The Brothers Don't

"No sirree, no kidding here, just your preemptively favorite new recruit, Zephyr Breeze!" Zephyr struck a pose, holding his helmet under his right foreleg. "Heh heh! Boy oh boy, it really is good to see you, Shiny."

"Zephyr, please don't call me that," Shining Armor grumbled.

"You really do know him?" asked a red and white mare.

"You see? I toooold you, Shiny Armorsville and I go way back!" He flashed a smile at the red and white mare. "No need to sound so exasperated."

"What are you doing here, Zephyr?" Shining Armor asked sternly.

"I volunteered to join the army, of course!" Zephyr Breeze said, slicking back his mane. "You think I'd just sit idle with my big sis out there? No way, no how. This Breeze is ready to become a hurricane if that's what it takes to save Fluttershy!" He pushed out his lips and snapped into another, if very similar, dramatic pose.

Shining Armor frowned. "Joining the ranks of the Equestrian military is a big commitment." He turned his attention to the eight other ponies in the courtyard, standing nervously in small groups. "You all have been recruited to serve your nation in the most crucial war in the last thousand years. The safety of Equestria and its ponies will be in your hooves. It's not pretty out there, believe me. Your battles will be dangerous and terrifying. If you survive, your lives will never be the same."

"Yeesh, Shiny, no need to be such a downer!" said Zephyr. "Maybe you need a new mane-style. No offense, but yours has grown out a bit too much and I bet your soul is suffering from its neglect."

"This is not a joke, Zephyr, nor a subject to be taken lightly." Shining Armor glared at the ponies. "Line up! Straight line, stand tall!"

Most of them scrambled to form a line in front of the captain. Zephyr trotted leisurely into place and stashed his helmet under the other foreleg.

Shining Armor paced in front of them. "I have fought on the front lines of this war. For the better part of a year, I have planned attacks and led defenses against the Northerners with ponies just like you, and I have watched many fall around me. They will not be forgotten. We are not winning this war, soldiers, not yet. To honor those that have given their all, and to restore harmony to our way of life, we need every brave pony to do their part. You will play a vital role in our victory." He turned at the end of the line and paced back toward Zephyr's end. "I have chosen to aid in your training to ensure that you understand how important each one of you are to turning the tides. I cannot promise that you will ever return home, but I am confident that your efforts will protect our homes and loved ones."

Shining turned his head at the end of the line and stared into Zephyr Breeze's widened, worried eyes.

"They need you up north as fast as possible," Shining Armor shouted. "We have very little time to prepare you for battle, soldiers. Can I count on your full cooperation?"

"Yessir!" shouted eight of the ponies.

Zephyr gulped. "Uhh... what exactly are we fighting up there?" he asked.

Shining's eyes narrowed. "Monsters."