//------------------------------// // Interlude - Unprepared // Story: Bad Mondays // by Handyman //------------------------------// Magic does not work the same everywhere. Elder Wildwood learned that the hard way. They all did. The Greenwood tribes have had to deal with a lot during their time occupying these vast deciduous forests, taking care of it. The magic here was unsuitable to ponies, who could not intuitively control the growth of the plantlife nor sooth the hearts of the wildlife that made its dwelling here. It would not be commanded, but nor was it like the wild land of the blighted Everfree to the west where magic roamed as it wilt. Rather the magic of the Hartwoods was mischievous, recalcitrant, playful at times. If Wildwood did not know any better he’d swear the forest was aware. It wasn’t of course, they all could have avoided so much heartache in the past if that were true. Still, there are times when he is up late at night, watching the fireflies float lazily over the waters, flitting between reeds and alighting upon eternally blossoming lilies. Resting and merely feeling the aetheric winds caress the lake, creating tiny disturbances across its sapphire blue surface, as if tiny invisible dancers were cavorting, he couldn’t help but wonder… He shook his aged head, his antlers rattling with the various jewels and precious metals signifying age and various dignities he has been awarded through his life. He smiled, lying down upon the soft folds of his rug and reading a scroll upon the floor. He strained his vision and harrumphed, the great elk tapped his hoof softly on the floor three times. “If you’d be so kind…” He whispered. There was no response, he smiled. “Please.” A small sound, like that of rubber stretching before slowly changing and turning silent. Slowly a growth emerged from the floor, between the creases and folds in the wood and the scroll was held aloft on vibrant, green plant life that had grown upon the request. Elder Wild Wood muttered a thanks to nobody in particular, now leaning forward only slightly to read comfortably. It was a letter from his dearest grandson, the young buck was always so restless. Reckless even, to this day he still disagreed with his fellow elders for choosing him as the Lord in Winter. Alas, it was deemed in the forest’s best interests, the last lord had disappeared in the spring and the hearthfire had gone out, which meant the worst. Without one, the ever fractious tribes would have no unifying voice and the forest’s magic would slowly loosen its bonds with his people, rejecting them. And then winter would come. He looked up from the letter, it regaled a tale of some foolishness regarding his grandson’s latest escapades in the south, where the borders of their Hartwoods and Equestria met with the Black Isles’ enclave. That sounded like a debacle that he really could not care for, generally Hartwoods’ neighbours left them alone, the ponies generally did not interact with forests they didn’t have control over and the Griffons generally considered the forest to be a border of sorts and lumbered from their own woodlands. Most of the time anyway. There were occasions where they would trespass or poach and that led to all sorts of shenanigans, not that his own people weren’t guilty of border incidents themselves, which hopefully he could prevent this from becoming one if he acted quick enough. Had only the lad been any other stag… He chuckled softly to himself, chiding his uncharitable demeanour. Had he not been much the same in his younger years? Such serious attitudes did not suit them, for what were they but the impertinent and invincible folly of youth personified? He’d have words with him later when he returned home, right now he had other concerns. He had word back from his friend in the west, the roads were too dangerous and he had too many eyes upon him, they could not afford to lose the crown when they had only just recently retrieved it. Instead a courier would be sent in his place. One who, hopefully, the eyes of their enemies had not alighted upon. Wild Wood grunted as he got up, the growth receding back into the wooden floor as he made his way to the door. The wide portal opened as he approached it, granting him passage to the bridge outside. He stopped halfway across the oaken construction and gazed over the city around him. The tall and mighty arch trees stood firm and eternal, shifting almost imperceptibly to even his hart sight as the wood coursed with the lifeblood of the forest. Lights shone among the dark spires amidst the blue mists of the night, sparks of life and hope in the quiet of the dark, streaks of moonlight piercing the thick canopy, like silvered tears streaking through the veil of evening. He suppressed a shiver, it was a bit cold out, but he didn’t mind too much as he took to following the arcs of the bridges that linked trees to one another and the great spiralling stair cases to the lower levels where the markets, warehouses and stores were kept. Suspended as they were across great boardwalks that covered the ground below in total darkness, utilised by the deer to farm specific flora that could not grow under any other conditions. A frown crossed his wizened features. Already the harvests were looking poor and the animals uncaring of their presence, it did not take long, he thought, for things to turn on them so radically. He hoped his grandson was up to the tasks ahead of him, he rubbed his forehead, the weight of his brow getting heavier as passed through the years. He turned to face west and his ears flicked. ‘I just hope he doesn’t do anything foolish.’ --=-- “I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!” The stallion shrank as the force of the voice shook the throne room violently. The guards tried their best to retain their composure, but there is only so much you can do when gale force winds batter your frame at such close proximity. Celestia used her voice much more rarely then her royal sister, but when she did… “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE DONE!? WHAT YOU COULD HAVE STARTED!?” “B-b-b-b-But a-auntie Celestia!” He whined, he was on his belly in full supplication before the enraged diarch. “The brute c-could’ve killed me!” “ANYPONY COULD KILL YOU, YOU DOLT!” The Sun princess raged. She had never before directly insulted her nephew and it showed on the hurt and shock that graced his expression, but now was not the time for her majesty’s subtle graces and calm expression. Nopony had seen her this enraged so openly in centuries, it was not because she was never angry, she just preferred expressing her displeasure in other ways. Had Blueblood been any other family member, anypony else who had done this as their first great faux pas she’d merely adopt a cold expression and glare into the pony’s very soul, for all the world still calm as could be, but clearly displeased. However, it was Blueblood. Somepony who had been getting under her skin since the moment the prince discovered he could order servants around. And now he had gone and done it, went off to find the griffon dignitaries in order to lambast them for her kicking him out of the castle for a week. A week! It’s not as if he didn’t have an estate, or a holiday home, or friends he could’ve visited… Well ok, maybe he didn’t have friends, but it’s not for lack of trying on her part to introduce him to ponies. She could’ve asked her protégé for help in that regard, but as fun as it is to foist things upon Twilight, she’d never forgive herself for making the elements put up with him. In the end she supposed it was fortunate he had happened upon the human rather than one of the kings. At least the griffons could clearly keep their pet monster on something resembling a leash. Had Aleksander been the one to have been insulted so… “And now…” She said, her voice calming to more reasonable levels, to everypony’s relief. She sighed. “And now we need to send reparations as a symbol of our kingdoms’ friendship and goodwill, as an apology for the offenses you laid.” She said rather pointedly. “A kiloshoe of silver.” For the reference of the audience, a kiloshoe is the equivalent of one tonne. Which seems rather a lot by human terms and truthfully it is, but Equestria is swimming in the stuff while Griffonia happened to be having a shortage at present. Even so, it is a noticeable hit to the royal budget for the year and not one Celestia enjoyed having to use on something that could so easily have been avoided. Blueblood had never been so terrified in his life. First auntie Luna had laid into him with truly shocking vehemence and now Celestia, his favourite auntie was giving him a dressing down. “Prince Blueblood.” She began after some silence. “In your time here you have been harsh, apathetic and cruel to your fellow ponies.” Her serene, motherly tone had returned, but even as it did, it had no warmth for her nephew. “You have been selfish, indolent, vain, self-centred, deceitful, contemptuous, dull-” “D-dull?” “-Ignorant, shiftless, arrogant, clueless, unimaginative, miserly yet somehow still manage to squander your monthly stipend on pointless nonsense-” “B-but my petunias…” “Nopony cares! They don’t even cost that much! How you blew so much on… Blueblood. You have embarrassed Equestria in its entirety and myself and my sister personally…” She said after stopping herself. She still had a lot of pent up frustration and anger to unleash but had to remember he was family and it simply wouldn’t do to break his legs in four places. Each. At least… She couldn’t do it personally. “As such, I find it a suitable punishment that you will go to the Fall tourney in Firthingart. Amongst other things.” She said, knowing full well the prince had never had a hoof lifted in anger against him in his life. “B-but-” He began. He had already protested the idea many times over to no avail, but there was always a slim glimmer of hope. Celestia held up a hoof for silence and with it, blotted out that thin ray of hope. His face fell. “As such, I agree with Luna when she suggests you should be adequately prepared.” Celestia said, narrowing her eyes slightly. “We can’t have you losing afterall.” “P-prepared? Y-you mean you’ll help?” Blueblood said, looking up. Daring to hope he might still come out of this with some of his dignity intact. Celestia smiled lightly. “Of course I will. Bright Lance?” She said, turning. A grizzled, old looking, earth pony stallion emerged from the side of the throne room. His fur a dirty gold and his short cropped mane brown, fading to grey. A scar across his muzzle and clear blue eyes that studied Blueblood as he trotted over to bow before the princess. “What would you have of me, Princess?” He asked. He had been out of retirement for several years now, only in the castle on business with the royal blacksmith when he was summoned to the throne room. He had arrived midway through Celestia’s wrath and knew he was probably not going to enjoy what came next. “I have a favour to request of you old friend.” She asked serenely. He frowned up at her, an unconscionable faux pas for pretty much anypony else to have done. However the guards didn’t react, for reasons Blueblood would soon, to his misery, discover. “It would mean so much if you would indulge me.” He stood back to his hooves and bowed his head once more, sighing internally. “You merely have to ask.” He said in response, wondering how much he would actually be compensated for this little ‘favour’. He eyed the simpering excuse for a stallion beside him and had a fair idea how much he’d demand of her if she were anypony else. “Prince Blueblood here will be representing Equestria in a foreign tournament. He is in need of assistance to prepare for the upcoming events. Would you kindly lend your skills and experience to his betterment?” She asked. One of the guards beside the throne was visibly shaking, his face scrunched up, trying to hold back laughter. Bright Lance regarded her with a neutral expression before turning to regard the prince, who was looking up at him. “I suppose I could try to give him some gentle motivation.” He said, his ear flicked. The other guard let out a short snrk, but otherwise was succeeding in keeping a stoic expression, much more so then his comrade. Prince Blueblood’s eyes were darting about. What was everypony talking about? Who was this pony? Why is that guard’s eyes watering? “My sincerest thanks, Bright Lance. I will not forget this.” Celestia beamed at him, he bowed once more before turning to face Blueblood and glared down at him with a stony expression. Blueblood blinked. “Wh-” He managed to voice before suddenly finding himself on the floor outside of the throneroom, thrown wide of the doors after having opened them with his own flying body. It took him several seconds to register through the pain and shock that he had just been thrown out of the throne room by his mane. He had landed hard and flailed to get back to his hooves. He turned to see Bright Lance walking calmly up to him from the throne, his face still that mask of stony indifference. “W-wait! Hang on, there’s got to be-” “Barracks!” Bright Lance ordered as he reached the prince and decked him across the face. “Now! Move it!” Blueblood was sent back to the floor under the force of the blow and suddenly panicked as he got back to his hooves and tried galloping away. “Wrong way!” Bright Lance shouted as he cut the prince off from the corner he was about to turn, Blueblood got another decking for trying to get away. “W-why are you hitting me!?” He whined. “Because you’re letting me!” “Stop!” “Then stop me! Move!” Bright lance hounded, giving the downed prince a kick in the flank to get him moving again. Celestia listened at the terrified whines of her nephew and the harsh barks of her former marshal. For a moment, a part of her felt the tiniest twang of guilt for putting the poor colt through this. It was only for a moment however, in truth this was probably the best thing to happen to the prince and it was a long time in coming. So she assuaged herself knowing that at least if nothing else, the prince will learn some humility. Goodness knows he needs it desperately. Luna emerged from the doorway behind the throne leading off to the royal study, a book levitated before her. “So how did it feel?” She asked, smiling lightly. Celestia let out a breath. “Good.” She admitted. “But I had to hold myself back.” “Why? We certainly did not.” “I know, Luna. The whole castle knows.” “Good. So why did you pick Bright Lance?” “He’s good.” “So is Iron Shield, we still think we should have chosen her.” “She would’ve killed him, Luna.” Celestia admonished, looking at her sister as she sat beside her. Luna had a light smile on her face. “Lunaaa…” She said, narrowing her eyes. “Oh come, he’s just going to get trounced one way or another, why not have him be trained by somepony who would show him no more mercy then that creature will?” Luna asked. Celestia shook her head. “Maybe I am being too soft…” “We should think so, dear sister.” Luna said, her eyes closed as she did so before she returned to her book. The two sat in silence for a few moments, simply enjoying one another’s company, the shouts of the prince and the old marshal distant now. The silence was interrupted by a small golden flash as a scroll appeared before Celestia, her horn lit up to catch it before it hit the ground. A familiar seal upon parchment. Celestia smiled as she opened it to read. “Who is it from?” Luna asked. “Rose.” Celestia answered, “You know how she likes to keep in touch. She’s also asking how you’ve been.” “It is kind of her to spare a thought, but really, must she ask every time she sends a letter? I am over it…” Luna said looking down at the floor sadly. Celestia spread her wing to embrace her sister. She always slipped out of her airs when she was morose or overly thoughtful, Celestia always felt the need to remind her just how much she was loved. That she’d never let her be alone ever again. “Lulu…” Celestia said softly. “I know…” Luna replied. “Tell her I’m fine.” She said, Celestia smiled warmly down at her sister. Luna thought for a bit, biting her lower lip. “Mayhap thou shouldst not tell her anything about the day’s events.” “I wouldn’t breath a word to that old gossip.” Celestia chuckled. “She’ll find out about it in time, she doesn’t need me to hurry the news along.” Luna rolled her eyes, “Like that makes us feel so much better.” --=-- “What are you still doing here, tough guy?” Midnight asked cockily as she strolled up to the day guard. She had come to the barracks to find her misplaced helmet but spied the blonde maned stallion still in the training room through the open partition. “Mmph.” Cloud responded, flicking his ear. He was out of his armour and about to head back to his bunk. “Just enjoying the show.” He said, Midnight frowned, from what she could hear it was just some instructor running a new recruit through the ringer. She walked around the partition to get a better look. “Wow, haha, is that who I think it is?” She asked, gesturing with a hoof. “Mmm” Cloud affirmed, his face as unmoving as it ever was. Honestly, if she hadn’t known him for as long as she did, she’d swear his face was stuck like that, carved out of unyielding stone. “About time, I’d say.” He said. She had a few minutes to spare before she went to her rounds for the next eight hours so she sat there with him. Prince Blueblood, wearing padded neophyte armour and a rickety helmet was trying, and failing, to defend himself with a padded staff. The grizzled yellow pony was showing him no mercy. “Duck!” “Wha-“ Prince blueblood said before he got a blow to the head that sent him reeling, his tongue sticking out stupidly as he tried to regain his senses. “Watch your footing!” “H-” And with that he was taken off his hooves by a low swing of the old marshal’s staff. The pony used the momentum to stick one end of the staff to the wooden flooring, leaning against it at an angle with his front hoofs. This was basic spear training most guards had to go through, not even allowed to train with any other weapon until they got this most basic form of combat right. The prince was a unicorn, which gave him a lot of advantages, even if he was not a mage, but nopony got any slack with him for any reason. Prince or not, Blueblood was going to be trained properly. “Wh-he-he-hyyyy…” He whined, eye blackened from the abuse. He felt something move in his mouth, he rotated his tongue and spat. A tooth bounced along the hard panel floor, Blueblood gasped and stared at it in mortification. Bright Lance just shook his head before rearing, spinning the staff around before sticking it into the ground again and leaning his weight onto it. The minute muscles in their hooves allowed ponies an extraordinarily versatile grip, allowing them to feel yet at the same time, unable to feel pain through them, otherwise horse shoes for hard face work and long distance traveling by hoof would be wildly impractical. This is especially true with Earth ponies whose entire magic was almost entirely focused through their hooves. If Blueblood felt he was punishing him, he had no idea how rough he could get. “Get back up! We aren’t done yet!” “Noooooo….” Blueblood said weakly before getting smacked on the back, forcing him to move. “Hahaha!” Midnight laughed, she knew it was rude to laugh at another’s misfortune, but this was too good to pass up, “I see why you stayed, but I must admit I am a bit disappointed…” She said, pouting. “Hmm?” Cloud said, not turning to look but inclining his head. “And here I thought you were just here to wish me goodnight…” “Hmph.” He responded, she smirked before turning back to the show before them. “You know, I think those ponies are taking bets.” She said, pointing a hoof to their right, several other day guards were chatting with their night guard relief, one of them, a day guard by the name of Gemstone was gathering slips of paper in her helmet. “Don’t even think about it.” Cloud admonished, she frowned at him. “Gambling while on duty is unprofessional.” “Hey Skippy, want in?” Gemstone said, levitating her helmet over. His eye twitched at the nickname. He raised his right wing and a primary feather dropped a neatly folded slip of paper into the helmet. Midnight glared at him incredulously as Gemstone trotted off. “Unprofessional huh?” She said indignantly, narrowing her eyes at him, he didn’t turn to meet her gaze. “And just what was that then?” “I’m not on duty.” He smiled.