"Thrust! Parry! Riposte! Slash!" The drill sergeant ordered, voice carrying across the field. The sound of a hundred wooden poles striking wooden targets was his response.

"Parry! Parry! Feint! Thrust!"

Again wooden poles contacted the targets, sending out a harmonious crack as the amplified sound echoed across the fields.

The drill sergeant continued to shout orders, changing the pattern of strikes as well as the speed at which they were executed. He glanced towards the sun, idly noting its position in the sky. Another half-hour then he'd bring in a fresh batch of volunteers.

As the drill sergeant returned to his shouting, high above him the skies were a flurry of blurred colour’s and shouts of "Dodge."

Pegasus swarmed above, moving in groups of three or more. Some flew through rings and obstacles made from clouds, others sparred with one another, swooping and banking as they tried to strike each other with padded short swords.

Each group was accompanied by a member of the Wonderbolts who carefully instructed the Pegasus in aerial combat while Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts oversaw all aerial training. This was not abnormal as even the Royal Guard Pegasus underwent training with the Wonderbolts, them being Eqestria’s greatest flyers, they were more than qualified.

A group of fresh volunteers dove towards the ground, quickly picking up speed in preparation for their next movement. Two of the Pegasus successfully pulled up but the third did not correctly angle her wings.

She realized too late. With a cry of panic followed by pain, she slammed into the ground, tearing a groove into the ground as she skidded to a stop just outside a group of tents. She lay their injured and dazed as the tent flap nearest to her was pulled aside and a bearded unicorn casually glanced out.

"Ah, what perfect timing." He said happily, pulling the flap back all the way, allowing the dozen or so unicorns inside to see out.

"Now who believes they have firmly grasped the lesson as to heal this injured mare?"

One of the students stepped forward. "I do, professor."

"Excellent."

The student hurried towards the mares’ side and gently encased her in the soft glow of his magic. Within seconds she was fully healed and with a loud cry, one of joy and another of surprise the mare had wrapped the unicorn stallion in a tight embrace.

"You saved my life!"

The stallion chuckled nervously. "Honestly your injuries weren’t that bad."

She pulled back from the embrace. "My knight in shining armour." She whispered, completely oblivious to what he had just said. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek with further whispers of "My hero."

The stallion flushed furiously no longer trying to dislodge the mare who had firmly entrapped him. "Now now, that’s enough of that." The professor said with slight irritation. He grasped the two in his magic and pulled them apart, setting the stallion behind him while placing the mare some distance away.

"Young lady I believe you have training to return to?"

She seemed to return to reality. "Right, of course!" She quickly took to the air but stopped and turned around. "I’ll find you again, my love! We shan’t be apart long!" With that she flew quickly back to the other Pegasus, leaving her rescuer staring absently after her while the other members of his class patted him on the back.

"Young ones." The professor said under his breath before addressing the class. "Now if we could return to the topic at..." A massive column of fire erupted into the air, momentarily blocking out the sun and sending a slight tremor through the earth, effectively interrupting the professor who only sighed.

"Well it would seem the Battle Mages will have need of us once again. Come along class."

A hundred yards away lying in a small crater was a unicorn mare dressed in long white robes hemmed in blue with a hood crumpled at the base of her skull both of which were quite singed. A shadow passed over her dazed form as another unicorn mare, this one dressed in blue robes hemmed in white shook her head in disappointment.

"You lost focus. How many times have I told you, a good shield requires complete focus. Had I put my full power into that spell you would have been incinerated. Now dust yourself off so we may try again."

The mare turned away before her student could respond who quickly picked herself off the ground and readied herself for another attack.

"Now. Focus!" The instructor said, quickly channeling magic into her horn and loosing a fireball.

The student braced herself, physically and mentally, and threw up a shield. This time the fireball contacted the shield and was absorbed by it, safety dispersing the energy into the ground.

The student shakily dispersed her shield. "I...I did it!" she exclaimed happily.

"Yes well done indeed. Now let’s see if you can block two in consecutive order."

Several moments later another column of fire erupted into the air leaving the student once again singed and lying in a crater. The instructor shook her head once more in disappointment. "Perhaps we should take a short break?"

She noted the approach of the Healers and left her student in their care while she sat down at a small field table some distance away. Taking a nearby quill in her magic she penned a short report and handed it off to a royal messenger stationed close by.

"If you could deliver this to your superior that would be grand." The instructor said, passing the rolled up parchment tot eh messenger who took it with a salute.

"Right away, ma'am!" He carefully placed the parchment into a saddle back and trotted off into the direction of the main city gate. Along his way he passed several more groups of ponies. Earth, Pegasus, and Unicorn all were scattered about, some were learning how to fight, others were learning how to build fortifications and siege equipment.

Leaving the fields behind him, the messenger trotted along the road that would bring him into the city. He carefully shoved his way through the crowds gathered at the gate. Volunteers from all over Eqestria had been arriving since early morning, some came by carriage, some by train, but most arrived on hoof.

With a final push he broke through the throng of ponies and approached Field Command. Captain-General Steadfast had relocated his HQ to the outer wall so as to better oversee the training. The messenger found the General outside of his tent sparring with a white unicorn mare with a purple mane.

"Move your hooves! Never stop moving! If you stop your dead!" Steadfast shouted, stepping forward and sweeping his swords in an arc, easily knocking the sword from the mare’s mouth.

The mare dove for her blade but Steadfast knocked it out of her reach with a blast of magic before bringing the tip of one of his swords to her throat. "That’s match." He said returning both swords to the dual scabbards at his sides. Using his magic Steadfast levitated the mares sword back to her, hilt first.

"Not bad, Rarity. You’ve gotten better since we started."

Rarity grasped the hilt in her mouth before returning it to the sheath at her side. "Not well enough it seems. Each bout is shorter than the last." she said, anger apparent in her voice.

"Well to be fair, I’ve been practicing sword play since I was a colt and you’ve only just begun this morning."

Rarities eyes flashed with anger as she drew her sword and dropped into a ready stance before lunging at Steadfast who easily sidestepped her and delivered a quick punch directly into the blade, knocking the sword from Rarities grasp.

Blinded by anger, Rarity spun in place, using the momentum of Steadfast’s strike to level a punch directly into his face, but Steadfast easily countered it, grabbing Rarity by the hoof and throwing her to the ground.

Rarity lay upon the ground gasping for breath while Steadfast stood over her. "Good attempt but try to conceal your emotions. You practically screamed your intent at me."

"A...again...” Rarity gasped, using her magic to levitate her sword back to her. She was surprised to find that a white aura completely encased her own.

"Let’s take a break." Steadfast said firmly.

Rarity rolled to her side and got to her hooves all while pouring more energy into the levitations spell surrounding her sword, yet it still would not move. "We don’t have time for a break!" She said angrily, straining to lift her sword.

Steadfast stood by, calmly watching Rarity struggle to overpower his aura and regain her sword. "Rarity." He said. "You will be of no use to anypony if you do not take a rest. We will continue your training later today."

Rarity pulled one final time, still unable to lift her sword, finally she whirled on Steadfast anger present on her face as she shouted at him. "You are insane if you think I will take a rest! Sombra could attack at any time and I must be ready for when he does!"

Steadfast met Rarities fiery stare with one of cold clarity. "Very well." The white aura surrounding Rarities sword vanished and with a shout, Rarity pulled it to her and slashed at Steadfast. He dodged the first slash as well as the second before unsheathing his right sword just enough to ram the pommel into Rarities chest, knocking the wind from her body.

Her sword dropped to the ground with a clang as she grasped her chest, struggling to breathe. Steadfast calmly sheathed his sword before speaking to Rarity. "Do you know what is truly insane?" He ask her. "A pony who does the exact same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome."

He turned away from her before she could respond. Levitating over a quill and some parchment from a nearby table, Steadfast wrote down some instructions before branding the parchment with his seal and rolling it up.

"Here, take this to the quartermaster and then report back to me here." He said, passing the rolled parchment to Rarity who took it without a word before turning away.

"I can’t hear you?" Steadfast said sternly.

Rarity turned back to him and snapped off a smart salute. "Yes, sir." she snarled before heading off once again.

Steadfast watched her until she was out of sight. His thoughts were interrupted by some pony clearing their throat behind him. "Yes? What is it?"

The messenger who had silently watched the exchange saluted. "Sir! I have the latest report from the training fields."

"Excellent." Steadfast said, snatching the parchment out of the messenger’s hooves with his magic. He unrolled it and carefully read the intricate script.

Several quiet moments passed before the messenger spoke up. "Sir? If I may speak freely?"

Steadfast glanced over the parchment before rolling it up. "You may."

"I heard you’re taken a mare under your personal tutelage but I had assumed it was another volunteer."

"You heard right. She officially joined yesterday and we began her training this morning."

The messenger looked at Steadfast with disbelief. "Impossible! She fought like a veteran!"

Steadfast chuckled. "I’m certain that she does not realize how rapidly she’s progressed. Techniques that took me months to learn she's mastered in hours. I don’t know how much you saw but that last bout I went all out and only barely beat her."

He gazed into the distance as he continued. "She has a drive about her, a determination that I’ve not seen in a long time." His gaze returned to the messenger. "Best keep this between us, eh?"

The messenger smiled before saluting. "Yes, sir."

Steadfast nodded before taking a seat a small table just outside his tent. He idly unrolled the parchment once more and read it over. Satisfied with the report he once more rolled it up and placed it upon the table.

The sun slowly made its way across the sky, reaching its peak at noon. Steadfast remained at the table, mentally drawing up battle plans and adding figures while he awaited Rarities return.

Half past 1 Rarity returned to the Command tent. Her time away had cooled her anger but the determination was still present. Steadfast cast an eye over her, seeing as she had been outfitted per his instructions he nodded in agreement.

"I assume Sure-shot showed you how to use that?" Steadfast asked. Nodding towards the short bow slung on Rarities back.

"Yes, General." She responded curtly.

"Good. Then demonstrate." He reached under the table and pulled out several small disks made of clay, with a quick burst of magic he sent them sailing into the air.

Rarity drew her bow with her magic and nocked and arrow. She let fly the arrow and it found the first clay skeet before it reached its height. No sooner had the first arrow left she had another nocked and fired, taking out yet another skeet.

Faster than the eye could follow, Rarity nocked and loosed six arrows all of which found there mark sending bits of clay raining down on the area.

"Fire and determination be damned." Steadfast whispered as he tried in vain to close his agape mouth. With much effort he finally succeeded. He got to his hooves and approached Rarity who had replaced the bow upon her back.

"Rarity." Steadfast said happily, clamping a hoof on her shoulder. "I do believe you’ve found the right weapon."

Rarity stared at Steadfast with the same determined look she had arrived with but a small smile slowly spread across her lips. "Thank you, General."

Steadfast chuckled. "Thank me after you duplicate that feat another twelve times. We must be certain it wasn’t a fluke."

Rarities smile grew a little larger. "Of course."

"Now let’s try firing while moving, slightly more difficult but..."

"General, look!" Rarity cried, eyes locked on the sky.

Steadfast followed Rarities gaze skyward. A fireball was streaking towards the ground, heading directly for the castle.

"Battle Stations!" Steadfast shouted, immediately drawing the attention of all the guards nearby.

"Lieutenant!" Steadfast shouted, pointing at a Guard coming out of the Command tent. "Bring two platoons to the castle ASAP!" Steadfast then turned to the guards stationed at the gates. "You men follow me!" Rarity with me!"

Steadfast then charged off towards the castle, with Rarity and two dozen royal guards in tow.

They raced through the streets, speeding past ponies all the while keeping the fireball in sight.

"Fan out once we reach the outer courtyard! I want a shield up the moment we set hoof inside!" Steadfast called out as they ran.

They reached the outermost castle courtyard and together, Steadfast, Rarity, and the other unicorn guards pooled their magic together and conjured a large mutli-coloured shield that covered the castle on the side facing the fireball.

Seconds later the fireball contacted the shield, blasting through it like it was nothing. Steadfast had just enough time to yell brace before the fireball struck the castle.

The ground beneath their hooves lurched suddenly, sending all of them toppling to the ground, burning chunks of wood and super-heated stone sailed through the air, peppering the area with debris.

The group covered their heads and waited. Long seconds ticked by but finally the flying debris ceased. Getting to their hooves they raced into the courtyard,

A large crater had been blasted into the stone courtyard where the fireball fell, dust and smoke swirled around inside the crater, obscuring what lay within.

"Be wary." Steadfast said, cautiously approaching with his weapons drawn. "This could be a trap devised by Sombra." He came to the edge of the crater and glanced towards Rarity who stood beside him, bow drawn. “Be ready.” She replied with a brief shake of her head, never once looking away from the crater.

Steadfast’s horn glowed softly as he readied a spell, all around him more guards had arrived and were taking up positions all around the perimeter. His spell charged, Steadfast used his magic and dispelled the smoke, revealing what lay inside.

All those gathered gasped at the sight while some cried out in anguished voices for lying at the center of the crater was Princess Luna. Her fur was burned and blackened and her horn looked as if it had been sheared from her head.

“No!” Shouted Steadfast as he leapt into the crater. “Princess!” He landed beside her, casting a quick spell to check her pulse.

“She’s alive.” He breathed. Looking up he locked eyes with one of his men. “You fetch the healers! Go with all haste!” The guard did as he was told, sprinting back towards the training field.

“The rest of you, set up a defensive perimeter” They quickly complied, circling their fallen Princess and pushing back the crowd which had begun to gather. “Rarity! Inform Princess Celestia!” Rarity had already dashed off into the castle before he had finished his sentence.

Steadfast knelt beside Princess Luna, her wings were bent and broken, likely from the impact and her otherworldly mane that would shimmer and shine like the night sky clung motionless to her body, covering her chest and most of her face.

Upon closer examination, she appeared to be grasping something in her hooves but he could not tell what. Reaching out he gently brushed aside some of her mane to get a better look at the object held in her hooves.

His eyes widened in shock. It was cracked and twisted with corruption but there could be no mistaking it. Luna held her own broken horn in her hooves. Steadfast reached out to take the corrupted bone from his Princess grasp. Just as he touched it, Princess Luna’s hooves lashed out and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him close to her.

Her head snapped up, causing her lifeless mane to fall behind her. Reveling a deep gash a crossed her right eye that was infested with black crystals. She fixed Steadfast with her remaining eye and he saw a terror in it that was beyond imagining.

“Ge…general…mine…si..Sister….warn…” She tried to say, struggling to even open her mouth.

“Please, your highness save your strength. Both your sister and the healers are on their way.”

Her grip on Steadfast began to lose its strength as she teetered on the edge of conciseness. Her eye looked at him as her mouth moved but only whispers escaped. Steadfast leaned in closer and just managed to hear the princesses final words before she slipped into unconsciousness.

“She…has…fallen.”