Skyfall: Treason

by Dusk Quill

Chapter 2: Demonstration

“Three… Two… One… Open fire!”

Gunshots rang out endlessly as the ponies at the firing range opened up on their targets. Fleethoof watched from the sidelines, assisting Flintlock with the small arms training portion, since none of the soldiers were expected to get to his lessons anytime soon. The new handguns had been handed out to each soldier, and were now being run through the initial test phase. For the most part, everypony had become comfortable with their equipment, and the grouping of their shots was close.

A little over a week had passed since the beginning of the new training regiment. So far, every single pony in active duty had shown tremendous improvement across the board, all across Equestria. Shining Armor’s new program was working like a charm.

“Spread your hooves a little more,” Fleethoof instructed a soldier, adjusting her stance. “Keep them about shoulder width apart. You’ll be more stable this way. Keep going.”

At his instructions, the mare’s control improved, and her grouping tightened up moderately. Fleethoof nodded in approval, and continued down the line. The soldiers were already pretty proficient with their weapons, and with the extra training, they’d be even better. Lieutenant Flintlock addressed each pony individually, commenting where he saw fit. Some were shooting too quickly, emptying their guns haphazardly all across the targets. Others just needed slight posture adjustments.

“Cease fire!”

The ponies set their guns down on the benches in front of them, reloading their weapons. Targets were then analyzed by the soldiers and range officers. Many would have been dead, but there was still a fair amount of shots far off from any part of the pony silhouette.

“Rack ‘em up! Let’s go again!” Flintlock shouted, and fresh targets were sent downrange.

Fleethoof noticed one pony whose shots went particularly wide scowling at her target. He smiled gently and stepped up to the empty bench beside her.

“Don’t worry about it too much. We’re all doing this to get better,” he reassured the mare, catching her attention as he drew his pistol and chambered the first round. “Just take your time a little more and really line up your shots. Get a feel for your weapon.”

A bell was rung, and all at once, the shooting started up again. The mare cocked her gun and took a deep breath. Fleethoof nodded to her, and both ponies took aim. She took the captain’s advice, giving herself an extra second to line up her aim.

Bang! Bang!

They squeezed off round after round. Brass fell to the ground beneath them as the targets recoiled gently against their stands with each hit. After a short while, another ceasefire was called, and the new targets were analyzed. Her aim had improved dramatically, most of the bullets finding a home somewhere within the black silhouette.

“There you go! Much better!” Fleethoof said, praising her improvement and patting her on the shoulder. “It just takes practice, like everything. The better you get, the faster you can go.”

“That’s easy for you to say, sir,” the mare chuckled, motioning to Fleethoof’s target.

A cluster of bullet holes ran through the silhouette’s chest and head, only a few falling short of the grouping in the torso. Fleethoof chuckled and pulled his target down.

“I’ve been doing this for a while now. It took a lot of practice, believe me. Just keep it up, Private, and you’ll get better.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Again!” Flintlock ordered. And the shooting resumed.

“Aaargh!” a pony cried out in pain as his hoof was twisted behind his back. Pinned beneath the weight of his opponent, there was little he could actually do.

“Okay, okay! I give! Lemme go!” the poor pony begged.

With a disappointed sigh, Midnight Dasher let go of the Earth pony and stepped off of him, stretching her batlike wings out.

“And that, everypony, is how you successfully force an enemy into submission in ten seconds flat,” she said, looking around at the group of terrified ponies. “Now, split into pairs and we’ll all take turns sparring with what we’ve learned so far. Once we get the basics down, we can teach you a few advanced techniques to help up your game.”

A hoof pressed gently against Midnight’s shoulder. In a whirlwind blur of movement, the bat pony had spun around, swinging her hoof in a vicious hook—only, she never made contact with her would-be assailant. Her hoof was caught mid-swing, a red one pressing just as hard back against her, and the most brilliant blue eyes she’d ever seen met hers.

“Nice try,” Fleethoof said and smirked. “But I’ve been punched a lot in my life.”

She jerked her hoof away, grinning back at the officer before her and flashing her teeth and sharp fangs. “Well, well... Captain Fleethoof. Coming to make sure we don’t hurt your ponies too much?”

Fleethoof cocked his head and shrugged. “Making sure you’re playing nicely with others.”

“Ah, familiar with the reputation of us bat ponies, eh?”

“Not before now.”

A light lit up in Midnight’s eyes, something conniving within her wicked mind. “Is that so?” With an intrigued smirk, she turned back to the audience before them, awkwardly standing around, not sure if they were supposed to begin or wait.

“And that, everypony, is why you never sneak up on a bat pony,” said Midnight, acting as if the whole failed attack had been part of her lessons. “Now, before we begin, Captain Fleethoof has volunteered to help demonstrate how to take down ponies with specialized training. You never know what techniques your enemy might know as well.”

“Say what now?”

Midnight cast a wily look at the surprised pegasus pony.

“Everypony get your knives at the ready for this CQC lesson. Do we have any volunteers to take on Fleethoof first?”

Fleethoof was suddenly getting very concerned. What was this pony up to? As if reading his mind, Midnight turned around and placed a thick black marker in his hoof. Fleethoof stared down in confusion at the writing instrument now in his grasp.

“Your ‘knife’, sir,” she explained with a wink. “Private Quarrel, get us started.”

From the throng of soldiers, one pony stepped forward. Standing just slightly taller than he was, Fleethoof eyed the pony closely as he uncapped his marker. A few cheers of encouragement rang out for the challenger.

“Corporal, I really must protest,” Fleethoof murmured with a shake of his head.

The bat pony cocked her head, taking a few steps out of the ring drawn in the dirt. “What? You said you wanted to make sure everypony was playing nicely.”

“But this really isn’t fair.”

With a battle cry, Quarrel lunged at the captain, swinging his marker back for the strike. Fleethoof sidestepped out of the way and grabbed the attacking pony by the hoof, spinning him around in place. The next thing Quarrel knew, the pegasus was behind him, twisting his hoof painfully behind his back. Before Quarrel could even cry out, Fleethoof kicked his leg out from underneath him, and the pony hit the ground hard.

“See?” Fleethoof remarked, holding the struggling pony down beneath his weight.

“Go on, Fleethoof! Finish the fight!” Midnight laughed, hooves crossed as she sat back, relaxing and watching with glee.

"That's 'Captain'."

"Go on!"

Fleethoof rolled his eyes and uncapped his marker with his teeth. He brought the soft felt tip down into the back of the pony’s spine, right between the shoulder blades. Black ink stained his fur, confirming the would-be kill blow.

“Game, set, match!” Midnight said with a cheer, clapping her hooves excitedly. “Nice try, Quarrel. Better luck next time. Who’s next?”

Letting the defeated, dusty pony up, Fleethoof shook his head. “Corporal Dasher, this is getting out of hoof—”

“Star Swirl, you’re up!”

A unicorn stepped forward this time, tossing his marker back and forth between his hooves while strafing around the pegasus. Fleethoof was completely ignoring him, still arguing with Midnight Dasher.

“This isn’t teaching them anything except how—Whoa!” Fleethoof cried out in surprise as he was suddenly taken down to the ground, his legs giving out in a burst of magic.

Star Swirl leapt at him, bringing the marker down like a blade. Fleethoof barely managed to roll out of the way in time, a few feathers on his wing scathed with black ink. He got back to his hooves, shaking himself off and glaring at the soldier who had attacked him.

“Stand down, Private. This isn’t a fight you want to pick,” said Fleethoof in warning, turning his attention yet again to the ever incorrigible bat pony, now idly examining her hooves. “Corporal, listen to me when I’m—”

A blow to Fleethoof’s face sent him reeling, stumbling backwards, but not falling. He shook the ringing out of his ears and turned angrily back to the unicorn soldier still trying to fight him.

“Private, I’m warning you.”

The pony came at him again, a right hook aimed for the captain’s head. Fleethoof ducked the attack, sidestepping behind the pony.

“That does it.”

Fleethoof caught the next swing in the crook of the pony’s leg, blocking the attack and leaving him wide open. A quick jab to the pony’s abdomen doubled him over, and an uppercut knocked him flat on his back. Unlike the ruthless attacks of the Guards, Fleethoof waited patiently while Star Swirl coughed, trying to regain his breath.

“Get up,” Fleethoof ordered, circling around the downed pony as he spun his marker in his hoof like it were a real blade. “You started this, now finish it. Get up.”

All around the ring, the rest of the Guard were shouting out, either for the captain to finish him or for the private to keep going. Bets were being taken amongst the ranks. Fleethoof did his best to ignore the rabble. They’d been working hard; they’d earned a little amusement, especially after training with the bat ponies.

Finally, Star Swirl got back up, albeit wobbly, to his hooves. Fleethoof smiled proudly at the soldier and nodded to him, taking a firm, defensive stance. All members of Skyfall Team had been required to develop their own styles of close-quarter combat. While some, like Valiant’s and Cupcake’s used a lot of forward offense, Fleethoof’s relied on countering and unbalancing the opponent, and was more defensive.

Star Swirl came forward again, using his magic to hold his ‘knife’ and freeing up his hooves as weapons as well. Fleethoof blocked a punch, and another, and then had to duck as the levitating marker sliced through the air where his neck had been moments before. He backpedaled a few steps, making sure he was still within the large ring.

The two ponies slowly circled one another, eyeing each other down. Fleethoof feigned a lunge. Star Swirl flinched and nearly tripped over his own hooves. The soldiers around them laughed, startling the unicorn. It gave Fleethoof all the distraction he needed. Swatting the marker to the ground, he rushed the pony, landing a strike against his stomach again and bringing his elbow around into the back of Star Swirl’s head. The pony collapsed to the ground, and Fleethoof brought his marker down into his back twice where his lungs would have been, for good measure.

“Winner! Who’s next?”

An Earth pony shouted out loud as he ran straight for the captain, hurdling himself at him like a runaway train. Fleethoof braced himself where he stood, and then plunged his hoof forward, up underneath the charging pony. The two collided, and Fleethoof’s marker lay jabbed underneath the pony’s ribs, his pseudo-blade sunk right up into his chest cavity.

The pony looked down as he saw the black ink seeping into his yellow coat. Fleethoof cocked a smile and stared into the pony’s wide, surprised eyes as he drew a line across his throat in a coup de grace.

“Nice try, soldier.”

“Next!”

Two ponies rushed out at him before the other challenger had even stepped away. Fleethoof eyed the two, then snatched his defeated opponent’s marker and tossed it through the air. The felt tip struck one of the two just above her collar, ending her fight before it even began.

As the second came closer, he wound up the beginnings of a haymaker. Fleethoof ducked the attack and dropped to the ground, sweeping a kick that knocked the pony’s legs out from underneath him. Spinning back, the captain brought his marker down on the pony’s chest, and then across his throat.

“Next!” Midnight called again, enthralled in the fighting.

The process continued for several more engagements. Against Fleethoof’s wishes, more and more ponies tried to take him on, either alone or in pairs. Once he had eleven consecutive victories under his belt, nopony else dared to step forward to face him.

When nopony would heed Midnight’s order, Fleethoof let out a sigh of relief. At least he wasn’t coming under attack for… whatever the purpose of this lesson was anyway. Midnight scowled and got to her hooves, snatching a marker away from the nearest pony.

“Well, if nopony’s brave enough to step up to the plate, I guess I’ll have to show you all how to fight properly.” She sneered at Fleethoof. “You ready, pegasus?”

“Always, bat,” Fleethoof remarked, turning the marker over in his grasp, “And that’s ‘Captain’ to you.”

Midnight’s wings flared as she took to the air, soaring upwards a few yards before dive-bombing the pony below. Fleethoof timed her attack, and rolled out of the way as Midnight collided with the earth, kicking a cloud of dust up around them. Fleethoof shielded his eyes, peeking out once the rush of air had passed him—only to see the bat pony tackle him. The two tumbled backwards, Fleethoof using the momentum to kick Midnight backwards and away from him.

Midnight landed on her hooves, skidding to a stop as her opponent scrambled to his hooves. Bat ponies were notorious for fighting dirty and with speed and strength. But Fleethoof had agility on his side, a trait pegasi possessed that bat ponies lacked. That would be the key to her undoing.

The soldiers watching began to chant and cheer for whichever side they supported. The sole fact that Midnight hadn’t been knocked out yet surprised the audience, who had grown used to the minute-long matches up till now. Stallion and mare circled one another, daring the other to make a move.

Again, Midnight took the initiative, rushing forward, and then twirling out of the way as Fleethoof swung at her, positioning herself like a dancer behind the pegasus. Fleethoof felt a hoof strike his side from behind, and he crumpled, a dull ache shaking his legs. Midnight had struck a pressure point.

The next thing he knew, his head was being jerked backwards. He knew what would come next: the inevitable soft felt running across his neck, marking him as a dead stallion. Not while he still had some fight left in him. Before Midnight could finish the fight, Fleethoof slid his rear leg back, hooking it behind the mare’s, and sweeping his legs around, knocking her to the ground with him.

Soldiers cheered as Fleethoof twisted around with a roar, bringing his ‘knife’ down on Midnight. But the attack never made contact. Midnight’s hoof shot out, blocking his from getting any closer to her torso. The two ponies grunted as they struggled against one another’s strength, the deadly pen hovering in the air between them. Biting his lip, Fleethoof put all his strength forward, bringing the marker slowly closer, and closer still.

And then he felt a pressure against his chest. Midnight kicked with all her might, sending him flying onto his back again. He hit the dirt with a grunt, the breath knocked from him. Midnight scrambled for her fallen weapon as Fleethoof leapt back to his hooves, and the face-off resumed.

“You’re pretty good, I’ll give you that,” Dasher said, chuckling while wiping the dirt from her face.

“Arrogance isn’t becoming of you, Corporal.”

“Then let me back up my words.”

The ponies clashed again, a flurry of hooves and pens flying back and forth. Whatever training the bat ponies went through over at Fort Shadow was clearly effective. Fleethoof was having just as much trouble landing a hit on her as she was with him. There was a reason the Lunar Guard was much smaller, and more exclusive. The bat ponies really worked their tails off to prove themselves.

Fleethoof winced as their markers collided with a snap. It was as if they were real blades now, and just as dangerous and threatening. With each click of plastic against plastic, Fleethoof could feel the danger grow more and more real in his mind. Flashbacks to the Griffon War played in his mind. He could feel the cool spray of rain on his coat. Midnight became a griffon from times long gone. He could hear the sound of metal clashing, and thunder booming overhead.

With renewed vigor, Fleethoof locked their weapons again, then grabbed Midnight’s hoof and spun beneath it, twisting it behind her back. The pony cried out in surprise, and then again when the captain brought his hoof into her elbow, nearly dislocating her leg and forcing her to drop her marker. Fleethoof brought a hind leg down on the back of hers, dropping her to her knees and holding her in submission.

The pegasus officer glanced up at the crowd of soldiers applauding him. He grinned a little, hoping this was educational for them. Many of them were indicating for him to finish Midnight. The pony in question struggled against his hold, but he twisted her leg a little more and put more pressure against her back, holding her down. Who was he to disappoint the eager troops?

“Good fight, Corporal,” he said, tossing his marker in the air and catching it again. “But not good enough. Nice try.”

Just as Fleethoof went for the killing blow, something clocked him across his jaw hard, sending him spiraling backwards to the ground. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. He looked up once the fog in front of his eyes cleared, seeing another Lunar Guard helping Midnight to her hooves. It was one of the other three, the private.

Fleethoof spat the mouthful of blood out and got back up. So that was how the fight was going to go down. He’d had worse odds before. With a quick jerk of his head to snap the vertebrae in his neck, the captain took his stance, staring down both of his enemies now.

“Need a little help, Corporal?” he asked in mock fashion.

“If you have an advantage, always use it to your benefit,” Dasher remarked, collecting her pen and grinning wickedly. “That’s the bat pony way.”

The two began to circle around Fleethoof, making as if to flank him. He didn’t know what to expect, or which one to go for. Anything could happen now.

That anything came in the form of some physical mass unexpectedly grabbing Fleethoof’s hooves from behind. He tried to look behind him, but his assailant was out of sight. The private rushed forward, taking one of Fleethoof’s legs from his partner, and the two ponies held the captain tightly in place. It was the third Lunar Guard that had leapt in to help. Of course they looked after their own kind.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Fleethoof snarled, jerking and fighting against his captors, but to no avail.

“What was that you were saying, Fleet? Nice try?” Midnight teased, smirking at the restrained pony.

“That’s ‘Captain’.” His words were growled out. Most of the guards were silent, waiting to see how things would play out, and too afraid to challenge their bat pony instructors.

“Well, nice try anyway, but bat ponies always stick together,” she said with glee in her voice, savoring the moment of triumph. “I hope this was as educational for you as it was for the soldiers. It’s really too bad though. You were good. The best I’ve had in a long time.”

“Don’t flatter yourself…”

She laughed softly. “All right, I’ll spare you your misery.”

Midnight took a step forward.

And then she was tugged backwards, held in place by somepony.

“Excuse me, but that’s not fair.”

Midnight Dasher looked over her shoulder in confusion, just in time to see a hoof connect with the side of her face, sending her reeling almost out of the ring. The individual that had saved him shook his hoof off, grinning at Fleethoof.

“Need some help, boss?” Sharp Shot asked, winking to his officer.

Midnight shouted out in anger as she swung at Sharp Shot, the unicorn ducking and weaving past her attacks with ease. Fleethoof flapped his wings, hovering in place to bring his hooves out and kick both ponies holding him in their sides. They recoiled, loosening their grip on him, and Fleethoof had his opening. He jerked his right hoof free, then brought it into a bat’s stomach and flipped him over onto the ground.

The other bat pony grabbed Fleethoof around the neck and squeezed. Struggling to hold his breath, Fleethoof brought his elbow back hard against his enemy’s gut twice, and he relented. He spun and landed a vicious hook against the Lunar Guard’s jaw. The pony hit the dirt, and it was lights out.

Sharp Shot disappeared in a burst of magic as Dasher brought a kick around at his head. She blinked in surprise, and then felt a strike hit her square in her back, knocking her to the dirt. She got up, only to see a scarlet hoof fill her field of vision, and then a stinging pain and ringing filled her head.

As her vision returned, she realized she was on her back, staring up at the sky. Something soft and wet was pressing against her chest, right where her pounding heart was. And then she saw Fleethoof, leaning down over her, marker in hoof, jabbed into her torso.

“Nice try anyway,” Fleethoof mockingly repeated her previous statement. “But Skyfall always sticks together.”

The soldiers looking on cheered and applauded. Breathing hard, Fleethoof stood up again, wiping a thin trail of blood from his mouth and trotted over to Sharp Shot, who had just put the last Lunar Guard down. The two exchanged grins, and Fleethoof put his hoof on the sniper’s shoulder, his coat slick with sweat and body aching all over.

“Thank you, Sharp. I was in some serious trouble there.”

“Yeah, you kinda were.” The unicorn stallion laughed. “You’re a hot mess, boss. What have you been doing?”

Fleethoof chuckled. “Teaching. Don't worry about me. What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you. The team and I need to talk to you about something.”

Fleethoof’s brow knitted together in concern. His team knew he was going to be busy helping Shining Armor retrain the Guard. What did Skyfall need to discuss with him so urgently?

“Fleethoof.”

The pegasus in question turned around to glance at Midnight Dasher. She had struggled back to her hooves. She looked as much of a mess as he felt. Her coat and mane were tousled and covered in dirt. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead. A few bruises were already becoming evident on her. But she was smiling—smiling, and saluting.

“Captain… You’re one hell of a fighter... Thanks for demonstrating to the class,” she said, giving him a wink. “Come on by anytime. You’re always welcome here.”

She turned back to the soldiers, wobbling slightly as she walked. “Okay… Now pair up… and do what we just did… I don’t care how long, just… just punch each other or something… I need to go lie down.”

“She likes you,” Sharp Shot teased.

Fleethoof punched the pony’s shoulder lightly. “She's not my type."

The sniper smirked. "Skilled?"

"Wild."

"Sounds like you. That could be fun."

Fleethoof scoffed. "I think you’ve said enough for one day. What does the team need?”

For a moment, Sharp Shot didn’t say anything. He looked around, and then motioned for Fleethoof to follow him.

“I think it’s something we should talk about in private.”

The captain frowned, and limped alongside Sharp Shot out of the barracks. Already, Fleethoof didn’t like the turn of this conversation.

Comments

[Silverstein]

A military upgrade to improve the quality of the troops is exactly what Equestria's been needing.

Silver out!

[Treilacl]

I just knew it was going to be Sharp Shot that pulled his ass outa the fire. I have to say I feel like Sharp Shot is one of my favs. Ever since The Griffin War I've enjoyed this guy... also I knew the Bats was going to "cheat" She DID say she was going to show the guards how to take down a highly skilled/trained fighter. Get help. Of course... that trained soldier also has help.

Sharp Shot!

[Jake The Army Guy]

Is it wrong that I really hope we can see Midnight hook up with Fleethoof? Help him get over Cadance, you know?

Oh, come on! I know I'm not the only FleetNight shipped! Or would it be MidHoof?

[k64speed]

If I was rooting, I'd go for FleetNight; MidHoof would be painfully deep--*Sniped*

I really, really, really liked this chapter. The fighting seens were so well done (obviously), and Midnight looks like an awesome character. Also a bit of mild suspense at the very end.

[MariusIoannesP]

2308228 No, no it's not. However, it has not been established that Fleethoof needs to get over Cadance.

[MariusIoannesP]

First Cadance. Now this Midnight Dasher. Fleethoof is like a player... Oh buck! I totally get it! It's because he's Equestria's answer to James Bond! The mares just can't wait to ride him like a pony... Wow, that kind of didn't make sense.

[Silentwoodfire]

3567560

I was thinking Matt Helm myself

[Dances With Unicorns]

This chapter seemed familiar to me; until I realized that in the episode “A Rockhoof and a Hard Place” that Princess Celestia had hired Flash Magnus, who has experience in the Royal Legion, as a new drill sergeant for her Royal Guard. I’d love to read how Flash Magnus and Fleethoof would interact with each other, talk about how Royal Legion soldiers were trained vs. how the Royal Guard are trained, and Flash Magnus getting used to living after being in limbo for one thousand years.