1. The Field
Part One: Journey to the North
Map of Old Equestria
“What’s wrong with his wings?”
Rye shuffled his hooves, trying to keep himself warm in the chilly dawn air. A few pale rays of sunlight shone down through the clouds onto the training field. The obstacles ahead; poles, walls and a variety of other structures, cast dim shadows on the ground. Banners bearing the sigil of the Celestial Army, a circular sun with eight rays crossed by a wing and a spear, were pushed into the ground all around the field. They hung limply from their posts, waiting for a breeze.
He suppressed a shiver that had nothing to do with the weather. The day had come at last. Two long years, all building up to this. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He was closer than he’d dreamed possible. He stood at the edge of a small crowd of restless young ponies. They were stallions and mares of every description, all hovering on the cusp of adulthood. Though there were a scattering of unicorns and pegasi, the majority of the young trainees were earth ponies. All of them were gathered on the field for the same reason.
Today was the final test, the last culling of recruits before the Celestial Army chose its newest crop of officers. The atmosphere was relaxed, as the ponies around him chatted and laughed. For them, the hardest part was over—the physical gauntlet was intended to be a cool-down after the excruciating written exams.
Rye would rather take another dozen written tests before running this course. He gritted his teeth in anticipation. It would be hard, but not impossible. He didn’t have to pass first, after all, just in the upper half.
“His wings? Forget about that, look at his head.”
“What a freak. How do you end up with wings and a horn?”
He rolled his eyes. “I can hear you, you know.” The two other ponies flushed in embarrassment and hastily began talking to each other about the weather. Irritated, Rye blew a strand of his mane out of his face. He’d hoped that his fellow trainees would have gotten used to his appearance by now, but he supposed that was being too optimistic.
He was a small pony, nearly a head shorter than most of the other stallions his age. His wings were folded tightly against his back, and his bushy brown mane hung just short of the stubby horn that rose from his forehead. His coat was a light gray the same color as the cloudy sky, but his hooves were already soiled with brown mud from the damp field. He flicked his tail, trying to release some of the pent up nervous energy inside.
He heard the soft thud of hooves on the grass behind him. “Well well, if it isn’t little Rye.”
Oh,wonderful. I don’t need this. He sighed, narrowing his eyes.
“Hello, Fritz,” he said, turning to see the dark blue earth pony approaching with his two inseparable cronies.
“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t even sure if you were going to show up.” Fritz’s face was, as usual, a barely-contained sneer. His despicably perfect golden mane seemed to summon a breeze to flow through it, wafting gently.
“And why would I not come to the physical after spending months training to get into the officer’s corps?”
Fritz chuckled, suddenly assuming an expression of mock seriousness. “I figured you might be headed off to the other one.” He jerked his head upward at the clouds. “The aerial units are always looking for more pegasi. Usually it’s just the washouts with wings that end up down here in the mud with us earth ponies.”
Rye tried to keep a scowl off his face and shrugged. Fritz knew perfectly well why he wasn’t up there, but he’d never come out and say it when he could pepper the conversation with poisonous little jabs instead.
“I think you should at least try, Rye. I’m sure the Firewings would love to have somepony with your… unique capabilities in their ranks. A flying mage would be so useful, don’t you agree?” His hulking henchponies laughed on cue. Rye’s face flushed. If he could cast spells, Fritz would be walking around with an extra tail or two. But Rye refused to give him the reaction he was fishing for.
“The Firewings aren’t really my style,” he lied with a strained smile. “The Equestrian elite have so much pressure on them all the time. And guarding the Princess day and night? No thanks. I'd rather watch paint dry.”
“Well there’d be no shame in failing to make the cut. They only accept the best, after all.” Fritz gave an amused glance upward. “Failing the infantry officers’ physical, on the other hoof…”
“That would be embarrassing,” Rye snapped, finally goaded. “You’ll have to tell me how it feels, afterwards.”
Fritz snickered, unperturbed. “You really think you’ll be accepted? Tell me, are you planning to cast a confusion spell on the proctors?” One of his friends laughed, a sound not unlike a braying donkey.
“You—” know as well as I do that I can’t do magic, Rye thought, catching himself.
“Don’t worry. I’ll send you postcards once we go on tour.”
“At least I’m not buying my way in.” Rye knew it wasn’t even remotely true. Though Fritz’s family was wealthy, he had no need to do anything of the sort, but Rye was rapidly losing his temper.
“You wound me.” Fritz put a dramatic hoof to his forehead, before taking it away and smirking. “Well, good luck, Rye. You’re going to need it more than anypony else.” With a sardonic bow, Fritz turned away and left Rye smoldering with anger by the edge of the crowd. His cronies followed him. As soon as they were a few meters away, the three of them burst out laughing.
Taking a deep breath, Rye exhaled and winced. I could have handled that better. Fritz might be an ass, but he was hardly the first pony Rye had run into that had reacted this way. Snide insinuations and barbed comments might be annoying, but at least they were better than open revulsion. Or worse, pity. There were even those rare few who were jealous of him. He had to assume that those were the ponies that didn’t realize what he really was.
Rye considered the growing problem of Fritz. He briefly entertained the notion that the pampered earth pony might wash out of the physicals, but realistically he knew that the muscular, intelligent Fritz was almost certainly going to pass the officer’s exams. If the two of them were going to be serving together, he needed to figure out a way to get past the other pony’s instinctive hostility. The sooner he got the others to look beyond his appearance, the sooner he could fit into the unit and become the officer he aspired to be.
It was a problem for another day, however. Right now Rye needed to be focused solely on the obstacle course ahead. It was the first part of the physicals, followed by a five-mile cross-country gallop in the surrounding fields of the city. That part wasn’t going to be fun. Rye was no distance runner.
He looked north towards Canterlot, barely visible through the morning mist. The city was built at the base of one of the mountains of the Jotur range, surrounded by a high semi-circular wall. Far above, stretching up and outward from the mountainside, the golden spires of the Sun Castle gleamed in the faint morning light. He looked forward to heading back inside the walls after the run. Even though it was just mid-autumn, the air outside today was freezing. He’d inherited his mother’s natural resistance to cold, but that didn’t make it any more comfortable.
Where were his parents, anyway? Rye looked around at the ponies who had gathered on the edges of the field. Aside from the trainees themselves, there was a large congregation of ponies who had come to watch Canterlot’s hopefuls strive to prove their worth. It wasn’t a sporting event, so there were no proper seats; most of the onlookers were standing. The vast majority of them were the parents of the trainees, of course, meaning that most were earth ponies. He glanced over a few pegasi and a stray unicorn or two before finding the ones he was looking for.
A sky-blue pegasus with a mane like flame and a sandy brown unicorn were standing together a few rows in. His mother’s wings were fluttering like they always did when she was nervous. He caught her eye and she rewarded him with an encouraging smile. His father waved a hoof, and Rye grinned. He couldn’t wave back until the test was over, but it was good to know he had at least two supporters out here today. I’ll make you proud yet, mother.
“All right, recruits.” The drill instructor’s clear voice broke through his train of thought. “Form up.” The trainees scrambled to organize themselves into three lines. Rye found himself pushed to the front. The noncom, an olive green earth pony, walked slowly down the line looking at each of the trainees.
“Your progress thus far is commendable, and I congratulate each of you on making it to this point. However, we cannot accept every applicant. Only half of you will be qualified today to join the ranks of the Celestial Army’s officer corps.” His voice was measured and even, capturing the attention of all the trainees without rising in volume. “You’ve all run these exercises before in various forms, but your scores today are being marked. We only take the best, so I expect your full effort today.”
The obstacle course loomed behind the noncom, a forest of poles and walls. Rye swallowed, narrowing his eyes in determination. The officer continued, “In order to expedite the process, you will be running the course in pairs. At the end of the field is a bell. When you have finished the obstacle course, ring it to signal your completion and proceed down the hill. An officer will direct you to the next part of the physical.”
He cleared his throat. “This is not a race. We’ve put you in pairs to pace each other, not to “win”; but you will be timed, so speed is important. We’ll be posting the results on a board at the starting point for the five-mile.”
The noncom’s voice turned stern. “I remind you all that magic is not permitted at any time during the course or the run.” He eyed the scant few unicorns in the crowd, taking an extra second to glare at Rye. “Flight is equally prohibited.” The small number of pegasi trainees moaned as one.
No flight? Well, that wasn’t going to be much of a problem anyway, Rye thought dryly. He flicked an ear in impatience.
“Failure to complete either the obstacle course or the run will result in your termination from the program. If at any time you wish to change your minds, step out of the course and return to Major Shale to record your withdrawal.” He paused for a moment. “Everypony form up. I want two lines. Each pair will begin running the course on my mark.”
The trainees hastily formed the lines, jostling each other for positions toward the front. They would all begin the second part of the exam at once, so everypony wanted to be near the front to have a longer break in between the obstacle course and the run.
To Rye’s dismay, he found himself shouldered with none other than Fritz. He grimaced, staring straight ahead and trying to ignore the taller pony.
“You know,” whispered Fritz from the corner of his mouth, “It’s not too late to back out. Save yourself the embarrassment.”
Rye’s lip curled. “You mean being stuck with you for a partner? I think I’ll survive.”
“Big words, for a small pony.” Fritz sneered. “I’ll see you at the finish line, freak.”
He’s just trying to rattle you. Instead of dwelling on the unpleasant pony by his side, Rye turned his thoughts to the course ahead.
The first section was going to be easy; a trench, about a meter deep, filled with mud. There were a series of eight smooth logs floating in the muck, waiting to spill any unwary trainees into the waiting mire. Rye expected no trouble there. He’d always had good balance.
The next part of the course promised to be more challenging. It was a simple series of hurdles, but they were all designed for ponies taller than he. He’d been practicing that part for a week, but he wasn’t looking forward to it. After the hurdles there was a crawling section, a shallow ditch surrounded on both sides by large poles. The poles had small slats sticking out of their sides, and knocking into them would add penalties to a recruit’s final time.
Next there was a climbing wall, probably the most difficult part of the course. From the steep wooden wall hung two ropes. At the top there was a small platform, from which extended two thin beams. They crossed over a deep pit of mud that had been put in place to cushion any who fell—though the humiliation factor was certainly intentional as well. The beams ended on another pair of towers overlooking a sand pit. Jumping down, the recruits would then have to run onward to a hollow log, which they would crawl through. Beyond the logs waited the bell.
He ran the course in his head as they waited. As the noncom blew his whistle, the recruits ahead gradually moved on. The ringing of the bell echoed faintly every forty seconds or so, followed by another shrill blast of the whistle.
At last, it was time. Summoning up his nerves, Rye stepped up to the starting position on the right of the obstacle course. Fritz stood beside him on the left, his characteristic sneer finally gone and replaced by seriousness. They both looked intently ahead.
“Alright. Bolgar, Strudel, you two are up next. Wait for the signal.” The noncom looked out over the course, watching the two ponies ahead of them pass through.
“Strudel?” Fritz’s eyes widened. Comprehension dawned suddenly, and he grinned. “So that’s who you are.” He nodded slowly. “That explains why they didn’t boot you out right away.”
Rye ignored him.
“And that’s why you’re not trying out for the Firewings. The Guard-Captain doesn’t want anypony to know that her son’s a freak.”
“Go!” barked the instructor, and the whistle shrieked. Both ponies took off immediately, racing for the logs.
Oh, Fritz, you’d better run, because if I catch you, you’re dead. Rye’s hooves thudded on the grass as they dashed forward. He took the logs at a run, hopping onto the first and barely touching it before leaping to the next. Fritz hesitated on the first log for a precious second, and in moments Rye was across.
“Try to keep up!” Rye called, throwing Fritz a mocking grin. He raced on as the earth pony snarled.
Ahead, the first hurdle waited. Rye’s back legs surged, and he flew over it. His belly scraped along the top of the hurdle painfully, but he thudded to the ground again with all four hooves. He charged toward the next. Behind him, Fritz was gaining fast. Rye vaulted the next one, hearing Fritz heave a breath as he landed.
The tall earth pony easily jumped over the hurdles, but Rye had to hurl himself above each one. By the time they reached the end, Fritz was ahead. Rye reached the paddles nearly fifteen seconds later than his “partner,” and threw himself headfirst into the ditch. He crawled quickly, fitting easily under the wooden slats. He heard a slap and a curse as Fritz knocked into one.
He cleared the poles to find Fritz already swarming up the climbing wall. Rye dashed for the rope, pinching it between his forelegs. He began shimmying up as fast as he could go, but Fritz was over first. As Rye cleared the top, he saw Fritz carefully stepping out onto the beam.
He paused for a moment, looking down at the mud below. He put a hoof on the beam, feeling the steady wood. He bent his knees slightly, easing out onto it. It creaked disconcertingly beneath him as he began to inch forward. Fritz was nearly halfway across already. At this rate Rye was going to finish a good twenty or thirty seconds behind that arrogant blue prick.
There was one way he could even the pace… Rye paused on the beam for a moment, conflicted. It would be humiliating to lose, but what he was considering might get him disqualified.
No… the officer only said “no flying”, after all.
He threw caution to the winds and unfurled his wings. He heard a muffled gasp from somepony on the side, and cringed. He’d forgotten about the onlookers.
His wings were unnaturally small, barely half the size of a normal pegasus’s. His ragged feathers fluttered lifelessly in the chill breeze. His wings were far too little to support his weight, too weak to lift him off the ground, and the feathers were so twisted and small that had he been able to fly at all he could never have steered.
They weren’t quite useless, however. Extending his wings was like carrying a long pole, lowering his center of gravity and making the act of balancing on the beam a trivial affair. He practically pranced along it, smirking at Fritz as he passed.
“I’ll make sure to send you a postcard!” he shouted, turning his head over his shoulder. He felt a hoof slip.
Oops.
His leg pushed past the beam, threatening his balance. He flapped his wings frantically, trying not to lose his precarious perch. He swayed back and forth wildly, waving his free hoof. “Oh no—”
Rye tilted over the pit. Suddenly he found himself upside-down above the mud. He had a good three seconds to savor the fullness of his mistake before he splashed down in a fountain of mud.
Swearing seemed wholly inadequate. He put one hoof beneath himself, pushing up out of the muck. He slipped and went down again, completely buried in the sucking mire. The freezing mud crept over his mane and coat like a slimy blanket. He wished it would just suck him down and bury him. Well, Rye, you can’t blame this one on the wings and horn.
He didn’t try to stand again. After all, why bother? He’d just washed out gloriously, and as an added bonus everypony in the crowd had gotten a great view of his puny wings and horn. Now they all knew that the son of Windstreak Firemane Strudel, the famous Captain of the Firewings, was a pegacorn.
Get out of the mud, Rye. You’re making a scene. He grimaced and stood, dripping with brown goo. He trudged to the side of the pit and climbed out to meet the waiting officer. The military pony’s face was filled with disapproval.
“Trainee Strudel, I regret to inform you that you have not qualified for a position in Her Majesty’s Celestial Army. The officer’s corps thanks you for your time, and bids you good day.” He lifted the clipboard tied around his neck and made a mark on it. He turned and marched away without another word.
The mud-covered stallion walked off in the direction of the city, trying his best not to listen to the sound of the bell’s clean peal. He looked ahead to see the blue pegasus and beige unicorn already waiting. The two made an unusual-looking pair.
I don’t want to have this conversation right now.
“Oh, Rye,” the pegasus sighed. “I’m sorry.” She gave him a hug, not caring about the mud on his mane that smeared into her own.
Windstreak Firemane Strudel was an impressive pony, even without being clad in the signature golden armor of the Firewings. She was no taller than the average pony, but beneath her light blue coat were supple muscles that spoke to her excellent conditioning. Her wings were feathered neatly, every pinion in perfect position. One of the best fliers in Equestria, she looked the part. Her face, typically filled with confidence, looked strange when contorted into a sympathetic smile.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” said Rye. “I just want to go back home to the bakery and wash off the mud.”
“Rye…” Her eyes were filled with sympathy he neither wanted nor needed.
“And then I’m going down to the Salt Lick and getting very, very drunk.” He started walking again. His parents were forced to follow.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Rye,” said his father, Apricot. “We knew this was a long shot.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. You never really thought I could do it, did you?
“Well, I guess the life of a soldier just isn’t for you,” his mother consoled with forced flippancy. “Your whole life is still ahead of you, Rye. You’ll find something else.”
You can try to hide the disappointment, mother, but you’re not fooling anypony. We all know you wanted me to join the military. It was all she had wanted, all he had wanted. Serving the Princess by joining the Celestial Army—or the Firewings, depending on his level of delusion that day—had been Rye’s foalhood fantasy for as long as he could remember. But his dream was only that. A dream. He blinked away moisture from his eyes.
The Strudel family walked mutely away from the training field, back into the outskirts of Canterlot. Behind them, the bell rang another long, clean note.
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This story is pretty epic! I will be tracking this for updates in the future so please don't leave this tale unfinished. I look forward to reading the whole thing and adding it to my collection of MLP fiction stories.
Im a tad bit lost. Is this story taking place in the past or what?
Not bad at all. I really enjoyed this story so far! Now I'll be reading it forever!
The overall introductory approach wasn't exactly as I have expected. It was a little dull and some dialogue was mostly composed of rebuttals and compromising sneers.
But it's still good. Besides, I just read the first chapter. Can't wait to read the rest!
(I can't remember if I made this comment yet)
Ah yes. THis one. I started reading this one about February or so, and I fell in love with it. THis is my second reading, and I hope it hasn't been too soon.
Interesting.
Hi. I dunno how I got here, sadly. But, Fuck you universe, imma read the HELL out of this story.
Sent here by Cerulean, who insists this story will be right up my ally. We shall see.
First and foremost, how did you make that map? I've been trying to create good maps for an eternity but always find myself disappointed. A map of my own version of Equestria would go a long ways to improving the development for my stories, especially for my bigger ones.
Alicorn main character? My skepticism just jumped to new bounds.
Hmm... alicorn who can't fly or cast magic. Skepticism is diffusing a touch...
Okay, you have my attention. Rye's failure was entirely predictable, but I'm glad to see it had to do with his desire to one-up Fritz rather than his own inability. This was actually a good introduction to the character, showing his inner sense of diplomacy, tendency for self-doubt, desire to prove himself and his difficulty regarding his 'accessories.' In short, a flawed character with some serious potential beneath his unnoticeable coat. So far I approve.
And the writing style is pretty solid, too.
A warning: I'm likely to comment on every chapter. I tend to do that. You've got a ton of them, so I anticipate completely taking over your comments section. My apologies for that.
Interesting first chapter so far. The image for the map of Old Equestria is broken though.
The image link leads to an error 404. Please fix.
Poor Rye...being the victim of ridicule and shunning from other ponies, because of something they don't understand
. Hopefully he'll find some friends that will accept him
.
Interesting start so far. Question though, did you make Rye a crossbred due to his parents being a Unicorn and Pegasus
? It's pretty cool to me
. There aren't that many stories that have foals being born with both of the appendages of their Unicorn and Pegasus parent
Someone reads Lois McMaster Bujold. This reads very close to the first chapter of The Warrior’s Apprentice. Here it is, free from Baen, for your comparison pleasure.
2012