A guards Life: The Lunar Core

Chapter II

The wait for the trains took another one-n-half hours before the first train showed up, "What was that all about?" Midnight asked aloud, "not sure my self, but rumor has it that he smoked one of the princesses when they got to this camp, a his customary respect to the royals and personal for making one of his trains late.  I think he has been by-the-book since he was a cadet serving under Celestia and being late to anything is not one of his options."

"Right, Would be buckin' awsome to of seen a princess push till her wings fell off." Midnight smiled at the thought, he pondered if it was Luna that got smoked when they did their inspection all that time ago. As the cadets boarded, "Good luck Ponies."  Jackhammer's voice rang as the trains where pulling away from the platform, "May The sisters bless your journies!" He gave the leaving trains a salute and held it till the last train had left.

On board, Midnight And fellow cadets  where confronted by a trio of senior guardsponies.  Judging from their rank insignias, they where not only higher ranking guards but vets, both ponies and the changling in the center had served with the night guard for a long time.

"Welcome aboard cadets." The unicorn guard greeted them, "You are probably wondering by now why there where more than one train for you little ones." He smiled, not one of the cadets only looked at each other, even Midnight looked at the rest of them pondering. His eyes swept through the group, he noted that Pedal had got on this train, at least he was in familiar company here.

"Before we reach the castle, you fillies will be put through our introductions, A test of endurance." He gestured to the racks of guard armor, "You will dawn your armor and fight your way towards the front of the train." He spoke as the earth pony guard gestured for the cadets to collect their armor.

One by one, their individual appearances vanished under the armor's enchantment, Soon, each cadet looked the same aside from their eye coloration's; Smoky gray skin with two shades of purple recolored their manes and tail.  Midnight felt the change as he slipped the armor on for the first time, Unlike the recruit armor which had no enchantment, He figured that he will get used to that brief funny feeling as the enchantment changed his appearance every night.

"To better explain," the changeling guard spoke looking at each of the cadets. "You will be put to the test on if you will start off with different grade of duties when you begin your shift." He turned to walk to one end of the train car.

Midnight observed that the train car was partially empty, just a wide floor train car, this must of been where he and his fellow cadets will be conducting his test. "Your opponent will be you." In a flash of flame, he assumed the form one of the vet guards. "You will be fighting yourselves, defeat me and you will advance to the next car." He spoke in flawless replication of the guard's voice. "Now, First-" He flashed into a cadet, judging by his build it was one of the earth pony cadets. "Midnight Star, your first."

Midnight sighed at his bad luck before moving into position, "Are you ready?" He herd his own voice speak to him.  Midnight was distracted by the changeling's ability to take on any form of any pony he wanted; He wondered if it was just the appearance that was affected.

Hesitating with thoughts distracting him, "Begin!" one of the guards barked and the changeling midnight charged at him. "Oh shi-" Midnight brought his guard up as the first strike unarmed strike came down hard.  Recoiling Midnight gawked at the power that was put into that punch. "What? Did I forget to mention that I can match strength with my copied target?"

Midnight dodged a kick from his doubleganger before taking a swing with a fore hoof, the copy midnight leaned out of the way before taking another Swing at him.  The hoof connected with force, his helmet tweaked to one side.  Stumbling back, Midnight corrected his helmet before going for a kick.  Midnight parried and returned with a kick of his own, it connected sending the Copy to the ground briefly before popping back up with an upper cut.

Moving too slow, Midnight took the hit to the chin, knocking his helmet free from his head.  With helmet gone, he assumed his normal appearance under the armor.  Stumbling backwards, he could hear his fellow cadets cheer him on,

"Buck his ass off this train!"

"Knock that changing Wimp down!"

"Come on Midnight!" He herd Pedal's voice egged him on.  Midnight pulled back and threw his most powerful haymaker at the changeling Midnight. The air only took the hit as he missed the copy by inches. "Damn it!"

"My turn little colt!" The veteran Changeling came up with a similar power swing. Midnight failed to move and felt the hoof connect with his jaw.  His eyes flashed before he felt the cold floor. "Come on, get up, Get up!" he herd one of the cadets urged.  Midnight did not budge for a little bit before he finally pulled himself to his hooves. He barely stood before he had to react, ducking a swing, he pulled one last time before swinging hard.

It connected but had no effect,  "The tartarus?!" He then felt a fore hoof find his stomach before another found his face. Again, lights flashed and he was down again; He didn't move. One of the vets counted to ten before calling it, Midnight didn't advance.

With the help of a vet and cadet, he was pulled onto a bench to recuperate while the rest of the cadets tried this test.  The vet changeling took form of his opponents each round.  One by one, none made it through.  However, only two knocked the guard down and he didn't get up. "Cadet, advance and prepare to fight your next opponent."

The system Midnight discovered had each one that passed advanced to the next car, if they lost they come back to the first, and if they made it to the front of the train, who knows who is waiting for them up there.

Finally it was Pedal blow's trun,  she trotted up to take positions.  "Don't hold back just because I'm a mare." She smiled, the changling asummed her appearance, taking the same stance. "Didn't count on it." Smiled the copy before they went at each other.

Midnight watched with the rest of the defeated cadets, with the barrage of punches and kicks, no one could tell who was who before one was knocked to the ground.  The changling was struck hard enough his transformation blinked when he landed. "Had enough?"

"Nope!" the copy shot a leg out, catching the cadet by surprise in a sweeping kick to the legs.  She crumbled to the ground; she tried in vain to get up before taking an elbow to the jaw.  She went down. Midnight watched in shock as the firey mare tried to get back up, "Not done yet!" she gritted her teeth before standing again.

She came at the changeling with a vengeance,  though it was short lived as the copy grabbed her then brought her to the ground in a hold.  Failing to break free, she tapped out.

Midnight shook his head in defeat, only two of the original group had advanced into the next train car and probably are struggling with their attempt at advancing.  "Anypony had enough?" One of the vets asked aloud. Midnight only hung his head from the soreness that clung to his face and body.

After a few moments of not replying, "Too bad, could of gotten your self a spot in the throne room or even outside the princess's quarters." one of the vets mocked before the unicorn guard came up to attended to the cadets. His horn glowed as he used a basic healing spell and cleansing spell to heal, mend and clean the cadets up before they have to depart from the train.

"Good try," Midnight nudged Pedal who only looked up at him with a deadpan, "Not really worth calling it a try I think." she admitted sadly, "Compared to what you did though, Almost thought you were going to break that little bug." She titled a hoof at one of the guards who was tending to the changeling "True, but I just didn't hit'em hard enough!" he punched into his own hoof, an audible clack sounded.

"keep thinkin' that Night owl." one of the other cadets muttered. For the remainder of the trip, the cadets either chatted casually or sat in silence thinking about how they could of done better with their attempt to start off at a better guard post.

It was night fall when the trains finally arrived at the Canterlot station, to no ponies surprise, it was quiet when they disembarked from the trains. Standing over them was Canterlot castle, their new home.

As they neared the gates, a trio of ponies waited for them, two of them wore the officer armor of the guard, both had their helmets removed for this occasion.  Standing taller of the two  was indeed the Princess of the night her self, though dressed for the night a sharper eye could tell she had not been up for long.

“Cadets!” The older officer spoke as Midnight and the rest had filed up to them, out of trained customary courtesy, they lined up before the three.  “Welcome to the night guard,” he announced, “I am Company Commander Glacial Drop, I am in charge of this small but strong company of night guards.” He looked up the line of mixed ponies, majority of them were comprised of earth ponies, a few pegisi, matching few of unicorns and there were only four changelings.

Each of these cadets wore their cadet armor so their enchantments made them match the colors of a regular night guard pony.

“I have been given the task of testing and monitoring your performances in the next few weeks or so to see weather or not you have a place here serving our princess.”  he looked to the younger officer, “This young stallion is your Platoon captain, Pearly Shield, He will be assigning missions, delegating post positions and patrol routes, Listen to him and you will live to see the end of at least this week.” He smiled, “Captain?”

“Thank you sir,” The Captain stepped forward stepped forward, “Unlike these long introductions, I would simply like to cut to the chase and attend to your barracks for the evening, at twenty-three hundred, I'll stop by to provide you all the next nights posts and you will be assigned a partner,” quietly the guard cadets looked among each other, each taking mental guesses on who they will be working with tomorrow night's work.

“Understand cadets?”

“Yes, sir.” was their reply.

“Good, Now,” He turned to the princess, “Does her highness have anything to add?” he asked politly.  Luna smiled warmly with a nod, “None to what has already been spoken Captain, but I do wish you all the best my Brave and Royal cadets.” Midnight noted the sincerity in her voice, she really must of been pleased to see this many cadets be added to her night guard.

“Now, Go forth, rest and sleep off your travel for tomorrow night, we will begin your assignments, as well your tests to solidify your positions in my guard.”

“Yes, your majesty.” few of the cadets replied.

“Alright children, dismissed,” Glacial Drop spoke up, “Captain Shield will escort you to your barracks, good night, good luck.”

“On me cadets, lets get settled in.” Midnight and the others followed their new Captain into the castle.  He looked about as they filed into the castle, crossing the castle grounds, he saw the figures of veteran night guards, murmurs of their voices could only mean that they were talking about them.

“Man, never thought we will see the end of this introduction.” A bored cadet spoke aloud as the group entered the castle, “No kidding, can't imagine what the other cadets had to go through before being relived to their racks.”  Midnight was getting lost in the surroundings of the large halls; they were quiet from the hustle of the day work, torches lit the halls.  A pair of night guards were patrolling down the hall, they paused to watch the new cadets file by.

“Thought you were done foal sitting Pearly.” one of them commented, “Don't think I ever saw this many pile off the train.”

“Yeah, a very sweet crop to weed through.”

“Now whats that supposed to mean?” Jeraal's voice pipped up from the back of the column, “We got a decent chance at this as any pony that comes through here!”

“Calm your self cadet,” Pearly shield looked at the guards as he and the group passed; “If I am not mistaken you shouldn't be talking this much on duty guard and stop scaring my cadets, don't want any of them to desert during their first night here.”

“Yes, sir.” the vets laughed before turning back to their route, disappearing down the hall then made a left turn at the four way the group passed through.

Midnight smiled, He recalled the stiffness of the day guard during the one of two trips to this castle before joining, Not a word was spoken to any pony but yet, the night guard was different.  The casual banter he just witnessed was probably just the tip of the iceberg of being a night guard here. His mind pondered on what else could be different in the night guard till he felt a nudge.

“Hey,” He shook the fog from his mind before looking over at Pedal Blow who had been walking along side him in the column. “Looks like you'll be right at home with this crowd.” she smiled slyly, “Of course, Can't really say if you'll last long here Nigh owl.”

“Oh really?” Midnight cocked a brow, “Let me be the judge of that.”

“More like, let me be the judge of that.” Captain Shield's voice butted in, “You all start as equals, no real way to determined who goes back to camp or stays here.”

“Then what about that test on the train Cap'em?” A Cadet in front of them asked joining in, “It was to determined where you will be posted, that's all.”

“So if I am correct,” Midnight pondered, “If some of us had advnced further on the train, the closer we will be posted to the Princess?”

“Something like that, but for now, lets worry about what you will be doing tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.” The converstions drifted away from the topic but all voices were at a dull murmer while the cadets were escorted to the barracks on the same floor as the other guard barracks. However, anypony present could tell that each barrack was represented by a large set of double doors.  Every twenty  hooves or so there was a set of these doors.

“Listen up Fillies and colts,” The captain finally stopped at the set of double doors, “This is home for the time being, any of you that passes the tests will be given proper personal quarters upstairs.”  He opened the doors into a no doubtably a more decorated version of their training barracks. Midnight could only sum up the scene by putting a hotel's funiture in a long room ment for soldiers.

The beds, were simply basic but, upon sitting on it, very comfotable. The cobble stone walls and smooth wooden flooring gave the cadets a more home feeling when each of them began to settle in.

“Oh yeah, before any of you get too comfortable, I should-” the captain padded himself, looking for something. “-Oh great where is it?”

“Cadet fencer, your partner will be cadet Smoky-” Jeraal had snuck around the captain, he had swipedthe the clip board with the cadets names on them, “-oh and look at this, hey, Midnight, your parner will be-” the captain swipped the board from the changling before he could read the name aloud.

“Thaank you cadet, but that would be my job, now-” he cleared his throat, “This little postage will show you who will be your partners.” he spoke rasing the board, “Not a hundred percent pernament mind you, you all will be reassigned as the nights go on.”

He organized the sheets onto a note board near the front door of the barracks before turning back to the growing huddle of cadets. “Now that I got you all here, I should take my leave, feel free to read who you will be working with and maybe rearrange your bunks before crashing for the night.”

By now he was standing at the front doors, He stayed a few mineuts to awenser a few questions, like directions around the guard floor of the castle, were the armory was and so on.

As he bid the cadets a good night, the cadets began to loosen up from all the formalites.

“Sweet Celestia,” Midnight grumbled as he found an empty bed to dumb his belongings off on, “Never thought that shit will end.”

“Right?” The voice caught him off guard as he snapped a look over at the neighboring bed.  Cadet Pedal blow was unpacking her gear and belongings.  “Did you read the postages yet?” She asked looking up at the colt who cocked his thinking.

“III don't think so,” he admitted as he removed his armor to place at the foot of the bed.

“Was going to unpack before headin' up there to read it.”

“Well, no need.” Pedal smiled, “I can already tell you who your stuck with.”

“Who?”

“Me.”

“Wha-?” he blinked, “You sure?” He hurried up to the note borde to scan the pages, “Oh, I guess you're right then.” Midnight smiled sheepishly before returning to his bed.

“Told ya,” she shrugged, “Guess we will be working with eachother for a while then?”

The Colbalt blue Colt nodded as he sat on the bed, “Yep, SO, partner, gonna take the chance to venture around the castle, getting familiar with the grounds?"  He thought that would be the better suggestion compared to seeing to going on a venture to locate the mess hall.

"Nah, I'm just going to chill here and maybe just get some sleep." She looked up from her bags, "You should too, but that would be hard to ask huh night owl?"  Midnight simply shrugged, "Not really, still heading out, just hope I don't lost out there."

"Oh please," A nosy Changeling butted in, "It is really hard to get lost in this place."

"And you would know Loveless?" Jeraal twitched when Pedal addressed him by his training name, "Have you ever been here before?"

"Ehhhh, once or twice-"

"So no?"

"Yeah..."

The three chatted for a bit before Midnight Star excused himself before heading down the hall.  He felt eyes  on him for a minuet or so before exiting.  Pedal, as well half the remaining cadets took to their beds. However a few remaining cadets stayed up either chatting with their fellows or, in the case of one cheeky Changeling, was quietly pulling a few equally curious ponies aside.

"Say, Who's here a gamblin' pony?" he asked quietly, "Depends on who's askin'" one of the three replied. "Oh, just wondering if anyone care to take up a small wager on who will pair up before the tests are done."

"Kinda leaving it open," haggled one of the cadets, "who do you have in mind?"

"Oooh, no pony in particular." grinned the love changeling before pulling a bit pouch up, "I'll start with five."