Rise of the Phoenixby TankFBIChaptersChapter 1: ArrivalChapter 2: RivalsPrologueChapter 1: ArrivalI steady myself as my body shakes, the train grinding to a halt. I stand back up, tall and proud, taking a deep breath. These first steps off the train and into Canterlot Central Station are the first steps toward my new life. A better life, one that I can be proud of. The various feelings of doubt, happiness, and anxiety flood my mind. But quickly the double doors slide open, and ponies quickly begin piling out like a sheep being chased by a wolf. I exhale, find a gap, and make my way through the doors, taking my first steps onto the granite floor of the station. While exiting, my eyes gravitate toward the elegant ceilings. They were high up in the sky, decorated with dozens of encrusted chandeliers, each one giving off a warm orange glow. Along with this, sophisticated murals depicting various nobles and historical figures line the walls. I heard that this place was nice, but I simply can not believe how… luxurious everything is. Nothing in this place is worth less than several thousand bits. I quickly feel my hooves slip out from underneath me as my face meets the polished ground, an angry pony shouts obscenities as they gallop past. I quickly pick myself up off the cold ground, looking around for that pony. “See how they like it,” I grumble to myself, but they are nowhere to be found. I have to pay more attention anyway, there are about a half million ponies here. After all, Soarin and Misty are supposed to meet me somewhere in the station and if I’m not careful I’m never going to see them in this mess. “But I’m a pegasus, I can just fly,” I thought, yet the moment I unfurl my yellow wings I notice the large no-flying signs all over the place. Cursing under my breath, I stick my head up high in hopes of spotting a dark or light blue mane in the crowd. Ponies rub against me as I’m sucked into the general mass of ponies moving toward the platform exit. Straining my neck, I attempt to get a glimpse over the ponies around me only to get pushed forward. Getting trampled in a crowd is the last thing on my list today, after all, I can’t show up to basic training with a broken wing. But it is to no avail, I look one way only to receive a faceful of mane and the other a faceful of a tail. Finally, the ponies start to disperse and thin out as we finally push past the platform doors and enter the main atrium. I push myself off of the crowd and toward a much less crowded section where I can regain my bearings. I find a seat in the corner, away from all the action with only a few ponies nearby, and plop my saddlebags down onto the ground between my hooves. I exhale a sigh of relief as I feel my body relax, I’ve only been here five minutes and I’m already stressed out. I wish I could give these ponies a piece of my mind about personal space, but all that would do is get me kicked out and beaten to a pulp by a mob of ponies. Taking deep breaths, I close my eyes and count to ten. A little trick my mother taught me to calm myself, Celestia knows I need it. I’m a brave pony, but crowds piss me off more than anything. I wheeze as I feel my breathing get cut short as a set of forelegs wrap themselves around my barrel, squeezing the air out of my lungs. I open my eyes as I prepare to give it to whoever was doing this, but the words die in my throat once I recognize the all too familiar cream-colored fur wrapped around me. “Misty… get… off… can’t breathe!” I gasp as Misty quickly loosens her grip, though still holding on tight. “We missed you so much!” Misty sobs as she continues to hug me, nuzzling herself closer every with every breath. “I was only gone for two days!” I laugh, hugging Misty back. “Misty couldn’t wait for you to show up, heck, neither could I,” Came a male voice from a light blue stallion standing a few feet away. “Hey Soarin, what’s up?” I ask as Misty finally releases her vice grip on me before taking a seat on the bench next to me. “Everything! All of Canterlot! This place is huge!” He exclaims, motioning around us and taking a seat on the other side of me. “You guys will have to give me the grand tour of the place.” I laugh, I really do enjoy Soarin and Misty. Soarin’s mellow attitude in combination with Mist’s adorable and jubilant personality make them really fun to just hang around with. They had arrived a few days ago because they wanted to explore Canterlot and relax before we all started basic training, howbeit, I stayed back because I just wanted to spend a few extra days with my mother. After all, it could be months before I see her again. The sensation of a smile spreading across my face fills me with butterflies, my wings fluttering at the joyful and happy expressions of Soarin and Misty. Surrounding myself with friends is a great way to start a new journey, I knew I was going to love it here. While I know I’m going to miss Cloudsdale, I am opening a new chapter in my life and I can barely wait. “So what do you guys want to do?” I inquire, unsure of really anything Canterlot has to offer. “Well, I thought we could get dinner,” Misty responds. “That sounds awesome,” Soarin coincides, “I actually have a place in mind I thought we could try out,” “Alrighty then, let’s get out of this horde of ponies!” I say, quickly hopping to my hoofs, not waiting for another response, motioning for Soarin to lead the way. I hastily follow his hoof steps as he guides me and Misty. We swiftly and gracefully make our way through the maze of ponies, carefully avoiding the crying foals and the large crowds. We quickly find ourselves all standing in the crisp night air, Luna’s moon providing a pale glow in the night sky. Soarin moves with a sense of direction as we navigate through the twisting streets of Canterlot. The buildings rise up high above us on either side as we push through crowded streets, though the masses of ponies begin to thin quickly as we make our way away from the train station. I look up at the night sky, taking in its shining aura. Luna had outdone herself again. My thinking comes to a screeching halt as a griffon shoves me aside, giving no more than a grunt in response to my indignant expression. I watch him walk away, eyes narrowing and wings unfurling a little as I give him my best death stare. He’s wearing a large, green trench coat along with a mask that obscures most of his face and other features, though he is obviously a griffon. Watching him, I realize that he is giving everypony in his way the same treatment he gave me. I feel my chest tightening as I begin stomping in pursuit of the griffon, no griffon was going to treat ponies this way and get away. I quickly stop once I feel a light blue hoof on my withers holding me back. I shift my gaze to Soarin, his outstretched arm holding firmly onto me while nodding his head in disapproval. My wings slump down as I turn around, Soarin giving me a pat on the back. It was a good thing Soarin was here to control me, I wasn’t a royal guard quite yet. I very likely would have done something that could have landed me in prison if it wasn’t for Soarin. I release a breath, my frustration and anger leaving my body with it. I quickly rearrange my feathers and wings before trotting back up beside Misty while Soarin continues to guide us to dinner. Misty and I recline on a bench, a burp escaping my mouth accompanied by Misty’s giggling. Dinner was pretty decent, a little overpriced but decent. Soarin had found an old speakeasy bar underneath an old manor near the center of Canterlot. The atmosphere was pretty cool, a combination of ornate and antique combined to form a unique experience. Old relics from the past lined the walls, each one detailing an experience or event from the era of prohibition. Moonshine, pictures, currency, you name it. The place was dark and dingy, but it was all a part of the atmosphere. All in all, the food was okay, nothing compared to Mother’s, and a bit overpriced, but it was fun. Misty even managed to woo a stallion into buying her a free drink. But we were currently lost, we had flown around the area for a bit, searching for the barracks but to no avail. We all looked, though I honestly had no idea what the place looked like. I might as well have been staring at the sky. We had looked for a solid fifteen minutes before Soarin proposed we take turns looking. Me and Misty gladly accepted only to make Soarin go first. We knew we were in the right area, we were surrounded by all the other royal guard buildings after all, but we just couldn’t find the barracks for the life of us. Soarin’s hooves clopp onto the ground in front of us, pulling me out of my stupor. His wings retract as he takes a seat on the bench next to me, his body melting as he sits. “I found it, it’s just a few blocks away,” He exhales, “Just let me catch my breath and we can go.” I decide to just stare at the sky for a few more moments, taking in its beauty. I really did enjoy looking at all the stars shining bright in the void of space. My ears twitch as a loud bang echoes throughout the night, causing me to sit up and scan the surrounding area for the disturbance. “It was probably some rich snob trying to cast a spell,” Soarin says, seeing my alert nature. “I can’t wait to see the headline tomorrow,” He snickers. ” Noble blows themself up trying to clone money!” “That wouldn’t be surprising,” I laugh, “Though we better get going, can’t sit around forever.” “Oh all right you, just give me a second. I did all the hard work after all,” Soarin groans, pushing himself off of the bench before unfurling and stretching his wings with a grunt. We soon are back in the air, Soarin guiding us once again to our destination. Though the trip is brief as we quickly descend toward the ground, a little cloud of dirt blowing away as we all land. Before us lies two immense ironclad wood doors, each one about two stories tall and a part of an even larger cobblestone building. I can only gawk at the enormous doors that lead to what is likely going to be my home for the foreseeable future, my body shivering in anticipation. We make our way closer to the doors, awestruck in anticipation. I can feel my hoofsteps getting faster and faster, the door getting closer and closer. But all too soon, we are inside the barracks. I don’t feel as accomplished as I thought, but it's a start. The hall stretched on for what looked like forever, rising twenty feet into the air. Arches line the hallway, and paintings of famous guards along with hanging chandeliers decorate the interior. A red carpet kept in pristine condition runs through the middle of the whole thing. We look down the grand hallway and see that we are not the only ponies here, a few dozen ponies gathering at the opposite end. We make our way down the hall, our hoofsteps muffled by the plush red rug, as we take in the regal decor. Like the train station, everything in this place appears to be worth no less than several thousand bit. A piece of priceless memorabilia passes us with every step we take, and the sound of the crowd starts to grow as we near the end of the hall. “You guys ready to kick some griffon butt!?” Misty says, rearing onto her hind hooves and shadowboxing with an invisible foe, ending her sequence with a fierce uppercut. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself Misty, remember what happened last time you thought you could take somepony on,” Soarin adds, raising an eyebrow. “Oh yeah… let’s just forget about that!” Misty quickly retorts, trying to change the subject. “Well I agree with Misty, I’m here to kick some griffon a-” Soarin puts his hoof over my mouth, causing me to stare back and roll my eyes. “You’re no fun Soarin, we’re in the guard now! Who cares if we curse our brains out?” “First, you’re not a guard yet,” Soarin states. “Second, I’ve got to keep you in check somehow, and I’m not letting you start here.” “Next!” Came a high-pitched voice, causing us all to redirect our attention to the table that we didn’t realize were currently standing in front of. “Names?” Asks a pearly white mare, not taking her eyes off the clipboard of names in front of her. “Spitfire.” “Misty Fly.” “Soarin.” “Spitfire and Misty, to the right in dorm eight. Soarin to the left in dorm four,” She finishes before quickly waving us along and calling for the next pony. “Well, I guess this is where we split, I’ll see you guys soon,” Soarin turns around, walking toward the left hallway before Misty grabs him and me, pulling us all in for a hug. Misty finally lets us go after getting yelled at by the receptionist, and we begin making our way down the right hallway. We count the doors as we walk past, finally stopping in front of the door with a brass eight in the center. With a little push, the door swings open to reveal a small but spacious room containing eight bunk beds, four on each side. I can see about half a dozen ponies standing around and chatting, the other few picking out their bunks. Misty and I quickly make our way into the room, debating which bunk to choose as we walk. We decide on taking the bunk furthest back in the room, feeling that it would give us the most personal space. I throw my saddle bags onto the top bunk, Misty having already claimed the bottom on account of not wanting to have to fly to the top every night. “What do we do now?” I ask Misty, sitting down on her bunk next to her. “I’m not sure, but I thought I heard some ponies talking about somepony stopping by later tonight.” Misty and I continue chatting, discussing the various questions and worries we had about training along with all of the training we were excited about. I was particularly excited about the aerial combat I had read about in the pamphlet. My discussion with Misty is cut short as I see my saddle bags fall off of the top bunk and crash onto the floor in front of me, a silver tail droops over the edge a moment later. I quickly get up and look up to see a cyan pegasus mare lounging on the top bunk, paying no mind to what she had just done. “Uhm, excuse me? What do you think you are doing?” I question, flying up to look the mare in the eyes. She just stares back, her cerise eyes looking me up and down as if she’s sizing me, my brow furrowing in frustration. “Well, I didn’t see anypony in this bunk. So I took it,” She responds with a shrug. “Did you not see my stuff sitting right in the middle of the bed?!” I nearly shout back, everypony in the room turning their attention my way. “It’s not your bunk if you’re not sitting in it. You were sitting in that bunk down there with your little filly friend,” She quips back with a grin, my eyes narrowing in response. I can feel the anger boiling in my mind, it’s currently taking every shred of dignity I have to not club her in the face. My breathing’s becoming harsher the longer I stare into her dark eyes, her reclined pose mocking me as I struggle to control myself “Huh,” She chuckles, “I knew you didn’t have anything in you.” With that statement, I lunge at her. My right hoof connects with the side of her surprised face, causing both of us to fall to the ground with a thud. I use all my strength to try to pin both of her arms to the ground, but she quickly struggles free. Her cyan hoof grazes my nose before I throw a headbutt, nearly knocking myself out in the process. Dazing myself gives her just enough time to land a hit on the side of my head, knocking me off of her. She jumps on the change of momentum, both of us now rolling around on the ground, grappling for any sense of control of the other. “WHAT IN CELESTIA’S HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE!?” Booms a coarse voice from the other side of the room, causing both of us to freeze in place. I can only lay on my back, the cyan mare on top of me, and watch as a grizzled earth pony mare walks across the room, her expression like that of a predator approaching its prey. “Well well well, what do we have here?” She questions, circling the two of us on top of each other. “A bunch of fillyfoolers making out? You should both be ashamed of yourselves for fighting like that in the royal barracks! You runts have the fighting skills of a blind foal, and that’s generous!” She shouts an inch away from my face, spit getting all over both of our faces. “Well, what are you two still doing?” She said, backing up. “Waiting for me to join?” We both quickly get to our hooves, trying our best to not glare at each other. I can only stare at the earth pony mare, my mind seething with rage, as I try and control myself. “In this place, we are a family,” She declares, glaring into my eyes. “Now whether you like each other or not is none of my business, but what I will not tolerate is disrespect!” She shouts in the cyan mare’s face. “But she-” “I DON’T REMEMBER ASKING!” Screams the earth pony mare in the cyan mare’s face, her face contorting with frustration. “Now you two will be scrubbing the latrine for months! And if I hear another peep from this room, they’ll be lucky if can identify you when I’m done!” She takes a deep breath, calming herself, and begins walking toward the exit. “Everypony else, get to bed. You’re all expected to be in the dining hall by 0600 hours. Don’t. Be. Late.” The slam of the door punctuates throughout the room, she is not somepony to mess around with. All the other ponies in the room quickly make their way to their bunks without a word, filling nearly every bed available. Except two. I quickly turn around and sprint toward the bed, only to see a cyan mare already reclined on the top bunk giving me a little wave. I stop dead in my tracks, my teeth grinding against each other as I feel like I can boil a pot of water on my head. But with a scowl, I turn around without a word. Scanning the room, I see that the only available bunk is on the bottom right next to the door. I slowly make my way toward the front of the room, my head filling with every horrible thought about what I’m going to do to that mare. “Plucking? Too nice. Stabbing? Too quick,” I thought. As if that fight wasn’t embarrassing enough already, I nearly walk face-first into the door, stopping mere inches away. I throw myself onto the bed, sprawling out and not paying any mind to whoever was above me. All I can think about is that cyan mare and her very punchable face. “I’m going to show her, I’ll make sure that she remembers my name for as long as she lives,” I think to myself. I can feel my mind still boiling from the exchange, but I quickly feel my temperature lowering. My anger is quickly turning into exhaustion from the day behind me. Before long, the bliss of sleep overtakes me. One final thought runs through my head. “I’ll show her, I’ll show everypony…” Chapter 2: RivalsThe blaring of a bugle abruptly rips me out of my dreams, the wake-up call doing its job a little too effectively for my liking. I groan as I struggle to push myself up, my arms feeling like they’re made of jello. Slowly rising up into a sitting position, I rub the sand out of my eyes, my senses slowly coming back to me as the fog begins to leave my head. I yawn as I open my eyes, stretching my forelegs as I look around and notice that everypony else in the room seems to be in the same boat that I am. Everypony is clearly struggling to some degree to pull themselves out of bed, some even stuffing their head back under their pillow in a futile attempt to drown out the blaring noise. Thankfully, the head-rattling noise finally stops, causing me to sigh in relief. I think I’ll go insane if they play that every morning. I glance up to the clock above the door that reads 5:30 AM, its hands ticking down the time I have to make it to the dining hall. “Where the heck is the dining hall?” I mutter to myself, realizing that I have to find the place within the next thirty minutes. Just thinking about having to deal with that mare again subconsciously makes me roll my eyes and let out a small groan. I haphazardly make my bed, a small attempt to look at least somewhat neat, and make my way toward the back of the room and walk up to Misty’s bunk. Taking extra care to not make eye contact with the pony above her, last night’s incident replaying through my mind. “Misty, wake up,” I say, nudging Misty’s limp form with my hoof. “Five more minutes…” Misty grunts from under her pillow, shooing my hoof away. “Come on, we only have thirty minutes to find the dining hall!” I say as I continue prodding her in the side, her wings flapping in a futile attempt to get me to leave. Fed up with Misty, I quickly rip the pillow off her head, causing her to shield her face with a foreleg as if she was a vampire in the sun. I continue to poke Fleetfoot in the ribs, causing her to squawk in frustration. Her frustration continues to grow as I continue the entourage of poking, not letting up for a moment. “Okay okay, I’m up!” Fleetfoot barks while jumping up, my grinning face now only a few inches away from her muzzle. “Oh look, you’re awake!” I quip with a smile. “Now let’s find the dining hall before we get our flanks roasted like a changeling at a Canterlot wedding!” Fleetfoot quickly tidies her hair and her bed, both of us quickly exiting the dorm and heading down the hall toward the main hallway. Fleetfoot and I quickly spot the dining hall, a steady flow of recruits making their way into the large double doors on the right side of the hallway clearly labeled 'Dining Hall'. “Hmm, I can’t believe I didn’t see that when I walked through here,” I mutter to myself, looking around to make sure I’m not missing anything else that could be important later. We quickly make our way to the doors, entering into the large dining hall. It was a simple, large room with long tables and bench seating that extended from one side of the room to the other. The food is served a the far end of the room cafeteria style, and a line of fellow recruits waiting for their meals wraps all the way around the room to the main entrance. Me and Fleetfoot being at the very back of the line. I fidget in place, the line creeping along at a snail’s pace, thinking about all the neat things we might do. Combat, working out, training, espionage, everything we might possibly do flows through my mind as I wait in line. Each thought gets me more excited than the last for the experiences that lie ahead. I quickly realize that I am near the front of the line, grab a tray from the stack and slide it along the counter. A paper bowl filled with oatmeal, a cup of water, and an apple is plopped onto my tray. After receiving my food, I quickly exit the line and spot Soarin sitting with a group of stallions a few tables away. “What’s up Soarin? How was your first night?” I inquire, taking a seat next to Soarin. “It was great! I met these two guys and we talked all night! This is Thunderlane,” He motions toward a grey pegasus sitting opposite of us. “And this is Sunny,” he says pointing to a bright yellow unicorn next to Thunderlane. I greet them both, Fleetfoot taking a seat next to me a moment later with Soarin introducing them again. “So how was your night?” Soarin asks, taking a bite of his apple. “Ehh… not as good as yours to say the least,” I chuckle, the fight replaying through my mind as I eat. “She got into a fight with another mare,” Fleetfoot says nonchalantly, her mouth stuffed with oatmeal. “You got into a fight?!” Soarin nearly shouts, specks of oatmeal getting on my face. “I leave you alone for one night and you get into a fight?! How… why…?” He exclaims with a sigh, rubbing his temples. “Hey, it’s not my fault,” I defend. “She took my bunk and I gave her a piece of my mind!’ I respond with a shrug, finishing off my apple. “Tell me you at least didn’t get caught…” Soarin sighs. “Eh… some cranky mare came in and broke us up. She says she’s got it in for us, but I’m going to show her what Spitfire can do!” I proclaim, quickly noticing that Fleetfoot was looking very quickly between me and something behind me. “So I’m cranky are I?” Came the harsh voice of the wretched mare. I exhale with a roll of my eyes and turn around, the grey mare staring back at me. Her eyes are obstructed by a large pair of completely black sunglasses, though I know there is a stern glare back there. “What do you want?” I respond curtly. “That’s Sergeant Iron Hoof to you!’ She shouts into my face, her nose nearly pressing up against mine. “And I need you to follow me. Now.” She commands, her tone of voice leaving no room for discussion. “Ooh, somepony’s in trouble!” Thunderlane mocks, giggling to himself. Sunny hiding her own smile with a hoof. “Oh shut the buck up you!” I scoff back, glaring into Thunderlane’s eyes. “What are you five? Get a bucking life!” I quip back with a sneer, picking up my tray and quickly trotting away. I can hear Soarin apologize as I walk away, but I only feel my brow furrow and my wings tense. “What a baby, pulling some playground banter when I’m about to get my ass kicked,” I grumble to myself in irritation. I continue to brood in dismay as I follow Iron Hoof through the packed dining hall, grumbling the whole way about how lame Thunderlane is. Depositing my tray above the trash can with force before I begin to calm myself. We exit the dining hall, Iron Hoof not letting up the pace for a second as I trot down the hall side by side with Fleetfoot. She trots in a perfectly symmetrical form, clearly engrained into her mind after years of rigorous training. Her form never falters for a second an indication of her dedication. As I walk, I catch Fleetfoot throwing a dirty gaze in my direction, her eyes narrowing as she stares. I return the glare, eyes narrowing in response. I stare into her cold, calculating eyes. She is a wild card that I would have to put up with for the duration of my stay, nonetheless, I can do it. Though it may not be particularly enjoyable, I would show her. I screech to a halt, not paying attention to where I was walking, nearly plowing face-first into Iron Hoof behind. I back up a few steps and watch as Iron Hoof opens the enormous door, motioning us through a moment later. I make my way through the door, the orange horizon visible in the distance with the sun peeking its way out. The cool morning air fills my lungs as we make our way into the courtyard. Stopping in place as we hear the door crash closed behind us, Iron Hoof makes her way in front of us a moment later. “Last night was something that you both should be ashamed of,” she begins as I shoot another glare at Fleetfoot which she returns. “However, I can see that neither of you seems to think that way and only care about your little inflated egos.” I feel my eyes narrowing at Iron Hoof, my distaste toward this mare only continuing to grow as she continues talking. “RESPECT,” she roars, slapping me across the face. “Is what you will treat each other with as well as your superiors, including myself. Addressing me and other officers as yes ma’am and yes sir.” “What a hypocrite,” I groan under my breath, rubbing my cheek with a hoof. “What was that?!” She asked, feigning shock, pressing her nose against mine. “What did you just say?!” “Nothing mam,” I respond through gritted teeth, staring back into her cold eyes. “That’s what I thought,” She replies, slowly moving backward, her narrow eyes never leaving mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Fleetfoot with a grin on her face. I feel my teeth clenching as I resist the urge to knock her flat on her back, nearly digging my hoofs into the ground in frustration. “Now for that little fiasco last night,” Iron Hoof begins as she starts pacing back and forth. “You two are going to fly laps around this place for…” she taps her hoof against her chin in thought, a smile spreading across her face after a few seconds. “Five hundred laps, does that sound good?” “Yes ma’am,” Fleetfoot and I respond in unison. We both knew that that wasn’t a question, but rather a statement. My teeth feel like they are about to explode from how tightly I’m clenching my jaw. “I can’t believe that I’m serving a punishment for the fight that cyan-colored bird started,” I think to myself, huffing as I glare at Fleetfoot. “Around the four spires of the main building, you better get to it. And make sure I don’t catch you cutting corners.” “Yes ma’am,” We both respond, quickly taking to the air. I quickly reach the sky, I can see the training complex below us, the four spires of the main atrium clearly sticking up above all the other roofs. Each spire several hundred feet from the other. “This is ridiculous, I’m going to be here forever!” I groan as I feel my body sag, slowly making my way toward the first spire. Fleetfoot and I begin our laps around the spire, counting in my mind as we make each pass around the building. Each monotonous lap gets me one closer to completion, a thought that I can only dream about. I look glimpse down and see Iron Hoof standing in the main courtyard, staring up at us and not moving an inch. Her eyes study every movement we make, each breath coming under scrutiny. I can’t believe she doesn’t have anything better to do than stare up at us as we fly in circles. While the laps continue on, I can feel a small burn in my wings from the exertion start to grow. Though my breathing is still controlled, I know it won’t take long for that to change. I haven’t worked on my endurance in forever, and it is showing. Sweat starts to bead across my fur as I feel my heart rate starting to elevate, the strain on my body beginning. After about a hundred fifty laps, the sun has fully risen. Its rays now fully laying waste to our drenched fur, amplifying the strain we are under. Yet despite the strain we are both under, I can feel our speed picking up as we complete lap after lap. Not daring to fall behind the other, we fly side by side despite the pain. On lap four hundred fifty I feel like death itself, my coat caked in sweat, and my body about to fail. My heart beats harder than it ever has, trying in vain to keep my body sufficiently supplied with oxygen. My wings are fully engulfed in searing pain, each one feeling like it's about to fly off in a different direction. All the while, I manage to stay side by side with Fleetfoot who doesn’t look to be doing much better. Not soon enough, the final two laps approach. I can feel my body being pushed to the brink of failure, each muscle now moving involuntarily based on muscle memory alone. I look to see Fleetfoot pushing herself to her breaking point, her arms strained forward, eyes narrowed in concentration. As we approach the final turn on the second to last lap, Fleetfoot turns early. I stare at her with a raised eyebrow only for my eyes to widen as I realize that she just cut the corner. The gap between us is now significantly larger, my body tensing up in frustration as I round the corner. “You cheating bird!” I shout at her with what little oxygen I have left, my wings slowly significantly at that expenditure. I can see Fleetfoot’s ears twitching, yet she’s paying me no mind. As I near the next corner, I decide that two can play this game. Cutting the corner, I feel my feathers glance off the spire. I narrow my eyes in concentration, frustration, and pain as I feel the adrenaline begin coursing through my body. I manage to close the gap between Fleetfoot and me, our wings mere inches away from each other as we flapped. I could feel the sweat flying off her body, each drop of moisture grazing my coat as we sped around the next turn. As we get close to the next turn, I see Fleetfoot contemplating. I glared at her in realization, she was going to cut the final corner. I quickly redirect my wings, my body flying to the inside of the corner. Fleetfoot doesn’t realize what I’ve done as she nearly plows into me, mouth agape as she realizes that I beat her to it. She quickly grits her teeth, her body moving into overdrive as I fly in front of her. The final spire lay ahead, marking the end of our torturous journey. I am currently no more than one body length away from Fleetfoot, my tail just out of her reach as I see her trying to grab at it. With one final push, I scream as I push my wings harder, harder than they’ve ever gone before. I feel my vision darkening, the outside of my vision swimming as I pass the corner. First, I had just beaten her! I feel my body spiraling toward the ground, my wings no longer under my control. I could only flap them uselessly in a feigned attempt to control my body, my exhaustion too much as I try to bring my body back under control. I crash to the ground, quickly losing my footing as my entire body crumbles into the dirt. I can only lay there in pain as my heart continues to race, my breathing shallow as I gasp for air. My body flaring with pain from any movement, no matter how little. I hear Fleetfoot wreck into the ground next to me, and looking over I see that we are in the same boat. We both can only lay there for what feels like hours, our bodies trying their best to make up for the abuse they just went through. All we can do is stare at the sky, watching pegasi fly by as our bodies recover. “What a performance,” Iron Hoof jeers as she approaches, looking down at both of our ailing bodies. “I was expecting you two to try and kill each other, and I was right! I got one hell of a show!” She cheers as she pats both of our barrels, causing us both to groan in pain. “She… cheated!” Fleetfoot choked out between breaths, pointing an accusing hoof at me. Iron Hoof snorted, “You good-for-nothing featherbrains both cheated, you’re lucky I don’t make you both redo the whole thing!” “But she-” Fleetfoot was cut off as Iron Hoof slapped her across the face, her eyes going wide as Iron Hoof got nose to nose with her. “I DON’T GIVE A DAMN! YOU CHEATED TOO YOU DIMWIT!” She screamed, Fleetfoots head pressing further and further into the earth. “Now, because you both cheated. You are both getting punished, end of discussion.” She states calmly, getting off Fleetfoot and standing between both of us. I groan as I feel my body finally starting to relax, I don’t know if I can take another moment on my wings. I just want to lay on the grass, relaxing in the sun for the rest of the day. “But since you two pulled off quite the performance, I’ll be nice and just give you latrine duty for the rest of your stay! How’s that?” She asks with a wicked smile, daring us to complain. “Yes ma’am,” We both say, not moving as we continue to lay in the grass. “I’m gonna kill you…” I grumble to Fleetfoot, not taking my eyes off the sky. “Likewise…” She groans through gritted teeth, causing me to snort with a smile. The next few weeks will be very interesting… PrologueThe steady rumble of the train as it rides along its tracks shifts my body steadily left and right, the pony sitting next to me giving me the side eye as I bumped into them. I pulled my feathers closer to my body, attempting to stave off the chill of the stale cabin air. Looking straight ahead I am greeted with a view of the sprawling Equestrian landscape, dotted with large, luscious hills, forest, and various other fine details I can not make out through the rain. I know we are getting close to Canterlot, I could feel my feathers ruffling from anticipation. Staring back at me was the reflection of a mustard yellow pony, a blazing mane adorning its head. I gaze into the black of my own eyes, and I find nothing. I had to keep up appearances, after all, the royal guard is comprised of ponies who had given more than I could ever comprehend to defend Equestria. Who was I? I was a nobody, a reject that not even my own father could stand bare. But that was going to change. I would prove him wrong. I pull myself out of my own eyes, taking a shaky breath. I look down at the newspaper sitting on my lap, the headline burning through my skull. ‘NEGOTIATIONS BREAKDOWN, WAR ON THE HORIZON?’ I continue reading, my body growing stiffer the more I read. I can feel my forehead tensing, my breathing quickening as the words sprawled across the page echo through my mind. Each one reinforces why I am making the trip to Canterlot. The Griffons were in the midst of a country-wide famine and had begun accusing Equestria of stealing all of their fertile lands as well as other petty acts. They have been making claims of pillaging and colonization, all of which Celestia denied. Delegates were been sent weeks ago, trying anything to prevent an all-out war, but if the headline was anything to go by, it was obvious that things were heading south real quick. I crumple up the newspaper between my hooves, crushing it into a ball and slamming it onto the floor, paying no mind to the stares sent in my direction. How could anyone believe those birds? Equestria has been here for hundreds of years, how could we have stolen land that was already ours? I can feel my eyes narrowing and my chest tightening, my breathing on a steady rise once again. Though I quickly begin taking deep breaths, closing my eyes, and calming myself. Eventually, my breathing slows and I regain my cool. I will show them, all of them. Equestrians weren’t bugs they could step all over, I would make sure of that. Rain began to graze the roof of the train car, starting as a small pitter and quickly growing into a thunderous chorus. Even through the pouring rain, I begin to make out the glowing silhouette of Canterlot in the distance. Its dark outline puts a small smile on my face as I lean back in my seat, content with my choices. I was making the right choice to join the guard, anypony who joins the guard is making the right choice in my mind. I can feel the rhythmic patterns of the rain begin to take hold, my exhaustion from nearly an entire day of traveling catching up with me. My head drooping, sleep begins taking hold. Spitfire will soon be a name that everypony will recognize, this is my one chance and I’ll be damned if I don’t take advantage. I continue to imagine as my eyelids begin fluttering. “Be the phoenix… I will Mom…” I mutter, my eyes continuing to fall until the bliss of sleep finally overtakes me.
Chapter 1: ArrivalI steady myself as my body shakes, the train grinding to a halt. I stand back up, tall and proud, taking a deep breath. These first steps off the train and into Canterlot Central Station are the first steps toward my new life. A better life, one that I can be proud of. The various feelings of doubt, happiness, and anxiety flood my mind. But quickly the double doors slide open, and ponies quickly begin piling out like a sheep being chased by a wolf. I exhale, find a gap, and make my way through the doors, taking my first steps onto the granite floor of the station. While exiting, my eyes gravitate toward the elegant ceilings. They were high up in the sky, decorated with dozens of encrusted chandeliers, each one giving off a warm orange glow. Along with this, sophisticated murals depicting various nobles and historical figures line the walls. I heard that this place was nice, but I simply can not believe how… luxurious everything is. Nothing in this place is worth less than several thousand bits. I quickly feel my hooves slip out from underneath me as my face meets the polished ground, an angry pony shouts obscenities as they gallop past. I quickly pick myself up off the cold ground, looking around for that pony. “See how they like it,” I grumble to myself, but they are nowhere to be found. I have to pay more attention anyway, there are about a half million ponies here. After all, Soarin and Misty are supposed to meet me somewhere in the station and if I’m not careful I’m never going to see them in this mess. “But I’m a pegasus, I can just fly,” I thought, yet the moment I unfurl my yellow wings I notice the large no-flying signs all over the place. Cursing under my breath, I stick my head up high in hopes of spotting a dark or light blue mane in the crowd. Ponies rub against me as I’m sucked into the general mass of ponies moving toward the platform exit. Straining my neck, I attempt to get a glimpse over the ponies around me only to get pushed forward. Getting trampled in a crowd is the last thing on my list today, after all, I can’t show up to basic training with a broken wing. But it is to no avail, I look one way only to receive a faceful of mane and the other a faceful of a tail. Finally, the ponies start to disperse and thin out as we finally push past the platform doors and enter the main atrium. I push myself off of the crowd and toward a much less crowded section where I can regain my bearings. I find a seat in the corner, away from all the action with only a few ponies nearby, and plop my saddlebags down onto the ground between my hooves. I exhale a sigh of relief as I feel my body relax, I’ve only been here five minutes and I’m already stressed out. I wish I could give these ponies a piece of my mind about personal space, but all that would do is get me kicked out and beaten to a pulp by a mob of ponies. Taking deep breaths, I close my eyes and count to ten. A little trick my mother taught me to calm myself, Celestia knows I need it. I’m a brave pony, but crowds piss me off more than anything. I wheeze as I feel my breathing get cut short as a set of forelegs wrap themselves around my barrel, squeezing the air out of my lungs. I open my eyes as I prepare to give it to whoever was doing this, but the words die in my throat once I recognize the all too familiar cream-colored fur wrapped around me. “Misty… get… off… can’t breathe!” I gasp as Misty quickly loosens her grip, though still holding on tight. “We missed you so much!” Misty sobs as she continues to hug me, nuzzling herself closer every with every breath. “I was only gone for two days!” I laugh, hugging Misty back. “Misty couldn’t wait for you to show up, heck, neither could I,” Came a male voice from a light blue stallion standing a few feet away. “Hey Soarin, what’s up?” I ask as Misty finally releases her vice grip on me before taking a seat on the bench next to me. “Everything! All of Canterlot! This place is huge!” He exclaims, motioning around us and taking a seat on the other side of me. “You guys will have to give me the grand tour of the place.” I laugh, I really do enjoy Soarin and Misty. Soarin’s mellow attitude in combination with Mist’s adorable and jubilant personality make them really fun to just hang around with. They had arrived a few days ago because they wanted to explore Canterlot and relax before we all started basic training, howbeit, I stayed back because I just wanted to spend a few extra days with my mother. After all, it could be months before I see her again. The sensation of a smile spreading across my face fills me with butterflies, my wings fluttering at the joyful and happy expressions of Soarin and Misty. Surrounding myself with friends is a great way to start a new journey, I knew I was going to love it here. While I know I’m going to miss Cloudsdale, I am opening a new chapter in my life and I can barely wait. “So what do you guys want to do?” I inquire, unsure of really anything Canterlot has to offer. “Well, I thought we could get dinner,” Misty responds. “That sounds awesome,” Soarin coincides, “I actually have a place in mind I thought we could try out,” “Alrighty then, let’s get out of this horde of ponies!” I say, quickly hopping to my hoofs, not waiting for another response, motioning for Soarin to lead the way. I hastily follow his hoof steps as he guides me and Misty. We swiftly and gracefully make our way through the maze of ponies, carefully avoiding the crying foals and the large crowds. We quickly find ourselves all standing in the crisp night air, Luna’s moon providing a pale glow in the night sky. Soarin moves with a sense of direction as we navigate through the twisting streets of Canterlot. The buildings rise up high above us on either side as we push through crowded streets, though the masses of ponies begin to thin quickly as we make our way away from the train station. I look up at the night sky, taking in its shining aura. Luna had outdone herself again. My thinking comes to a screeching halt as a griffon shoves me aside, giving no more than a grunt in response to my indignant expression. I watch him walk away, eyes narrowing and wings unfurling a little as I give him my best death stare. He’s wearing a large, green trench coat along with a mask that obscures most of his face and other features, though he is obviously a griffon. Watching him, I realize that he is giving everypony in his way the same treatment he gave me. I feel my chest tightening as I begin stomping in pursuit of the griffon, no griffon was going to treat ponies this way and get away. I quickly stop once I feel a light blue hoof on my withers holding me back. I shift my gaze to Soarin, his outstretched arm holding firmly onto me while nodding his head in disapproval. My wings slump down as I turn around, Soarin giving me a pat on the back. It was a good thing Soarin was here to control me, I wasn’t a royal guard quite yet. I very likely would have done something that could have landed me in prison if it wasn’t for Soarin. I release a breath, my frustration and anger leaving my body with it. I quickly rearrange my feathers and wings before trotting back up beside Misty while Soarin continues to guide us to dinner. Misty and I recline on a bench, a burp escaping my mouth accompanied by Misty’s giggling. Dinner was pretty decent, a little overpriced but decent. Soarin had found an old speakeasy bar underneath an old manor near the center of Canterlot. The atmosphere was pretty cool, a combination of ornate and antique combined to form a unique experience. Old relics from the past lined the walls, each one detailing an experience or event from the era of prohibition. Moonshine, pictures, currency, you name it. The place was dark and dingy, but it was all a part of the atmosphere. All in all, the food was okay, nothing compared to Mother’s, and a bit overpriced, but it was fun. Misty even managed to woo a stallion into buying her a free drink. But we were currently lost, we had flown around the area for a bit, searching for the barracks but to no avail. We all looked, though I honestly had no idea what the place looked like. I might as well have been staring at the sky. We had looked for a solid fifteen minutes before Soarin proposed we take turns looking. Me and Misty gladly accepted only to make Soarin go first. We knew we were in the right area, we were surrounded by all the other royal guard buildings after all, but we just couldn’t find the barracks for the life of us. Soarin’s hooves clopp onto the ground in front of us, pulling me out of my stupor. His wings retract as he takes a seat on the bench next to me, his body melting as he sits. “I found it, it’s just a few blocks away,” He exhales, “Just let me catch my breath and we can go.” I decide to just stare at the sky for a few more moments, taking in its beauty. I really did enjoy looking at all the stars shining bright in the void of space. My ears twitch as a loud bang echoes throughout the night, causing me to sit up and scan the surrounding area for the disturbance. “It was probably some rich snob trying to cast a spell,” Soarin says, seeing my alert nature. “I can’t wait to see the headline tomorrow,” He snickers. ” Noble blows themself up trying to clone money!” “That wouldn’t be surprising,” I laugh, “Though we better get going, can’t sit around forever.” “Oh all right you, just give me a second. I did all the hard work after all,” Soarin groans, pushing himself off of the bench before unfurling and stretching his wings with a grunt. We soon are back in the air, Soarin guiding us once again to our destination. Though the trip is brief as we quickly descend toward the ground, a little cloud of dirt blowing away as we all land. Before us lies two immense ironclad wood doors, each one about two stories tall and a part of an even larger cobblestone building. I can only gawk at the enormous doors that lead to what is likely going to be my home for the foreseeable future, my body shivering in anticipation. We make our way closer to the doors, awestruck in anticipation. I can feel my hoofsteps getting faster and faster, the door getting closer and closer. But all too soon, we are inside the barracks. I don’t feel as accomplished as I thought, but it's a start. The hall stretched on for what looked like forever, rising twenty feet into the air. Arches line the hallway, and paintings of famous guards along with hanging chandeliers decorate the interior. A red carpet kept in pristine condition runs through the middle of the whole thing. We look down the grand hallway and see that we are not the only ponies here, a few dozen ponies gathering at the opposite end. We make our way down the hall, our hoofsteps muffled by the plush red rug, as we take in the regal decor. Like the train station, everything in this place appears to be worth no less than several thousand bit. A piece of priceless memorabilia passes us with every step we take, and the sound of the crowd starts to grow as we near the end of the hall. “You guys ready to kick some griffon butt!?” Misty says, rearing onto her hind hooves and shadowboxing with an invisible foe, ending her sequence with a fierce uppercut. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself Misty, remember what happened last time you thought you could take somepony on,” Soarin adds, raising an eyebrow. “Oh yeah… let’s just forget about that!” Misty quickly retorts, trying to change the subject. “Well I agree with Misty, I’m here to kick some griffon a-” Soarin puts his hoof over my mouth, causing me to stare back and roll my eyes. “You’re no fun Soarin, we’re in the guard now! Who cares if we curse our brains out?” “First, you’re not a guard yet,” Soarin states. “Second, I’ve got to keep you in check somehow, and I’m not letting you start here.” “Next!” Came a high-pitched voice, causing us all to redirect our attention to the table that we didn’t realize were currently standing in front of. “Names?” Asks a pearly white mare, not taking her eyes off the clipboard of names in front of her. “Spitfire.” “Misty Fly.” “Soarin.” “Spitfire and Misty, to the right in dorm eight. Soarin to the left in dorm four,” She finishes before quickly waving us along and calling for the next pony. “Well, I guess this is where we split, I’ll see you guys soon,” Soarin turns around, walking toward the left hallway before Misty grabs him and me, pulling us all in for a hug. Misty finally lets us go after getting yelled at by the receptionist, and we begin making our way down the right hallway. We count the doors as we walk past, finally stopping in front of the door with a brass eight in the center. With a little push, the door swings open to reveal a small but spacious room containing eight bunk beds, four on each side. I can see about half a dozen ponies standing around and chatting, the other few picking out their bunks. Misty and I quickly make our way into the room, debating which bunk to choose as we walk. We decide on taking the bunk furthest back in the room, feeling that it would give us the most personal space. I throw my saddle bags onto the top bunk, Misty having already claimed the bottom on account of not wanting to have to fly to the top every night. “What do we do now?” I ask Misty, sitting down on her bunk next to her. “I’m not sure, but I thought I heard some ponies talking about somepony stopping by later tonight.” Misty and I continue chatting, discussing the various questions and worries we had about training along with all of the training we were excited about. I was particularly excited about the aerial combat I had read about in the pamphlet. My discussion with Misty is cut short as I see my saddle bags fall off of the top bunk and crash onto the floor in front of me, a silver tail droops over the edge a moment later. I quickly get up and look up to see a cyan pegasus mare lounging on the top bunk, paying no mind to what she had just done. “Uhm, excuse me? What do you think you are doing?” I question, flying up to look the mare in the eyes. She just stares back, her cerise eyes looking me up and down as if she’s sizing me, my brow furrowing in frustration. “Well, I didn’t see anypony in this bunk. So I took it,” She responds with a shrug. “Did you not see my stuff sitting right in the middle of the bed?!” I nearly shout back, everypony in the room turning their attention my way. “It’s not your bunk if you’re not sitting in it. You were sitting in that bunk down there with your little filly friend,” She quips back with a grin, my eyes narrowing in response. I can feel the anger boiling in my mind, it’s currently taking every shred of dignity I have to not club her in the face. My breathing’s becoming harsher the longer I stare into her dark eyes, her reclined pose mocking me as I struggle to control myself “Huh,” She chuckles, “I knew you didn’t have anything in you.” With that statement, I lunge at her. My right hoof connects with the side of her surprised face, causing both of us to fall to the ground with a thud. I use all my strength to try to pin both of her arms to the ground, but she quickly struggles free. Her cyan hoof grazes my nose before I throw a headbutt, nearly knocking myself out in the process. Dazing myself gives her just enough time to land a hit on the side of my head, knocking me off of her. She jumps on the change of momentum, both of us now rolling around on the ground, grappling for any sense of control of the other. “WHAT IN CELESTIA’S HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE!?” Booms a coarse voice from the other side of the room, causing both of us to freeze in place. I can only lay on my back, the cyan mare on top of me, and watch as a grizzled earth pony mare walks across the room, her expression like that of a predator approaching its prey. “Well well well, what do we have here?” She questions, circling the two of us on top of each other. “A bunch of fillyfoolers making out? You should both be ashamed of yourselves for fighting like that in the royal barracks! You runts have the fighting skills of a blind foal, and that’s generous!” She shouts an inch away from my face, spit getting all over both of our faces. “Well, what are you two still doing?” She said, backing up. “Waiting for me to join?” We both quickly get to our hooves, trying our best to not glare at each other. I can only stare at the earth pony mare, my mind seething with rage, as I try and control myself. “In this place, we are a family,” She declares, glaring into my eyes. “Now whether you like each other or not is none of my business, but what I will not tolerate is disrespect!” She shouts in the cyan mare’s face. “But she-” “I DON’T REMEMBER ASKING!” Screams the earth pony mare in the cyan mare’s face, her face contorting with frustration. “Now you two will be scrubbing the latrine for months! And if I hear another peep from this room, they’ll be lucky if can identify you when I’m done!” She takes a deep breath, calming herself, and begins walking toward the exit. “Everypony else, get to bed. You’re all expected to be in the dining hall by 0600 hours. Don’t. Be. Late.” The slam of the door punctuates throughout the room, she is not somepony to mess around with. All the other ponies in the room quickly make their way to their bunks without a word, filling nearly every bed available. Except two. I quickly turn around and sprint toward the bed, only to see a cyan mare already reclined on the top bunk giving me a little wave. I stop dead in my tracks, my teeth grinding against each other as I feel like I can boil a pot of water on my head. But with a scowl, I turn around without a word. Scanning the room, I see that the only available bunk is on the bottom right next to the door. I slowly make my way toward the front of the room, my head filling with every horrible thought about what I’m going to do to that mare. “Plucking? Too nice. Stabbing? Too quick,” I thought. As if that fight wasn’t embarrassing enough already, I nearly walk face-first into the door, stopping mere inches away. I throw myself onto the bed, sprawling out and not paying any mind to whoever was above me. All I can think about is that cyan mare and her very punchable face. “I’m going to show her, I’ll make sure that she remembers my name for as long as she lives,” I think to myself. I can feel my mind still boiling from the exchange, but I quickly feel my temperature lowering. My anger is quickly turning into exhaustion from the day behind me. Before long, the bliss of sleep overtakes me. One final thought runs through my head. “I’ll show her, I’ll show everypony…”
Chapter 2: RivalsThe blaring of a bugle abruptly rips me out of my dreams, the wake-up call doing its job a little too effectively for my liking. I groan as I struggle to push myself up, my arms feeling like they’re made of jello. Slowly rising up into a sitting position, I rub the sand out of my eyes, my senses slowly coming back to me as the fog begins to leave my head. I yawn as I open my eyes, stretching my forelegs as I look around and notice that everypony else in the room seems to be in the same boat that I am. Everypony is clearly struggling to some degree to pull themselves out of bed, some even stuffing their head back under their pillow in a futile attempt to drown out the blaring noise. Thankfully, the head-rattling noise finally stops, causing me to sigh in relief. I think I’ll go insane if they play that every morning. I glance up to the clock above the door that reads 5:30 AM, its hands ticking down the time I have to make it to the dining hall. “Where the heck is the dining hall?” I mutter to myself, realizing that I have to find the place within the next thirty minutes. Just thinking about having to deal with that mare again subconsciously makes me roll my eyes and let out a small groan. I haphazardly make my bed, a small attempt to look at least somewhat neat, and make my way toward the back of the room and walk up to Misty’s bunk. Taking extra care to not make eye contact with the pony above her, last night’s incident replaying through my mind. “Misty, wake up,” I say, nudging Misty’s limp form with my hoof. “Five more minutes…” Misty grunts from under her pillow, shooing my hoof away. “Come on, we only have thirty minutes to find the dining hall!” I say as I continue prodding her in the side, her wings flapping in a futile attempt to get me to leave. Fed up with Misty, I quickly rip the pillow off her head, causing her to shield her face with a foreleg as if she was a vampire in the sun. I continue to poke Fleetfoot in the ribs, causing her to squawk in frustration. Her frustration continues to grow as I continue the entourage of poking, not letting up for a moment. “Okay okay, I’m up!” Fleetfoot barks while jumping up, my grinning face now only a few inches away from her muzzle. “Oh look, you’re awake!” I quip with a smile. “Now let’s find the dining hall before we get our flanks roasted like a changeling at a Canterlot wedding!” Fleetfoot quickly tidies her hair and her bed, both of us quickly exiting the dorm and heading down the hall toward the main hallway. Fleetfoot and I quickly spot the dining hall, a steady flow of recruits making their way into the large double doors on the right side of the hallway clearly labeled 'Dining Hall'. “Hmm, I can’t believe I didn’t see that when I walked through here,” I mutter to myself, looking around to make sure I’m not missing anything else that could be important later. We quickly make our way to the doors, entering into the large dining hall. It was a simple, large room with long tables and bench seating that extended from one side of the room to the other. The food is served a the far end of the room cafeteria style, and a line of fellow recruits waiting for their meals wraps all the way around the room to the main entrance. Me and Fleetfoot being at the very back of the line. I fidget in place, the line creeping along at a snail’s pace, thinking about all the neat things we might do. Combat, working out, training, espionage, everything we might possibly do flows through my mind as I wait in line. Each thought gets me more excited than the last for the experiences that lie ahead. I quickly realize that I am near the front of the line, grab a tray from the stack and slide it along the counter. A paper bowl filled with oatmeal, a cup of water, and an apple is plopped onto my tray. After receiving my food, I quickly exit the line and spot Soarin sitting with a group of stallions a few tables away. “What’s up Soarin? How was your first night?” I inquire, taking a seat next to Soarin. “It was great! I met these two guys and we talked all night! This is Thunderlane,” He motions toward a grey pegasus sitting opposite of us. “And this is Sunny,” he says pointing to a bright yellow unicorn next to Thunderlane. I greet them both, Fleetfoot taking a seat next to me a moment later with Soarin introducing them again. “So how was your night?” Soarin asks, taking a bite of his apple. “Ehh… not as good as yours to say the least,” I chuckle, the fight replaying through my mind as I eat. “She got into a fight with another mare,” Fleetfoot says nonchalantly, her mouth stuffed with oatmeal. “You got into a fight?!” Soarin nearly shouts, specks of oatmeal getting on my face. “I leave you alone for one night and you get into a fight?! How… why…?” He exclaims with a sigh, rubbing his temples. “Hey, it’s not my fault,” I defend. “She took my bunk and I gave her a piece of my mind!’ I respond with a shrug, finishing off my apple. “Tell me you at least didn’t get caught…” Soarin sighs. “Eh… some cranky mare came in and broke us up. She says she’s got it in for us, but I’m going to show her what Spitfire can do!” I proclaim, quickly noticing that Fleetfoot was looking very quickly between me and something behind me. “So I’m cranky are I?” Came the harsh voice of the wretched mare. I exhale with a roll of my eyes and turn around, the grey mare staring back at me. Her eyes are obstructed by a large pair of completely black sunglasses, though I know there is a stern glare back there. “What do you want?” I respond curtly. “That’s Sergeant Iron Hoof to you!’ She shouts into my face, her nose nearly pressing up against mine. “And I need you to follow me. Now.” She commands, her tone of voice leaving no room for discussion. “Ooh, somepony’s in trouble!” Thunderlane mocks, giggling to himself. Sunny hiding her own smile with a hoof. “Oh shut the buck up you!” I scoff back, glaring into Thunderlane’s eyes. “What are you five? Get a bucking life!” I quip back with a sneer, picking up my tray and quickly trotting away. I can hear Soarin apologize as I walk away, but I only feel my brow furrow and my wings tense. “What a baby, pulling some playground banter when I’m about to get my ass kicked,” I grumble to myself in irritation. I continue to brood in dismay as I follow Iron Hoof through the packed dining hall, grumbling the whole way about how lame Thunderlane is. Depositing my tray above the trash can with force before I begin to calm myself. We exit the dining hall, Iron Hoof not letting up the pace for a second as I trot down the hall side by side with Fleetfoot. She trots in a perfectly symmetrical form, clearly engrained into her mind after years of rigorous training. Her form never falters for a second an indication of her dedication. As I walk, I catch Fleetfoot throwing a dirty gaze in my direction, her eyes narrowing as she stares. I return the glare, eyes narrowing in response. I stare into her cold, calculating eyes. She is a wild card that I would have to put up with for the duration of my stay, nonetheless, I can do it. Though it may not be particularly enjoyable, I would show her. I screech to a halt, not paying attention to where I was walking, nearly plowing face-first into Iron Hoof behind. I back up a few steps and watch as Iron Hoof opens the enormous door, motioning us through a moment later. I make my way through the door, the orange horizon visible in the distance with the sun peeking its way out. The cool morning air fills my lungs as we make our way into the courtyard. Stopping in place as we hear the door crash closed behind us, Iron Hoof makes her way in front of us a moment later. “Last night was something that you both should be ashamed of,” she begins as I shoot another glare at Fleetfoot which she returns. “However, I can see that neither of you seems to think that way and only care about your little inflated egos.” I feel my eyes narrowing at Iron Hoof, my distaste toward this mare only continuing to grow as she continues talking. “RESPECT,” she roars, slapping me across the face. “Is what you will treat each other with as well as your superiors, including myself. Addressing me and other officers as yes ma’am and yes sir.” “What a hypocrite,” I groan under my breath, rubbing my cheek with a hoof. “What was that?!” She asked, feigning shock, pressing her nose against mine. “What did you just say?!” “Nothing mam,” I respond through gritted teeth, staring back into her cold eyes. “That’s what I thought,” She replies, slowly moving backward, her narrow eyes never leaving mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Fleetfoot with a grin on her face. I feel my teeth clenching as I resist the urge to knock her flat on her back, nearly digging my hoofs into the ground in frustration. “Now for that little fiasco last night,” Iron Hoof begins as she starts pacing back and forth. “You two are going to fly laps around this place for…” she taps her hoof against her chin in thought, a smile spreading across her face after a few seconds. “Five hundred laps, does that sound good?” “Yes ma’am,” Fleetfoot and I respond in unison. We both knew that that wasn’t a question, but rather a statement. My teeth feel like they are about to explode from how tightly I’m clenching my jaw. “I can’t believe that I’m serving a punishment for the fight that cyan-colored bird started,” I think to myself, huffing as I glare at Fleetfoot. “Around the four spires of the main building, you better get to it. And make sure I don’t catch you cutting corners.” “Yes ma’am,” We both respond, quickly taking to the air. I quickly reach the sky, I can see the training complex below us, the four spires of the main atrium clearly sticking up above all the other roofs. Each spire several hundred feet from the other. “This is ridiculous, I’m going to be here forever!” I groan as I feel my body sag, slowly making my way toward the first spire. Fleetfoot and I begin our laps around the spire, counting in my mind as we make each pass around the building. Each monotonous lap gets me one closer to completion, a thought that I can only dream about. I look glimpse down and see Iron Hoof standing in the main courtyard, staring up at us and not moving an inch. Her eyes study every movement we make, each breath coming under scrutiny. I can’t believe she doesn’t have anything better to do than stare up at us as we fly in circles. While the laps continue on, I can feel a small burn in my wings from the exertion start to grow. Though my breathing is still controlled, I know it won’t take long for that to change. I haven’t worked on my endurance in forever, and it is showing. Sweat starts to bead across my fur as I feel my heart rate starting to elevate, the strain on my body beginning. After about a hundred fifty laps, the sun has fully risen. Its rays now fully laying waste to our drenched fur, amplifying the strain we are under. Yet despite the strain we are both under, I can feel our speed picking up as we complete lap after lap. Not daring to fall behind the other, we fly side by side despite the pain. On lap four hundred fifty I feel like death itself, my coat caked in sweat, and my body about to fail. My heart beats harder than it ever has, trying in vain to keep my body sufficiently supplied with oxygen. My wings are fully engulfed in searing pain, each one feeling like it's about to fly off in a different direction. All the while, I manage to stay side by side with Fleetfoot who doesn’t look to be doing much better. Not soon enough, the final two laps approach. I can feel my body being pushed to the brink of failure, each muscle now moving involuntarily based on muscle memory alone. I look to see Fleetfoot pushing herself to her breaking point, her arms strained forward, eyes narrowed in concentration. As we approach the final turn on the second to last lap, Fleetfoot turns early. I stare at her with a raised eyebrow only for my eyes to widen as I realize that she just cut the corner. The gap between us is now significantly larger, my body tensing up in frustration as I round the corner. “You cheating bird!” I shout at her with what little oxygen I have left, my wings slowly significantly at that expenditure. I can see Fleetfoot’s ears twitching, yet she’s paying me no mind. As I near the next corner, I decide that two can play this game. Cutting the corner, I feel my feathers glance off the spire. I narrow my eyes in concentration, frustration, and pain as I feel the adrenaline begin coursing through my body. I manage to close the gap between Fleetfoot and me, our wings mere inches away from each other as we flapped. I could feel the sweat flying off her body, each drop of moisture grazing my coat as we sped around the next turn. As we get close to the next turn, I see Fleetfoot contemplating. I glared at her in realization, she was going to cut the final corner. I quickly redirect my wings, my body flying to the inside of the corner. Fleetfoot doesn’t realize what I’ve done as she nearly plows into me, mouth agape as she realizes that I beat her to it. She quickly grits her teeth, her body moving into overdrive as I fly in front of her. The final spire lay ahead, marking the end of our torturous journey. I am currently no more than one body length away from Fleetfoot, my tail just out of her reach as I see her trying to grab at it. With one final push, I scream as I push my wings harder, harder than they’ve ever gone before. I feel my vision darkening, the outside of my vision swimming as I pass the corner. First, I had just beaten her! I feel my body spiraling toward the ground, my wings no longer under my control. I could only flap them uselessly in a feigned attempt to control my body, my exhaustion too much as I try to bring my body back under control. I crash to the ground, quickly losing my footing as my entire body crumbles into the dirt. I can only lay there in pain as my heart continues to race, my breathing shallow as I gasp for air. My body flaring with pain from any movement, no matter how little. I hear Fleetfoot wreck into the ground next to me, and looking over I see that we are in the same boat. We both can only lay there for what feels like hours, our bodies trying their best to make up for the abuse they just went through. All we can do is stare at the sky, watching pegasi fly by as our bodies recover. “What a performance,” Iron Hoof jeers as she approaches, looking down at both of our ailing bodies. “I was expecting you two to try and kill each other, and I was right! I got one hell of a show!” She cheers as she pats both of our barrels, causing us both to groan in pain. “She… cheated!” Fleetfoot choked out between breaths, pointing an accusing hoof at me. Iron Hoof snorted, “You good-for-nothing featherbrains both cheated, you’re lucky I don’t make you both redo the whole thing!” “But she-” Fleetfoot was cut off as Iron Hoof slapped her across the face, her eyes going wide as Iron Hoof got nose to nose with her. “I DON’T GIVE A DAMN! YOU CHEATED TOO YOU DIMWIT!” She screamed, Fleetfoots head pressing further and further into the earth. “Now, because you both cheated. You are both getting punished, end of discussion.” She states calmly, getting off Fleetfoot and standing between both of us. I groan as I feel my body finally starting to relax, I don’t know if I can take another moment on my wings. I just want to lay on the grass, relaxing in the sun for the rest of the day. “But since you two pulled off quite the performance, I’ll be nice and just give you latrine duty for the rest of your stay! How’s that?” She asks with a wicked smile, daring us to complain. “Yes ma’am,” We both say, not moving as we continue to lay in the grass. “I’m gonna kill you…” I grumble to Fleetfoot, not taking my eyes off the sky. “Likewise…” She groans through gritted teeth, causing me to snort with a smile. The next few weeks will be very interesting…
PrologueThe steady rumble of the train as it rides along its tracks shifts my body steadily left and right, the pony sitting next to me giving me the side eye as I bumped into them. I pulled my feathers closer to my body, attempting to stave off the chill of the stale cabin air. Looking straight ahead I am greeted with a view of the sprawling Equestrian landscape, dotted with large, luscious hills, forest, and various other fine details I can not make out through the rain. I know we are getting close to Canterlot, I could feel my feathers ruffling from anticipation. Staring back at me was the reflection of a mustard yellow pony, a blazing mane adorning its head. I gaze into the black of my own eyes, and I find nothing. I had to keep up appearances, after all, the royal guard is comprised of ponies who had given more than I could ever comprehend to defend Equestria. Who was I? I was a nobody, a reject that not even my own father could stand bare. But that was going to change. I would prove him wrong. I pull myself out of my own eyes, taking a shaky breath. I look down at the newspaper sitting on my lap, the headline burning through my skull. ‘NEGOTIATIONS BREAKDOWN, WAR ON THE HORIZON?’ I continue reading, my body growing stiffer the more I read. I can feel my forehead tensing, my breathing quickening as the words sprawled across the page echo through my mind. Each one reinforces why I am making the trip to Canterlot. The Griffons were in the midst of a country-wide famine and had begun accusing Equestria of stealing all of their fertile lands as well as other petty acts. They have been making claims of pillaging and colonization, all of which Celestia denied. Delegates were been sent weeks ago, trying anything to prevent an all-out war, but if the headline was anything to go by, it was obvious that things were heading south real quick. I crumple up the newspaper between my hooves, crushing it into a ball and slamming it onto the floor, paying no mind to the stares sent in my direction. How could anyone believe those birds? Equestria has been here for hundreds of years, how could we have stolen land that was already ours? I can feel my eyes narrowing and my chest tightening, my breathing on a steady rise once again. Though I quickly begin taking deep breaths, closing my eyes, and calming myself. Eventually, my breathing slows and I regain my cool. I will show them, all of them. Equestrians weren’t bugs they could step all over, I would make sure of that. Rain began to graze the roof of the train car, starting as a small pitter and quickly growing into a thunderous chorus. Even through the pouring rain, I begin to make out the glowing silhouette of Canterlot in the distance. Its dark outline puts a small smile on my face as I lean back in my seat, content with my choices. I was making the right choice to join the guard, anypony who joins the guard is making the right choice in my mind. I can feel the rhythmic patterns of the rain begin to take hold, my exhaustion from nearly an entire day of traveling catching up with me. My head drooping, sleep begins taking hold. Spitfire will soon be a name that everypony will recognize, this is my one chance and I’ll be damned if I don’t take advantage. I continue to imagine as my eyelids begin fluttering. “Be the phoenix… I will Mom…” I mutter, my eyes continuing to fall until the bliss of sleep finally overtakes me.
