Contest In Equestria

I didn't have to wait long.

With a sound that reminded me of a crowd gasping in a huge breath all at once, (and that's exactly what it was) the entire room suddenly sprang into life.

Ponies collapsed at once as if they were suddenly lifeless dolls before springing back to their hooves. A loud chorus of alarm and fear rose only to be met with Celestia's voice calling out over the din.

"Silence!"

The room paused again, this time not quite with the same totality that it had under the mysterious pegasi's spell, but enough so that order was restored quickly. Scootaloo had sagged into my arms and while I felt a bit guilty letting her mother fall, I only had two arms.

"Mason... oh my gosh, I was so scared." Scootaloo trembled against me her hoof grasping my arm in a clutch of pure, desperate relief.

"I wish everypony to leave in an orderly manner. We are safe now, there is nothing to fear." Luna called out to the room. Several voices raised in protest to her words that seemed to shock the entire bench.

"Says who!?"

"You couldn't stop him!"

"He could have killed us all!"

The shouts grew in intensity until Celestia's hoof knocked forcefully against the bench several times, interrupting the voices with it's commanding sound. The final voice to be heard was Whipwind's laughter, cruel and menacing, that carried out long after the others had gone quiet.

"Your subjects grow restless, princess. How will you cow them now that they've seen how powerless you are against a single chant?" he chuckled.

"Everypony listen to me." Celestia began, her face darkening at Whipwind for a moment, "We were just as surprised as you to hear a Shandoric Chant after all these centuries. We thought his scrolls and teachings were all contained in my library and had discounted them as ever coming to light again. However, whoever is responsible for it's resurgence has lost this element of surprise and it shall not happen again!"

Celestia pointed to me suddenly, "This human saved us and now we know of their power! Such an opportunity will not happen again for them. Unicorns across Equestria will be taught the counter spells for the Shandoric Chants as soon as we can make ready the scrolls. Now please..." her stern face softened, "Leave us so we may discuss these events."

Grumbles of dissension and disbelief came from the crowd but they complied, leaving the room in an orderly fashion until Scootaloo, her mother and I were alone with the four alicorns. Celestia and Luna rose, leaving the bench and moving to where I stood with Scootaloo in my arms. Twilight was visibly shaken and sat with a stunned look of disbelief on her face while Cadence comforted her.

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but stopped suddenly, her light purple eyes resting on Whipwind. She rose and left the bench, stepping in front of the cage that held the orange stallion. "Whipwind, your fate is already decided. Tell us what you know and perhaps I'll place you in a more scenic area of my garden."

Whipwind's muzzle turned up in a leer, his dark eyes narrowing with malice. "You're finished, Celestia... you just don't know it yet. I'll not be frozen long. The power of Shandor will release me and I will make it my goal to defecate on your gra-"

Whipwind's words were cut off as a brilliant white light shot from the end of Celestia's horn in a beam, slamming into his face and ripping a scream of pain from his throat. A crackling sound that reminded me of concrete being broken filled the room and we watched as a white line of alabaster traveled slowly over Whipwind's body, moving from his face, down his neck and then over his whole form, freezing him completely in a grotesque pose of pain. In moments, it was all over. No longer did his eyes reflect life as they did previously. He now looked every bit a white statue as the ones I'd seen in the museums back home.

"Luna..." Celestia said after the silence had returned. She turned and faced her darker sister who stood impassively near the bench. "I fear we may have underestimated The Flock. If they truly have found the Shandoric magic, we may be in more danger than we ever thought possible."

"What are we going to do, Celestia?" Cadence said from beside Twilight who was regaining her composure slowly, "Nopony has studied the Shandoric magic in centuries. It was banned..."

"That's not true, Cadence. Twilight Sparkle was given permission to study them, isn't that correct?"

Twilight's face turned red and her ears flattened with the weight of the four alicorn's eyes. "Y... yes Celestia."

"And you know the counter spells?"

"S... some of them, yes. But I've never practiced them before! I'm not even sure if I'm doing them correctly!"

"Twilight, I am ordering you to study the magic and the counter spells completely. You will have unrestricted access to that section of the library and I need you to begin teaching unicorns the counter spells as quickly as possible. This is your duty, Twilight Sparkle, and I know you will not let us down."

"Yes, Princess..." Twilight bolstered herself, sitting upright and accepting her charge.

"Mason," Celestia turned to me, "We are all in your debt for saving us. I do not know how or why the chant did not affect you, but because of that, we are alive. Thank you." she then bowed her head to me, a gesture that made me feel a bit self conscious.

"I... I don't know either, Celestia. I can't explain it other than my wings felt a bit numb but other than that..." I shrugged.

"Not much is known about the true nature of Shandoric magic. There is no record of it ever being used on anything other than pony kind. It is a dark and evil magic that was outlawed many centuries ago. Shandor lived in the wastelands to the north, just beyond the Drakenridge mountains. He was an evil but very powerful griffon who caused me much trouble in my younger days. It was with The Elements of Harmony that he was defeated, and it was only by luck that I caught him by surprise to do so."

"P... princess?" a quiet voice spoke up near me. It was Nightleaf.

"Yes Nightleaf? What is it?"

"Kaiden... he knows a spy in The Griffon Empire. You should talk with him. He told me of her just before I returned to Cadence's care..."

"Wait, Kaiden? The guard from Sugarcube corner?" I said with disbelief.

Nightleaf nodded slightly and then told us her story of how she had relapsed in Cloudsdale the night after she had come to Sweet Apple Acres. Scootaloo nuzzled her mother as she told us of how powerless she'd felt over the addiction and had ended up using again in the cider bar. Later, she was set on by two pegasi after leaving in a stoned daze, knocked unconscious and taken. It was Kaiden who saved her, nursing her back to health as he investigated The Flock's activities. There was a griffon that came once or twice to his house, she couldn't be sure of her name, but she definitely was working with him and telling Kaiden of the plans being made. When she'd finished, Cadence spoke up.

"Why did you not tell me this, Nightleaf? We were to have no secretes between us!"

"I... I'm sorry Princess. I didn't want to trouble you. I've caused you so much hassle already."

Cadence frowned but nodded in acceptance of her apology. "So then what do we do now, Celestia?"

"We must alert all of Equestria. The Griffon Empire will not wait long if they have this kind of power behind them. Everypony must be ready to fight."

"Wait... what?" I said, not believing where this was going, "Fight? You mean like a war? Why can't you just.. just go zap them or something?"

"Our magic is effective against one or two targets. If the griffons are sending an army south, all ponies will need to take arms and fight. I will send word to the armories to distribute weapons right away."

"What kind of weapons? How does a pony hold one?"

This earned me a condescending look from Celestia and Luna both. "You think our kind is not adapted for battle? There are earth ponies so skilled with a muzzle blade that not even the fastest pegasus could dodge them. We are not incapable of defending ourselves. You would be wise to learn them as well, human. In fact..." her muzzle turned in a smile, "You are to report to The Royal Citadel this afternoon for training. I am charging you with the defense of Sweet Apple Acres."

"What!?" Scootaloo and I both said at the same time.

"But.. but I don't know how to..."

"You will." she said and the tone of her voice left no room for argument.

Celestia dismissed us so that she could begin giving out orders. Scootaloo, Nightleaf and I left after a brief conversation with Twilight. She asked us to please look out for our friends in Ponyville and to let everypony know to stay together until she could return. As much as she tried to look brave and confidant, there was a hint of real fear in her eyes that drove home exactly what was happening. I reminded her that she should ask Celestia to send a scroll to Spike so that our friends would know what was happening as well. Twilight immediately bolted after Celestia, leaving us standing in her wake and looking at thin air.

The three of us ate, but not very much. None of us had an appetite after learning that we were about to be living in a land preparing for war. While we walked towards the citadel, I talked with Scootaloo's mother, getting to know her and answering her questions about my relationship with her daughter. As we neared the center of the castle, the recent events became evident.

News of the attack had gotten around and Celestia's orders were being carried out hastily. Guards were everywhere, moving with rigid discipline in orderly rows here and there as we crossed the large central courtyard and headed towards the south portal. The citadel was outside the castle's walls, resting on a large shelf of the mountain connected by a wide walkway without railings that spanned over a chasm that plummeted down into the fog and rocks thousands of feet below. The conversation between the three of us halted when we reached the edge of the walkway.

"H... hook me into the harness, Mason." Scootaloo pressed against my side, her purple topped head looking over the edge hesitantly, "I don't wanna walk over this. You're gonna have to fly me..." she quivered.

A few moments later, the three of us landed on the far side and were immediately greeted by two guards who trotted out of the nearby imposing structure. It was white, like everything else built around here, but was low and squat. Hard angles and sharp edges defined it's shape giving it a very militaristic look that gave the impression of a fortress.

"Are you the human named Mason?" one of them asked me gruffly.

"Yes."

"Come with us. The filly and the mare may watch, provided they do not interfere."

We looked at each other apprehensively before following them through the arched portcullis and into the secured yard beyond. What I saw took my breath away.

The bright blanket of overhead clouds illuminated a massive open space that was easily several football fields wide and long. Large groups of ponies in armor were forming into rows facing away from us towards the back wall. There had to be at least a thousand, maybe more. I had no way of knowing. We watched as more and more streamed from openings in the large walls to either side until the entire space was filled with orderly rows of ponies of every kind in golden armor that shone dully in the sun. The ground fairly trembled with the number of hooves stamping on the hard, smooth stone surface under my feet and the smell of ponies filled the air.

The two guards held us near the entrance, one of them turning to me and saying; "General Dower is about to address the troops. Wait here till it's over and then make your way to the far side. You'll be fitted for your wingblades there."

"Wingblades?" I asked, but I was speaking to thin air. The two had already taken their place near the back of the rows and blended in perfectly.

"What did he mean Wingblades, Mason?" Scootaloo looked up at me with anxious eyes.

"I dunno, Scoots." I shook my head, "Nightleaf?"

"They are standard weapons for pegasi troops, Mason. But I've never seen a real set. Only the ornamental ones worn during parades."

The crowd roared to life suddenly with a deafening sound of thousands of voices all cheering at the same time. It echoed off the walls with tremendous force that flattened Scootaloo and Nightleaf's ears with it's intensity. On the far side of the parade grounds, high up on the wall, I could just barely make out a pony who had appeared on the balcony set into the smooth white wall.

A voice, one that I recognized as the gravely one belonging to the pony that had materialized behind us in the castle earlier, rang out with otherworldly volume. There was no way his voice could be heard this far away without some sort of aid. And since I didn't see any speakers or PA system, I figured it was magic. His voice immediately quieted the crowd and every pony stood at rigid attention in perfectly straight lines.

"Ponies of the citadel! By now you are all aware of the growing threat from the north. The Griffon Empire has turned against us and just this very morning our castle was infiltrated by an assassin! This aggression will not go unanswered. Each of your unit captains have been given a destination and it is your job to defend this destination against any advancing forces. One pony from each unit will be given a scroll spell, they are to use this at the first sight of trouble for re-enforcements."

"Each unit will be taking a cache of weapons with them. Muzzle Blades are to be handed out to any pony old enough to wield them. Train all who will learn, for a time may come when they must defend their homes. The unicorns in your units will also be receiving new magic from Princess Twilight Sparkle shortly. Learn these spells, magic users, for it may mean the difference between victory and defeat."

"Most of you have never experienced real fighting. But do not fear the battle cry when it comes. You have all been training for this and I know you will all perform your duties with valor and honor! If the fear of death comes over you, remember that you are not fighting for yourself! You are fighting for the ones you love! No pony who fights with bravery shall be forgotten! No pony who dies defending this land and our way of life and equality shall be gone forever! We are all in this together, and will push back against any attack on our land with the full force of our armies! Equestria shall prevail!"

A rousing cheer, one that sent shivers down my spine, reverberated again that was filled with pride and loyalty. I almost teared up at the incredible show of unity. When the cheer died down, General Dower spoke again.

"Go now and defend our land with bravery and honor! Show the griffons what it means to challenge the great citadel of Equestria!"

Another cheer came that only lasted a moment. A new voice rang out silencing the troops immediately.

"Atten-tion!" it called and all the ponies in the grounds snapped their hooves together, raising their armored heads high.

In the deafening silence that followed, a drum began a marching cadence. So similar to a military beat from my own world that it brought images of old WWII pictures to my mind. On the balcony, a small colt appeared that was barely visible. The single drum he played rang out loud and clear in the square and after a few measures of playing, a low, melodic hum came from the troops.

It was a hymn. One that was prideful but somber at the same time, carried deep and harmoniously over thousands of voices that stirred my blood to the point that I was trembling. When a large flag dropped from the bottom of the balcony, a pale blue field with a sun and moon in the center, the likeness of Celestia and Luna curled around them, the voices turned into words.

Equestria has heard her call.

Through land and flight we meet them all

And as we fight to keep our ways

No wound shall keep or stay our blade

The ones who fight and ones who die

Remembered by the sun and sky

No foe shall break our great resolve

The citadel shall victor all

As we leave to go and fight

Our foes will tremble in the night

Through horn and wing and muzzle blade

Our lands remain our home this day!

So think of us for we leave soon

And battle all for sun and moon

We do not ever walk alone

Equestria! Our life and home!

The voices dropped off and the solo drum sounded out a final, lonely beat before it too ended. Without further words, the troops began to leave. The ones with wings did so straight up into the sky and the rest turned in unison, suddenly facing us at the rear and the large opening behind us.

We moved out of the way as they began to march forward, filing out and crossing the bridge beyond in orderly rows. As the ponies began to leave, the three of us made our way to the far side with the now empty balcony. There was another opening here, wide and low that lead into a dark space under the great wall where dozens of racks stood with gleaming steel on them.

It took me a moment to realize what I was looking at, but it was an armory. The racks held weird looking blades that looked like two smallish swords connected at the pommels with a round bit that may or may not have been some sort of tough hide. Picking one of these up, I realized that the bit was meant to fit inside a pony's mouth. Each one also had a harness and straps that probably served to fit over their heads and neck for additional stability and leverage.

"Mason... I'm scared." Scootaloo suddenly said beside me. Her eyes were shiny wet with barely contained tears that glimmered in the diffuse light that came from the open wall leading out to the courtyard. "I don't want you to do this."

I put the blade thing down and knelt in front of Scootaloo, pulling her into a hug. "I... I don't know if I'll have a choice, Scoots. If something happens at the farm, I have to be able to help, right?"

"Can't we just... can't we just go somewhere? Can't we just hide out in someplace like my cave or something till this is over?"

"What about our friends? We can't all hide there." I gave her a squeeze, "I'm scared too." I whispered in her ear.

"Well, those look a bit large but I think I might have something that will fit you." came a voice from behind us. I rose and turned to see a pegasus stallion, one that looked older than Granny Smith but infinitely more knotted with muscle and sinew that wasn't quite ready to dissolve with old age.

"E.. excuse me?" I said, not sure what he was talking about.

"Your wings. A bit larger than a normal pegasi buuuut... " he trailed off, nodding his head to my left in a gesture to follow him, "I think I got a pair big enough for ya."

I left Scootaloo and her mother behind to follow the old grey stallion towards a larger rack that held curved blades joined together with multiple straps. He grabbed a set with his muzzle and held it out for me. Taking them, I was amazed at how light they were. If the blades were steel then they were unlike any steel I'd ever seen.

It took a while, but we finally managed to strap them on after some modifications to the harness. Luckily, they fit over Scootaloo's flight gear I was already wearing perfectly. The wingblades were long, thin strips of sharpened metal that when fitted, ran the forward edge of my wings, effectively turning them into cutting edges with armor that covered a good portion of the tops surface as well. They were jointed and flexed easily with the movements of flight rather ingeniously in a way I wouldn't think possible. Cruel and sharp looking spikes barbed the far tips that looked as though I could impale a tree with them if I flew hard enough at one.

Once they were on and secure, he lead me back to where the muzzle blades where. "The bits on these look big for that mouth of yours." he shrugged, "Not quite sure what you're going to do with a pair of these."

I picked up a set and examined them. They basically were two double edged swords joined together at the base about a foot apart. I had never played with swords before, but...

"Can you separate these?" I said, holding them out for the armory stallion, "Get rid of this thing here in the middle so I can hold them like this?"

I demonstrated by gripping the two rounded bases of the blades with my hands. The armory attendant nodded with understanding almost immediately.

"Ahh, Dragon Blades? Well I think there's a couple around here still. We keep a few just in case Celestia wants to outfit any young dragons who can wield them. Not much use for a pony, but your hooves look similar to theirs. I'll have to clean them up and sharpen them though. Haven't been used in centuries at least!"

A while later, I found myself standing near the side of the field in front of a large block of wood. The armory attendant had left me there while he went to go fetch the trainer who would show me the ropes of how to use them. I had two short swords about three feet long, one in each hand that shone a bright silver color along their blades. The handles were wrapped in new black cloth to replace the centuries old cloth that was originally on them and felt pretty comfortable in my hands... even though I had no fucking clue how to use them.

I waved them around, getting a feel of their weight on my wrists and then flexed my wings, still amazed at how I barely felt the wingblades. They moved easily on the joints, reminding me of the sharp sound of scissors as the blades slid along themselves. I took a few experimental hacks at the wood block with the swords and found they bit quickly in, sending chips flying easily. Scootaloo stood nearby and looked on with obvious nervousness as I tested out my swing. As much as I loved her, I wished she wasn't here right now to watch this at all. Clearly she didn't like it.

Nightleaf called out when she spied a large, muscular stallion walking towards us from the armory. He was a pegasus, fitted with wingblades and also wearing a muzzle blade. He was without the full armor that the others wore and walked towards me like a brick wall. When he got close enough, he spit the bit out and spoke with clipped official tones.

"I am here to show you the basics. Stand and face me, human. Defend yourself and show me what you can do."

"Huh? Oh.. yeah, right." I said awkwardly, feeling a bit dumb and nervous all of a sudden.

He dropped his head in a quick bow and then grabbed the bit again with his muzzle, launching into the sky suddenly. I stood, looking up at him with confusion as to what he was doing and had to dodge out of the way when he quickly dove at me, the muzzle blades flashing left and right.

I landed awkwardly on my shoulder, getting to my feet as quick as I could. He hovered a distance away and looked at me blankly. It dawned on me that I was supposed to fight him.

"You... are you for real?! You want me to fight you?" I said, stretching my wings and preparing to take flight myself.

"Will an enemy simply give you a pass? Show me what you can do, human!"

He growled and dove at me again. I stepped to the side, parrying his airborne thrust with one blade and bringing the other around in a chopping attack that he blocked with his wingblades in a quick twisting motion. He backed off an landed, spitting the bit out again.

"Your wingblades serve as both offense and defense. Don't forget that."

"Wait... look. I don't want to hurt you by accident or something... or get hurt myself." I said sheepishly, really concerned about losing an arm or getting stabbed all of a sudden. This was way more intense than the fight at Sugarcube corner... and this wasn't even for real.

"Then don't hold back. There are medical unicorns standing by watching. Your motivation to learn is to not have to be tended to by one of them." his golden eyes never wavered.

He picked up the muzzle bit again and he charged with a savage sweeping motion of the dual blades that extended from his cheeks. I blocked his strike with a blade and extended my wing, copying his twisting motion to snap the razor sharp edge towards him. Metal on metal sounded as his own wing rose to meet mine and they clashed together hard, sending a jarring vibration into my spine.

Almost too late I realized his muzzle blades were below me now and he snapped them up towards my face. I barely got out of the way, preventing him from opening my chin but a trace of fire wound it's way up my cheek. I felt warm blood begin to flow, making the whole experience very real... and very dangerous.

I leaped backwards, taking to the air to get some distance before wiping the blood away. I heard Scootaloo call my name dimly as adrenaline flooded my body, narrowing my vision to razor sharp intensity. My opponent looked up and waited for me to gather myself, a gesture I recognized as him giving me a chance. I realized that having a blade in both hands was too cumbersome and let the one in my left hand fall away where it clanged nosily to the floor. More comfortable now, I gripped the one blade with both hands tightly, blood dripping from my cheek.

Taking the initiative this time, I swooped down at him as he took flight while bringing the sword around in what felt like a clumsy arc to knock away his muzzle blades. Immediately after making contact, I spun like a top, sending my wings out like the business part of a blender at him blindly with every ounce of force I could muster. I felt the clang of metal on metal again and heard him grunt as the force of my momentum knocked him to the side. When I came around, he was already flying at me fast and straight. With less than a second to think, I simply dropped like a stone and raised my blade above my head.

It was a move he wasn't expecting as evidenced by the scream he let out as the tip of my blade carved a cruel slash along his underbelly. He flew out of control and landed in a pile on the ground nearby, clutching his stomach and grimacing with pain. Immediately a red unicorn appeared, covering his body with the healing blue light I'd become so familiar with over the time I'd been here. A few moments later, he was on his feet again with his golden eyes fixed on me.

"You've had training?" he asked, his voice was approving.

"N.. no." I said shaking my head and keeping a tight grip on the blade in my hand, not sure if he was going to come at me again or not.

"Well you're a natural then. You show more ability than any I've given the first blood fight to. You are taller and have a much greater reach than a pony. You're an effective fighter already. Now human, are you ready for me? This time I will not hold back."

Gripping the blade even tighter in my hands, I nodded.

His wings came straight out as he charged at me on the ground, first he twisted left, sending his right wing into me that I blocked with my own left side blade. When his muzzle blades came up from below me and from my right, I was ready for them and cracked the pommel of the blade against his cheek as his head turned. The combination of momentum from his head and the downward force of my arms added to the blow, stunning him briefly and allowing me to kick his front legs out from under him.

His front half dropped and before he could recover, I stepped on his muzzle, pinning the blades to the ground and rendering him helpless for a moment. But not completely. Before I knew it, a flare of white hot agony ripped open across my right shoulder. His left wing had shot forward, embedding the blade into my arm just below the shoulder at least an inch deep. I screamed but held my ground, raising my blade up in my left hand with the point facing down at his neck, lost in the haze of the fight and not realizing what my gesture meant.

Without warning, paralyzing white light seized my body, freezing me completely with the sword's tip less than a foot away from plunging into the pegasi's neck. A unicorn mare came into view, her face stern as she looked at me.

"That's enough, human. You have won." she said calmly, staring at me with a fixed but forceful expression.

The savage pain in my shoulder brought me to my senses and I relaxed into the grip of her magic. The force slowly faded, allowing me control of my body enough to drop the blade safely away from the pegasus. When he jerked his wingblade out from my arm, blood immediately began to pour from the open wound and down my arm. But not for very long.

The light from the unicorn's horn quickly changed to blue and the powerful healing magic she had washed over me, closing the gash and healing me so effectively that I wondered if her talent was greater even than Celestia. When she finished her work and vanished again. I was left staring at the pegasus a few feet in front of me.

"What is your name, human?" he asked, removing the muzzle blade and dropping it to the ground with a loud clang.

"Mason."

"Mason, I am Traynor. It was an honor to face you. Either you are a very gifted fighter, or humans are just naturally better suited for combat. Either way, I have never been bested in a first blood fight. There is little I can teach you that your talent does not already afford. You fight well."

"Thanks..." I said, not really believing him... or myself at what I had just done.