“Oh, a crested ibis! That’s not something usual around here.” Putting a set of goggles on, Far Sight scribbled in his journal, excited to see a new bird near Neighagra Falls. He liked to come around here during migration season. As an avid bird-watcher, the Falls were a prime location.
Of course, ‘around here’ meant about half a mile away. Far, as his few friends called him, was an odd pony. He had an extreme form of hyperopia, as the doctors liked to call it. Others just called it a vision disorder; far-sightedness, if they were being specific. To be named after a medical condition was slightly embarrassing. Then again, he could have been named something like ‘Gassy’.
Also strange was how comfortable he was on the ground. Most ponies assumed that a pegasus would be most at home in the sky. Far would rather lie in the grass, so as to not scare the birds he studied. He blended in well enough that only the most observant would see him should he lay still. Of course, it was rare he would get close enough to spook anything, but every little bit helped.
The thing that really set Far apart from his peers, however, was his cutie mark. Or, as the case was, his lack of one. He was the only adult pony born in Hollow Shades without one. He had come to accept the fact that he was a blank-flank. It was a sore subject still, but not enough to cause him to fly off the handle.
Taking his goggles off and glancing up towards Canterlot, Far saw a huge burst of pink light, followed by black specks flying into the sky. He remembered reading in the paper that a wedding was taking place today, and a big one at that. Maybe the light was a large firework? That might explain it.
Tracking one of the specks, he was quickly distracted. “Neat! A blue-spotted cockatoo!”
Returning home, Far greeted the guards at the gate. One ignored him, and the other simply told him, “He’s probably in the bar by now,” before going back to watching the forest.
That in and of itself was strange. Most of the time, the guards were rather chatty, ready to strike up a conversation after a long day of standing and watching for threats that never came. He would have to talk to Mighty Impact, the town guard’s captain, about that. It wasn’t a problem per say, but worrying nonetheless, especially for a pony that ventured outside the town’s walls as often as Far did.
Trotting to the tavern, Far pulled out his bit bag. It was disappointingly light, though that was the norm. Bird watching was just a hobby, and not many ponies were willing to hire a blank-flank. What odd jobs he managed to get didn’t normally pay well, either. Well, at least he didn’t have to pay for an expensive set of binoculars.
“Hey, Far Sight!” a voice boomed from across the room as he walked in. “I’d recognize those goggles anywhere! Come on over!”
Rolling his eyes, Far walked over to the source of the voice. It was the captain himself, already a pint and a half in the hole. “Good to see you too, sir,” Far said.
“Ha!” the unicorn laughed. “How many times do I have to tell you, drop the formalities in here. Seriously, just call me Impact. So, how’d the spotting go today?”
“Good, good. Several new types this year. I saw something happen to the southwest, though. There was a bright pink flash just about where Canterlot is. Any idea what happened?”
Impact sobered up immediately at the mention of Canterlot. “I really shouldn’t be telling you this,” his voice barely above the buzz of the bar, “but something big went down. Some sort of invasion got past Shining Armor’s shield. That’s all I know for sure. I ordered the guards on duty to be extra vigilant, just in case some part of it comes our way.”
“If that’s the case, is this a good time to be drinking?”
“What better time? The civilians see the guard carousing, they don’t think anything’s going wrong. Don’t get me wrong, Hollow Shades’ no Ponyville; we don’t get much action here. Of course, that means the guards here aren’t as well trained as the big city guys.” Impact took another drink.
“And you’re telling me this… why, Impact?”
“Far, to tell the truth, you’re the only pony outside of the guard I trust. For one, very few take you seriously. Two, you keep secrets pretty well. Three, I’m rather buzzed right now.”
“Well, at least you’re honest. You never held your liquor very well.”
After an hour or so, Far said goodnight to the captain, paid his tab, and went home. He had barely settled in for the night when he heard a knock on his door. He was rather groggy, but he put his goggles back on. He saw one of Canterlot’s royal guards standing outside.
“Mr. Sight?” the guard asked.
“That’s me.”
“The captain of the guard requests your presence.”
“Mighty Impact? I just saw him today.”
“No, not Captain Impact. Captain Armor, of the Canterlot guard.”
Far blinked, finally waking up. It wasn’t often the guard requested anyone, let alone someone from a secluded town such as this one. “May I ask why?”
“I’ll explain on the way. A train's waiting for us."
"And if I say no?"
"Then you will have to tell Captain Armor yourself. I have orders to get you onto that train, whether you come willingly or not."
Once aboard, the guard explained what was going on. "Under Princess Luna's orders, the guard is initiating a new enlistment program. She personally chose twenty ponies from throughout the land. My job is to bring you all to HQ. From there, you will be free to decide if you will participate. Choose to leave, and you can resume your normal life. Choose to stay, and Princess Luna herself will oversee your training."
"Alright, that sounds interesting, though I wish you had come to pick me up during the day. Although… why now? Does this have anything to do with the flash around Canterlot earlier?"
The guard sighed. "We had hoped no one outside of Canterlot would know about that yet. Well, it's declassified information now, so you might as well know. Changelings invaded the capital today, and managed to capture Princess Celestia and the Bearers of Harmony. In the end, Captain Armor and his bride drove them out with a powerful spell, but the implications are farther reaching than most can see. Other nations may see this as a sign of weakness, and try to invade themselves. Even with the Bearers and the three princesses, the elite can't be everywhere at once."
"So, the whole point of this recruitment program is to train more elite soldiers," Far Sight surmised. "But, why me? What's so special about me? I don't even have a cutie mark."
"That is exactly why you were picked," the guard assured him. "You haven't discovered your talent. With any luck, it'll be something beneficial to the military. It obviously isn't bird watching."
Most of the rest of the trip was spent in silence, both ponies looking out the windows as the scenery rolled by. It wasn't anything Far hadn't seen before, but it was different at night. Once the train rolled up to the Canterlot station, the pair disembarked. Navigating through the still bustling streets, the guard led Far Sight to the castle gates and into the training grounds. It seemed that he was the last recruit to arrive, as there were nineteen other blank-flanks in attendance. The captain stepped out onto the balcony above, ready to address the crowd.