The Centurion Project

by TheEighthDayofNight


Chapter 38: Fight Like a Man

Elias walked along the line of ponies, tapping the shield wall with the tip of his gladius as he did so. The measure was designed to seek out weak points so that he could show the recruits where they were wrong. As he poked and prodded, Elias spoke.

“As you all should know, the scutum is one of your most powerful tools. It is a heavy shield designed to weather any blow the enemy can throw at you. While useful on its own, the true strength of the scutum comes from its use in formations, formations that you will know by heart and that you can form to perfection in your sleep.”

One of the crimson shields pushed back under the weight of his gladius, and Elias stopped before it, sheathing his gladius.

“You have all been briefed and you should have been studying your handbooks for all the formations you will learn, for today will be our first day practicing these formations. Without the strength of your formations, you will be dead weights, doomed to fall to some lucky arrow or sloppily thrown spear. To fight as a mob is to admit defeat, and I refuse to lose and let additional ponies die.”

Elias threw his full weight against the weak shield, and the pony behind the scutum fell back instantly. Elias lashed out with his fists, hitting ponies to either side of the breach. He expected them to react and push him back, but instead the shield wall around him disintegrated as the ponies yelped and tried to escape his fists. Elias stopped his assault, sighed loudly and then took a step back, massaging his knuckles as Gray Granite sprinted into his field of view.

“Centurion, get to work with your cohort. They either didn’t study like I ordered, or they haven’t been paying attention today. I will let you decide which is worse and give them an appropriate punishment.”

The earth pony nodded silently and turned on his recruits, bellowing out orders for them to assemble into running blocks. Elias clicked his tongue as the recruits abandoned their shields in the dirt, but he knew with a glance toward Granite that the earth pony would not let the action slide. He screamed them into motion, and Elias watched calmly as five hundred ponies sprinted from the training grounds. Elias waited until they were gone to continue his inspection, re-drawing Feather as he continued to speak.

“I am aware that the position is not suited to ponies. You are not bipedal creatures, therefore it is more difficult. I can assure you, however, that even if I wasn't modifying the formations to better suit ponies, and even if I was not commissioning custom armor like First Centurion Flash’s, you would still be able to fight with these shields! It is simply a matter of trying, training, and succeeding!”

Elias picked a pony at random and crashed into their shield with his shoulder. The earth pony gritted her teeth for a moment, then, with the support of those behind her, they pushed him back lightly. If he had been actually attacking them, they would have likely died, but it was a start. Elias slammed into the shield again, bracing his legs so that he could continue applying more pressure as he stared the mare down.

“Do you think me dull? Do you think that I wouldn’t have the forward thinking to plan for pony combat? Do I look like an idiot to you?”

The mare snarled wordlessly as she shoved him back again, but this time Elias didn’t budge, and he braced his arms against her scutum, pushing back harder. Four ponies filled in behind her to hold the human back, but just before they could set their hooves to brace, Elias released all of the tension in his legs and pulled back, letting them all fall on their faces. Elias offered his hand to the earth pony mare as he continued speaking.

“Think back to your first three weeks of training. Have you stopped and wondered why you have spent so much time walking and running in full packs? It is not simply because you need to learn to march, though that is very important.”

The earth pony took his hand, and Elias easily pulled the pony to her feet. The mare huffed as she fell back into position, re-bracing her shield in the wall. The look in her eyes dared Elias to throw himself at the shield again, but that wouldn’t serve his point. He ignored her glares and paced onward.

“These past weeks have been to strengthen two things, your resolve; the will to press on in the heat of exhaustion, and your hind legs. We will continue pressing these areas until you could hold a shield wall against a horde of Ursa’s until your grandchildren are grey in the hair and wrinkled in the face!”

The bravest ponies let out a few low chuckles; chuckles that went unpunished. Many of the recruits still had no idea when to read Elias’ body language enough to know when to relax slightly and when not to, but those that did were quickly catching Elias’ eye. Though he had focused on physical training, he had managed to schedule a few short afternoons of weapons training, and though the best fighters were primarily from other guard groups, more than a few were fresh recruits. It took a second glance at their recruitment forms to spot why, but Elias quickly noticed a trend of either former-convicts or ponies with “frowned upon” cutie marks, mostly consisting of ponies who were experts in handling meat. Why the princesses hadn’t jumped on a pony with archery as his cutie mark, Elias didn’t know, but he put the pony to use, ensuring that a note was put in his file to make him an auxiliary.

As for the ex-convicts, Elias had talked with more than a few of them, including the stallion who had snapped his leg like a twig, and had investigated why they wanted to be legionaries. While the talk of some kind of redemption was unsurprising, Elias was relatively surprised that he had become an idol for many ponies with frowned upon cutie marks. His reputation for fighting guard captains had spread as far and wide as his tales of “heroism” from the invasion, and that had earned him a crowd of silent admirers who saw his actions as hope. Though they had tried to phrase it nicely, Elias knew that they viewed him as the successful black sheep of the guard, and that gave them hope for an actual future that didn’t involve waiting tables, petty crime, or roaming about for odd-jobs. Not one had dropped out yet, and Elias hoped that none would. They were quickly becoming the backbone of the legion, and Elias knew that in time, he could prod them to step up and lead their weaker fellows.

Elias clasped his hands behind his back as Gray Granite led his cohort back into the training grounds. The ponies were panting and dripping with sweat, and one mare, a bright purple pegasus, tore off her helmet and limped over to the bell. Elias didn’t give her a second glance as she rang it. He instead addressed the rest of the recruits while Granite’s cohort fell back in line.

“Today you will spend much of your time being taught drill by your centurions. The shields you hold now belong to you, and like the rest of your equipment, they will be cleaned and made pristine. Each morning they will be inspected for disrepair, and like your other gear, you will be punished if you come up lacking.”

Elias paused for a moment, listening for any groans or sighs. When none became immediately evident, he continued.

“With that out of the way; split off into your cohorts. Your centurions will teach you the first, and most important formation; the testudo.”

*****

Elias pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head as he watched the ponies fumble about on the training grounds. He had offered them the small reward of an early lunch if they managed to march a clean testudo across the grounds, but so far, none of the cohorts had managed the feat. Despite clear instruction, and even tips from the ponies that had already begun practicing carrying the shields, the recruits simply couldn’t stay together, with many flagging behind the formation, or worse, stumbling at the front, throwing all of those behind them off balance. Elias let the centurions do the yelling, and he instead remained atop the small observation tower he had ordered built. Anyon stood to one side, muttering and making notes as he watched the ponies stumble about, while Book Binder stood to Elias’ left, wincing whenever the formations would collapse into massive piles of fur and gear.

She looked up to Elias after a particularly nasty spill.

“General, pardon me if I’m out of place, but wouldn’t it be better for the recruits to have the full capability of their armor? From what Ni- First Centurion Flash has told me, the built-in handle is invaluable for holding the scutum.”

Anyon scratched his head with a claw.

“Design ain’t perfect yet, ah can do better.”

“That,” Elias agreed, “and they need to know how to keep a formation without their armor on. What happens when we get attacked at night and the only things they have time to grab are their shield and a weapon? Do they fight, or do they do this,” He gestured at the drifting formation, “and hope the enemy laughs themselves to death? They need to know how to fight without the handicaps Anyon is making for them. They’ll get it in time. I’ll only start punishing their failure the day after tomorrow.”

The human glanced over to Anyon.

“But that brings about a question, what can be done to make sure they remain mobile enough to adjust formations, while also allowing them to brace fully? For a human its easy, but how can we get those kinds of benefits for a pony?”

Anyon scowled and brushed at the scroll he was working on.

“Ah think ah have somethin’, really just an upgrade to what ah made for Flash, but ah think it will do a bit better if we add deployable braces to their rear legs.”

Anyon pointed to a folding bracer of armor on his draft sheet.

“See here? Ya get a pony to give a small buck and it drops, then when ya want to move, ya buck again and it retracts. Ah could also put a strap or somethin’ to tie it up for when ya ain’t fighting, jus’ so it doesn’t come lose and trip somepony up while yer doin’ all that walkin’.”

Elias frowned at the design.

“Could you get a prototype done by this week? It sounds like it could work on paper, but I worry about its use in practice.”

His eyes drifted back out to the recruits.

“Though if I’m being honest, I’d much rather the shield slot be the only addition to their armor. They need to know how to fight like this without extra equipment, otherwise this exercise is pointless. They might as well receive the same training the other guard forces do and learn to fight like individuals.”

Elias stared at a small cluster of ponies that had managed to stay together, though their shield position was slightly off. As he watched, the quartet pressed tight enough that they were quiet literally should to shoulder, and their shields overlapped to the point that the edge of one was touching the central boss of another. They moved as a unit however, and when Granite decided to test the formation with a charge, he leapt at the clustered ponies. The earth pony bounced off their shields as they held and braced, and Elias couldn’t help but grin as the earth pony tumbled to the dirt. He pointed at the cluster.

“Adiutor, single those ponies out, write down as much as you can about their adaptation of the testudo, and schedule an interview with the lot of them. I want to have their input on formation adjustment.”

Book Binder followed his finger to the braced ponies, who were staring at the downed Granite with surprise, and her horn flashed as a second quill joined the first. Her notebook quickly became filled with rough sketches and labels as the unicorn studied the formation.

Satisfied that he would be able to work with the material later, Elias turned his attention back to the testudo exercise. Though they had managed to stop the earth pony’s charge, Granite’s cohort had fallen apart completely when they began to move forward again, and he pushed them off the training grounds for another lecture. Ice Blossom’s cohort was up next, and their start looked promising. The light blue pegasus was at the center of the line, leading the formation by example. Her shield remained steady as they advanced, and her voice called out each step, something Elias hadn’t begun teaching the recruits, yet here she was. The formation moved haltingly, with Blossom keeping things simple by advancing the recruits a step at a time.

“One step!” Ice Blossom bellowed.

The sound of steel scraping on stone seemed to echo through the training area, and Elias watched carefully as the lines wavered, then fell into place. Without glancing toward Book Binder, he said;

“Adiutor, take notes here t-“

“Already on it General,” she replied quickly.

Elias let the interruption slide. Getting accurate notes was far more important than the minor act of interuption. He let the matter drop from his mind as he continued watching Blossom.

“One step!”

A semi-unified grunt seemed to come from the recruits as the scraped their shields forward.

“Again!”

The shields scraped again, and again a grunt came forth from the recruits. This time, the formation actually moved together, surprising Elias. Blossom continued calling out the steps, and the testudo continued inching forward, with each step including a louder grunt. Elias moved with lightning speed down the observation tower and made for the field, stopping only long enough to snatch up his scutum.

Blossom stopped advancing the formation and stared at Elias as he stood before the center of the formation. Elias gauged the height of their shields at a glance, then moved into the middle.

“Make a hole!”

The shields parted wide enough for Elias to slip in, and though he had to crouch to stay in line with the ponies, Elias’ calves were muscled enough to take the strain. He settled himself beside Blossom, doing his best not to grin. All of the sounds he had stopped hearing well over a year ago were there. The heavy breathing, the shuffling as his recruits made sure they stayed in position. The pony holding a scutum above Elias’ head panted hot breath in his ear, and it only made Elias happier as he began to sweat. The testudo was boiling hot, exactly as it should have been in the early summer heat.

Elias kept his voice below a shout as he glanced at the ponies behind him.

“Centurion Blossom has been doing an excellent job leading you today, and you all had the right idea with your chant, but now I will teach you how you will sound when you move with each step. Follow my lead.”

He looked toward Ice Blossom.

“Centurion, carry on, this is your show.”

The pegasus suppressed a grin and nodded. Her voice was loud in his ear as she shouted.

“One step!” she called.

“ONE!” Elias bellowed, matching the volume of her voice easily with his own as he advanced his shield in time with her.

The ponies around him jolted for a moment, and the formation seemed to slip. Elias bit his lip as he waited for the recruits to either succeed or fall apart. They managed to hold together, and when another shout came from Ice Blossom, more voices joined Elias as he shouted and moved his shield forward.

“One step!” Ice Blossom called.

“ONE!” Elias, and the ponies around him responded.

They began inching forward. Slowly but surely, the end of the training grounds approached between the cracks of the shields. Throughout, Ice Blossom continued calling the steps, and the recruits began responding as one, their voices loud enough that Elias fell silent, content to just inch along with them until they found success.

It took them far longer than it should have, but the testudo reached the end of the training grounds, and with an order from Elias, they fell out and into a standard shield wall. Elias wiped the sweat from his brow, using the motion to wipe the smile from his face. They had months left of training, yet the ponies were already learning. It was a good sign, and it meant he could push them harder, hold them to a higher standard.

Once he had sufficiently erased any traces of pride, Elias turned to look at the formation. The ponies looked tired, but they also looked proud of their accomplishment. Elias scowled for a moment, trying to think how best to make sure they didn’t become content with their small leap, without crushing their sense of accomplishment.

Elias took a deep breath, then drew himself up tall.

“Acceptable work this morning recruits. Tomorrow, I expect you to use the knowledge you have gained to great effect, and for all of those who were watching from the sidelines, I recommend that you practice using the commands in your free time.”

Elias pulled out his watch and clicked it open, taking a glance at it.

“For now, it is time for lunch. You have an hour to eat, and prepare your gear for the afternoon march. See your centurions for information about properly carrying your scutums. Dismissed.”

A few ponies grinned widely and slapped their neighbors’ shoulder as they turned and walked away, chattering excitedly. Elias spotted more than one that looked shocked at Elias’ lack of definitive praise, but as he mentally repeated his words, he was confident that he had found the balance. When he had developed a list of every mistake he had made with his human legion, an overwhelming amount of praise for the smallest successes had stuck out like a sore thumb in his eyes. While he knew that he couldn’t just withhold all praise, Elias also knew that he would have to dangle the smallest of carrots to the ponies, to make them yearn for the words “good work” with no attachments.

That would only come with time however, and Elias suspected that more of the five thousand remaining recruits would be long gone before it happened.

Elias let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes and looked to the sky, taking a rare moment to breathe and mentally relax. He remained like that for a few precious moments, then straightened, opened his eyes, and began walking toward the castle doors, setting his borrowed scutum back on the equipment rack as he went.

His steps carried him toward the infirmary. While he walked, Elias kept his mind blank, using the short time to let his brain relax from its usual stressed state. What he had thought were temporary migraines had become a regular occurrence, and even though he had started regularly visiting Scalpel for checkups, Elias had a nagging feeling that the migraines were just something he would have to live with until after the march. Whether it was from the advanced lack of sleep, the stress inducing paperwork and recruit management, or just the operation as a whole, Elias didn’t know, but for once he wouldn’t have minded one of Luna’s obnoxious cuddle piles. He had received a few letters from the participants, asking where he had disappeared to. Evidently the ponies missed their warm human base, and they made sure he knew his presence was missed. After replying with his situation, more than a few ponies had sent him small gifts of pillows and blankets, as well as promises to talk to him again after the march. He appreciated all of it, and he made use of every gift, making his bed a patchwork of colors and different sized pillows. It helped him sleep slightly longer, and even those few precious undisturbed minutes were blissful. Elias desperately wished he could go sleep.

Elias rubbed his forehead at the thought and sighed.

‘Damnit, can’t stop for even a minute,’ he thought to himself as he shoved the infirmary doors open.

Scarlet was out of his bed like a shot, and he saluted Elias crisply, keeping his face stern as the human approached. Elias’ face twitched downward into his trademarked scowl. It was his best strategy to keep from smiling. Elias stopped before the pegasus and looked him up and down.

“Has Doctor Scalpel given you a clean bill of health yet?”

Scarlet's happy posture drooped slightly.

“Not fully. He still wants to wait a week to make sure the venom’s passed, but I know it has! I’ve been keeping down my meals, I’ve been doing small laps of the infirmary, I’ve been studying like crazy!”

Scarlet groaned and shook his head.

“I’m ready General! I need to start training with the other recruits or I’m going to get too far behind! I saw them running formation drills today, how am I going to catch up on something as in depth and personal as that!”

Elias glanced at the pegasus’ bed, noticing the tall stack of notebooks.

“Don’t worry Scarlet, you will. Your most important job for me will be thinking, however. Where are you at in your studies?”

Scarlet sighed and trotted toward his bed.

“I just finished my second read through of The Art of War and was about to start on my fourth reading of your roman military formation and strategy guide. I was just brushing up on my notes about castra building when you came in.”

“And why do we build a castra, rather than march farther in a day?” Elias asked.

“The building of the castra serves two-fold reasons,” Scalpel replied; “first, it acts as a fortified, defendable camp that is harder to infiltrate or sabotage. The second is that it works different muscles than marching does, giving the legion an equal exercise routine to balance out their daily strain. Finally, it is theorized that sleeping in a castra allows the legion to get more effective sleep, better preparing them for the next day’s march.”

Elias nodded silently, scooping up one notebook. He thumbed through the notes while he spoke.

“Good. Have you begun working on a more efficient castra build for the full guard forces?”

Scarlet perked up slightly as he nodded and picked up a different notebook.

“Yep! My initial design was a bit rough, but over the last couple of days I managed to come up with this.”

Scarlet flipped the notebook onto the bed, and spread out the pages, unfolding a wide map of stitched together pages. Elias did his best to hold back a grin at the pegasus’ effort. From a glance, Elias knew that the work was solid, and with more time it would become perfect. He made a mental note to include Book Binder on the project; she could help Scarlet more accurately define his ideas. The pegasus’ hoof-writing was legible enough however, and Elias leaned forward as Scarlet explained the map in detail.

“I initially went the route of simply expanding on the original design of a castra, but then I decided it would be better to modify it so that things were better organized.”

He jabbed a hoof at a colored block in the middle of the castra.

“This is where one of three things can be. My first thought is to have the princesses sleep here, or the generals.”

Scarlet tilted his head and nibbled on the inside of his cheek.

“Or, this could be where all the planning meetings are held. If we are worried about spies and such, we don’t want the command tent where somepony can slip in to listen. We want it where it is easy to find for all the guards, and hard to get to for the enemy.”

Scarlet scratched his head as he looked out over the rest of the castra.

“The rest is kind of simple. Each corner is a guard force, with the Royal Guard concentrated near the center tent. There are still four avenues in the walls. Of note though, I put the medical tent near the edge of our side of the camp. I figure that most creatures won’t attack wounded ponies out the gate, and when they try, we might as well have the best on stand-by.”

Elias nodded his agreement, then on a spur of the moment, he clapped Scarlet on the shoulder.

“Good job Chief Strategist. You won’t begin today, but have Scalpel give you an all clear, then report to Adiutor Binder.”

Scarlet grinned widely, and his rump wiggled with barely controlled excitement. Elias put out a hand to stop him, however.

“None of that Scarlet, you know better. The only pony with that kind of permission is Scalpel, and he’s smart enough to hold back. Now, relax today, make sure you’re really ready. If you so much as get a cough, you’re coming back here and staying until Scalpel says your free, got it?”

Scarlet nodded and hopped down from the bed, saluting Elias sharply again.

“Of course General, I won’t let you down.”

Elias nodded and straightened.

“See that you don’t. Keep up your studies and planning exercises. After a week or two of training, I’m going to start bringing you and Adiutor Binder to the planning sessions, and if you are not completely prepared, you’re done, got it?”

Scarlet nodded.

“Yes General. What time should I report tomorrow?”

Elias turned away from the pegasus and made toward the infirmary doors.

“Schedule it with Adiutor Binder. She will assign your cohort and centurion, and give you your training gear. Now rest up. I expect great things Scarlet, don’t disappoint.”

*****

Elias rubbed his knuckles as he stared at the blanket he sat on. Luna sat across from him with what was apparently her favorite board game. Not checkers, or chess, or even a game similar to Risk. No, as Elias watched Luna tap her chin with the small yellow checker, he did his best not to groan with frustration at the Connect Four board. While she claimed that she enjoyed more strategic games like chess and checkers, she had chosen Connect Four for the night, claiming it as the “ultimate game for strategic minds”. Elias knew better. It was all about who went first, and he was fairly certain the alicorn was using a weighted coin to get the opportunity to move first each round.

His eyes focused back to the board. There were three ways the alicorn could set a trap for him so that she could win, yet her green eyes seemed intent on a completely different part of the board. Her tongue poked out of her muzzle in an adorable manner as she thought hard. Only her facial expressions kept Elias even vaguely interested in the game, and he made his lack of interest known by trying to point out a solution that would bring about the game’s end.

“Luna you can just put it-…”

The alicorn reached over the board and slapped his hand, then went immediately back to thinking with her tongue poking out.

“I can figure out my strategy just fine Elias, I am simply deciding how total I would like my victory.”

Elias rolled his eyes and pointed his finger at a trio of her pieces. One piece to their left would set her up for complete success, with the potential for four of a diagonal or a line. He could only block one.

“Just put it there Luna, it’s fine, I can see that I-…”

She swatted at his hand again, and her shining green eye darted up from the board as she scowled at him.

“I do not need your help in this matter Elias, you are meant to be my competitor. It is not a sporting game if you are actively letting me win.”

Elias blinked slowly at her.

“Luna, it’s not a sporting game at all. If you wanted to have a sporting game, that weird looking chess set would have been sporting. I’m sure the green cloud over it makes something interesting happen.”

Luna scoffed at him and refocused on the board.

“That is not just some “weird looking chess set”. It is a cursed board I made myself in an attempt to entrap my sister in the four winds. Unfortunately, I never figured out how to properly create the curse, so all it does is make the loser incredibly flatulent.”

The blue alicorn sighed and shook her head.

“The poor guard I tested it on had to wear a diaper for the rest of his days. Luckily he was due for retirement anyway, but that poor stallion… Suffice to say the maids were not pleased with me, and I never found use for the board again.”

Elias snorted in disbelief.

“Alright, first, why is something like that just laying out in the open where anyone can see and or use it, and second; you couldn’t just remove the curse? That seems like something that would be easy to fix.”

“Then you do not have a complete education on pony biology,” Luna replied. “All ponies have a magical… essence in their DNA. A curse affects our very being and is incredibly difficult to remove, no matter the severity. It is why some ponies who are dissatisfied with certain physical aspects will seek out witch doctors to procure curses that change things like eye color or muscle mass.”

Luna sighed again.

“They usually do so little research and never realize that a curse is never as simple as a minor change. There is always some kind of cost.”

She frowned at the ground for a moment, then shook her head as if to clear it. Her eyes shot back up to meet Elias’ and she jabbed an accusatory hoof in his direction.

“You are trying to distract me so that you can secure the victory! I see your game Bright!”

Elias groaned and threw his head back.

“Luna just put the damn piece in! We both know you won, so let’s be done with it!”

The alicorn glared at him for a moment, then sighed and seemed to admit defeat as she secured her victory on the Connect Four board. Elias slid one of his pieces in at random, not even bothering to block off one of the routes she had set up. Without much effort, Luna slid another piece into the board, and then upon pointing out the four in a row, cleared the board. She sighed again and slumped lower onto the blanket.

“You are released then General. I had hoped to continue the game for some time, but clearly you wish to be elsewhere. I shall not keep you.”

Elias cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.

“Says who? Maybe I don’t want to play this cheap piece of plastic, but that doesn’t mean I’m done with our session. Why don’t we relax in another way; taking a walk perhaps?”

Luna snorted dismissively, but Elias noticed her perk up slightly at his wish to continue their session.

“And what is relaxing about a walk? This is supposed to be a rest period for you, and walking, by definition of being physically exerting, is not resting.”

Elias rolled his eyes and got to his feet, moving around the Connect Four board to offer his hand to Luna. The alicorn turned her face away from him for a moment, looking oddly abashed, but she accepted his hand and he pulled her to her hooves. With no destination in mind, Elias set the direction, walking deeper into the gardens with an ambling pace. Luna walked beside him, throwing the occasional glance his way. When she said nothing however, Elias made the first move.

“You seem like you want to say something, what is it?” Elias asked bluntly.

Luna sputtered and shook her head. She seemed to flush with embarrassment as her mouth flapped and she tried to say something. Elias didn’t understand a word of it, and he stopped walking as the alicorn sputtered onward. When her nonsensical speech came to its inevitable end, she sighed and stared at the ground.

“It is a rather personal question, and given our current agreement, I am not so sure that I should ask it. I rather like being the exception to your rule, and I do not wish to sabotage that.”

Elias shrugged and the pair began walking forward again.

“Ask away Luna, just don’t press should I decide not to answer.”

The alicorn frowned, and her eyes remained on the ground for a moment, before she sighed again and shook her head. She straightened and stared ahead.

“How goes things with your legion? I know we agreed not to speak of work, but I wished to see things at a more personal level; through your eyes so to speak.”

Elias frowned at her for a moment, gauging whether he should play along with her diversion or if he should press her previous concern. He decided on the former as he clasped his hands behind his back.

“Well, I believe we are off to a solid start. We've already lost almost five hundred recruits, which I see as an absolute positive. If they can’t take a bit of training, I don’t need them charging into combat. The more I send home, the less that die.”

Elias tilted his head.

“But otherwise, it is simply going. It’s hard work, but the base of the legion is forming, and the recruits are growing strong. I think in a month or so we can start on the advanced level courses. Hopefully we’ll have all the weaklings weeded out by then, but we’ll see. Last night was the first real test.”

“Oh?” Luna replied. “And what purpose did this test serve?”

“Merely one to test their devotion to the legion,” Elias said. “A pair of the recruits stood, or at least were supposed to stand guard for the first time over the legion standard and eagle. The first pair failed the task, but I think tonight we shall have our first success. Hopefully, they will quickly become used to their new duty.”

They both fell silent as they walked into a break in the trees. The gardens spilled out onto the marble terrace that in turn dangled over the cliff that was Canterlot mountain. Elias made his way to the railing and leaned upon it, looking around with lazy eyes. The moon sat high in the sky, surrounded by a small sea of stars. Elias took a deep breath of the cooling night air, and glanced at Luna. The alicorn stared up with a neutral expression on her face. The light of the moon seemed to accent her face perfectly, outlining the curve her chin with its white light. Her fur looked positively pristine, and Elias almost wished he could reach out and run his fingers through it, just to get the feeling. Elias felt a small grin creep across his face as he stared at the pretty alicorn. Then, his eyes were staring down, looking for anything else to look at.

What the fuck was wrong with him? Why was he thinking of Luna like that? Yes, she was an attractive mare, and he had more than come to terms with the fact that he could, and did find mares attractive, but he shouldn’t be thinking about that! Not with her at least! On top of that point, he was staring at her! What would have happened if she had caught him?

Elias felt anger well up in his mind as he stared down and did a thorough search through his thoughts, looking for the source of the strange feelings he was getting. It was like his fight or flight response was ramping up and cooling down at the same time. His stomach did a small flip as he felt a hoof brush his shoulder, and he looked up to find Luna extremely close. Her green eyes seemed to bore into his as she tilted her head and stared at him with a look of concern.

“Elias? Is something amiss?”

He shook his head and stared back out over the railing.

“Nothing at all," he said quickly. "Just thinking. Why?”

Luna frowned and her hoof dropped. Elias had no idea why, but he took that as a sign that he might have done something wrong.

“I had asked you if there was anything else you would like to do this evening. We have been standing here for some time, and you have not spoken a word to me. Have I done something wrong?”

Elias shook his head.

“No, I’m just… tired, I guess. Stressed maybe. I don’t know.”

An awkward silence fell over the pair. Elias could feel Luna’s eyes on him, as if trying pressure, him into speaking his mind, but what was there to say? He didn’t know what he was thinking, let alone convey that with sensical speech that wouldn’t ruin their existing relationship. The silence seemed worse though, because Luna sighed and turned away.

“Very well then General. I believe I shall go finalize some paperwork and take an early rest. Have a good night.”

She dropped from the railing and began walking away, and before Elias could think his words through, he spat them out.

“I like spending time with you Luna,” Elias blurted.

He flushed crimson as the alicorn cast an eye back, as if trying to determine if he had actually spoken the words he had. Her silence did nothing to ease the feeling of embarrassment Elias felt welling in his chest, so he did his best not to panic and sputter as he explained himself.

“I mean… All of this? It’s been… nice. I enjoy relaxing with you, even if I may not say it, or show it, and even when I’m a bit antagonistic, and it’s only going to get worse in the coming months and…”

Elias stopped as he felt a fuzzy blanket wrap itself around his body. He blinked and realized quickly that he was staring into a wall of that wonderful blue fur as Luna gave him a light, yet firm hug. It didn’t last long, and as Luna pulled away, she smiled and winked.

“Thank you for your kind words Elias, I too enjoy our time together.”

She looked to the sky again.

“I know you have trouble expressing the softer side of your personality, and with your position, you have been actively suppressing it, with good reason of course," she added, "even I can admit that, but you need not fear it.” She sighed, and turned toward him, causing more heat to rise to his face as her beautiful eyes seemed to stare into his soul. “Promise me this Elias; when we have finished with this march business, follow your heart. Whatever it tells you, wherever it takes you, or whoever it takes you to, follow it.”

Her hoof raised for a second, then settled itself on the ground again as she stared with longing eyes at his chest. She sighed again and met his gaze with another smile.

“Do what you must Elias, but when this ends, set yourself free. That is all I ask. Do not be afraid to be a softer man. I promise that you won’t change at all, yet you will be completely different in every significant meaning of the word.”

Elias nodded dumbly.

“I’ll… think about it. I can’t promise anything yet.”

Luna sighed and her smile dimmed slightly, but she nodded anyway.

“I understand. Have a good night General, and though I know it might not mean much; have sweet dreams.”

Elias watched the blue alicorn turn and walk away. His eyes followed her until she vanished in the dark of the garden. Then he turned to the dark of the night sky, and he simply stared, his mind aflame with thoughts of preservation, relationships, and what came after.