Over time, the Princess of Celestia had raised the young child named Rain alongside those he called his friends and family. Teaching him important values and helping him learn how to fully control and conjure the magic that he had while also improving and defining his swordsmanship as he grew up. The boy might have been young at the time that he started, but as time passed and years went by, he had greatly improved from the point in which he had first began to learn. Impressing not just those who were his guardians, but also those that he considered as friends and family.

It had been eight years since Celestia had originally found him in and took him in as his guardian, but in that time, Rain had matured significantly. As of right now though, he was in the training barracks, trying to hone his skill and practice. Of course, even for someone like him, he didn’t have to constantly do this like most other weeks. But there was something important coming up soon… something he wanted to prepare for.

Over the course of the last year, ever since he and Shining Armor turned 15, they had been undergoing rigorous training from Captain Night Light and his fellow Guard so that way, they could pass the initiation test in order to join the guard. Shining Armor had already accomplished his test and had joined the guard, becoming a knight because of the amount of skill he was able to demonstrate. Rain wanted to get to that point too, but there was one problem for him.

No matter what kind of weapon he would try to use, it didn’t exactly feel like the weapon was fit for him. Either the grip was uncomfortable or the blade wasn’t durable enough to last for many fights. It was irritating because when he thought he found a blade that would fit him, it was broken a couple of days later.

As he was thinking this though, he soon heard a familiar voice catch his attention. “Something on your mind, Rain?”

Hearing the voice, Rain turned to see that at the door to the training barracks was that of his guardian and mentor, Night Light. “Night Light? What are you doing here?”

“I was coming to see how you were doing? Celestia said that you seemed to have something on your mind when you saw her earlier,” Night Light told him, before looking at him. “Is it with the Initiation coming up?”

“Yeah… I want to show them what I can do, but I don’t want to be judged just because I’m not like most of the candidates.” Rain replied, looking back at him and leaving the barracks as they were walking through one of the many halls in Canterlot Castle. “Other then that, I can’t seem to find a weapon that I am comfortable with that can last a few fights.”

“Heh, I don’t blame you,” The stallion chuckled at that last statement as they turned around the corner and continued to go down the hall just before they reached the doors to the main chamber. “We don’t have many decent weapons to have for trainees. Most of them were hand me downs from that of old members of the guard. Highwind was going to have a talk with a potential blacksmith that might fix the problem and Blueblood-”

Rain himself folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at that, interjecting the moment he heard the Prince’s name. “Are you sure that it’s a good idea to have Blueblood take part… I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging anypony… but I wouldn’t exactly call him a… ‘people pony’ if you understand what I mean.”

“I get that… but the Princess insisted that if he is going to be able to help her subjects and anypony else that he needs to take part in discussions like these-” Yet, just as he said that, a cream colored earth pony mare with a pink mane, light leather coat and a set of goggles on her head stormed out into the hallway. She looked rather angry and just from the sheer force of her opening the doors was enough to knock them off the hinges. Not even paying attention to Rain and Night Light as the two of them noticed Major Highwind… and Prince Blueblood right behind her.

“Miss, please… Can you just consider the offer-” Highwind stammered, before the mare shot back at him in response.

“Your Offer? Major, I’m sorry for being blunt… but your offer is an insult to my craft,” The mare spoke as she looked back at the stallion. “I’m more than just a Machinist from Fillydelphia, I’m a specialist. Your offer was asking for me to mass produce new weapons for your guard, but I only craft custom weapons that are tailored to who will use them… Not to mention that your colleague insulted me the moment he stepped into the room.”

“Colleague!?!” Blueblood retaliated upon hearing that, angrily lashing out at the mare verbally. “Do you know who I am, filthy commoner!!? I-”

“-had the nerve to say that I looked like street trash, threatened that I should be arrested for trespassing, even though I was originally invited by the Major in order to talk business and then you go on to question if I was a weaponsmith because I wasn’t ‘as filthy’ as the other commoners that you have seen.” The earth pony interjected, before taking a breath as she glared back at him. “You know, if you actually had appreciation for the ponies that helped build what is around you, your perception of the world won’t be as weak as the old weapons that the guards protecting you are stuck with.” With that, she left the hallway, leaving the ponies in the room shocked… and Rain both surprised… and intrigued.

Maybe she could help him with easing his mind a little for the initiation coming soon.

It had only been moments after refusing to accept the job offer to create weapons for the royal guard, but for the machinist named Aileen, she believed that her refusal was the right choice. The only reason why she no longer worked on weapons for the shipyards in Fillydelphia was because she believed that there was a right weapon for just about everypony. No matter what it was or who the weapon was for, she would only commit herself to a offer if it fit her values.

The machinist was only in the town of Canterlot for a day or so and the owner of the blacksmith, who Aileen was friends with, was away on vacation and allowed her to stay there for the brief time that she was there. The earth pony herself though, was surprised to hear the door open to the shop and looked up. “I’m sorry, but the smith’s closed-”

She stopped the moment that she looked up and noticed who had walked in. Aileen had heard the news of a non-pony figure who lived in the castle with Princess Celestia. Something called a ‘human’. The machinist knew that she would hear some chatter about it, but she did not expect to actually see them in person. “You’re… the human I’ve heard about around town…”

“That I am…” He replied, looking back at her as he closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry, but did I come at a wrong time? It looked like you were busy with something, miss…”

The mare sighed for a moment before looking at him. “Aileen… and you?”

“Rain…” He told her before continuing to speak. “I happened to witness your refusal to the major’s offer earlier and… I was rather impressed to tell you the truth. Not many ponies here have the guts to stand up to a noble… especially Blueblood of all ponies.”

“Not that many ponies have the commitment to make due on their threats.” Aileen commented in response to Rain’s statement. Which… Rain saw some truth to that. Blueblood did have a tendency to be overdramatic for the most strangest of reasons, especially when growing up. One time, he thought that his noble stature can give him the authority to have a servant be thrown in jail just because they put in less sugar than he originally requested in a cup of coffee. Even though he has grown up, a part of him thinks he’s still entitled to make such ridiculous demands and not feel the repercussions of his actions.

Soon though, another statement from the machinist caught Rain’s attention while also breaking him out of his train of thought. “I highly doubt though that you are here just to talk about the flaws of a noble.”

The human nodded his head and looked back at the earth pony. “True… You make a valid point there, but unlike Blueblood, I would not want to just drop everything and expect results if I haven’t actually told somepony what I need help with…” Rain replied as he looked back at her. “Earlier, I heard that you only would make custom weapons tailored to the pony you are making it for.”

“Yes… but that does not mean I just hand out custom weapons like samples at a candy store,” Aileen told him. “I take pride into the creations that I forge with my own two hands… and I don’t want my art to be used for ill intent. So, if I were to make something for you, what would you want to use it for?” The question itself was one that Rain had to take a moment to think on originally, but soon, he had an answer for her.

“Well… it’s a bit much to explain… but let me try to make this simple…” He said before looking at her. “Early on when I found myself in this world, I found myself abandoned and alone when I needed it most by someone I had once considered family. Now though, over the years that I have been raised here, I’ve always committed myself to help others who are in need, no matter how bad the situation is. It is the reason why I have always pushed myself to become a knight of the royal guard.”

Aileen raised an eyebrow as that as she folded her arms. “And how would you be different from other ponies who are a part of the guard?” Rain himself took a moment to breath as he looked back at the machinist, before opening and extending a hand to her and having fire form from the center. The flames though, were much different than to that of ordinary flames… let alone the fact that they were not burning his skin.

“Because I see it as my responsibility to look after and help others no matter how grim something may be or how dangerous a task is.” He said, before having the flames diminish as Rain looked back at Aileen once more. “If the choice is to save one pony or a hundred ponies… then save both! That is the creed of a knight.”

For a moment, Aileen seemed… unmoved. But after a little bit… she then had a response for him. “I see… So you want a weapon that matches your resolve to help others…” Not unfolding her arms, the mare took a deep breath before looking back at Rain. “At first, you had my curiosity… but now you have my attention.”

Personally, Rain himself wasn’t quite sure if this was suppose to be a good thing or a bad thing, but he hoped for the best as the machinist sighed for a moment. “I’ll make you a weapon, but I’ll need to know a few things before we can get started. You’ve seem to be somepony who’s rather skilled with a blade. Do you have a particular preference in regards to what kind?”

“Personally, I find it easier for me to wield swords. Particularly ones where most ponies would normally need two hands in order to wield since I feel as if I’m in more control of the weapon than if I’m using a short sword.” He admitted, scratching the back of his head.

“A greatsword then…” Aileen said, taking a mental note as she looked at him. “Alright, this will be interesting. Mostly, when I create weapons as a machinist, they have some form of mechanical function to it. For you though, I think I can tailor it towards what you are capable of.” That was interesting for sure, but as Rain thought of this internally, he happened to notice Aileen with what looked like a tape measurer. The only question was that why would she need something like that when she was going to make him a weapon.

“Let’s start by getting your measurements first and continue from there…”

Meanwhile…

In the main hall of the castle, Night Light and Highwind were taking the chance to have a very important conversation with the princess. Not just because of what happened earlier, but because of a concern that was on the mind of the Major ever since Prince Blueblood’s… outburst earlier today. “Princess Celestia, can we speak to you for a moment in private. There’s something important that I think we need to discuss with you.”

Celestia, who was originally looking over some of the papers and requests received from Day Court, decided to set them down and address the two stallions as she signaled for the guards in the room to leave. “Yes Captain? What is it that you would like to talk about?”

“Well, there are two things that we feel need to be brought up,” Major Highwind soon spoke up. “The first involves the incident that transpired earlier while I was talking with a pony who could help us with the weapons dilemma we have. I was talking it over with a talented machinist named Aileen from Fillydelphia and just as I was about to explain why I asked for her to come here, your nephew comes in, downright insults her, her craft and also her appearance. It did not contribute to her refusal, but it was a poor demonstration of behavior for someone of his stature.”

“I am aware of it and this isn’t the only time that something like this has happened.” The princess sighed as she looked at them. “There has been repeat occurrences of this behaviour, but nothing this serious. This is interfering with political negotiations that could have helped make things better around the city.”

“If I may though,” Captain Night Light then said as he spoke up. “He needs to learn that actions like these can have consequences… and severe ones if he keeps on doing it. I respect him as a pony, but not his behavior.” Celestia nodded in agreement, turning to see that Highwind was next to speak as she looked as the Major.

“I agree with Captain Light on the subject of Blueblood. This needs to be addressed before he does something drastic,” Highwind spoke up as he looked at both of them. “Which… leads into the second concern I have… It’s with regards to Rain’s initiation exam.”

Both the Captain and the Princess looked at one another first before turning to him as they both had the same question on their mind. But before either one of them could ask, the stallion began to explained. “Even though having Rain live here in Canterlot has brought much of a positive impact on him as much as the city, there are still some ponies who would either be afraid of him or see him as just some kind of animal that does not have the rights of normal ponies… I fear that somepony may go to extreme lengths to botch his exam.”

That caught the princess off guard along with Night Light. “That is… indeed troubling.”

“How would you think they botch it?” Night Light asked, looking at the Major as the pegasus stallion now faced him.

“The initiation exam is supposed to be a demonstration of all the things that a candidate has learned on and off the battlefield through a duel. Both the candidate and the opponent they're facing are tasked with fighting fairly, but there are numerous things that could be sabotaged before the fight even begins.” He told the two of them as he began to explain. “Many of these methods were outlawed originally by your father, Prince Solar, because some of them have lead to the fatalities to potential candidates. The weapons of the candidate could be sabotaged to break after several strikes. The opponent that they are facing, normally a soldier in the guard, could actually be an assassin in disguise… There are numerous possibilities to take into consideration.”

“Possibilities that might make it impossible for Rain to pass…” Night Light said, before looking at the Princess. Who took a deep breath and looked back at the Major.

“Is there something we can do to ensure that Rain can be safe and that this initiation is not sabotaged. I do not want to call off something that he has been working very hard towards.” She said as the princess looked back at Highwind.

“Neither would I… I may not know him as long as the two of you have being his guardians,” The major told them. “But I still believe that he deserves a fair chance just like anypony else. He’s the kind of pony that would commit himself to a cause and not cut corners.” Both the princess and the captain agreed with that statement. No matter the obstacle, Rain always committed himself to seeing through anything he put his mind too… and to not give up so easily if a challenge seemed more difficult than anticipated.

That was when Night Light finalized one particular thought in his head as he looked back at Celestia and Major. “I might have an idea…”

Day of Initiation

Before it was even the crack of dawn, Rain was already up and making preparations for the initiation that was going on today. Making sure that everything he was wearing was secured tightly from his boots and his bracer to the pauldrons that he had on his shoulders. Topping it off was the short red cape he attached to his right pauldron to coincide with the same colored cloak he had around his waist and also add to the black shirt and vest that he was wearing. Looking at himself in the mirror to make sure that he looked presentable.

Even though this had been the same kind of clothes that he happened to wear a few times before, there was one thing that was missing. Even though this was a outfit from that of the royal guard, the one thing that wasn’t present was the military decorations that would be on the front of the vest that would represent his rank. Those would be earned if he passed the initiation today.

Now, the only thing he had left to do was place what he was carrying on his back. It was a surprise that he wanted to save for when the situation called for it… and with the amount of time that he and his new… friend had spent working on it, he didn’t want to use it straight out the gate. By the time that he was finally done, the sun outside had already risen and he was ready for whatever he had to face.

Upon walking outside, the first pony he happened to run into was not that of Shining Armor, nor the princess… but a friend. “Well, you’re looking rather nice for someone who’s going into a coliseum fight.” He heard a familiar voice as he turned to see a golden yellow mare with a fire like mane and tail who wore a sleeveless red dress that almost extended to the ground, aside from a pair of dark red shoes that were visible. There also happened to be some silk wrapped around her hands, almost like they were a pair of gloves.

“Hello to you too, Sunset. I’m guessing that you’re going to be rooting for me? You make this sound more like a sporting event than a royal guard test.” Rain chuckled in response. Sunset though, soon noticed what was on his back and then grinned a bit.

“Well, what do you have there? Some sort of secret weapon you have?” She asked, trying to get him to tell her what it was.

“What’s the fun of spoiling the surprise now?” He then told her in response. “When I do show what it is, I want to make sure everyone see’s. Because like many things, this is something special…” The human then heard the door to the nearby home open as the two of them saw their good friend, Shining Armor, step out as well. His attire though, was a bit different than that of Rain’s regalia. He was wearing a brown shirt underneath a dark purple coat with silver trimmings along with a set of black pants, leg guards to go with his boots and a set of black armguards. The only difference being that the jacket had a patch on the sides of the arms that represented his rank in the guard after he passed the test.

“I was beginning to wonder what was all the commotion out here,” Shining spoke up with a smirk as he walked over to them. “I didn’t think it was you two though.”

“Who else would you think it would be?” Sunset sarcastically asked him. Only to get an actual answer to her question.

“Either the guards, my parents, Twilight or Rain talking to himself, even though that’s never actually happened before.” The stallion replied, which in turn caused Sunset to sigh and shake her head while Rain was chuckling at what was going on. “Speaking of which, have either of you seen my father? He wasn’t here when I got up this morning.”

That had the teen shake his head as he looked back at Shining. “No, can’t say that I have. Normally, I’m up before him, but I didn’t see him at all this morning.” That surprised Ran. He honestly did not expect that kind of answer from him… and it made him wonder where exactly was Night Light right around now.

“It’s likely that he’s helping set up a few finishing touches to the arena before Rain’s initiation.” Sunset shrugged her shoulders as she looked around and happened to notice something. “Hey, Shining, where’s your little sister this morning?”

“Twilight? She may be young, but she’s been studying her head off in learning magic being Celestia’s student now. It’s only been a couple of years since she passed her test and for me, it still feels like it only happened yesterday.” The stallion wasn’t kidding when he said that. Over the time that Rain had been here and since Shining’s little sister, Twilight Sparkle, came along, it made life for him and his family rather… interesting. For one thing, Princess Cadence was actually her babysitter during the time that she was in Magic Kindergarten and she saw Rain almost like a half brother. Yet, even with all the time that she spends studying magic to the point that she was able to hatch a baby dragon from an egg, she didn’t have the kind of talents that Rain and Shining had to where they could use the abilities they had. “Why do you ask, Sunset?”

“She’s right behind you.” The unicorn mare pointed out, causing Rain and Shining to turn and see the young Twilight by where the door was as she was looking at the three of them… with her baby dragon assistant, Spike, next to her. All before leaping to Shining Armor and giving her brother… or what she called her BBBFF (big brother, best friend forever) a surprise hug that almost knocked him off of his hooves.

“Morning, Big brother!!”

“Hello there, Twily.” Shining acknowledged her, returning the hug with one of his own before setting her down. “How are you this morning? Do you have any big plans with the Princess today?” Yet, Twilight herself didn’t quite let go of her brother until she realized that he asked her a question. So, letting go and straightening her clothes, she then spoke up.

“Celestia said that we're going to watch Rain handle a major test he needs to pass… which sounds boring. Who would want to watch somepony writing on a piece of paper for a long amount of time?” That response from Twilight surprised Rain, Shining Armor and Sunset for two reasons. The first being that she thought that Rain was taking a written test… and the second being that the princess was letting her watch him fight.

“Uhh… It’s not that kind of test…” He told her, looking back at the young filly. “It’s… well… How should I put this? I’m going into an arena, face an opponent and depending on how well I do, I may be able to join the royal guard.”

“Oh, you mean like a trial by combat?” Hearing that threw off all three of them as Rain, Sunset, and Shining Armor all had the same question for the little filly. But Sunset was the only one who said it verbally.

“Twilight… how do you know what that is?”

“She’s been reading a lot of books about the royal guard and such in order to try to understand what you guys are talking about.” Spike added in, which partially cleared things up in the meantime. Shortly before the dragon noticed someone else that was coming over to them.

“Good morning, everypony.” That single statement had Twilight’s ears perk up almost immediately as she turned in the direction of the voice. The voice was one that both Rain and Shining Armor were familiar with… and since the time they first met, they have gotten the chance to be good friends with her.

“Cadence!” A excited Twilight cried out, immediately going from nearby where Shining was over to her as both of them soon sang a small rhyme, which was also accompanied by a dance. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hands and do a little shake!” That only caused Shining to roll his eyes in amusement, Rain to just watch and for Sunset to chuckle to herself in amusement.

“And just when I thought she was being rather mature for her age,” the unicorn replied as she looked to Cadence. “Good Morning Cadence. How are you?”

“I’m doing rather well this morning,” Cadence told her before looking towards Rain and the others. “I was just coming over to see how all of you are doing this morning. With the initiation happening in a few hours, I thought I would get the chance to guide you over to where the test is being conducted.”

“-Trial.” Twilight tried to correct Cadence, which left her in a puzzled state as Spike had to restate the same thing that he told Rain and the others earlier.

“Twily, what has mom told you about trying to correct other ponies?” Shining asked her, only for the young filly to pout before looking at Cadence with an apologetic look on her face. Which, made Rain chuckle a bit. No matter how many times he had seen Twilight try to act serious, she ends up doing the exact opposite at certain times. One example being earlier with Cadence and their dance.

When they got to their destination at the coliseum entrance though, that was when the Alicorn then spoke up. “Okay, from what Aunt Celestia told me, only Rain is allowed beyond here and she has seats for us on the left side of the arena. Blueblood will be back later since Celestia asked for him to assist in delivering something to Rain’s opponent today. I wish you the best of luck.”

“We’ll cheer for you!” Twilight happily spoke up.

“Show them what you’re made of, Rain!” Sunset encouraged him before all five of them soon left in order to go take their seats while Rain himself went through the gate to the coliseum and began to proceed further in. At one point farther in, he noticed that one of the guards that was standing at the end of the tunnel soon approached him just before he was about to walk into the arena.

It was Major Highwind. “It’s still some time before the initiation begins. What brings you here so early?” He asked. The stallion wore the same kind of armor that he had on just a couple of days ago. But, it was a bit more formal in appearance as Rain approached him.

“It’s courteous to be early to something important rather than late. Besides, today is rather important and I rather not miss it.” He told Highwind, who acknowledged what Rain said as he nodded and looked back at him. But the look on the pegasus’ face was one of concern instead of encouragement. Which, prompted Rain to ask his next question. “Is there something you wanted to speak to me about, sir?”

The Major sighed, before looking back at the human and not holding back on what was on his mind. “Rain, there has been concern that somepony would try to meddle with this examination process. I know that you are determined in order to proceed forward with this assessment, but-”

“If you are trying to tell me to give up and turn back, then I’m going to say no. I’m not turning my back on this because if I do, it means I turn my back on everypony that has supported me and gotten me to this point,” The teen told him, a determined look in his eyes as he turned to a nearby wall and picked up a standard broadsword off the weapons rack before looking back at Major Highwind. “No matter what I face, I’m going to hold my ground and fight for what I believe is right. I’ve gotten this far… and I’m not going to give up now. I will do what I can to prove to everyone I know that I am capable of this.”

With that statement, Rain soon walked past the major and entered the battleground where his examination was going to take place. All Highwind could do though was look back at the human as the gate to the arena closed in front of him as he smiled at him. “May Celestia watch over you, young one.”

As Rain stepped into the arena, he felt as if many pairs of eyes were focused on him. Watching to see what he would do as he took the surrounding area into account. The arena was a wide open space with walls that looked to be two stories high so whatever occurs in the arena, stays in the arena. On the right side of the Arena, he could see Celestia and Cadence sitting together with Shining, Twilight, Spike and Sunset in the section underneath them. He only had the chance to acknowledge them for a short moment before turning to see a gate on the opposite side open and the sound of a heavy suit of armor walk into the battlefield.

The opponent was dressed in a heavy suit of armor that was onyx colored and covered his opponent from head to toe. In one of it’s hands, he could see a huge broadsword with a long grip, showing that the weapon itself is designated for somepony who wield it with two hands. Yet, in the other hand was a rather sturdy and powerful shield that looked to take up part of his opponent’s forearm. He steadied himself, grabbing hold of the broadsword he brought with him into the arena as he took a deep breath and readied himself. Planting his feet in a balanced fighting posture as his opponent did the same.

The rules of the fight were simple. Once the bell outside of the arena rings, you use everything you learned in training, the weapons you have on you and any other skills you know to fight until either you can fight no more or if your opponent surrenders. Simple as that. Yet, Rain knew it was not going to be easy for him to win. He needed to use everything he learned so far in order for him to overcome this new challenger… and prove to everypony watching that he can become part of the guard.

Now both competitors were ready… and the match was about to begin. They were anticipating to see who would make the first move and when they heard the bell ring, both combatants charged at one another.

Rain’s first move straight out the gate was to test and see how adaptive his opponent was with not just the weapons they had, but also their armor. For a fighter such as this one to wear such heavy battle armor, it was possible that their movement speed was restricted because of the sheer weight of the armor. Yet, just as he charged in and used the broadsword he had right now to strike at his opponent with a few quick strikes, his opponent blocked each one of his attacks and used their shield to push them back. Something he did not anticipate at all.

“How-?! That should’ve hit him-!” He thought to himself as he landed on his feet again before holding up his weapon in a defensive posture as Rain anticipated his opponent’s attack. Being able to block it in time before his opponent lunged forward and tried to pierce through his defense. Causing both of their weapons to clash before Rain pushed his opponent back with a kick to his opponent's chest to push them back.

Yet, just as he pushed his opponent back… Rain felt something off. More specifically, something off with his weapon. It felt… lighter after having to deflect his opponent's weapon. He had experienced this before with all of the other times he used various weapons in the training barracks… and if a weapon felt lighter in weight, it meant that it was close to giving out and breaking. Which was strange because it didn’t feel that way when he first took hold of the weapon moments earlier.

“This is bad… If this is what I think it is, I need to figure out how to hold my ground as long as I can before I get serious,” Rain told himself mentally before readjusting his feet. Even though he tried his best to try and act cool under pressure, it was getting rather difficult with each passing moment.

Especially since the more he continued to fight, the more that his friends and the ponies who supported him from the stands can tell that something was wrong.

“Something’s not right…” was the first comment that Shining Armor heard in the stands as he turned towards Sunset Shimmer, who was sitting right next to Spike and his sister. “Earlier, Rain was going on the offensive and doing just fine, but as soon as his opponent’s sword struck his, he’s been fighting differently.”

There was some truth to the Unicorn’s words. From all the times that he and the human had sparred with other cadets in the barracks, Shining knew that Rain’s first move would be to attempt to disarm his opponent or find a weakness in their defense and exploit it. Right now, it was neither of those things… and that in itself was concerning. “Do you think he’s trying to do a different approach in tactics?”

“Hardly. He’s told me before that if at first, you don’t succeed, try and try again…” Sunset replied as she looked back at the fight going on in the arena. This time now, instead of attacking head on and trying to block or parry incoming attacks, Rain was now dodging and weaving out of the way of his opponent’s strikes and only attacking when he thought that he had an opening. Even going as far as to use some of the abilities he came up with during combat practice in order to try and give him some kind of advantage. “But… It seems like he’s trying to not have that weapon of his clash with his opponent’s.”

“Do you think it has some kind of enchantment on there?” Shining now asked Sunset. Which, in this point of the conversation, had Celestia and Cadence now listening into their conversation.

“There’s only one way for me to tell… Hopefully this works.” Sunset told him, focusing her attention and having some light green magic flowing in her hands as it looked like a pair of transparent gears were floating over her eyes. This in turn, happened to be a spell that she was able to learn with enough practice… and one that could be rather crucial depending on the situation.

“Libra.” The spell she chanted would allow the caster to view information on any single target that she focused on. Whether they had any particular weaknesses or resistances to certain elements, it was one that was always useful to have. Yet, the problem with this was that this focused primarily on the individual she targeted as a whole… and not on any specific piece like weapons or armor. Sunset though, persisted nonetheless and attempted to see if there was anything off with the weapon along with the warrior that Rain was facing. “This doesn’t look right… His opponent seems… normal. But I’m getting something weird when I’m looking at his weapon.”

Now that raised some concern. To the point where Cadence soon spoke up now, joining the conversation. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, whenever I look at the blade, I’m seeing the blade being covered in a silver like color instead of the rest of the handle, which is just coming off as grey.” The unicorn replied back as she dismissed the spell and looked at her. “My only guess is that there’s some particular kind of enchantment on that sword… or something else.”

“But what kind of enchantment would put Rain in the situation he’s in now?” Twilight now spoke up, sounding rather confused as she continued to watch the human fight his opponent and stand his ground. Yet, the one who answered their question was somepony all of them did not expect.

“There’s only one explanation… and with that, he’s thinking of a different plan of attack.” All of them turned to see a creme colored earth pony mare with a pink mane and tail, leather coat and goggles leaning against a nearby column as she too was watching the fight. But when she said that, it was then that Shining Armor got a little defensive.

“How did you get in here? This is a private viewing area!”

“Oh I know,” she said, holding up a ticket that had Canterlot’s seal on it as she showed it to them. “I was invited by your friend down here to come watch… Now, about what you’re friend was saying on the subject of the sword… It’s not an enchantment. But it’s something else that’s very problematic.”

Now that even caught the attention of the princess as she looked back at the young earth pony. Recognizing her from when the Major had described her to the princess. “You’re the machinist from Fillydelphia, am I right? The one known as Aileen?”

“Wow, it’s quite an honor for a member of royalty other than that egotistical prince to know of me,” The mare replied as she looked back at them. “On the topic at hand though, Not all weapons perform better if you just enchant it. At times, depending on how you take care of your weapon, such as using sharpening stones to make sure a blade doesn’t go dull or using a polish can really have a weapon stand out. However, what this is though, is completely different… In fact, it’s been forbidden to ever use it in matches such as these.”

“Forbidden?” Sunset asked, looking at Aileen with a raised eyebrow as the machinist nodded her head.

“A long time ago, there used to be a comb based short sword that was able to break certain weapons and rend them powerless based on how it’s user wielded it. But, that weapon was said to have been lost when the Crystal Empire was sealed off from the rest of Equestria. Even then though, some wanted to have the same effect be applied to other weapons to make victory in battle easier for them. So, what was known as the Swordbreaker Oil was made by a couple of alchemists and when they tested it in certain coliseum battles, it was effective… but lead to the death of a member in the royal family. So, the oil was banned from ever being used on weapons in coliseum matches in order to prevent any possible casualties.”

“What happens though when the oil is applied to the weapon though?” Shining Armor asked as he looked at Aileen. All while Rain was continuing the same tactics he had before.

“When it’s applied to the weapon at first, nothing particularly happens… but when that weapon comes into contact with another one, the oil causes the other weapon to internally break apart. Like if termites were eating at the support beams of a house or if rust was breaking down the insides of a pipe,” The machinist explained before turning to face the match right now. “Repeated blows hasten the effect to the point where the weapon can shatter if applied with enough force… which, happened to the noble when they tried to defend himself, only for their sword to falter when they needed it the most.”

“Then we need to call off the match! Rain’s going to get himself killed if he-” Before Shining could finish his sentence though, that was when Aileen cut him off and looked back at him.

“Easy there, soldier… I was not done just yet.” Aileen told him, just as the specialist turned to the battlefield, where Rain had backed himself up a bit and was now holding the broadsword he currently had with a reverse grip. “Because if you pay attention now… you’ll see why I think your friend is still going to win.”

After several different attempts in order to analyze and see potential weak points within his opponent's defense, Rain now had a plan formulate in his head. Which, required a new strategy to attack his opponent and catch him off guard. For one thing, he now felt that it was time to bring out his… surprise. But, in a way that his opponent would not see coming.

So, planting his feet and flipping the broadsword around to where he was holding it backwards, the human ran at his opponent. Who, in turn, placed his shield up in anticipation for his attack. However, unlike before when Rain would directly attack the shield. He instead jumped upward as if he was going to try and get over it. When the shield moved higher, all he did was plant his feet on the shield and jumped off of it. Flipping backwards as he took his old sword and tossed it at the combatant.

His opponent, seeing this, used his shield in order to smack the weapon out of the way as it shattered upon crashing against the wall. But what he did not realize… or expect, was for Rain to pull off what he had on his back, grab hold of it and for the cloth that was once on it to ignite. Now in his hands… was a sword that was pulsing with crimson energy and radiating with heat. “Now it’s time to get serious.”

This… had caught everypony who was watching off guard immediately, including Shining Armor and the others. His opponent though, seemed a bit unfazed at first. Still holding his sword and shield in the same manner. Yet, when their weapons clashed this time, the force of it actually now pushed him back, allowing for Rain to capitalize on the opportunity and strike two more times, almost knocking off his opponent’s shield while gaining ground as the time was beginning to turn in his favor.

In the stands, Shining Armor and mostly everyone else with him watched in complete and utter surprise… while for Aileen, the look on her face made it seem like she was expecting something like this. “The weapon he wields is my newest work… A greatsword that is as strong as Rain’s will to help others, no matter who or what they are…”

“B-but what about the Swordbreaker? Wouldn’t that break down this blade?” Sunset asked, trying to process what was happening.

“Unlike the original weapon, the oil itself has a weakness. If exposed to extreme amounts of heat, the oil breaks down and is no longer effective. The new weapon he has allows him to channel his magic into the sword and with it, have the blade be hot enough for the oil to not be effective.” The mare told them as she smiled.

“But just because the oil’s no longer a factor doesn’t mean that Rain’s automatically going to win,” Cadence pointed out. “What makes you so confident that he will though?” This though, only made the machinist chuckle a bit as she watched Rain continue to clash with his opponent in the arena.

“Since the beginning of the fight, your friend has been attacking only specific areas on that giant suit of armor,” She started to explain. “Contrary to what most ponies think about these armor sets, they don’t exactly cover you everywhere from head to hoof. In order for the pony wearing the armor to move their arms, legs or torso, specific areas of the body along the joints aren’t covered to provide some movement. Mostly around sections like the armpits, elbows, the groin and behind the knees.”

Upon hearing this, Shining and the others watched as they happened to notice the sections that Rain were aiming for were around the same points on the body that Aileen mentioned. It was then though, that Celestia herself spoke up. “So you are saying that… Rain’s trying to exploit a weak point in his opponent’s defense…”

“And use it to his advantage.” The mare replied. “In addition, his strikes are being applied to the elbow joint around the left forearm… the same arm where his opponent’s shield is.” As they turned to the battlefield, Rain himself was not only striking back at the shield that his opponent was using, but also the gauntlet that held the shield in place. And with it, he channeled his magic into his next attack as he performed a skill that he happened to learn while in training.

“Armor Break!”

The moment Rain’s blade struck the gauntlet, the shield that was attached to it broke off and was sent hurling against the wall. Leaving the combatant with only their weapon to defend themselves with. Leaving the human a small bit relieved in his personal victory, but knowing that the battle was not over just yet. As he looked at his opponent, he raised his weapon again and holding himself firm in place as the rival combatant did the same. Fire forming around his weapon as he focused his magic and strength into his sword.

His opponent also held up their weapon as well in preparation for the next clash between them. However, as they were charging at each other, the human saw the weapon that his opponent’s hand be released mid swing. Dropping to the ground… and prompting him to stop. Having the energy around his own weapon fade as he looked back at the combatant. Who… had a single question.

“Why did you stop?” The deep voice of his opponent asked. “You would’ve won if you struck me down.”

“Striking down one who is unarmed and weakened such as yourself in this state is dishonorable,” He told him, looking back at the fellow warrior. “If we were to end a fight, I would want it to be done fairly. Now, do you want to finish what we started or are you willing to surrender?” From the brief opening in the helmet, Rain could see a smile form as his opponent got up on both of their hooves… and proceeded to take off the helmet.

Who was underneath was not what anyone expected. “I yield… Congratulations Rain, you passed.” It was Night Light. The captain of the Royal Guard himself had been Rain’s opponent all along. It was something that caught him off guard along with that of Shining Armor and the others in the stands… but not Celestia as she just watched on with a smile on her face.

“C-captain!?” Rain stuttered, a bit shocked by the sudden reveal. “Why were you-?”

“I volunteered to fight you because we didn’t want to run the risk of anypony else trying to actually kill you during the test. Furthermore, I was wearing the armor to hide my identity so you would treat the fight as if you were fighting an actual opponent rather than if you were just facing me. I wanted you to take it seriously… and that, you did.” The captain told him in response as he looked back at him and smiled. “Well done.”

“What about your weapon?” Rain then asked. “Was that intentional?” However, his question was met more by confusion than anything else as the Unicorn looked back at the teen with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you mean? Blueblood was the one that delivered the weapon to me in preparation for today’s bout. Why, is something wrong?” That single sentence soon had onepony in the stands get up and soon excuse herself from the viewing area… shortly after seeing her brother on the opposite side of the arena leave just after the captain said that.

“Excuse me for a moment… I need to have an important discussion with somepony.”

Upon returning to his room, Blueblood was downright furious. He had made sure that his plan to deal with Rain once and for all would go off without a hitch, but now, everything was falling apart at the seams. There were multiple reasons for his anger and frustration… some that weren’t entirely related to what he did, but one thing was for sure. If something didn’t go the way he wanted, he blamed the one known as Rain for his problems.

“Damn that wretched Rain! He’s always getting in my way!” Blueblood said aloud as he paced back and forth in his room in anger before hearing the sounds of knocking at his door.

“Blueblood, open this door now! I know you’re in there!” He heard Cadence on the other side, but not in the calm demeanor that she would normally be in.

“Fine, but it better be important!” He said, using his magic to unlock the door, allowing Cadence to enter the room. Moments after coming in and closing the door behind her though, the alicorn went up to her brother… and smacked him across the face.

“What in Tartarus were you thinking!?” She snapped at him. “Trying to mess up Rain’s examination is one thing, but doing it by a method that’s illegal no less!!? Do you even know how severe the consequences would be if they find out you did it!”

“I could care less about that hairless ape! He has no place among us! Especially with royalty such as ourselves! I won’t allow our family name to be tarnished by some low class trash!” Blueblood stated as he turned towards Cadence, glaring at her as he went on. “Tell why should we allow that… freak to pass, let alone be live with us! He should be sent on his way immediately!”

“He’s not even bothering you, let alone tarnishing anything. I’ve talked with ponies and asked them about him and they like him for what he does. For his honesty, kindness and loyalty…” She said, before saying something else before stating something that made the hairs on Blueblood’s neck stand up. “You’ve been acting like this ever since father passed away… what are you even trying to prove by doing this? You should be trying to get along with him, not picking any fights.”

“I’m trying to live to our father’s image! You wouldn’t understand, we are the pinnacle of society and all ponykind and that Rain, this low class scum is ruining our reputation! I hear what ponies think about Celestia taking him in and they mock us! I won’t allow anymore rumors to spread and in order to do that… Rain needs to be… removed.”

All that Cadence could do was shake her head and look at Blueblood disappointed. “If dad were alive, then he wouldn’t want for you to be like this… He wanted better for us. Now though… I see you less as the brother I grew up as and more of a child who feels entitled to whatever he wants… when are you going to grow up and see that everything around you… hay, even the world… doesn’t move the way you want it.” She then turned away from him, not even acknowledging her brother as she looked back at him. “Listen… you need to change… Whether you make that change yourself… or be forced to make that change… all depends on you.”

“You may see it that way… but I won’t change… not until he’s out of the picture. One way or another…” Blueblood said before turning away from his sister.

“Rain’s here to stay…” A different voice now said from the balcony as both of them turned to see Celestia on the balcony. “Blueblood, as your aunt, your actions today and for so long have put a negative image on not just us, but also the royal family. Rain himself has done nothing wrong… and yet, you see him as the center of your problems. He’s here to stay… but if you don’t make a decision on how you want to improve yourself… you may not be.”

“I… I understand aunty.” He mumbled under his breath before walking out of the room in anger, thinking nothing but finding a way to remove Rain from the picture.

“No… I’m not sure you do,” He heard from Celestia before he turned around. “What you did has a severe punishment… either being thrown in prison, banished from Equestria or worse… So unless you make a decision to change now… your actions today will have consequences for you.”

“I will try… to at least leave Rain alone… but don’t think this will change my opinion of him! No matter how many years will pass, no matter what, I’ll never be his friend!” Blueblood said as a single tear dripped from the side of his face as he stormed off, leaving both Cadence and Celestia alone.

The Sun Princess sighed, looking back at her niece before speaking. “I think that could’ve gone a lot better… but with how severe the offense was, he needs to learn how to respect others.”

“Yes… though, it may take time… Blueblood assumed that he needed to take up father’s role after he passed away… now the ideology is stuck in his head.” Cadence replied back. “It’s ironic though… dad never hated commoners, yet Blueblood thinks they’re the bane of existence.” Celestia could only nod in response as she turned away from the door that her nephew had stormed out of.

Hopefully… this would serve as turning point for him. To where he would want to make a change… for once in his life.

Later that evening…

The evening that Rain had passed his test was one of celebration amongst family and friends. But even after everyone else was still sound asleep… there was still onepony that was a bit restless this evening since he had a lot on his mind. That pony though… being Rain’s first… and very close friend and companion, Shining Armor. Throughout their training, both of them had each other's back… but after what Rain demonstrated in the arena, he was unsure of how he would be able to assist him if he wasn’t able to manifest the same kind of strength that he did in in the coliseum… and have a weapon that matched that.

This had been going on for some time. Since they were young, Rain was always quick to learn and demonstrates while Shining took a bit more time. Yet, it did not affect his resolve and determination to perfect his skill. In fact, it got to a point that he wanted to be stronger than that of Rain, his father or anypony else… and that he did not want to give up on that no matter what obstacles he must face.

Yet, as Shining Armor was thinking of all of this inside his head and walking through the training yard of the Canterlot Barracks… somepony happened to notice him and soon spoke up. “You seem… troubled, young one.” It was then that Shining Armor stopped what he was doing… turning towards the direction of the side entrance to the barracks as he happened to notice a figure walking towards him. One with a hood over their head and in a long blue cloak that drifted down to their feet. Shining could not see the figure’s face, but he did see the figure holding what appeared to be a sheathed katana in his hands. Which, prompted Shining Armor to try and choose his words carefully.

“Who are you?” The unicorn asked, on his guard, but curious as to what this person had to say. “How do you know that something was bothering me?”

“It’s easily to tell when somepony has a lot on their mind is they happen to be deep in thought such as you.” The stranger replied back. “So, what is on your mind?”

Seeing that the one who was speaking to him was trying to ease his mind a little, Shining decided that it would be much easier if he just complied with him rather than be stoic. So, he shared what was on his mind, telling him of Rain, how he had been friends with him and going as far as to share how, despite the odds, he wanted to be just as strong as him… or even stronger than that. The stranger himself listened to his story fully, and when the unicorn was done… he took the opportunity to speak.

“I see… Despite all odds, you want the strength to stand your ground and fight alongside him, no matter the odds…” The stranger then spoke, before he decided to take the blade that was originally in his hands and hand it over to Shining Armor. “In that case, you are the one who deserves this sword.”

Shining almost flinched the moment he heard that. The weapon that was placed in his hands felt cool to the touch… and yet, even though he was surprised by all of this, the unicorn still had a lot of questions in his mind. But two main ones came out first. “You didn’t answer my question though… Who are you? Why would you give me a weapon like this? Surely, you yourself wouldn’t just give away a prized possession of yours so easily.”

“You aren’t wrong… I’ve had this blade for many years… but from listening to your story and watching you train til your hands bleed, I understand why you push yourself to these limits in order to try and surpass them.” The stranger explained. “And… this weapon, Purple Lightning, only reveals it’s true strength to those who seek strength no matter what obstacles are put up against them. In the years I’ve had it, I haven’t been able to awaken it’s power… but perhaps… you will.”

With it, the figure turned away from Shining and began to see himself out. “And when that day comes, I’ll be looking forward to seeing it… Don’t give up on yourself…” Before he left the barracks though, he stopped… and then turned around and said one thing. “The day you unlock its power… will be the day you learn my name.”

With it, the figure soon left the barracks as Shining looked at him before turning back to the weapon that was given… and deciding to return home, now that his mind was at ease. Yet, in the distance, the figure in the hood watched as he then spoke to himself.

“Until then… watch over Rain for me… Become strong. Do not lose to Rain… Become greater than I ever could.”

Author's Notes:

As Iron sharpens Iron, one man sharpens another
-Proverbs 27:17

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Well, this is the last of the prologue chapters I had in store for the story as of right now. For this chapter, I’m having it focus on Rain once he’s older so that he would be ready for when the first true chapter of the story comes later. Also, in this chapter, Aileen is based on the unit of the same name and nature in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.

Rain's Appearance: