Chapter 10
Royal Guard Cadet Anonymous stands at attention in the front row of a company front. His body is rigid. He stares straight ahead. The mare next to him reaches to scratch her nose. Anon grunts to get the mare's attention.
"Don't you dare fucking move a muscle. I'm not running extra laps because of you," Anon orders through gritted teeth.
"Sorry, Anon," the mare named Silver Lining apologizes as she puts her hoof down.
"Don't let it happen again."
The drill sergeant, Sergeant Daisy Petal, and two other officers walk onto the training grounds within a few moments. Sergeant Daisy Petal is a female unicorn whose deep, gruff voice makes Anon shutter. When the sergeant approached, Anon straightened up a little more. Anon is nervous when the drill sergeant stands directly in front of him.
Ever since Day One of boot camp, Anon had stood out. First, he didn't receive the same equipment as the other ponies. He wore a dark-brown tunic that had been tailored to his body size. Anon knew that Princess Celestia probably had to do something with it. His physical appearance didn't help, either. Being over two feet taller than most of the other cadets made him stick out like a sore thumb. The real problem was his physical abilities. Anon can outrun and outlift all of the cadets in physical fitness. Surprisingly, this didn't make him many enemies. Most ponies respected him, and so did the officers. When ponies would struggle, Anon would go out of his way to help them, even if it was simple physical fitness.
"Good morning, cadets!" Sergeant Daisy Petal shouts.
"Good morning, Sergeant!" the cadets respond.
"Congratulations, cadets! You've made it past the first six weeks of basic training! Now, you have seven more weeks of combat training! Today, you will be receiving your practice armor and your weapons! This equipment is yours for the rest of your training! Take care of it! Now, each of you will line up by your corresponding pony species! MOVE IT!!"
Anon remained at attention as the others moved into three separate blocks. Two unicorn Royal Guards carried six large boxes in their magic. They set their two boxes in front of each group except for Anon. The guards begin handing out spears and swords. One of the guards gave Anon a set of weapons. However, they were the standard pony-size weapons. The spear is five feet long, and the sword is 16 inches long. Anon frowned at the equipment. Sergeant Daisy Petal notices this and walks over to him.
"Something wrong with your equipment, Cadet Anonymous?" Daisy Petal asks.
"Yes, Sergeant. These weapons are...too small for me," Anon replies.
Daisy Petal looks at Anon's weapons. He is right. They are too small. She curses herself for not realizing this sooner. Also, Anon didn't even have any custom armor for him. She snorts in frustration. Daisy Petal isn't usually the one to forget stuff. She takes the weapons from Anon and returns them to one of her subordinates.
"Follow me, Cadet Anonymous," Daisy Petal orders.
Anon follows Daisy Petal, and she leads him into the castle.
"Where are we going, Sergeant," Anon asks.
"We will see Magnus, the EAF's head armorer."
"I've never heard of him."
"That doesn't surprise me. He's one of those unsung hero types. He works behind the scenes and doesn't like a ton of recognition. You are one of the few who get to meet him."
They walk to the lower levels of the castle. The halls aren't lit by natural sunlight but with oil lamps and torches. These halls remind Anon of the hallways of a castle in The Hobbit. As they walk farther down the hall, the sound of clanging metal echoing through the walls gets louder. The temperature begins to rise, as well. Eventually, Anon and Daisy Petal arrive in a large room.
The room glows a bright orange-red from the fires and molten metal. Several anvils lay about, along with racks of Royal, Solar, and Lunar guard armor, weapons, and tools. What surprises Anon is that the armorers are not ponies but giant minotaurs. Each of the minotaurs is over six and a half feet. Some bang away at weapons and armor. Some pour molten metal into the molds. They wear leather aprons and armored shoulder pauldron. Anon is astonished at the sheer size of the bipedal cows.
"Which one is this Magnus guy," Anon asks.
Daisy Petal points her hoof at the bull, hammering away at a sword. This minotaur is taller than the rest. Magnus is seven feet tall and far more muscular than the rest. His biceps make Anon's biceps look like twigs. His entire body makes Anon look like a small child compared to a small child.
"Magnus Björnsson!" Daisy Petal shouts.
The minotaur turns around and looks down at the two.
"Oh, Sergeant. Thought I recognized your voice," Magnus says.
To Anon, the minotaur sounds like a Viking's voice. Gruff has a heavy accent.
"I need to talk to you," she announces.
"Okay, let's go to my office to talk."
Magnus sets down his massive hammer and leather apron on an anvil. He points at a door at the back of the room as Anon and Daisy Petal walk to the office. Magnus then shouts an order at the other minotaurs.
"Fortsett å jobbe, svette. Jeg kommer straks tilbake!" (Keep working, you sweaty bastards. I will be right back!) he yells.
Anon recognizes the language and looks down at Daisy Petal.
"I didn't know that minotaurs were Vikings," Anon says.
"It's a commonly known fact, Cadet Anonymous."
"I'm still studying all I can about Equestria, Sergeant. I haven't even begun studying the other countries."
"Not my problem."
The pair walk into the dimly lit office. Magnus walks in behind them. He sits behind the desk and crosses his massive arms.
"So, what can I do for you?" Magnus asks.
"Anonymous, here, is a Royal Guard cadet but has no armor. Not only that, the weapons are way too small for him. He needs gear fashioned specifically for him."
Magnus looks at Anon curiously. He rubs his chin and thinks for a few moments.
"I can create some armor and weapons for him. It will take me a few days. Five days at most. I'll need to measure him, though."
"By all means, go ahead."
Magnus continues rubbing his chin.
"I'm willing to bet you can't train him either."
Anon goes still when he hears Magnus's statement. He looks at Daisy Petal with a raised eyebrow.
"You'd be right. Commander Iron Head talked to me about it and decided that you should instruct him. You are the only bipedal on staff that has combat training and experience.
"I'll train him for a pay raise and more workers to work under me."
Daisy Petal snorts.
"I'll see what I can do."
"Perfect."
Daisy Petal stands up and looks at Anon. "Be back in time for dinner at the mess hall, or you'll run laps until I get tired of it."
"Yes, ma'am," Anon says.
Daisy Petal leaves Anon with the towering minotaur. Magnus stands up and grabs a tape measure from the table behind him. He motions for Anon to stand up. Once he is on his feet, Magnus begins measuring Anon's chest.
"So, Cadet Anonymous, what exactly are you? I've never seen your species before," he asks as he measures the length of Anon's chest.
"A human, sir. My species is from a different dimension," Anon responds.
"Figures. It seems like the ponies are always dealing with a dimension problem."
Magnus continues measuring Anon. As he estimates, he writes them down on a notepad. Then, he begins to draw the armor. Anon sits back down in the chair. He twiddles his thumbs silently.
"May I make a suggestion?" Anon asks, eventually.
Magnus sits up. "Sure."
"Wouldn't it be a good idea for me to have a shield or something like that," Anon explains.
"Yes, it would. Ponies are smaller, making them harder to hit with an arrow, a throwing knife, or strike with a sword. Unicorns can cast a shield spell and protect several divisions, protecting you in the process. Individually, it would require a unicorn at your side at all times. You will notice that the bipedal creatures will carry a shield. Besides, it isn't convenient for ponies to carry them. Since we are bigger creatures, we need shield protection."
"That makes sense."
"I'll make some wrist guards and shin guards for extra protection. Other than that, the armor will be similar to that of the Royal Guards. To become a commissioned officer, you must get a purple marking on your armor and a different plume. That's a big if. Officers Candidate School is only offered to the top three of each class. Graduating is difficult, too. Twelve weeks of classwork."
"I'm up for the challenge. Both training under you in combat and OCS."
Magnus snorts. "You say that now."
Anon swallows hard out of nervousness.
Later that night, Anon sits in the mess hall with a few friends. Tonight, roast beef, salad, and water is his meal. Everyone else has a variant of a salad. For example, one of his friends, Glass Pane, has a rose petal salad. The smell of meat bothers Anon's equine friends, primarily because they are herbivores.
"How can you eat another living creature?" Lumber Stacks asks.
"I've explained it before. A balanced diet and all."
"I know. It's just...strange."
Anon shrugs his shoulders and puts some roast beef in his mouth. A few moments later, a pegasus mare named Starry Evening sits beside Anon. She eats a little of her salad. Then, she taps him on the shoulder.
"Hey, Anon. Where did you go with Sarge this afternoon?"
"I've been wondering about wondering about that," another stallion at the table says.
Anon feels 12 big eyes bear down on him. He jabs his fork into his salad and puts the left mixture in his mouth. He drinks some water before he speaks.
"Sergeant Daisy Petal didn't have any armor or weapons for me. We went to the armorer to get me measured. I'm to be trained separately from everyone else. I don't think training a bipedal with some quadrupeds makes sense."
"So, we won't see you again?" an earth pony stallion named Coal Miner asked.
"Aside from meals, I don't know. I wouldn't worry about it, though."
"I hope so because you owe me a fucking beer," Lumber Stack says.
"Do not. The bet wasn't a real bet. You purposefully altered that outcome."
"Of what?"
Lumber Stack grins playfully.
"Does intentionally keeping Blue Sky up all night so that he'd fall asleep during marching fundamentals count as altering an outcome."
Anon and the group laugh. Lumber Stack rolls his eyes. They sit around for the next hour. By that time, it is forty-five minutes until the lights are out. The drill sergeants were very strict about lights out. Anon grabs his soap, rag, towel, and nightly clothes and goes to the shower.
He showers in a stall that is too small for him. Anon's head almost hits the showerhead, and his body, from the shoulders up, could be seen above the shower curtain. Once he finishes his shower, Anon walks to his bunk. Since Anon is three times the size of the average pony, the bunk isn't very big. To fit, Anon had to either curl up in a fetal position or bring his knees to his chest. Most mornings, Anon has an aching back.
Eventually, all of the cadets were in their bunks. The mares slept on the second floor, while the stallions slept on the first. However, that didn't stop some cadets from using the showers as rutting stalls. The drill sergeants never found out about it, but it bothered Anon. It was mainly because thirty minutes of sleep was gone, but tonight, it is silent, save for some snores. It isn't long before Anon drifts off to sleep.
The following day, the walk-up call comes. However, Anon's eternal alarm clock woke him up ten minutes earlier. When the call came, Anon was fully awake. He quickly removes his sleeping clothes and puts on his tunic. He slips on his sandals and runs outside. Anon is the first in information. Within two minutes, 300 cadets are in formation. Well, 300 of the 550 that started six weeks ago.
As usual, Sergeant Daisy Petal and the other two sergeants walk up a few moments later. What surprises Anon is that Magnus is walking behind them. The air gets tense when the other cadets notice him. Despite the arrival of the minotaur, none of the cadets dare say a word, much less whisper to the pony next to them.
"Good morning, cadets!" Sergeant Daisy Petal shouts.
"Good morning, Sergeant," the cadets answer.
"All of you worthless fuckshits, separate into your species. Cadet Anonymous, you will go with Magnus Björnsson. But first, drop and give me fifty. MOVE IT, YOU CUM GUZZLING, BACK ALLEY WHORES!!"
Simultaneously, every cadet gets into the push-up position. In under a minute, all fifty push-ups are knocked out. Some ponies pant heavily, but the rest were barely sweating. Then, the cadets are ordered to run two miles. As usual, Anon is in front of the thundering herd of Royal Guard cadets. Once the run is finished, more than half are bending over and breathing heavily. Anon, however, puts his arms over his head and controls his breathing. Then, he turns around and begins checking on the cadets.
"Natural leader type, huh?" Magnus asks.
"Yeah. From my understanding, everypony respects him," Daisy Petal replies.
"OCS might be a good option for him. It seems being an officer is in his nature."
"I've already recommended him. Colonel Iron Shaft has been keeping a close eye on him."
Daisy Petal points to a balcony about three above them. An armored earth pony stallion is looking down at the cadets. Next to him is Princess Celestia. They speak to each other as they watch the cadets form into separate species. Anon stands at attention by himself. Once all of the cadets are in formation. The sergeants, including Daisy Petal, walk over to each group. Anon follows Magnus from the training grounds.
Magnus leads Anon to the Lunar Guard's training ground. The Lunar Guards train in the evening and at night, so their training grounds are empty. Magnus leads Anon to a leather pad that is lying on the ground. A spear, sheath, baldric, and large, circular shield are on the pad.
"The shield is made of Equestrian steel. It's so strong that arrows bounce off of it. It weighs about 18 pounds. I figured that was a good weight for you. The blade and spearhead are made of the same metal. With your training, you might not have armor yet, but it won't hurt to get started," Magnus explains.
Anon picks up the shield. It has a giant sun covering 2/3 of it. It is the Celestial seal. He slides it on his arm, and, as expected, the shield weighs his arm down. Anon rolls his shoulder to get used to its weight. Then, he removes the shield and picks up the spear.
The spear is about seven feet tall. The shaft is made of wood. At the top is a leaf-shaped spearhead. There is a butt-spike at the bottom. The shaft is smoothed down and sturdy. Anon sets the spear down and picks up the sword and sheath.
The sword is almost a replica of the Greek xiphos. The blade is 24 inches long, and the hilt is five inches long. The handle was made of a golden-colored metal. A blue-colored leather grip is wrapped around the hilt. The silver-like blade glistens in the sun. Anon gives the sword a few good swings before he examines the sheath. It's made of blue leather and wood. A baldric is attached to it, as well. It, too, is made of leather. Anon slides the sword into the sheath and lays it back on the pad.
"Thank you, Magnus. These are very nice," Anon said. Thanks.
"You're welcome. The baldric strap is an old minotaur style. However, our swords are carried on our backs. Yours needs to be on your hip. Now, put on your gear," Magnus replies.
Anon clumsily puts on the baldric strap. Then, he puts on his shield. Magnus teaches Anon how to stand in a combat stance and how to hold his spear. Then, Anon is told to thrust his spear forward. Anon follows the order. Magnus frowns at his protogé.
"Keep your arm still. It's shaking," Magnus snaps. "Thrust again."
Anon follows suit and tries again. Still, his arm shakes. For the next thirty minutes, Anon perfects his thrusting technique. Eventually, he's about to thrust his spear quickly without shaking his arm.
Next, Magnus begins teaching Anon combat moves using the spear and shield. Surprisingly, Anon learns the moves quickly. Albeit, the movements are sloppy and slow. Progress is all Magnus cares about at this point. What impressed Magnus was Anon's determination to become a Royal Guard and his strength.
After lunch, Anon is taught combat with a sword. This type of combat Anon excels at. The slashes, thrusts, and strikes are done to near perfection. However, they are more or less knife-based. Magnus finds out that Anon has learned some knife-fighting techniques. Though unconventional and a setback, Magnus and Anon create a new technique by combining both styles, they knew over the next few days.
Five days later, Anon receives his first set of armor. The armor is only made to be used temporarily. However, it loosely resembled Spartan. The helmet even looks like the Spartan helmet. However, the helmet obscures Anon's vision. It doesn't allow him to use his peripheral vision. His vision is restricted to what's in front of him. However, Anon knew that most Greek helmets hindered any use of peripheral vision. The real challenge begins when Anon wears his armor during combat training.
The armor reduces his maneuverability. The movements that he could do before don't come as quickly. This frustrates him. Every day, Anon thinks he's falling behind. After training each day, Anon trains more to get used to his armor and regain his maneuverability. There were some nights when he missed dinner. Slowly but surely, Anon regains the skill he once had. The armor becomes lighter, and his weapons become more lightweight, too. Once that happens, Magnus begins teaching Anon to use his shield as a blunt-force weapon.
By Week 6 of combat training, Anon surpasses Magnus's expectations. He can fight hand-to-hand with a sword, spear, and shield and block arrows with his shield. Word of his accomplishments eventually reached the commanding officers of the Royal Guards.
A Royal Guard general named General Battle Cry becomes very interested in Anon's training. One day, he decides to meet Anon in person. He goes to the Lunar Guards' training grounds with two colonels and another general. As he expected, the human trains Anon's movements to be fluid and quick. What interests Battle Cry is that the human keeps up with a minotaur. Then, Anon spins around and hurls a spear at a straw dummy of a griffin. The spear hits the dummy directly in its chest. As quickly as Anon had thrown his spear, he drew his sword. What piques the general's interest is that the minotaur draws his sword, and the two advance toward each other. General Battle Cry calls out to the two. They stop to turn to face the general. Anon realizes who it is and snaps to attention. He throws up his arm to salute Battle Cry.
"At ease, cadet," he orders.
Anon drops his arm and relaxes his body.
"Good afternoon, General," Anon says.
Battle Cry waves his hoof dismissively. "You can dispense with the professionalism, Anonymous. I want to speak to you, stallion to stallion."
"Stallion to man, sir."
"Oh, forgive me. I'm not familiar with your species."
"That's fair. What can I help you with, General?"
"Ever since you began your training, some of the other generals took an interest in your training. Mainly because it's the second time a non-pony has joined the Equestrian Armed Forces."
"When was the first time?"
"It was during the reign of King Cosmos and Queen Galaxia. A hippogriff named Apollo from the Hippogriff Kingdom immigrated to Cloudsdale. Much like you, he had a sense of duty. He had to defend a nation that wasn't even his own. He was allowed to serve in the Lunar Guard. During the Equestrian-Minotauran War, he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He had gained the favor and admiration of every general in the EAF and King Cosmos. Some say that Queen Galaxia had eyes for him, but that was only a rumor. However, in the last battle against the minotaurs, 2nd Lieutenant Apollo was killed, saving King Cosmos's life."
"Wow. That's a tragic story."
"Yeah. Unfortunately, grief consumed King Cosmos, and he even attempted suicide. Queen Galaxia spent the next century consoling her husband."
"How'd you know about this story, sir."
"It was a story passed on by the officers of the time. Queen Galaxia tried to apply 2nd Lieutenant Apollo for the Medal of Valor, but those self-indulgent we call nobles prohibited it. They didn't like the idea of a non-pony receiving the Medal of Valor. So, 2nd Lieutenant Apollo's story is passed down by word of mouth. Anyway, you have the support of many of the commissioned officers and a few of the Generals of the EAF. Seeing you train fires us up."
"I appreciate that, sir. It means a lot to have people supporting me. Especially the generals."
"No problem, Anonymous. I've heard you have a good heart and are a respectable stall...human. You've even earned the respect and support of all four princesses."
"Really? All four?"
"As far as I heard. As much as I'd like to talk to you more, I must return to my duties."
"Thank you for stopping by, General."
"Pleasure's all mine, Anonymous. See you at graduation on Saturday."
General Battle Cry turns around and walks away. Anon is surprised that Battle Cry believes that Anon will pass his final tests. His newfound confidence made his worries about the upcoming final tests obsolete. He trains late into the night the Magnus. When Anon arrives at the barracks, his fellow cadets are already asleep. Anon quietly takes a shower before slipping into his bed. Due to his tired state, he falls asleep.
Two days later, the day of the final tests arrived. Like the first six weeks, he lined up in formation with his fellow cadets. Anon notices that some of the cadets are showing signs of nervousness. It didn't help that several commissioned officers walked up—all generals or colonels. Magnus Björnsson leans against the wall. He gives Anon a slight wave. In return, Anon does nothing. The slightest movement will get points taken from his final score.
Each cadet has to score at least 70 points to pass. The most a person can achieve is a perfect score of 100 points. The push-up test is worth 20 points. The sit-up test is worth 15 points. The two-mile run test is worth 25 points. The combat obstacle course is worth 40 points. The cadets must complete the task within the time limit to receive all the points. Cadets will lose points, like moving at attention, if they make errors. The tests are to be completed in full armor, as well.
When the first test was announced, Anon could hear a few cadets quietly exhale in frustration. No one, including Anon, likes the running portion. When Anon runs, his stab aches. This would cause him to slow down.
All of the cadets walked over to the starting line to warm up. Nervousness creeps through the mass of cadets. How they performed on these exams determined the course of their future. Some cadets are so nervous that they want to quit for fear of failure. Anon tries to console them before Sergeant Daisy Petal orders them to line up. It is easier said than done. As usual, Anon lines up at the front of the group. He gets into a running stance and focuses on the running path.
"Alright, cadets! On your marks! Get set! GO!!!" Daisy Petal orders.
The cadets charge forward, with Anon leading the pack. That surprises some of the officers and Magnus. The minotaur walks up behind Sergeant Daisy Petal to stand next to her.
"Hey, Sarge. Anon is leading the pack, which is unusual."
"I noticed that. He usually paces himself and remains in the upper quarter of the group. By the last half-mile, he is either between fifth and first place. Toward the end, he finishes first. Now, he seems to be pushing himself rather than pacing himself."
"He's a tough bastard, that's for sure. He reminds me a lot of my brother, Fenrir. He did whatever the hell it took to win Father's favor. It took him a while, but he succeeded. I wonder how he's doing."
"Did you ever consider writing him a letter?"
"Yeah, right, Sarge. My father would only tear up the letter, burn it, and take a piss."
"What did you do to piss off your dad so bad?"
"It's a long story."
"Give me the text version, then, Magnus."
"I wouldn't marry a cow from a different clan. It was an arranged marriage so my clan could maintain peace with hers. However, she was a bitch to my brother and mother behind my father's back. When I refused to marry her, it nearly caused a war between our clans. As punishment, Father banished me from the clan."
"Assholes."
"Yeah."
Anon is the first to cross the finish line a few minutes later. Daisy Petal looks at her stopwatch. He finishes in 10 minutes and 17 seconds. She calls out Anon's name and time to her fellow sergeants. She does this for every cadet until the 12-minute-30-second mark. Daisy Petal writes down the cadets who failed the test but not their times. Fifty-five cadets didn't pass the 2-mile run. Ninety-five cadets had passed.
Once the names are recorded, the cadets are ordered to reassemble in company front formation. What makes it worse is that they are called to stand at attention. Every cadet tries to remain still. Most shake with exhaustion and nervousness. Even Anon has some trouble standing at attention. He cursed Sergeant Daisy Petal when she didn't allow them to rest long enough. Three minutes wasn't long enough to rest.
Then, the cadets are ordered to get into a push-up position. They hold the position until Royal Guards, most of whom are privates, stand before every cadet. The guards are to count how many the cadets do in one minute. The minimum amount is 40 push-ups. Daisy Petal orders the cadets to get into the push-up position. Once all the cadets are ready, she barks the order to start.
Anon begins to pump his body up and down. He hears the guard counting under her breath. Then, a sharp pain shoots through his lower chest. Anon winces in pain and pauses for a moment after resting. He pushes through the pain and keeps doing push-ups. After what seems like an eternity, Daisy Petal calls time. Anon lets his arms give way. He lands face down on the grass and continues to breathe heavily. Anon lies there as he listens for the guard to call out how many push-ups he has done. He had lost count after twenty-something.
"Corporal Prickly Thistle! Name of your cadet and the total number of push-ups he completed!" Sergeant Daisy Petal shouts.
"Cadet Anonymous. His total was 62."
Anon hears whispers among the cadets. He doesn't understand why until he closely observes the other's scores. He hears numbers like 39, 42, 46, and 51. His scores are so high because of his strength and speed advantages over the ponies. Anon feels as if the test may appear easy for him to his superiors. That doesn't matter now. Anon had already shown extreme promise and potential throughout his training, so he had no choice but to meet the unspoken expectations.
Then, Sergeant Daisy Petal orders the cadets to lie on their backs. Each cadet must do at least 50 sit-ups in under a minute to pass the sit-up exam. Anon lays on his back and places his hands behind his head. Moments later, Daisy Petal barks the order to start. Anon begins lifting his torso off the ground and to his knees. Like before, his stab begins shooting, searing pain through his chest. When he stops to rest, his rest is longer due to the pain. Eventually, the end of the test is called. The guard looks at Anon with a concerned look. She attempts to get Sergeant Daisy Petal's attention, but Anonymous stops her.
"Please, don't say anything. A Royal Guard mustn't show weakness."
"Yeah, that's in battle, dumbass. You're injured."
"It was a stab wound from a while back. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, damn it."
The guard shakes her head in irritation. When it's the guard's turn to call out the number of his sit-ups, she pauses for a moment and then tells. Anon's sit-up total. Albeit a little hesitantly.
This time, Daisy Petal allowed the cadets seven minutes of rest time. However, they must use that time to retrieve their combat gear for the combat obstacle course. Anon and some cadet take their time while others take off running. He grabs his combat gear and returns to the training grounds.
When the seven minutes are up, the cadets are led to a large arena below the training grounds. Rows and rows of bleachers are set up around the oval-shaped arena. A large pressbox is situated at the top of the stands. The stadium is enormous. According to the sergeant, the stadium is 1.5 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide. The closest to the press box is the obstacle course. The obstacle has two rows so that two cadets can go at once. Some of the cadets gulp out of nervousness. Anon smirks in interest. It makes sense to test their endurance further in some combat scenarios.
Daisy Petal orders the cadets to divide evenly into two lines. Once the order is completed, she stands in front of the cadets.
"Alright, you miserable fucks. This is your final test. This test is by far the most challenging and exciting. This, you societal rejects, is the combat obstacle course exam. To pass this exam, you must reach the end in four minutes. Two cadets will go at the same time. However, you are not racing against each other. In reality, you are racing against time itself. That said, if you think racing will make you run faster, that's fine. You will be graded if you finish before the time limit and how you perform during the exam. Now, the first two victims, step forward."
For a moment, no one steps forward. Daisy Petal is about to "voluntell" two cadets when Anon and a cadet named Paper Maché step forward. She finds the cadets to be opposites of each other. Anon is one of the best cadets the Royal Guard has ever seen. If he were a pony, he'd be considered the perfect soldier. Paper Maché is not the best by any means. Though, he isn't the worst cadet. By Daisy Petal's standards, Paper Maché is mediocre compared to the rest of the group.
Anon walks up to the starting line. He can feel his arms begin to get heavy with nervousness. He takes deep breaths to calm himself. However, something catches his eye. It is something white and significant. Anon turns his head to see what it is. His breath is nearly taken away. It is Princess Celestia. There is only one reason why she'd be at the arena. It is to watch Anon's last test. She lands near the press box and sits down.
"Okay, you two! Are you ready?!" Daisy Petal asks.
Paper Maché and Anon nod their heads.
"On your marks! Get set! GO!!!"
Both cadets rush forward. The first obstacle is jumping over six four-foot low walls. Both cadets found this obstacle difficult. Anon has to vault over the walls. The next is a series of staggered stepping blocks that are two feet tall. Anon doesn't have much trouble with this obstacle. Being a bipedal create, hopping on twelve tilted blocks makes it easy. After another twenty-yard sprint, Anon has to crossover an 8-foot apex ladder. Once again, carrying a spear made climbing difficult. Instead of climbing down the other side, Anon leaps to the ground and performs a forward barrel roll. Then, the next obstacle is a six-foot-tall balancing bridge. The bridge has forty-foot wooden beams connected that are three inches wide. This obstacle, however, has eight pegasi Royal Guards flying overhead. When Anon runs up the shaft, they begin throwing large rocks at Anon as hard as possible. He immediately raises his shield to protect himself but stops as the stones pelt his shield and body. Knowing just standing there means cowering behind a shield and not advancing. He charges forward while barely maintaining his balance. He eventually finishes the obstacle. Standing at the end is a Royal Guard. From the officers' insignia, purple markings, and more extended plume, Anon knew this guard was a lieutenant.
"Cadet Anonymous, charge forward and strike down the dummies with your spear! FORWARD!" the Lieutenant shouts.
Anon charges forward at the first dummy, a fully armored minotaur. When Anon approaches the dummy, he swings his shield like a melee weapon to strike the dummy in the face. He finishes the attack by thrusting his spear into the dummy's armored chest.
The next target is a flying griffin dummy. This dummy is fully armored as well. Anon swings his shield when the griffin is in range and bats it away. He spins, swings his shield when the griffin is in range, and bats it away. He turns around and thrusts his spear through the opening beneath its helmet. The next target is a manticore that is 50 feet away. Anon plants his feet out. Anon plants his feet, rears his arm back, and throws the spear with all his strength. He watches the spear penetrate through the dummy's head.
"Now, draw your sword and continue the fight!" the Lieutenant shouts.
Anon follows the order and charges forward. His next targets are a trio of armored changelings. The first changeling, Anon, thrusts his sword through the chest. The next target, Anon, slices the head off. The final changeling is finished when Anon uses the same method on the griffin but with a twist. Anon swings his sword downward. The dummy is sliced in half. The final part of the test is a 100-yard sprint. Three Royal Guards yell at Anon to charge forward to finish. His side sends shockwaves of pain through his body, and his lungs burn like fire. He barely has the strength to continue. Then, he looks over and looks at the press box. Princess Celestia is still sitting there, watching Anon. He remembers the pain of losing his friendship with Celestia. Just seeing her again brings back the memories of their time together and the sorrow of losing her as a friend. He had suppressed those feelings for weeks, but they all came rushing forward. Anon turns to the finish line and charges. Anon lets out an earth-rumbling battle cry. This battle cry sends shivers down everypony's spine.
Anon crosses the finish line about 11 seconds later and collapses to his knees. A Royal Guard rushes to Anon with some water. She hands the water bottle to him, and he chugs it in under six seconds.
"Your battle cry at the end was a little over-dramatic, wasn't it," she asks.
"No, ma'am. I need a little boost to finish," Anon moans.
"If you say so."
The guard handed Anon another water bottle, which he drank slowly. He sits down, removes his helmet, and attempts to control his breathing. A few seconds later, Paper Maché crosses the finish line. The officer, a sergeant major who records the times, walks over to Paper Maché—the two talk for a while. Then, the sergeant major walks over to Anon.
"Well, Cadet Anonymous. I'm impressed. You did very well for a guy carrying a shield and spear," the officer says.
"Thank you."
"Your time was three minutes-and-twenty-one seconds. Most ponies finish with ten seconds left or even five seconds left."
"Good to know, I guess."
"Alright, you can head back to the barracks after you grab your spear. You can stay behind and watch the rest of the cadets go if you'd like. Daisy Petal will post the results tomorrow morning outside the barracks."
Anon picks up his helmet, grabs his spear, and returns to the barracks. Once he arrives, he takes a shower and cleans up his gear with a washrag. More and more cadets arrive back at the barracks as time passes by. When all of the remaining cadets return, it is time for dinner. Anon had spent that time sleeping the pain in his ribs away. One of his friends he made, named Pizza Crust, had to wake him up in time to go to dinner.
As congratulations on completing the final exams, the chefs made Alfredo pasta. Most of the cadets eat and chat amongst themselves. Anon, however, sits off to himself and eats silently. This confuses a lot of his fellow cadets. Typically, Anon would eat with the others. A few of the cadets silently agree to sit with Anon.
"How's it going, Anon?" Glass Pane asks.
"Okay, I guess. Tired, mostly."
"Tired? Didn't you take a six-hour nap today?" Stone Cutter asks.
"Yeah. I'm not physically tired. Just mentally."
"Not gonna lie, I'm kinda nervous about the scores tomorrow," Pizza Crust says.
"Oh, yeah. I'm nervous, too. I only did 38 push-ups today. The fucking armor and heat didn't help shit," a unicorn named Salty Ramen says. "What about you, Anon?"
"I think I did okay," Anon says nonchalantly.
"Okay?! OKAY?! Dude, you were the best at literally everything! You are the first in our class for sure!" Stone Cutter shouts.
"What the fuck, Stone? Keep your damn voice down," Anon shushes.
The mare turns around and sees that everypony, including some off-duty Solar and Royal Guards, is looking at her directional. She blushes and turns around while trying to make herself smaller. Anon rolls his eyes and continues eating his pasta.
The chefs bring out chocolate cakes with fudge frosting when dessert is served. They make enough so everypony can have seconds, or at most thirds. All of the cadets were in good spirits. The excellent food and good company take the nervousness off of the cadets. Soon, all cadets return to the barracks to get their well-earned sleep. Anon stays up a little longer than he usually does, thinking about his training. He hopes that everything he has learned will be enough to pass. He admits his fighting and overreliance on his shield could improve for stun melee attacks. Eventually, he falls asleep.
Anon wakes up the next day at the same time as usual. When he opens his eyes, he notices that everypony is gone. Anon rolls out of bed and puts on his sandals and training tunic. He walks outside and sees a large group of ponies standing next to the door.
On the wall is a large piece of paper with a long list of names. Some ponies talk excitedly amongst each other. Others, who look angry or disappointed, sit off to themselves. Anon can understand why.
He walks over to the piece of paper and takes a look. There is a red line that crosses the bottom portion of the paper. Every name underneath the red line is a pony that failed the exams. From the looks of it, only 75 cadets passed. Anon scans the list of his name. His name wasn't among those who failed, so he concludes that he passed. Anon starts at the bottom and works his way up. He sees Pizza Crust, Glass Pane, and Stone Cutter, who had become his best friends and had passed. Then, he sees his name at the very top of the list. Anon is at the top of the class. Honestly, he isn't surprised. He sighs and walks to the mess hall to eat breakfast. His friends see him walking away. They run after him.
"Hey, Anon! Wait up!" Stone Cutter shouts.
"Oh, what's up?" Anon replies.
"Congrats, Mr. Top-of-the-Class."
"Thanks, I guess."
"Anon, why aren't you ecstatic?" Pizza Crust asks.
"Because I knew it would happen," he responds.
The group of ponies is confused.
"What do you mean?" Glass Pane asks.
"Everything I've done during the final exam outperformed everyone. I'm stronger and faster than most ponies. I don't care about being the best, but the high brass kinda expects that of me so that I couldn't let them down."
"Well, it's not like you can help it. As you said, you are stronger and faster than most of us ponies," Stone Cutter says.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being the best," Glass Pane adds.
"It felt too easy. The only thing I struggled with was the obstacle course," Anon says.
"You're preaching to the crowd, Anon. Everypony struggled with that. The pegasi weren't allowed to fly at all," Pizza Crust says, flapping his wings a little.
Anon and the group of ponies eat in silence for a few minutes. Sergeant Daisy Petal stands up at the table near the food line. She calls for the cadets to stand at attention—the shout echoes across the mess hall. Anon jumps up and stands at attention. Like dozens of times, Anon doesn't move a muscle.
"For those who passed the exams, congratulations! For those who failed, better luck next time! Those who failed need all their gear returned to the other sergeants, and you must leave the castle grounds by 10:00 am! The rest of you, at 11:00 am, will be in formation, at attention, at the training ground. You will be measured so the armorers can make custom-fitted armor, sheathes, weapons, and tailors can make ceremonial uniforms. The day after tomorrow is graduation day. You will wear your armor and carry your weapons when issued to you. Graduation is at 9:00 am. The graduates' families have already been notified," Daisy Petal announces, "Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" the cadets reply.
"As you were!"
All of the cadets return to eating their breakfast. At 11:00 am, every cadet is in formation. Anon is remeasured due to his more muscular and slimmed-down frame. After that, the cadets are made to turn in their train gear. Anon is allowed to keep his weapons and shield since they are made to suit him.
Then, cadets are allowed to the barracks or hang around the training grounds for the rest of the day.
After lunch, Anon takes a light one-mile jog. After that, he trains with his shield, sword, and spear for about two hours. He takes a nap before going to dinner. As usual, Anon eats with his friends. This time, they stay longer than usual in the mess hall. The cooks are forced to kick the four of them out. The four friends sit under a tree near the barracks up to the barracks and talk. They stay up until well-passed midnight. It's only when a patroling thestral Lunar Guard tells them to get some sleep is when they go to bed.
The following day, the graduating cadets train for the graduation ceremony. Sergeant Daisy Petal is surprised that they only took two times to get it down. It only took two hours. That afternoon, the graduating cadets received their new armor and weapons. The ponies excitedly put on their armor and weapons. Many armorers have since been hired to toil day and night to make 75 custom armored equipment. Anon is given a new sheath, a package, and his new armor. He carries the equipment to his bunk. He pulls back the tape on the box and opens it. The first thing that he sees is a letter written by Twilight Sparkle.
This is what it says:
Can't wait to see you at your graduation. Here's a little gift from Rarity. Don't worry; it's been cleared by your commanding officers for you to wear underneath your armor.
Your friend,
Twilight Sparkle
Anon sets the letter aside and pulls out the gift from the box. It's a blue tunic, one similar to what Anon is wearing. There is gold trimming all over the tunic. If he didn't stand out before, he would then.
He removed his old tunic and put on the new one. It fits perfectly. Then, he puts on his new cuirass. It's different from the old one because it's shinier, has abs and pecs, and has a war skirt. Then, Anon puts on his new bracers and greaves. He puts on his baldric and new sheath. He slides his sword into its new home.
Afterward, Anon picks up his new helmet. The gold-colored helmets shine in the artificial light of the barracks, and the blue plumes stand tall and vibrant. Anon slips on the final piece of his armor. Only when he puts on the helmet does he notice that everypony in the barracks is staring at him.
"What are you guys looking at?" Anon asks.
"Anon, you look fucking amazing," one of the stallions says.
"I guess so. I feel like it."
"We can tell. If we ever face the griffins or changelings, they are fucked when you face them!" a mare adds.
"Hey, Blue Sky, let him get to OCS first," Stone Cutter says.
"Wait a sec. OC-...oh, right. I forgot I was going to apply for that," Anon remembers.
"But first, Anon, let's graduate," Pizza Crust announces.
Anon puts his foot on his bed and draws his sword. He raises it above his head and points toward the ceiling. Others raise spears and swords, as well.
This might be cliché, but I'm going to do it anyway, Anon thinks to himself.
"Tomorrow, we will no longer be lowly cadets! Tomorrow, we will be official Royal Guards!" Anon shouts.
The barracks erupt into cheers.
"Company!! Forward!! March!!" Sergeant Daisy Petal shouts.
The 75 graduates march forward from the Lunar Guard training grounds. As they come into view, the crowd of spectators sitting in bleachers cheers. The cadets march until they are in front of the crowd. Then, they are ordered to face the audience.
As expected, Anon is front and center among the other graduates. Some of the spectators whisper amongst themselves about him. Then, Sergeant Daisy Petal steps up to the podium. She takes a deep breath before speaking to the crowd.
"Good morning, everypony, and welcome to the Royal Guard Training Grounds. For the last three months, I've seen these graduating cadets come from half-witted weaklings to bold, courageous soldiers. I thought a few of these graduates wouldn't make it to graduation. I'm proud to say that I'm glad I was wrong. Ultimately, they proved they were the strongest in body and soul. This group of graduates was a special one for me to train because they are the first non-pony Royal Guard graduates today. The tall green monkey is front and center if you couldn't tell."
That comment gets a laugh from the crowd. Anon rolls his eyes and curses the sergeant silently.
Then, Daisy Petal turns to face the graduates. She stares blankly at them.
"Graduates, are you worthy of defending Equestria with all your strength?!" Sergeant Daisy Petal asks.
"Axios!" the cadets shout in unison.
"Are you worthy of giving your lives for your country and your princesses?!"
"Axios!!"
"Are you worthy of becoming Royal Guards?!"
"AXIOS!!"
"By the power given to me by Princess Celestia, Princess of the Sun and co-ruler of Equestria, I now declare you official Royal Guards of the Equestrian Armed Forces."
The spectators begin to cheer as Daisy Petal salutes the new Royal Guards. As practiced, Anon quickly moves his spear from his right hand to his left. Then, all 75 guards salute back. Daisy Petal orders the guards to be at ease. The audience can leave the stands, and the new guards can meet their families and friends. Anon is about to head back to the barracks when he hears someone call out to him. He turns around and sees Twilight Sparkle and Spike walking up to him. Due to his training, Anon stands at attention and salutes Twilight.
"You don't have to salute me, Anon," Twilight laughs.
"Sorry, Prince-I mean Twilight. A force of habit due to training."
"That's okay."
Anon looks down and sees Spike. He squats down to the dragon's level. The camo baseball hat Anon had given him is on Spike's head, with the bill facing backward.
"Still have that hat, I see," Anon says.
"Heck, yeah. It's my most prized possession."
"I'm honored, Spike. I truly am. I'm also honored that you two came to see me graduate. It means a lot."
"You're welcome, Anon. We couldn't miss you achieving your dream of joining the military," Twilight says. "Besides, it's a big moment in EAF history. You're the first human to be inducted into the Royal Guard."
"Huh. It sounds like you were here for the historical moment rather than me, Twilight," Anon jokes.
"Very funny, Anon," Twilight sighs.
Anon stands up and chuckles to himself at his joke.
Then, a few officers, commanders, colonels, and generals came to congratulate Anon. After speaking to the officers, Anon is approached by a reporter from the Canterlot Times. A reporter asks him a few questions while a photographer takes candid pictures for the article. However, Anon noticed these photos being taken. He asks the photographer to take a picture of him with his friends rather than a candid one for the article. The pony agrees to Anon's request. Anon motions for Twilight and Spike to come over to be in the photo.
Before taking the photo, Anon sees Magnus Björnsson standing behind the bleachers. He gives his former pupil a respectful nod. The minotaur politely declines with a simple headshake when offered to come over for the photo. No pony in Canterlot, especially the nobles, would want a minotaur on the front page picture, considering minotaurs are Equestria's staunch enemies.
Magnus hears the photographer tell the group to smile. A bright flash fills his vision before almost instantly dissipating. Despite his large, muscular frame, Magnus's departure goes largely unnoticed. The only one to notice is Anon. He frowned, but his large smile returned to his face. For the first time in many months, Anon is pleased.
Finally, I'm right where I belong, Anon thinks, Next stop, Officer's Candidate School.