//------------------------------// // Post Common Era Chapter Twenty-two/War of Stars Chapter Eighteen: Training And Foolishness // Story: The Lunar Knight's Willow Leaf // by Moonlit Novel //------------------------------// Author's Notes: Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit I will be unable to print out the story for Bronycon, but if you do happen to see me there, let me know. I would be happy to talk with you, it'd be nice to meet someone who read my story Post Common Era Chapter Twenty-two/War of Stars Chapter Eighteen: Training And Foolishness Loud, that was the word Shadow Eyes would use to describe the training these humans were putting her through, she was no slouch in combat, as evident by the amount of twilight mages she had beaten, but going against a group of beings that were trained in actual combat? Masao was also tossing spells at her and she would have to either deflect them or dodge them, blocking them outright would give away her position as well blind her as he shield cut off her ‘sight.’ Using a standard stunning spell she ‘killed’ another member of her opponents, or so she thought as he stood up and forming a ball of fire in his hand, he threw it at the mare who had no choice than to block it at that close range, now she was effectively blind, oh she could ‘see’ where the fireball hit, and the next several, but no farther so she risked a teleport ending up in the air about ten feet behind a wall she ran in the air for a moment before she fell, her glasses falling and breaking. Pity, those were her favorite. She ripped the wall up and threw it in the general direction of the pyromancer and the human forced a wall of fire up to attempt to melt it, but only served to superheat the stone and was saved by Shadow Eyes throwing a shield between him and the stone that pelted the shield harmlessly. after that the pyromancer raised his hands up and walked out of the training room, he knew when he was beat. While Shadow Eyes saved the human Masao was sneaking up behind her, intending on attacking her when he noticed she was focusing her magic on something and listening he heard the telltale plink of things hitting a shield. he stood to his full height and gave a shrill whistle signaling the end of the run, the whistle surprised Shadow Eyes to the point she dropped the shield that protected the human, not knowing he had already left, and the remaining bricks slammed into the ground. “I saw what you did, good job” said Masao and she faced him she had a couple tears in her eyes, never had she taken a life, and right now she believed that she had did just that. “What’s wrong?” Masao asked not knowing this. “I think I just killed him” “Hey is that pyromancer guy of yours alright?” yelled Masao as he made his way towards where the bricks had crashed, to see if maybe he needed to perform a healing spell. “Who? Fred? Yeah he’s alright, he left saying he was done, something about too much power to beat” said Greelo as she walked over her rifle in her hands. “Oh good, Shadow Eyes thought she might had killed him” “She could have, with that attack” said one of the other soldiers evidently not happy that Shadow Eyes had used something entirely deadly in a training match. “I’m sorry your feelings were hurt, but she acted just as you would expect in a training match between mages, she knew that her attack wouldn’t be stopped by his fire wall so she protected him herself. If anything you should be thanking her, she did a good job” said Masao in a carefully levelled voice Greelo caught on and nodded, it was thanks to Shadow Eyes’ quick thinking that they didn’t need to sound off for some replacement after a training accident. “Shadow Eyes, come here” said Masao and the mare walked over her head hanging, she hadn’t heard Greelo’s comment. “Chin up, you did good, he’s alright after you saved his ass, he left before I whistled, so he’s alive and kicking.” - - - Masao stood at the door to his room, just beyond it he saw his wives talking about their days, and something pained his heart, as one of the foals that Willow Leaf had gone out to ‘adopt’ ran in and nuzzled the mare saying goodnight to the trio, Willow Leaf still went out into the poorer parts of town and ‘adopted’ children that needed care, it was the right thing to do, whether or not Khorne liked it or not. “Loves” said Masao suddenly and Luna and Willow Leaf looked up,the foal also looking at the human, “How would you all feel if I told you I wanted a foal that was our own? Adoption or otherwise?” Willow Leaf looked down at the foal and nuzzled her before sending her off to bed. “Why bring this up now?” asked Luna as she sat on her haunches, she was honestly curious and Masao sighed as he looked longingly at the retreating back of the foal. “I always wanted a family, and while I love you two more than anything in the world, I want children. Children I won’t feel guilty calling my own” - - - “Ah so good of you to come Shadow Eyes, I was waiting for you” said Masao as he stood up from his chair, Willow Leaf pouting slightly, she had wanted to spend more time with him. “This is my wife Willow Leaf, and she will be aiding in your close combat, because you and I both know that we can’t rely on our magicks for combat all the time, and I want you to be able to defend yourself even if you get your magic blocked” - - - “You are an annoyance, why don’t you just leave?” asked Sunrise and Shadow Eyes glared in her general direction and opened her mouth to say something when Celestia walked in from behind a wall, a frown on her face. “Sunrise! That was rude of you!” “But princess, she shouldn’t even be here! She’s nothing more than a—” “Nothing more than a what?” asked Celestia the frown on her face growing, “Do I need to get Prince Masao in here? After all he is also a dark mage, and he has been teaching her everything he knows” “That explains it” mumbled Sunrise, but she spoke louder with her next sentence, “That doesn’t mean she should have the same level of accessibility as the rest of us” “Excuse me, I’m right here, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like some second rate mage, I’m just as good as you, if not better!” said Shadow Eyes as she narrowed her eyes at the unicorn. Masao who had been walking by stopped at the door frowning. “Is there something wrong Celestia? I know my apprentice is a little bit of high maintenance but she’s a good student” “It’s not your student I am having trouble with Masao, but mine, she seems to think she is better than your student” said the white alicorn and Masao frowned heavily before walking into the room. “Is that so, would you mind if I took care of this then?” he asked and Celestia thought about it, while Sunrise looked worried, Masao was not one to suffer fools lightly, especially fools that attacked, in one way or another, those closest to him. “What is it you plan to do?” asked Celestia and Masao grinned at her and she gave a weak smile back, “A small training match, hopefully to rid her of this superiority complex she has” “Oh… OK then, Sunrise you are to accompany Prince Masao and follow his instruction, if I find out you disobeyed him you will be punished by me and I will not be as lenient as he is being” “Lenient? You give me far too much credit, there is nothing lenient about what I am trying to do”