Adversity

Chapters

Chapter I - Purpose
Chapter II - Evaluation
Chapter III - Commence
Chapter IV - Reunion
Chapter V - Lessons
Chapter VI - Deadlines
Chapter VII - Progress

Chapter I - Purpose

Purpose

–––––

He struggled to grasp the wisp of consciousness from the depths of the darkness, the area between the two realms holding nothing, yet encompassing all. His tattered mind reached for something to hold onto, something to find solace in. A name bubbled up from the void, allowing him a degree of certainty: Oak Leaf. Redoubling his efforts, he sought to awake and view the world around him.

Lightning flashed as he wavered at the edge of reality. In a daze, Oak’s eyes flickered open to see a maroon face standing over him. The mouth was moving, yet he heard nothing except the pounding of the rain and his own pittering heartbeat. The maroon face grew fuzzy as the darkness reached up to reclaim him, its grip stifling. As Oak fought against his failing mind, the face would come back into focus to look off to the right, revealing a horn set amidst a green mane. As Oak’s head lolled to the side, he would see a yellow mare with numerous cuts and scrapes layered over her body.

Lightning would snake out again, and a pair of wings would be revealed, one held limply at her side. She appeared to be speaking, and this time whispers of sound, albeit incoherent, were heard. While Oak gazed at the pegasus, her eyes met his and something, somewhere between remorse and absolute grief, flashed through them. Tears streaked her cheeks, mixing with the heavy rain.

As Oak lay there, the tendrils of darkness coming ever closer to reclaiming him, he felt the ground tremble. He heard a shout from the maroon one, the deep tone revealing him as a male, but the clarity of the words still eluded Oak. He tried to call out as the two started to leave, but nothing came out but a low groan. The two ran off without looking back, leaving him lifeless on the ground. The tremble became a pounding, and the pounding swelled in strength.

Suddenly it stopped, just as it reached its zenith. A sense of peace came with the stillness, but was all too quickly replaced with the horror of the unknown. With the last of his strength, he tried to roll his head to face the other direction. He only made it halfway before being violently struck, flying into the air. A sense of serenity passed through Oak as he crested and began his descent. With a splash, the darkness claimed its spoils.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lying in the shallows of the stream, Oak groaned softly as he awoke with no idea how dire his situation was. The ground wavered in and out of focus as he stared dumbly at the reeds in front of him. The minutes flew past as he lay there, reports of pain slow to reach his mind. Eventually, he couldn’t help but try to stand up, to try and figure out where he was.

Excruciating pain greeted his every movement, and, in absolute agony, he screamed mutely to the heavens. In a moment of horror, he finally understood that he was dying. Yet, instead of crying at what he stood to lose, he began to laugh, agonizing giggles raking his body. It wasn’t that he found it funny, but rather, he never thought he would be dying in this manner. Soon enough, however, the giggles lapsed into silence as he blacked out from the pain, his vision snapping like a twig.

Curiously: it was a frog who was the first to find him, searching for the reason the stream ran red. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, hoping close to determine just what this thing was. Before he could figure it out, a shape streaked by overhead, cawing voraciously. Deciding upon a hasty retreat, the frog leapt back to the safety of the stream, its questions abandoned. The large black raven returned to circling the unconscious form, leering down at it. Focusing on his deliberations, the corvus failed to notice the pale pink mare galloping towards them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The third time came all too slowly, an awaited twilight yet to come. Every breath was laborious, forced and shallow. Through half-lidded eyes, Oak watched the world move on, distinctly unaware. As the cart beneath him rattled, lights passed judgement overhead above still silhouettes and whispers of noise. Decisively, the lights halted and Oak felt something press against the base of his shoulder, piercing the skin. Vainly trying to fight it, once more he lost consciousness, slipping into dreamless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dawn of the new day brought another stunning sunrise, rays of lights and shadows draping the landscape. Briar Field’s small hospital stood valiantly in the path of a beam, denying its touch to the ground behind. Not all appreciated the building’s sacrifice though; Oak’s retinas screamed in protest as he awoke. Blinking sleep-encrusted eyes, Oak stiffly lifted a foreleg, trying to block out the light. A pair of outstretched wings beat him to it, forming a black outline.

Oak stared blankly, his mind lethargic and slow. “Noir?” he croaked, his throat dry.

The raven squawked a greeting, leaping up onto his friend’s head.

“Yeah, I’m alive, I guess; you?” Oak replied, looking up.

The warbling reply was lost in the crash of the door opening, startling the raven into flight. Confusion was etched into the faces of the three ponies as they ground to a halt.

“Heyo?” Oak tried lamely, as a black feather drifted down to the floor from the open window. Only then did he notice the monotone wail filling the room, originating from a monitor in the corner, and the wires strewn across his bed, the electrodes torn loose from his body.

The magical aura surrounding the unicorn’s horn dissipated as he regarded his patient’s condition: miraculously upright. He was short and stocky with a beige coat and a well-trimmed black mane, and he wore a doctor’s coat with a stethoscope draped around his neck.

Overcoming his surprise, the doctor cleared his throat authoritatively. “You, my dear lad, shouldn’t even be awake right now. Considering the extent of your injuries, and the sedative we gave you, you should be out like a light.”

“Extent of my injuries?” Oak repeated, climbing from his bed. To his displeasure, he found his left foreleg enveloped by a bulky plaster cast.

“Yes,” the doctor said, fishing a file from a nearby cabinet. “Let’s see... Three broken ribs—several more fractured—a broken radius, a fractured ulna and metatarsal, numerous lacerations, severe bruising and a severe concussion.” He closed the file, setting it on the counter behind him. “If it is permissible, I would like to run a few tests. After over a week’s rest, you are bound to have made some progress.”

“A week!” Oak exclaimed in shock.

“Actually, it has been eleven days,” the doctor corrected. “In your situation, waking up after a month, if ever, would have been lucky, Mr...”

“Oak Leaf,” he replied. “And you?”

“I am Doctor Remedy, and these are nurses Morning Shimmer and Golden Pastel,” he said, gesturing to the identical, pale yellow pegasi. “As you can probably surmise, they are twins.” Levitating a small penlight, he leaned in close to peer at Oak’s eyes. “So tell me, what is the last thing you remember?”

Pupils contracting in the penlight’s glare, Oak struggled to collect his memory. Cohesion was something his mind lacked, everything blurring together messily. “I... I’m not sure... Is that bad?”

“Normally, yes, but it is not unexpected for your degree of head trauma to have that sort of effect. Experience as a doctor has taught me that, with time, lost memories will resurface. Often, it is a catalyst of sorts which jogs the mind. Now please hold still for a moment.”

Whilst Doctor Remedy gauged Oak’s responsiveness, the two nurses moved about Oak, hefting scissors and gauze. Carefully, they changed out his bandages, tossing the bloodied cloth into a bin. When Oak felt fresh air against his bare midriff, he hazarded a glance back, immediately regretting the choice. Gouged across his barrel were four long tapering gashes, the flesh pink and puckered along the edges.

“Look here,” Remedy commanded, snapping Oak from his revulsion. “Only another minute or two and we shall be done.”

Soon enough, having finished their duties, the medical staff left, leaving Oak alone with the solace of his thoughts. Spying a mirror in the corner, he strode over, the ungainly cast thumping against the tiled floor. Tugging off the linens resting on top, Oak took a step back to examine his reflection.

“Wow,” he chuckled, “I really do look like shit.”

Hailing from the northernmost reaches of Equestria, Oak had grown up among giant, icy mountains and snow-blanketed valleys. Common to all ponies of his heritage, he stood on a set of sturdy legs disproportionate to the rest of his wiry body, hardened by years of running up and down treacherous slopes. A shaggy, forest-green coat, in desperate need of a trim, covered his body, adapted to the unforgiving climate. He blew at a few strands of the rough, coffee-coloured mane poking out from beneath a hat of bandages that pinned one ear against his head. Turning about, the gruesome wound across his middle was hidden under a thick mass of bandages, stifling in their weight. Peering closely, Oak could just make out his cutie mark, a skipping stone, from underneath the edge of yet another set of bandages across his flank.

All in all, he looked more like a medical cabinet than a pony.

His injuries and exhaustion decided to catch up with him at that moment, and, glancing over to the bed, Oak realized just how tired he was. Drained was the word to describe how he felt, and with that, the earth pony clambered into the bed, nestling beneath the covers. Noir returned a few minutes after Oak’s gentle snoring began to fill the room, perching atop the headboard. Preening himself in a show of indignation at his fearful flight, he settled down, watching over his master. Then, tucking his head beneath his wing, he joined Oak in dreams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Something tickled his nose, and, sleepily, Oak brushed it away. He sniffled as the offending object returned. Grabbing the edge of the blanket, he pulled it over his head, hoping to escape the torment.

“Ow!” cried Oak, as something rapped his head sharply. Flailing wildly, he tumbled off the bed, ensnared in the covers.

Sighing, Oak set his head down on the floor. “Morning, Noir.”

The raven squawked smugly from his perch, lifting a wing to adjust his primaries.

The grasp of the blankets was unyielding, and it took Oak many minutes to extract himself from their clutches. He stood up stiffly, half expecting his legs to collapse beneath him. Surprisingly, they didn’t, and only mild aches accompanied his movements.

A few minutes passed before Oak Leaf noticed the bowl resting upon the nightstand, graced with a short note: “Drink this. -Doc R.” All that was needed to complete the image of the musty green soup was a score of frothy bubbles. Still, figuring it had to be some sort of broth, Oak tossed back his head, downing it in one swift gulp. His stomach immediately boycotted the decision, desperate to eject the pasty liquid. Coughing and heaving all the while, Oak inexplicably managed to keep it down, only spitting a few drops back out into the bowl.

“I suppose she wasn’t lying when she said it wouldn’t go down well,” Doctor Remedy commented, having rushed in at the sickening noises.

“What the blazes was in that?” Oak exclaimed, spitting yet again into the bowl.

“In short, medicine,” Doctor Remedy explained, passing across a cup of water. “In detail, it’s a concoction of rare ferns and plants from the Everfree Forest, first crushed into a paste then dissolved in a mildly acidic solution. The restoration capabilities of this mixture are rather astounding—”

“Doc,” Oak interjected, “medicine is good enough.”

The unicorn’s smile twitched in amusement. “Yes, well, in short, that medicine is what permitted you to heal so quickly. In fact, had we not been administering it, I doubt you would have survived.”

“Still tastes like shit,” Oak muttered.

“That it does, I suppose, yet I think you’d prefer it to the alternative. While I am here, I believe I should inquire as to the destination you were travelling to. Any ideas as to where that may have been?”

“No,” Oak muttered, “no idea.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” stated Remedy matter-of-factly, “Where were you headed? Was it of great importance or just to see the world and all its wonders?”

The answers Oak sought were like wisps of smoke: elusive and intangible. They weaved through his grasp like a fish through water, flitting away before he could grab hold.

“Think, Oak Leaf!” Remedy urged. “What were you seeking?”

Frustrated with his inability to recall, Oak lunged forward, snapping at a stray memory that was slow in its escape. Still, Oak missed, but not before getting a taste, and with it a name.

“Canterlot!” Oak exclaimed, mouth widening in a grin.

“Funny you should say that,” the doctor chuckled, after a moment’s pause. “I had intended to travel there two days after you were brought in, but given your condition, it was prudent to wait. Now, if you’re well enough, you could accompany me.”

The suggestion confused Oak terribly. “What? Surely I can’t be better yet?”

“True,” he admitted, “by all rights you should still be breathing through a tube, yet, medically, there is nothing worth keeping you here for. That substan—” The word caught abruptly in his throat. “Medicine has aided immensely in your, dare I say it, miraculous recovery. Any pain you feel right now should be merely aches from being confined to a bed for a week.”

Rolling his shoulders experimentally, Oak ascertained that the doctor was correct. Testing his limits, Oak gently stretched his body, waiting for a stab of pain to greet the cautious movements. Only the last one, stretching the skin across his side, the same side that had been ripped open, made his body scream in protest.

“Except those,” Doctor Remedy added, spying the pained expression on his patient’s face. “Nothing save time and perhaps medicine can fix those. Now will you be coming or not?”

“Um, yeah I guess,” Oak answered hesitantly.

“Very good,” he replied, passing Oak a set of saddlebags. “The train leaves in an hour and there are items you will need to pack.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A simple wooden platform and a small ticket booth were all that made up the small town’s station. The train was already there, standing unattended, the engineers having paused for lunch. Glancing back at the buildings behind him, Oak sighed and adjusted the loaned saddlebags before turning back. Had it not been for the urgency surrounding his memories, he might have declined the doctor’s offer. The sleepy town would have been the perfect place to recuperate.

Inside the ticket stand, a mare sat, idly flipping through pages of a magazine. Doctor Remedy had to cough obviously to gain her attention, and then only for a moment.

“Yes?” she asked tiredly, flipping another page.

“Two tickets to Canterlot please,” Doctor Remedy requested, pushing a few bits through the opening.

It was a testament to either her laziness, or her boredom, that she didn’t even bother to count them, sweeping them into a tray. Slapping a button twice, two tickets popped up before her, and she passed them through, reading her magazine all the while.

“Thank you for choosing to ride with Equestria Railroads,” she sang in a rehearsed monotone. “We hope you will choose us again in the future.”

“Gee,” whispered Oak as they walked away, “you’d think they would hire someone a little more—”

“Enthusiastic?” finished Remedy. “Briar Field isn’t all that big a town, so they had few applications for a job as dull this,” he explained. “In fact, she is one of the better ones. One or two of them use the slow pace to catch up on sleep.”

“Wow... Why doesn’t the company fire them?”

“Who else would take their spot? Like I said, they take who they can get.”

A whistle sounded out, signalling the imminent departure of the train. A familiar shadow graced the platform as Noir landed atop Oak’s back. Breakfast for the raven was something Oak always tried his best not to think about.

The two, plus one passenger, climbed up into the train, taking a right turn and heading towards the rear. The ungainly cast around Oak’s leg led to more than one apology as they trotted down the aisle, as the cumbersome thing was difficult to control. The train slowly began to move as they searched for a seat.

Doctor Remedy groaned in irritation as the last compartment in the car was occupied. Tugging the door open against the rushing air, the three crossed into the next and final car. Just like the previous one, all the compartments were closed, save for the last. Curiously, Remedy stuck his head in then shot back, bumping into Oak in his haste.

“What’s the matter?” Oak asked, rubbing his nose tenderly as he righted himself.

“There’s a gryphon in there!” the doctor hissed in reply.

The earth pony stared at the doctor in sheer astonishment, and then rolled his eyes, moving to push past him. “Bloody... Oh come on, gryphons are fine.”

“It’s not that!” Remedy insisted, his protests falling on deaf ears.

Indeed it wasn’t the race which had bothered the doctor, but rather the size and stature of the pillar of ice-white feathers and muscle. Only a few spots of grey dancing across his chest offered any contrast. Lending Remedy an uneasy grin, Oak crept in, carefully judging his steps.

“Now what’s someone like yourself doin’ this far south?”

All movement stopped at the sound of the gryphon’s voice, rumbling in a low tenor and articulated with a northern accent. His eyes were closed, yet a smile played at the edge of his beak.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Oak shot back before he could think up a proper response.

“Aye,” the gryphon chuckled, sitting up and opening brilliant blue eyes, “could never stand this damned heat.”

“But it’s not even twenty out,” stated Remedy in confusion.

“Ask him what a winter coat is like,” he grunted, gesturing to Oak. “Comfortable for us is around freezing.”

The forest-green earth pony gave a small nod of agreement. The long hair of his coat was like an ice cube in a desert: out of place. The first chance he got, half of it was going. Thing was, finding someone to fulfill that request wouldn’t be easy. The length of his coat was genetic, not merely from the changing of the seasons, and it did not naturally shed.

“Name’s Caldoris Talrius Hawkeye,” the gryphon said, stretching out a claw. “Call me Caldor, though.”

“I’m Oak Leaf, this is Noir, and this is Doctor Remedy,” Oak said, meeting the offer with a hoof

“So what has you heading to Canterlot?” Caldor asked, rummaging through a previously hidden pack.

“I’m visiting my daughter, Lilium, while Oak is trying to piece together what he was headed to Canterlot for,” Remedy explained.

“Can’t remember, you say?” the gryphon asked with a raised eyebrow. “Anyhow, the Royal Guard is recruiting again, and they—“

The words were lost in the noise of Oak’s mind; something had triggered a memory: a promise. It drew up to him slowly, like a building wave, but crashed down with only a fragment of its meaning.

“... Protect...”

“Protect,” Oak muttered, mulling over the word, oblivious to the others. In his eagerness to learn of himself, he made the connection, the jump, without first looking ahead. Whether it was correct or not, he was bound to his decision. “That’s it!” he shouted jubilantly, ignorant of the conversation. “I was going to join the guard!” His expression was replaced with confusion, then sheepishness, realizing he had interrupted Caldor.

“Well then,” Caldor declared, unfazed, “Ah guess we’ll be seeing more of each other; the guard hired me to assist with their training.”

“So you’re a mercenary then?” Doctor Remedy asked innocently.

The gryphon’s eyes hardened to shards of ice. “No, and Ah don’t take too kindly to being labelled as one.”

“Easy,” Oak interrupted, halting the irritated explanation. “He was just asking a question, and I doubt he was aware of the significance.”

Caldor’s expression softened as he recognized the venom in his words. “Aye, you’re probably right. My apologies, Remedy…”

“It’s quite alright,” Remedy assured him. “I too am passionate about my life’s work. So what manner of service do you provide the guard?”

“Training and experience,” he answered simply. “Even the highest-ranked pony on the guard lacks any meaningful combat experience. It has been too many years since Equestria has had a skilled foe.”

“I would argue that that is better than the alternative,” Remedy countered. “The princesses are quite skilled in diplomacy, so such methods have never been needed in the past.”

“True,” Caldor admitted, “but what will happen when Equestria finally faces a foe who won’t listen, one who is hellbent on destruction?” He held up a talon, silencing the reply. “The Elements of Harmony may be powerful, but they need time to gather and lack the conviction to finish it.”

“You should never finish anyone,” exclaimed Remedy, sounding disgusted, “even if they are your enemy.”

“Ah never said Ah liked it, but it is the only way to guarantee they won’t try again.”

Oak found his eyes drifting off to the passing landscape, while the two delved into a highly opinionated discussion of ethics. Groves of trees and golden fields of flowing grass rolled past as the train chugged along, its pace constant, never faltering. The sight of the mountains and foothills looming in the distance made his mind churn with all its misplaced memories.

Oak was suddenly struck by vertigo, and found himself assaulted by the smells, sights and sounds of a brilliant day. He could feel the sun beating down on his coat as he whirled about, dancing with others. Everything was a blur, yet constant was the twirling of the crowd, the fragrance of heavenly food, and joy tainted with horror as a bloodcurdling scream left him chilled to the bone.

“Oak, are you alright?” Remedy asked in concern, the sudden change not going unnoticed.

Retching, Oak managed to nod his head, a shiver passing down his spine.

“Ah know what will make you feel better,” exclaimed Caldor, “Getting your wings free of those bindings and giving them a good stretch...” Caldor trailed off as both Oak and Remedy gave him dumbfounded stares. "What?”

“I’m an earth pony,” Oak explained. “These bandages are for my gashes, not wings.”

“But... But I thought you said you were intending to join the Royal Guard?”

“Yes, I plan to.”

Caldor sighed remorsefully, “You have a problem then.”

“What?”

“The Royal Guard hasn’t accepted an earth pony into their ranks for over three hundred years.”

Chapter II - Evaluation

Evaluation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you mean?” Oak exclaimed, following the shocked silence.

“Exactly what Ah said,” Caldor elaborated. “There hasn’t been a single earth pony accepted into the core guard for three hundred years.”

“Are you sure of this?” Doctor Remedy demanded.

Caldor sighed heavily. “Aye, that Ah am. Equestria has known peace for so long, your blasted parliament doesn’t even grasp the guard’s purpose. For them, the guard became an ‘unnecessary waste of bits’. Eventually the order was quietly passed down to ‘favor’ unicorns and pegasi over earth ponies to cut expenses."

“B-But why?” stammered Oak.

“Pegasi have flight, unicorns have their magic and earth ponies have their strength, but where is that exhibited? For them, what can an earth pony do that the others can’t?”

If Caldor’s word had merit, there was no reason to head to Canterlot. Wasted efforts accomplished nothing, and that’s all Oak’s goal at the moment was: a waste of effort. But what could he do? Potentially, every answer he sought lay with joining the guard, yet that chance had been stripped away.

“Dammit!”

Repeated clattering punctuated the silence, the train oblivious to the bitterness within her final compartment. Noir whistled affectionately, trying to comfort his friend, whilst Remedy racked his mind for a solution.

“Take those off,” Caldor demanded suddenly, pointing towards Oak’s wrapped middle.

“What?”

“Unless you can tell me what damn near tore you in two, take ‘em off!”

Lending a hoof, Remedy efficiently removed the bandages, revealing the puckered skin. Disturbingly, despite the few hours it’d been, the skin was already knitting together, soon to be nothing more than scar tissue. Eyeing the wounds, Caldor began to murmur worriedly to himself, the meaning eluding the others.

Oak glanced over to the doctor for a hint, but Remedy’s face had become eerily pale, words trying to form upon his lips as he stared at the gashes.

“Ah screw it,” Caldor decided, grabbing Oak’s attention again. “Ah’m goin’ to help you join the guard.”

“What!” exclaimed Oak. “Why?”

The gryphon ruffled his feathers uncomfortably. “Ah’ve been fighting long before you were born, so trust me when I tell you those are from a manticore.”

“So you’re saying a manticore attacked me?” Oak gasped in disbelief.

“No, Ah’m saying you attacked it! That implies one of two things: one, you’re a brain-dead idiot, or two, you were protecting others. Seeing as how you definitely aren’t the former, you had the combination of bravery and foolishness to stand against one for the sake of others, something even ah have to admire.”

Doctor Remedy cleared his throat, breaking from his stupor. “I fail to understand how you can make such a claim, merely by examining Oak’s injury.”

Snorting, Caldor lifted a claw, displaying his razor sharp talons. “Think about a manticore swinging his claws. Would they really leave scars like that if Oak was running away?” To emphasize the point, Caldor swiped the air before him.

Looking closely at Oak’s injuries in a new light, Remedy found what the gryphon had understood immediately. “Yes,” he muttered, “I do believe you are right.”

“But what does that have to do with it?” Oak demanded. “Why would that be enough of a reason to help me?”

Caldor’s eyes glazed over, recalling the words from a distant memory. “The blood of your kin runs through those who have given it in defense of others. As long as their cause is righteous, and their hearts tempered by the flame of sacrifice, no trust can be misplaced.”

Before the value of the profound words could be met and understood, Caldor plowed onwards.

“If this is going to work, Ah’ll be needing your help, Remedy; your word is just as important.”

The unicorn snorted in disbelief. “Forgive me for withholding my support, but you have yet to so much as breathe a word of what this plan entails. In fact, you seem to be rushing into this with little thought.”

Caldor ignored the criticism, detailing his plan. “It’s simple, really. If ah thought Oak was a pegasus, no doubt others will also. Those bandages are big enough to make it look like he’s hiding wings beneath them.”

“...Well I can think of no way that could go wrong,” Oak muttered, his voice dripping sarcasm.

Seemingly ignorant of the ramifications, Caldor shook his head. “Ah don’t think you understand the value they’ll place on my word. In combination with Remedy’s they’ll ‘ave to give you a chance. Make no doubt about it, you’ll need to work hard to make up for your handicap, but you’ll have an opportunity.”

The two ponies exchanged a glance, while Noir stared out the window, seemingly uninterested in the entire matter. It could work, but the margin for error would be slim. If they messed up, even slightly, there would never be another chance.

“What happens when they find out?” Oak asked, raising the obvious question.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Besides,” the gryphon continued, “Ah’d never give up a chance to teach those smug bastards a lesson. Now if you’ll excuse me, the time change is a bitch.” He rolled over, settling back down on the train bench.

“You understand there is a sleeping car, correct?” questioned Remedy.

The reply was a drawn out snore, shaking the curtains with its pitch. Not to be outdone, Oak’s stomach growled a challenge. Somewhat sheepishly, he met Remedy’s gaze.

The doctor chuckled. “Perhaps we should get something to eat.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A dandelion and alfalfa sandwich on toasted sourdough bread filled the void in Oak’s stomach quite nicely, whilst Remedy chewed through his strawberry salad. Across from them, somewhat messily, Noir pecked at a biscuit, sending the odd crumb flying.

“You really didn’t need to get him anything,” Oak commented.

“Oh, it’s no trouble,” Remedy replied.

“Doc, he’s a raven. He’ll literally eat anything.”

“Including your hay fries, it would seem,” he replied with a smirk.

Oak turned back to his plate too late to stop the raven from gobbling a few more. Noir cackled mischievously as his master glared daggers. Groaning, Oak moved his plate to the side, out of the raven’s reach.

“Anyway, what did you think of Caldor’s plan?” Oak asked, swatting away Noir’s wing.

“It pains me to admit it, but it does have merit. I once aided a pegasus with a torn tendon to join Briar Field’s weather team. He had to convince them he was suitable for the spot, not to mention in shape, but ultimately, he got in. While I realize your situation is hardly similar, neither is it entirely different.”

Regarding the doctor for a moment, Oak shook his head. “That’s not what’s bothering you, is it?”

With a sigh, Remedy nodded glumly. “I have my suspicions Caldor is withholding something from us. It’s nothing which will hurt us,” he quickly assured Oak, “just something of another matter.”

“Well... We all have our secrets, don’t we?”

“True,” the unicorn admitted. “I suppose I can respect his privacy, whatever his reasons may be.”

“What do you think of him?”

“Who, Caldor?” Remedy questioned, taking a bite of his salad.

“Yeah, who else?”

“Perhaps you were talking about your pet,” he offered.

Noir lifted his beak from his meal long enough to deliver a dissenting reply. He neither liked nor appreciated the title of ‘pet’. Ruffling his wings testily, he returned to his meal, glaring at the doctor.

“Would ‘companion’ be an adequate term?” Remedy questioned the raven.

A quick bob of his head was all Noir offered.

“Let me think for a moment,” the unicorn said, pondering the inquiry in silence. Nearly a minute passed before he had his answer. “Caldor is... interesting,” Remedy decided, taking a sip of his water.

“‘Interesting’, really? That’s it?” Oak asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Consider this,” Remedy replied, unpersuaded, “Caldor acts and speaks with great vigour and confidence, almost arrogantly so, yet it is not ill-becoming of him. In fact, I am inclined to believe his arrogance has a firm basis in reality.”

“So... Not quite so simple as Noir here, right?” Oak joked.

The raven swiftly addressed the insult, snapping his head forward to steal away a hay fry from his ‘companion’.

“I believe so,” Remedy answered with an amused grin.

Both turned their attention to their meals, consuming their respective fare at a reasonable rate. Their waitress, a rose-hued mare, emerged from the kitchen to interrupt their progress. Offering tea or coffee, she scratched down the doctor’s order, the luxury denied to Oak per Remedy’s adamant instructions. When asked why, the doctor waved the question off.

“Better to play it safe,” the doctor reasoned, bobbing his teabag gingerly. “Now,” he declared, taking a sip of the brew, “there is something else I would like to discuss with you.”

“Yes?”

“Regardless of what Caldor and I say, if your memories do not begin to return soon, you’ll have no hope of them accepting your application. Before we left the hospital, I took a moment to compile a booklet of puzzles for you to complete. Such logic-driven puzzles are a great method to jog the mind. From now till we arrive, I want you to complete as many of those as you can.”

Oak groaned; unknown to Remedy, he had noticed the pages whilst packing his bags at the hospital. They were nothing more than boring, tiresome and repetitive logic problems that a foal could do.

“Fine...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the final ‘t’ crossed, Princess Celestia gratefully set down the quill and rose from her seat, taking a moment to stretch her legs. No matter the time of year, constant was the stream of bills and reports demanding her approval, compliments of her court. It was moments like these that Celestia envied her sister. Despite ponies’ ill-founded fear of her, Luna did not tolerate having her time wasted. It was not uncommon for her sister to outright dismiss half the petitions she heard, as pitifully few as there were.

From her study’s window, Celestia watched as Canterlot unfolded beneath her, ponies going about their lives unaware of her torment . The recent strain of her work was replaced with a glint of happiness as she made out a group of foals playing catch. Oh what she wouldn’t give even for a chance to join them.

Curt knocking broke her from her thoughts. “Enter,” she said, wearily returning to her desk.

“You called for me, Princess?” Shining Armour asked, shutting the door behind him.

“Yes, there’s something I would like to show you.”

“What is it?”

A scroll floated over to the captain, propelled by Celestia’s magic. Taking it, Shining unravelled it, eyes scanning the document.

“I’ve made a few changes to the Royal Guard’s budget,” Celestia explained. “Before I pass it off, I wanted you to take a look at it.”

“Shouldn’t you be asking General Candlelight instead?”

Celestia gave her head a small shake. “He has enough work at the moment; it wouldn’t be right to burden him further. Besides, he was never really too good with numbers, while the concepts seem to run rampant in your family.”

Eyes already a quarter of the way down the page, Shining Armour gave an absent-minded nod. Amusement perked the corners of Celestia’s mouth as she watched the captain’s eyes grow wide in disbelief.

“Princess,” he breathed. “Where are all these bits coming from?

“All I did was tie up loose ends and eliminate waste,” she explained. “I’ve been meaning to address it for quite some time now. Meagre as it may be, it should be enough for the guard’s needs.”

“Celestia, this isn’t a small amount in any regard!” Shining exclaimed. “This would be enough to increase the guard by...” he trailed off, the pieces fitting together in his mind. Before he could speak his piece, however, the alicorn hurriedly cut him off.

“I’m merely fixing something which should have been corrected long ago; there is nothing to worry about. If everything appears to be in order, you may return to your rounds. Sadly, there is still much left for me to do.”

Returning the scroll, Shining swiftly bowed and departed. Once more, Celestia wandered over to the window, finding the same foals now chasing each other about in a game of tag. What she had told her captain had not been a fabrication, nor was it the truth. Rumors had begun to bloom throughout Equestria, and she could not idly wait to see whether their fruit bore truth. To place Equestria into a paranoid panic was not an option, the situation, instead, warranting careful manipulation.

Celestia glanced back at her desk and the stack of papers awaiting her judgement. Her quill stood ready to do battle with the foul legion, acting as a conduit to her mind. In a rare decision, however, Celestia decreed both were in dire need of a respite. Nestling down onto a cushion by the fireplace, she brought a book over from the bookcase, taking a brief glance at the title before popping it open.

Taxes be damned, she was going to finish this book even if the castle burned down around her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A cry of delight filled the compartment as the train finally ground to a halt, waking the sleeping gryphon and raven. Oak was nothing short of ecstatic to be done with the exercises. It wasn’t that they were difficult, just that there were too bloody many. Groggily looking about, Caldor remembered where he was, quickly standing.

“Follow me,” he instructed.

If there was anything pleasant about hanging around the ice-white gryphon, his ability to clear a path was one of them. As soon as they caught sight of him, ponies on the train, and, once they stepped down from the platform, parted like butterflies before a storm. If Caldor was aware of the fearful glances the crowd gave him, he didn’t let it show.

Overhead, the sun clung desperately to the sky, reluctantly sliding towards the horizon. The pleasant warmth of midday had long since passed, the composed cool of the evening beginning to fill the void. The smell of burning coal permeated the station, with no breeze to purge the haze of smoke and steam still coursing from the train. Ponies moved about the platform with a barely contained urgency, some seeking loved ones or a taxi, while others waited for the train to empty so they might board.

Encircling the platform of worn tile stood pristine marble buildings, encroaching on the already hectic station. Some of these were stores to pick up a last minute gift, while others were restaurants, offering food and drink to waiting travellers. However, a few of the buildings escaped general use, the station operating specific services necessary for traveling. One of these, the customs office, where larger and foreign luggage was held, stood as the gryphon’s destination. Despite the derived expectation from the bustling crowds outside, the interior was eerily empty. Twelve desks stood to offer their services, yet only three were manned, one busied helping another pony. Without pause, Caldor selected the leftmost official, closing the distance rapidly.

“Can I h-help you sir?” a pale blue unicorn asked, hesitating slightly at the sight of him, as she looked up from her papers.

“Yes, Ah’m looking for my luggage.”

“And your name sir?”

“Caldoris Hawkeye,” he declared.

“One moment please,” she replied, heading into the back room.

Something tapped against a window behind them, breaking the moment of silence. Glancing back, Oak was stunned to see a host of ponies pressed up against the glass, openly staring at the gryphon. Sure, Caldor wasn’t really an average gryphon, but there was no reason for this open display of astonishment.

Emerging from the back, the mare gave her head a regretful shake.

“I’m sorry sir, but your luggage is being held until further notice. You will be required to contact an officer of the Royal Guard before we are permitted to release it.”

It appeared Caldor had been prepared for that answer, expecting it even. Swiftly tugging a scroll from his satchel, he set it on the desk before her.

“That is a letter from General Candlelight explicitly expressing the nature of my visit,” Caldor explained, growing irate. “There shouldn’t be any issues.”

“I’m sorry sir,” the mare said, quaking slightly, “but we need more confirmation than this. If you could just wait—”

“Ah’ll just get them myself.”

“Sir,” the mare cried, fumbling a hoof beneath the lip of the desk as Caldor pushed past into the back. “Sir!”

Sharing a worried look, Oak and Remedy hustled after him in a bid to save him from doing anything foolish, or, at the very least, too foolish. The backroom of the store was entirely separate from the front, piles of luggage strewn wherever there was room, not so much as where they made sense. It would have been a maze of fabric and zippers if not for the clearing at its heart, and the table within.

Light gleamed off the edges of polished steel and shimmering pommels, while dark wood and cloth-wrapped handles provided a stark contrast. Almost every weapon imaginable, in some form or another, lay on the table before them. Caldor swiftly snapped them away, the harness across his chest taking a few instruments of war, an empty bag, retrieved from the floor, the remainder. Curious, Oak went to lift an axe, only to have his hoof slapped away.

“Unless you know how to use one, don’t touch it,” Caldor instructed, stowing the axe within the bag and tying it shut. “You’ll never join the guard missing a leg. Can you take the other one, Remedy?” he asked, kicking a bag identical to the first.

“Curious,” Remedy remarked, leaning close to examine it. “What is this material?”

“Leather.”

“You mean—”

“Yes.”

“What—”

“Mountain sheep.”’

“Ah... I see.”

“Caldor,” Oak exclaimed, “what’s all this about!”

“These are just my—”

“That’s not what I mean, and you damn well know it,” he accused, stamping his hoof.

“Just relax,” Caldor grunted, hefting the bag across a shoulder. “Ah’m just doing my job.”

“By breaking into a customs office!?”

“You worry too much, lad,” Caldor chuckled, strolling out into the now-barren front. “Relax.”

A symphony of warning bells rang out through Oak’s mind as he realized there was not a single pony in sight, either behind the desks or pressed up against the window. The entire room was devoid of life, the silence bringing an oppressive urgency to the stillness. Yet Caldor appeared unaffected, almost jauntily skipping out into the street.

“Halt where you are!” came the cry. “Drop the bags and get down on the ground!”

A loose semi-circle of Royal Guards surrounded the building's front, both holding back the crowd and keeping watch. Each pegasus had a spear, the slender weapons pointed loosely at the sky. Deeming the situation to be unfavorable, Noir flew up to perch on a gutter, out of the way but still in sight. Somewhat shakily, trembling with anger and a bit of fear, Oak moved to follow their orders.

However, despite their demands, Caldor decided on the polar opposite course of action.

“Not bad, not bad at all,” he mused. “Still room for improvement though.”

“Gryphon,” shouted the pegasus at the center, leveling a spear as a signal for the others, “This is your final warning! Submit at once or we will resort to force.”

“Caldor, what the blazes are you doing!” Oak hissed. Forget a place in the royal guard, their lives or freedom might be on the line.

The gryphon scanned the circle. “Good posture, readiness is adequate. Cohesion and coordination need improvement. You leave gaps in your ranks Ah could slip through, and by giving the orders, you designate yourself as the leader and my first target.”

The wavering tips of the spears stiffened, intent on their target with the final words. Yet at the same time, their leader’s slackened.

“Caldor?” he asked, puzzled.

“Right on the first guess! Ah’m impressed, Sky.”

“Sir,” asked another pegasus, lowering his spear hesitantly. “Do you know this gryphon?”

“Yes; stand down, all of you,” the pegasus instructed. “So who are the others with you?” he asked Caldor.

Remedy rose warily, clearing his throat. “I am Doctor Remedy, and this is my patient Oak Leaf, who seeks to join the Royal Guard.”

Oak shifted uncomfortably under Sky’s critical eye.

“You sure you aren’t looking for a hospital there, buddy?”

“I assure you,” Remedy declared pointedly, “his appearance is most deceiving; his body is almost entirely healed. Little more than an additional day will be enough for him to heal entirely, save for his wings.”

“Besides, Sky,” Caldor injected, a smile tugging at the corner of his beak, “he did somethin’ more foolish than you ever did.”

“Are you ever going to let that go?” Sky muttered darkly, scowling fiercely.

The gryphon broke into laughter. “Where’s the fun in that!” he roared. “Oak here tried giving a manticore a bloody nose, but Ah‘d wager he did a fair bit better than that. Ah’ll go as far as to give him my recommendation and call in that favor you still owe me.”

“Fine,” Sky relented after a moment’s hesitation, “he’ll get a chance. Now I hope you realize how much paperwork I have to fill out. Couldn’t you have just waited a few minutes for somepony to fetch me? It would have been easier for all of us.”

“You’re the ones who hired me,” Caldor countered. “If you don’t like my methods Ah’ll head elsewhere.”

“You’re insufferable as ever, you know that?” Sky groaned. “You’re helping me fill out all the paperwork either way. You owe me as much.”

The gryphon shrugged. “Fine by me.”

“Sergeant Featherlight,” Sky instructed, speaking to the mare to his left, “give your spear to Caldor and escort Remedy and Oak Leaf back to the tower. I’ll be taking Caldor back with the rest of the squad.”

Saluting stiffly, Featherlight lightly tossed her spear to the gryphon.

“See ya around, lad,” Caldor said, already in the air before any of the pegasi could even spread their wings.

“Let’s move,” Featherlight coldly commanded. The mare pushed through the crowd with practiced ease. There was no pause to check if they were following, just immediate motion.

Past the obvious herd at the station, the vast multitude of ponies around Canterlot astonished Oak. It was amazing that so many could live in such density, and still live their life to the fullest. Where he lived, there was nothing for him to compare it to. Given the city to themselves, everyone in his town would have a house the size of the castle.

Frowning in bafflement, Oak wondered where that memory had sprung from. Following the thread through his mind, he lost himself within the tangled web, paths converging and diverging in numbing patterns. The fragrance of freshly baked pastries wafting past his nose brought him back to reality, the three of them marching past a bakery. Everywhere there was something happening, something exchanged, be it merchandise or merely pleasantries.

Yet, despite however foreign it might be, it was not entirely unexpected. To his own surprise, Oak realized that this was not his first time here. Desperately, he tried to match up his surroundings to his memory, trying to find the connection, but too much had changed over the years. Where he distantly remembered a flower store, there was a pub. Where there once was a coffee shop, there was a grocery.

Frustrated, Oak Leaf grunted, kicking a pebble up the street.

“Everything all right?” Remedy asked, falling back alongside Oak. The doctor had taken the chance to talk with the sergeant, leaving Oak to follow, slack-jawed at the sights.

“Yes... No,” Oak admitted, quietly. “I just remember being here a long time ago, and...” He trailed off, realizing Featherlight could be listening in.

Nevertheless, the beige unicorn recognized what Oak was getting at. “I see. Excuse me, Miss Featherlight?” he called out, talking a few rapid strides to catch up.

The mare saved him the work, halting and turning crisply on the spot. “Yes, what is it?” she questioned, her voice tinged with barely perceptible annoyance.

“If you wouldn’t mind, Oak Leaf would like to take a swift swing into the market to find something for his sister.”

“He’ll have plenty of time once training starts,” she replied, beginning to walk again. “Recruits have the evenings off.”

“All the more reason to go now,” Remedy countered, halting the sergeant. “Many of the shops close a few hours before the sun sets. Certainly it wouldn’t pose a problem to take a look now.”

“I was ordered to bring you back to the castle,” she answered, tersely.

“Ah, but were you ordered when?” he countered.

“I hardly thin—”

“Besides,” Remedy interrupted, “it is a beautiful day outside. Why not take advantage of the opportunity? Surely you wouldn’t mind browsing the odd vendor?”

“Alright!” she snapped. “But make it quick.”

Nodding graciously, Remedy took the lead, deviating from their original destination.

Oak’s eyes darted around, anxiously soaking up the sights and storing them to memory. Emerging from a narrow street, he found numerous merchants standing at their stalls, eager to sell their goods. Any and everything, from the latest bestselling novel to a simple apple, could be found somewhere within the market. Ignoring a pegasus pandering his goods, Oak looked about for something that might stand out. Under the watchful eyes of Sergeant Featherlight, he paused to falsely peer at the odd bauble here and there, merely to convince her of the lie.

Noir chose that moment to reappear, landing atop Oak’s head and startling nearby ponies. With great interest he inspected the table Oak stopped at. Spying something, he hopped down onto the ledge, picking up the chain of a heart shaped locket.

“Hey, get out of here!” the stallion, whose goods Noir preyed on, shouted.

Don’t worry; he is with me,” Oak said, placating the owner. “Noir, I know it’s shiny, but I’m not getting it.”

Noir shook his head, jingling the chain. He had no interest in it for himself, no matter how shiny it might be. His motives, and goal, lay elsewhere.

“Then why did you pick it up?”

Snorting, the raven squawked a response, hoping his friend would understand, or rather, remember.

“Come on,” Oak said, gently tugging the chain, “let’s get going.” He offered up his foreleg for Noir to perch on. With other plans, though, Noir dropped the pendant and took to the skies, leaving Oak standing, foreleg raised awkwardly. Sighing, Oak turned to catch up with Remedy.

The beige unicorn had stopped at a jeweler, studying a set of earrings. The design was a blue garnet gemstone, encircled by two strands of silver, which met at the poles of the gem. A simple silver hook extending from the top completed the piece “Excuse me, do you mind if I take a look at these?”

“Sure,” the mare answered, removing the pair from the secure glass case.

Grabbing hold of the earrings with his magic, Remedy brought them close to his nose, inspecting the intricate details. Satisfied, he turned to Featherlight, holding them expectantly.

“No,” the sergeant growled.

“Miss Featherlight, I apologize for putting you on the spot. I merely forgot to purchase a present for my daughter, and I would like to put their size into perspective. If you would rather not, it is perfectly understandable.”

“I am on duty.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And?”

She hesitated for a second, deciding upon her response. Scowling, she nodded her consent. Fumbling with the offered jewelry, she quickly threaded them through her ears, dropping her hooves once they were in.

“Yes,” murmured Remedy after a brief inspection, “they will do quite nicely.”

Unlike the doctor, seeing the stern mare wear something that seemingly defied her character was too much for Oak. Although he struggled to maintain a straight face, he could not prevent a snicker from escaping. Immediately, Featherlight’s hooves shot up to her ears, nearly tearing the earrings out, and tossed them at Remedy.

“Time’s up,” she declared coldly. “Castle, now.” She shoved through the crowd before a response could be mustered.

“How much?” Remedy asked the vendor hurriedly, unbuckling his saddlebags.

“Forty-five bits,” she replied.

Remedy dropped the bits on the counter, turning to chase after Oak Leaf and Featherlight.

“Miss Featherlight,” the unicorn began, “I apolo—”

“We’re done sightseeing,” Featherlight interrupted. “What you want to do with your own time is up to you.” With a few elongated steps, she increased the space between them, denying a response.

Falling into step alongside the doctor, Oak leaned over to whisper into the doctor’s ear. “How long is that stick?”

“What?” Remedy whispered back, puzzled as to what he meant.

“The one stuck up her ass.”

Doctor Remedy had to suppress a chuckle at that, missing Featherlight’s ear twitch. “While amusing, perhaps it is best to save those for when she is not around.”

“Come on, there’s no way she heard me.”

Each step they took brought them closer to the castle and the rich upper class district. Ponies with their noses held high trotted past, largely ignoring the interlopers. Oak wilted under a few fierce glares, presumably because of his injuries and ragged coat. The elegant dresses and suits of the elite shone without fault, contrasting sharply with Oak’s and Remedy’s worn saddlebags, and disheveled appearances.

The Royal Guard barracks and headquarters sat a short distance from any other building, the vacant space acting as a buffer, both for presentation and safety. The wide, squat tower shared a similar design to the slender spires of the royal castle, yet was fundamentally different. The arches and windows took on a far more hostile tone, warning miscreants and Equestria’s enemies of those who would fight to defend the peace and safety of Equestria: the Royal Guard.

Featherlight stopped and spun on the spot. “Inside to the left there will be a desk; that is where you apply. Doctor, you will have to find residence elsewhere as the barracks is restricted to the Royal Guard and potential recruits.”

Oak looked up at the open, golden doors, steeling himself against the nervousness fluttering through his stomach. It was make or break for the plan; once he had signed up, there was no backing out. Until the moment he could no longer maintain his charade, he was a pegasus. Briefly, Oak thought to the moment when they would find out, but stopped himself, remembering Caldor’s words. He would cross that bridge when he came to it.

“Oh, and Oak Leaf?”

Oak paused, looking back over his shoulder at Sergeant Featherlight. Her leg shot out, catching him between his legs. Cross-eyed, Oak toppled forward, his mouth forming a silent ‘o’ of agony. A spring in her step, Sergeant Featherlight trotted off cheerfully.

“I believe she heard you,” Doctor Remedy said, wincing understandingly.

Oak groaned. “Gee, you think?”

Chapter III - Commence

Stifled laughter trailed Oak as he entered the tower. After the initial moments of sympathy had passed, Remedy found the situation highly amusing, hiding his smirk behind a hoof. When Oak finally recuperated, pulling himself to his hooves, he scowled at the doctor’s obvious suppressed hilarity.

“Hardy har har,” Oak muttered darkly, barely managing a stiff-legged gait. “Laugh it up.”

Wiping away tears of mirth, Remedy tried to sober up, failing miserably. “Oh come now,” he said, repressing a smile, “you cannot say that was entirely without reason.”

The earth pony grumbled, conceding the point begrudgingly. Featherlight was not a pony to joke around with, certainly not at her expense. She tolerated annoyances to the same degree as a sleep deprived mother: very little.

“What crawled up her ass and died?” Oak said to himself.

“Pardon me?” Remedy asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just thinking aloud,” he fibbed.

Oak took a moment to marvel at the expansive hall, revealed as the gates swung open. Soaring marble arches, supported by pristine pillars, offered elegance to the surreal decor. Intricate carvings lined the doorframes, each minute detail etched with exacting clarity. The building itself was a masterpiece and sacred relic, the hallowed halls echoing back to the very founding of the Royal Guard.

Despite her recent aggression, Featherlight had spoken the truth. Just off the main entrance, located inside a small room, registration took place. Behind the desk, garbed in a set of polished golden armour, minus a helmet, a grey unicorn sat examining various papers. He was slouched in a relaxed position, almost foreign for the normally disciplined guard.

Looking up as they approached, the stallion raised an eyebrow. “You’re in the wrong place if you are looking for a hospital. If you don’t know where it is, I can get somepony to lead you there.”

“There is no need for that,” Remedy replied. “My patient here is looking to join the guard.”

The raised eyebrow nearly disappeared into his mane. “He wants to join like that?” he asked incredulously. “Sorry, but there is no way he is getting in.”

“Surely there–”

“Not a chance,” the guard reiterated. “He’ll have to wait until spring. Maybe...”

He trailed off as a black sprig of magic, stemming from Doctor Remedy, danced across Oak’s body, cutting through plaster and cloth. The lion’s share of Oak’s dressings fell to the floor, leaving only the bulky bandages around his middle.

“Would this be enough?” Remedy asked.

The grey unicorn pursed his lips, examining Oak thoroughly. “What about that?” he asked, indicating the remaining set.

“For the time being, those need to remain in place; Oak Leaf’s wings have yet to fully heal.”

“What’s wrong with them?”

“They are more bindings then bandages,” Remedy explained. “When he was injured, several muscles in his wings were torn. As it stands, he is able to fly, however, he would run an astronomical risk of injuring, perhaps even crippling himself, if he overexerted those areas. They are to prevent further injury, not aid in recovery.”

“Then why not wait? I mean, we’ll still be here come next year.”

“I wish this to remain between us,” Remedy said in a quiet undertone, “but Oak is not from a particularly well-off family. Were he to return home, the considerable distance it is, it would be some time before they could set aside the money for him to travel once more. I do understand your doubts, but I must insist that Oak is fully capable to participate in the training. Furthermore, we also have the recommendation and approval of Lieutenant Sky.”

Those final words broke through the remaining resistance. “Alright,” he declared, holding out a set of forms. “I’ll still have to check with him, but you can fill these out.”

“Many thanks.”

Leading Oak to a cluster of tables, Doctor Remedy elegantly flourished the provided quill. Dipping it into the ink, he scratched down a few notes before looking to the earth pony.

“Try to answer these as best you can,” Remedy instructed. “I know you may not remember , but if you can recall anything, it would help immensely.”

“Alright, I guess,” Oak replied hesitantly.

“Very well, let’s begin with where you are from. I’d advise you to turn your thoughts to the North.”

“Whitehorse,” he replied instinctively.

Remedy jotted the location down. “Family? “

“My parents, three sisters and a brother,” he replied after a moment.

“Do you remember their names by any chance?”

“Uhh...” he stammered, collecting his thoughts. “ Rose Petal, my mother, Ash Leaf, my father, Maple Leaf, Iris Petal, Poppy Petal and Wisteria Petal... What?” Oak asked, baffled by the sidelong glance he received from Remedy.

“Seems you are making more progress than you realize,” he commented, writing down the names. “Even five hours ago, I do not believe you would have been able to tell me that. It is wonderful to see.”

“I know,” Oak sighed, “but it’s still so frustrating. They’re my memories, so why should I have to wait for them?”

“Patience is a virtue, Oak Leaf, and the age of that particular saying doesn’t tarnish its truth. Try to focus on what is happening around you, and let them come back to you at their own pace,” he advised. “Now, let us continue.”

The truth behind Remedy’s words became clear, as Oak continued to answer any and every question asked. It did not serve to curb his irritation in any manner, however. If anything, the sudden outpouring only spurred the generation of additional questions. With no clear answers, Oak dropped the matter, taking the opportunity to brush his mane from his eyes. The length of the strands only reminded Oak of his unique request to have his mane and coat cut.

“And I believe that is everything,” Remedy finished, returning the quill to the inkwell and scanning the paper once more. Approaching the guard lounging behind the table, Remedy passed over his forms.

“Hm...” the guard hummed, scanning the form “Alright, everything seems to be in order. I’ll just make a few notes, but other than that, you’re good to go. Training begins tomorrow. Do you have a place to stay?” he asked Oak.

The earth pony shook his head.

“You can stay here with the other potential recruits. To get to the mess, go down the hall, take your first left and it is the third door on your right. The stallions’ barracks is four beyond that. I’m afraid you’ll have to seek accommodation elsewhere, doctor.”

Oak turned to bid Remedy farewell, but the beige unicorn tossed his head towards a quiet corner away from prying ears.

“What is it doc?” he asked in a hushed voice.

“Oak Leaf, in three days’ time, provided your injuries have healed, you are to stop taking the medicine I gave you.”

“Of course,” Oak replied, “Why wouldn’t I?”

The beige unicorn sighed, rubbing his eyes. “On the last leg of the train ride here, I reviewed the components of the substance, and the effect it had on your injuries. I suspect it increases cellular growth by an incredible degree. However, I fear that this same feat almost certainly makes it carcinogenic.”

“What?”

Remedy sighed. “Carcinogenic means that it is directly involved in causing cancer.”

“Then why did you give it to me!?” Oak demanded.

“Oak, please understand... By everything I have learned, from all my years of study, you should be dead right now. I’m not trying to make a joke; you should not be alive. I had been meaning to test the substance after my return from Canterlot, but when you were brought in, I had to forgo that notion. Nothing I’ve learned could have saved you, and because of that, it leaves me wary that this substance could, where all else failed.”

“So I’ll just stop taking it then.”

Remedy shook his head mournfully. “I only wish it were that easy. Remember I mentioned that I reviewed the components on the train ride here? Well, I believe one, if not several, are highly addictive.”

“O-Oh...” Oak stammered.

“If needs be, dispose of what I gave to you. It is not worth worrying about the cost of replacing it. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need aid or assistance. If I am correct, your health will rapidly deteriorate if you continue to consume the medicine.”

Remedy’s tone was an ultimatum, a forerunner to certainty. Words escaped Oak as he searched Doctor Remedy’s gaze, looking for an indication of something that was simply absent: a lie.

“Alright, Doc,” Oak replied, sighing in resignation. “I’ll see you around... I guess.”

Remedy nodded goodbye, suddenly seizing up, slapping a hoof to his forehead. “Listen to me. I tell you to contact me, but I fail to provide any manner for you to do so. If you need me, ask around for The Cracked Mug, the bar my daughter runs. Till then, farewell.”

Oak followed Remedy into the hall, watching the stout figure until he vanished into the crowd. With the guard’s instructions fresh in his mind, Oak started down the hallway, his pace slow as he lost himself in the marvels of the architecture. Entirely engrossed with the sights, Oak blundered past the turn, only noticing a few seconds after. Determined not to repeat the mistake he focused on the hallway, counting off the doors. Bunks lined the expansive room, beyond the designated portal, calling lovingly to him. Although Oak had been convinced by the doctor that his injuries would not be bothering him, nagging sensations of doubt persisting at the edge of his mind.

Many of the bunks had already been claimed, the odd stallion lounging about here and there, but many more stood vacant. It was more Oak’s desire for specific traits that made one hard to find. He wanted one out of the way and cozy, but not distant from the door. In the third row, against the wall, Oak found what he was looking for, kicking open the trunk at the foot of the bunk. Carefully setting his saddlebags down, as not to break any of the vials, Oak closed the lid a moment later, unceremoniously flopping onto the mattress.

As Oak nestled beneath the covers, nothing short of exhaustion described how he felt. Regardless of the progress made, all the medical tests passed, he had spent the better part of two weeks confined to a bed, all but lifeless. Today had been the longest he had remained awake in the same period of time, and it clearly showed. Deciding upon a short doze before supper, Oak set his head down and closed eyes. Sleep came quickly for the injured pony, the world carrying on without him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn is a much debated topic among all races. For some, it was a chance to sleep in, for others it was a chance to get an early start on the day. Oak was one such pony that fit into the second group.

The dim light of the room greeted Oak as he woke, blinking sleep from his eyes. Groaning to himself, he realized he had slept right past dinner and through to the next day. The reason he awoke became apparent a moment later, his stomach hungrily clawing for food.

One undesirable task stood between him and breakfast though, the medicine, if he could even call it that. The doctor’s words weighed heavily on his mind as he uncorked the vial, swirling the green sludge in disgust. Whatever this was put his life at risk, yet at the same time had saved it. Bracing himself, he tossed his head back, downing the contents in a swift gulp.

Many ponies say that trying something a second time is easier than the first. Not here though, not even close. With the other stallions in the room still sleeping, Oak stuffed a hoof in his mouth to keep from crying out. After another few seconds, the sickness settled and a feeling of warmth began to spread throughout Oak’s body, banishing the chills. It was quite pleasant now that Oak took a moment to recognize it. Noiselessly, he exited the room, easing the door gently shut. Feeling rather stiff, he leaned forward, stretching in a manner similar to a cat. Unfortunately, the display did not go unnoticed.

“Take it you slept well then?” Lieutenant Sky asked, trotting up, looking surprisingly awake for the time.

Blushing in embarrassment, Oak gave a little chuckle. “I suppose you could say that. What are you doing?”

Sky lifted a wing, displaying a bugle tucked beneath. “Seems the guard has yet to discover the alarm clock, so we make do with this instead. Head on to the mess and grab something to eat; training begins in twenty minutes.”

Oak was halfway down the hall when the fanfare began; yelps and groans followed moments later. Chuckling to himself, Oak continued on to the mess, passing by a pair of unicorns, dressed in dark navy blue armour, just coming off the night shift. One of the unicorns glanced at Oak, sharing a snide comment with his companion. The two, dressed in navy blue armour with a white plume topping the helmet, snickered in unison. Ignoring them, Oak paused to scratch his mane, once more cursing the length of his mane. The blasted thing was in his eyes, the unkept strands nearly tickling his cheeks.

Entering the mess, Oak saw it was nothing more than a table set up with a few basic breakfast foods. There were a few different kinds of muffins and a small bowl of various fruits and pastries. Foregoing the fatty treats, Oak settled on a pair of blueberry muffins, along with a McIntosh apple. However, his stomach wasn’t satisfied with his meagre selection, growling hungrily, prompting the earth pony to snatch an additional apple before finding a seat. With his momentary head start, Oak finished his first muffin just as other ponies began to trickle in.

True to his word, twenty minutes later Lieutenant Sky trotted in. “Everypony up!” he shouted. “General Candlelight would like a word with all of you before we begin!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oak shifted idly, fidgeting with his bandages, waiting for the general to show. Around him, various ponies conversed amongst each other, something Oak had no inclination to try. The knowledge of the guard’s discriminatory nature hung over his head, keeping him somewhat paranoid somepony would find out. The dull murmur of noise ceased with the sharp retort of metal on metal, as Sergeant Featherlight snapped her hooves together, standing to attention.

At the front of the room, a low platform had been constructed, allowing whoever stood upon it to be seen by everypony in the room. Forgoing a flashy entrance, a unicorn entered through the main doors, methodically making his way to the front of the room. General Candlelight’s armor was unique, a symbol of his station. Instead of the gleaming golds and regal blues of the Solar Guard, the general’s armor was a sterling silver, complete with a vibrant red plume. Unlike the other unicorns, Candlelight did not possess the customary grey coat, but rather a pure untainted white. With hawk-like eyes, the slender unicorn surveyed the room as he took center stage. A tremor surged through the crowd, as his gaze worked over the ponies before him, each flinching at the utter obedience his spirit demanded.

Waiting till the last murmurs of conversation cut off, Candlelight began his piece. “You are all here today because you seek one thing: to join the Royal Guard, yet none of you will succeed. It will not be because you fall short of our physical requirements, or utterly fail a test. No,” he uttered, “you will fail because those of you who we accept are already one of us.”

General Candlelight broke from his position and began to pace across the stage. “Ever since the very of founding of Equestria, there have been ponies who are willing to stand and fight for what they believe in. It may be a loved one, or perhaps tradition, but common to all was a desire to protect and maintain peace and freedom for others. That was the virtue we were founded upon those many years ago. It cannot be taught, nor can it be given. However, if you possess the will and determination, you’ll find what you are looking for. And without a doubt, I can assure you, nothing will ever match what you discover.

“Now,” he said, returning to his position at the center of the stage. “This year, training will be conducted by Lieutenant Sky, Sergeant Featherlight and Commander Cherry Blossom.” At the final introduction a Lunar Guard emerged from the shadows, stepping forward to take her place alongside the General. The unnatural appearance lent by her batlike wings and slitted eyes did nothing to soften her stern expression. “You are expected to follow their every command to the letter. If they say jump, you jump. The chain of command is something you will learn, and are expected to follow.”

“Now one final thing of note. This year, the Royal Guard has been lucky enough to acquire the assistance of a Talon, a gryphon warrior for those unfamiliar with the term. He may not be an officer of the guard, but you are expected to show him the same respect and compliance you would any of us..” The General raised a hoof in a salute, holding it steady as he spoke. “I expect the very best from all of you, and I am certain you will not disappoint.” He dropped his hoof, stamping the floor sharply. “Dismissed!”

“Everypony follow me!” shouted Featherlight, barging her way through the crowd.

Oak turned to follow, but stopped when Sky caught his eye, shaking his head. Compliant, Oak took a seat, fidgeting under the gaze of the officers. Cherry Blossom leaned to whisper something into Candlelight’s ear, the unicorn’s eyes quickly shifting to view Oak Leaf in a new light. From his distance, Oak couldn’t make out the whispered response.

“So you’re Oak Leaf,” the general finally said, addressing the disguised earth pony.

Swallowing nervously, Oak bobbed his head. “Yes sir.”

“You must be quite something for both Caldor and Lieutenant Sky to recommend you, am I correct?”

“I hope so, sir,” he replied, not enjoying the tone the general took.

“Well it certainly seems you have a firm head upon your shoulders, so hopefully you’ll be able to decipher this.

I’ve gone out of my way to accommodate you, so I expect you to go out of your way for me.” He paused to stare at the pony before him. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes sir,” Oak repeated.

“Very good. Dismissed.”

Lieutenant Sky led Oak out of the hall, and after the rest of the group. He waited till they were out of earshot before speaking.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “Candlelight can be a little heavy-hoofed when dealing with things he doesn’t like. He’s never really been a fan of changing protocol.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Oak replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“Oh come now,” the guard chided, “he’s hardly as bad as you’re making him out to be. Sure you’ll have to work harder, but he’ll be sure to notice your efforts.” The guard held a hoof out, stopping Oak from opening the doors. “Oak, one thing before we go out there, and it is very important. If your injuries start to bother you, don’t push yourself. You can always try out for the guard another time, but a crippled wing will stay with you the rest of the life.”

Touched by his concern, despite its ill-founded origins, Oak smiled and nodded his appreciation. “Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind. Somehow, though, I doubt I’ll be following your advice.”

“Huh...” Sky grunted thoughtfully. “You’re just like Caldor said.”

“Is that good?”

Realizing he had spoken aloud words meant for the privacy of his mind, the lieutenant quickly shrugged off the question, pushing past the doors. A few ponies glanced back at the noise, but the remainder were focused intently on Featherlight as the gruff mare issued harsh instructions.

“Explained everything already, Featherlight?” Sky interrupted, trotting through a gap in the crowd.

“Yes,” she replied with a scowl at the interruption. Her annoyance quickly disappeared, smothered by cruel amusement. “Since you are so eager to get started, why don’t you take the lead today?”

“Fair enough I suppose,” he chuckled. “Alright, everypony behind me: we’re going for a little run. I don’t want to catch any pegasi flying, or you’ll be running the loop twice.”

“What loop?” a voice asked.

“Oh its not much; only a few times around the castle.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Technicalities could be a bitch, Oak realized as he stumbled on a loose stone. True to the lieutenant’s word, they ran a few times around the castle, but the radius of their rough circle was massive. Instead of taking a route just outside the stout castle walls, they headed into the city, nearly tripling the run’s length. But it wasn’t the run itself that bothered Oak, however; it was the heat. Celestia’s sun occupied a place high in the sky, obliterating any hope of shade.

Despite the sweat plastering his long coat to his body, Oak managed to keep up with Sky, breathing heavily. With each step, he was nothing less than astounded with his injuries, or lack thereof. His muscles rippled healthily with each stride, functioning in unison with the joints throughout his body. That medicine might have hurt in the long run, but by Celestia was it ever eerie and unsettling how fast it had healed him.

The peak of the tower came into sight, declaring itself as the finishing point of their ten kilometer run. The small pack who had managed to keep up with the lieutenant, either through fitness or sheer stubbornness, gratefully came to a stop, flopping down on the ground. Sighting the cups of water set out, however, Oak had other plans. Four paper cups fell to the ground, the contents thrown over his head, another one raised to his lips as he greedily consumed the cool liquid. Only then did he lay down on the ground.

“Hot?” someone asked.

“You have no idea,” Oak replied with a half hearted grin, looking up.

The steel-blue unicorn offered a hoof to Oak, tugging the earth pony up off the ground and offering him another cup of water. “Name’s Alexandrite Lavaliere.”

“Oak Leaf,” the overheated pony provided.

“You certainly don’t seem to be from around here.”

“No,” Oak agreed, “I’m from up North—Whitehorse to be specific. You?”

“Here in Canterlot actually,” Alexandrite answered. “Live just a few blocks away from the castle.”

Connecting the dots his mind, Oak realized that this would put Alexandrite living in the rows of mansions. There certainly wasn’t anything else around the castle. For some reason, this fact bothered Oak.

“So why did you join the guard?” Oak asked, shifting his own course of thoughts.

“Family tradition I suppose,” the unicorn sighed. “For six generations the eldest stallion in my family has joined the Royal Guard.”

“So your father was part of the guard Alexa...” Oak hesitated, struggling over the Unicorn’s name. “Can I call you Ale—”

“No you may not,” Alexandrite interrupted, indignantly. “If you cannot remember my name, then refrain from addressing me by a silly nickname.”

“Hey!” Oak exclaimed. “I didn't mean it like that...”

“Then what did you mean? My given name has a distinct history, one which I request be respected.” Alexandrite announced forcefully.

“I was just wondering if you prefered to be called something else!”

“Sure didn’t seem that way to me,” he muttered. “Certainly you wouldn’t want me calling you Oakie, now would you?”

“No—”

“Then why would you insist on calling me Alex?”

Lieutenant Sky had been watching the exchange from across the yard, with detached interest. Barely a feather was out of place on the pegasus from the carefree jog, while he pretended to polish his helmet, listening in all the while. He peeked over his shoulder, waiting for the appropriate time to intervene.

“I was asking you if—”

“Hey Oak and... Alex is it?” Lieutenant Sky interrupted, deliberately looking to Oak for confirmation. “Round up the others and head on to the infirmary. General Candlelight wants all of you to get bloodwork done. Commander Cherry Blossom will take it from there once you’re all done. Just a heads up, always address her by her rank, or by ma’am; she’s not as lenient as I am.”

“Great, now he thinks my name is Alex,” Alexandrite growled bitterly to Oak, as the officer trotted off. “Thanks.”

“Then just tell him!”

“You don’t get it,” he retorted, splitting off towards a cluster of ponies recovering from the run.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Oak watched Alexandrite trot over the to group, passing along the instructions. Shrugging to himself, Oak headed to the other side of the yard, gathering some of the ponies who had returned from the run. The whole name mess made no sense to him. Oak really wouldn’t mind if someone just called him something else, so what was it that made Alexandrite so unique in that regard? It was probably just some snotty upper class thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once more, Oak stood alone, waiting his turn in the line outside the infirmary. Raising a hoof to his mouth, he covered a yawn inspired by the tedious wait, and shifted from hoof to hoof. Oak wasn’t bored, rather he was worried, terribly so. Whoever was in there might take one look at his bindings, and demand he take them off, exposing the gross inconsistencies in his forms.

“Next!” came the call from the infirmary, snapping Oak from his thoughts.

Crossing the threshold warily, Oak was surprised to see a young, light wine-red unicorn reading over a clipboard, a set of glasses perched on his muzzle. A pristine white lab coat sat loosely on his shoulders, contrasting sharply with his well-groomed copper mane. Standing at the nearby counter, an older grey mare stood, the nurse making use of her wings to quickly sift through medical files. A few strands of her fandango-hued mane stood loose from its tight bun, evidence of a grueling day’s work.

“Name?” the doctor questioned without looking up from his form.

“Oak Leaf,” the green stallion replied.

“Just take a seat, I’ll be with you in a moment,” he said, gesturing to the empty bed.

Oak sat down, watching the doctor scribble down a few notes. Peering around him, Oak watched the nurse pick up a swab, carefully handling it with her wing’s primaries. Turning around, she stopped in bafflement, seeing Oak for the first time.

“Um, Cobbler?” she asked hesitantly.

“What?” the unicorn asked, looking up from his work. “Oh,” he uttered, upon seeing Oak for the first time.

Fearing the inevitable question, Oak tensed up, racing through ideas, solutions and bluffs, hoping he would find a way out. What the doctor said next dismissed those fears just as quickly.

“Oh,” Cobbler repeated, “I see. Oak, I hope you don’t mind, but we're going to have to cut a bit of your coat; otherwise, we won’t be able to locate a vein.”

“Alright,” Oak blurted, nodding his head viciously.

“Pearl, do you remember where I put that razor? I’m sure I left in the cupboards.”

The nurse shook her head. “It broke a month ago, don’t you remember?”

“Right,” Cobbler answered, frowning. “Locating another one may be difficult, definitely in the castle anyway.”

“Or, perhaps we could do this the old fashion way,” Pearl suggested.

“What do you–” he began, turning to see the nurse offering a pair of scissors. “Err... Right.”

Acting swiftly, the doctor cut loose a patch of hair, then exchanged the scissors in favor of a needle. A simple command to hold still was all he offered Oak, before he pricked his skin, drawing forth a small sample. While Cobbler dealt with the needle, Pearl placed a bandage over the bead of blood forming.

“There we go; all done,” Cobbler commented. “You’re free to go.”

“That’s it?” Oak questioned. “What about my injuries?” he continued, gesturing to his middle.

“Well if you would like me to take a look at them I could, but I imagine you’ve already seen another doctor. Far be it from me to second guess his or her work.”

Struggling not to let his relief show, Oak bobbed his head in thanks, and left the room, accompanied by the doctor’s shout, “Next!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The muscles in Oak’s legs twitched as he struggled to maintain the position. He could have handled another run. He could have withstood a grueling obstacle course, anything in fact, except this. It was a sentiment echoed by everypony there.

Cherry Blossom strode up and down the row, leering at the trainees standing in the motionless pose. After they had all arrived, she had given a few simple instructions: “Line up, shut up, and don’t move unless I order you to!” The first pony to have the misfortune of lifting a leg to scratch his mane had nearly had his head taken off by verbal abuse. Ever since then, not a single pony had been willing to risk it.

That had been two hours ago.

Ever vigilant, she paced up and down the lines, searching for a victim like a bloodthirsty shark. Oak stiffened as she drew near, then relaxed as she passed, letting his eyes wander for a moment.

“What do you see that’s so interesting?” the Lunar guard said, coming to a stop.

Oak waltzed into the trap about as gracefully as a two week old foal. “Nothing,” he blurted, snapping his vision back to the front. For a moment Oak thought he heard a gasp from the back but he had other things to worry about.

“Nothing what?” Cherry Blossom repeated with all the warmth of a glacier.

“Nothing, ma’am.”

“Good, then perhaps you won’t mind staying an extra half an hour. That shriveled raisin you call a brain could obviously use the time to understand the ruddy point to this whole exercise.”

“Yes, ma’am,” answered Oak, his voice strained.

“The rest of you get out of my sight!” she hollered. “Training ends early today; go get something to eat. Take the time to go over what you learned last year in preschool, for tomorrow, because I guarantee it won’t be that easy.”

All around Oak, ponies filed out, staying clear of the earth pony lest they incur the commander’s wrath. Alexandrite lent Oak a slight smirk as he walked past, leaving the earth pony fuming without a way to vent.

“Eyes front!” Cherry Blossom snapped.

Oak flinched, returning his gaze to the wall ahead and resuming the position. With everypony having left, Cherry Blossom was focusing on him and him alone. Every few minutes she would bark something out such as, “Straighten your spine,” or “Raise your head”. Eventually, though, her complaints dwindled in number as time trickled away. Once again, the urge to scratch his mane struck Oak, but he managed to push it to the back of his mind, unlike earlier.

“How were you injured?” she asked suddenly.

“Sorry?”

“Sorry what?” she demanded, shooting him an ill-tempered glare.

Oak gulped. “Sorry, commander?”

“I asked,” she said withdrawing, “How were you injured?”

“Manticore, ma’am”

“I take it you are seeing a doctor.”

“Yes, ma’am,” answered Oak.

“Tell me,” she said after a moment’s pause, “How are your wings faring?”

“My wings?” stammered Oak, “They’re fine all things considered...”

Commander Cherry Blossom stared inquisitively at Oak in silence. “You are free to go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A table had been set out with plates of sandwiches, fruit and pasta: common dinner fare. Unfortunately, that was what it had been when it was first set out; half an hour later, only scraps of food remained. Grabbing a tray and a pair of neglected alfalfa and daisy sandwiches, Oak cast his gaze over the room, looking for a place to sit. There was not a single open table, save for a small number in the corner, at one of which an icy white gryphon sat. Unknown to Oak, two pairs of eyes followed his movement across the room, wide in disbelief.

Caldor glanced up gloomily as Oak set his tray upon the counter. “Hey, lad.”

“Something wrong?” Oak asked.

“Seems none of the others have taken a liking to me. Not surprisingly Ah guess… After all, who would trust a gryphon?””

The earth pony was shocked by the bitterness in his friend’s voice. “Caldor...”

The gryphon sighed, “Ah’m sorry, Oak. Ah just can’t help but see this place and grow furious. This place used to be bustling with royal guards, but now... Ach... calling it a ghost of its former self would be generous. Ah’d wager the guard can barely muster a division, yet Ah can remember a time when there were eight. Worse still, the guards aren’t even warriors, just a bunch of overpaid security guards.”

“Hey now!” Oak nearly leapt in fright as Lieutenant Sky appeared besides him. “What about me?”

“Oh alright,” relented Caldor, breaking into a smile, “almost all.”

“You two know each other?’

Sky nodded, setting down his tray on the table. “Me and Caldor go way back.”

“For you at least,” Caldor muttered.

Oak cocked his head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sky cleared his throat decisively. “Well you see—”

“Now’s not the time or place,” Caldor interrupted, drawing a talon across his throat. “Ah trust Oak, ‘cept we have company.”

Turning to see who, Oak stopped, recognition fluttering through his mind. A yellow pegasus mare, with a golden mane stood before him, tears forming in her eyes.

“...Oak?” she asked hesitantly.

He tried opening his mouth, urging something to come out, but failed to find the words. He lost the chance a second later when she tackled him into a bone-crushing hug.

Chapter IV - Reunion

Oak tumbled backwards from the yellow mare’s tackle, slipping on the polished marble. The breath escaped his lungs as he hit the ground, a cursed question already forming upon his lips. He sputtered on strands of her orange mane, which dominated his vision. A mere moment before Oak intended on pushing her off, he realized something.

The mare was crying.

Tongue-tied, he stumbled over his question like a foal learning how to read. Brushing her mane from his face, Oak tentatively returned the hug with his free foreleg, looking to Caldor and Sky for guidance. Neither the gryphon nor the lieutenant had anything to offer, both staring on in bafflement. The tension in the air dimmed as they understood it wasn’t anger driving the mare.

“I-I’m s-s-so sorry,” the mare sobbed, squeezing Oak so tightly that he swore he heard his ribs crack.

“Wha—” Oak tried to say, but his question was cut off by another arrival.

“Oak!?” a maroon stallion exclaimed, a few strides behind the mare. Amidst his trimmed dark green mane stood a slender horn. “By tartarus,” he whispered, disbelief holding his jaw open, “it’s you!”

Licking his lips, Oak tried to address the most prominent quandary. “Who—”

“I c-can’t believe you’re still ah-a-alive,” the mare continued.

“Alive?”

With the sound of the choked words still ringing in his ears, the faint memories of the stormy night when he had first awoken, with his side torn open, came back to him. Even in their purest form, they were still figments, ghosts of spectres. He had been so woozy and faint from his injuries that all that fit into place were the pictures. These ponies knew him, and him, them, but nothing beyond that. No names; nothing.

Caldor seemed to recognize Oak’s confusion for what it was. “Miss, normally it’s polite to introduce yourself before jumping on ‘em.”

“What?” she asked in confusion, propping herself up. “Oak knows me.”

“Does he now?”

The earth pony shook his head ruefully from his position on the floor. “I feel like I should, but I don’t.”

“What?” she repeated in shock. “But we—”

“Miss, a concussion can do that. Remembering is precisely the problem at the moment.”

The yellow pegasus looked down to Oak, who nodded his head sadly. Even though he knew there was no reason for it, guilt plagued his mind as he saw tears well in her eyes. The air left his body once again, as the mare embraced him tightly.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Lieutenant Sky commanded, striding over and nudging the mare with a hoof. “I can appreciate your concern, but this is hardly the place for it. What are your names?”

She looked up, noticing the lieutenant for the first time. Blushing a furious crimson, she stood up, letting Oak rise to his hooves. The Solar Guard seemed amused rather than annoyed at the mare’s antics.

“My name is Frittata, sir.”

“Noche Buena,” the unicorn added. “Nice going by the way, Frit.”

“Oh, shut up,” Frittata growled, suggesting his criticism was playfully constant.

“You're going to have to leave us for a few minutes, regardless of how much you want to get reacquainted,” Sky ordered. “Caldor,” he continued, glancing to the gryphon, “neglected to mention memory loss when he recommended Oak.”

“Ah’m sure I did,” Caldor commented without an ounce of conviction in his voice.

“Yeah, sure you did,” Sky sighed knowingly, rolling his eyes. “If the general finds out he’s going to hang this whole thing around my neck. It’s bad enough as is that Oak’s injured and can’t even take part in pegasus training, but even then, he—”

“Um, sir?” Frittata asked. A pit of horror bloomed in Oak’s stomach. “Did you just say Oak was a pegasus?”

“Yes,” he said offhandedly. “Now...” Realization clicked inside Sky’s mind, and his gaze snapped to Oak’s bandages, then to the gryphon, who found a sudden interest in the table next to them. “You didn’t...?” Oak’s horror turned to terror as Caldor failed to supply an answer or some indication it wasn’t so. Lieutenant Sky’s face met the table with a meaty smack. “Great,” came the muffled response, “I always wanted to be a private again.”

“Oh, relax,” Caldor muttered, “You’re making a scene.”

“Relax!” Sky hissed. “ Caldor, I could lose my job over this, and you're telling me to relax!”

“If you keep your mouth shut, it won’t be a problem.”

“You’re telling me to actively lie to them!”

“Sir?” Noche tried.

Whipping his head around, he fixed Noche and Frittata in his sights. “I thought I told you to get out of here.”

“You—” Noche started.

Caldor waved him off. “Ach, let them stay. ‘Sides, they can help fill in the blanks.”

Frittata and Noche awaited Sky’s reluctant nod before warily taking a seat.

“So let’s start with the first blank then,” Sky continued in a hushed and urgent tone. “The part where you decide to leave out Oak’s an earth pony.”

“Ah didn’t do it without reason,” Caldor calmly replied. “Ask yourself this: how many earth ponies are in the guard?”

“There’s—”

“Not including the militia or reserves,” he insisted.

Sky relented, holding a hoof to his chin in thought. “There’s... Haralson and Eastern Haste,” he replied after a moment’s deliberation, lifting his head from his hoof.

“Really?” asked Caldor with genuine surprise, “And what division are they in?”

The light faded from the lieutenant's eyes with a sigh of realization. “Administration.”

“And there you have it,” Caldor said, complementing his point with a dramatic sweep of his foreleg. “And it’s not for lack of them trying.”

“Are you implying the guard has something against earth ponies?”

“Ah’m not implying anything,” he replied levelly. “Ah’m telling you how it is.” Oak caught a flicker of movement in Caldor’s eyes as they drifted away from their table.

Sky opened and closed his mouth, halting a flawed retort before it could be voiced.

“Perhaps we should take this conversation elsewhere,” the gryphon interrupted suddenly. “Other parties might take an interest.”

The lieutenant didn’t miss a beat, discretely peeking over his shoulder. “Alright.”

“One more thing... Frittata, is it?”

“Yes?” the golden yellow mare answered.

“It was a manticore that attacked Oak, correct?”

“Yes... Wait, what?” Frittata exclaimed after him in confusion. The gryphon merely smiled and headed for the door, trailed by the lieutenant. “What was that about?” she queried, ruffling her feathers uneasily.

“He guessed it was a manticore after seeing my scars,” Oak supplied.

An uncomfortable silence permeated the air, leaving them alone with their food. Oak poked at his sandwich with a hoof, but the feeling of hunger had left him, replaced with an equal appetite: curiosity. By all means, he should be clamoring for answers to his history. They had the answers, at least to his recent past, and he had his own for them. The thought must have struck them simultaneously, as they all spoke up at the same moment, cutting each other off in a clash of noise and falling silent once more.

Summoning the courage to speak to the pony they knew, but he not them, Frittata hesitated before speaking. “Oak, how are you still alive?”

Oak shook his head. “I have no idea. I mean, I know how I survived my injuries, but I don’t remember how I woke up in the hospital bed. I guess somepony must have found me.”

“Obviously,” Noche stated, his comment dripping with sarcasm.

Chuckling, Oak gave his head a weary nod. “Obviously,” he confirmed.

“What about that gryphon, was it him?”

“Caldor? No, I met him on the train here. Doctor Remedy was the one who stitched me together, but he never said anything about finding me.”

“Is he—”

“Frit,” Noche Buena interrupted, “shouldn’t you let Oak ask a question or two?”

“Err... Right.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Princess Celestia sank her teeth into the pastry, relishing the flavour crafted by the chef and her kitchen. Quality was never sacrificed in the name of time or money, Swelling Sails adamant her princess have nothing less than exceptional dishes.

Now if only the chef could work on size.

With a sigh Celestia set down her fork, finished with the small portion. To her, it was an aggravating trend: the way it had become the pinnacle of cuisine to serve these miniscule portions on massive plates. For a moment, she found herself yearning for the wondrous feasts of years past. True, ponies may have been a tad on the wild side back then, but they knew the pleasure in falling asleep with a full stomach. Between the brink of nausea and being full existed the perfect balance, a state which serenaded the mind to rest.

Casting her eyes over the plate once more, Celestia searched for any morsel which may have escaped her all-consuming appetite. Talking to chef had finally become unavoidable. In the absence of proper meals, the alicorn had begun to sneak a few too many pastries or snacks at court or between hearings. A furious blush of embarrassment crossed her face as she remembered her sister’s comment. What had been meant as a joke on Luna’s part had turned out to be true. She, Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria and Bringer of the Sun, was no longer the slender beauty that bards wrote songs of.

She was fat, overweight, or, as she prefered it, of ample proportions.

The only thing that had held her tongue up until this point had been Swelling Sails’ pride. She could be a little... overzealous with her cooking, and it remained the sole reason the alicorn refrained from actively criticizing the meals. However, enough was enough.

“Excuse me, princess.”

Looking up from her deliberations, Celestia took in the guard before her and smiled warmly. Eastern Haste was one of the few guards she was rather familiar with, the earth pony bearing messages with admirable diligence. Now and again, they would bump into each other over pages of paperwork, a byproduct of the political process, and find themselves chatting. Eastern Haste held out bundle of scrolls, offering them to Celestia.

“Lieutenant Haste, how are you today?” she greeted him, flicking open a wax seal. Taking a brief glance at the title, she set it down, putting it, and the rest, off until later. Tax code was a tedious thing and there was no need to soil the potential for a pleasant conversation.

“Fine, your highness,” he answered in a dutiful tone, tinged with jovial spirits. “Just dropping off a few messages here and there.”

“Care for a cup of tea?” she offered, lifting the pot left by the servants.

“Still on duty, I’m afraid,” he replied half-heartedly.

“I insist.”

It was almost a little game of theirs, crafted from years of friendship. She would offer, he would decline, then she would insist. Without another word of complaint, he took a seat, nodding to the offer of sugar for his beverage.

“How have things been with you lately?” Celestia asked, passing the steaming tea cup.

Eastern Haste’s face lit up in a grin, “Absolutely wonderful.”

“Oh?” she replied curiously, stirring her tea.

“Received a letter in the mail from my daughter yesterday bearing news.” Eastern Haste’s eyes twinkled merrily. “In a little over five months, I’m going to be a grandfather.”

“Oh my goodness, congratulations!” Celestia gushed, sharing in his happiness. “Have they picked a name yet?”

Eastern Haste nodded. “If it is a filly, Blooming Laurel, and if it’s a colt, Eastern Horizon.”

“After you?”

“Yeah,” he murmured affectionately, “after me.”

“How sweet,” she giggled.

“It sure doesn’t make me feel any younger, though. My daughter always seems to take pleasure in pointing that out. In fact, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was eager to collect her inheritance,” Eastern joked.

Celestia frowned, looking down at her cup, and bobbing the teabag in idle motion while he chuckled. Jokes of mortality had never sat well with her, and still didn’t. Though she had long since understood the implications of her own existence, she still never enjoyed others trivializing their own.

“Something the matter, princess?” Eastern Haste questioned, noticing the sudden change.

“It’s... Nothing,” she answered with a forced smile.

“You sure?”

“Positive,” she reaffirmed quietly.

“I hate having to return to business, but I must; there was something else I was instructed to tell you. General Candlelight informed me the necessary precautions were put in place as you requested, though he didn’t mention what. Anything you need to pass on to him?” Eastern Haste asked.

Celestia fell silent, pondering the implications the news brought. Avoiding the question, she answered with one of her own. “Can I entrust you with a special task?”

“Of course, your highness, anything,” he responded instantly.

“Could you keep an eye out for trouble around the castle? I do not want to be the source of undue worry, but it would be a great ease to my mind if you could keep watch.”

“I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open.”

“Thank you,” she replied, taking a sip of her tea. “So what can I get your daughter for the baby shower?” she asked, changing the topic and awaiting the protest, a smile forming on her lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“For the love of... Come on, Oak,” Noche groaned.

Picking himself up off the ground, Oak shook his head, banishing the ringing bells. “Sorry, I’m just no good at this.”

Frittata balanced the sack on an outstretched wing, comically rolling her eyes. “You’re the one who taught us this game. You kick our flanks at this all the time.”

The three of them stood out in the yard, playing, or at least attempting to play, a game that Oak had taught them weeks before. The only thing needed was a small sack filled with dirt, a few ponies, and space. You were allowed three touches to keep the sack in the air, before passing it off to the next pony in line. Whenever someone missed, or let the ball tumble, regardless of where it was sent, the others would get a point. Whoever had the most at the end of the game won. The catch came with the design of the sack. When hit too hard, it would tumble open, plastering its contents everywhere and costing the striker the match.

“I know,” Oak sighed, having heard the criticism already. He was utterly abysmal at this game, without so much as a single point. “Just give me a moment to think.”

To the best of their abilities, Frittata and Noche had filled Oak in on what he had missed. It left him a good idea of when he had first met them, three weeks ago, but not much beyond that. Apparently, he hadn’t mentioned much of where he came from, or his history, and frankly, what they knew was limited as best. The three had met at an inn stationed at the edge of a town on the long path to distant Canterlot. After a round of drinks, it had been Noche who suggested they should travel together, working their way down south. All three of them were crossing the distance under their own power, and travelling together would certainly make the time fly by.

“Just curious, Oak,” Frittata questioned, “what happened to Noir?”

“He’s around somewhere,” Oak replied. “Not sure where at the—” Oak trailed off, recalling something. “Hold on a sec.” Raising a hoof to his mouth, Oak whistled shrilly, summoning the raven.

Knowing Noir, Oak reasoned he was likely off sleeping somewhere, or gorging himself on scraps. With an eerily rapid response, however, his companion swooped down from the sky and snatched the sack from Frittata, soaring up into the sky.

“Hey!” Frittata shouted, nearly tumbling over in surprise.

After a moment, Noir banked, soaring in a wide arc until he had reversed course. Piercing the sack with his claws, the raven sprayed the contents on Frittata and Noche, dropping the cloth atop Noche’s horn.

“What the hell!” Noche exclaimed, wiping his eyes free of the grit. “For heaven’s sake, Oak, what was that about!”

The raven finished his second winding loop, landing atop Oak’s head. Flaring his wings, he hissed viciously at the two ponies. He did not desire to see them again in the slightest.

“Noir, what’s this about?” Oak asked, wincing as talons dug into his scalp.

The crow didn’t answer, instead, jerking his head forward aggressively at the two ponies, hissing again.

Somehow, Oak got the message. “Noir, that isn’t their fault. Did you expect them to stay and fight the manticore?”

Noir warbled quietly, indicating his belief in that statement.

“I don’t blame them for what happened, and neither should you. You should apologize.”

Noir hissed once more, shaking his head.

“No, you are going to apologize,” Oak decided, lifting a hoof to take the raven off his head.

Before he could grab hold, however, Noir took flight, narrowly skimming over Frittata’s head and raking his talons through her mane. Moments later, he disappeared, ducking behind the city’s skyline.

Oak let his hoof drop down to the ground dejectedly. “Sorry about that,” he muttered to his friends, his ears drooping. “I’ll see if I can’t talk some sense into him when I get the chance. I’m sure he’ll come around.”

“I’m pretty sure he still hasn’t forgotten me for locking him outside the inn,” Noche commented, plucking the sack off his horn. “I mean— Ow!” Noche exclaimed, rubbing the spot where Frittata had kicked him. “What the heck was that for?”

Frittata gave the unicorn an obvious glare, before addressing Oak’s concerns. “It’s alright, Oak, he has good reason to hate us.”

“No he doesn’t!” the earth pony protested.

“Yes he does, Oak.” Frittata sighed, taking a seat on the ground. “We could have tried to carry you or something, but instead, we just left you to the manticore. You, let alone Noir, have ample reason to hate us for that. It makes less sense that you don’t, actually.”

“So what?” Oak replied. “I’m just happy I met you guys again. Just forget about that whole thing. I don’t really—” Oak broke off, yawning widely. “‘scuse me,” he muttered, regaining control of his jaw.

“Tired?” Noche asked, still plucking out clods of dirt from his mane.

“Yeah, seems like it,” Oak answered. “I mean, apparently I’m not entirely better yet, and then I was in a coma before that.”

“So how bad was it?” the unicorn questioned, lazily gesturing to Oak’s side.

“Well, from what I can remember, it hurt.”

Noche snorted. “Your amazing talent of description still astounds me. Whatever would we do in a world without Oak Leaf to state the obvious?”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Calling it how I see it,” he protested innocently, threading a lock of his unkempt mane behind his ear. “Can’t help it if that’s how it is.”

“Alright,” Oak relented. “Let’s just say, it was definitely better I was out of it and loopy from blood loss. I do not want to remember how much that hurt.” He finished his sentence with another yawn.

“Maybe you should turn in early,” Frittata suggested.

“It’s not even sundown,” Oak replied, giving himself a quick shake to wake up.

“Well it’s not like there’s anything else to do.”

“Speak for yourself,” Noche cut in. “I plan on going to a few bars, checking in on the action.”

“And what part of getting drunk sounds like a good idea to you?”

“Well, I’ll have you to guide me back, for starters.”

“Now hold on a moment,” Frittata protested. “What makes you think I even want to go with you?”

Noche shrugged. “Well it’s not like you have anything better to do with your time.”

Hoof met cheek as Frittata slapped Noche across the face. Perhaps it may have been a tad excessive, but it certainly hadn’t been unwarranted.

“But you know it’s true,” Noche Beuna added in good humor, in spite of the blow. “Without me you’d have nothing to do.”

It pained her to admit it, but he was correct. Bitterly, she muttered a response.

“Anyway, what did you think of Candlelight’s speech, Oak?” Noche asked, shifting the topic.

“Good, I suppose.”

“Trust me; it may sound good the first time, but after the first few times, you realize it’s rehearsed.”

“... What?”

“We’ve been here for a little more than a week now, Oak,” explained Frittata. “Every few days they gather us in the room and give us that sort of speech, saying we’ll be starting soon, before sending us on a run and making us repeat that exercise. Then, for the next few days, we have nothing to do. I guess they’ve been waiting for Caldor to arrive.”

“So they’ll actually be starting tomorrow?”

She nodded. “Probably.”

“So what’s the plan for tonight then?”

“I guess I’ll be going out with Noche,” Frittata sighed, glaring at the grinning unicorn. “You should just stay here and get some rest.”

“We’re done with the game, I take it?”

Noche lifted the torn sack. “Gee, I wonder what gave you that idea? I think its safe to say you lost, quite pathetically I might add.”

“Once again, shut up,” Oak shot back, groaning in mock annoyance.

Chapter V - Lessons

Once again, Oak managed to avoid the bugle's call, nodding a greeting to Lieutenant Sky as he headed for breakfast. Despite the fact he had followed Remedy’s instructions, taking the medicine just after waking, he had already swallowed the bitter paste before realizing it. It remained only a minor concern, given he hadn’t given himself time to properly awaken.

This morning’s breakfast was a far cry from the previous meals they had offered. There were two choices: porridge, or porridge with raisins. Opting for the latter, and any degree of flavour it might offer, Oak had taken a seat near the front, setting his glass of water down next to the thin gruel. Not only did the meal look awful—he realized as he swallowed his first bite—it tasted awful, matching the consistency of a wet paper bag.

As the other ponies began to file in, Oak looked for his friends, finding Frittata coaxing an unwilling Noche Buena into the light. The unicorn all but collapsed to the table Oak sat at, greedily consuming Oak’s water before hiding underneath his hooves.

“Ow, ow, ow,” the maroon unicorn moaned.

“Take it last night went well?” Oak asked, chuckling at his friend’s plight.

“You have no idea,” Frittata laughed, placing another glass of water before Noche. “We went to a few bars, trying a few drinks, but it was only after Noche tried hitting on a mare that the problems started.”

“Oh, I can already see where this is going.”

The pegasus smiled knowingly. “After her fiance returned from the washroom, Noche here had the utterly brilliant idea to challenge him to a drinking contest.”

“How can anypony drink so much?” Noche whined.

“You could have given up,” she informed him.

“But my honour was on the line,” he protested lamely.

“And tell me how that turned out?”

Noche grunted pitifully, peaking out long enough to drink the second glass of water before nestling further into his hooves.

“So just oatmeal?” Frittata asked, unenthusiastically staring at Oak’s bowl.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I wasn’t too thrilled either.”

“No coffee either I imagine,” she said to herself, rubbing her eyes. “Might not have had much to drink, but Celestia knows I stayed up way too late. Any idea what’s happening today?”

“None,” Oak offered. “Sky didn’t say anything to me this morning.”

“You’re lucky to have him instead of Commander Cherry Blossom waking you up. She plays that damn bugle like she’s strangling a hydra.”

“That bad?”

“Worse. Can you do me a favor and wake me when they come get us?” Frittata requested, setting her head down on the table. “I think I’ll skip breakfast for a few more minutes of sleep.”

Nodding, Oak continued to eat his meal, rising only to get another fresh glass of water. Close to twenty minutes later, the sound of an approaching guard gave him the warning he needed. With one eye on the opening door, he leaned across the table to shake both of his sleeping friends as Cherry Blossom entered.

“Up on your hooves all of you!” she shouted to the room. “Today your training really starts!”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“All of you are to understand one thing and one thing only: there is no flexibility within the laws of Equestria,” Cherry Blossom shouted, pacing at the front of the lecture hall like an irritated feline. “They do not bend, and they certainly do not leave room for interpretation. It is our duty to enforce these laws steadfastly. Furthermore, just because you have a position of power, does not leave it open to abuse. If I catch anypony exploiting their power for even miniscule gain, I will personally throw you in the dungeon and leave you to rot.”

Throughout the room, a few ponies rolled their eyes at her threat.

“Try me if you think I’m joking,” she threatened with all the warmth of a glacier. “We have three guards down there right now. Two cases of accepted bribery and one of ponyslaughter through negligence. So if you think you can slip one past me, then by all means go ahead.

“At the core of Equestria’s laws exist three defining facets: freedom, safety and responsibility. The laws strike a balance and offer ideal circumstances for all to thrive. Some ponies try to take shortcuts to their desires, through hurting others, sometimes terribly so. It is our duty to apprehend these ponies before they cause irreparable harm. Nothing can be overlooked as the most innocent of violations can turn deadly. Corporal Brioso!” she called out, spotting something.

“Yes commander,” the unicorn standing in the front corner answered.

“Pass me one of the books, the one for unicorns,” she commanded, holding out a hoof expectantly. Cherry Blossom hefted the small hardcover book she was passed, gauging its weight, then whipped it out into the hall before her.

Oak jerked his head to the side as the book rocketed towards the seat next to him. Noche shouted in pain, waking from his brief slumber.

“Shiiii–” he hissed, clenching his smarting head between his hooves.

“Let me make one thing very clear!” Cherry Blossom shouted. “Being a part of the guard demands a measure of dignity and respect. Even when you are off duty, you represent the Royal Guard, and by extension, our government. Public drunkenness and rambunctious behavior will not be tolerated within the guard. Furthermore, if you are unfit for duty next day, I will have some very sharp words for you. Do I make myself clear, Noche Buena!” she demanded pointedly.

“Yes,” he moaned, picking himself up from the floor.

“Good, take the book and get out of here. You are dismissed. I will be personally giving you a special test tomorrow on the content of the book you have been provided. You’d be wise to memorize it from cover to cover.”

“But–” Noche protested.

“Did I not make myself clear?” Cherry Blossom asked pointedly. “You are dismissed.”

“See you guys,” Noche whispered in a depressed tone, taking his book and making for the door.

“Corporal Briso, please pass out the rest of them,” the commander continued.

The grey unicorn nodded, levitating books out into the room, green for pegasi and blue for unicorns, Oak realized after a moment. The earth pony handled his own with concern, flipping open the first few pages to see what sort of specifics it entailed.

“The book you have been given contains all the laws and regulations of Equestria. Furthermore, depending on whether you are a pegasus or a unicorn, it will also tell you to what degree you are permitted to make use of your abilities. For instance, if a pony is merely shoplifting, unicorns are only permitted to use class one stun spells. However, if you were chasing a murderer who was actively resisting, class four spells are permitted. Yes?” Cherry Blossom asked, seeing a raised hoof.

“What are class one and four spells?” a light blue unicorn near the front questioned.

“That is why you were given the books,” she explained. “Unless your brain is made from trash, which I imagine accounts for most of you, read it and learn it well. Given that out of the four of us—myself, General Candlelight, Lieutenant Sky and Sergeant Featherlight—only one is a unicorn, Corporal Briso shall be assisting you in training in a reserved role. Should any unicorns have specific questions, ask him.”

“Righto, Commander,” Brioso answered.

“And behave yourself, corporal.”

“Who, me?” he asked, innocently.

The Lunar Guard Commander ignored the unicorn entirely. “Everypony open to page twenty-four!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Noche had made it all of five steps outside the room before spying a bench and collapsing onto it. Sighing gratefully, he smiled, finding comfort on even the hard stone. His aching head bid him to sleep, and nothing compelled to act against the urge. Setting the book over his head, he promptly dozed off. Though his dreams may have been pleasant, evident by the stupid grin he wore, they were brief. A moist, slightly sticky hoof was shoved into his ear, twisting, before Noche jerked away, tumbling from his seat.

“Dammit Frittata!” Noche growled, instantly recognizing her laugh. “You know I hate that!”

“Oh calm down,” she guffawed. “You can’t say anything after last night.”

“Besides, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you move so fast,” chuckled Oak, helping the unicorn up.

“So what’d I miss?” he sighed, rubbing his ear clear.

“Not much.”

“Geez that mare can pitch,” Noche grunted, rubbing the lump on his head.

“I should hope so,” Corporal Brioso commented, overhearing the last comment as he exited the room. “Cherry’s the best shot in the guard. She’s also the strictest,” he added, somewhat mournfully.

“Yeah, I got that impression.”

“Heck, quite frankly she’s exaggerating,” he elaborated, rolling a hoof. “We aren’t that draconic, I mean, Shining Armour always took my pranks in stride. It’s just those try-hard Lunar Guards that can’t take a joke. Anywho, have to go. Candlelight wants me for some reason or another. See ya!” He waved whimsically, walking off.

“Um, ok...” Frittata muttered in puzzlement. “Is it just me or was something... off, with that pony?”

“What are you talking about?” Noche said cheerfully, trotting down the hall. “He seems great!”

“Do you even know where you’re going?” Oak called after him.

The stallion stopped and turned around, retracing the distance. “Right...”

“It’s this way you lug.” Frittata informed him, heading the other direction. “Apparently we’re supposed to meet in room 112a, don’t know where that is.”

“I just hope she’s not there.”

“Don’t worry,” Frittata soothed him, “Commander Cherry Blossom mentioned something about writing your test.”

“Right,” Noche groaned.

The three of them chatted, sharing jokes and jibes in earnest. As they walked, however, Oak was struck by the odd feeling that he was missing something. Perhaps it may have been just from his concussion, or perhaps his imagination, but Oak could swear he’d heard the soft crumpling of snow for a brief moment. Three steps, or perhaps six, was all it lasted for, but it was enough. Letting the others continue the conversation ahead of him, Oak lost himself in thought, looking up at the clear, crystal blue sky.

“Yo Oak!” Noche exclaimed, poking his horn into Oak’s shoulder. “You with us?

“Yeah... sorry about that.”

Noche gestured to the open door with a hoof, bowing slightly. “Mares first.”

Oak rolled his eyes, and walked past.

At the center of the room General Candlelight stood patiently, appearing as little more than a statue. Initially, the recruits thought he was waiting for something, passing the time motionless, but as Sergeant Featherlight shut the doors, only for nothing to happen, quiet murmuring broke out.

“What’s he waiting there for?” Frittata whispered into Oak’s ear.

“I don’t know.”

Another minute past before General Candlelight coughed briefly, flicking his eyes up to the ceiling, before falling back into his previous position. Only a few ponies noticed the subtle indication, Oak being one of them. Glancing up to the ceiling, Oak felt his heart pound in surprise when he saw Caldor, clinging to one of the ordinate spires, lending the earth pony a hearty wink. Defying gravity, the gryphon let go, pirouetting weightless in the air, held aloft with subtle wing movements, before plunging to the floor, absorbing the` shock with his legs. A few ponies shrieked at his sudden appearance, taking a gaping step back.

“Mornin’,” Caldor called out, turning about and casually strolling to the far side of the room. His destination was a set of weapon racks, each holding a variety of armaments.

“This is Caldoris Hawkeye, the gryphon I spoke of yesterday,” General Candlelight spoke up, breaking his silence. “He will be training you in the art of combat. Caldor asked me to greet you as I did as a test.”

“Which you all failed!” the gryphon hollered from across the room, placing a sword in a sheath along his side and two wooden staves on his back. “How can any of you expect to be guards when you’re not even bloody observant enough to notice what’s above you? Ah could hav’ placed three arrows in any of ya’ before you could have bothered to react.” Finished arming himself, Caldor glanced to Candlelight. “So, General, what do you want me to start with?”

“I am leaving that up to your complete discretion, provided it remains within reason. The princesses asked for you specifically, so I shall trust your judgement. As I have other duties to tend to, I am afraid I must depart.”

Caldor shrugged. “Alright, suit yourself.” Patiently waiting for the door to shut, Caldor launched into his lesson. “Alright then. ‘ow many of you think you know how to fight?”

A few hooves were raised in reply, scattered throughout the crowd. For a brief moment, Oak considered joining them, however something in the way the question was worded gave him pause. Better to underestimate his own limits than overestimate, the dull ache in his side reminded him.

“Step forward then, let’s get a better look at you,” Caldor said. Seven ponies stepped forward, standing confidently before him, almost arrogantly so.

“No, no, no, eh... perhaps, no, no, definitely not,” Caldor said, his eyes working down the ragged line.

“Hold on a moment!” a brown stallion called out. “How can you judge us without seeing us fight?”

“Oh?” Caldor asked innocently. “Care to prove me wrong?”

“Damn right I will,” he said, stepping forward.

The gryphon uttered a short barking laugh of amusement, as if he had been expecting that response. Grabbing from his back the two staves, he tossed one to the unicorn. “Catch,” he stated simply, earning a look of befuddlement.

Barely had the stallion grasped his stave before Caldor fell upon him, twirling the other one expertly. A tap to the side of the unicorn’s horn sent his stave tumbling, another swept his legs from beneath him, the third swing bringing the tip to bear at his throat.

“Congratulations,” Caldor announced, “you’re dead.”

“I wasn’t ready,” the unicorn protested, his adam’s apple bobbing against the point.

“Oh how lovely!” the gryphon exclaimed, withdrawing, allowing the stallion to rise. “Tell that to the being who places a blade through your chest. Try complaining as you’re choking on your own blood. The only way you survive is always being prepared. But just because, Ah’ll give you another chance. Ah’ll even let you get the first blow.”

The unicorn’s stave levitated in the stallion’s grasp.

“Well, Ah’m waiting.”

Gritting his teeth, the unicorn pulled back his staff, readying his first blow. The stave had barely begun its arc, before Caldor leapt into action. Stepping inside the blow, he rammed his head into the stallion’s, plowing him back a few steps, once more sending the stave tumbling to the floor. However, unlike last time he did not settle for the gentle takedown, as relative as that term may have been. The butt of the gryphon’s stave plowed into the the unicorn’s chest, knocking him back a half pace. Reversing his grip, Caldor spun around and nearly broke his own weapon on the side of the stallion’s head. The unicorn’s hooves left the ground for a brief moment, then he crashed limply to the ground, unconscious before he landed.

“Your talent may be fighting, fencing, archery or anything of the sort,” Caldor said to the silent room, “but talent will only take you so far. Mastery only comes with years of practice, something which none of you have. Lose the ego now, because if he was truly the best of all of you, none of you would last a minute in true battle.”

Taking a few strides to his right, Caldor grabbed hold of a bucket filled with water. His eyes sparkled mischievously, betraying his stern facade, as he glanced at the liquid he had prepared ahead of time. With a yelp of shock, a torrent of icy water revived the unicorn. Struggling to hold back a chuckle, Caldor set the empty bucket, returning his attention to his spellbound audience.

“Before Ah teach you how to fight, not flail about like an infant, there are two things you need to know,” he stated, directing the woozy and shivering unicorn back into the line. “Leave the notion of fair play and honour at the door. You fight to win, using everything at your disposal. When you don’t, you are risking your own life, and more importantly, the life of your comrades. Second, drop the ego. Pick and choose your fights when you’re able. Gods know its the only reason I’m still alive.” Caldor let the implications of his words sink in. “Right,” he exclaimed, clapping his claws together, “let’s get started.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alright, take a break, all of ya,” Caldor announced. “Ya got, say... About five minutes before we take another crack at this.”

Oak sighed, wiping his dripping mane from his eyes and once again cursing his coat’s length. The gryphon had placed them all through a series of exercises designed for the purpose of teaching control and conditioning their bodies. Repetitious movements, such as lifting weights over and over, repeating the action till it was engraved on their muscles, then once more for good measure. It had been a brutally exhausting set of exercises, and Oak had a theory that it was only the precursor to the real training.

“Celestia help me,” Noche moaned, crawling over. “I can’t feel my legs.”

“It’s your own fault,” Frittata commented, splayed out on the floor.

“Great guy by the way, Oak,” the maroon unicorn continued. “Why do I get the feeling he is trying to kill us?”

“Quit your bellyaching,” Oak chuckled, “it’s not that bad.” Although he was tired, Oak found his limbs burning almost pleasantly.

Frittata fixed him with a disapproving glare. “Do we really need to get into why you’d have an easy time with this?” she asked. “I mean it’s not like you’re better at this because you’re a ‘pegasus’ or anything.”

“Okay, so maybe it’s not quite...”

At the patter of metal against stone, Oak trailed off, glancing over his shoulders at the doors where the noise came from. Each of the officers involved in training trotted in, respectfully trailing General Candlelight. “Heads up guys,” Oak whispered. “They’re here.”

“Who?” Noche asked, scrambling to his hooves with a speed that belied his complaints.

“What can Ah do for ya’ General Candlelight?” Caldor asked, a set of large square pads hefted over his shoulder.

“Pay us no heed,” the unicorn replied. “We’re just here to observe.”

“Trying to steal my tricks?” Caldor joked. “Ah have something else for you to if ya’ want. Goin’ to have them practice bucking, and need some bodies to hold the pads. You up for it?”

“Don’t see why not,” he decided, taking one of the pads from Caldor.

“Good. Everyone up, we’re cutting this break short.”

“Oh yay,” Noche sighed to himself.

“Really?” Oak asked skeptically, displeased at the sour tone Noche took.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “Oh yay!” he repeated, even more acidlously.

“Noche!” Oak admonished. “Seriously, what’s your problem?”

“Oh, maybe its the fact that I still have a hangover?” he suggested.

“Yes, and that’s your fault,” Frittata informed him. “Just ignore him, Oak, he’s just being crabby.”

The earth pony turned his attention back to the gryphon and the Royal Guard officers. Each now held a pad, standing a few metres apart from one another.

“Alright everyone!” Caldor called out. “Form up a few lines and give the pads a good kick. Give it everythin’ you have.”

The crowd messily shaped up into five lines, the first of each trotting forward for their turn. Oak was just about to enter a line before Caldor caught his eye, and tossed his head towards the general. Taking a few pensive steps towards the other line, Oak waited for the white gryphon’s slight nod before joining. Every few seconds, a pony would trot forward, turn on the spot, glancing back over their shoulder, before delivering a kick. Plenty were sloppy and poorly coordinated. A few, however, managed to deliver solid kicks, their legs shooting out like twin pistons. Each and every time, the Royal Guards would absorb the shock.

Then it was Oak’s turn.

Trepidly, he stepped forward, briefly meeting Candlelight’s gaze over the pad held like a shield. Something inside Oak sparked, begging him to show off what he was capable of. Pushing against the grounds, he twirled about on his front hooves, legs coiled up to strike. Had General Candlelight not disregarded the earth pony’s powerfully toned legs in light of the bandages, he might have remained standing, reeling from the blow, but still upright.

The crash of silver armour against the marble brought a halt to all motion within the room. Under the immediate gaze of all, Oak could barely think straight enough to attempt an explanation.

“Ha!” Caldor boomed in laughter, startling many. “That’ll teach ya not to underestimate him.”

Candlelight did not share in the gryphon’s amusement as he rose from the floor. “Caldor, I’ll be taking Oak Leaf off your hooves for the rest of practice; I need to speak to him.”

“Not over this, Ah hope?” Caldor asked hesitantly.

“Like you said, it was my own fault.”

Oak let out the breath he had been holding, only to seize up again in silent fright. There were precious few topics which the general would need to discuss with him privately. Had he really been figured out so quickly? Under the ushering gaze of Candlelight, Oak strode towards the door, ignoring the snickering glances of the other recruits.

“Um...” Oak stammered, once they were once the room was out of earshot, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I will tell you when we reach our destination,” the answer came in a tone that bore no tolerance for discussion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Princess Celestia!” a voice called from behind her.

The long legged alicorn stopped, glancing over her shoulder to the stallion quickly approaching. “Sir Phalanx,” Celestia said, greeting the minister of finance. “What is it?”

The chalky blue unicorn came to a halt, huffing slightly. Though the years had not been kind to the elderly stallion, he still managed his ministry and the finances of Equestria in a way nopony else could. Though he often disagreed with both Celestia and Luna on matters of taxation and expenditures, Silver Phalanx never let feuds or debates stray from the professional arena of politics. He was quite a pleasant fellow in his own right.

“Do you have a minute, Princess?” he asked, offering a beige folder to Celestia.

“I have a meeting with the botanical committee, but you may walk with me,” she answered, tugging lightly on the folder.

Phalanx relinquished the folder to his princess, following a few steps alongside her as she began to walk. “As you are aware, Princess, taxes were recently filed. In the report I left, passed along to you yesterday, I detailed the situation. What do you propose we–”

“Pardon my interruption, but who delivered the scroll?” Celestia inquired.

“Lieutenant Haste,” Phalanx responded.

Inwardly, Celestia sighed. Her conversation with Eastern Haste had continued on for the better part of a half hour. When he finally left, her secretary came in, informing her of her other commitments. The scrolls had been left unread on her desk, put off until today.

“I’m afraid I didn’t have the time to read through them, Phalanx,” she told him. “Could you summarize it for me?”

Phalanx snorted in irritation. “Very well, Princess. With taxes being filled, we customarily send out a few members of the guards to collect the gathered bits once a message is passed to the treasury. However, this year a number of towns and villages have fallen past the deadline. I would like your approval to send one of my representatives along with a few Royal Guards to investigate the matter.”

“Surely you could wait a few more days,” Celestia suggested, passing the folder and navigating a corner. “Bad weather could cause a delay, or perhaps a pony reluctant to file held up the collection. Nopony enjoys handing over money, especially if they may be having trouble.”

“Yes, but we have considered both of those things,” Phalanx answered somewhat testily. “Plus, we have already waited an extra ten days, with no words from any of the representatives. It’d be a different story if they had requested an extension. Do I need to remind you that it is a criminal offence to withhold tax money?”

“No, Phalanx, you do not,” she replied, coming to a stop.

“Then let me take care of it, Princess,” Phalanx urged. “Let me send a few ponies from my ministry to the affected areas along with a few small contingents of Royal Guards. I intend to send my most–”

Celestia silenced him with a gently raised hoof. “Alright, Phalanx, you have my permission to proceed. However,” she cautioned, “the Royal Guard contingents are to be small, perhaps eight at the absolute most, solely for the purpose of protection. They are to report back once they find out the situation, not to retrieve the money through force.”

“But–” he protested.

“I will not hear of them resorting to force. The Royal Guards will be for protection only.”

“But the North–”

“Enough, Phalanx,” Celestia commanded, tapping her hoof against the floor to punctuate her command. “Now I understand your concerns, but they are ill-founded. I apologize, but I’m afraid I have to leave you here,” she said, gesturing to the door to her left.

Phalanx sighed. “Very well, Princess.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite another request, Candlelight remained tight-lipped. The earth pony’s fears only mounted as they walked further and further away from the room they had left. However, the very same fears became tinged with confusion as Candlelight stopped, and gestured to a door.

“The infirmary?” Oak questioned, puzzled.

“Yes, now please enter.”

Stepping through, Oak found himself looking at the back of Apple Cobbler’s head as he worked away at the desk. More worrisome, however, were the two Solar Guards at the ready on either side of the door, tensing as Oak entered.

Candlelight cleared his throat. “Doctor Cobbler.”

“What?” the unicorn asked, jerking his head away from his work. As he spied Oak, his joyful expression fell. “Is this him?”

“Yes. Please tell him what you told me.”

At this point, Oak was in near hysteria, struggling to keep his horror from his eyes and expression. Any moment, they would deliver their verdict and throw him out of the guard. Away from the others, nopony would know what had happened, that they did not believe in him, just because of who he was.

“... Oak Leaf?” Cobbler repeated again.

“Sorry,” he blurted. “Thinking of something.”

Cobbler and Candlelight shared a brief glance. “Right...” began Cobbler. “While I was doing your bloodwork, I found things that have no place being in a pony, yet I suppose they may just be a result of your treatment. Have you been taking some sort of medicine?”

Oak nodded earnestly, relieved. “Yes. Doctor Remedy gave me some.”

The tension disappeared from Cobbler’s expression. “Oh, that is a relief. Are you still taking this medicine?”

Once more, he nodded. “Just for another day.”

“So you still have some of it left?” Candlelight asked.

“Yes, in my bags.”

“Go get them.”

“Right now?” Oak questioned.

“Yes, did you not hear me?” Candlelight asked with a peevish frown. “Sergeant,” he continued, addressing one of the guards alongside him, “please accompany Oak Leaf to the recruits’ barracks.”

One of the burly pegasus guards nodded, stepping forward to take his place alongside the earth pony, following Oak as he left the room. The stern and silence presence of his escort began to unnerve Oak as they continued to trot along. The guard remained distant enough to stifle conversation, but close enough to grab Oak if he decided to bolt. Gradually, the forest-green pony became acutely aware of this fact, and felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise in unease.

“Are you sure you are ready for this, mate?” a distinctly male voice commented.

“Come again?” Oak asked, halting to look at the pegasus.

The guard returned Oak’s question with a blank stare. “What?”

“Didn’t you just say something?” Oak questioned, suddenly unsure of himself.

“No...” the stallion replied in a low tenor, so unlike the voice he had heard.

Carefully scrutinizing him for the whisper of a lie, Oak gave an indifferent grunt, before continuing on to the barracks. It took him all of a moment to remember which trunk he had claimed. However, as he flipped open the lid, he was pushed to the side.

“I’ll take those,” the guard said, lifting the saddlebags and promptly leaving the room, regardless of Oak’s wishes.

The return trip was similar to the outbound one, except the order was reversed. This time, Oak followed the pegasus, who appeared almost uncaring of whether he followed or not. The General was standing in the place he had been before, quite comfortable waiting motionlessly.

“That’s it, Sergeant?” he asked, taking hold of the bags.

“Yes sir.”

“Thank you. The two of your are dismissed.”

Both pegasi snapped Candlelight a brief salute before departing.

General Candlelight brought forth one of the corked vials, bringing it close to his face to peer at it. “This is the medicine, correct?”

“Yes sir,” Oak answered.

“Good,” he replied, passing it to Cobbler. The wine red unicorn quickly went to work, withdrawing small amounts of the pasty liquid to place in clean, small test tubes. Each vial was carefully set aside in a expansive rack. “Now, Oak Leaf,” Candelight said, snatching Oak’s attention away from the process, “you are to return to training, and stay there for the remainder of the day. However, once you’re finished and are dismissed for the evening, you are to request an officer to accompany you back here. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes sir.”

“You are–” Candlelight trailed off abruptly. “Excuse me for a moment.”

“Sir?”

The silver clad unicorn stood with his eyes closed in thought, before replying. “I forgot you will not be able to take part in pegasus training. Forget what I said earlier; I’ll assign an officer to begin to teach you the basics of castle etiquette instead of the initial pegasi training.” The general cracked a smile. “I must admit, I didn’t expect you to hit me nearly as hard as you did. If you can do that without your wings, I cannot wait to see what else you are capable of.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Oak replied, forcing a smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That’s it?” Noche exclaimed. “That’s all he wanted you for.”

Having returned to the training room, Oak found the other recruits splitting off into groups of four, about to start another one of Caldor’s drills. Noche and Frittata, along with a slender baby blue pegasus mare, were waiting for him to complete their quartet. During the cycling breaks, Oak had explained to them what had transpired.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

“Switch!” Caldor called out across the room,

Oak bent down into the pushup position, beginning to count them off as Frittata continued alongside him.

“Sounds fishy to me,” Mist Rose commented, tossing her pale scarlet ponytail over her shoulder as she rose.

Noche nodded. “Yeah, pretty much, beautiful.”

Both Oak Leaf and Frittata inwardly groaned. To say that the two had taken a liking to each other would have been putting it mildly. Ever since Mist Rose and Noche Buena had met, the two had spent their time flirting outrageously, playfully lobbying praise upon one another. It wasn’t just constant, it was also outrageously sappy.

“Just thinking what they want with that stuff though,” Noche continued.

“Don’t know, but from the sound of it, I’m sure Oak doesn’t mind it.” She shuddered involuntarily. “I hate anything that resembles swamps.”

“Really?” he questioned. “Some sort of–”

“Switch!” Caldor’s voice rang out, cutting off the question.

“Yeah, bad memories from when I was a filly,” Rose guessed. “Decided to try my luck finding my cutie mark in exploration. Could have picked a safer, and less disgusting place.”

Frittata snickered, shooting Rose an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry, but really?”

“Oh trust me,” she laughed. “there’s plenty more where that came from. Ever met a pony who tried to get a cutie mark in arson?”

“... No.”

“Well now you have, pleasure to meet you,” she responded, offering a hoof in greeting.

“You what?” Frittata muttered, staring at Rose in shock.

“Trust me, you really don’t want to know what I got up to as a filly.”

“Alright everyone, that’s enough for today,” Caldor called out. “Take a few minutes rest, before your next lesson. But before you do, can anyone tell me why Ah had you doing what you did? Ah am suppos’ to be teaching you how to wield a weapon after all. Anyone?” he asked again when no one answered.

“Is it to make sure we’re strong enough?” one recruit voiced.

“Perhaps, but it’s not what Ah had in mind.”

“Endurance?” a mare asked.

“Again, not quite. The most powerful weapon ya’ can ever hope to wield is your body. Even a claymore or a voulge is an extension of your body: an extended limb, not inherently powerful on its own. By training your body, you learn your own limitations and how far you can push yourself. Eventually we will progress to swords and spears, but not before Ah’m sure you’re ready. Now get out of here, all of ya.”

Commander Cherry Blossom coughed loudly, earning the attention of everyone in the room. “We shall now be splitting up into two groups for the beginning of more specific training. All pegasi are to accompany Lieutenant Sky and Sergeant Featherlight to the drill yard. Myself and Corporal Brioso will be taking the unicorns to practice spell casting. Do I make myself clear?”

Murmurs and nods answered.

“Do I make myself clear!” she shouted.

“Yes ma’am,” the overlapping replies returned.

“Good, now get moving.”

“See you guys,” Oak sighed, heading towards the Lunar Guard.

“Where are you going?” Noche asked.

“Candlelight wants me to wait here,” he supplied. “He’s sending somepony to give me a lesson on castle etiquette.”

“See you then hun,” Rose offered, as she and Frittata trotted away to join the pegasi, while Noche headed towards the unicorns.

Taking a deep breath, Oak steeled himself against the inevitable confrontation with the stern mare. “Ma’am?” he asked.

“What is it, recruit?” she snapped, turning about to face him.

“General Candle told me to wait here for an officer to pick me up.”

“And?”

Oak hesitated, fearing another test. “And I just wanted to let you know.”

“Well I don’t need to know unless I ask you,” she retorted. “If the general gave you an order, you are expected to follow it, or do I need to hold your hoof?”

“No, Ma’am.”

“Good,” she finished, lifting off the ground to land alongside Brioso.

Standing there as all the ponies filed out, Oak found himself with nothing to do. Scuffing a hoof against the floor, he glanced back at Caldor, who was right at work putting the few pieces of equipment away.

“Need a hoof, Caldor?” Oak asked hopefully.

Caldor waved him off from across the room. “Nah. Not much for you to do.”

“Oh... Alright.”

Oak Leaf sighed, taking a seat on the floor wait. The sun had just reached the perfect angle, streaming light in from the windows, illuminating floating particles of dust in a familiar display. The image added an additional sense of age to the already ancient building. The structure itself could have very well been forged in the fires of creation if judged by the atmosphere permeating the halls. Only the gleaming marble, testament to the regular cleaning the building underwent, dismissed the possibility of that belief being fact. Outside in the city, a bell rang, chiming three times before falling silent.

“Excuse me, Oak Leaf?” a voice asked, startling him from his thoughts.

Spinning around, the Oak saw an earth pony guard waiting for confirmation. He bore a set of heavily ladened saddlebags over his armour.

“Um...” stammered Oak. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Good, worried I had the wrong room for a moment,” he joked. “I’m Lieutenant Eastern Haste,” he supplied, offering a hoof in greeting. “General Candlelight put me in charge of showing you around the castle, and teaching you a few things. Now, we should be going; I still have a few parcels to deliver.” Haste finished, strolling towards the door.

Oak Leaf caught up with a few quick strides. “A few parcels to deliver?”

The Solar Guard nodded. “There’s many ponies and departments that do not have the time to run back and forth between each other delivering messages. As the guard, we take up this slack for them. Sometimes it can be merely a slip of paper, or a single phrase, but other times it could be a file or a few scrolls.”

“Couldn’t some of the castle staff do that?”

Eastern Haste pondered the question, tilting his head to either side. “Yes, I suppose, and in fact they do sometimes. However, some of the documents we handled shouldn’t become common knowledge. Partially out of security and partially out of privacy. The castle staff do not take the same vows we do, and are rather prone to gossip. How do you think most of those rumors reach the public?”

“Vows? Like what sort?” Oak asked, stepping alongside Eastern Haste onto the cobbled road. The few ponies on the street adjusted their paths to let them pass.

“I’m sure you’ll hear about them later, but all guards have to take the vows when they accept their armour. Everything from oaths to protect Equestria and the princesses, to safeguarding the peace. Nothing is magically enforced mind you,” he added as an afterthought. “At some point I am sure you will be asked to privately deliver a message to another. Short of the princesses or an officer of rank captain or higher requesting it, you’re expected to deliver what they have asked, and then never mention it again.”

Eastern Haste drew to a stop at the base of the road leading to the castle. “This is the main entrance to the castle. All ponies visiting, or attending parliament will come through this entrance. Normally, staff goes through another entrance, but I’ll take you through here today.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Throughout the tour, Oak struggled to keep his attention on what Eastern Haste was saying, constantly losing himself in the sights. Where the guard’s tower may have been astonishing, the castle was nothing short of breathtaking. Everywhere they travelled, there were stunning works of art, each piece alone enough to merit a private gallery. From masterfully woven tapestries, to vividly coloured vases, each hallway, and every room, presented another wonder to look upon. Beyond the splendors of art, the castle was maintained with astonishing purpose and attention. Nothing was out of place, or left tarnished in even the slightest coating of dust. The entire castle could have easily been cleaner than the day it was built.

The older guard chuckled as Oak Leaf gawked at an elaborate tapestry, depicting a summer celebration, interrupting his own explanation on the differences between the various titles of nobles. “Really something isn’t it?”

Oak blushed in embarrassment as he realized he had ignored his teacher again. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“It’s quite something to take in in one go, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Oak agreed, shifting uncomfortably.

“You should have seen my first day on duty,” Eastern Haste commented, pulling Oak away from their tapestry. “I could barely keep my eyes in my head.”

“So what’s it like when you first join the guard?” Oak asked, remembering Caldor and Sky’s discussion. Sky’s reaction upon realizing Eastern Haste was in administration had struck Oak as peculiar.

Eastern Haste sighed. “I wouldn’t know, they didn’t select me for the guard.”

Oak’s jaw fell open in astonishment. “What? Then how–”

“I didn’t make the cut, but I qualified for the reserves,” he interrupted. “Thankfully, they came back to me a few weeks later and offered me a place in administration because of my talents. So, a month after everyone else had, I was admitted as Corporal Eastern Haste. It wasn’t quite what I had signed up for, but I’ve grown into it. Evening Jolly,” Eastern Haste commented to the third listener, whom they were approaching.

The unicorn guard stationed by the door nodded curtly. “Evening, Sir. Something for Miss Starbright?”

“Yes, just a brief report.”

“She’s just finishing up for the day. Just head in.”

Eastern Haste knocked on the door, waiting for a muffled acknowledgement before entering. Inside a young off-yellow pegasus with a gentle blue mane peered through microscope, adjusting a dial carefully. The desk she was working on was covered with a array of slides and petri dishes. The room was liberally decorated with similar scientific equipment which Oak Leaf knew best not to ask the purpose of.

“One moment please,” she requested, giving the dial another twirl to increase the magnification. “Fascinating,” she whispered. Twenty seconds passed before Eastern Haste cleared his throat. Sighing, Starbright lifted her head from her work, placing a pair of glasses upon her nose. “What is it?”

“I have the report you wanted, Miss Starbright.”

To Oak’s surprise, Starbright rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Dad?” she asked, giving the bridge of her nose a rub. “I get you’re on duty, but the ‘miss’ thing is getting pretty obnoxious. Alright, let’s see it then,” she said, taking the report from her father. “So who’s this with you?” she questioned, holding the scroll open with one of her wings.

“This is Oak Leaf, one of the Royal Guard recruits,” Eastern Haste introduced. “Oak Leaf, this is my youngest daughter, Starbright.”

His daughter’s face twisted into an ugly scowl as her eyes reached the bottom of the page. “Bunch of thick skulled idiots!” Starbright growled, throwing down the scroll in disgust.

“Something wrong, honey?” he interjected delicately.

“Those bastards denied my request,” she spat angrily. “Didn’t get the funds.”

“Just calm down,” Eastern Haste urged. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“Like what?” she exclaimed, pounding a hoof against the table in frustration. “We’re not just going to find five thousand bits lying on the side of the road. We need the money if our team is going to finish our research. And while we scrounge for bits, there’s some ponies with that much money as pocket change asking for four times as much, for not even a quarter of the knowledge which stands to be gained.”

“Like I said, I’m sure you’ll figure something. You’ve never let them stop you before.”

“I know, but this isn’t the same.”

“Just think about it, and I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” he repeated. “Now don’t be working too late tonight; your sister and her husband are coming over, and your mother expects you to be there to greet them.”

“Alright, Dad,” Starbright sung patronizingly.

“I apologize for my daughter’s behavior,” Eastern Haste said to Oak as they departed. “She’s just been accepted onto a research team, and she’s a little focused on her next big project at the moment.”

“What’s she working on?” Oak questioned.

“Something I won’t even pretend to understand. She majored in agricultural sciences, but outside of that, I have no idea. The one time I asked her about it, I lost her after a few seconds into the explination,” he chuckled with a reminiscent smile. “Anyway, let’s get you back to the tower, I’ve kept you here long enough.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Unless it is a foreign dignitary, or a member of the royalty, do not offer help unless it is requested,” Oak recited, answering Eastern Haste’s question. To make sure some of the information he had provided had stuck, Eastern Haste quizzed Oak on what they had covered. correcting him where he went wrong.

“Correct, and can you give me the names of some of members of royalty?” the lieutenant asked, shutting the tower doors behind them.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Prince Blueblood, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess Mi Amo.., Amore Cadenza,” Oak continued, stumbling over her name, “Prince Shining Armour–”

“That’s Captain Shining Armour,” his teacher corrected.

“But I thought–” Oak began.

“The captain chose to maintain his position as Captain of the Solar Unicorn Guard instead of adopting the mantle of royalty. For the time being he divides his time between his home in the Crystal Empire, and here in Canterlot. I expect that the position may be taken from him eventually, however. If you meet him, treat him as a captain, not a prince.”

“But couldn’t he control the entire Royal Guard because he is a prince?”

The lieutenant shook his head firmly. “He is a guard first, royalty second. Besides which, absolute control of the guard does not rest with them. Remember the vows I spoke of earlier?”

“Yes,” Oak responded.

“Well, our oath to the Royalty of Equestria comes after the oath to its inhabitants. The princesses may command the guard, but ultimate control rests with parliament. The measure was put in place many years ago, after the rise of Nightmare Moon: an event which almost threw Equestria into a civil war. Those days were some of the bloodiest moments in the history of the guard as both the Lunar and the Solar guard were sworn to protect their charges, fighting bitterly against one another. The conflict was finally ended when Nightmare Moon was sealed on the moon. With their princess gone and general dead, the Lunar Guard surrendered.”

“What happened to them?”

“Nothing. Back then, they answered directly to the princesses, and treason was punishable by death. They had been doing their duty, however vile Nightmare moon’s intentions may have been, and nothing would change it. Sadly, many ponies didn’t agree with Celestia’s decision, and took it upon themselves to punish those who they believed had followed Luna’s descent. Do you know what a moori is?”

“I heard it somewhere before,” Oak confessed, searching his mind, “but I can’t place my hoof on it.”

“Think about Commander Cherry Blossom.”

“Okay,” he said, picturing the mare’s membrane wings, slitted yellow eyes and ear tufts.

“While in actuality she is a moori, an enchantment placed upon her lends her the appearance of moori. There is only actually one full blooded moori on the guard at the moment. Anyway, moori are a subspecies of pegasi, gifted with amazing hearing and astonishingly sharp vision in low light conditions. With their gifts, it’s little wonder why so many of the Lunar Guard during that time were moori. Anyway, violence against moori in months following Nightmare Moon’s banishment grew, cumilating to what we now know as the Bleeding Moon Massacre.

“On the night of a lunar eclipse, a town of moori hosted a celebration, rejoicing in the beauty of the night. Ponies from far and wide travelled to join in the celebration, swelling the town’s numbers. Of course, many of these ponies were moori. Halfway through the night, a group of ponies descended on the town, butchering and burning anything or anyone who partook in what they say was a celebration of Nightmare Moon. Thousands of bodies were found the following day.”

“My god,” breathed Oak in horror.

Eastern Haste nodded solemnly. “When Celestia became aware of the events, she stormed into the general’s office and demanded he track down those responsible. The general at the time had calmly answered he had been aware of the attacks days before it had happened, but refused to help the followers of Nightmare Moon. In her anger, she convicted him and carried out his punishment on the spot, before rushing to the town, to try and right what had been wronged. She was too late. The moori who had escaped, had already fled Equestria, and the few survivors followed, despite her assurances she would safeguard them. When she returned to Canterlot, and the castle which was still under construction, she passed legislation placing the guard under the control of the newly formed parliament, and made a few more changes. The first of these was by the request of the lunar pegasi, asking for an enchantment be crafted to make them appear as moori in memory of the fallen. The second–”

“The second change she made was to the position and armour of the general,” General Candlelight interrupted, approaching the two. flanked by Featherlight and a burly pegasus guard. “Instead of two generals, there became only one, placed in charge of both the Lunar and Solar Guard. The body of the general’s armour was crafted from silver to represent the balance that had to be struck between the gleaming shine of the sun and the silvery glow of the moon. The plume was dyed red to remind the wearer as to the price of failure. That is quite enough history for the moment Lieutenant Haste,” he commanded in a dour tone. “You are dismissed.”

“Sir,” Eastern Haste choked out, snapping a quick salute.

“I apologize for that,” Candelight said, watching with scorn as Eastern Haste trotted away. “The lieutenant makes a habit of carrying on. But then again, his ability to regurgitate details is why we recruited him. Now, the doctor who gave you the medicine, is he still here in Canterlot?”

Oak bobbed his head. “Yeah. He’s visiting his daughter for a few weeks.”

“Oh? And where is he staying?”

“A bar called The Cracked Mug. Why do you ask?”

“There are a few questions I would like to ask him. Doctor Cobbler was unable to identify a few of the components of your medicine. Do you know where it is?” he pressed.

Oak struggled not to wilt under the demanding glare. “No, not really.”

“Do either of you?” the general asked, turning to Featherlight and the other guard. Featherlight shook her head, but the other pegasus nodded.

“I do, sir.”

“Excellent,” Candlelight said, satisfied with the answer. “Please lead the way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Cracked Mug was a moderately sized building located in the Western side of Canterlot. Unlike many of the buildings around it, the bar was made almost entirely from wood and dark granite, a stark contrast from the polished stone of the adjacent buildings. The door was sunken down a few steps, which gave the establishment a very cozy appearance. The sign out front depicted a sturdy glass mug with a chip missing from the rim, and a winding fracture trailing down the side.

“This is the place sir,” the guard said.

“Thank you, Corporal Days,” Candlelight commented, before entering.

Though the conversations of the patrons continued, they took on a hushed tone as they saw the latest guests. It was as though someone had placed a towel over a speaker, muffling noise and sound.

“Lovely bunch,” Candlelight muttered.

A pale pink unicorn stood behind the bar, taking a few bottles and placing them down and out of sight. Her yellow mane was tied back in a tight bun, a few strands managing to escape during the time she worked. “Can I help you?” she asked.

“Yes, would there be a Doctor Remedy staying here?”

“Yeah, one moment,” the mare said, taking a few steps to the kitchen door. “Dad!” she hollered. “Some ponies are here to see you.”

It took a few moments for Oak to realize, but this mare was Lilium, Remedy’s daughter. Like her father, she was just as sturdily built, though not quite as stocky and a touch taller. He glanced over to the door she had yelled through just as Remedy emerged. He wore a white apron stained with a few blotches of red, a hair net containing his black mane.

“Oh, hello there, Oak Leaf,” Remedy greeted. “Is everything alright?

“Excuse me,” General Candelight cut in, rudely dismissing the greeting, “are you Doctor Remedy?”

“I am.”

“Are you also the doctor who prescribed and provided medication to Oak Leaf?”

“Yes...” Remedy said, unsure where the general was headed.

General Candlelight lunged forward, grabbing Remedy in a headlock to slip a magic inhibitor over his horn. Dropping him to the ground, Candlelight placed a hoof on the back of Remedy’s neck, pinning him to the ground. “By the laws of Equestria, and under the authority of the Equestrian government, I am placing you under arrest for the possession and distribution of illegal substances.”

Author's Note

Autodesk sketchbook isn't nearly as good for making cover art as photoshop. I really need to get around to installing photoshop on my new computer..

Chapter VI - Deadlines

“Get the hell away from my father!” Lilium growled, glowering at General Candlelight. “And how dare you accuse him of being a criminal! He is a doctor for harmony’s sake.”

“Precisely the point,” he replied, meeting her accusing glare unflinchingly. “Your father has not only provided a cocktail of illegal drugs to Oak Leaf, but he prescribed an untested and untried concoction, without understanding any potential side effects, which is another offence in itself.”

“Yes, and if you would please let me up, perhaps I could explain myself,” Remedy struggled to say, his muzzle pressed against the floor.

Candlelight obliged, lifting his hoof and taking a step back. “Advise your patrons that you will be closing for the rest of the day,” he informed Lilium. “Once I return to castle, I will write up a search warrant, and I shall be sending a squad scour the premises. This has been your father’s place of stay, and I do not want to miss anything he may have kept here.”

“How about you go fuck yourself instead?” she growled back. A busy evening’s worth of work was worth a fair number of bits.

“Very well then,” he sighed. By this point the ponies around the bar had taken an interest in the developing scene. Turning to face them, Candlelight stomped a hoof to gain silence. “By order of the Royal Guard, this establishment is closed till further notice. Furthermore–” he paused to let the first wave of angry jeering wash past. “Furthermore, anypony lingering will be detained for obstructing justice. You have one minute to vacate the premises.”

Though they grumbled and cursed, the ponies throughout the bar had no choice but to follow his commands. Oak glanced apologetically at Lilium, only to have it thrown back with a sneer. Forty seconds later the building stood empty.

“Now explain your actions,” Candlelight ordered.

“I was travelling home from Canterlot from a conference on the development of a new spell designed to slow the spread of certain types of infections–”

“I don’t need to know the background,” he interrupted. “Under what condition are you claiming innocence?”

“In the situation that all other options have been exhausted, if the patient will perish without immediate treatment, the use of untried medicine may be permitted provided it has already undergone preliminary testing, and the results have been submitted to the medical board. Though I have submitted the results, along with the notification that I had restricted substances, they likely have yet to be processed.”

“So, if I understand it correctly, you are saying you exhausted every possible option?” Candlelight asked. “Not only is that a bold claim to make, but I’m doubtful that was really your only option.”

“That is not up for you to decide,” Remedy countered.

“True, it is not. However, I still have to detain you until a verdict is reached.”

“How about you bug off and let him stay with me,” Lilium said, her brows furrowed in annoyance.

Remedy sighed. “Lilium–” he began.

“No, dad!” she interrupted. “I only get to see you a few times a year, and now you're letting somepony drag you away?”

Remedy stepped forward, wrapping his daughter in a hug. “It is only for a short time, honey,” he murmured in her ear. “I’ll be back soon.” Releasing her, he turned to the general. “Would it be alright if I go retrieve a few things from my room? Books, notes, my research... It may help with their investigation,” he added.

“Alright,” Candlelight relented. “Sergeant Featherlight, accompany the doctor. We shall wait outside for you to finish. Oak Leaf, you are free to go. You may choose to return to the tower, or wait here.”

As Remedy trotted off with Featherlight in tow, Oak spared Lilium a glance. He at least owed her an apology. “I’ll wait here, sir.”

“Very well then.”

Walking to the bar, Oak approached Lilium carefully, watching her fish for a darkened glass bottle while he took a seat. She ignored him as she pulled herself a glass, pouring herself a small amount of amber whiskey.

“Want one?” she asked tiredly, lifting another glass expectantly. At his nod, she set down the glass, pouring another. Lifting her own, she finished it in a few mouthfuls, pouring herself one more. “Damnit,” she muttered, “he always has to do this.”

“Look...” Oak stammered. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

Lilium snorted, “Oh please. It’s not your fault. Dad always finds some way to mess up our time together with his work. I’ve never known somepony more obsessed with their job than him.”

“He said he was passionate about it,” Oak replied, recalling the conversation on the train. “Are you okay?” he added, watching her pour herself yet another glass.

“Trust me, when you’re a barkeeper, you pick up all kinds of bad habits,” she assured him. “Easy when the good stuff is always right there.”

Chuckling nervously, Oak nodded slightly in understanding. “I have a friend you’d probably like,” he said, thinking of Noche, and eager to stay away from an obviously personal issue.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he loves a good pint or two.”

“Beer drinker then?” she questioned.

“Don’t think so,” Oak replied. “Least I don’t think he has any preferences.”

“You should bring him down sometime. I’m sure he’d love this,” she offered, prodding the bottle with a hoof. She fell silent for a moment, swirling her drink. “Did he ever tell you about my mother?” she asked suddenly.

Oak swallowed uncomfortably, inwardly wincing as the topic suddenly returned to personal matters. “No, but why–”

“My mother is...” she trailed off abruptly. “Or rather, was, the reason my father is so devoted to his work. When I was just a foal, they found that she had some sort of rare sickness and gave her a year to live. Naturally, dad devoted every waking moment between spending time with her and working on a cure. According to him, weeks before he would have it ready, there was a complication, and she passed away, holding on just long enough to say a few last things to my father.” She raised her glass shakily and took a trembling sip.

“Lilium, I don’t need to know this,” Oak protested.

She either didn’t hear him, or didn’t care. “He was convinced that he was at fault, that he was responsible for her death. Even though he spent most of his time already in a lab, he became obsessed, furious if even the tiniest fault was found. He sought to be the perfect doctor, peerless, and I guess he succeeded in his goal. You should see his house. There are medical awards and trophies littered through it, but it’s certainly not a home... At least not my home.”

Oak squirmed in his seat without anything to say. Another round of silence followed the next round of whiskey Lilium plowed back. She set the glass back on the counter, running her hoof along the rim in memory. She looked as though she intended to continue, but was interrupted by the sound of her father coming down the stairs. It took Remedy one glance to notice the bottle, and to sprout a heavy frown.

“Lilium, what have I said about that?” he demanded, Sergeant Featherlight following him closely.

“Yes, dad,” she sang patronizingly. “Perhaps if you stop giving me cause, I would stop drinking. Ever think about that?”

“Yes, honey, I know. In fact, I promise. I should be back in a few days, take care.” He gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek, which she grudgingly returned with a hug.

“Bye, dad,” she whispered, letting go. “Oh wait, do you want this?” she asked, holding out a small jewelry box.

Instantly recognizing the still wrapped earrings for what they were, Oak opened his mouth to hazard a question, only to have it snapped shut by Remedy’s magic, along with a pleading glance. Though Featherlight might at times be ill-tempered, she was no less observant for it. It took all of a second for her to piece it together, and one more to deliver the striking retort.

“Not happening,” she growled, prowling to the door as Remedy picked himself off the floor.

“Well splendid,” Remedy sighed, rubbing the hoof shaped mark on his cheek tenderly.

“W-wait,” Lilium stammered, slow on the uptake. The alcohol was finally beginning come into play, affecting her reasoning. “Those are for her!” she exclaimed in excitement.

“Yes,” he admitted glumly, a red tint colouring his cheeks, “or at the very least they were.”

Practically leaping across the bar, Lilium tackled her father into a tight hug, ignoring the bottle of whiskey she spilt, and Oak’s irritated exclamation.

“I’m so ha- happy for you!” Lilium rejoiced, squeezing Remedy tightly.

“Yes dear, but I’m not sure Oak appreciates your enthusiasm, or your preferred whiskey as a cologne.”

The mare flushed in embarrassment as she looked at the forest green earth pony, furthering her already rosey cheeks. “Whoops,” she chuckled weakly, casting about for a rag. “Sorry about that.”

The door to the bar opened while Lilium searched. “Doctor Remedy, I hope I do not have to remind you,” General Candlelight declared.

“Just a moment, if you would,” Remedy answered. “Just saying goodbye to my daughter and leaving her a few instructions.”

“Make it quick.”

Oak pushed away the offered cloth, damp with warm water. “Thanks, but I’ll just get a shower once I get back. Don’t think we have the time now.”

“I’d better go get the mop and clean up then,” Lilium sighed, gazing forlornly at the puddle of whiskey slowly seeping through the floorboards. “See ya, Oak. If dad manages to get a date, let me know; I have plans for them.”

“Lil’,” Remedy groaned.

She gave her father an impish smile. “See you dad, love ya!” she called, darting around the corner.

“So, Sergeant Featherlight, huh?” Oak teased.

Huffing in a forced show of indignation, Remedy stormed for the door. “I do not wish to talk about it.”

“Pleased that you to finally join us,” Candlelight commented, starting for the tower.

“My apologies,” Remedy replied. “Collecting my possessions took longer without the use of my magic. Was the ring really necessary?”

“It’s standard procedure. Yes.”

The bustle of the city parted as they drew near, parents pulling playing foals to the side, scolding them for not being more observant. Goods were passed back and forth between vendors and customers frequently, ponies contemplating and inspecting the items for sale. The sweet fragrance of freshly cooked bread wafted throughout the street as somewhere, a bakery opened their ovens and pulled out loaves of bread to let them cool. The open markets gave way to storefronts and the apartments above, each store specializing in a few particular goods, or engaged in a fierce contest to win the attention and support of customers. At the sighting of a familiar shadow, Oak glanced up at the sky, craning his neck till he found Noir soaring about.

“What are you up to?” Oak muttered to himself, as he followed his companion’s circling trail. Oak realized what Noir intended to do, exactly as the raven put his plan into motion. “Noir, no!”

The guards turned at the cry, scanning the area rapidly to spot the disturbance. They did not notice Noir, or recognize him as the cause, till the raven was scrabbling against Remedy’s horn, returning seconds later to the sky with the inhibitor ring. Perching atop the edge of a chimney, Noir let go of the ring, letting it fall into the hearth, or furnace, far below.

“Sergeant Featherlight,” Candlelight seethed, “would you please go capture that–” He was interrupted by Oak’s shrill whistle.

“Noir, get down here now!” he called out angrily. Oak Leaf wished he understood Noir’s actions better. The raven held rules and laws in as much contempt as a cat did an overzealous puppy. Begrudgingly, Noir swooped down on Oak’s offered foreleg, preening his chest in a show of pride.

“Do you own this bird? Candlelight asked irritably.

Having learned many times over in the past, his “pet” did not like to be referred to as one, so Oak judged his words carefully. “He’s more my... companion,” Oak explained. “He tolerates me so long as I tolerate him. I’ve known him since I was a foal.”

“But you are responsible for him, correct?”

“I guess, yeah.”

“Then you now owe the guard one hundred eighty-two bits, the price it costs to produce one of those rings.”

“Now hold on a moment!” Oak protested. “I told you–”

“Then what would you have me do?” Candlelight interrupted, “That cost is not one we could simply absorb into our expenditures. You have admitted to being responsible for your pet, and with it, any problems he may cause.”

The raven had had just about enough of the general, spreading his wings to leap to the sky. He squawked indignantly when they stopped halfway, held in place by Candlelight’s magic.

“Noir will return to the tower with you,” Candlelight commanded. “Given his proclivity for acquiring valuables which do not belong to him, he will remain under watch.”

“What? Noir wouldn’t steal!” Oak exclaimed, with the conviction of something he knew was only half true. In reality, Noir had a nasty habit of acquiring lost items. If it was left unattended on the ground, to Noir, it was fair game. It had led to more than one awkward explanation on Oak’s part as the rightful owner caught sight.

“Perhaps not, but reports of theft have risen for the past several days, all valuables small enough to be carried by a bird. Forgive me for drawing such conclusions. Now come along, I will not waste anymore time dawdling about.”

“Guess you’re coming with me, buddy,” Oak sighed, raising his foreleg to let Noir jump up onto his head.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ouch!” Oak exclaimed, rolling his shoulder where Noir had pecked him. Rolling his eyes, he returned to what he had just stopped: scratching the back of the raven’s head. “You’re so spoiled, you know that?” Oak grumbled. Noir clucked a blissful reply.

The two sat outside the infirmary on a stone bench, waiting for Doctor Remedy and Cobbler to finish their discussion. Once they had arrived, the general had quickly informed Remedy that Cobbler wanted to speak with him. Though Remedy had said he could go, Oak felt a certain obligation to stay. After all, it was partly his fault the doctor was in this predicament.

Having enough of the pleasurable scratching, Noir raised a wing slightly. Obliging, Oak turned his focus to the base of the wing, gently massaging the tendons. “Still have to figure out what we’re going to do with you,” Oak commented.

Noir squeaked inquisitively, confused when the answer was so obvious.

“No, Noir,” Oak groaned, “I can’t just let you have your way around here. Don’t think I don’t remember–” Oak cut off abruptly as his hoof brushed something metallic and out of place. Leaning in closer, he caught a glimpse of gleaming silver. Hastily, ignoring Noir’s pained squawk, Oak pulled Noir’s left wing open. The avian had placed small silver earing—a simple yet detailed engraved loop—around the base of his wing to keep it secure.

“What the hell is this, Noir?” Oak asked, betrayal creeping into his voice. “I thought you said you were not stealing anything?” Oak turned the loop in his hoof, peering closely at the engravings for a clue. They were nothing more than two lines interweaving together around the circumference of the ring, set with a tiny sapphire where they met. It was far too nice a thing to just “find” on the ground. “Who did you steal this from?” Oak demanded.

The expression Noir gave, questioned Oak’s very intelligence, searching for just how far the utter stupidity ran. Regaining control of his beak, the raven gave an undignified squawk. He was saved from the interrogation by General Candlelight. Oak quickly covered the loop with a foreleg.

“You’ve saved me quite a bit of time by waiting here,” Candlelight said. “Now I don’t have to track you down. They would like to see you in there for a minute.”

“What about?”

“Cobbler would like to see your injuries for himself. I hope this is not a problem.”

Oak struggled to keep a straight face. “Not at all,” he said, struggling over the words.

“Glad to hear it,” he said walking off. “Be sure to keep your pet under control, otherwise I’ll have him confined to a cage.”

Oak carefully reattached the earring to Noir’s wing, glancing around to make sure no one saw the action. “Alright Noir, listen. Can you please try to behave? I know it might be hard for you, but this means a lot to me. If you keep doing things which bug Candlelight, he’ll just throw both of us out. Please?”

Clucking, Noir bobbed his head, hopping up onto Oak’s back as he rose to his hooves.

The scene that greeted Oak as he entered was peculiar to say the least, taking several glances between the two doctors before piecing it together. Remedy and Apple Cobbler stood across the room from one another, faces slightly flushed and twisted into irritated scowls. Though Remedy’s expression was one of professional detachment, Cobbler seemed to take the whole matter far more personally. Coughing forcibly, Oak broke the standoff, drawing attention towards himself.

“You wanted to see me?”

“Yes,” Cobbler said, starting for one of the beds prepared with fresh sheets. “If you would just take a seat up here, I would like to take a look at your injuries.”

“Not much to see anymore,” Oak said, hoping Cobbler would buy the lie. It eased Oak’s mind to see Noir following his wishes. The raven perched himself on top of the cabinets, content to watch.

“Remedy said the same thing, but I would still like to see them.”

Without outright refusal not option, Oak climbed onto the bed, his heart in his throat, beating nervously. It was of some comfort that Oak noticed Remedy locked the door to the room while Cobbler wasn’t looking.

Doctor Cobbler wrinkled his nose distastefully as he sniffed the air, beginning to unwrap the bandages. “Why do you smell like alcohol?”

“My daughter spilt some whiskey on Oak by accident,” Remedy explained. “She works at a bar you see.”

Expecting some sort of shocked exclamation as the last of the binding was removed, Oak braced himself, trying to piece together an explanation. One glance at Remedy was all it took Oak to realize he was thinking the same. Oddly, nothing happened save a momentary hum as Cobbler examined the scars as the last of the cloth fell away. Moving from the bed, Cobbler opened a file, levitating several sheets of film of x-rays. Once more, Oak hazarded a glance at his side. The gashes had finally healed over, but left in their place were four distinct scars, each almost perfectly parallel to the others. Even through his thick coat, they were clearly visible. Running a hoof over them, Oak Leaf felt his stomach churn uneasily at each lump of scar tissue.

Sighing, Doctor Cobbler placed the film back down inside the file. “Alright, I’ll admit it. Perhaps he was injured enough, but I still don’t believe that was the only option.”

“I’m sure you’ll eventually see it was,” Remedy replied. “Just give it time.”

“Hmm...” Cobbler hummed, reading a note from the file. “Seems somepony made a mistake and wrote Oak Leaf was a pegasus.”

“Cobbler, before you continue–” Remedy interjected,

“Hold on a moment,” Cobbler said, “somepony added a note.”

Again, Remedy tried to offer an explanation, but Cobbler paid him no heed. Turning the page over, he stopped, peering closely at a short passage of text.

“What? That’s odd, it says here that his attending physician said that...” Cobbler’s eyes widened as he put the pieces together. A simple gasp was all the warning he gave, before he bolted.

Having foreseen Cobbler’s actions, Remedy had already placed himself in front of the locked door. “Where are you so eager to be going?” he asked, holding up a hoof.

“To report this at once!” he exclaimed. “Do you have any idea–”

“Tell me Cobbler,” Remedy interrupted. “You seem to be quite familiar with regulations. I assume you received high marks throughout medical school?”

“Top of my class,” he said with a hint of pride.

“Excellent to hear. However, I assume you are familiar with patient doctor confidentiality.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Perhaps then you should realize that what you have seen here is of no concern of anypony but Oak.”

“But the file–” Cobbler began to protest.

“If I recall correctly, unless it is life threatening and I fail to act, it is I, not you, who ultimately dictates what the file says,” Remedy calmly stared the other unicorn down. “Is that not correct?”

“...Yes,” he admitted bitterly, looking away. “I hope you know when they find you overstepped your authority that I will be placed in charge.”

“If and only if,” Remedy clarified, taking Oak’s file and setting it back with the others. “Now if that is quite everything, would you kindly find a guard to escort me to where I will be staying?”

Doctor Cobbler headed for the door, his face set in a scowl. It was only the door slammed shut behind him, that Remedy let himself slump in defeat, taking a seat heavily on the floor,

“Are... Are you alright?” Oak ventured, disturbed with the sudden change.

Remedy sighed, rubbing his eyes with a hoof tiredly for a few seconds. “I’m not sure if I can do this, Oak,” he uttered, breaking the silence. “I can only thank Celestia that he didn’t call my bluff; that he has very little practical knowledge.”

“What are you saying?”

“In truth, he has every right to report that you are an earth pony to Candlelight. I can think of numerous situations where that knowledge could mean the difference between life and death. Offhoof, I know of seventeen treatments or medications which would be lethal to an earth pony, but not a pegasus. He isn’t stupid though, and if his diploma is worth anything, I would say you have at most a week before he figures it out.”

The information weighed crushingly on Oak’s conscience. “Are you sure?” he blurted, praying there was something else.

“Yes,” the unicorn declared, “without a doubt. In fact, that estimation might even be a tad generous.” He gave Oak Leaf a tired smile as he picked up a fresh roll of bandages. “Now we had better get your scars covered before they come back. Perhaps you should get something to eat, to take your mind off things.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Yo, Oak!” Noche exclaimed from somewhere behind Oak. “Think fast!”

Without thinking, Oak ducked his head, letting the projectile, a book, arc over his head and thump heavily on the table, narrowly missing his sandwich, but jarring the tray it rested on. Flapping his wings in surprise, Noir leapt back, before shooting the unicorn a baleful glare.

“Caldor gave that to us, said you forgot it,” Noche continued, taking a seat alongside Oak. “Guy still gives me the creeps.”

“Still sour he ‘stole’ Mist Rose away from you?” Frittata asked, quoting the air with her hooves.

Noche grunted bitterly.

Laughing, she patted him on the back. “I wouldn’t worry, she seemed more in love with the metal than him.”

“Metal?” Oak repeated, cocking his head.

“Didn’t you notice her cutie mark was an anvil? Apparently Rose’s dad worked as a blacksmith and she took after the family business. Anyway, Caldor mentioned he found a forge and he was going to be working with some sort of alloy. You should have seen how her eyes just lit up.” She giggled at the memory. “She practically begged Caldor to let her help. And now loverboy here is moaning about it.”

“So how was the bar?” Noche questioned suddenly, moving the topic away from himself.

“What?”

Noche Beuna rolled his eyes. “You smell like whiskey, Oak,” he said, guessing the odour correctly. “It’s pretty obvious.”

“I was wondering what that was,” Frittata agreed.

In as few words as possible, Oak explained to them what had transpired, pausing occasionally to take bites of his sandwich. Starting with the events in the city, he quickly moved on to what happened just minutes before, and the consequences it posed.

“So this Lilium,” Noche asked, “she cute?” Instinctively, he swayed to the side, softening Frittata’s blow.

Oak chuckled, “Yeah, she kinda is.” He received a whack from Frittata for his comment.

“Don’t you go encouraging him!” she demanded pointedly. “Perhaps you’d be better off figuring out what you are going to do when they find out. I mean, let’s be realistic here, I don’t think you can keep this a secret forever.”

Oak set his head down on the table, batting a stray shred of lettuce in thought. His friends were repeating what he already knew, but it only served to further the importance. “I know,” he said glumly, “it’s just that I don’t know what to say, and whenever I think about it... I dunno, I just can’t think past it. Originally, I thought telling Candlelight about it after a few days, but something he said just didn’t sit well with me.”

“You heard it from Caldor, right?”

“Yeah, he was the one who told me that the guard didn’t accept earth ponies, but everything else I’ve seen could be circumstantial for all I know.”

The other two shared a glance. “Listen, Oak,” Frittata began slowly, “I know you trust Caldor, but have you considered that he might be wrong?”

“I mean, claiming the guard doesn’t want earth ponies?” Noche offered. “Doesn’t that sound just a little far-fetched?”

“Maybe,” Oak relented. “He seemed so sure of it though.”

“Why don’t you talk to him then, learn why he says that,” Frittata suggested. “It’s better than just taking his word for it.”

“Know where I could find him?”

“No idea, but I’d wait till tomorrow anyway, you have other things to worry about,” she said, tapping his book twice. “You need to study.”

“Asking Caldor will only take a minute, how–”

“What is the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary feathers in a pegasus’s wing, and what part of flight are each used for?”

The earth pony stared blankly at Frittata for a minute. “What?”

Frittata picked up the book between two of her primaries, waving it in front of Oak’s face. “What do you think, Oak? Any pegasus who knows how to fly knows that, and I guarantee there will be things like that on whatever test they are going to give. So, that’s why I am going to help you study tonight.”

Noche Buena groaned. “I wanted to go check out that bar.”

Snorting, Frittata rolled her eyes. “Oh please, the only thing you want to check out is Lilium. You could care less about the bar.”

Placing a hoof over his heart, Noche dramatically gasped. “You wound me. To think I was– OW!”

Frittata folded her wing, smiling smugly. “You're right, I do.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oak groaned as he stirred in the bed, his mind still sore from the previous night. Frittata insisted they spend every moment till bed studying the simple book. By the end of it, she had jokingly dubbed Oak an honorary pegasus, checking to make sure nopony was eavesdropping before doing so. While it had been in good fun, it almost seemed true. He felt like he knew more about pegasi than some did about themselves.

Just as on the previous two mornings, Oak lifted the lid to the chest which held his saddlebags, staring at the contents, or lack thereof. In his drowsiness, his mind failed to supply the events of the previous night, so he stood, staring at the spot, unable to figure out the problem. It was only when Noir pecked him, leaping down from his perch atop the bunk to land on his back, that the memories jolted into place.

“Right,” Oak sighed, closing the trunk. “Thanks, buddy,” he added softly. Perhaps it was the evening of studying, but his head felt murky and bleary, and his neck sore. Then again, it was more likely the fact that his head had fallen off the small pillow halfway through the night.

Stepping into the hallway, Oak immediately spotted Lieutenant Sky approaching, under his wing the bane of every recruit’s existence: the bugle.

Sky nodded in greeting. “Morning Oak... And Noir,” he added, the raven leaning out from behind Oak’s head. “I take it that this is going to become a routine.”

“Just used to rising with the sun,” Oak offered, “not much else to it.”

“Fair enough. Now I had better wake the others,” he said, pushing the door open. “Don’t want them–” Sky abruptly came to a stop as Noir fluttered the few strokes from Oak’s back to perch on the lieutenant's helm. Taking a quick breath, the raven cawed piercingly, pausing every few calls, halting when he heard grumbles and curses. Looking immensely satisfied with himself, Noir flew back to Oak’s back, preening his chest smugly.

Shaking his head in amusement, Sky readjusted the horn beneath his wing, and nudged his helmet back into place. “Seems he’s after my job. Saves me the trouble, I suppose. So how about it, Noir? Want to take over for me?”

Oak shook his own head in vigorous disapproval. “That’s not a good idea. He’s likely to wake us up in the middle of the night as a joke if you let him. And no, Noir, don’t take that as a suggestion,” he continued, spying the devious glint in the raven’s eye.

“Anyhow, you had best get something to eat. Long day ahead of us.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning, sister.”

Celestia looked up from her breakfast. “Good morning, Luna,” she greeted the deep blue alicorn. “Is something the matter?” The two sisters generally spoke with each other over breakfast or shortly after supper, one rising while the other prepared to rest.

The dark alicorn’s disheveled appearance spoke of a long, trying night. It took Celestia a moment to remember that this last night was when Luna chose to hold night court, identical to her own day court save for the time.

Princess Luna grunted petulantly, nodded and took a seat. Accepting a plate of food from a servant, she took a bite of her toast, taking pleasure in the knowledge that her bed awaited her after the meal. “I sometimes wonder why you insist that ponies must be allowed to petition us, regardless of the reason,” Luna began, smothering ‘petition’ with acrimony. “We are sick of hearing of their petty complaints and squabbles, when a driblet of logic would solve their fatuous disputes. Why We still persist...”

Taking a sip of her tea, Celestia nodded absentmindedly, letting her sister unload her frustrations without interruption. Luna often did this when she was sufficiently agitated: venting upon somepony else. Princess Celestia knew better than to interrupt, or try to reason with Luna when she was like this. Better to let her get it all out in one go than to stop the flow and let the pressure build.

“Finished?” the white alicorn asked, once the words had abated. Scowling fiercely, Luna muttered an indistinguishable response. “Be gentle with the cutlery,” Celestia added, watching a spoon bend ever so slightly in her sister’s grasp. “Luna, you know we must–”

“Spare me the lecture,” Luna interrupted crossly, “We know what thou art going to say.”

“I know what you are going to say,” Celestia corrected without thought, regretting the words immediately. Her ears folded back against her head. “Luna, I’m sor–”

The younger alicorn rose from the table, face flushed in anger. “We are done with breakfast, sister,” Luna spat, daring her sister to correct her. “I was also pleased to find out you decided to withhold the knowledge of recent events from me.”

“Luna, that is why I wanted to talk to you yesterday, but you claimed you had somewhere to be.” Celestia paused, and recalled the hastily blurted excuse. Her mouth twitched into a smile. “In fact, where did you have to go?”

This time, the lunar princess’s face did not colour in anger, but rather flustered embarrassment. “Tha-That is none of your concern,” she stammered, settling into a scowl after the initial shock of the question.

“But you are the one complaining about withheld knowledge,” Celestia countered innocently.

“That is–” Luna abruptly halted, recalling the events a short time ago. “Oh sister, I just remembered something,” she sang out in a tone just a touch too joyous. “An hour ago Blueblood, along with members of the Charlemane and Colophon family came to speak to me. They wish to discuss certain topics with me, topics which I simply did not have the time for. So naturally, I told them you would be delighted to converse with them.”

“Naturally...” Celestia sighed. She already knew where this was going.

“Indeed,” her sister agreed. “I suggested they request an extended audience with you, so they could detail their proposals in full.” Luna began to head for her room, calling over her shoulder as she left. “Have a pleasant day, sister.

The moment Luna was out of sight, Celestia groaned, rubbing at her temples. A dull ache had begun to form between her eyes, hinting that it was going to be one of those days.

Chapter VII - Progress

“Can’t believe she lied to me,” Noche grumbled for the umpteenth time that morning.

“Aww... Poor baby,” Frittata commented unsympathetically.

“Shut up. You weren’t the one who was supposed to write a test.”

“I also wasn’t the one who got drunk and hungover for the next day,” she countered. “She had a point, why waste time writing a test for you when she can just threaten and get the same results.”

“Besides, hun, gives you more time to yourself. And with me.” she added, flicking his leg with her tail. “Hey, Oak, you alright there?”

Lying on his back, Oak nodded from the ground, savouring the cool grass. This day had managed to be even hotter than the last, and the morning run hadn’t gotten any shorter. He was only a hair's breadth away from throwing up as it was, and his recently wrapped middle felt stifled and claustrophobic.

“Never... Better...” he gasped in between ragged breaths.

Rose glanced up at the sky. “One sec, be back in a moment,” she said, darting up towards a cloud.

Oak groaned, rolling over.

“You sure you’re okay there?” Frittata asked.

Coughing, Oak’s stomach heaved. Spitting out a bit of bile, he nodded weakly, breathing heavily from the run all the while. “I think... Just need to cool... Down...”

“Wish granted!” Rose called down, giving the cloud a kick.

A torrent of water rushed down from the cloud placed above Oak, Gasping in shock, he bolted upright, his coat plastered against his body. Wiping his mane from his eyes he looked up, meeting Mist Rose’s gaze. “That feels so much better.” He lay back down on the grass, giving himself time to catch his breath. “Thanks.”

“Oh don’t worry about it,” she chuckled, giving the cloud another kick, dissipating it. “‘sides, I think the wet mane look suits you,” Rose continued with a wink.

“Everypony up, come on now!” Lieutenant Sky called out, as the last stragglers made their way back. Despite running the entire way in a full set of armour, and finishing first, he was barely winded. In fact, it appeared as if he would be quite happy going for another jaunt. “The commander has something special planned for you, and as you have probably figured out, she doesn’t enjoy it if you are late.”

“My favourite thing with my favourite mare,” Noche groaned. “Surprises.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oak fondly remembered his fair share of surprises growing up. Of them, it was a birthday party which stood out the most. Had it been any more of a surprise when he came home, he could have sworn he would have had a heart attack. It hadn’t helped that Kaia had pounced on him either. However, what the commander had planned was a long way from a party.

“Well, shit,” Oak cursed under his breath.

Twenty-odd glistening gold chariots awaited them, Commander Cherry Blossom waiting patiently in front of them all, moving nary a muscle. Alongside her stood Corporal Brioso, although he shifted periodically.

“Pleasure for you to finally join us. Took you long enough to finish the run,” she commented.

“Commander, go easy on them. This is only their third day after all,” Sky countered.

“Why would I do that? Alright, listen up! Today, we’re going on a little trip! The Canterlot weather team was kind enough to leave us a blanket of clouds. Given the results of yesterday’s specialized sessions, we shall be practicing outside of the tower today. On our journey up there, any of you pegasi will also get some time in practicing pulling the chariots that we often use for royalty. Before any of you ask, we will be going over a simple cloud walking spell. Now, all pegasi match up with another and get yourselves hooked up; unicorns, two to a chariot. Sky, get up here with me.”

“What?” he exclaimed, having turned to leave “I thought Featherlight was supposed to be going with you.”

“She was, but the General reassigned her for the moment.”

Ruffling his wings, Sky sighed. “Alright then.”

“What are you all standing around here for!” Cherry Blossom shouted suddenly. “Get moving!”

“Well, shit,” Oak repeated, this time heard by his friends.

“What is it?” Mist Rose asked.

“Oh... Ah–” Oak stammered.

“Frittata why don’t you and Rose get a chariot. Let me worry about this,” Noche interrupted, pushing them along. “What’s the matter Oak?” Noche asked once Rose was out of earshot.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Oak deadpanned, giving the chariots a rather pointed look. “Just think about where we are going.”

Noche cast his eyes up to the blanket of clouds. “...Right.”

“Do you know that spell?”

“What spell?”

“Oh, I don’t know, perhaps the one that would let me breath underwater,” Oak declared, laying the sarcasm on thickly.

“Relax, I was just joking. Honestly, I have no idea about the spell they are talking about.”

“You don’t–”

“Nope!” he said, cutting Oak off. “You know as well as me how good I am at spells. Maybe once I see–”

“Noche and Oak Leaf!” Cherry Blossom shouted from the front of a chariot. “Move your asses.”

“Sorry, buddy not much I can do,” Noche apologized, heading towards a chariot. “I’ll see what I can do once they show us the spell.”

Mist Rose and Frittata had already buckled themselves into the harnesses, tightening them to fit snugly. With a nervous gulp, Oak followed Noche’s example, boarding the chariot carefully. Noir hopped from his back, perching on the engraved rail. Once more, Oak found himself in a situation he couldn’t control. In the best case, Noche manages to cast the spell, and everything goes swimmingly. Worst case, he can’t get it, then... Oak paused, finding a flaw in his logic. Actually, in the worst case scenario, he would be nothing more than the lining of a hole in the ground.

“Everypony will wait till the chariot to the left of them has taken off,” Cherry Blossom called out. “Once we are all in the air, you will form up and follow us. Understood?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” many voices rang out.

“Hol’ on a moment!” came a protest, traced with a familiar accent. Caldor came swooping from the tower doors, landing alongside Cherry Blossom.

“What is it?” she asked irritably.

“Overheard where you are taking them, and Ah wonder could Ah take Oak off your hooves? Don’t think a pegasus who can’t fly will be of much use ta ya’ up there.”

“Perhaps not, yet there would be some good of him seeing this.”

“Don’t be daft,” he objected. “Ya honestly think seeing it will help? You can’t learn to swing a sword by watching, nor can you learn to pull a chariot. Ah want him for something which would be far more beneficial for him.”

Cherry Blossom stared at Caldor for a moment, pursing her lips. “You’re not telling me everything.”

“Well, Ah’m doing repairs to a few old sets of armour and weapons. It’d make my work a lot easier if Oak was there to help. Ah suppose Ah’m being a touch selfish in that light.”

“Fine,” she said waving him off. “Take him with you.”

Letting out a breath he hadn’t been holding, Oak stepped down off the chariot, trying to steady his trembling legs. Annoyed that he was going to miss this chance of freedom, Noir let out a grumbling warble. It took all of three flaps to return to his usual position atop the earth’s pony back, digging his talons into the bandages. With Caldor already heading inside, all that Oak could manage was a small wave to his friends before heading after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Though Princess Celestia, and to a lesser extent Princess Luna, may have been seen by many as the leaders of Equestria, it simply was not true. While they did hold immense power, parliament was where the heading of their country was ultimately decided. Though not an elected official, as almost every member of parliament was, a few seats had been saved for royalty, who were all permitted to sit in. In one of these chairs, Celestia sat, observing and listening to her ponies discuss and debate. Occasionally, she would offer her own input, and, as always, it would be well received. Bar a few subjects, their decisions would almost always be identical to her own.

The topic on the floor at the moment was the requested funding of a festival; a festival that had fallen on tough times the previous years. As it was currently, there might not be a festival if they couldn’t acquire the funds.

“I’m afraid I have to disagree,” a mare said, rising from her seat. “The past few years. the organization has barely managed to turn a profit, and is already behind in payments for a loan we gave to them four years ago. I think it would be a reckless decision to give them another, furthering their current debt. I doubt we would ever see our investment return.” She retook her seat as she finished speaking, waiting for the counterargument that was sure to come.

This time, it was a grey stallion who rose, whom Celestia recognized as a member of the Diamond family. “Seeing as we’ve been unable to come to a conclusion, may I suggest we request Princess Celestia’s input on the matter?” he called out. Voiced agreements sounded throughout the room at the suggestion. Turning to Celestia. he posed the question. “Princess, what would you recommend?”

The alicorn had long since made up her mind on this matter. “The summer festival in Manehattan, for countless years, has always been a major attraction,” Celestia began, remaining seated in her own padded chair. “In fact, if I remember correctly, it was established just a few years after Manehatten was recognized as a town. It would be easy to write it off as part of our history and grant their funding on that fact alone. Furthermore, many of the restaurants and business rely on the tourists the festival brings. The economic bounties it brings cannot be ignored.” She let her words fade into nothingness.

“However, what has been said by those against it is true as well. We cannot just grant funding when we already provide them a respectable amount each year, accounting for the economic impact it has. When they have been struggling for several years now, perhaps it might be time to take a step back and determine whether the festival is even feasible anymore. Perhaps it is no longer the best option. Perhaps it is time we moved on.

“That being said, we cannot discount events which they could not control which affected the success of these events. Of those four years where the festival turned a loss, abysmal weather was a factor in two of them, prompting many performers and visitors to cancel their trips. Circumstances left the weather team with no other options but to have storms those days. The other was a direct result of Discord’s influence. I’m sure you all remember that one in particular.” Celestia glanced around the room to see the understanding nods shared by all. “Which means only one year can actually be counted as a loss.”

“What would you suggest then?” a member asked, as the room sprang into hushed conversations.

“I believe we should grant them the funding, under the condition that we are allowed to monitor the situation closely with complete transparency. Arrange–” The doors to the room burst open, cutting Celestia off.

A guard trotted in, coming to a stop in the center of the room. Over his armour he bore a set of saddlebags. “I apologize for the interruption,” the guard said, respectfully bowing his head momentarily, “but an urgent message arrived, which I was instructed to bring to you.”

A stallion in the first row stepped forward. “May I?” he asked.

The Speaker of the House nodded, gesturing for him to take the scroll.

Unfurling it, the stallion cleared his throat. The initial portion of the message was nothing but formalities, and in the interest of time, he stopped, skipping forward to the body of the message. “Under the provisions of bill number 293, set out at the formation of the Crystal Empire, this document fulfils the requirements dictated by the bill...” The stallion’s eyes grew wide as he read ahead to the end of the sentence, and he fell silent in shock.

“Mr. Polish,” the speaker of the house interrupted, “Would you please finish reading it? We would all like to hear what it says.”

Polish nodded dumbly, still staring at the end of the sentence. His voice trembled as he started again. “This document fulfils the requirements dictated by the bill to set in motion the secession of the following towns and villages, and the surrounding land, from the country of Equestria.”

The room erupted into chaos as the subject of the message finally came into light. Celestia stayed silent amidst the noise, having known from the very beginning what the bill 293 had entailed; she had been the one who had written it after all. Eventually, the speaker of the house had to bang his gavel to restore order to the room. “Please continue, Mr. Polish. Would all members kindly hold any response till after the entirety of the message is read?”

The stallion continued as prompted, licking his lips nervously. “For each of them there is also the signature of the mayor or acting mayor. Whitehorse, Mayor Patches. Timberline, Acting Mayor Ginger. Hay Lake, Mayor Grint Fallow.” The list continued on for a good few minutes constituting many places in it’s entirety. The disbelief in the room grew with each passing place and accompanying name. “That’s all of them,” Polish finished, a shade paler now that he had finished. “As with anything of this sort, there are three witnesses as well. The document’s author, Maple Leaf, as well as Terrioso and Durum.”

Before anyone could speak, Celestia rose swiftly from her chair. “May I suggest that we break till tomorrow? It will give us time to think over this matter, and let us each read a copy of the message.”

The Speaker of the House nodded. “I think that would be for the best. Need I remind anypony that what is discussed here is not to be revealed to the public until a sound verdict is made? We do not need to have rumors spreading over this matter.”

Celestia had already left the room just as the first ponies were beginning to stand. She needed to speak with somepony immediately. Something was not right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hammer pounded down on the glowing piece of metal, sending a flurry of sparks twirling in the air. Hooves numbing from the repeated reverberations, Oak readjusted his grips of the tongs, holding the target steady. Three more times the hammer pounded down before Caldor was satisfied with his work.

“There we go,” the gryphon said, examining his work closely for a moment. Taking the tongs from Oak, he plunged the nearly finished blade into a barrel of water. The liquid hissed viciously as it met the soft glowing steel, before falling silent.

Taking a seat on the floor, Oak took a moment to look around, wiping the sweat from his brow. The forge was a small room, which, unlike the rest of the tower, did not share the elaborate designs and styles of the carved marble. The room was built from nothing more than shorn polished rock, good enough to please the eye, but inexpensive and durable enough to withstand the work a forge called for. Still, although the room had recently been cleaned, it didn’t look used. Dust clung to the edges and corners of the floors and workbenches, thick beyond just a few weeks of disuse.

“And tha’ just about does it,” Caldor declared, setting the unfinished sword in the bins with the others.

Oak couldn’t help but notice the edges of the blades were rather dull: a rounded face where the normally sharp edge would be. “Caldor, are these supposed to be like this?” he asked, running his hoof along the edges to no effect.

“They’re suppose’ to be like that, aye. Beats cutting each other into ribbons when we get to the point. Now come on, Ah ‘ave something else to show you.” Moving to the other end of the room, Caldor halted in front of something hidden by a tattered curtain. “Can’t believe they still had some of these,” he offered, gripping the corner. “Ah thought they go’ rid of all them, but Ah guess they just chucked them in storage.” Letting his hand fall, the cloth came loose, revealing what lay beneath.

At first glance, it was just a pony mannequin dressed in golden Royal Guard armour, bar a few differences. With a closer look however, the differences became much more apparent, almost redesigning the armour before Oak’s eyes. Rather than the curved and rounded ornate plates that Oak had seen the guards wearing, this barding was made of plates joined together, flourishing down into a prow at the center and decorated simply. The helmet was different in that it’s basic shape resembled the current ones, except for the extended protection around the muzzle area, and the patches of seamless scale armour conjoining the chest plate to the helmet. In fact, upon further examination, the scales existed between the joins of every piece of armour, protecting the gaps. The fact that the complex working of metal was designed to move fluidly was nearly unbelievable. Following his eyes down the mannequin, Oak noticed the rear shoes were different as well. Rather than stopping just above the hoof, they extended all the way up the back of the leg, leaving only the thigh revealed from the rear.

“Startin’ to get it?” Caldor asked.

“No...” Oak replied, drawing out his answer in thought. “I get that it’s armour, but what so special about it?”

“Notice any holes for a horn or wings?”

Frantically casting his eyes about the armour, Oak saw that indeed Caldor was correct. “This is for an earth pony?”

Nodding, Caldor tapped the chest plate with a talon, producing a metallic ring. “This was the latest design for earth ponies before t’ey were abolished from the guard. Unlike pegasi or unicorns, earth ponies had to rely on their strength and endurance in a fight. This armour is not only designed differently, but it’s made from a stronger metal. Plus, Ah’m pretty sure it’s in your size.”

Oak furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“When you join tah guard, how about havin’ a proper set of armour to wear? Beats the bastard mix they would give ya instead.”

The facts ran through Oak’s mind rapidly. If this had been the last armour design for earth ponies... “Wait, this thing is over three hundred years old?”

“Three hundred and thirty two ‘cording to the maker’s mark,” Caldor corrected, adjusting the helmet to sit squarely. “They sure don’t make this stuff like they used to, as expensive as it must have been. Still, took a lot of work to fix up.” Mocking his words, a flap of scales came loose, flopping open and tugging the helmet off kilter. Caldor sighed, removing the helmet from the mannequin. “Make tha’ plenty more work to fix.”

“Three hundred and thirty two...” Oak deadpanned.

“What? When metal doesn’t rust, along with a few choice enhancements, things like this last a long time. Course, it helps I replaced a few parts of it. The rest of the sets weren’t in nearly as good condition.”

“Is that what Mist Rose was helping you with?”

“Mist Rose? Aye, she helped me, though not with this. That mare has a lot to learn ‘afore Ah’d let her handle this stuff.” Caldor turned back to the forge, gathering stray ash, and dumping it into a bin alongside the furnace.

There wasn’t much on Oak’s mind at the moment, save his friend’s earlier doubts. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. There was no way someone like Caldor, a Talon he might be, could make such a blanket statement, when no one else had ever heard of such a thing. Thinking back to when he first heard of Eastern Haste, Caldor had seemed genuinely surprised at the revelation that there was an earth pony in the guard. Thing was, Oak didn’t know how to bring this topic up. He didn’t want to make it seem like he was ungrateful, but all things considered...

“Caldor,” the earth pony began finally, “where did you hear that there has been no earth ponies in the guard or three hundred years?”

Caldor looked back over at moment, examining Oak, before turning back to his work. “Ya know, you don’t ‘ave to dance around it. Ah don’t blame you for doubtin’ me. It’d be stupid not to.”

A few moments passed by, before Oak could find the words he was looking for. Shuffling nervously, he sighed, attempted to start and faltering before beginning again. “It’s just that, it’s kind of hard to believe that.”

“If you want to go tell them you’re an earth pony, Ah’ll take all the blame for it, and let them know Ah told you to do it. It is your choice after all. Ah could be wrong, but what Ah know Ah know.”

“But how do you know it?”

Silence existed once again, as Caldor stared into the embers left over from their work. He prodded at them as thought over his next words. “Ah can’t tell you.”

Of all the answers Oak had expected this had been the last. “What do you mean!” Oak exclaimed indignantly. “How–”

“Ah just can’t tell you, Oak,” he reaffirmed. “There’s nothing that Ah can do to change that. You have my word it’s the truth, but Ah can’t tell you why it’s the damn truth.”

“Nothing?”

He grimaced. “Nothing that would help ya.”

Unsure, Oak Leaf matched Caldor’s gaze, searching for the immaterial. His choice centered entirely on whether he chose to believe Caldor or not. It was nothing less than a leap of faith, a massive one at that. But, as he puzzled about it, Oak realized that his choice would not only affect himself. Doctor Remedy, by proxy, was tied into this mess. If Oak Leaf went public and mentioned that he was an earth pony, it’d be another strike against the doctor who had consciously hidden the fact. However, if he could prevent them from finding out till after the investigation, then Remedy would stand a chance.

“I’ll trust you, Caldor,” Oak decided.

“Good,” the gryphon responded simply, glancing at a clock. “Well it seems we ‘ave some time.” He snatched the short sticks from the edge of a table, throwing one underhanded to Oak, who caught it in his mouth.

“‘at’s dis fo’?” he said around it.

“We have a little more time ‘afore they come back,” Caldor explained, giving his wings an idle flap. “Ah want you to knock their bloomin’ socks off when the time comes, but that means practice till then.”

Sparing a glance around them, Oak shifted uncomfortably. The room was hardly the ideal space for sparring. Even the largest open area was little more than twice Caldor’s outstretched wingspan. He spat out the stick into a hoof. “Shouldn’t we go elsewhere?” he asked.

“Do you get a choice in where ya fight?” The gryphon asked.

“It just doesn’t seem very safe here.”

“And what part of whacking each other with sticks seems safe?”

Oak sighed, widening his stance and sinking slightly. He already knew how this was going to end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mess hall was utterly silent save the rhythmic breathing of a single pony. The food had yet to be set on the table up front, so all the green earth pony had to occupy himself with was holding the icepack to the growing lump on his head. The sparring lesson had ended when Oak stumbled and fell, knocking his head against the edge of the counter. In hindsight, Caldor admitted that it might have been better to move elsewhere when Oak was so inexperienced. The admission had done little to help the pounding headache, or the throbbing bruises and scrapes across his body however. So he had limped to the mess hall, and collapsed onto a chair, resting his strained body before lunch arrived.

Eventually, the doors opened, and the rest of the recruits streamed in, some sparing Oak curious glances. Noche eventually thumped down alongside him, patting him on the back. Frittata and Mist Rose took their seats more calmly, each sympathetic to Oak’s plight.

Somehow, however, Noche didn’t seem to place much thought on Oak’s condition. “So, Oak, we were thinking of going out tonight for supper, instead of havin’ the same old crap they always serve us. Sound good?”

“Really, Noche?” Frittata reprimanded. “First thing you do is ask him about food?”

“Well, it’s not like we don’t know what happened to him,” he countered. “Hey, Oak, Caldor kick your flank?”

The earth pony grumbled into the table.

Noche Buena turned back to the others with a fiendish smile. “See, what did I tell you? Anyway, want to head out later today and get something good instead?”

“I don’t really have any bits at the moment, Noche.” Oak said.

“Oh, relax, I’ll let you pay me back later.”

“So what did you have in mind?”

Noche grinned widely. “I was thinking about checking out that bar you were talking about yesterday: the Cracked Mug.”

“Oh, please,” Frittata scoffed. “We all know the real reason you want to go there.”

“Can’t a stallion get a pretty face and some good food?” he asked.

“Why?” Mist Rose asked, fluttering her eyelashes, her mouth curled downwards in a pout. “Am I not good enough?”

Frittata and Oak Leaf both broke into laughter at Noche’s expression. Stammering, he tried to come up with something fitting to say, only to have the chance taken away from him as Commander Blossom strolled in. Lieutenant Sky alongside her, called for silence.

“If the castle staff is on time, lunch will only be a few minutes longer. In the guard, it’s customary to be partnered up for your patrols and shifts. To that end, you are all going to be assigned a partner for the remainder of training. Our choices are non-negotiable. If you don’t like them, get over it. Once the lieutenant informs you of your partner, you are to find them, and remain with them. What you do on your own time is up to you, but during training, you will be with them at all times. Lieutenant,” she prompted.

Sky nodded, grabbing a scroll from under his wing.

“Oh boy, here we go,” Noche commented under his breath.

“Blaze Bristle, Thistle Pastery. Frittata, Rose Mist. Solitaire, Emerald Spring.” The listed continued on for a few more names, matching ponies up with others. “Oak Leaf, Alexandrite Lavaliere.”

Oak’s hopes plummeted at the announcement. He was truly stuck with him? In the few moment’s of Oak’s disbelief, he missed Noche’s name being called.

“Who’s that?” the unicorn muttered, his brow furrowed in thought.

“You may choose to find them now, or after lunch, but you must stay with them,” Cherry Blossom continued. “I hope you will enjoy what we have planned. I know I had fun,” she joked slyly. “I’ll see you all in a few minutes.”

As she turned to leave, Oak Leaf spotted Alexandrite rising from his seat, heading straight for the commander. No doubt he was going to complain about their selection, and being put with a cripple. It would fit his character even for him to describe Oak as that. They started their conversation just out of earshot, and it took Oak a few more seconds to wind through the tables to hear them.

“...don’t think it’s a good idea I am paired with him,” Alexandrite was saying. “I’m concerned that there could have been a better choice made.”

“Do you not like him or something?” Cherry Blossom replied, not budging an inch.

“While he and I don’t get along, that is not my reason. I worry about his injuries–”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” she interrupted. “Quite frankly, deal with it; it’s not our problem. Besides, I’m sure Oak would tell you that his injuries are barely even affecting him, isn’t that right?” she asked the earth pony.

Looking behind and seeing him standing there, Alexandrite gave Oak a dark scowl.

“I’m fine, ma’am,” Oak insisted. “Bar the obvious, it’s barely even affecting me.”

“See, there you go,” Cherry Blossom offered over her shoulder as she walked away. The tone of her voice offered no room for further argument.

“Thank you for that,” Alexandrite growled, heading back to his seat. “Please, feel free to impose on my conversations whenever you feel like it,” he added sarcastically.

Sighing, Oak started back to his friends. He could already tell this was going to end well.