Chapter IX – Avalanche
Twilight was scavenging through her luggage, moving clothes and miniaturized books around, as a knock on the door caused her to stare up.
“Who is it?”
“Midnight. Might I come in?”
“Yes, of course!”
The batpony carefully entered, carrying a platter of oranges and grapes.
“Breakfast is served, Your Highness!” he exclaimed in a tone of an elderly valet, causing Twilight to giggle. “How did you sleep? What are you searching for?” he inquired, putting the food on the table.
“I’m fine, I rested well. Although,” she said, lifting up her royal dress from the luggage and looking underneath it, “I simply can’t recall where did I stash my scroll yesterday. Or ‘yesternight’,” she corrected herself.
“Bogine, she is learning,” Midnight whispered theatrically, causing Twilight to roll her eyes. “I am convinced you put it inside there. Or were you taking it out after you had come back from the feast?”
“No, no, I went straight to bed, I was too tired.” She leaned back from the luggage and rubbed her chin. “But now I am definitely worried.”
Midnight arched an eyebrow. “That somepony took it?”
“Mhm...”
“Well, after we had gotten Deep Mist here I didn’t leave for even a moment. And your doors were closed tight, I actually remember checking,” Midnight revealed, coming closer and looking down, in between the stashed books. “Unless somepony has a spare key... No, impossible. Nopony would dare making one, this is a place meant for haspadri after all. Could you have placed the parchment below all the dresses or something?”
“Now that you mention it... I might have subconsciously conjured it to shrink, that’s what I sometimes do when I am juggling scrolls back home...” Twilight replied, standing up and massaging her temple. “Urgh, I’ll check for it later, I’m starving. How’s Deep Mist tod—tonight?”
Midnight smirked, then accompanied her to the table, sitting down next to her. “Trying not to complain. The physician told him that it might have been a case of severe nausea and... here my medical vocabulary in Equestrian fails me.”
“That’s alright. But will he get well soon?” Twilight inquired, reaching for an orange.
“Yes, a night of bed-rest and fasting is in order, but he will be as good as new. He’s sturdy, I even caught him trying to get up at one point during the day. He wanted to try and trot around, just to prove it to himself that he is fine.”
“Stubborn. I suppose it is a trait of your race,” Twilight replied, causing an amused sigh from the batpony. She then slowly bit into the fruit, trying not to conjure a waterfall of juice.
“I could cut it open for you, you know,” Midnight offered politely, reaching for the claws strapped to the belt of his armor.
Twilight only shook her head, the orange still lodged in her mouth. She took a bite out of it and munched on it for a while before swallowing.
“I need to get used to this way of eating, you know. No shortcuts,” she stated, smiling.
She suddenly realized that, despite her best efforts, a droplet of juice was making its way down from her mouth somehow. She licked it off before it got away too far.
It caused Midnight to gulp rather loudly.
“Bogine...” he whispered.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing, all is fine...”
“Just like yesternight, Midnight?” she called him out on his, more-than-apparent, embarrassment.
“... yes,” he admitted reluctantly. “It’s just that... Must you look so... appealing doing this?” he asked softly, avoiding her gaze.
The mare felt warmth gathering behind her cheeks, even as she tried to randomly diffuse the effect this statement had on her with a nervous giggle.
Midnight did not seem to approve of her reaction.
“So I am being ridiculous,” he said dryly, causing her skittish laugh to die a sudden death.
“No!” she protested. “It’s just... Well, I am simply not used to compliments, you know...”
“You are a Princess, so... how come?” he looked genuinely confused. “A mare as unique as you should be showered in praise every day.”
Now Twilight could do nothing to stop herself from blushing. Midnight’s focused gaze and warm tone of voice felt blissfully satisfying.
“T-thank you... Although I...” She laughed nervously again. “I have no idea what you find so engaging... I mean, I’m just eating...”
Midnight grinned sheepishly. “Well, the thing is... I enjoy when you are acting like an Equestrian noble and Princess. All proper and stoic and royal. But,” he paused, “I-I just adore when you try to be like us, noctrali. It makes me feel... happy.”
Twilight took a moment to reply, repaying his warm sentence with the shyest of stares. “Will I sound silly... if I say that I am happy to make you happy?”
The stallion chuckled tensely. “No, not at all. I mean, you are yourself subjected to incoherent grunts of a... ridiculous stallion.”
“You are not ridiculous, Midnight.”
“And you are not silly, Twilight,” he admitted back. “But, you know, we could afford being ridiculous and silly tog—“
He bit his lip rapidly, stopping himself.
“Midnight?”
“I... uhm... I rather not... I mean... I need to figure things out, still...”
Twilight smirked somewhat melancholically. “I understand. Two days... or ‘nights’ is hardly enough to do so.”
“Has it been only two nights? Feels like months have passed since that conversation of ours...” Midnight pointed out. He looked perplexed, but he was smiling very broadly.
“Indeed, how bizarre,” the mare admitted, more than glad to see his affectionate grin once more.
They stayed silent until Twilight finished the rest of her meal, trying to do so without any damage done to the tablecloth. It was remarkably easier when she was nibbling on the smaller grapes, rather than ripe oranges. Midnight kept glancing at her constantly, which felt as strange as incomprehensibly pleasing.
“So... are you up for some sightseeing then?” he finally asked.
“Oh, yes, I’m looking forward to it. However,” Twilight paused for a second, furrowing her brow, “there is one thing.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“I have an idea in mind,” she began slowly, weighing her words. “It might help me while we are staying in Noctraliya... but you would need to agree first. It is... kind of about being like you.”
The batpony’s ears perked up. “Oh? Sounds strange, but consider me intrigued.”
Twilight lowered her gaze. She gave herself a moment to rethink her plan. And a last chance to back away.
She wasn’t going to, however.
“Well, my idea, it involves me using my magic... on you.”
Only after a while of tense silence in the chamber did Twilight look up. Midnight’s stare was absolutely fierce. She could feel it piercing right through her like an arrow. There was a strange, antagonistic glint his eyes, one that she was entirely unfamiliar with.
It scared her beyond measure.
“I-I know you find magic... bad. I-I shouldn’t have...“
“I agree.”
“... presumed you to agree, even if you just did, but I simply... wait, what?”
“I agree,” Midnight repeated even more sternly. Then he slanted towards her, his gaze softening. “If there is any soleerane I were to trust to use these strange abilities, it is you and you alone.” A broad smile adorned his muzzle. “And I think you are already aware that I trust you a lot.”
“I know you trust me,” Twilight assured sincerely, her expression relaxing ever so slowly. “I just... I do not wish to cause you discomfort or worry you, or...”
Midnight but retained his fanged smile. “I am certain I can handle it. Besides, I am Nocferratan. We can deal with everything and anything!” he exclaimed loudly and winked. “If what you have in mind can aid you, I shall participate gladly.”
Twilight finally felt like exhaling. Good, as she was about to start suffocating, at least mentally. “That is a relief. But... are you absolutely certain? I do not wish to cause you to... ‘sin’, I guess, by taking part in—”
“It’s fine, really. I appreciate your concern, though,” he responded calmly. Then his warm smile became twisted into a truly salacious grin. “I mean, you do know you would be worth sinning for...”
In this, particular, set of circumstances, the only reply Twilight could muster was a proper, lucid in its crimson, blush.
It caused Midnight to wholeheartedly chuckle. “So, what do I do to help?”
“Just... just sit somewhere on the carpet, I need to grab one of my books,” she answered, escaping with her abashed gaze desperately. She went to grab a tome from her luggage, hoping to calm herself down before beginning the rite she had planned. A monumental task, to be fair.
After finally finding the correct book, she made it return to its natural size. Midnight, in the meantime, sat down on the floor, waiting for her.
“A reasonably-sized almanac,” he stated, staring at the book she was carrying with a mixture of interest and caution. “Does it contain all of your magic?”
“No, no!” she replied. “This is but a general purpose treatise, actually, one that is used by more advanced spellcasters to provide additional aid when performing magic. It’s more like a tome of ‘templates’ than spells.”
Twilight placed the volume on the floor in front of her, as she took her place opposite the stallion.
“And those... diagrams serve you how exactly?” the batpony inquired, looking down at the pages presenting various and complex shapes.
“Those are to help me set the flow of magical energy around us with utmost precision, so that I can perform my spell,” Twilight explained, wishing to banish any doubts he might have had about her procedure.
“The ‘flow’ of magic? What do you mean?”
“Well, the space all around us is teeming with primal, untamed energy, connecting the universe in a dense ‘web’, so to say. A caster, such as myself, can utilize these omnipresent currents to create various effects. Something as simple as telekinesis, all the way to vastly more complex spells, dealing with spacetime transmogrification, it can all be done by influencing these natural, arcane currents and creating specific arrangements of ley lines,” she explained. “That’s putting it very simplistically,” she added, witnessing a stupefied expression from Midnight.
“Uhm, yes, whatever you just said,” he mumbled. “Perhaps I should be worried after all?”
The mare only smirked. “Don’t. It will not sting.”
“I’m not concerned about that!” he protested, amused. “I’m simply expressing my caution over this alien pract...“
His sentence faded away as Twilight, her face feeling considerably warmer, leaned forward and placed the tip of her horn on the batpony’s forehead. She stifled a giggle as he became cross-eyed, staring upward.
“Twilight...?” he asked. “Is this still doing magic, or is this something else... entirely?” His muzzle was suddenly ornamented with yet another of his roguish grins.
Now Twilight couldn’t contain her laughter, despite her blush deepening. “Oh, shush and let me concentrate!”
“Perhaps. So, you are about to read my thoughts, right?”
“No, I am not a dedicated mentalist,” she replied, closing her eyes and attempting to focus.
“Alright… So this is the point when you hex me with your forbidden arts then and turn me into a frog?” he continued his inquest.
“Urgh, no.”
“Ah, you are going to force yourself into my mind and take over straight away after all?”
Twilight leaned away from him, humorously annoyed at his allegations. “No! Why would you say things like that?”
Playful sparks ignited in his eyes. “I just don’t want you to waste your time with your magic. You are on my mind as often enough as it is,” Midnight responded, revealing his fangs fully in a broad grin. “Proceed,” he added with satisfaction, closing his eyes just as Twilight’s face was about to flare up. Again!
Before attempting to cast her spell once more she gave him a mischievous nudge, which caused a truly content exhale.
She touched his head with her horn, the idea of the spell already present and vivid in her mind. Slowly, almost ceremoniously, she began converging her power, causing the arcane currents to slowly align around her in the shapes and patterns she innately desired. Her magic shone even more brightly as she kept her focus, covering the room in a violet tint. She finally closed her eyes, as to properly feel the ley lines surrounding her and Midnight, who was doing his best to keep still. And when she was absolutely certain that the flow around them was duly influenced, she released just the right amount of power, until this point converging in her horn, allowing the surge to travel through the coerced patterns.
She felt Midnight’s head shiver at the sensation of a wave of magic washing through. She experienced an akin urge of quivering a second later, her body resonating with the arcane flow.
Before Twilight knew it, the rite was finished. The magic around began returning to its natural, frantic and disorganized motion, remnants of the spell traveling through it like declining circles on the water. She moved her horn back, taking a relaxing inhale, her eyelids kept closed.
She heard Midnight grunting. “That was... weird. Weirdly weird. But I think I’m fine,” he said and paused briefly. “Twilight? Are you alright?”
“Let’s see,” she replied, opening her eyes slowly.
The chamber was no longer shrouded in penumbra. Rather than that, she could clearly spot the details of even the darkest of corners, something that had been nothing short of impossible for her so far. All thanks to the mere two candles placed on the table, which right now appeared more like bright lanterns when it came to their luminance. The silver ornaments of the furniture were gleaming more than polished stemware at the Grand Galloping Gala. The ever-present murkiness was all but gone, revealing the full splendor of the room, its colors as vibrant as if basked in the light of noon.
“... Twilight...?”
Midnight’s voice made her stare at him. She gasped in surprise. His cuirass revealed the resplendent reflections dancing on it, ones she could not have spotted before. She could clearly admire the rich, cobalt color of his mane and the firm, grey tone of his coat. His saffron eyes were incredulously vibrant with their rich hue, perfectly reflecting the candlelight.
“I think it worked...” Twilight judged after a moment of feeling like a captive to the stallion’s intense, vivid stare.
“Wha... whatever did you do?” he asked, astonished even more than she was. Without a moment of hesitation, he grabbed her hoof and lead her towards a mirror located in the corner of the chamber.
Twilight’s surprise was as grand as her joy. Her irises appeared as intensely colored and lucid as Midnight’s. Her pupils remained round, but the spell was substituting that anatomical detail perfectly.
Midnight, standing right to her side, was more than amazed. “Your eyes are just... wonderful. Neskaza Lunee...”
The blush from Twilight matched her satisfaction. She stared at their reflections, standing side by side, a sight that was as unique as causing her to experience a rising tide of inner happiness for some bizarre reason.
“I could get lost in that gaze,” the stallion added after a while of intently looking into the mirror, causing Twilight to giggle in abashment. “How did you manage that? Your magic can change your eyes just like that?”
“I am unable to morph their anatomy with such little effort,” Twilight clarified, turning around. “But I am capable of forcing my magic to emulate your eyes’ reaction to luminance and make my eyes copy this effect. I have been considering a spell like this since you described the way you see the sky, back in Hollow Shades, just so I could experience the world as you perceive it.”
Midnight’s gaze was permanently stuck with Twilight’s own. “Ha, how clever.” He tipped forward a little bit. “I’ve never seen violet noctraliyi eyes. And I am absolutely smitten.”
The mare laughed mirthfully, trying to stop her heart from pounding as the stallion’s muzzle came closer the her face.
“Do you think,” she inquired, attempting to calm herself down, “that my eyes becoming reflective out of a sudden shall affect how I am perceived?”
She heard Adamant Fang’s words from yesternight resounding in her mind while Midnight thought about the answer for a moment.
“Considering the fact that you are the first envoy from Equestria to visit our lands, don’t you think noctrali shall have other things on their minds than your eyes?” he responded with a question of his own, giving the mare a calming smile. “Well, other noctrali. I do not have a lot on my mind right now, to be fair...”
Twilight laughed softly, trying to denounce the fact that his face got a bit closer still and his stare became more intense. He opened his mouth a little bit, like he was attempting to say something.
“Yes?” she inquired, a surge of impatience overtaking her.
His muzzle was so very close to her own now, she could feel his breath against her face. She did not believe he himself was aware of that fact. Her mind was begging for this motion of his to continue until reaching a certain, dreamt-about conclusion. She even minimally moved her head forward, feeling her mouth opening slowly and her eyelids calmly dropping down.
However, Midnight stepped away from her, although not without reluctance. “How long does this... ‘effect’, I guess the word would be, last?” he asked nervously, looking away.
Twilight barely stopped herself from letting out a disappointed exhale. “I-I’d like to think it shall hold for a night. I shall need to recast it tomorrow.”
“I see.”
His sentence marked the end of their discussion. Twilight felt a peculiar mixture of anticipation-born frustration and blatant disappointment. Even the “Reasonable Twilight Sparkle” in her head, despite lecturing her on her surfacing desires and why they were utterly inappropriate, did not sound too pleased by what had not occurred.
As Twilight was putting the book back inside the luggage, Midnight spoke up in a soft tone.
“If you need to cast it again tomorrow... I guess we shall have to call it a ‘nightly routine’.”
At these words, she turned around, witnessing another of Midnight’s affectionate smiles. The ones she had learned to adore. And her disappointment was all but gone.
After finally leaving the chamber and checking on Deep Mist, who was napping and snoring absolutely mercilessly, the two made their way out of the private chambers and into the Inner Courtyard.
“Wow...”
An expression of sheer astonishment escaped Twilight as her spell allowed her to fully admire this spacious cavern. It was as well-lit for her as the representative Promenade of Canterlot. The polished rock presented itself beautifully in conjunction with the sheerness of untamed stone, creating a mosaic of elegance and raw grace. The various tunnel entrances were no longer gaping holes in the omnipresent shade, instead making the place look remarkably busy, considering a number of batpony warriors patrolling the place, groups disappearing and reappearing via various passageways.
Midnight chuckled at Twilight’s awestruck expression.
“I suppose the spell makes a huge difference then?”
“You do not have a clue. This is astounding,” she responded. Her gaze ventured to the dark splendor of the statue of High General Ebon Fang. “General Adamant Fang told me that we are supposed to meet our guide near the monument tonight.”
“Alright. But you have never told me who exactly is showing us around,” Midnight pointed out, following her down the steps to the ground level. “I hope it’s not that Sunfall Comet... soleespalu Occultan...” he cursed under his breath.
“No, no, the General told me that he will have a... ‘siegemaster’ accompanying us.”
Midnight whistled. “Is that so? That’s a pony from the second line of command at a fortress usually. Quite the officer to appoint to this.”
“Does every stronghold have such a position then?” Twilight inquired.
“Yes, although his task is not only to deal with sieges and such. Siegemasters are overlooking forges, equipment and weaponry at an outpost usually. Think of him as the main quartermaster and supplier,” the stallion explained. “But, considering the nature of the Ambyit, the local officer must be a pony of real talent.”
They had reached the statue presenting the Fang of the Goddess. Twilight had to assess that her newly acquired ability aided the sculpture in becoming even more imposing and inspiring alike, especially considering that its dark stone was not like any other formation present in the Courtyard. She took note of a silver plaque placed at the base of the monument, a detail she must have had overlooked yesternight. A pattern was present on the surface of it, one composed of a significant number of different marks. Some were quite simple, others elaborate, dignified, consisting of a number of circles connected via curved or bent lines. It was almost like the signs were dancing and pirouetting around, telling their strange, epic tale. Twilight had never before witnessed anything like that, but it reminded her of a...
“Can you... read this, Midnight?” she inquired, pointing at the pattern.
Her companion stared down, intrigued. “Of course, why do you ask?”
“Then, is this your alphabet, by any chance?”
“Why, yes. The modern variation, I believe.” He lowered his head to see better.
“It looks quite extraordinary! What does it say?”
“Hebana Kiele, Nadyir u Bogineyi wrogi. ‘Lunee, niteyae dol!’ ” the stallion said out loud, then stayed silent for a moment, in solemn respect. “Ebon Fang, Nadir of the Goddess’ enemies. ‘Moon, shine down!’ ”
Twilight nodded slowly. “I see... Might I ask, first, why does it say ‘Kiele’? I thought that ‘fang’ is just ‘kiel’ in your language.”
“That is true, yes, but this is a convention when it comes to names,” the stallion explained with a smile. “I’m not sure how it works in Equestria, but here, when you receive a name, the word used in it shares... uhm... shares in your sex...?”
Twilight covered her mouth to stop herself from giggling. “I think you meant – it takes ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ form.”
“Ugh, yes, that. Sorry, that was clumsy,” he admitted, facehoofing properly. “But this is exactly why Fang of the Goddess is Kiele.”
“So... if you were a mare, you would be called ‘Maednoc Wentre’, right?” Twilight inquired with curiosity.
“Yes, precisely,” Midnight replied with a chuckle. “But I’ll just go with—“
“Maednoc Wentr! Sewira Solee gozae iau ver!”
An enthusiastic, hoarse holler from behind caused them both to jump up in surprise. Before Twilight knew what was happening, Midnight was already turned around, ready to face their ambusher. However, his muzzle soon beamed with confusion and joy alike.
“Lawin?! Bogine, Lawin, iau priyat!”
Twilight could only stare in bewilderment as her companion and another stallion exchanged an enthusiastic, nearly brotherly embrace, laughing deeply and causing the entire cavern to echo with their cordial greeting.
“Kwo tu robit hic? Tu odwied i tu nye dict ia?! Prokleyityi tuyi skzyidli!” the unknown to her stallion declared something merrily, granting the other pony a forceful smack to the back of his neck.
Midnight bent forward from the force of the blow, as his associate utilized his, as Twilight took note of, considerably bulky physique.
“I tuyi, eldu durnu!” her friend replied after straightening up, chortling madly. He then switched to Equestrian. “Twilight, this is Avalanche, one of my best friends from my Mountain!”
Twilight smiled politely as the hulking batpony stepped forward, casting a slight shadow over her with his sheer size. His yellow eyes were shaded by a fringe the color of mud, looking considerably uncared for and simply begging for a comb to save what was left to be saved.
“Well met!” Avalanche declared in a scratchy, higher than one would imagine, voice. His deep accent was making up for that though. “Tue must be that Knaze z Ekwestriya.”
Midnight decided to play his part and introduce the mare solemnly. “Indeed. Avalanche, this is Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, here on a diplomatic mission on behalf of her nation.”
Twilight smiled. “A pleasure to meet one of Midnight Wind’s friends.”
“Iau delec as well,” the stallion replied enthusiastically then pointed at the other batpony. “Benu to see tue in the greatest of companies!”
Midnight exhaled with satisfaction, giving Twilight a quick wink.
“How long has it been, Lawin? I thought you wished to stay deployed at our Iug, what are you even doing here?” he inquired, causing Avalanche to pound his chest through the reinforced, leather apron he was wearing.
“Ambyit had an opening about edn i pol ann ago, so ia went for it and here ia bid! Doing my soleespalu opes for Noctraliya,” he declared proudly. “Whatever it might be, right?”
“R—“ Midnight tried to respond.
“Right, of course it’s right! Uai do our job, uai do what Bogine demands and uai do it when uai bidi ordered, nye? Is it not a mark of a great wampir, to work for what ip believes in?” he pointed the question at Twilight.
“Why I—“
“Tac, of course it is! It’s what defines uai, drives uai! Now, ia presume tuyi would like to see things around, tac, tac, well, ia have not had an opportunity to show Knaze around before...”
Midnight raised his hoof. “Lawin, we—”
“... but I think tue will like it here, uai are a grand zamak, edn of the best equipped after all, ready for whatever, tac? Tac! And, ia imagine uai could...“ Avalanche appeared nowhere near finishing his logorrhea.
“Lawin, wait, we—“
“... spend a whole noc going around the place, which uai can do, of course, although ia have a lot of work...”
“Lawin!”
“Hmm? Tu said something, priyat?” the bulky stallion asked on a surprised note, causing Midnight to toss his hooves up in a gesture of yielding.
Twilight giggled at this ridiculousness. “I’m very sorry, but we are actually waiting for the ‘siegemaster’ to meet up with us, Avalanche. He should be here any moment now.”
“Well, ia bid here!” the stallion stated loudly, chortling.
“Kwo, kirwe?!” Midnight could not hide his shock at all. “They made you the siegemaster?! Since when?”
“Since iau mentor finished ipu duty three months ago!”
“And then they chose you?”
Avalanche grinned broadly, revealing a set of particularly, not to say sickeningly, yellow teeth. “Ia bide his favorite! Ip said that if ia bida nye chosen, then uaiu work shall not be finished properly,” he declared, then turned to Twilight with a wink. “Ia have a little project going on, tue will like it, Knaze!”
Twilight smiled politely, giving Midnight a confused look the moment Avalanche closed his eyes in booming laughter.
“Ha! Now ia bid the officer here i ia bid glad to show somepony around, uai have a lot to see, ha! Where would tue like to start?” he inquired of the mare with enthusiastic politeness.
Twilight felt like she was herself assaulted by an avalanche, considering the stallions hoarse, loud banter and overbearing willingness to show her around.
“I-I am not sure, Avalanche, this fortress must be quite vast, I imagine.” She looked around, considering the amount of tunnels leading from the Courtyard. “How about... you show us something connected to your role at the Border? I have a feeling it might be very intriguing.”
Avalanche let out a loud shout of satisfaction and rubbed his hooves together. “Ha! A klaze interested in my work? Ia should have cleaned up better! Bogine, what joy!”
He was now continuously chuckling to himself as he beckoned her and Midnight to follow him towards one of the lower tunnel entrances.
Twilight turned to Midnight, spotting her friend trying to contain laughter to the best of his abilities.
“Is he... always like this?” she whispered.
“Define ‘like this’, please.”
“A ‘cackling-madpony-like-this’?”
“Pretty much. I sometimes wonder what is more like an avalanche in him...” the stallion replied silently. “His crushingly high spirits, or his ‘proficiency’ in being a wampir.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can guess he shall show you,” Midnight pointed out, smirking. “So, how’s the duty lately?” he raised his voice, addressing Avalanche.
“Opes, opes, opes! Forges kept hot and hammers pounding!” the stallion declared back. “Check tuu zbroy, Meadnoc Wentr, ia might have had some fresh grease on ia.”
Midnight stared down immediately, his face almost in horror. “Is there anything there?” he asked of Twilight, who quickly glanced around the cuirass.
“No, nothing that I can spot. Clean and gleaming,” she assured him.
“Thank Bogine.”
“Oh, come on, priyat! To bid only a mark of tough work!” Avalanche declared zealously.
“A mark that is a curse to get rid of properly!”
“Mazgay!”
Midnight replied with a vicious hiss towards his friend before chortling wholeheartedly. Avalanche but rolled his eyes before bringing one of his hooves to his face and rubbing his eyelids, imitating tears.
“Tu kad!”
“Ia nye bid kad, Maednoc Wentr, ia bid vereu!”
“Vereu?!”
Twilight rolled her eyes at their exchange. She glanced to the right, admiring the place where the perfectly equilateral arch of the tunnel entrance was meeting the sheer rock, when a sudden feeling caused her to almost stop in her trot.
Somepony was watching them.
She took a calming breath, trying to keep up with her bickering companions. She had no idea from where they could have been observed, she only knew they were. Of course, she was aware that her very presence was capable of causing intrigued stares from the locals, but this sensation was different from somepony simply staring. It was keen. Sharp.
Almost casually she looked back, wishing to take a last glance at the Courtyard. Her eyes, now piercing through the shades, quickly scanned the cave, trying to find anypony focused on the group. She didn’t have to look for long. None other than Sunfall Comet was slowly exiting from a nearby passage, his eyes fixated on her.
Twilight continued walking carefully until the entrance of the tunnel was left way behind her, then addressed Midnight, who just caused Avalanche to fall into a fit of hysterics over some topic.
“I’ve spotted another friend of ours,” she whispered, causing the batpony to raise his eyebrow.
“A fr—Oh, yes!” A glint in his eyes indicated that he understood what she meant. “Will he be keen on meeting us?” he inquired, putting a barely audible stress in the sentence.
“Not for now, it seems,” Twilight replied in a similar fashion, although she found Midnight to be a lot more convincing in his half-wording.
Avalanche finished his guffawing and suddenly turned to her with a broad, yellow smile.
“So, Knaze, tue bid a military leader?”
The question did catch Twilight by surprise. “Uhm... no, not really. I’m from the... priesthood caste, I guess,” she answered sincerely and Avalanche nodded in empathetic understanding.
“Ah, too bad, too bad, but don’t worry!” he said, smiling still. “Tue must have read something, as Knaze! So, what’s tueu preference?”
“Pardon?”
“As you, Ekwestriyani, say, uhm... ‘melee’ tactics? Or ‘ranged’? Oh, oh, ‘artillery’, perhaps?” His eyes shined even more brightly.
“N-no, I haven’t really given it a thought, I do not—“
“Well, to must bid fixed!” Avalanche hollered, causing the entire tunnel to echo. “Ia might not be a diplomat, but ia know this! Nothing helps in talking things through than siege machines!”
“Uhm...” Twilight gave Midnight a dumbfounded look, but he simply shrugged, snickering.
“Tue znate, big, strong, well-aimed siege machines!” the siegemaster continued. “With the precision to the nearest delegate, ha!”
He chuckled hoarsely, leaving Midnight attempting to hide his mirth and Twilight considering the future of her negotiations, especially if undertaken under such, purely theoretical she hoped, duress.
As the group was approaching the end of the tunnel, Twilight could hear the multiplying sound of clashing metal.
“Uai bidi near our... uhm... ‘muster field’, tac!” Avalanche explained. “Where our local wampiri train when ipia stay indoors.”
“Due to weather?” Twilight inquired as the echo was becoming louder and louder.
“Precisely,” Midnight replied. “We usually do our crucial training outside, to deal with wind and snow, but during the biggest snowstorms we stay at the barracks.”
The first thing Twilight spotted when they entered the cavern was how diametrically different it was from the elegant Courtyard. It mostly retained its natural state, filled with stalactites and stalagmites, although the middle of it had been leveled and cleared. The floor of the cave was still rough, however, barely chiseled. On the left and right from the central passageway, behind wooden rails, entire groups of batpony warriors were practicing. Alone or in pairs, fighting each other or training dummies, all armed with claws and lacking any protection. They were overlooked by a number of officers in short, grey capes, carefully observing the trainees.
“Every noc,” Avalanche continued his expositing, ”uai have at least piat hours of pure combat training, aside from other tasks around zamak.”
Twilight cocked an eyebrow, trying to observe everything that was happening around her. “Five hours straight? This must be exhausting.”
“Nopony complains. And if they were to, nopony would listen,” Midnight declared solemnly, staring up.
Twilight followed with her gaze, witnessing a pair of warriors, a stallion and a mare, engaged in an aerial duel. Again and again the two participants were clashing together, only to fly away from one another in preparation for another charge. And every engagement was marked by their claw weapons sending loud and sharp clangs all over the place, in harmony with the other trainees, busy around the cavern.
“Impressive,” Twilight judged, but it was only met with Midnight shaking his head.
“Not really. That mare is not taking her positioning into account.”
The fight continued, the warriors gaining even more speed. Despite her friend’s words, Twilight found the duel an incredible and awe-inspiring demonstration of raw, brute strength kept in a form of a ball room dance. The batponies’ motions were fierce and elegant alike, akin to a strife between two falcons, contesting their last prey. She spotted that the forms the warriors were practicing were actually quite complex. For once, they were more demanding than what one would expect from simple and even elite soldiers or squadrons, just like the Equestrian Wonderbolts. A right-wing spin, a front turn, a full loop, strike, strafe, dodge, block, all getting faster and faster as more clashes followed.
Avalanche, who was observing the fight as well, suddenly chuckled.
“Fight over in tri more moves?” he addressed Midnight.
“Two shall be enough.”
Just as he said that, the practicing stallion swiped his claws horizontally. The mare only had the time to intercept the attack with a solid block of her own weapon, but the force of the strike caused her to be turned completely around, knocking her off her aerial balance. Not a blink of an eye later, a powerful kick from both of the stallion’s hind legs sent her back-first into a large, granite stalactite.
Twilight inhaled loudly as the mare slammed into the formation, knocked unconscious by the sheer impact. She began rapidly plummeting down, accompanied by a satisfied shout from her opponent and some other warriors observing the match-up. Only a second before she hit the ground, just as Twilight was about to intervene with a rapid spell, two other batponies, until then standing in preparedness, intercepted the fall, catching the out cold mare.
“Ha!” Avalanche shouted as the defeated warrior was carried to the side. “Good move! How do you, Ekwestriyani, say it?” he inquired. “’Oldie and a goodie’?”
Twilight’s lips quivered at those words. “... a goodie? ... a goodie?! She could have been killed!” she replied, unaware that her protest was far louder and more dramatic than she had desired it to be.
In the middle of the racket caused by the training warriors, the echo of her shout bounced around the place, causing the cavern to stop still as the eyes of the gathered, warriors and officers, all focused on her.
Some of the batponies begin looking around, perplexed by her presence, whispering to one another. Twilight took note of a couple of warriors squinting their reflective eyes in an expression of displeasure, as her reverberating shout was dying out.
She felt her heart going up to her throat, faced with this intense stare from the gathered. It was a look far different from the one she experienced yesternight, when the garrison had welcomed her at the Border firmly but respectfully.
This was a look one grants to a trespasser.
In the tense silence of the cavern, a faint, warning hiss came from an unspecified direction.
Avalanche’s ears perked up in an instant, just before he boomed furiously. “Tuyi soleespalyi sloti! Tuyi patri ad kwo?! Irai terg opes!”
On a whim, the entirety of the cave began frantically saluting and returning to their tasks post haste, faced with the stallion’s commanding shouts.
Avalanche breathed in a couple of times, irate, before turning to Twilight.
“Ia bid so sorry, Knaze, ia should not have been so... casual about the fight...“
Twilight was about to speak up, but Midnight stopped her with a firm gesture.
“Lawin, could we leave before discussing this?” he inquired strongly.
“Tac, tac, let’s move...”
The mare stayed while her group was steadily trotting through the cavern. They finally entered another tunnel, leaving behind the muster field. Twilight could not get rid of the feeling that, as they were passing by all of those warriors, more unfriendly stares followed them.
Followed her.
Midnight exhaled as he stopped the group in their tracks in the middle of the passage.
“Princess... There was no need for that,” he stated, more saddened than chastising.
“I... I just, I was shocked, I mean...” she tried explaining.
“I know, I know, don’t worry, Princess. But I presume there shall be more about us that might make you wish to protest loudly. And I would discourage you from doing so, Princess.”
Twilight swallowed silently, now that her heart had returned to its proper place.
Avalanche shook his head. “To bid iaa kulpe, ia should have told Knaze before...”
“Told me what?”
Midnight retook the initiative. “What you have seen, that fight, was not only entirely normal by our standards. We are taught that every engagement, even a practice one, should be finished with one of the sides rendered unable to continue the duel,” he explained calmly.
“This... this is normal?” Twilight could not believe her ears. “But... this should be training! There are supposed to be... I don’t know, training conditions! Dull blades, padding, nets of some sort! I haven’t seen armor on any of those ponies! Those are basic safety measures!”
“Uai do not do that,” Avalanche responded, but left the explaining to Midnight with a gesture of his head.
“Blunt weapons and protective gear would only dull the pain of failure,” the stallion explained stoically. “You must learn to cope with wounds, bruises and broken bones if you are not properly defending yourself.”
Twilight almost did not dare to pursue the topic further. “Are there... fatalities?”
“Never!” Midnight declared solemnly. “We know when to stop... We also know how not to stop.”
“To bid vere,” Avalanche confirmed. “That klaze that lost was spared the crash with terre only because she was out. If tu cannot stop the fall, tu shall feel it. For if tu can take the pain, tu can cause it too.”
“This is a... harsher regime than what I expected,” Twilight said blankly. “I mean, I was taking into consideration that training of your military might be fiercer, but this is... concerning.”
Midnight only nodded his head slowly. “Life in Noctraliya is tough. That would be a good enough excuse for us to train like this. But we also know that the world around us is ever changing, uncertain... It might not always wish us the best.”
“Ha, well said,” Avalanche agreed. “And uai shall not be caught unprepared, ever.”
Twilight pondered on those words for a while, staying silent, her muzzle twisted with worry. She was aware that Midnight took notice of that immediately, but she was not going to turn this opportunity of learning into an intervention. Despite her discomfort with what she had experienced.
“Let us put this behind us for now. My wish was never to impact the duties of local warriors, or question your training. I shall refrain myself from expressing myself quite so... vocally,” she declared, causing Avalanche to bow his head in respect.
“Uai are pleased to hear that, Knaze. But, fear not, tue did not offend us by protesting. We know tuyi do things differently in Ekwestriya,” he paused for a moment to smile broadly. “But, do not feel offended if uai believe our ways bid superior.”
Twilight nodded with grace, feeling better about her little blunder. Midnight’s own warm expression helped her even more.
“So, where to now?” she inquired, causing Avalanche’s eyes to glint with rekindled enthusiasm.
“Wampiru life is to fight,” he began somewhat philosophically as the group recommenced its venture. “And to fight ip needs tri things: ipyi skills, ipa faith i ipyi weapons. So let’s handle what ia bid responsible for! Weapons!” He begun chuckling again. “Weapons, weapons, weapons!” he almost sang.
“Uh-oh,” Midnight muttered to Twilight. “We are heading into his lair.”
“Shush,” she silenced him, trying not to giggle.
She then felt that the air becoming hotter and stuffy. As they were continuing down the corridor another beat, this one pulsating and steady, became audible, coming from before them.
“Will we be going through one more muster field?” Twilight asked.
“Nye! Those are hammers, Knaze!” Avalanche declared, himself pounding on his leather apron in accord with the sound.
Twilight was certain she had seen a forge before. Well, at least in her books. What she witnessed in the next cavern, however, appeared like taken straight from a blacksmith’s dream. The spacious hall, longer than one would expect and intriguingly ornate with metal, was housing at least twelve, brilliantly hot furnaces. A small army of ponies was operating the bellows, anvils and grindstones, occupied entirely by their work. From time to time the cave was illuminated almost blindingly, when one of the gathered blacksmiths was opening the steel doors of his hearth, causing the light to shine all around and the steady sound of raging flames to gather in magnitude.
Avalanche breathed in and laughed colorfully. “Bogine, ia grat Tue! For the fires hot and metal sharp!”
He spread his forelegs in triumph, his sentence coming into accord with the steady pounding of hammers. All over the cave metal was being formed into sharp blades and stalwart armor. Clouds of thick steam were emitting from vats of water as the claws for batpony warriors were hardened. Sparks flew from the grindstones, merrily flickering, like little fireworks in celebration of the harsh but important work.
“Is all of your equipment... produced here?” Twilight inquired firmly as they ventured in, even though it was becoming difficult to breathe in the heat.
“All that can be forged! But let uai move through here and uai will reach the armory. Then the fun shall start!” Avalanche’s response was. He was staring left and right with an evaluating gaze.
“Should I... be worried?” Twilight asked of Midnight as they were moving past the furnaces, but he just chuckled.
The mare felt that she had begun to sweat from the temperature, not to mention her head was letting her know that the echoing banging of hammers was not a music to her ears. As they were passing close to one of the last furnaces in the room, the smith right next to it covered his eyes, then opened its steel doors and fed the hearth more coal with a swift, trained gesture.
Avalanche and Midnight moved away with their stares almost like on accord. Twilight, however, looked into the fire without giving it a proper thought. Next thing she knew was a wave of searing pain in her eyes, as they were assaulted by the flames’ brilliant, pale orange light.
It was like feeling thousands of sharp and heated needles going straight through her pupil, making tears go down her cheeks immediately. The warm, pulsating pain made her knees weaken and her whole body shiver at the magnitude of the sensation. She gasped profoundly before turning away from the hearth, feeling Midnight immediately coming to her aid.
“Twilight!” she heard him exclaiming as she felt his foreleg around her. “Kirwe, did you stare in?” he whispered right into her ear.
“Y-yes,” she replied, closing her eyes tightly. “I-I did... not know the s-spell... w-would copy the s-susceptibility as well,” she stammered through the sentence, trying to focus on the words and take her mind away from the anguish she was experiencing.
“What’s wrong with Knaze?” she heard Avalanche’s worried voice.
“Some ash got into her eyes I think,” Midnight lied without even a momentary hesitation. “Let me lead her out of here.”
“Oh, tac, tac, get to the armory. And ia will talk with this clumsy durnu here for a while!”
Twilight felt her friend leading her somewhere, as she kept her eyes shut, hoping for the warm, searing sensation to leave her pupils finally. She could tell that Avalanche was berating one of the smiths fiercely, considering his volume.
“You... didn’t have to lie...” she told Midnight, feeling him tightening his hold on her as he gently led her someplace.
“Neskaza Lunee... shall forgive me. It was preferable to revealing that you are using magic,” he whispered back to her softly. She had to concur with him on that.
Twilight heard the squeaking of doors and she knew they must have entered another cave or a room, as the heat was all but gone and the racket of hammers became muffled.
“Keep your eyes closed until the pain stops feeling warm... if that makes sense to you,” Midnight advised, letting go of her, his voice echoing a little bit.
“Yes, it actually does... Now I know what you must have felt in Hollow Shades,” she admitted, slowly relaxing her eyelids. “I can empathize.”
“I do not wish your empathy to be shown like this, Twilight.”
“Yeah, I need to avoid going quite so far.” She gently opened her eyes, feeling the discomfort steadily dispersing. The place, however, was completely dark. She stared around, but she was surrounded by only murky blackness. “Did... the magic dispel itself already?” she inquired with a bit of panic.
“No, no, your eyes are as beautiful as they were,” she heard the warm response in front of her. “Just give them a moment.”
“Alright...” she replied, feeling like the painful warmth from her eyes turned into a blissful warmth of her cheeks.
Midnight’s words proved themselves true. But a few heartbeats later Twilight felt that she had begun regaining her eyesight. The first thing she saw was a pair of saffron eyes, quite affectionately staring at her. The rest of the batpony soon followed.
“Good to see you again,” she joked, causing him to smile broadly.
“Better?”
“Yes... That was quite the experience,” she admitted, blinking a couple of times. “Although I do not miss the pain.”
“Be careful in the future Twilight... Please,” he besought her with a tone of kind worry. One that made her feel both saddened over making him concerned and overjoyed that he cared so much.
The door behind the two opened abruptly and Avalanche stormed into the little corridor they were standing in.
“Prokleyitu durnu, ip will learn to be careful! Are you alright, Knaze?”
“Yes, yes, nothing bad happened. Just an accident,” she attempted to placate him, yet to no avail.
“Accidents in uaiu work can mean injury or worse! Next time ip does that ia will use ip for target practice!” Avalanche continued his rant, beckoning the two to follow him down the descending corridor.
As Twilight’s eyes returned to their magically-induced “normal” state she could only feel surprised at what she saw in the next cave. Rows and rows of wooden racks, with glistening chainmail, sturdy helmets and sharp claws displayed on them, enough to equip an entire army of batponies, not just the local garrison. A true warriors’ cave of wonders, both fearsome and motivating.
“To bid the armory, Knaze! Here uai keep all that uai might need to deal with uaiyi enemies!”
There was unmatched pride in Avalanche’s words and, as much as Twilight felt inexperienced in the field of equipment and military matters, she had to assess it as justified vanity. Especially after she had spotted a significant number of intimidating devices set up on some of the racks. They were consisting of bows made out of steel set up horizontally on tough, wooden stocks, having gear-based mechanisms placed at their sides.
“What would those be?” she inquired. “Ranged weapons of some sort?”
“Arbalezi,” Midnight declared, approaching one of the stands with almost childish joy. “Well made arbalezi,” he added upon taking one of them and weighing it in his forelegs with attention.
“Tac! Iayi prides and joys!” Avalanche hollered, picking up one of the devices for himself. “Tue vide, Knaze, any army needs a way of fighting enemy forces at a distance! And this is uaiu way of doing so!”
“With these?” Twilight approached Midnight, who was meticulously checking the tough strings of the weapon.
“Ha! Tac!” the siegemaster shouted, tapping the stock of the device almost with care.
“An intriguing idea...”
“It comes from necessity,” Midnight revealed. “Lawin, mind if I explain it to Knaze in proper Equestrian?” he asked, smiling slyly.
“Very funny,” Avalanche replied sarcastically, but nodded his head.
“You see, Princess, as much as we pride ourselves in melee combat, we never overlook a possibility of engaging our enemies at a distance. In ancient times we have attempted using standard bows, but the windy weather of our mountains allowed only a few, skilled warriors to master this art and make accurate shots.”
“So you had to come up with a weapon to counter the climate itself?” Twilight inquired, listening carefully to Midnight’s every word.
“Precisely. That’s how we came up with this idea. Arbaleze.” He lifted his weapon to his muzzle and aimed at an imaginary foe, while Avalanche smiled broadly, stroking his own “arbaleze” like it was a pet. “As you can see, the bow itself is made out of sheer steel, accompanied by the triple, sheep rawhide string. In combination, this grants it a powerful enough... ‘tension’, yes, to mitigate the effect of wind to a degree. Try pulling on it,” he offered, nearing to Twilight with the device.
She attempted to move the string back gradually, but she didn’t even manage to bend it an inch. “This is remarkably tensed already. I suppose this is why you need those mechanisms here, right?” She pointed. “To crank it?”
“Exactly! Lawin, would you be so kind?”
Avalanche did not have to be told twice. He rested the arbaleze on a flattened frame sticking out from the front of the weapon and put his hoof through it to keep the device still. Supporting the stock on his shoulder and keeping it in balance with his other hoof, he grabbed the handle of the mechanism with his teeth and began cranking it in a circular motion. It took him a full ten seconds to cock the weapon, but when a mechanical click heralded that he had done so, Twilight could not believe the amount of tension she saw in the steel prod.
“This is a bit scary to watch...” she admitted, stepping back.
“It’s really safe, though. At the, unlikely, worst case the string will snap, but then the bow will straighten itself forward, so no harm can happen to the wielder,” Midnight assured her.
“What do you even fire from this monstrosity?”
Avalanche laughed. “Don’t say that, Knaze. Ipie are fragile, timid creatures. We could show you later.”
He leaned towards a nearby rack and picked up a solid, steel bolt with a broad head and dense fletching made out of falcon feathers most likely.
“And tu fire this,” he exclaimed, passing the projectile to Twilight.
“I can see this not caring for most winds, it’s really heavy,” she assessed, holding the bolt in her hoof. “And what is the range of this... ‘cross-bow’?” she inquired, finding a good, temporal word to describe this device.
“If tu know what tu are doing... uhm... Maednoc Wentr, how much is dwo cent metri in Ekwestriya?”
“About... two hundred some yards. That is the effective accuracy range.”
“W desat?” Twilight inquired, causing a chuckle from Midnight.
“Indeed. But the bolt hits true even further. This broad end,” he said and pointed at the projectile, “allows it to go straight through the toughest of armors.”
“Can it be that unstoppable then? So how are you using it during... you know, internal wars?” Twilight asked, even though her reluctance was discernible.
“No! We do not! The Covenant forbid it!” Midnight immediately responded, putting the arbaleze back on its rack. “It is prepared for... other enemies,” he softly added, his face embarrassed.
Twilight immediately realized what his expression meant and she could not stop herself from exhaling sadly.
Avalanche seemed to have misinterpreted her gloom. “Ah, of course, tue might be concerned about the time it takes to fire again, Knaze. But when wrogi close in uai are ready and rely on pasuri!” He pointed at the racks filled with metal claws. “Or kieli, or kicks...”
“Or daggers, I get it,” Twilight added monotonously, still pondering on the fact that “other enemies” could have been interpreted as “Equestrians” if necessary.
Her words, however, spawned a sudden reaction from Midnight.
“… we do not use daggers,” he said blankly, his eyes fixated on Twilight with a sudden, worried spark in them.
Avalanche also shook his head, seemingly concerned. “Wampiri do not carry those around.”
The mare looked at them, perplexed over this sudden change of atmosphere. “But I clearly saw a dagger with—“
“Lawin,” Midnight interrupted her, raising his hoof, “can we stop this sightseeing for now? We will get in touch with you later tonight, alright?”
“A-alright, tac, ia should be here,” the siegemaster replied, a bit scared at his friend’s fierce glare.
Twilight had not even had a chance to react before Midnight grabbed her foreleg and led her to the passage out of the armory. She did not protest, although she felt that something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Midnight grasped her shoulders with his hooves as he stopped in the middle of the corridor.
“Who, Twilight?” the stallion’s whisper was betraying his nervousness. “Who did you see around carrying a dagger? That Sunfall Comet?”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Who?!” he pressed on, agitated.
His expression scared her. His nostrils were flared and his eyes were widely opened and restless. He was stopping himself from baring his fangs to the best of his abilities, but Twilight could almost feel the emotions bubbling inside him.
“I... I-it was in Deep Mist’s backpack,” she revealed and watched as Midnight’s face lost all its grey color. He stepped back from her, shaking his head ever so slowly, in utter disbelief.
“Nye... Bogine, Twilight, are you certain?!” he raised his voice at her, causing her to back away a step in the wake of his mounting anger.
“I-I think so… I saw a curved blade sticking out… I thought—“ she suddenly found herself at a loss for words as her mind arrived at a certain conclusion. Her mouth opened in shock. “M-Midnight...? Is Deep Mist an...?”
The stallion was staring blankly forward, a mixture of dejection and pure fury painted all over his muzzle. When he finally spoke, his voice was abnormally calm.
“Deep Mist... Your eyes are hidden no longer...”
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Shit just got real
Deep Mist is in for a world of hurt
No comments yet? Let's change this.
Good chapter! But: Midnight – you're an ass. No offense to my donkey brethren. Kiss her already!
If the "kiss already!" moments keep going like this, I'll scream myself hoarse.
Also, RIP Deep Mist, we barely knew thee.
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Will he survive? Or will he be torn apart? Stay tuned.
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Good things happen to those who can wait...
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A bit more patience...
So... Having just found this story today, and reading through the first stories too, I have to say this is a wonderful story. I love the characters and the world building put into this. I love this vision of batpony culture and I love the mystery and intrigue to it. One of the best stories ive found on this site and I cant wait for the next Chapter. Deep Mist better have a good explanation. Also. Midnight and Twilight, I ship it so hard.
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Why thank you, your praise is much appreciated.
Ah shit. They're an awfully militaristic culture for being so isolationist.
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Internal rivalries remain a part of their culture. As for other, possible reasons – stay around and see for yourself.
I'm a bit skeptical of Midnight's "never fatalities in training" claim...
7164136 considering that many special forces training has had fatalities despite all the safety measures they have... I'm in agreement
Hello. I have a small edit suggestion:
Her magic shun even more brightly as she kept her focus, covering the room in a violet tint.
Her magic shone even more brightly as she kept her focus, covering the room in a violet tint.
I'm honestly awaiting a moment when Twilight might finally be able to show them just what she, herself, is capable of. For all the respect she's given, the Bat Ponies can't help themselves and look down on her, her people, her mentor, and her. Including her own princesshood, which to them is merely a gift from Celestia and nothing Twilight actually earned.
I wasn’t expecting the batpony army to be so well trained. According to what Twilight said, their regular troops are even fiercer and better trained than the Wonderbolts, who are the elite forces of Equestrian. I can’t imagine how strong the night guards got to be.
I get that they're prideful and all, but that attitude towards training just seems... Wasteful. Train like you fight, sure, but head trauma servere enough to knock you unconscious could easily be a career ending injury, assuming it doesn't kill you outright. It's entirely possible that the loser of that fight goes to bed tonight and never wakes up again.
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True enough. And yet we could find historical examples of that level of intensity in preparing armed forces. We just aren't used to that anymore.
<3
Deep Mist busted!
ooo that's another level of intense training
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Au contraire, it's still very much a tradition that's alive and well today. "Train like you fight" has no real exceptions, other than using rubber knives and blanks or simunition rounds... for everything else, go right ahead and get banged up while training. Doc will patch you up, and MHS (the military healthcare system) will handle any injuries that Doc can't treat himself. Hell, in airborne units, one of the legs (individuals who have not attended airborne school and as a result do not have jump wings) is tasked with operating an ambulance alongside Doc in case of serious injuries resulting from a bad landing at each jump
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Fair point regarding military training, of course. I mostly meant that it's not something that is widely considered by the general public.