Altair and his dog Wolfy stood on the edge of Canterlot’s Fort Spartan, watching from beyond the fence as the soldiers there practiced in their Power Armor. Jumping from windows, testing heavy weapons, using the immense strength of their suits to dominate the battlefield. The Spring air was heavy with pollen while flowers blossomed all around the city, the sky above was clear and blue as usual. All the fourteen year old could think about was wearing one of those suits of armor, being able to jump out of an airplane into the teeth of an enemy position, the rush that he could get from those thoughts alone was immense. The boy patted his dog’s head as he began walking along the fence, watching as a couple cars drove past on the road.

“Come on, Wolfy.” Altair said as they walked, Altair’s boots crushing the fresh Spring grass under its treads while his dog sniffed around and trotted ahead a couple feet. The boy’s attention shifted to the other side of the street, more specifically he was interested in the dog park there. Most kids didn’t go there on their own, which Altair supposed was fine by him, he liked spending his afternoons with Wolfy more than anything else. Altair looked both ways before he crossed the road with his dog, he was soon passing by the main gate that lead into the dog park. There were more than a few other dog owners there, small dogs and large dogs alike. Altair recognized a couple of the other people there, there was a man with a big slobbery bloodhound that was there pretty much every day. His name was Butch, while he called his dog Roscoe.

“Hey, Butch!” Altair said with a smile and a wave, Butch looked over and waved back. “What’s the word?”

“Oh, you know, government’s spying on us, there’s aliens in the farlands, usual stuff!” Butch shouted back, Altair knew that his tone was only half joking. Butch was a survivor of the Infection, a rather paranoid fellow according to their conversations. Altair had heard Butch referred to as an ‘Elmo’, which he knew was slang for the acronym ‘LMOE’, which was short for Last Man On Earth. Generally Elmoes were mentally unstable in one way or another, Butch’s dog seemed to help counteract that instability. “I’m serious about the spies too, Al! There’s a new person here, and she doesn’t have a dog! Coincidence?! I think not!”

“Wait, there’s a new person?” Altair asked as he and Wolfy walked towards Butch, the older man wore a faded denim jacket, jeans, work boots, and a tank top. “Who?” Butch pointed off in the distance at a couple of the Soccer Moms that brought their dogs to the park, they usually had poodles or smaller dogs. Altair was pretty familiar with them, but he did notice a new face among the crowd, a girl from school. Altair recognized her as the adopted daughter of a couple ponies, the blonde girl that he had seen during his title fight at the end of the last year. “Ah, I know her, she goes to my school with me.”

“But does she have a dog?” Butch asked, Altair shook his head. “See, I told you! She’s a government spy!” Roscoe let out a low bark as if to back up his owner’s statement, his jowels dripped with drool as he laid his head back down onto the grass.

“Wouldn’t I be a better choice for a government spy?” Altair asked, Butch shook his head matter-o-factly while crossing his arms.

“A pro-government stiff like you? Too obvious.” Butch said simply, Altair wasn’t sure whether or not he should take the statement as a compliment. “You and Wolfy should go check her out, see what she really wants.” Altair shrugged and looked at Wolfy, the dog barked excitedly while her tail wagged back and forth.

“Alright, I’ll let you know how it goes.” Altair said with a simple shrug, Butch nodded and gave him a thumbs up. Altair and Wolfy began walking towards the soccer moms, they were all chatting up the new girl like a bunch of women in a sewing circle. Generally Altair stayed away from them, he didn’t like their little dogs, and neither did Wolfy. The feeling was pretty much mutual, as the Soccer Moms tended to see Altair as a delinquent of some kind… If only they knew the truth. “Wolfy. Zu meiner Rechten.” Altair said in a commanding voice, Wolfy barked and moved to Altair’s right side, neither walking ahead of him or behind him.

The Soccer Moms looked up as Altair and his German Shepherd got closer, each of them whispering to one another and looking towards the blonde girl from Altair’s school. Altair cleared his throat as politely as he could when he came to a stop, Wolfy set her rump on the ground and waited patiently. Altair almost didn’t notice it, but the blonde girl seemed to have a little bit of a blush on her cheeks.

“Um, hello.” Altair said with a slight wave to the girl. “I just wanted to say hello, introduce myself and such. I haven’t seen you around here before.” Wolfy sat there quietly while the smaller dogs crowded around her, nipping at her occasionally, but she was too well trained to let such inferior creatures stop her from sitting at attention.

“Oh, uh, hi!” The Blonde said with a smile as she looked at Altair, then Wolfy. “My name’s Amanda, I’ve seen you around School… You’re Altair, right?” Altair nodded simply, still smiling. “I’m actually thinking about getting a dog, but I wanted to see what kind of parks were around here first.” She pointed to Wolfy. “Is she yours?”

“Yes, I’ve had her since she was a puppy.” Altair said proudly, the Soccer Moms sat there with their usual disapproving glances. There were times where Altair wanted to sick Wolfy on them, but he would never treat his closest friend like some sort of weapon. “Wolfy. Pfote.” Wolfy quietly offered her paw to Amanda, prompting the girl to giggle as she shook the dog’s paw. “If you’re looking for a good dog park, I recommend the one near the Castle. Not that this one isn’t nice, but the one near Castle is a bit easier to find.”

“I’ll be sure to check it out!” Amanda said with a slight smile.

“Just make sure when you get a dog to keep it away from that… Beast of his.” One of the Soccer Moms piped up, Altair hid his annoyed expression as he looked down at Wolfy. As usual, she was showing extreme restraint in the face of so many small dogs that she could easily turn into a snack. He could tell that Wolfy needed a break, so he reached into his pocket and withdrew a red rubber ball. Wolfy’s eyes locked onto it almost instantly, her tongue lolling out of her mouth as she tilted her head.

“Wolfy! Holen!” Altair said loudly before throwing the ball as far as he could, Wolfy took off after it like a bullet. Four a six year old dog, she still had all the pep of a puppy. Altair watched her as she continued chasing the ball, then turned his attention back to Amanda. “Well, I’ll let you get back to whatever it was you were talking about. Nice meeting you!” Altair began walking towards Wolfy, waving at the girl a couple times.

“Oh, we were just finishing up!” Amanda replied as she started walking after Altair. “Maybe you could give me some tips for someone getting their first dogs? You seem to be really good at… Um… Whatever it is you do.” Wolfy rushed back over with the ball in her teeth, Altair smiled widely at her and patted her on the head. The dog dropped the the ball, which was now covered in slobber.

“Alright… Well, first things first. If you’re gonna have a dog, gotta get used to slobber.” Altair said as he and Amanda walked away from the dissaproving Soccer Moms. The boy picked up the ball and offered it to Amanda, she recoiled for a second before taking the ball hesitantly. “It takes some getting used to, but eventually you won’t even notice.” Wolfy watched Amanda closely, she had the ball now. Altair never let anyone else hold the ball, Wolfy didn’t know how to feel about this new human, not one bit. “Now, Wolfy and I have a good rapport… It’s likely that if you throw that she won’t go after it.”

“But don’t all dogs like balls?” Amanda asked, to test her theory she chucked the ball. Wolfy followed it with her eyes, but stayed rooted to the spot.

“Yeah, but… Wolfy is a bit of a special dog. She and I have eachother’s backs, y’know?” Altair said simply, he was referring to the fact that Wolfy was a very aggressive protector. She had been since she was a puppy, in many ways she viewed Altair as her own pup. “Now… Wolfy. Holen!” The command to fetch registered in her brain, sending Wolfy off after the ball once more. “It’s all repetition, so you’re gonna need a lot of patience, and treats.” Altair reached into his pocket and withdrew a piece of dried venison. When Wolfy returned she dropped the ball and Altair knelt beside her, showing her the dried meat before holding it out for her to take. Amanda knelt down and offered her hand to Wolfy as she had heard from television, Wolfy sniffed the human a couple times before whining.

“May I…?” Amanda asked.

“Wolfy. Ruhig.” Altair said simply, Wolfy’s posture relaxed as the command to stand down registered. The dog’s tongue lolled out of her mouth as she whined and moved her head towards Altair’s hands, he patted her a couple times before gesturing for Amanda to try and pat the German Shepherd’s head. Amanda giggled and ran her hand over Wolfy’s ears, the dog very much liked this and moved closer to sniff the new human. “Geh spielen, Wolfy.” The dog barked for a moment before she stopped sniffing and trotted off in a random direction to begin rolling around in the grass. “As I said, it takes lots of practice. If you get a dog, you have to remember that.”

“Hmm, maybe you can help me? We could hang out at your place?” Amanda asked as she watched Wolfy, though her attention quickly turned back to Altair. He was a big buff jock, but seeing him with his dog told Amanda that he had a sensitive side. To her surprise, he seemed to get nervous at the mention of helping her with her dog.

“I wouldn’t mind helping, but maybe we do it at the dog park near the Castle instead?” Altair said with a slight cough. “My parents are kinda weird about inviting people over, at least right after meeting them.” Amanda shrugged, she didn’t mind meeting outside again. Altair reached into his back pocket and withdrew a small business card. “I don’t have a cellphone, so here’s my contact information. I know, business cards, must seem kinda… weird, but it works.” Amanda took the card and smiled, adjusting her white blouse before tucking the card into her bra… Not that Altair was looking or anything.

“It’s fine, I get it, my parents are kinda weird like that too.” Amanda said with a shrug, she and Altair lapsed into a quiet silence as the two of them watched Wolfy continuing to play off in the distance. Amanda paused for a moment and looked over at Altair, she noticed he was nodding his head to something. “What song’s playing in your head?”

“Huh?” Altair replied as he looked over.

“You were nodding your head like you were listening to music, I was just curious what it was…” Amanda said with a shrug, Altair hummed for a moment before rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

“Oh, um… It’s this song my Mother used to sing for me when I was a kid. You wouldn’t like it, I don’t think… It’s opera.” Altair admitted quietly, Amanda raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, I know, ‘Opera’s lame’ and all that other stuff...” Altair actually seemed a bit embarrassed by that, he stood up quickly and brushed himself off. “Um, anyway, I should probably get going.” Before Amanda could respond, Altair had whistled loudly. Wolfy was already rushing off towards the Castle in the distance, with Altair not far behind. “Nice meeting you! Bye!” Amanda stood up with a bit of surprise, waving awkwardly as the late day sun began to set in the distance.

“Yeah… See you.” She said as she lowered her hand.

[♠]

The sound of trumpeting fanfare echoed through the courtyard of Don Bosco Tech, the school band was out in force. The seniors of the school would be having their graduation ceremony in a day or so, but for the Freshman like Altair, it was their time to shine. Altair stood beside two dozen of his fellow male students, all of them wore brand new uniforms. Freshmen weren’t allowed to enlist in the Onorus Prima Cadets, which had formerly been known as The Young Bloods. Now that the school year was completed, Altair and his fellow patriots had been able to sign up and still get their uniforms in time for the continuation ceremony.

Their uniforms were tan, decorated with a leather strap across the shoulder that went down to their black belts, shined black boots glistened in the sun while each teen wore a tan garrison cap. Each boy also wore a purple armband that bore the Onorussian coat of arms, something that Altair and the others took with great pride. The Cadets were all standing closest to the stage that had been set up in the courtyard, the rest of the students stood behind them, each wearing their own sunday best. Though they lacked the uniformity of the Cadets, they still looked dapper. Altair glanced around the courtyard, there were soldiers in full uniform and secret service agents mingling in the crowd, and he knew exactly why.

“Students and parents of this year’s Freshman Class! Welcome to our annual continuation ceremony!” Announced the dean of the school as he stood at the podium on the stage, there was loud clapping from the other students and parents, but not the Cadets. “I’d first like to take a moment to congratulate all the students that have been issued letters of merit, as well as our various sports stars!” Once again there was applause from the other students, but the Cadets remained stone faced. “Last, but certainly not least, I would like to congratulate our newest members of the Don Bosco chapter of the Onorus Prima Cadets.” Altair and the other Cadets thrust their fists into the air.

“Victory is life!” They bellowed loudly, their voices echoing through the courtyard. The Cadets lowered their hands and returned to their stance of attention, this time the applause that came was mixed. Altair took it with a grain of salt, Canterlot was still a very much peace mongering city, despite all the progress that had been made.

“Now that we’ve taken care of those details, let’s all have a seat and hear some of the exploits of our various clubs during the year.” The dean continued, Altair and the others sat down in their seats, as did the other students and parents. What followed was basically what Altair had come to expect from school ceremonies, lots of talking and speech giving. The school was patting the students and itself on the back, Altair viewed it as a means to an end towards what his ultimate goal had been since childhood. The teen reached a hand up towards his cheek, gritting his teeth as he felt the scar that had haunted him since his ailment as a boy. It had earned him the nickname ‘Scarface’, and as intimidating as that name sounded, Altair wanted to be known for his actions more than his looks.

Altair watched as a couple of the pony teachers began addressing the crowd, though Don Bosco was a mostly human school there were still plenty of thestrals and ponies that attended. There were a good amount of colts that had enlisted in the Cadets, they were seated at the front of the group because of their comparatively short stature. Canterlot had certainly changed since the founding of Onorus, Altair felt proud to finally be able to do his part to ensure that Onorus would continue to prosper. The teachers went on talking for nearly half an hour, Altair found himself almost falling asleep in the warm summer air, but finally the Dean returned to the podium.

“Thank you all for your patience, I am glad to say that we have a very special guest here with us today.” The Dean said in a proud voice, Altair knew exactly what they were talking about. “You may have noticed that we have a bit more security than usual, I can tell you that it’s all very much necessary.” The Dean turned towards one of the doors that lead out into the courtyard. “Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome to the stage… The Imperator of the Onorussian Military Republic. Dominic Occisor!” The Cadets snapped to attention from their seats while the other students and parents clapped loudly, though they also appeared surprised.

The doors opened, and sure enough Altair saw his father walking into the courtyard in full dress uniform. He was unaccompanied as he waved to the crowd and smiled, many surprised parents were snapping pictures. His father ascended the steps to the stage, stopping to shake hands with the numerous surprised teachers and school staff. The Dean stood tall and shook the Imperator’s hand, allowing enough time for more than a few photographs to be taken, no doubt he would put them up on his wall sooner or later. Altair had never stood at attention or worn a uniform in his father’s presence, it filled the teen with a great sense of pride. His father moved to the podium and stood there, waiting for the clapping to quiet down. Once things had settled, he cleared his throat.

“Hello, to all of you.” Dominic said with a smile as he stood at the podium, leaning against it. Altair and his fellow Cadets felt like they were in the presence of some ancient Greek hero, his father had a certain magnetism. He didn’t need to say much to get people listening. “I’m glad to be here today, on what is very much a momentous occasion for these fine young men and stallions in the front row.” Altair felt like his father was talking right to him, many of the Cadets felt the same way, though they wouldn’t ever admit it. “Today they will begin their lives in the service of the Republic! They will answer the call that all soldiers of our great nation answer.” His Father leaned a bit more on the podium, appearing a bit bigger than usual. “It’s for that reason that I decided to come here today, to see the future of our nation, and to welcome them personally into the brotherhood of warriors that makes up the backbone of our great society!”

“Many of you have likely been looking forward to this day since you were very young, I know that at least one of you has wanted this since he was a young boy.” The Imperator said as he addressed the cadets. “The road to adulthood is a difficult one, but I want you all to look around you.” The Cadets did as instructed, looking at each other before looking back to the stage. “Those around you will be your brothers in arms, and though you are far from setting foot on the field of battle, you will grow and learn together. You will never be alone, so long as you remember to trust one another and your commanding officers.” Altair puffed out his chest as his father looked at him, directly at him. “Now… I think I’ve taken up enough of your time, I’m sure you’re all eager to go show off those new uniforms of yours, I can speak from experience that ladies love a man in uniform.” The man laughed, as well as a couple other Cadets. “Let’s get down to business. All of you, raise your right hands.”

Altair and the cadets raised their right hands in unison, each of them standing up straight and looking towards their Imperator.

“Repeat after me.” Dominic said in a serious voice. “I, state your name.” The Cadets responded, stating their names as instructed. “Do solemnly swear to uphold and defend the Constitution, Laws, and Territory.” Once again the Cadets repeated what was said. “And to do my duty as if the entire struggle rested on myself alone, with no mental reservations or deceptions.” Altair’s tongue tingled with each syllable he uttered, his heart felt like it would burst from his chest. “And that I will faithfully execute the responsibilities and duties of an Onorussian Soldier. For the Glory and Honor of the Military Republic of Onorus, and all her citizens. So help me God.”

“...So help me God…” Altair repeated, he watched as a large smile spread across his father’s face.

“It is my great honor to pronounce you all members of the Onorussian Auxiliary Defense Force designated as ‘The Onorus Prima Cadets’, with all the honors and privileges that come with that title.” Dominic said with a proud look in his eyes, Altair could tell that it was for him, he had had to beg his father to swear him in with the rest of his unit. His father would’ve sworn him in right on the spot if Altair hadn’t asked for no special treatment. Altair had never felt so good in all his life, here he was, a full fledged member of the Cadets, well on his way to a career in the Military. “Congratulations.”

“Company! Present arms!” Ordered a sophomore by the name of Arthur Potter, the commander of the new Cadets. Altair and the others snapped to attention and saluted their Imperator for the first time as full members of the Cadets, Dominic returned the salute from his position on the stage. There was more applause from the crowd, it was far more enthusiastic now that the Imperator had given his speech, Altair had no doubts that there would be more cadets enlisting next year as a result.

“That’s all I have to say, I’ll turn the proceedings back over to your very capable Dean. Thank you all for having me.” Dominic said before he stepped away from the podium, Altair and the others were given the nod to sit down. The rest of the ceremony seemed to fly by, soon the students and Cadets were being dismissed. Altair finally got a chance to stand up, he looked around as his fellow Cadets began to disperse into the crowd, likely to go and see their parents. Altair made his own way towards the stage, pushing through the crowd until he was stopped by one of the uniformed guards.

“This area’s restricted.” The soldier said.

“Authorization Code Zeta Seven X-Ray.” Altair replied, the soldier paused for a moment before using his radio to check with his superior. He stepped aside, allowing Altair to go up onto the stage where he could see his father speaking with the teachers and Dean. Altair removed his garrison cap as he got closer, stopping behind his father and listening as the man laughed at one of the teacher’s jokes. One of the teachers gestured to Altair, which got his father’s attention. Altair straightened up when his father turned to face him, then offered his hand to his Dad, expecting a handshake.

“There he is!” His father said in a cheerful voice before he wrapped Altair in a bear hug, the boy felt like he was having his lungs crushed before his dad let go. “You have no idea how proud I am, son… You stuck with it all these years, I knew you could do it.” Altair needed a moment to get his bearings before he could respond, he couldn’t believe how strong his dad actually was… He’d been hugged before, but never to the point he worried he’d pass out. His Dad put a fatherly hand on his shoulder as the two of them turned towards the teachers.

“I didn’t think Altair was actually related to you, Mister Imperator. His name became rather common after he was born…” One of the teachers, a pegasus stallion, said. “But looking at the two of you side by side, I can definitely see the resemblance.”

“Yeah, he’s like a mini me.” Altair’s dad said with a grin, Altair felt like he was ten feet tall standing next to his old man like that. “Anyway, I’d like to spend a bit of time with my boy, I’m sure you understand.” The teachers nodded and bid their farewells, allowing Altair and his dad to walk off the stage and to a more quiet portion of the courtyard. “So, how’s it feel, wearing a real uniform now?”

“It’s… Intense. In a good way.” Altair replied with a smile as he walked alongside his dad. “I’m glad you were the one to give the oath, it really means a lot.”

“Hey, for you? Anything.” His dad said with his own grin, the two of them stopped near the doors that lead into the school. “Your moms wanted to come, but you know how Putin can be about security.”

“I figured as much.” Altair said with a slight huff, he put his garrison cap back on his head and adjusted it until he was happy with its position. “So, what should we do now?”

“I dunno, I figured you’d want to rush home and change, then go out to the dog park with Wolfy.” Altair’s Dad said with a bit of a smirk as he walked along, as if he knew something that he wasn’t quite letting on. “I’m sure that girl you like will be just dying to see you, now that it’s summer time.”

“How did you…?” Altair began to ask.

“Predator Drone.” His Dad said simply, Altair crossed his arms and huffed slightly. “Look, kid. I don’t like messing with your life, you know that, but I’ve still gotta make sure that you’re safe…” Altair sighed, then nodded, he’d learned to get used to the OBFI running background checks on his friends and their families. It really didn’t matter in regards to Amanda, things hadn’t really worked out well between the two of them.

“Whatever… As for seeing her, no… Amanda and I aren’t speaking anymore…” Altair said with a sigh, he saw his dad raise an eyebrow. “She flipped when I told her I was joining Onorus Prima, started ranting about how it was some sort of brainwashing scheme. Then she started saying a bunch of stuff that sounded like it was Pro-EOL.”

“Ah…” Was all his dad said, Altair looked at him, as if discerning that his father had known about Amanda’s ideology.

“You were spying on her… Did you know?” Altair asked.

“I told you, I don’t like interfering with your life. You need to learn from mistakes, I can’t just give you all the answers.” His dad responded quietly as he opened the door that lead into the school and waited for Altair to go in first. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out between you two, if that’s any consolation.”

“It is…” Altair said, huffing and hunching his shoulders as the two of them walked by a couple lockers and display cases that lined the halls of the school. “A couple of the other guys were going to go to some restaurant, it’s supposed to be modelled after an old Terran style of bar. A ‘supper club’. Maybe I’ll go with them?”

“Hey, sounds like fun. Wish I could go, but it’s your day.” His dad said simply as the two of them were joined by a pair of secret service agents. “You go ahead and have fun, I’ll head back home to help your moms get your ‘Surprise party’ together.” Altair nodded simply, he knew ahead of time that there would be a surprise party, his dad wasn’t the best at keeping secrets when it came to that sort of thing. “If you need anything, you know what to do.”

“Yeah, Dad. I know.” Altair said with a nod, he was about to walk away but felt his dad grab him and pull him into another hug, this one was a lot longer and firmer, and Altair felt his old man pat him on the back several times.

“I am so proud of you. Don’t forget that.” His dad said as he let go of Altair, the boy was practically eye level with his old man by now, and he wasn’t even done growing yet. The fact that he father was getting so emotional in public was more than enough evidence to Altair that he was indeed very proud, and Altair was determined not to let him down. “Alright, kid. I’ll let you go have some fun, just be back before curfew, you know how they worry…”

“Later, old man.” Altair said with a grin, his dad gave him an annoyed look, but smirked nonetheless. Altair began walking back towards the courtyard while his Dad and the guards made their way through the rest of the building. Altair pushed the door to the courtyard open and stepped back into the sun, he adjusted his garrison cap as he walked towards a group of his fellow Cadets. His boots echoed against the bricks that made up the grounds, his steps were measured, his head was held high… And then he caught a glimpse of blonde hair. Within a couple seconds Altair’s path was blocked by Amanda, she was wearing a rather flowery dress, not that Altair cared.

“Altair!” She called out. “Wait!” The boy stopped silently and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I… I wanted to apologize for… some of the things I said.” Altair just continued to look at her quietly, his face remaining rather stoic. “I didn’t know you were the Imperator’s son.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Altair asked with a raised eyebrow, he quietly brought his arms up and crossed them across his chest.

“Well, he’s the one that wanted you to join Onorus Prima? Right?” Amanda said presumptuously. “I understand, my mom and dad are just like that, always trying to tell me what to do with my life.”

“He didn’t want me to join Onorus Prima.” Altair said flatly, Amanda seemed a bit surprised by that. “I wanted to sooner, and he could’ve gotten me in, but… He made me wait.” Altair continued, he stood up a bit taller. “You don’t like Onorus Prima? Fine, that’s your right, but do not for a second ever make an assumption about my father.” Amanda took a step back when she heard the intensity in the teen’s voice. “Now, if there’s nothing else…” Altair uncrossed his arms and walked past Amanda towards his fellow Cadets, still holding his head high as he left her behind. He felt a bit torn up inside, but he had grown accustomed to the sting of loss, his friends from his old school were all far away, losing Amanda was no different. At least, that’s what he told himself. He had the rest of the day to relax and have fun with his comrades, he didn’t need to worry about useless things like ‘friends’.

[♠]

The cold winds of late Autumn blew harshly through the streets of Canterlot, the sky was overcast and it was rather late in the day. The trees and bushes were all but completely barren of leaves, and the once green grass was drying out into a dying brown with the onset of the colder seasons. The streets were relatively quiet, most of the city was hunkering down for the coming chill of winter, whether it was at home or with friends in one of the city’s numerous attractions. For most people, it was just another chilly fall day, but for Altair… It was a bit more special, not that he wanted anyone to know.

He sat by himself in a booth in the rather quiet, almost empty ballroom of ‘The Fair Weather Club’. It was the usual hang out for most of the students from Don Bosco, as it served good food at reasonable prices, and it was within walking distance of the school. When it was packed, it reminded Altair of the club in ‘Goodfellas’, but right now the place was dead quiet. That was just the way that Altair wanted it, especially on a day like that day. For those in the know, which were a seldom few, it was the young man’s birthday. Altair usually would be home with his family, but this year felt different… Altair wanted to be alone.

He leaned his elbows on the table as he sipped his ginger ale, dressed in his Onorus Prima fatigues. He had just finished an exercise, in case his unit ever needed to be called upon to act as auxiliary police officers in the event of an emergency. The exercise had gone well, Altair was proud of his fellow Cadets, but now they had all gone home. The teen was used to being alone when he wasn’t at home, finding people he could trust was difficult, and actually engaging them in conversation was something else entirely. Altair looked up as he heard the speakers buzz to life, his eyes turned to the stage. Since it was slow, the owner generally let one of the guitar students play background music. Sure enough, Altair spotted some of the kids from his school setting up their gear on the stage.

There were a couple kids from the music class that Altair had seen around school, as well as a transfer student from Canterlot Prep. The transfer was a girl with skin like rich milk chocolate, silky black hair, and a nice figure. She wore jeans, old work boots, a sweater, and a comfy looking shawl draped over her shoulders. For all intents and purposes, she reminded Altair of some sort of blues singer from the old Terran movies he’d seen as a kid. Unlike the other kids, she was setting up a microphone. That was something new, usually the owner of the club didn’t let students sing.

Altair leaned back in his seat and adjusted his position so that he could watch the band perform while he sipped his ginger ale, occasionally he would catch a glimpse of an older man in a suit peeking his head out from around the corner. That was Altair’s reminder that he wasn’t on his own, he had a security detail following him. The teen closed his eyes as he heard the piano begin to play as well as the bass players and the drummer. It seemed they weren’t starting off with guitars.

“This one goes out to those lonesome guys and gals in the club tonight…” The singer said, Altair opened his eyes and looked around. To his surprise, it seemed he was one of the only ones there, aside from a couple of teachers that were grading papers off in a corner. “Especially those of you in uniform.” Altair assumed she was talking about the security detail and closed his eyes, leaning his head back once again while he tapped his foot along with the music. The song that the girl began to sing was something that Altair found himself getting into, he loved this kind of music, on some level he kind of wished he could sing the blues like the others. For now, all he could do was listen.

Whoever she was, she certainly had a nice set of pipes on her, her voice carried through the club like the scent of one of Altair’s father’s cigars. Smokey and heavy and beautiful, with his eyes closed Altair could take in all the sound that he could without being distracted by the rest of the world. The teen felt around for his glass, when he found it he brought it to his lips and took a slow sip of his ginger ale. The sweet flavor, coupled with the bubbles, danced across his tongue in their usual way, only this time they seemed to be serenaded by the mysterious girl singing on the stage.

The strum of the bass strings, the drone of the trombone, and the chiming of the piano’s keys, all of it helped to carry that soft tune to Altair’s ears. For whatever reason he felt bad on his birthday, that music seemed to make things feel better. The feeling of his uniform seemed to fade away, he could see glimpses of better days in black and white running through his head. All of it reminded him of why he hated Autumn. The cold weather, the constant overcast and freezing rain, and reminders of a very unhappy part of Altair’s childhood. It was the time of year when people talked about the Caribou War, something that still gave Altair nightmares… Spending his birthday by himself spared him that discussion when he was at home, whether it was in the halls of the castle or in his own living quarters… In the club, he could just… Be. As the song gently came to an end Altair almost forgot to open his eyes, but eventually he let himself return to the world of the living.

The boy leaned his head up and looked at the stage, he could see the students were setting up to play some more music, but there was a boy at the microphone this time. Altair sipped his glass once again and idly wondered where the girl had gone, the students began to play more blues, it was more of a Chicago style, which Altair always enjoyed. The songs they played and the lyrics faded into the background as Altair went back to looking at his table. Out of the corner of his eye he saw one of his security officers wave at him, Altair looked over with a raised eyebrow. When he saw that the girl that had been singing was trying to come over, Altair only nodded to the officer. The officer stepped aside, allowing the singer to pass by and approach Altair’s booth. The boy sat up and straightened his uniform, doing his best to look presentable.

“Hey there, soldier boy.” The singer said with a smile as she stopped next to his table. “Is this seat taken?” Altair paused for a moment, then shook his head. “Not much of a talker, are you?” The girl asked as she sat down across from Altair, adjusting her shawl and looking at the half empty glass of ginger ale on the table. “My name’s Cassidy, my grandfather owns the club. Says you’re one of the regulars I should talk to.”

“Talk to about what?” Altair asked with a raised eyebrow, Cassidy shrugged and leaned back in her seat.

“Whatever you wanna talk about?” Cassidy replied simply, Altair detected a couple parallels between this girl and Amanda, as such he found himself feeling like he was already on the defensive. “How about… What’s your name?”

“Altair… Friends call me Alley Cat.” Altair replied with a hint of caution in his voice, his eyes narrowed as he watched Cassidy’s face for any signs of deception. Cassidy smiled faintly and leaned on the table, she was used to defensive kids, most of the kids at Canterlot Prep had some form of paranoia or another.

“Alley Cat, huh? That’s a cute nickname.” Cassidy replied with a giggle. “Your one of those Optimus Prime guys, right?” She gestured to Altair’s uniform, the boy looked down at himself for a moment before nodding.

“Onorus Prima… Yeah.” Altair replied, he leaned against the table, still watching Cassidy’s features for variation. He was used to reading people, most of the time they ended up trying to deceive him in one way or another, most likely to try and get access to his position as the son of the Imperator.

“I’m still new, so I guess I’ve gotta learn the local lingo all over again.” Cassidy said with a slight smile, Altair shrugged and took another sip of his ginger ale. “What did you think of my song earlier?” The boy lowered his glass and cleared his throat.

“I liked it, you’ve got a lovely singing voice.” Altair replied, it was an honest compliment, even though he said it in a still cautious tone. Cassidy could tell that this kid had some serious walls up between himself and the people around him, but she liked a challenge, and he seemed like a nice enough guy. “I’m more of a fan of the deeper voiced stuff, but… Yours was very good.” Cassidy was about to respond, but she paused as she saw one of the odd guys in the suits peek around the corner at the booth. He only looked for a couple seconds, then disappeared from sight.

“What’s with those guys in the suits? They’ve been watching you as long as I’ve been here.” Cassidy blurted out, she saw Altair move back from the table slightly and mentally cursed at herself. Another brick seemed to have been slipped into those walls of his.

“Oh, um… They’re my ride home, yeah…” Altair replied in a voice that was a mix of caution and fake confidence. Cassidy could tell that Altair was only telling half the truth, in her mind she began to put pieces together. She could see the gnarly scar on the boy’s cheek, the uniform, the strange suited guys constantly checking up on him… Altair saw Cassidy’s face morph into one of surprised realization. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, um, nothing.” Cassidy replied, Altair picked up on her deception rather quickly. Of course, he thought, it was just another person trying to get close to him to use him. He began trying to distance himself from the conversation, starting by quickly finishing off his ginger ale. He wouldn’t order another one, he’d just pay his check and leave when the waiter came over. “You’re the Imperator’s son, aren’t you?” Altair’s mind froze mid thought… No one had ever just come out and said it before.

“Yes… Yes, I am.” Altair replied, leaning closer to the table. It seemed that both of them were adept at reading facial features, each of them were engaged in a cold war of expressions, watching to see which one would literally flinch. “You didn’t know that already?” Cassidy shook her head, her face looked genuinely honest. Altair found himself lowering his defenses somewhat, knowing that she hadn’t come over just because of who he was was a huge comfort.

“What are you doing in a place like this? Shouldn’t you be off in the castle or something?” Cassidy asked with honest interest, Altair chuckled faintly and shook his head.

“Nah, my family and I like to just go out and do stuff, we each have our own way of doing it.” Altair said, he leaned against the table on his elbows. Cassidy could see he was starting to open up to her, something that filled her with a sense of pride. “I like to come here, especially on days like today.” The boy looked around, then towards the stage. “It’s just the right level of loud, and just the right level of public.”

“Huh, I always thought you would be some sort of stuck up guy.” Cassidy said, she paused and looked at the floor. “That came out wrong, I meant to say you seem very down to earth for the kid of the most powerful man on the planet.”

“Well, I try.” Altair said with a shrug, he felt the faintest of a smile begin to creep onto his face. “Sorry if I seem a little distant… Most of the time people come over already knowing who I am, and usually they want something.”

“I imagine that could get pretty annoying.” Cassidy said with a note of sympathy in her voice, Altair felt himself opening up a bit more… Finally, someone who seemed to get it. “Is that why I didn’t see you at lunch today? I mean, I know I’m still new, but you seem like the kind of guy that would stand out in a crowd.”

“Huh? Oh, no, I eat lunch in the metalworking shop.” Altair replied as he looked down at his now empty glass. “Most kids don’t like the smell in there, so they leave me alone.” Cassidy felt a bit of pity run through her, she knew what it was like to eat alone most of the time, there weren’t a lot of black students at North Canterlot Prep. “You’re welcome to come though, if you don’t mind the smell of spray paint, that is.”

“Maybe I will.” Cassidy said with a warm smile, Altair smiled back, but part of his mind told him to slow things down. He had gotten like this with Amanda, and he had seen where that had gotten him, for all he knew this could turn out even worse… But part of him shrugged that fear off, part of him was tired of being alone all the time. “So, do they just call you ‘Son of the Imperator’ or do you have some fancy title like ‘Duke of Wellington’ or something?”

“Officially, my title is Nova-Imperator.” Altair replied, Cassidy hummed for a moment, then smirked widely. “What?”

“Just thinking of a new nickname for you… How does Casanova sound?” Cassidy asked, Altair paused for a moment, then rubbed his chin.

“Are you referring to the Italian adventurer Giacomo Casanova or the more common phrase meaning someone that’s good with women?” Altair asked, Cassidy blinked at him with a bit of surprise. She hadn’t ever even heard of Giacomo Casanova in her life up to that point, but that was something that she found enthralling about Altair. He seemed to be a lot smarter than he let on, or even gave himself credit for. “I read a lot of books growing up… Sue me.”

“Okay, okay… New Nickname idea.” Cassidy said with a hum. “Wizard? Doesn’t sound as cool as ‘Scarface’, but…” She trailed off when she noticed Altair look away at the mention of the word ‘Scarface’. “Sorry… I guess that might not seem as cool to you.” Altair only nodded and rubbed the scar on his cheek. “So… Wizard it is then?” Altair shrugged. “Alright then, Wizard. Can you tell me a bit more about what it’s like living in the Castle?”

“Sure.” Altair said with a smile, from that point on the two of them began talking. Cassidy was enthralled with what Altair had to say about life as the son of the Imperator, and Altair was mindful not to share any information that could be considered sensitive or dangerous. As time went on, Altair’s fears that Cassidy would turn out like Amanda were quickly dashed. She turned out to be very Pro-Onorus and Pro-Onorus Prima, it felt nice not having to worry about saying the wrong thing. Occasionally Cassidy would be pulled away to sing on stage again, every time Altair would hang on her every word. Hours passed by, and eventually it was nearing Curfew, seven o’clock for kids not out stargazing or on Onorus Prima business.

Altair adjusted his uniform overcoat as he prepared to leave the club, the other patrons were already gone, but Altair was waiting as long as he could for a chance to speak with Cassidy once more. She stepped off the stage while the other students packed up their instruments, then quickly walked over to Altair.

“Well, guess this is goodbye for now.” Cassidy said with a sad look in her eyes. “We can talk more at school tomorrow though, right?”

“Of course!” Altair replied as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, do you need a ride home? I don’t mind making a detour.” Cassidy smiled but shook her head.

“Nah, I’m fine, but thanks for the offer.” She replied warmly, Altair nodded and began to turn. “Hey, Wizard?” The boy stopped and turned back to her with a raised eyebrow. “Do you maybe want to go see a movie this weekend? I know they’re showing something called ‘The Blob’ down the street, supposed to be one of those old Terran movies.”

“That sounds like fun! Sure, I’d love to do that!” Altair replied, he and Cassidy awkwardly rubbed the backs of their necks and looked at the floor. Each of them was faintly blushing, though it was much easier to see on Altair’s pale cheeks. “Well, I should get going… See you tomorrow!”

“Yeah… See you.” Cassidy replied, Altair turned away and began walking towards the door again. He was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Altair, wait.” He turned around again, to his surprise Cassidy leaned up and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. The two of them stood there, staring at one another, each one a bit slack jawed and surprised by what had just happened. “I-I I’m sorry… I don’t know why I did that… I just thought there was a connection…”

“I-It’s okay…” Altair said, his face going all sorts of shades of red. “I… I liked it.” He said simply. “I… I really think I should go though, otherwise we’ll be here forever…” Cassidy only nodded, too surprised by her actions to really speak. “Goodbye for now…” Altair turned and walked towards the door, his face still a mix of surprise accented by a deep red blush. His security officers stepped outside first, the car was already waiting. Altair put his hand on the door handle and was about to push it open, he paused however, then slowly turned to look over his shoulder. Cassidy was still watching him, she waved awkwardly. Altair waved back, then let out a deep breath and pushed the door open. The biting cold blew against his cheeks as soon as he was out the door, but that one spot on his face… It still felt warm.

[♠]

Harsh Winter winds howled as they weaved their way through Canterlot, carrying flurries of snow and ice along with them. The lamplights were lit fully, but hardly a soul was out on the roads save for Police officers and plow trucks. The entire city was in complete lockdown for one of the most intense snow storms in recorded history. The storm had come with such speed that many people had been stranded at work or in other public places. It was for that reason that units of Onorus Prima had been activated, they would be sent out with the Military Police to deliver blankets and other supplies to anyone that might’ve been in need.

Altair gritted his teeth as he tightened the strap on his kevlar helmet, his face was thankfully covered by a heavy wool balaclava, and his white winter uniform was just warm enough to make going outside tolerable. He and four other Cadets were seated in the back of a Police APC, as well as several boxes of wool blankets and chemical heating packs. There were two MPs driving the APC, as well as one Lunar Marine serving as their chaperone in the field. Altair looked over at the Lunar Marine, a thestral mare that bore the rank of Sergeant. She adjusted her mane and made sure that her own uniform was tightly secured, for thestrals the cold was certainly no joke.

“Our first stop is going to be the subway station on Lincolnshire Avenue, from what they’ve radioed in one of their heating ducts is blocked.” The mare announced over the noise of the engine, Altair and the other Cadets looked at her silently, listening to each detail she gave them. “Our mission is to remove the blockage if possible, and failing that, deliver blankets and heat packs to those stranded there. Understood?”

“Yes, Sergeant!” The Cadets replied in unison, the mare nodded and leaned back in her seat. Altair checked his gloves once more, ensuring that they were as tight and as warm as he could get them. They were being outfitted like it was an actual mission, and they were expected to treat it as an actual mission, Altair could tell that this was definitely no exercise. He could feel the treads of the APC occasionally slip on the ice, but all in all, it was a lot quicker and a lot safer than taking a truck.

“Hey, Wizard.” One of the cadets, a boy named Finn, spoke up. Altair looked over with a raised eyebrow. “You think you’ll be able to get that duct unblocked with that big brain of yours?”

“I’ll certainly try…” Altair replied with a nod of his head. “And if that doesn’t work, we can always just try hitting it with something heavy.” The boy leaned his head back, occasionally his helmet would knock against the metal behind him. “All in all, it might be a simple matter of air pressure. Some duct tape to patch a hole or some lubricant to open a valve should do the trick.” Altair looked around at the other Cadets again. “Who knows, maybe all we’ll need to do is change the filter.”

“Hopefully, then we can all get home before the storm gets any worse.” Another Cadet said while rubbing his hands together for warmth. The dark confined interior of the APC made their voices carry, which made many of them hesitant to speak, as the echo bothered their ears. Altair watched the Sergeant as she spoke with the drivers of the APC, after a couple words the mare turned her attention back to the five cadets under her charge.

“Alright squad, cut the chatter.” She ordered, the Cadets nodded and quieted down while the APC began to slow down. Eventually the vehicle came to a halt and the rear ramp began to lower, gusting wind and snow flooded the compartment almost as soon as the seal was broken. “Let’s get to work, gentlemen!” The ramp of the APC touched down on the ground, Altair and the others stood up and stepped out into cold.

Three of the Cadets picked up the boxes of supplies while Finn and Altair grabbed snow shovels off the side of the APC, they grunted as they began clearing a path towards the entrance to the Subway station. The surrounding buildings were dark, it seemed that the power had gone out. Altair grunted as he moved a particularly heavy load of snow to the side, with him and Finn working together they had made a workable path to the front doors from the APC within a couple minutes, stretching a total of ten feet. The snow was up to Altair’s knees and bitingly cold, he did his best to ignore the discomfort as he set his shovel down and pulled one of the doors to the station open so that the Cadets with the supplies could enter.

“Alright, squad leader! You take command, I’ll keep an eye on you.” The Sergeant announced now that they had entered the building and were out of the cold, seeing as Finn had been designated the squad leader, the Cadets looked to him for instructions.

“Deliver the supplies to the people in the lower levels, Wizard and I will move to the machine room and see what we can do about getting the heat back on.” Finn ordered, the other cadets nodded and began moving down the stairs towards the tracks of the station. Finn looked to the sergeant and cleared his throat. “Sergeant, if you could act as our go between with the Station Staff, I would appreciate it.” The mare nodded quietly, she seemed to be one of the chaperones that wanted to let the Squad function without interference. “Altair, let’s go.”

Altair and Finn descended the steps of the station, the emergency lighting gave them enough room to see where they were going, but not much else. There were posters on the walls that usually were lit up, but since the power was out they were dim. The two Cadets made their way down a pair of stopped escalators in search of the machine room, eventually they made their way onto the station platform where the stranded civilians were receiving blankets and heat packs from the other Cadets.

“Wonder why they picked us for this.” Finn said aloud as they walked past a couple benches where people had set up makeshift beds. Altair shrugged as he looked above them at the air ducts, for the most part he couldn’t see any bulges or other reasons that they wouldn’t be able to vent hot air into the station. “Maybe because we’re from a technical school, I bet those Canterlot Prep kids wouldn’t know an impact gun from their left ass cheek.”

“Or they don’t wanna get their hands dirty.” Altair replied with a smirk as the two Cadets reached the end of the station platform, they stopped in front of a large metal door with a sign that told them it was the machine room. Altair reached out and jiggled the handle, sure enough it was locked. “Should we get the keys?”

“Nah, that’ll take too long. We need the heat on sooner rather than later.” Finn replied as he crossed his arms, Altair looked at his squad leader with a bit of an uncertain expression. “Come on, Wizard… I know you’ve been dying to do some door kicking…” Altair paused, then looked at the door once more, then he looked back at Finn. “We’re clear to get in there any way we deem fit, go ahead…” Altair looked at the door and adjusted his posture, after a couple seconds he delivered a hard kick to the door. Altair wound up staggering back, hopping on one foot and grunting in pain.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I forgot it’s a metal door!” Altair blurted out, Finn let out a slow whistle as he looked at the door. “What’s got you so impressed, we’re still stuck out here.” Finn simply pointed to the door, specifically a sizable dent the shape of Altair’s boot.

“What the fuck do you do to get your legs that strong, man?” Finn asked, Altair began walking in a circle, walking off the pain from trying to boot open a metal door. “Alright, maybe you loosened it?”

“Nah… It’s still there, I just dented a layer of lighter metal.” Altair said as he finished walking off the pain, the fifteen year old looked around for a couple seconds. “I have a feeling the Staff here won’t open the door for us, since we’re only Cadets… We’re gonna need something with more weight.” The boy looked around while Finn rubbed his chin in deep thought, Altair’s eyes eventually settled on a food cart near a pillar at the edge of the station. Finn looked at his comrade when he heard him start laughing to himself, it was the kind of laugh Altair made when he had figured something out. “Oh… I love kinetic energy.”

“Huh?” Finn asked, Altair simply pointed at the food cart. “What, you want a pretzel?”

“No…” Altair looked at Finn, then back at the food cart. “Think… Terran Crusades, castles and knights and stuff! Big metal thing on wheels!” Altair said in a rather excited tone, Finn seemed to put the pieces together just as Altair finished his explanation. “God, I’ve always wanted to use a battering ram!” Altair moved over to the food cart and gestured for Finn to follow him. “Here, grab the other side and help me! Our combined weight, plus the weight of the cart and the kinetic energy we build up from a running start should be enough to bust the door off its hinges.”

“Alright…” Finn said with a shrug, he moved to the opposite side of the food cart and helped aim it at the door to the machine room. “It’s your crazy plan, Wizard. On your go.” Altair rubbed his hands together, grinning widely beneath his balaclava as he set his hands on the cart.

“Groovy…” Altair said under his breath before the two of them grunted and began pushing the food cart towards the door. THey picked up a considerable amount of speed before the cart slammed into the door, and sure enough the metal door busted off its hinges. Altair and Finn dragged the dented food cart out of the way and pushed the door open. Altair and Finn stepped into the machine room, ignoring the crowd of onlookers that had formed to see just what they were doing. Most of the equipment in the room was marked with warning signs, Altair could tell it was mainly used for the subway and the tracks. He did however spot where several of the air ducts met up with one another, all of them seemed to be linked to a large blower of some kind.

Upon closer inspection of the blower, Altair could see that something had been jammed into one of the control boxes. It seemed to be some sort of sabotage, but he wasn’t there to figure out who did it so much as to get the heat back online. The teen grabbed the metal bar that had been jammed into the box, then grunted as he yanked it free. There were numerous wires that had been disconnected, but thankfully they seemed to be color coded. For Altair it felt as simple as putting together a potato clock, at least, for the most part. His gloves occasionally got in the way, but eventually, after twenty minutes or so, he had jury rigged the control box to function again. The vents slammed open as warm air began to blow freely through the station, Altair stood up straight and adjusted his uniform, it seemed that he had done a good job… It was moments like these that he liked to remember.

Author's Note

Ah, little Altair is starting to grow up. He's already had his first crush and his first break up, but it seems he doesn't really care enough to remember the latter... On a more serious note, the next chapter will be more about character development rather than snippets of memories.

And of course, here's your clip of the day.