Chapter 11: Black and Gold
Chapter 11: Black and Gold
The booming voice of Sergeant Ironshod echoed off the thick stone walls surrounding the Royal Guard barracks. The grounds were a buzz of activity. The recent mobilization saw the compound filled with members of the Guard, all busy carrying out their work, exercising, or practicing their skills. Most paid little attention to Sergeant Ironshod’s orders; his words were not for them, but for the recruits who hustled to follow his directions.
At his final command, the recruits hurried into lines before their sergeant. In moments they were in formation, golden armor gleaming in the sun. They stood tall and motionless as the sergeant slowly worked his way along the line, looking each recruit in the face as he passed. Most were white, with a fair number of grays, two browns, and a single glossy black. Chirrup stood out in the group, the only changeling in sight, but the firm and stoic expression he held was identical to that of the ponies by his side.
“Good,” Sergeant Ironshod said, stepping back to look over the whole group again. “The ceremony takes place in three hours. You have the rest of the morning to yourselves. Rest up, get your kit presentable, and assemble in two hours, thirty minutes. Don’t be late.” He let the last statement linger for a few seconds before snapping out, “Dismissed!”
There was an audible release of breath as the recruits turned and trotted to their barracks, grim expressions quickly replaced with eager grins. As they entered the barracks, the progression slowed, with many of the ponies pausing to slap each other on the back and give congratulations.
A few pegasi took to the air rather than negotiate their way through the crowd of bodies blocking the way. Chirrup, however, picked his way through the group rather than taking the quicker route. They weren’t supposed to fly in the barracks, after all. Sure, the rule was generally not enforced, but it was still a rule, and so he followed it.
Slipping past the knot of ponies, he trotted over to his bunk to start stripping off his armor, laying them out in an orderly fashion. The helm was set at one end, with the peytral, flanchard, and croupier arrayed out neatly beside it, and the sollerets lined up in front of the helm. He silently repeated the fancy names, doing his best to ignore how plain “helm” sounded among them; after making the mistake of asking one of the armorers about the subject and getting a lengthy lecture on differences between a champron, a criniere, and a combined helm, followed by that armorer getting into a heated argument with another armorer who disagreed, Chirrup had dropped the matter.
His horn lit up as he opened his personal chest, extracting a can of armor polish and a well-used cloth. Sitting on the edge of his cot, he dabbed the cloth into the polish, then set it to his golden armor, slowly working over every inch of metal.
The buzz of activity inside the barracks slowly faded as he worked, as many of the other recruits left. Several others were engaged in similar maintenance, but most had trickled out, the knot of cheerful ponies slowly dwindling. The final group finally made their way back to the exit after stripping off their own armor, when one of the pegasi, Fire Storm, called out to him.
“Hey, Chirrup!” he called out. “We’re hitting the mess before the whole ceremony kicks off. You want to come?”
He looked up, pausing to flash a smile to the stallion. “Thanks, but I’ve got to finish this up. Want to look my best and all.”
“You polish that any more, and you’re going to wear a hole clean through the plate,” Fire Storm said with a chuckle. “You’re at least coming with us tonight, right? First time we can go out on the town in months, and I’m in the mood to do some celebrating!”
“You bet!” Chirrup replied, grinning, and siphoned off just the tiniest bit of the happy energy the other recruit was offering.
Soon they had left, and Chirrup turned back to his armor. In truth, he would have loved to go with them right then, but he had a responsibility, and that came first. Right now, his responsibility was to present himself as well as possible; he was to represent not just the Royal Guard, but his fellow changelings as well.
He lifted the polishing cloth in his magic, and paused. He couldn’t resist the urge to glance around the barracks before floating the cloth over to his chest, moving it in neat circles that brought out a pleasant, glossy sheen.
Ironshod’s voice cut across the barracks. “Polish! You’ve got a visitor!”
Chirrup dropped the cloth as he looked over. The sergeant stood just inside the entrance, with another earth pony standing beside him. They may have both been of the same race, but they couldn’t be more unalike. Ironshod was a large and powerfully built pony, while the other pony was on the small and lean side. While Ironshod had the bright white coat and close-trimmed blue mane and tail that was so common among ponies who found their way into the Guard, the other had one of the darkest gray coats Chirrup had seen on a pony, with an unkempt and fiery-orange mane and tail. Where the Guard instructor stood tall, his stance sure and strong, the smaller pony seemed much more timid in his movements, and his eyes wandered around rapidly until they came across Chirrup.
Despite the timid appearance of the pony, there wasn’t any real sense of fear from him, just a feeling of anxiety.
Ironshod looked down to the other pony, said a couple quiet words before gesturing to Chirrup, and then turned to leave the barracks again. The smaller pony only glanced at him for a moment before looking back to Chirrup. It was a couple seconds before he started walking, approaching the changeling recruit.
Chirrup watched the pony with growing curiosity. The pony was clearly not a member of the Guard, and didn’t look like the sort he would normally expect to be working at the castle. That meant he was probably a civilian, but he had no idea why a civilian would be there in the Guard barracks, much less why that civilian would be looking for him.
Nervousness did seep out faintly from the pony as he approached, likely not helped by Chirrup’s appearance. While Chirrup was still, in his opinion, attractively sleek and slim, he was a bit larger than average. Some ponies seemed a bit more intimidated by it. Just as annoyingly, some ponies didn’t even notice the difference.
The pony hesitated just a few steps away, turning away slightly and rubbing one foreleg against the other. The turn revealed the edge of the pony’s cutie mark, and as Chirrup saw the gears there, he realized who the pony was.
“You’re Spark Wheel, aren’t you?” Chirrup asked, ears perking up in surprise.
Spark’s ears pinned back in response, a hint of alarm meeting’s Chirrup’s senses. “You know who I am?”
“I think almost every Equestrian changeling knows who you are,” Chirrup said, which provoked yet more anxiety from the pony. “I know Nictis likes you, and since just about every changeling in Equestria knows him, we know about you, too.”
Only when he had finished did he notice just how uncomfortable Spark had become, as well as realizing why. “Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Spark quickly replied, giving a shake of his head, though his discomfort held strong.
Chirrup couldn’t think of anything to say in reply, so he went with a standard fall-back. He smiled and held out his hoof. “Anyway, I’m Chirrup--er, Recruit Chirrup.” His smile faltered slightly. “Though… I guess if you’re here for me, you already knew that. Heh.”
Spark looked to his hoof for a moment before raising his own and giving a gentle shake. At least Chirrup sensed no fear from him, although the anxiety seemed slow to fade. Then Spark halted, ears perking again. “Why did that other guy call you Polish?”
“Oh, that.” Chirrup shook his head. “The Royal Guard has high standards for appearance. We’re supposed to put our best effort into making ourselves look presentable even with all the hard training. Some of the others thought it was funny when I used some armor polish on my shell, so I got a nickname.”
Spark made a faint huffing sound that might generously be interpreted as a weak chuckle, and the corner of his mouth might have twitched upward just slightly. In any case, Chirrup could feel the sense of amusement, although it was very faint. “Actually, that’s what I was doing before you showed up,” he added.
“Oh,” Spark replied, one hoof moving back in preparation to turn around. “I, uh, guess I should go and let you get back to that, then.”
“I can do this and talk at the same time,” Chirrup said as he picked up the polishing cloth again, then cocked his head curiously. “Um, actually, why did you want to talk to me?”
“One of my friends is in the Guard,” Spark said. “He mentioned to me once how you’d taught them a lot about changelings, about this… sense of duty or something. I, uh…” He rubbed at his leg again. “Well, I was hoping you could explain some things to me.”
“Of course,” Chirrup replied as he started to rub the cloth along his shoulder. “What did you want to know?”
Spark took a long, deep breath, as if to steady himself, before asking, “What was it like to leave the hive?”
The cloth halted as Chirrup blinked. “Wow. You go right for the throat, don’t you?”
“Sorry,” Spark quickly replied. “I didn’t--”
“It’s okay,” Chirrup interrupted with a wave of his hoof. “I dealt with that a long time ago.” The cloth resumed its motion as he replied, “Leaving the hive was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was all scared that I was making a mistake, and I felt bad for leaving all my hive-mates, like I was abandoning them. I still thought I was doing the right thing, but I was worried that I wasn’t, you know?”
“I guess,” Spark replied doubtfully.
“Took me a couple weeks to really settle down from that,” Chirrup said with a shrug, his attention shifting to his leg as he worked the cloth down the chitinous limb. “Sky and Nictis helped a lot.” He paused in his polishing to gesture a hoof toward Spark. “That’s where I first heard your name, too, when Nictis explained why he had stayed in Equestria. Anyway, they kind of helped me see that I really could have a place here.”
If anything, Spark looked even more uncomfortable. “So, um… what did he say about me?”
“Not much. Just that you were the reason he stayed in Equestria so long, and that he found a purpose through you. It wasn’t until later that he mentioned the bad stuff. I guess he must have been thinking about it a lot, because he seemed kinda sad most of the time.”
Spark looked at him curiously. “What kind of ‘purpose’ could I be?”
“I asked him the same thing,” Chirrup replied. “I never really thought of that kind of thing before, but I guess that’s because I didn’t have to. He had a lot of time to think on it, though. He said that we were used to having everything structured and organized. We grew up knowing that everyling had their place, an important purpose that would help the hive. Fulfilling that purpose was the way a changeling could be important. Then we end up here, and all of that is gone. It was disorienting and scary. I felt useless, and I didn’t even really get why until he explained things.
“Anyway, he went through the same thing, but I guess he had to figure it all out himself. He said you were the first pony he could connect with as something more than a source of food. He said that the longer he spent around you, the more important you became to him. He liked seeing you happy, and being able to help you. You were something he could be happy to commit himself to. Eventually he decided that his duty to you was more important than his duty to the hive, so he gave up on ever going home so that he could be with you.”
“His duty,” Spark said, slouching slightly. “So he stayed because of some sense of responsibility instead of any feelings for me?”
“Um… yes?” Chirrup paused in his polishing. “I mean, he did feel strongly about you, but it’s duty that’s supposed to guide us.” He scratched at the back of his head. “Though I guess he felt that duty to you because of how he felt about you and how you felt about him, so I guess it’s both? I don’t know, it’s weird and complicated.”
Spark nodded faintly, though he said nothing.
“Sorry, I’m not as good at explaining things as he is.” A moment later Chirrup’s ears perked up. “Actually, I remember something he told me that might help explain it. It was back when he was teaching me about ponies, since you guys are kind of… well, you’re very different from changelings. Anyway, he told me how much those marks on your flank mean.”
Spark followed Chirrup’s gesture to look at his own flank and the pair of gears emblazoned upon it.
“He said that a lot of a pony’s identity comes from their cutie mark.” A small frown crossed Chirrup’s face as he again scratched at his head. “Er, although he kind of made it sound like it was the other way around, too. I don’t know, it’s weird, but the point is, it’s important, right?”
Spark nodded, turning to look back at him.
“Right,” Chirrup said with a nod of his own. “Well, he also said that a pony’s cutie mark is a lot like a changeling’s duty, that it’s what defines us. So him leaving the hive to stay with you, it was like a pony giving up his cutie mark to be with another pony.”
Spark sat down on the bare floor, his gaze growing distant. “Oh.”
“Yeah,” Chirrup said. He paused a moment as he finished one leg, moving the polishing cloth to the next. “That’s why I was so terrified coming here, at first, and I at least knew there were other changelings that I’d be helping. He didn’t even have that.”
“So…” Spark shifted his hooves. “If… if it’s such a big deal, how come so many changelings have come here?”
Chirrup shrugged. “Everyling gives a different answer. You’d have to ask them.”
“How about you?”
Chirrup looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t know, I never could really describe it very well. I mean, heck, I used to hate the changelings who left. I thought they were abandoning the hive just because they were selfish. But other changelings started whispering about it, trying to figure out what was going on. A few talked about how maybe they were right. I even started having these dreams of living a happy, easy life among ponies. Not just myself, but the whole hive. I guess… well, I figured that maybe they weren’t there just because they were selfish. Maybe it was because they wanted to lead the whole hive into something better.”
He shrugged again, returning his attention to his polishing. “Soon as I thought that, I figured I needed to join them. So I did.”
At least the sensation of doubt the statement produced was mild. “Just like that?” Spark asked.
“Well… basically, yeah. It took a few days to convince myself to actually do it, sure, but once that thought was in my head, it just didn’t want to go away. I guess it was because all I was doing there was helping to keep the hive where it already was, but if I came here, maybe I could help make it better.” He flashed a smile to Spark. “Ends up I was right, too.”
Spark was silent, though at least the doubt faded away.
“So what else did you want to ask?” Chirrup said.
“Eh,” Spark replied with a faint shrug, his gaze distant again. “I don’t know.”
This earned a questioning look from Chirrup. “I kind of assumed that you’d have more questions, if you came looking for me.”
Spark rubbed a hoof along his foreleg again. “Actually, I was kind of… sent here.”
“Sent?” Chirrup asked. “By who?”
“Princess Twilight,” he replied. When Chirrup continued to look at him for a few seconds, he continued. “She was talking with another princess, Princess Cadance, but when she saw me, they came over to talk. I guess she recognized me. She seems nice. Talked with me, even though she’s a princess. She even complimented me on… on something I made.” An awkward smile showed for a moment before fading again. “Eventually she asked about Nictis. I… well, she told me that the best way to approach a problem is to start by gathering information, so she suggested I try to learn more about changelings and, um… him. Actually, first she suggested one of the changelings that lived with him in Ponyville, but then she said you might be a less-biased source, and I remembered what my friend had said about you, so she magicked up a scroll and quill and wrote up a letter that told the guards here to let me see you.”
Chirrup considered the words for a moment. “I guess I should take that as a compliment.”
“I guess,” Spark echoed, sounding uncertain.
“Okay,” Chirrup said. “So, you want to know more about Nictis?”
Spark nodded, and Chirrup continued. “Well, what do you want to know?”
“I… I don’t know,” Spark replied, ears drooping. “I had a bunch of questions and ideas when I was coming here, but they seem kind of silly now. Heck, I think I know the answer to most of them, anyway. I still worry about some things, but… I just don’t know.”
“Um,” Chirrup said, drawing the word out as he tried to find a reply. “So, you’re worried about him?”
“No,” Spark quickly replied, though his ears drooped as he said it. “I mean, it’s not like I think he’s after me just for food. Seems like way too much effort for that. There has to be easier ways of getting food.”
Chirrup nodded. “Yeah, we’re pretty well-fed.”
“And it’s not like I’m worried it’s all just an act,” Spark said. He was no longer looking at Chirrup, instead staring off at the nearby wall. “I mean, maybe I was at first. He was quiet and sad. Kind of shy and reserved, too. It was like the exact opposite of Meadow.”
“That was his name as a pony, right?”
Spark nodded. “When I first met him… er, met him again? He seemed so different. Last night, though, we just hung out and had some fun, and… it reminded me of how he acted as Meadow.”
“Let me guess,” Chirrup said, a smile growing. “He got distracted enough that he actually let himself have some fun for a change instead of just moping around like usual?”
“I guess so,” Spark replied, ears drooping further. “But I’ve also been thinking, I have seen Meadow acting like Nictis has been. I didn’t know until a lot later that it was when he was trying to decide between going home or staying here, and… and I didn’t even know how big of a deal that was.”
Uncertain of what to say, Chirrup simply nodded.
Spark remained silent for a long time after that, though his ears slowly crept upwards. He was just staring off into space, but a quick glance showed Chirrup that his gaze was constantly shifting in tiny jumps, lost deep in thought.
Eventually Spark stood. The previous slouch and hesitation was gone. “I should go,” he said. It was a simple statement of fact, not the prior nervous shyness. His gaze refocused as he looked to Chirrup again. “Thanks.”
“Glad to help?” Chirrup replied uncertainly, which Spark answered with a smile, a nod, and a pleasant offering of appreciation. A moment later the pony turned and trotted off. Chirrup watched him go in silence, and finally shook his head and turned back to his work. He hoped that whatever the pony had gotten from the conversation was something good, but he couldn’t really dwell on it. Right now he had more important things to do.
“...So remember, everypony stand tall and strong. Today, you join the Royal Guard, so you will show the princesses that you have the discipline they expect.”
Ironshod continued to call out to the group of recruits, a few dozen strong, as they quickly donned their armor. Chirrup only barely listened, just enough to catch if Ironshod gave them any new instructions, but for the most part he was simply telling them what they should already know. Words of encouragement, most likely, for the recruits who found themselves both excited and nervous as the moment of their very public ceremony approached. Grins regularly broke the professional and stoic expressions expected of the Guard, and quite a few hooves were shaking as they worked.
Chirrup perfectly understood how they felt. Fortunately, he could keep his hooves firmly on the ground where they wouldn’t shake, using his magic to adjust his armor. He gave a few more tugs on the straps and made sure everything sat precisely where it was supposed to. After a few moments, he turned to the recruit beside him. “Hey, Guiding Light? Does my armor look right?”
The unicorn glanced up from his own armor, pausing a moment to look over Chirrup. “Yeah, looks good, Polish.” A flash of amusement followed the words. “Nice and shiny.”
Chirrup snorted. “Thanks.”
Several other recruits were having a slightly harder time of it. Fire Storm was trying to grasp the final strap in his teeth, though he only succeeded in turning himself around a few times. When he finally noticed Chirrup’s attention he flashed an awkward smile. “Hey, Chirrup. A little help here?”
“Of course,” Chirrup quickly replied, his horn lighting again to pull at the troublesome strap, and after a moment of consideration, adjusting a couple of the others as well. When he was satisfied, Fire Storm gave a couple experimental beats of his wings before nodding in approval.
“Thanks,” Fire Storm said. “Figures that the armor made for ponies with wings needs extra straps that are a pain to get to without magic. You have no idea how lucky you are to have both.”
“Now if only I could get armor designed for a changeling instead of a pony,” Chirrup replied, though he smiled as he said it. “The new helm still doesn’t fit quite right, and I’d almost want to go around shapeshifted just so I can rest my wings comfortably.”
“Feathers are better anyway,” Fire said, swatting at Chirrup’s side with a wing.
“Pfft, no way,” Chirrup replied. “All that preening? Ugh. Pegasi are high-maintenance.”
Fire Storm burst out laughing, almost dropping his helmet in the process. “Oh, yeah, that’s pretty good coming from somepony who spends half an hour each day polishing himself!”
“It’s ten minutes at most,” Chirrup countered, and when that fed the pony’s amusement--and drew a few snickers from nearby recruits--he added, “and it’s not every day, either. Besides, you spend longer drying off after a shower!”
“Eh, I can do other stuff while I dry off, but--” Fire Storm halted, amusement vanishing as he looked past Chirrup, and slightly up. “Hey, is that Rainbow Dash?”
Chirrup turned to look as well. It wasn’t hard to spot the mare in question. She was spectacularly unsubtle in appearance, and at the moment was flaring for a landing just outside the group of Guard recruits. Chirrup’s eye was immediately caught instead by Sky, who appeared to be leading the way, having landed just before she did. The pair were in turn followed by a trio of pegasus Guards. He immediately recognized Sergeant Thunder Chaser and Sergeant Feather Strike. The third he didn’t recognize immediately, though he looked familiar enough that he was certain they had met at some point.
“I guess they’re here for me,” Chirrup said. He was just turning to approach them when Fire Storm grabbed him around the barrel.
“Wait!” He said in a hushed voice. “Do you actually know Rainbow Dash? I-I mean, I know most of you changelings came through Ponyville, and I know she lives around there too, but, you know, did you actually meet her?”
Chirrup frowned as he pushed back, but Fire’s grip held tight. “Uh… a few times. She’s a friend of a friend, I guess.”
“Cool, cool,” Fire replied, nodding eagerly as a grin quickly took hold. “You think you could do me a huge favor and introduce me?”
Chirrup raised a brow questioningly. “Introduce you? Can’t you introduce yourself?”
Fire’s eyes went wide. “What? No, no, no. I can’t do that, it… it’s one of those social-custom-whatchamathingies. If I just go up to her and start talking, it weird, right? But if I get a friend to introduce me…” He grinned, nodding eagerly to Chirrup, whose expression of skepticism had grown even further.
“I’m not really a friend, just--”
“Okay, someone she knows,” Fire said. “Trust me, this is how pony stuff works, okay?”
“Okay,” Chirrup hesitantly replied, which drew a broad grin from Fire as he finally released his grasp. As they started to walk through the crowd of recruits toward the mare in question, Chirrup couldn’t help looking over at Fire Storm. “I know I might not really get all of this ‘pony stuff’ yet, but this still seems a little weird. If you haven’t met Rainbow Dash, why the interest?”
“Are you kidding?” Fire replied with an excited beat of his wings. “She’s famous! She’s probably the best flier in Equestria. She’s saved the world, like, ten times already. She’s in the Wonderbolts Academy. And the sonic rainboom! She’s the only pony who has ever done it!” He emitted a gleeful sound that Chirrup understood was only referred to as a giggle when coming from a mare. “I even heard they formed the Wonderbolt Reserves just so they could fast-track her into the Wonderbolts! Any pegasus worth their feathers would give their right wing for a chance to date her!”
“To what?”
Fire didn’t seem to hear him, a distant look in his eyes. “Do you think she’d like a stallion in uniform?”
“Uh,” was all Chirrup could reply with. He glanced over to Dash again, who was pacing behind Sky. She was tense and scowling, her eyes sweeping about, ears perked up and alert. “The armor might be a good idea,” he offered.
“Chirrup!” Sky called out and waved, just in case he had missed the only other changeling in sight. Chirrup picked up the pace to a casual trot as the slipped out of the crowd. He reflexively drew himself up and held his head high, taking to the ‘friendly guard’ act that had been drilled into them so many times; it was much like the ‘stoic guard’ act, except they were allowed to show that they actually felt emotion. He supposed that was useful when ponies couldn’t sense such things themselves.
He came to a halt just before Sky, giving a hint of a smile and a nod to the other changeling. “Counselor.”
The feelings coming from Sky flashed through surprise and confusion before striking amusement, the corner of his mouth rising slightly. “Recruit.” The amusement faded as he continued. “Sorry I haven’t been over to visit sooner. I’ve been a bit distracted with what’s been going on.”
“I understand, sir,” Chirrup replied. “I imagine you must have been busy, lately.”
“Yeah, you could say that,” Sky said with a nod, before gesturing past Chirrup. “And who is this?”
“Oh, yes,” Chirrup said as he glanced back to his fellow recruit. “This is Recruit Fire Storm. Fire Storm, this is Counselor Sky, and Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus flicked her ears at the sound of her name, but otherwise continued her pacing and scowling. “Fire here asked me to introduce him to Rainbow.”
That brought her to a halt, as well as provoking a sudden surprised and embarrassed feeling from Fire Storm. Her head snapped around, abruptly focusing her eyes on him.
Fire Storm gave a soft laugh that sounded oddly nervous. “Ah, heh, I, uh, wanted to tell you that I’m a really big fan and all…”
He trailed off to a nervous smile, while Rainbow Dash blinked, as if in surprise. Her expression softened slightly, though not quite so far as to produce a smile. “Oh. Oh, right. Yeah, uh, always cool to meet a fan and all.”
Chirrup looked back and forth between them. Despite the mare’s words, she didn’t seem particularly happy. In fact, she looked a little uneasy, or perhaps distracted. It was hard to tell when her emotions weren’t focused on him, as she seemed rather indifferent to his presence. Fire Storm, on the other hoof, was looking significantly more awkward, despite his best effort to smile. While he had previous seemed so eager to be introduced, now he seemed incapable of saying whatever he had hoped to say, instead replying with a weak, “Um, yeah,” and a nervous chuckle.
Or in other words, they were both doing strange ‘pony stuff’ that he really didn’t quite understand, no matter how much he tried to wrap his head around it. So instead, he turned to someone who might actually know, in order to make sense of it.
“Sir,” he said, looking to Sky. “May I ask a question?”
A questioning look flashed across Sky’s face before vanishing again. “Sure, go ahead.”
“What does it mean to date a pony?”
He suspected he had said something wrong when he was hit by a sudden flare of alarm from Fire Storm and a feeling of scrutiny from Rainbow Dash. Fire Storm even emitted a brief sound so much like that of a pony being choked that Chirrup looked over to make sure he wasn’t being attacked. He was not, thankfully, though his ears were pinned back and his face was flushed, and he had taken a half-step back. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was looking between Sky and Chirrup.
Then she looked to Fire Storm. For a moment she looked bewildered, her mouth opening and shutting. Then her scowl returned, fixing him with a momentary glare before turning away. “Guh. Nope, not dealing with this today,” she grumbled as she walked off, followed by some muttering about “Colts.”
Meanwhile, Fire Storm seemed to have deflated. “I, uh… I should go.” He turned and trudged back to the rest of the recruits, kicking a hoof against the ground. He too was muttering as he went, though he seemed to just be repeating the word “stupid” over and over.
Chirrup glanced back-and-forth between the retreating ponies before turning back to Sky. “I just did something wrong again, didn’t I?”
“No,” Sky replied, though after a momentary awkward look he added, “Not exactly.”
Another pause, another glance back at the other ponies. “So what just happened?”
“Um,” was all Sky replied with for a moment. “Well, I’m guessing your friend was hoping to ask Dash out, or something like that.”
“Ask her out of what?”
Sky stared at him for several long seconds, head tilted ever so slightly to the side. Oddly, a sense of amusement flowed from his escorts, and Sergeant Feather Strike was trying and failing to hide a smile. Eventually Sky spoke. “Out on a date,” he said, slowly, almost cautiously. “It’s something you do with a pony you really like.”
“Oh,” Chirrup said. “The other recruits have spoken quite a bit about things to do with ponies they like, but I never heard anything about a date before.”
Feather Strike let out a choked snort, his smile growing a bit more, while Sky felt somewhat uncomfortable. Thunder Chaser, however, had adopted the same hoof-on-snout gesture that Ironshod had on the rare occasions when one of the recruits had done something spectacularly stupid. Chirrup felt his ears pinning back at having apparently provoked that reaction from another pony. Fortunately, he sensed no irritation from the sergeant, and a moment later the pony let his hoof drop again to contribute a few words to the conversation.
“Recruit, if you are looking for social guidance, I suggest you ignore your fellow recruits and younger Guard members, and look to the more veteran members who have more experience in such things.”
“Yes, sir,” Chirrup quickly replied. Then, almost as an afterthought, he asked, “Does this mean what Fire Storm did was wrong?”
“No,” Sky said.
“Yes,” replied Thunder Chaser.
There was a momentary pause as Sky glanced back, with Thunder Chaser returning a firm look, before the other changeling spoke again.
“Not… wrong-wrong,” Sky said, “but… wrong in the sense that it was probably a bit short-sighted and impulsive, and probably not going to work in the long run.”
“And also incredibly improper,” Thunder Chaser added. “A member of the Royal Guard is expected to be professional, not flirting with civilians while on-duty.”
Sky glanced back again. “Uh, I suppose there’s that, too. But even aside from that, trying to date somepony, it takes a lot more work. I know some ponies, especially younger ponies, can be a little impulsive, but he doesn’t even know Rainbow Dash beyond reputation, I’m assuming. It’s something that…”
Sky trailed off and again glanced back before giving Chirrup a lopsided smile. “Um, actually, maybe we could talk about this later? It’s kind of a complicated subject, and I’m afraid we’ve got a very busy day ahead of us. If you’re interested, maybe I could teach you more about it, once things have settled down?”
“I’d like that,” Chirrup replied, grinning at the sudden prospect of learning advanced friendship techniques.
“Okay, good,” Sky said with a nod. “So anyway, back to why we’re here. I wanted to at least say hello and wish you luck before the ceremony. Nictis and I are going to be here to see it, and there are a few others from the Ponyville house that might be showing up, too. I’m looking forward to seeing you become a full Guard.”
“Thank you, sir,” Chirrup said, grinning even more.
Sky’s smile faded. “Though there was another reason I wanted to talk with you. I didn’t want to say anything at first, since I know how important this day is for you, but Nictis and I talked about it and agreed that you should know what’s going on.”
“Sir?”
“Some of Chrysalis’s Infiltrators have been very active today. They’ve been trying to incite unrest among the populace, and there’s the possibility some may go further. Dash and I were attacked by another changeling not too long ago. We don’t know what he was trying to accomplish, especially since the attack was… odd. Maybe it was a warning or something, but we’re a little concerned it might go further than that. You’re a bit of a popular figure, and if Chrysalis starts sending Infiltrators to attack Equestrians, you might be a target.” Sky flicked his wings, regret touching Chirrup’s senses. “I don’t want to make this more awkward for you, but you may want to keep your guard… I mean, keep an eye out, just in case.”
Chirrup was quiet a moment, until his smile returned. “Don’t worry about me, sir. I knew that joining the Guard would put me in more danger, and I’m happy to accept it. If they spend time coming after me instead of someone else, then I’ve done my job.”
There was a sense of approval from Sky’s escorts, and Chirrup held his head a little higher at the silent encouragement. Sky seemed less certain, but he nodded anyway. “Okay, then. We should probably go for now, but I’ll see you at the ceremony. And Chirrup?” Sky smiled. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you, sir,” Chirrup replied, his grin growing wider.
As Sky stepped back to speak with Rainbow Dash, Chirrup glanced back to the ponies escorting him. It took a moment before he recognized an opportunity. He stepped forward, looking to Sergeant Feather Strike, the closest of the Guards. “Sir? May I ask a question?”
The Sergeant nodded. “Go ahead, Recruit.”
“I heard that you were in a special team that was helping to track down Infiltrators and stop--”
“Where did you hear about that?” Feather Strike cut in, with a sudden burst of concern and disapproval. Chirrup cringed and barely kept himself from stepping back.
“A couple of Guards were talking about it,” he quickly replied, “and one asked me if I knew anything about it.”
He stood stock still as Feather Strike eyed him for several long seconds before relaxing ever so slightly. “That isn’t supposed to be widespread information. Have you talked to anyone else about this?”
“No, sir.”
“Good,” Feather Strike said, relaxing just a tiny bit more. “We need every advantage we can get in dealing with these Infiltrators, and the less they know about what we’re doing, the better. I’m afraid I can’t say any more than that.”
“Oh, no, I’m not asking for that, sir,” Chirrup said quickly. “I was just hoping that, since you’re a part of the group, you might ask Captain Aegis to let me join you. As I see it, you’re the ones who are doing the most to protect the rest of Equestria from Queen Chrysalis. I want to be a part of that.”
His words were met with unease as Feather Strike glanced to the other Guards before looking back. “I’m afraid I don’t have the authority to make such decisions,” he replied.
“I know, sir,” Chirrup said. “I was just hoping you could try to convince him. I… I want to prove myself, sir. I know some ponies don’t trust me, but I want to show them that I’m just as devoted to protecting Equestria as any other member of the Guard. I want to do everything I can, and I can do a lot more to help if I’m a part of your team.”
Feather considered that a moment before slowly shaking his head. “I don’t think it’s going to happen, recruit. I was there when your name was brought up. Our team needs subtlety right now, and while it was pointed out that you can disguise yourself to look like any other member of the Guard, Captain Aegis and the princesses decided it would be better to have you in a role where you’re more visible, working alongside ponies.”
“I… I know that it’ll help other changelings, just being seen serving in the Guard, but I don’t want to just be there for show. Equestria’s the best thing that’s ever happened for us.” He straightened his posture again, retaking the strong stance that had faltered ever so slightly under Feather Strike’s attention. “I signed up for the Guard because it was the best way I could repay Equestria for everything it’s doing for us. It’s my duty to give all that I can.”
“It’s also the duty of a Guard to follow legal orders, regardless of his personal opinion on them.”
There was no anger behind Feather Strike’s words, but Chirrup’s eyes widened, ears pinning back. “Y-yes, sir! I didn’t mean to say otherwise. I’ll follow my orders, of course, sir. I just… I just wanted to see if they might be reconsidered. Not that I have any problem with the orders if they stand, sir. I just wanted to make sure it was considered.”
“It was,” Feather Strike replied, though after a moment he relaxed slightly. “I’ll pass your concerns on to Captain Aegis, but I wouldn’t expect any change.”
“Thank you, sir.”
There was another moment of considered silence before Feather Strike spoke again. “Your current orders will have you assigned to Sergeant Close Quarters’ unit, correct?”
“Yes, sir,” Chirrup replied with a sharp nod.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, Captain Aegis called on his unit to support us when we needed a larger force, and he’s likely to do so again. If you’re really that eager to go up against your former hive-mates, you may get the opportunity soon enough.”
Chirrup considered that for a long moment before finally giving a nod. “That’ll do,” he said. “Thank you, sir.”
Feather nodded before turning back to Sky, and Chirrup excused himself. Within moments they were flying away, and Chirrup smiled faintly before making his way back to the rest of the Recruits.
One hoof followed another in precisely measured steps, keeping himself in time to the rhythmic beat of hooves and subtle clinking of armor echoing around him. Chirrup stared straight forward as he marched, following the recruit before him just as the next recruit in line followed him. Two by two, they emerged from the shade of the gateway, sunlight glinting off the polished armor.
He blinked as the light hit his eyes, but he kept his expression neutral, his eyes fixed straight ahead. He didn’t need to look around to know that the parade grounds were packed. The wave of emotion that washed over him as he emerged was beyond anything he had experienced before, and even in the periphery of his vision he could see that there were hundreds of ponies in attendance, possibly more. Even at a distance, the sense of emotion was tremendous, with hundreds of ponies turning their attention to him. It produced a sea of emotion, all mixed together, but if he had to pick a single feeling to describe it all, it would be curiosity.
It was perhaps a tiny bit intimidating, being under the eyes of so many ponies, but he shook the feeling off as they continued on.
They marched out into the parade grounds in two even lines, while Sergeant Ironshod marched beside the lead recruits. When they had reached the middle of the grounds, he called out; immediately, the right-hand line came to a halt, every hoof thumping the ground in unison. Chirrup’s line continued on for a few more seconds before Ironshod called out again. Chirrup came to a halt, bringing his hooves even in time with the other recruits.
Another call, and the recruits all turned, punctuated by the beat of hooves, and Chirrup’s line took a step forward to come even with the other line.
Before Chirrup stood the stands that overlooked the parade grounds. Normally used for tournaments and other such displays, they were supposedly more than large enough for any public event. A graduation ceremony, which he had been told would normally just draw relatives and certain public figures, should have had space for everypony involved, with plenty of room to spare. That day, however, the stands were packed to capacity. More ponies crowded around the sides, and some pegasi had even been allowed to move a few small clouds in to perch upon.
But all of that was in the periphery. The one part that drew Chirrup’s attention was the raised box in the center in which, along with a few other ponies and changelings, sat the four princesses of Equestria.
A sergeant stepped forward from Princess Celestia’s side; Chirrup would have expected Golden Aegis to be there, but the Captain was nowhere to be seen. A moment later the sergeant gave another sharp call. The sound of hooves striking stone and spear shafts meeting armor echoed from the ramparts and across the parade grounds as the members of the Royal Guard drew themselves to attention.
The sound of the crowd dropped away as Princess Celestia stood, her great white wings unfolding. She paused to give a smile and nod to the sergeant before stepping up to the edge of the royal box. Her sister, Princess Luna, also stepped up, though her wings remained at her side, and the pair of them looked out over the recruits arrayed before them. Then Celestia spoke.
“The Royal Guard has a long tradition,” she said, and though her voice held the same gentle tone as if she were speaking to someone standing beside her, her words carried clearly across the parade grounds. “From the very founding of Equestria, there have been those who have dedicated themselves to the protection of others. Individuals who sought out danger not for their own glory, but for the good of those around them. They came in all shapes and sizes, from great warriors of incredible skill, to common ponies, determined to do what they could.
“But despite their courage, they were still just individuals. In Equestria’s darkest times, they faced impossible challenges. It was in these times that these heroic individuals were brought together to form the first Guard. Before, they had shown courage in the face of danger and a selfless drive to help others. In those dark and trying times, they demonstrated the greatest truth of our kingdom: that we are all greater when we stand together.
“While the Guard has changed names over the many centuries, that truth has held. Many generations have passed through the ranks of the Guard over that time, all carrying on the same spirit as those founding heroes, and all carrying on the grand tradition of those who preceded them.
“It is the very first of those traditions that bring us here today, for it is one that began the very moment the first Guard was formed: the oath that marks the transition from determined citizen to member of the Guard.”
Chirrup’s heart beat faster as Princess Celestia turned and made her way down toward the parade grounds, followed by Princess Luna and the same Sergeant from before, who now carried a small box in his magic. Together they approached the recruits, heading for the end of the line off to his right. Chirrup had to force himself to keep his eyes straight forward instead of watching her. Discipline, he reminded himself.
To his right, Princess Celestia spoke to the first recruit, beginning the slow progress down the line. One by one, she spoke to each recruit, and each time, the words she spoke were different.
He fought down the urge to fidget, or to look over to watch her progress. Instead, he focused on the stands ahead of him. Hundreds of curious eyes looked back, watching the whole process. Right in the middle, sitting near the Princesses Cadance and Twilight Sparkle, were Nictis and Sky, with a few other familiar changelings and ponies sitting beside and behind them. Sky was smiling, though he occasionally glanced around anxiously or exchanged a few quick words with one of his neighbors. Most frequent of these was Nictis, who sagged in his seat, looking thoroughly exhausted.
At least it gave him something else to focus on. Even though Princess Celestia spoke only briefly with each recruit, there were still a fair number of them, and Chirrup was most of the way down the line.
Another pony had casually trotted into the raised central box, a yellow-and-purple earth pony mare. She exchanged a surprisingly informal nod with the princesses before skipping over and practically flopping herself down to sit between Sky and Nictis. She then started chatting away as if they were all best friends. He was curious just what they were saying, especially with Sky looking unusually serious.
Whatever they were saying was interrupted when the mare gestured back out toward the parade grounds, interrupting their conversation as Sky looked out to him. Chirrup realized with a lurch that Princess Celestia had just stepped up beside him.
His heart pounded as she spoke with the recruit to his side. He didn’t even hear exactly what was said. He was too focused on making sure that he stood tall and still, despite the adrenaline that was flowing through him.
Then she stood before him, towering tall and majestic, with that seemingly impossible mane flowing in a nonexistent breeze. Face to face, the strength of her emotions stood out clearly from the crowd. The sense of kindness and compassion was pure and amazing, the kind that few ponies could hope to compare to, and it made this already-spectacular creature even more impressive. He had heard ponies describe her as “radiant”, but he had decided that they didn’t know the half of it. The amount of power her emotions suggested was awe-inspiring. In any other being, they would have been terrifying, and it was perhaps a little intimidating, but there was an incredible comfort to them, as well.
The faint murmuring of the crowd, which had hung in the background since the oaths had started, quieted.
Princess Celestia smiled down at him, and spoke. “Recruit Chirrup.”
He kneeled and bowed his head, exactly as he had been instructed. He had to fight to keep his voice even. “Your Highness.”
Her voice was soft in tone, but Chirrup could feel the weight of every word. “Do you swear to uphold your duty, to serve in the protection of your fellow Equestrians, to aid the innocent, both in Equestria and beyond, and to bring honor to the Guard through your actions?”
“I do,” he replied.
“Rise.”
He did, standing at attention once again, focusing to make sure every point of his posture was perfect. Princess Celestia’s horn was lit in a pale golden glow as she floated over a star emblem from the box the Sergeant was carrying. “Then I accept and welcome you as a member of the Royal Guard, Guard Chirrup.”
She affixed the emblem to the center of his peytral. It was a small thing, but he could swear he felt the weight of it. “Thank you, Your Highness,” he said, struggling to keep from grinning. He was only mostly successful.
Princess Celestia smiled and gave a tiny nod, a flourish of happiness and other positive emotions touching his senses before she moved on to the next recruit. Having such emotions offered so freely, and to him, directly, felt even more accepting and welcoming than her words.
He refrained from drawing on any of them, of course. While he was certain there were no regulations on such matters--he had asked once, out of curiosity--it felt inappropriate for a Guard to feed upon his own princess.
After Princess Celestia came Princess Luna. She nodded to him as well, offering congratulations. The emotional energy coming from her was quite impressive as well, though also significantly different. There was still the sense of compassion, but there was also a surprising sense of happiness and even pride. There was also something else, something he couldn’t quite get a good grasp on, but it reminded him of Sky.
Then she had moved on as well. He remained, standing tall and proud. His eyes landed on Sky and Nictis, who were both smiling, as were the other changelings gathered nearby. Even the strange mare sitting with them smiled, though she looked more thoughtful than the others.
The sounds of the crowd had resumed, and he knew many of the ponies there were talking about him. Most of them had likely only came because of him, because they were curious about the changeling that wanted to be a Guard. Because they wanted to see the first changeling to join the Royal Guard. Because today was something significant, something important.
He stood there proudly, wearing the faintest of smiles on an otherwise stoic expression, and let them see.
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
969 users online
393,365 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
And now for something completely different.
I can't apologize enough for how long this took. The chapter was going to be a little tricky anyway, just for introducing and developing a new viewpoint character, but letting myself get distracted by so many other things just dragged it out. And once I'd lost focus, it was that much harder to get back into it. I hope that I'll be able to get back into it more and start getting chapters out at a decent pace again (And I'm already a fair way into the next chapter), but I fear that the pace may be somewhat slower than it used to be (Having both a job and the money to finally buy the games I want is probably not helping with the writing time).
Kinda a filler chapter, but good to see characters developing, especially Chirrup's internal conflict. Do wonder how things are going to continue.
Something completely different indeed. So, we finally meet Mr. Chirrup. FIre's a fancolt of Dash I see. Glad to see that the ceremony went well, I half expected that something was gonna go wrong.
I am really glad to see you continuing this story.
I know what it's like. I have a dozen or so unfinished stories (some of them just parts of first chapters, which is why you haven't seen them all) which I work on, intermittently switching between one project and the next. My main project right now is Divine Jealousy and the Voice of Reason (which is a Mane Six story about Discord's jealousy toward Bulk Biceps which includes extensive flashbacks to a time 2500 years ago when Celestia, Luna and Discord were young, and Celestia and Luna were Discord's best friends), but I' m actively working on several others, including Pinkie's origin story and a couple of tales set in the Equestria Girls Humanoidverse; and of course The Fall of Hive Hunger-Prime, which is one of the consequences of the obsession with Changelings that you have induced in me.
Next will come my comments on your chapter.
Which is of course Love and Friendship, in different forms than those to which the Changelings are normally accustomed.
Yes, Spark. He loves you that much.
ROFLMAO!!!
The funny part of this is that Chirrup is asking this in total innocence of the nature of the friendship between Dashie and Sky. And, what's more, he wouldn't get why this was hilarious even if he knew. And what's even funnier, I can't use the best laugh emoticon, because Rainbow Dash is probably not laughing at this situation.
Yep. Rainbow Dash's reaction was more like
What's even funnier about this is that my Dashie would have trouble answering the question from personal experience as literally phrased, since while she has done date-like things, they mostly haven't been with any entity unambigiously a Pony. At least not one purely of the main Three Kinds.
Cool transition to a new POV character.
Nice chapter.
Gotta say, though, you can really tell who the senior princess is.
My good man this is good stuff.
Something about the phrase "advanced friendship techniques" is humorous enough in itself, even without dipping into innuendo.
For some reason, I felt like something really bad was going to happen during the ceremony. I'm glad nothing did. On a side note, I hate how useless you presented Princess Luna to be.
5257893 I was quite happy with the "fillerness" of it, personally, because it meant that nothing went wrong. Chirrup deserved that for his ceremony. :)
5258249
It's nice, but kind of weird in the middle of a bunch of action.
5258244
The ceremony isn't over just yet, there's still plenty of time for things to go wrong. And just because Luna didn't give a big speech doesn't make her "useless". It's very likely that she didn't play a large part in this ceremony because they aren't her guards. We haven't seen how the Night Guard is being handled in this as of yet, and it's still possible that Luna's role in the ceremony will come later.
And everything went better than expected!
...the next chapter's gonna begin with something blowing up, isn't it?
fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/356/c/2/happy_moth_noises_by_lorehoshi-d6xnh2l.png
5258031
If you mean Luna having a much smaller role in the ceremony, I actually have it for a somewhat different reason. Thanks to one of the season 4 episodes, we got the story of the "E.U.P. Guard" (Which I'm taking here as the predecessor of the Royal Guard) forming after the whole Nightmare Moon thing, so I could see Luna standing back and letting Celestia handle it, since she always had. I also like the idea of some form of "Night Guard" or the like, smaller and more select than the usual Royal Guard, so that Luna isn't being excluded (Not sure if/how I'd do anything with that, it's still formulating in the background of my mind).
I'm certainly not the type to slight Luna. I like her way too much.
Interesting that Miss Tea would join openly in the festivities.
Good on you, Chirrup. Here's hoping you won't be getting any field promotions before the day's out.
I'm still waiting for the RainbowxSky ship to sail. They're just to cute togheter.
That being said, happy to see this update. Can't wait for the next chapter.
5258404 Builds suspense. Every couple of paragraphs I was expecting a Changeling to jump out of the page and ruin everything, and then nothing happened.
What. Is. Chrysalis. Planning!?! :)
5257844 Hooray for money! Take your time man. (What game ya playing/getting?)
5258759 Not so much Luna alone, but the entirely passive Twilight (and to a lesser extent Cadance).
Dammit dammit dammit the suspense is killing me!
5259011
It's a ceremony. They're not putting on a line-dance.
5258913
Chrysalis is planning happy warm cuddly love for everypony. There'll be a pleasant tea party with hot buttered scones served, followed by a lovely little dance, and everypony gets a plushie Chryssie to take home with them!
Another excellent chapter.:D
5259373 I legitimately have no idea how that applies to what I said. Of course it's a ceremony, not an <insert non-sequitur derogation of choice here>! But, generally speaking, ceremonies are very carefully designed to show who is important and in what ways.
Here, we see as follows, in approximate order of importance: the guards are being inducted; Celestia is personally inducting them; Luna is congratulating them on having been inducted (by Celestia, not Luna); Twilight and Cadance are watching like everyone else, just in a special place; everyone else is watching from non-special places.
Sure, you could say, "well, that's not really relevant to the story", but then why did we get all this loving description of the ceremony in the first place?
For contrast, one way I might have written it myself if I had the gumption to do ponywords would be to have each of the princesses induct an equal portion of the guards. On the other hoof, if the Royal Guards are specifically Day Guards, and thus more Celestia's than anyone's, it would be reasonable enough for Twilight and Cadance to simply join Luna in congratulations. On a third hoof, Celestia could (once more assuming the Day Guard hypothesis) ceremonially delegate the induction responsibilities of a quarter of the assembled recruits to each of the other three princesses.
twilight.ponychan.net/chan/saved/src/132721126719.png
5259011
Ah, I see. Well, they're both also pretty new, and neither really seem like leaders of Equestria at this point. Cadance rules over the Crystal Empire, but doesn't seem to involve herself in the ruling of anything else in the rest of Equestria; I'd expect from what we've seen in the show that she might attend, but not put herself on the same level as Celestia and Luna (Although we see so little of the princesses that it's all a bit speculative). As for Twilight, this isn't too long after she became an alicorn; she'd probably feel a little uncomfortable about the whole princess thing, like we saw in the early parts of season 4. It's well before she started getting really concerned about her role, or the whole Princess of Friendship thing, so it seemed to make sense for her to be following along, but not really stepping up when Celestia is taking care of things.
It's also a tradition that started when there was only one princess. There might be some momentum to keeping the numbers of princesses involved down, and with Twilight usually in Ponyville and Cadance usually in the Crystal Empire, involving them probably wouldn't be commonly convenient. Individual exceptions might be made, but I imagine there are a lot of ceremonies going on in Canterlot, with the Guard's graduation ceremony being only one.
Though I guess we've only really seen Twilight attend one function with all the princesses where she was a participant, and she was pretty much in the background, there.
5258945
Well, let's see. The biggest ones I've been playing lately are Alien: Isolation (Which is straight-up wonderful. They nailed the atmosphere, the aesthetic, pretty much everything. Minor interface gripes at the most), Civilization: Beyond Earth (It's no Alpha Centauri remake, but it'll do), and The Long Dark (Great wilderness-survival game. The only problem I have is that the first playthrough is by far the best, when you don't know where everything is and have to actually risk exploring). Also a good amount of Payday 2, and a smattering of all sorts of other games.
I have a lot of games...
5259472
I can only imagine the levels of paranoia that would promote.
5258244
Oops, missed this one. Like I said in my previous comment, my intent wasn't to make Luna seem useless (I like her way too much for that!). I see her willingly taking the back seat on this ceremony, considering the tradition of the Guard. I see them as cooperating on many aspects, but also dividing many of the tasks involved in ruling Equestria, with this being one of the ones given to Celestia, given the Guard's traditions.
Plus, I like the idea of some sort of "Night Guard" (Or similar) setup, where their presence would be reversed, and she did mention her own personal guard many chapters back, as well as an as-yet-unseen Dusk Wing.
In any case, my intent certainly wasn't to slight Luna in any way. She may not have had a leading role in this particular ceremony, but I think she's contributed as much as her sister in the overall story.
5259812 It seems to me that making a show of dividing up responsibilities in a graduation ceremony would be stealing the spotlight from the ones graduating.
5261671 It could be made reasonably discreet, just a few sentences spoken, or even merely moving to their respective sections if that course was chosen.
5260612 Your point that the ceremonies are likely a) originally developed hundreds of years ago and b) not likely modified to deal with the flakiness of the newer Princesses' availability is better. In fact, it brings it into the realm of plausible mistakes even real-world governments might well make. Still a bit frustrating, but not exactly wallbanging.
Somehow a travesty occurred and this fic got removed fun my favorites, that has been fixed. I loved the what does it mean to date a pony line, I burst out laughing at that.
I've decided that it's impossible to keep a smile off my face while reading this.
Hah!
Looks like the Sarge knows anyway
"Oh" indeed. I never looked at it like that
I always get this happy bubbly feeling whenever these two appear together
Hah, a Rainbow Dash fanboy
Hoboy. Prepare for disappointment
Hoo-boy. He's a military stoic type all right
Somebody give this poor lad Pony Relationships 101, please!
"advanced friendship techniques", lol. Poor Chirrup just seems to look at it all as if it concerned learning military tactics
I think I need a character chart... I have no idea about anyone's colours anymore. (I didn't even recognize Spark from the description earlier)
Well, except for the changelings, of course. Those are easy
Anyway! Nice to have a chapter fully focusing on Chirrup!
Remarks and corrections:
> his words were not for them, but the recruits who hustled to follow his directions.
"but [for] the recruits" - you need to repeat that.
> Fortunately, he sense no irritation from the Sergeant
he [sensed] no irritation
5291800
It was quite a while before I actually thought to make the comparison. It's one of those things that seems so obvious in hindsight, knowing that they're both such important things to the relevant species and culture.
Me too!
Yeah, that phrase just made me so incredibly happy when I thought of it. It seems like the perfect clueless-changeling way to think of such things. Chirrup has so little of an idea of what he's doing, but hey, at least he's eager to learn!
I guess that's somewhat fitting, since Chirrup has no clue who she is, either! For reference, though, that's Subtle paying Sky and Nictis a visit. Probably nothing important.
Also, I know I've said it before, but there really needs to be a liarjack emote.
And thanks for the corrections, once again!
5295497
Ahh. Subtle Tea. Right. She can get away with pretty much anything
Why is it that in 'Without a Hive' when Nictis is in female form as Melody that she is refered to as female, but in this story when Nictis is in a female form he is still referred to as male?
Is this because of his greater connections and investments into Melody than any of his other forms, and thus is a reflection of the interaction between Nictis and Melody?
If this makes no sense, I started reading the series at 12PM and it is now 9PM the next day, because you, Phoenix_Dragon, are so good. :)
5314758
Pretty much, yeah. It's kind of a way of showing some of his change in thinking over time. I should point out that he didn't always do so in Without a Hive; in the last few chapters, he was in female form and still thought of himself as 'he'. Early on there was a big deal made of internalizing every aspect of the form; if an Infiltrator is going to pretend to be someone, they're supposed to pretend to be them in every way, and making sure that you think of yourself as what you're disguised as is the best way to make sure you don't slip up in the act. He very much did that with Meadow, enough that the distinction between where Meadow ends and Nictis begins is a little blurry (If it's there at all). Late in the story, he really couldn't bring himself to the same level of investment. He had grown to dislike the idea of deceiving and preying on ponies, and didn't commit himself into the role as he might have before.
After the events of that story, and how hard his own deceptions ended up hurting him, he's rather reluctant to put any serious effort into it again. The times he's disguised are ones that he sees as necessary, but he isn't willing to go that far. He'd have to find some really good reason to do so again.
5315513 It feels like he's compartmentalized Meadow Song way too well for his own good. He feels like pretending to be Meadow Song would be dishonest, but there's so much of her identity that he actually liked that's he's pointlessly throwing away as well. He doesn't have to rebuild himself from scratch, he can still be Meadow Song Who is Actually Nictis.
5824184
...And, you know, the fact that Meadow Song was a persona crafted and sculpted over a lifetime of experiences and such. It would be plenty accurate to say that the one wearing the mask had become the mask by the time he re-united with Spark Wheel. In that scenario, is it truly a lie?
5315513
I actually wanted to comment on this many times over the course of Without a Hive. The way I see it, the difference is that Meadow Song was an identity, and every other was just a disguise.
Which is basically what you just said. Oh well, I tried.
Also, this:
You've totally nailed Dash. Is there more SkyDash in Fragments? I seriously need to read that, because they're adorbs.
6104653 fragments started skydash and is definitely worth the read if you haven't got to it yet.
Also I can just picture the pride in his eyes and face as he stands there taking his vow. You rock little guy
Yes.
Graduation day, the best day of your life. It made boot camp worth every second, no question. Aaah nostalgia...
reminds me of that line in "every little thing she does": Twilight says apologizing is an "advanced lesson" in friendship.
And here I was expecting an Enchanted Comic Book to suck up the parade ground's attendees.