//------------------------------// // First Tastes // Story: Dawn of Darkness // by Lawpony //------------------------------// "Mom. I'm going to become a soldier!", Cobalt Blitz smiled happily at his mother. "You...what? No. No Cobalt, I won't let you go and get yourself killed. Have you payed attention to all of the stuff going on lately? Not to mention all of those bad ponies tryin' to take over the land, but just last week somepony went and took Princess Twilight's crown! That's not a safe place for my baby boy now is it?", his mother patted his cheek with a forehoof. "Exactly! That's why they need me! I need to be there when somepony steps up against the crown!", he looked into her eyes excitedly. "I won't allow it! I don't wanna lose my baby boy!", she averted her gaze. "Ma," he turned her face towards his, using his hoof on her chin. "I'm turning eighteen tomorrow. I can make this decision for myself." "I know, but I just can't let go of my little Cobalt." She looked into his eyes with tears forming. "You've grown up so fast." His father was standing with them. "Cherry, I think we should let him go." "I know," she looked at him, then turned and hugged Cobalt. "I just can't bare to see him go!" "Ma, I'll come and visit, I promise! But...I won't go without your blessing." She let go of him and looked into his eyes, full of hope. "You know you have my blessing. Wherever you go, I will love you." She leaned his head down to be level with her face, and kissed the top of his head. "Now go to bed, my little colt. The last time I'll tell you to," she began to cry again. "Ma!", he hugged her tightly. "I'll see you tomorrow, I'm not leaving in your sleep!" He ran up stairs to brush his teeth and go to bed. "There's still a foal in that stallion. I can feel him every time he speaks," his mother looked dry eyed at the stair case. "I know," Smelter put his fore-leg over Cherry's shoulders. "I know." That night, Cobalt dreamed of knights and dungeons. He dreamed about saving the princesses, and winning the favor of mares everywhere. Little did he know what the next few months would do to that excitement. One month later Cobalt had fulfilled his dream. He was now in the Royal Guard. Well, technically he was still in basic training, but it was practically the same thing. He could serve Equestria and protect ponykind everywhere. He had learned a lot while being there a whole month. They had gone over basic battle strategies, medical procedures, and even touched on leadership skills. The physical part of training was going to kill him. He hated it, though, he had to admit, he had gloriously toned muscles. Three more months of basic and he would be a lower ranking hoof soldier, but if he stayed for a full year he would have the training to take control of a squad, which was his plan. Life was going to go smoothly, and let him rise to the top in no time, but life sometimes has different plans. "Shadow Blades!" The call came out of nowhere. Cobalt was left in the center of the barracks, trying to think about what was actually happening. He had not been prepared for such an attack, and here it was, happening right around him. Some ponies are left to grow up over the course of their lives, to mature slowly and comfortably. Others were forced to grow up in a day. Cobalt was one such pony. "Don't just stand there! Get to action!", came a strong voice. The voice of one who had become a friend. "I...I don't know what to d-do! My whole body is stuck!" The other soldier ran up and smacked him in the face. "You have to gain control of your own body! If you don't you're dead!" Cobalt nodded quickly. "Fear'll get you killed! So don't listen to it! Defy it! Tell it you're running towards the danger, that is can't do anything to stop you!" "Yes sir!", Cobalt felt a surge of bravery and courage. "Now get to action and let your training take over!" The soldier ran around the corner and was gone. Cobalt, not letting go of his new-found courage, followed the older stallion into the armory. There were a lot of other soldiers putting on their armor, and getting weapons. The stallion pointed to the open chest and Cobalt nodded. Cobalt pulled out his training armor and put it on. It didn't completely cover him, but it would save his life if it took a hit for him. Next he grabbed a pair of wing blades in his teeth and attached them to his wings. He put on his brass horse shoes. He was ready for combat. The leader of the guard stood in the middle of the room. "Okay! These shadow blades are here for one thing, and one thing only! To kill as many ponies as they can!", he nodded to a pony beside him that held a picture in their teeth. The pony put the picture on the table and turned it around. "For those who don't know, this is a shadow blade. They serve the dead king, Necromantus, the founder of necromancy. They believe that he is still alive, that he is undead. In reality, he's long been cast into the pits of tartarus." The picture was of a pony-shaped being, clad in black hooded robes that looked as though it was edged with blood stains. It was currently hovering, using its Pegasus wings, and had two jagged, black, blades attached to its fore-legs. "Their blades are coated with a deadly poison, which they believe devotes the souls of those who die by them to Necromantus, in his tomb-castle at the peek of Death Mountain. While it is not believed that their blades can actually affect the souls of their victims, they are still poisonous and deadly." "Is that clear?", the leader asked. "Sir, yes sir!", the solders said in unison. "Hey kid!", the stallion from before came up. "Yeah Flare?", Cobalt responded. "You stay with me, you stay alive," he assured him. "Okay."