Life Goes On

by Blue Breeze

The Challenge

I'm not really sure if I'm just overly nice and like to help ponies out, or if I'm masochistic and just love to get into situations even though I know that they won't end well.

I'm more than fully aware that the last time I was left incharge of these three that they ran off into the forest and nearly got themselves eaten. Oh well, at least I'll have Atom with me to help watch them this time. And if something bad does happen, I can just blame him.

Nah, I'm just kidding... sort of.

Anyway, right now we're all still hanging back at Sweet Apple Acres up near the house with the crusaders who are currently eagerly awaiting to hear some of Atom's stories of being in the Royal Guard.

Atom looks at the girls. "Okay, so, what do you girls want to know about being in the guard?"

The girls get excited as they all start throwing out questions at once.

"Have you ever killed anypony?"

"Have you ever gone on any crazy adventures?"

"What's it like to wear all that armor?"

"How long does it take to become a guard?"

"Is it hard being a guard?"

"Do you get free food and rooms at the castle?"

"Do you get to fight giant monsters?"

"Woah woah woah." Atom says, pushing his hooves out. "Calm down, girls. I can't understand you if you all talk at the same time."

"Ooh, pick me!"

"No, me!"

"Me me me!"

Atom facehoofs. "Okay, let me just tell you everything that's personally happened to me since I joined the guard."

"Yay!" they all cheer.

Atom chuckles a bit. "Okay, so, you can't just immediately become a Royal guard, you need to go to the academy first."

"So, you even have to do school to become a guard? That's lame." Scootaloo says.

"Yeah, but if they didn't have that rule than any moron with four legs could become a guard."

"You mean like you?" I joke.

Atom glares at me through his glasses, but ignores my taunt. "Anyway, on average it takes two years before you can graduate the academy. After that, you're started out in the guard as a private, the lowest rank possible."

"What do privates do?" Sweetie Belle asks.

I'd so make a joke right here if there weren't kids around.

"Basically privates do whatever they're told. You don't question anything your commanding officer orders you to do, and if you do, they'll make sure you learn not to."

"Isn't that a bit harsh?" Apple Bloom asks.

"It is, but no one said being a guard would be easy. They do that to make sure no one ever gets out of line."

"Ah like their style." Granny Smith says from her rocking chair. "Good ol' fashion punishments is what ponies these days need to stay in line."

We all look at her in silence, doing nothing but blinking. "Um, anyway, like I was saying." Atom continues, breaking the awkward silence. "I eventually got through my two years of training at the academy and got assigned to a squad as a private. I eventually worked my way up as a lieutenant in the guard, but now my position is the official royal watcher over Ponyville."

"That's cool and all, but it sounds like a lot of hard work." Scootaloo says. "I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it."

"It definitely wasn't easy, but I was determined to push through. I think all my hard work paid off."

"Hmm, ya say you're good at doin' hard work, are ya?" Granny Smith questions.

"Yep, you bet."

"Well, how's about we put that to the test?"

Atom raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Since you're gonna be workin' fer us, ah'd like a little sample at just well ya can pull yer own weight."

"Hmm, okay, that seems fair enough. What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Well first off, you're the first non-earth pony we've ever hired, so to make it fair to others we've hired, ya can't use you're wings to help do the work."

"Hmm, fair enough."

"Good. Since our main income comes from apples we sell out in town-"

"Go figure." I say.

"Hush." she orders. "But since our main source of money is apples, ah'd like to know how many ya can harvest in an hour's time."

"How much is the normal?"

"Well, Applejack can usually get about seven hundred in that amount o' time. Since you're new to farmin', let's see ya try to get a minimum of five hundred without any use o' yer wings."

"Five hundred, huh? Sure, sounds like fun."

"Okay, GO!"

The suddenness of the challenge starting catches Atom off guard as he is connfused for a moment. "What?"

"Ah said GO! Better hurry up, time's a wastin'!"

"Go, Atom! Go!" AJ shouts.

Atom listens as he quickly takes off into the orchard and begins bucking at trees with buckets neatly set under them to catch the ripe apples. Due to being a pegasus without an earth pony's naturally born strength, Atom has a harder time knocking the fruit from the branches.

A half an hour goes by as Atom starts to feel the effects of all the work start taking their toll. Atom leans against a tree as he sweats enough to fill the buckets carrying the apples.

He breaths hard. "Even the academy boot camp wasn't this grueling."

"Come on Atom! Ya'll can do it!" Applejack cheers on.

From seeing his mare cheer him on, Atom starts forcing himself to work through the exhaustion, now starting to work nearly twice as fast as before.

We all continue cheering Atom on while Granny Smith watches in silence, keeping a close eye on Atom and the buckets of apples.

More time passes as Atom continues working as hard as he can, but the exhaustion starts taking over again.

"Five minutes left!" Granny Smith announces.

Atom stops to shout back at her. "How many apples do I have?!"

Granny Smith starts counting off the buckets, knowing the general average one can hold. "Four hundred and twelve!"

"What?! There's no way I'll get the rest in time!" a thought comes to Atom's head in his frustration. He looks down at a sword hilt strapped to his left foreleg. "Well, she did only say I couldn't use my wings."

Atom takes the hilt and starts focusing energy through it with his hooves. Visible wind starts forming from the blade into a double-helix shape, matching the sword on his cutie mark.

The rest of us watch in confusion. "What in tarnation is he doin'?" Granny Smith asks a bit angrily.

Apparently I'm not the only wind elemental around here. Hmm...

Atom clutches the sword in his hooves as he swings it, sending out a strong gust of wind that blows down the apples from their branches. Apples begun falling much faster as before as complete rows of trees are stripped of their apples.

Granny Smith looks over at the hourglass that was set up to track of time as the last grain of sand falls through. "Time's up!"

Atom looks back as he stops pumping energy into the sword and puts it away. He smiles smugly as he walks up to Granny Smith.

"So, how'd I do?" he asks confidently.

"Ya'll cheated!" Granny Smith snaps at him.

"No, I didn't. All you said was I couldn't use my wings, and I didn't."

Granny Smith grumbles a bit. "Fine, far as ah can see, ya got close to six hundred and fifty apples."

"Sweet!"

"But ah don't want ya'll to use any o' that fancy magic stuff when ya start workin' tomorruh!"

"You have my promise on that." Atom turns to us. "So, how was I?"

"So awesome!" all the crusaders say at once.

"That was mighty impressive, sugarcube." AJ congratulates.

"Yeah, Atom. That was awesome." I say. "So, you have wind powers too?"

"Yep, I sure do, but they're pretty different from the ones I've heard you have. This little hilt of mine is what I call the Whispering Breeze."

That sounds oddly familiar...

"So, why didn't you tell us?"

"Because you didn't ask." he gives a smug grin.

I laugh. "Fair enough." a thought crosses my mind about this whole situation. "Hey, Atom. You wanna fight me?"

"What?!" everypony shouts.

"Why would I wanna fight you?" Atom asks in confusion.

"Not a real fight, just a sparring match. Don't tell me you don't think it'd be interesting to see who's the better wind pony."

Atom rubs his chin as he thinks it over. "Hmm, that does sound interesting."

"Perfect. We'll gather up the others and meet out in the open field on the outskirts of town in two hours."

"It's a deal."

Atom and I brohoof as we look at each other with extreme determination. Time to see who's the best when it comes to wind. This is gonna be fun.

Comments

[Vinetion]

It's like a battle against the Venti and the Anemoi!

[Blue Breeze]

822321 i wish i understood the reference. btw, got any more music i can use?

[Vinetion]

822330

Anemoi = the 4 gods of wind = greek mythology

Venti = the 4 gods of wind = roman mythology

[Rhino]

Oh I see why you might want that picture now...
Yep, I'll see what I can do.

[Blue Breeze]

822338 ah... music please

[RLYoshi]

This will not end well. Or will it?

[Blue Breeze]

822371 of course it wont well, that depends on what ending youre talking about

[Vinetion]

822330

battle music
Weldar
Psycho circus (mr. patch)
Grunty the witch
Mecha terror Mad Jack (in a box)

[Blue Breeze]

822408 you really like rare 3D platformers eh? brohoof /)

[Vinetion]

822414
(\ what can i say they were at their best back than. and Grant was a damned god at making music

[Blue Breeze]

822447 i blame microsoft for everything that happened afterwards

[Vinetion]

822457

you can't really blame them. grant was hinting at moving away for awhile. Rare does what they want when they want and they still do. it's actually a miracle they did so well in the past but now? well with everyone more interested in shooters and multiplayers there's not much other companies can do

[Blue Breeze]

822509 banjo kazooie nuts and bolts is the big problem i have. i enjoyed it and i give them credit for trying something new, but trying something new after 8 years without a real banjo kazooie game was the wrong move

[Vinetion]

822523 i agree and disagree i loved nuts and bolts. and i feel that because of how long they've been out and ESPECIALLY because of the marketing they were in it was a fine move to go in. true i would have rather liked another platformer but im not saying what they did was bad. i mean if anything could you lift a cow miles into the sky and drop it to its demise in a platforming banjo kazooie? can you make a spring chair in platformers? (maybe) can you make a top made of fan?! anywhoo

[Blue Breeze]

822595 also, im a bit bitter about the promise of threeie at the end of tooie. also, the original CGI trailer didnt show any vehicles, so that was false advertising

[Ian_Okazaki]

Battle of the wind gods has been announced, let all in their path be blown away.

[Atomic Vortex]

I totally would have cheated. Ah loopholes. How I love thee.
And come at me bro!

[moguera]

It's less like a wind pony competition and more like a windbag competition.

[Blue Breeze]

823674 oh ho ho! you think youre funny eh?

[Zephyr]

Why I feel that there will be a huge tornado, rampaging through the town?... O_o

[Dark Lightning]

823672:
Remember Atom.........cheat. Use what I hve taught you in your fic and somehow bring it here.
The good o'l "Come at me bro"....Nice

[Atomic Vortex]

823674
I think that was an insult.
823677
I think he insulted us!

[Vinetion]

822330>>822408

Non-battle music

#1
Traveling tune
Sadtune

[Blue Breeze]

825369 cool

btw, i decided to go with something different for the battle music. i like those songs, but they dont fit the mood i have set for it