I squint my eyes a bit as the sun shines down through my window. With a contented sigh I roll over and pull the sheets closer to myself as I try to sleep in a tad bit more. Ten minutes tops. Last night was amazing! There is no way he was a virgin, he was too good at that. I reach out to...

"Hammer?" I ask quietly as I blink a few times, trying to see more clearly. I'm alone in my bed... did.... did he leave me? I mean, I know I was a little... forward with him, but... I thought he cared. *sigh* I guess.... I guess I'll just get ready for the day then. I get out of bed and move to my mirror. My manes a mess. More so then usual. I take the brush and begin to run it through my mane, getting it straight quickly.

"Well... back to it.... I guess." I tell myself as I grab my hat and set out for the kitchen. I need to get breakfast ready for Applebloom and get....

"...and I was all like 'oatmeal? Are you cray cray!?" I step into the kitchen and shake my head in disbelief when I see Hammer and Applebloom talking at the kitchen table.

"Hehehe, that's funny. Mornin Applejack!" Applebloom greets cheerfully from her seat as Hammer shoots me a smile.

"Howdy... y'all." I say as I move to the stove. "Why doncha git some orange juice while I make some flapjacks." I tell Applebloom as I start to get all of the materials for breakfast.

"Sounds good. So why did you spend the night Hammer?" Applebloom asks as she takes the juice out.

"Uh..."

"I was helping Applejack with some stuff." Hammer says quickly. I look back to him for a second before starting my mix. He seems to be fairly vague about what we did last night. I guess we'll be in the clear...

"What kind of stuff?"

"Fun, awesome stuff that I'm really good at apparently." He says, making me nearly drop my mixing bowl.

"Can I..."

"Nooooooooooo." Hammer says slowly.

"But ah...."

"So I see you don't have your cutie mark yet." Hammer says quickly. We share a quick glance before I get back to making breakfast, pouring the mix onto the griddle.

"Yeah, but I will soon! Me and my friends are on a crusade and won't stop until we get our cutie marks!"

"Hehe, that's cute. Hang in there though, these things take time. Heck, I only got mine a few months ago...."

"WHAT!" I yell mid flip.

SPLAT

We all stare up as the flapjack sticks to the ceiling.

"Yuh jus only got yer cutie mark! How long ago?" I ask.

"Well... roughly five months...."

"How old are ya?" Applebloom asks. Oh please say thirteen, please say thirteen, please say thirteen, don't make me a pedophile.

"I'm thirteen..."

"Ah thank Celestia." I sigh in relief. OK, at least he's of age....

SPLAT

"Uh.... Applejack. You got a little something on your face." Hammer says, getting little snickers from Applebloom.

"Really? Ah couldn't tell." I say as I start to wipe the doughy flapjack off my face, ignoring the laughter from the table. As I get back to making breakfast Big Mac makes his way down from the stairs. He pauses for a second, staring straight at Hammer, before silently taking his seat.

"Uh... morning Big Mac." Hammer says nervously.

"EEyup."

"So what kind of stuff did you and Applejack do?" Applebloom asks again. I just hold my breath and try to focus on breakfast. Why does that girl have to be so gosh darn curious?

"Uh... just... stuff, you know?" Hammer replies.

"No. What kind of..."

"Mornin Apples." Granny says as she walks in. Oh no.. "Who're you?"

"I'm Hammer. Uh... I'm a friend of Applejacks..."

"A friend of Applejacks huh? Why haven't ah ever heard yer name before?"

"Uh..."

"Wait a minute... yer the old helper we hired that dun made that earthquake, Ruler."

"Hammer, and...."

"Why haven't ah seen ya before? Ya been sittin around on yer lazy flank while...."

"Uh Granny." Big Mac interrupts. "Yer talkin about Miles. This is Hammer." I look back and watch Granny as she begins to try to piece everything together. She looks a little frustrated. Confused. A little scared.

"Right.... Yards. So yer....Nails." Granny says quietly as she looks back to Hammer. Hammer looks around the room, a little confused by all of this. He takes a quick look back to me before smiling back to Granny.

"Yup! Nails is the name... because... I'm as tough as them! Nice to meet you Granny!" He says joyfully, putting a smile on Grannys face.

"Ah can see that. Well then welcome ta the farm Screwdriver! How'd you an Applejack meet in the first place?" She asks happily. Everypony lets out a sigh in relief as she takes a seat beside him, scooting closer to listen.

"Well, we were.... hanging out, doing stuff, and she invited me to breakfast. How are you this morning?"

"Ah ah'm just fine. Joints rattlin an ah'm sure ah'm fergettin somethin, but ah can't complain. Them Tops at the farm next door have been lettin their dogs in our yard too. Winonas been hollerin all day at them, keepin me up..." Granny starts rambling. I just smile along as I finish up preparing breakfast, happy to see Hammer listening to everything Granny Smith has to say.

Breakfast goes without a hitch. Granny and Hammer take up most of the talking. Luckily Hammer stays fairly vague about what we did last night. Though he keeps saying that we did stuff.... not sure why but OK. Big Mac keeps quiet and Applebloom focuses on eating, so awkward subjects are avoided.

Once everypony finishes their food Hammer and I clear the table as Big Mac heads out to the fields. Applebloom runs off to go do something with her friends and Granny.... I think she's heading for her rocking chair. Hard to tell with how slow she moves. Once the room is cleared I take a deep breath of relief and turn to Hammer.

"Well.... at least nothin awkward happened." I joke, getting him to chuckle in response.

"Things only get awkward if you let them. I tried to keep things as casual as possible, by the way. Is Big Mac going to kill me? I think he put one and one together."

"Well... probably not." I say after some thought. He probably did figure it out, but he usually lets me handle my personal life.

"Probably? So he..."

"Lets go git mah sheets washed now. Ah'd prefer ta get them done now before gettin to mah chores." I say as I leave the sink and head for my room, not letting him respond. We gather my sheets and bring them down to the wash room in the back, passing a sleeping Granny on the way. We set them in the soapy water and get to scrubbing them clean. He's a good worker, focusing on his task while doing a fairly decent job, for a stallion that is.

"So where do you grow the stuff?" He asks as he scrubs away.

"Huh?"

"Last night I asked you what you grew, and you said corn and stuff. I'm interested in what the stuff looks like and if it's any good." He says with a playful nudge. I realize what he's talking about and chuckle along with him.

"Yer never goin ta let me live that down, are ya?"

"Nope."

"Thought so. So why didn't ya tell me you were only thirteen?"

"I would have if we had talked a bit more, but things went a little faster than I expected."

"Ah real sorry about that. Ah was jus.... bein hormonal ah guess..."

"It's alright." He says quietly as he moves the sheets to the hanging wire. "Best. stuff. ever."

"Oh hush you!" I say as I splash the water to him. He just laughs it off and helps me hang the last off the sheets, where we pause together. "So... ah've got a lot of chores ta do, but... maybe afterwards we could..."

"Do some stuff?" He asks as he inches towards me.

"Oh stop jokin!" I say as I push on his chest a bit.

"Sorry, I joke when I get nervous." He says with a slight chuckle as he steps closer to me. "So... what time do you think you'll be done with everything?"

"Around four."

"Cool, so I'll swing by and we'll go do some stuff together." He says as he leans a bit closer to me. I lean up to him and graze his jaw line along the way to his ear.

"Ah'd like that." I whisper before moving back and kissing him lightly on the lips.

"APPLEJACK AND HAMMER, SITTING IN A TREE!" We both look over see the Cutie Mark Crusaders watching us from behind the house, singing loudly. I immediately try to hide my face behind Hammer as I feel my cheeks begin to burn.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Hammer sings along. I look up to his smirking face and just lean my forehead against his chest, submitting to my humiliation. "First comes stuff, then more stuff, then comes the really *muffle* stuff!"

"Yer lucky ah'm in a good mood buster." I tell him as I look up to him, still blushing from all of the shouts from the girls.

"Yeah, I know." He says before leaning down and kissing me one last time. "Four o' clock, I'll be here." He says as he begins to walk off.

"Ah'll be waiting." I tell him as I watch him leave.

"Make sure to bring the stuff!" He says as he motions to the house.

"Git goin you!" I laugh as the girls start to swarm around him.

"Hammer! Tell us how you got your cutie mark! Did it really take thirteen years? Is Applejack your special somepony? Why do you have a backpack?" The girls ask as they drag him off. I laugh a bit as he runs off with them, happy to answer most of their questions. With a content sigh I turn...

"So he's the lucky stallion ta win ya?"

"GAH!"

SPLASH

I sit up in the wash pan and shake the water from my mane as Granny sits on the outside, smiling as she looks down to me.

"I SAW THAT!" Hammer yells as he disappears in the distance.

"Hiya Granny. Ah.... uh...."

"Applejack, ah know ah'm losing mah marbles an all, but ah know what that stallion was here fer." She says flatly.

"Oh, yeah. Ah'm sorry Granny. Ah didn't mean ta hide the truth frum ya..."

"Oh please. Ah know ah did the same, yer momma an pappy did the same, an ah know Big Mac was with Fluttershy long before that one dinner. It's what ya do when somepony else has yer heart. An ah know Sunny Rind and Fuji would approve of him."

"... really?" I ask as I step out of the pan. "Ya really think so?"

"Yer darn right ah think so. Not just any stallion would listen ta an old mare like me like he did. He's ona the good ones, don't let him git away." She says as she picks up my hat and sets it on my head.

"Thanks Granny. Ah'll do mah best." I say before hugging her. We take a moment to squeeze each other before I move to go do my chores.

"Where do ya think yer going?" She asks as she grabs my shoulder and pulls me back to face her.

"Ah was goin ta dry off and do mah chores...."

"No ye aint. Y'all gotta date tonight. We need ta get ya presentable iffin yer going ta make a good impression." She says as she starts to drag me into the house.

"But ah..."

"Ya don't wanna go lookin like sum two bit floozy, we gotta do yer mane, shine those hooves, straighten yer tail. Ya wanna impress Duct Tape or not?"

"*sigh* fine. Jus none of that froo froo stuff, OK Granny?"

"Do ah look like a froo froo pony to you?" She asks before moving towards her room. I just laugh nervously as I walk along with her. I just hope I don't end up looking like Granny by the end of this.

...............................................................................................................................................................

I feel a light shine through my eye lids and it forces me to open my eyes. Low and behold my favorite sight. Luna. She looks a little irritated about something, probably my being knocked out again. Fucking Hammer.

"Morning beautiful." I say as I sit up

"Oh don't you beautiful me mister." She says in an irritated tone, narrowing her eyes at me. "Did you have fun?"

"... fun? You know, I love being knocked out..."

"Not the time for jokes Miles." Luna says quickly, silencing me. She motions to something beside me and waits for me to look over. Why is Trixie sleeping in my bed? "Care to explain?"

".... I'd love to, but I have no fucking clue why Trixie is in my bed." I say as I shake her shoulders, making her tuck in more. "TRIXIE. Wake up."

"Nnng, five more minutes." She mumbles sleepily. I sigh and look back to Luna, putting on the most innocent smile I can muster.

"Luna..."

"Miles, did you have your way with her?" She asks quickly.

"...what?"

"Did you have sex with her!"

"No! The fuck Luna? I've been unconscious since Hammer threw that bar of death at me." I tell her as I get out of bed.... of fucking course I'm naked. If I was clothed that would be helpful.

*sigh* Fucking Hammer.

"Luna, you know me. I didn't do anything, I swear." I tell her as I take a knee before her. She looks away from me as she taps a hoof quickly, trying to think.

"I believe that you didn't do anything. I just doubt that she didn't do anything." Luna says with malice as she glares at Trixie. "You have to tell her to leave."

"I agree with you in that this was wrong. But..."

"There is no but Miles! She clearly crossed a line and I don't want her in my home!" Luna says as she stands up, flaring her wings angrily. I just sigh and pull her in for a hug. What the... she's soft. Softer then usual. FOCUS!

"Luna. I can't. She's.... she's the ancestral child of one of the dearest friends I've ever had. I will talk to her, but I...."

"Miles." She says as she breaks our hug. We stare into each others eyes for a moment before she walks off for the closet.

"Luna!" I call out to her as she takes the Mico platform. "Fuck."

"Morning Miles." Trixie says as she sits up and stretches. "What's with all the...."

"Why the fuck are you in my bed!?" I ask her.

"...."

"What?" I ask her.

"Please tell me it grows."

I'M NOT LITTLE!" I yell before pointing to the door. "Go down stairs already. We need to have a serious talk."

"Miles..."

"Now." I tell her firmly. She sighs as she gets up and leaves my room. I rub my eyes in irritation as I try to piece everything together.

"So what about..."

"Not now Trixie!" I snap as her. She quickly moves out of sight. I look over to the Mico platform and try to think of a way to make things right with Luna. I'm sure I'll think of something. With an annoyed groan I quickly get dressed, putting on a blue collared shirt and black pants, and head down stairs. I turn towards the living room where I stop. CC is sleeping on the couch as Damian slumps in a recliner. Patches is trying to pull his leg out of Lupus' mouth and Hammer.... Hammer is just sitting beside CC. A massive smile plastered on his face.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I ask him.

"Well, you know Miles, I like being here. I like existing, here, on earth. enjoying the warm sun, breathing the air, walking from place to place, even getting hurt from time to time. Because at least then I'm existing." He says in a somewhat happy, yet condescending tone. "You know, life is good. Life is awesome. I'm alive, I've got backpack, I've got friends, I just got a marefriend, the girls want me to be the den mother for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, everything's looking up for me. Like, if I had to roll some dice, I would get the maximum amount those dice would have to offer... and if I were to roll an additional die I think it would only be off by one from that maximum."

"I hate you."

"And I think poorly of you too sir." He says with a confident smile.

"So, you and Applejack fucked." I say as I move to the free recliner, surprising Hammer.

"How did..."

"I'm good at the game. I'm going to give you some advice right now, but only because Applejack is a good friend of mine and I want to see her be happy. One; don't ever lie to her. She embodies honesty so you won't get away with it..."

"I wasn't..."

"Two; family is important to her. Don't just try to be on good terms with them, try to form relations..."

"I might already..."

"Three; if you hurt her in any way, watch your ass."

"I don't plan on..."

"And lastly, when the time arrives, put your back into it." I say as I stand up. He gives me a confused looks before putting one and one together.

"Well, lets see. I won't lie to her to begin with, I'm already starting to get on good terms with the Apples, and I think I put of my back into it the way she likes. So I think my ass is safe." He says with a smug smile.

"I hate you." I mutter again as I head to the kitchen, finding Night Fury, True Will and Dust Devil eating breakfast. "Morning." I mutter to them, getting a mutter back, as I head to the fridge for some food.... it's empty. Today sucks.

"Hey Captain," Dust Devil asks with a mouthful, "what time is the peoples meeting thing at?"

"Right, first of the month, we'll hold it at twelve..."

"So in forty minutes." True Will points out. I pull out my phone as check the time, cursing my luck.

"Alright, True Will, can you go gather Moosden and bring them here. Dust Devil, can you go about Ponyville and gather the others. I'll head to Canterlot to get Celestia and Luna." I ask them, getting quick salutes as they head out. "Trixie, can you follow me please." I ask as I head out the back door. We head down to the shed where I begin to pace about, unsure of how to breach the subject.

"So... Miles..." Trixie starts nervously.

"Did you have sex with me last night." I blurt out.

"No!"

"Don't lie to me, is that the truth?" I ask as I step towards her.

"It's the truth, I swear it on my life!" She says as she straightens out. I relax a little and lean against the wall. "I didn't do anything because... I... well, I..."

"Don't finish that..."

"I wanted you to want me back." She says quietly as she steps towards me.

"Trixie, we will never be anything like that. I will always view you as just a friend. I love my wife and will never break those vows I took with her." I tell her. She lowers her head and nods, stifling some tears. "I'm sorry, but don't ever do what you did again."

"I..... I'm sorry." She says before turning to leave. "I'll go now..."

"Trixie." I call out to her, but she doesn't stop. "Trixie Ostendere." She pauses at the entrance and looks back. We stare at one another for a moment before I sigh. "Non relinquas mi carissime."

She doesn't respond. She simply smiles and nods before flashing out. I sigh in annoyance and begin grabbing all of the gear I had been working on. Today is going to be a long day.

"Satisfied?" I ask aloud.

Blink blink.

"I didn't think so... but... are we good?"

... blink.

"Hm, good. Will you and Celestia be joining us for the citizens meeting?"

Blink.

"Then you need to get moving, meeting starts in twenty. And I want to see my beautiful wife already." I say, getting her to stop the spell. I spend the next twenty minutes moving all of the gear to my living room, spotting Moosden as they appeared below the communications array.

"Howdy there Miles!" Bantler greets as he trot up to me. "I have good news!"

"Oh? Whats that?" I ask him as I take the last of my gear in.

"We have a family wanting to move in to Moosden! The mill will be starting up again!" He announces proudly.

"That's amazing! Do you know how many?"

"At least six of them are coming, maybe more. I'll need refreshing on the duel citizenship you told me about. They already agreed to it, we just need to...."

SLAM

We all look over to see Dust Devil in the doorway. Her eyes are wide and her pupils have shrunken to a dot. She stumble over to the recliner before taking a seat and stares at the floor.

"Hey Dust Devil.... you alright?" I call out to her.

"..."

"What happened?"

"So...."

"So.... what?" I ask as I kneel before her.

"So... long." She mumbles.

"Ooooh, you walked in on Storm and Twilight, didn't you". She nods... then shakes her head.

"Storm.... Twilight... Fluttershy... Big Mac... all..."

"It's alright soldier. You've been through enough." I tell as I pat her shoulder. "Alright, lets try it..."

"WAIT!" Damian yells from the dining room table. "Lets just use the necklaces!"

"... that's a good idea..."

"Can I do it?" He asks as he jumps out of his chair and runs over to me.

"Uh... sure..."

"Yes! *ahem* calling all Spartans, calling all Spartans," he whispers into the necklace, "STOP FUCKING YOUR WIVES AND GET TO THE CITIZENS MEETING!" He yells at the top of his lungs, jumping in place as he does so. "That's all."

"A little over the top." I mutter as I rub my ear a bit. "But, should be effective... unless Storm already finished..."

"REALLY!?" Dust Devil yells as she jumps off the recliner and heads to the kitchen. Damian lets out an evil laugh as he trots back to his friends... is... is this normal for us... fuck.

Knock knock knock

I walk to the door and open it up to find Celestia, Cadence, Shinning Armor and Luna standing there with about ten guards moving to guard my home.

"Uh... hi, what are Cadence and Shinning doing here?" I ask Celestia and Luna.

"We thought, being allies, that we could come to one of these meetings, see how things work out on this end." Cadence says as she steps forward. "I hope we aren't over stepping our bounds."

"Well.... I'll only allow it as long as you allow some Terradisians to attend a Crystal Empire meeting."

"Deal." Shinning says quickly. I nod and step aside, allowing them all to enter. Luna and I share a moment before she follows after her sister. With a sigh I go to shut the door, but stop when I see Twilight, Storm, Big Mac, and Fluttershy walking towards my home. Well, the others are walking at least. Storm is asleep, being levitated by Twilight .

"Hey." I say to them. They all pause for a second, blushing slightly as they look elsewhere. "Can you wake Storm up?"

"Uh... yeah... in a bit at least." Twilight says as she toys with her mane.

"Great, where's Spike?"

"On his way."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Well, this is awkward." I say as I move aside, letting them enter. I look up and see Rainbow Dash gliding down, so I keep the door open for her.

"Hey." She says as she zooms by. Let's see... all we need is...

"Sorry I'm late." Spike says. I look around until he drops down before me. "I was out flying, working my wings and all." He says as he gives a few test flaps and tucks them in.

"What's your canopy?"

"About... ten thousand feet."

"Speed cap?"

"Uh... I'm not sure. I think I'm faster then the average pegasus, but no where near as fast as rainbow."

"Hm, that's good to hear. Keep up the good work." I tell him, getting him to smile proudly. "Stick around after the meeting and we'll have more training, you've been practicing right?"

"Of course! I can make fire a lot easier and I even figured out water!"

"Whoa, slow it down kid. Water? Remember water and ice are similar, but still hold their own perspectives." I say as I start to walk inside.

"I will, master." Spike says as he walks in after me. I go to the living room where I take my place before everyone. The room is full of quiet people and conversations. The Moosden people seem to be the most excited of the bunch, though I can understand why.

"Alright, lets get started." I say firmly over the crowd, silencing them all. "First order of business, Terradisia is now officially allied with the Crystal Empire and Equestria. What this means for us now is unknown. Perhaps trade will begin, metals and timber for who knows what." Bantler and Nada share an excited look before mumbling something to Butterscotch and E'Claire. I guess trade will be something good.

"Jasper was a bust, kind of. We found what we went for, but the city has been over run with enormous bugs, so if you find yourself in Trottingham, stay out of the mines." Celestia and Luna share some quiet mutters before straightening out.

"Everyone, this is Trixie Ostendere." I say as I point her out. "The Ursa Majors sent her here to make some kind of message, it didn't work. So we're going to hit them where it effects them the most, their wallets. We will continue to use their people in our journeys to Terradisia, but in the end, we wont be paying them."

"Really?" True Will groans.

"EEyup."

"Well, it will piss them off, but it wont stop them. They've stockpiled millions of bits from prior jobs and excavations..."

"Have they been doing any illegal works? Something that may further hurt them?" Celestia asks.

"Yeah. Murders, stealing fine jewelry, even bribing government officials to have political pull. You name it, they have their hooves in it somehow." Dust Devil tells her.

"Where do they operate?" I ask.

"Well... we don't know..."

"They're in Trottingham." Damian buts in. "The back of some floral shop. Their leaders are two ponies, an orc, a goblin and some fat griffin, I'll have their names at the next meeting. Be careful moving in on them though, they have eyes watching the entire city with escape tunnels leading to the outskirts of town. If you really want to get them, they meet every other Thursday. I'd suggest going through the southern tunnel, it has the least traps and only one locked door."

"How do you know that Damian?" Luna asks.

"We know everything." He deadpans. "Why do you think I'm the intelligence lieutenant."

"Damian, you're cheating." CC tells him.

"I call it an unfair advantage." Damian says with a smirk.

"Anyway, last bit of real business, we're looking forward to a family moving to Moosden. According to Bantler it's going to be at least six people. Next meeting should have more citizens to welcome..."

"Wait, what?" Celestia ask. "Moosden citizens? Is Moosden under Terradisian control?"

"Yes, the guards were abusing their power, so we took control of the city. If Equestria wants it back, it's too late for that." I tell Celestia.

"Sorry Princess." Bantler apologies' as he lowers his head to her.

"We like this new government." Nada finishes quietly. Celestia looks between all of us before nodding in acceptance.

"Spartans today will be receiving armor and weapon specialization. I also expect the jumpers to meet today and set up a training regiment. I've heard about the challenge against the Wonderbolts and would like to see nothing less then victory. Spartan pride." I say, getting a chuckle from Luna and Celestia.

"Laugh now, but when we take the title of best fliers in Equestria, we'll see whose laughing then." Rainbow Dash defends, flaring her wings a bit.

"We will see." Celestia says with an even, unbiased tone.

"Well, that's all for today. Any concerns that...."

"Actually, I have one." Bantler says as he stands. "Our mills haven't been operational in... a long time. We need new tools and supplies before any timber work can begin."

"Alright. Meet up with me later in the week and we'll work on that." I tell him, getting a large smile in response. "Anything else... no? Then meeting adjourned." The room erupts into conversations as everyone stands. Spartans move towards the front while everyone else lingers back. Cadence and Shinning begin to approach me, though Shinning seems a little reluctant to do so.

"Miles, we have an odd request to make of you." Cadence says.

"OK, what's up."

"Well, we'd like to..."

"I'm telling you, I don't need it." Shinning says, sounding as if he's said it a thousand times already. "I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard, they don't just give that title away. I. Don't. Need. Training."

"Wait, you want training?" I ask.

"Yes." Cadence answers.

"NO!" Shinning refuses. They begin to bicker to one another as everyone starts to ease drop on their loud conversation.

"ENOUGH!" I yell over them, getting them to stop. "Follow me please." Not letting them respond, I make my way upstairs to my room where I head to my closet. I begin to strap my armor and weapons on as I wait for them to enter my room, being nearly finished when they enter.

"I don't need Spartan training." Shinning says slowly.

"Good, because you aren't getting Spartan training." I say, getting Cadence to deflate. "But i can give you basic Terradisian training..."

"Don't insult me." He says dejectedly. "I am a Captain. If I except any training from you, then it's showing that I think you're a better fighter then me...."

"Well, I am. Look, stick around today for training. If you aren't convinced that there are somethings you can learn, then don't come back. What do you say?" He looks back to Cadence, who smiles at him, before looking back to me and nods. "Good, then let's go then." I say as I head down stairs.

We make our way out front where we find all of the Spartans, clad in their new armor. At my arrival they snap at attention and line up, waiting for my command. I look back to my porch to see everyone watching, waiting patiently for me to begin. Shinning takes a seat beside me and huffs in annoyance.

"Spartans! Today we will be doing specialization training, and we're in luck. Shinning Armor will be training with us, so lets show everyone the difference between guards and soldiers. Up first, let's have Damian." He steps forward and rears up as he begins to twirl his staff around, showing off his skill. I was fine with it, but the twirl around the neck was just showing off.

"STICK O DOOM!" He yells before taking his stance. I draw my sword and offer it to Shinning, who takes it in annoyance.

"Damian, try not to kill him and remember your footing." I tell him, getting chuckles from everyone. As they square off with one another I step back and stand by the other Spartans.

In the blink of an eye Damian closes the distance between the two of them and begins to spin his staff around. Shinning barely had time to react before taking several hits to his gut and head. Before Shinning could retaliate Damian jumps back and takes his stance again.

A bit winded, Shinning presses his attack, slashing and using his larger size to push Damian back. Damian keeps calm and uses his smaller size and faster movements to avoid all of his hits. With the simplest of twists of his staff he would guide a blow away.

"Damian, it's a staff, not your dick, so quit playing with it and finish him already." I yell out, getting a few chuckles as Damian suddenly vanishes. Shinning holds his stance as everyone begins to murmur. Suddenly Shinning falls forward as Damian appears behind him, stick the butt of his staff against his head. Damian tries to deliver a flurry of blows, but is stopped by Shinnings shield. As he gets back to his hooves, Damian punches the shield and with a thunderous explosion shatters it. He shoots forward and begins to mercilessly beat back Shinning. Any defense the guard tries to put up is simply knocked away by a quick slap of his staff.

"ENOUGH!" I yell as I march forward. Damian stops mid strike and steps back, grinning madly as Shinning slumps to the ground, covered in bruises. "Notes?"

"Quick and pokey." Damian replies stupidly.

"Close enough. Remember though, sometimes it's better to let them strike at you, it opens them up and gives you a chance to disarm them."

"Will do Captain." He says as he gives a mock salute.

"Shinning, you alive?" I ask, only getting a mumble of a response.

"Pussy guard." Damian chuckles.

"Dishonorable soldier." I snap back. He rolls his eyes and nods before taking his place back in the line up. "Come on, lets get you healed up for the rest of training." I say as I kneel before Shinning and place my hands on him. A few seconds later he snaps up, fully healed and aware of his defeat.

"He cheated." He says as he glares at Damian. "This was a contest of blades, not magic..."

"Staff dude, I didn't have a blade." The little smart ass yells back.

"Damian, two hundred squats." I yell at him. He lets out an annoyed groan as he lifts his staff above his head and begins to count out his squats. "And as for his cheating, there are no rules for victory. You use what you have to win..."

"Then where's the honor in that! We aren't barbarians Miles..."

"NO! We aren't! We're husbands and sons and daughters and people with families Shinning! Where is the honor in dying and leaving them alone? Where is the honor in holding back to make people you don't care about think slightly higher of you? You win your fights, respect your enemies, and return home to your loved ones! That's the difference between a guard and a soldier!"

"It's not the same Miles!"

"THEN YOU LOOK TO YOUR PREGNANT WIFE AND LET HER KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LET ME KILL YOU FOR YOUR HONOR! DEFEND YOURSELF, CAPTAIN, PRINCE, SUPPOSED HUSBAND AND FATHER! IF YOU DON'T SHAPE UP I WILL TAKE YOUR LIFE!" I yell at the top of my lungs as I pull out my trench knife and take my stance; igniting the first level of it's enchantment.

An eerie silence falls over us as we stare each other down. He takes a look over to Cadence and stands there. Unaware of the danger before him. I take initiative and charge straight for him, blade facing forward ready to strike. He swings horizontally at my, forcing me to duck back as I slide to my knees. When I spring back up I bring armored knuckles up to meet his chest, only to be stopped be his shield.

With a powerful explosion his shield shatters for the second time today. Not wasting a moment, I push forward, trying to gain a critical hit. He brings the sword across and blocks my hit. He tries to push an attack, but when he tries to slice his sword down onto me, I block it with the knuckles of my knife and kick forward, sending him back. With his grip loosened, I twist my knuckles and lock the blade. A few kicks to the gut and one quick pull gains me my sword.

I stand back and push my magic to have both weapons flaring with power. Shinning wipes his maw before igniting his horn, creating two energy sabers before him. I shake my head as I take my stance. So it's the hard way then.

THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD

As Shinning and I begin to circle one another, the Spartans begin to stomp their hooves and slam the butts of their weapons against the ground. Egging us to press the fight. Shinning moves to charge forward, but I get the first attack. I stab my sword into the ground, sending a row of earthen spikes, heading for Shinning.He dives to the side and slides a bit, but has to move again. With my sword still buried, I twist around and swing it over head towards him. A massive column of earth comes straight for him, forcing him to jump back.

I run forwards and slam my knife into the column. It explodes outwards and peppers all over Shinning as he tries to shield off the attack. In a flash he teleports behind me and tries to slice at me. With a spin, I dodge his attack and swing back at him with my sword. A large plume of fire fumes from my sword and forces him to teleport again. When he appears a distance away I take off after him, launching myself magically at him. He raises a shield again as I swing my sword at him once more.

I try to stab through the shield, but it proves too strong to break through. A couple more stabs give me the chance to look Shinning over. He's scared. His horn is covered in several layers of magic as his eyes dart from side to side, trying to figure out his next move. I bring my knife up and push the next level of enchantment out. An archaic circle appears around the base of the blade as the runes on it burn brightly. I give a single punch against the shield before I jump back to watch.

At first, everything stays quiet. Then, in a deafening boom, five massive jets of energy appear randomly around the shield. The bright energy pushes closer and closer until only a ball of fiery energy is left. I jump before my home and raise my hands, creating a massive dome of a shield.

KRA-BOOOOM

The ball of energy explodes with enough force to send webs of cracks all along my shield. Everything turns white for a period of time before a hue of red washes over. A massive fire is now taking place where Shinning once was. Everything returns to silence as the fire burns itself out. When I hear another flash of energy I side step and grab Shinning by his mane. He tries to fight out of my grasp, but when I laid my knife on throat, he gave up.

"This, would have been the end of your country. This, would have widowed your wife. This.... would have killed the father of that unborn child." I say quietly. At the last part he slumps a bit as he begins to truly understand. "Where is the honor in not doing everything to keep those things? There is honor in the manner in which we fight, but as for the means.... you win, or you die. There is no grey area."

"....I'd like that training now." He says quietly, shedding a single tear.

"ALRIGHT!" I yell as I drop him and face the other Spartans. "Let's begin then! You will all find that your armor has been enchanted for strength and speed bonuses. Third enchantments have been specialized to better fit your weapon styles..."

...............................................................................................................................................................

After a few hours of training the other Spartans in their weapons, we finally call it a day. Damian didn't really get a chance to get acquainted with his weapon, having to do so many squats. Shinning and I spent most of the time sparring with one another. Today we worked on using the rest of his body as a weapon, not just his sword. It seemed so foreign to him, but he was quick to learn.

Spike and I sparred for a bit as well, magically of course. His grasp on water is fairly basic, but I'm sure he'll expand on it soon enough. Fire, on the other hand, or claw for him, has become superb. He can hold a plume of fire for over a minute without staggering. With those elements down, I started teaching him in stone. He was able to lift a pebble by the end of our training.

"Alright, I think that'll do for today." I announce, getting everyone to sigh in relief. With a collective groan, all of the groups that were sparring suddenly drop from exhaustion.

"So... how did I do?" Spike asks, slightly winded.

"You did good. Keep working on stone and be sure to keep working on the gravity on as well." I tell him as I pat him on the back.

"Thanks... Master." He says as he stretches a bit and heads over to the porch.

"Hey Miles," Damian says as he approaches me, "so, are we doing the Icy Void training?"

"Well... alright. Lets take five before heading into the Everfree." I tell him, getting a nod in response.

"Icy Void training? You can train ponies in Icy Void?" True Will asks as him, Storm and Night Fury approach me.

"I can't train him in how to use Icy Void, but I can train him how to better defend himself from it..."

"Can we get trained to do so?" Storm asks as they all step towards me, eagerly waiting for my response.

"No."

"AAW!"

"First off, the only other magic user is True Will, and he is no where near powerful enough to even dream about this kind of training. Damian is...." I pause as I look back to him. "Special."

"Yeah, so get back to training before I whip out my Stick of Doom!" He says as he whips out his staff, making the others step back slightly. I laugh at their irrational fear and head to take a seat beside Spike, trying to relax a bit before moving on.

"Am I going to receive training for Icy Void?" Spike asks.

"No. But I would like you there to learn how to breach an unfamiliar energy. I don't know anyone who has ever had a power like this, so we'll be taking extra precautions."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Twilight asks from behind.

"No, but Damian needs to know how to deal with this kind of thing, so I have to." I tell her. I look around for Celestia or Luna, but they must have left.

"Thank you Miles." Cadence says from my left. "For not killing him..."

"Oh, don't thank me. I was legitimately trying to kill him. He only survived because he's good at teleporting. Though, when I'm done with him, he'll do better. I'm sure of it."

"Oh... OK then." She says as she walks past me, heading for Shinning. She passes Damian and eyes him a bit, but continues on.

"Five minutes, lets go!" He says, eager to continue.

"First off, don't ever give me an order. Secondly, it hasn't even been a minute yet."

"Sorry sir, but I'm getting antsy. I really want to get started." He says as he shifts about uneasily.

"*sigh* fine. Come on Spike." I say as I stand. "Lets get this over with."

Deep within the depths of fire and brimstone, a great and powerful evil grinned madly. The unknowing vestige of Micheal edged closer and closer to his total corruption. Soon, delightfully soon, his own presence would take a firm hold and his will would begin to guide the vessel towards his damnation. His only concern was the presence of his unruly subordinate. Though still trapped, he knew all too well that his being there would alter events. It did not concerned him. It was too late for any great change to happen.

Mortalis de Bellum, we shall see.

"Alright, this should be far enough." I say as we come to a stop. We had walked deep into the Everfree to avoid harming anyone. An hour and a half later I feel confident that we've accomplished that.

"Alright, so just shoot me and I'll try to block it..."

"Or we can not be idiots and do this with a bit of thought." I tell Damian. "Make a shield away from yourself and I'll shoot it. From there try and gauge what it will take to block it."

"Oh... that's a lot smarter." Damian says as he rubs his short red hair.

"Yeeeeeaah, lets get started then." I say as I flare my hands. Damian nods and takes his place before me, creating a dark blue shield to his right.

I look down to my hand and try to force it shut. As usual, there's a resistance when I near my palm. I focus a bit harder and press harder. Slowly, painfully slowly, I begin to shut my hand. Though I only saw it for a second, I think the circle around the archaic fire turned to a pentagon. I'm no sure of this though. I would have to open my hand to check.

The two black orbs appear above each my fist. Wisps of cold, black energy falls from each of the orbs. My lines instantly begin to grow up past my wrists, being jagged and slightly thicker. I take a few breathes before readying myself to attack.

"You ready for this?" I ask.

"Are you?" He replies. I take one more deep breath before punching forward. A solid black beam erupts from the orb and bursts straight through his shield. I drop the spell and drop my arms. "OK, that, was powerful."

"Yeah... ready to try again?" I ask as I raise my hands again. He nods and raises his shield again, a blue aura forming around his hooves. With another deep breath I punch forward and blast his shield away, though this time there's a slight pause before it does so.

"OK, I've got it." He says as I lower my arms. "Lot and lots of energy. Like, a fuck tun of energy."

"Alright, lets go again until you can stand behind you shields." I say as I raise my arms, noting the lines growing up to my shoulders.

"Alright, GO!"

"AAAH" I yell as I fire another beam of Icy Void. It slams into his shield and tears away at it as Damian holds it back. The two forces fight for supremacy before Icy Void breaks though. Having plenty of time to judge it, Damian leaps out of the way unscathed. "OK.... OK....*cough cough* I think that's... *couch cough*... that's enough." I say as I fall to the ground. I cough as a tight feeling takes over my chest. My lines have taken over my entire body and I can't stop panting.

"Are you alright Miles?" Spike asks from behind.

"*cough cough cough*"

"Dude... yo don't so good." Damian says as he steps towards me.

"BACK AWAY FROM ME!" I yell as my vision began to blur. I slam my hands down on the ground as I felt something begin to take over. Black, jagged lines started to grow on the edge of my vision as I screamed out in pain. I tried to fight back, but... there was nothing I could do....

ALL SHALL TURN TO THE VOID!

With a tremendous yell I take control of my host and flare my magic. Four dark tendrils of Icy Void, as Miles has come to call it, shoot out from my hands, heels, and back. All spirits and souls that were near began to flee, fearing for their after lives. Using the tendrils from my back for support, I lift the mortal body off the ground and glare down at the abomination before me.

"RUN!" It yells to the others as it drops its staff. "I'LL TRY TO HOLD IT OFF!"

"HAHAHA! Demon, all shall crumble before the void." I chuckle as I shoot out my tendrils all around the forest. Wherever they strike, a pentagon of archaic energy would appear.

"I'm no mere demon." It spoke in two voices before letting out a howl of pain and doubling over. Along its back and legs the skin began to tear as bloodied, black plates bulged out. Its arms and legs grew in length as two curved swords appeared in its hooves. It stood, roughly the height of my host, and readied itself.

"I shall destroy you quickly." I say as I begin to move around the beast, planting more of the archaic pentagons.

"You can try, but you will not succeed." It replies, turning to stay facing me. "Who are you, what are you? What is it you want?"

"I am Corpus Glacius. Power manifested. Living corruption. And Uideretur sibi Nihil." We both come to a stop, lowering as we each readied to attack. "And I want nothing."

I wrap myself in my tendrils and drop into a different planes. Back with the demon, the pentagons explode with tremendous force. The form doesn't falter, rather, it stabs down into the earth and sends blackened flames towards me. I launch myself back into reality and immediately begin to move back as the demon gives chase. It runs with a hellish speed, gaining speed quickly, before leaping into the air to strike me down.

THWACK

Using a tendril, I swat him out of the air and send him crashing through two trees before sliding to a halt. With little effort, the beast jumps to its feet and looks over the slash crossing its chest. With an insane laugh it draws its swords before charging for me again. Pointing my arms out, I send several tendrils into nearby trees. Through the cracks and crevices dark energy seeps from them, molding to my will. They bend and slam into the ground before the beast, only missing because it leaps between the branches. Spikes of branches shoot out in an attempt to strike the beast, but it moves too quick for a kill.

He reaches me and begins to press an attack, swinging madly at the mortal body. I move back and begin to climb through the trees, leaving exploding pentagons in my wake. The beast chases me, leaping from tree to tree as it swings its blades madly. From the blades black flames of Void erupt, forcing me to retaliate. I wrap a tree in my tendrils and force the branches to explode outward, coated in my Void. The beast is stopped and sent flying back from several direct hits.

Releasing the tree, I drop to the ground and begin to approach him as he regains his footing. Holding several tendrils before myself, I create several pentagons in the air and fire solid beams of Void at him. Skillfully, he leaps and twirls out of harms way before charging straight for me. I've grown tired of running. Holding my right arm out, I focus the Void into a massive plume of a sword. Likewise, the beast began to focus its own energy into its swords, leaving a trail of fire and Void in its wake.

Time began to slow as we began to strike at one another. The desire to destroy each other etched in our faces, the passion for death glowing in our eyes, the empty fires of Void nearing one another....

And then, we struck.

What on earth is going on! What happened to Miles! He turned into... I don't even know! It... it was terrifying. Then Damian change! What was that! He almost looked human, but... a lot scarier. CC, Hammer and Patches now are holding their hooves up, pointing towards where they ran off. I don't know what's going on any...

KRA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The earth violently shakes as a massive explosion tears the forest apart. Acting completely on instinct, I jump in front of the others and throw my arms out, making a shield dome around us. I hear the explosion crash into something and shatter it before crashing into my barrier.

For a second I went wide eyed as I felt the barrier smash my weak shield. I had mere seconds to fall forward and scoop everypony up before the flames washed over us. Even with my thick scales, even with the magical buffs, and even with my new found stamina; this, hurt.

Long after the flames died off I held onto the others, shaking from the new found pain on my back. It was only when CC started to pry herself from my grasp did I release them to fall to the ground. Lucky for them, my body took most of the heat, but they still were sweating lightly.

"What the buck was that!" Hammer yelled as they all looked around in confusion.

"Thank you Spike." CC says as she nuzzles my cheek. "That was very brave of you."

"D-don't mention it." I say as I roll onto my stomach. "H-how is m-my back?"

"Well..." She pauses as I feel her hooves press lightly on my wings. I wince from it and let out a low growl of annoyance, making her pull back. "Try to hold still, I can take the edge off. Then we can go get Miles and Damian..."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Patches asks as I feel a cool sensation begin to wash over my back.

"Are you nuts?! Why wouldn't we heal him? He..."

"Not what I meant. I mean, are you sure we should go after Miles and Damian. If even one of them are still changed... it's too dangerous." CC falls quiet for a moment as she focuses on my back. I'd question how a pegasus could use magic to heal, but the relief from pain was too great to question.

"Damian would do the same for us. We're going, that's final." CC says firmly. We all share an uneasy look before silently agreeing.

After nearly a half hour of healing I'm finally able to stand, so we head through what was the forest. The ground has turned grey as the air is filled with an ashy snow. All of the blacked trees are leaning to the side and are getting narrower as we get closer to the epicenter. A bone chilling silence fills the wasteland as our steps echo through the stillness. I glance around and think of all the life that was just lost here. Plants, animals, nothing could have lived through that.

We come to a stop where the trees vanish and the ground slopes down. In the middle of a large crater lie Miles and Damian, looking like their normal selves. We share a relieved look before running down to them. As we approach them, they both seem to wake. They sit up and take a look around, trying to piece everything together. We pause near them and wait for one off them to speak.

"Damian." Miles says weakly.

"Yeah?"

"I think you passed Icy Void training." They both break into pained laughs, infecting us as well. "Come on, lets.... lets... hnng." Miles stutters as he tries to stand, only to fall and grab at his chest.

"Oh crap." Hammer says as he produces a pink bar of soap from him bag and gets ready to throw it. "Is he going to change again?"

"No... I... I... AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Miles yells as he falls back and arches his back. His power lines flare over his entire body as his portals come to life. He twists and shakes as he lets out pained cries.

"What's going on!?" I ask as step away from him. "Is going to change again?" I look to the other only to see the concerned faces. "Miles! Miles what's going on! What's happening?!"

"I...I'm.... changing!" He yells as he slams his arm down to the ground and sends a blast of energy that shatters a distant tree. "NO... it's.... new.... hnnngn.... power!" In a panic I run over to him and try to hold his arms down.

"He's freezing....no... I remember this... it's a power change." I say as I look to the others. They look to one another before nodding in understanding. "I can take you home, but you have to try to not harm me. Do you think you can do that?" I ask him. He looks me in the eyes, pain filling his face, before shaking his head. "Well, I'm doing anyway master." I say before lifting him up and carrying him on my shoulders.

"Spike, are you sure..."

"Let's go." I say as I begin to walk off. There isn't anything they could say that could change my mind. My master is in pain. And the only logical thing my mind could come up with was to get him home.

Far above, in a planes flowing in milk and honey, a great and powerful being mused the dealings of lesser beings. Though direct dealings have ceased, his masters dealing have continued to play out. Call it blind luck, call it pre-ordained destiny, he truly worked in mysterious ways. His vestige, though tainted, was still on it's way to a greater purpose. Patience, a virtue in it of its name, was all that was required now.

Congradulations if you follow by post. We're in the final stretch of 2nd arc. I estimate twelve to fourteen more chapters. And yes, I estimate that they will all be this long. One last note, Sine Wave, I'm impatient. Your thing has one week left from the post of this chapter. Sorry.

Brony on!