Keeping Unityby ChemtestChaptersBridging Unity 1: Warrior’s TrainingBridging Unity 2: CleverBridging Unity 3: Gift of Blueblood’sBridging Unity 1: Warrior’s TrainingA pony stands in a line, constantly fidgeting around to check what is on his belt stays there. Ponies, mare and stallion alike, joke and jostle and laugh with each other in merriment of what the feature might hold. The small stallion looks at them, trying to make himself as small as possible as to make sure nobody bumps into him and causes a scene. Everypony goes silent, as the unassuming door to another room opens up. Everypony listens closely, knowing that if their name isn’t called, they will have to come back the next day. The pony from within peeks her head out, and speaks clearly,”Number Four-Six-One.” The stallion nods at the mention of his number, and begins to slip his way through the crowd of ponies. They don’t even have to part for his small form to slide through. Eventually, though, they all step to the side, and slightly glare at him. He’s the lucky one who gets to enjoy tommorow outside of a government controlled facility. The stallion stands in front of the mare at the door, eye slightly twitching from the eyes he feels boring into his back. He smiles slightly, “Uh, I’m Four-Six-One.” The mare smiles, “Come on in.” He gladly slips through, inside the office. He breathes a sigh of relief as he no longer feels the eyes in his back. The mare walks into another room, one that is very clean and comfortable. The mare sits down in her high backed chair, and motions for the stallion to lounge on the comfy couch, “Please, sit. I am Doctor Hooves, though you may just call me Dinky for now.” The stallion sits on the couch, and smiles at the purple colored unicorn, his green eyes catching her yellow ones. He leans back, his grey fur not blending into the red couch. He nods, “Hello, Doctor Dinky.” The Doctor leans forward, “So, let’s get all the commonalities the Crown loves so much out of the way. What is your name?” The stallion looks away, “Clear Sky.” His wings buzz a little bit. Dinky tilts her head, “Clear Sky? Well, Sky, tell me why you want to enlist. Tell me about your family.” Clear looks over, “My father is called Bloodied Sky, he was a... assassin. Hitman, if you are Inamortan. You know Gold Blood, right? How he was killed? Yeah, that... that was my dad. Uh, he’s dead now, after I sold him out to the Guard. Never had a mother, so, yeah.” Dinky places a hoof on his, “Don’t worry, there are many ponies out there just like you. I take it you want to join the Guard to find a new family?” He shakes his head, “No, family doesn’t appeal to me anymore. The ponies, and I hope they do forgive me for being honest, but they are too loud and rambunctious for me. I am here to enlist because my father taught me, even if in the wrong way, what a bad pony looks like. A bad pony looks like a killer, an enemy to Equestria, one willing to sell out their fellow for nothing more than money or power. I hope it isn’t a controversy to you that I view those type as the true enemy.” He shrugs, “Family falls short to the nation, currently. My family granted me a particular set of skills, and I plan to use those skills to help the nation they harmed.” Dinky nods along, “So, you want to defend Equestria because you’re mad at what your dad did to it? Understandable, a better motive than most have. Most just want money, or do it because it’s their talent, or because they want to meet an Inamortan. Speaking of our new neighbors, how do you feel about them?” Clear leans back, “I haven’t had much experience with them, in all honesty. From what I can put together, they seem like ponies, just raised in a different environment. They believe violence is the ultimate solution, and I can’t really disagree with them. I mean, if their King is to be believed, Robin, I think, they waged war for the ultimate goal of peace. Well, the Inamortans haven’t done anything but help or at least try to help us, so I think they’re all right in my book. Some of them seem a bit too aggressive for my tastes, so I’d probably keep my distance from them.” Dinky nods, “I believe those would be the Speartons.” Clear shakes his head, “Not all of them, King Atreyos seems like he’s quite passive. He’s just a father trying to protect his daughter, and his nation. I mean, he may have waged war against the changelings a bit too quick, but he had some reasoning. If some nation took one of the Princesses prisoner, than I would want to face them down as well.” Dinky tilts her head, “But don’t you blame him for the Canterlot Disaster? I mean, the Red Hive and that odd alicorn leading them might have just been wanting revenge. Doesn’t that mean he’s also at fault for making our society so focused around military? I mean, don’t you remember the days before he came? When the world was bright and peaceful and the worst beast was a chimera who played mean pranks. The Guard never needed these screenings, they barely even needed good warriors, they just looked nice.” Clear smiles, “Blame him? Sure, he might have been an unwilling catalyst in change, but he didn’t purposefully do that. He was just a domino in a line of them. Sure, he might’ve been the biggest, but he wasn’t the first, nor the last to fall. That whole revenge motivation is just a whole lot of old anti Inamortan propaganda, in my opinion. Revenge does not include the kidnapping of an entire city of innocents. I also think the change was a good one. Equestria lacked any force for if anything happened, and now we have a sizable force. Every one of our soldiers could eliminate five of our old, and there are even more today.” Dinky looks at his belt, “Excuse me, but what is that on your belt?” He looks down, “Oh, those are my father’s daggers. He taught me how to use them, and I plan to use these instruments of evil for the good of Equestria.” Dinky smiles, and places down her clipboard, “Congratulations, Clear Sky, your evaluation is done. Cunning, critically thinking, not overly aggressive, able to work with Inamortans, dagger training. You will fit right in with Blueblood’s group. Welcome to the Blueblood branch of the Equestrian Guard, Initiate Sky. You are to report to the Royal Palace next Sunday. You are to wait with your fellow Initiates until told otherwise. Good luck, Clear.” He smiles, “Thank you, Doctor Dinky.” Bridging Unity 2: CleverClear walks up to the palace, and right up to a large group of ponies. A few Inamortans also stand among their ranks, idly chatting with one another. One of them, a Swordwrath, looks over at Clear, “Hey, you’re also an Initiate right?” Clear nods, “Initiate Sky, yeah.” The Swordwrath looks up at the Palace, “What do you make of this? We’ve been waiting here for four hours, at least, without a single hint of what to do.” Clear tilts his head, “You came here at eight? I thought noon would be a more appropriate time.” The man nods, “Exactly. They only said Sunday, not what time, or who to look out for. I don’t know if it’s something with Equestria or something, but Unity would always tell us the specific time. My recruiter was Unity. Maybe our trainer forgot about us?” Clear nods, “He very well might have.” The man shakes his head, “Well, screw this, I’m leaving. If our trainer can’t have the kindness to show up, than I don’t want to train under him.” Clear holds up a hoof, “Wait, have you even tried asking one of the servants to wake him up or remind him?” The man growls, “They just ignore us.” Clear smiles, “Well, don’t leave just yet. I can go get him myself.” The Swordwrath’s eyes widen, “Are you mad? You could get arrested! Why even bother if that trainer isn’t going to?” Clear shrugs, “I’m sure they would understand my motivations. Besides, I don’t think they’d catch me in the first place. I can just slip in and out.” The man looks down at Clear, and laughs, “You are truly a fool if you think you could sneak past them.” Clear looks forward, “Hey, if something’s supposed to happen, you gotta take initiative.” Another one of the waiting bunch walks over, and places a hoof on Clear’s shoulder, “And that is the point!” Clear freezes up, his body trying to Will the hoof off him. The stallion who did it leans off, and looks at the twenty others, “You are a determined bunch, having waited two times longer than any before, but you are still a dumb lot. I’m sure that the Sergeant will like that determination.” He stomps down, “All of you, disappointing. The test is so, so simple, and only one pony in two years has figured it out. Privates, you are Initiates no longer, for you all seem to lack the inner initiative to do anything. However, I ask you to give some hearty applause for the first ever Initiate, Clear Sky!” The twenty mix of ponies and Inamortans look at him, eyes filled with nothing but anger and envy. Not a single one of them try to applaud, nor do they even smile at him. The one stallion leans back, and begins applauding, “Good work, absolutely magnificent!” He notices the lack of applause, and looks at the twenty others, “What, you are so sore losers that you aren’t even going to applaud the only winner ever? I don’t believe you would even fit into my branch anyway, especially with that attitude.” Clear looks at the stallion, “Wait, you’re Lord Blueblood?” He nods, “Just Blueblood, please, you are my new apprentice. Or, protege, as Aunt Celestia would say.” He looks to the others, “Well, get to the drill field, your Sergeant is waiting!” The group slowly clears, jogging the five minute walk to the drill field. Clear looks at Blueblood, “Thank you for accepting me.” Blueblood smiles, “Ah, don’t worry about it, you seem to be the only pony worthy of it. Come, follow me.” Blueblood turns, and walks into the Palace. Clear trots after, his wings twitching slightly as he takes notice of the bright marble. Marble that his grey coat is not able to blend into. He takes stock of his daggers once more, and rushes after Blueblood. Blueblood smiles, “It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it? The center of Equestria. Treaties, Galas, everything of every type happens here. Tell me, Clear, how well do you know me?” Clear looks down, “Oh, well, I haven’t heard much ever since I was a foal. I mean, I know magazines used to call you the stallion to be. Though those articles turned negative after the Gala.” Blueblood nods, “Oh yes, the Gala. When my true nature was revealed to the world through a mare of culture and grace. The backlash was massive, destroying my reputation, yet I cannot say I did not deserve it. Those actions I took that night were rather... roguish. I’m sure you know about the Canterlot Disaster?” Clear nods, “Yeah. Canterlot disappears in a single day, at the same time as a changeling invasion, I don’t think anypony could ever forget.” Blueblood stops, and looks upon a stained glass window. The window shows Atreyos stopping a stylized bomb with his shield, as Harry and Robin fight the rotten alicorn below. Blueblood shakes his head, “It May surprise you, but that alicorn there... was me. Some odd, alternate reality type of me but still... me. Lived the same childhood, made the same mistakes. That day, I left Canterlot because of the Gala scandal. I ended up accidentally surviving because of it, and I realized just how much of a villain I had become.” Clear smiles slightly, “Well, uh, you realized it, so you aren’t a villain in the end.” Blueblood chuckles slightly, “Yes, I do believe that was the difference between me and that rotten alicorn. He had become King, he had gained great power, but at what cost? His equinity, his decency, his nobility. If I were to have continued, I would’ve been no different than him. That is why I am no longer Prince, that is why I’ve been quiet these years.” Clear looks over at him, “You have changed heavily, from what I can tell.” Blueblood looks over to him as well, and nods, “That’s enough of the past, for now. Come along, you are to be trained in the ways of a Blueblood.” Bridging Unity 3: Gift of Blueblood’sBlueblood smiles as he leads Clear into a massive gymnasium, filled with armor stands, mannequins, and a giant track all around the room. He grins, looking over at Clear, “So, Initiate, are you ready to begin training?” Clear nods, “Yes, sir, how shall I begin?” He notions to the dagger on Clear’s belt, “Show me how good you are with that.” Clear nods, drawing the dagger with one wing, “How shall I?” He points to a target across the room, “Target there.” Clear takes a deep breath. Upon releasing the breath, he twists about, sending the dagger flying across the room. It slams into the target, below the bullseye, but still on target. Blueblood smiles, “Very good. Now, go retrieve it.” Clear nods, and begins to trot to the target. He looks back as he trots, “If I may, Sir-“ Blueblood cuts him off, “Just Blueblood, please. I’ve given up all titles and carry no honorific in the military.” Clear nods again, “Well, Blueblood... why are you so interested in my dagger skills, if you don’t mind?” He smiles, “Ah, that. Well, Clear, allow me to be transparent and candid. Oh, and if I’m ever not transparent, do tell me. Honesty is a noble’s best policy, and I’ve taken the title of noble much more literal these days. You see, Clear, you are being trained for a very specific purpose.” Clear raises an eyebrow, slowing to a stop, “...Assassination?” Blueblood pauses, and taps his chin, “Hmm, not quite. You see, Clear, I have high suspicion that that rotten alicorn, that... well, that version of me, will be coming back. If I know myself, and nopony knows me better than myself, then I shall be back for revenge.” Clear nods, “Meaning another Canterlot Disaster.” Blueblood smiles, “Exactly. So, we can’t allow him the time to cast another spell of that size. If he comes, we must be prepared to strike him down. That is your job Clear, kill that rotten alicorn before he can do anything.” Clear looks back at the target, the dagger’s distance from the bullseye a mile in his eyes, “That is a lot to ask, Blueblood.” He nods, “I know it is, Initiate Clear. That is why I had to get somepony of true quality. You were the first to show cleverness and initiative in my test, the first in two years. You, Clear, are special. I bestow upon you this responsibility. Can you bear it?” Clear looks back at Blueblood, and then back at his dagger, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
Bridging Unity 1: Warrior’s TrainingA pony stands in a line, constantly fidgeting around to check what is on his belt stays there. Ponies, mare and stallion alike, joke and jostle and laugh with each other in merriment of what the feature might hold. The small stallion looks at them, trying to make himself as small as possible as to make sure nobody bumps into him and causes a scene. Everypony goes silent, as the unassuming door to another room opens up. Everypony listens closely, knowing that if their name isn’t called, they will have to come back the next day. The pony from within peeks her head out, and speaks clearly,”Number Four-Six-One.” The stallion nods at the mention of his number, and begins to slip his way through the crowd of ponies. They don’t even have to part for his small form to slide through. Eventually, though, they all step to the side, and slightly glare at him. He’s the lucky one who gets to enjoy tommorow outside of a government controlled facility. The stallion stands in front of the mare at the door, eye slightly twitching from the eyes he feels boring into his back. He smiles slightly, “Uh, I’m Four-Six-One.” The mare smiles, “Come on in.” He gladly slips through, inside the office. He breathes a sigh of relief as he no longer feels the eyes in his back. The mare walks into another room, one that is very clean and comfortable. The mare sits down in her high backed chair, and motions for the stallion to lounge on the comfy couch, “Please, sit. I am Doctor Hooves, though you may just call me Dinky for now.” The stallion sits on the couch, and smiles at the purple colored unicorn, his green eyes catching her yellow ones. He leans back, his grey fur not blending into the red couch. He nods, “Hello, Doctor Dinky.” The Doctor leans forward, “So, let’s get all the commonalities the Crown loves so much out of the way. What is your name?” The stallion looks away, “Clear Sky.” His wings buzz a little bit. Dinky tilts her head, “Clear Sky? Well, Sky, tell me why you want to enlist. Tell me about your family.” Clear looks over, “My father is called Bloodied Sky, he was a... assassin. Hitman, if you are Inamortan. You know Gold Blood, right? How he was killed? Yeah, that... that was my dad. Uh, he’s dead now, after I sold him out to the Guard. Never had a mother, so, yeah.” Dinky places a hoof on his, “Don’t worry, there are many ponies out there just like you. I take it you want to join the Guard to find a new family?” He shakes his head, “No, family doesn’t appeal to me anymore. The ponies, and I hope they do forgive me for being honest, but they are too loud and rambunctious for me. I am here to enlist because my father taught me, even if in the wrong way, what a bad pony looks like. A bad pony looks like a killer, an enemy to Equestria, one willing to sell out their fellow for nothing more than money or power. I hope it isn’t a controversy to you that I view those type as the true enemy.” He shrugs, “Family falls short to the nation, currently. My family granted me a particular set of skills, and I plan to use those skills to help the nation they harmed.” Dinky nods along, “So, you want to defend Equestria because you’re mad at what your dad did to it? Understandable, a better motive than most have. Most just want money, or do it because it’s their talent, or because they want to meet an Inamortan. Speaking of our new neighbors, how do you feel about them?” Clear leans back, “I haven’t had much experience with them, in all honesty. From what I can put together, they seem like ponies, just raised in a different environment. They believe violence is the ultimate solution, and I can’t really disagree with them. I mean, if their King is to be believed, Robin, I think, they waged war for the ultimate goal of peace. Well, the Inamortans haven’t done anything but help or at least try to help us, so I think they’re all right in my book. Some of them seem a bit too aggressive for my tastes, so I’d probably keep my distance from them.” Dinky nods, “I believe those would be the Speartons.” Clear shakes his head, “Not all of them, King Atreyos seems like he’s quite passive. He’s just a father trying to protect his daughter, and his nation. I mean, he may have waged war against the changelings a bit too quick, but he had some reasoning. If some nation took one of the Princesses prisoner, than I would want to face them down as well.” Dinky tilts her head, “But don’t you blame him for the Canterlot Disaster? I mean, the Red Hive and that odd alicorn leading them might have just been wanting revenge. Doesn’t that mean he’s also at fault for making our society so focused around military? I mean, don’t you remember the days before he came? When the world was bright and peaceful and the worst beast was a chimera who played mean pranks. The Guard never needed these screenings, they barely even needed good warriors, they just looked nice.” Clear smiles, “Blame him? Sure, he might have been an unwilling catalyst in change, but he didn’t purposefully do that. He was just a domino in a line of them. Sure, he might’ve been the biggest, but he wasn’t the first, nor the last to fall. That whole revenge motivation is just a whole lot of old anti Inamortan propaganda, in my opinion. Revenge does not include the kidnapping of an entire city of innocents. I also think the change was a good one. Equestria lacked any force for if anything happened, and now we have a sizable force. Every one of our soldiers could eliminate five of our old, and there are even more today.” Dinky looks at his belt, “Excuse me, but what is that on your belt?” He looks down, “Oh, those are my father’s daggers. He taught me how to use them, and I plan to use these instruments of evil for the good of Equestria.” Dinky smiles, and places down her clipboard, “Congratulations, Clear Sky, your evaluation is done. Cunning, critically thinking, not overly aggressive, able to work with Inamortans, dagger training. You will fit right in with Blueblood’s group. Welcome to the Blueblood branch of the Equestrian Guard, Initiate Sky. You are to report to the Royal Palace next Sunday. You are to wait with your fellow Initiates until told otherwise. Good luck, Clear.” He smiles, “Thank you, Doctor Dinky.”
Bridging Unity 2: CleverClear walks up to the palace, and right up to a large group of ponies. A few Inamortans also stand among their ranks, idly chatting with one another. One of them, a Swordwrath, looks over at Clear, “Hey, you’re also an Initiate right?” Clear nods, “Initiate Sky, yeah.” The Swordwrath looks up at the Palace, “What do you make of this? We’ve been waiting here for four hours, at least, without a single hint of what to do.” Clear tilts his head, “You came here at eight? I thought noon would be a more appropriate time.” The man nods, “Exactly. They only said Sunday, not what time, or who to look out for. I don’t know if it’s something with Equestria or something, but Unity would always tell us the specific time. My recruiter was Unity. Maybe our trainer forgot about us?” Clear nods, “He very well might have.” The man shakes his head, “Well, screw this, I’m leaving. If our trainer can’t have the kindness to show up, than I don’t want to train under him.” Clear holds up a hoof, “Wait, have you even tried asking one of the servants to wake him up or remind him?” The man growls, “They just ignore us.” Clear smiles, “Well, don’t leave just yet. I can go get him myself.” The Swordwrath’s eyes widen, “Are you mad? You could get arrested! Why even bother if that trainer isn’t going to?” Clear shrugs, “I’m sure they would understand my motivations. Besides, I don’t think they’d catch me in the first place. I can just slip in and out.” The man looks down at Clear, and laughs, “You are truly a fool if you think you could sneak past them.” Clear looks forward, “Hey, if something’s supposed to happen, you gotta take initiative.” Another one of the waiting bunch walks over, and places a hoof on Clear’s shoulder, “And that is the point!” Clear freezes up, his body trying to Will the hoof off him. The stallion who did it leans off, and looks at the twenty others, “You are a determined bunch, having waited two times longer than any before, but you are still a dumb lot. I’m sure that the Sergeant will like that determination.” He stomps down, “All of you, disappointing. The test is so, so simple, and only one pony in two years has figured it out. Privates, you are Initiates no longer, for you all seem to lack the inner initiative to do anything. However, I ask you to give some hearty applause for the first ever Initiate, Clear Sky!” The twenty mix of ponies and Inamortans look at him, eyes filled with nothing but anger and envy. Not a single one of them try to applaud, nor do they even smile at him. The one stallion leans back, and begins applauding, “Good work, absolutely magnificent!” He notices the lack of applause, and looks at the twenty others, “What, you are so sore losers that you aren’t even going to applaud the only winner ever? I don’t believe you would even fit into my branch anyway, especially with that attitude.” Clear looks at the stallion, “Wait, you’re Lord Blueblood?” He nods, “Just Blueblood, please, you are my new apprentice. Or, protege, as Aunt Celestia would say.” He looks to the others, “Well, get to the drill field, your Sergeant is waiting!” The group slowly clears, jogging the five minute walk to the drill field. Clear looks at Blueblood, “Thank you for accepting me.” Blueblood smiles, “Ah, don’t worry about it, you seem to be the only pony worthy of it. Come, follow me.” Blueblood turns, and walks into the Palace. Clear trots after, his wings twitching slightly as he takes notice of the bright marble. Marble that his grey coat is not able to blend into. He takes stock of his daggers once more, and rushes after Blueblood. Blueblood smiles, “It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it? The center of Equestria. Treaties, Galas, everything of every type happens here. Tell me, Clear, how well do you know me?” Clear looks down, “Oh, well, I haven’t heard much ever since I was a foal. I mean, I know magazines used to call you the stallion to be. Though those articles turned negative after the Gala.” Blueblood nods, “Oh yes, the Gala. When my true nature was revealed to the world through a mare of culture and grace. The backlash was massive, destroying my reputation, yet I cannot say I did not deserve it. Those actions I took that night were rather... roguish. I’m sure you know about the Canterlot Disaster?” Clear nods, “Yeah. Canterlot disappears in a single day, at the same time as a changeling invasion, I don’t think anypony could ever forget.” Blueblood stops, and looks upon a stained glass window. The window shows Atreyos stopping a stylized bomb with his shield, as Harry and Robin fight the rotten alicorn below. Blueblood shakes his head, “It May surprise you, but that alicorn there... was me. Some odd, alternate reality type of me but still... me. Lived the same childhood, made the same mistakes. That day, I left Canterlot because of the Gala scandal. I ended up accidentally surviving because of it, and I realized just how much of a villain I had become.” Clear smiles slightly, “Well, uh, you realized it, so you aren’t a villain in the end.” Blueblood chuckles slightly, “Yes, I do believe that was the difference between me and that rotten alicorn. He had become King, he had gained great power, but at what cost? His equinity, his decency, his nobility. If I were to have continued, I would’ve been no different than him. That is why I am no longer Prince, that is why I’ve been quiet these years.” Clear looks over at him, “You have changed heavily, from what I can tell.” Blueblood looks over to him as well, and nods, “That’s enough of the past, for now. Come along, you are to be trained in the ways of a Blueblood.”
Bridging Unity 3: Gift of Blueblood’sBlueblood smiles as he leads Clear into a massive gymnasium, filled with armor stands, mannequins, and a giant track all around the room. He grins, looking over at Clear, “So, Initiate, are you ready to begin training?” Clear nods, “Yes, sir, how shall I begin?” He notions to the dagger on Clear’s belt, “Show me how good you are with that.” Clear nods, drawing the dagger with one wing, “How shall I?” He points to a target across the room, “Target there.” Clear takes a deep breath. Upon releasing the breath, he twists about, sending the dagger flying across the room. It slams into the target, below the bullseye, but still on target. Blueblood smiles, “Very good. Now, go retrieve it.” Clear nods, and begins to trot to the target. He looks back as he trots, “If I may, Sir-“ Blueblood cuts him off, “Just Blueblood, please. I’ve given up all titles and carry no honorific in the military.” Clear nods again, “Well, Blueblood... why are you so interested in my dagger skills, if you don’t mind?” He smiles, “Ah, that. Well, Clear, allow me to be transparent and candid. Oh, and if I’m ever not transparent, do tell me. Honesty is a noble’s best policy, and I’ve taken the title of noble much more literal these days. You see, Clear, you are being trained for a very specific purpose.” Clear raises an eyebrow, slowing to a stop, “...Assassination?” Blueblood pauses, and taps his chin, “Hmm, not quite. You see, Clear, I have high suspicion that that rotten alicorn, that... well, that version of me, will be coming back. If I know myself, and nopony knows me better than myself, then I shall be back for revenge.” Clear nods, “Meaning another Canterlot Disaster.” Blueblood smiles, “Exactly. So, we can’t allow him the time to cast another spell of that size. If he comes, we must be prepared to strike him down. That is your job Clear, kill that rotten alicorn before he can do anything.” Clear looks back at the target, the dagger’s distance from the bullseye a mile in his eyes, “That is a lot to ask, Blueblood.” He nods, “I know it is, Initiate Clear. That is why I had to get somepony of true quality. You were the first to show cleverness and initiative in my test, the first in two years. You, Clear, are special. I bestow upon you this responsibility. Can you bear it?” Clear looks back at Blueblood, and then back at his dagger, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
