreleg.  The wood blade rested along her leg like a massive curved spur that reached her shoulder, and every bit of its weighted length had marks, dents, and scratches that told of heavy use.  At its base, it had a pivoting latch that allowed its user to flick it out and lock it against the hoof.  “He says, it’s not a proper thing for a mare to do, but what does he know?  I like it.”  

Vocem stepped to the side, just outside of the ring and watched the filly toss her robe off in preparation, and revealed that she was a blank flank, which was an oddity at her age, but he had seen stranger, so he dismissed it.  Her lime-green mane and tail were both cut short and braided, so it couldn’t get in the way of her as she took her position in the middle of the circle and began by snapping the armed hoof back and forth, making the hinge between the straps and the wood blade shift to lock in at its full extension under the hoof.  This left her poised on three hooves and low to the ground as if she was emulating a hunting cat.  She took one long breath, focused her thoughts, and began the drill.

        She opened her eyes and envisioned attacks from all sides from imagined foes, and went into motion to meet each blow with her blade, or to dodge, then counter with her own strike before she whirled to meet the next opponent.  She made no wasted motions, nor did she ever hesitate about her next motion, as she lashed out with her blade, and the drill made her move around the circle quickly in the brawl in her mind.  Then, she gave one last flurry that even Vocem’s trained eye had trouble following and screamed as she ran the last of her imagined opponent through.  Then, it was done and another pair of snaps had the blade tucked against her side again, and she stood on all fours again and panting.  The exhaustion from the routine would not stop her from grinning proudly.  “H-How did I do?  That one is my favourite because it has me spinning so much.  It’s fun!”

Vocem stood there, trying to keep his mouth from gaping in shock, as it wouldn’t be becoming of a pony of his position act as such, but he just saw a filly run through the Ninth Hoofblade Drill like a master.  It was a drill that most disciples of the weapon would never attempt simply because the motions were simply beyond them.  For the few that could do it, even less of them had the confidence and speed with which she possessed.  This was simply not what he expected to see when he came to this town, but he wouldn’t say he was disappointed.  Utterly amazed would be more accurate.  He took in what just happened and finally answered after some thought, “Very impressive.  You did drop your blade low in the ninth movement.  That would have left your right side very open to a quick thrust.”

“Grandpa told me that, too,” she said before she misted right up with the wash of memories that came over her.  “He’s never going to be able to say that to me again.  I’m going to miss him so much.”  In direct contrast to the strength shown in her performance, she began to cry with her free hoof covering her eyes.  The soldier was used to being with others of his kind, and so, this outpouring of emotions left him without much response, but to stand there didn’t seem right either.  So, he moved to hold her.  It was far too awkward on his behalf to call it a proper hug.

“You can remember him by continuing your lessons.  A pony as skilled as you are simply needs to practice.  I suggest getting a mirror out here if you can afford one,” he said, trying to offer practical advice to Celerity, hoping to get her thoughts would clear again.  

“I’m going to.  I have to,” she answered through her sniffling while she nuzzled up to his side.  It was enough for her to cling to the stranger for comfort that her father didn’t seem willing to give her.  “I’m going to keep everything he taught me.”

Time passed for the pair, and Vocem started to wonder if the filly would ever calm herself down, when he heard the sound of approaching hooves from down the path.  Not wanting to alarm the filly, his horn took on the familiar red glow and he reached with his mind to his sides where he kept his weapons of choice.  He did doubt that they were truly at risk, but there was no sense in being lax.

“Are you here, Celerity?” called a young male voice, followed by a mauve unicorn colt stepping into the clearing.   He was clearly not the most nimble of ponies, as he nearly tripped twice as he entered the clearing, but that might be due to the oversized set of saddlebags he had on.  “Ah!  There you are.  And, who’s he?”  The colt couldn’t hide his nervousness about the strange pony’s presence.

Celerity did her best to clear her eyes and wipe her nose, before she left his side to meet her friend. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Spellbound,” she replied as she tried to sound much more upbeat than she felt.  “Uh, this is Vocem Gloria.  He’s a Dawn Guard like my grandpa was.”

A formal bow was offered to the colt by Vocem, and it was returned. “Well met, Spellbound.  I take it that you two are friends, then.”

 “Yeah.  He’s like my best friend around here,” Celerity affirmed before her friend answered, even as she was helping get the saddlebags off of him.  Under them was his cutie mark of an open, thick book.

“Technically, I think I’m your only friend around here,” he added and he gave a short-lived grin at her. “Not your fault.  We’re the only foals our age around here.”  Celerity just gave him a little poke with the un-spurred hoof in retaliation and his tone changed.  “How are you doing?  I haven’t seen you for the last few days.  Are you feeling alright?”

        “Yeah. I guess.”  She didn’t sound too sure about that, but her mood lightened quickly when she made a gesture to Vocum, and switched subjects. “I showed him some my moves.  He said I was pretty good.”

        “Of course you are.  With the amount of time you put into it, you have to be,” replied Spellbound.

        “Well, I would never say that Celerity is ‘pretty good’,” Vocem stated as he stepped into the conversation. “She is simply amazing with the weapon.  It is a shame that she’s both an earth pony and a mare.”

        Both of the young ponies looked towards the soldier in confusion.  “Why’s that?” Celerity asked with her brow furrowed as she stepped forward.

        “Talent such as yours is rare, but the Dawn Guard is formed entirely of stallions that are either unicorns such as myself, or pegasi,” he explained with a hapless shrug and to his surprise, neither of them seemed upset.

        “Oh.  Yeah.  That,” Celerity answered without a hint of disappointment or distress, “I knew that.  Grandpa told me a bunch of times about that silly rule.  He just said, if I really wanted follow his hoofprints, I had to be so good, you couldn’t ignore me.  Seems dumb to me.”

        “I heard that, too.  Can you tell us why, Mister Vocem?” Spellbound asked as he lit up his own aura to pull a heavy book from his saddlebag and set it down before him.  

        He was relieved that he didn’t just crush the filly’s dreams, and surprised to have such a scholarly question posed to him, but this was much more to Vocem’s strengths.  “The reason why stems to the reason we were formed as an organization,” Vocem explained.  “About two hundred years ago, there were two princesses: Our beloved Celestia, and her sister, Luna.  Differences arose between them, and they ended up going to war against each other, ending with Celestia banishing her sister.  Though Princess Celestia triumphed in the end, her armies were mostly earth ponies who clashed with the Nightmare’s armies of pegasi and unicorns.  The losses were near total as they couldn’t cope with the aerial and magically driven attacks.

“The population of earth ponies is still recovering, even after all this time.  To avoid such a loss of life again, earth ponies were barred from military service.  To help speed the recovery of the earth ponies, mares are barred as well.”

        As Vocem went on with his small lecture, the smaller unicorn has his book open and was quickly making notes on the subject.  Celerity looked more concerned with the legitimacy of the explanation though.   “Couldn’t they resist the spells?” she asked seriously, “Magic is only an expression of willpower, and if your will is greater than the caster, you shouldn’t be affected by it.”

        “Your grandfather told you that, didn’t he?” the soldier asked, but he knew the answer already.  “It’s true.  An unicorn expresses their magic outwardly, letting them extend their will to the world about them, a pegasus expresses their magic through their wings, and they fly simply by willing it so, and an earth pony has their magic turned inward, giving them endurance and strength.  But, when a unicorn turns their magic directly on another pony, it becomes a contest of wills.  Most don’t realise this, and do not actively resist a spell.”

        “Yeah. I know that.  Grandpa had Spellbound cast spells on me all the time, so I can practice fighting it.  It’s not that hard.  So, why couldn’t they do it?” Celerity countered.

        The question made Vocem feel more like he was talking to a fresh cadet rather than a young mare.  “Well, while a pony can resist a spell directly on them, you can’t resist my magic, while its used like this.”  With that, his horn lit up and drew forth a pair of razor rings from under his robe and they both whirled around him in a dangerous dance with him at the very epicentre.  He went from a unassuming unicorn, to a deadly dervish of steel before his small audience.  Celerity was entirely entranced by the display, and even was flinching her bladed hoof as if she was parrying the strikes, while Spellbound was much more interested in the auras that Vocem was generating.  The soldier’s display was a much shorter than Celebrity's, but it was no less impressive.

        When the two rings settled back into their place at his sides, he flicked his mane and adjusted the heavy blue robe that hid them so they would be out of sight again.  “That is why you must always be wary of magic in combat, Celerity.  A unicorn could always affect the world around you.”  

        The filly was still staring with her eyes wide, then turned to his friend, who was now frantically taking notes in his book, and even the shove of a hoof against his shoulder didn’t stop him.  “Why can’t you do that, Spellbound?  I would love to spar against that!”

        “I saw how he did it, but I’ll need time to practice and study to get that controlled.  Sorry,” he admitted to his friend as the quill went back to its little case.

        The soldier chuckled at the pair’s ambition then looked around the circle. “All I can recommend to you both, is practice often and improve,” he replied.  “This is a very good place for the both of you to work in.  But we should go to meet up with the Princess, after you show me around the town, as I said you would.”

        Celerity groaned, but Spellbound packed his bag right back up.  “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about how you did that as we go then?” he asked the soldier, “I would like to know more about the techniques you used.  They looked very advanced to me.”

        “Of course you may, young one.  I’d be glad to help you.”

        Celerity went to stow her blade, and when she came back, Spellbound and Vocem were already embroiled in a very scientific discussion filled with magical jargon.  She couldn’t make heads or tails of anything they were saying so she left them to it, and Vocem was ever the patient teacher, explaining everything from magic theory, to the history behind the theories as they walked through the small town.  The tour of the town quickly became forgotten to the lessons being given, which was alright for the three of them.  Spellbound and Celerity certainly didn’t need the tour, and Vocem was far more interested in the two, and their eagerness to learn.  Besides, the town was typical with a small mill, a smaller church, a mail station for the couriers to rest in, and a central town square for gatherings.  It was really nothing that needed explanation beyond the barest of hoofwaves.  And so, the tour came to end with the arrival back at the Baron’s Manor.  It was clearly the most impressive building in the town, but for Vocem Gloria, that didn’t mean much.  It was a simple, two-story brick building.

        “Here we are, Mister Gloria,” Celerity finally announced, trying not to look relieved to be at the end of the boring lecture, but Spellbound was quite the opposite and distraught that his lesson came to an end so quickly.  He even whined and pinned his ears back.

        “Oh good, I found this a very enjoyable excursion,” he said with a smile.  “When I came here, the last thing I expected was to have a weapon’s demonstration, and a discussion on magic theory.  With foals, no less.  Come Spellbound, I am sure we can continue inside.”

        Spellbound looked to the house then shook his head.  “Her dad doesn’t like me very much.  I’m not allowed inside there.”  Celerity gave a helpless shrug.

        “Last time he snuck inside, dad nearly had him banished from the barony,” she added with a healthy dose of bitterness in her voice.  She didn’t like the house rule, and this one was one she never really understood.

        “Ah.  A shame,” he replied to the revelation, but he respected the local baron’s ruling enough not to challenge it., “But, if I might ask before we part, how did you learn so much?  It’s unusual to run across a somepony as learned as you and you’re so young.” 

“My father is the pegasus that runs the the courier station here, so, to help him out, he taught me to read so I can sort pakages,” Spellbound explained, “And since he’s away so much to deliver, he brings me new books to keep me out of trouble.”

“And, you spend as much time reading as I do training,” added Celerity.

“Yeah.  I do.”

“Keep up with your studies and practices.  Both of you,” said Vocem, “You both are already remarkable ponies, and you both have so much room and time to grow.”

        “Of course!  I am going to go now, and get everything you told me written down right now,” he said, “See you tomorrow Celerity, and if you need to talk, you know where to find me.”  The young unicorn gave one last wave and then departed for his own home.

        The remaining pair stepped inside the manor, and into the front room.  It was nicely decorated, with wooden furniture adorning the room.  It was very much what was expected for a minor noble’s home with fine furnishings with one exception, that Vocem’s eyes were quick to focus on.  Right above the fireplace, resting on a small stand was an ornate hoofblade of highly-polished steel.   Runes of power lined the leading edge, and woven into the straps were runes of protection.  There was not so much as a scratch in the weapon to marr the deadly beauty. “Is that what I think it is?” Vocem asked as he approached the weapon with the same respect he would show the princess..

        “It’s my grandpa’s, so it’s kind of special to us, but he didn’t talk too much about it,” Celerity answered much more casually. “It’s been there forever.”

        “This is the ‘Piercing Ray’,” he said as he lifted a hoof towards the weapon, then glanced at Celerity. “It’s more than just a hoofblade.  It could be said, it is the hoofblade that all others could be measured against.”

“What do you mean?  Grandpa really never said much about it,”  She just thought making such a big deal of it was weird of him, but now that it was brought up, she was very curious indeed.

“Every Dawn Guard captain is gifted with a weapon that Celestia herself blesses and empowers.  This blade will never dull, and to break it, you would have to use another weapon of the same caliber against it, like my razors,” he explained to the filly, “But most important of all, it is said these weapons, when wielded by a worthy pony, could strike down an immortal.  They were made so her soldiers would never be helpless before the likes of the Nightmare, or Queen Chrysalis.   It is simply priceless.  I suppose he didn’t speak about it, because he didn’t want others to know of its value or deadliness.”

“Wow!  But wait, wouldn’t Celestia be worried about those things?  They sound dangerous,” she asked as she finally realised what was in her home.

“Celestia has no need to fear her own magic.  Even the Ray would only be a normal, but high-quality blade to her,” he answered.  “If you truly wished to harm her, permanently, you’d have to find another immortal that is opposed to her to empower a weapon.”

“Do you think I can be worthy of it?”  The question sounded so very innocent, but there was a considerable weight behind it.

The soldier reflected on that for moment.  “I have no doubt that you will have the skill to do so, but the real requirement to the blade would be your heart.  You must have clear, and focused purpose and pure intentions to fuel it,” he finally answered.   “But, that is not to say that you do not have potential.  Think of it as something to work towards.”
        
Celerity smiled slightly at that.  “I can do it.” 

Vocem chuckled.  She had such bravado for a young filly, and he wished he could take her from this place to continue her training, but there were no provisions for that.  Instead, he would have to make a note of both her and Spellbound and hope they really did continue to improve themselves until they met again.  “I hope so, Honourable Celerity.  But now, I must get back to my duties.  Shall we find your father and the Princess?”

She knew that was true, as much she’d rather talk more about her grandpa and blade work.   “Yeah.  They’ll likely be in the study.  I’ll show you where that is, come on.”  With that, they both left to tend to their duties.