Author's Note

Sorry about the wait! Unfortunately I'm having employment issues and well, let's say nothing's come up recently. Finally got in the right mindset to finish this chapter though, so I hope you all enjoy! See you soon.

Martial Training

In front of me lies my weapon in it's natural form, a broad two handed weapon. The blade has a shape that is close to a gladius, but about fifty-percent longer and ten-percent wider. It's gold materiel obviously exists for decoration more than for battle, but the enchantments on it provide the ability to be useful. It's natural weight is large, but once again, magic allows for ease of use. Gems run across each section of the blade and end with one on the hilt. I reach for the weapon and pick it up, then separate each section so that it's a bit longer. In between each section is a strand of faint magical essence that is currently holding it's shape. Extending it longer and allowing it to slack a little, the sword turns into a kind of whip. Standing up, I ready my arm and swing the magical whip. It flies through the air at a high speed, and when it's about to hit me, it stops short. I shorten it back to it's natural form and hold it in both hands before swinging it through the air as accurately and quickly as I can.

From next to me a familiar voice slithers into my ear. "I see you have been working hard strange one."

I stop mid swing and jump with surprise internally before replying. "I see that you're still sneaking around. How long have you been there?"

"Not too long... Just enough to watch you walk in the room, and do whatever you were trying to do. Seeing a creature like you attempt to use their weapon so incorrectly, I just had to speak up." Echo replies, chuckling as he speaks.

I stare at him and sigh before pointing my weapon at him. He grins and pulls out a long dagger before disappearing. I swipe around with my sword to make sure he didn't just rush me. My sword streaks through nothing but air and then slows when I make a complete circle.

"Clever... but not smart." creeps Echo's voice from behind me.

I duck quickly before running my sword throw the air again behind me. This time it catches something hard, another blade. A shower of sparks runs through the air as he backs away, keeping his blade on mine. A second later he disappears again, so I use a simple spell. Warmth envelops my ears and I hear the most discreet noises. Birds outside are singing, a few guards are talking in the hall, and even a few steps in this room.

Those steps are coming towards me with a very slow pace... From the left? Alright, I'll let him get close and then.. Wait..

I hear steps from multiple directions, each getting closer and closer. I notice that some are heavier than the others, while some make different sounds than the others. Glancing around quickly I notice faint magical essence outlines moving on the ground. I focus on finding on the steps that aren't coming from those outlines. I look quickly once more, analyzing each sound and fake footsteps until I find the faint sound of steps that aren't coming from the magical essence spots. Swinging my sword, I strike a blade yet again, but this time I continue my assault and attempt to smack his blade away. Unfortunately, I didn't have as much experience as him. He twists his blade around the moment I try to move mine and slaps my hand with the flat of his blade. Pain erupts in my hand and I drop my sword.

"You found me, but could do nothing to stop me. Pick up your sword, Luna brought called me here to train you. What a surprise, she never told me it was you specifically. Though.. I wouldn't want it to be a boring pony." Echo states, getting into a combat stance. "Your magical prowess test is over, but you failed the weapon skill test. No magic allowed, and I won't use my innate ability either."

"Alright, deal. I do need some exercise." I say with a grin, readying myself for the ensuing training.

After a second, we dash towards each other.

——————————————————————————————

A few hours later, sweat is dripping from my body. Echo isn't sweating, but I presume it's from the fact he is a lucky lizard. He is panting a bit, though no where near as much as me.

Sweat is so annoying. It stings my eyes, makes my body feel grimy, and makes it harder to hold onto this sword.

I move my body into a more crouched position, feeling the newest bruise pulsating on my back. It's pain distracts me from the eleven other bruises I gained before it. Looking over, I notice that Echo still has nothing blemishing his scales. Not a nick, at least not from me. I give him a nod and he nods back, understanding that I can withstand another attack. He lunges at me almost immediately afterwards, narrowly missing me due to a short movement from my sword. I feel my sword vibrate as his scrapes along it, but to his surprise, my other hand is coming towards his face. Before it strikes him however, he seems to give me a quick smile. The punch wasn't that strong, but it was enough to knock him to the ground. After he lands, I use my sword to smack away his blade and then put it up to his throat. He laughs and puts his hand up, expecting me to help him. I beam at him and do what he wants, until he attempt to trip me. At that predictable moment, I turn his arm behind his back and slam him onto the ground.

"Alrriiightt, you win. It took you long enough, strange one." Echo says, giving up.

I let him up and give him a sly grin. "I don't know how you could ever think I would fall for that old trick. I'm not some pony." I reply with a playfully insulted tone.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I underestimated you completely. You can use spells with great imagination and have skill with the sword. I believe my time here is done, though I think I will see you soon strange one." Echo replies, disappearing into thin air. "Before I go, I will warn you.. Giselle isn't as nice as I am."

"Wait, what do you mean? I wasn't told anything! Hello!?!?" I say loudly, receiving no response.

Not even a second later, a torrent of wind fills the room instantly, knocking me every way possible. I use my magic to stabilize myself to a certain degree, until I notice a talon being swiped towards me from underneath. I barely dodge it, finding myself in an awkward angle. Giselle simply flies up to me and looks down with a half-smile while floating in the air with me. My sword is missing from my hand as well, which is unfortunate.

"Are you displaying yourself to me on purpose?" Giselle asks, poking my belly with her talon.

I realize that my crotch is eye level with her, and I shrug as well as I can while upside down.

"Maybe, you interested?" I say with a grin, pelvic thrusting towards her face.

She seems to gain an embarrassed look before slamming me in the gut with unexpected power. I literally fly across the room into the wall. I grimace, feeling every bruise on my body radiate with pain. I luckily put a small barrier between my backside and the wall to prevent any real damage. It didn't stop Giselle from cutting through the air with her talons, but my hand did. I grab the attacking talon from the wrist and throw her downwards, making sure I fall with her. Wrapping my legs around her wings and pulling the leg I was hoding behind her back I increase the speed of our descent.

"Sorry, I had siblings and friends to wrestle with. It might not be as deadly as your attacks, but I know how to get out of a situation." I say cheekily, finally slamming her body onto the floor with me landing on top of her.

"Not bad for a non-feathered creature, though you don't seem to get what this training is about." Giselle states quickly before I feel something hard smack into my face, causing me to get pushed away a few feet.

Damn.. Did she just break my nose? I'm gonna look like even more of a freak to these ponies now!

Seeing her get up, I notice that magic is channeled around her legs and wings. I figure out why in half a second when she suddenly appears in front of me, talon ready and coming towards me with blinding speed. I block my body with a barrier while also putting my arms up in protection. I feel something strange, a pressure building on my forearm. It builds gradually over the course of a second until I feel something different completely. Pain.

"Fuck!" I yell, looking down at her talon literally inserted into my arm.

Giselle dons an almost evil grin before continuing to attack me. I strengthen my barrier before each strike, making sure I don't gain another hole in my body. Eventually she has me cornered in a, well, corner. Battering on me over and over until I can't do anything but think about making my barrier stronger, I notice her stop. Looking up at her, I see a look I haven't seen before from her.

"You are a coward, aren't you? Have you been doing so well until now to where you had no worries? Now that you are finally on the ropes, all you can do is hide in a corner? How did you defeat that crazed lunatic of a pony? Or even battle Luna evenly. Does pain make you freeze up? Well get used to it, you will feel much worse than this eventually. Get up, and try again. No magic this time, let's see your basic skills." Giselle says with a sigh.

I.. Did freeze up. What's wrong with me? I've fought a Manticore, some psychopath and a princess with goddess-like powers! But... I did win all of those fights with ease or at least with little effort. Reminds me of Banes little lecture in that Batman movie.. I've gotten used to winning so much that I am becoming weak. I really am a coward huh? Time to change that.

Giselle is standing about ten feet in front of me in a battle ready stance. I ready myself as well, ignoring the pain that seems to be reaching deeply into my arm from her talon. Giselle lunges at me yet again, but this time I watch her closely instead of inciting a panicked reaction. Batting away her strike with my good arm, I give a good punch towards her chin with my bad arm. She responds by grabbing that arm and twisting it, making sure I feel more pain. I wince, but move forward by tripping her up with my right leg, forcing her to fall towards the ground. Unfortunately for me, her wings work as awkward legs and keep her up. I groan in frustration and proceed to bend the leg that's grabbing onto my arm, creating an opportunity to get it back from her. Instead of just running this time, I use both of my hands to grab onto her head and smash it into my knee. Luckily the beak misses my knee and it's instead her chin that slams into it. A painful noise erupts from her beak, one I hated hearing. She gives me a look of surprise and then a smile that seemed to suit her bloody mouth at this moment.

"Good, good. You can show some spine when you want to. Now let's try that earlier situation again, spells are allowed." spits out Giselle in a somewhat bitter tone.

What spell should I do? She cuts through barriers easily... So she just shouldn't hit me right? I could increase my speed but I don't think I would be used to going that fast to efficiently use it we—. Wait, duh! I hope it works, though I feel like I'm dipping into the water alignment to do this. Could even do irreparable damage to myself. Oh well, I'm bound to do it eventually in an emergency, at least if I'm here I can find out if it works and I'll get help if I need it. But let me see what she has to offer. I've never seen her fight, so might as well deal with the pain until I need to go all out.

A few seconds later, I see her first movement. It wasn't a fast one, nor a slow one, but I see the magic flow around her. It covers Giselle's body completely in a grey armor of sorts. At that moment, I put up the strongest barrier I can, one that will let in everything except her and the magical essence she controls. A flick of her wing sends a tornado-like blast from it towards me. The high velocity winds rip apart the air around me, creating a vacuum. Luckily I held my breath, though that didn't stop the searing pain on my arms from the winds my barrier couldn't stop. I grin at this pain, gazing into her immense power. It's almost blinding, how much she is letting off. Another flick of her wings, and I see her coming to me. I decided that it's time to try out that spell. I focus on my body, and my mind. Twisting each nerve, making every one of them faster. I feel magical exhaustion taking over, but I make sure I don't push it too far. After all is said and done, I look around the room and see everything slowed to a crawl. Lowering my unnecessary barrier, I move forward. Each step I take pounds on my magical essence reserves, but I have enough left to do what I need to do. I poke Giselle in the side as quickly as I can, and when I finish I release the spell. At that moment I watched the world resume it's normal speed as well as Giselle rocket across the room opposite of my poke and into the wall. I cringe at the crater made on the wall and walk up to her to make sure that she is fine. Fortunately she seems fine besides some obvious bruising where I poked her. Unfortunately she is passed out completely.

I didn't know it would work THAT well. All I did was increase my reflexes and brainpower to where I could handle my body moving at that speed. Kind of scary, I expected myself to just pass out. But now I have a long wait until she gets up, though I'm feeling horribly tired as well so... Might as well sit down next to her.

I grab my sword from across the room, use the essence stored in it to do a simple healing spell on Giselle as well as my arm. I yawn and move to sit next to her. The bruise seems to have disappeared almost instantly, though mine have not.

I don't have anything left to even try and heal my bruises, though luckily I could heal that hole she put in my arm. Ah well, I think I proved I am good enough to keep being a Guardian of Equestria. Time for some rest myself, eh Giselle?

I poke the side of her cheek and she swipes at my hand while remaining asleep.

Yeah, I thought so.