Friendship Castle. Day of Muster
"What should I say to them? What do they expect me to say? I've never addressed soldiers before. What if I mess up?"
"Relax Twilight. You are overthinking this."
Twilight sighed. Today was the day that the recruits for her guard were supposed to arrive at the training camp built by the Royal Guard Engineer detachment assigned to assist in the training of the recruits. This would not have troubled Twilight that much if she hadn't been told that about 100 citizens of Equestria had turned out for the opportunity to serve her in the guard. And on top of all that, she had been informed by the Princesses that she was expected to give an address to the recruits. Now she was fretting over what to say to them that would sound encouraging, even though she knew that 80 of them would not make it into the unit.
"I just don't want to make it seem like they aren't appreciated for their efforts." Twilight said to Storm Shield, who sat next to her in her study as she fretted over the days events. He was there to act as the military advisor to Twilight and to keep her up to speed on the training progress for the recruits. Right now however, he was playing to role of the reassuring uncle.
"So make them feel appreciated Twilight." He said gently. "Let them know that even if they don't make it into the guard that they are by no mean less valuable than any other citizen of Equestria. Let them know that their country and their princess" He put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, "thank them from the depths of their hearts for their efforts. Tell them that, and they'll leave here with even more encouragement."
Twilight looked down at her hooves as she considered Storm Shield's words. At last, she smiled and looked up at the old stallion. "You're right Uncle Stormy. Thank you."
Storm Shield bowed his head and smiled. "I am at your service your majesty."
Twilight giggled at the sight of the senior stallion bowing to the junior of age. She truly appreciated all that Storm Shield had done for her brother and all that he was now doing for her. His experience in military practice and training would be invaluable she believed during the entire event.
Just then there was a knock on the door to the study. "Your Majesty? Colonel Storm Shield?" Came a voice from behind it. Twilight looked at Storm Shield and nodded at him.
"Enter." Storm Shield called.
The door swung open to reveal a grey painted unicorn stallion clad in golden royal guard armor standing behind it. He bowed in respect to Twilight and then to Colonel Storm Shield, who both returned the gesture with slight nods of their own.
"Sorry to interrupt your highness." The guard said as he came back up from the bow. "But Captain Bladewind reports that all recruits are gathered and are now present on the parade ground."
Twilight looked at Storm Shield nervously. Storm Shield's reply was to give yet another reassuring smile that read 'you'll do just fine' all over it. Twilight slowly smiled in return and turned her attention back to the guard.
"Very well Private. Lead the way." She said with newfound confidence.
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The walk to the newly built training camp was no longer than five minutes, but it was still far enough away to be secluded enough for training and so it wasn't intrusive to the citizens of Ponyville. The Royal Engineers had built a total of four large wooden barracks with walls painted white and dark brown wooden shingle roofs. Each of the barracks were capable of housing at max 25 occupants and were equipped with wood stoves and showers for the recruits. Behind the barracks was a large mess hall capable of catering to 150 individuals. It was also equipped with the necessary cooking facilities to handle all variations of diets found in Equestria. In front of the four barracks was a wide parade ground for morning formations. Across the parade ground was the one of the smaller buildings on the site; the commandant's office and administration building. In front of the commandant's office was a tall white flag pole, from which the National Flag of Equestria flew and the newly created Flag of Harmony with Princess Twilight's cutie mark emblazoned on it also flew. This was also white with a dark brown roof, but it was about half the size of one of the barracks. On either side of the barracks were the armory, magazine, quartermasters office and shed, the officers quarters, and the camp hospital. Surrounding the entire camp grounds was a dirt track meant for running and marching. Surrounding that was a large stockade fence with sentry towers at each of the four corners and in between making a total of eight sentry towers. The large wooden entrance gate was closest to the parade ground on the right of the commandant's office building. A large sign stood over the gate that read in large white lettering "Fort Harmony".
As Twilight walked up to the large gates of Fort Harmony, she was in awe of the shear magnitude of the newly built fort. She was impressed with the speed and efficiency of the Royal Engineers in their construction and she made a mental note to herself to remember to write a letter of commendation to the commander in charge of the detachment, Lieutenant NailHead. As Twilight, Colonel Storm Shield, and the Royal Guard escorting them approached the gate, one of the guards in the sentry tower next to the gate called down to the guards operating the gate that day. "Open the gate for Princess Twilight!!" Less than a second after those words came from the guards mouth, she saw the gates groan open to reveal two white pegasi guards pushing them open, who then bowed as she entered. Her attention however was riveted to the sight that lay in front of her.
The parade ground was packed! All 100 of the arrivals had been packed into the parade ground and were now milling around among the crowd. Suitcases, trunks and bags full of personal items littered the ground around them. Surrounding the parade ground were about twenty or so enlisted guardsponies. A group of 5 stallions with officer markings on their armor stood near the flagpole conversing amongst themselves.
Twilight suddenly felt Storm Shield tap her on the shoulder and point to one of the officers with captains markings on his armor. The stallion was a unicorn and he had a dark black mane and pale white coat. His cutie mark was a silver sword blade with wind traces trailing from the back giving the impression of it swinging through the air. His armor was polished to the exact regulation of Royal Guard standards and he certainly looked smart.
"That is Captain Bladewind." Storm Shield explained to Twilight, who nodded in recognition. Up until now, she had never really seen Captain Bladewind, only conversing with him through letters on the construction of the camp. "He has been placed in the temporary position as camp commandant." Storm Shield continued. "So you'll want to talk to him first before we begin."
"Thanks Uncle Stormy." Twilight replied. She then trotted on over to the officers. As she got closer, the stallions noticed her approach and swiftly fell into a straight line and stiffened their posture. When Twilight reached the group they all bowed in unison towards her.
"Please sirs." Twilight smiled as she waved her hoof. "No need for that. Though I do thank you."
The stallion that Twilight had identified as Captain Bladewind stepped forward and once again bowed in respect to the young princess. "Captain Bladewind, 5th Royal Guard Regiment, at your service your majesty."
"Good morning Captain Bladewind." Twilight smiled. "I must say I am impressed with what has been accomplished here. Are all of those who submitted for training are present."
A fire red unicorn stallion with an orange and yellow spiked mane with lieutenants markings on his armor stepped forward and levitated a clipboard up to his face and quickly skimmed the pages before looking back at Twilight. "All are present and accounted for your majesty." He said.
"Thank you Lieutenant Firebrand." Captain Bladewind said to the young officer. He then turned back to Twilight and nodded. "We are ready to commence the opening events at your discretion your majesty."
Twilight paused and shifted her gaze shifted to the large crowd on the parade ground. As she did she saw that a small number of them had taken notice of her arrival and were now gesturing towards her and whispering to each other in awe. The butterflies began to return to her stomach. Storm Shield could see this and quickly put his hoof on her shoulder and gave her another of his trademark reassuring smiles when she turned to look at him. In response Twilight took a deep breath and turned back to Captain Bladewind and nodded.
"You may proceed Captain." She said.
"Right away your majesty." Bladewind bowed and then turned to the other officers beside him. "Lieutenant Firebrand, have them fall in."
"Yes sir." The young officer saluted and promptly about faced and took 4 steps towards the crowd.
"Sergeant Major!"
A dark grey pegasus stallion with a long wavy white mane turned around to face the Lieutenant. "Yes sir!" he replied.
"Form the recruits into inspection formation if you please!"
"Yes sir!" The Sergeant Major wheeled around and faced the crowd directly. "ALRIGHT YA LOT!" He bellowed. "I WANT FOUR STRAIGHT LINES OF 25 EACH FACIN' MY WAY! STEP TOO IT NOW!"
Soon the recruits began to form the four lines ordered for. They weren't straight lines by any means, as they were being formed by creatures who were unfamiliar to military drill and discipline. One could plainly see the green quality they displayed as they fumbled about with their personal bags and jostling against each other as they struggled to find a place in the lines.
By this time, Twilight and the other officers had stepped up to the front porch of the commandants office to better observe the process. Twilight stood in the center of the officers with Colonel Storm Shield on her right and Captain Bladewind on her left. Twilight glanced at the tall Captain when she heard a low growl come from his direction. When she looked at him, she saw what looked very close to being an angry scowl on the stallion's face. Not noticing the Princess looking in his direction, Captain Bladewind turned to another officer standing to his left.
"Quite a motley bunch aren't they?" He whispered in a low growl. "More like a rabble then potential recruits."
Twilight frowned upon hearing this. "Give them time Captain." She said. "I am sure that they will start to show their value sooner or later."
Bladewind looked at Twilight with an unreadable expression, then turned back to watching the proceedings. "We'll see your majesty."
By then the crowd had formed into the four lines and were now facing the office building. Lieutenant Firebrand walked up to the front steps of the building and saluted with his right hoof. This gesture was returned by the other officers present.
"Sir, recruits assembled and in formation for review." he said confidently.
"Thank you Lieutenant." Bladewind replied. He then turned his attention to the recruits lined up in front of them.
"Good morning fellow citizens of Equestria!" He boomed. "Welcome to Fort Harmony. This will be your home for the next three months of training. And it will be a brutal three months, the most brutal three months of your lifetime. You are all here to achieve the great honor of being the select few trusted to protect Her Majesty Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and Head of The Council of Harmony. This goal will only be achieved through your own display of grit, strength and dedication to your cause. Now, here to address you personally, Her Majesty, Princess Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight took this as her cue to step forward to take Captain Bladewind's place to speak to the recruits. When she stepped into place the lines of recruits erupted with cheers. Twilight was caught off guard by the unexpected showing of admiration from the crowd and smiled shyly. Suddenly, the voices of the officers began to raise above the crowd.
"QUIEEET! QUIEET!"
Just as suddenly as it began, the cheering stopped and an awkward silence fell upon the field.
Twilight took a few moments to compose herself after the sudden outburst. With a clearing of her throat, she began to speak.
"Hello everyone." She started, reminded that it wasn't just ponies she was addressing. "I want to welcome you all here. I must say that I was quite surprised to see such large numbers on the list of recruits and I am deeply touched. I wish you all well in the coming weeks and the best of luck. It is true that not all of you will make it into my personal guard but I do not wish any of you to be disheartened by this fact. For though you may not make it into my personal guard, those of you who make it through the training course will be the first members of the 1st Harmony Regiment. So know that no matter the outcome of your time here, just remember that we are all citizens of Equestria, and we all must stand together in friendship and harmony and we will all prosper through the ages. And now, I wish to meet you all."
With that, Twilight began to make her way down towards the lines of recruits. The officers present on the porch of the office building followed after her, with Colonel Storm Shield taking up a position on her right side.
"What is this about the 1st Harmony Regiment?" He whispered questioningly. Twilight responded with a guilty grin.
"I'll tell you later." She whispered back. The entourage soon reached to left end of the forward most line and began to make their way down to the right. At first the line consisted mostly of fellow ponies. Stallions and mares of all three pony races. Many were from Canterlot, Baltimare, Cloudsdale, and Manehattan. They were factory workers, farmers, taxi drivers, and office workers to name a few. Twilight soon was seven down the line and now found herself walking up to someone that she knew already. A certain grey pegasus with a blonde mane to be exact.
"Derpy?!" Twilight exclaimed in surprise.
The Ponyville Mailmare looked up at Twilight with one of her yellow eyes. The other stared down at the ground to the left. Her expression was quite peculiar to Twilight. It almost seemed pleading. Begging for Twilight to not do something. Twilight's question as to what that was was answered when Captain Bladewind spoke up behind her.
"Is this mare not up to standards your majesty?" He asked, throwing a side smirk towards Derpy, whose ears flattened against her head. "If so I can have her removed from the training program."
It took a moment for Twilight to register in her mind what Bladewind had just said. And it infuriated her. The idea of somepony not being up to standards went against everything she and the Elements of Harmony stood for. She quickly whipped her head around and glared at Captain Bladewind, who recoiled in surprise at the gesture.
"You will do no such thing Captain." Twilight said firmly. She then turned back to Derpy who still bore an expression of fear of being kicked out on the first day. Twilight smiled. "Every creature here is to have an equal opportunity to prove their value and worth."
Derpy smiled at Twilight's kind words. "Thank you your majesty." She whispered.
Twilight put a hoof on Derpy's shoulder. "Good luck to you Derpy."
Derpy bowed in respect to Twilight and smiled. "Thank you your majesty." She said softly.
Twilight smiled back and continued down the line. Soon she had only 5 more ponies to speak to in the first line and began approaching the first of them. When she stopped she was quite surprised by who she saw.
Standing before her was a tall dark brown 6 point deer stag. He was about a inch taller than Twilight from the top of the head. He was clad in a green wool jacket and with silver buttons running down the front. His antlers were worn yet he definitely appeared to be quite young for his size. His eyes were a light blue.
"And what is your name sir?" Twilight asked.
"Bradshaw your Majesty." The young buck said as he bowed deep in respect.
"And where are you from Bradshaw?"
"The Whitetail Woods your ma'am."
Twilight smiled. She had recently visited Whitetail Woods and had found the deerfolk to be quite friendly. She had always been intrigued with their similarities in magical essence to the Earth Ponies.
"I have been to the Whitetail Woods before. I found it quite beautiful. What was your profession before you came here?"
"I was a planter ma'am." Bradshaw smiled. "I helped to keep at the wildflower population running and prevent invasive species from destroying our ecosystem."
Twilight's eyes lit up at the unique occupation. "How fascinating! And if you don't mind me asking, what was your motivation for coming here?"
"You and the Friendship Council saved our homes when you destroyed the plundervines that appeared soon after your ascension to power. We also have you all to thank for vanquishing the monster Tirek and restoring the magic essence to all the creatures of our domain." Bradshaw then bowed again in respect. "We owe you all our lives ma'am, and I pledge mine to you."
Twilight could hardly speak. She had never expected to hear such a story and level of dedication from any creature. This deer, who up until just now she had never met face to face had just pledged his life to her. It was certainly a humbling experience. After a few moments she regained herself and smiled at the buck.
"I am eternally grateful Bradshaw." She said. " And I wish you the best of luck in training."
Bradshaw brought his head back up and smiled. "I thank you your highness." He replied.
With a smile, Twilight continued until she finally had reached the end of the first line. She then made her way to the right end of the second line and began to make her way to the left.
After about 10 ponies in the line, she encountered an individual that she recognized.
"Zecora?" She exclaimed.
The zebra medicine mare smiled when Twilight recognized her. "Hello Twilight my dear. I hope that you are well this day of the year."
"Excuse me your highness." Lieutenant Firebrand came up to Twilight. "Do you know this zebra?" He asked.
"Why yes of course." Twilight smiled, "She is a good friend of mine." She then turned back to Zecora. "But what are you doing here Zecora."
"Not too long ago I saw your call. Now I wish to serve you above all. Your friendship has been a blessing to me, and now I want you to see, how much I cherish our connection by performing as your personal protection."
Twilight again found herself at a loss for words at that statement. "Well I...I......" She paused before continuing. "Thank you Zecora." She said softly. "Your a good friend and I wish you the best of luck."
The zebra just nodded and smiled one of her wisdom filled smiles. Twilight soon began her walk down the rest of the line. She found that she was now encountering fellow citizens of Ponyville. One such was the blue unicorn stallion Noteworthy, whom Twilight had spoken to from time to time and had hear singing to himself as he went about his daily routine. His brother Toe-Tapper was in the Pony Tones with Rarity, but Noteworthy was a little shy and spent most of his time in his family's music shop. When Twilight spoke to him about his reasons for joining the her guard, he told her of when Tirek had appeared in a theater in Baltimare that he had been visiting at the time and had drained all the unicorns present of their magical essence. When it had been restored by Twilight and her friends, he had still been in distress as he did not know the whereabouts of his brother, and Twilight had brought Toe-Tapper to him personally. Noteworthy said that since she had taken the time to ensure that he and his brother were safe, the least he could do was to ensure that she was safe.
Twilight expressed her gratitude to Noteworthy and continued down the line. At the end of the line she encountered a black and grey male griffon. This was the fourth griffon she had greeted.
"Hello. What is your name?"
"Ashfeather your majesty." The young male griffon bowed.
"And where are your from Ashfeather?"
"Trottingham ma'am."
"Trottingham! What a lovely town! And what did you do in Trottingham?"
"I was a blacksmith ma'am."
This caught the attention of the officers present. A blacksmith would be a very useful member of any military outfit. The only officer who didn't seem to be all that enthusiastic about it was Captain Bladewind, who muttered something to himself under his breath.
"Well I wish you the best of luck Ashfeather." Twilight smiled and continued on to the next line. Meanwhile, before continuing on with the rest of the group, Captain Bladewind walked up and got right up into Ashfeather's face and scowled at him.
"I'm watching you griffon." he snarled before walking away and leaving the young Ashfeather bewildered at his hostility.
Meanwhile Twilight was already making her way down the third line. She encountered another Ponyville citizen, the local watch maker, Time Turner, though most ponies knew him as Doc. She encountered at least two other deer who had come from other woodland regions of Equestria as well. The most shocking encounter however was a certain blue green pegasus mare with a lightning yellow mane.
"Lightning Dust?"
The young pegasus mare bowed her head in respect, but did not smile. "Hello your majesty." She said.
"What are you doing here?" Twilight questioned.
Lightning Dust looked straight ahead in a manner as if she were being addressed by a superior officer. "To learn ma'am. And to serve you."
Twilight was surprised by the bluntness and the humble nature of the answer. She had expected some sort of egotistical response from the mare whose recklessness had almost severely injured her former Wonderbolt trainees and Twilight's own friends. She then chastised herself for not having an open mind and decided to give Lightning dust the benefit of the doubt.
"Well, I thank you Lightning Dust." She said. "I wish you the best of luck in training."
Lightning Dust bowed her head. "Thank you ma'am."
Twilight continued on the rest of the line without encountering any individual she recognized and had soon done the same with the last line of 25 recruits. Upon realizing that she had greeted all present, Twilight returned to the front of the parade ground and turned to face all present.
"Once again I thank you all, and I wish you the best of luck throughout the next three months." She addressed the crowd. She then turned to Captain Bladewind. "You may take over Captain."
"Ma'am." Bladewind nodded and then turned to the junior officers present. "Alright gentlecolts, lets get all recruits assigned to their barracks and then have them all gather in the dining hall by 1200 hours for training briefing."
"Yes sir." All four officers nodded and turned to address the crowd. "All recruits make your way to your assigned barracks! Your number is found in the top left corner of your muster form! All recruits are to then proceed to the dining hall for a 12:00 briefing! NCOs report to the commandants office immediately!"
While the recruits began to break ranks and make their way to their assigned barracks, Twilight and Storm Shield watched from the commandants office porch.
"Well what do you think your majesty?" Storm Shield asked. "You think they are up to the challenge?"
Twilight took a few moments to look over the crowd of creatures that had come from all corners of Equestria to join her guard and smiled.
"I know they are."