"Okay, girls. Let's go over the squads one more time." the CMC (plus Dinky) were all enjoying their lessons. Diamond had asked what the position of the Wonderbolts was in the guard which lead to a full explanation of the guard squads and their roles along with the command structure.
"The royal guards of Canterlot are the city's equivalent of a high trained police force. Officially, this is due to the large concentration of important targets that live there. Unofficially, it was done to shut up the more whiny nobility and give them a way to send off what were considered unneeded heirs without putting them on the front lines of the frozen north in the Solar guards." Apple Bloom had this memorized because Big mac was part of the local squadron.
The royal guards actually protected every town in Equestria. They were only out in the open in Canterlot to make the city look better protected. "The Night guard takes over during the latter half to early hours rotating every 12 hours to avoid letting one squad get too tired."
Diamond took over at this part "The solar guard is traditionally made up of the best of the best but has changed in recent years so any citizen can sign up for training. Thus, it is not uncommon to see cows, donkeys or even buffalo in the guard. Their main job is protecting the borders of Equestria, The northern and southern borders are particularly guarded because they lead to the Frozen North and the Badlands respectively. The western border ends at the sea, so the guard force there is basic. The eastern border runs right through the Everfree so no guards really go out that far. "
Scootaloo spoke up next "The Wonderbolts are a supreme air force unit which has roots in old pegasus traditions. The squad has changed over the years in many ways but the root of being a squad for entertainment and emergency evac has stayed the same."
Sweetie Belle went on the explain the research and development department which was predominantly run by unicorns.
Spectrum described the plan for the Lunar Guard, which was a stealth and internal security defense force.
While this was going on, Dinky was focusing on trying to convince a piece of paper to float. However, it had not budged an inch no mater what she tried. Her mind began to wander and, while she was thinking about how Spike sent a letter with his fire, she felt the magic leave her horn and watched as the blank paper burst into flame only for Spike to spit it out a moment later. Everyone in the room looked at Dinky as her flank glowed for a moment as the image of a letter and a scroll surrounded by fire appeared.
The CMC were in shock "How does that work?" Sweetie was not happy.
"Calm down girls. Dinky, was this the first time you've done anything with mail?"
"No. I help mama a lot. But - if my talent is sending letters, why did it only happen now?"
"I thought so. You see, girls, cutie marks are based on the harmonious magic that holds ponykind together. It's what sets us apart from other species and lets us have true insight into what we are supposed to do. This magic will try to pull you to what your talent is and reveal itself once you discover that talent. Zebras and donkeys have their own forms of magic, but they aren't as obvious. Most bovines have some magic, but they rarely try to learn to harness it. Griffins, minotaurs and the creatures from the forest all use wild magic, or magic that is very hard to control." Midnight explained but added the following only in her silent thoughts:
"Actually, the griffins and minotaurs used to live in the forest until they grew smart enough to want to found their own nations, but I don't think the girls are ready to hear that yet."
After several hours of practice and assurance that her new friends were not going to abandon her, Dinky had managed to master the spell as much as it could be taught. Now she just had to practice to make sure the letters went where she wanted them to. The girls had taken the lesson to heart and decided to try finding their talents in the upcoming school talent show.
Midnight and the others went to watch what was simultaneously the funniest and the most embarrassing thing they had ever seen their younger family members do.
Midnight showed it to Nightmare that night. Nightmare, in turn, showed it to her sister in her sleep.
Spectrum was never going to live this down no mater what she did. Her family would always remember her attempt at juggling pies (the desert, not the family). The girls went home embarrassed but happy at the fun they had during the show.
As they were leaving, Midnight gave Rarity a book on old traditions with a passage about old deals and treaties marked. "What's this for, darling?"
"I thought you might find it interesting. Most of the nobles have to memorize this book, though they rarely use the information it contains." that was all she needed to say. Rarity was nose deep in it in an instant and Sweetie had to guide her home to avoid running anypony over.
Midnight smiled "That should make things run much smoother next week"