“Hey, Swift?”

“Yes, Mr. Alex?” I looked up at the human as he twiddled his fingers, appearing confused and nervous. “Mr. Alex, is everything okay?”

“...N-Not really,” Alex admitted, his shoulders sagging. “But…that’s a story for another day, Swift. Listen, I wanted to ask if we could head to the training grounds for a bit.”

“The training grounds?” I repeated. “Isn’t it, like, nighttime for you?”

“Yeah, but I thought I heard rumblings of something happening over there right now from some of the guards,” the human said, catching my attention. “Something about a stallion training against test dummies and beating the crap out of them.”

“Really?” I said, beginning to trot down the corridor alongside Alex. We ignored the door that led to his tower room and took a sharp left turn. “So why do you want to go?”

“Honestly, I don’t know why,” Alex shrugged. “That’s what I am trying to find out. My idea was that if it was somepony training, maybe I could train with them. You know, like combat training?” I looked at him with a confused gaze as he smiled half-heartedly.

“5 minutes?” I asked, cocking my eyebrow.

“5 minutes, Swift.” Alex nodded.

sigh “Alright. Then let’s head over there and see what all the hubbub is about.”

========================================<>=========================================

thud!

The sound of a sandbag slamming against the stone floor reverberated through the halls as the human and I approached the training grounds. I slowed my trot and stood before Alex as we rounded the blind corner. We had to traverse a small tunnel before reaching the top end of the bleacher section to…

Princess Luna’s private training grounds? my mind thought. A lone stallion was near the opposite end of it, appearing to be battling a dozen wooden dummies. As he fired his magic toward them, they disintegrated immediately, causing some loud cheers to echo from the opposite tunnel.

“Yo, what the hell…?” The human beside me muttered slowly. “I recognize this place. Isn’t this Princess Luna’s private training court, Swift?”

“From what I can tell,” I whispered, “...yeah, it is.” The human began to walk down the bleacher steps slowly, approaching the turf while I stayed behind him. I watched the stallion battle with even more training dummies, the scene remaining incomprehensible.

“Oh, shit.” I heard Alex swear, his movements stopping as I looked back at him.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Alex?” I asked.

groan “That’s the guy I was telling you about yesterday,” Alex grumbled. I stared at the pony as he stabbed his spear through three sandbags, breaking them in half. Sand poured onto the ground as the remains of the bags flopped down.

His face became clearer as the unicorn’s horn charged more magic through the dummies, stitching them back together. The pony’s face was deterministic and full of vigor. Beads of sweat dripped down his face as he suddenly barked at the wooden dummies surrounding him.

“COME ON THEN!!”

My mind switched to worry as I looked back at the human creature beside me…or lack thereof. Alex was heading over to the sideline and crossed the halfway mark before a large bag hurtled toward him.

“Alex! Watch ou-”

========================================<>=========================================

grip!

slam!

My body froze as Alex grabbed the bag in midair and threw it back over his shoulder. His momentum carried with it, and he flipped over violently, landing back on his feet and sliding a few meters toward me. That’s when I noticed the training dummies suspended in the air had stopped, all dropping to the ground with an unceremonious plop! The stallion on the opposite end looked in our general area while I raced over to Alex, ensuring he was alright.

“Who goes there?” the unicorn asked. I said nothing while Alex put his hands up to his chest.

“Wait a minute, pal,” Alex reasoned. “You remember me, right? From the throne room incident a couple nights back?” The stallion paused as his head tilted, his eyes squinting before he dropped his head and sighed.

sigh “Oh, I remember. Tch,” the stallion said, trotting over to us. A collective groan! was heard from the other side behind him, my eyes wandering to notice a group of more than a dozen ponies standing there, watching intently.

What…What am I looking at right now? I thought in shock.

“What can I do for you?” The pony asked toward Alex, his head tilting upward to look at him.

“S-Sorry to interrupt you,” Alex mumbled. “I-I heard something was happening in one of the training grounds, and I brought my guardpony with me to investa-I mean, check it out. Yeah….” Alex looked away as the pony’s mouth opened slightly, an expression of confusion tracing it.

“...” The stallion said nothing, only moving his eyes to look at me for a second. “And…this is?”

“Oh, um…” ahem! “Specialist Swift Wildshadow, sir!” I saluted. The unicorn stared at me more, his eyes briefly closing before he looked back at Alex.

“He’s also my friend,” the human added. My mind appreciated that as a smile tried not to force itself onto my face. The unicorn nodded as he extended a hoof toward the human’s hand.

“Well, pleased to meet the both of you. My name is Private Shifting Sands,” the unicorn chirped. Alex bent down and gave him a ‘bro-hoof’ with his fist while I bowed. “Interesting,” he whispered, the faint traces of his breath blowing in the breeze. “I’ve only heard tales of your species before…but now I finally meet one face-to-face.”

“Huh?”

“You’re the infamous ‘human,’ correct?” Private Shifting commented. Alex looked back at me and shrugged before turning toward the stallion.

“Depends on what context you are alluding to with the term ‘infamous,’” Alex replied. The pony shook his head and chuckled.

“No, no,” Shifting laughed off. “It’s not anything bad. But I recalled reading about this creature that randomly showed up one day and how that sparked a deep dive into Equestria’s past. It was about a month ago, and it has been nagging at the back of my mind ever since.” The pony nodded and then smiled. “Glad you turned out to be more real than I thought.”

“Uhhh…no problem?” Alex muttered. “I, uh…also wanted to apologize for that scene a few nights ago. I didn’t know what was happening and thought ‘you’ were trying to hurt Luna.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Shifting asked. “I should be apologizing since I didn’t know if you were ‘friend or foe.’ In fact, that whole thing had nothing to do with you, solely involving the princess of the night and her traitorous guards, so, again, I should be saying sorry to you.”

“Then apology accepted, Mr. Shifting,” Alex concluded. The stallion chuckled as he nodded and headed back over to the bags. “So, uhm…what are you up to tonight?” the human asked.

“Well, I have to find some way to shake off the decades of rust that have built upon my joints and get back into shape,” Shifting replied somberly. “It has been so long since I have sparred against any training dummy, so I was just practicing my technique and using some complex combat moves against moving targets.”

“Nice,” Alex whistled. “Sounds like you were really into it too.”

“Eh, nothing special,” Shifting admitted. “Basic fighting moves 101.”

“Really? Can I see it again then?” Alex curiously asked. The unicorn grinned as he reactivated his magic.

“Sure. Why not?”

========================================<>=========================================

blam!

The training dummies disintegrated as we watched the stallion from up close. Shifting’s attacks were lightning-fast, and even Alex had difficulty tracking down the pony. Eventually, Shifting disappeared, and we were left scratching our heads.

“Holy shit. This guy is good,” Alex mumbled.

“You said it,” I replied softly. “Never seen a unicorn move that fast before.”

“What do you think his secret is?”

“A well-balanced diet and some proper stretches.” We both jumped as Shifting reappeared, trotting out from behind us and toward the middle of the arena. Alex jolted to the right and brought a finger to his chin.

scoff! “Yeah, right,” Alex smirked. “Seems like you have had tons of experience on one routine, my guy.” Shifting shook his head and picked up his spear, launching it through three of the practice dummies’ bodies set up near the opposite wall. They were viciously pinned against the wall before cracking and exploding.

“I’d correct that to me having centuries of experience compared to you, Mr. Alex. But, that is neither here nor there,” Shifting replied confidently. “I see that you yourself are quite built as well…i-in terms of muscle.” Alex pointed at himself while raising his eyebrows.

“Me? Pfft,” Alex admitted, walking toward Shifting and removing his jacket. “A keen eye you have, Mr. Shifting Sands. Alas, I have been training my whole life….” Alex’s sweater came off as he was in a thick t-shirt, flexing his right arm slightly.

“Have you now?” Shifting inquired.

“Well, correction: Until eight years ago,” the human clarified. “I’ve been in and out of rehab for an…‘injury,’ which completely sidetracked my workout routines. But…” Alex flexed his right arm again, the veins showing through his skin, “I’m still built, right?”

“Impressive,” Shifting responded before shaking his head. “Wait, how old are you, Mr. Alex?”

“Ummm,” Alex pondered before pointing at the unicorn. “That’s something I would like to know from you first, Mr. Shifting Sands. What with you mentioning the words ‘decades’ and ‘centuries’ alongside the term ‘experience.’”

“But, I asked you first….”

“...” I stared at the two, neither side backing down from their request. I took a deep breath and decided to intervene, trotting between them.

“Guys, guys! Wait just a second,” I calmly said. “How about we settle this debate with a test of strength?” Both of them looked at me slowly, causing me to gulp. “U-Uhm, if it’s all the same with you, maybe a ‘hoof-wrestling’ match would work?” Alex’s eyes blinked twice.

“...What is that again?” Alex asked.

“I know what he’s talking about,” Shifting replied, trotting to the scorer’s table. He stood on the opposite end of the short section and put his hoof down, bending at the elbow to demonstrate.

“Oooh! ‘Arm-wrestling!’ Of course…I knew that,” Alex exclaimed, looking toward me before walking over there. My mind raced as Alex reached his end of the table, kneeling on one leg before mimicking the tan unicorn. I quickly trotted over and gave Alex a chair, knowing it would’ve been uncomfortable.

“Thanks, Swift,” Alex acknowledged. “Ready to lose?”

“Only one way to find out, kid,” Shifting said comically.

“Who the fuck you calling a ‘kid?’” Alex shot back. I immediately clasped my hooves over both their hoove-I mean, han-oh, whatever. You know what this is. I don’t have to explain it.

“Are we ready?” I asked, looking at them. They simply nodded before staring at each other.

“Three,

Two,

One…

Go!”

========================================<>=========================================

grumble! “What the fuck…?”

“Alex, why can’t you take him dow-”

“He’s not budging, Swift, I don’t know!”

yawn! Shifting yawned as Alex tried to move his hoof, the seconds racing. Those ponies by the corridor now flocked to watch from the stands, many in awe by the pair’s strength.

sigh “I should’ve at least gotten you to move by now, but…dayum!”

chuckle “I’ll take that as a complement. But, come on,” Shifting replied confidently. “You’re not even trying. Give it your best shot. How much strength do you got in that arm of yours?” I saw Mr. Alex glare right back at Shifting, his head shaking before his left hand gripped the opposite end of the table, teeth gritting as he pulled himself toward the unicorn.

“Let me give it one…more…‘shot!’” Alex’s right arm flexed as he tried moving Shifting’s hoof down. The stallion’s arm didn’t budge, but he groaned for a split-second. Suddenly, to his and my surprise, his arm moved back.

“Fascinating,” Shifting whispered, his eyebrows raising as Alex continued. He wasn’t trying to breathe, turning his face into a tense red, and his arm’s veins were popping even more from underneath his skin.

“Sssss!! Come ooon!” Alex yelled. Shifting looked at me momentarily before chuckling.

chuckle “Okay, I think I can end this now.”

slam!

“Ow!” Alex gripped his right hand as Shifting swung his hoof to the left, catching Alex by surprise. His hand slammed against the scorer’s table, leaving an actual indentation in the wood while Alex grabbed his hand. “Shit!”

“Hey, I did warn you about challeng-”

“No, my arm just seized up! Fuck!” Alex fell back in his chair and began to hyperventilate. His right arm had, in fact, seized up, bending awkwardly as his arm’s muscles refused to budge. “Dammit, I need an ice pack or something…shit.”

poof! “Here.” Shifting summoned a small ice pack with his magic, placing it gently onto Alex’s arm and wrapping it tightly with a bandage. Alex hissed from the stinging sensation before relaxing into the chair, his arm flopped to his right side. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth.

groan! “Th-Thanks,” Alex mumbled.

“Are you okay, Mr. Alex?” I asked worriedly. He slightly nodded, swaying his arm back and forth. I turned to look at the stallion, who was rounding behind me and making his way toward the training field. “Hey, Mr. Shifting?”

Shifting paused and turned his head, looking me in my eyes as I trotted toward him. I only had one word for him.

“How?”

“How?” Shifting repeated.

“Yeah, like, how?” I asked in confusion. “Mr. Alex has beaten a ton of ponies in hoof-wrestling before, and this time, he didn’t even get you to budge until he tried with all his might? No offense, but how did you do that? And…how old are you?” Shifting shook his head and shrugged it off, turning around to collect his saber and spear.

“Mr. Swift, let me ask you something trivial, and we’ll see what you come up with,” the unicorn replied. “How long has it been since there was a non-Thestral in the Night Guard?”

“Uhm…let’s see,” I thought aloud. My mind scanned every bit of information and historical dates it could remember. “The Night Guard disbanded following Princess Luna’s banishment, and it has been almost three…two years since she last returned?” My hoof tapped my chin as I pondered. “You said you were a member of the Night Guard, but that would put you at…”

gasp!

My mind blanked as my jaw dropped. I stared back at the unicorn, who simply smiled before turning around and summoning the training dummies with his magic. I heard his voice, however, for a brief moment as the breeze flowed through my ears.

“Shh…don’t tell.”

========================================<>=========================================

“...”

“Almost there,” I whispered. Alex gripped his arm as we reached the tower door, which I unlocked and ushered him through. We slowly climbed the staircase with Alex on the left side using his only good arm. I nudged him on the right to ensure he wouldn’t fall over.

As soon as we reached the top, Alex stopped and gripped his arm even more. hiss! “Oh, my God…that hurts so much….”

I opened the door and galloped back to the human. “How about you get some rest for the night, Mr. Alex?” I asked. “You need some sleep. Especially after today’s events.”

“Mmhm…you’re right,” Alex lazily replied before saluting me. “Have a good night, Swift.”

“You as well, Alex.”

click!

The door shut, and next, I heard a loud fwump! from inside the room. Alex had either thrown something or himself onto the bed harshly, causing the ground to shake silently. I exhaled and looked out the window, noticing the moon starting to hang overhead in the darkened sky.

Over one thousand years? my mind exclaimed in shock. There’s no way he’s ‘that’ old. I shook my head and proceeded back down the stairs, the clacking of my hooves echoing throughout the corridor. As I approached the bottom of the staircase, my head still could not wrap around that admission.

He’s been alive for over a thousand years?! How?! my mind shouted in confusion. Did he-

click!

“...”

creak!

The door opened slowly, and my eyes widened. To my surprise, Princess Luna opened the door using her magic and silently stared back at me.

“Oops! We are sorry, Specialist Swift,” Luna remarked before using her horn to teleport.

poof!

“...” I stood there silently, as a distant clack! was heard from atop the staircase I just climbed down. My head attempted to process all the information circling within it, but one thought trounced every single one.

What in the hay is going on here?

Author's Note

Huh?

As always, feedback is appreciated in the comments below. See you in the next one!

-Harpy