The Final Military Exam
Princess Flurry Heart was now 16 years old, but she still enjoyed her play dates with her father. Without fail, they had done something together at least once a week for the last 13 years and she was grateful for the strong bond that they shared. She knew that it wasn’t ‘cool’ for her to spend so much time with him at her age, but she also knew that he was mortal and wouldn’t live forever, so she treasured every moment that she had with him.
At some point, you could say that the play dates had become formal military training, or had always been military training, but she still took the time they had spent together at face value. She really liked playing with swords and catapults and spending time with the troops, to the frustration of her mother.
Cadance tried to play it down, but she was equally vexed by the fact that a lot of stallions were intimidated by Flurry’s military prowess, given that Flurry usually demanded a duel, magical or physical, to be able to date her… leading to no dates. While Shining wouldn’t normally comment of something that belonged to the realm of the Princess of Love, he had to admit that he found the situation to be amusing, Flurry found it delightful, and Cadance offered disdain.
Flurry respected that her father was a soldier, and she enjoyed his love of Ogres and Oubliettes, having created a character herself to play along with his campaigns. The older military officers that her father played campaigns with were delighted by her interest in the game and had even joked about getting their sons involved so they could spend time with the young princess. Flurry accepted the playful banter in the spirit in which it was offered but honestly wasn’t ready to start seriously dating… at least not until her military training was complete and she wasn’t shy about telling them such. They accepted it with a grace that befit Lords and Officers.
Having taken lessons to heart from both of her parents, she had learned how to rule the Crystal Empire, lead its military, and play a mean O&O game. The Army and Crystal Guard respected her as both a Princess and a General in her own right, earned from thousands of hours training alongside them, as opposed to simply being born into the role.
And today… was another play date.
Shining Armor was leading Flurry out into the frozen wastes where they could practice without watchful eyes. Cadance understood Flurry’s duty to their ponies as much as anypony else but still objected to the training that Shining provided. At least some of it seemed unnecessary for her to learn.
Shining sighed. “This should be far enough. Today will be magic training.”
Flurry nodded but also seemed confused. “And why do we need privacy for magic training?”
Shining smirked. “I’m going to teach you the unicorn laser beam spell that fries brains.”
Flurry frowned. “That’s not a thing, dad.”
Shining chortled. “The war mages spread all types of stories to keep our enemies guessing. Who knows? Maybe in a thousand years, harmony will be broken, and the three tribes will fight again, and some earth pony will be terrified of unicorns being able to fry brains with horn lasers. Brains are the other dark meat, after all. Filled with protein. Yummy.”
Flurry rolled her eyes. “That will never happen.”
Shining shrugged. “Truth is stranger than fiction.”
Flurry shook her head. “What’s the real training for today?
Shining sighed. “I’m going to teach you unicorn scouting magic. The spells you would need to be able to do reconnaissance on an enemy force. Now, as a Princess and a General, you will never need to do this personally, but you may have to teach ponies how to do it, just like I am teaching you.”
Flurry paid close attention as Shining demonstrated each spell in the set of spells needed for proper reconnaissance. It was a combination of teleporting, silence spells to eliminate noise, and invisibility spells to remain unseen. It was easy for her to do with the near unlimited magical power of an alicorn, but it was impressive to see a unicorn be able to do it with a ‘normal’ mana pool. Shining Armor might have been the best unicorn soldier to have ever lived but he had a normal mana pool, which made the smart use of his abilities even more impressive to her, although she might have been biased.
Near the end of the lesson, they came across a real situation.
Shining forced Flurry’s head down into the snow. “Shh…”
Looking up from around a rock, they spotted a huge Griffon army approaching the Crystal Empire. They wielded weapons of all types and siege engines could be seen in the background.
Flurry stage whispered to her father. “What are they doing!”
Shining gulped. “It looks like a full-scale invasion. I wasn’t expecting this. Your mother said that things were getting rough with trade, but she never said that a war might happen. We’re getting out of here. Stand by for a teleport.”
Flurry nodded once and waited for her father to cast the spell.
Thwack.
The shattering of armor filled Flurry’s ears as she looked over to her father’s face, his eyes wide in pain. She looked down with a sickening dread, and she saw a crossbow bolt, magically enchanted to pierce crystal armor, sticking out of her father’s side, near his heart. His spell failed instantly.
Shining gasped in pain. “Flurry… run… Please… leave… me. Save yourself… I beg you.”
Biting back tears, Flurry’s magic encompassed both of them as her horn glowed in a prepared teleport directly to the Crystal Castle medical ward. It was a preset spell that she had made in the event that any of their play date activities led to an actual injury, not that her mother would have fully appreciated the precaution. The doctors were startled when the pair appeared.
Flurry screamed. “HELP HIM!”
They rushed to get Shining to an operating room and Flurry ran out of the room crying but knowing what she had to do. She ran to the war chamber and used a spell to activate the war beacon. The siren that sounded alerted every soldier, be it Crystal Guard or Regular Army, to don their armor and prepare for battle. It had never been used in recent memory… even for drills.
Flurry looked over the map in the room, trying to remember every lesson that her father had ever taught her, even Ogres and Oubliettes roleplay lessons, trying to get a grasp of how she was supposed to repel an entire army. To no surprise, her mother appeared in the war tower.
Candance frowned, looking around the room. “Flurry? Where is Shining? Is this a drill?”
Flurry was moving pieces on the map that represented war units. “Daddy is at medical. He was shot with a crossbow bolt. The griffons are attacking us, this is no drill. I am in command of the Army… I guess all those play dates playing soldier is paying off…”
Cadence’s face paled. “What can I do?”
Flurry looked directly at her mother. “Nothing… you can go stand by daddy and watch him die. I’ll command the Army as is my birthright. I will avenge him…”
Cadence’s face paled further with the implication. “Flurry… you must remain calm…”
Flurry glared at her mother. “CALM!!! YOU WANT ME TO BE CALM? To Tartarus with you! I will embrace whatever darkness takes me! I will avenge Daddy! Leave me!”
Cadance backed up towards the door, not knowing what to say. Words failed her as she left the war room crying. Flurry snorted. Her mother was too soft… she didn’t see what her father saw in her, but that was a line of thought for another time.
She looked towards what her father had taught her. First Rule: Try to Intimidate the enemy. Second Rule: Place your forces to the greatest good with the least risk. Third Rule: When all else fails, try to be unpredictable.
Flurry stared at the map trying to produce a plan that made sense. She really wished that she had her father to bounce ideas off of… no, this was her battle now. She had to use everything she had been taught. No holding back.
The room’s door opened again, and a Crystal Army General walked in. It was the second in command of the Army, General Crystal Blade.
General Blade bowed. “Your Highness. What are your orders?”
A look of panic crossed Flurry’s face before she managed to beat it down. “General… we need to deploy the army. First things first… we need to tell the citizens to barricade themselves inside their homes and outlast the siege. Also… I want Crossbow trained Guards and Regular Army with an Expert Marksmen rating posted on every roof in the Empire and near every window with an arrow slit waiting to rain death upon the attacking griffons. Have the War Mage Units perform whatever prebattle preparations they need to fully use their spells.”
The General nodded in understanding. “Anything else, your highness?”
Flurry’s eyes narrowed. “Yes… We need to search the Empire for Griffons and verify their identity. If they are citizens or verified traveling merchants, they need to be taken into protective custody to ensure that they aren’t mistaken for Griffon Kingdom troops and accidentally injured by our Army. If they can’t be verified, we need to assume that they are spies, and they need to be taken in for interrogation to see what they know about the attacking force. Use whatever methods that you deem fit.”
The General paled. “Are you suggesting torture, your highness?”
Flurry shook her head. “No… but I hear that King Sombra’s personal interrogation chamber has a particular ambience that might be useful. You have my permission to use it.”
General Blade balked at the suggestion. “I know that your father was important to you, but you need not go this far…”
Was… WAS! Did he die and nopony told her? I can’t allow this to stand!
Flurry stomped a hoof down that echoed in the room. “My father was my world, and I will willingly burn the world to avenge him! I will show no mercy to the enemy. My only concern is to the loyal citizens of the Empire. DO YOU UNDERSTAND!”
General Blade bowed low. “I understand… your orders will be obeyed.”
Flurry offered up a nearly deranged giggle. “I’m grateful that my orders will be obeyed. Disobeying orders during a time of war is Treason punishable by Death. I’m so glad that we understand each other. Go now and execute my orders. Try not to lose your head… General.”
General Blade left the room grumbling but with no objections. Flurry sighed.
I need to change into more war appropriate attire.
Flurry teleported to her room and started to make changes. She added a black stripe to her mane and tail, next to the blue stripe. She applied dark purple eyeshadow to her eyes and the black undereye shadow that reduced glare. She also opened her armor closet to reveal a brand new, never worn, pure black crystal armor, complete with spikes.
She changed out of her normal Pink and Purple Armor and put on the pure black spikey armor. There she stood… the perfect Goth Warrior Princess. She reflected upon herself in the mirror.
Daddy would have been proud…
A sudden thought overtook her.
The griffons will flee if I kill their king. This is on me… my own ponies need not suffer…
Flurry wielded her sword and let loose a teleport meant to bring her back to the griffon army.
* * *
Flurry Heart stood alone before the griffon army and raised her sword. “I, Princess Flurry Heart, Lady General of the Crystal Army, and Heir of the Empire demand a duel with the Griffon King. Face me or die a coward!”
A griffon stood forward. “I am the King! I shall smite thee.”
Flurry snorted. “Old rhetoric will not allow you to prevail!”
They charged each other, the griffon army standing back. A glint showed that the King’s armor was enchanted but it didn’t matter. Flurry’s sword was enchanted to break enchantments on anything that she was able to pierce. The spikes built into the boots of her armor gave her great traction on the snow and ice while the Griffon King seemed to occasionally lose his balance.
Flurry sped up while the King tried to slow down, slipping on the ice at the worst possible moment, allowing Flurry to behead him with no effort.
All too easy…
To her shock and surprise… the griffon army dissolved with the death of the king as if an illusion had been dispelled.
What the hay?
Flurry teleported back to the castle.
* * *
Going to the medical ward showed that her father wasn’t there. The doctor on duty simply told Flurry that her mother was waiting for her in the Throne room.
She didn’t bother to change out of the black armor and teleported straight into the throne room, where her mother was sitting on the throne and her father was standing beside the throne. He was dressed in a full formal military dress uniform normally used for ceremonies or other formal occasions. To her shock, he looked perfectly fine, healthy, and unwounded.
Shining snorted at her. “Nice Armor. Take it off before you try to hug me, I don’t want anywhere near those spikes.”
With a flash of magic, the armor was removed and stored back in her armor closet in her room. She ran up to her father crying and pulled him into a deep hug.
Sniffing, she sighed. “I thought I lost you…”
Shining hugged her back, trying to soothe her. “I know. This might not have been my best idea ever, but it was important to test you and nearly impossible to so in a way that ponies wouldn’t be able to cry bias or favoritism. Congratulations. You passed your final officer exam and are now fully trained to lead the Crystal Army.”
Flurry’s jaw dropped as she pulled back to look at him. “That was my final exam? I had no warning!”
Shining raised an eyebrow at her. “Would you have done anything differently if you knew it was a test?”
Flurry rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “…Probably… at the very least I might not have been so crazy if I didn’t think you were dead.”
Shining nodded knowingly. “And that’s exactly why it had to be done like this. The war mages did an excellent job with the griffon army illusion. So… I’ll give you an ‘A+’ for tactics. An ‘A-’ for mostly being able to control your emotions in a highly emotional situation. ‘A+’ for excellent use of appropriate weapons and armor. ‘B-’ for being stupid enough to challenge the enemy king to a duel without having at least an honor guard go with you. And a ‘D-’ for ethics.”
Flurry winced and her ears folded back. She didn’t protest the scoring of her performance.
Cadence looked over at Shining in shock. “A ‘D-’ in ethics? Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
Shining shook his head. “It should honestly be an ‘F’ but I’m trying to be lenient. Flurry suggested borderline torture of possible spies by using Sombra’s interrogation chamber and flat out threatened to execute a Crystal Army General for Treason. Even under the stress she was under, that’s not okay. Still… she passes the overall exam with a ‘B-.’ 16 out of 20 possible points. I was hoping for better but even I’ll admit that this is the hardest final exam I’ve ever given. I’d rather she earn a ‘B-’ on a borderline impossible test than get an ‘A’ on something easy. Still, she passed and now she can be Lady General of the Crystal Army, allowing me to either retire or at least evenly divide the duties and responsibilities with her so I have more time to spend with my beautiful wife. On the plus side… now that Flurry’s military training is finished, there’s nothing stopping her from dating. But I guess that also means that this is our last play date. I’m a little sad to see them stop but there is no stopping the slow wheel of time.”
Flurry sputtered. “This was our last play date? Umm… can’t we still do stuff together? Like, more outings or father/daughter bonding… or something?”
Cadance giggled. “You sound like you’re trying really hard not to say the word ‘date.’”
Flurry’s pink cheeks flushed two shades pinker. “Well… umm, I know I can’t date my father, but we’ve been doing something together once a week for the last 13 years and I don’t want to see that stop. I accept that I’m too old for ‘play dates’ now but that doesn’t mean that we can’t do something more mature together.”
Cadance nodded. “Like a date.”
Shining laughed when Flurry tried to hide her face which made her blush even deeper. The black stripe in her mane and the goth makeup really didn’t mesh well with her being embarrassed.
He snorted and got himself under control eventually. “How about this. Since Flurry delayed getting into the dating scene to finish her military training, which is of course entirely my fault, maybe I could give her a few practice dates to get her hooves wet and show her how an honorable stallion should treat her. Once she’s comfortable, she can start dating other stallions.”
Cadance smiled at the idea. “That sounds like a nice safe option. Celestia and Twilight knows Flurry barely listens to me so maybe you can finish turning her into a mare.”
Cadance left the throne room giggling while Flurry and Shining stared at each other uncomfortably.
Shining broke eye contact first and sighed. “Leave it to your mom to make it weird. Princess of Love my flank. I’m going to have to get her back for that double entendre. Do you have some input about the date, or shall I plan it like most stallions are supposed to?”
Flurry giggled, trying to relax into the joke her mom had staged. “Our play dates took us to everywhere I ever wanted to go as a filly so I can’t say that my foalhood was lacking. I guess that really only leaves the mature places that a real date could take place in now that I’m 16 and have full access to everything that I didn’t have as a filly. We can wait a couple of weeks for the first real date if you want extra time to try to make it special. So, daddy… when are you going to make a me a mare?”
Her grin was cute, and her tone was teasing, taking full advantage of the opening her mother had created and Shining had to resist giving a snort.
Fine… she wants to play along, I’ll play along.
He smiled and leaned in, giving Flurry a kiss on the cheek. “Not on the first date, sweetheart. Not on the first date.”
Flurry blushed as her father walked away.
Maybe having a bad father was a good thing after all…