//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: The Silent Tale // by Flutterkiin //------------------------------// -Many years ago- Silent was eagerly waiting the gates to open to the Academy of the Royal Guard. His time at the Illusion Academy had gone so well that he had decided to take his talents to the Royal Guard. He could see the other ponies around him give a mix of feelings. Some were as eager as he, staring intently at the gate and then at the clock in the courtyard. Others were more reserved, standing near the back of the group. They seemed nervous for the next couple of months, as they should. Silent knew it would be a tough training regimen as well as intense classes. When the new recruits were finally allowed in, the guard assigned as academy staff ushered the group into the main meeting hall. As they got situated in a somewhat comfortable manner, a stallion walked onto the stage and walked over to the podium that had been put in the center. Silent recognized the stallion as the Captain of the Royal Guard. By his side were two ponies, a Unicorn and a Pegasus. The Captain cleared his throat and called the recruits to attention. “Welcome, ponies of Equestria. You have signed up for this Academy because you wish to be a part of the Royal Guard, the Elite force guarding our beloved Princess. However, I must warn you that some of you will not make it. You will be tested to your limits and then some. Our training regimen will be extreme, lasting a month’s time. The second month of our Academy will be spent in the classroom as well as exercises designed to complement your education. Here you will learn the value of Teamwork and Trust. Each of the unicorns will be paired with a Pegasus, and each of the Pegasi will be paired with a Unicorn. Any Earth Ponies brave enough to join the Royal Guard will be paired with another Earth Pony. Should there be no Earth Pony for an Earth Pony to be paired with, you will be on your own. Do not worry, for you will not be penalized. With that, I will leave you to my two First Lieutenants, Cold Flame and Cloud Rider. Good luck to all of you.” The Captain left the stage as the Unicorn and Pegasus nodded to each other. Silent listened half-heartedly as they went through the long list of unicorns and who their Pegasus partner was. Each Unicorn and Pegasus was told to take the stage as their name was called. As each one went up, Silent could see how they paired the ponies. Each pony’s color matched the other in some way, be it monochromatic or complimentary. He could also see that most of the cutie marks of the ponies were in some way related to exercise. There were, on the occasion, an intellectual cutie mark, but mostly it was on the flank of a unicorn. Finally, Silent could hear his name called followed by the name of some Pegasus. As Silent took the stage, he could hear murmuring from the crowd about his appearance, possibly from his lack of a cutie mark. Silent rolled his eyes and focused on his new partner. The Pegasus was muscular in stature and very confident with how he walked. He was grey with magenta eyes and a yellow mane. Silent couldn’t see his cutie mark from his current vantage point but he knew it was probably the stereotypical Pegasus “I can fly and do air stuff” cutie mark that was so popular among the pegasi here. Silent and the Pegasus greeted briefly and nodded to each other to leave the hall to get more acquainted. “Name’s Thunder Light, but seeing as he announced the name, you probably already knew that. You’re Silent Trail, right?” Silent nodded. “Where are you from then, Silent?” “I’m from a little town called Ponyville. However, I was sent here to Canterlot when I was a little colt to attend the Illusion Academy.” “The Illusion Academy?” Silent nodded. “I didn’t know that even existed. Of course I guess that’s not very surprising. I bet you don’t even know half the schools available to Pegasi, huh?” “Not even close. Anyway, where are you from, Thunder? Can I call you Thunder?” “Yeah. Thunder’s fine. I’m from a little Pegasus village a little to the North of here. It’s settled in the mountains, not very accessible unless you’re a Pegasus. My parents sent me to a boarding school in Cloudsdale as soon as I was able to fly. That’s typically how it works in Pegasus society, as soon as you can leave the nest, you do, and it’s your choice if you want to return to your home village after you’ve matured. Very few pegasi have the nurturing nature that it takes to raise a child. Never really ever got to know my parents.” Thunder looked away to the North as he stopped talking. “I’m sorry, Thunder. I can’t imagine how that was.” Silent thought it odd that he would bring that up so easily. If he was going to be like this the entire time, Silent wasn’t sure how the rest of the time here would turn out. Thunder must have noticed the awkward silence because he soon chuckled nervously. “Sorry about that. Since we’re gonna be spending a lot of time together, I thought I’d just get that out of the way. Tell me, Silent, do you have family?” Silent looked at the Pegasus and gestured for the two to begin walking. “Yeah. I do. My parents live in Ponyville and my younger sister is currently here in Canterlot at Canterlot University. I don’t know what she’s studying, though. We don’t really keep in close contact.” “Well that’s great! Hey, I’m going to finish moving into my barrack. I’ll catch you later, okay?” Silent nodded as Thunder turned to fly away. “It was great meeting you, Silent. I look forward to working with you!” Silent “Move, Cadets! You’ve gotta keep moving! The other team can’t afford to wait for you to lollygag!” The squad leader yelled at the four cadets, including Silent and Thunder. Silent looked back to see that Thunder had tripped on a branch and fallen to the ground. The Cadets were currently in the middle of a game of Extraction, where a squad of ponies acted as a team protecting the Princess lost in the forest in the Canterlot mountains, meanwhile another squad tried to rescue them from a team of ponies meant to represent the enemy. Silent and company were currently on the task of rescuing the Royal escort. “Go on without me, guys. I’ll catch up, don’t worry!” Thunder yelled to the rest of the group from his spot on the ground. He tried to stand up, but he collapsed and looked back at his left hind leg. He groaned as he saw a big laceration that had appeared. Silent looked briefly at his Squad Leader before rushing back to his partner. “C’mon, bud. We’re not leaving you here.” Silent searched through his pack and pulled out his bandages. He looked at the wound and concentrated his magic on cauterizing the wound. He briefly stopped as a magical bolt whisked past his head. “We don’t have time for this, cadet. Get a move on!” The squad leader walked back to the duo, looking back and forth for the source of the bolt. “I’m not leaving him, Sir. It will only take a couple of minutes. Luckily he’s a Pegasus, and with your permission, I have a plan, sir.” The squad leader muttered something incoherently before turning around, putting up a shield. “You have 2 minutes, Cadet.” Silent nodded and turned back to his partner. The wound had stopped bleeding due to the cauterization. Silent carefully but quickly wrapped the leg with the bandage. He stood up and walked over to the squad leader. “Okay, Sir. I have a plan. Thunder, are your wings still okay?” Silent turned to Thunder, who nodded firmly. “Here’s the deal. Obviously, Thunder Light is unable to walk, much less run. However, he can fly. We don’t know exactly where the squad is located, only that it’s well guarded. Since we just had a small attack, though, I’d say we were getting closer. With your permission and Thunder’s agreement, I’d like to ask that we let Thunder do a flyover, surveying the land, searching for the package, as well as an evac point.” “That is a crazy idea, Cadet, but considering our current situation, it seems like we’ll have to go with crazy. Thunder, do you think you could do that?” “Yes, Sir. I will find the package, as well as a good evac point. As soon as I do, I will come back here to give you the intel and proceed to get reinforcements.” Thunder stood up slowly and took off through the trees. A minute after he had left, another magical bolt flew by the squad. The other unicorn in the squad yelled that he had a shot at the mystery source. The squad leader ordered the unicorn to return fire. Silent quickly turned to the other unicorn and focused on where he was shooting. Silent snuck through the crossfire, being careful not to get hit by the spare bolts, in order to get a good look at the pony. Silent immediately recognized the pony as one that he had in a couple of his classes. He was tan with a black mane and blue eyes. Silent had been able to pick up on some of his mannerisms just to the side, so imitating him would be easy. Silent launched a bolt at the enemy soldier, causing him to disappear. He would appear back at the academy. Fortunately for him, they were at the point in the tactical level that the other team was not informed upon the loss of one of their soldiers. Silent stood up and walked back to his squad. “Sir, with your permission, I’d like to go on a scouting run. Once Thunder gets back with the intel, I want you guys to go to the clearing that he found. Hide out within the first few trees. I’ll draw them to the clearing. Then we can take them out one by one until we can safely remove them.” The squad leader looked at Silent like he was crazy, as did the other two in the squad. “And how, cadet, do you plan on doing that? They won’t necessarily send the whole group after one unicorn. Pre-Mission intel says that they have a great shooter and will shoot on sight of a non-friendly.” “I understand that, sir. But don’t worry. I have a plan.” The squad leader looked at Silent in the way that an adult would look at a young foal who said that they could lift a large boulder. “We’ll see when your partner returns, Cadet.” The squad leader dismissed Silent and went to lay against a tree in meditation. The sun was beginning to set when Silent noticed a silhouette descending. As it got closer, Silent could tell that it was Thunder returning from his scouting mission. He came down through the trees and hovered just above the ground, not wanting to land. The squad leader walked over to him and ordered a report. “I found both the group and a possible evac zone. The package is about a quarter mile due South of here. The clearing about half a mile West of the group.” The cadets looked to the squad leader for their new orders. “Very well. Good work, Cadet. Go tell the reinforcements to watch the clearing, and to come when they see the flare.” Thunder saluted and flew off. The squad leader turned to Silent. “Cadet, I hope you understand how dangerous your plan is. However, since this is your test, I will give you permission to go. Good luck.” Silent nodded and turned to run South. As soon as Silent had gotten out of sight of his squad, he began to concentrate on changing his form. He concentrated on turning himself into the soldier that he had seen during the attack. He was enveloped in his magic and changed with a flash of light. Silent walked through the forest, looking for the lookouts for the enemy encampment. He was amazed at how dark the forest got at night. He had never actually run a test in these woods that had lasted after the sun set. The trees began to feel like they were closing in around him as Silent went farther south. He could swear he could hear rustling in the bushes around him. “H-hello? Is somepony there?” Silent asked in the unicorn’s voice. “Hey, there you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! After you wondered off on our scouting mission, we’ve been searching the area. Glad to see you didn’t run into the other team! I was just heading back to camp, c’mon!” Silent nodded and followed the Pegasus. The two walked for about 10 minutes before Silent heard a voice call down from the trees. “Sun,” the voice yelled softly. “Moon,” the Pegasus replied. Silent had to keep from groaning at the code that they had chosen. Sun, Moon was so predictable that even somepony who hadn’t just spent 6 weeks in the Academy could guess. Silent heard a confirming grunt and the two walked past the voice. Suddenly, a large amount of tents and fire rings appeared before Silent’s eyes. Silent had to let out a small gasp, barely audible. The amount of magic that it would take to disguise this whole area was extreme. Silent wondered how many of the unicorns helped out. The Pegasus turned to look at Silent, grinning widely. “I can’t believe they set this up in the time that we were gone! This whole ‘invisible bubble’ is pretty cool, too. I guess you’d have to stumble upon it accidentally, and even then we have guards posted outside that would-” Silent looked at the Pegasus, who stopped talking momentarily to catch his breath. “I guess you’re right. I’m just a bit excited. I heard about all the magical theory that you unicorns had to take, and to see it actually in action is stunning.” “Yeah. It was a lot of work… Hey, do you happen to know which tent is the C.O.? I need to speak with him in order for me to give my report on what I found. I can only tell him, though.” The Pegasus nodded and pointed toward a large tent in the middle of the circle of tents. Silent blushed and thanked his faux-partner as he turned to walk to the C.O. When Silent arrived, he was stopped by a couple of cadets posted on the outside of the entryway. “State your name and business.” “Name is not important. I have returned from the patrol and bear news of enemy movement.” The two cadets looked at each other and nodded. One of them walked inside for a couple moments before gesturing Silent inside. When Silent walked into the tent, he had to repress a gasp of shock. In front of his very eyes was his Strategic Theories and Battle Tactics professor, Shadow Knife. Silent knew that convincing him to move the encampment would be very difficult, but if he were to act anything like his Squad Leader, he would do what the cadet said to do as a test. “Hello, Cadet. I hear you have word from one of the scouting missions?” “Y-yes sir. When I was on the patrol, I was accidentally separated from my group when I went to investigate something that I thought I saw. I was able to remain unseen until I got into a better position. It seems that an enemy scouting squad is a mile due northwest of here. I was able to get a couple shots off, and I believe I hit one of their unicorns before I had to retreat under fire. I got away safely and made sure that I was not followed before I went to rendezvous with the rest of my team.” Silent stood still as Shadow started to pace across the room. “You’re sure you were not followed, then?” Silent nodded. “We can never be too sure. Are the guards posted outside still awake?” Silent nodded again. “Good. Anything else, Cadet?” “There is one thing, Sir, if I might have permission to speak freely?” Shadow gave him the go ahead. “I have also found a clearing that might be better suited for combat, sir. With these trees, the enemy can easily sneak up on us should our invisible shield fail. However, moving to this clearing with us in the middle would give them a false sense of security. Then, when the enemy troupe passes under the guards in the trees, they can easily take out the remainder of the scouting party. I suggest that we move as quickly and stealthily as possible to the new location, sir. Even though this one is tactically sound, I feel like the other one might be a higher reward, with the higher risk.” “Interesting theory, Cadet. And I see the merit in your argument. Have you discussed this plan with any of the others in your team?” Silent shook his head. “No, Sir. I came straight here after the scouting mission.” “Good. Okay, well, since this is your test as Cadets, I will allow this movement. I agree that this could potentially be a good move. However, how much stake do you want to put in your plan, cadet?” “Sir? I guarantee my plan will work. 100% sure.” Silent said as Shadow nodded and dismissed Silent. Silent. Silent was on his way to the summons that he had received by the Captain of the Royal Guard. His plan for the War Games had worked and his squad had silently eliminated the entire forces, rescuing the package. However, the moment the attack began, Silent had been found out as a mole and attacked on sight. It took all his energy to escape safely into the trees. Silent could only think of what the Captain would have to say about his maneuvers. Whatever it was, it probably was not good. Silent had put one of his fellow Cadets in danger of failing the assignment while under his name, and he felt very guilty after it was all said and done. Silent arrived at the office of the Captain and saw Cold Flame standing next to the desk the Captain was sitting in. The Captain was busy signing paperwork, only looking up when Cold Flame mentioned to him that the cadet was here. Silent was given permission to enter, and when he did, the door shut behind him. The Captain cleared his throat and stood up. “Do you know why we called you in here today, Cadet?” “Sir, I believe it has to do with my actions during yesterday’s war game, Sir. However, I do not know the exact reason that you called me in here.” “At ease, Cadet.” Silent relaxed a little, falling out of attention. “I called you in here today because I wanted to congratulate you. Nopony has ever done the strategy that you have done, and you exploited your role as a cadet to move the enemy encampment into your squad’s ambush. I also would like to comment on your field-dressing of your partner, as well as your refusal to leave him behind. You’ve clearly got what it takes to be a guard. In fact, you no longer have to go to classes, as your Pegasus companion, Thunder Flash, has been taken to the hospital for further treatment. Don’t worry, he will graduate in a couple weeks right alongside you.” “Sir, I’m not sure I understand, Sir. Are you saying that I have already completed the training?” The Captain nodded. “Th-Thank you, Sir!” Silent saluted the Captain and the Captain returned the salute. “Good luck, Silent. I have also sent in a letter of recommendation to the Princess, in order that you may find yourself advancing your training somewhere that you may have more luck.” The Captain dismissed Silent and the doors opened back up. Silent! Silent was in the middle of his meditative training on the Changeling’s elusive magic when he heard a commotion outside that broke his concentration. Annoyed, he walked out of his living quarters to see what all the noise was about. Before his eyes, he saw his old friend Thunder, arguing with a changeling that was imitating him perfectly. Silent’s mood quickly brightened as he walked up to greet his flustered comrade. “Thunder! Fancy seeing you here! Hey Cheval, I think I can take it from here… thanks for your, er, help.” The Changeling nodded and flew away laughing. Silent turned to Thunder, who Silent could swear had steam coming out of his ears. “Well it’s about time you showed up. I didn’t know how much longer I could continue that before things got violent. What have you been doing here, anyway? The Princess sent me to find you and said you’d be in the Changeling’s capital city. I wasn’t aware you had left Equestria. So much for keeping in contact, right?” The two stared briefly at each other before embracing. “Princess Celestia didn’t really want me broadcasting my location to anypony who asked. This is more of a covert operation than a study abroad. I’m currently learning the changeling’s strategies of alteration magic, as they are world renown for their skill. Also, Equestria’s relations with the Changelings aren’t exactly the best.” Thunder let out a small laugh and put his hoof on Silent’s shoulder. “I understand, why do you think she sent me here? I’ve been sent to pull you out of here. Hopefully you’ve learned enough to increase your skill, because intelligence has reported growing tensions in the political powers of Equestria and the Hive. However,” Thunder looked around, sensing eyes watching the two ponies, “I think we should move this conversation inside. Shall we?” When Silent and Thunder had entered the apartment, Silent began to work on packing up his things while Thunder took a look around. Out of the corner of his eye, Silent could see a fly land on the window sill. “Okay Sil, buddy. I know a lot more than I shared on the street. It turns out the Hive Queen, Chrysalis, is planning on spreading her territory. I know there are two countries before our border, but it’s only a matter of time. These changelings, man, they’re vicious. I’ve heard rumors that they feed off the emotions of their enemies. Can you imagine feeling that? Having all your emotions stripped of you little by little as your enemies overpower you?” Thunder approached Silent, who quickly walked up to Thunder and put his hoof on his lips. “We’re not safe to discuss these here, Thunder,” Silent whispered, “You see that fly over there? It’s been here for the whole time and hasn’t really moved. It doesn’t behave like a normal fly. It’s a changeling, Thunder. This one in particular has been assigned by Chrysalis to keep tabs on me. She assigns a changeling shadow to each visitor. Turn around and leave. Wait for me on the edge of the city. Come nightfall, I will meet you on the outskirts in the old tavern. I’ll find you.” Silent finished packing and waited until the sun was just above the horizon before he put his pack in a magical field and transformed into a changeling. He walked outside and looked around before heading down the abandoned street. Soon, he spread his wings and lifted off the ground. He flew to the outskirts of the Changeling metropolis to the tavern under the always-clear and starry sky. As he landed, Silent could hear a commotion coming from the inside. Silent could see silhouettes dancing around through the window, objects occasionally flying by. He was about to walk in when his friend Thunder came crashing through the window. Thunder groaned a bit, just lying on the ground until he looked up and saw Silent looking at him. He jumped up and put himself in his attack position. Silent rolled his eyes and walked up to the beaten up Pegasus. “You sure look like you’ve been roughed up a little, pony. What’d you do to get the regulars upset?” “That’s none of your business, you little rat. It’s creatures like you that make me sick, you think you’re all that because you can just change at will into a Manticore or a Griffin. I may be beaten up, but I can still fight whatever you choose to throw at me.” “I doubt it. I’ve been under the direct tutorage of the Hive Queen herself. I was one of her only students, one of the only ones that she deemed worthy enough. I have been able to transform into a dragon at certain points, and I’m feeling kinda strong tonight. Fortunately for you however, you have a mission to do.” Thunder gasped as the changeling changed into his friend before his very eyes. “Now let’s get back to Equestria. It is my understanding that the Princess will talk to the Hive Queen as far as why one of her students had been removed from her guidance.” Silent, sir! Wake up! Silent awoke with a jolt, looking to the entrance of his tent, where a guard was standing. Behind him, Silent could see magical bolts flying through the air and heard the occasional explosion. Silent barely had enough time to stand up and prepare himself for battle before a Pegasus came crashing through the tent’s roof. The dark unicorn bent over to inspect the pony who had fallen, determining that he had died on impact, if not before. A loud explosion rocked the supports of the structure. The two unicorns shared a brief glance before running. outside the collapsing tent. Silent looked around the campsite to find his second in command. He noticed a large bubble a little ways from where he was standing and instructed his guard to follow him closely. He cast a large over his head and ran for the bubble, dodging the occasional fallen pony, some being unicorns and some pegasi. As he got closer to the bubble, he could see a group of unicorns huddled around a table, conversing about who knows what. As he walked through the bubble, the unicorns immediately turned around, staring at the new arrival. The First Lieutenant was still staring at the contents on the table, unaware that somepony had entered his encampment. Silent walked up to the table and stood silently for a few moments before speaking. “Lieutenant Hoofstomp, what is the situation?” Silent watched as the Lieutenant rolled his eyes, thinking that a subordinate had just spoken up. “I don’t know how many times I have to explain it, haysee-” the young unicorn looked up to see his commander staring at him, smirking. “Uhh, sorry, sir. I’m glad Corporal Ironshield was able to wake you. I’m sorry for starting without you, but retaliation really couldn’t wait.” Silent noticed a few of the unicorns who had been standing next to the lieutenant step aside to avoid anything that may happen. “Just give me the sit-rep. What is going on? When did they find us and why were we caught unaware?” “Sir, the pegasi had disposed of our guards silently at the beginning of the shift. They then caused a cloud to fall over the moon, resulting in us losing all of our natural light. We can’t hope to fight what we can’t see, sir. None of our unicorns can change weather, we simply aren’t strong enough. All I can suggest is an emergency teleport, and finding the rest of our troops before the militia finds us.” “I see. And where is everypony else? I didn’t notice as much magic that I thought I would see flying through the air. There are some, but only half of our forces. Where are the rest? Have they been killed?” Silent walked around the table, surveying the contents of the table. He noticed a quickly put together diagram of the campsite, as well as the surrounding areas. “No sir, they haven’t. At least, not half of them. As soon as I saw that the wounded had healed well enough to travel, I sent the medical team and part of our guard to escort them to the next camp. It took a lot of energy to teleport them safely to the bottom of the mountain, but I’m pretty sure they were able to avoid the Pegasus militia. I also stationed many unicorns along the path, to ambush any of the militia that might have come up that way. All we’ve seen were Pegasi, so I’m assuming it worked.” “There would have been no non-pegasi among this militia. The pegasi in these regions are at war with the unicorns, and any Earth Pony sympathizers would be left at their village to farm and as a reserve force. As for the plan, I believe you are right. Escape is now the only way, as these pegasi are very well trained to combat unicorns. This is not our main fight, and we still need a ton of strength for our upcoming battle.” “Yes, sir. However, I have not thought of a way to escape without the pegasi following us immediately.” Silent stood still for a moment before bowing his head and closing his eyes, thinking of all the ways that he could get his troops to safety. Strategy after strategy crossed his mind before he suddenly raised his head and looked his lieutenant in the eye. “I need you to gather all our troops and put them into one central bubble. Get them to come to us as soon as possible. Fire the flare if you have to. In the meantime,” Silent looked to the rest of the ponies standing around the table, “I need all of you to focus on a mass teleport. Coordinate with each other where we’ll end up. I’ll take care of making the distraction, okay?” Everypony in the bubble nodded and went to do their task. Silent turned to look outside the bubble, where he noticed a ton of pegasi, staring in at him, each with a fire in their eyes and daggers attached to their hooves. Silent looked among the crowd hovering above their little bubble before his eyes fell upon a familiar looking face. The Pegasus was a light grey and had barely any mane, cut short enough so as to avoid it getting caught on anything. Silent noticed the large scar on the left side of his face and an eye patch with a silver insignia in the middle. Silent glanced briefly back at the rest of the ponies, who at this point had grown in number, the bubble had expanded in the opposite direction and was now elliptical in shape. Silent turned back to the leader of the militia, took a deep breath in, and began walking toward the edge of the bubble. His horn sparked as he crossed the threshold to face his old foe.