Chapter Two
“And what better place to start than at the beginning?”
The land of Equestria was built upon a foundation of friendship and common ground, but it was not a land without a history of conflict and strife. As much as many would wish otherwise, there would always be forces that sought to cause disorder and chaos, ones that would tear down even the strongest of structures for their own petty ends, and Equestria had long acted accordingly to deter them. Each tribe had their own fighters and heroes among them, and while it had been slow to happen, a unified military force eventually came together in the form of the EUP Guard, or more simply the Equestrian Royal Guard.
Guard forces, however, needed points to marshal and train. There were guard stations throughout Equestria which served that purpose for enlisted ponies, but for the officers, there were significantly fewer. The finest and the best known, however, was Wing Point. Located near Manehattan, the facility had begun its life as a barracks before being converted and expanded into a fully fledged military academy after Equestria’s conflict with the Griffon Kingdom. Not everypony who entered these halls left them a graduate, and many didn’t even pass basic training, but those who graduated became part of an honored tradition.
As he stepped onto the academy grounds and made his way towards the administration building, Flash Sentry was determined to become a part of that tradition. The road would be hard, he had no delusions about that, but it was a road well worth traveling.
As he stepped into the administration building, however, he found himself having to duck to one side as a pegasus mare shot past him into the doors with an excited laugh, her mane and tail streaked with varying shades of blue. He snorted, both at her lack of restraint and with a little contempt on his part despite his better nature. He then made his way into a crowded hall to find many ponies milling about. So far, so good.
“Attention recruits!” Flash’s attention immediately went to a stallion in uniform who called out, “Please convene in Iron Hewer Hall for orientation!”
The gathered ponies did as they were told and soon filed in line and made their way into an auditorium where they quickly took seats. Once everypony found seats, a different uniformed pony approached the lectern and turned to addressed them. “Good morning recruits. I am Lieutenant General Able Hawk, superintendent here at Wing Point. Odds are that most of you will only be seeing me at official functions or when going about your duties on campus, but nonetheless, I expect great things from all of you. Each recruit who steps onto this campus is following in traditions stretching back to before the founding of our nation, from each of the tribes. This isn’t something that should be taken lightly.
“Don’t pretend for one second that the road ahead of you will be an easy one. Many within this room right now won’t make it through basic training, much less the whole of their time here, but those who do will become part of something greater. A symbol to look up to, both within and outside of this institution. It will take hard work, but all of it will be worth it. Good luck to all of you.”
Flash heard a brief exhale from beside him, then turned to see a flame-haired pegasus mare by his side. “Guess it’s time to get down to business.” She turned to him and offered a smile. “Good luck.”
“Luck doesn’t have anything to do with it.” The two turned to see a bespectacled blue-grey earth pony mare give them a deadpan expression. “You either make the cut or you don’t.”
-
“That sounds a lot like how Shining Armor described his orientation.”
“Well, they aren’t there to waste anypony’s time. That first day isn’t about socializing, it’s about getting us used to life on campus, and what was expected of us.” Flash laughed. “It was nothing compared to basic training, mind you, but it was still a taste of what was coming.”
“Lots of getting yelled at by second-class cadets included.” Sunrunner turned to Quiver and explained, “Each class of cadet gets a class designation. Recruits are fourth class, so…”
“Senior students got to boss you guys around. Sounds like some of the frats in college.”
Flash laughed. “Trust me, what they had to go through was nothing compared to what we did.”
-
“Close that gap, recruit! Move! Move! Move!”
Flash did his best to keep pace with the recruit in front of him but doing so was difficult thanks to the gear he carried. He’d been given a kit of light armor and gear, meant to emulate what he’d carry when on duty, and while assured that he’d be able to handle the weight, it was still a bit more than he and many of the other recruits were used to. Still, he’d get through it. He wasn’t going to get booted out on his first day, and he doubted that anyone with him was eager to do the same.
If nothing else, it was helping him to keep his attention off said recruit. She wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes.
He briefly shook his head while keeping pace. He wasn’t here to stare, after all. He was here to march.
-
“Most ponies can comfortably carry about twenty percent of their body weight, up to thirty in a pinch. The kits we had on that first day when we were being instructed on marching in formation were about ten percent of the average pony’s weight, with full armor and equipment sometimes reaching twenty-five.” Flash exhaled. “I’m not sure what’s worse, having to stand in it or having to march in it.”
“Or fly in it,” Sunrunner grumbled. “At least it’s flexible enough that we can comfortably move. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad for the protection when we’re in combat, but if they can ever get the weight down, I’ll welcome it.”
“Well someone’s probably working on exactly that.” Quiver frowned. “Of course, the way Sour talks, they’ll probably make up for lighter armor with heavier equipment.”
“Sounds about right.” Flash managed a grin. “Still, as rough as that day was, it was all worth it in the end.”
-
“And now, we present our newest class of recruits into the Equestrian Royal Guard Academy!”
As one, Flash and the rest of the recruits marched in formation onto the field. Each one could feel the eyes of the crowd watching them, mostly made up of close relatives and school staff. They paid it no heed, focusing instead on maintaining formation. After everything they’d experienced today, it was practically second nature.
Their first day had been long and tiring, but it was over. They’d gotten through it. Now he was left to hope for a decent night’s sleep.
-
“Did you?”
“Yeah, but we still had things to do. Dinner in the mess, and then finding our bunks.” Flash shrugged. “The former went okay, but what they say about army food isn’t too far off the mark.”
“Still beats a kick in the teeth, though.” Sunrunner smiled. “And thankfully, sitting down in the mess finally gave us all a chance to sit down and socialize. One tiny little bit of respite before the start of six weeks of basic training.”
“Shining Armor told me about that, too. Didn’t sound easy.”
“It’s not. And it isn’t supposed to be.” The flame-haired mare rolled her eyes. “Not that some ponies understood that.”
-
The mess hall at Wing Point was a vast structure that nonetheless managed to look comfortable, and looked to Flash like some old-fashioned dining hall. He idly entertained the idea of ponies like Flash Magnus or Rockhoof eating in a place like this as he made his way to an empty table with his meal, unsure of where else to dine but hoping that he wasn’t eating somewhere a fresh recruit wasn’t. By some luck, he found one, and settled in to enjoy his meal.
“Hey, mind if I join you?” He turned to find the same flame-haired pegasus from earlier, a tray filled with food and drink carried in her wings. “Kinda hoping I can eat with a sorta-familiar face.”
He shrugged. “No problem here.”
“Thanks.” She seated herself beside him and offered a hoof in greeting. “Name’s Sunrunner.”
“Flash Sentry.” He returned the gesture, and the two set about their meal. “You worried about what’s coming next?”
“A little, yeah, but…”
“Ha! Sissies!” The two were rudely interrupted as the same pegasus who’d charged past Flash earlier in the day parked herself down at their table across from them with a grin. “If the two of you are afraid of what’s coming, then why be here in the first place?”
“They hardly said anything about being afraid.” The bespectacled mare from earlier took the empty seat beside the blue-haired pegasus with an unimpressed expression. “And anxiety over the start of basic training is normal.”
“Who asked you?” The blue-maned pegasus narrowed her eyes at the mare. “And what are you doing sitting at this table?”
The response she got was as dry as a desert. “I could ask you the same question.”
“Whoa now, let’s ease up.” The pair turned back to Sunrunner as she amended, “Besides, she’s right. No shame in being a little anxious about what’s coming. Regardless, we all made it here, and we’re all going to work like Tartarus to stay here. Getting through basic’s just the next step.”
The blue-haired mare smirked. “Fine, but the two of you are going to have a lot of trouble keeping up with me, so don’t be disappointed if you get left in the dust.”
Sunrunner quirked an eyebrow at the boastful mare. “And I wouldn’t get ahead of myself if I was you either.” She allowed herself a small smirk. “We might just surprise you.”
The mare smirked back. “Sunrunner, right? Well, you’d better be ready to prove it, ‘cuz you’ve got me to deal with. Indigo Zap.”
Flash rolled his eyes. “Could do without the wing-measuring contest, thanks.”
“Likewise. I was looking forward to enjoying this meal.” She briefly glanced up from her food to introduce herself. “Sugarcoat. Not that anypony asked.”
“Yes, don’t expect her to be the life of the party.” This time a unicorn mare joined them, her multi-hued purple mane cut short and professional and her tray hovering before her in her magic. She cast Sugarcoat a glance and suggested, “Let’s not burn our bridges with our fellow recruits before they’re even built, shall we?”
The bespectacled mare hardly responded to that as Sunrunner ventured, “I take it the two of you know one another?”
“Our parents run in similar circles in Canterlot, dearie.” The newcomer gave a polite nod. “Sunny Flare.”
The flame-haired mare did her best to keep her tone even. “Sunrunner.” She glanced at the empty space on their table and idly wondered, “So, any bets on how fast that spot gets filled?”
“Aw sweet!” Sunrunner’s question was answered as a pink earth pony mare with a mane full of varying shades of green popped herself down amongst them with her tray. “Hey dudes! Name’s Lemon Zest! Sweet food, huh?” She eyed her meal and grinned. “So much for what they say about military food, huh?”
Some eye-rolls greeted her, though Sugarcoat managed a small smirk of approval as she tucked into her own meal.
-
Quiver shook his head. “I knew the guard took all sorts, but it sounds like you got quite the combo platter.”
“Yeah, Two-Face included, even if we didn’t get introduced to her until the next day” Flash smirked. “Though she tended to vent most of her fury at the other four. At least with me she restrained herself. After meeting you, I think I can understand why.”
“And a lot of that attitude went away once they got a load of our drill instructor, trust me.” Sunrunner smiled as she admitted, “Still, that was a problem for the morning. That night, we settled into our rooms in the academy dorms. Not that I’m adverse to sleeping in a barrack with a dozen other ponies, mind, but a mare does like a little privacy here and there.”
“We both still ended up with bunkmates, though.”
“This is true.” The mare smiled. “And sometimes you find yourself with a good one.”
-
The mares’ dormitory was a nondescript building, unimpressive but reasonably tidy. Sunrunner suspected that the stallions’ dorm was little different, but wasn’t in much of a rush to confirm. Right now, she just wanted to find her dorm room, unpack her belongings and hopefully get a decent amount of sleep. She’d need it, if all the stories she’d heard about basic training were true.
Finding the room wasn’t difficult, and her key worked without any serious issues. Stepping into the room revealed that it was functional, if a bit spartan, with accommodations for two ponies. She recognized her bags on one bed, with a larger pile on the second one. Whomever her new roommate was, they’d clearly gotten here before she had, but apparently hadn’t unpacked.
Sunrunner shrugged and set down the gear and training uniform she’d been issued on her bed. Odds were that her roomie had gone off to shower or something. Nothing wrong with that, and hopefully she’d get her unpacking done. She picked up a few things and turned around towards the closet …
“Boo!”
Sunrunner stopped, then raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
The mare before her blinked her bright blue cat-like eyes. “Huh. Didn’t expect that reaction.”
A smirk crossed her face. “I’ve met thestrals before. Sudden shock and fangs aren’t going to scare me much.” She offered a hoof. “Sunrunner.”
“Pixie Dust. Nice to meet ya.” The hoof-bump was returned, and the mares set about unpacking. “Sunrunner, huh? You look like a ‘Sunrunner’, colors like that.”
“Whereas you’ve got a very non-indicative name based on looks alone.”
The other mare let out a low whistle. “Look at you with the fancy words.”
Sunrunner chuckled. “I had a… close friend growing up, he wanted to be a writer. Some of it rubbed off on me.” She packed away a dress uniform, marked with a tag depicting her cutie mark, and continued, “Still, how’d you end up with a name like that?”
“Honestly? I think my folks picked my name before I was born. They’re unicorns, and they probably expected another little baby unicorn.” Pixie Dust shrugged herself and laughed. “Then again, my family’s lived near Hollow Shades for ages, so a couple batponies probably got tangled up in the family tree somewhere. What about you? Where you from?”
“Indianapoloosa originally. Moved to Canterlot a little bit ago.”
“Ooh, big city mare. Ain’t we special.”
A sardonic laugh escaped her lips. “Not that special.” She set a couple framed photographs on her desk, one depicting her parents and the other herself as a filly with a second filly, practically her twin. “I left ponies behind, or hurt them, or all of the above. Not something I like to think about.”
She felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder, and turned to find Pixie Dust giving her a gentle smile. “Bad happens whether we want it to or not. You can’t dwell on it. Shouldn’t. The more you do, the more you get dragged down. I’m not saying you should forget about them, but you gotta put them aside. At least for now. You gotta smile at something, after all.” The smile grew and she added, “And hey, maybe you’ll find them again someday.”
Sunrunner smiled. “I can always hope.” Her smile turned anxious. “So I guess you’re not a night owl.”
“Nah. Just because my body’s built for the night doesn’t mean I have to operate in it, y’know? The day’s a lot more fun.” She shrugged. “Besides, Wing Point doesn’t have night classes. It’s easier to train a thestral during the day with the rest of the recruits, just like it’s easier to train all the other tribes together in one big group. But something tells me I’ll end up on the night shift anyway once I graduate. The higher-ups will think that’s the best place for me because of biology, y’know?”
“Yeah.” The flame-haired mare grinned. “But you never know.”
-
“Sounds like you and Pixie Dust got on okay.”
Sunrunner grinned and gently nudged her coltfriend. “It didn’t help that a certain someone had made sure I knew about thestrals before I met her. Otherwise, she’d have gotten a jump out of me that first day.”
At the curious expressions on their tablemate’s faces, Quiver elaborated, “I have a great uncle on my mom’s side who’s a thestral. Came to the mainland from the Emerald Island a long time ago. He always encouraged my creativity.”
Twilight smiled. “Good for him.” She turned to her coltfriend. “So what about you, Flash? How did things go with your roommate?”
The pegasus gagged. “Not nearly as well as things went for Warbler and Boo.” He sighed. “Usually things go well enough with roomies, but the trouble is that sometimes you find yourself with someone you can’t get on with no matter what you try.”
-
Flash thought that he had a good idea of what to expect when he entered his dorm. Unpack his stuff, meet his new roomie, settle in for the night and hopefully wake up the next morning ready for his first day of basic training.
The griffon glaring at him from the other bunk threw him. Said griffon was larger and bulkier than he was, colored in various shades of muted grey and with a beak like a condor. His eyes were golden and narrowed upon Flash in such a way that it made the young stallion uneasy. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
“Hey there.” He offered a hoof nervously. “I’m Flash Sentry. Guess we’re roomies…?”
Flash had, of course, registered that there would likely be griffons in attendance at the academy. Griffons were part of Equestria’s population, albeit a minority, and the school did take in students from the Griffon Kingdom under specific circumstances. Still, he figured they would be a little bit more social than this.
All of a sudden, Flash felt a tension that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He pulled back his hoof and set about storing away his things. His new roommate was, apparently, not interested in conversation, polite or otherwise.
Not the best way to end what already felt like a rough day.
-
“Yikes.” Their meals were brought out to them, and once each pony claimed their food and the servers departed to go about their work elsewhere, Quiver continued, “If it helps, I can sympathize. Not with having a griffon glare at me and give me the silent treatment, mind, but being intimidated by new people…”
“I think everypony can sympathize with that at some point.” Flash shrugged as he started on his meal. “Anyway, that was our first day. We didn’t know it at the time, but it would probably be the easiest day of our careers.”
“Dang right.” Sunrunner grinned. “The next morning was when things got really interesting.”
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Ahh, yes, glad to read this. Maybe it's brief, but all the same, it was still quite solid, especially getting introduced to the pony counterparts of the Shadowbolt Five. I particularly enjoyed the introductions to Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap, though that's not to exclude Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest. (Indeed, Zest provided a good punchline to the whole scene.
)
All told, quite enjoyed the beginning looks into Flash and Sunrunner's start at the academy. Lucky Sunrunner getting to room with Pixie Dust, that's for sure. Flash did *not* have any successes on the roommate front, that's for sure.
10730937
I've been looking forward to bringing them in for quite a while, actually. Expect a little development for them before this installment is over.
Yeah, Flash isn't going to have an easy time of it, at least to start out. I'd feel bad for his roomie, though - I haven't even thought of a name for the poor fellow. Open to suggestions!
10730942
Development of any sort is always a good thing in my book.
Ooh, duly noted... Hmm. Grant? Gareth? Gerard? Grayson/Greyson? Gage, Gregory, Garrison? (Naming him "Griffen" or some variant thereof feels too on-the-nose, though it might explain a lot about his attitude. XD)
10730960
Good suggestions. I'll keep them in mind.
Really good job on this latest chapter. Definitely quite well worth the wait. The exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up are all quite well done in all the right places. Definitely understood this description of Flash and Sunrunner's first day in basic training (including the first meetings with most of the pony counterparts of the Shadowbolts). Yeah, it's rough, but that just makes making it all the more respectable. And, indeed, true courage is NOT the absence of fear, but rather doing the right thing in spite of it. But that's for later.
Anyway, very assuredly looking forward to more of this.
Excellent chapter, as always, Echo, and I'm looking forward to the next one to see what happens in it.
Now, that said........
And that's okay.
Stuff like that happens to all of us, and, as I've said on more than one occasion, your stories are MORE than well worth waiting for, so you just worry about yourself, and we can wait.
And May's not THAT far off, in the general scheme of things.
10731171
I am very grateful for Youtube for this chapter. Some of the details are thanks to videos there I checked out for research purposes.
Indigo Zap has something of an ego here, don't she?
10731325
Thanks for that. Alas, I get the feeling that I'll continue to have creative issues so long as I continue to live with someone who insists on having the television on all the time. A man can only tolerate so much PBS Kids.
10731363 You're quite welcome, hun.
Good point, that, and I know what you mean about that last one.
Younger sibs, nieces, nephews, GREAT-nieces and nephews... been there, done that, as they say.
Just hang in there, Echo. Things wil come when they come.
*sends much love and many cyber-hugs your way*
10620289
Universe? Are there other stories in this world?
10764512
Yes, literally every other story the author's written on this site.
10764805
Do I have to read them in a certain order?
10764966
Ideally, yes. Fortunately, the long description of each story says which story comes immediately before and after it in the timeline, with links to each. The starting point is The Sun Also Rises.
However, of special note would be the story Quiververse Bonus Reel. Originally starting as a "blooper reel" for April Fools, it's since expanded to include a couple of behind-the-scenes Q&A sessions answering reader-submitted questions and (most importantly) various short one-shots that detail changes to episodes that took place earlier in the timeline than the official AU start point (the end of EqG1). As such, it's not listed in the links between stories, and when to read them is entirely up to you (I'd recommend at least finishing Family before reading the blooper reel, and catching up fully before reading the Q&A chapters, but the modifications to previous episodes can be read whenever).
10765128
Wow, that’s a lot. Is there like a timeline or something?
10765471
Yes, actually. Though it doesn't have just the stories; it covers the relative placement of the episodes and comics before and between as well. Link to that here. There isn't one with just the stories that I'm aware of; you'll need to use the directions in the story descriptions for that.
10765498
Wow, that’s a lot. Are there that many stories in this universe?
10765540
There are currently eighteen completed stories and one incomplete entry (this one). The Bonus Reel, meanwhile, has one blooper reel, three Q&A segments, and ten Vignettes that either augment or replace stories from canon.
It's intimidating, I know, but I like to think it's worth reading.
10766485
Really?
10766522
Yes, really, but I'm biased.
10767239
Ok, if I wanted to read it, where do I start?
10767309
Start here.
10767422
Ok, I definitely will when I get the chance.