The war hero's shadow

After that tense moment the three left to get on the train and this time Alex was the one leading the way with his angry scowl walking like a true soldier with a purpose while Cecil and Flurry walked behind like two scared kids in deep worry. They made it back home and just sat around the closed bar lightly sipping on drinks.

“Flurry can you go sit with Rockwell and Carmillia for a minute?”

Flurry kissed his cheek and slowly slid off the stool to give him and Alex some space. She would have loved to be a fly on the wall for this conversation but she knew this was a family matter after all the Princess had just admitted some very interesting things. Once Flurry was gone Cecil poured his glass full of Whiskey and downed it all in one go.

“So the Princess likes you?”

Alex put his normal cigarette out in a ashtray and leaned on the bar glaring at Cecil. He was daring Cecil to try and push this subject further but the boy looked at his dad with almost no life in his eyes.

“I'm glad you turned her down…But…is mom really dead?”

Alex’s features broke when Cecil asked him that. For years Alex had just told Cecil his mom was taken away but he never told him that he believed she was dead.

“I wanted to believe for so many years that she wasn't gone. I wanted to keep the hope alive but son it's been sixteen years and no one has seen or even heard from her and now that your grown… it's time I let go of the past and moved on.”

Cecil nodded solemnly as he gripped the glass. Hearing that Alex accepted that his mother was gone hurt but he understood. She hadn't been seen or heard in nearly eighteen years just like sweetiebell. As much as Cecil didn't want to he had to let his mother go as well and finally accept the fact the mare who was supposed to raise him is never going to be back.

“Dad if I'm truly a man in your eyes…It's time to tell me about our world.”

Alex stared his son down but Cecil never blinked as his eyes hardened like his own with determination. Finally, after a long thought, Alex repoured his own drink and then Cecils before pulling out the white ace pack and pulling a cigarette out.

“First of all it's not our world it's mine. You were born here, raised here, and know only this. That world went to shit when I was around your age. My world was the opposite of this one. Fighting was a way of life and survival for the next day was all I could think about. The devil himself opened the gates of hell and killed nearly all the human population. The humans that survived were hard tough and mean. Some like me were gifted special abilities.”

Alex let his eyes turn red and opened his mouth to show his canine teeth growing in length while his skin turned from tan to a pale white. When he was done Cecil was sitting there in shock but Alex changed back to his normal self as he took a long drag of the cigarette blowing out a smoke ring.

“Im a vampire or I was. I fought like hell in those first days slaughtering my own kind like a farmer cuts his crop. I had a best friend who lead our little group against a psychopath bent on taking over our city and then moving to conquer the state finally the nation and so on. We stopped him and on that final battlefield, I saw the woman of my dreams take a bullet in her heart. Her last words to me were we love you Alex. I lost it and started killing. Friends, enemies, it didn't matter and as a result, my once best friend made a posse and chased me off a cliff where I was stabbed with a magic sword in the gut and kicked off the cliff into a ocean to die but then a bright light flashed and I ended up in the castle.”

Cecil didn't know what to say. He had known his father was a fighter but to know he was a vampire and one that killed countless people like a farmer collects crops. Now he understood why everyone was so afraid. His father was a man of war and that finally sent the fear everyone else felt down his spine like a spider crawling on his shoulder but he shook his head out of the fearful thinking and gathered his thoughts.

“Fuck me running…Dad I…”

Alex walked around the bar pulling Cecil into a tight hug as he kissed his boy's head.

“It's okay…It's okay Cecil. I know it's a lot to take in and it seems unreal but the world I came from I would never want you to visit. I gave that life up when I meet your mother and she brought me down from my blood lust. I settled down and had you. You are the hope I have to see something live happily and peacefully. I can't stand the idea of you traveling down my path and seeing what I saw.”

Cecil just held onto his father in a tight grip as all this information came crashing down on him. Years of knowing how scary his father was finally mixing with his mature mind and he got to see why the princesses were so afraid and repulsed by him. This is why they were so afraid of Cecil getting into fights or leaving for the military. The thought of a second Alex running around was enough to make even Celestia bend to a knee and pray. What frightened Cecil even more was he knew he was on a tight rope balancing act. He had the tendency to let his father's side out but his mother's gentle side always had a way of reeling him back in.

“A-am I like you?”

He asked in a frightened tone just trying to keep his mind stable enough to speak. Unfortunately, Alex took a deep breath in and looked down at Cecil with apprehensive eyes. That was all Cecil needed to know. He was the same monster as his dad and now he had a demon inside his body just waiting for the right moment to come out.

“Don't worry about turning into a monster-”

Cecil broke out of his father's arms like a bullet fired from a gun. His hands grabbed Alex’s shoulders tightly while his eyes were dangerously serious.

“Do not ever call yourself a monster. You are my father and I'm damn proud to say that.”

Alex was shocked at Cecil's outburst. The last thing he ever expected when this conversation was brought up was his son to defend him and even scold him. He was just like his mother when he would refer to himself like that. Alex nearly broke but he raised his chin high looking down at Cecil. Alex held his hand out and Cecil grabbed it with a loud slapping sound. The two men gripped each other's hands hard as they shook.

“Son I promise. I will never refer to myself as that if you truly believe in me that much.”

Cecil could only nod as they continued to shake hands and then their hands let go. The two stared into each other's eyes like two wolves and the little boy Alex had always seen Cecil as melted away and he was finally able to see the man before him. Cecil was full of piss and vinegar able to stand on his own two feet and fight back against whatever was thrown at him. The crystal empire tested him emotionally, physically, and mentally and he survived it all even coming home with a princess as a girlfriend. Alex in that moment felt all his fears for Cecil melt away and his heart swell with pride as his son, his boy, his blood was his own man and one Alex or any father would be proud to have.

“I'm proud son. You left the train stop on your first steps as a man and now you came back with gravel in your stomach and spit in your eye. I told you when you left you are your own man now but now you truly are a grown ass man.”

Alex slapped Cecil's shoulder grabbing it in a firm grip and for the first time, he gave a big heartfelt smile to Cecil as his eyes got a little misty. For Cecil, this moment was eye opening as his father the man who never smiled was giving a big heartfelt one with water in his eyes as a way to show how proud he was of Cecil. It was all almost too much for Cecil and he nearly cried himself but he held it in and pulled his father in for a tight hug. The two were there for what seemed like forever. When they pulled away Alex put a hand on Cecil's shoulder giving him a smirk.

“Enough of these bullshit emotional feelings. I want a damn drink.”

Cecil just laughed with a small eye roll “Then hurry up and pour them old man.”

Alex let one chuckle out his lips as he headed behind the bar. “Keep talking smartass.”

Cecil laughed as he looked at the clock. It caught the attention of Alex who arched an eyebrow.
Cecil turned to see the look on his dads face and sighed.

“Baron's parent's drama has him in the dumps. I told him I would throw him a bonfire party but have no idea how I'm going to do that this quick.”

Alex tilted his head and smirked a little as he poured the drinks.

“I’ll keep the bar closed and we can all go downstairs if you think he and your girl can keep their mouths shut.”

Cecil rocketed himself straight when Alex suggested that. Cecil had been in the basement throughout the years but it was only him who was allowed down there. Alex offering to let him take Flurry and Baron down was a shock for the ages.

“Your absolutely sure about this because Baron and Flurry are trustworthy but I don't know, it's just shocking that you would allow them down there.”

Alex shrugged as he took a sip.

“I’ve about stopped going down there after you turned sixteen and since you only went down there to train it never gets used so why not.”

Cecil leaned on the bar with an arched eyebrow “And if Twi finds out?”

Alex scowled as he looked at Cecil “Fuck her. If she wants the smoke the basement will give her all she wants.”

That was enough for Cecil to shiver a little and agree with his father. He toasted the glass with a smile

“Alright then. Tonight is going to be fun.”

Alex nodded as he clinked his glass to Cecils. The two downed their glasses and went back out to the rocking chairs to sit and wait for Baron to arrive. It was nearing the time for Baron to show up but in the dark cold night, there was a small knock on the door. Cecil walked over opening it and there dressed with head coverings and a blue baby bird egg scarf was Baron with a smile.

“I was almost ready to retreat back to the train before it departed when my eyes saw there was no activity.”

Cecil chuckled as he stepped aside letting Baron step in and shake some of the snow off his coat. The weather ponies had decided that a small snowing was due for the night and there was probably going to be close to eight inches on the ground by morning.

Baron took in the sight before him. At the bar starting from the end was Rockwell, Carmilla, flurry, and Alex in the middle staring right at him with a dangerous glare. The sight of Alex was always enough to send a chill down his back but now Baron felt like he was in the lion's den.

“I do hope you don't plan to have the party here. I fear we might not make it out well unscathed.”

Cecil again just laughed as he took Baron's clothes and hung them on a coat hanger.

“Actually I do since the snow is going to be deep and I didn't have time to tell everypony what was going on. As a teenager still in school I might have gotten away with it but everypony I know is an adult with their own families or jobs.”

Baron looked a little apprehensive as his eyes looked back to Alex and then to Cecil who was grinning like a mad stallion.

“I don't like the look in your eyes Cecil. What do you have planned.”

Cecil chuckled as he walked over to the bar. “Come and have a seat. Dad will explain everything.”

“Finally now we can get this started. I've been dying to know what this big reveal is all about for the last hour.” Flurry said as she snuggled against Cecil.

When Baron finally got to his chair Alex put his hands on the bar glancing between Flurry and Baron.

“Tonight is going to be a very important part of your lives. You are going to see things that no one ever gets to lay their eyes on but you must keep your damn mouths shut about what you are about to see. To explain how classified this is, if the guard caught wind that you know about this you would be taken to prison without a trial and left to rot in the deepest hole, but that's only if they catch you before I do.”

That last part he eyed the two with a bloodthirsty glare making his point clear that he would kill them if he ever heard they spilled the beans. The mere sight was enough to make both ponies tighten up and slightly start to shake as the seriousness of what they were about to see unfold.

“Y-yes sir. My lips are sealed.” Baron managed to get out.

Flurry was death gripping Cecil's arm in pure fear as she slowly nodded with big fear filled eyes “S-same, I won't tell a soul.”

Alex gazed at them some more while Carmilla and Rockwell just sipping their coffee’s calmly. If Buzzer was still alive they were sure he would have scared the two new ponies in some way. Alex’s look hardly had an effect on them anymore since they were constantly around him and served with him prior. They knew just how serious he was just by his looks and this one was just messing with the kids.

After all the talk was over with Alex opened a hidden door under the bar and walked down motioning with a flick of his head for them to follow. Cecil lead the way with Flurry trying to catch glimpses as they walked down the dirt stairs into a tight turn. The ceiling got shorter to the point the ponies had to duck and Rockwell was crawling on his hands and knees barely fitting his shoulders through. They entered a tunnel so tight that they had to walk single file into a dark room where the ceiling was back to normal. Alex was standing off to the right as he watched everyone enter the room. Once they were all watching he pushed the handle for the circuit breaker and the lights came on.

The room seemed endless in length. The first thing to the right was a section of blue and red padding on the floor with all manner of malee weapons some that neither Baron and Flurry had ever seen. The padding had a gym next to it and by design, it was clearly meant for the humans. To the right was a crude kitchen packed with dry goods and four massive plastic boxes with strange writing on them. The next room had strange lettering above it but just by the bottom of the door and the black rocks around the door itself, Baron assumed it was a coal room. The final thing that made the whole underground seem massive in length was a single lane with just two chairs and a table. On the wall mounted with hooks were ear muffs.

Finally, the grand reveal to all was when Alex walked over to the final room and unlocked it. The door was made of thick steel. The group walked in and clearly, they were supposed to be impressed but they didn't know what they were looking at. The best Flurry and Baron could describe it was a room full of long wooden sticks with metal barrels.

Carmilla just laughed as she leaned on Rockwell who was positively smiling. “Oh man, I remember when I first caught sight of them and had the same reaction.”

“Mind telling us what we are looking at? It would help a lot if we knew what we are supposed to be excited over.” Flurry explained with a nervous smile.

Cecil walked over grabbing a bullet from one of the hundreds of ammo cans.

“This is a bullet and it works like an arrow. The gray part is like the arrowhead and it's pressed into this brass case. Inside the case is a propellent called gunpowder it acts like the bow string, and here on the back is the primer which when struck with a firing pin makes a small explosion and ignights the gunpowder which sends the bullet out the barrel.”

The way Cecil explained it was easy to follow but hard to visualize. Cecil just smiled at their confused looks as they tried to comprehend it. Baron did his best to try and comprehend what he was looking at as he pointed out what Flurry and himself were thinking.

“Obviously this is part of a weapon but how useful is it considering the size. I dare say it would barely do any damage to heavy armor or even medium.”

Alex put a 45-70 goverment round down and simply said “This killed a manticore.”

That caught both of their attention at the words killed and manticore. A manticore was a beast known for its strength and power. The fact this tiny bullet managed to kill one impressed the two royal ponies but it was still hard to believe it. Alex could see the skeptical looks on their faces and the uncomfortable looks in their eyes with the idea of killing. He looked to Carmilla and she walked in grabbing the bullet off the table. She gently tossed it in the air with a smirk on her face before grabbing it harshly out of the air.

“Relax All the big players in the royal community outlawed these weapons with the special exception of Alex allowed to keep such weapons. As for the why well the princess knows that in a time of war these would be irreplaceable in giving the guard a huge advantage. Secondly, the reason Alex keeps them is who on this planet is going to get past him and steal them. Thirdly only Alex and Cecil are the only two souls alive that know how to oporate these spacific weapons. The Mercs have guns but they are obsolete compared to these here.”

She pulled a flintlock musket off the wall going into detail on how it works and the pain staking reload. Truth be told that eased the minds of Flurry and Baron knowing that a good bow pony could easily fight back if they got close enough but then the other hundreds maybe thousands of weapons in crates and the possible millions or trillions rounds of ammunition in barrels and ammo cans was concerning. If Alex had twenty possibly thirty well trained guards that know how to use these weapons he could take over the capital with no resistance at all.

“Hey! We came down here to have a good time not think about the worst case scenario.”

Once again Cecil was breaking the tension with his carefree spirit trying to shine a light on a dark moment.

“Trust me you are going to have a great time.”

Cecil said as he grabbed a twenty two rifle off the shelf and grabbed a literal five gallon bucket of bullets. The group followed him out of the room and over to the range. He and Alex put earplugs in so they wouldn't have to remove their hats while Carmilla and Rockwell chose to use the ear muffs. Cecil gave the two ponies the choice of muffs or earplugs designed for ponies. Flurry went with both while Baron just levitated the muffs over his ears. Cecil demonstrated how to shoot and how to operate the single shot, gun before turning to them with all smiles offering the gun for one of them to use but Alex stopped him.

“You are getting ahead of yourself. There are rules to follow on the range.” He turned to Flurry and Baron with a serious look on his face.

“Rule one, always treat the gun as if it were loaded. Rule two, never point the gun at anything you aren't willing to destroy. Rule three, never have anything around the trigger until you are ready to fire. Rule four, Be aware of your target and what is behind it.”

The two seemed to understand but still had a few questions. The problem was they were afraid Alex would get agitated with them so Cecil stood next to his dad with a smile as he leaned against the wall.

“These are dangerous weapons that can be fun if used safely. There are no stupid questions here. We want to make sure you are comfortable before you ever step up to the firing line.”

Flurry cleared her throat first as she stepped forward.

“What if we would rather watch and why must we be cautious of where the barrel is pointed if the round is spent? The gun only holds one correct?”

Alex looked down at her crossing his arms “No very few of the guns hear only hold one round. Most in fact have the ability to fire fully automic with the capacity to hold thirty or up to two hundred rounds.”

Rockwell took over to finish the question in detail because Flurry’s eyes seemed to get wider with the new information.

“Princess Flurry Heart, it is gun safety that seems silly in a controlled environment, especially since the gun we are using is a single shot. I was on a airship and watched two young mercs cleaning their muskets after a range day. One finished putting the flint back in the hammer and being lazy he pulled the hammer all the way back and pulled the trigger. The shot from the range had never gone off and the sparks from the freshly sharpened flint had been enough to ignite and send a bullet right past his friend's head. The griffen had some burned feathers but the situation could have been worse if that barrel had dipped a little lower.”

Flurry gulped at the chilling tale. From what she could understand from Carmilla's exclamation earlier, the flint lock was by design the safest firearm in the whole selection with its long reloading procedures but hearing that miss care and lazyiness, or rather complacency could lead to a near death made her even more fearful of the weapon. Baron now took his turn at asking questions.

“What if we get to the line and suddenly get cold hooves?”

Alex didn't hesitate to answer that “Then keep the barrel down range and call for one of us. We will put the gun on safety and take it from you. From there we will remove the round and clear the gun.”

Cecil chuckled as he laid the gun down, barrel facing down range, and then turned to the two of them.

“The only way your going to know about any of this is to step up to the plate and give it a try. We will put steel targets up and trust me when you have a goal to hit the steel that's where the fun comes from. Baron it feels just like making a hoop in buck ball.”

While the comparison did peak his interest a little he was still nervous but regardless he stepped up to the fireing line first.

“Right then ole chap, as you say nothing will get accomplished until something is done.”

Cecil smiled while Flurry stepped closer to Carmilla and Rockwell who just patted her head with warm smiles. The grandparent feeling she got off the two did put her a little more at ease. It took a few different positions but Baron finally found one that worked for him. His magic enveloped the trigger and like every new shooter, he pulled it quickly. The gun's wood stock gave his shoulder a light bump. After the shot, he was still tensed tightly with his eyes snapped shut in a grimace until Cecil tapped him on the shoulder.

Baron realized what a sight it must have been to see him so scared after shooting something that barely moved in his magical grip. He had been expecting a loud cannon noise but it was no louder then a hoof clap. He was fairly certain that he has heard Twilight's royal Canterlot voice at louder octaves then that. Giving a sheepish grin he offered the gun to Flurry. She was extremely apprehensive to take it but slowly she walked up and used her magic to envelop the wood stock and barrel. Cecil was by her side at every step. He loaded the gun for her and gave her some simple pointers. She breathed out and slowly pulled the trigger.

Just like Baron she pulled the trigger fast and her whole body flinched as the soft bump on her shoulder was barely registered over the soft bang. Flurry slowly opened her eyes with a smile and looked back to Cecil with new enthusiastic eyes. It wasn't bad at all in fact the explosion was slightly fun. It reminded her of a firework popper.

“Ready for another round?” Cecil asked.

“I was born ready! This is really fun, a lot funner then I perceived it to be.”

Flurry exclaimed full of excitement. She was ready to take her shot again and keep going. Cecil only chuckled ruffling her mane and showing her how to reload the gun. Once she was taught how to properly reload she became a machine. She would fire a round, reload, and fire again. With each shot her nerves became stronger and by the twentieth shot she could shoot without closing her eyes. The demonstration of discipline impressed Alex a little bit but then he blew the whistle on her when she tried to rapidly fire and reload.

“The gun wasn't made to do something like that. Your turn is over, time for Baron to run some rounds.”

Seeing Flurry handle the firearm so comfortably he felt his ego diminishing a bit so with his head held high and eyes full of confidence he gently took the gun from the table and reloaded it. Like Flurry it took nearly thirty rounds before he was adjusted enough to keep his eye open but he did manage to accomplish his goal. From there the two traded off and kept using it until they were both comfortable and Alex was confident they had the ideas of safety down. At the end of each turn they gently put the rifle on the table and clicked the safety to on, leaving the bolt open as a sign of a clear weapon. Their range etiquette was outstandingly impressive to the four veterans of firearm use.

Moving on Cecil took the gun from them and put it in the armory laying it on a rack for guns that needed to be cleaned. He came back out with more twenty twos. One was a single action revolver and the other was a lever action. Alex and Cecil showed them each how to operate them and let them have their fun this time letting them shoot at the same time. Once again they were cautious of each other's presence and where they had the barrels pointed. Some more time went by and the two ponies were riding on a high. They never wanted to stop as they slung lead down range into a dirt wall. After some time getting accustomed to the new guns Alex blew a literal whistle yelling out the range was cold.

The terminology was still new but they understood it meant to stop. Cecil, Alex, and Rockwell went out to set steel targets up. They used squares and circles of varying sizes and all from a distance of ten yards all the way to fifty yards. They randomized the sixteen targets and once they were back told the ponies to aim at the two big ones at ten yards. That was a sight to see as the ponies instantly got frustrated when they saw how hard aiming could be.

Very few bullets actually hit the center of the close targets but with some guidance, the two started hitting the center repeatedly and then they were off their leashes to fire at the other targets. Their colors and skills started to show. Baron had the potential to be a crack shot sniper. He was drilling the small six inch circles in the back repeatedly but he took his time. Flurry had eyes that could easily line up the gun and make quick shots bouncing from one target to the next. She would be trouble in a CQB scenario. After the two again were comfortable with the guns in their hooves Cecil took them and came back with matching 10/22 rifles and matching semi auto twenty to pistols. This was going to be their final test on how much they could be trusted. The guns up till now restricted their fire rate but with these Alex could judge how well they handled something that could run away from them if they weren't careful with trigger discipline.

From the start, Baron picked the rifle while Flurry just mirrored him. Cecil showed them how to load the guns and then stepped back. Flurry liked the rifle but quickly she picked up the pistol and again showed how good she was at jumping between targets while Baron stuck with the rifle knocking the small targets at the back like they were right in his face. The two bounced back and forth with their guns and then Alex called for a cold range. Cecil collected the guns and Flurry was practically bouncing with new excitement for the next one to come out. She loved the semi auto version and especially loved hearing the rapid tinks the steel made when she hit her shot. Baron wasn't as expressive but the smile on his face was like seeing a child get the present he wanted for hearts warming.

Cecil came back with real rifles and a ammo can of 5.56. Alex went out to the range and set up a block of ballistic jell putting a balloon behind it. The ponies were a little confused as to what was going on but Alex with a fresh cigarette in between his lips explained as he loaded one bullet into the mag.

“That block of clear jell was made to simulate flesh and fat in a body. It's twelve inches long and eight inches by eight inches on the face. This is what I mean by rule four.”

“Always be aware of what's behind your target.” Flurry chimed in which earned her a smirk and nod from Alex.

Alex took aim and fired nearly as fast as he put the gun to his shoulder. The loud bang made Flurry jump and let out a short scared scream. The shockwave hit everyone in the face and chest giving the ponies a sense of what real power was like. The bullet slammed into the jell while the balloon popped. A small trail of smoke lazily left the barrel while Alex set the gun down. Baron had jumped and tensed but he didn't have near the reaction. After the fact, Alex brought the jell back so the ponies could see the channel and how much energy the bullet was delivering.

The wound channel went all the way through and out the back but with his finger, he pointed about four inches from the end.

“I used what's called a armor piercing bullet and that's why it went completely through but a regular one would have stopped where my finger is. I showed you this so you can understand why rule four is so important.”

Baron and Flurry were in shock at this point as their flight or fight instincts were on overdrive. Loud noise, the heavy smell of burnt powder, and now seeing what a bullet would do to flesh had them on edge. Cecil ruffled Flurry's mane a little and gave her a tight hug. The hug and playful manner was enough to calm her down enough to speak while Baron had to shake his head a little but he came out of it.

“I say good sir that nearly startled me back to my colthood.”

Flurry nodded as she nuzzled closer to Cecil trying to get her nerves under control.

“Y-yes it was very loud and slightly scary. I-I don't want to shoot that one I-I want to go back to the small ones.”

Cecil smiled as he held her close. “Come on let me show you something.”

Cecil leads her away from the range and back up the stairs into the bar. The journey wasn't over there as Cecil lead her to Alex’s room and then took her into a secret room behind Alex’s bookshelf. Inside were more guns but they were extremely different then the ones they had been using. These had linked bullets and just by the sight looked heavy. There was even a funny looking one with six massive cylinders and a belt under it with bullets the size of her hoof. The walls all had steel around them including the floor and ceiling with room enough to have a small cabinet full of dehydrated food and a hundred gallons of water dispenser. It was as if this whole house was ready for a war on the homefront.

The main point of this was to show Flurry the magical mirror. The mirror shimmered to life and it reviled a hazy picture of the range. Baron had the scary gun against his shoulder. He took his time but then he fired. She was expecting the thundering noise but there was no noise or invisible thump hitting her in the chest or face. The more she looked at it the more the gun looked no more dangerous than the first few guns they had prior.

“I-its not really scary if you take away the sounds and physical blast. I know Baron has nowhere near the magical threshold that I do and the gun is barely moving in his telekinesis. I'm still scared of it though.”

Cecil nodded in understanding as he rubbed a hand along her back trying to calm her down some more.

“When I was young Dad had me using guns like that by the time i was eight. When I was five i was using the ones you and Baron started out on. Every day after school me and dad would shoot for hours on end thousands of rounds a week. He would take me out to the castle of the two sisters in thunderstorms and we would shoot long range. I did it for so long that I can hit a bit at a thousand yards with the right scope and gun.”

Flurry just sat there listening to him talk and thinking the worst fear possible was unraveling to her by the second. All the princesses never wanted Cecil to go to the military but he didn't have to. Alex trained Cecil to fight with every known weapon to this world and Alex's original home world. Cecil was trained to be a killer from the very earliest years of his life. Leaving for the military was a joke. He didn't need any military training. That would be a laughable joke in his eyes but then again it wasn't him leaving for the military that frightened the princesses so much. It was what he would become if he saw action. Cecil was a natural born leader and literally trained from birth to be a formidable opponent.

Flurry looked at Cecil studying his face as her mind raced at this new information. She had to tame him and get him tied down as quickly as possible. The idea of trapping him with a kid crossed her mind but that was a last resort. If a war really was forming and Twilight couldn't stop it then he was sure to do everything he could to leave and serve his country after all his degree was his second option in life. Things just didn't add up and she was afraid that she was going to need another heart to heart with Alex to get clarity and what a joy that would be.

The night went on and soon the midnight train was about to leave. Baron barely got out of the shower and dressed again as Flurry carried him with her levitation to the train station. She was thankful the winds were down and the temperature wasn't nearly as cold as her home in winter. When she made it back Rockwell and Carmilla were waiting to say their goodbyes. It did concern her that the old couple was going to walk home in all the snow but they assured her that this wasn't their first time trending through the snow. She was still worried and secretly followed them for a little bit but Rockwell proved that while he was old he still had the strength to carry Carmillia on his back and easily push through the snow with a smile on his face.