//------------------------------// // Prelude: Good Day of Training // Story: Rise of the Element Gang, Book 3: Heroes United // by Power of Six //------------------------------// Prelude: Good Day of Training Morning. After having breakfast in our Element Gang Headquarters (or EGHQ), my team and I headed down to the dojo to brush off our skills. Unlike last time, all of us were doing pretty well. I was tossing and knocking down reformation dummies left and right; Shield was racing through Charger Track, getting every target that present itself before him; Leon going on the Floor of Fire like a champ, dodging every blast of fire that shot up; Dog taking on the Rings of Doom in stride, swinging and going through every ring with some fighting moves; Pinkie Pie zipping around the Strike Gauntlet in a flash, not once getting a single hit on her; and Rarity practically owning the Pendulum Assault pushing back punching bags and keeping herself on the rolling floors. We’ve been at this for almost three hours. It had been some time since the night of the Grand Galloping Gala and the girls have really improved. It was like their ancestral combat instinct had been dormant and finally reawakened. Seeing as we trained enough, I then decided to call it for the day. “Okay, everypony!” I said to everypony. “That’s enough training for today!” I then looked to the dummies and bow in respect, my right arm across my chest with my claw clutched into a fist. “Thank you. That will be all.” With that, the dummies returned the bow before disappearing. “Whoo! That was awesome!” Shield exclaimed as he and our fellow elementals came over to me with Pinkie flying over, making me turn to them. “Yeah, we’re practically on our A-game today!” Leon added. “Ya got that right!” Pinkie agreed as she landed. “We got through this without breaking a sweat!” “I wouldn’t say that.” Dog said, wiping some sweat from his brow. “Whoo! I’m sweatin’ more than a pig on a hot, summer day.” “Yes. I believe I have received much the same.” Rarity said, looking a little winded. “While I don’t much like the idea of myself sweating, I do see that my training is necessary in order to fulfill my duties as Torna.” “Yeah. Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone to do what is needed.” I said to her. “By the way, Rare, you and Pinkie sure have improved since we began. Excellent work, ladies.” “Thank you, darling.” My cousin gave me a grateful smile. “Though we never would have been able to improve in the first place without the help of you and your fellow stallions.” “Yeah, you guys really helped us a lot!” Pinkie agreed with her. “It was no problem.” I told them, giving them a smile. “Yeah, we’re glad to help.” Shield said as he, Dog, and Leon gave them the same smile. “Okay, everypony. That will be all for today.” I said as we all then started heading to the elevator. “Let’s head back up and enjoy the rest of our day.” “Thank you for the marvelous training session.” Rarity said as we got to the main hall, she and the others going towards the warp pads. “Oh, and don’t forget about our little get-together today.” “Don’t worry, I won’t.” I said to her before speaking to everypony, the five them on their warp pads. “See you guys later!” With all of them saying their goodbyes, they all warped back to their homes. After they did, I lingered in the base for a bit, feeling pretty happy that I would soon be meeting up with all my friends later today, especially Twilight. I sighed happily as I thought of her. Ever since we’d shared our dance at the Gala, Twilight and I had become even closer as a result. Nothing too big, but it was noticeable. We passed compliments to each other easily, though still with blushes coming to our faces. Neither of us minded too much when one of us was in close vicinity to the other, though we never lingered on that too long. Rarity had told me our relationship was now at the tipping point, that it wouldn’t be much longer. I hoped that she was right. I didn’t want my efforts to be for nothing. With that in mind, I then went ahead and got to my warp pad, ready to go back home. “I got a good feeling about today.” Though, warping back to my house, I didn’t realize how wrong my feeling on that day was. No one’s view That very morning in Canterlot, Miss Cheerilee was guiding the class through the same statue garden Dusk and his friends had walked through during the Magical Talent of Equestria contest. “I want to start our field trip here, in the world-famous Canterlot sculpture garden.” said Cheerilee as she guided the young ponies through the area. “That one over there represents ‘Friendship’.” It was then three familiar fillies walked by a statue of three little ponies standing up top of each other. Apple Bloom came to a stop to take a look at the statue, causing Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to bump into her. They all just gave each other some annoyed glares for they had apparently been getting on each other’s nerves all day. “All right, my little ponies.” their teacher said as they walked past a statue of a pony that had a cape holding a flag with three diamonds on it, two stars shooting upwards from the side of it. “This one represents ‘Victory’.” Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle just looked at the statue. “How cool would it be to have that for a cutie mark?” Scootaloo said as she, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle looked at the statue. “Cool…if you were actually ‘victoryful’ at somethin’.” Apple Bloom said in a snarky tone. “That’s not a word!” Sweetie Belle retorted. “What are you? A dictionary?” Scootaloo shot back. “Girls!” Cheerilee retorted, getting the three fillies to stop fighting as she stopped the class before a certain statue. “Now this is a really interesting statue. What do you notice about it?” “It’s got an eagle claw!” Apple Bloom said. “And a lion paw!” Scootaloo added. “And a snake tail!” Sweetie Belle answered. “This creature is called a draconequus.” Cheerilee explained. “He has the head of a pony and the body made up of all sorts of things. What do you suppose that represents?” “Confusion!” Apple Bloom answered. “Evil!” Sweetie Belle interjected as she shoved into Apple Bloom. “Chaos!” Scootaloo added, shoving Apple Bloom into Sweetie Belle. “It’s not chaos, you dodo!” Sweetie Belle said to Scootaloo. “Don’t call me things I don't know the meaning of!” Scootaloo shot back. “And it is chaos!” “Is not!” Sweetie Belle yelled. “You’re both wrong!” Apple Bloom retorted before they all begin to tussle with each other. As the three fought each other, Cheerilee just rolled her eyes and shook her head at them. Unaware to her or any of the younger ponies, something was watching them from behind a nearby hedge, its fierce red eyes gazing upon the three arguing fillies. While the class was focused on them, the mysterious watcher looked toward the statue and saw a small part of it glowing in a faint, red, ominous light. Seeing this made the figure give a slight, villainous chuckle. “Actually, in a way, you’re all right.” Cheerilee said, making the three fillies stop fighting each other as the rest of the students around them just glared. “This statue represents ‘Discord’, which means lack of harmony between ponies.” The three fillies smiled. “In fact, you three have demonstrated discord so well that you’re each going to write me an essay explaining it." That flipped over their smiles instantly as the other students around them laughed quietly at the three’s expense. “Now let’s go and I don’t want any more fighting!” Cheerilee then led the younger ponies ahead with the three fillies tagging from behind, the mysterious figure continuing to watch them, especially as the three arguing fillies. “It’s confusion!” Apple Bloom whispered under her breath. “Evil!” Sweetie Belle said in a quiet tone. “Chaos!” Scootaloo added, making their observer chuckle again. “That’ssss right, my little poniessss.” It said, the three fillies unable to hear them. “Keep fighting amongsssst yourselvessss.” They then looked to the statue as it was beginning to crack. “And creating such perfect chaossss.” They then chuckled once again, pleased for what is about to happen.