//------------------------------// // Training: Day 1 // Story: The Princess and the Guard // by Dragonfoxgirl //------------------------------// Twilight looked nervously at the training pit below her. In it, two stallions were training in combat, both protected in vital areas with cushioned armor. Their hooves were bare though, so any type of blow would still hurt quite a lot. Between the swift moves of the two competitors she spotted the pony who would be her first teacher. Big, buff and very intimidating earth pony stallion, Blade. He looked calm and pleased with the execution of skills displayed in front of him. Twilight found herself gasping as she noticed how close the fighters had come to him, too close. As she prepared herself to yell a warning, one of the soldiers raised his hind leg to deliver a kick to the other, but the other one dodged it, leaving Blade’s face right in front of it for the impact. The hoof stopped at mere centimeters away from his nose, and he smiled. “Very well executed Quick Shift and Autumn Leaf, you did very well too, practice your hind legs stance, you seem to not get the balance quite right yet. You may rest” Both stallions looked at each other proud, smiles big and wide across their dirty and bruised faces. Twilight couldn’t possibly understand how they could be so ok with one another, mere seconds after they were fighting for real against one another. Quick Shift draped the other stallion’s back with his front hoof. “So sorry dude I didn’t mean to hit you that hard on the face!” The other stallion by the name of Autumn leaf just shrugged. “It’s fine, training is training. I know you didn’t mean it. Tell you what, buy me a jug of nectar and we’re good” Twilight smiled, the sense of comradely was strong enough for both of them. It really didn’t matter if they fought each other. Taken away from her thoughts she noticed Blade looking straight at her from below, she jumped, being discovered was not part of her plan. “I’m sorry I was just uh, I just wanted to-” “The Princess is always welcomed as an expetator for training sessions.” Twilight nodded politely. “I was told you were expecting me, so I came a little early” Blade blinked surprised and scanned the air above them, Twilight followed his gaze. “Were is your Guard Princess? You are not supposed to wander alone” Twilight lowered her gaze to the floor, embarrassed. “I may have… snuck out of my quarters without notifying him. I needed some air” Blade agreed to her reason with a slight nod. “There are times when we need space, I understand, but Princess you are being targeted at the moment and even though you are partly safe inside this palace you still have to understand that things may happen” Twilight looked at the soil beneath her hooves, soft and sandy, Blade was right. Howe ever, the real reason why she had left Flash behind was because he had looked so tired when she awoke that decided that just this time it would be ok to let him rest a little more. She casted a sleeping spell on him so he could sleep peacefully and snuck out of her room. “Well, we better get started. First I’m introduce myself once more. I’m Blade. My task is to train in physical combat to the recruits for the Royal Guard and today I’ll be training you, Princess Twilight in basic body combat, it’s an honor” the black stallion bowed his head to the floor. Twilight, embarrassed returned the gesture with a small bow. Blade led her to the center of the training pit; he tied his mane to keep the hair out of his eyes. Twilight jumping slightly for forgetting so quickly summoned a long lace and proceeded to tie her long straight hair in a tight bun. “As the sister of the former captain of the Royal Canterlot Guard I suppose you carry some form of knowledge in combat” Blade started circling her studying her stance and pose. Twilight getting slightly more nervous. “Yes, mostly defensive moves but yes.” Blade gave her an approving look. “Good, good. That means you will not start from scratch then” Blade stood in front of her, extending his front hoof to her. “May I” he asked looking at her hooves. Twilight agreed. Blade took her front hoof in his, looking at its edge, gently knocking on it. He bent it feeling the joints and bones. He got a little closer and lifted up Twilight’s chin, gently pressing on her jaw and repeating the same steps he did with her hooves. He took a few steps back and bore a small smile. “It seems you adventures have made your body strong, we will not have to toughen up your limbs so much it seems, howerever, you are still very soft for a regular battle without the usage of flight and magic. That is why we need to concentrate in your body” Twilight lifted her front hooves, studying them Blade retreated to a far corner were a leather bag rested on a hook, he took out some bandage rolls and returned next to her. “You see Princess, in battle your enemy, no matter who, will analyze your weak points as he battles you. If you happen to be a Pegasus he will do all in his power to take your wings down first cause a Pegasi’s main strength comes from them, same with a unicorn’s horn” Blade wrapped her front legs with bandages up to her elbows and proceeded to do the same with her hind legs. “The ability of flight and magic are great strengths in battle but they are also capable to turn in to very obvious weaknesses, because ponies tend to rely too much on them” He pulled a weird looking harness and a black horn ring from another near by bag. “That is why we’ll incapacitate you of flight and magic, that way your body will receive all the skills” Blade secured the harness around her frame, Twilight no understood it’s purpose, it pressed her wings tightly to her frame and made it impossible to unfold them in any way, he then slid the ring to her horn, when it reached the base of it, the ring touched her forehead and she felt a sharp jolt of electricity, then she couldn’t feel it anymore. It was like her horn was not there. She tried taking the ring away with telekinesis but she couldn’t. Clearly the ring worked pretty well in restraining magic. “You are ready Princess?” Twilight met his gaze, with a serious stare she nodded. No more time for nervousness. Blade smiled and trotted towards a tiny opening in the stone wall, lifting the gate, a medium size black ball, it looked hard. “Touch it Princess” Blade instructed. Twilight approached the ball hesitantly and touched it with the tip of her hoof. The black round matter shifted in form immediately, startling Twilight in the process. The black mass started to take form of a four legged creature and in minutes it became a full grown figure of a mare, no eyes, no face or cutiemark, it was like one of Rarity’s mannequins, only pitch black. “This is a training puppet, it doesn’t posses a soul and it can’t feel pain. A creation of Princess Luna herself, she calls it, learning matter. A substance that can shape shift in to any form and can learn any physical movement, that includes fighting.” Twilight watched amazed at the puppet in front of her, the puppet bowed in salute. “It bowed to me!” “It responds to basic movements with the proper answer to them, if you bow, it will return the gesture, if you hug it, it will do so. If you fight it, it will respond. Your goal is to win in battle against it with out the use of magic and flight” Twilight nodded, taking a stance. Blade signaled the training puppet to get ready. “Remember Princess, this is your enemy now, it will do anything in its grasp to harm you and overpower you, DO NOT give it the chance.” Twilight centered her mind only one the figure in front of her, she was trembling, this was certainly going to hurt and she new it, in her head she started recalling her brother’s instructions when he taught her defensive moves. “Don’t go to the enemy, let it come to you” she repeated in a low tone She quickly dropped her upper half to the ground daring the puppet to charge at her, and so it did. With a beastly speed the black figure charged at her with full force but Twilight was ready for it. As soon as it reached her she propelled herself with a jump, flexing her hind legs, the puppet’s face followed her movement, she delivered a powerful buck right in to it. She quickly jumped away from its range. The puppet quickly responded by wrapping its front legs around her waist, with a lot of force, it threw her a few feet away, Twilight’s body hit the sandy ground hard, but it cushioned her fall pretty well, she rolled to her for hooves quickly trying to stand. “Don’t buy it time, Princess!” Blade shout to her in a composed voice. When she finally stood up properly, she saw the puppet charging at her once more, she got ready and waited for it, but the puppet changed it’s position as soon as it got in range, jumping, it stood in its hind legs and with one hoof ready to strike her right in the face, she panicked and ducked to the floor, the sharp hoof missing her by a hair, she thought quickly and headbutted the puppet making it loose its balance, she stood on top of it. “Hooves to the head NOW!” Blade shouted. She lifted both front hooves to her chest, bringing them down with all her might right on the puppets head, the puppet laid still for a minute, Twilight thought she had won. “It’s a trick!” Blade warned, but it was too late, the puppet bucked her right in the stomac and sent her flying to the ground once more, only this time she landed on her back, pressing her already compressed wings even more letting out a loud cry. She laid there stunned, in her head she tried working out a way to win this. She stood up with difficulty, in the distance she heard the puppet charge at her once more, she was not going to wait for anymore, she locked her gaze on too the up coming enemy and charged, as she went closer and closer facing a collision, she got the idea of teleporting herself as she did when she fought Night mare moon, but as soon as she tried to cast the spell, she realized she was wearing the ring. The realization distracted her, giving the puppet the change to push her right on to the floor once more, one hoof on her chest, the other on her wind pipe. It was choking her. “Common Princess, Kick!” Twilight composed herself and delivered two powerful blows on to its belly, it didn’t make it fly off her but it did make it loose its grip on her throat, she took the opportunity and with a loud war cry she hit it right in the throat, the second blow landing right on his chest, with another hit on its ribs it finally freed her. She stood up on her hind legs, loosing a bit of balance, but still able to lift her hoof once more, hitting the puppet hard on its face. The puppet fell on the ground. “Excellent!” Blade complimented her “it’s not over yet though, while the matter recovers analyze your next moves, think quick. Ok its standing up, switch the tables Princess and CHARGE!” Twilight let out an angry battle cry, not giving the puppet the opportunity to recover she aimed her hoof once more to its face, however, it quickly dodged it and aimed for her stomach, Twilight in panic managed to block it with her other hoof, the puppet tried to aim at her face but she blocked it once more with the other hoof. Now, the Puppet and Twilight were standing on their hind legs pressing in to each others hooves, Twilight pushed and pushed until her head was mere centimeters next to its head. She smiled and head butted it hard, she felt blood coming out of her forehead, but she was too pumped with adrenaline to feel pain now, and she was furious. Why did she have to do this, why was there so much evil around still, this was the sacrifice she was willing to make to become stronger, to BE stronger and defeat once more whatever threatened her and her loved ones. She saw in this faceless puppet the threat of a real enemy; she poured in to it all her anger, she felt as if she was fighting whoever was behind all of this mess. She suddenly felt Blade at her side, with a low voice he said: “You are letting your emotions taint your fighting, emotion will drive you in to a confrontation but it must never take over. Clear your head, leave room to think what to do next” Twilight listened carefully; it was hard to do so while she was pushing forward, then she realized it. The puppet was totally exposed. It was a rather hard move for her, but she knew what she had to do. She gave in to the pressure in her left hoof, quickly dodging the hit, and then she lowered her head and proceeded to do the wildest move she had ever made. She dove her head straight in to the puppet’s open chest trusting her horn right in to its chest cavity. She couldn’t feel it, but she knew her horn was there. The sensation was weird, no crunching of bones or blood, it was like clay. The puppet stopped fighting back instantly, its body felt limp, dragging Twilight with it to the ground. Blade came to her aid, pushing the puppet away freeing Twilight’s horn. Twilight tried standing up, but her body fell once more, Blade extended his hoof for her to lean on it, she was exhausted, her legs were trembling and cuts and bruises covered her coat and the dry blood from the small cut in her head had dried up in one side of her cheeks. “That was very good princess, a little sloppy, but very good. Your main problem is lack of strength in your hind legs, but you manage a fight pretty well.” Twilight lifted her head poorly and gave Blade a wide smile. She was happy, in a way. “Tell me Princess, did your brother taught you horn fencing?” Twilight answered with a raspy low voice “N-no, he said my horn was too small. But I figured that I was close enough to use it physically. Unicorns tend to forget horns may serve other purposes than wielding magic, after all, they are pretty hard” Blade nodded. “GREAT FAUST!!!” a loud voice suddenly filled her ears. She new who it was, she was in trouble. “Flash Sentry, it’s been a while” Blade greeted the orange stallion who was flying downward towards them. The Guard paid minor attention to Blade, giving him just a small courteous nod. He reached for Twilight face with a hoof, he quickly drew it back. They were not alone here. “Hi” she said shyly. “Princess, you must not leave my sight. If you needed time for yourself you should have notified me. I was obligated to join you in your training” “Sorry, I just thought…” she stopped herself from going on. “We will resume your next stage in training when you recover Princess, I’ll leave you to your guard’s care” Blade handed Twilight to Flash and bowed to both of them, turning to the puppet lying in the ground, it had already returned to its ball form. He pushed it back to it’s compartment and left through another opening. As soon as he was out of view, Flash let his mask drop. “What in the ever living Great creator were you thinking! Look at you!” “I just thought you needed sleep, you looked so tired I-” “You should’ve woke me” Flash took his horse shoe off and padded Twilight’s head. She flinched when he touched near her cut. “You got a nasty looking gash over there, I saw your finishing move when I entered, I was very surprised, I kind of forgot to react once you were finished” “Really? Was I good?” Flash was distracted feeling her for bone fractures or any injuries apart from her scratches and bruises. Twilight repeated her question once more. “You want the Guard point of view or mine” Twilight blinked rapidly. “Uh…both?” Flash clasped his hooves in to its shoes once more. “Well, from a guard’s point of view, you were sloppy and you really need to work on your stance” Twilight lowered her gaze to the floor, in the end, it hadn’t been enough. “But, in my opinion you were awesome and you kicked its ass. I’m proud of you” He kissed the edge of her wound with care, lifting her up; he spread his wings and flew to the exit upwards. “What now?” Flash looked down at her face surprised by her question. “What about now? You are going straight to your room with me and you’re not getting out until the night.” “What? Why?” Flash gave her a sympathetic smile. “Trust me when I say you will not want to move for a while” “Ow! Owowowowo!!!” Flash removed the bandages from her hind legs carefully to not graze the skin more than he had too. “I know princess, I know. Almost done… there, you’re free” Twilight lay on her stomach, her whole body ached, but her legs were killing her. A soft bandage covered her head. She braced herself for what would come next; decompressing her wings was not going to be any less painful. Flash loomed over her, his warmth reached the edges of the covered patch of coat as he fastened his teeth on the buckle. “Kay, in three. One, two…three” He pulled the buckle and Twilight felt her wings loosen. She let out a sharp yelp and contained her cry. Flash was quick in getting it off her. Her wings sprang forward for space and cool air. She suddenly felt cold, as the sweat plastered in her body met the cool air. She lay limp on top of the mushiest pillow, that wretched ring out from her horn, the was relieved to fell her magic once more. “I really don’t know how much more I an keep it up, it’s just been a night and I’m already exhausted” Flash lay next to her, draping her form with his wing, easing her cold. “It’s always like that, it is difficult. But it’s necessary” Twilight sighed. “Look, I got you what you wanted” Flash pulled a big book from the corner of a near night table. Its title read – Changeling culture volume 1— “You got it! Yes!, this is exactly what I needed, Thank you. ” Twilight pecked Flash on his jaw line, sending shivers down his spine. She laughed at his ruffled feathers and he responded with a playful glare. Twilight summoned her reading glasses and proceeded to quickly studying the book. She snuggled in to Flash’s warm cover and tried to put her mind away from the constant mild pain in her legs. Her reading was cut when she felt a soft muzzle between her ears and her jaw line. She shivered at the tender spot being kissed so gently. She felt her cheeks burn. Flash drove his lips all the way across her jaw, stopping at her chin; he skipped her mouth and kissed her muzzle and the corner of her eyes. “wha-what are you doing?” Twilight managed to ask. Flash smiled. “Teasing you” Twilight snorted. “You pick quite the moment to do so” Flash just smiled lovingly at her. “Oh Faust, are you taking advantage to the fact I can’t move?” Twilight asked in a fake offended tone. “Mayyyyyybe” “You bully!” Twilight threw a pillow at his face using her magic. “Ow! Kay kay no more teasing I promise!” Flash was silenced by something he first thought was a product of his imagination, but a few seconds later he realized it wasn’t. Twilight pressed her lips right in to his, leaving them for like 5 seconds there. Soft, warm and delicate. Flash felt a surge of energy going through his body and then Twilight drew back and smiled at him. “There, now be good and stay with me until a get through this book, Kay?” Flash just stared at blank space, Twilight called him a couple of times, and then she saw how his face gradually got redder and redder and he just nodded. She stifled a laugh and proceeded to the book. She glanced back at him a few minutes later to find his face hidden under his other wing. “Not so much of a teaser now huh?” “Shut up” She giggled and continued reading, moments later she felt him getting a little closer to her, his face still hidden. She smiled and shifted closer to him as well, reading, she felt her lips curl in a smile and her cheeks burn.