//------------------------------//
// The Brute - Blade Petal 
// Story: Spectre Squad: Ghosts of the Past 
// by NPP6 
//------------------------------//

CANTERLOT
SEVEN MONTHS AGO
Blade Petal smiled as she cinched up the last strap of her saddlebags. Today was the day, and she could hardly believe it was here. She cantered out of her bedroom and down the stairs, pausing at the bottom to take a calming breath.
Then she stepped out into the hallway and walked towards the front door. Her mother was waiting at the door, and they exchanged sharp nods. After a moment’s hesitation, Blade leaned forward and embraced the older mare, who accepted the hug after a momentary hesitation of her own.
“Make me proud.”
Blade gave a simple nod in response to her mother’s directive. That was all that was expected.
The younger mare then turned and left through the front door, intent on not returning for some time. As she made her way down the street, one of her neighbors, old Mr. Hedges, at work in his garden, looked up at her.
“Well mornin’ there Miss Petal, you seem to be in a right fine mood today!”
The gray unicorn found herself returning his cheery smile. “Good morning to you too Hedgey, and I keep telling you to call me Blade. And you’re right, today’s special, and I’m excited!”
“And I keep telling you, sweet young filly like you don’t need nopony calling her 'Blade'. So what’s so special ‘bout today then?”
“It’s my nineteenth birthday Hedgey, it’s finally here!”
“We~ell now, ain’t that something! I’m guessing yer’ gonna be throwin’ a party then?”
Blade shook her head. “No, no party this year. I’m off to the guard station. Since I’m nineteen, I can finally enlist!”
The old stallion stared at her for a moment before sighing, “Alrigh’, I’ll bite. What’s his name?”
“What?”
“Whichever stallion you’re infatee-ated enough with to go chasin’ like this.”
Blade was honestly slightly hurt by that notion. Never let them see you cry… even if they didn’t mean to cause pain. “No stallion Hedgey, joining the Guard has always been my dream.”
The stallion looked at her for a moment longer, his eyes momentarily flitting back to her house as something clicked for him. “Well then, as long as it’s your dream, good on ya. Jus’ remember to write us, and if’n ya ever need a place to rest yer head, the Missus and I consider ya one of our own.”
Blade refused to let herself sigh. She had known from the start that ponies would think she was just doing what her mother wanted, and she would not get snippy with a friend who sincerely had her best interests at heart. “Thank you. And don’t worry Hedgey, this is my choice, not my mother’s.”
“Alrigh’ then. Jus’ remember to keep it tha’ way. Much good as tha’ there mare’s done fer Equestria, we need you, not another her.”
“I know Hedgey, and I’m not her. But I am her daughter.”



Blade smiled as she brushed an errant lock of black mane out of her face. Her visit with Hedgey had taken almost an hour, but she had planned for it. She still had a good long while before the guard station even opened, time she had set aside to simply enjoy the thrill of anticipating what she was about to do.
As she walked along, her thoughts turned back to the earliest parts of her conversation with the old stallion. “I don’t want to be my mother,” The mare whispered to herself, “But I do want to be like her.”
Her eyes widened as she felt a tugging sensation. She had learned about it in school, but never experienced one herself. With lack of both experience and options, she did the only thing she could think of. She felt the music flow within her and released the Heartsong.
“My old dam is that old dam, spent her youth...” Blade blinked in surprise as another mare joined her at that part, falling in step as they continued, “…dirty hooves…” Another pony joined in, a stallion this time. “...foreign carts, filled with food…” A passing pair of pegasi fell in.
“She’s got the Equestrian True flying high from the roof, Semper Fi tattooed on her left hoof…” A group of ponies at a store filed out to join in the procession, “…back that says EQ Made…” Blade had heard that ponies liked to get swept up in these things, “…craftscolt wrench…” but this was starting to get a little ridiculous, “…ain’t made o’ rust, she’s just, Made in Equestria.”
“She loves her life, cause it’s that life, living free ‘neath Celestia’s sky, where she says, ‘Every day is Hearth’s Warming Day.’” Blade was now marching at the head of a parade. She tried to stop singing, a mild panic rising in her chest, but she had already let the song out, and it wasn’t about to let her go.
What was apparently the chorus rolled by again, and the mare began to realize that she would be arriving for enlistment as a minor celebrity, even if not a single one of the ponies following her knew who she was. Having no real options, she decided to just let things run their course.
She never did figure out why somepony set off fireworks for the next couplet, but she was also a little past caring. “…Princess and Auntie Faust.”
The chorus came and went, finishing just as Blade turned the last corner.
“My old dam is that old dam, Made in Equestria.” Blade marched up to the doors of the guard station and thrust them open with her hooves.
She promptly bounced off the locked doors. Regaining her feet, she rubbed the sword and spell circle on her flank while reading the words on the doors. “Oh… hehheh… Right.” She sheepishly turned to her audience. “They’re not open for another hour everypony. Sorry about that.”



“Name?”
“Blade Petal.”
“Age?”
“Nineteen and four hours.”
“Excited much?”
“Yessir.”
“Let’s see… I guess you already answered date of birth…” The stallion took down information on her parents, medical history, address, emergency contacts, and coloration, finishing with, “Cutie Mark?”
“A sword intersecting a spell circle at both ends.”
“Special Talent?”
“Combat Magic.”