Building One was an old, handsome affair. Located in the northwest sector of Canterlot, the large square building constructed from white cut stone was a constant hive of activity, with everything from individual ponies to battle carriages steadily streaming through its front gates, while courier pegasi flew about like bees around its four corner battlement towers. It had served as the main headquarters for the Royal Guard for the last 250 years and had a storied history of training some of the finest soldiers in Equestria.
Flash was entitled to have an office there when Celestia had made him the head of his own new department, but he had opted, with Celestia's blessing, for constructing an entirely new location in the caves beneath Canterhorn Castle. In his judgment, it was a far more secure location for clandestine operations and at the same time, took care of the glaring security oversight which the caves represented, as was made appallingly apparent at Princess Cadance's wedding. The way Flash saw it, it was taking care of a lot of birds with one really big stone.
Getting through the main gate with guests in tow was usually not a problem for Flash, as the gate sentries usually let him escort them through on his own recognizance. He had done so on many occasions with Ella when she had first arrived in Equestria. But today, a security admin named Stickler insisted on making Ferra wait for an official ID check with the main office before letting her through, even after Flash had reminded the pony that she was technically a foreign dignitary and was therefore afforded VIP status. Stickler did not care.
Flash then made it seem that he could not wait around any longer and offered to let Ferra, who gave Stickler her most winningest of smiles, hang out at the checkpoint with them, all by her lonesome, while he went on ahead. Stickler suddenly cared. Flash had never seen a verification come through from the main office more quickly.
Ferra hummed a merry tune to herself as she happily trotted alongside Flash, everypony they passed through the courtyard giving them a generously wide berth.
"I think you enjoyed yourself just a little too much back there, Miss Teeth." Flash commented, struggling to suppress his grin.
"What's life if not to enjoy it?" Ferra replied with a happy bounce in her step. Flash just smiled and shook his head as they walked through a set of double doors that two golden armored guards with spears opened for them with a salute. The floor of the interior corridor was covered in a royal blue carpet and its walls were lined with the most beautiful white wooden paneling. They were also adorned with brass candelabras and various oil paintings, depicting everything from great military leaders of old to historic battles. There was even one of Celestia herself arrayed in stunning battle armor of the most radiant gold, the sun rising behind her; that one was easily his favorite. But being that he was in the proverbial doghouse at the moment with his favorite mom boss princess pony person, he averted his gaze from her image and kept walking.
General Iron Shod's main office was in the west corner of the building up on the second floor. Flash greeted the staff sergeant secretary at the front desk, a pretty, light yellow pegasus mare with a brown mane and blue eyes named Daisy Cutter, who let him into the main operation center of the 2nd Division GEU. The room was a clatter of organized chaos, the uniformed ponies occupying a dozen different desks were set up in two rows, all placed under a massive map of Equestria that covered one of the side walls. Ferra's ears twitched and her nostrils flared as she took in the new collection of curious sights and smells from the ponies who were busy working away at their various tasks. The layered sound of multiple conversations happening at once punctuated by the chattering sound of typewriters and the tic-tac beeping of a wireless set operating in one corner of the wide room created quite the alien symphony of sound for the exotic mare.
Flash was about to ask her if she wished to wait outside when a fluctuation in the magnetic field around him accompanied by the high pitch buzzing of a projectile flying towards the back of his head caused him to throw a hand up in reflex to catch it, only for Ferra to beat him to it, snatching it out of the air with her teeth.
Ferra grinned while holding the small pencil in her fangs, her eyes sparkling with intrigue at the mare who had thrown it.
"Well, well, look who decided to finally show his furless face. How long has it been Skies, two, maybe three months? I was beginning to think you didn't miss me."
Flash sighed and turned towards the sound of the voice, only to see the bright, cocky smile of the light pink pegasus mare with a blood red mane and tail, fiery orange eyes, and a personality to match.
"Major Rosen Riposte, so nice of you to greet me today with your standard welcome of a potentially life-threatening injury. What, no innocent recruits for you to terrorize today?" The spirited mare was wearing a standard light khaki officer's blouse and beret, and was leaning back up against a desk on her forelimbs with her hind legs crossed; she was skillfully twirling another sharpened pencil in the primary feathers of her right wing. Her cutie mark was a set of white wings interspersed by a silver sword.
Rosen's grin broadened, "Nah, that just get's boring after a while." She said while dropping to all four hooves and trotting up to him, only for Ferra to casually step into her path and passively block her, bumping chests with her while still gripping the pencil lightly in her lethal smile.
"I see you still have eyes in the back of your head Skies, never get tired of seeing that; but who's your really fast friend?" Rosen asked while giving a cautious but curious glance to the fanged beauty before her.
Flash stepped forward and gently stroked Ferra's head, earning a pleased purr from her, "Rosen, this is Ferra, Princess Ferra of Diomedia. Ferra this is Rosen Riposte, Executive Officer for the 2nd GEU, air combat director and full-time pain in my flank. And no, you may not eat her...yet."
Rosen chuckled, "Aww, such promises," she said before giving a small salute to Ferra. "It's a pleasure to meet you your highness. Sorry if I upset you with the casual assassination attempt, but I gotta keep our forces sharp if you catch my drift."
Ferra cruched the pencil into splinters and swallowed the pieces, licking her chops and shaking her head. "Nope, I think that's a great idea! After all, if master doesn't stay alert, it'll be no challenge to eat him someday!"
Rosen raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking to Flash for an explanation.
"I'll tell you later." He said with a resigned roll of his eyes, "So, where's your boss?"
Rosen motioned with her head towards the back of the room, "In his office, waiting for you. I hope you brought your 'A game' Skies, seems like he's all excited about something."
Flash smiled, "Hey, when do I not?" He said while turning to walk towards the door at the back of room.
"Every time you see me," she retorted, "When are you going to finally give me that sparing match I've been asking for since, I don't know, you were a colt in the junior academy, eh feather flank? What's the matter, still can't stand to fight a mare?"
Flash spun on his heel to face her, "Maybe it's more like I enjoy having all four limbs intact, you lunatic of a mare. Is there anypony you haven't sparred with that hasn't ended up in the infirmary?"
Rosen held a hoof to her chest as one wounded, "Oh, come now. I promised to leave you at least one limb intact to salute me with, didn't I?" She said before flicking the pencil she had been holding in her wing at an alarming speed towards his chest. Flash caught it between his forefinger and thumb without flinching,
"Yeah, I bet you would, you slipshod." He said with a sly grin.
"Featherweight." She scoffed in retaliation.
"Brute."
"Prude!"
"Loose cannon!"
"Hothead!"
"Amateur!" They both concluded at the same time with Rosen still grinning, looking with hopeful eyes that she might have finally antagonized him enough for a fight. Flash noticed with some annoyance Ferra sitting to one side in between them, her glossy black tail flicking back and forth with barely contained energy while grinning in open admiration at Rosen. She looked at Flash,
"I like her! Can we-"
"Don't!" Flash exclaimed, holding a finger up, "Even start."
Rosen chuckled, "Aww, don't worry sister, he's just a little shy around mares, that's all. He warms up to us after a while." She said with an antagonizing wink at Flash who glowered at her in return. He was about to retort when his eyes widened for a second, a sinister grin slowly spreading across his face,
"Hey Ferra, why don't you go play with Rosen? I'm sure she'd just love to have a sparring match with you while I'm busy talking with the General."
Rosen's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she still smiled warmly as she looked at Ferra who was beaming from ear to ear and practically shaking with excitement.
"Wow, can't say that I've ever fought a princess before. What do you say sister, you wanna have a go?"
"Yes!" Ferra shouted with a happy prance. She quickly gave Flash a grateful head bash to his hip and a quick, crushing hug and lick to his cheek with her rough tongue before hopping to Rosen's side, "Thank you thank you master! Yeah, let's do this!"
Flash staggered a step, rubbing his bruised thigh, "Yeah, no problem Ferra." He said while popping his abused spine back into place, "Just make sure you give her your very best!"
Rosen gave Flash another wink as she turned with Ferra and headed towards the exit, "Until next time, Skies. You can't avoid me forever."
Flash smiled, "We'll see. Watch your six, Riposte."
"Ah, welcome Captain! So glad you could join us!" General Iron Shod's voice boomed from across the richly appointed office as he returned the human's salute. The room was wide and spacious, with plush chairs and sofas around a polished wood table and a large, mahogany desk occupying the far side; the air smelled of parchment and sweet pipe tobacco. Flash made sure the ornate wooden door behind him was closed before walking towards the proud old stallion. The general was wearing the same style khaki battle blouse that Rosen had been wearing, though his bore golden buttons on the front, distinguishing his status as a flag officer.
What really caught Flash's attention though, was the tall, white unicorn with a golden mane and matching eyes wearing a fancy, expensive looking crimson vest with black buttons standing next to the general; a small golden crest of a shield and two crossed swords adorned his left breast, the Dawn Family Crest.
"I'm sure you remember Noble Dawn," Iron Shod said, gesturing to the pony, "After all, his son Lumen is currently your XO as I recall, is he not?"
"That he is!" Flash said with a warm smile as he accepted a firm hoof shake from the unicorn.
"A pleasure as always, Captain Skies," Noble Dawn said in a reserved tone, though a small, friendly smile brightened his face. "I do hope my son is proving himself useful to you?"
"Endlessly so, your grace. He is a consummate professional and one of the best officers I've ever worked with." Flash said truthfully, suppressing a temptation to be sarcastic. "So, to what do we owe the pleasure of the Royal Guard's most senior defense contractor paying us a visit?"
General Iron Shod smiled, "Ah, astute as always Captain! Yes, as you well know, Noble Dawn's family has been supplying the very best in armor and armaments to the Crown for the last 600 years, their quality and craftstallionship are second to none. Which is why I have asked Mr. Dawn to be with us today to give us any insights he might have on an alarming discovery we have made aboard Secret Threshold's ship. A discovery that could potentially change the very future of combat for the Royal Guard!"
Flash blinked in mild astonishment, he had never known the reserved stallion to make such grandiose statements, "That's quite the claim General, to what discovery are you referring to?"
General Shod stepped up to the edge of his desk, taking hold of a red velvet cloth that was covering something about the size of an egg carton, "What I'm about to show you Captain Skies, must remain top secret for the time being," he said solemnly before pulling the cloth away. Flash felt his breath catch in his throat.
No...There's, no way. It's....IMPOSSIBLE!
It was primitive looking, like some of the pieces that Flash saw in museums back on earth, yet its design and function were unmistakeable. Flash glanced towards the General who nodded his permission,
"I take it by the look on your face lad, that you can tell us what this is?"
Flash slowly reached out and picked the item up. It had a curved wooden grip with a brass trigger guard that looked like it would fit a pony's hoof pretty comfortably, and it seemed to even fit well enough in his own hand. The barrel was about eight inches of hexagonal cut blued steel with a crude, single post sight on the end. A ramrod was tucked under the barrel, and it appeared to be of a single-shot, percussion cap variety. Not exactly as sophisticated as the modern firearms he had encountered on earth, but it was still, unmistakably,
"A gun, sir.”
"What do you mean that you can control other ponies' minds?!"
"Shh! Not so loud Cozy Glow!" Ella hissed, glancing furtively around as she walked down Ponyville main street, making sure no one had overheard them. Cozy Glow herself had found a new favorite perch, hooking her forelimbs over Ella's left shoulder and hanging on to get a free ride. Ella didn't mind, but she couldn't help but be slightly amused at the idea that she now quite literally had a little devil on her left shoulder, whispering sweet temptations into her ear; her velvety muzzle tickled.
Guardian angels, pray for us. Ella inwardly prayed, trying not to laugh.
After the party had ended, Ella had suggested going into town to shop for a few items to add to the decor of the guest room she was going to put Cozy Glow up in, something to make it more personal for her. It was an idea that seemed to genuinely surprise the little filly, though she quickly hid it.
Ella heard Cozy's wings buzz with excitement, "Sorry," she said in a lower voice, "But come on, you can seriously hypnotize ponies?"
Ella sighed, "It's called a 'mesmerizing gaze' Cozy, every changeling has it, though it varies in degrees of strength and ability, at least according to what Telson told me about it. It's supposed to help them subdue their food, if you catch my drift. And according to him, well," Ella paused, not even sure how they had gotten on this line of conversation, "Mine's pretty strong."
Cozy giggled gleefully, kicking her tiny hooves so that they lightly drummed against Ella's lower back through her signature white cloak that she was wearing, "Oh, that is so wicked! When did you realize you had it?" Ella reached back and gently scratched the side of Cozy's head, calming the filly down.
"One day when we had a little colt at the doctor's office who wouldn't sit still for anyone. No one could get him to behave himself, so I looked him right in the eye and told him to be still, and the kid practically turned into a statue. After that, I noticed that so long as I made eye contact with anyone and concentrated, they would pretty much do whatever I say. Kinda freaked me out if I'm honest."
Cozy Glow sighed wistfully, "Oh Celestia, my life would be so much easier if I could do something like that. Seriously Ella, we should talk possibilities! I mean, can you just imagine what you could do with an ability like this? I certainly can!"
Ella glanced at her, frowning, "Yeah, I bet you can. Sorry to dash your twisted hopes though my little devil, I already told Celestia about it, just to make sure I or any other psychotic little maniacs I might know won't be tempted to take advantage of it."
"Hmph, killjoy." Cozy grumbled dejectedly, resting her chin on her hooves, "You really don't know how to have any sort of fun, do you?"
"I don't consider manipulating people 'fun', Cozy, and neither should you. Every time you try to manipulate another to get what you want, someone gets hurt, every time."
Cozy Glow mumbled something angrily under her breath at that, but said nothing more. The two of them walked on in silence for a few moments, but Ella could practically hear the wheels in the little pony's head turning, and braced herself for the barb that was no doubt coming.
"So," Cozy began, her muzzle brushing delicately against Ella's ear, "Have you tried it out on Flash?" She said in barely a whisper.
Ella stopped walking, and had to remind herself that they were in public to resist shouting at her, "Don't even joke like that, Cozy." She said in a warning tone.
"Okay, okay," Cozy said in a placating tone, "Don't lose your head. I was just having a little fun. But seriously, why so sensitive?"
"You mean besides the fact that it would be horribly sinful for a woman to do somethin' like that to her husband?!" Ella quietly exclaimed, before calming herself with a deep breath. She remained silent a few moments, trying to decide if she wanted to reveal another dark part of her life to someone who might one day try to use it against her. Cozy waited patiently, her small wings slowly flexing like a resting butterfly's.
"When I first met Flash," Ella began in a quite voice, "I tried to manipulate him, to twist him into doing what I wanted him to do, even though he was only trying to help me. I was acting just like the monsters who ruined my life."
Cozy Glow said nothing to that, but Ella could tell that she was listening with great interest, so she continued,
"On top of that, Flash has already been mesmerized once by a changeling. She was strong, like, really strong, and he was hurt and exhausted at the time, so he wasn't able to resist her when it happened," She said, pausing to swallow, "And because of that, while under her spell, he almost killed some of his loved ones; friends, family, even his own mother."
"Tartarus." Ella heard Cozy swear under her breath; she nodded in agreement,
"Yeah, pretty much. So yeah," She said, giving Cozy Glow a sarcastic glance, "Now you see why I'm a little, how'd you put it, 'sensitive' about that subject?" Ella concluded before she resumed walking. "Besides," She added in a lighter tone, feeling like the conversation had become too grim, "It probably wouldn't work on him anyways."
Cozy Glow raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"
"You may not think much of him Cozy, but he's pretty sharp, and strong minds can resist manipulation." She reached up and ruffled Cozy's mane, "Even the magic kinds."
"I don't understand, this shouldn't be here, it can't be from Equestria!" Flash exclaimed, running a hand frustratingly through his platinum hair.
"Actually, it can." Noble Dawn commented. He was holding the pistol in his yellow magic, examining it with a small pocket lens. "The metallurgy matches that from the deposits which are normally taken from the northern mines, though the tempering is certainly unique, much harder than even what we use in our cannon barrels, quite fascinating."
Flash shook his head, "You don't understand, this is technology from my home world, from earth! It shouldn't be here!"
"What does it matter where it came from!" Iron Shod said excitedly, "The point is we now have it, a crate of 200 examples to be exact, and can put them to good use! Why didn't you tell us you knew about such weapons, captain?"
Flash had to resist glaring at the pony, "Because some things are better left undiscovered, general. You can't be serious about making use of these things! They're too dangerous!"
Iron Shod gave him a surprised look, "But of course! All weapons are inherently dangerous Captain Skies, what's more important is who is allowed to wield them."
"Not dangerous like this sir, it makes killing far too convenient. If we let something like this proliferate, ponies are going to die!"
"If we let them? My dear officer, this discovery proves they are already out there! What would you have us do, sit on it and pretend we never saw it?"
"Better than the alternative!" Flash snapped, fighting the growing urge to raise his voice.
Iron Shod frowned, "And what would you do about the weapons that are, no doubt, already out there in Equestria?"
"Find them and destroy them!" Flash responded angrily.
"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Iron Shod said with an exasperated shake of his head, "Were not you the one always pointing out to us that we are too set in our ways? Isn't this weapon the exact kind of advancement that, in your mind, the Guard should adopt?"
Flash grit his teeth at that. It was true, he did believe that the Guard needed to get with the times in order to more effectively respond to growing threats, but not like this. The technology he had seen while on earth genuinely frightened him, and the thought of it being introduced here, in his beloved Equestria of all places, made him feel sick with worry; the scar on his back from where he had been shot seemed to burn and itch as well at the idea. For once, he was actually hoping that the old General would stick to his philosophy that the old ways were the best and dismiss this dangerous tool as yet another frivolous novelty.
"General, please," he pleaded, "I've seen what these sorts of weapons can do, I've been on the receiving end of one of them for Celestia's sake! And the last thing I want is for anypony here to ever have to experience it. Please, we need to figure out how it got here and stop it before it ever gains momentum!"
"If I may Captain Skies," Noble Dawn gently interrupted, "Might I ask if you know what these spiral carvings are lining the interior of this device's barrel?"
"They're called 'riflings'," Flash said after a long pause, not breaking his defiant eye contact with Iron Shod, "They put a spin on the projectile as it travels down the barrel, the resulting centrifugal force yields greater range and accuracy."
Noble Dawn nodded, "I see, incredible. It's such a simple concept and yet it never even occurred to us ponies to apply the same principle to our own cannons, let alone to miniaturize the design. You humans truly are a capable species."
"Yeah, real capable at finding great ways of killing each other," Flash grumbled in a low voice. "Argh, what am I saying," he said while turning away and taking a few steps, "I've already told you more than I should have!"
"Perhaps," Noble Dawn said, "But I can already say that as amazing as this device is, it is a rather crude design. I have already thought of more than a few ways that we might be able to improve on this, and I am fairly certain we could make many more with your gracious assistance, Captain Skies." The unicorn turned his attention back to the pistol in his magical aura, his eyes narrowing at a new detail.
"Hmm, I seem to have found a crest of some kind," he said, squinting through his lens at a small mark on the underside of the barrel. "An, 'F'." He said, pointing to the small letter that was engraved in a cursive styling within a small circle. "I'm not familiar with this seal, but I'll have some of my ponies look into it."
"Captain Skies," Iron Shod said, before Flash could ask Noble Dawn what he thought the symbol meant. He turned and looked at the old pony and noted, with some surprise, the sympathetic look on the general's face.
"I think I can understand your reservations son, and I have always admired your selfless desire to keep us ponies safe. But be reasonable, we cannot undo what has already been done. The genie's out of the bottle, as the old saying goes. The best response that can be had now is to get ahead of it. And with your evident knowledge of this new device's workings and designs, you can help to ensure that the Guard will always have an edge over whoever might try to use this technology against us some day."
"But general-"
"And I would appreciate it if you toned down your patronizing demeanor, captain." Iron Shod said, his voice becoming more stern. "We ponies may not be as advanced or as aggressive as you humans, but don't underestimate us. We are more than capable of taking care of ourselves and have been doing so long before we were blessed with your noteworthy presence in Equestria. So please, let us and the Princesses decide what is best for Equestria, if you don't mind. I only ask that you aid us in this endeavor if you are so inclined, you have great potential in that."
Flash clenched his fists at his stung pride, he wanted to retort with a dozen different examples of the Guard's lackluster performance in the last decade alone as evidence to the contrary, never mind that he had always identified more with the pony part of his nature than his human side, but he kept his peace. Deep down, he knew that the old general had a point. In all likelihood, they would not be able to stop this technology from spreading now that it was here. Even if he had Secret Threshold or whoever was responsible for this debacle in chains right now, there was no going back. But whether it was his pride, anger, or the nightmarish fear he felt at the idea of ponies getting shot, Flash couldn't agree to help with this endeavor, at least not for now.
"Give it some thought, captain, that's all I ask." Iron Shod said, seeming to guess his thought process.
For a second, Flash thought of pulling rank on the general with the unique authority that his special department gave him for the protection of Equestria. After all, Secret Threshold's ship and all that was found aboard it was still technically under his jurisdiction; it was his operation still. But in the long run, he knew that it would be a losing battle, and he doubted that Celestia would be so inclined to side with him at the present moment.
"Fine, general." Flash said as politely as he could, "I'll think about it. But mark my words, somepony is going to get seriously hurt because of this."
Ferra took a deep breath of the sweet afternoon air, the delightful feeling of having grass beneath her hooves again felt almost as good as the anticipation of having a good scrap with somepony. The outdoor training field where Rosen and led them was wide and expansive, with various groups of ponies training alone or in small groups together. Some of them had even taken notice of her and Rosen, her sensitive ears twitching as she caught wind of some of what they were saying. That Rosen was apparently something of a terror in combat, and that they were wondering if the pegasus was actually going to fight the scary monster mare they had all heard about.
Ferra couldn't help but smirk at that, but she had to agree with their assessment of Rosen. She could tell, just by her scent alone, that this pony was not like all the others she had been encountering all day. She smelled no fear from this mare, no anxiety, but rather, a confident, aggressive spirit. One that itched for a challenge, loved the thrill of danger, but was also tempered by a rich empathy for others and a zeal of life that set Ferra's blood on fire with excitement.
I like her! Was all she could think as she watched the dauntless mare pull tight a strap across her chest with her teeth, closing up the harness that supported a bright pair of retractable wing blades strapped to her wings and primary feathers.
"So," Rosen began as she stretched and flexed her wings, checking the fitment of her weapons, "If I may ask, how did you meet Flash?"
Ferra smiled, "I tried to kill him."
Rosen paused in her preparations, a surprised but amused look on her face. "Well, that's one heck of a memorable way to meet somepony. Wow, he, uh, never told me about that. But seriously, that's quite an introduction. What were you even planning on doing if you succeeded?"
"Eat him. Hang his skull in a place of honor," Ferra said matter-of-factly with a fanciful lick of her chops.
Rosen's jaw dropped slightly, "Eat him?! Why in Equestria would you do something like that?!"
Ferra tilted her head slightly, an adorable look of genuine, childlike confusion on her face, "Because he tastes delicious?"
Rosen stared for a second in disbelief before she burst out laughing at that, honestly unable to tell if the pony before her was actually being serious or not, which was honestly kind of terrifying; she liked that.
"Oh sweetheart, you're really something haha!" She said, wiping one eye. "But say, why do you call him master?"
Ferra grinned mischievously, her tail whipping back and forth, "Well, because he saved my life, and because he just hates it when I do."
"Oh girl," Rosen grinned, snapping her wings outward so that a pulse of energy rippled through the air, "Where have you been all my life?"
"Hunting," Ferra said, dipping into a low stance, "And being hunted."
Rosen gave her a predatory grin, "Wanna make things interesting?"
"Shoot." Ferra said, grinning back.
"First to draw blood?"
"Now you're talking," Ferra said with a subtle purr in the back of her throat, her slitted eyes narrowing viciously.
For a moment, the two combatants stared each other down, an intense energy of such force building between them that a distortion began to form in the air separating them. Rosen focused on gathering the atmospheric energy around her, mustering power for a full on attack. At the same time, could feel Ferra's ferocity, the bloodlust and sheer focus in her yellow eyes was enough to send a slight shiver down her spine. She dared not take her eyes off the mare, but out of her peripheral vision, she could see one by one all of the other ponies on the field slowly pause in their training as they gathered along the edge of the field to watch. She thought she even saw a few coins pass between hooves.
A low growl sounded in Ferra's throat, which was the only warning she got before the mare exploded forward in a blur of movement, faster than anything Rosen expected.
She's quick! Rosen thought before she herself launched forward without hesitation to meet her opponent head on. The two ponies closed on each other in the blink of an eye, Ferra sprinting while Rosen flew at eye level just above the ground. At the last half-second, the agile pegasus spun in a tight barrel roll, dodging over Ferra while simultaneously whipping her now extended wing blade into the pony's barrel with a loud smack. The blades were blunted of course, as they were only training blades, but they could still leave nasty bruises and even break bones if swung hard enough.
Rosen heard Ferra yelp, more in surprise than pain, only to herself feel an immediate sharp, painful tug on the very end of her blood-red tail as her Ferra whipped her head around at unbelievable speeds, actually using the the momentum from being struck to aid in her spin and snap at the pegasus' passing tail, trimming the last half-inch off with her razor sharp fangs.
Bloody thunder! She's got good reflexes! Rosen thought, thrilled at the thought finally having a decent opponent to play with.
Ferra immediately sprang at Rosen before she could turn around, only for the pegasus to gracefully backflip over her, crossing her blades beneath her as she did to strike down at her savage opponent. Rosen's eyes widened with delight as she watched in slow motion how Ferra instantly changed directions while she was at the arch of her flip, turning and springing up to snap at her with flashing white fangs while simultaneously blocking both blades with her front hooves in a shower of sparks. Her teeth snapped shut an inch from Rosen's muzzle.
The observing guard ponies were now openly cheering and whistling, shouting their astonishment and stomping their approval at the brief but dazzling display of skill and strength put on by the two mares. Ferra and Rosen both pause a second to glance at them and then each other,
"Seems like we got an audience, sister," Rosen said with a laugh.
"Well, let's give em' a show!" Ferra exclaimed with joy before lunging at the pegasus, zigzagging towards her so quickly that she appeared to be ricocheting off of invisible walls.
Rosen immediately leapt backwards with a powerful flap of her wings, bringing her blades to bear and knocking away the brutal strikes that Ferra threw at her with her front hooves; it felt like blocking sledgehammers.
Rosen felt her teeth rattle as she rapidly deflected with her blades the absolute blizzard of kicks and strikes that landed at a rate of over five a second.
Horsefeathers! Rosen thought after several seconds beneath the onslaught, What kind of a mare is she?! Did Flash really defeat this monster?! She ducked underneath another bite, flinging her head back hard to skullbash Ferra under her jaw, snapping her head back only for the pony to instantly go back on the attack again, seemingly unfazed.
She's so tough! She spun out of the way, aiming to clock Ferra on the back of the head with a wing blade only for her to twist with appalling speed and bite the blade, spinning and flinging the pegasus by her wing across the dirt.
She's so strong! Rosen managed to break her tumble and land on her rear hooves, sliding backwards as she fanned her wings.
So tenacious! She punched the pony who was already on top of her square in the muzzle who simply took it as she barreled into her.
She's so powerful! Rosen twisted her body and used Ferra's own momentum to throw her before the mare could get her crushing grip around her. And...
"I absolutely love it!" Rosen roared with laughter as Ferra picked herself up from where she had landed over thirty feet away, shaking dust from her coat.
"You good Princess?"
"Never better!" Ferra called back with a bright smile, a wild look in her yellow eyes.
"Alright then, get ready sister," Rosen said, crouching low. A low humming began to thrum through the air as an enormous amount of energy pulsed off of her form, her eyes flashing momentarily with a white light, "Because it's my turn, now."
Ferra gasped as with a loud crack of displaced air, Rosen moved so quickly that she actually vanished from her sight for a fraction of a second. She felt a sudden change in air pressure in front of her, indicated by a quivering in her sensitive ears. She looked down to see a fly buzzing by, its movements glacier, and its wings slow and lethargic, at least, compared to the lighting fast pony presently swiping up at her with a glittering wing blade so quickly that it seemed to bend the very light around it.
Wow, she's much faster than master. Was the only thought that passed through her mind before her world went spinning. The blow to her cheekbone was only a glancing one thanks to her instincts and quick reflexes, but it still stung, and it still connected with enough force to flip her head over hooves. Ferra tucked into the spin, turning it into a controlled, double backflip so that she landed on her hooves. She didn't even have a second to recover though as the storm of a pegasus was already on top of her, unleashing a hail of coordinated blows with her blades and hooves.
Ferra leapt back, holding her diamond-hard hooves in front of her face to deflect strikes while twisting and dodging as best she could around those she couldn't block, though she couldn't stop them all. The two mares moved over the ground like an arc of lightning that sparked and disappeared at some angles, only to reappear in bursts at others. Small indents of dirt exploded out from the field from the forceful impact of hard hooves, kicking up clouds of dust into the air which were quickly caught up in the swirling gusts left in the wake of their rapid movement, casting darkening shadows over the field like a small storm. This was only amplified further by the growing effects Rosen's flight and weather magic were beginning to have on the surrounding atmosphere.
No longer caring if she took some hits, Ferra sprang straight at Rosen, mouth agape, fangs reaching. The pegasus blinked in surprise at the bold maneuver, and for a moment, felt a spark of primal terror from deep within her mind in reaction to her instincts screaming at her that a predator was attempting to eat her. Rosen pulled back fast, but not quite fast enough as Ferra's jaws closed on one side of the harness across her chest. Rosen's head snapped back and forth as the monstrously strong pony violently shook her back and forth in the same manner a terrier killed rats. There was a terrific ripping sound as half of her harness and one of her wing blades was torn right off of her body and she was sent tumbling through the air.
Righting herself midair was difficult now that her wings were imbalanced, so instead, Rosen used the centrifugal forced cause by the lopsided weight on her body to pull herself into a tight spin, pouring all of her strength and magic into it so that the air and dust around her was whipped up into a howling, gale force blast. She could feel enormous charges of energy build up in the atmosphere around her, caused by the swirling dust and resulting ionizing friction; loud cracks of static electricity snapped and flashed around her. Shouting with the effort, Rosen kicked out with one hoof at a point where she felt a building charge, and literally booted a lightning bolt right towards her opponent.
Ferra didn't have time to dodge as the discharge of energy exploded on the ground right in front of her face with a deafening crash of thunder, the intense energy partially surging into her legs, stunning her.
Tucking her wings to her sides, Rosen Riposte dove fast towards Ferra, screaming a war cry as she lashed out with her remaining blade with all her strength. There was a loud, clanging crash and an explosion of dust and air from the impact. Rosen coughed and looked up through the clearing air, expecting to see the Princess laid out before her, only to feel her stomach sink in momentary horror. Ferra had caught her blade, in her teeth; and, she was smiling.
Rosen immediately tried to yank her weapon free, but Ferra held firm, snarling with effort. The two tugged back and forth for a moment, and knowing that her opponent had far greater physical strength than her, Rosen quickly cartwheeled over Ferra and landed on her back, hooking her forelimbs around the two sides of the blade and yanking backwards. Ferra growled and tried to throw her off, but the blade Rosen held between her teeth gave her the leverage she needed to hang on.
"C'mon Princess, uhn! Do you, urgh, give?!"
Rosen twisted the metal, attempting to throw Ferra to the ground. It seemed to work at first, until she heard a sharp metallic ping, like a metal bar being snapped in two. She looked with astonishment to see Ferra's fangs seeming to glow slightly with a faint light as glowing cracks began to spider web in the tempered steel around the tips of her sharp teeth. A second later, and with a loud snapping sound, the blade shattered in an explosion of fragments that stung the side of Rosen's face.
Before she knew what was happening, Rosen felt herself being flung over Ferra's shoulder and slammed into the ground so hard that the air whooshed from her lungs. Gasping, and nearly panicking, Rosen rolled over and thrust out with what remained of her broken blade just as Ferra pounced on top of her with a roar, her jaws closing on the pegasus' throat.
Rosen didn't flinch even as she felt the needle-like tips of Ferra's fangs just barely breaking the skin beneath her light pink fur as well as the heat of the mare's mouth as she panted against her neck. For a few moments, the two of them stayed completely still, the only movement being the shuddering of their bodies as they each struggled to catch their breath.
"Huh, hey, huh, Princess," Rosen finally managed to gasp, "How about we just call this one, huh, a draw?" She felt Ferra gently release her throat, pausing to give her cheek an apologetic lick and a friendly nuzzle before she fell back on her haunches.
"Yeah, huh, that seems fair to me!" Ferra said while looking down at the small spot of blood staining her fluffy orange chest. Rosen slowly withdrew the jagged end of her shattered blade that had just broken the skin. Ferra immediately started licking at the spot to clean the wound and groom her very ruffled fur.
Rosen gave a tired chuckle as she glanced at their surroundings. The field looked like a moonscape, pockmarked with small craters and torn grass. Training equipment was scattered everywhere, a wooden climbing tower was leaning precariously to one side, and a pair of earth pony guards were clinging to the topmost branches of one of the trees on the far side of the field, cheering their approval.
"WHOO! DO IT AGAIN!" One of them shouted, laughing as almost slipped from the swaying limb he had been blown into. Other ponies were cheering and whooping their approval as well. The only pony not cheering appeared to be the very angry Sergeant Major currently shouting something about destroying his training field at the pair of mares as he stalked his way towards them.
Ferra grinned sheepishly as she held a hoof out to Rosen, helping her to her feet.
"Again?"
Ella sighed as she set down her shopping bag in the vestibule of her home. She pulled back her hood and went to undo the broach of her white cloak. Cozy Glow had remained silent for the remainder of their walk home, and Ella knew from experience that it meant the little pony had been deep in thought about something.
The little pegasus fluttered off of her shoulder and landed with a small clatter of hooves on the kitchen table. She stood there for a moment, facing away from Ella before turning and frowning at her.
"Try to mesmerize me." Ella blinked in astonishment, she honestly hadn't been expecting that of all things.
"What? Why?!"
"You said that it yourself that it didn't work on strong minds, I want to see if I can resist it!"
Ella scoffed, "Trust me Cozy Glow, if I wanted to control you, I would have tried it a long time ago."
Cozy Glow glared at her, "How do I know if you haven't done so already? What if this whole, pretending to be friendly to me is all just some kind of trick?!" She said in an accusing tone.
"Glad to hear you think so highly of me," Ella replied with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.
"I'm serious!" Cozy shouted with a stomp of her front hoof. "That's it! I've caught you, haven't I?! You're just a big fake who's been tricking me this whole time, haven't you?!"
"Cozy!" Ella snapped, feeling genuinely hurt at that. "I haven't, nor will I, ever try to manipulate you! I thought I made that pretty clear a little while ago!"
"Prove it." Cozy Glow replied, glaring almost hatefully at her, "Tell me to do something right now using your powers, otherwise I'll never believe another word you say, changeling!"
Ella clenched her teeth, now feeling more than a little angry. "Why you little..." She growled, but held her temper. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that the little pony was probably playing another one of her little mind games with her, but she didn't care. The larger part of her wanted to prove her wrong.
"Get off my table, Cozy."
Cozy Glow smiled sinisterly, "Make me." She said, plopping down on her rear. Ella sighed and reached out to grab her, only for the pint sized pegasus to quickly scoot to one side and dodge her, smirking at her failed attempt.
"Cozy! Get off the table, you're going to scratch it!" Ella exclaimed with growing frustration as she made another attempt to snatch her.
Cozy laughed as she dodged again, continually evading Ella's repeated attempts.
"Nope!"
"Too slow!"
"Last chance or you're a rotten apple!" She singsonged in a cutesy voice.
Ella made a frustrated noise as she reached out with her telekinesis, a green aura surrounded Cozy Glow only for it to disappear when she kicked at Ella's ring hand, disrupting the flow of magic.
"Ow!" Ella shouted, grabbing her stinging hand.
Oh, that does it! She thought, glaring at the little pony, looking her right into her scarlet eyes and focusing hard.
"Cozy Glow, get off of my kitchen table. Now."
Cozy Glow suddenly flinched, and without realizing it, she began raising a hoof before snapping back to reality and forcefully putting it back down. She wanted to look away from Ella, to get away from those alluring eyes, but at the same time, she didn't, or rather, couldn't; she honestly couldn't tell. Ella's eyes suddenly seemed so captivating, so beautiful, even with the slight glow of green magic she could now clearly see in them. Cozy's body shook slightly, with every part of her now suddenly wanting to obey the human, like it was the most reasonable, desirable thing she could ever think of doing, but she refused to do so. Even though at this point, resisting her was beginning to feel like an agony, like she was the most horrible pony in all of Equestria for not listening to this wondrous being.
No...I...Won't! I know who...I am...
Ella watched as green light flickered in the little pony's eyes for a second. She wanted to stop, feeling a little sick at what she was attempting to do, but she kept on. Pouring on the magic that she could now feel, frighteningly, burning through her reserves at an alarming rate. This spell was a costly one,
No, if this is what it takes for her to trust me a little more, than so be it! Ella thought, hitting her with everything she had.
"I'm...Not..." Cozy slowly said through gritted teeth, squeezing her eyes shut from the effort, "Having it!" She finally shouted, her wings popping open in exertion. A pulse of green light shot off of her body as she successfully rejected the spell.
Ella let out a breath as she released the magic, grabbing onto a chair at the minor backlash she felt.
"Hah!" Cozy laughed, swaying slightly on her hooves. "Y-you see? I kn-knew I couldn't be controlled." She said before toppling over onto her side, feeling completely drained. Even though she had successfully resisted Ella's spell, she saw that it couldn't be done easily, something to remember for later. Still, she couldn't help but feel a kind of elation at the fact that she had done it; that she had proven to herself once and for all what she had always known.
I'm not weak. She thought while struggling to catch her breath. Her elation suddenly turned into a kind of fear as she saw the human slowly approaching her out of her peripheral vision, towering over her like a dark shadow. She tried to rise, but was unable to do so. Panic began to set in as she realized that her little experiment had left her completely helpless and at the mercy of what was, in all reality, a very hungry predator that she had deliberately antagonized.
"N-no! Don't-" She said with some weak flailing, but her words died in her throat as she felt Ella's hands gently pick her up, cradling her to her warm chest.
"So," Ella sarcastically remarked, "Still think I've been trying to control you?" She asked while tenderly petting her back.
"Mnnmm...Shut up." Cozy groaned in reply; she could feel a massive headache coming on.
Ella chuckled softly before turning towards the wooden staircase, taking the worn out filly upstairs. She took her into one of the four bedrooms in her house that she had picked out for her. It was modest, with lavender curtains, a wooden dresser, and a small twin bed. Well, small for a human, but queen sized for a little pony like Cozy Glow. Ella pulled back the blankets and gently set her down, carefully resting her head on the pink pillow. Cozy Glow curled up, hugging the pillow to herself with her eyes still squeezed shut. Ella couldn't help but smile at the adorable sight, and for a moment, could pretend that the little pony wasn't a little sociopath, just a sweet little girl.
"Mmmm...Could you please turn off the light, Ella?" Cozy asked, her voice sleepy.
Ella looked over at the light switch and flicked it off with a small touch of telekinesis, the effort making her feel even more drowsy than she already was. The curtains were already drawn, blocking out most of the midafternoon sun and creating a comfortable near-darkness. She reached down to pull the blanket up over Cozy Glow, but paused, a smile coming to her face.
Crawling into bed and laying down beside her, Ella wrapped her arms around the little pony's soft barrel from behind and drew her close, pulling the blanket up over them both. Cozy Glow didn't seem to object, hooking her forelimbs over Ella's arms and snuggling back into her grip.
"So," Cozy began, giving a small, adorable yawn, "Still think I'm a 'slow learner' ya big galoot?"
Ella smiled and hugged her, "Yup. Just one with a big brain, still slow though."
"I hate you."