Date: Year 30 LRC
Location: Vanhoover Naval Academy, New Lunar Republic
The sound of a robin greeting the early morning sun broke through the silence outside the thin-paned window. Lying in bed, a young mare stared at the bird atop the barrack’s flagpole. For the past four weeks that bird had been there; every day, rain or shine. What he might gain from that particular spot, she could not really guess. Whatever its reasoning, she was grateful for the company.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1!
The clock-on her small bedside table began to ring, the blaring noise rudely interrupting the robin’s morning song. However, before the clock’s striker had even finished its third rotation, the pony had already silenced it with a strict strike of her hoof.
Five seconds early, right on schedule. Starchaser thought amusedly to herself as she rolled quietly out of bed.
It had taken her almost two years to get that trick right. In a barracks where most of the ponies appreciated being allowed to sleep as long as they were able, her particular sleep schedule had not always been appreciated. So, she had become very adept at silencing her alarm as quickly as possible. Even now, in a room housing only a single bed, the old habit had yet to leave her.
The moment her hooves hit the wooden floor, the young mare went about tucking in the ruffled sheets, her flowing mane of cyan and cerulean hair falling long and loose about her head. As she tucked the covers of the bed meticulously into place, her horn glowed a bright blue, her magic causing a black length of cloth to rise from her desk and tie her mane in place.
While it likely would have been far easier just to use magic to make the bed as well, old habits once again dictated this particular aspect of her morning routine. It had only taken her instructor spotting the use of magic once during her first week at the academy to make sure she never did so again.
Once the bed was made, Starchaser quickly walked to the door of her room. Before she had even reached the threshold, the sounds of snoring from the other side were already audible. As she reached for the door handle, the horn atop her head glowed once again. From atop the dresser nearby, her peaked cap floated down, followed closely by a small silver whistle on a string. Slowly the whistle draped itself over the pony’s neck before the cap alighted gently on her head with a slight rustling of her mane. Carefully making sure that everything was in place, the mare slowly opened the door to the barracks beyond.
On the other side of the door sat a large room consisting almost entirely of beds. The simple cots were organized into 5 even rows of 15 beds per row. On the left side of each bed sat a simple wooden desk, while the right included a clothes hanger. Walking carefully so as not to strike her hoof on one of the clothing trunks which sat at the foot of each bed, Starchaser marveled at how loud some of the sleeping ponies could snore. Not for the first time, the mare found herself thankful that she was a heavy sleeper.
As she reached the end of the room, the blue-eyed pony turned to face the rows of sleeping ponies; the silver whistle floating gently to her lips.
The piercing shriek of the tool reverberated off the walls of the barracks, the wide-open room allowing the sound to echo fare more than it would have otherwise. The response was immediate, with ponies jumping to the floor as if their beds had suddenly caught fire. One after the other, the mares and stallions moved to stand at the foot of their beds. As the room quickly fell into silence, Starchaser allowed her eyes to travel down each row to make sure nopony was being silly enough to look her way.
“Good morning colts and fillies!” Starchaser shouted, the whistle to falling to hang from her neck once more. “It’s currently oh-five-thirty hours, and as I am sure you are all aware, that means it’s time for your optional personal fitness regimen. Isn’t that correct?”
“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” the seventy-five ponies of Company 10B responded in unison.
“And as you are also well aware, when I say optional, I of course mean absolutely mandatory!”
“Yes ma’am!”
“Platoon leaders, take attendance and move out. I want you ready to march for morning formation no later than oh-six-fifty. Understood?”
“Yes ma’am!” the five ponies closet her shouted.
Taking one last look around the room, Starchaser gave a small smile as she turned and left the building, the sound of names being called still audible as the door slammed shut behind her.
The morning air was crisp, and a deep breath was all that was needed to chase the few remaining traces of sleep from her head. In front of the pony sat a small parade ground, surrounded by 10 identical looking buildings. The only difference that could be gleaned were the varying company flags raised on the poles before each building.
As her hoof hit the last step of her barracks, the door to the adjacent building swung open with a thundering crash. A white pegasus emerged from within and, upon spotting Starchaser, immediately leapt from the top step.
The pony’s mane was a beautiful azure blue, and her eyes; though currently furrowed in anger, were a piercing emerald green. Like Starchaser, the mare wore a peaked-cap upon her head and had a small whistle hanging loosely about her neck. The mare’s cutie mark, though partially covered by a black rain poncho, was that of a dark storm cloud complete with falling rain. However, Starchaser knew well enough that closer inspection would reveal that each rain drop was in the shape of a musical note.
As the white mare floated towards her, Starchaser groaned audibly at the sight of the scowl on her face.
“Hey Rain Dancer.” she said, greeting the 10th company’s lieutenant with a sympathetic grin. “So… who screwed up this time?”
“Do you even have to ask?” the pegasus snorted, making barely a sound as she landed gracefully next to the blue-colored mare. Turning to the left, the pair of ponies started off along the length of Starchaser’s barracks, their hoof-beats the only sound that could be heard in the early morning air.
As they approached the window to Starchaser's, the unicorn’s horn began to glow; her magic carrying both her and the other pony’s cap through the open window. A moment later, a dark poncho matching that of her traveling companion appeared and pulled itself quickly over her head.
“I wondered if you were going to remember that.” the pegasus snorted, nodding towards the poncho as the window closed with a bang.
“To be honest…” Starchaser chuckled, smiling sheepishly. “I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t already been wearing yours.”
“I told you yesterday it was going to rain!” the pegasus snapped as the two started off towards the western edge of the campus.
“I forgot.” the blue mare muttered defensively.
“You always forget! I swear, you’re worse than Pit.”
Glancing over at the other pony, Starchaser was amazed that the young mare’s glare wasn’t setting the ground in front of her ablaze. Her anger was absolutely palpable.
“So, was it Diamond again?”
Those five words might as well have been an ignition switch, as almost immediately the pegasus gave an aggravated shout.
“Of course it was!” she screamed before grinding her teeth angrily together. “It’s always Diamond! Him and that little posy of his. I can’t give two commands before the little piece of basilisk dung has to go and make some sort of snide remark”
The pair fell back into silence. Initially Starchaser considered saying something encouraging, However, a quick glance towards her friend was enough to convince the pony that silence was the proper tactic in this case. Rain Dancer had never been one particularly interested in sympathy, especially any which was directed towards her.
The pegasus’ family was part of the old guard; military, every one of them. The pony herself was an army foal, born and raised on bases all across the nation. The military had always been a part of her life, and as such, it was no surprise that even as a cadet she was already well on her way to becoming one hell of a soldier. Unfortunately, or at least as far as Rain Dancer had described it, nature had decided to play a cruel joke. Some ponies the world created fast, others strong. In the pegasus’ case, it had chosen to make her beautiful.
In some respects, it wasn’t such a bad problem to have. Her looks had always caused their instructors to underestimate her abilities, and that in turn only made her stand out that much more when she succeeded. And of course, there was always the added benefit of free drinks whenever they decided to hit up the cider-halls during weekend liberty.
No, the problems arose when the new cadets began to pay more attention to the pegasus’ looks than to her record. The worst part was, Starchaser knew that all her friend needed was thirty seconds with any of the trouble makers, then they would never talk back to her again. Assuming they’d be able to talk at all when she was finished with them. Unfortunately, the academy seemed to have something against corporal punishment against cadets, even in cases of insubordination.
So instead of talking, the two ponies continued their early morning walk in silence; Rain Dancer fuming and Starchaser simply trying her best to avoid saying anything else that might set the other pony off. Just as the unicorn was about to attempt to break the silence again, a voice called out from behind them.
“Hey you two! Wait up!”
Pausing their walk, the pair turned and watched as two pegasi quickly sprinted to meet them. The first to reach them was a pale-yellow mare with a fiery red and orange mane. This was the midship lieutenant of the Vanhoover Naval Academy’s 4th Company, Sunny Delight. Her name was certainly no mistake, as even this early in the morning, her orange eyes gleamed like a noonday sun. The pegasus’ cutie mark, unsurprisingly that of an orange sun rising above an emerald hill, was on full display this morning. It seemed she too had forgotten Rain Dancer’s warning to them last night about the schedule for today's weather.
Her companion, who reached them a few seconds later, was an interesting sight to be sure. Ocellus was the midship lieutenant commander of the academy’s 4th battalion, and co-instructor of Company 20. The pegasus had a lime colored body, and a bright electric-blue mane which she always wore flipped to one side. When combined with her shocking violet eyes, the pony’s appearance was the epitome of a mishmash. It was also an appearance only made stranger by the cutie mark on her flank.
The mark itself was a complicated pattern of bright, multi-colored, and interconnected circles. It was an incredibly extravagant mark, and Starchaser knew from experience that if one were to stare at it for too long, the circles would appear to move on their own. It was a slightly unnerving sight; but in a way, it was the perfect cutie mark for Ocellus. Flashy, unique, and always changing.
“Good morning you two!” Sunny Delight shouted, throwing a wing around both Starchaser and Rain Dancer’s shoulders. “How’s everypony doing this morning?
“Good morning Sunny.” Rain Dancer responded, cracking an unexpected smile. “You as well Cell.”
“Rough day already?” the violet-eyed mare inquired, giving a cheeky grin as the smile on the white pegasus' face vanished as quickly as it had come. “Come on dancer, the torture hasn’t even started yet.”
“Tell me about it.” Starchaser sighed as the beach finally came into view. “I can’t believe we all agreed to this.”
“It was your idea in the first place, commander.” Rain Dancer teased, being sure to emphasize her friend's rank.
As the four ponies stepped onto the sandy beach, they quickly spotted two figures waiting by the water’s edge.
“Oh, he cannot be serious.” Ocellus gasped, her voice incredulous as they stared at the two waiting stallions. “He’s crazy if he thinks I’m putting even one hoof in that water.”
It was at that point the waiting ponies had finally noticed the mares' arrival.
“You fillies certainly took your time!” a brown earth pony shouted, smiling as he motioned them over. “I thought Gale and I were going to have to start without you.”
“Up yours Pit!” Ocellus shouted back as their group moved closer to the the crashing waves.
“Hey!” The earth pony responded, shooting the pegasus a fake glare. “Is that any way to speak to a superior officer?”
“My apologies.” the green pegasus snapped back, throwing a halfhearted salute as they finally reached where the two stallions stood. "What I meant to say was up yours, sir!"
The pony who had motioned them over was a coffee-colored stallion with a poorly kept black mane. However, while his colors may have been muted compared to every other figure on the beach, the stallion was far from subtle. He towered over the other ponies, his green eyes twinkling mischievously as he studied them. Immediately Starchaser knew that they were in real trouble today. In addition to being a co-instructor of the academy’s 1st Company; Pitfall (or Pit as he was known to his friends) ranked as the midship commander of the first of the academy's two regiments. He had achieved that honor through a combination of amazing physical ability, as well as superb academic excellence. He was strong, smart, and right now; Starchaser knew he was thinking of a myriad of ways to torture the four mares who stood before him.
Next to the commander stood a second stallion, this one a pegasus with a silver mane and snow-white body. Winter Gale was the midship lieutenant commander of the school’s 1st Battalion, and co-instructor of Company 4, alongside Sunny Delight. Despite herself, Starchaser felt some relief to see that the white stallion’s blue eyes were narrowed in anger. At the very least, it looked as though their entire group would be miserable together.
“Atten-hut!” Pitfall shouted, his commanding tone snapping the other five ponies quickly to attention. With a small chuckle, his front hooves dug at the sand in excitement as he met each pony’s gaze.
“Now that we’re all here, is everypony ready for some strength training?”
“Before we begin commander…” Ocellus shouted, saluting the stallion with unblinking eyes. “… I feel it is my duty to remind you that Article 5 of the Equestrian Declaration of Universal Rights clearly states that nopony ‘shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, heartless, or degrading treatment or punishment.’”
“Duly noted.” Pitfall responded with a chuckle as he led the group along the beach. “I will be sure to take your opinion under advisement.”
After about a five-minute trek, the ponies found themselves standing in front of a metal sled piled high with weights of various shapes and size.
“I’ve got good news for you soldiers.” the stallion laughed as patted the sled. “We’ll only be running one exercise today.”
“We’re going to be dragging a weighted sled through sand, on a beach?” Rain Dancer asked, her voice skeptical.
“Of course not!” Pitfall responded, shaking his head in mock disbelief. “You’re going to be dragging a weighted sled through the sand AND water… on a beach.”
“That sounds like it could be… fun.” Sunny Delight said hopefully, earning an angry snort from her company’s co-instructor.
“It’ll be a blast.” Pitfall laughed as he grabbed the sled’s harness in his teeth and flipped it over his neck. “Just watch, and do as I do.”
Walking into the crashing waves, the earth pony waded out until the water was halfway up his legs. Then with an enormous surge of power, he was off galloping down the beach. Starchaser could only stand there with her mouth agape as she watched the stallion charge full speed through the crashing waves. As far as she was concerned, the brown pony might as well have been taking a morning gallop for all the resistance either the sled or waves seemed to offer him.
“We’re doomed.” Ocellus muttered as they watched Pitfall plant his hooves and launch himself over the sled to start back towards them. “He’s really planning on killing us, isn’t he?”
The other four ponies simply nodded in agreement.
“See?” the black-maned stallion laughed, not even sounding out of breath as he trotted back to them. “Nothing too it. Now, who’s next?”
The green-eyed pony stood staring at the group for several seconds, but none even dared to meet his gaze.
“Cell, thanks for volunteering!”
The green pegasus glanced down at the sled before giving the smiling stallion an angry glare.
“Permission to speak freely sir?”
“Granted.”
“Fuck off!”
“Come on Cell.” He chuckled, throwing a forelimb around her shoulders. “Everypony here is going to do it. Why not just start us off?”
“I’m not getting into that freezing water!”
“Hmm…” the stallion hummed, nodding his head thoughtfully. “The water is a tad chilly today.”
With a mighty heave he tossed the pegasus forward, causing the other four ponies to stare in shock. The action was so sudden that Ocellus could do nothing but give a terrified shriek as she crashed into the rolling waves; coming up moments later sputtering.
“Since you’re already in the water, I don’t think the cold will make that much of a difference.”
“I’m going to kill you!” the mare shrieked, and from where she stood, Starchaser was sure she saw the pony’s teeth momentarily shift into a terrifying set of fangs.
“Before you do…” Pitfall responded unconcernedly as he pretended to study his hoof. “… I feel it is my duty to remind you that Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice clearly states that ‘Any military personnel who strikes her superior commissioned officer or offers any violence against him while he is in the execution of his officer; shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.’”
“I hate you so much.” The green pegasus muttered as she paddled back towards the shore, bobbing like a cork over the crashing waves.
“You’ll get over it.” the earth pony laughed as he walked the sled out to the shivering pegasus.
With a sigh the mare allowed the harness to be placed around her neck. Then, with one last angry snort, she started off down the beach.
It was certainly very different from when Pitfall had done it. The mare struggled against the weight, but seemed to keep a decent pace. In fact, she only fell once on the way out, when a particularly massive wave decided to crest directly on top of her. To Ocellus' credit, she did not let the wave stop her; and made the trek out in about the same time as Pitfall. However, by the time she had turned around, Starchaser could already see that the weight of the sled, combined with the constantly crashing waves, was beginning to take its toll. Twice the Pegasus fell to her knees, allowing the waves to push her head out of sight. But both times the pony refused to stop, and in the end, she finished the exercise in about twice the time as the commander.
“Very well done!” Pitfall praised her, giving the panting mare a congratulatory pat on the back. Shaking the water from her body, the pony shot her tormentor a glare that would have withered a plant.
“If you touch me again today Pit, I will end you!”
Quickly pulling his hoof out of reach, the Stallion turned to face the rest of the group.
“Next up?”
“Let’s just get this over with.” Winter Gale sighed as he strolled out towards the sled, his silver mane plastering itself against his back as he dove headfirst into an oncoming wave.
Within seconds he was off down the beach, the white spray of the ocean flying into the air around him as he plowed through wave after wave. The white pony made very good time, his first tumble occurring only when he prepared to turn back around. Unfortunately, it was clear as he began his return trip that the stallion's energy reserves were being rapidly depleted. By the time he was half-way back, he had already tripped two more times.
“Not bad.” Pitfall acknowledged with a smile as the pegasus finished his trek. “You need to work on you footing a bit.”
“Says the clumsiest pony I know.”
The earth pony gave his companion a playful shove, only to accidentally send the exhausted stallion tumbling to the sandy ground.
“Whoops…” Pitfall apologized as the pony shot him an angry look. “Sorry about that Gale.”
“It’s fine!” his companion responded, shaking the sand that had latched onto his wet mane. “I appreciate you wanting to prove my point.”
“Anyways…” Pitfall began, only to be interrupted by the hopping form of Sunny Delight.”
“My turn!” the bright-colored mare shouted happily, diving into the ocean with an excited scream.
“You see?” the brown earth pony laughed as they all watched the pegasus set the harness over her shoulders. “Why can’t you all be more like her?”
“There’s only one Sunny.” Rain Dancer sighed, shaking her head as the pony started off through the waves. “It’s a law of the universe. If there were ever more than one, the world would probably explode.”
For several minutes, they watched as the yellow pony made her way through the crashing waves. Starchaser was actually impressed with the mare’s performance. She was certainly breaking no records, moving far slower than any of the ponies who had gone before her. But unlike their other companions, the bubbly mare didn’t fall once. Both on her way out, and during the return trek, she remained the epitome of ‘slow and steady.’
“Aaaaaaand done!”
“Wow De…” Ocellus commented as she gave the other mare an appraising look. “I’m legitimately impressed.”
“Hey Dancer, you wanna go next?” the yellow Pegasus asked, smiling as she hopped over to join her friend.
“Might as well.” the mare sighed removing her poncho just as the clouds overhead began to rain. “We need to hurry this along.”
In a flash the mare was off down the beach, and soon the group found themselves looking on in amazement at the retreating shape of the pegasus. When comparing her performance to the ponies who had gone before, the difference was like night and day. With the sled following in her wake, Rain Dancer did not bother to fight the water which sought to slow her process. For the smaller waves, the pegasus would leap over the cresting water with quick powerful bounds. For the handful of whitecaps too high to jump, the mare would dive head first into the rolling water, her white form cutting through the blue of the ocean like a knife. She made excellent time, reaching the turn only slightly slower than Pitfall had. Her return run was no less impressive, and she finished with easily the fastest time of everypony, barring the commander.
“That just leave’s our last participant.” Rain Dancer commented, only sounding slightly winded as she returned to the group. “Ready to go Chase?
Turning to face the sled, Starchaser felt her stomach clench as she slowly approached the water. It had been her idea from the start to get Pitfall to help the group with their morning exercise routine. But now that it was her turn, the unicorn was beginning to have serious doubts.
“You got this Chase.” The brown stallion called out from behind her. “If you can’t run, it’s fine. Just take it easy and be consistent, like Sunny.”
The unicorn nodded as her horn glowed, the harness rising out of the water to wrap itself over her shoulders. Glancing back at her friends, she gave a solemn nod and started off.
This WAS a mistake. The pony thought as the first wave struck.
The sled would have been bad enough. Even now the mare could feel the straps of the harness biting into her with every tug she mad. Slowly she pulled at the weight behind her, feeling her hooves sink into the sand beneath them. With every movement of the water she felt the sand shift, holes opening beneath her hooves which threatened to sweep her legs out from under her. Meanwhile the sled was suffering a similar fate, and with every step forward it felt as though the metal weight was attempting to pull her backwards.
A particularly large wave crested over the pony’s head, giving barely enough time to close her eyes before she felt the freezing water close in all around her. For several seconds she stood there; disoriented as the rolling turbulence rocked her from one side to another. As the water suddenly changed direction, the unicorn felt the sand flow out from beneath her left hind leg. A second wave was all it took, and the mare suddenly found herself sent tumbling.
Come on. You cannot be this pathetic! She berated herself, her eyes shut tight in frustration.
The straps of the harness burned as the ropes were pulled taught, and Starchaser quickly tried to find her footing. However, almost as soon as she had broken the surface another wave struck her side, the force of the impact knocking the air from her lungs.
She did not know how long she struggled against the rolling waves. The salty water dripping from her mane blocked the world around her from view. All she could feel was the constant beat of the waves against her side, and the burning in her legs and neck from the resistance of the sled. Suddenly she felt something move next to her, and almost immediately the beating of the waves lessened, if only slightly. To her left she saw the dark outline of Pitfall as he stood against the oncoming water, his bulk an unmoving wall against the surf.
“That’s enough for now Chase.” The stallion commented, smiling as he bit down to lift the harness from her shoulders. “We need to get going if we want to make it back in time.”
Turning around, the blue unicorn felt her heart sink. All that struggling, and she hadn’t even reached the turning point.
“Come on.” Pitfall muttered, dragging the sled as he led the mare back towards the group. “You’ll get plenty of practice with this.”
As they neared the other ponies, Starchaser could already feel her cheeks burning. She didn’t even dare to look at the others as she walked to stand silently beside Rain Dancer.
You’re so pathetic. She thought sullenly to herself, her eyes remaining fixed on the sand at her hooves. What kind of soldier can’t even pull a damn sled?
As the unicorn continued to wallow in her poor performance, Pitfall took one last look to make sure he had not forgotten anything.
“Well done everypony. That’s it for today. I'll be seeing you all at formations.”
With that the stallion galloped off back towards the barracks, the metal sled scraping loudly on the ground behind him.
“Well that was fun.” Sunny Delight chuckled as she, Winter Gale, and Ocellus all took to the sky. "See you two at breakfast. And don’t worry about it Starchaser, that was just a really tough exercise. You’ll do fine tomorrow.”
As the three pegasi flew off in the direction of the campus, the unicorn felt tears of frustration begin to fill her eyes. She knew the yellow mare had only meant to be encouraging, but her words made the pony's failure feel all the more unforgivable.
The only one! You were the only one not able to pull that sled.
As that last thought clung tightly to her mind, Starchaser noticed that Rain Dancer was waiting impatiently with her poncho. Quickly the unicorn hurried to catch up, giving her friend an apologetic grin as she put the covering over her back.
“You can go on ahead without me.” She muttered quickly. "I don't want to hold you back.
“It’s fine.” the pegasus responded, her voice unconcerned as she threw the poncho she had brought earlier back on. “I need the walk anyways.”
The two continued on in silence, and despite herself, all Starchaser could do was keep thinking back to the sled. It had become almost a daily pattern. Pitfall would give the group some form of athletic test, and while some would struggle, everypony would complete it one way or another.
Everypony except me.
Despite herself, Starchaser could feel the tears of frustration finally begin slipping down her cheek.
“Why…” she whispered, causing Rain Dancer to shoot her an inquiring glance. “Why do I have to be so bad at that sort of thing.”
“Oh, don’t even start, Chase!” the pegasus snorted, giving her companion a small shove. “You’re fine. If everypony was going to be judged by their ability to complete Pit’s stupid exercises, our military would have a grand total of one soldier.”
“But you completed it!” the unicorn insisted. “All of you did!”
“So what?” the white mare snapped back, not even bothering to look towards her friend anymore. “Strength and conditioning have never been your thing. You think a few months of training is going to change that? You’re working on it, and that’s all anypony can ask for.”
“I’m trying to become a soldier, and I can’t even do something as simple as pull a sled.”
“Oh for the love of…” Rain Dancer barked, leaping forward to block the unicorn’s path. “You need to stop this right now Chase, or so help me, I’ll shove your head into the first thundercloud I can find!”
Starchaser froze, her eyes going wide at the pegasus' sudden outburst. The two ponies stood there, facing off silently against another until finally the pegasus took a deep breath, walking over to place a comforting wing over the unicorn’s shoulder.
“Look, Star…” she muttered, glancing up at the darkening sky overhead. “You need to stop kicking yourself over stupid things like this. You do it all the time, and in the end it only ends up making you doubt yourself. I think you'll find you're a pretty amazing pony when you give yourself the chance. Why else do you think I'd waste my time with a nerd like you?”
Despite herself, the unicorn gave a small chuckle as she wiped a tear from her cheek. It was true that of their seven-member group, Starchaser was the oddpony out. While not the only unicorn of the bunch, she certainly spent more time reading and researching than any of the others combined. It was not all academic of course, but it still took away from time that might otherwise have gone towards personal training. Even Golden Shield, their group’s second resident unicorn, was almost as strong as Pitfall.
Of course, that might simply be the result of growing up together with the brown earth pony.
“Look at it this way.” Rain dancer continued, lowering her gaze so she could look Starchaser eye-to-eye. “You’re not the strongest pony around, and you likely never will be. That’s fine! The commandant promoted you to commander for a reason. He sees some potential in you, so why not cut yourself some slack. Let Pitfall and Golden Shield do their early morning workouts themselves. Celestia knows I can do without the added stress. All you need to do Chase, is your very damned best. If you can manage that, you’ll be an amazing soldier.”
Staring into her friend’s face, Starchaser gave an appreciative nod.
“Thanks a lot Dancer.” she sniffed, whipping her cheek again as they continued on their way. “I’m sorry… you had to see that.”
“See what?” the Pegasus asked confusedly.
“Um… me tearing up like a little filly?”
“What tears?” her friend responded with a chuckle as she pulled the hood of the unicorn’s poncho up over her head. “It’s just the rain.”
Smiling beneath her hood, Starchaser gave the mare next to her a thankful nudge as they neared the barracks. Up ahead the window to the unicorn’s room opened silently; and Rain Dancer’s cap emerged from within, suspended within a bubble of blue magic.
“Thanks for keeping it dry for me.” the pegasus chuckled as the cover floated down to rest snugly atop her head. “Well, I’ll be seeing you in a bit then.”
As they prepared to enter their respective barracks, a sudden thought occurred to Starchaser.
“Hey Rain Dancer, have you heard from Golden Shield lately?”
“The last letter I saw from him was a week ago.” The mare responded with a small shrug. “He should be coming back today, right?”
“Yeah.” The unicorn confirmed as she approached the steps to her barracks. “I was just wondering if he told you what time he’d be making it back. I was planning on setting up a little get-together with everypony.”
“Sounds fun.” Rain Dancer commented, giving her first real smile of the morning. “Just plan for it sometime tonight then. The latest train arrives at eighteen-hundred hours, so nineteen-hundred is probably a good time to plan for.”
“Good point.” the blue mare responded as she opened the door. “I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out.”
As the entry slammed shut behind her, Starchaser stared out across the now empty barracks. The beds were already made, which meant the other members of the company must have finished their training and had already started over to the mess hall. Noticing one bed's had come undone, the unicorn made a mental note to speak with cadet responsible.
Walking into her room, the mare moved over to the shower faucet hanging in the corner. She didn’t have much time to waste, but the feel of sand clumping in her mane was beginning to get quite annoying. A quick rinse was all that was required, and soon enough the pony was standing before her dresser.
The wooden doors flew open, and the pony quickly jumped on her hind legs long enough for her dress blues to magically themselves down over her head. Making sure the uniform was fit snugly in place, the unicorn focused her attention next to the ornamental saber hanging on the door of the dresser. Gently it floated over to the pony, her magic allowing the weapon to thread itself through a loop at her side. Her cap was the last piece missing, and soon that to flew over to rest gently atop her mane. With one last look in the mirror to make sure everything was in place, the pony turned and quickly made her way towards the mess hall.
After several minutes of walking through the rainy campus, the unicorn eventually heard the low murmur of hundreds of ponies talking to one another. Turning a corner, the unicorn found herself standing before the marching ground of the academy’s giant mess hall.
The building was massive. An intricately carved stone structure with a pair of large sweeping staircases leading to a second level. It was there the enormous silver doors to the hall could be found, as well as a small balcony that overlooked the marching ground. Flanking either side of the balcony were a pair of flag poles. The first held the traditional Equestrian flag, a light blue field of white stars on which the two princesses could be seen circling the sun and moon. From the second pole swung a dark blue flag, upon which sat a silver crescent moon and star, flanked by a pair of midnight blue wings. The flag of the New Lunar Republic.
Carefully Starchaser made her way through the massive throng of ponies. Across the grounds, the unicorn spotted Ocellus who quickly made her way over to the unicorn. Together the two mares found their way to the front of the grounds, and quickly took up their familiar positions. All round them, Starchaser could hear that the murmur of voices had begun to settle down. Soon wide open spaces began to form as the hundreds of cadets moved to get in formation.
As the area in front her cleared to make a wide-open space, Starchaser spotted Pitfall and Winter Gale standing directly across from her and Ocellus. Both ponies held long intricately carved silver spears, identical to the one also sported by the adjacent green pegasus. Noticing the two mares for the first time, Pitfall gave them a quick wave, dropping his spear with a loud ring of metal on stone. Starchaser her did her best not to laugh as the earth pony quickly moved to pick up his weapon, snorting angrily at whatever snarky comment Gale had made.
As the earth pony rose again, a sudden hush fell over the marching ground. Looking up towards the balcony, Starchaser saw a black-maned stallion with midnight-colored bat wings take his place before the mess hall doors. Slowly the pony made his way onto the balcony, flanked by a small collection of ponies carrying horns and drums. Nearby, a large clock sounded the hour.
After the seventh chime faded into the morning air, Winter Gale turned to face the mass of soldiers behind him.
“First Battalion!” the pegasus shouted, his voice reverberating loudly in the silence of the morning. “Ten-hut!”
There was a cloud clacking of hooves on stone as over four hundred ponies suddenly stood to their full height. For several seconds the white pegasus simply stood there silently, studying the ponies before him.
“Parade rest!”
At his second command, the ponies of the first battalion allowed their legs to spread slightly further apart, though their necks stayed rigid as every mare and stallion among them continued to stare straight ahead. Next to Starchaser, Ocellus turned to face the mass of ponies waiting at their back.
“Fourth battalion!” She barked, her voice no less intimidating than the stallion who had gone before her. “Atten-hut!”
Just as their classmates had previously, the ponies of the 4th Battalion snapped quickly to attention; their uniformed movements causing the ground beneath Starchaser’s hooves to tremble.
“Parade rest!”
And so it continued for all six battalions. Each time an officer would call attention, allowing their men to return to rest only once they were sure not a single gaze was out of line. As the last battalion came to rest, across from Starchaser, Pitfall took a crisp step forward.
“First regiment!” the stallion called out, his voice ringing louder than all those who had come before. “Atten-hut!”
As one unit, the three battalions on the right side of the grounds stood to attention. The noise of their movements sounding like a thunder-clap in the morning air. As soon as the silence returned, Starchaser took a deep breath as she too took a step forward.
Eyes straight! She thought quickly. Neck back! And...
“Second regiment!” she called out, staring straight ahead at Pitfall’s stoic expression. “Ten-hut!”
No matter how many times I do this... she thought as the ground shook again. It still doesn’t feel real.
From atop the balcony before them, the bat-winged pony took a single step forward.
“Roll!” He shouted, his voice echoing from the surrounding buildings like a thunder clap.
“First Battalion, present and accounted for!” Winter Gale called out, turning to face the academy’s brigade captain.
“Fourth Battalion, present and accounted for!” Ocellus confirmed with a sharp click of her hooves, after which the other lieutenant commander's also gave their reports. When the last battalion was accounted for, the pony above them took another step forward.
“Officers!” he shouted, and immediately the horn on Starchaser’s head began to glow.
“Present arms!”
With the scraping of metal against metal, the saber at the unicorn’s side withdrew itself from its scabbard and came to float next to her head. Meanwhile Pitfall, Winter Gale, and Ocellus all struck the stone at their hooves with the shafts of their spears before allowing the weapons to hang forward towards the mid-line of the formation.
“Brigade!” the bat pony called.
“Regiment!” Starchaser responded loudly as across the way she heard Pitfall do the same.
“Center face!”
At the pony’s command; Pitfall, Starchaser, and the over 4000 ponies of the Vanhoover Naval Academy midship brigade turned to face the mess hall. Behind him, the drums began to play out the steady beat of a march. Keeping her eyes straight, Starchaser marched to the new front of the Fourth Battalion, Ocellus staying by her side. They were soon joined by the lieutenant commanders of the 5th and 6th Battalions, a crystal pony stallion and a bat-winged mare respectively. With a final rumble the drums fell silent, and all eyes turned to the brigade captain overhead.
“Forward march!”
As soon as the drums resumed their beating, Starchaser and the lieutenant commanders began their march towards the mess hall stairs. Behind them, the unicorn could hear the lieutenants instructing their companies forward. Even above the beat of the drums, the blue mare could hear Sunny Delight give the order to march.
Well… she though happily as she and the other officer passed beneath the great silver arch. We’re finally out of the rain.
Breakfast went by quickly, after which most of Starchaser’s morning was taken up by classes. At 08:00 was Principles of Skyship Performance, likely the unicorn’s least favorite class of the current year. The topic was interesting enough, and she could certainly understand why it was required for all 1st-class cadets, but engineering had never been an interest of hers.
At 08:50 there was a 10-minute break between classes, giving Starchaser just enough time to make it to the main library. On her way there, the unicorn spotted Pitfall and Ocellus heading in the opposite direction, likely for the Recent Military and Naval History class they took together.
“Commander!” the unicorn greeted as she passed the pair. “Do you happen to know when Golden Shield is getting back today?”
“Yeah.” He responded, pausing in his tracks to think. “The last letter I got said he’d be arriving around seventeen-hundred hours.”
“And when was that letter?”
“Around last week. Why?”
“Just wanted to make sure.” The unicorn assured him as the bell rang a five-minute warning to class start. “That’s about when Rain Dancer heard from him as well. I’m planning a welcome back celebration, and wanted to be sure my info was up-to-date.”
“You strategists…” Ocellus muttered, shaking her head at the two ponies before her. “Always over thinking things.”
“Maybe you could use a bit more thinking Cell." Pitfall teased as they resumed their walk. "Sometimes it can be good to focus on the big picture. Then at least… oof!”
The stallion grunted as he toppled over the green pegasus’ outstretched leg.
“Oh my goodness commander, are you all right?” the green mare inquired, her voice dripping with the phoniest concern Starchaser had ever heard in her life. “Maybe if you focused less on the big picture, and more on your surroundings, this sort of thing wouldn’t happen.”
Turing quickly away so Pitfall couldn’t see her smile, Starchaser made her way into her next class just as the final bell rang. 09:00 meant History of Magic and its Military Applications. Now here was a class the unicorn could really enjoy. True, most of the subject matter centered around theory and outdated tactics, but there was still plenty the mare felt she could take to heart. While it wasn't a required class, Starchaser felt that it should be for any unicorn entering a military career.
At 09:50 the young mare made her way across the hall to a much smaller classroom for her Law for the Junior Officer class. She was soon joined by Sunny Delight and Rain Dancer; both of whom selected desks next to her, as far from the front of the room as possible. Though this was one of Pitfall’s favorite classes, Starchaser found the constant memorization of rules and regulations simply dull. So as was her custom with this particular subject, the unicorn spent the entire period practicing or her next class instead. Next to her, Rain Dancer tried her best to pretend that something was being learned. Meanwhile Sunny Delight simply doodled.
After what felt like an eternity, the 10:50 bell rang and the unicorn bid her friends farewell as she made her way back across campus towards the Magical Sciences building. 11:00 marked the beginning of Advanced Magical Theory, her favorite class by far. As the name suggested, there was absolutely no practical portion of this class, but the mare never had a problem with that. It was the information that she needed more than anything else. She had her own projects for practical applications, and this class was an essential component of those. All too soon the 11:50 bell sounded, and immediately the blue mare hurried to the marching grounds once again for the noon formations that would bring them into the mess hall for lunch.
Very little was different between noon and morning marches, at least as far as today went. The brigade captain, it seemed, had no interest in trying to trip them up. Unusual for him, but not unheard of.
As soon as Starchaser had gotten her meal of apples, carrots, and a baked potato today; she made he way to the ‘officer’s mess.’ Despite the name, it was not much more than a private dining area for 1st-class cadets. Even so, it was isolated enough to have conversations over meals without having to yell oneself horse. Across the room she could see that Rain Dancer and Ocellus had already taken their seats, and so the blue unicorn quickly moved to join them.
“… dragons show up, there’s going to be some huge problems.” Ocellus was saying as she approached. “I get why the brass want to play it safe, but it’s not like we can afford to pull back any further.”
“What’s going on?” Starchaser inquired as she sat down across from the two mares.
“According to Cell…” Rain Dancer responded, keeping her voice low. “A report just came in that the Alliance is massing near the North Celestial Railway.”
“Scuttlebutt says they may be trying to take the bridge.” the green pegasus confirmed. “Whether it’s defensive, or setting up for a for a full-scale invasion, nopony knows.”
“Don’t put too much stake into rumors.” Winter Gale interrupted, causing Starchaser to jump as he slammed his tray on the table. “There’s been talk of the Alliance invading for the past five years. I’m not saying it impossible. But they haven’t pulled the trigger yet. So why now?”
“The report just came in to the commandant’s office yesterday.” Ocellus pressed, her violet eyes moving from one pony to the next. “Something’s going on all right. And it's serious enough that, it has the brass scared.”
“How in Celestia’s name do you get your info Cell?” Pitfall asked the pegasus as he too joined in on their conversation.
Glancing in the stallion's direction, the green mare him a sly grin.
“Do you really want to know?” she teased, her pupils shifting into snake-like slits.
“Nope!” the stallion choked, coughing up a piece of carrot at the unexpected sight. “I prefer the choice of plausible deniability. Anyways, how goes the planning for the get-together Chase?”
“It goes nowhere yet.” the unicorn responded as she took a bite of the apple on her tray. “You’ve known Golden longer than any of us Pit. What do YOU think he’d like to do on his first night back?”
“I don’t know.” the brown stallion laughed, his green eyes sparkling as he pushed the food around on his tray. “Golden has always been up for anything. Even when we were colt’s, his birthdays were the easiest thing in the world to plan for. It didn’t matter what you did. As long as he had a few friend’s around, he’d find a way to make anything fun.”
“Drinking night then?” Rain Dancer suggested innocently. “Though, its not as if any of you model students are stashing contraband in your quarters... is it?”
Gale chuckled, as he brushed a strand of his silver mane behind his ear.
“I might have a bottle of crystal spirit hidden away from my last liberty. But I’d be fine opening it for a special occasion.”
“I might be able to procure a bottle as well.” Pitfall whispered. “I’ve made some decent use of my commander’s privileges. What about you Chase?”
“I had a bottle of cider, but I gave it to Sunny for her birthday. Maybe if she’s feeling generous…”
“Well, I have some of the commandant’s cider.” Ocellus suggested, the table immediately going silent as everypony present gave the pegasus a stare of equal parts shock and horror. “Two bottles actually. Vintage Sweet Apple Acres; an ’05 I believe. Very good year.”
“How the f…” Pitfall began, stopping when the pegasus shoved a hoof to his mouth.
“Shhh.” she hushed, giving the startled stallion a playful wink. “Plausible deniability, remember?”
The sound of a throat being cleared brought the planning to a sudden halt.
Standing a few paces from their table was the familiar form of a pitch-black pegasus with piercing golden eyes. His bat-like wings were folded back at the moment, and as he shifted to get a better look at the table, Stachaser could see his cutie mark on full display. A silver outline of a black crescent moon.
Black Night was the highest ranked of the 1st-class cadets, holding the title of midship brigade captain. The moment the group realized who it was that had interrupted them, all five ponies leapt as one to their hooves.
“At ease.” the stallion grunted, motioning for the ponies to return to their seats. “Apologies for interrupting your meal. Commanders Pitfall and Starchaser, I’ve been instructed to let you know that the commandant would like to speak with you, ASAP.”
“Sir!” Pitfall acknowledged as he and Starchaser shared a confused look. “May I ask what about?”
“You can ask.” The stallion responded coolly as he turned to leave them. “But it would be a waste of your time, as I was not informed.”
As the pegasus left the room, Starchaser gave her companion a puzzled shrug.
“May as well get a move on.” she sighed, earning a solemn nod from the brown stallion. Leaving their food half finished, the two ponies quickly exited the mess hall and made their way towards the commandant’s office on the far side of the marching ground. As the pair entered the main administrative building, Starchaser could hear Pitfall muttering angrily under his breath.
“I swear to Celestia! If this is her fault, I’m going to kill Ocellus!”
The administrative building was a relatively inconspicuous structure, and far smaller than the mess hall across from which it stood. The commandant's office on the first floor of the building, and the ponies quickly found themselves standing in front of a pair of polished silver doors, both inlaid with carvings of a winged crescent moon.
“Would you like to take lead?” Starchaser asked hopefully.
“Oh no. Mares first.” Pitfall responded, giving the unicorn a playful wink.
Nodding reluctantly, the blue pony reached up and struck a hoof against the metal door.
“Enter!” a gruff voice called out from beyond, the harsh tone causing Starchaser’s stomach to drop. With a deep breath, she placed her hoof firmly against the door and slowly pushed it open.
“Midship commander first-class Starchaser..." the mare announced as she passed the threshold, throwing a crisp salute. "... and midship commander first-class Pitfall, reporting as ordered sir!”
The office was surprisingly small, and crowded with shelves piled high with books of every military subject conceivable. Directly in front of the door sat a large polished wooden desk, behind which stood a massive gray-feathered griffon.
Though she had only met him twice before, Starchaser knew that colonel Gabriel, the academy's commandant, was a soldier with a long and decorated history as an officer of the New Lunar Republic. It was no secret that his appointment to the Vanhoover Naval Academy had come as a bit of a shock to some ponies. Indeed, there were many who likely found it worrying that a griffon was running one of the Republic’s most prestigious military academies; especially considering the rising tensions with the Eastern Alliance. However, the colonel's record spoke for itself; and Starchaser had never met a pony who could speak ill of the soldier.
Or at least, speak ill of his character.
“Commanders.” the old beast greeted, motioning them forward. As the ponies came to stand in front of his desk, the griffon moved to take a seat in a high-backed chair.
“I am told by captain Black Night…” the griffon began, his piercing yellow eyes studying the two cadets. “... that you are both friends with midship lieutenant Golden Shield. Is that correct?”
The moment the unicorn’s name was mentioned, Starchaser could sense Pitfall tense next to her. For her part, the blue-eyed mare could feel a sick chill beginning to form in the pit of her stomach.
You're overreacting. she chided herself. Don't jump to any conclusions.
“Sir!” Pitfall responded quickly. “He and I grew up together.”
The stallion's face was emotionless as he spoke, but Starchaser could hear in his voice that Pitfall was jumping to the same conclusion she had.
“I see…” the commandant sighed, pulling a large folder from beneath his desk. After sifting through several pages, the soldier turned his attention back to the ponies before him.
“My records show that the cadet has no immediate family, is this correct?”
“He…” Pitfall began, but stopped as his voice caught in his throat.
“He grew up in an orphanage sir.” Starchaser finished for him. Slowly but surely, the unicorn could feel the chill from her stomach making its way towards her chest.
"And that orphanage is where you and he met as well commander Starchaser?"
"Yes sir."
The griffon studied the pair of cadets quietly for several seconds until finally, after what felt like an eternity, the old soldier gave a tired sigh.
“Very well then.” He muttered, motioning the ponies to a pair of seats directly in front of the desk. "Please sit down."
For a moment Starchaser and Pitfall simply stared at one another. As they finally moved to take the offered seats, the griffon removed a sheet of paper from within the folder on his desk.
“Since the cadet had no family, I suppose his friends at the very least have a right to know what happened.”
Luna… please princess... don't let this be happening. Not today! Not on the day he was supposed to come home.
Opening a drawer to his right, the commandant withdrew a small pair of silver colored glasses which he carefully set to balance on his beak. As the old soldier began to read from the paper in his claw, Starchaser felt the chill finally reached her chest. Quickly the cold grasped her heart, squeezing it like a vice.
“Three days ago..." the griffon recounted. "... at oh-five-hundred hours, midship lieutenant Golden Shield and five other members of the southern training battalion were ordered to conduct a routine patrol along the Foal mountain range.”
Glancing over at Pitfall, Starchaser felt as if her chest had been stabbed. The stallion's face was a grim mask, showing not the slightest sign of emotion as the colonel continued to read on. But with each passing second, the unicorn could see the light in the her friend's eyes dim more and more. Never, in all the years she had known him, would she ever have believed their light could be extinguished.
“At oh-six-hundred hours…” the commandant continued, his eyes peering above the top of the paper. “… forward operating base Cerberus received an emergency communication from a second patrol stating that Imperial forces had been sighted and were moving towards Republic territory. At this time, cadet Golden Shield was field promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, and ordered to confirm the presence of enemy combatants. Confirmation was achieved at oh-six-fifteen hours, at which time lieutenant Golden Shield reported the presence of an enemy battalion. He and his squad were then ordered to retreat and serve as an observation force until such time as ally reinforcements could arrive.”
The colonel paused as he turned the sheet of paper over.
“At oh-six-thirty hours, Imperial forces began wide-scale bombardment of the surrounding area. Seeking safety, lieutenant Shield and his group dug a foxhole and attempted to wait out the assault. At approximately oh-six-forty hours an enemy spell struck their position.”
The colonel stopped again, this time reaching into his deck to withdraw a box of tissues. Slowly he slid them in Stargazer’s direction, and it was only then that the unicorn felt the tears dripping down her face. Without, comment the griffon returned his focus to the paper in his claw.
“Just prior to impact, lieutenant Golden Shield attempted erect a magic barrier to protect his soldiers from the spell. While he could not stop the blast completely, he was indeed able to redirect it away from their foxhole. Thanks to his actions, his squad survived; suffering only minor injuries.”
“And Golden…?” Pitfall whispered, his eyes staring at the floor.
“Lieutenant Golden Shield has been reported killed in action.” the colonel concluded simply. His tone was not malicious; simply concise. It was the voice of one who had read similar reports too many times to keep track
“I know it means very little..." the griffon sighed as he returned the paper to its folder. "... but according to survivor reports, the lieutenant was killed immediately on impact. At the very least, he did not suffer.”
For several minutes the ponies sat in silence, waiting as the griffon reached for a second piece of paper.
“Through his sacrifice, lieutenant Golden Shield saved the lives of five of his comrades. His was an act of valor well above and beyond the call of duty. And so I am able to report to you, his friends, that the lieutenant will be posthumously awarded the Silver Moon, and promoted two grades to the rank of captain.”
“Thank you sir.” Pitfall responded, his voice cracking as he raised his eyes to the colonel. “I’m sure Golden… I’m sure the captain would just be happy knowing his men survived.”
“Is there anything else sir?” Starchaser asked, the words barely making it out of her dry throat.
“A memorial will be held tomorrow in honor of the captain.” the colonel answered, returning the paper and folder to his desk. “I thought it would be best if you two select who will participate in the final roll call. The captain died protecting friends, so I thought it only fitting that friends be the ones to see him off at the end of his journey.”
“Yes sir!” Pitfall responded. “Thank you sir.”
“I have already informed all instructors that the remaining classes for today are canceled.” the griffon continued, as he stood from the desk and walked over to his office window. “I will also be briefing the brigade captain of the situation. He will inform you both as to the exact time of the memorial tomorrow.”
“Sir!” the two ponies responded in unison.
Slowly Starchaser got to her hooves, and for a moment it felt as though her legs would give out from under her. Her horn glowing, the unicorn watched as a tissue rose from the box on the colonels desk, wiping itself gently beneath her eyes before falling into a small bin next the desk. Next to the unicorn, Pitfall remained the picture of a perfect soldier. He stood straight and proud as he saluted the griffon, letting not a single glimpse of emotion show through.
He just lost his best friend. Starchaser chided herself angrily, saluting the commandant as well. Pitfall just lost his best friend, and I'm the one acting like a foal. I don’t even deserve to be in this room.
“Thank you for your time, commanders.” the yellow-eyed soldier sighed, returning their salute with one of his own. “I am very sorry for your loss. Dismissed.”
With a click of their hooves the ponies turned to leave the room, but just as they reached the door, the colonels voice arose once again from behind them.
“Commander Pitfall!” He called out, causing the stallion to turn and face him. “Your friend died a hero, son. There are five other ponies who would not be alive today were it not for him. You should be proud.”
“Thank you sir.” The stallion muttered, as he turned once again to leave.
As the silver doors closed shut with an audible click, Starchaser turned to look at the earth pony beside her.
“Pit… I…” she started, stopping with a startled gasp as the stallion rested a gentle hoof on her shoulder.
“I’m all right Chase.” he sighed, the light once again glinting behind his emerald-colored eyes. “Listen, I’m going to speak with captain Black Night and let him know the commandant need to speak with him. I want you to find the others and let them know what’s happened. They... they need to hear what happened.
"What about you?"
"I’ll find you after I speak with the captain.”
Staring up into the brown pony’s face, Starchaser gave a small.
“Promise me…” she muttered, her voice cracking as he grinned down at her. “Promise, you’ll come find me after your done. I’ll be in my quarters.”
“Aye commander.” he chuckled, bringing his hoof up in a quick salute. “I'll see you in a bit.”
As the stallion turned to walk down the hall in search of the captain. Starchaser gave the earth pony one last look, before turning to leave the building. Walking back through the rain, she made her was towards a small building adjacent to the mess hall. The officer’s club, more of a game room really, was their groups usual meeting spot. With classes canceled, and the others knowing she and Pitfall had just spoken to the colonel, the mare didn’t doubt that her friends would be waiting there for her return.
Sure enough, as soon as she entered the small club room, Starchaser spotted Sunny Delight, Winter Gale, Rain Dancer, and Ocellus all waiting at a table together, talking amongst themselves. A few of the other first-class cadets were playing a game of pool nearby, but a quick request from her was all it took for their group to have the room to themselves.
“What’s wrong Chase?” Ocellus asked, her eyes going wide as she spotted the unicorn. “Did something happen?”
“We assumed something was going on.” Rain Dancer explained. “But even Cell hasn’t heard anything. So how bad is it? Did it have to do with the commandant seeing you?”
Slowly the unicorn nodded, allowing her eyes to study the faces of her worried friends. Slowly she took a deep calming breath.
No more crying! the mare scolded herself. Your friends need you strong right now, so for once in your life, be of use to somepony else!
“Golden is dead." she muttered simply, sensing how every pony at the table suddenly ceased their breathing. "He was killed in action three days ago, saving the lives of every member of his squad when they came under attack. He's being awarded the Silver Moon, and they're giving him a posthumous promotion to the rank of captain. Pitfall and I were instructed to let everypony know. We're having a memorial for him tomorrow.”
“You’re joking, right?” Sunny Delight asked pleadingly as she put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “This has to be a joke!”
“Knock it off Sunny.” Winter Gale snapped, his outburst drawing a startled gasp from the yellow mare. His blue eyes were narrow while he studied Starchaser’s face, but eventually his gaze softened as he looked over to his company’s co-instructor. “I sorry Sunny, I didn't mean to scare you. But come on... Chase wouldn’t make up a twisted joke like this. She’d never be that cruel.”
“But Golden was just on a training deploymen!” the fiery-maned pegasus shot back angrily, water beginning to collect at the corners of her eyes. “Just training! How could something like this happen to him?”
“We’re training to be soldiers Sunny.” Rain Dancer responded, wrapping the trembling mare in a comforting wing. “Soldiers in a country that’s been at war for over 40 years. Sometime soldiers die. There’s no sense asking why or how. It just... is.”
“It was the Empire, wasn’t it?” Ocellus asked from across the table, her violet eyes slowly shifting to an angry, fiery, red.
Starchaser nodded silently, and the green pegasus slammed the table angrily with her hoof.
"Fuck!"
“How’s Pitfall taking the news?” Rain Dancer asked quietly as she gently rubbed Sunny's mane. “He and Golden were basically brothers.”
“Not well.” Starchaser informed her, thinking back to the commandant’s office when the stallion eyes had turned cold and lifeless. “He’s acting fine. But I’m worried about him.”
“You grew up with them too, didn’t you?” Ocellus asked concernedly. “Are you going to be all right, Star?”
At the sound that nickname, the unicorn attempted a small smile.
Strong! You must be strong!
“We were in the same orphanage together.” the unicorn confirmed quietly. “But they had known each other long before I ever showed up. I’m fine, but I want to make sure Pit’s ok. Can you all help me out with that?”
“Of course,” Rain Dancer responded, the other three ponies nodding in confirmation. “Just tell us what you need, commander.”
“I told Pitfall I’d be waiting in my room to talk, but I don’t think he’s going to come. He wants to try and sort things out, but I’m worried what will happen if he’s alone too long. I’ll head back to the barracks just in case he does show up. But if you all can try and find him, I’d appreciate it.”
“We’ll do our best.” Ocellus sighed as she and the others stood slowly to their hooves. “But, are you sure you’re ok?”
“I’m fine Cell.” The unicorn assured her. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m all right. I’m just worried about Pit is all.”
As the pegasi took flight, Starchaser returned to her barracks, letting her company know about the memorial before locking herself in her room. For several minutes, she simply paced back and forth, glancing out the window at the falling rain. Eventually, with nothing else to do, she climbed into bed.
There she lay, still wearing her dress blues, staring up unblinking towards the ceiling. She did not know what to think anymore. Instead the young mare just felt… empty. The tears which had been so willing to fall in the commandant’s office had seemingly vanished. Even the grief and fear which had been so pervasive earlier were nowhere to be found.
Numb. The unicorn thought quietly to herself. How can I be so numb?
Several times that afternoon her friends dropped in to check up on her and to report on the progress of their search. Each time they’d only stay for a few minutes, asking if she needed anything before taking off again. But by the time the sun had set, they still had not found any sign of Pitfall.
Long after the sun had vanished beyond the horizon, Starchaser turned and glanced out the window. The storm clouds, which had waned earlier that afternoon, had now returned with renewed full force. The sound of the rain against the barrack’s roof was like the constant roll of thunder. Turning to the alarm clock beside her bed, the unicorn noted the time at 20:00. It had been over seven hours since they had spoken to the commandant.
You’re really not coming, are you Pitfall?
Standing from her bed, the pony’s horn glowed as her rain poncho draped itself over her back. Walking through the barracks, the unicorn stepped out into the pouring rain and slowly made her way west.
Ocellus had been the last to check-in, and had let her know that the four pegasi had expanded their search to the area around the campus. Unfortunately the rain was making any search difficult, and as of nineteen-hundred hours they’d had no luck. It was like the earth pony had just vanished.
Walking between the barracks, the unicorn studied the darkened sky overhead. Even in this downpour the pegasi were likely continuing their search. They were stubborn, those four. Each and every one of them. Still, Starchaser hoped they would show enough commonsense to not stay out too much longer. After all…
… she had a good guess as to where the earth pony might be found.
Stepping onto the beach for the second time that day, Starchaser squinted her eyes against to oncoming storm. The waves crashed loudly against the shore, their roar indistinguishable from that of the surrounding rainfall. In the distance, she spotted a lone dark figure lying at the water’s edge, staring unmoving into the dark rolling waves.
“Hey Pit.” the blue mare greeted as she approached the stallion’s side.
The earth pony gave no sign that he had even heard her.
“I thought you might be here. We’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Sorry.” The stallion replied, not taking his eyes from the rolling waves. “I just needed a little time to be alone.”
“I know the feeling.” Starchaser assured him. “But, do you mind if I join you, just for a bit?”
The stallion gave a small shrug of his shoulders, and the unicorn took that as an invitation to lay down beside him.
Starchaser did not know how long the two of them stayed there, silently staring out into the vast expanse of the North Luna Ocean. She knew that there was nothing she could say that could help her friend, and once again, the young unicorn found herself cursing her own uselessness.
The black clouds overhead swirled like smoke, and as she watched them churn, the mare found her thoughts dragged back to that day so long ago. The day the Celestial Empire had taken everything from her. As a foal, she had only been able to watch helplessly as her village, and even her family, had been torn away before her very eyes. Now almost fifteen years later, her best friend was in pain, and still she could do nothing but watch helplessly. All these years had passed, and yet nothing had changed. She was still the same useless filly she had always been. Always in need of help, and yet never able to give it.
“You know…” Pitfall muttered, the unexpected sound shaking Starchaser from her memories. “Golden never wanted to be a soldier.”
Glancing up, the unicorn found herself staring into the stallion's emerald eyes. Their light, usually so vivid, was again gone without a trace. In its place the mare could only see a deep and unbearable pain. The earth pony looked… broken.
“It was my idea to join the military.” Pitfall explained as he turned back to face the ocean. “Did I ever tell you that? It was all a stupid dream I had as a colt. I had it all planned, you see. Golden and I were going to join up together, and then climb through the ranks side by side.”
Laughing, Pitfall shook his head at the apparent ridiculousness of the memory. But beside him, Starchaser could see the stallion shivering.
“Golden never really did enjoy the thought of fighting, but that didn’t really matter. I was a colt with a plan, after all; and I knew exactly what was going to happen. We’d graduate as officers, work hard for a few years, and eventually make a name for ourselves. Then, when the time finally came, we’d end this war, just the two of us. We’d be heroes!”
The stallion paused, and Starchaser looked on sadly as the stallion’s smile faded.
“I never did figure out how that last part of the plan was supposed to work.”
Around the ponies, the rain finally began to settle. Over the distant ocean, as the clouds slowly began to move on, as single star could be seen shimmering on the horizon.
“Now look at what happened...” Pitfall muttered; staring up at the retreating storm as he took a pained, shuddering, gasp of air. “… he became a hero, and I killed my best friend.”
“No!”
The tone was far angrier than Starchaser had intended, and the stallion next to her glanced down in surprise at the sudden outburst. However, try as she might, the unicorn could not stop the word from coming out of her mouth.
"This wasn't your fault Pit!"
"But it was!" The stallion shouted, as he stood suddenly to his hooves. Stargazer looked on, wide-eyed as the earth pony towered over her, his mouth frothed as he pounded angrily at the sand.
"Do you know what Golden wanted to do with his life? He wanted to be a doctor. A doctor! All he cared about was helping other ponies. But I convinced him to come to the academy. I made that decision! And because of that he's dead."
Staring at the ground between his hooves, the stallion gave a slow shake of his head.
"I killed him."
"Don't you say that. Don't even dare!"
Starchaser's shout rang out over the sound of the crashing waves, and before she knew what she was doing, the unicorn found herself on her hooves.
"Star..." the stallion muttered, raising a hoof towards her shoulder. Without even looking the mare swiped his leg away as she placed her muzzle an eyelash’s length from his.
"Shut up!" The unicorn snapped. "Do you have even the slightest idea of how arrogant you sound right now? Well do you?"
The stallion met her unblinking gaze, his face once again an emotionless mask. Overhead more stars had joined their siblings, their twinkling lights reflected in the unicorn's eyes.
"You're not a god pit!" the mare continued, her voice cracking with emotion. "You're not Discord. You're not a princess! You can't control what other ponies do! Sure, Golden probably could have become a doctor. Celestia knows he was smart enough. But he chose to come to this academy. When it came time for his training deployment, he had his pick of posts, but he chose to go south. And when that spell hit, he probably could have saved himself. But instead he chose to give up his own life so that he could protect others!”
The young mare’s voice died in her throat, and she took a single step back.
“Those were all Golden’s choices, Pit. They were his, and his alone. They made him who he was! So please, don't be arrogant enough to say you were responsible for every choice he made. He was your friend, not your shadow.”
For several minutes the two ponies stood facing one another, a gentle breeze ruffling their manes as the storm finally ceased.
“I just…” the stallion whispered, his eyes cast low. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“Just keep going then.” Starchaser urged, walking forward to stand alongside the earth pony once again. “If you don't know what to do, then just keep moving forward. Stick to that plan of yours. The one you and Golden believed in! Become an officer, make a name for yourself, and end this pointless war! After all, what do you think Golden would say if he were here now?”
“Well…” Pitfall muttered, his eyes turning towards emerging stars overhead. “There’s no way he’d let me live down the fact that he got promoted to captain before me.”
Starchaser simply stared at the stallion before her, mouth agape. Then suddenly, almost without warning, she laughed.
It wasn’t as though the pony’s words had been particularly funny. But in a way, he was absolutely right. Since they were foals, Golden Shield had loved nothing more than to rub his accomplishments in Pitfalls face. And this? A two-ranked promotion before even graduating? This is exactly the type of thing he would have never let the earth pony hear the end of.
And so, Starchaser laughed. Laughed at the terrible joke, at the memories it embodied, and at the senselessness of a world that could allow something like this to happen. She laughed, because deep down she knew, the only other path lead to an abyss from which there would be no escape.
Across from her, the corners of Pitfall’s mouth began to curl. At first he snorted, then he chuckled, and a moment later the two ponies found themselves snickering together like foals at a birthday party. As they laughed, the clouds overhead finally gave way; and soon the beach was awash with starlight and moonlight.
When the moon’s rays finally reached them, for the first time Starchaser could see the glistening tracks of water running down Pitfall’s cheeks.
“Thank you, Star.” the stallion whispered as he gently rested his head atop the unicorn’s mane. “Thank you for coming to find me.”
“We're your friends.” the mare responded, her eyes sparkling as she smiled up at him. “You won't get rid of us that easily. Speaking of…”
In the distance Starchaser could see four brightly colored figures flying quickly their way.
“…I think you're about to have more company. We got pegasi inbound. ETA: looks to be about 45 seconds.”
“Thanks for the warning.” the stallion chuckled as he used a hoof to wipe at his cheek. “But if you could do me one last favor Star, I’d really appreciate it.
“Anything.” the unicorn assured him, giving her friend a curious glance.
“Whatever you tell them, just don’t mention the tears."
Smiling, the mare gave the earth pony a reassuring nudge as the last of the night’s cloud vanished into the distance.
“What tears?” she whispered, staring up at the shimmer sea of stars. “It’s just the rain.”