Chapter Twenty: Ready for War
Applejack dropped to the ground and panted, She had thought given her experience bucking apples back in Ponyville, nothing that could have been thrown at her would have effected her. Now she realized just how wrong she had been. Battle had assigned each of them a trainer to help them get the best out of their crash course.
Applejack had the misfortune of being assigned General Juggernaut. The orange furred pony was a head taller than Applejack and even more ripped than her older brother. However unlike Big Mac, who Applejack knew wasn't the smartest pony on the block, Juggernaut's beady black eyes glittered with intelligence. Even without that intellect however, Applejack now knew that Juggernaut was a force to be reckoned with. After all he was the pony who demonstrated to her how to knock down a brick wall using nothing but his own strength and momentum.
It had been quite a sight.
"You're not taking a break are you Apple?" Juggernaut asked. Applejack forced herself to her feet stood at an approximation of Warhorse attention.
"N-no sir!" Applejack cried, though her legs wanted to buckle under her.
"Good!" Juggernaut said. "Wouldn't want you passing out during lunch would we?"
"Lunch?"
"Aye. Time flies when your pumping iron doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it sure does," Applejack said dumbly.
"Come on. I'm sure we'll find some cider to perk you up."
Applejack stumbled unsteadily after the general, her body aching from all the training she'd been doing. It didn't help that she did most of her training with an eighty pound weight strapped to her back. Juggernaut had offered no explanation to this other than 'Commander's idea.'
The two earth-ponies entered the mess hall. Juggernaut pealed away and sat down with the other generals. Applejack looked around for Battle. The Prince however was nowhere to be seen. However she did see her friends sitting at a table close to the door. With a sigh of relief she collapsed onto a seat next to Dash.
"You look dreadful darling," Rarity said, though with not much enthusiasm.
"You... try... working... with him," Applejack panted, taking an apple from the fruit basket on the table.
"Someone's been working hard," Dash chuckled, though sounded as tired as Applejack felt.
"You could say that," Applejack gasped. "They don't pull any punches do they?"
"Nope," Pinkie said. Even the exuberant party mare seemed drained, her usually curly pink hair now straight as a board.
"How was it for you Fluttershy dear?" Rarity asked.
"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Fluttershy said. "I mean, I was just taken to the archery range."
"Oh is that all the made you do?" Applejack said, sighing in relief. "I thought they'd make ya'll do what I had to."
"And what did you have to do?" Pinkie asked.
"Break a whole load o' stuff," Applejack said. "An' it hurt."
"Who assigned us these trainers?" Rarity sighed. "I mean honestly, what kind of prat would give us these ponies to instruct us."
"I did actually," said a voice.
They looked up as Battle sat down. He wore a pair of khaki tracksuit bottoms and a green t-shirt that was soaked in his own sweat. His hair was plastered to his scalp and there was a bandaged wrapped around his hand. He appeared however as vibrant as ever.
"What happened to you?" Dash asked.
"You think just because I'm a Commander I can afford to slack?" Battle chuckled. "No way. I train just as hard, if not harder than any pony here. I've got to keep on tip-top form."
"How'd you mean tip-top?" Applejack asked.
Battle sighed and looked over to one of the other soldiers. Some unspoken order passed between the two and the soldier stood up and walked over. Battle stood too and kicked his chair out from behind him. The soldier than dashed suddenly, picked up the chair and smashed it over Battle's head. The unicorn didn't even flinch.
"Like that," he said smiling. "Thank you corporal, that'll be all."
"Yes sir," the corporal said.
Battle's chair flew back together with a glow of silver magic before he sat down again. He smiled at the girls.
"That was... impressive," Rarity managed to say.
"That's what Warhorse training does to you," Battle said. "You should see Juggernaut. I swear he can make a chair explode just by looking at it."
"I'm thinking you're right," Applejack said.
"Course I'm right I know him," Battle smiled. The girls smiled too.
"So, you selected our trainers?" Dash said.
"Aye."
"Is this punishment for wanting to fight?" Rarity scowled.
"No this is several years of Warhorse training I am trying to crush into one week," Battle explained. "And besides I picked those trainers based on how much I know about you guys. Example Applejack, you're the strongest one here. You're tough you're resilient you don't back down. I assigned Juggernaut to you because you can take the pressure and, if the training pulls off, do some serious damage." Battle turned to Dash. "Rainbow, you're fast you're agile and you don't give up. Sky Blade was assigned to you because she's going to take one of the best flyers in Equestria and turn her into one of the best flyers in the world." Now it was Rarity's turn. "Rarity, you may not be much of a fighter but you're elegant, smart and pay close attention to fine details. There's an assassin to be made out of you and Merciless is just the unicorn to bring it out of you." His eyes fell on Pinkie. "I put you with Fancy Feet, Pinkie because he can help turn you, a ball of vibrant pink party energy into a veritable force of nature on the field of battle." Fluttershy hid her face in her mane as Battle turned to her. "Shy, I know you'd never truly be cut out for war, but Stitch is going to make one hell of a field medic out of you, and heck, that's just as important."
Battle finished his speech with a cool eye, daring one of the girls to contradict him. None of them did. Battle's logic was irrefutable.
"So this isn't punishment," Battle explained. "This is merely an extension of yourselves. I'm not expecting you to be pitch perfect. I'm just making the best I can with what little time I have."
"Sir?"
Battle looked up at Arson.
"Yes general?"
"Hammer says its ready," Arson said simply.
"Already?" Battle asked surprised. "Bloody hell he's fast."
"Indeed sir," Arson said smiling. Battle turned to the girls and smiled apologetically.
"Apologies ladies but I'm afraid I have some business to attend to. Don't forget after lunch you have you lessons with my father."
They offered farewells as Battle followed Arson out of the mess-hall.
"Have you seen it?" Battle asked.
"A managed to catch a peak," Arson admitted.
"And?"
"I think it's just what you'll need against Wrath."
"That's what I thought."
Hammer was the head smith of the army's forges. A grizzled old unicorn who had seen his fair share of war before stepping back to make the armor and weapons for the army. In recent years he had developed a friendship with Battle, as the unicorn Prince challenged his skills in ways no one else conceived. Hammer had said Battle had a natural mind for advancing warfare. Battle's reply had been to say he was thinking of new ways to protect his people.
This task however had been to benefit Battle in the short run, and had been Hammer's easiest request to complete. Needless to say he had been disappointed.
"In comparison to some of your other requests this was simple," Hammer said as he limped down the corridor with Battle, leaning heavily on a walking stick. "A redesign of your usual armor to allow increased speed and mobility... why do you trouble me with something so trivial?"
"Because you're the best blacksmith in Legion," Battle replied. Hammer chuckled, brushing a strand of course white mane from his face.
"Be that as it may I have a few things to tell you," Hammer said.
"Then by all means go right ahead."
"Thank you. First of all, we've switched out our standard issue metal."
"Again? What's the reason this time?"
"It's three times as strong as what we were using before and half the weight. Thinking of calling it Readium."
"Cute."
"I thought so. Now, in concern to your armor, it's not like anything we've tried to make before. This suit's unique you understand?"
"Got it."
"Good. There is however a trade-off to your request for increased mobility. The only way we could do so was to separate the individual pieces of your armor, meaning-"
"I'm more vulnerable to attack," Battle finished for him.
"Exactly," Hammer said. "However, given that you move like lighting on fire, I'm sure this won't be a problem."
"Thank you Hammer," Battle said as they reached the room at the end of the hallway. It was Battle's personal armory. An extensive collection of various weapons and shields lined the walls. Some rested in cases, with plaques beneath them. These were more often than not either broken or damaged in some way. Battle kept them for posterity's sake. There were also several wooden mannequins, sculpted to an exact likeness of Battle's body throughout various stages of his life. Upon each mannequin was a different suit of armor, some damaged, some not. Some had never even been used.
In the center of the room was the latest addition to Battle's collection. A suit of armor on another mannequin. This one however was different. While the others appeared to be a single mass of sculpted metal, Battle could easily tell where one piece of this new armor ended, and the next began. It was black with gold inlays like the previous armors, but this one appeared more function than fashion as Rarity might say.
"Well?" Hammer asked.
"It's exactly what I wanted," Battle smiled, trailing a finger across the armor. "You've outdone yourself Hammer, you really have." He turned to the smith. "Does it have the extras I asked for?"
"If you mean the blade mechanism in the gauntlets then yes," Hammer said, peeling a gauntlet from the mannequin and throwing it to Battle. He caught it and put it on. He flexed his wrist outwards experimentally. A slender, long blade emerged from Battle's inner forearm, glinting evilly in the light around the room. Battle smiled.
"Perfect," he whispered, allowing the blade to retract. He turned to Hammer. "I will of course need a sword."
"One is already being made," Hammer said smiling. Battle smiled.
"And my friends," he said quietly.
"They require armor and arms?"
"Yes."
"I shall go make the appropriate arrangements."
"Thank you."
Battle looked around the room again as Hammer left. He walked over to a display case and looked within. There was a sheathed dagger within. The plaque read: 'Vindicta - Blade of General Dagger Swift. Reclaimed from the battlefield of Wrath. Battle frowned and pressed his hand against the glass, before he opened it and pulled the sheathed blade from where it rested.
"We will end this together," Battle whispered.