//------------------------------// // 25. Canterlot Days // Story: Sunny's Days // by Anzel //------------------------------// Dolly messed with my mane a few more times before levitating a brown paper bag over and into my saddle bag. “Okay, you be a good filly at school today,” she said as she polished my breastplate with a hoof. “Thanks, Creepy Mom,” I replied before kissing her cheek and trotting out. “Don’t talk to strangers unless they look like they have good candy!” she called after me. Today was the first day of captain’s school. It wasn’t going to be that big of a deal, but I had to do really well, otherwise Colonel Dell wouldn’t take care of me. From what I’d read, however, this was more of a ‘just attend and get your certificate’ sort of class. That should have been my focus, but being in Canterlot was really pulling my attention. I was home! It felt like home, it smelled like home, and it looked like home! My friends were here. It took every bit of my effort not to ditch class and go see some of them. Despite that desire, I ended up at the Canterlot Royal Guard Campus early. If I was going to do this, I was going to do this right. The classrooms weren’t open yet so I stretched out on one of the benches outside to watch all of the trainees do their morning physical training. This was an experience I’d missed, more or less. Enlisted ponies had a different program than officers. A lot was the same but, in general, officers were treated differently. Our training was more like school. Enlisted instructors did a lot more yelling, too. I didn’t like that much. Eventually, a pony trotted up to the training building and unlocked the door. I went in shortly after and settled into a seat in Classroom One. For the time being, I was the only pony there, too. Early is never a bad thing! I drummed my hooves on the desk until the door opened again and a stallion with a major’s pin on his armor trotted through. I stood and he waved a hoof. “Good morning, early bird. Somepony must be excited.” “Yes, sir! This is huge for me. The city guard commander said that if I do well here, I can transfer to a different command.” The blonde major’s head tilted and then he shrugged. “Well, if that is how he does it. There really isn’t a grade for this class, though. You either pass or fail. I suppose you could pass with distinction, but that doesn’t come up a lot. Your real career builder is advanced leadership school.” The information I’d read had been accurate then. “That is okay, sir. Either way I’m going to work hard and learn everything you have to teach!” He nodded. “Good! Let me just mark you down on my paperwork. You’re Lieutenant…” “Sunny Day.” “Great.” He made a checkmark. “You can call me Major Tom. It’s short for Tomato.” “Yes, sir. Tomato is an interesting name.” Major Tom chuckled and shrugged. “The joy of being an earth pony, I suppose. My father was a twelfth generation tomato farmer. He thought I’d be number thirteen, but that wasn’t my interest.” “That’s okay! My mom is an actress… kind of. I mean she is, but it never took. Well… it took when she was younger! Anyway, she named my sister and I after the sun. She said it would make us more cheerful and positive.” “Seems like she might have been right,” he replied before setting out a stack of papers. “You’ll need a syllabus and course guide. You can go over it while you wait on your peers. I’m expecting about eleven more lieutenants.” “Okiedokie.” My magic lifted one of the pieces of paper from the stack and brought it to me. It was fairly straightforward. This was about learning to manage more ponies than I currently did. There was also a little bit on budgets but, in general, it all looked pretty simple. And boring. Very, very boring. Over the next ten or so minutes, an array of lieutenants came into the room and picked up their own copy of the document I had. It was odd to think but we all looked fairly identical. Different ponies under a set of gold armor. Only the badges were different. “Alright, that is everypony. Let’s get started. I’m Major Heirloom Tomato. You can call me Major Tom. We’ll be spending a decent amount of time together over the next few weeks discussing the theories behind pony management. Additionally, we’re going to review delegation, mentoring, budget responsibility, legal responsibility, and nepotism avoidance. Once we’re done here, you’ll be prepared to be a successful executive officer for a company. “The remainder of your training will be earned on the job learning from your commanding officer. When you eventually get your promotion, of course. I’ll cover that a bit too. There isn’t a lot of competition for captain positions but, as with any Royal Guard promotion, there is some.” It became obvious after the third hour of lecture that Major Tom was super nice and extremely knowledgeable. He knew the lesson and had probably taught it a million times. Which is probably why there didn’t seem to be any passion in his voice. Each time the minute pointer on the clock ticked I slid a little further down into my desk. It was a struggle to pay attention. This was boring. This was so boring! I’m going to die here on this desk. This is it Sunny. “Okay, that’s enough for now. Why don’t you all call it a day,” Major Tom said. “Yes, sir!” I said cheerfully before hopping up and trotting right out of the classroom and off of the campus. The sooner I got away, the better. It was time to blow off a little steam. It was too early for the Mare Contraire to be hopping so I headed to the Spearhead Tavern instead. When I came through the door, the place went quiet for a moment. I hadn’t been there in a year; I guess nopony remembered me. Of course when I was coming here before I wasn’t in armor. Everypony went back to what they were doing and I trotted up to the bar and sat down. Mr. Spearhead came over and asked, “What can I get you, Lieutenant?” Lieutenant? Oh! I took my helmet off, set it on the bar, and then shook my mane out. “It’s me Mr. Spearhead! Sunny Day.” The old stallion’s eyes went wide before he leaned in to look. “Sunny Day! Well, my, how you’ve grown up. I couldn’t tell you apart from any of these other ponies.” I laughed and waved a hoof at him. “Uh huh. Do you remember what I drink?” “Double fruit, red sangria.” “Yes, sir!” “Coming right up,” he said before heading off to make my drink. “I’ll be honest, Lieutenant, I’ve never quite seen a mane like that on an officer,” somepony said on my left. I turned to find a pink mare sitting two stools over. She was holding a glass of wine and had a short, fiery red mane. There was a bright orange sun emblem on her breastplate. “I like to keep it long. It is—was kind of a requirement by my CO.” Mr. Spearhead came back and set the sangria down in front of me. “There you go, Sunny. Enjoy it.” “Thanks.” The mare looked at me with her brow raised. “Your CO wants you to have a long mane? That is a little odd… but to each their own. I used to have one like that when I was your age.” “My age?” I asked, my head tilted. She was a guard first class. She couldn’t be that much older than me. “Yes. Your age. Before I got married and had two foals. These days, between work and home, I barely have time to style this thing. Although, seeing how great your mane looks, I might grow mine out again and wear it in a braid.” Two foals? Married? “You must have started young to have two foals!” The mare chuckled. “Well, thank you, ma’am. No, I started when I was a little older than you.” My magic encircled the sangria glass and brought it to my mouth. I took a sip and then asked, “Aren’t you… you know… well, first class at your age?” The earth pony started chuckling. She shifted over to the stool next to mine. “Ma’am, do you not recognize this badge?” she asked, tapping her sun. No… “Should I?” She winked. “Not necessarily. Only a single section of ponies are allowed to wear it. Princess Celestia’s House Guard.” Oh. Oh! “Oh! So… wait. If they stall your career there, do you get… like, better pay or something?” “You’re cute. No, we don’t get any more pay. Just the pride and honor. So, what is it you do?” Calendar girl? There was no way I was telling a House Guard that I was a pin-up mare. “I’m between assignments at the moment. I’ll be commanding a patrol unit soon.” She nodded but it was a knowing nod. The mare eventually cracked a smile and then started laughing. “What?” I asked, my eyes narrowing. Between breaths she managed to get out, “You looked great in those socks.” I glared at her. “That was for charity!” Her hoof found mine and she patted it softly. “It’s okay, ma’am. We all do our part.” I pulled my hoof back and turned to my drink. “Thanks… I’m just going to go back to my sangria here.” The glass floated between us before I took another sip. “Oh, don’t be cross with me, ma’am. I’m just teasing a little bit. You’re probably a perfectly fine officer, too. It’s just that you’re very recognizable with that mane. I had to pick a tiny bit. Call it old mare jealousy. I’m Radiant Orchid, by the way. In case you want to try and get revenge.” My lips pressed tight together and I glared at her. She just sat there and grinning. It was kind of infectious. “Sunny Day. And fine, but if you bring it up again, I’m going to pour this drink down the back of your armor.” “So noted, ma’am! I see your Baltimare badge there. What brings you to Canterlot? It can’t be leave, since you’re in armor, but it is obvious you’re from here.” She was pretty clever. I’m not sure I’d have deduced that. “Captain’s school.” “Ah! That makes sense. Well, how’re you finding that?” “Painfully boring to the point that I’m going to try and figure out how to survive it.” Radiant Orchid laughed and wiggled her hooves. “Oh, come on, that will be easy. I’ll tell you a trick.” “Yeah?” “Yup! Go find a dull tack, drop it in your hoofguard, and when you start to pitch forwards, you’ll step on it and wake right up!” I felt my eyes go big. Radiant Orchid just laughed. She gave me a light push with her hoof. “Just kidding. I’m sure you’ll do fine, ma’am. If you can put up with doing a socks calendar and all the attention it drew I’m sure you can get through some training. Best of luck though. I need to get home to my foals.” She sat a few bits on the counter and headed out. She was right though. If I could get through sex ed and working in G9, why should captain’s training be that bad. Keep your eye on the prize, right? I’d make it through! I’d be the best captain’s school student ever! ☼ “I’m the worst captain’s school student ever!” I whined face down on the bar. “There, there,” Dolly replied, stroking my mane. “I’m sure it isn’t that bad.” “Major Tom did not like my answer of, ‘volumize, tease, and accessorize.’” Dolly’s hoof stopped a moment. “What was the question?” “What is the best way to handle a tense protest on Mane Street.” Dolly snerked before she started stroking again. “Oh, sweetie, I’m sure you’re going to be fine. How are your grades?” I looked up at her. “Fine…” “Then don’t worry about it.” “They must think I’m a ditzy idiot!” The older mare poked me in the nose. “When did Sunny Day start caring about what other ponies think of her? I thought I raised you better.” “You think a lot of things… but you’re right. I just need to pass this class. I want to move on, Dolly. I don’t want my career to be nothing more than calendar shoots and comment cards.” “Yeah, I understand, sweetie. Along those lines, though… I’m going to need like… twelve copies of that calendar.” My eyes narrowed. “Why?” “To torment you the rest of your life. Plus, I want to see my little girl as a model. And, if all the other ponies are half as good looking as you… well, the girls and I decided we needed to see it. So you can either cough them up or I can send Pink Pearls to Baltimare to get them. Either way, it is happening.” “Of course it is. I’ll ship you some, I promise. You’re not allowed to hang it up in the bar though.” “No deal.” “Emerald Eyes doesn’t get to see it then.” “No deal!” Emerald called from further down the bar. Dolly leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Accept your fate, sweetie. I’m very proud of you and I know you’ll finish up this course. Just hang in there a little longer and then you can enjoy your two weeks off.” “Yeah… thanks. Make with the sangria, though.” “Of course. Although, you may not want to get too drunk. I think somepony is looking for you.” My eyes followed her hoof to where she pointed at the door. Melody and Strong Wing were just inside it looking my way and grinning. “How?” I asked. Dolly snorted. “I let them know you struggled on your first week and invited them to come over and take care of you this weekend.” I sat up on the stool, reached across the bar, and threw both forehooves around Dolly. “You’re the best!” I smooched her and then hurried over to see my friends. This was going to be awesome!