A New Era

by Bluecatcinema

Training Daze

The place: Canterlot. The time: one week after Dread's attack. Life had mostly returned to normal. The damage caused to the castle during the showdown with the fearmongering fiend was still in the process of being repaired. Twilight trotted through the castle grounds, joined by a guest: Tempest Shadow.

"Another attack from some deranged conqueror." Tempest noted. "You gotta wonder if Equestria just has some really bad luck..."

"It does look like that sometimes." Twilight admitted. "But Equestria always endures."

"It probably helps that it has some top-notch defenders." Tempest smiled knowingly.

"Well, I've never been one to brag..." Twilight chuckled. "But it doesn't hurt to have a few more defenders. That's why you're here."

Some time before Dread's attack, Twilight's chance encounter with Tempest had inspired her; she had requested that Tempest provide a service for both her and Equestria. Dread's appearance had only driven Twilight to speed up the timetable.

"You really think this job is suited for me?" Tempest asked. "Not that I'm doubting the wisdom of Equestria's new ruler, but..."

"Trust me." Twilight smiled. "Because I trust that you definitely have what it takes to pull this off."

"Hard to argue with such a glowing review..." Tempest smiled.

Twilight led Tempest outside, to the Royal Guards' training grounds. As you would expect, the Guards were hard at work with their practice drills. Chief among them was Flash Sentry, who was carrying out some evasive maneuvers. The Pegasus dived and barrel rolled though the air, finishing up with a perfect three point landing.

"Flash!" Twilight called. "I was hoping you'd be here."

"Princess Twilight." Flash stood up straight. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have a new assignment for you." Twilight declared. "Well, a new position, really."

"What do you have in mind?" Flash asked, curious.

"After Dread's recent attack on Canterlot, I've decided that the Royal Guard need a little something... Extra." Twilight declared. "I've looked into some records, and I learned that you were top of your class in defensive strategies at the academy."

"Not by a wide margin..." Flash said humbly.

"And since the Guard have been getting an upswing in recruitment lately, Flash Magnus has his hooves full on the training front." Twilight continued. "So I'd appreciate it if you could train some of these new recruits."

"Me?" Flash asked, surprised.

"I don't see why not." Twilight nodded. "You have the experience, and come from a long military lineage... Besides, it's not like you'd be working alone."

"It's not?" Flash tilted his head quizzically.

"Tempest here will be working with you." Twilight smiled.

"She will?" Flash gaped.

Tempest was also surprised. Twilight had requested that she give the Guard some combat pointers, but she never said anything working with a partner.

"Tempest has proven herself to be a cunning and powerful warrior." Twilight declared. "Her experience will make her an invaluable teacher. But as I've learned time and again, it never hurts to have another viewpoint."

"Would've been nice to hear that part sooner..." Tempest muttered.

"I have faith that the two of you will do a great job." Twilight smiled.

"You can count on me, Twilight." Tempest declared.

"And me as well." Flash nodded. "I won't let you down, your highness."

"Wonderful." Twilight nodded. "You can start this afternoon. I'm sure you'll have lots to teach those cadets. I'd love to talk more, but I have an appointment with the city planning council to get to. And first thing tomorrow, I've got to go to a diplomatic meeting at Griffonstone. But I'm sure you'll both do great. Good luck!"

With that, Twilight departed the area, leaving Tempest and Flash to get acquainted.

"So, you're the pony who worked with the Storm King?" Flash noted.

"Yes." Tempest said through gritted teeth. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"If the Princess vouches for you, that's good enough for me." Flash shrugged. "Last I checked, she was a pretty good judge of character."

"She likes to see the best in ponies, that's for sure." Tempest nodded.

"Yeah, she's really great..." Flash smiled. "...I mean, a great friend! And a great leader, too!"

"Uh-huh..." Tempest raised an eyebrow. "So, how are we going to do this? I've never been much of a teacher..."

"How about you follow my lead, and jump in when you feel ready?" Flash suggested.

"Sure, let's do that." Tempest nodded.

"Who knows, maybe you'll learn a little something too." Flash grinned.

"We'll see..." Tempest replied flatly, privately doubting that prospect.

Soon enough, a group of trainees were gathered before the two. Most were standing to attention, some were trying a little too hard to play the part (looking as if they could shatter if they fell over), and of course, a few couldn't help but take note of Tempest's broken horn.

"Okay, new recruits." Flash stepped forward. "I am Guardspony Flash Sentry, and this is Miss Tempest Shadow. We will be your instructors today."

The cadets who had been staring at Tempest's horn sheepishly turned their attention to Flash.

"You all chose to take on the task of defending Equestria." Flash noted. "It's a noble cause, a respectable cause. But it's also a tough and trying life. You need to learn the basics of how to defend yourselves and others from any threats that might rear their ugly heads. And learn you will. Just as I mastered the ways being a Royal Guard, so too will all of you. Now, let's start with some warm-up exercises."

The cadets complied, stretching and trotting in place.

"Nice speech." Tempest told Flash. "Think I can get a little butter with that corn?"

"You may think it was corny, but it's what I believe in." Flash retorted brusquely. "It's what my family have believed in for generations."

"Relax." Tempest scoffed. "It was just a joke."

"Not to me, it's not." Flash scowled. "To me, it's an immutable truth. A fact of life. A fact the new recruits need to embrace."

"If you say so." Tempest said flatly.

After another minute or so of letting the cadets warm up, Flash called for their attention.

"Alright, let's get started." He announced. "We're going to practice some basic defense today. Everypony grab a shield and a practice spear, and split into pairs."

The cadets scrambled to follow Flash's instructions.

"Okay, now one half of each pair raise your shields." Flash continued. "The other half, ready your spears."

The cadets complied.

"Now, those with spears readied, attack your partners." Flash declared. "Those with shields raised, defend yourselves."

The spear-wielding cadets thrust the points of their spears (which comprised of blunt rubber) at their counterparts, who scrambled to block the "attack". Most succeeded, while some others stumbled. One or two spear users missed their mark entirely.

"Again." Flash declared. "Ten more times. Then you'll switch."

The cadets followed suit. With each repetition, the spear jabs became more precise, and the shield holding more solid.

"Good, good." Flash smiled. "Looks like you're getting the hang of this." He counted the tenth repetition. "Now... Switch!"

The cadets swapped moves, and started to develop the move their partner had been using. Flash continued to observe them, while Tempest watched the thing with a detached air.

"I think that'll do for now." Flash declared after another ten repeats. "I saw some pretty good moves out there. Some solid shield strikes, but some even more solid shield blocking. And in my opinion, that's the skill that matters most for a Royal Guard: defense. Standing your ground, and holding steady against enemy assault, that's how a Royal Guard proves their mettle."

"Hold up." Tempest suddenly stepped forward. "Is that really what you think is most important? Hiding behind a slab of metal?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Flash nodded. "Though I'm getting the feeling you have a conflicting opinion..."

"Oh, I do." Tempest nodded. "Sure, a little defense doesn't hurt, but all that cowering doesn't help defeat your enemy."

"Excuse me? 'Cowering'?" Flash said indignantly, as if Tempest had just insulted his mother.

"That's what it looks like to me." Tempest said bluntly.

"Well, that's where you're wrong." Flash retorted. "There's no shame in keeping your guard up."

"There is when it means passing up perfectly good chances to strike back." Tempest retorted. "You want to defeat an enemy? Then you've got to hit them. Hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, hit 'em often. That's what these cadets should be learning."

"I beg to differ." Flash shot back.

"And if these cadets do what you tell them, they'll end up begging too." Tempest said wryly.

"Defense is the most important part of battle!" Flash snapped.

"Let's test that theory..." Tempest remarked.

A bolt of magical energy blasted out of Tempest's horn. Flash leapt out of the way to avoid the blast, leaving a scorch mark where he was just standing. The cadets gaped in shock... but none were more shocked than Flash himself.

"Are you nuts?!" Flash screeched, his voice jumping up a few octaves. "You could've fried me!"

"But I didn't." Tempest said coolly. "You dodged my attack. But now what? How are you going to counter this assault?"

Tempest fired another burst from her horn. Flash evaded again, and rolled over to a rack of weapons. Before Tempest could fire again, he grabbed a shield, and blocked the ensuing blast.

"Hah!" Flash smirked. "Check and mate!"

"So now what?" Tempest challenged. "Are you going to just hide behind that thing all day, and hope I give up?"

"More like stand my ground until you use up all your energy." Flash smirked. "A solid defense can outlast almost any assault."

"And if it doesn't?" Tempest pressed, moving in closer. "Or what if your opponent gets in close? How solid will your defense be then?"

"I know what you're getting at." Flash narrowed his eyes. "You think just because I favour defense, I can't throw out a little offense? Think again."

"Prove it." Tempest challenged. "Give me your best shot."

"You asked for it." Flash put aside the shield, then assumed a combat stance. "Try and remember that."

"Oh, I think this'll be memorable, all right..." Tempest smirked.

"...Is this still part of the training?" One of the cadets whispered to another.

Flash threw a punch, which Tempest managed to evade. He followed with a left hook, which she had to step back to avoid.

"Who's on the defensive now?" Flash jeered.

"In your dreams." Tempest retorted.

Flash responded with a haymaker, but Tempest caught it. The Pegasus stallion's eyes widened in surprise, while Tempest's narrowed with triumph. She twisted his hoof back, swept the three others, and flipped him onto his back, knocking the wind out of him. The watching cadets winced at the impact.

"And that is how it's done." Tempest smirked at her audience. "Hope you were paying attention."

Flash clambered back upright, his pride injured more than his body.

"Okay, I'm big enough to admit I lost that one." He admitted. "But being a Royal Guard and being a brawler are two completely different things."

"Whatever soothes your fragile ego." Tempest grinned.

"Okay, cadets." Flash tried to regain control of the situation. "I want you to run the obstacle course, so we can see what we're working with."

"Yes, sir!" The cadets chorused.

As the cadets made their way to the course, Tempest sidled over to Flash.

"No hard feelings, right?" She asked.

"Of course not." Flash said professionally. "You've got some pretty good moves. You could stand to work on your discipline, but still..."

"Discipline? Please." Tempest scoffed. "Who kicked whose flank again?"

"Brute force isn't the answer to everything in life." Flash retorted. "Not for a Royal Guard."

"You want to talk about life?" Tempest frowned. "Sure, let's do that."

"What are you-?" Flash started.

"I've been out there, you know." Tempest pointed out. "I've spent more than half my life in the lands beyond Equestria, surviving any way I could. I had to be tough, decisive, ready to act at a moment's notice. It's what made me the mare I am today."

"Good for you." Flash said sarcastically. "But this isn't a survival camp. It's the Royal Guard. Our duty is to defend Equestria."

"Well, not to be blunt, but you guys haven't exactly been doing the best job lately, have you?" Tempest retorted. "Remember when the Storm King's forces attacked?"

"Kind of hard not to." Flash scowled.

"I might've done the heavy lifting, incapacitating the Princesses, but the Storm Guard took Canterlot all too easily." Tempest recalled. "You guys might as well have not even been here."

"Well, what happened there was-” Flash started.

"And what about when those three troublemakers attacked?" Tempest interrupted. "From what I heard, that psycho filly managed to breach your defenses and break into the throne room all by herself!"

"That's hardly fair." Flash scowled. "She had powerful Alicorn magic at that point."

"Excuses, excuses." Tempest snorted. "And let's take a look at the most recent trouble: that Dread clown. He's another one who didn't have much trouble marching on the castle. You guys may as well have not even been there. It's no wonder Princess Twilight thought the new blood needed to learn how to actually fight."

"Fighting is only one part of it." Flash insisted. "Our job doesn't always involve punching somecreature in the face."

"Then maybe it should." Tempest said snidely. "Maybe if it did, you guys wouldn't have such a lousy track record."

Flash opened his mouth to launch a retort, but was interrupted by the return of the cadets.

"How did we do, sir?" One asked eagerly.

"You, er... Did great!" Flash said, sheepishly realising his argument with Tempest had totally distracted him. "Great hustle, folks! Now, next I want you to-”

"I think the cadets have heard enough from you today." Tempest spoke over him. "Time for me to show them real skills."

"Now hold on a minute-!" Flash started.

"As I recall, you told me 'jump in when you're ready'." Tempest reminded him. "Well, I'm ready now." Her eyes scanned the area, and fell on a set of training dummies. "Okay, rookies, now you're going to learn the important stuff." She walked over to one of the dummies. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Stopping only to take a breath, Tempest unleashed a flurry of blows that left visible cracks and dents on the dummy. Then she launched a kick that sent the dummy's head flying.

Flash's jaw dropped. The cadets let out several impressed noises.

"Whoa!"

"Awesome!"

"That was amazing!"

"You see that?" Tempest smirked. "You won't need to bother with so much of that defense stuff if you can take your enemies down with just a few blows."

Flash's jaw went from hanging loosely to locking into a snarl.

"Now, let's see how well you can all do." Tempest stepped aside.

The cadets eagerly stepped forward, taking turns to attack the others. While their techniques varied from moderate to sloppy, they all shared the same enthusiasm.

"That's the spirit." Tempest nodded. "Hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, hit 'em often."

Flash scowled as Tempest worked the cadets, well aware that Tempest wasn't technically doing anything wrong with her approach. So he stood there, in silent annoyance, until the session came to an end.

"Okay, that's enough for today, I think." He finally spoke. "You all did well for your first day. You definitely earned your dinner."

"Keep up the good work, rookies." Tempest declared. She turned to face Flash, a smug grin on her face. "This went better than I expected. Guess I just have a knack for it."

"That's a matter of opinion, I think." Flash said bluntly.

"Whatever you say, Mr. defense." Tempest smirked. "See ya tomorrow..."

With that, Tempest departed, bound for the inn where she was staying.

"Yeah." Flash seethed. "You'll see what's what tomorrow..."

The next morning, Flash was preparing for the next training session, making sure all the equipment was in place and ready. During his ministrations, he overheard two of the cadets talking.

"Boy, was that instructor awesome!" One cadet declared.

"Totally!" The other agreed. "Just the best!"

Flash allowed a satisfied smile to form on his face.

"Sure, she's a little scary, but cool scary!" The first cadet acknowledged.

"No kidding." The second agreed. "She totally thrashed that dummy!"

Flash's smile sank like a lead weight.

"Unbelievable..." He sighed. He attempted to forget this disappointment by immersing himself in his work.

Soon after, Tempest arrived.

"Morning, Sentry." She said brightly. "Ready for another day's work?"

"I'm ready to train those cadets the right way." Flash retorted.

"Meaning you think I was doing it the wrong way." Tempest growled.

"Out of the two of us,which one actually went through the training?" Flash countered.

"I went through my own kind of training." Tempest shot back. "The kind where there are no blunt spears or defensive drills."

"Well, the training these cadets need requires discipline and restraint, not breaking things and showing off!" Flash retorted.

"And how well did all that 'disciple and restraint' help against Dread?" Tempest countered. "Or any of the threats Equestria's faced?"

"You mean like... You?" Flash landed a cheap shot.

"Don't you even go there!" Tempest snarled.

"Or what, you'll blast me?" Flash jeered.

"Unless you've got a shield to hide behind!" Tempest shot back.

Just then, a gutteral roar filled the air.

"What was that?" Flash frowned.

"Trouble." Tempest noted sagely.

"Sir!" A cadet by the name of Brass Bolt raced over. "A Timberwolf got into the training grounds! What do we do?"

"Help the other cadets get clear." Flash instructed, throwing a disparaging glance at Tempest. "I'll handle this!"

"Not if I handle it first!" Tempest rose to the challenge.

Flash grabbed a shield and rounded a corner, where an elephant-sized Timberwolf was waiting. Catching sight of Flash, the beast approached.

"That's it, come and get it me." Flash smiled, readying the shield.

The Timberwolf pounced, but Flash reacted quickly; taking flight, he swooped out of range of the beast's jaws.

"Too slow, buddy!" He taunted.

The Timberwolf lashed out with its claw. Flash evaded its swipe, intending to wear it down before striking when it was weak. As he dodged a second strike, he saw Tempest arrive on the scene.

"Just in time for the show." He smirked. "Now you'll see how far a little defense will-”

In the midst of his gloating, Flash let his guard down. The Timberwolf's next swipe was dead-on. Flash could only half-raise the shield before its claw hit, and was knocked out of the sky, crashing into a patch of grass by the obstacle course.

"Urgh!" He grunted.

"Looks like amateur hour's over." Tempest said dismissively. "My turn.."

Tempest announced her presence by firing a blast of magic at the Timberwolf's left leg. The leg shattered in the blast, causing the beast to topple.

"Now that's how it's done!" She whooped, throwing a smirk at Flash.

Seconds after saying this, Tempest saw the beast's leg pieces drawing back together.

"Okay, that's an issue..." Tempest frowned.

Its leg restored, the Timberwolf charged again. Tempest leapt out of its way, then fired another blast of magic, taking out some of the creature's midsection. She followed up with several more blasts, but the Timberwolf was able to pull itself back together as fast as she could damage it.

"Is that all you got?" Tempest panted, resorting to bravado to cover up her increasing exhaustion.

The Timberwolf responded with a lunge, aiming to clamp its jaws around her. Tempest managed to leap out of the way, but was unable to avoid a followup strike from its claws, which sent her flying.

"Ah!" She cringed as she hit the ground, not too far from Flash.

"Are you okay?" Flash asked.

"Just a scratch." Tempest winced, keeping up the bravado.

Other Guards had arrived on the scene, but they weren't any more luck with the Timberwolf than Flash or Tempest.

"This isn't good..." Flash muttered.

"No kidding." Tempest rubbed a bruise on her neck. "Neither one of us could stop that thing."

"Maybe not alone..." Flash suddenly realised. "But if we combine our tactics?"

"Combine?" Tempest frowned.

"Yeah." Flash nodded, holding up his shield. "I'll provide the defense, you provide the attack. What do you say?"

"Like we really have any options..." Tempest shook her head. "Okay, let's do it."

The two raced over to the Timberwolf (Flash grabbing another shield along the way), who had just swatted a Pegasus guard out of the air.

"Hey, ugly, remember us?" Flash called.

"Maybe this'll jog your memory!" Tempest added, firing another blast.

The blast hit the Timberwolf on the side of its head, scorching it. With an irate growl, it turned to attack the pair. As it lashed out with a claw, Flash planted his shields against the ground, and braced himself. The force of the beast's attack nearly knocked him down, but he managed to stay upright.

"Your turn!" He told Tempest.

Tempest peeked out from behind the shields, and blasted the Timberwolf's paw. The beast howled in rage and agony. It lunged forward, trying to snatch up one or both shields in the jaw.

"Big mistake." Tempest grinned.

As Flash kept the Timberwolf busy by struggling with it over the shields, Tempest blasted the creature's lower jaw, splintering it. With a strangled snarl, the beast attempted to strike at Tempest with its good paw, but Flash leapt in front of her just in time. The paw's side caught the edge of one shield and cracked.

"Rrroooowl!" The beast howled one more.

"Gotcha." Flash smiled.

Pausing only to briefly nod at Flash, Tempest blasted the weakened paw, which broke apart. With no front appendages at that moment, the wooden wolf pitched forward, it's half-jaw hitting the ground hard.

"Heads up." Tempest took note of several moving pieces of wood. "It's pulling itself back together.

"Not if we can help it." Flash smiled.

The first destroyed paw restored itself, and the Timberwolf attacked again. Flash once again blocked the attack (more easily than before due to the beast being off-balance), and Tempest blasted it again. Now that she didn't have to keep dodging, Tempest was free to attack more repeatedly, outmatching the beast's healing factor.

Before long, the Timberwolf was in far too many pieces to be a threat. But everypony there knew it wouldn't last.

"Quickly!" Flash dropped the shields as he addressed the other Pegasus Guards. "Grab as many pieces as you can and scatter them as far as you can!"

Flash's fellow Guards complied, grabbing as many of the wooden fragments as they could and flying them away from the castle in as many different directions as possible. Once all the Timberwolf's pieces had reassembled, it would be too far from Canterlot for a second round.

"Smart thinking." Tempest complimented Flash.

"I just figured 'if it has to piece itself together, we should give it more ground to cover'." Flash chuckled.

"That was amazing!" One of the cadets cheered.

"You were incredible, sir!" Another told Flash, eyes gleaming in admiration.

"I hope I can be like you someday!" A third smiled.

"All in a day's work, cadets." Flash said humbly. "Speaking of which, training begins in ten minutes, so be ready."

"Yes, sir!" The cadets chorused.

The cadets dashed off, leaving Flash and Tempest by themselves.

"That was some pretty nice work back there." Flash smiled. "You did great, Tempest."

"You too." Tempest grinned back. "I guess there is something to be said for all that defense talk..."

"Well, you clearly knew where to hit that thing for maximum impact." Flash admitted. "So maybe a direct assault has its advantages too."

"Maybe this can work after all." Tempest said tentatively.

"Yeah." Flash agreed. "Maybe we can work together. Maybe even... become friends?"

"...You're not gonna try and hug me, are you?" Tempest asked distastefully.

"...Not just now, I think." Flash chuckled.

"A very wise decision." Tempest smirked. "...You know what? I think Twilight would be proud of us. You know, putting our differences aside and working together."

"Well, we can know for sure when she gets back." Flash nodded. "I'll bet she'd love to hear all about this little adventure."

"No doubt." Tempest chuckled. "But for now, let's get back to work."

"After you, pal." Flash nodded.

The two mismatched trainers made their way back to the practice grounds, eager to go forward with their newfound camaraderie, and share their combined experience with the next generation of Royal Guards.

Comments

[Yoshifan30]

"Yeah, she's really great..." Flash smiled. "...I mean, a great friend! And a great leader, too!"

Flash really likes her so much 🥰

[Yoshifan30]

"I know what you're getting at." Flash narrowed his eyes. "You think just because I favour defense, I can't throw out a little offense? Think again."

I see what's going on basically fizzlepop berrytwist always thinks of offense while Flash Sentry is about defense

[Yoshifan30]

"Well, not to be blunt, but you guys haven't exactly been doing the best job lately, have you?" Tempest retorted. "Remember when the Storm King's forces attacked?"

"And what about when those three troublemakers attacked?" Tempest interrupted. "From what I heard, that psycho filly managed to breach your defenses and break into the throne room all by herself!"

Ohhh kind of called out for that huh

[Melody Song]

Nice chapter, it read similar to an episode, I like that

[Yoshifan30]

"Yeah." Flash nodded, holding up his shield. "I'll provide the defense, you provide the attack. What do you say?"

"Like we really have any options..." Tempest shook her head. "Okay, let's do it."

There you go now that's what I call teamwork

[Yoshifan30]

So it looks like Twilight is asking fizzlepop to help with the training along with flash sentry ever since the attack from dread and of course things did not go very well because both of them talks about defense and offense and they even trying to one up to each other but the timber wolf attacked the training ground so they try to use the methods but one cannot do it by itself so it looks like they have to work together and of course it worked out they defeated the timber wolf a lot of side with the cadets and it looks like things turned out pretty well between them again I would love to see them working together with Twilight I wonder what's going to happen next guess we'll find out next time

[SuperPinkBrony12]

11138665 Spongebob face: "You like Princess Twilight, don't you, Flash Sentry?"

[TasermonsPartner]

Twilight obviously is taking notes from her mentor. She set this whole thing up. How else did a timberwolf end up all the way from the Everfree to the top of the mountain, through the capital city, and enter next to the castle's royal training grounds, all without being spotted or causing panic?

That Flash or Tempest didn't question this suggests they know Twilight was probably in on it as well.

[SuperSonicHeroes]

Nice to see Flash and Tempest working together to train the guards, despite their different approaches.

"If the Princess vouches for you, that's good enough for me." Flash shrugged. "Last I checked, she was a pretty good judge of character."

"She likes to see the best in ponies, that's for sure." Tempest nodded.

"Yeah, she's really great..." Flash smiled. "...I mean, a great friend! And a great leader, too!"

"Uh-huh..." Tempest raised an eyebrow.

Even Tempest can see it! When's the wedding?!