//------------------------------// // 27~Smoothing things Over // Story: Youngblood // by Centurion Pike-Wall //------------------------------// December 28th, 3095 Imperial Calender (1522 AD) Whitetail Woods, near the edge of Sweet Apple Acres *Crack* *Crack* *Crack Crack* "Alright, that's good", DJ said, sliding off the log he had sat down on. Flurry, meanwhile, relaxed and straightened her posture, letting the wooden sword fall limp to her side. She smiled, panting breaths expanding through her frame. "Buck yeah it was!", she said, letting the sword fall to the ground. She walked over to the log, sitting on it next to where DJ had been sitting. "Oh, sweet Celestia. You weren't kidding when you said that this stuff could be REALLY exhausting." "No shit", he said, sitting down again. He reached into his cloak, pulling out a small pouch. He undid the tie around the top, widening the maw of the bag and pulling out a walnut. "Still, you're doing quite well for someone with no prior experience." "Heh. Yep. Better believe it", Flurry said, looking over at him. Her wild grin faded into confusion as she watched him place the nut in his beak. That confusion turned to mild horror as she watched him lean back, bobbing his head back and forth a few times, before swallowing the nut whole. She could watch it slid down his throat, before he turned to look at her. "What?", he asked, pulling another nut out of the bag. Flurry asked, "D-did you just swallow a whole walnut?" "Yep", he said, patting his belly. "Big esophagus and strong stomach fluids. Can't really break open the thing with my beak style, and the ones that Aunt Scootaloo got were whole. Waste not, want not." Flurry continued to just stare at him, nodding very slightly to herself. DJ looked up from his bag, before pulling out another nut and offering it to her. "Want one?" "Eh, no", Flurry said. "I'm good." DJ shrugged, before eating that nut as well. Flurry's horn flashed, and a small thermos appeared in front of her. She caught it in her magic before it could fall, unscrewing the cap and taking a big gulp of the contents. She adjusted her seat on the log, letting out a long sigh. As her breath faded from view, she asked, "So, about actually fighting?" DJ looked at her, before he grabbed the training sword in his grip. "Hmm... Alright, we can-" He was cut off by Flurry, who let out a cry of jubilation and pumped her hoof in the air. "Ha! Alright!" "Now, find yourself a nice stick. If we're doing this, then I'm going to use my own sword." "No need", Flurry said, setting the thermos down and standing up. After a few steps through the crunching snow, she reached the pair of saddlebags that she had brought with her. She pulled something out of each one; a flattened, pointed stick from one, and a smaller stick topped with a sphere. She screwed one onto the other and turned back to him, a training blade of her own held in her magic. "Where'd you get it?", DJ asked. Flurry asked, "You know the old Mayors' kid? Etched Mahogany?" DJ nodded, standing up himself. "Yeah, he and his parents wanted to thank me and Southern after we helped them with a part of their roof that was broken. Southern turned them down, but I asked for this." DJ nodded, seemingly lost in thought for a second. "Alright then. Now, remember what I showed you. It's just like before with the sapling; just be prepared for counterattacks and blocks." "Right", Flurry said, transferring her sword from her magic to her hoof. She held it off to the side, tip aimed forward at him. DJ, meanwhile, pressed his paw to his shoulder, the wooden blade running opposite of his blinding scar. He held it there for a few seconds, studying her as he gave a salute, before bringing it down to a similar guard position. The two stood there for a few seconds, taking in the other. DJ was the first to make a move, breaking into a loping stride as he ran forward. Flurry ducked to the right, trying to avoid his thrust as she came in for a hit on his side. DJ came around, slamming his blade into hers and throwing off her strike. He whipped around as fast as he could, pushing her back with a second strike aimed at her side. She brought up her own sword in a counter, the wood clanging together. DJ ducked down after he deflected another strike from Flurry, driving his blade into the snow slightly. He brought it up in a rapid motion, sending flakes of snow up into her face. Though she managed to block his sword, the snow sent her reeling back slightly. He used the opportunity to deliver a strike to her the foreleg that wasn't holding the sword. She fell, her sword foreleg occupied and therefore unable to support her. DJ pressed his sword to her neck, the dull tip pressing against her scarf. "Point me." "Only because you cheated", Flurry said, letting go of the sword and standing up. "Nothing in rules about not using the environment in the bout. Just no genital strikes, tampered equipment, killing, and other stuff like that. Kicking up dust is perfectly allowed", DJ said, helping her up fully. "Expect the unexpected." "WHAT IS GOING ON!?", someone called from the woods behind them, in the direction towards town. Both of them whirled around, swords raising instinctively. The swords lowered as they realized who was speaking: "Ave, Princeps", DJ said, bowing his head and saluting. "Mom", Flurry said, cocking an eyebrow. Princess Cadence walked out of the trees, looking between the two of them. Shining Armor walked out behind her, his eyes darting between the two of them and his wife wearily. Unlike DJ, who stayed where he was, Flurry walked forward to meet them. "Do you need anything?", Flurry asked, before her mother's magic surrounded her. She said, "Oh, I was worried sick!" Her eyes narrowed, before walking around the side of her. A few small welts from her falling to the ground and nicks from DJ marred her side, not to mention the full strike on her foreleg. "Are you ok? Does it hurt?" "I'm fine, mom", Flurry said, groaning. "It's just a few bumps and stuff. Not the end of the world." Meanwhile, Shining Armor walked past the two of them, stopping in front of DJ. "So... this is where you and Flurry go to every week?" "Yes sir", DJ said. "She asked me to... instruct her as I was." "Flurry", her mother admonished, stepping back slightly. "Why?" "Because you two smother me and don't let me do anything I want to do!", Flurry yelled, picking back up the wooden thing. "Why do you want to-", Shining began, only to be cut off. Flurry snapped, "Because I suck at all that Princess stuff. I want to protect people though; hay, it's in my cutie mark just like yours, dad! But you insist on me doing all that princess-y stuff, so I have to do this in order to get a chance!" Awkward silence reigned among the group of them. DJ shuffled in place, biting his tongue to avoid interjected with his own opinion on the matter. Not his place, he figured. After a bit, Princess Cadence said, "I-I... I'm sorry. I, just wanted to protect you. You're my baby, and I-" "Mom", Flurry said, walking up to her. "I love you. But, I'm not a kid anymore." "I know, I know", Cadence said. Shining Armor said, "Alright. Look, we'll talk about it back at Twilights. Ok? Work something out?" "Right", Flurry said. The three of them closed in together, Flurry and Cadence spreading their wings. They started touching, pulling one another into a firm embrace. DJ watched them as they did so, wings and hooves wrapped around one another. DJ kept his distance, not wanting to get involved. Again, it was none of his business. Instead, as all three of them were distracted, he stole a look down at the wooden sword as he unraveled a small bit of the leather around the handle and guard. On it, he simply looked at the wording that he had been careful to conceal from Flurry: the name Dixie.