The Story of a Moonlit Soldier

by Shadowmane Nox

Chapter 3: To We Who Remain

Date: 30th of First Harvest, Year 30 LRC
Location: Vanhoover Naval Academy, New Lunar Republic
Time: 08:45

The Vanhoover Naval Academy's official parade grounds lay just north of the main campus, sitting atop a vast bluff which overlooked the expanse of the North Luna ocean. The parade grounds, or simply the Grounds as they were often referred to by the cadets, were in fact a wide-open area of neatly trimmed grass flanked on its eastern edge by a long set of white bleachers.

Most days when the fields were in use, those stands would be filled with ponies from the nearby city. It was a weekly tradition for many families; with mothers and fathers bringing their foals to watch in awe as the cadets drilled their formations. However, that was not the case on this day. Instead the benches sat quiet and barren, morning dew still glistening atop their surface.

On the opposite side of the field, a massive stage had been constructed the night before. One which now held many of the academy’s senior-most military faculty. A podium stood in the very center of the stage, set between the rustling flags of the New Lunar Republic and Equestria. Around the perimeter were set large vases of pure-white lilies, next to which stood several visiting officers dressed head-to-hoof in glistening silver armor.

Spreading out before the stage were eight rows of temporary seating which held most of the schools remaining faculty, as well as members of the student body whom had been selected to participate in the morning's service. Behind these seats stood the rest of the academy’s midship brigade. The morning sun gleamed off the thousands of polished caps which spread out across the field, and countless golden insignia twinkled like a miniature sea of stars against the dark uniforms. It was an awe-inspiring sight to be sure, but in her seat directly before the stage, Starchaser's gaze was drawn only to the small monument which sat to the right of the podium.

A small wooden base had been set on the stage, into which one of the academy’s ceremonial spears had been carefully placed. At the foot of the spear sat two pairs of polished hoof-coverings, their silver surface gleaming like mirrors in the morning sun. Meanwhile a matching silver helmet, with a crescent moon inlayed on its crown, hung silently from the spear’s tip. It was a simple shrine, but all the more powerful for that fact. It was not meant to be extravagant. Instead, it was simply a replacement; a stand-in for the single soldier who would not be present for that morning's roll call.

Beside the spear stood a polished wooden stool, atop which sat a black velvet pillow cradling a pair of medals. It was clear from their placement upon the cloth, that the honors had been set with the utmost care and respect. On the right sat the two silver bars of a naval infantry captain; while to the left lay a silver crescent-moon, wrapped in a golden laurel wreath. Though it was too far away to see clearly, Starchaser knew that the polished surface of the crescent was inlayed with intricately carved flowing patterns, and adorned with only the purest of shimmering diamonds.

The Silver Moon. The single highest honor which could be awarded to a member of the New Lunar Republic's military services. Reserved only for those rare exceptional ponies who, in the chaos of war, demonstrated bravery and valor above and beyond the call of duty. It was a beautiful symbol, one which spoke of unmatched courage, loyalty, and sacrifice.

Wherever Golden Shield was now, Starchaser hoped her friend could see the medal; and know that he would not be forgotten by those who remained.

Just behind the pillow and medals, sat a simple wooden picture frame. Having nothing that might draw attention away from the photo housed inside, the frame protected a colored photograph of a grey unicorn; dressed in one of the academy’s uniforms. The stallion smiled brightly out at the crowd; and even though it was only a photo, Starchaser was sure she could see the playful light that always danced behind the stallion's yellow eyes. It was a very nice picture. Though to be fair, Golden Shield had always been quite photogenic.

Several of the academy’s faculty had spoken already that morning, and now Starchaser once again turned her eyes away from Golden Shield’s photograph as, this time, the commandant took his place at the podium. A few seats to her left, Starchaser could hear Sunny Delight give a shuddering sob.

"Cadets...!" colonel Gabriel called out, the griffon's voice echoing across the field. "I stand before you today, not as one of your instructors! Today, I am not your superior, not your commandant, nor even a citizen of our great Lunar Republic! Today, on this morning, I am simply a soldier. And like everypony here, I have lost my brother…. captain Golden Shield."

"The captain was a pony of great character and outstanding bravery. Many times, I have had the opportunity to speak with him, as both an instructor and an officer. As such, I could stand here at length, and speak to his many accomplishments since coming to this academy. However, to do so would not do justice in describing the captain as a student or as a soldier. Instead, I wish to tell you about this amazing pony in his own words."

The griffon carefully shuffled the papers on the podium before him. As he did so, Starchaser turned to see Pitfall seated several chairs to her right. The stallion was staring, unmoving, at the photo of Golden shield; his cap pulled low to shield his eyes from view.

"As all of you know….” the commandant resumed, his eagle-like gaze sweeping across the ponies in attendance. “Acceptance into this academy is contingent upon the submission of a personal letter. One in which every candidate, pony or otherwise, is requested to describe their goals and intentions of becoming an officer of the New Lunar Republic. I will not read you the entirety of captain Golden Shield’s request for admittance, but I wish to bring one important aspect to the attention of every soldier here!

"In his letter, the captain describes his life as a foal, and the hardships he and his friends faced as orphans of this war. While the tale speaks of great struggle, it is the conclusion of the letter which most clearly demonstrates the captain's ideals. He writes... ‘I do not seek admittance to your school in the hopes of leading others. Nor do I wish that I might one day find vengeance, either for myself or my friends. My only wish in joining the military, is the hope that through my actions, your school will one day be able to close its doors forever. I have seen too much lost to the evil that is war. Too many friends who have suffered far worse than I can imagine. Knowing this, I seek to create a world in which no pony, of any nation, must suffer as my friends have. A world in which war is nothing more than a nightmare, from which we can finally awake.’"

As the colonel returned his gaze to the podium, turning over the page from which he read, Starchaser could here Rain Dancer’s comforting whispers nearby. Apparently Sunny Delight had yet to be able to stop her tears.

Though… who am I to talk. Starchaser thought dejectedly as she pulled her cap lower to hide her watering eyes.

"It was this dream of the captain’s…” the commandant resumed, his gaze now focusing on the front row of seats. “…which ensured his admittance to this academy. For a wise pony general once observed that, 'It is only right that war be terrifying. For if it was anything else, we might find ourselves far too accustomed to its waging.' Captain Golden Shield understood this innate truth of war. And in doing so, demonstrated a wisdom far beyond his years. In my many decades of service, I have seen countless soldiers; both officers and enlisted ponies, who forget this fundamental truth! The goal of a soldier is not to wage war. It is not to win battles, nor is it to seek to take the lives of others. These are all unfortunate roles which we MUST undertake! But they belie the essential goal which every soldier should keep close to their heart. A wish to create a world where we are no longer necessary!"

As the old officer paused one final time, Starchaser felt as though the griffon were staring directly at her.

"I have served this nation for over 30 years. During that time, I have signed far too many condolence letters to count. No matter how many I have written, they have never gotten any easier. And I should hope, if a soldier may be afforded such a luxury, that they never will. For despite the countless numbers of comrades and friends I have lost through the years, the captain’s passing has struck me especially hard. It is never easy to lose a soldier. But to lose one as brave and committed as captain Golden Shield, before he could even graduate... it is a terrible loss both for our school, and our nation. In memory of captain Golden Shield, I therefore ask that we all share in a moment of silence.”

Lowering her head, Starchaser closed her eyes as the fields descended into an eerie stillness. The only sounds were that of a light breeze off the ocean, and the gentle rumble of crashing waves beyond the bluff. Even Sunny Delight had finally managed to stop her sobs, likely with a great deal of help from Rain Dancer. As the moment of silence finally came to an end, the colonel stepped slowly away from the podium.

"Battery first-sergeant!”

As the griffon called out, an armored earth pony marched from the side of the stage to stand before the colonel. With a loud striking of metal on metal, the stallion brought his hind legs together as he threw a stiff salute.

“Call the roll!"

"Aye-aye sir!”

Turning towards the center of the stage, the armored officer crisply made his way to the podium. With another clicking of hooves, he spun to face the sea of faculty and cadets.

“Midship lieutenant Rain Dancer!” the stallion called out, his booming voice carrying to every corner of the field. From her position, Starchaser watched as the white pegasus rose quickly from her seat and saluted.
“Here first-Sargent!” the mare called out, her tone sharp and commanding as she stared straight ahead.

“Midship lieutenant Sunny Delight!”

Next to Rain Dancer, the red and orange maned pony jumped to her hooves as well. Though she was still clearly upset, there was only the slightest wavering in her voice as she matched her companion’s salute.

“Here first-sergeant!”

“Midship lieutenant commander Ocellus!”

“Present, first-sergeant!”

“Midship lieutenant commander Winter Gale!”

“Here, first sergeant!”

“Midship commander Pitfall!”

“Present, first-sergeant!” the brown stallion shouted, his countenance grim as he stood to face the officer.

“Midship commander Starchaser!”

When her name was finally called, the blue unicorn tried her best to put Pitfall out of her mind. The stallion’s grief was his own, and he certainly did not need her pity. Especially not when she was trying to keep her own watering eyes hidden beneath her cap.

If this is the last thing I will ever do for you Golden, I refuse to do so while crying like a filly!

“Here first-sergeant!” she shouted to the officer on stage, bringing up her right forehoof in salute.

"Captain Golden Shield!"

As the last name was called, a heavy silence descended upon the parade grounds. With her friend’s name hanging in the deep stillness, to Starchaser, it felt as though even the ocean waves had become muted.

"Captain Golden Shield!" the officer on the stage called out again, louder this time. When no answer came, the sergeant crisply turned and walked back to face the colonel once again.

"Sir, Captain Golden Shield is missing from the roll."

"Very well.” the griffon responded, returning the armored pony’s salute. “Strike the captain from the rolls."

At the side of the stage, seven unicorns turned their horns skyward; their spells creating a loud crack that echoed across the campus. A moment later, a single bugle sounded out from behind the cadets. The song was a sorrowful dirge, and a suitable accompaniment for the unicorns who fired their spells twice more into the sky above.

"Stallions and mares…” Black Night announced, the bat-winged pony marching to the center of the stage as the sound of the trumpet faded into the morning air. “…this concludes our memorial service honoring the life and sacrifice of captain Golden Shield. Thank you for your attendance. You are all dismissed!"

With the pony’s words, a bustling rose up behind Starchaser as the other cadets turned and began making their way back towards the main campus. Around her, many of the officers and faculty moved as well, leaving only a few small groups choosing to remain behind and talk amongst themselves. Seeing Pitfall standing by himself near the front of the stage, the blue unicorn quickly made her way to join him.

“Hey Pit.” she greeted as the stallion turned and gave her a tired grin. “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted.” The coffee-colored earth pony responded with a slow shake of his head. “I was up all night trying to sort things out. It still feels wrong, thinking that I’m not ever going to see him again.”

“I know the feeling.” Starchaser muttered, nodding her head sadly. Looking up, she saw the stallion give her a knowing grin.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Pitfall chuckled, motioning her to follow as he began strolling towards the edge of the bluff. “I just wasn’t sure to which you were referring. Not seeing Golden again? Or staying up all night?”

At the stallion’s words, Starchaser felt her stomach drop.

Does he know?

“What do you mean by that?” she quickly asked her friend; trying and failing to keep her tone neutral.

“Like I said, nothing.” Pitfall reassured her, giving the unicorn a playful nudge as they reached the end of the bluff. “I don’t know anything about your late-night strolls. Well… asides from the fact that they happen. And believe me, the only pony in our group who seems to know anything is keeping her mouth shut. You pick your friends well, Chase. Especially when it comes to ponies who can keep a secret.”

Despite herself, Starchaser felt a slight sense of relief that the stallion was admitting ignorance. However, any relief was short lived as she began to worry about what her friend thought of her not saying something to the group.

“Pit…” she began, her uneasy voice causing the stallion to raise an eyebrow. “I just want you to know, it’s not that I don’t trust you…”

The mare gave a surprised grunt as Pitfall tapped her head gently with his hoof.

“Don’t say anything if you don’t want to. And don’t feel bad about keeping secrets from us Chase. We all have things we want to keep to ourselves, and I’m not trying to pry into yours. I just wanted to let you know that you’re not being nearly as sneaky as you think you are. Whatever you’re doing on your late-night outings, just don’t let Black Night catch you out of bed after hours.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” the mare muttered, tenderly rubbing her head.

“Commander Pitfall, sir?” a voice inquired suddenly from behind them. “Commander Starchaser?

Turning around, the pair found themselves face to face with a very nervous looking pegasus. The mare had a light grey body, blue eyes, and a long mane of black and silver hair which hung free about her head. On her flank, Starchaser could see that the stranger’s cutie mark was that of a black bird roosting on the point of a silver star. Like the other two ponies, the new arrival also wore a dark dress uniform. However, instead of the winged crescent moon of the Vanhoover Naval Academy, the insignia pinned to the chest of the pegasus’ uniform was that of a golden lightning bolt flanked by a pair of cyan wings. On the shoulders of her uniform, Starchaser could see the single gold bar marking her rank.

“Good morning lieutenant.” Starchaser greeted as she and Pitfall saluted the anxious pony.

“Good morning.” the mare responded, returning the salute with her wing. “Second lieutenant Nighthawk. I’m just visiting for the day from Cloudsdale Airforce Academy. I apologize if I’m interrupting anything.”

“Not at all lieutenant.” Pitfall responded, his eyes taking in the sling tied around the pegasus’ left forelimb. “What can we help you with?”

“Well, if it’s all the same to you...” the mare responded, grinning sheepishly. “… the first thing you can do is dispense with the formalities. While, technically speaking I’m a lieutenant, I haven’t even graduated yet. My promotion was just the result of unfortunate circumstances.”

“All right then…” Starchaser said, returning the mare’s smile with one of her own. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Nighthawk. What brings you all the way out here from Cloudsdale.”

The pegasus’ smile faded as she turned and nodded her head towards the stage.

“Unfortunately, less than happy circumstances. When I was told that Golden Shield’s memorial was going to be held today, I asked colonel Soarin if I could accompany him to pay my respects.”

“The colonel’s here?” Starchaser asked in surprise, recognizing the name of the Cloudsdale academy’s commandant.

“Of course,” Nighthawk responded, her gaze travelling between the two ponies. “Colonel Soarin thought it was important that the air force send a representative as a sign of respect for the captain’s sacrifice. I don’t know how much you heard about the… circumstances leading up to his death.”

“We heard enough.” Pitfall responded, his voice perhaps a little harsher than was strictly necessary. At least the stallion appeared to realize this, as he immediately softened his tone and gave the lieutenant a sad smile.

“Colonel Gabriel gave us the full report.”

“I see.” Nighthawk muttered, seemingly unsure how to proceed. “Well, since you seem surprised about our attendance, I’m guessing the report did not include the fact that captain Golden Shield was in a mixed squad that night. His team included cadets from our academy.”

Instantly Starchaser began to put the pieces together. The pegasus’ bandaged limb… her knowledge of information not in the official report…

“You were there.” the unicorn whispered, her eyes going wide as Nighthawk gave an embarrassed grimace. “You were in Golden’s squad that night.”

“The captain saved my life.” the pegasus confirmed, her eyes turning sadly towards the ground between her hooves. “He saved all of us.”

With what seemed like a great deal of effort, Nighthawk took a steadying breath as she looked back towards the two naval cadets. The mare’s mannerisms screamed of a pony who hated social situations. A loner. Starchaser recognized the signs, because it had taken her friendship with Pitfall to break those very same habits.

The fact that she’s talking to us at all is impressive. the unicorn thought to herself. Whatever she wants, she must feel it’s important.

“I didn’t know the captain well.” the pegasus continued; her blue-eyes sad and anxious, yet filled with determination. “We had only met a few nights before our patrol. But during that time, we all discussed our lives in school. He… the captain… mentioned you two. And when I heard you called during the roll, I knew that I had to meet with you.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Nighthawk.” Pitfall responded, giving the mare an encouraging smile. “I know Golden would be happy to know you made it out all right. How’s the leg?”

“Oh! It’s fine.” the lieutenant answered as she glanced down at the sling. “It’s just a small break. But that’s not why I’m here. It’s just… I…”

Stopping herself quickly, the mare took one last steadying breath.

“I just wanted to let you know, that Golden saved many lives that night. Not just us. Splashdown… the other air force cadet… he has a foal. A little filly; barely a year old. She still has her father thanks to the captain. And…”

The pegasus paused as her voice caught in her throat.

“… and I just wanted you to know. As his friends, I wanted you to know how much the captain’s sacrifice means to all of us. I know there’s nothing I could ever do to repay Golden for what he did. But I thought that, at the very least, I could let you know that the captain will never be forgotten. Not by any of us.”

“Thank you, lieutenant.” Pitfall acknowledged. Starchaser could see the pain behind his eyes, but the stallion smiled warmly as he spoke to the nervous mare. “It means a lot to here you say that. Believe me when I say that I know Golden well, and he wouldn’t want you to worry about repaying him. He’d just be happy that you all got out of that foxhole alive.”

Nighthawk nodded, throwing them both another salute with her wing.

“I know.” she replied with a small smile. “The captain didn’t seem like the type of pony who keeps track of favors owed. I just wanted to let you know how much he meant to the other members of the squad. And to tell you that if you ever need anything, anything at all, please let me know. I keep track of my own debts, even if nopony else will.”

“Lieutenant Nighthawk!”

The three ponies turned to find an older pegasus marching towards them. His face was stern, but the green eyes which studied them from beneath his dark blue mane sparkled kindly as he approached. The officer’s chest was adorned with countless service bars, denoting a long and storied career. However, it was the insignia of a silver eagle perched upon the shoulders of his uniform that immediately caused all three ponies to snap to attention.

“Colonel Soarin, sir!” Nighthawk greeted as the approaching officer returned her wing-salute with one of his own.

“Sorry for the interruption, lieutenant.” the colonel apologized. “But we need to fly out soon. Are these the two you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes sir.” the mare responded turning to give Starchaser and Pitfall an apologetic grin as the pair looked at her confusedly. “I just wanted to introduce myself before we left.”

“Commanders.” Soarin hailed, extending a hoof to greet the two cadets. Pitfall shook the hoof firmly when it was offered; followed by Starchaser who was, admittedly, a little more hesitant. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. It’s unfortunate that it has to be under circumstances such as these.”

“Thank you for coming colonel.” Starchaser said, trying her best to meet the pegasus’ gaze. “It’s an honor to have you here, sir.”

“Not at all.” he responded with a dismissive wave of his hoof. “Your friend saved the lives of two of my cadets. My presence here is the least I can do. I’m sure the lieutenant here has already offered her invitation to visit Cloudsdale.”

“Actually sir…” the grey pegasus muttered apologetically. “I hadn’t quite gotten there yet.”

“Well I suppose it’s my invitation now then.” the stallion corrected himself with a small chuckle. “If you two ever find yourselves in the vicinity of the AFA, be sure to let the lieutenant know.”

“Thank you, sir.” both ponies responded, throwing the colonel another quick salute.

“Was there anything else you needed from them lieutenant?” Soarin asked, turning to his cadet. “If not, we’re leaving now.”

“No sir.” the pegasus responded quickly, giving the naval academy cadets one last farewell salute. “Pitfall… Starchaser… it was a pleasure meeting you. Until next time, commanders.”

With that the two pegasi took to the sky, their wings beating powerfully as they sailed in the direction of the rising sun. As the two of them sped towards the horizon, Starchaser spotted four familiar figures trotting to join them at the edge of the bluff.

“Hey you two.” Ocellus shouted, waving to the pair as she turned curiously towards the departing ponies. “Making some new friends?”

“In a way.” Pitfall replied. “Just a couple of zoomies coming to pay their respects.”

“They knew Golden?” Sunny Delight asked, wiping a tear from her eye as she watched the two pegasi vanish into the distance.

“One of them was with Golden when he… when the spell hit.”

“Are you both going to be all right?” Rain Dancer asked, her eyes carefully studying the stallion and mare before her.

“I’m fine.” Pitfall replied reassuringly. “Still getting used to the idea that Golden isn’t coming back. But otherwise, I’m ok.”

“I’m all right too.” Starchaser responded, giving the group a small smile.

“Good!” Ocellus shouted, hopping between the two ponies as she pushed them towards the campus with her wings. “Then you have no excuse to ditch us today. Come on, we’re heading out!”

“What are you talking about, Cell?” Starchaser asked while Pitfall simply gave the green pegasus a suspicious glare.

“You have some liberty saved up, right?” the mare asked, her violet eyes sparkling excitedly.

“A bit, yes.” the blue unicorn confirmed, still not quite sure what her friend was hinting at.

“We all have some off-campus time saved up.” Ocellus explain as the group made its way across the field. “So we thought, why not take some liberty and head into town. After yesterday and this morning, I think everypony here can use a break.”

“I can get us a private room at Le Grosse Pomme.” Rain Dancer explained, referring to one of Vanhoover’s higher-end nightclubs. “If I push for it, I might even be able to get us in before they open.”

Next to the two mares, Sunny Delight and Winter Gale nodded in agreement.

“Sunny and I have already agreed to join.” Gale informed them. “If that will influence your decision any.”

Looking between the four ponies, Starchaser turned and gave Pitfall a small shrug.

“What do you say Pit? We could use the distraction?”

“Sorry all.” The stallion responded with a slow shake of his head. “I have watch tonight.”

“You HAD watch tonight.” Ocellus corrected him, stopping as Pitfall suddenly planted his hooves and turned to face her.

“What?”

“You heard me.” the mare replied, her voice suddenly rising in pitch as she blinked her eyelashes innocently in his direction. Starchaser suspected that blameless look might have worked on anypony who did not actually know Ocellus. But to the unicorn, it simply looked ridiculous. Apparently, Pitfall agreed, as he returned the pony’s innocent expression with a glare of his own.

“Don’t give me that look.” Ocellus moaned with an exasperated sigh. “All I did was ask Rawhide if he’d be willing to take your watch for the day. I told him that we, as a group, wanted to take our friend out for a little R&R. Rawhide agreed, and that’s that. I didn’t use any sneaky tricks. All right?”

“I need to request permission to switch watch duties from the captain… face-to-face.”

“… I used only one sneaky trick. All right?”

“Cell...” Pitfall growled, his eyes suddenly going wide as the green pegasus shoved her face into his. Though she might have only been half his size, Ocellus met the earth pony glare-for-glare.

“You aren’t fooling anypony Pit!” she snapped, causing the earth pony’s growl to die in his throat. “You can say you’re fine, but we both know that’s a damn lie. Because if you WERE the type of pony who could lose his best friend and not give a shit, you better believe that I wouldn’t waste my time hanging out with you!”

“Cell…!” Starchaser gasped, shocked that the mare was getting so aggressive.

“I’m saying it because nopony else here has the spine to!” Ocellus snapped, turning her gaze momentarily to the blue unicorn. “Even if both you and Pit won’t admit you’re upset, that’s fine. Everypony handle’s loss differently. But if you’re going to lie to my face, and tell me that you’re ok when we both know damn well you’re not, you better believe that I’m going to call you out on that shit!”

For several minutes the group stood there in silence. Sunny Delight looked terrified, her gaze bouncing between the arguing pegasus and earth pony so fast, she might as well have been watching a game of ping-pong. Beside her, Winter Gale and Rain Dancer simply stood silent; their faces blank as they waited to see how things would turn out.

After what felt like an eternity, Ocellus finally took a step back.

"Look you two…” she sighed, giving a small shake of her head. “I know how much Golden meant to you. He was our friend too after all. So, I know he’d hate to see you tearing yourselves up about something you have no power to change. So just for today, give yourselves a break. Let’s go into town, grab some drinks, and give him a send-off we can be proud of. What do you say?”

Pitfall stared at the mare before him for several more seconds, his green eyes seeming to take in every detail of her face. Finally, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, he gave a long sigh.

“All right, Cell.” the earth pony muttered, once again beginning the walk back towards campus. “I get what you’re saying. Let’s go then. All of us.”

Behind the two ponies, Starchaser gave a bewildered shake of her head. Ocellus and Pitfall were so very different, in almost every way imaginable. Yet somehow, the green pegasus could always read the stallion like a book. As such, watching an argument between the two of them was like observing a battle. Aggressive advances, tactical retreats, and a few feints thrown in for good measure. While Pitfall might be a genius as far as military strategy was concerned, in a battle of words with Ocellus, he was sorely outmatched.

Of course, Starchaser was well aware of the fact that, as far as Ocellus was concerned, she stood no better of a chance than the earth pony. Even when the unicorn knew what it was the green mare was after, the pegasus always seemed to have a way to swing a conversation in the direction she wanted. In the unicorn’s opinion, it was an incredibly impressive talent. Infuriating when used against her. But impressive none-the-less.

“So then…” Pitfall grunted, his words knocking Starchaser from her contemplation. “I’m assuming you have a plan?”

“Plans require too much thinking.” Ocellus replied, her voice holding not a trace of the aggressiveness from before. “I always prefer to stick with ideas, and let others make the plans.”

“Don’t worry Pit.” Rain Dancer chuckled, giving the stallion a small pat on the shoulder. “We’ve got you covered. Gale already bought you and Chase train tickets. You’re all scheduled to catch the eleven-thirty to Vanhoover.”

“You bought us tickets, Gale?” Starchaser asked, receiving a smile from the pegasus as he withdrew a pair of rail tickets from the pocket of his uniform.

“Grabbed them this morning.”

“Assuming you’d convince me to go?” Pitfall asked, his tone causing the other stallion’s grin to falter.

“Don’t blame him, Pit.” Ocellus sighed. “It was all my idea. I came up with it last night when we were getting our flanks soaked looking for you. Thanks again for that, by the way.”

“I didn’t ask for you to look for me.” The stallion muttered, a small hint of embarrassment in his voice.

The group continued on in that manner, the conversation becoming less argumentative as Pitfall finally accepted that this trip was inevitable. For her part, Starchaser was glad for the company. After returning from her search for Pitfall the night before, the unicorn had spent far too much time alone with her thoughts. Now, she was just happy to have anything to distract her from the nightmares those thoughts had wrought.

The group of six ponies parted ways to prepare for the day and to grab some items from their respective barracks. Then, as the time neared 11:00, they regrouped at the main entrance of the academy. Stopping just long enough to sign out, they quickly made their way to the academy’s train station. It was a small platform, and the train itself was hardly anything impressive. But it was easily the fastest way to reach Vanhoover City, short of flying.

The train ride into the city was relatively short; taking about thirty minutes to pass through the surrounding countryside before entering the main station at Vanhoover’s center. Bidding them farewell at the station, Rain Dancer took off to fly on ahead and finalize the preparations for the day. Meanwhile, the other five friends selected an empty train car and proceeded to make themselves comfortable.

Soon enough, the train departed with a shuddering lurch. Quickly it picked up steam, and Starchaser found herself staring out the window as her friends took part in small talk. Around them, open fields transitioned to forests, then to suburbs, and eventually to the cement jungle of a downtown urban environment. After half an hour was over, the train finally pulled into the station and the group prepared to depart.

As she stepped out onto the bustling train platform, Starchaser found herself basking in the energy and life of the Lunar Republic's third-largest city. While not as hectic as Manehattan, nor as sprawling or glamorous as the city of Crystal; the unicorn always found Vanhoover to be a wonderful city in its own right. Busy enough that there was always something to do, and small enough to traverse without too much difficulty.

When the ponies stepped out from the train station, they found Rain Dancer already waiting for them at the building’s massive stone entrance.

"Took you long enough." the white Pegasus teased, giving the group a wry sneer.

"You were free to join us." Pitfall countered.

"Oh, I’m well aware. But I prefer my way more."

The mare turned and quickly led the group away from the station. All around them, buildings of stone and metal rose like enormous monoliths into the blue sky above. While not nearly as tall as those one might find in Manehattan, the street levels were still packed with all sorts of wonderful shops. Candy stores, cider halls, bakeries and more! Anything a pony could ever want or need could be found here. At least as far as Starchaser was concerned.

"So..." Rain Dancer announced as they passed by a news stand. "Did any of you hear about what happened in Baltimare?"

"No.” Ocellus responded, her ears perking up excitedly as she moved next to the other pegasus. "But am I to understand you have some delicious information from the Empire?"

"No more than anypony else." Rain Dancer responded, causing the green mare to frown in disappointment. "But since you clearly haven’t seen the news yet, apparently, there was some sort of attack in Baltimare last week. A bombing at the city docks. The blast took out a large section of the pier. Including some military depots."

"A bomb?" Sunny Delight gasped as she joined in the conversation. "Do they know who did it?"

"No." Rain Dancer answered with a shake of her head. "At least the story I saw said no suspects had been apprehended. But you know the Empire and their propaganda. They might just be holding off until the pony responsible has already been convicted and sentenced."

"But..." Ocellus muttered, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "…I bet you ten bits they blame us."

"The Republic wouldn’t do something like that!" Sunny argued, turning around to face Winter Gale as he gave an empty laugh.

"Wouldn't we though?" the stallion asked her, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "Come on Sunny, this is war! Nopony would question it if we were, in fact, trying to cripple the Empire's supplies."

"Nopony would question it…” Starchaser agreed, her voice low and thoughtful. “… but there's no way it was us."

At her words, the other five ponies stared curiously at her.

"Is this our resident strategist talking now?" Ocellus chuckled as she gave the unicorn a playful nudge.

"Gale was talking strategy." the blue mare responded, blushing slightly at the attention she was getting. "Knocking out supplies and such. I'm just looking at it from a tactical perspective."

"What are you thinking, Chase?" Pitfall asked, his voice holding a tone of legitimate curiosity.

“Disrupting supplies makes sense...” the unicorn continued, working through her own thoughts as she spoke. “… especially considering how aggressive the Empire has become lately. But there are more effective ways to do it than blowing up a few warehouses. What damage did an attack like that do? Take out enough rations for a brigade or two? That’s hardly a dent in the Empire’s forces. But if you have a bomb that powerful and were to, as an example, put it on the Rock Ridge rail line; you’d cut supplies from Baltimare AND Filly Delphia to every region west of the Foal Mountains. Even if they worked round-the-clock to lay down new tracks, an attack like that could stall any imperial advance for several weeks, at least.”

“So why didn’t we do that?” Sunny asked, confusedly.

“Because, like Chase said…” Pitfall answered, giving the blue unicorn an approving smile. “It wasn’t us.”

“Maybe not.” Rain Dancer sighed as she led the group down a small side street. “But that’s not going to stop the Empire from using it as an excuse to step up their attacks.”

“As if they needed an excuse.” Winter Gale snorted angrily.

“Come on Gale!” Ocellus teased, feigning righteous outrage as she placed a forelimb over the stallion’s shoulders. “A chance to rouse the populace against a rebel nation that would DARE to launch an attack on the soil of the great Celestial Empire? Their propaganda department is going to have a field-day with this one!”

“Well it’s not our problem for another year at least.” Rain Dancer pointed out before stopping in front of a massive glass sign. “So, let’s just enjoy ourselves. That was the idea after all. Right Cell?”

The building in front of which the ponies now found themselves was much smaller than those which surrounded it. Standing only three stories tall, the front had a classical look to it; with carved stone pillars and stained glass windows. Sitting over a pair of polished oak doors was a lighted sign, currently off, which read ‘Le Grosse Pomme.’

Walking up to the doors, Rain Dancer struck the wood hard with her hoof. After several minutes, there was a loud creaking noise as a yellow earth pony stuck his head through the oaken entryway.

“There you are Dancer!” he exclaimed excitedly, pushing the doors open wide so the ponies could see the empty club beyond. Most of the lights were off, and the only figures visible were a few ponies focused on cleaning the floor.

“Ah! These must be the friends you mentioned.” the stallion commented before stepping out into the street and extending his hoof in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you cadets. The name’s Highlife. I’m the owner of this fine establishment.”

As the pony led the group inside, Starchaser found herself marveling at the massive interior. A polished dancefloor spread out before them, flanked on three sides by bars stocked with a wide selection of ciders and spirits. The unicorn had been in here on multiple occasions, usually with Ocellus and Rain Dancer. However, during those times, the club had always been too full of ponies to truly appreciate its massive interior.

“I’m afraid we don’t officially open until five.” the earth pony leading them apologized as he brought them around one of the bars and through a beaded curtain. “But if you just need a quiet place to drink, I have the perfect spot.”

Opening a blue-colored door, the stallion brought the group into a small back room. Set well away from the main dance area, the room was a brightly-lit space with its own miniature bar and serving area. In the center sat a circle of padded couches, placed equidistant around a beautiful marble table.

“As I said…” Highlife repeated, giving the six ponies a beaming smile. “… we are technically closed for another four hours or so. But I’m considering this a VIP party. So, feel free to ask for anything you need. There should be a decent selection of ciders here, in addition to those you brought with you Dancer. With that being said, if you need anything… stronger… the main bar is open. I’ll tell Mixer to keep an open tab.”

“Thanks Highlife.” Rain Dancer said, returning the earth pony’s smile as she shook his hoof again. “I appreciate it.”

“Not at all my dear.” the stallion replied before turning to the others and allowing his smile to momentarily soften. “I am very sorry about your friend. If you need anything, please let me know.”

“Thank you, sir.” Pitfall responded with a small nod. “We appreciate it.”

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Highlife finished, turning to leave. “Oh, and if you do decide to stay until we open… mare’s drink free tonight.”

With that the yellow pony stepped out of the room with one final wave, the door closing gently behind him.

“Oh yes!” Ocellus sighed contentedly as she fell back onto one of the padded sofas. “This is WAY better than I thought it was going to be. Way to go Rain Dancer!”

“Ok Dancer.” Pitfall muttered as he chose to sit on the floor next to the marble table instead. “I think you have some explaining to do. What’d you do. Blackmail him?”

“Oh please Pit! Who do you take me for? Cell?” the white pegasus chuckled, causing Ocellus to stick her tongue out teasingly.

“So, is he a friend of yours then?” Sunny Delight asked, hopping up onto one of the couches as well.

“In a way.” the other mare explained, walking over to the serving area. “He and my dad go way back, so I asked him if he’d lend us a private room. But it’s not that big a deal. He’s not giving us free drinks or anything.”

“At least, not until tonight.” Ocellus corrected her with a sly wink.

"Well I, for one, don't feel like waiting for tonight." Rain Dancer countered as she ducked down behind the bar. "Do you mind if we open them now Cell?"

"It's why I had you bring them."

As the white pegasus rose from behind the counter, she revealed a dark green glass bottle held tight with her right forelimb. Upon its face, Starchaser could see a simple looking label of a dark red apple.

"You were actually serious this morning!" Winter Gale gasped, his eyes going wide. "That's Sweet Apple Acres cider!"

"You wound me Gale." Ocellus gasped dramatically, placing a hoof over her heart. "As if I would lie about this gracious gift the good commandant has given us."

"Colonel Gabriel is going to kill you." Pitfall muttered, shaking his head disapprovingly. "If he ever finds out you stole that, he's going to make you run until you can't move a muscle.”

"Well, I guess we just need to get rid of all the evidence then." Ocellus laughed as Rain Dancer placed several glasses on the counter.

"Hey Chase..." Dancer asked, motioning towards the glasses. "Can I get some help?"

"Oh yeah. Sure thing." Starchaser responded, her horn glowing blue as the other mare made her way back towards the group. Behind her, the glasses rose into the air; gently suspended within a shimmering cloud of magic. As they floated to sit in front of the six ponies, Rain Dancer struck the top of the bottle soundly with her hoof, dislodging the cork with a loud pop.

"Would you like to do the honors, Cell?" she asked, nudging the bottle towards the other pegasus. "It was your hard work which brought us this wonderful treat."

"It would be my pleasure." Ocellus chuckled, grasping the bottle between her hooves. One by one she poured the cider into the waiting glasses, the golden-colored liquid bubbling gently. As the last vessel was filled, the six friends gathered around and each grasped a glass between their hooves.

“Pitfall…” Winter Gale prompted. “Would you start us off?”

Staring down silently into the fizzing liquid, the brown stallion gave a small nod.

“You all knew Golden Shield.” he began, his tone low and sad. “I think anypony who spent more than two minutes with him would know what kind of friend he was. Kind, brave, and willing to do anything to help those around him. When we were foals, he was like a brother to both me and Starchaser. I… I hope I’m not assuming too much in saying that, Star.”

The unicorn shook her head in assurance and gave her friend a sad smile. He was right of course. When her village had burned to the ground that night, and her entire world had vanished in a single instant; she had been terrified when she found herself placed in the care of the Vanhoover Foals Home. So far away from everypony and everything she had ever known, it had taken weeks for her to be able to go to bed without crying. But from the moment she had stepped across the threshold of the orphanage, Golden Shield had been there to look after her. Every day the unicorn had sat patiently in the mornings, waiting to meet her as she walked into the communal dining room for breakfast. He had been her guide during her early days at the orphanage, and protector from the older foals who would sometimes try to intimidate the new arrivals. In that lonely place, Golden Shield and Pitfall were the only two ponies she had ever considered family.

“Anyways…” Pitfall continued, coughing to clear the lump that had arisen in his throat. “To Golden Shield! The bravest soldier, the best friend, and the only brother I have ever known.”

“To Golden Shield.” Starchaser responded, adding her voice to the others’ before bringing the glass to her mouth. The cider was warm, but incredibly sweet and refreshing. The bubbles gently tickled the back of her throat, and almost immediately the unicorn could tell that this was a much higher class of cider than any she had experienced before.

I guess it’s only the best for the colonel. The mare thought bemusedly to herself as she wondered what the gryphon would ever do if he discovered Ocellus’ heist. Her pondering did not last long though, for as soon as her glass returned to the table, the unicorn found Ocellus filling it again.

“Your turn now, Chase.” the green pegasus prompted with an encouraging smile.

“Well, there’s not much I can say that hasn’t been said already.” the blue unicorn responded, glancing nervously at the five other ponies staring expectantly at her. “Except that, I guess… I’m just not sure how I’ll be able to get used to Golden not being here. Ever since I was a filly, he was always there for me. Whether at the orphanage, or even at the academy. If I was ever uncertain, or worried about something; he’d always be waiting to listen to anything I had to say. Sometimes he’d joke, other times he wouldn’t even have to say anything at all. Just him being there was always enough.”

“He was good at that.” Pitfall agreed, reaching over to place a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Why do you think he was the one I told about my stupid plan of joining the military?”

“To stupid plans then…” Starchaser suggested, her words eliciting a rumbling chuckle from the coffee-colored earth pony. “… and the one pony always considerate enough to listen to them.”

“Hear, hear!” the green-eyed stallion shouted, raising his glass once again as all six ponies took another drink of cider.

And so it continued on, each member of the group giving a small anecdote about their departed friend. Sunny Delight spoke of the time Golden Shield had spent an entire month helping her prepare for the navigational exams at the end of their second year; a notoriously difficult set of tests which the pegasus had been sure she was going to fail. For Winter Gale, it was the one time when he had made a bet with their friend that he could beat him in a race, not discovering that the unicorn knew how to teleport until his third consecutive loss. Rain Dancer talked about the time Golden Shield had convinced her to request permission from the commandant to set up a hoof-to-hoof combat club, a decision which had apparently been instrumental in her being selected to become a midship lieutenant. As for Ocellus, it was the first time the mare had met Golden Shield; at which point she had been positive that Golden ‘was legitimately insane.’

“After all,” the pegasus had said. “There is no way a pony could ACTUALLY be that genuinely nice.”

With each story, the group would take another drink of cider. And by the end of Gale’s anecdote, they had already been forced to open their second bottle. After Ocellus finally finished her recounting of the first meeting with Golden Armor, Rain Dancer stepped out of the room, returning a moment later with a shimmering bottle of crystal spirits.

After six drinks, Starchaser was already feeling the effects of the fermented cider. Much of the tension and sadness which had assailed her over the past two days were, for the moment at least, forgotten. Instead she could laugh freely, smiling at each and every ridiculous account her friends could retell. Even when the first drink of spirit, far harsher than the cider, caused her to cough uncontrollably; the blue mare could only laugh as Ocellus patted her back jokingly.

“Come on Chase, this stuff is the real deal!” the green mare chuckled as Gale and Pitfall laughed at the unicorn’s struggle. “No more of that sweet cider you ponies are so fond of.”

“You’re a pony too, Cell.” Starchaser pointed out, trying to focus through the haze that was beginning to cloud her mind. “So, don’t act all high and mighty, at least not while you look like that.”

“She’s got a point Cell.” Rain Dancer laughed, nudging the violet-eyed pegasus playfully as she poured out more of the spirit. “It’s just us here. There’s no need to keep up appearances for our sake.”

“I just didn’t want to go around scaring Sunny.” Ocellus chuckled as she took another long drink.

“One time!” the yellow pony groaned in response, causing the rest of the group to laugh. “You scared me one time! Just get over yourself Cell! You’re not nearly as intimidating as you think.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that…” Ocellus hissed, her voice gaining an eerie and echoing tone as green light erupted at the base of her hooves. “I think I’m pretty scary when I want to be.”

With a sudden crackling of electricity, the light sped its way up the mare’s limbs; her lime-colored hair vanishing to be replaced by a reflective onyx-colored carapace. Holes could be seen at several points in her midnight-colored limbs, while her wings rapidly lost their feathers and instead gained a light-blue membranous quality. When the light finally reached her head, the mare’s violet eyes shifted to a single pale blue color, lacking even the remnants of a pupil. The final change was the appearance of a midnight colored horn which adorned the front of her glistening head.

“So… WHAT DO YOU THINK NOW, SUNNY!” the creature snarled, her fangs glistening as she lunged towards the pegasus. Immediately the yellow mare fell to the ground with an inelegant shriek.

“Knock it off Cell.” Winter Gale chided, giving the changeling a light rap on her head with his hoof. “I haven’t had nearly enough to drink yet to deal with this.”

“Sorry Sunny.” Ocellus laughed, holding out a hoof to help the other mare off the floor. “I just couldn’t resist.”

“Oh, I’m fairly certain you could.” the pegasus responded, sticking her tongue out. “Why not just turn into a dog next time? It would certainly be more reflective of your personality.”

“Cheeky.” the changeling laughed, giving her friend a sly grin as she retook her seat at the table. “Be careful Sunny, or you just might hurt my feelings.”

As the two returned to their places, the conversation again resumed with Winter Gale turning to Pitfall.

“So, Pit…” the stallion asked curiously. “… I meant to ask you earlier. But that letter the commandant read this morning; did you know about it? All that stuff about Golden wanting to end the war for your sake and stuff?”

“No, I can’t say I did.” the earth pony responded, staring solemnly down at his glass. “But it doesn’t surprise me even a little. Golden never did anything for himself. Even when we were foals, every action he took was for the sake of others. So, him wanting to join the military just to help others, it sounds exactly like something he’d say.”

“What about you?” Sunny Delight asked, her tone one of curiosity. “You two came to the academy together, right? We know why Golden asked to come. But what about you Pit?”

“What about me?” the stallion replied with a sad shake of his head. “I was just a stupid colt, so my motivations weren’t nearly as selfless. For me it was all about the adventure, and the chance for my best friend and I to become famous soldiers. I didn’t come into this worrying about helping ponies or anything like that. I was just… an idiot.”

“That’s not true…” Starchaser began, but was quickly interrupted by a small snicker from Ocellus.

“Don’t lie to him, Chase.” the changeling laughed, her new voice reverberating disconcertingly even in the small space of the room. “Of course he’s an idiot for coming to this academy!”

“Cell!” Starchaser gasped, earning a wink from the black-shelled creature across from her.

“Don’t get me wrong.” Ocellus amended, her dark horn glowing green as the bottle of spirits floated over the table to refill every pony’s glass. “I’m not saying it’s just him. Face it Chase, anypony with an ounce of sense would stay as far away from the military as possible. In one way or another, we’re all idiots here.”

“That sounds about right.” Winter Gale chuckled as he flicked his silver mane out of his eyes. “For me, it was all about the mares. That was my ultimate goal in joining the navy. All I wanted was a nice-looking uniform, and some great stories to use in the cider halls.”

“And how’s that plan working out for you, stud?” Rain Dancer asked, her eyebrow raised in amusement.

“As soon as any of my stories actually work, I’ll let you know.”

All six friends laughed at that, Sunny Delight whipping tears from her eyes as Gale blushed in embarrassment.

“I just wanted to spend time with my friends.” Sunny offered, smiling brightly as she looked around the table. “An entire group of us joined up at the same time, and that’s what brought me here.”

“And what happened to this group?” Winter Gale asked, sounding genuinely shocked. “I don’t think I’ve heard you mention them before.”

“They… um… sort of washed out.” the orange-eyed mare explained, giving a slightly embarrassed smile. “I don’t think any of us realized exactly how tough the first year was actually going to be.”

“So why did you stick around then?” Gale pressed. “If you only joined because of your friends, why stay when they all left?”

“Because I met you all.” Sunny responded, her tone making it sound as though it were the most obvious reason in the world. “What other pony is going to look after you if I leave?”

“That’s momma Sunny for you.” Ocellus laughed, throwing a shelled limb over the yellow pony’s shoulders. “Always making sure us kids stay out of trouble.”

“But what about you, Cell?” the pegasus asked, turning her neck to glance at Ocellus. “You don’t’ really talk very much about your past. Why’d you end up joining the academy.”

For the briefest of moments, Starchaser was sure she could see the changeling’s smile slip. It was the briefest of flickers, and judging by the way the rest of her friends reacted, the unicorn wasn’t sure any of them had noticed. When their friend did speak, her teasing tone was almost enough to convince Starchaser that she had imagined it.

Or maybe… the unicorn thought, noticing that the room was slowly starting to rock back-and-forth. It’s just all the spirits and cider.

“For me, it’s always been about looking out for yours truly.” Ocellus laughed before taking a large gulp from her glass. “Most of the old-land changelings are content with staying around their colony. And as far as the new colony goes… well… we’re not usually looked upon fondly by you ponies.”

Starchaser felt a twinge of guilt at the changeling’s words. The mare knew that her friend’s comments were not targeted at anypony present. But at the same time, there was a valid reason as to why Ocellus only ever revealed her true form when their group was well away from prying eyes. Unlike the old-land changelings whom Ocellus had mentioned, those from the new colony were viewed by the majority of pony-kind as enemies.

The suspicion was not without reason of course. More than once, Queen Chrysalis had attempted to spread her control across all of Equestria. Even after the Great Schism; the conflict which had given rise to the division between the new and old-land colonies, the queen had bread multiple armies in an attempt to regain the power which she had lost. There were even rumors, admittedly unfounded, that Chrysalis had been partly responsible for the war which now raged between the New Lunar Republic and the Celestial Empire. Regardless of the reasons behind the suspicion, it was a sad truth that the few changelings who did go rogue from the new colony often found themselves treated as pariahs, even amongst their own kind.

“Anyways…” Ocellus continued, waving her hoof dismissively. “… the fact of the matter is that suspicion and isolation makes me and my abilities a rare commodity around here. A commodity which is particularly well-suited to military applications. Because of that, I saw a chance to be successful and make a decent living for myself. Can you blame me for wanting to take advantage of my… unique opportunities?”

“No one’s blaming you for anything, Cell.” Rain Dancer sighed, tapping her glass gently against the one which floated in front of Ocellus’ face. “For me, the military was an inevitability. When every member of your family is an officer of some sort, it’s an unspoken expectation that you join as well.

"Not that I’m complaining…” she quickly clarified. “I’m damn good at what I do. It’s just that… sometimes I wish I could say that it was more than mere expectations that sent me to the academy.”

“Well whatever the reason…” Sunny Delight laughed, hiccupping slightly from apparent intoxication. “I’m glad you’re here Dancer.”

“Me too…” Ocellus agreed, motioning around the room. “Luna knows neither Pitfall or Gale could get us a room like this.”

“Oh yeah?” the white stallion challenged, his words slurring somewhat as he gave the changeling an annoyed glance. “I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be.”

“Calm down fly-boy.” Cell laughed, her horn glowing green as she refilled his empty glass yet again. “Save your charms for a mare who cares.”

“Well I think that just leaves one of us left.” Rain Dancer urged, turning to face Starchaser as Gale and Ocellus continued to glare at one another.

“What do you mean by that?” the unicorn responded shyly, her eyes remaining fixed on the glass before her.

“You know what I mean?” the white mare pressed, her emerald eyes narrowing slightly. “Next to Cell, you’re the quietest out of all of us when it comes to our past. We’ve known you for almost four years now Chase, and I’m just curious what brought somepony like you to the naval academy in the first place.”

“It’s all right if you don’t want to talk about it.” Pitfall began, stopping when the blue unicorn quickly shook her head.

“No… it’s fine.” Starchaser responded, giving a small smile as she tried to shake away some of the cider’s haze which muddled her thoughts. “I don’t mind. It’s just… I’m not quite sure how to explain it.”

For several moments, the young mare simply stared down at her glass; watching as the lights of the room reflected off the clear surface of the spirits inside.

“I’ve told you all about the night I lost… the night my village was attacked. Right?”

“Not in great detail.” Rain Dancer answered with a shrug. “But it’s come up once or twice.”

“Did I ever tell you how I got away?”

All five ponies shook their heads slowly in response.

“It was princess Luna.” Starchaser explained, her words eliciting a small gasp of surprise from Sunny Delight. “The princess herself saved me.

"I had run away from my village, and was surrounded on all sides by imperial soldiers. I was just a filly, so of course I was unable to do anything to protect myself. By every right, I should have died that night. But, before I even knew what was happening, she was there. Standing over me like a… like a goddess in the moonlight. The princess saved my life! So now I… I don’t really know how to explain it but… I want to be able to thank her. I came to this academy because I hoped to one day be able to do something, anything, to help her in return.”

“Like what?” Winter Gale asked, giving a small chuckle as he took another sip from his glass. “Become a member of Luna’s personal guard or something?”

Almost immediately Starchaser could feel her cheeks begin to heat up. She had of course entertained thoughts of such an idea, but just hearing the words spoken allowed forced the mare to recognize what an outlandish dream that truly was. She kept her embarrassed gaze focused on the glass before her, and as she did, the unicorn could hear Winter Gale choke on his drink.

“Wait… seriously?” the stallion coughed, gasping for air as Starchaser felt the blush on her cheeks deepen. “Your goal is the Lunar Royal Guard?”

“Pick your jaw up off the floor Gale.” Ocellus snapped as she moved to put a reassuring forelimb over Starchaser’s shoulder. “It makes you look like even more of an ass than usual.”

“Sorry!” the white pegasus apologized, quickly recognizing how uncomfortable he was making his friend. “I’m sorry Chase. I didn’t mean anything by that. It’s just that… wow… the Lunar Guard is quite the lofty goal.”

“And what of it?” Ocellus countered aggressively. “You don’t think she can do it?”

“No, it’s not that.” he responded hastily, waving his limbs franticly as though he could physically ward off the daggers shooting from Ocellus’ eyes. “All I meant was… well…”

“It’s fine, Cell.” Starchaser assured her friend as she glanced up and smiled in Gale’s direction. “Gale wasn’t insulting me or anything. He’s right. The Lunar Guard consists only of the best of the best. I doubt I’d ever be invited to join. I don’t mind. All I really want is the chance to give back to the princess. To thank her for what she did for me. Whether it’s as a member of her guard, or just as a soldier of the Republic. All I’ve ever wanted is the chance to be useful.”

“Is that why you requested the southern front for your training deployment?” Pitfall asked, his voice low and somber.

Instantly Starchaser felt her heart stop.

“How do you know about that?” she asked quickly, her eyes going wide in shock as she met the earth pony’s probing gaze.

“Lucky guess.” the stallion explained simply, as around them, the other ponies exchanged surprised and worried glances. “Princess Luna is supposed to be conducting inspections on the front lines within the next few weeks. After that story, it didn’t take too much work to deduce where you’d choose to go for your deployment. Assuming, of course, you knew about the inspections. Judging from your reaction, I’d say I was right on both counts.

“You’re not serious!” Sunny Delight moaned as she grabbed anxiously at Starchaser’s hoof. “Chase, you can’t seriously say you’re planning on going south. Not after… not with what happened to Golden!”

“I am.” the unicorn responded, patting the other mare’s hoof reassuringly as she tried to put as much conviction in her voice as possible. “But not because of the inspections. Or at least… not just because of them.”

For several minutes the six friends sat quietly, the other five ponies throwing each other occasional glances as they considered the unicorn’s words. Eventually Starchaser could not take any more of the silence, and instead tried to turn their attention elsewhere.

“What about you Gale?” she asked, turning to the silver-maned pegasus. “Where are you going?”

"There's a joint deployment with the Cloudsdale Airforce Academy.” the stallion answered, not quite meeting her gaze. “Sunny and I both requested it and were approved. We're supposed to report to Cloudsdale the week after next."

"I had no preference for my deployment." Rain Dancer answered before Starchaser could even ask. "As of now, they have me scheduled to report to Crystal. Not sure why. It isn’t as though I’d be seeing any combat training from all the way back there."

"And you, Cell?" Starchaser pressed, this time genuinely curious about where the changeling might have requested for her training deployment.

"I asked to go east.” the black-shelled mare responded, giving a small shrug as though it hardly mattered. “I heard the food there was pretty good, and wanted to give it a try. I may not need to eat like the rest of you, but I still wanted to try some of the Griffonstone fusion cuisines they have out in Manehattan."

"I was originally going south, like you Chase.” Pitfall sighed as he turned his unblinking gaze towards the blue mare. “Since our deployment schedules were going to overlap, Golden and I had planned to finish out his time there together. But now... I'm not so sure."

"You should request a change." Sunny Delight suggested helpfully. "After what happened, I’m sure the commandant would allow it."

"But what about you?" the earth pony asked, the worry evident in his voice as he kept his attention on Starchaser. “Are you going to request a change in deployment?”

Looking around the table, the unicorn could clearly see that all five of her friends had the same look of concern.

"I'm still going south." she answered finally, her voice perhaps coming off slightly more aggressive than she had intended. However, she needed the strength in her tone. If not to convince her friends, then at least to convince herself.

"Like I said, I have my reasons for requesting deployment there. I can’t let something like what happened to Golden keep me from going.”

“Well, aren’t you the brave little soldier.” Ocellus commented, her reflective eyes glinting in the light of the room.

“It’s not bravery.” Starchaser argued, shaking her head as she carefully kept her hooves hidden beneath the table.

Don’t let them see you trembling.

“I just… I may not like thinking about what happened there; but I know Golden, and I know what he’d say if he was still here.”

“Chase…” Ocellus began, but stopped at a quick signal from Pitfall.

“I’m not strong. I know that. At the very least, I’m not as strong as the rest of you. I never have been. But that didn’t mean anything to Golden. No matter what I was scared about, or what challenge I was convinced stood in my way, he’d always give me the same advice. ‘When the world is at its darkest Chase…’ he’d say, ‘…And it seems like you’ve lost your way; remember that when there is nothing else in sight, the only path left is forward.’”

Looking around the table, the unicorn blushed again as she saw all five ponies staring intently at her.

“So that’s what I’m going to do.” she finished simply, her gaze turning once more to the table. “Even if Golden is gone, as long as I'm still here, the least I can do is keep on moving forward.”

"You know Chase..." Rain Dancer sighed, giving her friend a small grin. "Golden would be pissed knowing you're using his argument to place yourself in a potentially life-threatening situation. It’s true that, as students, we're theoretically not supposed to see battle before graduating. But now we all know how well that works out."

"Even so… " Pitfall added, picking up his glass between his hooves. "Whatever your reasons for choosing to go south are Chase, I know Golden would be proud of you. The fact that you’re willing to do whatever is necessary in order to stay your course… I'm sure that's all he'd want for any of us.”

Raising his glass, the brown stallion turned to stare at each pony present.

"With that being said, there’s absolutely no way I’m going to allow this to be our last drink together! So keep this in mind everypony. No matter what happens over the next few weeks! No matter where we end up for our deployments! You are all going to make it back here for graduation. That's an order!"

"Aye sir!" Sunny shouted, almost spilling her drink as she threw the stallion an exaggerated salute.

"Remember always," Pitfall continued raising his glass high above the table. "Even if Golden is gone; as long as we all remain, his spirit lives on with us!"

"To the one who is gone!" Rain Dancer toasted as she and the rest raised their glasses in response. Glancing from one face to the next, Starchaser added her voice to the toast.

"And to we who remain!"

Author's Note:

Enjoy the read everyone. I'm just getting out of exams now, which is what made this chapter take so much longer to write. It's a pretty rough draft (I've only revised it twice so far), but I'll be going back through it one last time tonight. If anyone spots any major problems which should be addressed, please let me know.

Comments

[Garlic ghost]

Omg i really love it! I can't wait for the next chapter, keep it up!