Phase One
The three stallions stood on the field at attention. One pegasus, one unicorn and an earth pony. All were there perfectly on time, none of them were a second late. There was no pony around. Not a soul. A cold wind blew in from the north, but apart from that, there was no sign of any movement.
"Where the buck is she?" Static whispered, shivering in his training armor. His breath quickly turned into water vapor as it escaped his lungs.
"How should I know?" Came Sonic's response. There was a steady sound of clicking from his teeth as he shuddered against the cold. "Why is it so cold?"
The two turned towards Semper, but he stood where he was as still as a statue. It was Semper who had woken them up and told them to hurry and where to be. If it had not been for the earth pony, both the stallions would have probably slept through the whole thing.
"Screw this. I'm going back to bed," Static muttered and turned to go.
"Don't."
The green unicorn froze in his tracks. He looked back and saw Semper standing as he had been.
"Did... did you say something?" Static asked, not really sure.
"Yes. Don't move. Stay at attention."
Sonic looked at Semper as if he were mad. "I'm freezing out here, okay? Besides, she's not gonna come. She would be here ahead of us if she was."
"Yeah! Besides, if you think that we'd-"
As Sonic took a step towards the barracks with Static, Semper moved to stop them. Almost instantly a projectile of magic shot towards Sonic sending him careening into a nearby wagon. Static spun around to see where the source of the show was, only to be met with a similar blast that sent him into a nearby stack of hay. The impact of which was so great that it snapped the ropes that held it together causing the entire stack to come tumbling on top of him. At that moment, Semper made to dive behind a rock, but he wasn't fast enough as the bolt of magic struck him square in the chest sending him flying in the air before landing with a heavy thud and sliding across the ground right up to the door of the nearest barracks.
Static watched as three more bolts hit the earth pony square on, each shot throwing him back into the building, but each time he was about the hit the ground the next one would strike him hard enough to make him stand back up. Three times this happened, and on his fourth the unicorn could not stand any more. Casting an shield around the earth pony, he rushed towards the source of the magical attacks in an attempt to but some time for the stallion to find some cover.
It would have worked, except Static had severely underestimated the power and precision of the shots. In two quick blasts, both Semper and Static found themselves groveling in pain near the barracks, while Sonic was nowhere to be seen. Time past slowly. Neither the earth pony nor the unicorn knew exactly for how long they were lying there for, only that they had been lying there for a long time. Each time either of them had tried to move, another blast would remind them that they were still being marked.
Finally, Semper and Static both noticed Sonic. He peaked his head out of his hiding place only to be met by a series of blasts that sent him into the building, boxing him around till he looked like nothing more than a dancing string puppet. As the last shot collided with his face, another unicorn stepped out from behind a small hedge from across where they were all lying down in agony.
"Not so tough now, are you?" a cold voice intoned.
"Ma'am, no, ma'am," Semper said trying to stand up.
"And you two maggots, what do the two of you have to say?"
"Ma'am, sorry, ma'am," the unicorn and pegasus moaned. The pegasus was in pretty bad shape, he was bleeding from his nose and his left eyes was swelling up pretty quickly.
"You," Ruby Flame growled, "get that pathetic excuse for a recruit to the infirmary now."
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," Static shouted pulling Sonic onto his back.
A sharp crack sounded as a bolt of magic hit the ground next to the green unicorn's hooves, "Move it, you insect!"
Static high-tailed it out of there as fast as he was able.
"Now, you."
Semper had somehow managed to stand up straight and tall at full attention. If his knees weren't shaking she would have been convinced that the stallion was perfectly normal. Granted, the shaking was barely noticeable and would easily be missed if you were not looking for it. The barrage that the earth pony had suffered through was and Ruby was expecting to have to carry the earth pony on her own back, or perhaps let him rest on the ground for a bit to recover. She had not expected him to be standing, not after the strength of the spell she cast against the stallion in order to get him to stay down.
"You could have saved your own flank if you had stayed where you were and let those two nincompoops go. Why did you move to stop them?" Ruby Flame asked getting right into Semper's face with an angry scowl.
"Ma'am, this stallion does not know what you mean, ma'am!"
Ruby hid her smile by swallowing it. Not only did Semper risk his flank to save his fellow Guards, he was still covering for them even after they had gone. That kind of loyalty was rare.
"Don't lie to me, private. I saw you clear as Celestia's day. Now, explain!"
Semper seemed conflicted, but he had to obey his superior. "Ma'am, permission to speak freely, ma'am!"
"Permission granted."
"Ma'am, it is this Guard's duty to protect all Equestria, ma'am. Ma'am, even other Guards like them, ma'am. Ma'am, if I fail to protect even one pony from harm then I would have failed in my duties, ma'am!" Semper shouted, eyes forward, chest out, tall and proud, but his breathing was a little labored.
Ruby Flame glared at Semper for a second longer before turning away, "Go to the infirmary and get your chest looked at. You may have broken a rib."
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"
"Take the rest of the day off, private. You've earned a day's reprieve," Ruby Flame stated, "but report to PT tomorrow morning at oh six hundred and mug it up, is that clear?"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"
Ruby Flame walked on.
"Wake up, you bunch of yellow-bellied sissies! Get your flanks up! Move it, move it, move it!" a loud yell resounded in the barracks as every pony leaped off their bunks and started to grab their armor and make their beds. Sorcery Sergeant Major Pain walked slowly up the barracks, did an about face and by the time he reached the other side everypony was standing in full armor regalia and next to their bunks.
All, except two.
"Private!" Pain growled.
"Sir, yes, sir!" Semper shouted.
"Were you not asked to retire for the day in the infirmary by the First Sergeant?"
"Sir, no, sir!"
Pain stuck out his jaw, "Explain!"
"Sir, First Sergeant Ruby Flame has given us the rest of the day off, sir! Sir, it is this stallion's objective to train on his day off, sir! Sir, he wishes to take part in PT, sir!"
"Are you coming onto me, private?" Pain suddenly barked.
"Sir?" Semper didn't quite understand that.
"I said are you coming onto me?"
"Sir, no, sir!"
"Then why are you trying so hard to turn me on, private?" He stepped back and paced along the line of the new recruits, "Did you hear that, you hopeless excuse for ponies. This is what makes a Border Guard! You've got to be tough. You've got to be strong! You've got to be able to take your knocks and get back up and ask for some more! Do you powder-puffs understand that?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
"I can't hear you!"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
"Now get out of here and report to the field! Move it, move it, move it!" Pain stopped Semper before he could go by barring his way with his forehoof, "No, not you. I've got something else in mind for you, Blue Boy. Sergeant Maypole!" he shouted over his shoulder.
A yellow and red mottled pony trotted up and stood behind the Sorcery Sergeant at full attention. "Sir, yes, sir!"
"Take the lambs on a tour of the facility. Make sure that you teach them everything about this place. I want them warmed up for our first hoof to hoof training later on. Is that understood?"
An evil grin spread across Sergeant Maypole's face. "Sir, with pleasure, sir!"
"Good." Pain turned to look at Semper, "As for you, maggot, I'm going to do you a big favor. I'm going to make you suffer harder than the rest of these foals. You wanna be a Border Guard, earth boy? You think you got what it takes to wear the red? I don't know what talent our Princess saw in scum like you, but I swear on her sweet posterior that I'm going to find out! You got me, private?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
"When I look around here, do you know what I see?"
"Sir, no, sir!"
"Filth. I see little turds who think they have what it takes. Do you know why it's so Celestia-banished tough in my Guard, private?"
"Sir, no, sir!"
"Well let me tell you then, Blue Boy. The borders around our beloved kingdom are like the backside of an angry hydra. No matter how safe you think you are, there's always going to be manure headed down your way whenever you think everything's hunky-dory. These whelps think that the Border Guard is all about getting popular with the fillies and colts. They're are sadly mistaken. I'm here to remind them all that this is the last place on Equestria they want to be and if you cannot make it here then you are in no way ready for what's out there, do I make myself clear?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
"Now, drop and give me five hundred!"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
Semper dropped to his face and started his pushups. He got up to fifty before Pain kicked him over onto his side, "Count out loud, scumbag! Now start over!"
"Sir, yes, sir..." Semper shouted at the ground. He lowered himself and up again, "One, two, three..."
"Let me get one thing straight right now. I am not your friend. I am not here to show you a good time. I'm not here to help you pick up somepony. I'm here to teach you how to fight to protect yourself and more importantly your kingdom. Don't let my name fool you, I am Lance Corporal Gold Glitter and I am your close quarters combat trainer, henceforth known as CQC. Do you manure-eating slimes understand that?"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"
"My aim is to teach you how to fight an enemy when you cannot fly away," she glared at a pegasus, "cannot cast your magic," she glared at a unicorn, "or you have face a creature that has anti-magical barriers and has all your escape routes blocked. What you learn here will save your life. From this moment on until I deem you worthy enough to earn the right, you will refer to me as ma'am, you will not refer to my rank unless in the presence of a superior officer, you will not talk out of turn, you will not speak unless given leave to, and by Celestia's mane you will not cry in my class. If you break any of these rules not only will I make your life here difficult, but I swear to you I will do whatever is in my power to have you sent back home where you can cry to them and explain why you were just not cut out of serve here! Do you scoundrels understand that?"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"
"Louder!"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"
She paced back and forth for a moment studying the recruits. "Unicorns, take the anti-magical rings and place it at the base of your horn. Pegasi are to wear the torso belts. You will keep these items on you throughout your entire lives here until you are told otherwise. Those who break the rules will be punished. You will be given one warning and one warning alone. If you are caught twice taking off your ring or belt without authorization, you will be expelled immediately. Do I make myself clear?"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am."
"If you cannot survive without them, if you cannot fight without them, then you are in the wrong Guard mares and colts! Now what in Celestia's name are you waiting for? Go, go, go!"
There was a scramble as the pegasi and unicorns broke the lines to get their respective restraints. The unicorns reluctantly slipped the rings over their horns with their hooves, at once the feeling of magic disappeared from their bodies and a couple of them had to rush over to the nearest sink to empty their stomachs. The shock of magic suddenly being forced out of their systems was too much to handle for some of them.
The pegasi slipped on their restraints without any problems, or so it seemed. When the pegasi moved to get back into formation they found that walking in a straight line was nearly impossible for them to do, and more than a few of them tripped over their own hooves landing heavily on the floor.
"Move your lazy rears!" the Lance Corporal shouted shoving a pegsus hard with her forehoof making him fall on his face.
Eventually the line was reformed. For an outsider it might have look pretty hilarious seeing these ponies weaving around, swaying on their hooves and trying to stand straight. It looked as if they had just gotten off a spinning ride of some sort, the twirling motions making them overly dizzy.
Except for one stallion that had not moved from his place in the line.
"A unicorn's magic is projected through your horns. The more powerful your magic, the longer your horn. Some of the Border Guard senior officers have horns nearly as long as the Princess herself, but no matter how strong your magic is it's useless if anything happens to your horn or if you get caught up in a place that dis-spells your powers." She walked down the line stopping in front of a violet unicorn, "Look at you. What's your name, private?"
"Vivid Swirl, ma'am!"
The Lance Corporal slugged him in the stomach making him fold in half on the ground. "What in Tartarus' name did you say to me, private?"
"Ma'am, Vivid Swirl, ma'am!" he choked.
At that, the Corporal stepped on his face, "You dare address me from the ground? You think you're better than me, private? You think I'm not worthy of your respect? Huh?"
The poor unicorn struggled to stand up, pulling his face out from under Lance Corporal Glitter's hoof. He got about halfway up before the mare kicked his leg out from under him sending him crashing onto the floor.
"Get up! Now!" she yelled into his ear.
The unicorn tried to stand, but he was shoved down again.
"You're useless! If I was a diamond dog, you'd be dead!" the Corporal yelled again, spittle showering Vivid's head. "I'd be feasting on your corpse right now! You don't have what it takes, little foal. Why don't you just buck up and leave. You don't want to be here. You can't take it. You're a sissy. You don't have what it takes to protect this kingdom-"
The unicorn reached up and pulled the ring off from his horn. He threw it to the ground and turned away from Glitter.
"I quit."
"Of course you do! That's because you're a foal! Get out of my Guard!"
The violet unicorn flashed an angry look at Glitter, but he was stared down. Skulking away, Vivid could not look at the rest of his squad members in the eye. He stopped just as he reached the edge of the field and looked back. Then he ran into the barracks and closed the door behind him.
"See him? He's a smart one. He knows that it's easier to just give up and go home rather than stay here. Only those who want to be here can stay. In there you get your bed, hot food, and a ride back to whatever hole you crawled out from. Back there is where you can return to your pathetic excuse you call a life. All you have to do is walk down this field and pack up your crap in the barracks. That's all. So, any other takers before I begin?"
Nopony shifted in the slightest.
At that Glitter grinned, "Good. Let's see what you've got then."
"Come at me!" Glitter shouted.
The pegasus lunged at the mare. She side stepped and smacked him in the face making him take a few clumsy steps backwards.
"Don't try to use your wings to stabilize yourself! You can't use them! They're broken!" she shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you! No wings. None! If you had fallen out of the sky and broken your wing, do you think that an enemy will let you get up and fight back? Do you think that an ursa or hydra won't take this oppurtinity to rip your pathetic little head off? Celestia confound it, private! I will motivate you! I will make it so that whenever you fold your wings in at night you'll remember my face for the rest of your miserable existence! Do I make myself clear?"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" the recruit shouted, his voice breaking.
"Are you going to cry now, foal? Are you going to call for your mommy and daddy?"
He flashed the Corporal a venomous look.
"Good. Now you're turning me on!" she shouted, and kicked his face. "Get the buck off the ground before I turn you into glue!"
With a roar, the pegasus pushed himself onto his hooves and charged the mare in a desperate leap. Glitter took the weight, rolled onto her back effortlessly and spun around in a somersault. Then she waited and kicked him upwards into the sky, the momentum sending him forwards over her. Before he could get any further, Glitter grabbed his tail and pulled forcing the stallion to land face-first on the ground with all his body weight. He curled up into a ball and tried to catch his breath, the air knocked out of him.
"Pathetic! Now, who's next?"
Semper took a step forwards.
"Ah. The freak. An earth pony? I know you. I'm supposed to make things special just for you," the Lance Corporal said walking in a circle around Semper. She paused when she stood in front of him, "Show us exactly what an earth pony can do."
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," Semper said and lowered himself so that his head was pointing at the ground. He kicked up some dirt with his hooves and flared his nostrils.
"Ready whenever you are, private. Don't you know, it's not nice to keep a lady waiting," Glitter said, a malicious grin spreading across her face.
Semper charged at her with everything he had. She leaped over the earth pony just as he twisted his body and kicked out trying to kick her legs. The mare barely dodged his two hooves and as he swung around narrowly avoided getting a kick to the face. She shifted her weight to her left side and pulled herself into his open spot and threw a vicious uppercut, but Semper had jumped to the left and all she managed to hit was air.
"Not bad... for a first time," Glitter said, smiling ever so slightly.
Semper moved in for another attack and threw a wild punch. Glitter caught it in her hooves and spun around and quickly dashed inside so that her back was against his chest before shifting her weight forwards. She pulled the stallion over her shoulder sending him straight into the ground where Semper landed with a heavy thud that shook the matted floor.
"Had enough, filly?"
With a quick twitch of his lower leg, Semper dashed backwards away from Glitter managing to free himself from her grasp. The Corporal was having none of that and moved in towards the earth pony. The sight of the mare charging at him made Semper try to step aside, but his hoof slipped tripping him up as he stumbled backwards. Desperate, the stallion threw a punch at her in an attempt to break her charge. Glitter leaped into the air doing a half-somersault over Semper's outstretched hoof, landing elegantly behind him. As the stallion spun around, she landed two solid kicks into the earth pony's chest sending him careening backwards headfirst into the dirt.
He gasped a breath, completely winded by the impact and made to stand up when he felt the mare's weight pinning him down by pressing her foreleg against his throat her body weight on his chest. Her other hoof was free and for good measure she landed two solid punches to his face.
"Had enough now? Are you gonna cry to your mother? Huh?" she taunted.
Semper laid back down, "Ma'am, no, ma'am!"
"What?"
"Ma'am, this stallion still has fight in him, ma'am."
The mare raised an eyebrow, "You do, do you?"
With a roar, Semper pushed himself up against the mare's foreleg, his face turning a deeper shade of blue as he choked himself as he pushed her off of him with brute force. Glitter had not expected that, and slipped as she tried to back off. Seizing the opportunity, Semper reached for the mare trying to gain the upper hoof.
Glitter spun around, twisted her body to one side and then brought her entire body weight down on Semper's neck.
"So, I heard that you had a little trouble over in CQC earlier today," Far Eye said grinning at Glitter.
Glitter scowled at the stallion, "I've never had to deal with earth ponies before. How was I supposed to know that they were such a headache to put down. I had him in a choke-hold on the ground with my entire body on his esophagus. You know what he did?"
Far shook his head trying to hide a smile forming on his maw, clearly amused by Glitter's rant.
"He broke it. Stood right up and started throwing punches at me. Nopony ever stands up from a hold like that, especially after you choke yourself trying to get out of the hold!" she picked up her glass of hard cider and took a deep sip from it. She placed the glass gently back on the coaster and heard the ice tinkle as it clinked against the sides, "He's dangerous."
"Dangerous? Please. Maybe you're rusty dealing with fresh recruits. Earth ponies are known for their strength. It's not like it's anything special."
"Not this strong. You don't understand how hard I hit him," Glitter replied, her voice level.
"And that's not all," a voice said from behind them.
Red Eye and Gold Glitter turned to the newcomer and both stood up at attention.
"Ma'am!" the two of the shouted standing up at full attention and saluting.
"At ease." Ruby Flame sat down at the nearest free bar stool. "You're lucky that he was already tired and hurt from my earlier training."
Glitter's eyes opened wide, "He was one of the three, ma'am?"
"You couldn't guess? When he didn't go down the first two times I shot him with my firebolt, I had to fire stronger spells at him." What Ruby did not tell them was that towards the end she had enough power in those bolts to knock out a small manticore. She had written it in a report including a special request that his training be placed directly under her care. She had submitted it just after the training in the morning and would have been reviewed by her superior by this time.
"What is the Princess thinking of letting an earth pony join the Border Guard?" Far Eye shook his head and downed the remnants of the bottle in front of him, "I mean, true that a lot of frontier towns are full of earth ponies, but without magic he can't fight, and without wings he can't go on patrol. So... what use is he?"
"It is not our place to question the wisdom of the Princess. She sees something and we must trust in her wisdom," Ruby stated. She narrowed her eyes, "Or are you implying that Her Highness-"
"No, no! Not implying. No, ma'am," Far Eye said blushing profusely.
Ruby turned away from the pegasus and took a sip from the drink before her, "That's what I thought."
Semper signed his name off on the letter and looked at it making sure that he had mentioned all that he was allowed to. He licked the flap and turned it over placing a two bit stamp with a picture of the Canterlot palace on the top-right corner. He held the enveloped in front of him for a moment. This was actually his first letter home.
It had been over a month now since he had started training. It had been getting progressively tougher, and the superior officers had given Semper a harder time, or so it seemed. Since he could not practice magic, nor attend the flight lessons, he been given the task of learning about everything else. His schedule was full all day every day, he had no time to himself.
His mornings started off with the rest of the Border Guard in his barracks. Morning physical training was tough, and they seemed to extend it to Semper with malicious glee. While the unicorns and pegasi would run twenty laps, Semper sometimes had to run fifty depending on the mood of the instructor.
Even with full armor on, and sometimes with a full pack.
After that, Semper could find himself training with the other Guard. Sometimes he would be training with other earth ponies from the Day or Night Guard with spears, swords and other hoof-held, mouth-held weapons, hoof to hoof combat training -- since the Border Guard unicorns had started training with the recruits in magic they had no time to teach him. Sometimes he would be training along with the medics, learning about medicine, how to patch ponies up, to help stop curses and other magically induced ailments, to make and use various potions. He was even made to learn with the mechanics that fixed up and maintained the large airships that were used as floating fortresses for the Border Guards, despite the fact that most of the mechanics and support staff in these ships were not officially Guards.
Still, the hardest part was the constant physical exercise. After the other ponies were granted leave to retire to the mess hall, Semper would be running the field, lifting in the weight room or performing more close-quarters-combat training, usually under Ruby Flame herself. She would watch Semper like a hawk, and fire a bolt of magic from her horn if she saw even a slightly inkling of slacking from the blue stallion.
By the time he would retire to the mess, most of the Border Guard were already done and had retired to the rec-room before having to return to the barracks for lights out.
Semper usually skipped these gatherings because of his exhaustion, and by the time the other Guards returned he would be fast asleep on his bunk. The only bunk in the barracks that did not have somepony taking the top.
Still, today was his first day off since he had arrived. That was because there was a general inspection of the facility by the Captains of the Guards. Armored Core, the present Captain of the Day Guard as well as Fire Fly of the Night Guard were going to be there. The current Captain of the Border Guard was still unconfirmed, as rumor had it that his airship from the Griffon Empire had been delayed due to technical difficulties.
Walking outside, he was instantly bonked on the head by a hoofball. He looked down at it, then over to Static who was grinning guiltily in his general direction.
"Sorry about that! Little help, please?"
Semper positioned himself and kicked the ball towards the green unicorn gently. Static caught it in his magic and watched as Semper started walking off.
Looking at the ball, then at Semper, he tossed it over his shoulder towards the other Border Guards he was playing with and ran after the stallion.
"Hey. Hey, Semper."
Semper stopped and turned towards Static.
"Why don't you... you know... hang out with us?" Static rubbed the back of his head, "I mean, we're all Border Guard, but we rarely see you after PT."
"I've been busy with other things."
"I know. The CO's have been working you hard. Don't think we haven't noticed." Static gestured with his head to the other Border Guard tossing the hoofball at one another. They all stopped when Semper looked over their way. "So... wanna hang out with us?"
"I need to send this very important letter first. After that maybe."
"Important, eh? Well, that's cool, I guess. Who's it for?"
Semper looked at it, then up at Static, "The most important ponies in Equestria."
With that, Semper walked off.
Sonic flew over to where Static stood looking at the receding figure of the earth pony.
"So, what'd he say?"
"He has to send a letter to the Princess," Static replied, misinterpreting Semper's words.
At that, the pegasus tilted his head to one side, "Princess Celestia?"
"Are there any other princesses?"
"Well... yes, as a matter of fact. There's Princess Cadence, Princess-"
"I meant Equestrian princesses, Sonic. Not princesses from other nations."
"Oh. Right."
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I am liking these chapters WAY too much for my own good.
Please write faster so I can throw more praise at you.
Just a castaway
An island lost at sea
Another lonely day
With no one here but me
More loneliness
Than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair
I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
(Message in a bottle)
A year has passed since I wrote my note
But I should have known this right from the start
Only hope can keep me together
Love can mend your life
But love can break your heart
I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
(Message in a bottle
Oh, message in a bottle
Message in a bottle)
Walked out this morning
Don't believe what I saw
A hundred billion bottles
Washed up on the shore
Seems I'm not alone at being alone
A hundred billion castaways
Looking for a home
I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
(Message in a bottle
Message in a bottle
Message in a bottle)
Sending out an SOS...
And in a few years he will earn the nickname the fuck-shitupinator.
2312276 best name ever.
The best chapter ever.
You keep reminding me of my sergeants because that's exactly how they act.
I'm reading Pains lines in the voice of the guy from avatar.
5491770 The James Cameron Avatar, right? The closest I can think of if you're talking about A: TLA would be The Boulder.
Processing... Processing...
And, the most important ponies ever? Must be the family. The nation can go fall on a spike, your friends can take a long walk off a short plank, but you never turn your back on your family.
2312276 yup
Every time a scene pops up with Major Pain in it, I am reminded of Major Payne.
This one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mqt2dN8W3c
5877749
"Killin' is my business, ladies, and bis-ness is goood!"
5510697 especially my family. You turn your back and they will stab you in it.
But what can you do? They are still family.
I have a feeling that a few of the stories about Semper may have been misinterpreted now...he's just a pony doing what he feels is right.
Methinks the rest of the privates completely misinterpreting a lot of what Semper says and does will be a running gag. Well, at least Semper's impressing his superiors.
You really should get a new cover art for this picture, though. I have no idea what Semper's mane or eye colour are like, and only vaguely know he's blue. Having an actual picture would be a lot better to visualise him. I know you have the money to commission it, too!
One of Semper's big advantages is that he has not had a soft life like the others. He's had a LOT of physical conditioning already. Plus we already know that the Pie Family is capable of some rather powerful feats, as seen with Maud Pie, and Pinkie Pie in the Alternate Universe. Plus he is extremely motivated. Although I know that Semper Pie is on an order of magnitudes greater than either Maud or Pinkie, though part of that I know is his crazy training. I imagine that the Pie family is gifted with powerful magic as well.
Although the one question I DO have is....How the HELL did he capture the attention of Princess Celestia???
Captain of the guard Armored Core, huh? Does he come from a town called Raven's Nest?