A new pony stood before him. She wasn't very tall, few were aside of Celestia. She had a horn, white coat, brown hair, and an inkpot for a cutie mark. Floating in her magic, a clipboard bobbed sedately. "Sir." She adjusted her glasses. "I must speak with you. I am Raven Inkwell, Princess Celestia's trusted righthoof mare." She bowed politely. "And I must say, you are failing to meet expectations."

Solaris blinked slowly at her. "Pardon me?"

"Please, come along." She trotted off down the hallway. She walked with complete confidence that he would follow her, and he did. Trailing after her, he examined her, but her back side offered no additional hints as to what was going on in her head.

She led the way into a room of books and slid up onto a chair behind a desk there. "I oversee her schedule and run numbers for her when requested. I also oversee things in as much detail as required for her to render timely decisions." She raised a hoof up at Solaris. "You are interfering with her schedule, and your assistance is insufficient to make up the difference."

He raised his eyebrows. "So, what, you're telling me I need to step up my game?"

"Yes. If you cannot do so, I shall request you be replaced. Celestia's time is valuable, as is that of the court." Raven nodded as if this were both obvious and an objective fact. "If she desires a suitable stallion, I will search for one that will not slow her down. As I said moments ago, she is a very busy pony, for the sake of all of Equestria. It is my job to see she finishes this job as smoothly as possible."

Solaris frowned gently. "I see. Is there something that you suggest for me to change to meet those expectations? I have been trying to help, but if there is a particular goal you want me to accomplish, tell me."

Raven pushed her glasses up on her snout. "That you're asking is a good sign. Let us begin with when you approach Celestia for stress relief purposes. Your accomplishing of that goal is adequate, but poorly-timed. The next day, Celestia suffers from a mild lack of sleep. Not enough to truly impact her work, but her performance is slightly reduced. I estimate about 3-7%." She turned the paper in her magic around so Solaris could see the graph she had made, as well as some other charts and calculations that he didn't get the chance to study before she tucked it away. "Give me your schedule."

He rattled it off to her and she wrote it down on a new page. "I see. We'll need to adjust when you arrive. I'll send a letter to Princess Celestia about this, so she's prepared for the changes." Raven inclined an ear at Solaris. "Why did you speak your schedule instead of just giving it to me?"

Solaris laughed softly. "I don't actually write anything down, I just have a good memory." He tapped his head with a wing. "It all fits up in here."

She nodded gently and wrote more down. "That should be changed. Also, consider me your schedule pony." She turned a hoof back on herself. "I will manage your schedule for optimal performance both for yourself and interfacing with Celestia. Speaking of that, what is the average and maximum duration of your stress-relief visits, so I can maximize the efficiency of my scheduling?"

He stared at her and flushed gently, though he didn't look away. "That's a very blunt way of putting it, and I'm not really sure." He cleared his throat. "Um, sometimes we just cuddle, sometimes it's more." He looked down at that unicorn. "We've only just met and you're poking at sensitive topics."

"I have known Celestia for years." She made a note with a floating quill. "She trusts me completely. If you intend to continue your courtship, you will gain me in addition to anything else she bequeaths to you. Consider my last question and get a more precise answer to me by tomorrow. For now, I have another task for you."

Solaris nodded slowly. "Alright." He was clearly still adjusting to her brusque nature.

"Her majesty's royal guard is performing training maneuvers outside the city." She pointed in the general direction. "You will accompany them. I am increasing your physical training budget. As an able-bodied male, you could protect Celestia in the event of an event that requires it. Go now." She waved her hoof at him.

"Right away, um..." He trailed off and cleared his throat. "What did you say your name was again?"

"I am Raven Inkwell." She made a fresh note. "I'll have your revised schedule ready by tomorrow morning, when I expect your updated answer. When I have it, I will make adjustments to both of your timelines. Now, nice to meet you, but we're both busy." She shooed him away with brushing motions of her hoof.

Solaris sighed and left the room. "She has a way with words, doesn't she?" He spoke softly, just to himself. "I wonder what Celestia did to get her." He rubbed his cheek as he started down the hallway. "And how they get along."

He made his way to the guard's courtyard at a brisk trot. "I heard there was an outing planned today?" He saw a familiar face picking up weapons. "Jade?"

She glanced over and lifted a hoof to him in greeting. "Hey, Prince Solaris! We're doing a field trip outside the city. What's your story?" She smirked and hefted the weapon she was examining. "If you came to watch us practice today, we won't be here."

"I was told, by Raven, to come practice with you all outside the city." He shrugged with a huff. "What are you doing out there?"

"Monster control." She gave a sharp nod. "Canterlot is pretty safe, but sometimes some creepers move in. They're harmless, unless you corner them. There's some that need driving back, though they're not dangerous either." She waved a hoof up at him. "But they make great practice, in basic combat and combination tactics. If you're coming, welcome aboard." She tossed the spear at him instead of into the barrel. "Take that."

Solaris grabbed it from the air with a flicker of magic. "Thank you. Why don't we head out together then?"

"Exactly what I had in mind." She took a spear for herself and trotted away from the basket. "I'll show you where they're waiting. I was just doing some last-minute cleanup. Not right to leave a mess behind, hm?"

The two made their way outside of the castle grounds to where several other pegasi stood in waiting. "Prince Solaris will be joining us today. He's an Princess Celestia's stallion, so try not to poke too many holes in his hide or Princess Celestia may be irritated."

The soldiers all saluted in unison, even as Solaris sputtered. "H-hey. Don't treat me special. I won't learn much if you treat me like I'll break at any moment."

Jade smirked gently and nodded. "Fair point. But you heard him. He's a prince, not some delicate little foal. We'll all have fun, hm?" She turned to him and whispered, "You're welcome for that," before darting into the air without so much as jumping. "Let's move out!" The others roared with agreement and they all started out from the city into the nearby wilderness. The area around Canterlot wasn't as dense or wild as most of Equestria, due to being more settled and civilized. But that just meant there were plenty of clearings with prey animals grazing and foraging.

Where they went, another pony was waiting for them, with a great moustache that occupied the entire end of his snout. "Ah, finally." He nodded to all the arriving soldiers, just to pause at Solaris. "You're not under my command." He gave a sharp look to Jade, who flew forward.

"Prince Solaris will be joining our patrol. Do try to give him something to stab at, I know how you get when you're training." She pointed down at Solaris. "I've sparred with him before, Sir. He's at least half-decent at the art."

The mustached pony looked at her for a long moment, then sighed and rubbed his face with a hoof. "Very well." He gestured up towards the sky. "You lot! There are manticores in yonder hills! You will split up into teams of three and chase them out!" His wings snapped out, pointing back the way they came. "We won't be heading home until I have three manticores to take with me, so get hunting! Stick together, this is a group action. Manticores can be very dangerous, especially once injured. Do not take them lightly."

Jade flew forward again. "I'll lead the group with Prince Solaris in it, if that's alright with you, sir."

He gave a nod to her and flew off. "Alright, since you already know their training level, go!"

She nodded and pointed down at Solaris, who was still getting his bearings with this whole thing. "You will be with me and..." She tapped her chin with a hoof. "Private Lancer!" An earth pony came trotting up. "You're with us!" He saluted sharply. "Let's go bag us a manticore." She landed, joining the two on the ground. "I wasn't expecting a manticore to be the target. That's a little more dangerous than I had implied before, but I think we can handle it."

Lancer grinned at Solaris. "That means you get to learn the fun stuff right away. You'll be fine. The captain is a professional soldier, and I'm trained in combat as well. We won't let some manticore take you down."

"Th-thanks." Solaris rubbed the back of his neck slowly, smiling crookedly. "I'll do my best to lend a proper hoof." He twirled the spear held in his magic. "See if I can't get a stab in?" He imagined actually stabbing a living, fighting creature and part of him winced. "This will be new."

"I saw that." Jade was watching him from the corner of her eye as she marched. "You haven't actually fought a creature, not for life or death. This will be twice the learning for you. If you end up freezing, don't panic. Most of us did our first time. We're taught to be kind from foalhood. It's not something we can easily just toss aside."

Solaris chuckled faintly. "I was more worried about what would happen to me than to it, I think. How big are manticores?"

Lancer threw his hooves wide. "They're fairly big! But they fight simple-enough. Not really tacticians."

"They're also tough. They don't go down easy. We can use that, if things get dire." Jade glanced at the two. "I'm not worried about our own abilities. You've been on patrols before, Lancer?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" He swung the spear he held by the haft in his mouth. "I'm all ready! Um, never hunted an actual manticore before, just heard about them."

"I have." She tapped her spear's tip with a hoof. "I've hunted them several times, for training purposes. We should be able to bring one down. The trick to fighting a manticore is knowing that they're part-lion, part-dragon, and part-scorpion." She chuckled as both looked worried. "The dragon's part just for show, aside the wings, which do work. The lion part has teeth. The scorpion part has the stinger. Don't get stung. Hurts, and for a long time at that. It will take you out of the fight." She waved a wing at the spear. "Use your weapon to block those paws or tail."

Lancer grinned. "Nice and simple. I like that in my fights." Part of his tone felt insincere, but he didn't flinch away from his march along. "I'll follow your example, Ma'am."

"Thanks, Private." Jade glanced at Solaris. "Are you still sure this is what you want to do, Sir? If you're not comfortable with this, we could always take somepony else. You haven't even known what a manticore looks like before, have you?"

Solaris chuckled softly. "Well, no. But if it's something I'm going to need to learn for myself, eventually, then I might as well learn it sooner rather than later." He ruffled his wings, imagining Raven's possible taunts the next day if he wimped out on the training she had assigned for him. "I'm ready."

They soon found their target, which made a louder roar than either of the other animals they passed. It was large and tawny in color. Its eyes gleamed a vicious gold. They approached from a hill, so that they had a high ground as it charged towards them. Being the largest target, perhaps, was reason enough for it to go for Solaris. He got his spear in the way just in time to catch a swipe of its massive paws.

Lancer leaped in and jabbed at the creature, which hissed at him and backed away a few paces, holding pressure onto Solaris' weapon with its claws. Lancer took up position on one side of Solaris while Jade was on the other, all facing the beast together.

It roared with all the ferocity of an angry lion, its wings spread as is leaped with a renewed flap, allowing it to soar in a great jump to pounce upon them. All the soldiers jumped back as claws slashed down where they'd been moments ago, the tail flicking back and forth like a snake readying for a strike.

Its head snapped around at them, jaws opening to show fangs that could crush throats. It hadn't been expecting Solaris to thrust so quickly, catching its cheek in a ragged line of blood that drew its attention away from Lancer and Jade. They both struck the creature in flanking maneuvers, drawing its attention away from Solaris long enough for him to stab deeper into its body.

Their teamwork was more than the manticore could handle, driving the fight out of it with every true strike that fell on its increasingly marred hide. Finally, it leaped away from them with a huffing hiss. "Let it retreat. If you've drawn blood from a manticore, that's about all you can expect." Jade pointed with a hoof at its fleeing backside. "Besides, tracking a bleeder's easy. All he's doing is wearing himself out for us. Easier to capture."

Solaris nodded slowly. "Right, right." He took a deep breath. "Sorry. Just got caught up in the heat of things." He took another few breaths, settling down while Lancer chuckled softly, looking a tad shaky himself. "I did it." The battle replayed in his mind. "I hit it."

Jade laughed at that. "You hit it a number of times, my training prince. You were made for this sort of thing, clearly. Glad you decided to keep up with us."

He blushed softly. "Yes, yes I did, and I am too." He managed a smile. "And now we have to chase it?"

Lancer nodded towards the trail. "As Jade said, it left a trail for us to follow. This shouldn't be hard."

***

It turned out to not be terribly hard. It led them a merry chase through the woods, but with Solaris' speed, they could actually cut off its path and lead it back around in circles to their destination: a set of cages that would be brought by cart to the capital. The manticore was almost happy to have a place to sink miserably to its belly, safe from those that had injured it. It gave a low growl at them as they left.

Captain Hard Buckler stood there, looking the three over. "Good job. I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. Well done!" He was speaking to the teams that had made it back. "But I don't see one of the teams. Next mission, locate Starstreak's team and safely escort them back here. If they're still fighting, you are to aid them in its completion, then resume the mission objective." He nodded sharply at his troops.

Jade chuckled. "That was our training leader. He does a lot of this sort of work with us. Nice guy, but a little rough around the edges."

Lancer fell in with the larger group of would-be rescuers. "I remember the guy. Maybe he's showing the other two how it's done?"

Author's Note

What say we get a little violent? Raven has things in mind for Celestia and Solaris' courtship. It will be efficiently handled. She tolerates no less.

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