Shine Of The Silver Sun

by Nameless Narrator

Winds Of Change: New

Following Contradiction through the red-carpeted hallways of the Order mansion, Cromach grumbled:

"First you tell me not to bury myself in work and now you're throwing more at me on Friday evening."

Connie flicked her tail, slapping Cromach's side.

"No, I'm not. Fridays are for drinking with friends and chilling out, and since I know you're not going to do either I wanted to pull you out of yourself in a different way. The newbies aren't work, more like a humorous distraction you so desperately need."

"I don't-"

"You DO, sir. With all due respect and all the other fake jazz."

"Seriously, what's wrong with them?"

"Well, the letter from princess Celestia said they had nowhere to go and could attend training immediately. I'll leave the details to you since there's a lot of light still left in the day."

"So, more desperate street urchins?"

Connie coughed meaningfully. Cromach looked away, scratching his head.

"Sorry. I didn't mean anything bad by that."

"I know, sir, just teasing."

"Now will you stop and tell me what could be so weird about them that you keep grinning every time I ask? I mean in our first group there was a minotaur, an earthpony, a satyr, you, and a dreamling."

Dreamlings were a strand of changelings arriving into this dimension by accident. The name came from the original of Nightmare changelings they got when their kind was twisted by victorious Nightmare Moon from a different plane of reality. They had succeeded in wiping out all life on their planet on Nightmare Moon's orders and in desperation they used an improvised travelling spell that led them to the Equestria we all know and love. It had been either that or starvation. Not under the influence of Nightmare anymore, their tiny hive quickly became stalwart protectors against any scheme Nightmare in this reality put in motion. The name change came mostly for public relations.

They both took few seconds of silence for the mentioned dead. Connie's face turned from mischievous to serious. She was supposed to be a part of the first Order team, but her lack of strength had prevented that from happening, pretty much saving her life. The second team that she had been the leader of had survived in its entirety, almost. Walter Grant, a griffon exiled from the Empire had laid down his life to save Connie when she made a fatally wrong decision in critical combat situation. Connie might not have been a great leader, but she at least remembered all those who deserved it.

"Fine, one's a minotaur, one's a satyr, and the last one... she looks sort of like a pony but I've never seen anything like her before. Princess Celestia's letter was kind of vague in that respect."

As they passed through ornate wooden gate of the mansion, the cool inside of the building gave way to still hot summer evening outside. Blinded by the sun, Cromach had to shield his eyes and admit he might have been spending just a little too much time inside. Their steps on the white cobblestone road leading from the mansion entrance to the barred and guarded gate separating Manehattan outskirts and the Order proper were completely lost in the gasping, screaming, and cursing of Order recruits undergoing their evening training. The mansion was surrounded by lawns on all sides which were cut off from the rest of the world by a wall forming a square with the building in its center. Considering the areas to the left of the mansion-outside gate road were still grass and not dead, stomped ground under the milling of the ponies in training, the Order gardener definitely deserved a raise.

The grassy ground to the right of the road was empty aside from three figures of varying sizes. Following Connie towards them, Cromach gave them a quick once-over.

One was a male satyr with short dark grey mane... hair or whatever they called it. Just like all of their kind, his body was covered in hair the same colour as those on his head from the waist down. Unlike ponies, satyrs usually wore clothes -at least according to Fortune, the only one Crom had met before- and this one was no exception in his unbuttoned white shirt and dark green pants. He jumped up when he saw the duo approach and stood to attention.

The other supposed new recruit was a minotaur female, and the top of the satyr's head was at her shoulder height. Minotaurs grew hair all over, and her dark yellow turning to brown covering rippled in soft wind. The only clothing on her muscular figure was a simple loincloth, and Cromach couldn't help cracking a twisted smile when he came close enough to spot the grey satyr's eyes dart to the minotaur's bare chest and barely covered behind. She herself was less than interested in her 'companions' and watched the training ponies across the road.

The final 'newbie' was indeed a strange creature. Overall, she looked like a smaller and lean earthpony mare, only with talons on her front legs, larger ears, and a long, prehensile tail ending in a little duster. Unusual, but definitely not as unsettling as Contradiction had made it seem. The bright pink eyes staring at approaching Cromach were alright as well, and her rusty brown coat and mane dotted with golden veins of freckles definitely leaned more towards adorable than sinister. However, that all changed when she smiled. Nopony should be able to bare that much razor-sharp teeth at once. In her presence, 'grinning from ear to ear' stopped being a figure of speech and became a terrifying reality.

It really, really didn't help that she looked genuinely happy to see Cromach and Connie, as betrayed by her -oh, gods, help, it's gonna eat me!- smile and wagging of her long tail.

Cromach had seen giant tentacle gods trying to eat the world, half-liquid and fully insane corrupted alicorns set on devouring his mind, and a batpony mare pissed off at him for trying to steal her coltfriend. In light of those, one weird mostly-a-pony trying to look helpful and failing rated only about three eldrich horrors out of ten.

The first one on Cromach's list was the minotaur. She was a good one to start with because unlike the other two she looked sure of herself...

...no, it definitely was NOT for the boobs, but they did get in the way when Cromach came close and looked up. Connie chuckled quietly to herself, she knew her boss.

The interview, however, started in a different fashion. The minotaur spoke first.

"Are you a leader worth following?" she asked, not bothering to hide her firm belief that the answer was a resounding 'no'.

"No," Cromach replied, completely calm, "You will be working under Contradiction," he nodded to Connie and winked. The unicorn grit her teeth to stop a grin aswering the minotaur's disbelieving and insulted expression. Cromach turned back and stared straight at the minotaur's clearly defined abs, "Name?"

"Under that skinny runt?" the minotaur stomped the grass, grinding her teeth and staring daggers at Connie.

"Her name is Anvil," Connie stoically levitated a letter from her compact saddlebag and unrolled it, "She comes from-"

"I can answer for myself, unicorn!" Anvil bellowed.

"Then do so and don't waste our time," Connie didn't even raise her voice, folded the letter neatly into its envelope, and hid it again into her saddlebag.

Anvil's eye twitched and the fingers on her right hand rolled into a fist. She huffed and looked down at Cromach who was losing interest with her every word. To him she was just another hothead.

"I come from Rift, the Heartseeker clan," Anvil calmed down, "I resided there for two months after my return from a tour with the Griffon Foreign Legion. The new capital city is a wonder in a sense, but it makes my kind soft. I came down from the northern tundra to seek a real challenge. So far, all I found was blistering heat and weaklings ogling what they can't handle," she folded her arms, pushing the mounds of her breasts up, and gave both Cromach and the satyr an amused and arrogant smile.

"Does the name Blazing Light ring a bell?" Cromach didn't bother defending himself and circled Anvil, taking in every detail of her body. He wasn't interested in it anymore, he just wanted to know how far the minotaur can be pushed.

"The Dark Prophet and warleader Darkhorn united the minotaur clans under single banner and founded Rift. The alicorn's statue graces the main square of the city. Every minotaur knows the name Blazing Light, both city dwellers and wild tribes."

"You asked if I was worthy leader," Cromach looked Anvil in her brown eyes, "In your twisted world it means if I am strong enough. Just let me tell you I gave your Dark Prophet's ponut both cream glaze and filling and made him beg for more."

The satyr blushed and looked straight down, Connie bit her hoof not to start laughing, the pony abomination tilted her head questioningly, and Anvil...

...Anvil swung at Cromach.

The griffon leaned away only a fraction, feeling Anvil's fist pass by his beak. Using as little movement as possible, he just grabbed her leg and pulled. Anvil lost her balance and made a perfect split on the grass, something she clearly was not used to as her agonized howl showed everyone around.

"Also, Blazing Light was an excellent unarmed fighter with whom I had many chances to spar."

Growling in pain, Anvil gathered herself a little and hissed:

"Insulting the Prophet is a crime amongst my kind, griffon."

Crom narrowed his eyes, his standing form casting shadow on the kneeling minotaur.

"I said nothing insulting or untrue. Blazing Light was my partner, the love of my life, and my best friend. You saying I would ever hurt his memory in any way is insulting to me."

Scowling Anvil looked him at him and met a steel stare full of pride and pain she couldn't handle. She bowed her head.

"If what you are saying is true, then I... apologize. If it is not, you better put all your affairs in order."

Without a word, Cromach moved towards the satyr. Standing on all fours, the griffon's head was at the height of his chest. The grey satyr attempted a salute, which meant shoving his hand somewhere in the vicinity of his forehead. He was clearly intimidated by Cromach.

"And you are?" the griffon's question came out significantly softer than the one for Anvil.

"As-Astray, sir," his voice was barely steady, "I am a satyr, sir. Half pony, half... well, something minotaur-like. I'm not really sure-"

"I know what a satyr is," Cromach's raised taloned arm stopped Astray's hasty explanation, "You are an orphan, I suppose."

Astray nodded hesitantly.

"Yes, sir. I was dropped off in the Crystal Empire."

"I've met one satyr before and she was an orphan as well. It seems that ponies drunk enough to sleep with whatever creature the other half of you is aren't the best parents."

"I cannot say, sir," the topic, while uncomfortable, made Astray calm down a little.

"Doesn't matter anyway. You are you, not an extension of your family's failure," Cromach smiled at Astray, "How did you get here?"

"I survived an expedition through the Badlands to the Forbidden Jungle in the south. We got attacked by a rogue group of changelings who lived there after the failed Canterlot invasion, cut off from the main hive. They had no idea about any peace treaty and just wanted me and the other members of the caravan as food. I, uh, offered myself as a willing sacrifice, which apparently means a lot more than just a stolen, hypnotized, and forcibly drained pony to them. A... friend who got me to the caravan was against it and when the fight was about to start I sort of, umm, hugged the leading changeling into submission."

Connie and Crom burst out laughing, Anvil rolled her eyes and mouthed 'idiot', and the abomination's pupils went wide as she stared at Astray like he was the biggest hero ever.

"Now that's a story I'll have to hear in full one day," Cromach nodded to the large bag behind Astray, "What have you got there?"

"Well, for reuniting the changelings with queen Chrysalis' hive and ensuring the caravan's safe passage through the Badlands and back, princess Celestia ordered a set of armor made for me. I wanted to join another caravan to get some experience and maybe become a professional caravan guard one day, but the princess offered me a chance to come here for training."

"Astray, you seem like a normal pony- person. Did the princess tell you what you are getting into?"

"She said it would be immensely dangerous, sir."

"And?"

"Sir, I... most ponies think I'm scary. I don't belong anywhere. The only reason I joined the nearly suicidal caravan trip was because I failed to find any job from Crystal Empire to Canterlot. Both here and with the caravan, I just wished to do at least some good before the inevitable end even if it meant only taking a blow for somepony worth it."

Cromach stared, memories of a bronze alicorn rushing through his head. He knew better than Astray could ever know where that mental road led. If pursued with enough conviction it ended in heroism... but the kind that left behind scars in others that would never ever heal.

He raised his arm to shake Astray's, who looked genuinely surprised. Talons met fingers, and Cromach said:

"Welcome to the Order. If you are lucky, you will find what you need here. If not, you will find what you seek.

Leaving slightly confused Astray, Cromach walked over to the only 'recruit' smaller than he was, but by a lot. The abomination's face portrayed slightly nervous, but helpful and happy expression toothier than a saw blade.

"And who or what in the gates of Tartarus are you?"

"My mom always said I wasn't a mistake but a happy little accident," the creature answered in a cheerful tone of a filly in a bouncy castle, not that squeaky and young, but doubly enthusiastic.

"Okay," Cromach had to shift gears for this one, "What do other ponies call you?"

"AAAAAAAAH!" it... she waved her legs in an attempt to depict somepony terrified beyond belief and probably about to die, "That, or 'Do not let it anywhere near me!'. 'Go away!' is short and good one if you need something to call me."

"Princess Celestia's letter said we should call her Bubbles," Connie interrupted, ignoring Anvil's horrified expression of realization what she was about to work with.

"Oh, and mom called me Bubbles," Bubbles finished as if nothing happened and she was planning to say that all along.

On Cromach's raised eyebrow, Connie skimmed through the letter again in case she had forgotten something, then she gave it to him.

"Her 'mom' was a demonologist in the high circles of Canterlot wizards. She kept consorting with pleasure demons and experimenting on murder demons until both of her interests went horribly wrong and she got pregnant. Bubbles here was locked in a mage tower for all of her life until her mother failed a summoning ritual and got killed. Celestia's note said to be nice to her and not think about it too hard."

Cromach looked at the end of the section about Bubbles. It really was there - don't think about it too hard. All signed and stamped with the royal seal. He decided he had enough for one evening and obeyed the suggestion.

"Is that all you can tell us about yourself?" he asked Bubbles.

"I can bite through steel rails and plate armor. I already apologized to the guard pony," she pouted. How she could fit all those teeth into a pony mouth was far beyond Crom.

"A useful talent if ever I saw one," he nodded. Something, maybe a little spark of annoyance at Celestia's and by extension Connie's interruption of his depressed evening, made itself remembered and he crumpled up the letter into a tight ball.

"Bubbles," Cromach smiled at the creature who wagged her tail and outclassed his smile tenfold, and swung his arm, "Fetch!"

The paper ball was in the air only a fraction of a second when Bubbles jumped three pony heights into the air and caught it in her mouth. She landed just few meters away from Crom.

"Here you go," she spat it out. Cromach didn't dare to touch the corroding and hissing paper, "Oops, sorry."

Cromach couldn't even tease Bubbles when her ears half bigger than those of a normal pony drooped and she looked as if expecting him to slap her.

"That's alright, I already read all the princess wrote," he ruffled Bubbles' mane. Her cheer returned instantly and Crom twitched away just in time to prevent her from licking his arm, "Connie?"

"Yes, sir?"

"They're all yours. See what they can do before we send them to Cross and he puts them through a blender."

"You're not going to do it yourself?"

"No, I'll write our official replies to Leo's invitations."

Connie nodded, a little warmer on the inside. She saw it in Cromach that they were both going to Canterlot together for sure.

"Alright, guys," her voice turned business-like, "We'll have a quick practice. Tomorrow, you'll start training under our grandmaster of arms who will beat you up. Astray, you're first. Anvil," Connie pointed to a shed nearby, "Go there, grab a grey crate, and bring it here."

"-"

"You can argue when you prove you are worth my time," Connie ended the minotaur's response before it began.

It was clear to everyone she wasn't messing around anymore. To Anvil's credit, she carried the heavy crate under one arm without even heavier breathing. When Connie opened it it proved to be full of fake swords, axes, and other weapons of varying sizes and shapes.

"Each of you find a weapon of choice. The ones we use for practical training are dull but weigh the same as real weapons. The ones you will use for style training with Cross are much heavier to build muscle."

"Heh," Anvil flexed her biceps, grabbing a heavy mace any other species would consider a two or even more handed weapon, or possibly something needing a group effort, in one hand. Connie rolled her eyes, clearly growing tired of the display.

"Alright, Astray, I'm an evil unicorn warrior trying to take over the world. Stop me or you'll be a slave pet for my twisted sexual desires."

"Wha-?" Astray lowered his practice sword just in time to recieve a levitating blade in his ribs. Connie didn't go overboard with the blow, but he would have serious bruises tomorrow.

"Don't get distracted," Connie gave him a sly smile, "Or maybe I should have said stop me or you won't be my sexy slave colt toy."

Astray didn't get baited a second time. Several wide swings followed, each easily blocked and proving that Astray has never had any real weapon training. Connie didn't even need to move. Her levitating sword stopped the satyr in his tracks, disarmed him, and tripped him up. Astray bit his lip at Anvil's snort of contempt at his lack of skill.

"Alright, a beginner. Cross likes beginners, they don't have any bad habits ingrained," Connie flourished her sword, "So, how about somepony with some really, really annoying bad habits?"

"Heh heh, and I almost thought you would chicken out and not ask," Anvil gripped her oversized weapon, "The griffon would be a worthy partner or mate. You, on the other hand-"

Anvil blocked the swing of Connie's flying blade.

"You talk too much, weakling," Contradiction's horn blazed with power directly contesting the pushback from Anvil.

Seeing her possible loss in contest of sheer power, Anvil spun to the side, misdirecting Connie's sword cleaving the ground. A quick lunge forward later, she swung wide with enough power to break the unicorn's bones even with a padded weapon. Connie wasn't anywhere inside the arc, though, but rather by Anvil's side. She turned and bucked up with her hind legs, knocking Anvil off balance. Connie's sword hit the knuckles on Anvil's hands, forcing her to drop her mace.

With Anvil disarmed and on the ground, Connie lowered her weapon and...

...recieved a full-strength kick from the minotaur. Even with no swing, just a powerful push, the blow made Connie spin in the air and roll on the ground.

"Evil 'warrior' disposed of, if a little mare like you can be called that," Anvil stood up, looking down on Connie shaking her head and seeing red.

In some way, Anvil was very stupid and now it was crystal clear. The monochromatic unicorn bleeding from her muzzle had a lesson to teach.

Anvil cracked her neck and raised her warmace again.

"Round two?"

"Round ONE. And by the way, call Cromach your worthy mate one more time, and I will flay you alive," Connie growled.

Comments

[The Villain in Glasses]

Oh boy... this a'int good...

[Nameless Narrator]

7365004

Dear princess Celestia,

the minotaur you sent us arrived in a terrible condition, all smooshed up and with some limbs missing.
We totally had nothing to do with it, her box must have had too little padding.
Please send a replacement, hopefully via different company than DerpEx, thank you.
Also, how is the love potion strong enough to break a griffon infused with divine power going?

with something remotely similar to respect,
Contradiction

[The Villain in Glasses]

7365352

Celestia: Oh dear, this just won't do.*picks up a scroll* Dear Twilight...

[Anonymous Critic]

7365352
Hahahahahaha!

[Two_Madmans]

I mean in our first group there was a minotaur, an earthpony, a satyr, you, and a dreamling."

Wait, what? I'm sure she wasn't in Apple, only Fortune.

She was supposed to be a part of the first Order team, but her lack of strength had prevented that from happening, pretty much saving her life.

Ok.