//------------------------------//
// Where it Begins 
// Story: Getting Tough 
// by Manaphy 
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	A group of ponies scattered over a flat, green landscape thwacked clay discs that magically arose from the air with swords whose tips glinted under the afternoon sun. The landscape was surrounded by a gray wall, blocking out the outside world. Covering each pony's chest was a thick coating of brown leather, the armor used by the trainees hoping to make it into the Royal Guard. One of the trainees was a cream colored pegasus mare named Misty Fly, and her swordplay was a feast for the eyes.

Gracefully prancing across the shining, dew covered grass, Misty's ears memorized the sound of clay discs appearing in the air. Upon hearing the noise, her eyes shifted to and locked onto the disc. With a smooth swing of her foreleg, she bisected the disc in one clean cut. Her dance continued for much of the duration of the exercise, as disc after disc was sliced in two and collapsed to the ground with every strike registering the familiar sound of shattering clay. However, as she was about to slice her twenty-fifth disc, a deafening shriek rang in her ears.

Misty cut the disc as usual, but she stopped moving and her veins froze. She turned around to the source of the scream and found a trainee, a turquoise pegasus, lying on the ground. Biting his lip, the trainee covered his left arm with his hoof. 

Without hesitating, Misty dropped her sword and rushed over to the wounded trainee. Tears flowed down his cheeks like waterfalls and dripped onto the grass below.

"What happened?" Misty asked hurriedly as she stared into the trainee's teary eyes.

"I tried to cut one of the discs, but I ended up cutting my arms," said the pegasus, his face cringing intensely.

Misty looked down at the trainee's wound and noticed a small streak of crimson on the hoof covering the wound. Her somber eyes returned to the wincing eyes of the trainee. "How deep was the cut?"

"It didn't appear deep when I took a look at it," the trainee grit her teeth, "but it was enough for it to bleed. Gah!"

The trainee lifted his hoof away from the wound, revealing a scratch which released a small amount of blood. Fixing her eyes on the wound, Misty paused for a moment and after a few seconds, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"You'll be okay. The pain will stop eventually and the wound will heal, so hang in there," said Misty, whose lips curled into a smile. The trainee's body stopped quivering, but his teeth were still clenched.

"Yeah, I guess I'll have to try again next time," said the trainee with a sigh and sagged shoulders. "I wish I had as much talent as you." 

"Hey, don't get so sad about it. I had to practice for years to do the stuff I do, but if you need anything, I'll do what I can to help. Just promise me you'll remember that as tough as life can get, we just have to look at the positives and promise ourselves that there will be many good days to come."

The trainee paused for a moment and froze in place. He then nodded in agreement and Misty noticed that his face stopped wincing. "I promise. Say, how are you so optimistic all of the time? Everyone kept asking you from what I remember of you from the first days of boot camp, so how do you do it?"

Misty was asked that question for the past six days, though its wording varied. In other words, every single day of the week long training period to determine who would become a Royal Guard had somepony, whether it was the sergeant or a fellow trainee, ask that very question to her. Was it unusual to be this optimistic? Misty didn't think so, but she saw no reason not to answer.

"Well, I want to make the world a happier place, which is why I try to stay happy," she said. "I also want to help ponies in their time of need, which is why I dreamed of becoming a member of the Royal Guard ever since I was a filly."

The trainee nodded. "That's cool." The pegasus looked at his wound and noticed that the bleeding had stopped. He slowly got up under his own power and smiled for the first time since accidentally wounding himself. "By the way, I never got your name. What is it?"

"My name is Misty Fly. It's nice to meet you."

"The name's Ocean Current. It's nice to meet you too."

"That's enough loafing around, maggots!" a voice shouted from afar with burning lungs. "Line up at the center of the field this instant!"

"Let's go, Misty Fly," said Ocean Current. "I think they're going to be picking who joins the Royal Guard. Just a hunch."

The pair, their breathing faster and more audible, slowly trotted towards the center of the field as ponies began lining up shoulder to shoulder. Misty Fly waited for the remaining trainees to show up which, for reasons unknown to her, decided to take their sweet time. Some of them seemed to be trotting not in a straight line, but in an arcing curve. These ponies also trembled the moment they took their place.

The instructor, a light brown unicorn with a thick, black beard and a pointed hat, turned around and glared intensely at the trainees. Standing firm, Misty Fly didn't budge an inch when the instructor stared her down, and it was the same story for all of the other trainees, even the ones who were shaking before. Once everypony was examined, the instructor trotted to where the trainees could clearly see him.

"Listen up, maggots!" the instructor shouted. "The following names are the new members of the Royal Guard!"

Misty felt her chest tighten. She tried to relax her muscles, but they refused to loosen. She then looked over to Ocean Current, who noticed her gaze and replied with a wink.

"Metal Fang, Toxic Terror, Blizzard, Stonewall, and Beam. Congratulations on becoming members of the Royal Guard."

Misty's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She knew that she was among the best performers in each of the exercises. The amounts of praise she received from some of the ponies suggested that. Nothing in her mind could feasibly calculate why she was ultimately rejected. Trying her hardest to find a comfort spot, Misty noticed that of the thirty trainees, only five made it, but her heart still wept nonetheless.

"Misty Fly, I want to talk to you," the instructor said out of the blue.

Taking each step slowly, Misty Fly's hooves pressed against the grass. Her body felt as light as a feather and her teeth chattered intensely. Looking at the instructor's eyes, Misty formed a false smile as her brain consciously tried to hold back moist tears from emerging.

The instructor trotted next to Misty and turned his head to where his lips were next to her ear. "I'll give you a spot on the Royal Guard, but on one condition," he whispered. "I've given you a spot in Iron Will's Assertiveness Program. See, you're too sweet and you're not intimidating enough to be a Royal Guard. If you can pass his course, we'll take you in. If not, you'll probably never join the Royal Guard. Understood?"

Misty Fly simply nodded. Not a single syllable left her mouth.

"Good. Go to Canterlot Gym on Fourteenth North in Canterlot. He'll be waiting for you there. It would be a shame to have to reject anypony with your talent, so don't screw up." 

Misty tightened her lips and merely nodded again. With that, the instructor trotted away, leaving her to stand there with a raised eyebrow and a vague expression.

Misty sighed and her shoulders sagged, but she refused to give up. Not many were given a second chance like herself. All she needed to do was act tougher and pass this course assigned to her. It seemed simple enough, but how aggressive did the Royal Guard want her to be? Would it be worth it in the end?

Storing these questions in her memory for the time being, Misty trotted towards the gate at the south end of the surrounding wall, but a familiar foreleg appeared before her. Misty turned around and found the smiling visage of Ocean Current.

"Sorry to bother you," said Ocean Current, "but is everything okay?"

"Sort of," said Misty, her lips forcing a melancholic frown. "I'm only allowed in if I can pass this assertiveness program run by a certain Iron Will."

"That's at least something. You should be proud you're being given another chance."

"Thanks." Misty let out a deep sigh. "I know I'm optimistic and all, but what if I don't pass?"

Ocean Current smiled. "There has to be something out there for somepony who is strong and nimble. There just has to be."

"You're right." Misty's lips arced into a smile. "There is another option out there for me if this doesn't work out. I know it!"

"That's the spirit!" The two ponies shook hooves enthusiastically. "If you need to talk to someone, I'll usually be at the Golden Sun Cafe in Ponyville from nine to five."

"Thank you!" Misty's forelegs wrapped around Ocean Current in a warm embrace. "I hope we meet again."

"Same here."

Ocean Current's smile widened and he then replied with a hug of his own. After a few seconds, the two let go of each other and trotted in different directions. Misty looked back at Ocean Current and smiled. She then turned her attention back to the gate and noticed it budge slightly.

Screech!

The gate opened and Misty Fly, with a group of other ponies behind her, entered the dimly lit hallway as everything around them was merely a dark, emotionless gray. Misty kept trotting along the cobbled floor, her hooves making clicking noises for every step she took. At the far end was a bright light that grew as Misty trotted further along. After a surprisingly long time, she departed the hallway and reached the other side, her eyes squinting upon returning to the outside world.

Misty's pupils dilated upon regaining her eyesight. The roads were filled with ponies of all colors and kinds, trotting along shoulder to shoulder. A constant buzz of chatter echoed in the streets. To Misty, some of the conversations were audible while others were simply loud noises. On the far sides of the streets, shopkeepers in buildings selling all sorts of goods sold their products to the seemingly endless lines of paying customers on the other side.

Taking a small step forwards, Misty immediately found herself trotting unconsciously, as she became just another part of the river made out of ponies. Turning her head left and right, she frantically searched for the street sign that would guide her to her destination. Misty's lips frowned and her body shuddered the longer she trotted as the crowd became tighter and tighter, seemingly ignoring the dimensions of the road.

After four minutes of being a part of a claustrophobic's worst nightmare, Misty spotted a sign off to the left side titled 14th N. She casually moved to the left and upon completing her left turn, she escaped the chaos and was now in a much quieter part of Canterlot. Misty paused and took a deep breath, and for every step she took afterwards, the noises of the crowd grew quieter until they were only a whisper.

The narrow street had a number of run down buildings off to the side. It was an eyesore for those who highly adored architectural beauty, but Misty could see from the dark, sturdy construction that the buildings were at least doing what they were designed to. Spotting a complex with a dimly lit sign reading Canterlot Gym off to her left, she pushed the red door open.

Creak!

Misty tilted her head slightly once she entered. The front room sparkled with a glowing sheen as not a speck of dust resided anywhere in the room. Large, red couches off to the side that looked like beanbags beckoned to be sat on. Misty also noticed two ponies sinking into the couch. One was a magenta unicorn tapping her hoof against the floor and sitting right next to her was a white behemoth that was in the general shape of a stallion, but his muscles bulged out so much that they looked like they could explode.

Misty trotted inside and sat on the empty part of the couch next to the muscular stallion. Despite having plenty of room to wiggle around if she so desired, Misty felt as though she'd fall off if the stallion so much as budged an inch. Her head lifted upwards and her eyes focused on the stallion's large chin.

"Um, hello," Misty said meekly. "What's your name?"

"Bulk Biceps!" the stallion shouted, his voice echoing in the room.

Misty quivered slightly, nearly falling off of the couch. "Um, I'm Misty Fly. It's nice to meet you."

The magenta unicorn got off of the couch and trotted to Misty with a slight smile. "I may as well introduce myself since we're here. I'm Amethyst Star. Some ponies call me Sparkler, so I'll answer to either name."

"Sparkler." Misty Fly leaned over towards Amethyst Star. "I remember hearing that name in one of my history classes when I was younger."

Amethyst stretched her body and cleared her throat. "Some ponies think I have some similarities to the Sparkler you're thinking of, hence the second name."

"That's really interesting."

"Anyway, what brings you here?"

Misty's lips formed a slight smile. "Well, the Royal Guard will let me become one of their members if I pass Iron Will's course. That's pretty much it."

Amethyst's eyes shimmered. "That's amazing! I'm taking Iron Will's class too! I want to become a more confident mare, and I saw an advertisement for this program that would help me."

"I hope things work out for you."

"Thanks. I hope things go well for you too." Amethyst Star shifted her eyes to Bulk Biceps, gazing straight ahead. "What brings you here, Bulk Biceps?"

"I want to become strong!" Bulk Biceps shouted. Misty Fly and Amethyst Star simultaneously recoiled slightly and quickly regained their composure.

"I wish you the best of luck, but it wouldn't hurt to work on your tone of voice."

"Sorry," Bulk Biceps whispered.

"It's okay," said Misty. She looked around the room and noticed nobody else was present. "By the way, where is Iron Will?"

The three ponies were interrupted by a loud thud. Turning their attention to the source of the noise, they spotted a tall, blue minotaur that barged through one of the doors. He had a muscular physique and a manilla folder in his left hand. A smile that revealed his teeth adorned his face. Some of his teeth were naturally white and some of them were gold, but all were shining brightly.

"I'm Iron Will!" the minotaur cried triumphantly. "Welcome to Iron Will's class!"