//------------------------------//
// 8 
// Story: Tales of a Brighton Phoenix 
// by The Stainmore Phoenix 
//------------------------------//

	Let's cut the fun training in the sunshine. We spent our time training at night, many times, Nightmare Moon brought in rain clouds and created fog. If you think your weather sucked, ours was worse.

Fog so damned thick, we didn't even know if we were standing on solid ground, rain that added it's own pleasure to our misery. To those out there, screaming at their computer screens that I am a thestral Alicorn, use your hearing, you obviously forgot the one basic principle of fog-sound bounces.

Of course, the ground beneath our hooves turned to mud and we were slipping and sliding while trying to carry our weapons and wear armor, which weighed an absolute ton. I swear my commanding officer was trying to kill us before we even saw combat.

“Keep on top of your surroundings,” I would constantly tell them.

They would return with “Roger, roger.”


However, Nightmare Moon was a lot more crafty than I gave her credit for. She once got us lost in the Everfree Forest. It took us seven hours and using me as a compass to get back to base. When your stuck in the middle of nowhere and need to use at what you have on tap.

Needless to say, we were very late coming back to HQ (and by late, I mean it was sunlight the next day and we were cut, bruised and looking like we had slept in a timberwolf's den. Of course, when we returned, she had us literally do push ups in our armor and with our weapons. 250 to be precise. By the time we finished, we ached and were sweaty.

“Hit the showers. After that I want Brighton and Skyla in my office,” she said.

As soon as she left, our teammates gave us hell for that.

“You probably stole Celestia's money,” Roseluck said.

“No,” Skyla said.

“Anyway,” I said. “Let's get a shower.”

After showering and smelling like we were fresh roses, me and Skyla trotted to Nightmare Moon's office.

Upon reaching the door, we heard a familiar voice.

“Dad?” was all that raced through our minds, as we glanced at each other.

Knocking, we were bid enter. Opening the door, we stood there as Shining Armor and Nightmare Moon sat and were discussing something. She looked up and nodded us to two chairs in front of her desk.

“You wanted to see us?” Skyla asked Nightmare Moon.

“Yes,” she said.

Once we sat down, she looked at me and Skyla first, then Shining Armor.

“Would you two care to explain one thing-why didn't you tell me that you two were the son and daughter of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor?” she asked.

“We didn't think it was important, Ma'am,” Skyla said.

“Really?” she said.

“Actually, Ma'am,” I said. “We didn't tell you because we didn't want it circulated around. Easy targets for blackmailers, kidnappers and the like.”

“I can see that being the case,” She said. “Also, I called you two in here because Captain Armor wants to do an inspection of our guard force. You two are the only ones to know of this. The others are not to hear one word of this.”

“Yes, Ma'am,” we said saluting.

“What day is this to take place?” Skyla asked.

“Tomorrow, six am,” she said. 

“Of course,” we said.

“Dismissed,” she said.

Me and Skyla headed back to our barracks. Once inside, the two of us cleaned our armor and went straight off to bed. The others stayed up chatting until around 11:30 pm.

At 5:50 am the next morning, me and Skyla were up early, in our armor and our beds were made to specifications. We stood by our racks, ready.

5:59:58. Two seconds to go until absolute comedy. The others snored and grunted. One second to go. Me and Skyla passed each other knowing glances.

“WAKE UP!”

The others jumped like mad. Some slammed into the ceiling, others fell off their beds and the rest were tangled in their bed sheets. Standing at the door was Shining Armor. Me and Skyla stood at attention, in our polished armor.

“Very good, two ready to go,” he said.

We saluted. Something told us we were going to have plenty of fun. When it came to training, the fun intensified. We carried out some midnight fog training. The moon was blotted out by thick fog and to add to the joy, Nightmare Moon enlisted the Weather Team to create a cold wind. I could sense Shining Armor's interest in the hard training that she put us through. It was tense to say the least, but now that we were under inspection, it became more and more stressful.

The others were bumbling around, the cold making the mud rock hard. Needless to say, me and Skyla had to carry the team, literally. Next time there's an inspection, make sure to be more dickish, please.

When we finished, I was so damned cut up I looked like a package of freshly sliced ham. Skyla looked like she had been in a construction site. Shining Armor was enjoying that while Nightmare Moon was taking notes on how we did.

“Hit the showers,” Nightmare said.

“Yes ma'am,” we said and trudged off. 

The warm shower water felt so damn good as it drenched my mane and ran into the wounds and cleaned them out. Once cleaned up and after Skyla bandaged the wounds to make sure they didn't get infected, we made our way to the training quarters, where the captains were waiting.

“From what I saw,” Shining Armor said. “You're Nightmare Corp has strong points and weak points. However, I shall give you a pass. I shall carry out another inspection later on.”

“Yes, Captain,” Nightmare Moon said, saluting him.

We were dismissed to our quarters. Once inside, the others wheeled on me and Skyla and accused us of knowing about the inspection before hand.

“If we said we did,” she said. “Would we tell you?”

“No,” they said.

“And if we didn't, would we tell you?” I asked.

“No,” they said.

“Good,” I said.

We de-armored ourselves and crawled into bed. Sleep felt never so good. When morning came, we were woken up by “Reveille”.

“What is that?” Roseluck groaned, pushing herself upward.

“Reveille,” I said. “Popular way to wake troops up.”

“Tell whoever is playing Reveille that we want to damn well sleep,” Maelstrom hissed.

I said nothing and got up, put on my armor and headed down to the chow line, for some chow. If only I knew what Nightmare Moon had planned, I'd have dressed in my best DBA-Dress Blue Armor.