Diary of a Lancer : Tune of Blades

"Then, one fateful day, a mysterious boom came from the west, followed by mild tremor that shook the ground beneath our hooves. Different leaders dispatched volunteers and veterans to find the source of the blast. This put my father in danger, and the rest of my family trembled because of his decision..."

Navin reached the entrance to the door of their home and opened it with a push of his foreleg. Questions filled his head as he trotted into the house.

"A nightmare, huh?" Rose bud asked from behind. Navin turned to face the filly. Her magenta eyes stared straight through his.

"Yeah, how about I go more in detail?" Navin asked. Rose Bud plopped on the floor and looked up to her brother. Navin, still holding Granite in his forelegs, began his story, "It began in a citadel of some sort, and all around me were thick columns. I was on some raised walkway, I looked over the sides and the columns went all the way to the black below.

"All around me were wounded ponies, all dressed in capes and helmets. Around there shapes were some sort of white vapor, and they moved slowly. I was breathing heavily, I could feel everything.

"Suddenly, there was muffled banging. Coming from all sides, bigger silhouettes of ponies attacked the group. i just stood there and watched the carnage of the battle. Screams were heard clearly as fire rained from above.

"I didn't notice one shadow coming towards me until a heavy feeling struck my chest, and I found that I have been jabbed by a pike. That's when I woke from the terrible fantasy."

Rose Bud, with her jaw practically touching the floor, closed her gaping mouth and shrugged.

"Maybe it was a sign," she said, "you should see therapist."

"Hey, didn't you have strange dreams, too?" Navin asked.

Rose put a hoof to her chin and said, "I actually recall this one dream I had when I met this puny weirdo who wouldn't stop yapping his jaws, and caused mom's, dad's, and your heads to blow up."

"Really?" Navin inquired. "Did you know what it meant?"

"No," she shook her head, "can you guess?"

"Maybe-" Navin thought for a moment, "maybe it means that something is bugging you so much that you might just snap one day. Was there something bugging you?"

"Yeah! It was at the time shortly after Granite was born, and he wouldn't stop wailing day and night."

Navin acknowledged her realization with a low hmm, and turned to take Granite to Lilium and Quake's room. He paused and his ears surveyed the surroundings. It was a loud, heavily accented voice caught his attention.

"Hey, what's up?" Rose Bud asked. Navin didn't answer, he shushed her and she grunted.

Navin turned around and gave Rose Bud the foal. "Take Granite to Mom and Dad's room, now."

"Why?" Rose Bud asked as she took Granite into her forelegs.

"I'll be back," Navin said.

"Wait! Can I come?"

"Stay put, Rose!" the ignorant Earth pony stood her ground and stomped to her parents' room to put Granite, who now was awake and cooing, to sleep. Navin checked to see if she wasn't sneaking behind him. She was always a sneaky filly. Both Navin and Rose had the best sibling experience throughout their lives. Unlike other siblings who couldn't get along, they spent quality time with each other through thick and thin, highs and lows, and ups and downs. But little did they both know that their relations will be changed forever.

Navin continued out the door and grabbed the handle in his mouth to close it behind him. The voice of the mayor still clung to his ear. He wanted to know in all the world what he had to say about the incident that shook the world.

The curious Earth pony rounded the corner of a nearby duplex. Uncovering from the shadows, he observed before him that the whole town filled the plaza. They needed answers, and they expect the mayor to answer their questions.

Navin then noticed his parents that turned out to be in the back of the crowd, their rumps facing his direction. He recoiled behind the close-by building, but still exposed his head, to which he could still see the mayor.

The mayor was a stout, white pony that had his brown mane swept back and a mustache grew from his lip. He wore a fine, red cape that positioned him higher than anypony in the local heirarchy.

Questions like What was that? What's going on? and What do we do now? came from the crowd.

"Friends, friends," he started, "I can assure you that there is nothing to worry about." His voice soothed the crowd, but hooves raised to ask questions. The mayor counted them and pointed to a copper mare in the front. "You, there, speak."

"Well, how do you know that nothing's wrong?" she asked. The question drew many comments from surrounding ponies. It was considered a threat to question the mayor's knowledge.

The mayor didn't want to arrest her in public, though there were officers around him to do the job, so he smiled and looked to everyone as a sign that this was to answer all of their queries.

"I'm the mayor, your most trusted leader," he said to all, "I'm always right."

Always right? Navin thought, scratching his chin with a hoof. I think otherwise!

"Everyone! Settle," the mayor started, "anymore questions?"

"Yes! Here!" Navin didn't mean to shout that loud. He covered his mouth with a hoof, making another word unable to escape. Everypony turned to face him, even his parents, which were shocked to see him. His father put a look of acrimony on his face. Navin swallowed a wad of saliva down his drying throat. He never had this many ponies staring at him. And his dad glared threateningly at him.

"Well then, share," the mayor said to Navin. His posture was steady, and his amber irises could force anypony to speak.

Inkpot gulped and took a few hoofsteps forward. "I'm sure we all think that you really don't know. If you do know that this isn't a possible threat to us all, then...uh-" Navin was hesitant to continue, for he was sure that words spoken like that to a mayor with all the power in town would surely get him shoved into the slammer.

"Then what?" the mayor asked calmly.

Navin gathered the courage to speak, "Then prove it."

Nopony spoke. Even his father lost the angry look on his face. It turned into a look of worry and shock.

"I previously stated, as the mayor, that I am always right," he responded, "and you expect me to prove that there is nothing to worry about?"

"I have my doubts, sir."

The mayor looked around at the ponies who all turned to him, hoping that he'll have a solution to this problem. He feared that if he didn't attempt to try and varify the situation, that more and more ponies would begin to ponder his power. Having been cut off from outside forces, these ponies were brainwashed to think of the mayor as their hero, lord, or god.

Clearing his throat, he began to speak, "Very well then. We all have been a bit spooked about the whole boom incident, but I still can assure that absolutely nothing is to harm us all. As Mayor Piggly Harshtrot IV," his full title, "I'll dispatch a party of volunteers and, or veterans, to survey the source of the 'boom'," the mayor looked around for anypony who understood. "Any volunteers?"

There was a silence that could've lasted forever, but "I volunteer," was heard loud and clear. And that voice came from the back of the crowd. Quake, Navin's father, had volunteered to go on this mission, and Navin was dumbfounded. Quake had seen some action at one point of his life, but did that mean he could fend himself from outside enemies?

"You, sir," the mayor pointed him out, "state your name and role."

"Quake; veteran," Quake said.

"Care to tell us of your story?" the mayor pleaded.

"All I can say is that I've killed many in my days. Fought with the 14th Ranger Legion, I did. Cavalry. Swept the southern theaters clean of the rebelling Earth pony provinces."

"Thank you for volunteering, you brave soul. Anyone else?"

After he spoke out, another pony courageously volunteered, and another, and so on. Maybe they knew they'd be alright now that they had a hardcore old-timer. Soon, about twenty-five mares and stallions alike had raised their hooves.

"Okay, all volunteers meet me in the main hall at sunrise for your initiations," the mayor said as he strutted towards the hall, "you're all going to need it." Everypony soon trotted about their business, some congratulated their volunteers for their decision.

Quake, having nodded in understanding, turned to face Navin. But his facial expression changed for the last time, and this time, he looked infuriated, but at the same time looked as if he accomplished something.

"I'm sorry, dad," Navin said.

"Well, you're gonna see sorry when you've realized what you've done," Quake said sternly.

Navin understood, for when he said those words, he put his father in danger. How was he supposed to know what was waiting for him out there? What would have happened if his dad didn't volunteer? Would he still be forced anyway because he was a veteran?

Yes. Quake has seen the scenes of battle before. Just twelve seasons ago, he came back from fighting with the barbarian pony provinces of the south. Fighting was easy for him, but he took severe wounds to his hind legs and had to be dispatched from the regiment.

If Navin just kept his mouth shut, his father wouldn't have to embark on the possibly long journey.

And Lilium, her eyes literally cried out in anguish. She looked up to Quake, for he was taller than her, and tears formed in her eyes. She's taking it all too seriously.

"But Quake, your legs, will hold for that long?" she asked him. "Will you go that far without stopping?"

Quake returned his gaze to his beautiful wife and replied, "We'll talk at dinner. Navin has a lot of things to explain to us."

Navin reeled into himself and puppy-eyed his father as he walked past him. Quake just stared ahead to the home where Rose Bud hadn't a clue to what happened just now.