Onyx frowned at his handbook. “May die of boredom,” he said. In fact, that is all he had said for two days.
“I’m aware. They’ll bury us together,” I replied as I looked down at my copy of the officers’ handbook. When I was a sergeant, I couldn’t understand why so many officers clung to the book. Now I knew: ponies weren’t just expected to be familiar with it. They were expected to memorize it word for word.
We were committing it all to memory so that we could regurgitate it on tests. Sure, it had been like that in the Royal Guard Academy, but this was going to the extreme. I would say most of the information wasn’t useful for what happens daily on the job. That didn’t change the requirement, though.
“Let’s just get through this and we’ll move on to more interesting things,” I said.
Onyx grunted and we continued on. It was a painful experience and it seemed like the younger cadets had an easier time with it. They didn’t have anything to compare what they were reading to and just took it on faith. Lucky ponies.
The class had started to be narrowed down. Each week meant more ponies quitting or being washed out. That was the nature of the beast. With our help, the three younger ponies had managed to hang in. They’d make decent enough officers.
It was also interesting to see who was rising to the top on their own accord. Onyx and I had a huge advantage so it was no surprise we were there. I was more interested in the ponies that were excelling without previous guard experience.
I set my manual down on the table in front of me and looked around. Most of the top students were the foals of other Royal Guard officers. They were either predisposed to the job or their parents had made sure they were ready for it. All told they were pretty standard… save one.
At the head of the class was a dark grey stallion. He was an outsider in every sense of the word. The Crystal Empire had recently reappeared and the crystal ponies were slowly reintegrating into society. They weren’t the only denizens of the Frozen North, however; there were also frost ponies and he was one of them.
The pony went by Cobalt Thane and he was pretty tight-lipped about himself and his type of pony. He had a horn like a unicorn but was also as big as an earth pony… which he said was common for frost ponies. What really set him apart was the fact he had a mane not unlike a lion’s up his chest and around his shoulders. It was a very light blue, like his tail, and looked furry.
His pony mane, for lack of a better description, was similarly dense and styled in a way that barely met regulations. It was spiked and somewhat all over the place in the front. What rounded him out as different were his pointed ears and strikingly violet eyes. Most of the other cadets had steered clear of him because the rumor was that he used dark magic, but I hadn’t seen anything like that.
By my guess, Cobalt was probably the first frost pony to apply to any Royal Guard position in contemporary history. For all I knew, he’d be the first frost pony Royal Guard officer. What I did know for sure was that he worked hard all the time. When the other younger ponies were goofing off, he was training or studying. It gave me a lot of respect for him.
“Book,” Onyx said.
“What?” I blinked.
Onyx pushed my manual up against me. “Quit staring.”
“Oh… yeah right. Book.”
I settled in for another long session of facts and figures only to be interrupted by the door opening. Sergeant Major Blackhoof marched in and faced the class.
“Listen up, cadets,” he called from the head of the room. “While I am certain you all love reading those manuals, it is time for some applied training! Hoof-to-hoof combat. Everypony, get your flanks down to the gym.”
In my head, I cheered loudly and got up to follow alongside Onyx. Finally, something that didn’t require rote memorization that I’d have to forget later.
☾
The Royal Canterlot Officer’s Academy boasted the finest gym I’d ever been in. It had every form of exercise equipment known to ponies. It also sported two full sized sparring squares and we were all standing around one of them.
“I need two volunteers,” the sergeant major called.
I looked at Onyx and he said, “You first.”
“Alright,” I replied and stepped forwards.
“Cadet Knight! Brave pony,” he said and then pointed as another cadet stepped forward. It was the leader of the trio we had been tutoring. Cody or something. I had not learned many names yet. There wasn’t much point to it.
We squared off and Cody said, “I’ll go easy. I know you older ponies don’t move as fast as you used to.”
There were a lot of ‘oohs’ from the crowd. I did my best not to crack a smile.
“Don’t worry about us old ponies, Cody. Just give it your all,” I replied.
“Hobby! My name is Hobby.”
The instructor gave me the briefest of looks and I dropped into my combat stance. “No magic, no flying. Hooves only. Go!” he shouted and I let the lesson begin.
☾
I sat quietly at one of the tables in the muster area, writing a letter to Shining Armor. It was difficult to sum up two-thirds of my time at the academy but I was doing my best. A letter was long overdue.
It was strange being at the academy but, at the same time, it wasn’t that different than what I did every day. I missed my ponies, though. I’d been with the same unit for my whole career and while I sat in class, Radiant Orchid was busy vetting the final ponies I had picked to fill out the House Guard. They likely wouldn’t have any idea who I was when I reported back.
To Colonel Shining Armor
Crystal Empire Garrison, Commanding
Sir
I’m about eight weeks into my time here at the academy and it is going well. The senior instructor is as tough as they come and I’ve learned a whole lot from him and his staff.
It has been interesting to see the younger ponies grow. They weren’t soldiers but they’re shaping up well, at least those that are still here. That is just the nature of the beast, though.
How are things in the Crystal Empire? How is Lady Cadence? I have some concerns that it may be dangerous there but I know you’ll more than rise to the challenge.
As much as I am loathe to do so, I need to ask you two favors, sir. One is minor and may interest you. The other is… well, it is a lot. I understand if you refuse.
The first relates to your location. There is a student here by the name of Cobalt Thane. He is a frost pony. I imagine there are more there near you than there are anywhere else. If you could forward any information you have on them I would appreciate it. I have an academic curiosity.
The second favor is not academic at all. Sir, I know we have ponies over there. I know they’re working on the situation. You have a lot of clout. Please consider placing me on the inside. Even if I could just read the reports, I wouldn’t feel like I’m sitting here helpless. I’m doing better. Far better… but I can’t let this go. That may result in me being a sorry excuse for an officer but this time, this one time, I need to see this to the end.
I paused and looked over the words on the page. It was a lot to ask. There was no reason for him to agree and I shouldn’t have asked. Still, I had to. I needed to. Quickly, I moved on to something less serious.
You may find it interesting that older ponies with experience still have an extreme advantage over younger ones when it comes to hoof-to-hoof combat. Onyx Mace, who is a classmate of mine, and I taught a whole graduation class that age is rarely the determining factor in a battle. I’m not going to say I didn’t enjoy tossing them around for a bit. They started out so smug! One of them even called me old.
Idly, I sketched a picture of a helmet by itself into the letter. It was subtle but I knew the colonel would get the message.
I believe you know Crystal Wishes. I can’t recall at this minute if you’ve interacted more than an introduction. She is Princess Luna’s friend. For the longest time, I thought she was with her roommate but evidently I was wrong.
It has been a while since I’ve dated. You know how the last one went, but this feels different. She looks at me in a way that feels special and when she does so it is indescribable. I know you know what that is like. I don’t want to get ahead of myself but I think she might be the right pony for me. A better fit for sure.
Obviously, I may be seeing something that might not be real. I don’t know much about this sort of thing but if you or your wife have any advice I’ll gladly take it. I’m both excited and frightened. I don’t want it to go the same way again. What if she can’t live with a soldier?
I’ll be looking forwards to your response.
Cadet Silent Knight
Royal Canterlot Officer’s Academy, Student
Carefully, I folded the letter and slipped it into an envelope. The contents were highly confidential so I made a note to slip it into a larger envelope before mailing. Shining Armor always provided good advice to me. Probably better than anypony else. He’d know what was best.
☾
“Come eat at the table, Silent Knight,” Winterspear said softly. “You’ve already memorized that book.”
She was more or less right. I tossed it on the couch and came over to sit between Dot and Iridescence. They weren’t speaking to each other at the moment and it somehow felt extra cold to be near them.
Winterspear set a plate in front of me. “It is okay if you eat fast. I know you don’t have long.”
I nodded and started eating. Looking around, I found that I was the only pony doing so. Slowly, I set my fork down. “Are we all in a fight?” I asked cautiously.
Dot shook her head. “No! Just Iridescence and I.”
Iridescence folded her hooves. “We’re not having a fight. You fight with equals, not superiors. You have to learn that while you’re here, I’m boss.”
The filly stuck her tongue out and huffed. I’d always been curious why she looked so much different than her sisters. What she lacked in the physical attributes, however, she more than matched in mannerisms. It was chilling. I was sitting between Iridescence and mini-Iridescence.
Winterspear pointed at my plate. “Eat. You’re fine.”
I ate since my evening liberties were generally short. Plus, I didn’t want any part of this. It felt a lot like home and not in the good way.
“How was school today?” Winterspear asked Dot.
The filly’s expression changed and she bubbled a bit, seemingly forgetting she was angry. “It is going better! I have some friends now. They’re not the popular girls but the popular girls are all really mean.” She then frowned. “And I was supposed to meet them for dinner tonight but somepony said I had a curfew.”
“Fillies your age shouldn’t be out roaming the streets at night!” Iridescence exclaimed.
“Well my friends’ parents don’t agree!” Dot shouted across me.
I slid back from the table, though I didn’t move too quickly. Mares sense motion.
Iridescence turned and glared at the filly. “I. Don’t. Care. Your friends are a year older. Next year we’ll discuss it. For now, you come home when I say you do. Now eat your dinner. Winterspear worked hard making it.”
Dot just glared back.
Lightly, I set a hoof on Dot’s head and turned her to face the plate. “I can’t handle that look from you. Eat so you can grow up to be bigger than your sister.”
The little unicorn giggled at that and swatted at my hoof. “Fine, but only for Winterspear. She’d let me go out!”
When I looked across the table, my sister was gone. In her wake, there was nothing but a swirl of feathers. Smart cookie. I took a note from her.
“Well… I’m going to go back and study more. You two… well, just don’t murder each other here. If you’re going to do it, do it somewhere convenient.”
this quickly another update or are you trying to get the cadet arc over as humanely as possible
Smart stallion.
Smart mare.
I like dot... Younger sister problems are fun to read
5894774 Dot is fun. I haven't had filly character so bringing her in was great.
5894770 Yes indeed. They know their roles =0
5894759 Memoirs updates twice a week every week. Mon/Wed is my normal schedule.
5894555 The latest chapter of Crystal's Wishes has Velvet and Crystal going to a very interesting place =)
5893818 It has begun a voyage for sure.
One word.
Fabulous!
5894788
That's interesting, I'd noticed the Wednesdays since I don't have any classes then, but now I know the other day :3
*slowly pieces together a "when to check for updates" schedule*
Beating up newbees must be fun... or outscoring them...
I can't wait for Lady Cadance/Shining Armor answer concerning SK and CW.
Oh yes we get more Dot :) Poor Winterspear
bit.ly/1DP0OLR
Best response he could give in that situation.
As for Silent Knight telling SA about him and crystal, I have a feeling that Cadence is gonna sense a disturbance in the force, grab the letter, see those words, and will probably Squee loud enough to crack the crystal walls of the palace, AND then start making plans. All the while Shining Armor is gonna be yelling NO NO SHIPPING AND INTERFERING WITH LOVE LIVES! and shes just gonna fly away ignoring him.
Another great chapter :3
That was fun, may I have another? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
You should fix that.
Wow. It looks like Silent was in the middle of a mare fight. Great job with this chapter. Good luck with the next one.
That was entertaining. By the way, how old is Dot supposed to be?
Frost pony eh? Borrowing that term from Frost Giants from The Legend of Thor by any chance? Oh and yes Hobby needed to be taught a lesson. Just because a person is old, doesn't mean they can't kick your ass. Sibling fights can be quite humorous as long as no one gets hurt lol
5895368 In this particular case I wasn't really. I just played with what I thought would work for northern ponies that lived in a tundra. It is pretty basic but most of the pony names are!
5895244 Great question. Pony age is sort of ambiguous and I've always left it that way. Dot is not CMC sized for sure. She is the equivalent to a pre-teen. She's probably 1 - 2 years out from high school. I don't know if ponies have middle school but that is where she'd be.
5895198 I think he escaped well.
5895165 I'll flog the editor!
5895135 I will say, the first 11 chapters got a pretty big overhaul not long ago! Certainly worth checking out.
5895109 ;D Monday!
5895026 Thank you sir.
5894937 I'm not going to say there won't be a response!
5894909 He isn't that old! Poor SK ;) (I kid)
5894895 Dot is surprisingly more popular than I thought. I'm fine with that of course.
5894893 Educating them. They educated them ;D
5894837 Yup yup! Typically Mon/Wed for Memoirs. Tue/Thur for Wishes. Side story on Thursday once Wishes is off the front page.
5894831 I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Good chapter! ..but it was rather short
5895520 I may have spoiled everyone with the gryphon arc and the follow up. My updates are typically 2,000 words but you get two a week every week :)
5895517
Then we'll just call that my hope that a distant relative of Silent Knight's shows up, makes a fool of himself, creeps on Iridescence, spoils Dot rotten, and still manages to school the Royal Guard on what it means to be a warrior.
I smell an.....
.....
OC
....
DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNN!
Fun Frost Ponies, ponies with fur similar to a lion's if I am interpreting your description correctly. The fur is for warmth, they're size is probably b/c they live in a harsher environment and had to be made of stronger stuff to survive
5895808 Many arctic creatures tend to be large, but also fatty. Fat is a great insulator against the cold, and provides emergency food.
More data on Dot!
SK the 'Old Man'
His opponent's last name wouldn't be Horse by chance?
Hrmm...Frost Ponies....
You know, every time I hear Silent refer to himself as "Old", I cringe. He's only in his mid 20's! He's probably not even 25 yet! Shut up, Silent, you're still a child!
And man, eight weeks in 4,500 words. I have no idea how far behind Hearts is now. Anyway, interesting developments.
5895517 So they beat them up with a purpose. How noble... XD
5896183 Mayby SK isn't that old phisicly but he's old mentaly. Propably because the real Anzel is also older. I'm thinking he's in his early 40s. He acts like my father but less grumpy. And my dad will be 50 in 3-4 years...
5896037 I'm aware of that but thank you for reminding me
5895726 He may have some distant relatives ;D
5895764 Indeed! Although Cobalt is one of mine, not one of the cameos.
5895808 That is it exactly.
5896037 This too.
5896040 Hobby Horse? That is actually kind of hilarious. Canon now!
5896183 Indeed! I didn't really want the academy to linger on too long. Originally I tried to put more into describing what he was doing and such and it ended up boring. Stuffing in all the other items made it less believable. So... montage! We need a montage! Pony training montage. Montage!
As far as ToH goes the true crossover/intersection was the main thing I wanted to sync. That story will finish out without anymore deep Memoirs interaction. Just a little brushing.
5896689 Well, I'm not quite 40 yet ;) Although I am, thus far, the oldest person I've met on the site.
5897264 see?
5897264 Now I wonder how old you are....
5897264 Interesting...
It's impressive that we have a character that's even more silent than Silent.
A frost pony? Interesting.
Hahaha, Hobby has no idea what he is getting himself into.
This line, just this line. It pretty much sums up Silent in a nutshell.
5897264
We definitely need a training montage. Out of curiosity, would this be a more modern montage, or a stereotypical 80's montage about the power of togetherness and friendship?
5896689
Lol, yeah. In the early scenes of the story I thought he was in his 30's, at least. But then I finally read Crystal's Wishes and found out that, by human standards, he'd barely be 19-20 by this point in Memoirs. They're making the ages a bit older so that Equestrian high school is closer to our college level, but still, he's much younger than he acts.
I blame his father for that.
5900491 At leeast the curkimstances make sence...
5900485 I'm saddened you even have to ask! ;) 80s montage of course!
5897871 If you go too deep there is no coming back! Or so I'm told ;D
5901125 I'm really glad you enjoy it! Silent Knight and I share a sense of humor for sure so it isn't too tough to write him.
Mares sensing motion, what are we . Predators? XD
5901273 I think Silent Knight would say yes!
5901274 nuuu more like venus traps, much more efficient :D
gifatron.com/wp-content/gallery/game-of-thrones-return-3-31-13/tyrion-approves-game-of-thrones.gif
Well, a day later and I'm caught up. This shit is just too good.
5904106 Thank you for saying so! I'm glad you're liking the story.
5902907 That is another popular line!
5901387 Thank you =D
5901276 Maaaybe so!
I finished this about three days ago and only now just remembered to comment on it... I feel silly.
Well, for starters, I'd like to thank you for taking up most of my Thursday with this story. I was a tad skeptical going in, but I found myself unable to put this one down until I'd caught up, and thus ended up binge reading 50+ chapters in a single day.
I really enjoy how you've crafted your characters, especially the relationships between Silent, Winter, and Iridescence. Their interactions flow naturally and they've taken on a life of their own. Not gonna lie, this kinda makes me want to work on an OC centric story myself, because I can see just how much fun went into creating and writing this!
Only problem I see is that I seem to have lost my nice little "next chapter" button.
Anzel
I started with Crystal's story, saw the link to yours, and one marathon later, caught up. Amazing story thus far. Loving it all! Keep up the great work!!
5912007 I'm glad you came over! Thank you very much for the kind words, it is great you enjoyed the story.
5910917 It is high praise to hear you couldn't put it down! I do prefer OC stories myself. They allow me a lot more flexibility vs trying to have one of the regular cast do something out of character. Thank you very much for reading!
5906684 He just took his time getting there ;D
5912282 Yeah, they do afford a lot of leeway, as do side characters. I have a lot of fun writing for Twilight and Luna, but I've had a bit more playing around with Shining Armor and Cadance running the Crystal Empire in another fic, as well as making a few side OCs for them to interact with. A lot of those, especially the ones in areas like the Crystal Empire, Canterlot, or even the town from the S5 premier, give room for different spins on their character and head canons for various places to be developed. Ramble aside, I look forward to next chapter.
5912388 that is a wonderful pic you have as your avatar.
Oh my god just perfect.