Chapter 2 - Entertainment and Discipline

"You're telling me you actually threw your wife?!"

Shining Armor answered Star's boggled expression with an amused grin, "Yep!  Only way we could think of.  We gambled on the Crystal Heart reenergizing her for a safe glide to the ground, though."

Star Blade's head promptly hit the table for the 10th time, "I seriously do not know what's worse...the fact you essentially weaponized your spouse or the fact that you can plan together spur of the moment things without words."

"We just know what each other is thinking, that's all."

Star sighed, and raised his head back up, "Well, at least this clean up should be an easy one."

"Famous last words," Stone replied as they all finished their drinks.

With Shining Armor returning to the castle to manage things, Star Blade and Stone Shield left the drinks bar to begin coordinating the security and cleanup efforts.  After directing some patrol layouts, guard shifts, and a number of other details, Star Blade suddenly decided to turn down an alleyway, his ears perking upon hearing a certain voice.  Stone hurriedly caught up, "Do we really have time for this now?"

Star shushed his superior and surreptiously spied on a certain complaining guard.

"Why and how does someone like Star Blade get to Lieutenant?  He's supposed to command the Unicorn contingent of the Royal Guard, and all he does is sleep and laze around all the time.  Someone should report him for a...a performance review or something.  Conduct unbecoming for an Royal Equestrian Guard pony."

Stone Shield facehoofed and turned to Star, "...so how long were you aware of Bright Horn?"

"You know how Shining Armor guessed accurately about how much sleep I got on the train?  Rest of the time I was listening to his whiny rump in the next room."  He turned to Stone Shield. "He's a newbie?"

"Newbie from a Noble House, at that."

They both sighed and softly stepped behind Bright Horn as he was continuing his tirade to a few other guardsponies.

"And someone should bring our current 'Captain' to Celestia's attention too!  I mean really, the level of favoritism he shows to Star Blade is blatant and really unforgivable."

Bright Horn suddenly realized that some of his fellow guards were suddenly backing away from him.  "What?  What are ... oh do not tell me they're behind me!"

"Okay, we won't.", Star caustically replied.

Bright Horn sighed, then turned around to stare at his sneaky superior officers, "Doesn't change facts though.  You two have so far shown an absolute lack of discipline bordering on incompetence.  Both of you should be replaced by proper officers who can lead with dignity and respect."

One of the veterans visibly bristled, but a glance from Star Blade prevented a vocal reply.

"So how about a contest then, to show the reason I am where I am?", Star replied, "And let's make it interesting.  Standard sparring match.  If you win, Captain Stone and I will recommend you for a promotion, along with command of your own personal unit.  If I win, you clean up this entire block until it shines brighter than every Crystal pony living here."

"I agree to that," Bright Horn confidentally replied, limbering up while Stone Shield proceeded to setup the sparring ring spell.

Star Blade grinned as, with a showman's flair, he addressed the Crystal Ponies who wandered into the area.  "Fillies and Gentlecolts of the Crystal Empire!  Today, for one day only, we of the Equestrian Royal Guard will host a display of our skill in combat!  This will be a sample of what you will witness during the next Crystal Fair!"

The unintentional audience started babbling excitedly about this early preview for a promised performance.  Some clamored for a better view, which some of the more idle unicorn guardsponies obliged with by lifing some audience members to nearby rooftops

"Note the dome of light being made right here in this street", Star gestured to the spell being formed by Stone Shield.  "It is distinctive in that it will not allow combatants and flying debris to exit the field.  Objects, however, can enter the field.  Keep that in mind."

He continued, "I will now take the time to point out that we are the ponies who had the privilege to work directly with your newest Prince when he was our Captain.  From what I've heard, a number of you witnessed his determination and resolve first hand.  You will, however, not see anyone being thrown today.  We had enough trouble explaining THAT to Princess Celestia as it is, so we don't need to add to her headaches."

A number of the audience laughed in response.  With Bright Horn giving a 'Let's get on with it' look, Star Blade hurried up a little.  "Now I'll introduce the combatants.  Across from me is Second Class Guard Bright Horn, fresh from the military academy.  He enjoys poetry readings, candle-making, long walks on the beach, and yes, he is indeed an eligible bachelor!", he continued past the chuckles and a few whistles, "Bright Horn also excels at horn-fencing and ranged horn combat.  He has won numerous awards from various matches and demonstrations of his skill and talents."

While Bright waved at the appreciative cheering and stomping for his name, he stole glance over at Star Blade.  Star shrugged in reply, "I read up on all the new recruits...  Part of my job, you know?"

He stepped up and resumed his show pony's pose, "I will serve as his humble opponent.  I am Lieutenant Star Blade, commander of Unicorn Contingent and second in command of the Royal Equestrian Guard.  My awards are few and far between, but my two specialties in combat are..."

"Oh dear Celestia, Shut it!", Bright Horn snarled as he charged with his horn, enhanced with magic to strike strong and swift.  He was so focused on the strike that he was surprised to find himself clobbered on the side of his head.  He shook his head to clear some of the ringing out and looked up... to see an apple.  A damaged apple, obviously from the impact to the side of his own head.  Said apple was floating in a yellow-white magic field.  Bright Horn glanced over and saw a number of apples, ludicrously floating in a ring around Star Blade.

"As I was saying before being interupted.", Star continued, "My first speciality is in object manipulation.  All unicorns are able to manipulate objects with our minds and magic energies.  I, on the other hand, take it up beyond the next level."

After floating a chair and a few rocks to him, Star Blade addressed the crowd one last time, "The rules for this engagement is simple.  Stay upright!  First to three falls loses!"  Turning to Bright Horn, he continued, "And that, my dear Brighty Boy, was one."

Bright Horn, irritated at being humiliated, got to his feet and attempted to press the assault.  He was used to combat in the sparring area, however, with weapons and spells that were known to most ponies.  Star Blade confounded his reasoning, though.  While trying to clash and break past the chair, apples and rocks would often strike his sides and legs.  Even when he sliced, slashed, and blasted his way past the initial obstacles, new ones were pulled in through the barrier.

Bright Horn had enough when he had to slice an apple cart that was thrown at him.  Finally thinking he had an opening, he attempted a charged horn slash.

His whole head was parried and trapped.  By the legs of a rather sturdy stone bench.  That bench promptly slammed down, pinning his head, and thus his body, to the ground.

"That's two, Bright Horn", Star Blade said as the crowd erupted in an excited cheer.  He skipped back, allowing Bright Horn to recover and get to his feet.

Bright Horn had enough.  Rage overtook him, to where all he could care about was winning.

He started countering every object with destructive horn blasts.  Every stone, every roof tile, and every object that Star Blade could get his will on, Bright Horn promptly blasted once they entered the ring.  Finally, there was nothing in or around the area that could easily be lifted.

Huffing from the effort, he glared at Star Blade.  "Well?  You've got anything left?"  He charged without waiting for a response.

Star Blade's face was unreadable as the light around his horn intensified.

Bright Horn's strike was met with something indistinct, yet it was there.  Hopping back, his eyes beheld a transparant sword.  Essentially an outline, it looked like a transparant sword with a star on the pommel, wrapped in an aura of Star Blade's particular magic.

"My OTHER specialty", Star Blade continued, "is the creation of Phantom Weapons, or weapons made with what is essentially a magical mental force.  All non-lethal weaponry, of course."  He demonstrated by smashing the sword into the ground, showing the outline of blunt force the blade made with the street.  "I can shape many weapons, but this one is mine.  My namesake, if you will."

Bright Horn found it to be immune to blasts.  Due to it's nature, it was immune to dispels.  With the ring being constrained, he couldn't retreat to see if Star Blade's floating sword had to stay by its summoner.  His only hope was to basically out fence Star Blade.

From many a match and many a practice, Bright Horn found he was a good reader of an opponent's ability with fencing.  He was, therefore, baffled at what he was reading from Star Blade's technique with the Phantom Weapon.

Bright Horn began to tire.  At that point, he knew what was coming next.  Star Blade took an opening, one that Bright Horn could not block, knocking him down for the final time.

The crowd cheered as Star Blade reared back to fuel the applause.  Then Star promptly dragged Bright Horn up to his feet and gestured towards him.  Bright Horn was suprised as the crowd cheered for him as well, thundering and stomping in appreciation of the show that was put on.

As the cleanup from their match began, Bright Horn turned towards Star Blade.  "Mind if I ask a few things?"

"Sure"

Bright Horn started with the important one first, "Why aren't you registered?"

Star Blade looked a little confused, "Wasn't what I was expecting your first question to be... what do you mean?"

Bright Horn replied, "Those moves with that...sword... are reminiscint of a grandmaster in the arts of Horn Fencing.  There are five grandmasters, and I've fought two of them.  You fight like them, but aren't on that list.  Why?"

Star grimaced a little, "Technically, what I did isn't Horn Fencing, it's something else.  So I don't have to be on that list."  He added offhand, "The Princess brought in Edge Walker to confirm that."

While Edge Walker wasn't the greatest of the grandmasters, he was enough to make Bright Horn blink a little.  He continued, "So what was the point of that exercise?  To humiliate me?  To show that you basically earned your officership solely based on your combat abilities?"

Star Blade smiled, "THAT was the question I was expecting.  Though can you seriously say you were humiliated with the crowd like that?"  He continued, "I do everything with a purpose, you see.  Yes, even my sleeping, but I'm not telling you the reason for that one.  This thing had several reasons.  Mainly, I wanted to give the Crystal Ponies a positive impression of our skill and power.  We have an investigation to conduct as part of our efforts here.  The Captain and I feel that being on good terms with the general pony public is a positive thing."  He glanced over, "You did get our mission briefing scrolls, right?"

Bright Horn, at the very least, had the temerity to look dignifiedly embarassed.  "Hadn't read it, though... was sort of busy complaining."

"I noticed.  Another reason is over there."

Bright Horn glanced over and noticed some guardsponies talking with a few Crystal ponies.  Some young, but mostly adult and even some elder ponies as well.  "So what are they doing?"

"Recruiting.  We need to make a Crystal Empire battalion of the Guard, after all."

Bright Horn blinked, "You used that match as a recruitment ad?"

"Yes.  I figured, that with everything that occurred here, there would by Crystal ponies with a strong desire to protect.  Seeing this would drive them to find someone who can answer the question, 'How can I learn to do that?'"

Bright Horn looked thoughtful, "So is Captain Stone Shield...well like you in method?  He seems very accommodating of your...eccentricities."

"No, he's a little more by the book.  But he's an effective fighter and knows when to give me room to play.  Especially when it gets the job done.  Like now.", he chuckled, "Though on occasion, I think I've rubbed off on him.  Outside of military command, we ARE friends, after all."  He glanced over at Bright Horn, "So you understand me now?  Just a little?"

Bright Horn looked pensive, processing the new information.  Then he looked around, noting that a lot of the wreckage was being untouched.  "Understanding isn't going to get me out of cleaning up this block, is it?"

"Nope."  He nodded in another direction, though, "But it might impress the Crystal mares that way"

Bright Horn looked up and noticed two Crystal mares waving and blushing in his general direction.  He blushed, then immediately started cleaning the wreckage.

Star Blade walked up to his captain, "Think that was sufficient, sir?"

Stone nodded, "Sometimes I think your discipline method is...unorthodox.  But if it gets the job done, so be it."

They started walking to where the rest of the Equestrian Guard was being housed to handle their next tasks.  As they went there, though, a First Class Guard intercepted them.  "Captain Stone, Lieutenant Star!"

"At ease", Stone quickly said, "Report."

The Guard saluted, "Sirs, situation in the South district."  Stone and Star remembered the South district was where Sombra's remnants landed.  "The purifying mages were ...attacked, allegedly.  Reports are spotty as to what exactly occurred, though."

Stone nodded, "Get a group over there to reorganize things.  Now, was there anything stolen?"

The Guard checked his notes and nodded.  "Yes.  A few spell ingredients.  A containment box... and I'm not sure why this is here, but I was told to tell you, 'An Eye, The Heart, The Horn, a Hoof, and a Lock of Black Mane were stolen'.  Not sure what that means exactly..."

Star turned to Stone, his face in hoof, "'This clean up should be easy'  I really said that at the bar, didn't I, Stoney?"

"Yes, yes you did.  And like I said, 'Famous last words'"