Epilogue III - Moving On
Epilogue III
Moving On
Hearth's Warming Day fell on December 18th that year. After the glorious Canterlot Pageant of the previous night, silence seemed a welcome thing. There was a brisk chill to the air, and the soft snowflakes falling through the air set a perfect scene for cuddling with family in front of a roaring fire.
Rainbow Dash knew little of those fires, or the comforting embrace of wings. It had been so many years since she was in Cloudsdale for Hearth's Warming that she couldn't even remember how the Cloudosseum looked beneath a layer of snow until it was right in front of her. She alighted on the cloud sidewalk in front of the building. All the while, her eyes followed the little families and couples that made their way inside for the Wonderbolts show. Watching them go by, she felt once more a sensation that had dominated her life since her return from Zebrica. She was the odd mare out, set apart by random circumstance and fate. In this crowd, it had nothing to do with friends worried for her soul or the sorrowful absence of a mentor. Instead, Rainbow was marked apart because she was alone. No mother or father to spread a wing over her back. No stallion or mare to hold her cloud and share in the heat of welcome bodies. Nopony at all.
A single blue ticket decorated with a bolt of yellow lightning slid free of her jacket pocket, and was easily pinned beneath her wing. She walked up to the line entering the building, and presented it without word. A quick rip, and only a tattered stub remained.
"Box seats on Hearth's Warming? You've got friends, kid."
Rainbow shrugged as the stallion motioned her to pass. Even after fifteen years she still knew the path by heart. Turn right past the concession stands. Grab a free candy cane from the mare at the orphanage charity stand. Drop three bits in the little can. Right again, and up the stairs. Then all the way around the round structure to reach the big rooms. Fancy walls of transparent cloud rather than glass permitted heat for the plush seats and couches within. Rainbow knew every room; she'd helped to build them. Of course, that had been a ten-year old filly who probably spent more time getting caught under hoof than actually moving the project along. Still, for her, it had been heaven in its own way.
She moved up to the door and found it unlocked already. A simple push was all it took to enter. Inside, the clouds had been colored and arranged in a glorious Wonderbolts theme. Six bottles of gourmet root beer were arranged in a diamond on the nearby countertop, separating the seating area from a mini-bar stocked with all manner of drinks. She ignored the subtle offer of what had once been her favorite beverage and wandered toward the seats.
Rainbow wasn't sure of what she had been expecting, but it had been something. Anything. Instead, the seats were empty. Three opulent cushions played host to nothing more than the memories of happier ponies in better years. The disappointment was nearly palpable.
A raucous voice came popping over the loudspeaker. "Fillies and Gentlecolts, welcome to the Cloudosseum!" The crowd roared in response, and when they settled, the stallion continued. "I hope you're all having a wonderful Hearth's Warming Day so far. But I promise, it's about to get better. Without further ado, I present… the Wonderbolts!"
The roar came again from the crowd, but Rainbow could not bring herself to join in. For just a moment, she glanced back at the door. The thought of leaving and abandoning the show was tempting for perhaps the first time in her entire life. In the end, she collapsed in a plush cloud seat, unsure of just why she had done so. It only felt right.
"Today, performing for your pleasure, we have Fleetfoot!" The roar of the crowd was deafening, though Rainbow could clearly hear the whistling of wings through the frigid air over the noise.
"Rapidfire!" Again, the crowd roared, but the pegasus mare merely shook her head. Without even thinking, she identified the performing members as the Wonderbolt's 'first' team. When the announcer spoke up, she joined him.
"Gale Force." Her mumbled words matched the voice over the speakers perfectly. "Then Soarin' and Spitfire."
"I see you know your Wonderbolts, ma'am." Rainbow jumped at the surprisingly close origin of the voice, and turned toward it. Though a stallion, he wasn't who she had been expecting. A faded green stallion in a blue formal shirt balanced a round silver platter on his wing, and offered it to her hesitantly. "I was asked to deliver this to you. It seems you have an admirer."
Rainbow nodded, gesturing to the little end table placed nearest her seat in the opulent box. The stallion set the tray down and then immediately made his way back to the door. "Happy Hearth's Warming."
"You too," Dash answered rather flatly. Her eyes were locked on the contents of the tray. A tall slender milkshake glass played home to a root beer float, decorated with a vibrant peppermint stick. A faded foam hoof proclaimed support for Wonderbolt Captain Wedge. A tiny envelope completed the assembly. Clean, sparse script spelled out her name across its otherwise blank face.
Her hoof dragged the envelope open first. Two papers spilled out onto the silver and cloud. One was a carefully folded letter on common paper. The other was smaller and stiffer. Thin card stock decorated with a glossy sheen proclaimed words that Rainbow recognized almost easily.
Quiniela: Cpt. Spitfire, Sgt. Fleetfoot; 15 Bits. Redeem only at main counter.
"Now that we've introduced the team, it's time to see some flying!"
Rainbow's eyes shot up from the betting ticket to see all five Wonderbolts scream by outside her window in a perfect wedge. Their trails of smoke and the scream of the wind over their wings sent an old thrill through her heart. A little smile wound its way onto her lips as she watched the mostly-familiar performance. Most Wonderbolts shows were brimming with new maneuvers and daring stunts, but the Hearth's Warming routine was a classic too precious to be tampered with.
Her hoof reached out to her side without really thinking. The root beer float came back to her, permitting a soft sip. Though the flavor of peppermint didn't mix well with the rich taste of the soda, it did hearken back to the sweet tooth of a five–year old filly who couldn't bring herself to care about the conflict of sensations.
The foam hoof was surprisingly old for a disposable item. She couldn't help but wonder where it came from, and how it had been dug up. The name it recorded belonged to a retired pony, who'd led the legendary flying team when Spitfire was barely a recruit. Captain Wedge was a legend amongst fliers, though his days racing through the clouds were over. The thought of an old pegasus giving up seemed strange in memory of Reckoning.
She tossed away the sorrowful thought, and turned her eyes back toward the show. The four edge-fliers had peeled away from Spitfire, leaving the leader alone as she shot straight up into the air over the Cloudosseum. What would follow was a trick known only to a rare few even amongst the Wonderbolts' ranks. The 'Skull Dive' consisted of powering straight downward toward a solid plate of fortified cloud, or in other venues, stone. The performer would spin as they dove, producing enough raw G's to send even the most hardened flier into unconsciousness. At the last second, instead of pulling up, the daring mare or stallion would literally stop, snapping into an even hover mere inches from their death. In a sense, it was a magic trick. Rather than something to impress the audience which was easier to understand, its attraction lay in its mystery. As a filly, Rainbow had spent years wondering just how it was done.
There was a subtle crack in the air as Spitfire's brilliant orange mane began to slice through the wind just ahead of her wings. Though it wasn't sonic, the sound bore no less weight. Rainbow's eyes were peeled tightly as she watched, wondering at the possibilities. Yet for all the years that had passed, one thing remained the same. Spitfire's wings snapped out at the last possible second, and Equestria's Fastest Flier was still at a loss as to how the trick was done.
"Rainbow?"
The mare froze at the sound of the familiar voice. It was tired, and old, and she hadn't heard it in years. "Papa?" It took her a moment to build up the will to turn around and look at him.
Silver Lining sat rather sheepishly in the doorway to the seating box, eyes locked in the floor midway between himself and his granddaughter. "It's been too long, Rainbow. I–"
His words were cut off by the tight embrace of the younger mare. "I've missed you."
He stiffened for a moment, and then his warm breath and bushy moustache both brushed past her ear. She moved to step away, but he held her tight. "I almost didn't come."
Rather than bother with words, Rainbow nuzzled the side of his neck. "Why not?"
At the question, the older stallion released his granddaughter and found himself staring at her hooves, unable to look her in the eye. "I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me."
"Well, that was dumb, Papa." They shared a soft laugh, and then Rainbow gestured toward one of the puffy cloud seats her grandfather had no doubt built with his own hooves. "Come on."
Silver Lining removed his expensive gray jacket, revealing both his naturally gray coat and the puffy silver-white clouds that marked his special talent. The garment was placed gently on a firm cloud coat rack, alongside his muted red scarf. Finally ready, he sat down beside his granddaughter and stared out at the Wonderbolts. "Did I get the right bet for the race?"
"You could've gone for the Exacta," Rainbow answered calmly. "Spitfire never loses these days."
"You could beat her," Silver Lining responded.
"Yeah. Well, I actually did, a few years ago." A sudden grip of regret claimed Rainbow's heart as she turned toward her grandfather. "The Best Young–"
"–Flyer Competition? I've been there every year since you left, hoping to see you. I was there when you did the Sonic Rainboom. I couldn't believe it."
"Why didn't you come see me? Why didn't you say anything?"
Silver shook his head slowly. "You were with your friends, and the Wonderbolts, and the Princess. I didn't feel like I had any place intruding on your life."
"And what if I want you to be part of my life?"
Beneath his moustache, Silver Lining wore an enormous grin. "Then you've got me." The grandfather turned back to his jacket, and a little of his happiness faded. "I've got something for you, by the way." He rose, and with both his neck and a wing, produced a surprisingly large box from the folds of his coat. It was polished wood, at least two feet wide and half as tall. Though it lacked any sort of wrapping, its purpose was obvious as he set it on the little side-table beside Rainbow's root beer float and the huge foam hoof.
"What's in that?"
"Something I always meant to give you when you grew up, if you ever cared. I heard you joined the Guard, Rainbow, so I figured now was a good time." He pulled open the lid, revealing three rows of radiant, glimmering medals and colorful ribbons. They lay between a scroll and a rather plain but sturdy knife. "These were your father's. I know what you think about him and what he did to you, but it was time you had them."
Rainbow placed a hoof, closed the box, and shook her head. "It wasn't about me, Papa. It was about Mom. And I'm not with the Guard. It was just for a little while. Just a week."
"I'm glad to hear that, Rainbow, but these are still yours." He shut the box, and set it on the ground beside her seat. It took a moment for his eyes to return to the show going on outside their window. "Maybe we should talk about something better. Remember when we used to come to the shows? You always knew who was going to win."
Rainbow nodded. "I was too young to bet, but you always bought me the tickets anyway. And then I'd tell you about all the moves, and all the fliers’ signature tricks from those cards you kept buying me…"
"And you'd ask me to teach you how to fly." He chuckled. "It really has been a long time since I knew anything about flying that you didn't."
She looked him in the eye and smiled. "Let's go, Papa."
"What?"
Rainbow hopped to her hooves. "Flying. You and me, like when I was little. Come on."
Silver Lining was shocked. "You want to leave a Wonderbolts show before it's over? What did you do with my Rainbow Dash?"
"Papa, I can out fly the whole team now. Hay, it won't be too long before I'm out there myself. I know you never really liked sitting through these shows. So come on."
Rainbow found herself waiting as Silver Lining pulled on his scarf and jacket. Neither her grandfather's slow and steady movement, nor the wing he put over her shoulder to pull her close had changed in the years since they last spoke. "You're wrong, Rainbow. Maybe I never really cared about the team or the stunts, but seeing you smile that way made me the happiest pony in Equestria."
As the ponies walked out of Cloudosseum and into the gentle snow of Cloudsdale, Rainbow nuzzled her grandfather's neck. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Papa."
- - -
Hearth's Warming Day fell on December 18th that year, and it could not have come on a more beautiful morning. Though the air was brisk and chilled atop the Mountain of Dawn, loving families within their homes had no concern for the chill or the snow.
One small family was gathered in a warm living room, seated on couches and chairs around a roaring hearth. Five ponies smiled at one another over warm cocoa and eggnog, soaking up every minute of pleasant conversation.
"So Shining, what happened to your shoulder?" Nightlight asked his son, taking notice of the subtle white bandage that nearly blended in with the stallion's fur.
"Just something from work," Shining answered, placing a gentle hoof on the itchy wound. He saw no reason to trouble his family with how deep the wound had cut, or how close it had come to stealing away his life.
"You've been busy, haven't you, Shining?" his mother, Twilight Velvet, pressed. "The Crystal Empire and the Guard? I have to wonder how you do it."
The stallion shrugged, before wincing slightly at the motion of his shoulder. His head ducked to the side, nuzzling Cadance briefly. "I've been busy enough dealing with the Guard. She's the one doing all the real work of running the Empire."
"Oh, it's not so bad. Pretty soon it won't even be an Empire anymore; just another Domain of Equestria. I have plenty of ponies helping me out, too." Cadance smiled at her in-laws as her magic set about distributing the presents from beside the fireplace into convenient piles for their recipients. "Why, just a few weeks ago the Tsar of Stalliongrad and his son left. The accountants and bookkeepers tell me Foresight was incredibly helpful in accounting for the thousand years they were missing."
"Oh my," Nightlight began, suppressing a chuckle at perhaps the most boring description of a pony in the world. "He sounds like your kind of stallion, Twilight. Maybe you should try and meet him."
The younger Twilight rolled her eyes at her father and shook her head. "If he's anything like his younger brother, I'm not sure I want anything to do with him that way." She and Shining shared in a brief but knowing glance. "And really, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try and drop hints about my love life, Dad."
"Oh, come on, Twilight. He's only teasing." Cadance turned from her sister-in-law to her husband and smiled softly. "They already got one of their kids married. No need to hurry now."
The little peck on Shining's nose was appreciated, but the awkwardness of anything more intimate in his parents presence caused the bold guardspony to address them. "Dad, why don't you start, since you're oldest?"
"Well, I never…" he responded with an obvious humor, before his magic began to gently undo the wrapping paper. The object within shifted gently to his pressure, curling and bending like fabric.
"Who's it from dear?" Twilight Velvet encouraged with a less than subtle nudge to her husband's midsection.
"Oh, who cares, dear? It will probably be obvious anyway. I have to guess it's from Shining and Cadance, since it clearly isn't a–" his hooves tore away the last of the paper to reveal a "–book."
The younger Twilight placed a hoof over her lips to conceal a slight laugh. "I studied some illusion spells to help Shining on a case this summer, and I figured I'd make use of them."
"Always our little mage," Nightlight answered with a proud smile.
"Archmage in a few months, if what I hear is true," his wife added. "What book is it?"
The stallion levitated a pair of glasses onto his nose and squinted down at the spine of the work. "A Traveler's Guide to Bitaly, Trottingham, and Prance. Thank you very much, Twilight."
"Just wait 'til Mom opens hers," the young mare answered.
Clearly excited, Twilight Velvet grabbed the envelope sitting atop a long box in front of her. It opened with barely any effort, revealing a pair of glossed paper slips. "Are these airship tickets?"
"For your thirty-fifth," Twilight answered. "There are hotel reservations and a few other goodies to go with them. Shining pitched in too."
The guardspony answered her with a wink, keeping quiet the truth that he had covered more than three-quarters of the cost himself. The salary of a librarian was, after all, not much in comparison to that of a Royal Guard Captain and co-regent to an empire.
"You really shouldn't have–"
"Please, Mom, we wanted to." Shining smiled, before his attention was stolen by a knock at the door.
"I'll get it," Cadance answered, hopping up with help from her wings before anypony else could really react. Shining couldn't help but watch her wander off toward the front door of their Canterlot home. Only when she was out of eyesight did he turn back to his packages.
He had chosen a long, thin box from his parents and pulled it up onto the couch when Cadance called to him from the door. "It's for you, Shining. One of your guards."
Shining grumbled incomprehensibly as he rose from his seat. "…better not have to go running down alleys on Hearth's Warming morning." His magic lifted his helmet and cuirass from their place on the armor mannequin he kept beside the door, though both clattered to the floor when he saw who was waiting for him.
"Hey, Shining." The mare's voice was hoarse, but her smile was genuine.
"Cadance, go ahead back in. I won't be long." The unicorn let his wife pass, and then welcomed the 'guardspony' mare into his entryway. Her coat and mane were both cropped incredibly short, and beneath their color, he could see the raw red and char black of painful burns. A heavy coat of rather rough wool covered her body from the cold, but her wings sticking out the sides clearly showed a shortage of healthy feathers.
She glanced over his house with a sort of awe. "They pay you guardsponies this good? Why didn't you just buy me a new wagon?"
"Maybe I liked your company," Shining answered with a soft but gentle smile. "What are you doing here, Going Solo?"
She shook her head. "You say that like you aren't happy to see me. Don't worry, I won't take long. The doctors just let me out. Said I was finally fit to walk again, even if it takes a month or so more for my wings to get back. They called it a Hearth's Warming present."
"It's good to see you're okay," Shining responded.
"Well, mostly. There are a few places on my belly where the coat won't grow back, but that's the worst of it. They said I had you to thank. So that's why I'm here." Then, to Shining's horror, she leaned up to his face and kissed him straight on the lips. "Thanks."
"Solo, you can't–"
"I know," she answered, turning back to the door. "That's why I had to, just once. I figure I'll head out of Canterlot, maybe find myself a place over the ocean. They say Prance is nice in the winters."
"So you're just going to go back?" the guardspony asked. "Selling on the streets?"
"It's what I do, Shining." The mare shook her head. "What else do I have?"
"You'd make a fine guardspony," Shining answered.
Solo turned with a confused glance. "You're joking, right? I can't really fight, and I almost got you killed."
"Fighting isn't what makes a good guardspony, Going Solo. It's about in here." Shining's hoof tapped the center of her chest gently enough to spare her any pain. "And you've got more of it than most recruits I've ever met. I can teach fighting, and detective work, and whatever else you need. But I can't teach that."
She shook her head slowly. "I don't think it's for me, Shining. I should get going. The train for Trottingham leaves in a few minutes."
She turned, and made it halfway out the door when Shining's sight found him forced to speak up. "You sure about that, Solo?"
She paused briefly. "Yeah. Why?"
"I never saw it under your vest before, but your cutie mark says otherwise."
She glanced back at the black spade symbol displayed point up on the thin fur of her flank. "Maybe staring at my good side has you confused, Shining. My special talent is making stupid gambles. You already know my story. It hasn't worked out for me so far."
"I don't think so." Shining stepped forward, walking out the door until he was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the mare. "I think it says you were born to be a guardsponies partner." His magic tugged his amethyst helmet out into the cold, and from within the brim, he produced a pair of playing cards. The Ace of Diamonds, and the Ace of Spades. "My friend Mark Down and I ran off with these from a casino in Neighples when we were still recruits. We kept them in our helmets for good luck." He replaced the Ace of Diamonds within his own helmet, but then held out its pair to the young mare. "We were partners for as long as we had them."
"You want me to have this?"
"Call it a Hearth's Warming present," Shining answered.
"I can see how you hooked a Bitalian Princess," Solo laughed. "Alright, fine, give me two more good reasons why I should join up with the Royal Guard."
Shining paused for a moment in thought, and then turned back to his home. "Because then you can spend Hearth's Warming here with me instead of on a train alone. And because I still have that bottle of Shetland Scotch you made me pay for in August."
Without a word, Going Solo allowed herself to be ushered into Shining Armor's house. The guardspony shut the door on the frigid December morning and accompanied his newest recruit back to meet his family, grateful for hard-won peace and precious company.
The End
I'd like to offer a final special thanks to my pre-readers SatoshiKyu, Roflknief, and DarkPhoenix once again, as well as thanking Kawasakikx125 for his fantastic cover art, and Keyesty for her assistance in translating the Russian language.
The support of these fine individuals as well as readers like you makes writing a real pleasure. I hope you've enjoyed the story (and imagine that, two-hundred thousand words later, you probably have).
If you're looking for more to read, here are a pair of links:
Where Loyalties Lie: Ghosts of the Past: Act 2 of Where Loyalties Lie.
From Stalliongrad With Love: For those of you wondering what ever happened to Red Ink, and whether or not he finally got the punishment he deserved from Celestia, you need look no further than this.
Once more, thank you all. It's been great so far, and the rest of the acts can only go up from here.
-Loyal Liar
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- LoyalLiar · 335k words · 391 19 · 5.5k views
- LoyalLiar · 102k words · 244 5 · 7.2k views
- The 24th Pegasus · 230k words · 343 6 · 4.3k views
- The 24th Pegasus · 108k words · 491 8 · 8k views
- The 24th Pegasus · 107k words · 322 13 · 6.3k views
- ScriptScrolls · 8.5k words · 480 16 · 11k views
- PegasYs · 11k words · 191 3 · 2.6k views
- Ruirik · 225k words · 179 10 · 2.2k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.201 seconds
Total duration
595 users online
925,304 hits today, 2,591,549 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.®
It's been fun and an honor to work on this story. I can't wait to see what you have coming for us in the future.
This was quite the ride, I'll say that. You should be proud of what you've done here, you and your production team (pre-readers, artists, and translators and such). I greatly anticipate what you'll be doing and where you'll be going with the story at this point. Top-notch work.
1822466 that's because they're trained with more advanced tactics and warfare and such.
This made me smile~
Now move on to Act 2!!! :D
Honestly, this has replaced Eternal as my favorite fanfic of all time.
But I've already read those.
Please sir, may I have some more?
Come on Shining! Cadence is the princess of love! she might like a threesome
1823193
I promise that the team and I are working as fast as we can. Expect a new From Stalliongrad With Love very soon, and a new Ghosts of the Past not too long after.
Oh my, it is sweetest ending, I never expected to see. It is so heartwarming.
Very nice to see RD on good terms with Silver Lining.
This entire thing was a nice heart warming way of finishing.
I really loved this fic and I'm definitely going to be following Act II.
Also, wasn't RD feeling guilty about killing 'Smog'?
This was an amazing story (or should I call it a book?) Did it remind anyone else of Full Metal Alchemist? It had about the same mix of mystery, government, and a form of magic.
That was an amazing end to an amazing st-Act I.
1823193This!
1823452Can I hold you to that statement?
1824785
Well, absolutely, but I wouldn't really call it a loose end, though; almost immediately afterward, she had Reckoning all-but beat it into her head that, while 'bad', it was a necessary action. I don't pretend that she doesn't feel anything (that would make her Red Ink, and no one wants that). However, I don't think watching her sort through a heaping pile of angst on the way to a solution is the best use of the text. Especially when we know that, given time, she will come to some sort of a conclusion on the matter.
1825575
At least for the duration of the winter holiday, absolutely.
1822466
The Royal Guard weren't really equipped to deal with a single, highly-trained and prepared assassin. The Honor Guard were, but the effective removal of the entire upper third of your command staff tends to severely reduce a military organization's effectiveness. A bit later in Act 2, you'll get to see both groups much closer to the tops of their respective games.
-Loyal Liar
1825895Aside from the changeling invasion(which was rather unfair since they are shapeshifters) we have no indication of their skill(or lack of).
1825881Okay then. I shall keep an eye on You.
1825916
I *almost* said 'What about when Nightmare Moon fought those 3 in Ponyville...' then I remembered what the hell I was implying.
1825922She is an ALICORN fighting 3 pegasi. The odds are in her favor. And she's a shapeshifter. Not. Fair.
1825952The ROTC cadets would pwn most of the creatures in Equestria. The Royal Guard is pretty pathetic, it seems. No way around that fact. They seem to be for show like the Coas- oh wait.... the Coast Guard IS useful and capable.
1825989Yes, yes they should. Well, I'm off to read the first of your Haylo stories.
1826018'A New World' is the first one, right?
I think commander is rd's father
Well that's a nice reunion & ending for Dash. Also interesting that she has in no way given up on her Wonderbolts dream.
Going Solo! Yay! Now that's ending this on a happy note.
Still wondering what was in that letter that the Commander had Masquerade send... Hopefully it's in Part II
Very few fanfics -- or stories in general, actually -- have the power to make me read them from start to finish without even stopping to sleep. Heck, the only one that I can recall that's ever done that is the very first fanfic I read -- The First Week of Winter -- and I'm pretty sure that one didn't even come close to 200,000 words. All I can say now, is wow. You've created such a complex, believable world here, and I stand here in worship of your abilities. A few minor grammatical and formatting errors aside, you're one heck of a wordsmith and I'm wholeheartedly looking forward to following along with Act II as it progresses. If you're ever in need of another proofreader or editor or whatever else (besides art, I suck at drawing), feel free to hit me up. I'd love to be a part of such a masterpiece.
Thank you very much for writing this, and well done.
1892522
Apart from the names of ranks, and the order in which they scale, I'm not taking a whole lot from real-world military systems. A lot of this restriction has to do with the fact that 'Captain' is the absolute highest rank that exists within the Guard. (Remember, the 'Commander' is a nickname, essentially; not a rank). I have no Majors, Colonels, or Generals to work with, and in some sense that does tie my hands as to who is and isn't able to be what rank.
In case anyone reading what I'm about to write is a little bit lost:
U.S. Officer Ranks
U.S. Enlisted Ranks
If I were to make all of the Honor Guard U.S. army soldiers, I would shift them up between 2 and 7 full DoD Pay Grades (The Commander being the extreme case, as he has to go up from O-3 to O-10). However, even shifting Crack up a Warrant Officer W-1 at minimum.
However, and I stress this point very seriously, none of the Guards is just a standing army. As we see in the show, the Royal Guard is just as much a police force as they are an actual military unit. The Honor Guard are kind of a weird amalgamation of ideas, working as a Secret Service, a Spy Agency, and elite Special Forces group, and a couple of other odd roles as needed, but lacking the numbers necessary to perform as either an actual military body, or a police force. The Night Guard... are an issue for Act 2. And the fourth branch of the guard (whose name has not yet come up yet, I believe) is basically just the National Guard of real life.
The other issue, however, is that Thunder Crack really is just an ass, and is going out of his way to be one to Rainbow.
As for Phalanx... well, maybe he reached his rank by nepotism, with a family member higher in the ranks. Maybe he's actually good at some weird technical skill which got him into the Warrant Officer rank without actually demonstrating himself to be a competent leader. Maybe Shining was having an awful day and just rubber-stamped his promotion without really looking at it. Maybe he's never been in an altercation like that because he generally avoids drinking, but a bunch of his buddies talked him into it, and then he had a couple too many because he didn't want to look like a little filly.
I don't really want to get into Phalanx's head. He was a one-off character who I just needed to put in the scene so Rainbow could wail on him for a while. At the time, I didn't really know anything about military rank. I just picked 'Warrant Officer' because it sounded cool. All the Wikipedia research I have done since is precisely because just about everyone jumped down my throat over the combined dickishness that was Crack and Phalanx during this one chapter. Maybe I should go back and make him a Private or a basic Sergeant or something... It honestly doesn't matter that much to me, though. The only reasons he has a rank at all, rather than being some drunk I made up, are because of the way the bar works, and to accentuate Rainbow's already less-than-stellar feelings toward the Guard.
The armored pegasus wing thing does come up later-I didn't just put it in there for the sake of Rainbow getting basically scolded. Crack's explanation for why he does not use them himself is still coming up later for people who are currently caught up with Act 2.
That chapter was really one of my 2 'low points' in the fic, overall. I'm glad I at least pulled it out of that drudge with the Night Guard finish, so it doesn't end on such a note. Regardless, and with apologies for both the wall of text you've just read and potentially defensive (if not outright obsessive) tone I may or may not have come across with, thank you very much for reading and for commenting. I hope you enjoy as the story continues.
-Loyal Liar
1900552
Oh... uh, whoops?
I got some crap from people for the Russian, but I wasn't expecting a fluent *Elvish* reader... Well, you live and learn, I guess. Apologies?
Also, props for knowing way more about Elvish than I ever will.
-LL
1892862
Okay, by the time of writing this reply, abd by that meaning that I've finished getting through this very excellent piece of work and am eagerly awaiting sleep before continuing onward, I would like to point out that I have figured out that the Royal Guard in the fic are really more of a glorified and slightly more militaristic police force than a standing army, and that I have just been too deeply involved in real-world military scenarios, politics, and bureaucracy to let go of my hierarchy of ranks. It is your story, and it's totally acceptable to develop your own rank system as opposed to using United States, Canadian, British, or other allied NATO country's ranks. I'm personally just stuck on knowing my own officer and enlisted ranks to a T. Such to the point where if I see Warrant Officer (and especially Chief Warrant Officer or CWO) I go, "Shit. Don't piss off this guy, and especially not if he's in Supply."
1900785
I'm kind of an oddity, but you might be able to expect that when my pen name is "Shire Folk". Your apology is accepted. If there were to be any demand I would place-which I would like to say that I'm not doing, but instead possibly requesting as an alternative-it would simply be to remove reference to it being "J.R.R. Tolkien's Elvish", since it's a bastardized Gray Company role-playing Elvish and neither Quenya nor Sindarin.
...
The things we writers do for our stories. I learned a fantasy language.
May the Grace of the Valar Protect You
Shire Folk
Galo Anor erin râd gîn
*May the Sun shine upon your path. (Sindarin)
Loved it!
But it was confusing at times. The re-cap near the end helped my to understand (AFTER the fact) what happened, but that didn't help me when I was first reading it. It felt like a clumsy solution to the clarity problem. But besides that, it was really excellent.
Can't wait to read the sequel(s)!
2012778
Ah, I see someone has read 'Of Skies Long Forgotten'. Good for you!
I'm afraid you'll be waiting a while for an explanation of how Magnus is still around. The text you're currently reading predates OSLF by at least a month, and we only decided on the joint universe thing recently. That being said, there does exist a reason for the discontinuity you noted. It's just that you'll have to actually get through enough of the story to reach the point where we created a 'joint universe' to realize what that reason is.
-Loyal
2102471
The Royal Guard are both a 'standing military' for all of Equestria, and a glorified police force for the Domain of Canterlot (So Canterlot, Ponyville, Baltimare, and most of the other places on the official map that aren't Cloudsdale and the San Palamino desert). In recent years, the 'standing military' part has sort of been toned down simply by a lack of real military conflict for Equestria since the Dragon Wars. The worst that's happened is a minor conflict with the Griffons which Shining mentions off-hoof-edly.
The Honor Guard are... well, what they actually are and what they say they are do not necessarily line up. Firstly, there are give-or-take ten of them at any given time. While their supposed purpose is to serve as personal bodyguards to Celestia (and Luna...) they tend to do an awful lot more than that in the pursuit of their duties. I don't want to give you a ton of examples here, since this explanation is in some sense pretty well tied up in the plot of Act 2. I'll simply note that you could very easily view them as MI6 in the James Bond sense, or as a Navy Seals-esque special forces unit. Most non-military ponies have no idea that this group exists, simply because they generally wear identical uniforms to the Royal Guard (save the Commander) while accompanying Celestia. In fact, a fair number of Royal Guard ponies simply assume that the Honor Guard are just higher ranking members, rather than a separate body. So, I guess, when you see Celestia descend on Ponyville with a team of guardsponies, you can put names to them, once you know a few more.
The third guard, which doesn't come up much, is the National Guard. They're sort of the answer to the de-militarization of the Honor Guard. They're reserves, and that's it. Not a whole ton to say about them, honestly.
Then there's the Night Guard. I have a ton to say about them, but you're going to have to read more, rather than me telling you.
As my name might suggest, I am a person who values their night's rest. That said, I can honestly say I do not regret in the least having stayed up all night to finish this story.
I look forward to seeing what the sequals hold in store.
2105744
12 Hours, 23 Minutes (between your Comment on Ch. 1 and this one); not bad at all.
In all seriousness, though, I'm glad you liked it. I'll see you in Ghosts of the Past, after a good night's sleep.
-Loyal
Well... how to start this off...
First off, great work. This was an interesting story and I am glad to have spent time (A full night and half-day) reading it.
Next, a matter of opinion... Out of you and your counterpart, The 24th Pegasus, I must say I like 24th's work a little better, but not in the way of storyline. How to put this... I feel as if 24th's story was easier read, that it flowed a little smoother. However, I am willing to see that this my be a personal problem, as I did, in fact, read most of this story late last night. But also, the way you switched back and forth between two (three, at times) different areas (Characters, plot points, "missions") of this story in the same chapter was a bit confusing, but it's something I have seen done in many published works from the "Real World". Also, to attest that 24th's work was better (in my opinion, and not meant as offense.) I felt more... connected with the characters of 24th's work than with yours.
Anyways, that is not to say that your story was bad in any way. No, it was, in fact, a very superb story. The plot and storyline in itself was tremendously well thought out, and, what's more, the writing style was reminiscent of "Real World" fantasy writers and so called "World Builders". Your attention to the details was amazing. The politics of Equestria (and the world at large) felt immensely well thought out and entirely possible. Your use of the Russian language in replacement for a Draconic or Stalliongradi language was really awesome to see. (I really miss seeing authors use real world languages in their works, especially when done so well. [I am not mentioning Firefly and it's horrible Mandarin... well, I guess I am, but whatever.])
And now, to conclude; I really liked your story. I cannot wait to continue reading it's next installment and the side story.
Eris Servo Vestri Posterus Nisus,
-Tech
P.S: I'd also like to tell the pre-readers that they did a pretty good job, as I only noticed a few glaring errors... which seem to be the only errors I ever see. Also, this story reminded me that I seriously need to schedule those Russian lessons I've been meaning to take.
2538454
I have to ask (out of curiosity): what do you think of 24's Snow and Shadows? Much like my work, it jumps between the focus of a few different groups of characters. Is it something about the way I write which makes things less clear, or is it simply that style, across authors?
2538710
I have not had the pleasure of reading 24th's second work yet. I have not even begun the first chapter.
And no... the way you write isn't much different from other people's works I've read. I'm sure much of my confusion was due to lack of sleep. Some things escaped my tired mind, but nothing too big as to set me to worry about the overall plot. For some reason, though, it just seemed a bit less seamless at times compared to "Of Skies Long Forgotten".
But don't mistake this as a way of saying it was a bad story. In fact it was really quite good. I hold it in the same esteem as I hold OSLF. It will always be a favorite.
-Tech
Damn good story mate.
2672354
Firstly, thanks! Always great to hear.
Shining Armor isn't the most educated guardspony in the world. In fact (as is vaguely commented on a few times throughout the story, and outright stated once in Chapter XII:
Maybe it's a bit of a cop-out answer, but it's what I've got to show I did give the concept some thought. Also, while it is a big deal, Stalliongrad is outside of the Royal Guard's 'jurisdiction' except under special circumstances-so even if he had been Captain of the Royal Guard at the time, it would not have been his responsibility.
Empatha is a trickier, but more well defined subject. Firstly, it isn't all that widely used. You might assume that being able to flick your wings and get fire or ice would be incredibly useful, but in practice a stove and a refridgerator respectively are far more practical. Not only is Empatha on any significant scale physically draining, but it also exacts a toll on emotions. Trying to cook dinner a la Roscherk would be a great way to be arrested for domestic violence (or, you know, arson...)
Basically, it takes an enormous amount of discipline to do anything meaningful, and within those meaningful applications, the vast majority are strongly militarily focused. Consequently, the knowledge of such techniques is controlled by 'the state'. Part of why Rainbow thinks the Wonderbolts are so cool is that, no matter how much she read about them and practiced and studied them, she could never make fire the way Spitfire did, or what have you. That's why it's important that the Wonderbolts are all guardsponies (if only in name) - that's the reason they're allowed to know how to use Empatha.
I should reiterate: it isn't some sort of secret regime level of control on this information. There are normal ponies who know how to use Empatha, or at least know of it. However, it is strictly forbidden from being taught in schools, and the guardsponies aren't exactly about to go spreading that information around.
If you want to see that idea fall apart completely, check out From Stalliongrad With Love, and the chapter that I should hopefully have up for it by this weekend.
-LL
Looks good! About to commence reading phase. 3. 2. 1. GO!
Amazing story! The different perspectives and sub-plots made this such a great story, only criticism would be it progressed a little bit too slowly through the middle part for my liking but other than that it was flipping incredible!
2931226
Yes, it is the same Magnus, and no, I'm not retconning Stratopolis. An explanation now would spoil future developments, but in terms of his attitude... it has been eight-thousand years.
WHOOOOO!!!! This was Awesome, a great Rainbow fic while giving the guards some awesome love. I love how the plot moved at a good pace while giving us some wonderful character moments. The way that the plot weaved in and out made it work really well. The best part of it all is...that is can stand as its own work.
3473746
I see your Tzeentch and raise you:
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/iages/newsfeed/000/192/821/CreedvTzeentch.png
Also, I'll forgive you for your misunderstanding of English, but when you want to describe that something is really bad, the word is spelled 'w-o-r-s-t', not 'b-e-s-t'. To use your term correctly in a sentence, Luna is best pony.
3523667
Thanks for all the comments!
One of your 'actual questions' is answered later in the fic. The other (where Cloudy Mirror learned his spell) is that Luna taught him - she doesn't always see eye to eye with her older sister on what should and shouldn't be forbidden from magical education. Even if Luna hadn't, there are non-ponies who know spells. It's only banned in Equestria.
3532139
It's been so long since I wrote that chapter, I had to go back and look it up. I'm glad someone recognized that I wasn't just pulling Swahili-esque words out of my posterior. You've got the reasoning behind the name right on the money.
3534436
Presumably, in the hopes that there wouldn't be any records. Too bad for Go Between that Silver Lining saw 'paying in cash' and the little voice in his head said 'something's weird about this. I should keep records on this.'
3536640
Read the next one. It's addressed pretty bluntly.
Also, thanks for the 'immorality vs immortality' fix.
Despite my earlier comment, I still think this story is great. Some plot holes (why didn't Dash hear the griffon sneaking up on her?) but not terrible story breaking ones and maybe a bit too many OCs. The story was enough for me to want to read the sequel, even though it has a romance tag which I normally avoid.
3695960
Because of Reckoning's previous comments about flying in the jungle in general.
Because griffons are part lion and part eagle, and both of said creatures are very well known for being quiet hunters (right up to the point of murder).
I would be glad to use canonical guardsponies if there were more than two of them (and if one of the said two weren't from Equestria Girls).
Will Rainbow Dash be beating anybody up in this story?
3849977
Most likely; read to find out more.