//------------------------------// // Phase Three // Story: Semper Pie // by deathtap //------------------------------// "Well, the scores are out," Sonic muttered walking towards the boards at the end of the mess hall. "Three guesses as to whose top of all five categories." Static snorted and shook his head, "Semper Pie, of course." Sure enough, across the board the earth pony's name reigned supreme. Every single category he had utterly dominated in such a way that the nopony was even close to him. The only category where anypony stood a chance at beating Semper was in the crossbow range and that was because despite Semper's immense stamina, physical strength, and intense CQC training, he was capable of missing a bolt or two. "Of course." "Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Static nudged the pegasus. Sonic rolled his eyes. "You know, I want my name up there once. Just once!" "Well, you were unlucky enough to get put into the same group as him. Oh wait, you suck at everything, that's why you're always at the bottom. Why can't you live up to your name, hm?" True enough, the name Sonic Boom was the last name on every, except for one. "Shaddap! At least I'm the fastest flyer... in our group." "Well, you do have that. Too bad that you can't use a crossbow for the life of you, which is why 'top of the group' isn't something to brag about." Static smirked as Sonic growled at him. "Least I'm not at the bottom of CQC drills," Sonic muttered quietly. This time it was Static's turn to growl. "How is it that we're still the booger group with Semper on top of every single group?" Misty Skies announced shaking her head. The pegasus turned around and faced the others in her group, "We're a disgrace! A disgrace I tell ya! Look! In every single category none of us have managed to come in the top ten except Semper! Marksmanship? CQC? Academics? I mean, look at that! None of us even made it in the top twenty positions! Don't lie, I have a rough idea what your ID numbers are. That means you too, Static." "... but I am up there," the unicorn whispered, blushing a little. "Not to mention PT! And Close-order drills? Forget about it! We're the clumsiest bunch of oafs out there." Misty sighed, "We're a bunch of miserable failures." "But we're not that bad when it comes to magic and flying!" somepony from the back shouted. "Yeah, the only two categories that Semper can't participate in." Everypony looked at the columns in silence, especially the seventh and final column at the far end. That was the all important group rankings. Six groups this year and according to the older members this was the biggest group they have ever had, twice as many as usual. Traditionally they were named after colors. This time they were named after the so-called Elements of Harmony, the fabled elements that had protected Equestria from Nightmare Moon many eons ago. Although the mares did not seem to mind, the stallions all hated their respective names, with the exception of two groups. Loyalty and Magic. Right now the leading group was still Generosity, followed by Laughter and Honesty. Magic was next and after that came Kindess. Loyalty stayed predominantly at the very bottom of the pile. Semper's group. "Say, where is he anyway?" Sonic asked looking around. "Who? Semper? Dunno." Most of their group were there, but nowhere did they find the blue earth stallion in question. "Hey, Muddy," Static shouted to the brown unicorn standing near the front of the board. Muddy was his nickname because during the week on training her had tripped and slid across the grass, somehow making it all the way to the obstacle course and falling into a deep mud puddle. That wouldn't have been so bad -- if he had not been in formal attire on his way to a date with one of the civilians on his hall for some chow. His real name was Tourmaline, and he was exceptional at keeping tabs on the troop. "Blue Boy's with the PCP," he shouted before Misty started going off on another tirade. "PCP?" Sonic asked. Static shrugged, "Not a clue." "Move it, move it, move it!" Shouted the Sorcery Sergeant at the bunch of recruits in the pit below him. "What? You think you're at the spa, you fat slobs? Do you think that you're here on holiday? You disgust me more than a bunch of bog slugs! Move your flanks before I flood the trenches and wash out you sorry excuse for ponies!" "Sir, yes, sir!" seven ponies shouted at once out of breath. Semper was amongst them having been enlisted to help do drills with some of the lesser performing Border Guard recruits. The PCP, the Physical Conditioning Ponies group, eloquently nicknamed the Pretty Chunky Ponies group, were a bunch of equines that were unable to meet the minimum satisfactory level of the Border Guard's strict and gruesome fitness requirements. After their third month in, it was time to weed out the ponies that could not commit. Right now it was down to three mares and four stallions, all of whom failed to complete the obstacle course within the acceptable time twice. The next time was their last chance. If they failed, they were out, whether they wanted to be or not. Pain saw as a mare at the back started struggling. He watched with growing irritation as the rhythm of her hooves stomping on the ground started slowing and she was being overtaken by the rest of her group. "Don't slow down there, Spittoon! Don't you dare slow down on me, private!" Pain shouted. "I see you slowing down, private! You better not be slowing down or help me Celestia I am going to come over there and give you a lesson in CQC you will never forget!" "This... this is too much," the light purple mare panted as she kicked through a puddle of water in front of her. She was cold, shivering from both exhaustion and the near ice-like temperature of the water being rained on them from above. It was painful. It was horrible. She was freezing, the area around her hooves felt numb, her ears and nose felt like they were going to break off of her body, and her eyes stung from the tears that formed in them. She galloped a few more steps, slipped and fell headfirst into the ground. She raised her head seeing the last of her group disappear around the corner and out of sight. She looked down and closed her eyes tightly thinking about how she was going to explain to her mother that she had failed. How was she going to explain that she had to give up her dream of being a Border Guard? That was all she ever wanted in her entire life. She wanted her mother to be proud of her. Still, a part of her felt relief. Relief that it was almost all over. Soon she would get to sleep in, eat whenever she wanted, go out whenever she wanted, return to her old life... And yet, why did it hurt so much? Why didn't that life appeal anymore? "Get up." The voice stopped her train of thought dead in its tracks. She raised her head and standing there in the rain was a dark blue pony. He reached out to her with his hoof. "S-S-Semper, sir? I... I can't..." Semper gripped the mare on her shoulder and knelt down in front of her, "What's your name?" She gazed into those cold, steel-like eyes and couldn't help but shudder. "E-Emerald Sheen..." "Do you love this kingdom?" "Yes." "What?" "Yes! Yes I do!" "Then are you willing to do what it takes to make sure that its safe? Are you going to make sure that those who live within her borders are secure? Are you? Are you!" Semper shouted in her face. "Yes! Yes I am!" "Then why are you lying down here? Are you giving up?" Semper pulled the mare to her hooves. "Never!" "Then what were you doing?" "Just slipped, sir!" Semper nodded. "Good. Let's go." Major watched the two ponies as they thundered down the trenches and beyond his sight. A small, barely noticeable smile appeared on his lips. "I've never seen you looking so happy, Sergeant. Something good happen?" At once he stood at attention, "Ma'am, no, ma'am." "Really?" she stood next to him, her green poncho keeping her dry from the fake rain above them. "And how is our number one earth pony Guard doing?" "Ma'am, he's doing better than most of the other recruits, ma'am," Pain relied. "Ma'am, he's already been promoted-" "I know. Private First Class for his reloading technique." The Sorcery Sergeant remained at attention as First Sergeant Ruby Flame looked on. "He's got leadership material in him. I want him to join the others in our special group." "But, Ma'am, his plate is already full as it is. Anymore and it could be-" Pain silenced himself as Ruby stopped and turned around on him. "I mean, ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Ruby lips formed a small smile of her own as she turned her back on the Sorcery Sergeant, "You're getting soft. For a moment there I thought I detected a hint of concern in your voice." "Ma'am, permission to speak freely, ma'am." "Granted." "Ma'am, Private First Class Semper Pie is already taking on three regiments in CQC from the Day Guard, the Night Guard and the Border Guard. He is also leading four different PT routines, including the PCP and attends all classes pertaining to everything from ship maintenance and mechanics to medical-" "I understand, Sergeant, but I have full confidence that Semper Pie is more than capable. From what I hear, he's been very exceptional on all counts, and if he has to drop several of the CQC courses then so be it." "Ma'am, that will isolate him from the rest of his group, ma'am." "We're not here to make friends, Sergeant." "Yes, ma'am." "He is a fine example of a Border Guard, and I intend to reap the crop we sow in this one." Ruby Flame turned and started to walk away. "Still, let's see how he does under more... realistic scenarios." "Aye, aye, ma'am," Pain saluted knowing exactly what the First Sergeant meant. "... the optimal position of firing your crossbow is in the prone position as we can see from Corporal Golden Glow. Corporal, if you please." A large beige unicorn with yellow stripes on his legs and neck saluted. He turned around and lay on the ground, balanced the middle of an especially long crossbow over his left forehoof, took aim and fired. It sailed through the air and hit it near the center. "Range?" Glitter asked. "Ma'am, three hundred yards, ma'am." "Think you can do better, Semper?" Semper stood up at once when his name was called, "Ma'am, no, ma'am. Ma'am, this stallion does not know how to fire a crossbow in the prone position properly, ma'am!" Glitter nodded, "Are you just saying that because you're tired of stealing the show?" At that the blue stallion just blinked, "Ma'am?" "Never mind. Sit. High Cloud, get your flank over here and try." "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" the dark red pegasus shouted and ran over to the crossbow and threw herself onto the ground. She took care to line up her shot and fired. It missed completely. "Did you compensate for the wind?" "Ma'am, no, ma'am!" "Why? Isn't that one of the first things you learned when you picked up the crossbow?" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am. Ma'am, this filly feels rather silly, ma'am!" Glitter narrowed her eyes, "Are you trying to be funny, private?" "Ma'am, no, ma'am." "You better not be. Sit. Semper. Think you got it?" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" "Good. Now you try." Semper trotted over to the crossbow and lay flat on the ground. He closed his left eye and peered down the sight, lined up the shot and fired. The bolt soared through the sky and hit the target. It was nowhere near the center, but the fact that he had hit it on his first try made Golden and Glitter both raise their respect eyebrows. As Golden took back the crossbow, he thought that this stallion was lucky to be able to pull a three hundred yard shot like that with no experience. He was about to blame it on beginner's luck when Semper finished reloading the bow and aimed. "You may fire, Semper," Glitter stated after realizing he was waiting for her word. He fired it. Every single pony's eyes were on the bolt as it soared through the air and once again hit the target, this time closer to the middle than his previous attempt, but not closer than Golden's first shot. "How are you compensating for the wind, private?" Glitter asked still looking at the target in the distance. "Ma'am, I am looking at the movement of the trees behind the target, ma'am!" "The trees?" Golden asked incredulously. He was using his magic to help him. The wind's angle and speed were part of his specialty. His Cutie Mark was a gold coin in a cross-hair for Celestia's sake. How does a non-magical earth pony do what he spent two months learning and only after watching him fire the bow once? "Explain," Glitter demanded. At that, Semper just scratched his head. "Ma'am, it's a... um... feeling that I have, ma'am. Ma'am, this stallion is afraid that he cannot explain, ma'am." "Cannot?" "Ma'am, no, ma'am!" Glitter raised an eyebrow. "Alright, the rest of you file in. I want everypony hitting that target by the end of today! Anypony who fails is doing extra laps with Semper this evening!" "Wow. I'm impressed. So this is the guy that's been in the papers lately. Has he been giving you Royal Guards a hard time?" Far Eye asked looking at the reports. The white pegsus next to him shrugged, "Yep. That's him. He's been causing problems in the south for weeks now. The Day Guard have their hooves full dealing with this guy. Meanwhile the Night Guard have been dealing with foalnappings throughout that same area. We think that this guy's the leader of a bunch of cultists, and from what those reports it's got something to do with Nightmare Moon." "That old pony's tale? Ponies still take that seriously?" Far Eye shook his head, "Aren't they a little old for that?" "You say that, and yet we have an immortal princess living in our capitol that we would gladly lay down our lives for that commands us to defend her kingdom, right Jade?" Glitter shouted to the light green-blue unicorn at the far end of the bar. Jade looked up from her drink and nodded with a friendly smile before her attention returned to her drink. "What is she doing here?" Far Eye whispered to Glitter. Glitter was not sure, and did not really want to know. The fact that both Jade and Whisper were there meant that something big was going down. They don't send a couple of elites like them to a training camp for no reason. They were legends within the Royal Guard. "Were there any casualties from... this guy?" Glitter asked picking up a photo of the offending 'alicorn'. "Thankfully, no, and his name's Porch Light, although he calls himself The Shadow. His attacks seem to be more like warnings, but our orders are clear. He needs to be put down." "I somehow doubt that Princess Celestia would allow that kind of thing to happen, Whisper," Glitter pointed out. "Hey, I just telling you what our orders are," Whisper replied defensively. "Plus we both know that the Day and Night Guard answer to Princess Celestia directly. The Border Guard aren't so lucky. They answer to the House of Lords, and we know how... 'gentle' they can be when it comes to matters like these." Far Eye picked up a photo that Glitter had been going over and studied it. "Wait. He's a unicorn, right? So, what are his wings made of?" "An unlucky pegasus." That made the pegasus drop the picture out of reflex and disgust, "There's something wrong with some ponies aren't there? At least in the BG we don't have to deal with annoying separatist scum. I feel for you Royal Guards having to deal with these weirdos. Seems like the only action you see is when a pony's gone bad and you-" "This guy's crossed over into Zebrica where rumor is that he's planning on raising some sort of army." Everypony looked over to the white mare with the gray, four pointed star-shape on her forehead. She sighed and took a long pull from her glass. "It became the Border Guard's problem yesterday." "Oh, gee. Thanks." Far Eye turned away and angrily slammed his cider down on the bar. "Why is it that we get put in whenever you don't finish something?" "Oh, you mean like when you fail to stop something get into Equestria and the Royal Guard has to go out there and find it?" At that, Far Eye blushed and turned away, "Yeah..." "Don't worry, we'll clean this one up for you. After all, we wouldn't want to get your mane dirty." Far Eye glared at the Royal Guard, but all Whisper did was smile back. "Whisper, we're not supposed to talk about our mission like this," Jade said walking over to the others and putting the contents back into the file. "Now you tell me?" Jade ignored Whisper and walked back to her seat. "So... what are you doing later tonight, fly boy?" Whisper purred leaning against Far Eye, who just gulped. "Nice bout, Semper," Glitter said as the rest of the group wrapped up their training. "Ma'am, thank you, ma'am," Semper shouted saluting. "Ma'am, this recruit wishes to express his thanks for your hard work and training, ma'am." "You're welcome. I want you to stay behind. I have a couple of friends who wish to meet you." "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" "Oh girls!" Glitter sounded once the last of the other recruits left the training hall. Out walked the white pegasus and the greenish-blue unicorn. They walked towards Glitter and Semper. Suddenly the pegasus spread her wings and with an impossible explosion of speed, the white mare surged towards Semper as fast as her wings could carry her. Her body motioned for a straight right into his face. Not expecting the sudden attack, Semper reacted as best her could by pushing himself backwards to reduce the impact of the blow, as he had been taught. Move with the impact, Semper heard Glitter's voice say in the back of his mind. After hours and hours of CQC drilling it was almost second nature to him now. He made to block the incoming punch to his face by crossing his forehooves across his exposed maw. The impact did come, but it wasn't where he expected. The blow was to his stomach as the white mare had switched direction in midair after Semper had protected his face and cut off eye contact. He felt her knee push into his gut. He could feel the air being forced out of him. He let out a deafening roar, forcing his stomach muscles to constrict. The pain evaporated and the feeling of breathlessness ceased. Semper planted his rear hooves firmly into the ground forcing the two of them to come to a sliding halt, but before he could react the white pegasus delivered a resounding right hook across his face. The warm, iron taste of blood flooded his mouth. He took a step back... and saluted. "Ooh. I like him. He's strong," Whisper whispered as she grinned at him. She began to walk around the blue stallion sizing him up in a variety of ways. "Enough," came a voice from behind Semper. "Why didn't you fight back, private?" "Ma'am, this recruit knows when it is time to fight, ma'am. Ma'am, if we were to fight one of us would not be walking away from here, ma'am." "You're confident you can beat her?" Ruby asked raising an eyebrow. "Ma'am, no, ma'am." At that, Whisper giggled. "Ooh. I like him even more now. Strong and fearless. You would fight me knowing fully that you wouldn't be the one walking away?" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am. Ma'am, if this Guard was ordered to he would, ma'am!" "Even though you know you'd most probably die in the process?" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Whisper finished circling around the stallion and put her face inches from his, "Aw, he's such a cutie. Why don't you join the Royal Guard. There are a lot of other earth ponies there. You deserve a place with those that appreciate you." "Whisper, I would appreciate it if you'd stop trying to recruit one of my Guards into yours," Ruby said. The white mare backed off and saluted, "Was just testing his resolve, ma'am." "I'm sure you were." Ruby looked at the earth pony who was bleeding a little from the corner of his mouth, "Semper, you are going to escort myself these ladies to the eastern border where you will watch and learn how they take down a wanted criminal. You are not a fully trained Guard... yet." "Ma'am, yes, ma'am." Ruby nodded and turned around. "We will leave in a few hours. Meet us at dock seven at twenty hundred hours." "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" "There you are," Whisper muttered looking through her binoculars into the distance. They were sitting on an rocky outcrop that pierced the jungle foliage. From here they had a clear vantage over the valley where the suspect had last been seen. "Do we really have to kill him? He's so cute!" "Cute, and extremely dangerous." Ruby picked up her own binoculars and looked in the general direction of a large copse that lay next to a rushing river. The Shadow had several unicorns with him positioned in a wide circle around a few other ponies and zebras. It was clear that they were behind held there against their will. They also observed a small cage with a couple Border Guards to one sad. They looked in pretty bad shape. There had been reports of a couple Border Guards going MIA from a nearby checkpoint, and there was a high probability that these were what was left of them. Next to that were a few other ponies chained up to each other while another creature, this one dressed in long robes inspected them. The way it was walking looked to be a bipedal beast, perhaps a diamond dog or a minotaur. It was impossible to tell from this distance. "Semper, you know what they are?" Whisper asked, rubbing her body against his. "Ma'am, slavers, ma'am." The white mare pushed herself even closer to the stallion, "I always get real excited before action. Do you? Is that why you're such a good Border Guard?" "Ma'am, no, ma'am," Semper replied. "Do you want me? I would let you do it right now if you like. Just beg," Whisper said licking Semper's face. The stallion did not bat an eyelid. "Whisper, I want you to find yourself a comfortable position above the target in the clouds. Jade, you will cause a distraction, that ought to divert their attention long enough while I free the prisoners. When they are free Whisper will take out the target. Understood?" Jade nodded, Whisper smiled. "Semper, you stay here and take notes. We don't know how an earth pony will perform under these kind of situations, so the more you can learn from this experience, the better off you will be. You will remain here, is that understood?" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" "Under no circumstance must you leave this place, understood?" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" "Do not step off of this rock." "Ma'am, yes, ma'am." "Zaku, you're in charge here," Ruby said to their Zebrican guide. "I will do as you say," the Zebra replied, "but only because you pay." With that, all three mares vanished into the dense jungle. It had taken two days to get to Zebrica on one of the Border Guards' fastest ships, and it had taken a little under a day to track down and find the target, thanks to some very skillful tracking by the Zebrican tracker. Semper had absorbed the knowledge hungrily, learning how to differentiate between various hoof prints, how to tell where something was going, or how long ago something had gone by. "Will you really not follow, Tai Jicho?" the guide asked Semper. "After them you will not go?" The stallion narrowed his eyes, "Orders are orders. I must obey." "Will you really stay here and wait, while you leave your friends to their fate?" At that Semper did not reply, he just stared at the cultists from where he stood and narrowed his eyes. The zebra smirked knowingly. He was Tai Jicho. The Eagle Eye. He would stay and witness a miracle. "How could you miss?" Ruby shouted at a badly wounded Whisper. Three bolts were embedded deep in the pegasus' rear leg and one in her upper thigh rendering her incapable of walking. Coupled with the fact that she had landed badly after being tackled by three of the pegasus cultists that had broken her wing in two places, the bone sticking through her skin. A lesser pegasus would have been screaming in agony. She was, however, a Border Guard. Things like this happened. "He had pegasi followers, ma'am," Whisper said limping. "Took all four of them out, ma'am..." "That doesn't help if you're going to bleed out on me." Ruby heard no sarcastic nip from Whisper. "Keep talking, confound you! You better not die on me, Corporal!" Ruby shouted. Whisper's eyes opened wide. "I need a stallion..." Despite their situation, Ruby flashed a smirk on the corner of her lips. She pulled the injured mare through the jungle, the chaos behind her from Jade's distraction was now calming down. The other cultists would be back soon and they needed to be gone before then. They needed to be well away before they returned. Sadly, the prisoners would have to wait, it would help nopony if they got captured. On and on Ruby pulled Whisper through the thick jungle using her magic to move branches out of their way. She allowed herself a moment to relax, but in the silence that followed she heard a series of loud snaps of twigs breaking behind her followed quickly by the sound of galloping hooves. "Whisper, we're going to have to move. Can you run?" "I-I'll try..." They began to trot slowly, Whisper grimacing every time she had to use her leg. It was slow going, not only because of the injured mare's condition, but the jungles was hampering their progress. They were smashing everything out of their way making it easier for their pursuers to follow. Suddenly Ruby stopped while gritting her teeth in frustration. "What? What?" Whisper bemoaned not knowing why they had come to a sudden stop. "Marsh. We can't cross this by hoof. We'd be in a lot of trouble," Ruby replied searching for another solution. To her right was a very steep slope that had sparse foliage. It would be dangerous to try to go that way with Whisper in her condition. To her left was the river. She could probably swim across, but was not sure about Whisper who was starting to lose consciousness due to her current condition. Yet the worst way was straight ahead. Even though it looked like steady ground, Ruby knew very well that it was marsh. Experience had taught her that it was unwise to cross it on hoof and if they tried they would become crossbow fodder. Where was Jade? "There! I see them!" a voice shouted from behind. "Don't let them escape! They will be sacrifices for the Eternal Night!" another shouted. "L-leave me," Whisper said pushing Ruby away. "I'll hold them off for as long as I can..." Ruby shook her head, "I'm not leaving a mare behind. We stay and fight." At that the pegasus smiled, "Affirmative." Ruby's horn glowed a bright red hue and the ground in front of her erupted into flames. Broken twigs and sticks turned into projectiles of fire that she flung at deadly speeds towards the cultists. Some of the unicorns with quicker reflexes formed barriers of magic that deflected the deadly attacks, others ducked behind trees, but a few were not fast enough to do either. They moved no more. A barrage of magic fired at the two Guards. Whisper spread her one good wing and pulled a powerful gust sending leaves and dirt up into the air providing them with a screen. "To the river!" Ruby shouted. The two of them rushed towards it and dove in. Whisper groaned in pain as the water washed over her open wounds. Unable to fight the current, the two ponies found themselves being carried downriver. "Whisper!" Ruby struggled to keep her head up out of the water, and if she was struggling then it did not bode well for the injured pegasus. Ducking underneath the surface, Ruby spotted Whisper floating underwater with her eyes tightly shut, blood billowing from her wounds. Swimming against the current, Ruby slowed down enough for Whisper to catch up with her. The sudden feeling of being touched snapped the pegasus awake and the two of them swam upwards towards the surface. Air. Lovely air. The feeling of it rushing into their lungs seemed to renew life in them, even if for a brief moment. "There!" somepony shouted from the shore of the river. "How did they get there so fast?" Whisper asked as she coughed water from her mouth. "Teleport." "Then teleport us!" the pegasus screeched. "Can't. Too... too tired," Ruby admitted. Teleporting took a lot of magic to perform. Bolts of magic fired out of the jungle splashing the water around them. The cultists were intent on injuring the mares, to punish them for what they had tried to do. Ruby felt a few beams of their magic hit her as she tried to shield Whisper with her body. Just when things were starting to look bleak, an explosion erupted from ahead of them. A tree fell across the river and at its base was a green-blue unicorn. Jade had blown the trunk with her magic causing the tree to collapse. Ruby lunged for a long branch with her mouth, grabbing it tightly in between her teeth. Seeing this, Whisper struggled to help the First Sargeant by finding a branch of her own, but her body was not listening to her. She had lost too much blood and was starting to feel dizzy. "Come on!" Jade shouted. Across the river the cultists had caught up and were still attacking them. Jade formed a bubble of lime-green light around them and walked into the water. The shield was preventing the cultists from hitting them with their magic. "The barrier won't last long," Jade admitted. "It's better than nothing," Ruby replied and pulled herself out of the water. Without wasting any more time, the three mares quickly made their way into the jungle once again getting away from the exposed area next to the river. "How... how did you get ahead of us?" Ruby asked Jade who was bringing up the rear. "Jumped into the water and swam across. Part of my diversion plan. Didn't expect Whisper getting caught," Jade muttered the last part. "We didn't know they had pegasi watching them from above. They found Whisper..." Jade nodded, "I know. I saw it. How's her wing, ma'am?" "Not good. We need to get her some medical attention and quick." Ruby paused for a moment to catch her breath. "Let's head back towards camp. We can plan another rescue when-" Ruby never got to finish her sentence as she suddenly found herself on the ground with a heavy weight on her back. Whisper was off to one side trying to fight against somepony, but instantly ceased when a crossbow was lifted up to her face. Jade raised her hooves up in surrender, her face expressionless. The three mares were bound with rope, gagged and blindfolded, their captors being anything but gentle. Whisper kept making comments before she was gagged, to which she made a seductive moan. Ruby knew that the mare was just getting under their coats, messing with their heads. She was defying them in her own way, but it also led to them treating her a little harder than the others. "Move!" a voice shouted followed by a sharp poke to her flank with a pointy object. They did as they were told. Ruby could make out that they were traveling along the river for a bit but before long the sound of the running water faded into the distance. That was when she felt something smack her across the face followed by a chorus of laughter. Her lips stung and she pushed through what felt like a low branch. The sudden change in terrain suggested that they were heading back into the jungle. The unicorn took another step and found herself struggling to keep her balance as she fell to the jungle floor, which was promptly followed by more laughter. Considering how difficult it was to traverse the jungle, with their vision blocked it was nearly impossible. Eventually they came to a stop and their blindfolds were taken off. Ruby stole a glance towards the sun and calculated the average time to try and pinpoint their position. It was impossible without a compass. All she knew was that wherever they were, it wasn't far because the prisoners they had tried to free were now corralled in a wooden cage off to one side of a clearing. Next to that was a large wooden house that was painted in various shades of green. Next to that was a small open shack where a fire was burning. Swords and spears were being tempered there by earth ponies in chains, while a unicorn was heating a branding iron inside the hot forge. That was when Ruby noticed that three ponies were standing with chains around their necks and had unusual scarring over their cutie marks. "Praise is the Night, for she has brought us more followers." The voice stated as the door to the shack opened and out stepped The Shadow. He had a bandage over his chest where Whisper had missed his heart. He walked towards the pegasus and one of the cultists put the back of his spear against the closest puncture wound forcing the mare to the ground. The Shadow stood in front of her, his eyes glaring down at Whisper, "That bolt didn't miss me. Do you know why? It was because Nightmare Moon was protecting me. I am hers to command, and she will never let me die. She had stopped the bolt from piercing my heart because she watches over me. " "I missed because your pegasi, who are dead now, tackled me," Whisper replied looking away from him. She sounded more like she was describing a bad dish at a restaurant, or a poorly crafted dress rather than informing him about an attempted assassination attempt. The Shadow backhoofed her across the face. "You. You will become our plaything, to be used by any who want." Whisper smiled shyly, "Oh, that does sound rather tempting, and I actually might enjoy it if you weren't foalnapping ponies and turning them into slaves." "They are worthless! Weak! They don't deserve the freedom they have! They are scum! You, kill the yellow one!" The Shadow ordered one of the cultists near the prisoners. He did not even show the slightest bit of hesitation. Ruby could not take it anymore and quickly fired a spell from her horn sending the cultist guarding her flying through the air. In that instant, she fired another bolt towards the cultist making his way towards the yellow mare in the cage. She backed away instinctively as the spell hit the cultist sending him through the air as well. He landed heavily. The cultist that was guarding Ruby got up and walked over to her and smacked her with the back of his crossbow. "Hey, Dark Stride, get up. It wasn't that bad," the cultist guard shouted. When there was no sign of any movement he let out a nervous laugh, "Come on, get up. There's no way that should've hurt you." Another cultist walked over to Dark Stride and jumped back. "H-h-he's dead!" "What?" "He's dead!" "What have you done?" The Shadow roared and pointed his horn at Ruby. "For that I will-" Another cultist dropped. Before anypony else could blink, another crumpled to the ground. The Shadow turned around and watched his ponies drop one by one. "What the hay's going on?" Even Ruby did not understand and from Jade's expression, neither did she and that was her specialty. There was utter confusion as some cultists ran for cover while others knelt down and began to pray. In the chaos, Ruby tried to free herself but the ropes were tied too well and she could not see anything to cut them with. She closed her eyes and tried to summon enough power to teleport, but she had used too much strength already and it wasn't enough. She even tried to undo the knots but she couldn't see them properly. "You!" The Shadow stomped over to Ruby, "This is all your fault! I don't know what you did, but I will end this madness with your life!" Ruby pushed herself back as a long blade hovered in front of the crazed stallion, his eyes staring her down as she kept trying to put a distance between herself and The Shadow. He kept on coming with slow deliberate steps, and Ruby kept backing off until she felt the back of her head press against something. A wall. The wooden house where The Shadow lived. She gulped and turned back towards the leader of the cultists. "Now you will die," he said calmly. From the tone of his voice is sounded as if he were making an arbitrary statement about the weather. "Good bye." He raised the blade high above his head and all she could do was stare up in fear. There was nothing she could do. Not magic, no power, consumed by fear in the middle of a Zebrican jungle in the middle of nowhere. "Ruby!" Whisper shouted. Jade fumbled around, trying to find something, anything to use her magic with, but there was nothing. Not even a sharp stick. "Die!" The Shadow shouted. Shutting her eyes tightly, Ruby's life flashed before her eyes. It had been a good one with lots of adventures, lots of fun, good friends and a family that loved her. They would miss her, she understood, and she would be waiting for them on the other side. In the back of her mind she hoped that it would be instant. She heard a grunt and felt a weight on her. The suddenness of it made her open her eyes. The Shadow was lying on top of her, but his head seemed like it was pinned to the wall. Ruby tried to push him off, but he wouldn't budge. Slipping herself out from underneath him, she backed away looked. No not pinned to the wall by his horn. From the side she could see it clearly. A crossbow bolt. "Are you okay?" Whisper asked. Ruby looked around in confusion. The cultists were all lying down on the ground. Those that survived had fled into the jungle. "Dead," Jade announced inspecting one of them. "All of them, it looks like. Clean kills." "But... how?" Whisper asked. Jade pulled out a bolt from the body she was looking over. Who could have fired those bolts? Where did they come from? Ruby searched the jungle expecting to find somepony walking out of it and was not surprised when the Guards who were tied up from before marched through the jungle along with more of the prisoners. "Good shooting," Ruby said as they plopped themselves down. The stallions exchanged looks. "Um... we don't have any crossbows, ma'am." "What?" Indeed, they were completely unhoofed. "Well, if you didn't take them down, then who did?" "Don't know, ma'am. A zebra freed us, ma'am." "Die!" a suddenly shout from above sounded and the ponies looked up and noticed a pegasus doing a suicidal nosedive towards Ruby, a spear pointing right at her. She was a sitting duck and, for the second time that day, did the only thing she could. She braced herself for the inevitable. The cultist's screams ended in a grunt, and he twisted his body around before dropping the spear and landing with a sickening thud on the ground in front of Ruby. It had happened so fast that it took another few seconds for the mare to compose herself. This time the bolt was clearly visible. Straight through the chest and into the heart. There was no way that a pony with a crossbow could have done that from the jungle nearby. There was no way anypony could have had the angle or vantage to see that shot with all the trees covering them. It had to have come from... further away. She looked around and her heart stopped, her breath caught in her throat. Standing on a rocky outcrop on a hill protruding from dense Zebrican jungle stood a solitary figure. Celestia's sun had enveloped him in its embrace and all they saw was his unmistakable silhouette. There was no doubt about it. Those bolts had come from there, the same place where they had left him behind. "Ooh, I think I'm in love," Whisper purred as she saw where Ruby was looking. "He's in big trouble! He was supposed to sit and observe! Not get involved!" "As far as I know, your orders were for him not to move that that spot, ma'am. Not to not help us, ma'am," Jade pointed out. "And big trouble? We'd be in a lot worse situation if it weren't for him, First Sergeant," Whisper said bluntly. "If anything, we owe him our lives, and I for one intend to reward him in a manner fitting that." "Good, good. That's good," Glitter said walking down the line. It had been just over a week since Ruby, Whisper and Jade left dragging Semper along with them. Without their star, Loyalty Group had lost so many points that it seemed entirely impossible for the group to step out of the last place. Still, to their credit, they did try. A few ponies were running past the firing range in a hurry. That made some of the trainees sit up in curiosity. "You, what's going on?" Glitter demanded of a pony. "Ma'am, it's First Sergeant Ruby Flame, ma'am. Ma'am, she's returned from Zebrica and... and... it's Semper, ma'am. I hear he's been promoted, ma'am!" Glitter furrowed her brow, "What?" But the recruit had already bolted off. Unable to believe what she had just heard, she walked out of the firing range and headed towards the source of the crowd. They were all standing outside the First Sergeant's office. "Clear off!" Pain shouted. "Get back to your training you lazy bunch of-" "Is it true? Is it true that Semper took down the entire cult on his own?" somepony shouted. "Who told you that?" Pain demanded pushing his way through the ever increasing crowd. "I have your name and number, Clumsy Oaf! I'll beat the answer out of you if you don't tell me right now-" "I overheard it from somepony in the mess," the voice shouted back. "You get your flank over here right now you puny little-" "Sergeant," a calm voice stated from behind him. Sorcery Sergeant Major Pain stopped, turned around and saluted the First Sergeant, as did every recruit there. "My, my. Do tell why the recruits are here and not training as they should be?" "Ma'am, these bags of manure were just leaving, ma'am!" Pain responded. Glitter stopped and watched from a distance as the commotion unfolded. Despite Pain's words, more and more recruits were rushing over, probably drawn by the ever increasing size of the crowd. From where she stood she watched as a white pegasus was helped by other Border Guards out from a plain looking carriage. Her face dropped in genuine surprise as she recognized Whisper with her wing and rear leg in a cast. Luckily nopony saw her, but for somepony like her to come back injured from a mission was unthinkable. She was one of the best Royal Guards. Behind her walked a green-blue unicorn and both entered the First Sergeant's office without even looking at the crowd. Then out stepped an earth pony donned from head to hoof in proper Border Guard attire. This time Glitter didn't hide her surprise as she watched Semper walk to where Ruby was standing, the long red plume of the Border Guard helm flowing over his muscular back from his shiny new helm. He walked at full attention and came to a halt next to the First Sergeant. "Left, face!" Ruby shouted. Semper did as he was told and faced the recruits. Not a sound came from them. "It is abundantly clear from the size of this greeting that our mission to Zebrica has been leaked. It's a waste of time letting rumors escalate, so I will set the record straight right now. The mission was a success, those responsible have been dealt with in the appropriate manner." Ruby announced. With that she turned to go. "What happened out there? What went on? We've got a right to know!" "Yeah!" some others voiced. "The rumors are-" "Who said that? Who the buck said that? Who's the slimy little piece of liquid manure down here who just signed their own death warrant? Nobody, huh? The fairy bucking godmother said it. Out-bucking-standing. I will PT you all till you die. I'll PT you till your flanks are sucking buttermilk." Pain shouted shoving a few recruits aside trying to get to the speaker. "Sorcery Sergeant," Ruby stated quietly, "it would be prudent that rumors did not persist throughout my training facility. It would be detrimental to the recruits' training." "Ma'am, sorry, ma'am. Won't happen again, ma'am." The cold hard steel-like glare she gave the mob of recruits shut them up and not a peep was heard. Glitter smirked at that. The First Sergeant was not one to trifle with. Ruby walked into her office and closed the door behind her. Only after that did the crowd disperse. The few troublemakers that had dared speak up were taken by Pain for some much needed discipline. Hanging her cloak on a rack, Ruby looked out of her window to see Semper doing as he was ordered to. Stand at attention outside her office until he was relieved. "So, why are you allowing the rumors to spread if you don't want them to in the first place?" Whisper asked sitting down and taking a glass from the small table, filling it with aged cider. "Isn't that going against what you just said?" "I don't know what you're implying. The entire mission was supposed to be kept a secret. I didn't let the news spread," Ruby replied taking the glass from Whisper and slugging it down in one gulp. Whisper had expected that and had removed another glass for herself. She refilled Ruby's first, though. "Well, if it wasn't you, and it wasn't me, then who was it?" Both their eyes turned towards the green-blue unicorn also peering out the window at the stallion. "Jade?" "Yes?" "Did you... did you leak the information?" Jade smiled, "Yes. News of the mission was already known here thanks to Whisper. Over the past week I had let the rumors grow and get disproportionate. Then I... may have mentioned what had happened to a Border Guard at the checkpoint where Whisper was getting patched up. News travels fast in the Border Guard." "You... but... I mean... why?" Ruby blinked at the mare. "My intention was to create a legend. To build up an image of a stallion that could do something... amazing. How was I supposed to know that he already is a legend. The only thing I did was... release the news sooner," Jade replied, a knowing smile on her face. "Princess Celestia has a way of finding them, doesn't she? Try and keep this one safe, Ruby." "If what you're saying is true, then you know that I can't do that." "True, but I still like saying it. Well, I think it's time to go..." At that the First Sergeant saluted the mare, "Yes, ma'am." "Right, Whisper?" "Yes, ma'am," the white pegasus saluted, winching a little from the pain. "We will report this directly to the Princess herself," Jade informed. Ruby nodded. She watched as the two headed for the door. "Oh, Whisper." "Hm?" "White really isn't your color." At that the mare blinked before shaking her head and chuckling to herself. "I still don't get why you stay here, Ruby. Come back. Come back to Canterlot. Things have changed! There's so much-" Whisper felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned around to see Jade shaking her head at her. "Oh. Well... then, until next time." "Bye, Whisper. Keep safe, ma'am." "Ruby, as far as I'm concerned, we're still the same rank, despite what others have done." "Thank you, ma'am, that means a lot to me, but I have to honor my oath." The mares smiled at their friend and exited the office. Ruby stared out the window and her gaze went over to Semper, who was still standing at attention. He saluted the two as they walked by him, Whisper spanking his flank with her hoof, to which the blue earth pony did not even flinch. That made Ruby snort out a laugh. He had saved her life, and for that she was grateful. "How was I supposed to know he is a legend, eh?" Ruby said quietly thinking back in Jade's words. "What legend?" "Sir!" Sonic and Static shouted saluted Semper as he walked outside the barracks. "At ease, private," Semper replied. "Sir, congratulations on your cutie mark, sir!" Static stated. "Sir, it is a great cutie mark for a Border Guard, sir!" Sonic concurred. Semper's expression didn't change. "What is the situation with our group, privates?" "Sir, we regret to inform you that it is not good, sir! Sir, our statistics are poor in all categories across the board, sir!" Static shouted. "Sir, we suck, sir!" "Then I think we should do something about that, don't you?" Semper replied quietly. "Sir, yes, sir!" Hidden around the corner in the shadow of the barracks, Glitter couldn't help but smile. "Come on!" Static shouted to the squad under his command. They were so slow. A part of him wished that Semper had given him all pegasi. Being a unicorn himself, he knew just how lazy they could be and only after assuming command did her understand how stubborn unicorns were, especially when it came to using their magic. It seemed that each one needed to show off their magic somehow. The pegasi did the same thing with flying, but they were easier to control. "Can't we rest?" Halo moaned. "We've been walking nonstop for eight hours!" "You should be glad we're not running!" Static growled back. "Aw, come on, Static! It's not like we have a chance of winning, so why bother?" "Because I'm tired of being in the shadow of that pony!" Everypony looked up when he said that. "You know why he's so good? You know why?" All that met him was silence. "Think about it! You, a pegasus, can't compete against him. You have wings, he doesn't. You can fly, he can't! But he's still better than you! Isn't that unfair? And me? With all the magic I have, I can't do anything close to what Semper can do. Sorry, Lance Corporal Semper Pie! He's been here for as long as we have and he's already two ranks above any of us! Get your rears in gear. Maybe you've all decided that you don't want to be Guards but I'm not going to let him get any further away from me. I still want to serve my kingdom, and by Celestia that's what I'm gonna do." "What did he do that was so... I mean, how did he get promoted?" Misty asked. "I'm not sure. I think they were saying that he took out a whole lot of cultists alone." That wasn't a lie. The mess hall was a buzz about how Semper had used his crossbow to take down the cultists one at a time. The First Sergeant and two mares from the Royal Guard had taken him with them for some reason. There was another rumor floating around that the two mares were apparently highly ranked officers and had come to see just how good Semper really was. That was the rumor. As to what the truth of the matter was, nopony knew. That was perhaps why the stories had become so inflated. How could one pony take down that many by themselves? And yet, because it was Semper, it seemed believable. "Alone? How?" Tourmaline asked. "He must've used that crossbow of his. How else would he get that as a cutie mark, right?" Misty pointed out. "The crossbow..." "Look, all I want to do is be able to stand next to him and be proud that I'm a Border Guard that can stand shoulder to shoulder with him. What I don't want to be is forgotten. What about the rest of you?" At that the ponies began murmuring amongst themselves. Finally, it was Tourmaline who spoke first, "You know what, if we can't be the best group then let's at least make our group the stand out! We might be able to be the top of our group, but we can prove to everypony that Loyalty Group will fulfill its tasks, and we'll make the Lance Corporal proud! Who's with me?" Misty nodded, "Why not." "Sure. That sounds reasonable," somepony else agreed. "Okay, might as well give it my hardest." Static smacked his face with his hoof at the lack of enthusiasm. "Ugh, I hate these things," Misty muttered as she threw her half-empty cup onto the ground. "Never thought I'd actually miss eating in the mess." There were a few nods in agreement. Meals Ready to Eat, they were called. Mix it with hot water and drink it like hot porridge. It wasn't the taste that was unpleasant, it was what it never quite hit the spot. It couldn't take the place of a proper meal, but outright hunger was not an option, especially after a full day's march. It was now the fifth day of their training march, about ten days since Semper had returned from his mission. There had been no sign of the 'enemy' and some ponies were starting to doubt Static's ability to lead. The had even started talking back to him, which was starting to get real frustrating. "Where are we now?" Tourmaline asked Static. Static looked down at the map, "Here. Our course says to head to this point," he pointed at a small red dot near the center of the map, "and make our way over to this ridge where we'll meet up with Hydra Squad. We'll get our new orders from them." "Why do they have such a cool name?" Tourmaline pouted. "What's wrong with Bunny Squad?" Misty asked peering over his shoulder at the map. At that the two stallions just sighed. "Ambush!" a sudden call sounded. "Defensive positions now!" Static shouted. Like clockwork the ponies hit the deck, pulling out their shields and placing them in front of their designated partners while they loaded their crossbows with the safe ammunition (bolts with very blunt, very dull tips) and began to shoot towards the general direction of the noise. After several rounds they stopped. A bright light from a unicorn's horn broke through the darkness and illuminated the area. "Nice reaction," Glitter said stepping out of the bushes. "If you were being attacked by foals from an elementary school! What do you think you were doing? Where was the watch? Where were the signal flares? They are supposed to be setup along with your camp. And camping out in the open like this? It's almost as if you're inviting the enemy to come on over and pay you a visit!" Static's blood ran cold. He had completely forgotten about the watch, but it was not his fault that they camped there. The ponies under his command hadn't listened to him. "As a result, half this squad is now dead. Who's in charge here?" "Ma'ma, I am, ma'am!" "No, you're dead. You, you're taking over, understood?" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Tourmaline announced. "All the 'deceased' follow me. We're going off for some more training. You know, if you listened to Stupid, you'd have all survived. He did everything right up until he set up camp here, and I've been watching you. I know which of you weren't helping, but as the leader it's your responsibility to see that those under you command obey your orders. If something like this happened out there, you'd all be dead. Get it into your empty skulls; this is not a game." "So, who won?" Static asked. "I don't even want to say it." "Come on." "Frog Squad." "Frog?" "Frog." Static roared in laughter as Sonic threw a hooful of mashed potatoes at him. All the unicorn did was use his magic to collect it all and lobbed it back at the pegasus, who licked his lips and ate half of it. Suddenly there was a commotion as recruits throughout the mess hall stood up. In walked in the First Sergeant along with two other ponies. They searched around for a moment before they spotted a blue pony sitting at the far end of the hall alone. He was also standing at attention in full Border Guard armor, save for his helm which was placed on the table he was sitting at next to his food. "D-did you notice him there?" Static shook his head at Sonic's question. How could they have missed that. The three newcomers walked over to Semper and he saluted when they were close. There was something said, and Semper saluted again before being escorted out. "Wow. What was that all about?" Static asked. "Not a clue," Sonic replied. Everypony looked at Tourmaline, the brainy one. "Don't look at me. I have no idea what's going on!" "Well, would you look at that!" Misty wiped a tear from her eye. "We did it!" "Second-last place," Static stated excitedly with a huge smile across his face. "Not bad considering how low we were two weeks ago, right?" "Not bad at all," Sonic concurred. Tourmaline shook his head, "I never thought we'd do it without Semper." "Hey, we're Guards too, y'know! Of course we can do it if we put out minds to it, right?" Static smacked the unicorn across his back. Tourmaline pushed his glasses back up his snout, "True. Just... it doesn't seem real. We're not last!" "Feel bad for Honesty Group," Misty smirked earning some hard glares from the ponies in question. She stuck her tongue out at them. "It's not over yet," Dawn shouted at Misty. "Tomorrow the finals begin!" "Yeah, but the finals are not done in the same groups, stupid," Misty retorted waggling her hoof in front of her. "Oh yeah!" Dawn smacked herself on her head. That made everypony laugh. In the end, despite the fierce competition, they were all still on the same side. "Today is the beginning of your final test. Today you will be putting everything you've learned to use. Do not fail this. Do not make us hold you back. I don't want to see your ugly faces again, do you hear me?" Glitter shouted the last part extra fiercely. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" "From now on you will be put into your new platoons. You will stay with your new groups from now on until you leave here. You will be all under my direct command. Every test, every tribulation you endure is to prepare you for what's out there. This is it. Don't screw up! Lance Corporal Semper Pie, is there anything you want to say to them?" There was a near-silent buzz of anticipation as Semper walked up to the edge of the stage. They had not seen him out of his new Border Guard armor since his return from Zebrica, but now all her wore that denoted his rank was the sash and the helm oh his head. "The Border Guard is expected to do things that normal ponies cannot. We are expected to perform miracles. We come through when everything seems impossible. That is who Border Guard are. That is what we do." Everypony stole glances at each other. That did not clarify anything at all. "Thank you, Lance Corporal," Glitter said quietly as Semper took a step back and saluted her again. "Even though you have been granted the uniform, you must still pass all the tests as a recruit. I, Lance Corporal Gold Glitter, under the authority of First Sergeant Ruby Flame, hereby strip you of your rank. You are now Private First Class Semper Pie. Upon completion of all your tasks and graduation from this facility, you will return to your rank as Lance Corporal. Is this understood?" Semper saluted, "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Taking off the sash, Semper folded it perfectly and placed it into a small wooden box being held by Glitter. He took two steps back and saluted again, standing at full attention. "Get in line, recruit!" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Semper trotted off the stage and took his place next to Static. "Welcome back," the unicorn whispered barely audibly. For a brief moment he thought he saw the blue stallion smile. "Ma'am, the recruits are about to begin their final PFT, ma'am," Sorcery Sergeant Major Pain stated to Ruby Flame who was reading something in her office. "Excellent," Ruby replied and put the piece of paper down. She stood up and stretched her back. "Shall we see how they do?" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am," "What's the order of the platoons? I hear that we've had to split the tests into two to accommodate them all. This is a good year for the Border Guard." Pain lifted up a clipboard, "Yes, ma'a. Out of the three hundred recruits we started with, half have dropped out." "Sometimes I think that our standards are too high..." "Ma'am, permission to speak freely, ma'am." "Granted." "Ma'am, I don't think our standards are high enough, ma'am." Ruby sighed and nodded. "Sometimes I think that if we had the numbers it would deter most." "Ma'am, we both know that wouldn't happen, ma'am," Pain replied calmly. Again, Ruby sighed. "I know. It was just wishful thinking. Anyway, what's the status?" "Well, Semper's topped all the categories are predicted, ma'am. None of the other recruits have come even close, ma'am." Nodding, Ruby walked on as Pain followed, "I have no doubt that today's Physical Fitness Test won't be a problem for him. What I worry about is the written portion." "Ma'am, from what I hear he is very bright. I wouldn't doubt him, ma'am." "Does that pony ever stop?" Ruby shook her head. She watched another set of recruits running down the trail for their ten mile run in full armor. They looked good. "Where is Semper now?" "On the obstacle course, ma'am." "When is the written?" "Tomorrow morning at oh eight hundred, ma'am." "And in your honest opinion, are they ready for what comes next?" Ruby asked now watching the recruits at the firing range. They seemed to be faring well. "Ma'am, most are but plenty won't pass this time round. They've grown too reliant on Semper, ma'am. We should've separated them sooner, ma'am." Ruby sighed. "I don't like isolating recruits from the rest of their company, Sorcery Sergeant. But after Zebrica, I understand what it's like. He's... different." She had wanted to say incredible, but that would have been inappropriate. "Ma'am, the fact that Loyalty Group managed to beat out one of the other groups without Semper participating in any of the categories is evidence of that. I don't think that anypony in the group realized what we did, except for maybe recruit Tourmaline or Static, ma'am." "The unicorn with the large glasses?" "Yes, ma'am. And the one that gave you lip when he first got here." "Oh him." Ruby smirked, thinking back on that day. That was the first time she took note of Semper. "Think they'll keep their mouths shut?" "Don't know, ma'am. Both seem fairly clueless about things like this, but they do have a knack for strategy. Long as the don't get the idea planted in their heads the won't figure it out. That aside, there's a pegasus named Misty. She's real clever, just doesn't know it yet. She could... enlighten the other two." "Well, it's all almost over for them anyway. Let me know how Semper does for the written. Also, I want him to do two runs." "Ma'am?" "You heard me. Two runs." "But, ma'am-" Ruby stopped and looked at the stallion. "Two runs, ma'am." Pain stared after the First Sergeant and scratched his head. How is anypony supposed to complete two runs through the hardest test of their lives. Still, the Sorcery Sergeant held his tongue. Who was he to judge? Was this something the earth pony deserved? Yet, for some reason, he didn't doubt that the earth pony could actually do it. "Get in formation!" Pain shouted. Most of the recruits were already in formation, but a few stranglers were galloping towards their positions as quick as possible. Nopony wanted to do any extra drills with the Sorcery Sergeant after the grueling week they just had. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for. The trophies for the platoons with the highest points." Glitter walked towards a trophy table and picked up the first one, "The platoon that accomplished the firing range with the highest number of points is... platoon A." There was some clopping as Blitz trotted up to the stage, saluted and accepted the cup from Glitter. "The platoon that completed the ten mile trot the fastest is... platoon D." Again, a chorus of hooves clopped on the ground. "The platoon that received the highest scores for the written tests is... platoon F." Semper Pie trotted to the stage and accepted the award on behalf of his platoon. In the end, every platoon had one trophy. "Now the fun's over. From now on, you will all be facing the hardest challenge yet. You are all expected to do your best and come out on top. You all know what to expect, that's what you've been training for. Every single one of you has come this far having something to prove to yourselves and to your kingdom. That you have what it takes to become a Guard. Not just any Guard, but the Border Guard. If you pass then you will have the privilege of reciting the Oath. From that moment on, till the day you die, you will be a part of this family. A family that expects nothing but the best, and in return will give you the best. Good luck, ponies," Glitter stood at attention and saluted them, "you're gonna need it. Dismissed!" Everypony broke formation slowly. Sonic trotted over to Static and threw a hoof over his shoulder, "Hey, Static." "What?" "What was she talking about?" Static froze in mid-step and turned to the pegasus with a blank expression on his face. "You can't be serious." "Huh?" "You're serious, aren't you? I can't believe you!" "Aw, come on. I just wanna know." "It's the final test! The end! Starting from tomorrow we're going to run the Crucible." "Oh." "You have no idea what that is, do you?" Sonic grinned sheepishly. "No..." "Oh, you're going to just love it."