A Soldier Past and Future

by Norwegian boy

Training

It was another day in Equestria, the sun had just risen on the horizon and the ponies in Ponyville was starting to wake up to start their day. In one special house lay the captain of Celestia’s guards, Shining Armour. He was sleeping peacefully in his bed.

Then the door opened and in walk a pegasus named Blaze Fury. “Time to wake up Shining, your training starts today.” There was no reaction coming from the sleeping unicorn, that made Blaze leave the room and walk towards the bathroom.

It didn’t take long before he came back with a glass of water which he poured right in Shining’s face, that got him to wake up. “What the hell.” Shining sat up in the bed. “What’s the meaning with this?” He asked while trying to understand what just happened, he then saw Blaze standing by the bed with a glass in his hand. “Do you have a reason for waking me at…” He grabbed his phone to see what time it was. “6:03 am in the morning?”

“I told you get ready at 6:00 am this morning and since I had to wake you, you didn’t listen to me.”

“I thought you were joking.” Said Shining while rubbing he eyes.

“I never joke when it comes to training. Now, take a shower and get dress, I will make breakfast.” Blaze then left the room.

Shining just watch him leave. “I really hate him.” He got up and walk to the bathroom. Once he was finished and got dressed, he head to the kitchen where he saw Blaze standing by the stow, probably coking. “I didn’t think you could cook.”

Blaze didn’t turn around. “There a lot you don’t know of me.” He then placed some eggs in a plate and gave it to Shining. “There’s you breakfast, eat up so we can get started with your training.”

Shining look down on his plate witch contained egg, toast and hay bacon. “Aren’t you going to eat.”

“I have already had breakfast, eat up and meet me outside.”

Before Shining could say anything, the Pegasus was gone. He let out a heavy sighed. “This is not going to be fun, that’s for sure.” He started to eat.

Once Shining step outside he could see Blaze waiting for him. “Follow me.” They started to walk ans Shining followed him.

After five minutes of walking they were just outside the town. “Alright, we are now on the outskirt of Ponyville and you are going to run around the entire town as many times you can..”

Shining look at the pegasus as he had gone mad. “Excuse me, did you just say that I have to run around Ponyville?” Blaze nodded. “Are you crazy? You can’t expect me to do that.”

“And why not? You are the captain of the solar guards it should be easy for you.”

“But, I have never ran around a town before, the most I have done is a couple of laps in the training ground in the castle.”

“And that’s what is the problem with your guard, they lack discipline because you didn’t train the good enough, so I am going to teach you how we trained in the old days.” Blaze walk over to the unicorn, so they were face to face. “Either you do this or lose you position as captain, it’s your choice.”

Shining wanted to argue but it was pointless, Blaze as right either he do this or lose his position as captain. “Fine, let’s just get this over with.”

Blaze was happy when he heard that. “Good, just so know I will be watching you from above so don’t try and slack of.”

Shining couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “I wouldn’t dare to slack of.” Blaze could hear the sarcasm, but he just ignored it. Shining started to tun and Blaze took to the sky to keep an eye on him.

Shining start of slow, he didn’t want to burn up all his energy at once. As he ran he could see ponies looking at him as he ran past them, they were wondering what he was doing. As Shining reached the ‘entrance’ of town, he could see one of Twilight’s friends pulling a wagon with apples towards town, it was Applejack. The farm couldn’t help but wonder why she saw Twilight brother run past her, she then saw Blaze fly above him, that confused her even more.

“I wonder if Twilight know what’s going on.” She said to no one particular.

Shining had eventually lost count how many times he had ran around the town, he eventually arrived at the spot where he first started, exhausted. He fell on his back in the grass, Blaze landed beside him.

“You managed to run eight laps around town, not bad at all.” Blaze told the tired unicorn as he tossed a water bottle that landed beside Shining.

Shining sat up and grabbed the bottle, he pop the cork and drank half the bottle. “You sound surprised.” He then poured some of the water on his head.

“I am, I thought you only would do three. I guess I was wrong.”

Shining couldn’t help but smile. “The great Blaze Fury was wrong? I didn’t expect to hear that.” Blaze just rolled his eyes.

“Shining, what are you doing?” Both stallions look in the direction of the voice, it was Twilight who was walking over to them.

“Twilight? What are you doing here?”

“Applejack saw you run past her a while ago and that Blaze was following you, so I decided to find out why. I went to Blaze’s house, but I couldn’t find you, so I used magic to track you here. Also, you didn’t answer my question.”

“I am training your brother under the order of Celestia, she thinks that he did a lousy job with her guards, so I am training him like we did in my time.” Blaze told Twilight.

“By running around the town? Isn’t that a little extreme.” Twilight asked with some worried in her voice.

“If you have some issue with my training you can take it up with Celestia, I don’t really care what you think about my training methods.” Blaze look over to Shining. “I think you have rested enough, give me twenty push ups.” Shining just groaned as he went down on his stomach and started to do them.

Twilight watch as her brother did his push ups and she couldn’t help but feel bad for him. “Alright, I will call princess Celestia and tell her this is ridiculous and that my brother is a good captain.” She took out her phone and dialled Celestia number.

It didn’t take long before Celestia answered. “Hello Twilight, what can I do for you this morning?” The princess asked.

“Hello princess Celestia, I didn’t call at bad moment?”

“Not at all, I just finish breakfast. Now, why are you calling me?”

“is true that that you let Blaze training my brother?”

“Yes, that’s true. You brother did a lousy job with my guards, so I asked Blaze to training him.”

Twilight heard something feel on the grass, it was her brother and he was exhausted, again. “But Blaze made him run around Ponyville, isn’t that a little extreme?”

“I admit that Blaze’s training methods are a little extreme, but he gets results.” Twilight was about to say something. “And before you say how good your brother is let me tell you something. Last week my guard hesitated twice before they react, I had to yell at them, I shouldn’t do that. And your brother isn’t any better, he once arrest a ten year old colt who just wanted to give me flowers.” Twilight remember that one, their parents wasn’t happy when they heard that, she was embarrassed. “I think he needs this.”

Twilight let out a sighed. “You may have a point princess.”

“Me having a point here isn’t the issue her Twilight, Shining Armor did a lousy job training my guard and if he wants to keep his job he we let Blaze training him.” She then hung up on her former student.

Twilight let out a defeating sighed, the princess was right Shining need this. She look over to her brother who now was doing sit ups, once he was done he collapse in the grass.

“So, what did Celestia tell you?” Blaze asked Twilight.
“She said that Shining had to do this if he wanted to keep his job, I don’t like it, but she is right.” She started to rub the spot between her eyes. “Just don’t kill him with your training.”

“I promise nothing.”

Not the answer she was looking for, but she took it. She said goodbye to her brother who just answered her with a wave, then it was just the two of them again.

“Alright captain, when you have gotten your breath back I want you to run around Ponyville again and then we are done for the day.” Shining gave him a thumbs up.

After Shining had run around the town three times, Blaze decided to threat the captain with some food for a good exude training session, after Shining had taken a shower. Since the unicorn was too tired to take a shower himself Blaze had to help him, it was an awkward shower that’s for sure.

Shining was currently sitting by a table with his upper body on the table, he was in pain. “I can’t feel my body.” After the shower they went to the café Blaze had breakfast with Celestia a few days ago. “I think I broke every muscles in my body.”

Blaze just rolled his eyes. “Would you stop complaining, I went easy on you today.”

That got Shining to look up. “You want easy on me?” Blaze nodded. “That’s just great, I can’t wait until you don’t.” Said the unicorn while placing his head back on the table.

Then the waitress came, and it was same mare as before, Misty. “Hey, Blaze your back and your…” She then saw Shining. “Is your friend dead?”

“No, I am not dead, and he is NOT my friend.” Shining managed to somehow say.

“Princess Celestia ask me to train him because he’s a lousy captain.” Shining wanted to say something but he didn’t.

Misty just nodded. “Alright, if you say so. Here is your menu.” She handed one to Blaze while she just placed the other one by Shining’s head. “I will back with some water.” She then left them.

Then Shining decided to ask Blaze something. “How long do I have to train?”

“Until I think you are ready.”

Shining let out a sighed. “Great.”

After they had eaten they went back to Blaze’s house, which pleased Shining. Blaze wasn’t going to let him train more that day, even he knew that one has to rest at times. The next day was a day of for Shining, Blaze wanted him to rest.

For the next two months Blaze trained the captain of the solar guard and he surprised by the captain progress, Shining became more adapted to his training than he expected, even more faster to.

Shining was currently running around Ponyville as usually, when he first started he managed only eight rounds this time he managed twenty, which was a huge progress. He did more push ups and sit ups then normal. Twilight came out once a while to watch her brother train and she was proud of him. Blaze even decided to join him in the last two weeks, he was currently running with him.

They eventually finish running. “Not bad at all Shining, you have improved a great deal the last two months.” Blaze told the unicorn after the run.

“Thanks.” Shining said while rest his hand on his knees while catching his breath, he then stood up. “You know that sound like a compliment.”

“Don’t get your hopes up unicorn.” Shining just smiled. “I hope you now understand why Celestia send you here to train with me.”

“Yes, as painful it’s for me to admit it my guards are poorly trained, and I need to train them again.”

Then he heard Blaze clap. “Bravo, it took you two months, but you finally understood it and that mean you can go back to the castle.”

Shining eyes widen when he heard that. “Are you telling me all that I had to do was to admit that my guards war poorly train and then I could go back to the castle?” Blaze just nodded, then Shining threw is arm up in the air in frustration. “Give me a break.”

“Yes, all you had to do was to admit that your guard was poorly trained and survive my training, and you did both. Tomorrow you can travel back the castle.” Shining didn’t say anything, he just past out on the grass. “Huh, I didn’t expect that.”

The next day Blaze and Shining stood on the platform on the train station waiting for the train to Canterlot.

“Well Blaze, I have to say these two months has been an experience I have never experienced before, I have also learn a lot these months.”

Blaze smiled. “That good to know.”

Then Shining did something Blaze never thought he would do, he held out a hand. “It was honour to be train by you.”

It took a moment before Blaze came over his shock, he haply shook Shining’s hand. “You are welcome, captain.” Both ponies smiled.

“The train to Canterlot will arrive soon.” Said the voice in the speaker.

“I guess that’s my train.” Shining picked up his luggage. “Look Blaze, I don’t know if you believe me, but I promise you when I get back I will train mu guards better.”

“If you do that Shining I will apologize to your wife for what I said.”

That made the unicorn happy. “I appreciate it.”

Then the train came, both ponies said goodbye to each other and when the train left Blaze was all alone. “I hope that Celestia will be pleased.” H turned to Ponyville. “Time to find a job.” He walked towards the town.

Author's Note:

It's a new chapter, yay.