The Bodyguard
“Welcome to Fort Chrostorm, Princess,” said General Steel Trap as they walked through the grounds of the fort. However, in Twilight’s opinion, it didn’t feel right to call this place a fort having been to several in her youth. With their large, pure white walls that seemed to lack even a speck of dust from all the times they had been cleaned while bushes of roses were planted in front of them. She could remember walking through the large oak doors that towered over her, making her feel small as she entered the training grounds where ponies practiced their drills or were just returning from buying filly scout cookies. Wooden dummies would have been lining one of the walls where the Royal Guard would take turns practicing their archery, sword skills, spear throwing, and magical attacks on them until they had to be replaced. Twilight also remembered the scent of decent food filling the air. That had been a fort.
This place, however, was so much more! It had been less than an hour ago when Twilight first saw the facility from her carriage, which was pulled by two auto-ponies that spewed black smoke into the air. Located several miles from Automahollow, it towered over the grassy land surrounding it. Large walls of stone adorned with wickedly sharp looking spikes made of black metal surrounded the five-towered structure. Still Twilight could see that it was almost as tall as her castle even from a mile away. Each of the five towers, four of them surrounding the fifth in its center, were steel grey. The outer towers were smaller and more rounded with bridges linking them all together, while the central tower was taller and more spike-like. Zeppelins soared around the buildings, some even docking on the various outcroppings that the outer towers provided.
When they finally passed through the large steel doors, both Twilight and Spike had their noses pressed against the windows to see everything. The first thing that drew their attention was the large gear sticking out from the central tower. Only a quarter of it was visible as it slowly turned away from the building and into the ground below. As for the grounds, everywhere Twilight looked she failed to find a single blade of grass. Hard dirt covered almost everything except for the trails made of metal. The soldiers in their red uniforms marched in formations across the area in dead silence. Machines were also littered atop the rocky soil with the troops surrounding some of them. All in all, this place felt more like a fortress than a simple fort.
Now they walked behind the General as he gave them a brief tour of the facility. The four of them were walking down a metal walkway on the third story of one of the outer towers with the wind blowing in their unmasked faces. It turned out that the air out here was ‘fresher’ than in the big city. That wasn’t to say that it was like the sweet, clean air she was used to in Equestria. There was still a hint of foulness to it, but she could breathe it in without falling to her knees so that was something.
“Fort Chrostorm is the oldest military base in Thunder Valley,” the General was saying as he walked. “This single location serves as the foundation of our current military might. All those wishing to join undergo their training here. Whether they wish to be one of the proud hoof soldiers, captain or crew a zeppelin, or serve as a repair pony. All of these are valuable in the service of protecting the common pony from rebel elements. As such we need to make sure that they all receive the best training as well as working as a single unit.”
“I see,” said Twilight, as she looked down at a group below them. A hundred ponies were marching in a ten by ten formation, their hoofsteps perfectly in synch. As she watched them her mind was doing its very best to decide how to handle this situation. She knew full well that the General didn’t want her here, that his desire to keep Thunder Valley safe would normally never allow him to be show off their best base. Perhaps it was because of the situation he was in right now. The General was a smart stallion; he’d had to be in order to make it to the top rank. Twilight guessed that he knew that if he withheld any information about their military and later complained about it, the nobility would say it was his own fault. That he kept too much from the princess in order for her to decide if the grits needed to go to the military or not. Further, if he brought them here and showed them around himself, he could better control what they saw as well as ascertain if they were planning on stealing any military secrets. Or perhaps he was doing this to discourage Twilight from sending a message to Princess Celestia on attacking them. That they were just too prepared for battle that a sneak attack would be pointless. These were just a few ideas running around her brain since the moment she arrived.
Twilight did her best not to bite her lower lip. She knew she had to do say or do something or else she would appear weak. What would Princess Celestia do in a situation like this? Twilight thought back to all the times she had spent with the princess, remembering how she would engage in pleasant conversation. Perhaps that’s what she should do was well?
“In Equestria, we did things a little different,” began Twilight hoping this was a good idea. “There those who wish to join the E.U.P. can sign up at any military base and be trained there. I was taught that it was done this way to ensure unity between the troops. The E.U.P. also does its best to ensure that each base is equipped to handle the training needed for each tribe.”
“Perhaps also to prevent overcrowding at a single location,” added in Count Raven with a nod.
“I can see some merit in that approach,” said Steel Trap in an even tone. “Yet our way ensures that every single cadet who wishes to be a part of this nation's military will receive the same type of training no matter where they are from or where they go after. It also allows personnel like myself to better evaluate the troops as well as their instructors. During their training, there will be several review sessions to see if they are meeting the requirements we have set. If it appears they are struggling we consider moving them to a more appropriate training program or determine if this life just isn’t meant for them.”
“That does sound like an efficient method of doing things,” Twilight complimented. “How long does their training take?”
“Depends on what duty they sign up for,” replied Steel Trap simply. “Take our hoof soldiers for example. We require one full year of training to ensure that they can fight as a single unit, take proper care of their gear, and being able to adapt to the seasonal changes. Those going into the more mechanical side of the military will be in training for three years with no exceptions. We do get the occasional thestral who has a cutie mark in repairing and whatnot, but here we refuse to allow any exceptions to the rules no matter what your natural talent is.”
“Hey look,” said Spike from a distance. Twilight turned her head to see that Spike had moved ahead of the group and was now pointing at something she couldn’t see. “They have trains here as well.” Frowning, ears flattened against her head, Twilight walked over to where Spike was. It was true; two sets of train tracks seemed to head right up next to the fort as well as a massive amount of posts that had a thick black cable running along them. Twilight found that to be more interesting since the cable went right into the fort.
“Of course we have trains,” commented Steel Trap. “Fort Chrostorm does much more than simply train troops and other personal. It is also the spot where troop and equipment assignment is decided upon. Several times a day we get status reports from all over Thunder Valley. If the reports indicate growing tensions or if a request is made to send more troops in, it is here where the request is decided upon as well as judging which areas can spare what is needed. All troops are moved in via zeppelins while the more heavy gadgetry is transported via train.”
“I guess the makes sense,” said Spike. “At least with the trains. But why use zeppelins when you can all fly?”
When General Steel Trap spoke again, Twilight could hear slight irritation in his voice. “Thunder Valley is very large. While it is true that we can fly, having our hoof soldiers move there under their own power while carrying all their gear would greatly reduce their stamina. There is also the chance that an enemy could be lying in wait, ready to ambush our troops. Thus zeppelins are essential in getting well rested troops across Thunder Valley in a safe and speedy manner.”
Spike opened his mouth to speak, but Twilight got him to pause by placing a hoof on his shoulder. “That makes a great deal of sense,” she said as she looked at the General. “In Equestria, our troops are moved by way of flying chariots pulled by two pegasus ponies. According to my studies, during times of war there would always be a unicorn riding with them to throw up a magical barrier in case of an ambush. While effective in getting them where they needed to go quickly and safely, this method often drained both the pegasi and the unicorns by the time they reached the battlefront. The zeppelin allows the troops to rest and, if an attack were ever to occur, the thestrals onboard could easily fly out to confront the enemy.”
“As well as provide protection and covering fire,” added General Steel Trap as he opened his wings. Without saying a word he flapped them several times to get airborne, allowing enough time for Count Raven and Twilight to do the same as the purple princess also placed Spike on her back.
Gliding downwards towards the ground below, Twilight wondered if she had handled this well. She had done her best to keep the conversation civil, giving him truthful information that she also hoped would put him at ease. But for some reason, Spike’s questioning irritated him. Was it that he wasn’t used to dealing with much younger ponies who would ask those sorts of things? Or was there something else she didn’t see at the moment?
The group landed a moment later with the troops carrying on like they weren’t there. Twilight suspected that they would continue to go about their training unless either an emergency happened or if they were order to.
“General, I was wondering if the military does anything besides taking down rebel elements?” asked Twilight hoping to keep the conversation going. The General slowed down his trot for a moment as if he were wondering what to tell her. He didn’t turn his head to look at her, but rather off to the side where nothing but a wall stood. Unsure which direction he was looking in, for all she knew he could be looking in the direction of Automahollow, another town, or even Equestria.
“We do assist in other matters,” said the General after a moment of thought. “When an emergency situation rises, Fort Chrostorm is used to house civilians who have lost their homes. There are also times we have been called upon to help the Clubbers with their duty.”
Without thinking, Twilight leaned her head close to Count Raven’s. “What are Clubbers?” she asked quickly in a whisper.
“Local law enforcement,” the stallion whispered back. “They got the name from the wooden club weapons they carried since it was illegal for any thestral to own a metal weapon that wasn’t military. While the laws have changed the name has not.”
“That second part has become more common as of late,” continued Steel Trap as if the two had not spoken a word. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he spoke while his voice held an edge to it that was so sharp it could slice down the walls of the fort. “Back when my troops were being used as thugs for the Princess, gangs began to rise up all over the country. Thestrals coming together and stealing in order to survive. Even though that foul mare is no longer in power, the gangs have remained and have continued to cause trouble. However, with the storm weakening to such a degree I have been unable to justify sending troops to help the Clubbers. Protecting our border is far more important at this moment.” He then turned to look at Twilight and when he spoke next his voice was far more in control. “I have expressed this to the Great Houses several times. Without proper fortification and weaponry at such a key point, we will require a large amount of hoof soldiers to stand guard. They do not understand. If they would simply supply us with the material to finish building a proper line of defense then I could spare more troops to help end these gangs.”
“I,” began Twilight but stopped herself quickly. She realized what the General was doing right now and what it would mean for her. It was simple enough to see that he wanted additional funding to help his cause. If she gave it to him, the General might become an ally that would support her. Yet, if she did that, it might turn the other Great Houses against her. Also…
“General, I understand your concern and your desire to protect Thunder Valley. I also understand the need to build this fort. However, there are many others who need those grits. From what I have been able to look at in my short time here many schools have shut down due to improper funding as well as several services such as fire prevention. There are probably more areas that need to be addressed. I need to consider what would help all of Thunder Valley.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw the Count give a slight nod. The General, on the other hoof, did not seem pleased by this decision.
“That is the same tripe I have heard from the Great Houses,” he said coldly. “What good will schools and such do us if we are invaded by a foreign power?”
“It means you won’t have to waste time teaching your new recruits how to read and write,” snapped Spike as he hopped off of Twilight’s back.
As the General glared at Spike, Twilight let out a sigh before speaking again. “He does have a point General. Educated troops would probably be easier to train in the more complicated areas of the military. Also I doubt that we will be invaded any time soon. The only entrance into the Valley is well within Equestrian territory. Princess Celestia would never invade another nation without cause.”
As she spoke, Steel Trap looked from Spike to her. His expression an unreadable mask once more, but his eyes told a different story. They looked at her as if she were a stupid fool in every sense of the word. When she finished talking, the General turned around so he was facing them before walking towards Twilight. It was only when he was face to face with Twilight did he stop. Twilight could feel her wings twitch as if they were screaming for her to get away from him. Her legs wanted to back away for the metal mouthed stallion. Yet Twilight did her best to remain calm and where she was.
“With all due respect, you are overlooking other possible threats,” said the General in a tone that suggested like this was something obvious. “For example, what if a massive army were to stop at the border of Equestria? One that greatly outnumbered their own military. But they did not want to invade Equestria, but Thunder Valley. Let’s say that their leader made a deal with Princess Celestia: allow my troops to walk through your land unopposed and no harm shall befall your subjects. Given the situation, the most rational conclusion to make would be to throw us into the spinning gears in order to save her subjects.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed at this. “Princess Celestia would never do that!”
“Perhaps,” conceded Steel Trap. “You would know her better than I do. Then let’s say that her kingdom was invaded suddenly and swiftly defeated with this land being the next target. They would march upon this land with no difficulty, taking whatever supplies they could gather from Equestria as they went before launching into battle against us. Without any warning or information on a foe like this, it is difficult to say how many would survive if we were to win that battle. If we lost, how many innocent ponies would die afterwards? Or perhaps they would just cross Equestria without anypony knowing? Perhaps a dragon or something similar come to plunder our land.”
Twilight was unable to stop her eyes from widening. These were very valid points and were sadly very possible. She could still remember the changeling invasion of Canterlot as if it had just happened yesterday. What if they had won that day? Would they have been content to stay in Equestria, or would they have moved to conquer more land once they too saw that the storm was weakening? It would have been very easy to come in here using their magic to disguise themselves as the local thestrals and formulate an attack plan. In fact, it was possible that they might set their sights on this kingdom. An entire army of changelings might be able to move across Equestria without anypony realizing it!
The dragon angle was also very possible. Nopony in their right mind would try to tell a dragon where to go, simply desiring to stay out of its way. A dragon could now easily fly through the pass and probably destroy any zeppelins the General had stationed. While she doubted a fort would be enough of a deterrent to something like that, it might be a decent shelter for those who are injured.
“I see you at least understand,” said the General as he observed Twilight’s expression.
Twilight nodded. “You have your concerns. However, with the power I have been given I will need to take in all of the other concerns that are brought in. Hopefully I will be able to figure something out that benefits all parties.”
Steel Trap looked at Twilight for a moment or two before turning around. “I suppose that is the best I could hope for. Right now anyway. Hopefully you will make the correct decision.” There was a brief pause. “I believe that your personal guard is doing his blunderbuss training right now.” With that said he began to walk away.
Sighing, Twilight and her company followed. As they walked the purple alicorn wondered if she had handled things correctly or not. All in all, she might have appeared weak by not remaining firm enough or…something. In truth she felt way over her head, wishing that she knew how Princess Celestia did things like this every day. From all the times Twilight had watched her in the past, Princess Celestia also seemed to know what she was doing and just what to say to everypony around her.
There was another thing bothering her, something that had been creeping in the back of her brain ever since the General brought up a possible attack on Canterlot. How much did he really know about the threats that Equestria had faced in the past? The only creature that existed outside the Valley that Twilight had heard was dragons. They had told her that they knew about some of her past heroism…but how much did they really know? Did they know about how Discord tried to turn Ponyville into the chaos capital of the world? Did they know about King Sombra’s return and the threat it had posed? Did they know that the changelings almost succeeded in doing what the General had feared?
That last one specifically bothered Twilight to no end. If he did know, why didn’t he remind Twilight about that incident in a more pointed fashion? Or even mention the changelings by name? If he had, the effectiveness of his argument would have been greater simply by stating a specific example of past Equestrian failure. The more she thought about it, she doubted that the General would wait any longer to finish building the fort if he knew about the shapeshifters. Was it possible that something like that had been omitted to Count Raven? Or was it that Count Raven had neglected to tell the Great Houses. If that were the case then-
A loud bang interrupted Twilight’s thoughts as well as causing her to jump in the air. Spike let out a yelp of fright at the same time and she could feel the dragon’s body going rigid. As the pair landed on the ground, Twilight became aware of what was before them. It was a machine whose shape reminded Twilight of a Hearth’s Warming Tree colored in brass and copper. It stood tall, large enough for Twilight to crane her neck all the way to look at its top. She could see that it was spinning around in three different segments, with the top and bottom moving one way while the middle moved in the opposite. Sticking out of the machine in random locations were metallic bars holding target boards at the end of them which, as Twilight managed to notice, were all dented and a few even had holes in them.
There was another loud bang that only caused the fur on Twilight’s body to stand on end this time as a thestral was flying around close to the machine. She watched this soldier as he or she dodged the bars while pointing his odd weapon at the targets. For a moment, Twilight assumed the weapon would be launched from his hooves and then grabbed again in a stunning display of areal skill. Instead there was another loud bang as something very, very fast and very small was launched from the end of the weapon. Had it not been for all her times watching the speedy pegasi of Equestria flying around she might not have been able to see it. But she did. Whatever was fired hit one of the targets close to the center as the soldier continued to dodge.
“Wh-What is that?” asked Twilight as she pointed a hoof at the weapon.
Steel Trap, who was still in front of her, turned around with a look of either amusement or superiority. Perhaps even both. “That is a blunderbuss,” he said calmly as another loud bang filled the air.
Twilight said nothing as she watched the soldier continue with the training in amazement. She had, of course, seen unicorns use their magic to blast foes from a distance. She had also seen Rainbow Dash buck a cloud in order to get lightning to shoot out of it for a prank. But this…this was something else entirely. This was a weapon that could deal serious damage and useable by any tribe of pony. While lacking the versatility of magical beams, it would certainly do the job in the right hooves. Or, as she remembered all of the rebellions, do great harm in the wrong hooves.
Eventually, the machine began to pick up speed, turning faster so as to reduce the amount of time the soldier had to aim as well as needing to dodge more. “Usually we have more thestrals training at once,” said Steel Trap coolly. “Another part of the training is to ensure we don’t hit our own troops when we aim. Naturally we use training rounds to ensure if an accident does happen there is no permanent damage. But then again, we also need to make sure that our troops always remain aware of their surroundings.” As he spoke, something happened. Something that looked like steam shot out at the training pony with enough force that he was blown off course. So much so that he was blown face first into one of the bars he was trying to avoid.
As the soldier fell towards the ground, Twilight used her magic without a second thought. A purplish glow surrounded the fallen soldier as he was slowly lowered to the ground. She could see heads turning in surprise at this, but all the ponies around them remained in their ranks. When his body touched the ground, the soldier let out a groan before trying to get back on his legs.
“A poor showing by him,” said General Steel Trap. “Too focused on what was before him that he failed to take notice of anything else.” As he said this, the General brought his hoof up to touch his metallic chin. Twilight did her best not to think about what this might indicate as she moved over to the soldier.
“Are you ok?” she asked as she looked at the pony whom she had just saved.
“Yes ma’am,” said the soldier as he saluted her on shaky legs. His left wing was brought up to his forehead while his left front leg pounded against his chest. Next to him was his blunderbuss tucked under his right wing. “I’m fine ma’am.”
Steel Trap let out a sigh. “I had hoped to introduce you to him under better circumstances,” he said while giving the soldier a disapproving look. “Princess Twilight, allow me to introduce to you Specialist Starfall Barrage. He will be your personal guard.”
“It is an honor ma’am,” said Starfall quickly as he continued to salute her. “Ma’am, I hope you do not hold this against me. I can assure you that I will be diligent in my duty to protect you.”
“Ah, at ease?” she said uncertainty. Instantly Starfall returned to a normal stance as he continued to look in Twilight’s direction from behind his mask. Twilight couldn’t help but smile uncomfortably, sweat appearing along-
“I swing my blade, swing my blade so much faster than the rest~,” sang a mare’s voice in the distance. At once, the orderly feel of the area dissolved and was replaced with an aura of fear so powerful that Twilight could taste it on her tongue. She looked over at Spike who just shrugged before turning her attention to Steel Trap. The metal jawed stallion looked like he was watching his life flash before his eyes.
It was then that Twilight spotted a uniformed mare zooming overhead moving towards the training machine. While her attire was the same as all of the other soldiers around Twilight, there were a few additions to it. First thing Twilight noticed was that her saddle bags were smaller with tubes that lead to two smaller blunderbusses that she held in either hoof. Across her barrel were two bandoliers that made an X formation, full of grenades. Then, to top it all off, the mare had a massive battle axe strapped to her back that shined in the moonlight. One other thing Twilight noticed was that something was covering one of the yellow lenses on her mask. It looked as red as blood, perhaps part of her mane sticking out.
“I swing my blade, swing my blade right into your chest~,” continued the song as the mare got in as close to the machine as Starfall had been while holding out her twin hoofheld blunderbusses. What happened next caused Twilight to stare in amazement. The mare fired her weapons, hitting two targets at the same time. She shifted and moved fluidly to dodge the incoming targets before shooting them from behind. It was like everything was moving in slow motion for this mare, able to see and react to everything perfectly. She even moved in time to avoid the same steam blast that took out Starfall.
The machine was moving faster now and twelve targets had been destroyed. The mare had put away her mini blunderbusses so she could now wield her axe with both hooves. As she sliced through the first bar holding up one of the targets, Twilight remembered seeing a few earth ponies back in Equestria training with the same type of weapon. At the time, she didn’t find it impressive seeing that a unicorn could levitate the same weapon with much greater ease and finesse than one of them. Now she was looking at a mare, about half the size as the earth pony stallions she remembered, wielding the giant axe as if it her an extension of herself.
“I swing my blade, swing my blade so nopony can protest~,” continued the mare gleefully as her axe suddenly swung into the spinning machine behind her. Then, before Twilight knew what was going on, the mare tossed in one of her grenades before flying away. “That I am the BEST!” As she sang that last word the machine behind her exploded causing most of the soldier to shield themselves or run away. The only one of them to do anything else was General Steel Trap who moved in front of Princess Twilight as if to shield her with his body.
Reacting more than thinking, Twilight closed her eyes as her horn lit up. Instantly a wall of purplish colored magic appeared out of nowhere to block all the incoming debris. Chunks of flaming metal in various sizes bounced off the wall before falling to the ground. Most stared at the wall, wondering where it came from but those few who were closest to the princess watched as she struggled to keep it up.
“Some protector,” muttered Spike. Without dropping her shield, Twilight looked over where the voice had come from and saw Spike standing next to Starfall with his arms crossed and shaking his head. Starfall had his belly pressed against the dirt covered surface with both his front hooves over his head.
At this point Twilight could no longer feel any pressure being put upon her shield. Meaning that the danger was most likely over. Sighing in relief, Twilight turned her attention back to what was before her. Bolts, gears, and an assortment of parts Twilight couldn’t comprehend laid around what had once been the training machine. Now it was nothing more than a pile of junk with dark smoke pouring into the sky. As she dropped her shield, Twilight noticed that the mare who had done all this was dancing in the sky with her axe serving as her partner. She twirled around gleefully, as if she was unaware of the damage she had just caused, reminding Twilight a bit of another pony she knew.
“Your Grace,” breathed Count Raven at last, his voice full of shock. Twilight turned around to look at him, his coat several shades paler. “Is…Is everything alright? Nothing hurt?”
“She’s fine,” said Spike before she could speak, waving his hand as he continued to look at Starfall. “Throwing up a shield like that is nothing for somepony like Twilight.”
Twilight rolled her eyes before smiling at Count Raven. “I’m fine Count,” she said before she turned to look at the rest of the troops. “Is anypony hurt?”
“OVERKILL!” screamed the General, surprising Twilight and her friends so much that they all jumped. Steel Trap, Twilight saw, was bright red in the face with veins sticking out along his neck and temples. The mare in the sky stopped her dance and it seemed that she was finally taking in the damage she caused as she looked downward. Head lowered, she scratched the back of her helmet before landing on the ground as she chuckled weakly.
“Specialist Overkill reporting,” she said in a weak tone.
“Why. Are. You. Here?” breathed the General as he fumed with rage. His anger was so intense that both Twilight and Spike flinched upon every syllable spoken.
“Well sir,” began Overkill. “I saw that the target machine was free. It had been a while and wanted to take a swing at-”
“You know what I mean!” yelled Steel Trap as he slammed his hoof against the ground. “You were sentenced to a month of solitary confinement after you ‘cleaned’ the latrine.”
“To be fair sir, you said you didn’t want to see any grime and you didn’t. Because I blew it up!” At that the General’s face grew redder. “And about my solitary confinement it, well, ended about an hour ago. Came straight here to get some practice in to make sure I hadn’t grown too rusty.” The Mare suddenly tilted her head in a questioning way. “Sir, did you forget? Maybe old age is catching up with you.”
“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?!?” roared the General, one eye going wide while his head twitched. “WE DO NOT USE LIVE AMMO DURING TRAINING! WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THAT HEAD OF YOURS? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY GRITS-”
“Hey, who’s that?” interrupted Overkill as she pointed to Twilight with her wing. As the General looked like his head was about to burst into flames, Overkill approached Twilight and began to look her over. “Wow, she’s got a horn on her head so she can stab her enemies with a head butt. Did some crazy doc weld this thing to your head and you just painted it? That had to be painful. Or did you…wait a moment.” Overkill’s head was now looking at Twilight’s wings. “Feathered? Sir, I-I don’t think this is a thestral.”
“No she isn’t,” growled the General who seemed to be doing everything in his power to calm down.
Overkill turned her head to look at the General, tilting her head in a questioning manner. “Then what is she? And what is she doing here?”
“Her Grace is Princess Twilight Sparkle from Equestria,” said Count Raven stepping forward and gaining Overkill’s attention. “Currently Her Grace has been chosen to temporarily rule over Thunder Valley and, as such, requires a body guard.”
“Oh,” replied the masked mare. “Well, good luck with that.” She then stretched her back, fanning her wings as she did so. “Me, I think I’d better check and see if all of my other skills haven’t gotten rusty.”
As the General looked like he was about to object, probably to tell her that she was being kicked out of the Army or something like that, Twilight smiled before speaking. “Well don’t take too long because we’ll be leaving soon. That includes you Overkill. Because I would like you to be my personal bodyguard.” Twilight could hear the world shattering as she said this. Spike looked at her in disbelief while all of the stallions whose faces she could see appeared horrified by this news. Not that she could blame them.
“Y-Your Grace,” said Count Raven as he stumbled with his words. “P-Perhaps I misheard. Forgive me but it sounded as though Your Grace wishes for this…walking disaster to come to the Capital, the head of Your Grace’s government, to be a bodyguard?” Twilight nodded causing the Count to appear as though he were having a heart attack. “Your Grace, this seems most unorthodox! From all accounts seen thus far she’s likely to try to kill a fly with a pistol! Or a grenade! Surely Your Grace can see this?!”
“Not happening,” said Overkill as she shook her head rapidly. “Staying in the castle will probably be the most boring thing ever! I’ll go crazy!”
“S-She can get crazier?!?” screamed somepony in the crowd.
At that moment, the General seemed to return to his senses. “Princess, Specialist Overkill is…not suited for the type of work required to be a bodyguard,” he said as he approached Twilight, his tone very serious. “She is more suited for destroying a rebel hold out or leveling a city block. Now, Specialist Starfall on the other…hoof…” Twilight looked down at Starfall who was still on the ground, looking up at them all while shaking slightly. Once again Steel Trap’s eye began to twitch something awful at this sight while Overkill facehoofed.
“Specialist Starfall, you may rise,” said Twilight. At once the soldier scrambled to his hooves before saluting while Twilight fought to keep a certain look off of her face as she returned to look at Steel Trap. One that said ‘really, you think he’ll keep me safe?’ “General, I am sure that Starfall is a good soldier and that you had good reasons to choose him over so many others. I also understand your concerns about Overkill. But this is a decision I feel confident about.”
For the longest time, the two stood there looking at each other. Twilight waited, expecting him to get angry again. To point and shout about all the damage that Overkill would most likely cause within Automahollow. That she should instead be kicked out of the military or banished or whatever it was that happened to ponies here. She waited for Steel Trap to demand some sort of explanation as to why she wanted Overkill or some justification for keeping her around. Yet, strangely, none of that happened. Steel Trap just nodded as if he accepted this.
“Specialist Overkill,” he said as he turned to the mare. “Head over to my office so we can go over your new assignment.” With that, the stallion turned to Twilight as Overkill flew off and told her that she would be back in a short while. That she would feel more comfortable waiting for her in their carriage. He then bowed before walking away, barking at all the soldiers gathered around to clean up the mess.
“That was weird,” said Twilight as the group headed towards their carriage.
“Not really,” said Count Raven. “Please remember that Your Grace has the final word. The General is bound to obey. Still, this could work against Your Grace. Should that crazy mare do too much damage Your Grace will share some of the blame for bringing her to the castle. Then, if the Great Houses question me and the General, I shall be bound by law to answer truthfully that I did not recommend this.”
“I understand,” said Twilight. “The last thing I would want from you is to break the law just because I made a mistake.”
“Your Grace, a question if I can?” asked the Count which Twilight nodded. “Why did Your Grace request that mare? Surely it wouldn’t be a simple whim.”
Twilight let out a sigh. “Specialist Starfall just made me feel uncomfortable. I just kept imagining him standing behind me rigidly while I’m trying look over my work or holding court. Maybe if I got to know him a bit better he might loosen up a bit, but still it would have made it difficult to become friends with him.” Seeing Count Raven raise an eyebrow at this, Twilight continued. “I’d rather be on friendly terms with those around me, even if for no other reason than to make me more comfortable. Plus, she reminds me of one of my friends back in Equestria.”
“Not to mention she was much more impressive than that coward,” added Spike.
Count Raven hummed at that. “You do make a valid point,” he said to Spike. “I will admit that I was impressed by her skill, but that was before I witnessed her reckless destruction!”
“Which is another reason I’d like to keep her close,” continued Twilight. “As long as she’s close I’ll be able to keep an eye on her and use my magic to keep property damage to a minimum. Also while she’s with me, fewer machines here will be destroyed by her. Pretty sure that will save on some grits.”
“Only if you can keep an eye on her all the time, Your Grace,” said Count Raven. “But, I do see Your Grace’s point. I’m pretty sure that had Your Grace not intervened, the General would have dismissed her from the military completely. Given her skill and the amount of grits that probably went into her training it would have been a shame.”
“But doesn’t it seemed odd?” asked Spike as he furrowed his brows. “I mean the General doesn’t seem like the type of stallion to keep somepony around like that for long. Feels weird that he didn’t kick her to the curb long ago. Is she his daughter or something?”
“General Steel Trap has never married anypony,” said the Count as he looked down at Spike. “The stallion is wed to his work and his duty alone. Yet once again I am inclined to agree with you. The General I have known for years would never keep somepony around like that without good reason.”
-x-
“Well this is a fine mess you put us in Overkill,” said Steel Trap as the two entered his office. The room was very Spartan-like, holding only things that he needed. There was no clutter of pictures on the metallic walls or awards from his past deeds. There were no knick-knacks on his desk, only an in and out tray along with the needed pens to sign with. Beyond the single desk was a chair for him to sit behind which he did as Overkill on the opposite side.
“Not my fault you thought giving them Starfall was a good idea,” replied Overkill in a somewhat amused tone. “The stallion has got to have the lowest combat skill rating out of all the Specialists. If you wanted him to look impressive in front of the Princess, then maybe you should have set the difficulty level to beginners. Would have made anypony look amazing to her.”
“I would have hoped that by now he would have advanced above such a level,” replied Steel Trap. “Now I know what I’ll be driving into his skull while you’re on your next mission.”
“Ahh, come on sir,” groaned Overkill. “Do I really have to do this? Can’t you just send me on another solo mission to annihilate rebel scum?”
“Out of the twenty Specialists, Starfall has the least amount of combat skills,” said Steel Trap above Overkill’s groaning. “But his skills in information gathering are almost unmatched. That was the reason I had decided to assign him to the Princess, to discreetly uncover as much information about the outside world as possible.”
Overkill tilted her head. “Sir, do you think that Equestria is a threat?”
The General did not answer right away, instead averting his eyes to the surface of his desk. If she had asked him this earlier this night then he would have said no. The Princess seemed surprised by almost all of their most basic technology, looking at it with the intrigue and wonder of a foal. What information he was able to get from her during their tour suggested that Equestria barely had any technology at their hooves relying on melee and other outdated weapons. No, it would be all the other lands that were surrounded in mystery that he wanted to know about. All the other possible threats that were out there, those who would wish harm to all of ponykind. Knowing who they were, how to combat them, would be the first step in ensuring their safety.
Yet that was before the General witnessed Twilight’s magic at work. When she had mentioned a magical barrier, he thought of it more like a moving shield or whatnot. Just something small and basic. Now, after seeing Princess Twilight protecting not just herself but a good number of his troops with a single spell, made him realize just how short sighted he had been. If she could do that, then maybe others in Equestria could do the same as well. Protect their troops from their ammo as they stormed the field and the skies. What if their magic could do more than simply lift objects or create barriers?
“It is possible,” replied the General as he slowly looked up at her. “Which is why we need to gather this intel. Any information you can gather like troop strength, what their magic is capable of, if there are other races living in Equestria, and so forth will aid us in determining this. I will also need you to find out everything you can about that purple dragon’s weaknesses.”
“Wait…dragon?” said Overkill as she took a step back. “That purple thing with them was a dragon? But, but dragons are supposed to be huge and-and breathe fire! They’re supposed to be total bad-flanks, not some tiny cute thing that makes me want to hurl!”
“Apparently this is a baby dragon has been by the princess’s side since the day it hatched,” replied the General. “This could mean that Equestria has a dragon air force at their command. Or, at the very least, dragons living amongst them. Either way, we need to know how to fight them should one of them get into the Valley. Our history books speaks of the dangers they posed and there is that large skeleton by Webbings Fall. We need to verify fact from fiction as soon as possible.”
Overkill let out a sigh. “I guess,” she said. “Lousy tiny dragon ruining my fantasy,” she added under her breath. Steel Trap shook his head at that. Everypony in the fort knew that it was Overkill’s fantasy to slay a mythical creature like a dragon in single combat, riding its corpse as it fell from the sky. Something that most thestrals who knew her believed could happen. It was one of the reasons General Steel Trap kept her around.
As well as not wanting her to join the enemy side.
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oh god he is your typical paranoid general
i.imgflip.com/19uk6a.jpg
9149251
Well, he does have a reason to be paranoid.
9149251
But doesn't that make sense in this situation? These ponies have no idea of the outside world nor what magic could do until this chapter. Also the story is stating how common rebellions are so that might also play into Steel Traps character
...did her parents just have amazing foresight, or is "Overkill" a name she chose for herself?
A good way Twilight could fix up the country and make the people happy would be to sell Alabaster junk to rich people in Equestria and using a good chunk of the money building small forts that don't need a large garrison around the valley opening. That would keep the military happy and provide jobs for awhile helping with the economy until a long term plan can be created and put in place.
I can see his fear as being logical. Growing up in a land with no unicorn magic, he has no idea what it can do or that Twilight is well above the skill level of most other ponies even before becoming a princess.
Also, Twilight just hired the Bat Pony equivalent of Junkrat from Overwatch to be her body guard. This can only end with more explosions
I like that mare.
I’m going to have to go to the start and reread everything because you are either getting better at writing or this is becoming one of my favorite stories.
Either is good because one way or another I still love this story!
I hope for another update soon!
me think overkill will be join the princess side of thing when it all said and done,
I do hope that overkill meets pinkie pie and rainbow dash
9151486
Can't it be both?
9153677
Yes, yes it can.
I can see Overkill being bord out of her mind one minute, then be like "Hey Spike lets go play catch with a live grenade", and the general is going to feel REALLY stupid when he learns Twilight would have told him all the things he wanted to know if he just asked.
Is it me or does the thought of wild theory and overkill meeting make others shudder as well?
I have to admit, im really enjoying this story. the culture clash and the web of intrigue and distrust is wonderfully well written and the characters are believable and engaging. very well done!
9155789
Thank you
All together now...
There’s no kill like Overkill!
Methinks Steel trap needs a little vacation.
Granted, I ALSO think that if he DOES take one, Tartarus will burst open as if on cue.
All in all, I am enjoying this story so far!
You just have to bring back Overkill who you killed in The Thousand Year Change huh?
9424804
yep
Ordered.
9149297
Good points. That said, I get the feeling that he might do things under the table in a misguided attempt to keep HIS country SAFE. His wanting to know Spike's weaknesses gives me a picture of someone who would happily doom the country to death by isolated stagnation than risk working with others.