Sweat ran down my face as my lungs heaved with air. My muscles burned and my vision swam as I forced my body to go further. I could feel my arms shaking as my real leg twitched every other second, and I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to hold out for much longer. I bent my arms and touched the tip of my nose to the grass below me, grunting with the effort as I pushed back into a plank.

“One hundred.” I hissed out through clenched teeth.

With that final count I flopped onto my stomach, groaning as my body reminded me in multiple painful ways that I hadn’t done this kind of PT since I had been discharged. Fifty sets of burpies followed by one hundred sit-ups and one hundred push-ups. My entire body was one big ball of ouch, and I could barely get my breathing under control as I pushed into a sitting position. And that was without going for a three-mile run afterwards.

“Man,” I managed to say between pants, “I need to do this more often. I’m getting soft.”

I glanced over my shoulder at my two shadows, who had followed me into the field behind Twilight’s castle because I wasn’t under ‘princess escort’ or some nonsense. I could believe with Twilight being the magical powerhouse she was that they weren’t required to guard me when I was with her, but the least they could do was do something other than stand around looking like morons. I mean, fresh recruits at boot camp had more interesting duties that these two. Might as well put a locater collar on me and keep track of my movements that way. At least then I wouldn’t have to try and fail to interact with a pair of stallions with a stick shoved up their respective plots.

I pushed myself into a standing position, feeling my back and legs protest as I stretched out muscles that would rather spend the rest of the morning cramping. I winced as a muscle group in my forearm seized, and I rubbed it with my other hand in a futile attempt to make the pain go away.

“Boy I wish I could use those healing spells I read about,” I muttered under my breath as I walked back towards the castle, still rubbing my arm as it called a strike on my brain’s orders, “these cramps are going to be the death of me if I don’t stretch my muscles out.”

“Maybe you’re just not cut out for this stuff,” one of my pinhead followers muttered under his breath.

I didn’t have to look to know it was Nova Burst. The crimson unicorn was nothing but a pain in my ass that I would gladly get rid of, but Twilight said that with the crazy stuff going on I needed a guard escort for my own safety. Not like I had enough to deal with already.
I was just about to push the doors to the castle open when they opened inwards by themselves. I paused in surprise as Twilight walked out with another pony following behind her. I stepped back as Twilight spotted me, her eyes widening slightly before she smiled.

“Ah, Sarah, just the mare, er, woman I was looking for.” She indicated the mare in a dusty brown travel cloak behind her with a hoof, “This is Major Swift Blade of the Canterlot Guard. She’s here to teach you how to fight so that way you can protect yourself if somepony attacks you.”

I rolled my eyes, “Yeah, sorry, but I’ve already been trained to kill. No offence to Celestia, but I don’t think a member of what you ponies call a military would be able to do much against me.”

The mare stepped forward, forestalling Twilight’s reply as she met my gaze with her own sapphire orbs, “I heard that you’re some kind of military mare from another world. Why don’t you put your bits where your mouth is and try me on for size?”

I crossed my arms over my chest, “What’s the game? Unarmed? Ranged? Close-quarters? You got to be a little more specific.”

She didn’t react other than to keep staring at me, “Given you don’t have a weapon that limits our options to bare-hoofed close-quarters combat. So, are you willing to take me on or is your military full of chickens?”

That made me bristle, “Oh you are so going down you walking fertilizer dispenser.”

Twilight gasped while the mare simply smirked, “You got a brain under that mane of yours. And a comedian to boot. This ought to be fun.”

I turned to the side and held out my arm, “Ladies first.”

Her smirk disappeared as her head tilted in confusion, “But aren’t we both mares?”

My smirk remained strong as I replied, “True, but at least I’ve been around the bend with a boy before. You look about as experienced with the opposite sex as a nun with a dick phobia.”

That made her eyes narrow, her nostrils flaring as she lowered her head and pawed the steps with a hoof, “Watch it ape. I might have been sent by Celestia to train you, but with the Princess as my witness, I will pound you into the dirt for that little remark.”

I walked around the back of the castle, glancing over my shoulder at her with my smirk still firmly in place, “I’d like to see you try.”

Nova Burst and his companion were watching all of this with wide eyes, the first true reaction I had managed to get out of them since we had met. Yet nothing was more hilarious that Twilight’s face. Her mouth was hanging loose and her eyes were so wide I thought they were going to fall out of her head. Her cheeks were a bright red as she sat down at the edge of the field, shaking her head before regaining control of herself. My would-be instructor stood opposite me as Dumb and Dumber sat down next to Twilight, and I noticed that her stance was perfectly balanced as she turned her head to grip the cloak around her shoulders.

She ripped it off with a flourish, revealing the gold and white armor that all Canterlot Guards wore, although she was missing the rather flamboyant helmet. Her coat was a dark brown while her mane and tail were a light aquamarine. Both were cut short in typical military style, and she cracked her neck once before turning to me. I noticed a distinct lack of wings or horn, so that made her an earth pony, a rarity within the Guard if I wasn’t mistaken.

“You ready to take me on?” She called out, her stance wide and her head held high.

I fell into a fighting stance and raised my arms, “Yup, just be prepared to lose.”

Her lips curled into a confident grin, “I could say the same to you.”

For a moment we stood there, waiting for the other to make a move. Then, almost too fast for me to see, Swift Blade leaped from her stance and thundered towards me. By the time I realized she had moved, she was already spinning around with her hooves pulled back to buck me. Rather than try and dodge, I leaped into her strike, wrapping my arms and torso around her legs as she tried to kick, absorbing most of the impact before she could get any power. Her eyes widened as I forced her forward, her front hooves struggling to gain purchase as I put my whole body into the tackle. Her hooves were not able to keep up with me, and her jaw hit the ground hard as I forced her into a submission hold. I wrapped my arms around her neck and my legs around her barrel, trying to get the head lock to hold as she struggled against my grip. Her breath wheezed as she tried to pry my arms apart with her hooves, but was unable to get a purchase against my locked joints. Finally, she tilted her head forward, and swung it back in an attempt to headbutt me in reverse.

Unfortunately, I had been trained to prevent that sort of thing, so I tilted my head to the side and let her overextend her neck before I released my choke hold. Before she could capitalize on my release my hands grabbed the front of her mane and the underside of her jaw, forcing her to keep her head swung back at a crazy angle with no leverage to work with.

Her eye was perfectly in line with mine, and I could see the panic in her pinprick pupil as she flailed about in my grip. I leaned in and whispered in her ear, taking my time because I knew she wasn’t going anywhere, “Want to insult my brothers in arms again?” She shook her head the tiniest amount in my grip, “Then I suggest you learn to respect those of the armed forces. You might be a prim and proper royal guard, but I was a member of one of the most skilled special forces on my home planet. Now, I’m going to let you go. We’re not going to have any hard feelings about his little scuffle and you’re going to respect me as a fellow soldier from now on. I understand you have a mission from Celestia, Lord knows I understand having orders from higher powers hanging over my head. But from this moment on, we’re going to treat each other as equals, clear?”

Her eyes returned to a normal size, and her lips straightened into a straight line as she nodded a fraction of an inch. I nodded in return and released my grip, stepping back as Swift Blade gasped for air. She held a hoof against her throat for a moment as she got her hooves under her, before straightening and turning to face me.

Without any warning, she saluted me and said in a proper officer address, “Forgive my lack of respect, Captain Lovegood, I was informed of your military background but was too proud to admit you might be trained better than the Royal Guard. It was foolish of me to disregard your skills because you come from a place we are not familiar with. For that I am sorry.”

I nodded, snapping a return salute before dropping it, Blade following suite, “It’s fine. I was hassled all the time for being a woman in a man’s profession the entire time I was in the force anyway. I’m used to it.” I walked up and kneeled down in front of her, holding out my fist, “Care to start over? And please, leave off the honorifics, I was discharged from the force so I’m no longer active duty.”

She nodded, bumping her hoof against my hand before smiling, “Then you can call me Swift. Only my subordinates call me by my rank.”

I returned her smile, “Sounds great. Care to join us for lunch? I was just finishing up my morning PT when you and Twilight showed up.”

Her eyes widened slightly as she fell in on my left side, “You were out of energy from PT and you could still fight like that?” I nodded and she whistled, “I’m actually starting to feel scared for the enemy rather than for you. Are all soldiers on your world trained like you?”

I smirked, “Only those who fight for my home country. Everyone else might as well be chump change compared to us.”

She lifted an eyebrow at me as we walked up to Twilight and the others, “Laying it on a bit thick aren’t we?”

I smiled as I ruffled her mane, much to her annoyance and the humor of the others, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She shook her head to straighten out her mane, turning to face Twilight and the goon squad, “I’m ready to begin my assignment, Your Highness. Will you assent to my teaching of your ward in the art of combat?”

Twilight nodded, “Permission granted, Major. See to it that Sarah is prepared for the challenges ahead. We might have a good idea of what the enemy is, but we have no idea where they might be hiding or when they might attack.”

Swift nodded, her face stern as she turned to the dynamic duo, “Alright ladies. You’re working under my house rules now, so all that namby-pamby crap you learned in the guard post ends now. As of this moment, you are officially reserve members of the Canterlot Royal Guard, and that means you have to be ready to protect Sarah at a moment’s notice. No more time off for lunch breaks, no more days free if Sarah is spending time with Princess Twilight, nothing!”

Both stallions wilted under the command aura Swift was exuding, and I felt a spark of pride for the slightly smaller mare. When she wanted something done, she got it done. No questions asked, no if’s and’s or but’s if this was what we were going to be working with. I smiled as I walked past the group, tuning out the Major as she chewed the boys a new one, falling in with Twilight as we entered the castle.

“I think that went rather well, don’t you think?” I asked casually.

Twilight rolled her eyes, letting out a long-suffering sigh, “I have a feeling Swift Blade is going to make her stay a very memorable experience for all of us. I just hope she doesn’t kill Nova Burst and Wind Clipper if they don’t follow her orders, they’re not used to this kind of rigid command structure.”

I pumped a fist when Twilight wasn’t looking, Yes! I finally learned the names of those two blockheads! I don’t have to keep coming up with nicknames anymore! I paused as I thought that last bit over in my head, “On second thought, I’ll keep the nicknames.”

“What was that?” Twilight asked as she looked over her shoulder at me.

“Nothing.” I replied, concealing the grin that threatened to break out on my face. Swift is going to bust a gut when I tell her some of the stuff I came up with for those two.

Twilight and I managed to find our way into the dining room, although how she finds her way around this place I still have trouble believing. I mean, it took me three hours after Rainbow left to find my room and get ready for bed. This place is only a few thousand square feet, how can I get lost in a place that has less square footage than two football fields?! I’m a highly-trained Army Ranger with mastery in wilderness survival and urban combat tactics. Why is this so difficult?!

My train of thought was properly derailed in a massive and fiery explosion as Spike walked in with two large plates in his claws. My stomach reminded me that I hadn’t had breakfast this morning and I wasted no time in sitting down at my place on Twilight’s right. Rule number six of being a Ranger, never mess around when it comes to food.

“Thought you guys would be hungry after that royal guard got through with you,” he said with a chuckle, placing the platters in front of us as said royal guard walked into the room, “I was beginning to think she’d beaten you into a pulp and we’d need to take you to the hospital again.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Swift said as she walked up and sat down on my other side, “Sarah has some major skills that put me to shame when it comes to close-quarters combat.” She smiled up at me as my two companions wandered in to stand at attention against the wall, looking a great deal worse for wear, “She’ll do just fine if the enemy is stupid enough to get into close range with her, although we still need to go over your skills with a sword before I can fully clear you for close range combat proficiency.”

I nodded, rubbing my hands together as Spike pulled off the cover of my food, revealing a steaming grilled trout with a side salad and dressing. Fluttershy had explained to me that while no animals could actually speak, most were some degree of sentient, so hunting wildlife was illegal in the highest degree within Equestria’s borders. The only exception was fish, so that was what we had agreed would be the meat I required in my diet.

Apparently, no one had bothered to tell Swift about my dietary habits, because she took one look at my food and held a hoof against her mouth, her cheeks turning a rather unhealthy shade of green as she jumped out of her seat and backed away.

“What is,” she forced out before having to swallow the obviously threatening bile in her throat, “that?”

I felt a bit sorry for her as I slid my plate away from her, “It’s my lunch. Did Celestia not tell you that I’m an omnivore?”

Swift’s hoof managed to make it back to the ground, although she still looked rather ill as she firmly refused to let her eyes land on my plate, “N-No, I was n-not informed that you ate,” she swallowed thickly as her ears folded against her head, “meat. This isn’t going to be a regular thing, is it?”

I was saved from answering by Twilight, who was showing great restraint at having a cooked fish practically under her nose, “Sarah’s diet requires her to eat the proteins that are found in meat at least twice a week. We figured it would be easier on her if she could cut back on the meat so that ponies don’t get uncomfortable around her, but if she goes too long without it then her body will start to cannibalize itself in order to get the nutrients it needs. Her muscles will weaken, her organs won’t operate properly, even her brain will start to deteriorate if she goes long enough.” Twilight smiled reassuringly at the still queasy mare, “Don’t worry, I can warn you when Spike is cooking Sarah’s less than appetizing meals. We don’t want you to get sick because of her food needs.”

Swift nodded, taking a deep breath to calm herself as she cleared her throat, “Then I will have my lunch later. Celestia knows I’ve lost my appetite after seeing what remained of that fish.”

Twilight nodded, and Swift beat a rather hasty retreat, closing the doors to the dining hall with a clang as the alicorn turned back to me, “I’m surprised she didn’t puke. She must be a strong one to have the fortitude to hold her stomach like that. Most ponies wouldn’t even be able to be in the same room with meat, the smell alone would make them sick.”

“Said the mare who’s two feet from a grilled trout.” I retorted as I slid the plate back to me, digging in while it was still hot enough to enjoy as Twilight blushed.

“Well, I’ve been around dead animals before in the lab, so it’s not so bad for me.” She said as she dug into her own food, a large salad with a certified Sweet Apple Acres apple on the side, “It’s the same with Fluttershy. Some of the animals she cares for are carnivores, so she has a special shed where she keeps the meat they require for food. She might not look like it, but she’s got the strongest stomach of anypony I know. And that includes Pinkie Pie.”

I chuckled as I finished off my fillet, “I swear that pony is made of sugar from how much she eats. You would think she’d have some kind of diabetes from how many sweets she intakes on a daily basis.”

“I think she simply burns through it all before it can get too concentrated in her blood,” Twilight mused as she picked up her apple in her magic, “the only other explanation is that her body makes far more insulin than the average pony to compensate for the sugar intake.”

“Imagine a cutie mark for that,” I said with a giggle, “immunity to sugar overdose and completely unable to become overweight.”

That got a laugh out of her, “It would certainly be unique, even for our world.” She bit into the apple and hummed in pleasure as a drip of juice ran down her chin.

I lifted an eyebrow, it was just too easy, “Are you eating that, or are you eating that?”

Twilight coughed, spitting pulped apple all over the table and all over me as she pounded her chest with a hoof. She gulped her water before gasping for air, glaring at me with flushed cheeks as I held my stomach in laughter.

“Really Sarah?” She growled, clearly not amused, “I was enjoying that apple before you made that little joke.”

That only made me laugh more, the guards now joining in as I pounded the table, “Oh you were enjoying it all right.” I sputtered as I gasped for air, “I swear if someone was walking by in the hallway they would be having some very different ideas about what kind of lunch we were having right now.”

Nova Burst and Wind Clipper couldn’t take it anymore and fell over themselves, pounding the floor with their hooves as they gasped for air. Meanwhile, I had managed to get myself under control enough to grin suggestively at Twilight, who was beet red from the shoulders up with fully flared wings. Her eyes were narrowed in anger, and before I knew what was happening, her horn ignited and I was yanked off the ground.

“Yah!” I yelled as I flailed around in her magic grip, feeling my limbs being directed against my will until I was ram-rod straight.

Twilight lowered me until I was floating parallel to the table, my face inches from hers as her lips pulled into a sadistic grin, “Oh, you thought that was funny, did you? Well, listen up missy, because I’m not going to repeat myself.” Her nose touched my own as my eyes widened in fear, “I’m going to warn you once, only once, to not make jokes like those about me or my friends. They aren’t funny, they can hurt ponies, and they are downright childish in their usage. Now, either you knock it off, or I’m going to practice my combat magic spells on you without the use of protective gear.” She pressed her muzzle into my face enough to make my nose hurt, “Are we clear?”

I nodded slowly, “Yes ma’am.” My voice may or may not have been a few octaves higher than normal.

She nodded, her horn powering down and dropping me onto the table like a sack of potatoes, “Good, then I will see you after you finish your training with Major Swift Blade.”

With that she walked out of the room, leaving me to pry myself off the table with several new bruises. Damn that girl had some powerful magic. I was going to have marks on my arms and legs for days after the rough handling she gave me. I turned and walked past the Doobie Brothers, who had somehow managed to get themselves under control before exiting the room. I chose to ignore their shell-shocked expressions. First rule of living with Twilight Sparkle, you don’t question who has the most power in the room. Any answer other than the previously mentioned alicorn will always be wrong, unless overruled by another princess.

I found my way through the halls and stumbled upon Swift in what constituted as the castle armory, meaning it had a whopping three swords, a long and short bow with three quivers of arrows, and a single set of guard armor that had yet to be stylized for a particular unit. Swift was holding one of the swords in her hooves, moving her gaze along its edge before nodding to herself. She slid the blade into a scabbard that was hung over her shoulder and connected to her armor by several straps. It was in that moment that she spotted me standing in the doorway.

“Ah, I was wondering when you’d show up.” She said as she walked up to me, “Know anything about how to use a blade?”

I shrugged, “My people use projectile weapons that can kill an enemy soldier at half a mile. We moved on from swords almost three hundred years ago to more efficient ways of killing.”

Swift’s eyes widened slightly before she cleared her throat, “Well I don’t know anything about the weapons where you come from, but here in Equestria we use either swords, magic or crossbows to hurt enemy soldiers. Do you have any experience using a bladed weapon at all?”

I nodded, “All Rangers are required to know how to use improvised weapons or standard issue combat knives in case our rifles become inoperable, although our training focused on dagger-sized blades instead of actual swords.”

Swift shook her head as she turned around, picking up the second sword in her teeth before tossing it to me, “Knife fighting and sword fighting are two completely different things. Trying to fight with a sword the way you fight with a knife will get you killed, if you don’t destroy half your squad before running yourself through.”

She walked past me and I followed her out to the field behind the castle, her gaze firmly locked on the central space within the track Twilight had made for me. She stopped and spun around to face me, her eyes firm as she locked her gaze with mine.

“If you’re going to defend yourself from these dark sorcerers, then you’re going to need to know how to use more than just fancy grappling moves and slashing with a butter knife.” She pulled the sword from her scabbard with her mouth before planning it into the ground in front of her, “I will teach you how to use a sword, and how to defend yourself from a magic user. Your unique power might be all well and good in breaking the spells of a necromancer, but it won’t do anything to a living pony. You’ll need to rely on your wits and the skills I’m about to teach you if you want to be able to make it in a fight. Do you have a problem with that?”

I shook my head, sliding my own blade from its scabbard and putting it through some practice swings to feel out its balance. I hummed in satisfaction as the blade responded to my input with little effort, although the fact that it was only about the size of a meter stick made swinging it around feel a bit weird. “This should do nicely. It’s not as long as a sword from my world, so it’s a bit closer to what I’m used to using.”

Swift nodded, “Then we shall start your training immediately. Before I teach you anything about fighting a mage, you’re going to need to learn the proper forms for using that thing. This isn’t like sticking a knife in somepony’s ribcage. That blade has a lot more reach that you think it does, and in the proper hooves it could be as deadly as any combat spell.”

“Said the earth pony.” I countered, cracking a smile as she faltered for a moment.

She cleared her throat, giving me the stink eye as she waved a hoof around to emphasize her points, “The point is, a sword is an extension of the pony wielding it, not some hunk of metal that you bludgeon the enemy into submission with. Mastering swordsmanship can take years of careful study and daily practice, but given your situation we don’t have that luxury. So, I’m going to teach you the only way I can think of that will be fast enough.”

“Oh, and what is that?” I asked as she picked up the blade in her teeth.

Her eyes narrowed as she widened her stance, the blade of the sword sticking out sideways from her mouth as her teeth bit into the soft bindings, “Wive sfarring.”

With no warning Swift leapt at me, rearing onto her hind legs as she swung her blade in a cross arc that would remove my left arm from my body. Instinctively I brought my own blade up and locked it against her own, but I was unable to contend with her strength as she slowly pushed my blade back at me. My arms strained as I tried to figure out a way past her monstrous power, and I pushed my foot against her exposed stomach in an attempt to get her off me.

My tactic might have worked against a human, but I neglected to take into account a pony’s different center of gravity. Swift used my now unstable base to wrap her front hooves around my arms, locking us together even more before suddenly throwing her weight to one side. I yelped as I was dragged down with her, my blade clattering to one side as my grip on the hilt was lost. Swift pulled me up and over her body, pressing all four of her legs into my stomach before kicking me into a flip over her head. I yelled as I went flying through the air, and grunted as my back impacted the ground. I struggled to get back on my feet, but only got half my upper body off the ground before I felt the tickle of cold metal against my neck.

I looked up and saw Swift standing over me with her front hooves planted on either side of my waist. The tip of her sword was resting with perfect stillness against the side of my neck, and I could feel the razor sharpness threatening to break my skin as she stared into my eyes.
After a moment or two, Swift pulled her head back and sheathed the sword in one smooth movement, looking back at me with a calm expression as she spoke, “So what did you learn?”

I gingerly reached up and rubbed my throat with one hand, “Don’t get into a strength contest with an earth pony?”

Swift smiled as she nodded, “Exactly. You tried to turn my strike into a weakness by locking my blade with yours. Yet when you were unable to repel me you tried to throw me off balance. Earth ponies are stronger than the other tribes by basic nature, and trained fighters are even more so. You would have had an easier time unbalancing a boulder my size than throwing me off my game.” She offered her hoof and I graciously took it as she pulled me to my feet, “Each pony race has strengths and weaknesses that must be avoided or exploited if you want to win in a fight. Look for the openings each race’s combat style will present, and try to avoid letting the enemy get the upper hoof if you can help it.”

“So, depending on what race my enemy is, I’m going to have to change my fighting style to match that in order to stand a chance?” I asked, to which Swift nodded. I performed a spectacular facepalm as I muttered into my hand, “Fuck me sideways with a paddle.”

Swift chuckled as I slowly removed my hand from my face, “Don’t quite know the meaning of that phrase, but if it’s anything like the stuff I learned in boot camp it’s not something you would want the general civilians to hear. Am I right?”

I smirked as I ruffled her mane, much to her annoyance, “You’re learning quick. There might be hope for you yet.”

She rolled her eyes as she adjusted her mane, “Who’s teaching who here?”

I grinned as I walked over to my sword, falling into a combat stance as I raised the blade to hip height, “Oh believe me Peppermint, you’ll be learning a few things too by the time we get through with all this.”

One eyebrow lifted as she stared me down, “Peppermint? Haven’t heard that one before. There might be hope for you yet if you can back up your smack-talk.” She smiled as she fell into her own combat stance and drew her blade, “Wefs wo thiths.”

With that we leapt at one another, our blades flashing in the sunlight as they impacted each other with a resounding clang.

For the rest of the afternoon, Swift Blade and I went over non-stop drills and sparring matches, and I eventually picked up some tricks to keep up with the talented mare. I still got my ass handed to me more often than not, but at least now I could last a few minutes before Swift had her sword against my neck or some other equally important body part.

I lay down in the grass, my blade once again sheathed as I wiped the sweat off my brow, “Wow, who knew swords could take so much out of you.”

“That’s why you need to practice every day,” Swift said as she laid back next to me, equally as sweaty as her mane stuck to her face and neck, “it keeps the important muscles strong and ready to go at any time.”

I looked sideways as the mare next to me, my lips curling into a grin as I poked her in the ribs with a finger, “So how did you like that little trick I pulled a few rounds ago?”

She grinned in return as she stared up at the sky, “You mean when you blocked my strike with your metal leg and used my moment of distraction to take a few inches off my mane?” She chuckled as she turned to look at me, “Definitely a tactic to remember. Ponies won’t ever see something like that coming if they don’t know about your leg, and even if they did, nopony would expect you to take a hit with it in order to tangle up your opponent’s weapon.” Her expression turned worried for a moment as she continued, “It’s not damaged in any way, is it?”

I shook my head, “The levels of tech between your world and mine are literally several ages apart.” I wrapped my knuckles against the metal in my leg, making a nice clank sound as I smiled, “You could hit this thing with a sword a hundred times and the most you would do is scratch it. The level of metalworking makes the alloys in my leg far stronger than anything your blacksmiths could create, at least without some kind of magical boost.”

Swift hummed in thought as she turned her gaze skyward again, “While enchantments for weapons do exists, they are costly to maintain and are very difficult to cast. Most weapons you would come across on the battlefield would be like the blade you’re holding, plain old steel.”

“What about mages?” I asked, “Can’t they create blades out of their magic?”

Swift nodded, “It’s a very high-level spell, one that most of the guard can’t even use, but if you come across a spellcaster that is powerful enough to use them, then you need to be very careful. Most will only use one large weapon or a pair of smaller weapons, but they have no limit to their range and can attack you from any direction, to say nothing if you run into a multi-caster.”

“Multi-caster?” I asked, raising one eyebrow as I glanced at Swift again.

She nodded, “Multi-casters are unicorns that use multiple weapons that are usually very small. Think like the size of a dagger, only they can use up to a dozen of them at once like a swarm of hornets.”

I winced at the mental image that created, “Not a good idea to face something like that without backup.”

Swift nodded, turning to face me as she rolled onto her side, “I would tell you that with enough training you could face a multi-caster by yourself, but it would take years before you would even stand a chance against a seasoned combat specialist.”

“Well that’s reassuring.” The sarcasm was thick in my voice, “What happens if I run into a multi-caster and can’t get support from my squad?”

“You run,” was the simple reply, “or you try and work the caster into a situation where the number of blades becomes a hindrance, like inside a narrow hallway or a small room. If you can manage that then I’d give you a fifty-fifty chance of winning once you finish training.”

I grunted as I pushed up into a sitting position, Swift rolling onto her stomach before sitting up on her haunches, “So the bottom line is don’t mess with a multi-caster unless I can even the playing field to my advantage.”

Swift nodded as she got to her hooves and stretched like a cat, “Mmmhh, that about sums it up.” She glanced at the sun as it began its journey towards the horizon, “What’s say we go and get some food before we call it a day?”

My stomach rumbled its accent, and I placed a hand over my gut as Swift chuckled, “I wouldn’t say no to that.”

As Swift fell in at my side, she seemed to remember something, “Um, not that it’s a problem or anything, but you won’t be having any of that, um, meat, again tonight, would you?”

I smiled as I pat her on the head, “Don’t worry, Twilight is trying to make it so I don’t have to eat more meat than I need to, although being stuck with fish for the rest of my life is going to get old real quick. Back home none of the animal life was sentient, so we had a lot more options when it came to what we could eat to get our protein requirements.”

Swift shivered, her face turning a slight shade of green before returning to normal, “I’ll never get over the fact that you eat other animals. It’s just so, horrifying to think that what you’re eating used to be alive.”

“You eat plants and they’re alive,” I countered, “the only difference is that animals can move around and have to eat either plants or other animals to survive. Fluttershy has birds of prey and a bear at her cottage, you don’t see her getting all bent out of shape giving them meat to eat.”

Swift still looked a bit green around the gills as we neared the castle, “I still would rather you warn me next time Spike cooks your food like that. I nearly lost my lunch when I smelled that fish he had on your plate.”

I rolled my eyes, “Sure thing Swift, I’ll be sure to have Spike warn you next time he makes me my trout fillet.”

Swift sighed in relief as we walked up to the front doors, “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

We were just about to push the doors open when a high-pitched screaming sounded off behind us. I spun around and saw a pink mare with a blonde mane and tail racing towards us, her head thrown back as her voice echoed off the nearby buildings. Swift and I raced towards her as she barreled down the street towards the castle, catching her midway as she tackled the royal guard and began weeping into her chest plate.

“What’s the matter miss?” Swift asked in a no-nonsense tone, “Is there some kind of threat to the town?”

The poor mare could barely speak, and she couldn’t even open her eyes as she clung to the guard like her life depended on it, “I-It w-w-was horrifying! L-Like something out o-of a nightm-mare.”

Swift gently pried the poor thing off of her chest and sat down in front of her, while I stayed off to one side, my head on a swivel for threats. “It’s alright, you’re safe now. Tell me your name and what it was you saw.”

The mare sniffed, wiping her eyes with a hoof as she struggled to contain her hitched breathing, “L-Lily. M-My name is L-Lily Valley. I own a flower shop with my f-friends Roseluck and Daisy.”

Swift nodded, placing a gently hoof on Lily’s shoulder, “And what was it that you saw that was so frightening?”

Her eyes narrowed into pinpricks, seeing something over the guard’s shoulder as her face drained of color, “It was terrifying. I was walking along the edge of town, hoping to find some daisy seeds for the shop, when I saw it, shuffling along through the fields like a pony sleepwalking. Only, it wasn’t a pony, not anymore.”

I glanced at the pair as I kept an eye out for anything, not liking where this train of conversation was going.

“If it wasn’t a pony, then what was it?” Swift pressed, leaning in towards Lily as she spoke.

Lily swallowed, her voice breaking twice before she managed to force the word out, “Zombie.”

Swift’s ears drooped as her face drained of color, and I felt a cold shiver run up my spine at what the poor mare had just said. I gave up looking for danger and walked up to the duo, kneeling down next to the traumatized mare with a calm expression, “Where did you see the zombie, Lily? We need to know right away so we can take care of it.”

She whimpered and pointed down the street behind her, but was otherwise unable to talk.

I turned to Swift and channeled my inner drill sergeant, “Major, take miss Lily to the castle and inform Twilight of what is happening. I’m going to go and investigate this before that horror can get too far.”

Swift saluted, “You can count on me.” She turned to Lily and gently helped her to her hooves, “Come on now Lily, we’re going to go visit the Princess and get you a nice hot cup of tea. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Lily was so out of it she simply nodded, her eyes staring at nothing as Swift gently guided her back the way we had come. I nodded, seeing Swift had things under control, and ran the direction Lily had pointed. If the dark mages were already on the move, then time was of the essence.

My feet pounded against the dirt road, my breathing swift and my heart thundering in my ribcage as my eyes flickered from one shadow to the next. I was officially in a battlefield, and the enemy could be hiding anywhere. I clamped my hand onto my sword hilt, ready to draw it the instant I spotted trouble.

Before long I had reached the edge of town, and in a matter of seconds I spotted the dark, shambling figure that was the only thing visible for miles in the open grassland. It was definitely pony-shaped, but the way it moved was all wrong. Instead of walking with all four hooves at once, it shambled along in staggering movements that reminded me of the stereotypical zombie flicks from back home. I drew my sword in a hiss of metal on what I assumed was fake leather, and I cautiously approached the zombie as it moved along in a straight line.

It looked like it had used to be a unicorn mare, if the partially decaying horn and the slender body type were any indication, although the body had definitely seen better days. Bone and muscle were blatantly visible from gaping holes in the corpse’s body, as well as the odd bit of organ that threatened to spill from its body cavity as worms wiggled around in its left eye socket. Most of the fur was completely unrecognizable, while the mane and tail were mostly bleached white from age and rot. I had to swallow the bile that rose in my throat as the smell hit me, and I gagged as I covered my mouth with my sleeve to try and block out the scent of decay and rot.

I walked up, hoping to hack off its head before it knew I was there, but just as I was winding up to swing it turning its head towards me. For some strange reason, I paused as it seemed to look me over, before turning its head away and continuing on its merry way. I was momentarily stumped as to why it had seemingly chosen to ignore me, even though I had been about to remove its head.

My curiosity peaked, I lowered my sword slowly, walking along next to the zombie as it continued to make a straight line for the dark woods of the Everfree. I was thinking about following this thing to its masters, but I tossed that idea out before it had even taken root. I wasn’t ready to face a full mage, not by a long shot, but I couldn’t just let this thing go free without doing something about it. As I pondered my options, a lightbulb went off in my mind.

“I’ll see if my Auramancy can do anything to stop it.” I said to myself, walking out in front of the zombie and stepping into its path.

I turned around and stood in the zombie’s way, igniting my hands with a red aura as it shambled towards me. I sent a quick prayer to whatever deity watched over this world, and grabbed the zombie by the head with my hands. I had to forced back my gag reflex as my hands sunk into the rotting flesh, and I was about to let go when something began to happen.

First off, the zombie stopped walking forward, before it slowly began to glow with the same color as my hands along its entire body. For a moment the zombie simply stood there, glowing a soft red along its entire length, and I was beginning to think nothing was happening. However, my thoughts were immediately derailed as the corpse fell over, the glow in its body intensifying for a moment before turning a pure white.

I shaded my eyes as a bright ethereal mass rose up from the body, and as my eyes adjusted they widened in shock at what I was seeing. Floating just above the body, was a deep lavender mare with silver and light blue fur for her mane and tail. She opened her vermillion eyes and smiled at me, while my own jaw dropped in shock and wonder.

“Thank you for freeing me.” Her voice was aged but strong as she bowed her head, “I was trapped within my body and unable to do anything to save myself. I thank you for your actions today strange one.”

“W-Who are you?” I managed to force out, “What are you?”

The mare’s eyes faded with sadness as she glanced down at the corpse below her, “My name is, or rather was, Sealed Scroll. To answer your question properly, well.” She indicated the body beneath her, “This is what used to be my body.”

All at once Celestia’s words came back to me about how necromancer magic worked, “Your spirit was trapped in your body in order to give it life again, under the control of a necromancer.”

Sealed Scroll nodded, “And yet I am free once again thanks to you. While I do not know what manner of creature you are, I can tell by your actions and the energy you used to free me that you have a good heart. Help the others that are being used by these dark mages, and free them just as you have done for me.”

“But what about you?” I asked, wishing I could get my brain to work properly as I spoke, “What happens to you now that you’re free?”

Scroll smiled softly, placing a hoof over her heart as her form began to fade, “I can once again join my friends and family in the Golden Fields, where I was meant to be. Farewell my hero, I wish you well in the challenges ahead.”

With that she faded completely from sight, leaving me alone in the field once again with a now inanimate corpse. I simply stood there for a moment, unable to truly comprehend what had happened. Yet as the sound of approaching hoofbeats met my ears, I shook my head to get my mind back on track. I turned to face the incoming ponies as Twilight, Swift Blade and the others came to a skidding halt in front of me, their eyes wide and their jaws hanging as they took in the scene before them.

“Is that what I think it is?” Twilight asked, her horn igniting as she took a step closer.

I glanced down at the body of Sealed Scroll, before answering the alicorn, “It used to be a zombie, but I took care of it.”

All eyes turned to me as Swift asked, “What did you do? There’s nothing missing from the corpse other than what you would expect from being already dead.”

I smiled as I lifted my hands up and closed them into fists, igniting them with my aura as I turned to face the ponies, “I used my Auramancy to free Sealed Scroll from the necromancer’s control.”

The others tilted their heads in confusion, although it was Rarity that asked the question, “Sealed Scroll? But darling, how could you possibly know her name?”

I smiled as I lowered my arms, letting the energy fade as I looked down at the body, “She told me, right before she passed on to the Golden Fields.”

“WHAT!?!?!?!?” Was the thunderous reply that met my simple yet unbelievable statement.

I rubbed the back of my neck with a hand as I tried to not laugh at the gob-smacked faces in front of me, “Maybe I should start from the beginning?”

Twilight managed to get herself under control, summoning a quill and notepad in her magic as she advanced on me, “Details, now. And don’t you dare leave anything out!”

I sighed, glancing down at the body before turning back to Twilight, “Shouldn’t we at least get Sealed to a morgue or something?”

“NO!” Was the second thunderous reply.

Author's Notes:

WARNING!!! HIGHLY PERSONAL INFORMATION WITHIN!!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!

Well, chalk up another chapter for the list. Unfortunately, this will be the last chapter I can post for a good while. I know, hold you’re flame mail for a minute and hear me out. I’ve been wanting to explain my erratic update style for a while, but I never had the courage to say the true reason behind it. Well today that all changes. You might want to buckle up, this gets pretty heavy.

See, the thing is, I have Bipolar Disorder, which comes with challenges that plague me on a daily basis, like even when my mind isn’t thinking itself into the ground, most of my life is split into very specific cycles that I simply cannot escape. Now that does not mean I’m crazy, most people with mental imbalances are completely normal people with just a little extra running under the hood. The point is that I have some unique quirks that make writing books a royal pain in the plot.

Imagine a car’s transmission, with all the different gears that control how fast the car goes given a certain amount of power. That is a pretty good idea of what my writing cycle looks like. 1st gear is when the only things I can focus on are YouTube, Netflix, and other multimedia. The usual ‘brain drain’ type of activities that our parents used to tell us would make us idiots if we watched them for too long. 2nd gear is when I get so obsessed with reading books that I finished Fallout: Equestria and Project Horizons in the span of two and a half weeks, while I was taking full-time college classes!! And finally, we come to 3rd gear, which is where I do all my writing. As you can probably tell by the frenzied pace I’ve been going at for the last week and a half, it’s got a whole metric buck-ton of horsepower, no pun intended.

The problem with this cycle is that the higher up in gears I go, the more energy it takes to maintain that specific gear. That is why my 1st gear can last for over a month, while I’m lucky if I can get 3rd gear to last longer than two weeks. And the worst part of it all is that I have absolutely no say when it comes to controlling when I shift from gear to gear. I can usually tell about a day or two in advance, but there is nothing I can do to speed things up or halt the shift once it starts.

So, long story short, my writing gear is running on fumes, so this will be the last post for a good while, and I’m sorry that I can’t be more consistent. I wish I could write for all of you on a more regular basis, Celestia knows I’ve tried to write out of cycle often enough with abysmal results, but that simply isn’t going to happen. Thank you all for being so understanding, as that is one of my favorite things about the members of this fandom. It’s also why I feel comfortable enough sharing with all of you, because I care enough about my fans and readers that I feel I should give you the full story behind why my posts come in seemingly random waves. For all the comments you write that help me to improve my work, to the following that has sprouted over the last year around this little back-woods author, thank you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

So, once again, and for a good long while, I’ll see you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.