Chapter 5
The howling echoed through the Everfree Forest, the cacophony only adding to the dark and dank of the wild woods. Desert Sun tread carefully, flanked by two pegasi. "You sure it's safe?" she asked nervously. "Such a haunting sound....."
"Timberwolves would rather chase than pounce," Violet Force explained to the nervous unicorn. "And they'd only try to chase you if you were alone."
"We'll get you out of here before the Timberwolves cause you any trouble," Silver Shimmer reassured.
"Still a bit dangerous," Desert Sun's worried reply. "Timberwolves eat ponies, do they not?"
"First they gotta catch us," Violet Force smirked. "You've got two of Equestria's best flyers covering your flank." He hovered to ensure said flank was covered, only to have his sister swat him with her tail.
"Focus!"
"Oh, I am...."
Desert Sun peeked through her shaggy mane. "I'm taken, mind."
Silver Shimmer landed next to Desert Sun. "Don't mind him, he hasn't had much luck finding a proper-"
'Shh..."
Violet Force had also landed, ears perked and nostrils flared. "Smell that?"
"Smell what?" Desert Sun's confusion at least kept her still. Violet Force shushed her again, carefully sniffing at the air.
Silver Shimmer caught it first. "That... almost smells like.. compost...." Violet shushed her too.
grrrrrr.....
Both pegasi were off the ground at the sound.
grrrRRRRrr.....
Desert Sun's silvery eyes widened. She desperately kept her horn dark, though her mind demanded to see---
HOOOOWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLLL~~~!!!
Desert Sun nearly bolted at the sound - and froze when she saw the glimmers of yellow in pairs. The howls increased, some distant, some too near. The unicorn backed away from the pinpricks of evil, fear overriding all of her senses and her horn glowing.
"Turn out that light!!" Violet Force demanded. "They'll hone in on it!"
Silver Shimmer continued to backwing. "Too late!"
And even the statement could have come too late as three forms burst from a dark corner of the canopy. Large beasts, completely made of sticks and branches, with sharp teeth and sharp claws. Unable to pursue the pegasi, their attention locked on the panicked Desert Sun.
"Remember the plan!!" Silver Shimmer called to the distressed unicorn.
Violet Force had already flown ahead of them, seeking a low branch. Finding one low enough for an earth pony (or timberwolf) to jump, he bent it back as far as he dared, staying clear of the small path. "This way, Desert Sun!" he shouted, mindful that there might be other timberwolves nearby.
The unicorn heard Violet and quickly changed direction. The wolves remained a few feet behind her, baying and snarling, snapping at her tail. She glanced back only once, then picked up speed. A glimpse of Violet's purple wing had caught her eye.
"JUMP!" he shouted. Desert Sun was instantly airborne.
The timberwolves slowed when they saw their prey leave the ground, completely ignoring the branch snapping back in their direction, splintering two of them and damaging a third.
Desert sun landed gracefully and cast, the bits of the shattered timberwolves catching fire. The third timberwolf barked and glowered in protest, but refused to come closer as two of his brothers were burned away. She walked closer to the impromptu bonfire, horn sparking at the lone wolf as a warning. Crouching, the timberwolf continued to threaten, but a second plume of flames sent it scampering back into the dark of the forest. Exhaling in relief, the unicorn waved down her friends to extinguish the flames and help her put the ashes in a bottle to bring back to Drakengard.
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"Counfound these numbers ain't addin up t' diddly!" Granny Smith creaked as she added up the market money. "Are you sure this is all you got t'day?"
"Eeeyup." Big Macintosh answered simply.
The matriarch of the Apple family stumbled through the totals one last time. Her sight may be going, her hip might not be quite right, but she knows a low number when it comes up. The little green earth pony offered an apologetic look to her husky grandson, who solemnly returned it. He'd worked the market that day in Applejack's place (she'd asked if he would go while she took care of some other things at the farm) and he wasn't quite as boisterous as she was. He'd seen what Applejack had seen in her days working at the market. People would ask him about Twilight, he'd tell them "Nnope," because he hadn't seen her since the coronation, and watched as they walked away without a purchase.
"It's gonna be a lean month for the Apple family." Granny added with a sigh.
The wind outside continued to howl, leaves scattering about the orchard. Black clouds started to roll in, shrouding the entire orchard and casting shadows everywhere. Applejack lazily looked out a window from her bedroom, her big brother watching from the kitchen. The howling increased, not just in volume but in voices, a dark chorus echoing through the night. Granny's dim memories snapped to clarity, and Applebloom cheered along.
"TIMBERWOLVES!" Granny Smith crooned. Applebloom bounded back to the kitchen for the soup ladle and some pans. "THE TIMBERWOLVES'RE COMIN, THE TIMBERWOLVES'RE COMIN~!!!"
Applebloom hurried back with pans balanced on her back and the soup ladle in her mouth. Granny quickly gathered two of the pans and started hastily banging them together, shooing any nosey timberwolves from the orchards. Applebloom proudly hopped outside, slamming the ladle against a cauldron of a pot, adding to the ruckus. The timberwolves seemed to howl in protest to the noise; howling that carried on the wind, and on one side of the farm, trees flickering to life.....
"Zap apples," Applejack whispered to herself before drifting off to sleep.
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"THOU SHALT TRAIN UNTIL THOU CAN TRAIN NO MORE - THEN THOU SHALT CONTINUE! IF YOU DO NOT, FEAR MY WRATH TO YOUR EXHAUSTED BODY!"
Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice snapped over the recuits' heads like a barbed whip, spurring each of them on in their tasks. Earth ponies pulling loaded carts or solid blocks of stone, Pegasi racing or being flung from a Dizzitron, and two unicorns sparring with other ponies waiting their turn. The tests were essential, according to the Moon Princess. Each applicant must be able to haul a certain load, run a certain speed and distance, and hold his own in a fight, regardless of opponent. To increase the difficulty, each member did the drills in a heavy mockup of the Phalanx armor.
"TIS REQUIRED ALL MUST TRAIN IN THY ARMOR! PROVE THAT THE WEIGHT OF THIS PRIVILEGE IS EARNED!" She commanded, stirring them to pushing themselves harder. The threat of "the stories" that each of these applicants heard spurred them to push harder, push farther. They would not be among the body count of those who applied for Phalanx and failed!
Gallant Lionheart was at least keeping up with Snapdragon as they sparred. "Pretty good hooves for a spellcaster," the veteran Phalanx guard joked.
"VERY good hooves for a former guard captain," Gallant Lionheart growled, getting a shot in. "And when I win my armor I will be Guard Captain again!"
"Where's all your buddies, then?" the stallion snarked as he shook the blow off.
"They wouldn't last a day here!" Lionheart insisted, perhaps a little too loud. Several nearby combats stopped.
"What would you do if Silver Bardiche or Thunder Arrow heard that?" One earth pony protested.
"Let them hear! I'd bet my old helmet that half of you won't make it through the week!"
"Like you cared before?" One pegasus mocked.
"You had the cushy job of pushing people around!" the second unicorn complained.
Lionheart turned to the throng, head lowered. "Need I prove my point?"
The others charged. Lionheart charged to them.
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Elsewhere on the Canterlot grounds, Flank Attack and Thunder Arrow oversaw a much less chaotic scene: dozens of ponies from all over Equestria had arrived for the Solar Guard tryouts. Some had been rejected for the Phalanx, but still welcomed here. Many took their turns in combat, dressage, and protocols.
"Not a bad crop this time around," Thunder Arrow admitted to the earth pony. "We should be able to keep at least half."
"The half that actually know what they're doing," Flank Attack grumbled, "explain to me again why we're expanding?"
"The Crystal Empire has been using Solar Guard since their kingdom didn't keep much of a militia, as I understood it. Shining Armor is going to oversee a group sent there. I'm hoping they're doing tryouts as well."
"Crystal ponies in combat...." Flank Attack thought out loud.“They might look pretty but when the pressure is on will they hold like diamond or shatter like glass?”
Thunder Arrow shook his head. "Slaves for centuries.... they knew how to fight, once. Now they supposedly do it mostly through magic." Flank Attack snorted in disgust. "Gotta be worth something if we've got a unicorn in charge," Thunder Arrow added.
"We're gonna need another Guard Captain - Shining Armor doesn't have the experience or time to be covering two separate militias."
“Shining Armor doesn’t have the skill to lead ONE militia”, Flank Attack said gruffly. “I understand after the return of Nightmare Moon restructure was required but to give the duty of Guard Captain to an upstart unicorn. One who then allowed his wife to be kidnapped and himself to be enthralled by a Changeling impostor. And how was he punished for this blunder? Captain of the Guard and Castellan of the Crystal Empire. One can only hope Shining Armor is relieved of some of his duties and the position passed to someone better suited to the responsibility it requires. Yourself or I, it'd be a sight better than Shining Armor.”
“And what about Lionheart?”, smirked Thunder Arrow.
“Then I would look to see where that cursed draconequus was as the world no longer makes sense!”
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The Friendship Express chugged its way through the new falling snow of the Frozen North, following its one route to the Crystal Empire. Cadance and Shining Armor had a car to themselves, but romance was far from either of their minds.
"I'm getting worried that the Security Council's not interested in letting me be Captain," Shining Armor confessed to his mate. "They commented about the little 'wife-tossing' incident...." he blushed, ears drooping.
"That's all part of the position, unfortunately. Politics is just another form of battle, with its offenses and defenses." Cadance replied reassuringly. "You've got a lot of different projects on your plate, and I know you want to succeed. Your sister told me so many stories about your dream of working for the Solar Guard, and now you've even surpassed that."
"Thunder Arrow might have been joking, but that new earth pony - Flank Attack? - I swear, did someone just dye Silver Bardiche's fur?" Cadance giggled but let her husband continue. "The whole fiasco with the changelings was just so.... weird. It was something that we couldn't have prepared for, and it almost cost me, personally....."
Cadance gently crossed horns with him. "Someone saw the difference."
"But I didn't...."
"You're just jealous that your little sister saved your flank," she giggled again as she poked him with a hoof. "You saved Celestia herself. You told me that story."
"That was three years ago.... what have I done for Equestria lately?"
She poked at him again. "You got the Crystal Empire the Games, and you've finally got Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to help us with the railroad lines. The Empire spent a lot of time and bits on building the new stadium, they can't really afford to pay for the railroad work. Canterlot can."
"Then there's everything else I help you handle with the Crystal Empire...."
"I'm bringing help this time, dear. Some of my friends from Canterlot have been dying to see the Empire, and want to relocate. They're going to help with a new medical center and a newspaper. I'm hoping to get both up and running before the end of the year."
Shining Armor's expression finally relaxed. "Thanks Cadance. I just hope we can keep the Empire and Cantlerlot safe against the next threat that comes through."As if his own words acted as a trigger, concern returned to Shining Armor, "Whatever that will be."
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Rainbow Dash had cleared the sky before lunch and was enjoying her sunshine from the one cloud she saved for herself. The sun was warm for autumn, but the trees hadn't started changing color. She pondered this year's Running of the Leaves and if she might even be going. The Grand Galloping Gala was around the same time, and she wanted to go back....
This year, though, as a Cadet Wonderbolt.
She remembered that Spitfire and Soarin' let a couple of extras work the Gala the first year she went. Despite the disaster of the event, she still daydreamed of flying with them. Her showing at the Academy was very promising (and record-breaking!) so she knew as long as she kept up her practice she would get the call.
She flopped face first, sighing wistfully at the chance. She glanced below to see her cloud wasn't far from the library, and as usual a crowd was outside glimpsing in at poor egghead Twilight trying to get work done. Getting her out of the library would likely cause another Ponyville-wide stampede, so maybe a simpler distraction was in order.
With a grin Dash leaped off her cloud and power-dived at the crowd, banking hard and clearing the tallest stallions' heads by mere inches. She pulled up and started swirling in loops at top speed, waiting for the cheers and chants and maybe a few chasers. Higher and higher she climbed, soaking in the sunshine and adrenaline. Finishing with a slice through her cloud and the patented Super-Speed Strut, she finished her routine not 30 feet from the library. "Ta-da~!!!"
Nothing. Well, she had some attention; irritated glares, rolled eyes, apathetic commentary. Almost as if she had interrupted something more important than her multicolored acrobatics. With drooping ears and wings she launched away as to not further disturb the throng.
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Luna had spent the last hour of the day's training session breaking up a huge fight that Snapdragon or Gallant Lionheart started. Injuries were minor but tempers still flared. She dismissed many of the recruits as the story was pieced together - the former Guard Captain's bravado getting the better of him. Snapdragon was also detained for participating in the fight and not trying to stop it. While he was at the center of the conflict, this is NOT how the training works!
Lionheart and Snapdragon now stood at attention before Princess Luna, bandaged from the row they started. "Have thou nothing to say of your actions?" She demanded.
Snapdragon bowed, splaying his wings on the floor. "He spoke poorly of the recruits, Princess Luna. I was merely teaching him-" his apology ended abruptly as a hoof struck his wing.
"You battled recruits - potential allies! Shall insults be enough to sunder the Phalanx before it is truly rebuilt?"
Snapdragon remained bowed, smarting from the blow to his wing. "Princess Luna, I merely - " a strike to his other wing silenced him.
"You acted without thought or consequence! No lives were at stake! The Armor's voice can trick you into acting on lesser threats!" She stomped Snapdragon's wing before he spoke. "You know the punishment for such rash actions!" Her head snapped in Gallant Lionheart's direction. "What of you? You have not even earned your armor, yet you acted rashly!"
"Princess Luna, I merely acted in self-defense. However, if it is your wont to punish, I accept."
The Moon Princess blinked at the admission; she already had one wing half-opened to swat him if he attempted to apologize. The wing closed. "Very well. Your punishment will begin during tomorrow's training.
"The Phalanx Soldier Tower Shield would report an hour early and drag a 50-stone block on the west side of the pegasus track back and forth twenty-eight times. He would then sprint for 28 laps, in full training armor." She nodded to the mockup Gallant Lionheart wore. "He would then return to the 50-stone block and kick it until it fell into rubble. THEN he would be permitted breakfast."
Snapdragon, still bowed, looked up in confusion. "Tower Shield was an Earth Pony!" His wings struck once again.
"THOU SHALT REPORT FOR TOWER SHIELD'S TRIAL!" Came the edict, punctuated with a powerful swat of her wing to Gallant Lionheart. The unicorn stumbled, only to be struck by the other wing. "THOU SHALT SHOW ME HOW TRULY DEDICATED YOU ARE TO THE PHALANX AND WHAT I REQUIRE!"
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"Twilight! The crowd's finally starting to leave!" Spike cheered as he saw ponies moving away from the windows.
"Finally..." she groused as she trotted down the stairs with another pile of reference books. "I'll need another reference on Animomorphic spellcasting, as well as a book of enchanting objects. Since my Element was in a new tiara, I wanted to see if StarSwirl was the one who crafted the necklaces that my friends wear."
"I'm on it!"
Before Spike could even reach the ladder, there was a sharp knock on the door. Twilight groaned. "I thought you said everyone was leaving...."
Spike proudly held up one clawed hand. "I got this!" he promised and marched for the door.
The little dragon pretended to roll up sleeves as he approached the door, another insistent knock only angering Twilight. Spike purposefully reached for the door and flung it open. "I'm sorry, but the Head Librarian is not in, and besides, we sent your organization a donation last week!" he wound up to slam the door.
"Spike, NO!"
The dragon then took a moment to look at who he just insulted - meet with a sullen, piercing gaze that appraised the hired help with practiced disdain. A gray stallion with a perfectly coiffed mane, dressed sharply and glowering past a pair of very expensive sunglasses. "This wouldn't be the standard 'royal treatment' given here, I would imagine."
"Hoity Toity?" Twilight puzzled. "I'm afraid you have the wrong address. Carousel Boutique is a few doors down."
"Nonsense, my dear. You were one of Rarity's models before this fine promotion! I came directly from Canterlot to personally request your permission to sponsor a line of dresses that Rarity would design. A 'New Princess' line, one that will sell all over Equestria, as did many of the dresses created for the Royal Wedding! It is only the commonest of courtesies that I grace you with my presence to gain your permission to use your image as part of this new line."
"I am not a PLAYTHING for Equestria's markets!" Twilight protested.
"Nothing of the sort," Hoity Toity insisted. "But as a new celebrity you would be making your friend a great deal of money for expanding her line. So many more ponies know of you than they do of the majestic and glorious work of Rarity's."
Twlight lost her next protest. If she said no, it would squash Rarity's dream of fame that she's sought - and it would be with Hoity Toity's backing. If she said yes..... would it still be the right thing? Her mind raced as Hoity Toity slowly pushed his sunglasses back into place.
"I will need time to give you a proper answer," Twilight finally replied with as much authority in voice as she could muster.
"Pardon?"
"I don't feel that my fame should be something that will make others money. I would like time to consider your offer."
There was no immediate response. Curious, Twilight risked opening one eye.
Hoity Toity was frozen in complete shock. "There are others that would BEG for this recognition!"
"I do not NEED any more recognition. Good day." She trotted up the stairs, nose back in the air.
Hoity Toity shook his head clear and turned to leave.... only to have half of Ponyville running him over as the door opened.