Celestia was standing in a field without her regalia, instead in the same armour as her guards. A huge obstacle course was nearby, pits of mud under barbed wire. Huge towers with ropes attached to the sides, large wooden barricades that needed to be pushed down. A huge pit of mud with ropes hanging off a solid beam of steel attached to two more steel beams bolted to wooden elevated structures allowing one to sue the ropes to travel between them.

Celestia turned to the guards “It has been brought to my attention recently that the Guard and even myself have gone soft. As such we are going to be undergoing a traning course” she then pointed to a bunch of different weights with a larger set in the middle “Those are the weights we will be using, one hundred kilograms for the Pegasi and Unicorns, two hundred for the Earth Ponies and twenty tons for me. Any questions?”

The guard maintained their silence, Celestia nodded “You know what to do.” Celestia grabbed the twenty vest and put it over her body, groaning as the weight pushed her down. The guards followed suit, Celestia dove into the mud forcing her much larger frame deep into the mud, her muscles quickly began to burn as she forced her body to slowly move through the mud.

She could hear the guard behind her, struggling just as much as she was. She continued to trudge through the mud, she was regretting letting herself go (I need to tone down on the cakes.)

Leo let out a hearty laugh (Indeed you do, you have let yourself go.) Celestia grumbled as a white unicorn stallion with a blue mane covered in mud was carrying a badly cut up Pegasus on his back. He pushed past her getting out of the mud before teleporting away. Celestia was struggling quite a bit due to her larger size being the fourth one to make it there.

She grabbed onto a rope on the side of a tower with her hooves hefting herself up, much to her surprise the stallion from earlier had returned joining her, climbing much faster than she was. By the time she finally the top she was covered in sweat, she leapt down only to see the stallion leaping down the next one. She leapt down “Who is that stallion?”

Celestia shook her head before climbing up the next tower, she was panting heavily as she leapt down and pushed past the barricade. Her eyes widened as she saw see the stallion waiting at the end with two fit Earth Ponies, she leapt over the mud pit using the ropes. She arrived her coat drenched with sweat and covered in mud.

She looked at the unicorn stallion “Who are you?”

The stallion saluted “Trainee Shining Armour, Princess. Captain Steel Spear recommended I train with the rest of the guards, I don’t know why. I am not the fittest stallion and have only been a recruit for a couple of months.”

Celestia smiled as she looked over the young stallion “I can see why, you are capable but more importantly you care for those around you. I saw you rescue an injured guard, you put the needs of another over your own success.”

Armour shook his head “I did what a guard should do, you don’t leave anypony behind.”

Celestia chuckled “I think I understand why Silver Spear picked you.” She then turned to the rest of the guard “We will do the same drill tomorrow, everypony get some rest.”

She frowned as she saw one of the guard’s form shifting slightly, she frowned at the pony “You will stay here. I wish to speak with you.”As the rest of the guard left Celestia lit her horn the illusion breaking revealing her true form, Celestia sighed as the Earth Ponies armour feel of Fluttershy now that the illusion sputtered “Fluttershy why were you here?”

Fluttershy pouted “It looked fun, I wanted to give it a go.”

Celestia frowned “Fluttershy, this is adult training. Plus the Ratel power should be enough to make up the difference, you already beat me in my transformed state with it.”

Fluttershy frowned “What if I don’t get the chance? What if something gets the drop on me or they are not honourable enough to give me the chance? I need to be able to act even when I don’t have the time to transform, I need to be able to clear enough space to transform.”

Celestia frowned “You are three, you shouldn’t be worrying about things like that at your age. You will be ready when the time comes.’

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow “What about the nobles, I’m sure they have a vested interest in getting rid of me. I would rather not make it easy for them, I intend to stay in top form.”

Celestia frowned “Very well, I’ll allow but please use the Pegasi armour. You are not an Earth Pony, still tell me who did you get to do the spell on you?”

Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed “I’m not going to rat them out Princess, you understand the need to be loyal to your friends. On top of that I made a promise not tell anypony about their aid, what good be my word if I broke it because of pressure?”

Celestia smiled “You are really too mature for your age” she then frowned “Still the pony who cast the spell on you did something wrong. Discipline needs to be maintained and I can’t administer that if you don’t tell me who it is.”

Fluttershy shook her head “I’d take their punishment before I let you know, they made me promise.”

Fluttershy flew away leaving Princess Celestia behind stunned that her own teachings had backfired.

Fluttershy closed her eyes as she remembered the conversation that morning. She was awoken by a soft silvery glow. A projection of a small blue Alicorn with a light blue mane sat there, Fluttershy frowned “Who are you?”

The Alicorn smiled meekly “I’m Prin… Luna, I was jealous of my sister and was banished to the moon. I will return in next couple of decades as Nightmare Moon and when I do you need to be ready to stop me.”

Fluttershy frowned “You are Celestia’s sister,. Fine, I’ll do it but you must provide me with a disguise of a Royal Guard to sneak into the training tomorrow. I won’t tell anypony about you, I promise.”

Luna smiled weakly lighting her horn as she cast the spell “I’ll see you one day but I need to go before Nightmare notices I’m gone.”

Fluttershy shook her head as she opened her eyes (I kept my promise Luna.) She flew back to her room, glad not to be pretending to be one of the guards in that uncomfortable bed.

Author's Note

Fluttershy has met Luna now.