Starting A Flame

by Star_Shade

Chapter [5] The final test

“Well, I have good news from the west, but bad news from the north. Which would you like to hear first?” asked Shining Moon just as he pushed aside the tent flap returning from a meeting with his scouts.

“I suppose we may have the good news, then the bad,” replied Moon Melody, perking up from her seat. A smile plastered itself on her muzzle at the sight of the stallion.

“Well, the good news is that our spies have found another group that has been working against Nightmare Moon. From what our scouts saw, this group seems to be wearing royal guard uniforms, as well as acting and fighting in a militaristic way. I, along with our advisors, believe that they may be a secret division that Celestia had created. Possibly to start their own resistance should Celestia fall.” Shining smiled, pulling his hoof around Moon Melody’s neck. “I have sent out more scouts, but this party has been extremely elusive. They have yet to be found by Nightmare Moon’s forces, as well as our own. Though we think they may be operating somewhere along the Unicorn Range mountains,” he finished energetically.

“That sounds really great. And the bad news?” asked Moon Melody, nuzzling him back. Shining Moon’s smile immediately fell.

“As you know, our training process has been stretched and accelerated as much as possible. The advisors think that a few more days of training, and our recruits will be ready for the field. I already have a few specific missions for most of them in mind.” Moon Melody tapped her hoof impatiently. Shining swiftly continued, “However, news of Nightmare Moon gathering her forces made their way to us. Several towns have been receiving more and more soldiers. It is becoming harder for our spies to get information, and the chance of capture has increased dramatically,” said Shining Moon, downcast.

“Oh. This is concerning. Do we have any idea what Nightmare Moon is planning?” wondered Moon Melody.

“Sadly no, and it gets worse,” continued the stallion. “Apparently, an entire nation has suddenly appeared in the north. Somehow, the old legendary city from Crystal Mountains has returned. Our advisors are baffled, and our casters have received incredibly high amounts of magic coming from the city. Our forces are already spread out too thin to amass a large enough party to investigate what is happening.”

“Hmm. The appearance of a completely new nation could prove to be problematic. We have no idea what their military strength is, or which side they may fight for. Continue to keep me informed, I shall think of a plan to deal with these new circumstances,” replied Moon Melody, tapping her chin in thought.

“Very well then, you will be the first to know of any new developments in either area,” said Shining Moon. He patted her shoulder before exiting the tent, leaving Moon Melody to ponder over a map of the land.

---

Dasher dodged another swing from her opponent. She had been tasked with disarming and defeating one pony of each race singehoofedly. Her easiest opponent, an earth pony had proven more difficult than she thought. He suddenly body-slammed Dasher, sending her flying into the mud. She coughed, waiting for air to return to her lungs. The earth pony slowly advanced onher.

Getting up and dusting off, Dasher glared at him. The words of her trainers rushed through her mind as she dodged a swing from the stallion.. Learn to fight with unconventional attacks. Your enemies will play dirty, so play dirtier. A nasty buck missed her by a hair’s width. Use your surroundings to your advantage and never surrender ground. Adapt, and you will survive. Dasher gritted her teeth. She hated them, but understood their points.

With a deep breath she rustled her armor back into place, before charging her opponent again. This time however, she flicked some mud up with a wing, right into his eyes. Using her chance, Dasher was able to land a few hits on his side and knees and send her opponent sprawling.

Once the earth pony was up again, they circled each other a few times. Quickly growing bored, Dasher let out a low growl. Her wings twitched and she propelled herself at him, slamming into his neck. He held up a hoof. She grabbed it. The two wrestled around, muscles bulging and sweat drenching their coats. She flapped her wings, pushim him into a puddle of mud. The stallion slipped, Dasher’s hoof grabbing a hold of him before he hit the ground. Pinning him down, she hesitated, then roughly caught his head and twisted slightly, as if to snap his neck. Dasher waited for the instructor's call to stop. When she received the signal, she let go.

“Excellent job. Just remember, if you were in an actual situation like that, you won’t have the chance to hesitate before your opponent breaks free from you. It should be over in an instant,” said her supervisor, before a paramedic team came by to check over the stallion. Dasher only grunted in response.

Next came the pegasus. With them both wearing light armor, the two jumped into the sky once the whistle was blown. Flying in circles, Dasher gauged her adversary. He seemed to be well-built, having the stamina to somewhat keep up with her. Yet Dasher knew she was faster. Catching a sudden gust of wind, Dasher pushed into the air, before doing a one-eighty and diving at her opponent.

Always keep your body in peak physical condition. You never know when something unexpected happens and you lose the ability to move a limb. Overcome any obstacle that presents itself! The rushing wind took the words of her instructors from her ears. She reached the pegasus, locked her hooves around him. He headbutted her, limbs tackling her sides. The two spun around, with Dasher keeping a mental note of how fast the ground was coming up to meet them. A metal-clad hoof sliced around her flight muscles. She hissed in pain and returned a few punches of her own. He howled in pain. She smirked and let go just in time, leaving her opponent to slam into the ground.

Landing gracefully, Dasher approached the pegasus. He lay on his side, one wing outstretched, the other gingerly clutched in his hooves. She shoved him face first into the ground, pushing his wing back. The stallion whimpered as the wing creaked and cracked. Another push and it’d dislocate. A whistle pierced the air. Dasher let go, satisfied.

---

For her final combatant, Dasher was fitted with a special set of armor which negated most magic, however, it also held her wings strapped to her sides. Her final opponent, a unicorn mare, was the most elusive pony Dasher had ever faced. She simply sitting on the ground, looking at her. Doing a double take, Dasher quizzically looked at the mare again. She was just sitting there, what was she playing at? Thinking that the unicorn had probably frozen, Dasher decided to just run over and tackle her opponent.

Just before she reached her, a small part of her brain considered if it was too easy, before the more aggressive part took over, silencing the tendril of doubt. Barreling straight forward, Dasher braced for impact. Surprised, she only met empty air. Checking her speed, she looked around for the mare. Finding nothing, Dasher was confused, snapping her head in every direction.

Always pay attention to everything. Take note that there might be other assailants that attempt to be stealthy. One slip up could be a slit to the throat of your commanding officer. Be on the lookout for the imperfections in reality. Dasher gritted her teeth and sighed.“Show yourself, you coward!” she yelled, trying to provoke the mare out of hiding. Her only response was giggles coming from all around her. Giggles, seriously? Who giggled when fighting? Stuck in her stupor of annoyance, Dasher didn’t notice a bolt wheezing at her. It struck her armor, sending an electrical spark along her body.

Supremely pissed off, Dasher turned this way and that, scanning the field. Nothing stood out to her. After a moment of calm, Dasher decided to use her other senses. She closed her eyes. Hearing her blood pump in her ears, she could smell the field, feel the dried mud under her hooves and the taste of blood from her previous fight. Her ear twitched. There! She heard the sound of the unicorn breathing just a few meters away.

Trotting over in a flash, Dasher struck the spot where she thought the mare was. Feeling a fleshy resistance, she did her best to grab her opponent. The mare shimmered in her grasp. Dasher made another attempt to subdue the unicorn, but only felt a slippery surface with a hoof. “A friction spell,” Dasher muttered, continuing to claw at her.

She panted, glaring at her semi-transparent opponent. Dasher stepped back. The unicorn suddenly shifted, firing bolts of energy at her. Dasher, doing her best to dance around the projectiles, was able to jump over the barrier her opponent summoned. The pegasus landed a few blows. Her opponent immediately rolled away, charged up her horn, and fired a huge blast at Dasher.

Unable to dodge in time, Dasher took on the full effect. Jarred to the bone, Dasher opened an eye tentatively. Seeing that her armor had completely absorbed the blast, she shrugged it off. The unicorn charged her horn again. Dasher broke off a piece of the armor and dove forward. The sharp, jagged steel cut into the mare's legs, her spell imploding.

Brandishing the shard of her armor, Dasher pushed it to the unicorn’s neck, grazing her hairs. Her opponent looked at her fearfully. Dasher froze. Those eyes, those eyes awakened a memory inside of her. Something that she had suppressed for a long time. It was the same look that Dawn Lighter, her friend before all this, had given. It reminded her of the horror Dawn Lighter experienced as she was corrupted by Nightmare Moon’s magic. The look of somepony pleading, begging for release. Dasher suddenly gasped and let go of her weapon, the memory taking its effect.

Shaking herself, Dasher looked at her hooves. She had been so close to killing somepony, the feeling slowly consuming her. With a quick word, the supervisors called off the fight. They told her that she had been marked off, but still had passed the overall test. Their words slowly faded into the background, as Dasher came into grips with what she had just come close to doing.

---

Taking a shower, Dasher watched as blood fell away from her. Most of it was hers, but some had been her opponents’. Her mind in turmoil, she hadn’t even noticed the water losing its warmth. A banging hoof brought her back into reality, reminding her of the limited time. Cleaning up, she found Moon Nettle standing in the doorway.

“Hey. I am sorry I wasn’t able to watch. Are you doing okay?” asked Moon Nettle suddenly, noticing her tired friend.

“Yeah, I am fine… Let’s get some grub,” Dasher mumbled. Moon Nettle gave her a sideways glance before following her out of the building. They walked in silence, making their way to the mess hall. They ate quietly, Moon Nettle sneaking a few more glances at Dasher.

“So… did you pass or fail?” the earth pony asked finally.

“I think I passed… I don't really want to talk about it,” replied Dasher, staring into her porridge.

“Ah, okay…” said Moon Nettle, picking up the subtle cues. “At least you have your mission coming up soon.”

“Yeah, three more days of learning, then I will be out of here. What about you? Were you given anything since we last spoke?”

“Sadly no, but my own assessment will be the day after you leave. Hopefully once I pass, they will have an assignment for me,” said Moon Nettle, disappointment creeping into her voice.

“Cheer up, at least we have that final class tomorrow. Any idea who our teacher for this ‘Apothecary’ position is?” asked Dasher. “I sure hope it isn’t Mueller again. I can’t focus with that stallion yelling at us all the time.”

“Honestly, I have no idea. Nopony I know has taken the class. It probably has something to do with basic survival in the field or something,” said Moon Nettle, grinning. “I have always had a knack for--” A messenger burst through the doors of the mess hall, the building immediately quieting to mere hushed murmurs.

“They are here! Everypony come and see!” he yelled, before turning and sprinting out. Everyone that was present got up and made a mad dash for the door. Dasher and Moon Nettle looked at each other, confusion spreading across their features.

“And just when I was getting into my hayburger,” grumbled Moon Nettle, rolling her eyes and getting up. The two followed the rest of the group to the edge of the camp. Once outside, they tried to get a good view, shoving other ponies out of the way. Reaching the front, they found a group of at least one hundred soldiers in flashing gold armor, standing at attention behind a single pony.

Ponies around Dasher whispered about the appearance of the gruffly looking pegasus at the front. A few speculated that he was the general, while others gasped and pointed out the numerous scars running down his exposed flesh. Dasher’s attention quickly snapped back when Shining Moon calmly walked out of his command tent to greet the grizzled leader. Continuing to watch, Dasher was just barely out of earshot to pick up what they were saying. However, she noticed that both of them reacted negatively to a few of each other’s words. Yet this was soon resolved and they embraced, turning to face the same tent that Shining Moon had left.

A hush fell over the camp as Moon Melody stepped out of the command tent. Dasher had not seen her since she had been accepted, and the ex-princess rarely met others in public. Yet, as she came out, she greeted the old general happily, embracing him the same way that Shining Moon had.

The pink alicorn then trotted before the gathered crowd. Clearing her throat, she gestured to the newcovers. “Everypony! I would like to introduce you all to General Solar Comet! He, along with his small division, are all that remains of the old guard. They had been hidden away by Celestia, should she fall.” A plethora of gasps rose from the onlookers. “They were tasked with creating their own resistance to topple Nightmare Moon and return peace to our land. Do your best to welcome them into our camp. Now, everypony is dismissed,” Moon Melody announced.

With the crowd breaking, Dasher looked for Moon Nettle. “Can you believe this?” she exclaimed once she found her friend. “More ponies to help us fight Nightmare Moon. Kind of stinks that I have my mission and won't have much time to talk with anypony.”

“Well, if you want, once you get back from your mission, I will tell you everything I learn. But if I am on my own mission, you tell me everything you learn once I get back. Deal?” asked Moon Nettle, raising a hoof.

“Deal,” replied Dasher, bumping it.

Author's Note:

Guess I gotta earn that Teen rating. Pushing Dasher to her limits for this one. Stay tuned for the next few chapter, as we get to see her first assignment! Enjoy!

Edited V.1.1, added more detail, as well as a better introduction to events.

Comments

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Is Moon Nettle suppose to be somepony from the show or is she a new character?

[Star_Shade]

She is just a friend that Dasher made in her early days. I don't think she is anyone in the series that I know of. Dasher just needed to have a friend.

[The Cynical One]

Trial by combat and the struggle with what’s right! It’s nice to see a Dash that’s skilled but not inherently violent. So too am I excited about the reinforcements. Does the resistance have a fighting chance? Will a taller tower of hope topple more tremendously? The fate and future are not lain bare... and I’m excited to read it! Onwards!

[Star_Shade]

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Your BACK :DDDD I really enjoyed your comments, and I hope you enjoy what I have in store. I look forward to each of your comments!