Border Chronicles: Book 1 Friendship in Chaos

by Sirion123

CH 14: New Schedule

Chapter 14

Location:
R-13 Farway
Caelum, Cygnus, Belfiore Academy.
2037 P.C.E. (post creator era)

---

House Equus was slow to rise the next morning, with only two members coherent at the pre-dawn hour, Trevor, and Applejack. Trevor for the last two weeks, in preparation for the start of classes, was smart enough to adjust his sleeping schedule, so when the first day of classes and before sunrise reveille he was at his best. Applejack, used to the necessity to start the working day long before Celestia’s sun blessed the sky had through habit turned herself into the greatest abomination, a morning pony. as for the rest of the house, they rose like the dead, shuffling into the dining room moaning in their shared exhaustion. Dark bags graced, or rather lack there of, shambling in, their movements uncoordinated, the goal destination the life giving nectar of coffee. If given the chance the whole of the girls would have slept in, but the necessity of living the act of students, forced them to prepare for the classes for the semester.

It didn't help that at the precise moment of reveille a harsh high pitched whistle assaulted their ears, a tradition born of the old days of the navy stating the start of the day. As per the academy regulations the time the whole of the academy needed to be awake was two hours before any start of class. the theory behind it was to let the students have at least an hour to shower, shave, make their way to the academy’s galley and back to the barracks to be mustered and then marched to the classes they needed to attend for the day. Though the House’s population had them march at ease, it still the hike would took them half way across the campus grounds.

Rarity found that there wasn’t enough time for her usual morning rituals of proper primping, but took solace in the fact she still was the best dressed of the house. In contrast, Rainbow, still dead to the world haven not gotten her twelve hours sleep at minimum, was dressed in shambles and looked a slob, Twilight not too far behind her looking much the same. Pinkie, the inexhaustible party mare seemed to be alert and peppy, but the her hair told a different story, being wavy instead of its abundance of cotton swirls. The last to join them was Fluttershy, or rather, she was the last one to be noticed due to her quiet nature. Discord was nowhere to be seen, a fact that Trevor was extremely grateful for.

Once everyone was seated, demands of coffee were made by all present, the caffeine a needed source of energy, before breakfast had been made and consumed. Full, and now mostly awake, the members of House Equus formed their small group and marched, at ease, to their first class of the day.

---

House Equus was unique amongst the Houses, and had a special status for two reasons. The first, was just how new the House really was. Most of the academy knew that much already, as the rumors spread by Discord before the fall semester began informed them. The second was less known, but more bizarre. The House only had eight members total, consisted mostly of otherworlders, and lastly every member of the house had the same classes. So as they entered their first class of the day, Naval Heritage, Trevor, just sighed resigned to the fact his first class of the year was going to be miserable. Mr, Mirkovic Is going to never let me live this down. Not only because he’s given me endless hassles for not joining a House, but now my House consists of nothing but females… I really don’t want to deal with another Daisy one’s bad enough, or another Landcaster

“Good Morn’n lads and lasses.” Greeted a very cheerful Mirkovic, “ I’m Lieutenant-Commander Milos Mirkovic” His ever thick animanan accent reverberated throughout the classroom, “An’ n’ case meh accen’ wasn’ enough teh give it away, I’m not caelish, Tat’s not importan’ right now. What is, is our heritage, histories or baddles, an’ wins an’ losses. most of ye’ have had a class like tis somewheres here at belfiore. Ba’ unlike t’ose tis un’s abou teh strata’gies they used. Analisies of what made we, the caelish navy, great.”

“Now, Some-a ye have bared wit’ess to some of our history f’rst han, mehself included, an’ otters have were jus’ alive at teh time. I have no idea as teh who has an’ hasn’. So I think it’s only fair teh introduce yerselves. Yes i know some-a ye are familiar faces, ba’ a few of ye are a liddle fresh for meh like’n. So we’re gonna introduce one anuddler, befur we get to teh meat an’ potatoes of teh class. Le’s start wit teh lass in teh back. I wanna have ye start us off.” The LCDR gestured to the girl at the very back of the class.

“Hello,” Greeted the girl, a spattering of hellos were returned before she continued, “I’m Velina English of House Volcain, I joined the navy because I really didn’t have a reason not to…I’m in Belfiore because, honestly, I filled out the wrong paperwork, instead of the enlisted paperwork, I filled out the officer forms instead. I’m surprised I actually made it into Belfiore.” Velina spoke with a smile.

“Tanks miss English, Tat’s what I wan’, jus’ like tat fur teh rest of ye.”

And so it went. The class one by one introduced themselves giving a brief history of where they came from and why they were there. As more students gave their class debut Trevor noticed that the Faculty were following in Discord’s playbook. the entire class was filled with nothing but members of Volcain or Oaklandus. Save the small group of his house the class was well divided and the high tension between the two prestigious Houses could be seen. Trevor did notice the fact that most of the leadership between the houses was not in the class, save Velina, Volcain's master at arms and her best friend's wrangler. Trevor took notice of English something about her seemed familiar. Something about her pink purple hair, done up in a bun with a few stray strands of hair sticking out in random spots, olive complexion a tell tail sign she was from one of the northern coastal towns, or that she stood at a medium height, just being a few inches short of him. It took a moment to recall why she was familiar, mostly because he was shocked her close friend no were to be seen then it hit him... Internally he moan, as he remembered Daisy's attempt to set the two of them up, and how spectacularly it blew up in their faces. Though some facts were tersely revealed, no hard feelings remained and Daisy had gain a new friend at the end of the ordeal. So caught up in his thoughts Trevor almost missed his cue to introduce himself.

"Oh...it's my turn...Good morning, I'm Trevor Fields," a few gasps were heard in the class, Every time. This happens every time. I'm kind of tired of being the "Golden Boy" of Belfiore...I don't need all this attention either from being my father's son, or by just doing well. I guess thee really isn't anything I can do about it... Trevor let out an exasperated sigh before continuing, "I joined the navy in hopes to be a Maritime Diver Exploration Force, but unfortunately tested far to high for that, and now I'm on the career track of a Creatia technician."

That was all he said. Quietly Trevor sat back down, silence filling the room. To the girls they noticed the looks the student gave him were a mix of awe or intense glares. Is Trevor that popular here? Twilight thought, Or is it something else? Is there more going on here?

"Tat wasn' much boyo, t'ough I sup'ose we kin start teh learn'n today. Teh course starts with current history ten goes back to teh found'n of Caelum." Mirkovic said, bringing the attention of the class back to him. "We'll start wit teh CSS Spring's Eternal.“

Trevor's eyes widened at the mention of the ship. His hands clenched up, his knuckles turning white, teeth clenched, a quiet brooding anger built as, Trevor suspected, the topic was pick because of who Watson that ship. The class, those that knew anyways, gave him sympathetic looks, which only angered Trevor more. The girls, once again out of the loop of the local academy politics, and over all Realm history, could only give bemused gazes. Trevor now intensely glaring at the LCDR slowly raised his hand.

"Fields? Oh...Tat's righ, sorry boyo, if'n ye don' wanna be apart o' teh discussion, your free teh standby outside the class."

"Thank you, sir." Trevor replied harshly, but his features soften with relief.

"Sup'ose tat was a might bit careless of meh. When wer done wit teh discussion I'll send sum'un to get ye.

Trevor gave a quick nod of the head, and left the classroom.

"Now before we begin, does any'un have any quest'ns?"

A violet tinted hand shot to the air so fast the students sitting around Twilight swore they heard an audible snap. Mirkovic saw the hand, but didn't call on the her, figuring what her line of question would be. Annoyed at not being called on, Twilight puffed up her cheeks and started waving her hand animatedly.

"Yes miss...er...I know I had teh lot of ye introduce yurselves ba' I'm terrible wit names. An' unlike coverall and work'n uniforms tease service forms Donna have name tags on em'..." Mirkovic said, giving a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's Twilight Sparkle sir. Sir, I have a question...Why did Trev, er, Fields, Why did he leave the room after you told us what the first subject of the class was?"

"Ah..." Mirkovic paused, emotions flickered across his features, saddness, regret, and resignation, "Tat's righ, yeh one of tem exchange studen's aincha... I'm afraid some of the information I'm abou, to share has some personal ties to teh lad. Unfortunaely, teh school makes meh teach abou it. Now le's not let teh lad sit ou' tere for too long, le's get to it."

The Spring's Eternal was commissioned at about twenty years before the turn of the millennium and was, at the time of of its commission the most technologically advanced ship of the Caelish navy. Built to help end the aggressions of a longstanding enemy country, Libitina. Caelum and Libitina as Twilight and the girls found out, had been perpetually at war with one another since well into the Tournament Era. Twilight, with her natural curiosity, would not let the reason for the conflict go, until it was explained in detail.

As Mirkovic taught it, the wars between Caelum and Libitina started hundreds of thousands of years ago during the early Tournament Era. Due to the fact that, the at the time, only the additive nature of magic existed (The magic cast forth could not be recalled and so left numerous weapons, creatures, and dangers of the tournaments a permanent fixtures of the world). That when the Freeborn family discovered and subsequently passed on the trait of negative magic (which express purpose was the nullification of magic) the Spike family found it to be an affront to the natural order. The hostilities only increased when the trait of negative magic was found a dominant gene, passed on by any and all Freeborn bloodlines, the Spike family declared every person born of Freeborn blood be killed. And so the Freeborn's fled and eventually founded Caelum. And so for thousands of years the grudges held by both descendants of a time long ago and almost forgotten, they warred with only a spattering of ceasefires.

As it turned out, the Spring's Eternal was instrumental in the current ceasefire between the two countries lasting the last thirty years or so. Fifty confirmed kills, twice as many captures. The ship was considered by every standard the greatest ship ever manned. Every captain who commanded it's helm did so with distinction and left a mark in the navy's history. It even held the record of the most members from the same commissioned ship to make it to the High Council, two of which were still serving and related to the leaders of Oaklandus and Volcain.

"Yes, teh Spring's Eternal was quie' teh ship. Served on'er mehself, under her last cap'n. Tat's why her ultimate fate was such a shame. Sixt'n years 'go next month teh Springs Eternal vanished of the face of Farway. As if teh creators plucked her straight from teh ocean blue. No un' knows where she lays. As to yer quest'n earlier lass, teh last capt'n of teh Spring was capt'n Edward Fields, teh fadder of teh very student that had left here earlier."

---

Some wise person long ago once said time heals all wounds. Trevor would have to disagree. Sixteen years his father has been missing. Sixteen years years since he had seen his kind smile, had a comfortable hug, told how proud of him he was. Sixteen years of just a single soul wrenching question... Is dad alive? Trevor wondered if the lack of an answer kept his wounds open, unable to heal. So he would do what he always did, shoulder it, bear it by himself, and carry on. When the subject came up, either the Spring or his father, Trevor tried his best to avoid it, if he couldn't he would just stick to as many one word answers as possible.

Just outside the classroom in the peace of the hallway, Trevor slumped his shoulders and leaned back against the wall with a soft slump. Trevor felt tired, not physically, but mentally, felt old, despite his age. He needed some real time alone. It seems at some point Daisy and me swapped places." Trevor looked up, started to count he ceiling tiles, I just... he couldn't finish the thought, but instead focused them elsewhere.

Since he was eight he was under Tibbia's guardianship. It really wasn't all that much different then the times his father had left on deployment, except now it didn't have an end. Tibbia was never mean, nor held the fact that her husband was the second in command of the Spring and Daisy's father. She did a valiant job of protecting Trevor from all dangers, including the church, and fostering his curiosity as safely as she could. Though try as she might, Trevor just couldn't connect with her as a mother figure. The hole in his heart just didn't heal, making any attempt to be close to him almost impossible. He just wanted to be alone.

In his solitude in the hall, Trevor stood alone, just as he wanted. Enjoying the misleading quiet. Despite feeling content with the silence, the hollow feeling refused to yeld.

---

The first lesson of the class lasted must longer then Mirkovic had planned or really wanted, so when Trevor was eventually brought back into the class, it was only to go over what the next lesson. Mirkovic dismissed the class and could only pass a look of understanding and hope to Trevor. Trevor on the other had just ignored it never left with out a word.

Armed with their new knowledge, the girls wanted to do something for Trevor, but try as they might, no conversation was held as House Equus transitioned between buildings. Instead each member of the group just took in the outdoors. Cloudless and bright blue the weather could be described as perfect. The soft breeze and the comfortable temp only made that opinion easier to believe. A brief gust of wind called attention of the trees outlining the Freeborn Heritage Field.

Named after Jason Freeborn, inventor of the passive magic construct, the field was right outside the theater that held the assembly a day prior, and was maintained "well enough". Massive oaks lined the perimeter of the field giving some life to the open area. A red rubbered ring formed the athletic track, various sport fields located within, all built for the purpose of fitness standards and competition with the other academies and civilian colleges. Fresh chalk paint providing the outline of the fall sports that were in their infancy for the season, though the training equipment was still in storage, as it was suppose to rain that day.

The warm pleasant glow of the sun across what little skin Trevor had exposed had him glad the forecast was wrong. As he walked he observed the grass roll under the breeze, radiating brightly, looking like a calm lake of green. It was a much needed uplifted after the history reminder. The girls, despite no conversation, had smiles on their faces, as they also enjoyed the last remnants of summer. Applejack and Rainbow, despite wanting to talk, kept to a respectful silence. However, at the sight of the field that silence was threatened as the highly competitive mares eyed it with eager anticipation. Wordlessly bragging to one another as they continued to walk. Rarity and Fluttershy focused more on the environment around them. Rarity on the banners that had lined the streets and field. Using her sense as a designer, she scrutinized the academy's decorations and how well they had complimented, or ruined the aesthetic of the school. Fluttershy instead looked at the flora completely unknown to her, and animals that had made belfiore their home. Several black furred squirrels chittering happily as they stored their food for the winter. Three species of bird she had never seen before, but Fluttershy hoped would be her friends before the end of their time here. Pinkie...Pinkie absolutely ran everywere, violating every standard of personal space, going practically nose to nose with every student she hadn't met yet. What made the whole matter strange, was that every time the instructors who noticed Pinkie being Pinkie, and aimed to reprimand for being too close to the students, found every time their mouth opened to shout, she would be, inexplicably, with the girls. Much to the confusion of the instructors and the students she was immediately in front of, on the other side of the street, or almost entirely out of sight of the field the girls were traversing. Twilight was the only one, other then Trevor, that really couldn't enjoy the day.

The reveal of Trevor's history, had been a bit hard for Twilight to swallow. The events of the last two weeks had shaken Twilight to the core. She had made mistakes before and felt guilty about them and had always done what she could to make up for them. But now given Trevor's history plus the foreknowledge of events yet to happen, Twilight withdrew from the world for the moment, knowing she couldn't do anything to change them. Yet right now under the beauty of the day she could however temporarily just forget her worries.

Author's Note:

So I had a goal of posting a new chapter before the end of the year...and it it's done with only little less then two days to spare. Now we're into the first day arc where most of the classes and teachers I'm focusing on for the fall semester are about to be explored. After which there is going to be a time skip, with more of a focus on getting more character development and more backstory done. it's only going to be a month or so but I kind of need to bring in the Houses. As for how long its been between chapters or just updates in general, for that I'm just going to have to apologize. Writing Mirkovic's class was pretty easy as I already had a good grasp on how he is and the history behind his connection with Trevor. As for the next few instructors it was harder. Especially Captain Ferrera, her whole chapter I am completely unhappy with, but I needed to write something. I've also been highly distracted by numerous stories here on the site that have stolen my attention. Leading me to write only a third, if that, of what i did last year. I'm hoping to post another chapter of another story here before the end of the year, most likely the fallout story I've just let sit with a chapter or two. In any case, happy new years to all. hopefully I can motivate myself to write more.