The day started like any other, I ate a sandwich had a quick rinse and dawned my armor and reported in, so why does something feel off? For the life of me I couldn’t remember what happened yesterday, which meant I partied pretty hard. As I look around the room I spot my clock. “Oh Crap!!” I shouted as I bolted for the palace. I just remembered what happened yesterday; I was recognized for my dutiful service and valor and was promoted to General of the 17th Battalion. The ceremony is all well and done but I am going to miss the last transport to my new station; somewhere called Forgotten Sanctuary. Oh thank god I’m not late. This wouldn’t be a problem if I could fly, but no jetpacks are reserved for the recon ponies that also lack wings. Though there aren’t many of those and I guess I should have been more responsible, but it’s a freaking JETPACK. I can only do so much with the equipment I currently have. Oh hells yes front seat is MINE.*SLAM* “Owwww what the heck!” I screamed out hoping to shock whoever but its my first day as a general and I don’t want to mar by getting into a fig…ht. My thoughts slowed down as I saw one hell of a mare standing in front of me giving me the old evil eye but I was still in my party haze and misinterpreted that eye. “Can I ask why you are checking me out?” she basically growled at me but I am extremely stupid right now so I replied “Well when some pony falls from heaven just land in front of and partially on me I can’t help but stare at god’s gift to the world.” I thought that was pretty good but another smack to my face and that cleared up any delusions of mine. I got angry though “Well who are you anyways?” I said as politely as possible trying to keep my first day from incident. Another smack came just before what she said “Can you not recognize your princess?” and she said it with a haughty tone. “Forgive me Your Majesty your beauty blinded me.” I said as humbly now as I could manage still keeping an eye on the Omnicart. “But I must go before I miss my ordered duties and make a fool out of myself.” I added quickly. I darted off before she could reply but I didn’t get far. A sharp pain hit my back as I crashed on to the floor now. “I think your orders can wait for a Princess, don’t you.” she said so sharply that it cut. I simply stated “Princess Lunar though I wish that were true even princesses can’t stop a general from going to war.” Upon hearing this she quickly grew angry and bored for she saw no fun in teasing anyone with enough status to damage her reputation, at least that’s what I hoped would happen, but I have never been lucky and today wasn’t going to be the start of it. Damn missed my ride and the next cart won’t be here for another 6 hours. “Well Princess what can this lowly earth pony do for you now that my orders have been shifted?” I said trying to cool her down and well get some brownie points now that I’m stuck with her. “The first thing you can do is to lick my hooves clean. They are so dirty after stepping on some trash.” She said quite giddily now. That damn sadist making me submit to doing this. “If that is your highnesses wish then I could easily fetch some polish and water to properly perform grooming but if it is my tongue you seek. THEN MY TONGUE YOU SHALL GET” I couldn’t help but to say it. I have a very limited patience to such trivial acts that only endanger my life so if she wishes to tussle then I will break her scrawny legs for thinking she could beat me. I know that royalty has special privileges but I missed my transport and my Battalion could be in battle and I can’t help them fight. As I stood up she fell down and as she fell down the rest of the royal family showed up though they were watching the entire time. “Good show my boy. You were doing splendidly till you came into the palace. But I must say your current assignment is too easy for a man that thinks he can hurt my daughter. So I shall provide you with transport to your new assignment.” said the king. I don’t know why but the thought of getting the hell away from Canterlot. Just then I realized that I didn’t party last night I went to sleep. And the moment I stepped on the transport I woke up. It was still early enough to properly clean myself and get suited up before heading to the nearest hover car. I swear these things made living in the sky easier for everypony. As I looked out the window of it I saw the view of Cloud City the utopia in the sky. It was a very beautifully made city. In the center of it was the area every pony called Cloudsdale. Simply because it was the area the weather factory was. Though that was the center of scientific thinking on weather control, their next objective was to figure out how to paint rainbows across the sky at will. At another location there was an old castle made in old unicorn architecture. These were called the Castles of CanterLot . Due to its extravagance it was the hub of all wealthy ponies and royalty. The next view to cross my sight was the feeble attempt to appease earth ponies like myself by making some Basic straw roofed housing generically named ponyville. It was a great insult to me and many others when they revealed their homage to earth pony society when most technological advances were made by earth ponies because we needed to make up for the lack of wings and magic. Finally the great Mecca and floating Fortress of the Alicorns Horn Tower, the Alicorns assumed dominance for they were the most gifted and no one complained much. That was mostly because there magic had a powerful effect on their enemies and they didn’t do too bad in their rule so far. I still can’t believe I made that ridiculous scenario up in my dream. And what was with the name I gave her, I really need to watch what I well watch so that perverted cap doesn’t happen again. At least my name wasn’t wrong this time. I coasted my hover car into the docking bay of Horn Tower and headed towards the teleportation room. For all the fuss about magic one can’t deny that it’s damn useful. “General Poxx heading out to Star Screams Burrows, sir!” I reported in. “Very well General wait here while two others join you on your mission, and I will fill you all in at the same time.” The chief of all military endeavors Star Swirl stated. He wasn’t called The Bearded for nothing I thought to myself as I began to wonder around the tower. I worked here for 3 years and knew how to get to anywhere from anywhere in this tower. As I approached one of my friends I shouted out his name “Hey, Twilight Skies how has it been?” He was surprised and gave a little jump. “Didn’t sleep well last night Sky?” I asked. “SLEEP HA we Alicorns have a lot on our plate in this war. I have been dissecting the cadavers brought in here since yesterday morning. SO, NO, I DIDN’T SLEEP WELL!” he shouted at me. “Hey don’t let the work get t ya and don’t work too hard because we both know you can’t function well without rest. I can already see the dissections have gone badly long before now. And believe it or not it isn’t easy to take down those dragons. Now come on you have wasted enough bodies today get some rest.” I said. His reply was tired and depressingly exhausted “I cant take a break until Harmonia orders me to and you know this so please PLEASE let me be for now.” I said ok and went to find her. It didn’t take long because a lot of horny (giggle) unicorns followed her around taking pictures of her. I broke through and requested her to give Twilight a break. It didn’t go as well as I hoped but I got him 3 days of rest and me 5 more bodies to bring before the week is out. That means I have to sign up for one of the big battles and or sieges that were going to be launched. The worst part about this process is dealing with the organizer Pinkie Styles. It took about half an hour of dealing with the inane gibberish that flows from her mouth like a busted pipe to get it done and I was signed up for 2 battles, One near the breach which was a siege on Blotbeaks cave, the other was the battle was near the hatcheries and it has been going on for the last 40 yrs those mothers are fierce. Not one of the mothers has fallen since it started not even to the Ursa Majors that were sent in. There are easy enough dragons to slay but getting back from there is all chance if a mother comes out your chances dropped to slim, and if it was the purple and green one then they dropped to none. “Hey Skies” I called out. “Thanks man just got the order to take a 3 day break and heard that you need to get me 5 more bodies than your normal queue. I hope you can do it or it’s a much worse working place for me and much much longer hours.*sigh* sometimes I wish we could go back to the days where you and me would fight side to side but I wish even more so to go back to when we would play hide and seek.” He said with a look of thanks but it was more depraved thanks to his lack of sleep and blood smeared across his face. “We could hide from anyone or anything and never be found except by each other and it took weeks even then.” I said getting caught up in the nostalgia. I continued “But I have to get to work and you need to take a bath and go to sleep. Oh and hey if you see that griffon tell her she still owes my a drink from our bet. So long old pal.” I trotted away…well more of ran since I killed a lot of time but only one other pony was there and she was an Alicorn with the most er second most beautiful violet eyes I have ever seen but the only other ones that could compare was the most deadly dragon out there. Her nickname was Violet Death. I love that name cause it so close to violent death. “oh hello my name is General Poxx nice to meet you.”I said in greeting hoping she was on my squad today, because tomorrow I had to go to the hatcheries and fight and a pony of her visage would certainly perk me up in the battles. She returned the greeting but didn’t give her name. “Well it looks like our third member won’t be here for a while so I am going to see one of my other friends around the castle.” I said. “What friend are you going to meet Poxx?”She asked. At that moment her voice, I realized, was the sweetest voice I had heard. But I saw through the spell and managed not to fall for her, though I don’t know if there was any real magic used, and replied “I really am going to just wonder until I see some pony I know.” Resisted it perfectly, because I had a specific griffon to greet in the mess hall, or cafeteria, for drinks, after saying that I scuttled along the hallway because I was going to meet her again and collect on my bet. As I entered I saw that that Alicorn had followed me here but I didn’t give it any mind. Simply because my mind was preoccupied with seeing that griffon before she saw me. No. No. No. No. Hell yes there she is. I sprinted on over before she could run out again. I caught her by surprise as well, damn my friends are oblivious or I am just that good, and she gave out a shocked greeting that showed how awkward she felt “Oh… hey… yeah Poxx how have you been?” In reply I said “Well, Hawk, I have been trying to get that drink you owe me for a month now so I have been rather irritated but a cold one would sure make me happy and relaxed.” That Alicorn was about to give Hawk a chance to escape again but I didn’t let that happen. Nope she isn’t going to intrude on this. Hawk saw my tenacity through my eyes and finally said what I wanted to here. “Fiiiiinnne geez I give up you and me will share a drink” I interrupted “On YOU.” She continued “on me.” Hahahaha her defeat has been finalized by making her break the first promise she made to me and Twilight, and that was that she was never going to have a drink with any pony especially not ones that can’t fly. As we finished our drinks as quickly as we could for both of us had work and I knew she was assigned to my squad. That was 1/8 the reason I came to get her. Now we are finally going to get briefed on what we are actually going to do. Tonight is going to be jam packed full of awkward rivalry and me staring at Hawk and the Violet eyed on till something happens.