New Trainees

Inside a courtyard mostly of dry dirt with the occasional spot of grass, there stands bigger unicorn stallion, facing four normal sized stallions in Royal guard uniforms. The bigger unicorn stallion has a red coat; a black mane that looks unkept; scars that cross his body; with one nasty scar that starts above the eyebrow, skips over his golden eye and goes down to the side of his muzzle. He paces slowly back and forth in front of the soldiers who are all magically colored gray or white due to the spells embedded into the royal guard armor.
“Hello everypony! My name is Demon Hunter” A big red coated, black mane unicorn stallion proclaimed to the four Royal Guards. “You have been picked to assist me in hunting quite possibly the most dangerous game. I must warn you our prey are wily and unrelenting once exposed but regardless of the situation they must be captured alive. I don’t care if they are near death; close to death so long as they aren’t completely dead by the time we drag ‘em to our medics. Use magic, speed, maces swords, arrows, nets or whatever you have to subdue and capture these nefarious creatures. You should also already know that these missions with me are the most classified you can get. Breaking this would most certainly mean banishment… from life. We will offer free memory wipes; replacements or blocks of the highest caliber from the top ponies we have. This of course isn’t required it is recommended after you are no longer a part of our program here. You can pull out of the program at any time other than during mission and you will be guaranteed you’re job and rank back in the Guard, possibly promotion depending upon further review, so long as not disabled. If disabled you will receive half Guard pay for life, free medical and be assisted in finding some sort of employment. You also know the pay will be pay and a half, travel pay, hazard pay… needless to say you won’t have to worry about bits for a while and the recommendations that you’ll receive. This is a pretty big deal; we will take great care of you for your service. If anypony isn’t up to this, then I suggest you step out now.”
Demon Hunter waits patiently. “Everypony wants to do this?”
“SIR, Yes, Sir!”
“STOP!” Demon yells “ALL OF YOU. Drop your weapons”

Swords and lances clang to the ground.
“Take off all your armor and Royal Guard’s uniform items.” Demon Hunter says and waits patiently for all of them to get done. Once they’re all done and back standing at attention he proceeds to say, “Lastly drop your military bearing. I don’t want to hear a sir or ma’am or any military jargon or slang from here on out. You will address me as DH, Hunter, or Demon. You will act like regular ponies, but you will only answer to me or higher. I need you to blend in. Now loosen up break ranks and introduce yourself one at a time.”
“Lightning Flash”
“Thunder Strike”
“Tornado Fury”
“Blaze”
“Ok…You will go by Lightning, Thunder, Fury and Blaze respectively. Gentlecolts, I give you three days of leave to prepare. Stow your equipment; make preparations to be gone for a month’s time; pay off any bills; make sure your liens are in order; and have someone to watch your pets or house. If you need help with this see me or my assistant prior to leaving. You may take anything with you so long as it’s not Royal guard issue. Here’s something extra to celebrate or pick up some last minute supplies.” DH says as he throws a nice size bag that spills a couple bits. “Enjoy!”

//-- Demon Hunter --/

I watch as they split up the bits between each other and grab their stuff and leave. I sincerely hope these guys are better than the last group. Three dead and the other one memory replaced… not what I had expected from some of the Guards top performers. We do watch who we pick though. Abilities; service record; mental; health; physical performance and we try to get ones with few family members or at least not married. It makes the wrap up of failed missions a little easier and less stressful. Our office does compensate loss of life better than any other insurance I’ve seen around, but I believe it to be more of a hush money deal for the grieving.

Peace time is such a load of manure. There’s ponies like me running around protecting it and tilting the odds in our favor the next time a war breaks. So long as there’s resources and living things there’ll always be a war of some kind around the corner.

I really do wish I would have followed ‘em. If they’re anything like the last group, then I’d find ‘em at one of the nearest tavern having a great time, but I’d rather see how they do before even getting the slightest bit involved in their lives. My body may be riddled with scars, which feel fine, but my scars of the heart still hurt more than all of the physical wounds I’ve ever had.
“Hunter!” I snap out of bitter memories and ghosts that started to climb through my mind. “You like the new recruits?”
“It’s too early to tell anything about ‘em… I’ll go finish the paperwork for ‘em”
“Nope. I put Pencil Pusher on that. All of you are now on leave, and you know what that means?” she said with her voice getting excited at the end.
“No”
“You don’t remember?” her voice and face being stunned.
“Nooo…” I trail off trying to think what she was getting at.
“You promised over a month ago on your next day off we’d hang out.” she replied as a smile appeared on her face.
“But…I…you wouldn’t…HURK”, I stuttered, barely getting out the last sound as her magic grabbed me and started dragging me.
“We’ll go shopping; visit the gardens; stop by the zoo; get a bite at the new restaurant, I’ve heard so much about; watch the kites…”, she continues going on and on listing pretty much everything that one could possibly every do.
“What about your work, Star?”
“Oh, I got everything done early. Plus why shouldn’t the boss get to play hooky for one day? I never seem to need my sick days. If they really need me for something, they should be able to find me.”
“Fraternization?”
“What? ... You think this is a date? Come on Hunter you know me better than that. This is just two friends enjoying a day together; catching up and enjoying company. If you consider it work related then, this is just your boss showing her appreciation for the awesome job you’ve been doing. Now quit trying to get out of this, loosen up and enjoy yourself.”
“Fine…but could at least let me trot myself”
“Ooops”, she says, looking back at me and the long lines of dug up soil and grass. “I guess I just forgot about that!” She lets out a short giggle and releases her magic from me. “Last one to the gardens is a rotten egg!” she yells back to me breaking into a full gallop.
“Cheater”, I yell trying to make up the lost distance.

She keeps her speed up able to rip the turns better than me. Every now and then looking back to check that she is holding me off, with that unfair advantage she had at the beginning. As she nears the entrance, she looks back again and sticks her tongue out at me. She turns her head back forward and as she is about to enter the garden she slams into me.
“Ooof… HUNTER, you cheater!”
“It takes one to know one, you rotten egg.” I stick my tongue out at her.

She pushes me and laughs calling me a jerk and a dork. We walk around the garden enjoying the sun; breeze and the view. Not everypony can go through the royal gardens almost whenever they want, just one of the perks of our job. Hay, I bet Star could walk into Celestia’s bathroom, while Ceslestia showered, and relieve herself on the royal throne, without fear of losing her job. I chuckled at that thought. I know Star to be spontaneous; brash, and a jokester, but even that would be a little too far for her. Then again she always does surprise me, so I can’t put it past her.

//-- Star --/
‘That jerk… he’ll pay for that move…and I think I know just how’ I thought to myself as we trot out of the garden together. I could go for some lipstick…ooo… and horn polish… I’m all set on hoof polish…but I guess I could always pick up another bottle. They don’t go bad. Unless some pony enchants it… Oh that sucked, but I got that pony back… yes I did… oh yeah current revenge.
“Now for shopping!” I say as I stop in my tracks.
I focus on my right eye. Casting the spell on it, I feel the nausea that comes with the spell. With the left eye I see hunter looking at me, his face losing its sternness.
“Oh come on Star don’t … we can trot there in less than an hour”
“Stand still”
“Starr!” he starts to move away.

We’re instantly flashed to a building top in the shopping district. I drop the spells and catch Hunter in midair. He quickly flashes to the ground. I flash next to him.
“I told you to stand still Hunter.”
“You know I hate that long distance teleportation spell.”
“Quit acting like a foal, I thought you’re older and tougher than me.”
“I am, but that’s beside the point. I only moved a couple of hooves away from you. That ledge was at least ten hooves away. If I didn’t know better, you were planning on dropping me.”
“Ooooo… look at that… come on let’s go in” I say as I bolt inside.
“HEY! You were, weren’t you?” yells Hunter as he follows.

I try on a hat and look in the mirror and ask for his opinion. Hunter doesn’t make any real response. I keep trying on different Hats. I don’t know which one to get. They all look good but I just don’t know if I can pick just one. Each time I ask he doesn’t seem into responding. He is sooo up tight sometimes. If he keeps this up it won’t be fun for either of us.
“Come on Hunter…” I whine. “Which one is the best? …”

‘So he’s going to be stubborn.’ I thought. Enveloping all of the hats in the store with my aura, I turn to him and say, “Well if you’re not going to help with picking out one. Then at least you could model them for me.”

I swap places with him using teleportation, so he’s in front of the mirrors. He darted his head around looking at the armada of hats covered with ribbons flowers and whatnots all really cute, in their own way.
“The tan one with the blue magenta ribbon” he yells ducking and covering his head with his hooves.
“You’re not just saying one randomly”
“No! The green ribbon one didn’t go well, the blue ribbon clashed; flowers on a hat , at least gaudy ones you had tried, don’t suit you; red was almost good; and the white material hats blended in too much with your coat.”

I didn’t even think he was even looking. I was shocked just by that much, but the fact he had and put thought into the choice, I almost speechless.
“Call off the hats… please.” Hunter said.
“I always figured you had an eye for these things.” I said with a grin.
I placed all the hats back from once them came without even showing an attention to them. An onlooker may very well have thought they were alive. Not all unicorns are good or even decent at magic. Hay, most of them struggle with using magic for everyday tasks, though they try to not show signs of it. I can see all too well through their rouse.
“Come on. Buy it and let’s go.”
“You’re right! With your help you could help me find a Gala dress”
“No.no.no.no.no.”
“…” I trot over and pay the mare.

//-- Hunter --/
“No.no.no.no.no.”

Star doesn’t respond she just pays for that blasted hat and puts it on. She’s obviously mulling something over in her head. Never a good sign with her.
“Come on Hunter let’s go.”
“There’s no way I’m going dress shopping with you”
“I’ll spar you. You win we do whatever you want. I win then it is dress shopping!” Star says under her breath.
“What?”
“Hmm. I really didn’t think you were a coward or maybe you’re still hurting from that whooping I gave you almost a year ago.”
“You know I’ve improved allot and that I’ve been running around working my tail off outside the office, going into combat. While you, just meander around an office, most of the time sitting behind a desk.”
“Improved… phhttt… maybe your ego. Come on… 15 seconds any magic; one point per hit; win by points, forced submission or knockout” Star says.
Her pupils went white; her iris thinned out becoming brighter and the area around the outside of her eyes started to glow a pink. Her eyes do this for only the really powerful magic. I had no idea what she was planning to do. I’m boned either way.
“Bring it”
Flash. We appear in some desert area with nothing around for miles.
“Really … again? ... You know I hate that.” I say shaking my head.
I flare up my magic. My eyes probably look just like hers now just different colors. An aura appears around her horn, casting some spell. I wait for it, figuring that she wouldn’t go so low to start the fight without warning. With a small spark briefly appearing at the tip, I blink. I look in front of my eyes and see a display, with “Hits Hunter: 0”, “Hits Star: 0” on the left and a timer on the right. I’m glad she didn’t cast it into my eyes, brain or any nerve; I don’t trust anypony but myself meddling with those. The display was just hung there in front of my face. I could also barely see one in front of her.
“ready?” Star asks

I nod. A three second count down appears in the middle of the display. Her eyes turn normal… ‘What is she trying to pull? Dropping her power right before a fight… is she trying to get me into some sort of trap… nah not her style…she must be… SHE must be saying I’m not worth her true power!!’ I quickly thought. The skin pushes up a couple of centihooves from my horn. The skin gives way as a black horn slices through the skin. I forced all the power I could muster into both horns. I’m going to goal out if nothing just to get her to dignify this fight with her true power. ‘1’turns to ‘Go’

‘Star Wins’ flashed before my eyes a while before it switches over to ‘Continue? 10... 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3... 2… 1… Thanks for playing.’ Blip! The displays magic disappears.
“Ugh… I think you broke my magic” I barely get out.
“Nope that’s all you… burning up all of that so quickly shifting spells… and that one were you made ten copies of yourself…very impressive... it was too bad they were pretty mindless magicless drones though, had they been you I may have not stood a chance.” Star says.

She gets those powerful eyes again and trots up beside me. I feel her magic pour over me, all the cuts and becoming scars and disappearing. Disappearing?!
“Star! Stop that!” I yell startling her out of the heal spell.
“Fixing you?”
“No. You’re making all my scars vanish.” I look over my body almost all of them gone. The few that remained look like they may have just been a really bad paper cut from a few days ago.
“Don’t worry. Knowing you, you’ll get more”
“I didn’t want them to begin with, but since I got them I had something to remember each of those times.”
“What not enough space in your head to keep the memories?”
“You know what I mean! They each had their own story.”
“Well now I got a better story I beat you up. Again, then healed you and made you look more handsome.”

I was about to go on more complaining about the matter. She caught me off guard with that last remark.
“Maybe next time you should fight for a cause… Mine was dress shopping!” Star giggles
“Why didn’t you just kill me in battle? End my suffering.” I moan.*
“Now. Now. Don’t be a sore loser. We had an agreement.”

I brace myself for the teleportation spell. I got a sense for when she’s about to do it. Flash. We go to her dress shop. I behave myself and play along with her antics. Even though I was just halfheartedly playing along with her, it started to feel more sincere and natural as time went on. Her bubbly happy attitude is rubbing off on me… a little. I always wondered why she seemed bipolar. Jubilant one second scary as Tartarus the next and back to giggling… she might seem like a crazy wreck to somepony that doesn’t know her, but I guess she just knows what each situation calls for and can just switch to whatever would be best for it.

Star stops in front of a Stallions’ Warehouse, and looks over at me. After some arguing, I’m now somehow in a pretty nice suit. I try to talk her out of it… I’ve never been one to dress up. She is right it looks great, but it barely looks like me. I look at the three mirrors. I can’t believe it! She…did remove all the scars. I had a few on my muzzle and one big nasty one on my right eye that stretched for one hoof.
“This doesn’t look right at all, Star. A suit and all my scars are gone.” I frown
“Well what kind of pony do you think I’d want to be seen around?” she asks.

She casts a spell and I turn back to the mirrors to see that the middle one is the same; the right is how I looked at the beginning of the day looking off to the side with a frown; and the left one is me in full battle armor, scars in their former glory, some were even still open wounds, and a crazed blood thirsty look on my face. Of course, I point to the one on the left and turn back to her with a huge grin on my face. The Store clerk passed by and freaked out at the sight, dropping whatever he was holding. We both laugh at the sight and she drops the spell.

The attitudes and looks I got were also new and made me uneasy. Usually most ponies go out of their way to avoid eye contact with me much less converse with me. Now it was completely opposite. Ponies would look at me complement me and when we ate lunch I swear we got better service then I normally get.
“Damn it Star I don’t feel right like this.”
“What’s wrong Hunter? “
“Well I look like this” Hunter motions to himself.
“You look great.”
“I’m not used to going around like this. I’m not some fancy pony that goes around to balls, cocktail parties and whatever else those ponies do. I’m a fighter. A damn good one too. I should be in a suit of armor not some Armoney suit.”
“I think I know what it is. Mr. Big Tough Stallion can’t handle looking too good. He’d rather just push every pony away because deep down he’s afraid of other ponies.” Star says jokingly and sticks her tongue out.
“Phhtt. You wish. I can have class when I need to.”
“Yeah, turns out that’s never. Am I right?”

I roll my eyes. It seems like she’ll best me verbally just as she had psychically, if I continue.
“Yeah sure. Where are we headed next?”
“Oh we’re behind schedule so you choose: watch kites; go to zoo; go for more shopping; amusement park; theater in the park; watch”
I cut her off “No more shopping. Let’s go to the park and get snow cones.”
“That’s great! I forgot all about those great snow cones at the park.” She says excitedly.

We had a great time at the park. The snow cones were pretty good. Star made some comment about me being impatient or something to that extent since. Most of the syrup went to bottom and I ripped the tip of the cone off and siphoned the entire flavor out from there. We just talked and watched other ponies play. It was a great day out just to pony watch. I actually choose this activity because I was too worn out to do whatever she had going on in her mind. I of choose chose not to signs of this but I’m sure she can see through me. All too soon the sun started to set and she wanted to go.

Of course she had to drag me to one of the fanciest restaurants in town. I tried to get her to go to something less so garish but she wouldn’t have any it, she was dead set on going to Le’ Falmme Orang’e. The outside was solid white stones with just enough windows that outsiders could see the highly ornate interior artaciture and chandeliers. Upon entering I was stunned by how little the sight through the windows did justice to portray the extravagance of the venue. The ceilings were up high with realistic painting in the middle. The main chandelier was exquisitely crafted with probably thousands of gems. The curtains on the windows were probably imported with red and gold that weaved about and golden edging and tassels. There was a statue and a fountain in the middle. I looked at all the ponies around the place, they most have been all dressed or at least wearing something elegant to display their status being. Hay, just them being here was enough show of status to me. I don’t know how long I looked around, but I swore I’d probably never see anything quite as fancy as the sight before me.
“I say are you just going to stand there with mouth asunder or do you perchance wish to dine?”
I heard with the most rich and elegant accent. I turn to its source. My mouth had not been dropped but it did at that split second. There stood Star in the fancy dress she had bought before, her mane was freshly done with strands flowing and slightly twirling that glistened. Her makeup was done perfectly to accentuate her features yet not too much to draw attention away from her lips and eyes. Her looks screamed royalty.
“How… when?... You look great.” I said. ‘Compliments first questions later’
“I owe it all to a stylish stallion with a keen eye for a great dress.”
“Well even without it you look”
“Watch your tongue here ponies will think” Star said softly cutting me off.
“oh that we’re going out.” I whisper back getting close to her ear.
She whispered into my ear “No. Just that you’re rude or lewd. Be on your best behavior.”
Then she kissed me on the cheek. Nothing big just a peck and turned around as if it was nothing. Gah. What is she trying to do? Is this really just hanging out? Is this a game or a test? Or is she just trying to get me to make a move… nudging here and there… not wanting to make the move, but attempting to make me make it? I honestly can’t remember the last time I blushed but this I definitely won’t forget. At least my blush wouldn’t show up with my coat, I think she had enough victories against me today.
The meals are always outrageously expensive at places like that. I used to scoff at the idea of the fancy restaurants, paying four to fifteen times more what you’d spend at a normal restaurant. Now I think I know the appeal, because with a special somepony and the elegance and extravagance of the place it adds a special kind of magic to the memory. The multiple short course the light dinner conversation the jokes the way she looked. Wait I didn’t mean special somepony like that way… I mean she’s just a special pony to me… we’re not together.
After the dinner we wound up at a bench and looked into the night sky above. The day had been pretty fun even though it wasn’t at all what I had been expecting to do, but it turned out better this way. Even with getting my flank hooved to me. Just how had she done that without her higher power?
“Hey Star.”
“Hmm?” She turns and looks me in the eye.
“How did you best me today?”
“Do you want to see how?”
“Sure.”

Star’s eyes start doing the freaky thing where the pupil turned bright white and just barely any of her irises was showing. The edges glowed even brighter than before, but that might just have looked that way since it was so dark out, giving it even more contrast. She took off her dress and draped it over the back of the bench. Zap. Flash. I shield my eyes momentarily blinded by the sudden brightness of the area where we were. Once adjusted, it looked like it was daytime and about the same area where we fought earlier. I see her flash off about one hundred hooves away and point in a far off direction.
“What the hay?”
***************

With my mouth still agape, Star flashed next to me and started giggling.
“I knew something was off about that fight, I just couldn’t place my hoof on it!”
“What I beat you fair and square twice. I mean once. Wait no I fought twice but it was only one fight.”
“Fair? There was two of you!”
“Sure but I said any magic goes. Time spell magic counts and it was only you versus me.”
“Are you sure you should be messing with time travel spells?”
“Well I realized that future me did it, so I had to do it or it wouldn’t have happened.”
“Hmm… Did future you … I mean present you remember that time spell is class four tack bravo controlled spell that requires investigation and documentation forms filled out?”
“… you just got to ruin my fun don’t you? You win this round.”
“Victory in the end! Well I was going to ask you what you were going to being tomorrow but those papers should keep you busy for most the day.”
“…”
“If you want I’ll vouch that it was just training for me.”

Star jumped and hugged me tightly at that.
“Thank you soooo much Hunter! Of course you’ll need to stop by tomorrow to do that. Oh come at lunch we’ll eat at the café and I’ll have the forums written out for your statement, so all you have to do is sign it.”

Flash. Zap. We reappeared at the bench and she put her dress back on. We trot away and I look p at the sky enjoying the sight. It was a weird day in all: hanging out and shopping with my boss; Getting beat up by her; losing my scars (I sigh at the thought of that one); picking out clothes ; having a nice lunch and dinner (I don’t know if I’d every go to a fancy one on my own accord though); and watching a her fight me again.

Author's Note

where *************** is i was going to add more but