Tales of a Germane

Chapter seven

I trained the soldiers for one week now. For being that inexperinced and from time to time clumsy, they made unexpected big proceedings. Nearly all of them could now handle a firearm without endaring me or anyone else. And we had only five injuries in this week, and only one them was really dangerous. All in all, a rather big success. But as usual, there was no light without shadow.
At beginning of the weekend I realized that I apparently forgot my textbooks about ballistics and weapon handling in mareburg. Now I was hamstrung. I couldn't go back to Mareburg and get them, and sending a letter to the ministry would probably cause some unpleasant questions. The only option I had was to go to the library and hope that they had such books there for some reason (Wich I wasn't really confident about).

So I went to the library the next day. It was a sunny day (Rainbow did a really good job) and usually I would have spend my time with sitting in a cafe and reading the newspaper or something like this, but I had bigger problems than caring about my leisure. Even though I already had been to the library (Because of the books about flying that I borrowed for the training with Rainbow) I still wondered why it was tree, or better to say, why the tree still was alive. I mean I don't know so much about biology but I suppose that building a house into it isn't that good for a tree. Anyway, I went inside.

Inside I met Twilight Sparkle and, to my surprise, Rainbow Dash.
"Hello Franz" Twilight said.
"Hey Franz, what's up?" Rainbow said as she walked closer to me "That was a awesome party last week. It felt like a had a headache even two days after it. At least it felt to me this way." She said with a wink.
"Well, it was pretty nice though." I answered "Even though I have to admit that you probably can't take so much."
"What do you mean by this? Do want to say that I would loose a drinking contest agianst you?"
"Kinda, yeah."
"Pff, you would totally loose, but if you want to challenge me we can clarify this here and now, and I tell you..."
"Rainbow, my inventories are not open to debate!" Twilight suddenly said.
"Oh, ehmm, I mean I don't have any, you know.......ehmmmm, let's forget everything I said." Rainbow and I looked startled at her. Then suddenly Rainbow bursted out into laughing, so I took my oppurtunity.
"How ever, the reason why I am here has nothing to do with drinking at all. In fact, I wondered if you got some books about ballistics and weapon handling, because I also need to train the recruits in these areas. Apparently, I forgot my books about these topics in my hometown Mareburg."
"Well, I fear I don't have any (I moaned, but seriously, what did I expect?).....But I have another idea!"
"And that would be...."
"As I still lived in Canterlot I once was bored because I had nothing to do, so I read some books about these topics wich where in the Royal Library for some reason."
"So you suggest that I go there to get some..."
"No, not at all! My idea is that I train your in these areas, so you have nothing else to do and can re-establish your training with Rainbow, because she just told me how much she is missing it."
"Hey, that's not what I said!" Rainbow suddenly interrupted us.
"Of course it is! You just said to me...." Thwilight tried to answer, but Rainbow interrupted her.
"It's not important what I said! But, well, it would be nice if you could train with me again....."

I was indecisive. Work that I don't have to do is always good, and for some reason I really missed our training sessions, so I was tempted to accept.

"I'm tempted to accept your generous offer, but I have to assume there is also a condition to this offer."
"Well, there is one condition indeed."
"And that would be...."
"Well, we are having the General Ponyville Meeting in two days and because you seem to be a quite good organizer in general, I would like you to go here with me because I maybe could need a supporting voice in some topics."
"If it's nothing more: Of course I accpet!"
"Great. As I said, the meeting is in two days. The topics we will discuss there are randomly choosen, so it's not necessary to prepare yourself in any way, just because it's not possible. You just build your own opinion on the topics we discuss there or in case of you have no idea what to say or do, just follow my opinion."
"Ok, I'll keep that in mind. Oh, and thank you of course! I would be grateful if you could begin advising the recruits tomorrow because that's what I actually planed."
"Of course, and thank you."

I turned to Rainbow again who apparently gained control of herself again.
"You heard it, Rainbow. Until tomorrow there will be no more napping at midday. There is no point in training if you don't contiune it." I said with a wink.
She, what I totally did not expect, blushed.
"Well, yes, I probably have to admit that you are right."
"But only probably."
"Well, see you then, Franz."
"Yeah, see you Rainbow. And Twilight, too, of course. Thank you again. Bye!"
"Bye Franz."

As I walked out of library I felt like I made the best deal of my life. I mean: I had someone who was taking the work of probably one and a half month away from me and simultaneously gave me the opportunity to train with Rainbow again, on what I really looked forward to. And I mean, going to a meeting, hell, how much work can this be?

As usual, I was wrong. Again.

It all began already when I was about to enter the meeting, wich took place in the Ponyville townhall. Not that only ponies like Twilight Sparkle or the major mare came, but also for some reason Ditzy Doo and, even worse, Pinkie Pie. Before I could dig myself into the ground or commit sucide, she already walked to me and began to talk.

"Hey Franz! Haven't seen you for a while." (The best time of my life, I've to admit.)
"Hi Pinkie, well you are probably right..."
"Not just probably, I'm right you silly."

"Oh, in the name of everything, please kill me." I thought by myself as I entered the hall together with the others.

The meeting started punctal at 3 o'clock. At first, a purple pony whose cutie mark showed a bunch of grapes and a strawberry walked on the podium.

"Hello, I'm Berry Punch and I would like to start the first topic today: It's about the cider production of Sweet Apple Acres: It's definitely too low!"
"Yeah, they always run out!" A caramel-colored pony claimed.
Pretty much everypony else started approving this thesis and it all became a not even remotly comprehensible something, as a particular voice started to talk.
"Hey,ya folks realy love hatin the Apple family for that, don't cha?Seriously, ya all know we do everrything we can to produce even more cide every year, but we also have limits! And all of you know what happend when these Flim-Flam brothers came!"
"There has to be a way!" Berry Punch claimed and soon it became the same chaos it was before.
"Twlight, don't you want to say something to them?"
"Actually, no. This topic is not of interest to me, so I just do nothing."
"Interesting."
I looked around. The meeting had become a giant battle, everyone for his own, except the ones who didn't care.
"Is it always like this?"
"Pretty much, yes."
"I see..."
It went on a minute like this. Then I just couldn't hold myslef anymore.
"EVERYPONY JUST SHUT UP! We are here to solve our actual problems and we won't do so if we keep arguing about the same thing all the time. And since it seems I'm the only pony here who is interested in solving these problems, we will do this by my rules! This means five minutes talking time and this only after you putted your hoof up and thought about what you were going to say. And there will be no whispering and ABSOULUTELY NO TALKING OVER THE LIMIT!

Everpony was immediatly silent and just looked at me. One second later they all stormed back to their seats. Once everything was peaceful again, I putted on my winning smile. Finally one pony putted his hoof up.

"I recognize......Ditzy Doo..." I said with a tone of disbelief.
"Muffins!"

That was all Ditzy said. Oh my goodness, what had I done?

Five hours later the probably longest meeting of my life ended. Now I finally could look forward to some training sessions with Rainbow. But as usual, fate had also other plans.