//------------------------------//
// Preparing for El Pinto 
// Story: Wheatstalks Bruised and Burnt 
// by JackleTheKitsune 
//------------------------------//

Preparing for El Pinto
The serene sounds of another morning were quickly shattered in the early hours of the day. 
Edgeburn raced through the streets, his horseshoes giving him a good bite into the ground.  He rocketed along the ground like he wasn't even an earth pony.  He'd been at this for four years now, letting his muscles ache and tremble in his pursuit.
A sharp gust of wind hit him in the side, it's cause about as natural as the magical horseshoes that rattled on his side in response.  Edgeburn just smiled as the green pegasus saw his attempt fail and tried to speed off.  
“Like the hay you do!” he shouted as he jumped at the pegasus with a quick spin.  His teeth gripped one of the horseshoes and he whipped his neck around as he came out of the spin, his teeth holding tight till the last second.  In the target's haste to get away he was flying a straight line, and there was no way this slacker was going to avoid it.  
“UWAH!” the cry of surprise came and Edgeburn reached over to his other side to find the shoe's partner.  He plucked the shoe that was seeming to strain at it's holder, transferring it to his mouth and giving it a light bite.  The pegasus that had been held in the air strained to get away but it was no use.
“You know how these work Barley Breeze, you're locked in now, you can get closer, but not any farther.” Edgeburn said clearly despite the shoe in his mouth.  A few years of practice helped with that.  
“Guah, let me go! I didn't do anything wrong!”  The mint green pegasus said struggling to pull the shoe off his forelimb where it struck him.
“Skipping school, drinking on school grounds, resisting arrest, and battering an officer with that little gust stunt.  Eeyup, not a thing wrong with any of those. Now c'mon, detention, in-stable suspension, as well as a fine are going to have to be issued, on top of the usual I guess you'll have community service to do as well if you're lucky.” Edgeburn began to trot back towards the school building, a good twenty minutes away.  
“This isn't fair!” Barley began to shout.
“I know, at this rate they should just engrave that shoe with your name, but rules are rules, no personal items for vagrants” Edgeburn chuckled despite the unprofessional nature of the remark.
“Do you ever be quiet?!”
“Nah, I like to speak my mind, sometimes I just can't help it.”  
“you keep saying that, I might actually believe it one day, Wheatie” The pegasus started to calm down as he was led back to school.
“It's Wheatstalk or Edge, I’ve got two last names to choose from, but it's either of them. Nothing else” He said pulling on the shoe in his mouth.
“Awe colt, this is such a drag.”
“If you don't move faster, it will be.” Edgeburn said aloud, smiling.
…
With a very polite knocking, an elderly pegasus was roused from his meditating.
“Come in, is it noon already?” he called as if he was all too used to it.
“Private Edge, reporting with the suspect.” Edgeburn said pulling the grumbling green pegasus after him.
“Oh dear, Barely, what are we going to do with you.” the captain said shaking his head.
“The same thing you always do pops, slap me on the fetlock.” Barley said with a smirk.
“Sometimes I wonder where my daughter went so wrong with you boy, but no, I think this time you won't get slapped on the wrist, you'll get of Scott free.”
“Say wha?” Barely said shocked.
“Captain Downdraft, what do you mean!?” Edgeburn couldn't stop himself, he hadn't been able to stop himself for a while now.
“Oh, we'll forget all about it, here, just sign his form boy.” He said with a small frown while passing over a paper.
“You mean it pops? I sign this and get outta this?  Like, Wheatie here won't even touch me again?”  
“Yep, you bet your down.  Not even Private Edge here will bother you.” 
“How can you do that!?” Edgeburn shouted before shoving his hoof in his mouth.  It seemed to be the only thing working lately, but he hoped it wouldn’t become a constant thing.  
“There, HA, I’m off limits Wheatie, how you like them road apples!”  Barley yelled in triumph as he signed his name on his grandfather's file.
“Ah yes, everything seems in order, well, thank you for your sacrifice Barley boy.”
“Sacrifice?”
“Yes, it seems you've just submitted your application for joining the guard.  And, with this notarization from the captain of Baltimare's 8th district, you've been approved.  Ooh, ambitious are we? Not many request for Tundra border patrol, but I’m sure you'll do fine.  Well, I’ll tell your mother you'll be shipping out next week.” The old captain said with a gleam in his eyes.
“What! You can't do this pops!”
“Oh, I didn't you were the one who signed, now Private Edge, please remove the new recruit from my office, it's not becoming to show favoritism.”  
With a swift kick the new recruit was sent from the room.
“Was that legal?” Edgeburn asked as soon as the door closed.
“Is the document legally binding? Yes, Does he have to go? no.  It would be against the law for me to sign him up for guard duty, to send him to military school however, that’s something else.  But, Trottingham is a dry district so my grandfoal might not be drinking too much for the next two years.”
Edgeburn let the shock fade from his face.
“Now is there something you wanted? Or are you just standing there for fun?”  Captain Downdraft asked looking over Edgeburn.
“Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor Sir.” He said making sure he didn't gulp beforehoof.
“Well, considering your sparkling record from academy, and your last two years of spotless and persistent service, I think I can hand out a favor or two, if it's within reason.  So what is it, Vacation to Manedrid? Perhaps the Crystal Empire?” The captain caught the slight flick of his soldier's ear.
“Or perhaps Daftdraft stops rambling and lets you speak?” He said shaking his head.
“Sir, My a new recruit, one Fireblossom Wheatstalk has recently entered the academy, in two years time I was wondering if she could be placed in my unit, Sir!”
“Hmm? Well, here is the thing boy... you're asking two years in advance... I can't see the future, but with the way it's looking... we were going to be minimizing the number of officers in the schools.  Obviously with your record you would likely not be re-assigned but it would be nearly impossible to secure a spot for her.  Now, Wheatstalk, is she your cousin?”
“Sister Sir.”
“Sister, yet you go by Edge for your formal name here?”
“Both Edge and Wheatstalk are my formal name Sir.”
“Hmm, now how did you manage that.”
“My birth father was Whittle Edge, he died when I was four, there was a bush fire that took the house in the night.  He gave me my life.  Then, my dad is Summerset Wheatstalk, he's raised me and made me his son.”  
“ah, I see, I’m sorry for you and your sister's loss.”  
“It was primarily my loss sir, my sister was fathered by my second father.”
“Hmm, so half sister then?”
“Legally yes.”
“Well that's good, see, there is a regulation that states that I can't put siblings together.  But, with you registered as Edge, and her as Wheatstalk... well, and old stallion can make mistakes.”  the captain smiled.
“But you said we couldn't be in the same unit Sir?”
“No, not the one here... but, there is a rumor going around, and it gives me an idea.”
“Sir?”
“Familiar with El Pinto Private?”
“Can't say I am Sir.”
“I should have expected that, two years ago a new settlement was established southwest of Appleoosa, between the desert and the mountains.”
“I don't follow Sir.”
“Well, we have a small guard force there, but it's just a hoof-full of soldiers, most are reservists anyway.  If we were to be assigning posts for soldiers fresh out of academy, a low risk nowhere town might be the best place to go.  And, if another pony where to put in a transfer request within a week,  without possibly knowing of the public release of information about the plans for El Pinto's guard.  Well, it's very likely those two ponies would be running into one another.”  The captain watched Edgeburn smile and mimicked it.
“I will most certainly make an unbiased request for transfer to this place I most likely heard of through the grapevine, or possibly on the farm.” Edgeburn smiled.
…
“ok, sit still, this isn't about you, it's about her, it's a public appearance but she's surrounded by hundreds of other officers, there is no way she could be in danger.” Edgeburn mumbled to himself as he sat in the bleachers.
“Calm down Edgeburn dear, you're not the one crying.” his mother said as she smacked him upside the head.
“Can you stop hitting me mom? You might actually dent my helmet.” he asked already knowing the answer.
“First you run off with the guard, now my little Fireblossom too? This is your fault and you better be prepared for a beating if you let your sister get hurt out there Edgeburn E. Wheatstalk!”
“Dad, a little help?” Edgeburn said turning to his always quiet father.
“Listen to your mother, oh, it's so exciting seeing my granddaughter ready to explode out into the world” Summerset answered in a voice that was certainly not his own.  
“GRANNY!?” Edgeburn blurted out before both this mother and his 'father' swatted him.
“My boy is just a bit busy at the moment, he'll be here in a minute, until then I’m filling in.” She said through her perfect disguise.
“How did you get in here!? We screen everypony for shape shifting or illusion spells.”
“Slipped in through the stovepipe in the kitchen.” She said with a smile.
Edgeburn rolled his eyes as they finally got onto the 'W's in the procession.  Soon his actual father arrived and Granny was more then happy to return to her fox form.
It didn't matter how many times he'd seen it, he always felt odd having a fox for a grandmother.
“I didn't miss Blossom's walk did I?” Summerset asked with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Not yet, but nearly, Wheatstalk should be up any moment now.” His mother answered.
“And uh, anything out of the ordinary mom?” Summerset turned to the fox beneath his hooves.
“Not a trace, if she hasn't had a power spike or another tail show up by now, after six years I think she might never get another.” All four let out breaths they weren't aware they were holding.
“Heh, she'll be heartbroken to know that being able to hold really really hot things is the limit for her.” Edgeburn chuckled.
“Yes, we'll just forever be cursed with her rinsing food in water so hot it boils it at the same time.” Pristine said smiling.
“Don't worry dear, we'll be fine” Summerset said picking up his wife's joke.
A loud popping came from below them and the three ponies hastily looked down with scowls.  “Popcorn?” Roseblaze asked as she used a small flame from her tail to pop a bag of popcorn.  All three quickly turned their heads back to the ceremony, not even wanting to ask where she had gotten the popcorn from or who might be missing a bag right about now.
She raised a paw to defend herself when they all turned to stare at the stage.
“Recruit, Wheatstalk, Fireblossom!” came the announcer.
The tall magenta mare strode up the ramp and across the stage in shining uniform, her bronze armor polished almost perfectly.  
“She forgot to polish behind the brush, everypony forgets behind the brush.” Edgeburn shook his head but kept smiling.
She continued to the center of the stage, standing proudly as the head officer and most of the staff gave their salutes which she returned.  A second later and a badge was pinned to her chest, marking her as a graduate from the academy and a full fledged Royal Guard.
She smiled wider then Edgeburn had even seen, and then it happened.
Fireworks lit up the sky, exploding just overhead of the graduating class.  They could be heard, screaming into the sky, smoke trails weaving across the early evening sky.
In the center stood Fireblossom, her normal purple mane now highlighted in a bright orange and sky blue, making her look to all the world aflame.  
“Is she doing that?” Edgeburn's mother asked, fascinated with the light show.
“There is no way, she'd need at least another tail to pull off  illusions, those look pretty real but look, that one just went through that guard.” Granny said trying to figure it out.
“Uh granny, if she could do illusions, could she use it to hide her tail?” Edgeburn asked spying something.
“Well of course... oh...”  it didn't take long after that for everypony to notice the tail Fireblossom was sporting.  Or rather, the tails.
Everypony looked at Granny Roseblaze with small daggers in their eyes.
“No more powers huh?” Edgeburn said.
“Maybe that’s it?” Pristine suggested feebly.
“Not likely, is it mom? Please tell me I’m wrong” Summerset pleaded.
“If her illusions are that strong already, and her fire tolerance is so high, there is a very good chance she'll keep going... but I could be wrong.” she said feeling their eyes on them.
“This is going to be the most interesting six years of my life.” Edgeburn said hanging his head.
“At least after that she'll take her earnings and open that fireworks shop right? Just hold in there for another bit and you'll be fine.” Summerset said, nudging his son in the ribs.
“I like how earlier it was all about the boy protect his sister this, and watch over her that, now you're afraid for him.” the elderly one said with too much enthusiasm.
“We'll be ok, apparently not much happens in El Pinto.”
Less than a week later, Edgeburn would be wishing he'd never opened his lips that day.