"Two of you now? That's turn out for the books, never thought you'd settle down Pitto" Magus mused as he and the twin captains walked through the halls of Plautenas place.
"I prefer Dark Pit" said the blacked winged angel, with a hard undertone to his voice.
"Just as tetchy as you said" Magnus said looking at Pit, blanking his dark counterpart.
"Yeah, just don't get on his badside though, he holds a grudge for far to long." said Pit with a hushed tone for the last part, obiously making an attempt to tease Dark Pit with a pretend seccracy with his new companion.
Magnus grinned while Dark Pit shoke his head in frustration turning away and deciding to walk behind them.
"Speaking of settling down" Pit started with a mischevious grin on his face "I heard you and Goal finally tied the knot"
Magnus gave Pit a disgruntled look. "It's not as cheasy as it sounds"
"Oh, I think it is exactly as cheasy as it sounds" Pit conitued wiith the same grin "just think, you childhood sweetheart corrupted by the evil lord of shadows and forced to his bidding but her knight in disshevled armour bursts into her fortress to liberate her from the corruting inluence with a large amount of help from yourstuly" Pit bragged placing a hand on his chest "and she's all like 'oh Magnus my hero'" Pit said in a overly high tone " and you say 'anything for you my love' *snogging noise*" Pit finished with gusto, doing his best Magnus impression.
"So yeah couldn't really be anymore more 'cheasy' in my book" he remarked with his grin still plastered on his face.
Magnus had listened to this with a look of stoic disamusement that was focused on Pit and din't even flinch when Pit reanacted the reuniteing between Magnus and his old comerade.
"I can't wait to kich your ass in sparing" he remarked simply.
Dark Pit perked up at the sound of this and increased his pace to walk along side Magnus on his right.
"Where're sparring? I thought you where going to introduce the raing scheme to the troops?" he said interested.
"And what better way to do that than with a demonstration?" Magnus relpied, happy to change the subject "Show 'em what to aim for, give 'em a point of referance. And since you two don't seem to be to bothered with using your day off, I have to perfect fighting partners right here." he finished simling at a now worried Pit.
"Welllllll it was nice catching up Magnus" Pit started suddenly stopping and beginning to turn around "but we really have to get back to other important stuff, you know with all this free time we need to, eh, fill out weapon forms and scout areas, sleep, you know, stuff like that."
"Not so fast angel face" Magnus said calmly grabbing Pit by the back of his tunic and hoisting him up to face him in the other direction with himself and Dark Pit blocking the rest of the corridor. "Where here now and it will give the centurions a brilliant lesson how to not fight like their captain when he gets beaten my a mere mortal such as myself.
"I call dibs on round two with him" Dark Pit cut in.
"That's if he makes it that far." chuckled Magnus.
They soon all arived outside into the main training grounds of the the palace. It was a wide open area with dry dirt underfoot and a race track marked onto it. It was surrounded on all sides by the walls of the palace that made it appear like a coutyard but woth spectator seats surrounding the perimeter. There was already a substational amount of centurions present, ranging from the standard centurion archers, the very heavily built centurion stongarms and the agile and skilled fighters. Magnus strode ahead of Pit and Dark Pit and clapped his hands together to get their attention. The trops stopped their various warm up excercises and all turned to face their new trainer.
"Good morning ladies" Magnus announced "I'm your new guest trainer and official eliminater of weakness, Magnus." He finished striking a battle ready pose with his sword drawn in both hands pointing down and a 'come at me if you think your hard enough' look on his face.
"I am here to show you all your new back breaking, mucsle tearing and heart stopping training regimenine that will actually make you worthy of calling yourself centurions." he declared.
The centurions present looked a little uneasey and a few murmered to one another, their captain's training sessions were alitlle more easy going compared to this 'Magnus's approch.
"Now, everyone take of your armour and drop them along with your weapons in a pile over there" Magbus ordered.
Ther centurions all glanced at Pit for guidance, who taken aback, looked to Dark Pit who simply shrugged carlelessly.
"Move it ladies, or you'll all be on cook duty with the goddess." Magnus repeated.
They all responded to that, it was known far and wide in Skyworld that when Palutena cooked something it never really ended well for any of them, the vegetable surprise was the best example of that.
Magnus tuned slightly towords Pit and Dark Pit with his sword still slung over his sholder and tilted his head towords the pile the centurions were creating.
"You to, feather boys." he said.
"Featherboys?" Pit began before he was shoved off in the direction of the equipment pile by Dark Pit, stopping him from starting another comeback war.
As Pit and Dark Pit stripped down to their shorts along with the rest of the centurions Pit mumbled to his companion
"What exactly does he think weare gonna get out of this?"
Before Dark Pit could respond, Magnus's sword came spinning from behind them to impale itself in the groud a foot away from where it was standing. He promptly recoiled from the waepon with a look of shock on his face and gritted teeth.
"Because captain" Magns began from behind them as they all truned round to face him "it doesn't matter how good you are with a sword, how well you can swing a club or evn cast the most powerful spells" he said throwing histwo bbots into the pile for added emphisis "if you can't fight with just the natural gifts you were born with" he contunied unstrapping his various belts and removing his top which were also added to the pile "there's no point you being warrior let alone serving under the goddess of light herself."
"This is where our little demonstration comes in." Magnus said smiling "if we can show these fine gentleman here" he said waving his arm at the gathered centurions while still looking at Pit "a little sparring with the improvisation of unarmed combat beween two very different opponents, the will glimpse the true nature of battle and have some thing to build on." he finished, his smile becoming a knowing one.
"Well put." Dark Pit remarked shoving Pit towards Magnus
Pit was caught momentarily off guard but went with the shove to walk up and face Magnus with a duel distance between them.
"The rest of you form paralell lines to the sides of us, and stand back, wouldn't want your captain to go flying in to any of you." Magnus said grinning.
"Oh, now it is on." Pit replied returning the grin as he jumped sllightly on the spot before entering a fighting stance with agnusdoing the same.
"Remeber this is light sparring only so that means its over when the other person looses conciousness" Magnus said
"I like your idea of 'light' sparring" Dark Pit remarked
"And that means" Magnus continued "that there cannot be any- hey wait what's that?!" Magnus finished rising out of his stance slightly and pointing off into the distance behind Pit.
"Wah?" Pit said confused turning around while keeping his feet still in the same place.
Magnus grinned braodly as he suddenly charged at Pit full pelt.
***
Twilight Sparkle sat at the desk in her room, as usual on said desk there lay a book. This one had been particualry intersting to Twilight as it was focused soly around magical theory. Every sentance in it was purly speculation about the larger and far smaller details of magic from the greatest magical theorits in Equestian history, abstract theories that they developed on the smallest piece of evidence after they had completed their more famous works. Everything from Starswirl the Bearded's attempts to pinpoint the limitations and causes of magical fields to Chatterbox the Mads theories regarding theexistance of 'anti magic'. It was her kind of fiction, specultion bout the wondorous art of spellcraft. Wait, was it even fiction if it could be true? Twilight wondered. It didn't matter exactly, she still enjoyed every word of it.
"Twilight! Are you coming for breakfast?" called the voice of Spike.
Twilight smiled to herself closing the book. "Coming Spike" she replied.
Twilight trotted down from her room into the libarys kitchen to be greeted with the table layered for her with her number one assitsant standing on a box frying something in pan over the cooker. He was seriousabout this activity Twilight could tel,l because he was wereing his best cooking apron.
Spike was suprisingly good at cooking and his skills had only improved as he had almost egerly accepted cooking duites for him and Twilight, which she was happy to let him do. The result was the tasty looking morning salad he had made her this morning.
She sat down and began to dig in. "Did you sleep well last night?" she asked.
"As deep and as well as ever." he repilied with a smile and a turn of his head.
"Whatcha making now?"
"Sunnyside eggs-Spike style. Want some?"
"Spike style?" Twilight said with a smile and a raised eyebrow.
Spike grinned as he pivotted on his box to show Twilight the contents of the pan. In it were two normal sized eggs, cooked golden but cut crudly to resemble a profile of Spike's head.
"Originality is the keystone in the best chefs skill." he said proudly while still moving the eggs around in the pan with the spatula in his hand to keep them from burning.
Twilight shoock her head while still smiling.
"As long as it doesn't effect the taste like it has your ego" she said as he turned back to the range.
Once the eggs were served up, they began to tuck in, Twilight with her salad and egg hybrid dish and spike with his egg and toast with a side of gems with milk.
"Spike do you have to eat with your mouth open?" Twilight asked rehtoically to spike with a friendly frown on her face.
"It's more comfortable." Spike insisted.
"Rarity won't be impressed." Twilightcommented returning to eat her food casually. Spike perked up slightly at the mention of his crush with a slight blush on his face. Twlight giggled at this. Just then the dragon took on an expression of shock tha was familiar to twlight as he put his hands over his mouth and burped up a scroll in his usual way.Then several things happened at the same time. Spike in the shock of having an enchanted scroll reform in his stomoch expelled the scroll along with the milk from the mouthful he had just ingeted but out of his nose with the scroll coming out of his mouth. The duel action of his body rejecting these forign objects casued the dragon to tumble of his seat to the floor with a cry. The scroll was promptly soaked by the expelled milk and then recived a seond dose of milk by landing in the remains of spikes bowl of gems. Twilight laughed harder at the first two events but quietened down when she saw where thescroll now sat. Picking it up in her magic while eyeing with a hint of digust she broke the seal while beginning to read it.
"I wnder what the princess needs?"
"She needs better timing." replied Spike getting up with one arm on the table.
Twilight registered this with a titter before turning to the letter proper.
"What does it say Twilight?"
Twilight had become completley focused on the letter. Her expreesion was one of concerned curioisity with a slight frown and her mouth slightly agape.
"Twilight?" Spike said with more concern in his voice.
Twilight put down the letter and looked straight at Spike.
"Spike we need to go the see the others, the libary will be closed today."
***
Pit fell hook, line and sinker for the clasic distraction Magnusad employed, he only had a few seconds to turn around again with a resigned look of defeat on his face before the haymaker Magnus had charged at him with connected with the side ogf his head.
Pit went flying backwards and landed hard on his back. This was accompanyed by the centurions present to collectivly flinch and grimice.
"Ohhhhhhh, that's gotta hurt" remarked Dark Pit.
"Lesson 1: Your opponent should be all that you focus on, the battle's only over until you land the last blow." Magnus stated.
Pit flipped back onto his feet a scowl and a hand on his face.
"A cheap shot..."
"But still an effective one. You left yourself completly open to attack and I merely took the invitation." Magnus returned
"Lesson learned!" Pit shouted as he threw himself back at magnus.
Pit feigned a ground assult as Magnus grabbed for him. Pit leaped over the failed grapple, jumping over Magnus and delivering a back kick to the back of his head.
Magnus grunted spnning around and launching another blow. Pit dodged this by leaping back further until they were now facing each other again but from the opposite positions they started in.
They both breathed slightly heavy than normal as they stood each other down again. Magnus was stronger than Pit but he was far more agile. It was a cleiche match up but that was probberbly why Magnus had insisted on it, a text book example with no weapons would clearly allow fot the troops to see how the combatants utilised their gifts propperly.
They both rushed each other again. Pi leaped over Magnus again but gaining more height. Magnus expected this and had slowed down slightly before he met Pit. He reached up with his and and grabbed Pit by the ankle. Pit registered the grab to late. Magnus spun round to face Pit bringing him down to the ground that he was directly above. Pt hit the ground hard but braced himself with his arms. He quickly recovered from the fall from by rolling around to the side of Magnus and while crouching, strock magnus in the ribbs with his hand in a spear shape. Magnus grunted in pain as he struck the nerve cluster and swung his arm round in a blind slap in return. Pit took the blow sliding back slightly before rushing Magnus again. Magnus was taken by suprise slightly as Pit managed to get a few punches in to his gut. Raising his guard Magnus easilty blocked the remainder of the punches that Pit delivered. Seeing his flurry was loosing his time window Pit flared his wings ready to dash away. However Magnus had other ideas and side swiped his last punch asdide while grabbing it as the same time. Pit struggled against the grip in vain as Magnus jabbed him in the face before swinging him completly over his head and back down to the earth. Pit was throughrally dazed by the amount of personal timehe had been spending with the ground at the moment and so didn't try the best he could to get back up when Magnus slammed his foot back down into his chest. Pit struggled a more in vain against the foot made of rock on his chest butitpushed down harder.
Magnus who still had hold of Pit's arm spoke up.
"Lesson 2: When your down, stay down." he grinned "Give up?"
Pit nodded, a pained expression on his face.
Still ginning Magnus faced the crowd which had been joined by some other servants from the palace who wanted to watch the spectacle. "I hope you ladies had been taking notes"
The centurions looked unsure while Dark Pit had a slight smile on his face. He then noticed the spectating servants in the stands and in the group of centurions.
"Hey, don't you all have some serving to do?" he asked rehoriaclly to them. THey all perked up at this and scurried off back to their duties with apoloiges and "yes captain"s. Dark Pit turned back to the victorious Magnus and his defeated counterpart when he caught Pit's eyes. His gaze was focused on him and he had a smile on his face that didn't look nearlty as pained as it had been earlier.
"You people can come back actually" he said to the servants over his shoulder who hestitaed slightly but returned to their postions with looks of cinfusion on their faces.
"You guys better pay attention too" he said addressing the centurions who also shared looks of confusion but complied anyway.
Magnus frowned but qiuckly realised what implications this had. He was too late to bring his foot back off Pit as he grabbed it throwing it off his chest. Magnus's foot made contact with the ground as Pit used the ridgiity Magnus had applied to it to swing his own feet round at Magnus's ther foot. Magnus had not expected this, thinking Pit would try and exploit the hold he had used on Pit with his foot, instead Pit was using his own defense to attack his other leg. Pit did just that and with gusto, Magnus's leg was swept from right underneath him and quickly lost his balance. Pit swung back up into a standing position while Magnus was still falling, he helped him along by bringing his elbow down into his chest and carrying him to the ground. Magnus grunted far louder in pain and followed this up with a gowl and thrashing his limbs around ina cordinated patterns in order to try and grab his oppnent again. Pit dashed out of his range again and waited until he bagan to get up to his feet. Pit dodged to the side of Magnus but qucickly switched his direction again as Magnus brought up his arms in a dfensive postion to his side to counter Pits attack. Pit was now facing a momnetarily open Magnus who spun his head around to recover himself. Piy took his chance raising his open palms up and simulatanously hitting Magnus on the sides of the head on the ears. The air tha this trapped within Magnus's ear cavities along with the oddity of the attack at this instant completly disorentated Magnus. He brought up his left arm up to his ringing ear while croaching and raising his other before his face, taking a steadfast and defensive stance. Pit suddenly began backing up, still facing Magnus.
"What's the captain doing?" asked a fighter to her partner.
"Just watch." Dark Pit commented not taking his eyes of Pit.
The fighter looked at him curiously.
"But sir, he's, isn't he running away?" she asked very confused.
"No" Dark Pit replied turning to her with a smile "He's finishing him off"
Pit suddenly began running at Magnus again faster than before. He gritted his teeth as he drew nearer and nearer to Magnus. The crumpled warrior only registered a white blur coming at him and he smiled slightly.
"Not bad kid." he muttered with a pained grin.
Pit reached a couple of meters in front of Magnus before he sparkeled a momentary shade of puce before he was laaunched into the air by a rush of power.
The crowd stared in a mild sense of awe.
"Mmmm, wouldn't really consider Sky Jump a gift you were born with, Pit...." Dark Pit mumbled
Pit went flying through the air and began to decend when above Magnus, still with an expression of determination on his face.
Pit landed squarley on Magnus's upperback with both his feet. Pit imediatly flipped of Magnus on to one knee as Magnus shoke slightly as his head rose back up showing his dazed and pained expression to the crowd. He then slumped to the side, throurghly unconciousness as Pit stood up and turned on his heels to face the crowd.
"Lesson 3: It's not over till it's over." he said with a grin on his faceand his arms spread wide, triumphantly to the crowd.
The ceturions began to cheer their captain and the servants still looked on in awe whith some smiling and also joining the centurions cheer. Dark Pit stood with his arms folded and a smart smile on his face.
"Class dismissed" he suddenly cried to the crowd who began to disperse.
***
"I really don't see what the fus isall about, darling."
Rarity commented as Twlight paced in front of her friends who had all gathered in the libary.
"Rarity's rite Twilight" Applejack chimed in "The princess is worried abou somethin' sure, but that don't mean you need all of your sceincy stuff." She saidd pointing to the large whuring machines behind Twilight.
Twilight had had Spike move most of the contents of her basement laboratory in to the landing of the libary, he had needed bribing to do such a large undertaking as many of the machines seemed to have been designed to be heavy. He was now sleeping off the aches and bruises in his basket upstairs. While he had done the heavy lifting, Twilight had gone to round up the other elements to rely the news to everyone.
"I know they can be" Twilight looked at the metal monstocities that virtually blocked the back end of the house. "big." she said, for lack of a better word "but they can help me paint more of a picture of this area." she finished adjusting the modified specrometers connection to her own telescope that was positioned out of the window.
"Paint a picture of what exactly?" Rainbow asked rubbing her cheek while hovering near one of the machines, eyeing it suspicously.
"Well, in lamens terms, the 'order' of ponyville." Twilight replied.
"Which entails..." Rarity led her.
"You know, magic flow, star light patterns, magic use feedback, that kinds thing."
"And you'll thing this is nessesary cus the princess had a bad inclin' towords some 'threat'?" Applejack said with unconvinced emphise put on threat.
"Look, I know you may thing this might be excessive" Rainbow snorted to which Applejack responded wih a small glare "but
Celestia seemed really off when I spoke to her."
"The Princess came here?" Rarity probed.
"Yeah, she thought it was actually urgent enough." Twilight adopted a more concerned expression. "And it was after when we got the letter. In fact almost straight after."
"Oh, was she sure everything was okay?" Fluttershy asked curiously.
"No she was just really unsettled. And she even brushed me off when I asked her about it." Twilight finished in a more offended tone.
"That's why thought it was necessary for all this." She finished, sweeping a hoof for emphasis until she stopped mid gesture when she caught a glimpse of Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie, that's expensive tech. Cut that out!"
Pinkie had been busy twanging aerials, pulling leavers and pushing red buttons.
"Sorry Twilight, there's just so many flashing lights!" She said gleefully while jumping down and staring back up at the machine displays.
Twilight shook her head. "I should've known something was up. You were quiet for more than five minutes." Chimed Rainbow.
A titter spread amongst the ponies with Pinkie leading when one of the machines began rumbling and clicking more vigorously than normal and churned out a graphs that quickly began piling on the floor.
Twilight pounced on the heap like a poised cat and began speed reading through the apparent 'data' on the sheets. Her friends looked on curiously.
They felt a building sense of trepidation as the violet mare's face became intrigued then full of obvious worry.
Applejack stepped over and tapped her friends shoulder.
"Err, a translation if ya please sugarcube." She said glancing at the meaningless squiggles on the page.
"Ummm, yeah." Twilight began, her thoughts compiling the findings into a conclusion.
"The Princess had every right to be worried." She began turning to the others with the sheets in her hooves and the sane worried look on her face. "Because according to this several laws have just been broken....."