Preview of the Next Chapter of All-American Girl · 1:29am Feb 26th, 2013

Chapter 5 rewrite - yet more new stuff!

“Pip, are you here?”

“Yes, sir, General,” Pip said, uncomfortable with the term. It was difficult, not referring to him as “Captain”; after all, for years his mentor, Shining Armor, had been the captain of the guard. But now, all that had changed since they’d found Rarity’s daughter and formed alliances with the new species known as humans, Equestria had found just unadvanced they were in comparison to the bipedal extradimensionals. Even the most advanced of pony technology was still decades behind human standards, and the average? Pitiful. And not just technology, too: with the lone exception of magic – and a justified one, since humans had no magic whatsoever – Equestria was pitiful backwater in comparison to even the least advanced of human nations.

Upon learning that, Celestia began a five-year change to the government. Ministries, sections of the government that ran stuff on behalf of the crown were created, and one of those was the Ministry of Defense. Created out of the remains of both the Royal Guard and the Royal Fleet, the two services were ripped apart into four organizations, one of which would carry on the name of the Equestriani Royal Guard and its mission of protecting the princesses, though it would no longer be a military organization, but a law enforcement one. The other three would make up new types of forces, based on human military standards.

Which was why four months ago, Pip had been a promising sergeant in the Royal Guard, and part of the elite First Line cohort. Now? He was a “major” in the “Royal Equestriani Army”, training with weapons that were horrifying and tactics that were nigh-barbaric. From what he could tell, if there was one thing that humans could do beyond anything else, it was fight wars, and their level of expertise put even the mighty dragons to shame.

But at the same time…. He’d gotten to know many humans while going through a modified version of the US Army Special Forces training with the intent of creating a special elite unit. It had been a human that had suggested the name to him: Destriers, after a special type of brave and fearless warrior who strode into battle. He later found out that destriers were actually the horse and not the warrior, but the theme remained and since that time, Pip was forming what would the first of many Destrier Groups, to hold the front line for the REA. And none of that would have been possible had it not been for those same humans. And Sweetie had told him of her experiences with them and the incredible things they did for a non-magical species. In the end, he concluded that humans were really no different than ponies; it was the individual that mattered, not what the herd – or whatever a group of humans was called.

But he still had a hard time calling Shining Armor “General.”

“Are you there?” the older stallion asked.

“I’m here,” Pip said, falling into place alongside his mentor. It hurt seeing Shining Armor like this, the once strong and proud warrior prince now blinded and lamed by the disease killing him. Something had happened to him ten years ago when he finally cornered Chrysalis’ forces and destroyed them utterly. But there had been a price, and that cost was now killing him. But no matter what, Pip would always remember the rock-strong unicorn stallion that he’d idolized since he was a colt.

“Pip, I need you to do something for me,” Shining said, as they walked in a location Pip was familiar with: Ghastly Gorge. It had been made off-limits ten years ago for some reason and until this day he didn’t know why. Was there a special military program going on here? Some training facility that was being built here and had to be kept secret?

“Anything, my prince,” Pip said, deciding on formality.

“You’ve never had to call me that, Pip. Don’t start getting formal now just because I’m dying,” Shining said, but before Pip could protest added, “And yes, don’t argue – I’m dying. I know it. Whatever trap Chrysalis laid for me a decade past is killing me now and I’m lucky I survived this long. But I can’t go until I know that our most special project is in good hands, and so I’m entrusting it to you.”

“What about Golden Grape, or Emerald Ray, or Silver? Surely one of them—”

“—doesn’t have the right temperament for those sort of things,” Shining interrupted, then was interrupted himself as he started hacking and coughing up blood. “But you do, Pip. You remember when you were just a small colt, always picked on, right?”

Pip nodded; no one had ever expected him to suddenly have one monster of a growth spurt in his teens, making him eventually taller and bulkier than his mentor. But he never forgot where he came from, so to speak. “Yes, I do – Sweetie still teases me about how she was taller than me at that time even though we were the same age. But I don’t….”

“No time to argue, Pip,” Shining said, his rheumy eyes already glazing. “Just promise me that you’ll protect this most important thing I am about to show you. Celestia entrusted me with it, and now I’m entrusting you,” the elder stallion said, walking towards a small cottage at the edge of the trail down into the gorge. He walked as if the path was long memorized and with a purpose of stride Pip hadn’t seen Shining do in a while. It both broke his heart and brought a smile to his face.

“I promise,” Pip said, as the pair arrived at the cottage. Shining knocked on the door and a pegasus mare let him in; she looked familiar for some reason but he couldn’t quite place it. “But what is this thing that you want me to protect?”

A smile came to Shining’s face and for a second he looked every bit the regal stallion he deserved to be. “Hope,” he said. “Hope for a better tomorrow.”

Pip wondered what he meant, but then saw the mare’s husband, a unicorn, approaching with a foal at his side, a filly. And then he got a better look at her and in that moment, Pip knew exactly what Shining meant.

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