Shining Armour's Military Academy

Chapter 2

An echo of Shining Armour’s cannon signalled the start of evening game of hide and seek. Some of the younger students as well as some older ones jumped at the sudden noise, legs shaking in the long dark grass. Black overcast skies obscured the early evening, making it hard for anypony to see anything other than the silhouette of their crouched teammates and the faint but distinct luminescence of the appointed platoon leaders glow-sticks. Fidgeting and careful movements broke the night’s silence as the teams began to shuffle through the fields, some ponies blatantly talking could be heard across the distances separating the competing groups.

Three of the four companies had separated their platoons into strictly having either only Pegasus, Earth, or Unicorn ponies. To these companies’ surprise, they had found that they were perfectly divided, making their decision that much easier. The fourth company, Dawn, had opted for an almost equal split to gain the advantage of having three platoons with multiple skill-sets. For colts and fillies, some of the ponies were very clever.

This night’s leaders were the ponies who had the ‘courage’ and confidence to first find Shining Armour and then hand in the roster containing the names of all the ponies. Shining had his fun interrogating the company representative as to why certain decisions were made and why they didn’t do certain meaningless tasks. Team Dawn had the benefit of having a pony who was very close to Shining Armour, naturally, this pony was automatically the chosen representative.

Haze Etcher knew Shining Armour through her adoptive father Silver Edge. She had spent many hours in Shining Armour’s company as her father made deals with the captain. When Silver finally found the money to move to Canterlot, Haze and Shining were inseparable, always play-fighting and learning together. Haze was almost an apprentice to Shining, learning ‘military theory’ and ‘tactics’ by just watching the Stallion at work. When the time came to choose students suited to Shining’s new school, the filly at the top of his list was the one glued to his side.

Silver, at first, was hesitant to let Haze go, but was persuaded by the captain of the guard and his princess wife that she would be treated as one their own. Wealth had already given Haze a new start and greater chance of success in life, Shining’s school would do so even more. Silver made sure that Haze was well equipped for the academy, sparing no expense in purchasing anything that could give his daughter an advantage. Even though Haze’s second chance was one full of luxury and comfort, she had remained humble, always thankful for the chance Silver had taken on her and never taking anything for granted, her scar was a permanent reminder of days without anything.

“Keep quiet ponies, I think I see Twilight’s Unicorns.” Haze whispered to her obedient platoon, employing a pegasus runner to pass on her messages.

“This is going to be too easy.” A blue earth-pony colt emerged from behind Haze Etcher.

“Stop here.” Haze nodded with a sly grin at the well built young colt before coming to a complete stop.

“Masquerade Mist, keep low and move first platoon to the trees. From there split into groups of sixteen and hide. Try and make your glow sticks obvious. The two remaining ponies will be bait.

“Sure Haze, I’m on it!” The enthusiastic pegasus filly shouted a whisper.

“Thunder Dasher, take the second platoon to high ground and find out where the other teams are. When you’ve located all the teams, dig in and send messages to first. Got that?”

“Got it.” Masquerade spoke with a gruff voice.

“Third will be patrolling around here and luring in anypony straying away from the forest.” Haze mimicked the commanding voice of Shining Armour. Had Shining been there, he would have been proud.

“Remember to keep your spacings, always count your ponies and tell them to report to you if they see movement. Now go.” Haze Etcher was dead serious about winning, her competitiveness a result of being a keen Wonderbolts fan.

“You really want to win don’t you?” The same blue colt from before, Stargaze Spirit, Haze’s second in command and natural navigator joked at Haze’s stern face.

“The prize wouldn’t be worth it if the dormitories were all the same. I’m guessing one of them has something worth the effort.” Haze remained cold as she signalled her advance.

“Did anypony tell you you’re really smart?” Stargaze led in front of Haze.

“I’m just doing what Shining taught me to do.” Haze allowed the complement to lift her spirits.

“Shining? Shining Armour? That’s not fair.” A quiet laughter left Stargaze as he adjusted his direction.

“We’re on the same team, what does it matter? Now be quiet.” Assessing her noise, Haze whispered, returning to her serious expression.

First and second platoon were in position twenty minutes after Haze’s orders were issued. For this ‘game’ Haze found it necessary to have her platoons on the ground where nopony could see them and have the unicorns refrain from using their magic. The other companies were a mess of light spells and loud, flying, foals. It only took only a short hour for Sun company to all be lured and captured within the small forest. One-hundred and fifty students all captured without any problems.

With Sun company at the mercy of Dawn, Haze elected that the previous leaders of her platoons (Excluding Haze) be assigned to lead the captives and use the new pony-power to bolster their strength. A second forest outcrop became another trap for the remaining companies to fall into, these second companies however, were growing cautious, no longer seeing the yellow glow-stick of Sun. A game for children had been transformed by Haze into an all out battle.

Shining Armour’s hourly time-firework-spell showed a large bright green ‘eleven’, telling the teams that they really needed to ‘get a move on’ if they were to get back to the academy in time to sleep. Instead of the same ‘normal’ spell that Shining had used in his little game, he sent with it an array of large supply crates to the individual platoons via powerful transportation magic. The crates contained water, tents, and cardboard boxes labeled as ‘ration packs’. Shining Armour felt that the game needed a little ‘spicing up’.

Each platoon of Dawn company had within minutes sent news to each other asking for orders as to what to do with this new equipment, some of the messages showing panic towards sleeping in the outdoors. The two un-captured companies of Moon and Twilight could be heard screaming in delight and could be seen lighting campfires.

Haze, always the pony to make the best of any situation ordered her platoon leaders to set the tents up for only the tiredest of the students, in addition to making sure that the leaders knew the importance of getting everypony a drink of water. Ration packs were raided for their energy-bars and chocolate. Leftover tents, empty water canisters and unopened ration packs were to be left in a new trap to end the game quicker. Dawn company’s ponies morale could not have been higher.

Within the next half hour, the Sun conscripts had surrounded Twilight’s campfires, taking their sleeping pegasi and noisy Earth-ponies whilst moving in on the lit-up Unicorns. Second platoon had coordinated the ‘attack’ when Haze had given full leadership of Sun over to Thunder Dasher. Thunder Dasher, it appeared, was quite the tactician. She was quick, efficient and charismatic, her joy gained from winning resonated amongst the ponies she that she had led.

Haze’s two remaining platoons of colts and fillies had taken up position outside Moon’s encampment, waiting on the results of Thunder’s efforts to determine whether her next move would be the right one. Many ponies by now had dropped out of the main seeking force to find a place to sleep, Haze was becoming worried about having the ability to take on a full company, even if that company was a disorganised rabble of children.

*BOOM*

“Thunder is taking a while.” Stargaze poked Haze Etcher in the ribs.

“I know.” The leader turned to the colt.

Shining Armour appeared in a flash, his horn glowing from the teleport magic. Children around him backed away in respect, bowing their heads and stiffening their joints. Haze Etcher stood at attention.

“Take your ponies and report to the academy grounds.” Shining smiled at his little friend.

“Sir, yes sir.” The stallion disappeared as quickly as he had arrived and before Haze could finish her response, leaving a faint patch of light that stained the tall grass surrounding them.

Fortunately, everypony was where they were supposed to be, either in tents or in well led groups. Pegasi in team Dawn were not charging ahead, instead walking with the Earth and Unicorn students. Ponies from Sun were making friends with the leaders of the platoons, joking about their embarrassment of being beaten and then led into an easy victory. Many of the ponies that had ‘rested’ emerged from the treeline with boxes filled with the ‘best’ parts of the ration packs, handing out the sweets to their fellow teammates.

The stragglers of the remaining teams assembled themselves upon the concrete square just before the time which Shining Armour gave them to get there. Failing his time limit was definitely undesirable for the students, ‘No dessert tomorrow.’ Foals love desert. With the companies together, all six-hundred accounted for, Shining began a new speech.

“Good evening Students. As you may have guessed, Dawn company are tonight's winners. Well done Dawn company.” Shining armour paced between the half-asleep foals, speaking with a kind tone.

“Those of you who were not as fortunate as Dawn team, I order you not to worry, you will learn to win. This school is first and foremost a military academy, we will teach you to blend into the tall grass, to make the most of what you have available, and to win as a well disciplined team rather than the disorganised ‘warbands’ I witnessed tonight.” The losing company leaders straightened their backs at these words; showing no weakness.

“Before we get to the prizes, i would first like to congratulate Dawn for their exemplary performance. As Sun company knows very well, Dawn company captured their first team in little over an hour. Their tactics, although unrefined in some cases, showed great promise and skill. I hope everypony here has learned something new from their example.”

“Prizes. Being the winners of the first competition, Dawn company are permitted to choose their sleeping quarters. I trust you have your eyes on the double rooms?”

“Sir, yes sir.” Haze, already acquainted with the academy layout was the only pony from her company to speak up, doing so with an ear-to-ear smile.

A whispered, enthusiastic cheer was produced by the winning company students, with some hooves being thrusted up in the air in celebration. Other companies around Dawn appeared disheartened, although some clearly embraced the idea that they may be in mixed, social accommodation. Haze was already met with Thunder Dasher, both of them mutually and excitedly wanting to share a room despite not knowing each other particularly well. Fillies will be fillies.

“Secondly, everypony here has earned the rank of recruit.Congratulations. When I or any other member of staff addresses you, you will be now called recruit. Do well and you may earn a promotion, disappoint me and you will lose privileges and/ or rank.” Shining Armour trotted to the top corner of the hard surface.

“Ponies who intend to act like children are not welcome in my academy, remember this, there is a time and a place for fun and that is free time, you are here to learn. Right now, it’s time to eat. When you are done, the three company leaders without a dormitory will race to the remaining sleeping areas. Dismissed.” The captain, finished talking, led the mad charge into the building labeled ‘mess hall’.