Training is not a Montage (Skype RP Log)

[Blueblood]

Unless one is a total coward, or a total pacifist, holding one's own in a fight was an essential skill.  As Prince Blueblood was resolved not to be the first, and lacked the mental and moral fortitude for the second, some training was in order.  A lot of training, actually, in light of his recent 'diplomacy' in Whitescar.

 

To this end, he'd asked a friend of his to help him brush up on the basics.  He'd reserved the back gardens of Canterlot palace for the purpose, since the grass and flowers would provide a softer landing place than the floor of a gymnasium.  He wondered, briefly, if it would be worthwhile to install a training room in the manor while he waited for Java to arrive...

 

~

 

And as if by queue, the stallion arrived. He'd announce his prescence if he could, but his jaws were currently occupied carrying a rather heavy duffle bag for his little tutoring session today. He was being lead by one of the castle guards whom held the typical aloof expression. 

 

Though this did lead the stallion into wondering about something. Did the prince just do this often enough that the guards paid no mind? Or had he reframed from alerting the guards of his activities to prevent a crowd.

 

But then... his eyes turned to their destination, where he could see the Prince waiting... in a field of flowers. The stallion's brow quirked a bit at the unusual location. Sure... the flowers might be softer than a gym mat. But if the prince was so concerned about keeping up apperances... he should be glad that the stallion he invited was carrying something that doesn't say "This is a date and not training."

 

~

 

If the Prince was not caring about appearances, it was a sign of how nervous he was.  Misconceptions were one thing, but pain was quite another.  The prospect of pain was at this point more of a worry than the prospect of rumor circulation.  What that said about Blueblood's courage was for a psychologist to analyze.

 

"Ah, there you are Java.  You may leave us, officer."  He waved the guard away, probably not assisting his case.  "Did you come with a lesson plan?  I wasn't sure where you were planning to begin."

 

~

 

The stallion looked back to the guard who was leaving. He could of sworn he saw his expression cracking. Looks like the barracks will have some racy story telling happening tonight. The stallion shook his head some and then finally dropped the bag to the ground.

 

"You... didn't think about this location did you? I kinda knew that stallion back when I was in the navy. So... in his eyes... a prince and a stallion - whom's barndoor is know to swing both ways - alone, behind the castle?"

 

The stallion waited, giving the prince a flat stare. He waited for some signs of that sinking in before finally sitting down and giving a light nod.

 

"But yeah, I came with a lesson plan. My sister and mother might end up killing you if I don't get you practicing some of the basics. These things I'm gonna show you are technically designed for earth ponies. But it applies just as well for the other two races."

 

~

 

Blueblood returned Java's flat stare with a blank one.  It took a minute for the little hamster in the Prince's head to get the wheel up to speed, before realization dawned.  "Eh, what?  Oh.  Oh!"

 

The unicorn sighed, being a little too high-bred to actually face-hoof.  However, it was too late now.  He'd just have to deal with... whatever story was cooked up by the guard to explain this situation.  Saying that he'd brought Java here just for 'sparring practice' would probably not help the situation in the slightest.

 

"I didn't expect you to try to teach me magic.  I'm actually half-decent at that part, it's the rest that I'm rubbish with."  Vain as he was about his looks, Blue was honestly humble about his skills.  At least, after his due humiliation at the hands of the Caribou King.  And Sigrun, for that matter.  Being swatted like a golf ball will knock the cockiness out of any pony.

 

~

 

The stallion lowered his head down, and bit down on a zipper, and pulled it down the length of the bag. He was only half listening, only because he actually expected to hear this exact thing the moment he stepped up to the palace gates.

 

"Right right..." he hummed as he now bit down on a sack and gave it a light tug. There was a sound of shuffling as a few items spilled out of the bag in the wake of netted bag of tennis balls.

 

"So... firstly I'd like to ask a few questions," he mumbled around the bag. He then set it down and pulled it open. Tennis balls were a really good training excercise when it came to teaching ponies how to move, and dodge. Raised reflexes, and in some cases taught ponies how to deflect oncoming punches if they were too scared. It was a win reguardless if done right or not.

 

But... Java wasn't working with a boxer... or a fighter. No... he was working with the prince... so that required a lighter touch. "How good of a dancer are you?"

 

~

 

Blueblood blinked at the question.  For a moment, he wondered if Java really had something like a date in mind.  This was not a notion he wished to overly encourage.  "Well... decent.  It's one of the many things expected of a Prince."

 

The tennis balls he saw emerging from the bag only served to deepen his confusion.  "Look, I'll admit I haven't been to many dojos or whatnot, but... really, what in the name of Tartarus is all that, and what does it have to do with fighting?  Or dancing?  and what does dancing have to do with it anyway, I didn't ask you here to dance."

 

~

 

The stallion tossed it up in the air with a cheeky grin. "Well you don't have to get uncomfortable with the question, Blueblood. I think we established already that I don't exactly have any romantic interest in you. Annnd if I did, I think I'll be a red smear on the wall if Crusader found out." He paused at that. Then thought about it. Blueblood really was the mare's first date. Would she be furious? Maybe?

 

"Er... actually I don't know about that... BUT POINT IS..." he quickly blurted out. He caught himself, gave out a light cough, and started again.

 

"The point is... fighting is a lot like dancing. There are stances, your hoofsteps, your holds, your tosses, your ducks, your wances, et cetera. Your hoof and body movement are going to be incredibly important in later lessons and survival."

 

"So... it's imperative that we get you started on this now. The fact that you can dance means I can actually skip ahead a bit. But I need to know how far."

 

~

 

Admittedly, yes, Java had said that, but one could never be sure.  At least, Blueblood never was.  Chalk it up to vanity and habit, but the Prince always subconsciously assumed that any expression of attraction in the past, even just a look, was something that had to be kept in mind for all future interactions.  

 

Living among the neuroses of the upper class had probably warped his judgment on that point, but that was probably why he'd been attracted to Star Crusader in the first place.  Her stoic countenance was straightforward, rather than enigmatic, coy, or disingenuous.  Although, that didn't provide him with any more knowledge than Java about how she would react when the inevitable rumors reached her.  That would probably depend on how much she took after her mother.

 

Yeesh, disturbing thought.  The Prince banished it to the back of his mind, forcing himself to pay attention.  He nodded along to the explanation.  "That... that makes sense."  He began to stretch his legs, loosening up in preparation.  "So... the tennis balls?"

 

~

 

Java felt it absolutely unnecessary to bring this to the Prince as lightly as possible. He signed up for this, and he knew that he may end up with some bruises. The stallion raised one up and looked to the stallion with a deadpan serious expression. "I'm going to throw these at you."

 

He waited for some time, before continuing. "Your goal is to keep as light on your hooves as possible, and try to dodge as many of these balls as you can. But... if you want to improve, you're gonna have to dodge them with as little movement as possible."

 

~

 

The deadpan delivery at least served to make the matter relatively clear.  Even the Prince wasn't completely dense.  "Oh, alright then.  Seems simple enough."

 

He'd handled tennis balls before, though he'd never actually played the game.  Thus, he knew then as light spheres of fuzz, and not as whizzing projectiles ricocheting from the court.  Hence, the relaxed expression as he prepared himself  for the initial test.  "You may begin when ready."

 

~

 

The stallion blinked, wondering if the Prince actually knew the difference in strength that a good number of earth ponies actually had over pegasus and unicorns. But... he seemed fairly confident enough.

 

That said... the stallion decided to start it off on "easy" mode for now. He scooped up another ball into his wrist, now creating two possible projectiles. He gave the pair a squeeze to hold them in place as he reared back. A second later, his body lurched forward, hurling the two balls at the same time at the awaiting stallion.

 

But perhaps now would be a good time to annotate what easy mode is. Easy mode details the rate at which balls were thrown... and not speed. So... that being said... Java might have accidentally sent two balls hurling at the Prince... as hard as he could... as fast as he could throw them

 

~

 

Until a sufficient time of training shall have passed to trump one's inborn instincts, or to put it more bluntly, until a pony conquers his bad habits, he defaults to them.  Thus, instead of dodging, Blueblood immediately threw up his hooves to guard his face, trying to deflect the balls with magic at the same time.  Since his eyes were covered, this did not go well.

 

"Ow..."  He waved his left forearm; the impact stung.  "Ah... let's try that again, shall we?  I didn't think they'd be that fast."

 

~

 

The stallion gave an understanding nod, and waited for the stallion to get himself situated. "Alright... here's a bit of advice. Do not focus on the ball all the way. Focus on how my hooves are moving the moment I let go of the ball. Then how it moves for just a second. Don't follow it. It's path won't change much after that."

 

~

 

"Right.... watch the hooves, not the balls.  Got it."  Nodding at the sage advice, he readied himself once again.  This time, it worked a bit better.  He didn't flinch automatically, though he only dodged one.  "Mph.... didn't think they'd leave a mark."

 

~

 

The stallion sent another set out after waiting for the prince to ready up. "Relax... you'll get the hang of it soon enough. And then we can move faster. Now... get your feet moving. You don't have to stay in the same position."

 

~

 

They say the third time's the charm.  In any case, the third time, Blueblood didn't get hit.  Granted, the way in which he dove head-first to dodge was probably not the most efficient use of his energy, but his alertness was high, at least.

 

"Ptuh!"  He spat out he bit of dirt that got into his mouth.  "Well, that's a bit better, I suppose."

 

~

 

The stallion blinked as he watched the prince eat that dirt. This... might take longer than he had initially expected. But, at least the prince is showing signs of improvement. That is always a benefit.

 

"Er... right. I'm gonna ask you to stay on your hooves. The last place you want to be in any sort of fight in close range... is on the ground. Good way to give your opponent domination over you."

 

~

 

"Oh... er, right."  The image of a certain caribou jarl standing over him, sword in hand, was more than enough to drive home the wisdom of sensei's words into Blueblood's head.  He got to his hooves with alacrity, brushing them down with a bit of vigor.

 

"Well, at least I'm starting to see why it's all gone wrong for me before.  Don't know why my parents neglected to give me lessons."

 

~

 

The stallion tossed a tennis ball up in the air, and caught it with the opposite hoof as he reguarded the stallion for a moment. "Well... Equestria is mostly at peace. So... the need for learning how to fight is slim I'd imagine."

 

He then thought for a moment, "Really, I think only Luna and Celestia knows how to brawl when it comes to the royal family."

 

He then tossed the tennis ball to the prince. "Here, I think it might help to see another do it." he hummed as he kicked the rest of the sack towards the stallion. "Just throw the balls at any rate you want, then watch how I react. But, I want you to really watch how I move my hooves and where my eyes are looking.

 

~

 

Blueblood could not remember himself the last time he'd seen either of his Aunties 'brawl.'  True, they'd fought, with magic, but that didn't seem to count.  Especially since Celestia had still ended up captured by invading changelings.  Twice.

 

The Prince set his game face; he wasn't going to be subject to such a fate if he could help it.  Not again.  He picked up a few tennis balls out of the sack, picking up one with his hoof and two with his magic.  "Alright, let's see how you handle this, then!"

 

Java might have known that Blue had played cricket back in the day.  He was not so good at the bat, but had been a decent bowler back in the day.  The windup was elaborate, but the force with which he threw the tennis ball was justification for the odd run and hopping start.  The other two followed after, somewhat irregularly.  This would not be an easy pattern to dodge...

 

~

 

The stallion set his hooves in motion. His body bouncing on just the toes a bit lightly, never quite leaving the ground but almost like he was raising and lowering himself just by the toes alone.

 

Java kept his eyes on the prince as he threw the first round of pitches. The first one caused the stallion's eyes to fidget when he noticed how quickly it left his focus, and entered his peripheral vision.

 

Now, Java was actually surprised by the first pitch he had seen come from the buck. He had never really pictured him to be the star bowler for a cricket team. But... well this as proof enough.

 

The next two... seemed a bit sloppier... but intentional.

 

The stallion's body shifted to the right, just as his body dropped for it's next bounce. And just as his body rose up, the shift in the angle caused him to slide off to the side. His hooves all moved at the same time, hardly falling behind one another. It almost looked like he was just scating across the ground as he drew his hooves back under him.

 

The first ball, whos impact would have been the right side of his body, now tore through the air in a curve passing his left cheek. On his next drop, the stallion skipped a beat when it came to rising back up. This time the next balls flew over his head and back.

 

~

 

Blueblood had to admit, he was impressed.  He'd never seen a batter move like that before.  Well, except for Willow Proudhoof when he knocked one of his leg bowls for six, but even Willow only had to deal with one ball at a time.

 

"Ah... I think I see it now.  It really is like dancing.  More like a rapid tango than a waltz."

 

~

 

The stallion rose back up, moving a hoof to rub his left eye. That... came a little close to actually beaning him right in the eye socket. Yeesh.

 

"That's right. But... push come to shove. If canes don't work for you, try pelting the poor sod with rocks." He grunted. Before moving his hoof a in a gesture to recollect the tennis balls.

 

~

 

"I'll keep that in mind."  Indeed, given how much a hollow ball could sting, a solid rock would be quite the weapon.  Of course, so would pretty much anything that came to hoof.  "I've known wine bottles to work pretty well, too.  I'm more likely to have them to hoof, given the sort of places I'm usually seen at."

 

The Prince began to ready himself again, trying to get a feel for how Java had kept so light on his toes.  He closed his eyes, trying to imagine music.  A strain from some long-ago ball traveled through his brain; humming it under his breath, Blueblood felt his limbs loosen and free themselves.  "There, now let's try this again..."

[Blueblood]

The stallion winced, "Yes... as I've recalled, you sunk a Caribou longboat with a winebottle's cork." Oh... he remembered that day all too well. In fact, the stallion wasn't sure if he should curse out in disgust that such a design could be knocked over by something so insignificant, or congratulate the buck for his brovado.

 

But... he could do both at once. The stallion winded up, and slung yet another tenis ball out, then directly after that... two more in a hapazard curve.

 

~

 

"No, I broke the balcony with the cork.  The Longship only crashed because of the explosion."  As a mariner himself, Blueblood felt he ought to speak up on behalf of the vessel.  

 

The breath spent in words almost prevented the stallion from being able to deal with the balls thrown his way, but not quite.  He stepped away from one, sliding out of the way of another, but the third had to be batted away by a slight flash of magic.  Still, he'd managed to not get hit, and was still ready for the next ones.  "That's more like it, I should say."

 

~

 

The stallion smiled now. Good! Things were improving! That meant that Java could now step up the game a bit. And so he did. This time, the stallion dropped his haunches on the ground and plucked up a mound of rolling tennis balls from the ground.

 

Then one and two at a time, he slung them through the air. He provided and ample gap when he felt it necessary, but he also surprised the buck with four at a time, and the occasional speed up.

 

~

 

In Blueblood's mind, the band had changed tempo to a pace more often seen in dance clubs than in recital halls.  The violinist played frantically upon the stallion's nerves as his legs twitched, sending him first in one direction, then another.  He ended up having to deflect as many balls as he dodged, which may or may not ultimately count as cheating.

 

In any case, he was breathing pretty heavily by the end of that round, a couple of the last balls having grazed his flank.  "Huh... huh... that was... all right?"  He looked inquiringly, but not hopefully, at Java.

 

~

 

"Good! Good!" The stallion chimed as he now now began to pick up the balls and drop them into the sack. "Well continue this exercise on another day." He hummed as he tied the bag off and tossed it off to the side.

 

Now he reached into the duffal bag once more, and began to pull out a few hitting pads. "Now, we'll teach you a few basic steps for dodging. And then how to block."

 

~

 

Oh, that was all right.  Jolly good.  The band finished, and bowed out of the Prince's mind as he trotted up to see what else his friend had in the duffel bag of tricks.  "Hm, those don't look very protective.  Of course, that's probably the point, isn't it?"

 

He started to put them on. They certainly felt light enough.

 

~

 

The stallion shook his head now as he pulled a small stand from the bag and began to put it together. "nope. Definitely not the point." he hummed as he finished assembling something that... sort of resembled a horse... if it was made out of pads and plastic.

 

"Alright. Now, do you remember how to dance?"

 

~

 

The construction could not in any case be called art.  It's purpose was more practical than ornamental, though at present Blueblood was having a hard time seeing either.  "Er, yes.  And...?"  He wasn't sure what was coming next.

 

~

 

The stallion sat down, with an innocent smile. One hoof sitting suspiciously near a loose pad that almost looked like a bat. While the other gestured for the stallion to step into the motion.

 

"Imagine you're dancing with a mare. She steps forward, and you need to make a ninety degree turn."

 

~

 

With some ponies, an innocent smile was more frightening than an angry scowl.  Java was one of those ponies, as far as the Prince was concerned.  Nevertheless, he decided to go along with it for now.

 

Picturing the situation in his mind, the stance of the stallion shifted, becoming more consciously graceful.  He even raised his hoof, slightly, to take the hoof of the imaginary mare as he made his turn.

 

~

 

Just as he spotted the stallion shift into motion, Java had the bat in hoof in a moment's notice. The bat was shoved forward in a vigorous stab towards the Prince's head. A padded ornament of doom, ready to declare war with a pampered and molly coddled kingdom.

 

But, the declaration went unnotice, as the prince's head was barely shifted out of the way just in time. Possibly the only things that would be felt would be the air being pushed away, and brushing gently against Blueblood's snout

 

~

 

The blow, when it came, was dodged semi-instinctually.  Given the Prince's dating track record, it should probably come as no surprise that he'd had to avoid blows from his dance partners before.  

 

Still, the rush of air did bring him fully back to the present, and the sudden change caused him to stumble forward, colliding into Java.  "Oof... ugh, sorry... next time, I'll try to keep my eyes open..."

 

~

 

The stallion grunted as the stallion landed on him. His foreleg quickly moved to wrap around the stallion to hold him still before he rolled off onto the ground.

 

Unfortunately... he himself wasn't really prepaired to catch a full grown adult... and he found himself crashing to the ground with the bat flying off into the bushes.

 

Java groaned, and moved his hoof behind his head. He could have sworn he had just knocked himself on a rock or something.

 

"Excuse me... Prince?" A new voice came as the same guard from before approached. "I am here to check up on you to make sure..."

 

The guard paused for a moment, looking down to the two stallions. His expression looked tense, with his lips quivering to prevent himself from cracking up.

 

Java... on the other hand moved his hoof over his eyes with a low groan. "Yeaaah... this may or may not be what it looks like."

 

~

 

According to the Law of Narrative Causality, if two ponies are ever accidentally in a compromising position, an outsider will pick that moment to poke their unwanted head in.  Blueblood was not acquainted with higher physics, so the guard's arrival caught him off-balance before he could get to his hooves.

 

"Ah, well, ahem.  Showing initiative, are you?  Jolly good."  The one disadvantage of a pristine white coat was that even slight blushes showed easily.  The Prince was powerless to stop the flood of incriminating circumstantial evidence, and he knew it.  So, he simply stood up, and looked the interloper in the eye.  "Before you laugh, I just want to you to think back to your days of basic training, and how much of a fool your sergeant made of you."

 

~

 

Java's head rolled back now with another long sigh. Unless that happened to be something like wetting himself... the sergent's job is to make every pony look like a fool.

 

And this definitely did show with the guard now raising a brow. His eyes darting to Java, and then back to the Prince.

 

Eventually Java's eyes opened once more, he was about to say something that might have dissolved the situation a bit more peacefully. But... his eyes quickly fell on the Prince's blush. What ever this guard was thinking... no amount of explaining would cause it to go away.

 

And so... none the wiser, Java decided to play a bit of a joke on the prince.

 

"Hunny, you're blushing. Don't tell me you're that embarassed about a kiss?"

 

~

 

Yep.  There was no salvaging this situation.  Bad timing and self-consciousness had incriminated many an innocent pony before.  This was certainly something that Blueblood would remember as an object lesson should he ever have to sit in a jury trial of some poor sap brought forward on circumstantial evidence.

 

The Prince's plan had been to pretend that not only was there nothing going on, but no possible reason to assume that anything was going on.  Unblushing confidence might have actually carried it through, but combine a blushing expression with an uncooperative friend... that put the tin lid on it.

 

"Ugh..."  This time he really did facehoof, high breeding be bucked.  It did not hide the deepening blush.  "Really, must you, Java?  Must you?"  He wasn't angry.  Just a little hurt in his dignity and tired of the whole mess.

 

~

 

The stallion held a broad grin. "Well must I? Last I checked, I'm being held in place by the weight of a full grown handsome stallion!" His grin soon lightened a bit as he leaned in to whisper. "Which you could have gotten up at any time."

 

The stallion's head soon plopped back into the grass once more. "Not that I am complaining yet."

 

The guard's head tilted with a confused expression. But a knowing smirk. "Perhaps... I should come back later then."

 

~

 

"What?  Oh."  Looking down, yes, Blueblood hadn't actually stepped off of the earth pony below him.  "Oh for the love of Faust..."  The Prince let Java up, but not before giving him a clunk on the head for giving him such a hard time.  Did he have any idea what it was like having to deal with unsubstantiated rumors that kept persisting around one's persona?  Voronoi had probably never dedicated any thought to public reputation and the effects of the tabloids upon it.

 

Stepping away, he addressed the guard brusquely.  "Yes, no, I mean... just go away!"  He dismissed the interloper with a wave, sighing once he left.  "That... couldn't have gone worse if we tried, could it?"

 

~

 

The stallion winced as he was clunked on the head, but quickly bursted out into laughter as he fell over into the flower bed once again. His hooves kicking out in hysteria!

 

The situation certainly couldn't get better! But it most certainly can get worse! And this proven by the Guard turning to leave. But pausing to give Voronoi a wag of the brows that spoke out "You sly dog" before leaving the two be.

 

~

 

Blueblood just stood, and stared flatly at the hysterically laughing Java.  "Well.  I'm glad one of us is having a good time."  He said at last.  "Let me just go look for that bat... do you have any idea what sort of nonsense I'm going to have to deal with for the indefinite future?  I don't have a lab I can retreat to until this all blows over, if it ever does.  I have to do my work, and pretty much the rest of my life, in public!"

 

~

 

The stallion rose up to his hooves, still giggling madly. "Blueblood, your reputation is already balancing on the edge. Just view this as a way of catching the eye of stallions as well." 

 

The pony whipped a tear off of his cheek as he looked up to the stallion. "Let's see... that's twice you've fell on me in a compromising position? This time... I am still a stallion, and there was no kiss."

 

~

 

"Exactly!"  Blueblood pointed a hoof at Java as he mentioned catching the eyes of stallions as well.  "Do you realize what that means for somepony in my position?  You have gold diggers and social climbers coming out of the woodwork; if I'm seen or rumored to be seen with somepony, I have to deal with a deluge of threats of varying degrees of sincerity; worst of all, a bevy and battalion of frightful old crones come around with matchmaking designs!"

 

The whole list came out in a single breath, leaving him panting.  "A... lot of what I did to earn a bad reputation was though trying to get rid of all that nonsense when I was just dealing with mares.  I wanted free space, you understand.  Well, after all that, I've finally gotten a chance to do something right in a relationship, and the last thing I need are further complications!  I... don't want to mess this up.  I really don't want to mess this up."

 

He sagged a bit, wiping his forehead.  Whatever Star might think of this, Blueblood was plainly worried.

 

~

 

The stallion raised a brow as the prince began to ramble on and on and on. "Huh wait what? No... look. You'll be fine. You've had more rumors about your relationship status than you might have already noticed. And enough mares already fancied being your maiden."

 

The stallion then plucked the bat out of the nearby bushes and brushed the leaves off. "That much is less of a concern. Also you need to have a bit more faith in your guards. They are often called honor guards for a reason.  They aren't allowed to answer any questions or release information about the ponies they work for. Even if the said pony is under investigation, and they witnessed some sort of hayness crime. They are to keep silent about it, even when they retire."

 

The stallion grinned and gestured to himself and the prince, "This little screw up? Won't leave the garrison. Now... Crusader may learn about it. But I highly doubt she will think much about it. She figured out that I had some part in you knowing exactly how to approach her. She'd doubt anything I do would be something that should be taken seriously."

 

~

 

It was clear that no amount of worrying would dent Java's optimism.  The Prince threw his hooves up in the air in a gesture of surrender.  "Fine, fine!  I'll take your word for it; but if things do start to go wrong, I'll blame you for it."  

 

Blueblood was apparently a bit of a pessimist when it came to relationships and surrounding matters.  One didn't have to look far into his history to see why.  Still, Java would know if Star Crusader would take this well or not, so the unicorn felt reasonably confident that this wouldn't be a total disaster.  

 

"Right.  Now... where were we?"

 

~

 

"Well we were talking about your relationship with my Sister..." The stallion hummed as he now swung the bat in a sideways gesture. His trail off had been interrupted with him giving the prince a rather terrible, but blunt warning. "DOOODGE!"

 

~

 

Blueblood had actually been thinking that they had been dealing with something more martial than his relationship issues, which gave his brain just enough thinking space to not have itself concussed by means of blunt instrument.  He leapt, more sideways than backwards, feeling the bat nick the tip of his ear.

 

The landing was not very clean, leaving him scrambling to keep his hoofing.  If Java followed up on the backswing...

 

~

 

The stallion did indeed follow through with the momentum. The bat now spinning over his head by the hoof as he shifted forward. And just as the bat nearly completed it's turn, he brought it down in a diagnal swing.

~

 

WHAP  The blow caught the Prince on the shoulder, and he grunted in pain.  The tennis balls had been nothing compared to that.  "Ungh!"  He dug in his heels, stopping his scrambling slide and standing still.

 

"Well... that's one point to you then."  The Prince said, still keeping a wary eye on his friend's movements.

[Blueblood]

"Right So quick warning. I'm gonna be giving you a periodic test to make sure you are on your game with moving out of the way." The stallion seemed to be going through some incredible effort to avoid using the word dodge.

 

"Now that is taken care of. I'm gonna go ahead and show you a few basic unarmed blocking manuvers. Even though you are a unicorn with shield spells. I don't think a lot of unicorns can cast spells in parallel without some serious strain. So.. it'll probably be in your best interest to keep your spell casting serial. Thus open for the proper time."

 

The stallion turned towards the prince after dropping the bat. "Most ponies make the mistake of just throwing their forelegs up to take the blow. Which... is nearly the same as getting hit. What I'm gonna show you instead are a few more useful tricks that will keep you from getting bruised up or a broken leg. Here throw a punch at me. I'll demonstrate it. Go fast with the first one."

 

~

 

Right.  So, apparently, from now on, every time Java aimed to teach him something, there was a possibility of a physical attack out of nowhere.  Well, training was supposed to prepare one for the worst possible scenario, but this might be skewing Blueblood's risk assessment skills.

 

In any case, it was now the Prince's turn to hit.  "Alright then, but it's been a while since I've- HAH!"  Java was teaching more than his syllabus; already Blueblood was starting to pick up on his sudden attack techniques.  Granted, he didn't pull them off quite so smoothly, so it was unlikely that his sparring partner was caught off-guard.  Still, the stallion was undoubtedly learning!

 

~

 

Java... had already been prepared for something like this. After all he did tell his student to just swing at him. The worst thing he would have done was to not prepare for a swing.

 

The stallion normally would have just leaned to the side and slapped it down. But such a lazy move would be counter intutive. So instead the stallion allowed himself to go full boxer. his haunches were drawn underneath himself as his forelegs rose up, He entered a poise similar to a praying mantis. Not because this is a Kungfu master. Oh no, this pony is far from that. But because a four legged creature really can't stand straight up without falling over.

 

Once the stance was completed, the stallion's hoof quickly slapped the hoof down. But he wasn't quite done there... oh no. He still had to make sure the past lesson was in effect.

 

He quickly bounded off of his hind legs, and lounged into the prince. He'd wait until he was near contact before screaming out "DOOOODGE!"

 

~

 

Well, it had been a worthy try.  That is to say, Blueblood had followed instructions; there was never any real chance that he would have hit Java right after Java told the Prince to try and hit him.  

 

But the sudden stance shift certainly caught him off guard, and off-balance for the third or fourth time that day.  This time, however, experience told.  When he felt himself slip, the Prince put force into it, and rolled to his hooves as Java prepared to bash him, managing to dodge the blow.  Finding himself in a good position, he decided to throw another punch really quickly at the side of Java's head, to see how good he really was...

 

~

 

The stallion smirked as he saw the punch coming. This time, he took a two step hop. The first forced him to leap  ahead a bit into a new position, while turning about to face the prince. Instead of ducking the blow he hopped forward, and threw his foreleg off to the side. This time he placed a good amount of weight into the move to knock the leg clear off to the side.

 

He'd then follow through with cupping his other leg around the stallion's neck and tug the prince to the ground.

 

~

 

And there was the Prince's answer; Java was really that good.  Blueblood ought to have known, given what his friend's home life had been like.  In any case, like before, this little engagement ended with the Prince eating dirt.

 

"Oomph!  Ptuh"  He got to his hooves rather slowly this time, rubbing the back of his neck.  "Alright... you've convinced me that taking these lessons was necessary... not that you needed to."  He rolled his neck, wincing at the sound of his popping vertebrae.  

 

"Mph, better.  Now... how long is it going to be before I'm able to do that?"

 

~

 

"This? Shouldn't be longer than a week at best. That is if we continue this on a daily basis. You've made some decent progress so far. Which is a good thing. Now mastery? Completely different story."

 

The stallion grimaced as he rubbed his neck. "Really it just comes with experience and practice. Practice so you have some confidence. Experience so you know what you are doing before you loose your head. For me... experience came with trying not to get carved like a cold turkey from pirates while I was in the Navy."

 

~

 

"Daily Practice, eh?"  Blueblood considered that.  "Well, I think I can make time for that."  It would be easy, he supposed, to fit it into his fitness regime.  One had to keep one's figure, and if one could learn to keep one's hide intact at the same time, excellent!  A royal needed those kinds of efficiencies in his schedule.

 

"Oh?  I didn't know you were in the navy."  To his recollection, Java hadn't mentioned it before.  "I almost joined the merchant marines myself, but my parents caught me when I was trying to run away."

 

~

 

"Well I mentioned it earlier tonight. But yeah. When I joined the REA, I went by my mothers advice, and joined the regular REA. Learned how to use a spear and hammer. Then transfered to the Navy."

 

"I was on the airship, HHS Pheonix for some time before it got knocked out of the sky." The stallion licked his lips and rolled his eyes on a sour note. "That day was fun..."

 

"Really I joined so I could learn a bit more about airships when they were put to the test. So... I really didn't have a reason to reenlist after that. I did gain a few trophies though.":

 

~

 

Hm, military training.  Blueblood hadn't done much of that.  He'd attended a program the REA set up a few years ago, to give civilians a run-through their basic training.  That... had not gone well.  At all.  Apparently, it was possible to detonate an entire field kitchen with only shredded potato peels... At least they'd never put him on KP again.

 

As for the Pheonix... he'd heard about that.  Vaguely.  The officers didn't like to talk about it much, for perhaps understandable reasons.  "Well, I guess that explains a lot.  I haven't encountered many pirates at sea myself, but I haven't ventured off the patrolled trading routes all that much.  The few times I did were uneventful.  Still, there's more reports of trouble popping up these days.  Vikings, Pirates, privateers... even heard rumors that certain Maretonians were making slaver raids!"  He shook his head.  "I don't envy the Navy their work, and I'll bet you don't either."

 

~

 

"Buck no!" The stallion hissed quickly. "I got burned, blown up, knocked off the ship twice. Clawed up by a bird cat, and hung from a piece of loose pipe more than I can count."

 

The stallion then turned to look to the prince with a thoughtful look. "Needless to say it's the reason why I wear a vest now. Oh... and also the cause of PTSD."

 

~

 

"Scars of battle, eh?"  Blueblood didn't have any of those himself, physically, anyway.  Chalk that up to running away rather than fighting well.  But, there were some times when he hadn't run fast enough, and.... well, if he hadn't been diagnosed with PTSD, that was because he'd never visited a doctor about it.

 

"Well, I'd wondered why being in fray didn't phase you too much, and now I know.  Erm, well, I don't know how much your PTSD would affect you in that.  You, ah, seem to have held up pretty well, though.  All things considered."  It was polite language; inwardly the Prince was nodding, having found an explanation of why Java would act crazily at times.

 

~

 

The stallion raised his eyes up to the sky thoughtfully for a moment. And then glanced back to the prince. His hoof raised up and level to the ground, and then he began to wag it in a teetering motion.

 

"I had a good therapist. I mean... it still... triggers under certain things. I try to avoid anything pirate. And airship combat."

 

~

 

Blueblood nodded slowly.  "Right... then perhaps I won't take you out on my yacht.  Can't make promises about keeping away from Pirates on the high seas."  There was a tone in his voice that indicated that he himself would still be sailing, come Hell or High water.  

 

Still... "I don't suppose you could tell me the name of that therapist?  Just in case, I mean.  Things being what they are, and all that."

 

~

 

The stallion rolled his eyes, at the quip about a yacht. He honestly didn't expect to be invited for such a frivolous experience. Though he'd suppose it'd be a nice change of pace from just working. He just figured the main reason being his inability to swim.

 

"Peace O'Mind" The stallion hummed as he now lined himself to be parallel with the Prince. "He's worked mostly with insane ponies. But he's a really good conversationalist."

 

~

 

"Hm, well, maybe I'll just give him a fruit basket or something for his good work."  Blueblood left the subsequent thought unspoken; if it weren't for the doctor's efforts, Java might not be in a stable enough state to be a good friend.  Or, at any rate, a friend Blue would have bothered to make.

 

"In any case... what was the next thing you had planned?"

 

~

 

"The second block I'm gonna show you is the same one I used to open you up." The stallion reared back on his hooves as he went through a step by step motion.

 

"This one... you don't really want to grow dependent on. There are some situations it's the most useful. Particularly with swings." The stallion raised up his right leg, and held it folded up close and raised up to guard his head. His other foreleg moved to act as a brace when needed.

 

"You want to time it just right, as you are throwing some weight into. So just as you feel the impact, you are going to give it a shove and swing against it." he said moving through the motion. When he swinged the braced arm, he kept it close to his body, coiled up ready for an attack.

 

"Keep your limbs close, as you don't want to waste time for what ever you are planning on doing next.  Give it a try."

 

~

 

The Prince was brought back, in his mind, to his dance instructors.  In spite of the reputation that upper class tutors had, these were useful, as they not only showed him how to dance, but also under what circumstances it was advisable to lead into which move.  

 

He took the lesson in the same way, first running through the sequence of motions slowly, so as to get his brain used to ordering his limbs in those directions.  Then, he went through it again, this time with force and speed.  It looked good, but then again, he wasn't actually trying to block a blow that was coming.

 

"I... think I've got it."

 

~

 

The stallion motioned for the prince to get back into the stance. "Not quite... Your off balance, so if a hefty opponent got to you, you'd just be barreled over."

 

Once Blueblood, reentered the stance, Java began to tug at his hind hooves, and push him down a bit more. Then readjusted him into a stance just before the brace.

 

"This stance would be the most important. You're getting into a state where you have some balance so you can easily move into the block."

 

The stallion soon rose up into the same stance. "The attack is coming from the right... so you step forward with your right hoof," The stallion paused as he did just as he said. Raising up the proper leg to ready the block, "and initiate the block."

 

He followed through by swinging the leg out and bringing it close into a combat stance just as quickly. "The idea is you are trying to step into your opponent's stance, and deep into their reach."

 

The stallion soon came around and waited for Blueblood to enter the last part of the block. He'd then move to act as if he was throwing a swing, but made sure that it connected with the block. In this stance the prince was now practically breathing on Java's chest, and the princes foreleg would be connected just slightly past the elbow's joint.

 

"If the pony that is getting blocked was wise about the maneuver... He could step back, and reverse his step to compensate. But that'd still take too much time considering where you are now."

 

~

 

Yes... this was very much like dancing.  And dance instruction.  Java was a decent teacher, and Blueblood, surprisingly, a decent student when he put his mind to it.  After addressing balance issues, the Prince was able to follow through with the block maneuver much more smoothly and practically.

 

"Right... because if he moved back, I would keep moving forward, ready to counter-strike."  He nodded, understanding beginning to dawn.  It was at moments like this when disparate elements of a things began to cohere into a whole in his mind, like keeping the currents and straits of an archipelago straight in his mind.

 

~

 

The stallion dropped back to all fours. "Nnnnot exactly. Remember how close you were to me? You are well within an optimal range for your legs, because they are cocked in. Ready for a punch or a grab. What have you. Me on the other hand... I'm a bit larger than you. The last thing I'd want is to have you in some place I can't put enough momentum on to actually harm you. The most I can do is give you a love tap, or graze you. Oh... and you also have leverage. I might be a bigger stallion and could step into you. But because you are lower, you can put me to the ground just as easily. This is what combat is in a nutshell when you see ponies constantly moving about. It's a dance to get within a favorable range."

 

"Unarmed combatants will constantly dance just on the border of their ranges. And then step into the other's reach when the time is right. They have the advantage in leverage, and their forelegs are already in a favorable position."

 

"Sword play is nearly the same. But with some differences. Blocking blade to blade is the last thing you want to do. Which is why I'm teaching you unarmed blocks."

 

"Blunt objects... follows the same rules as unarmed combat."

 

"Now... this is just an after thought. But this is a general rule of thumb. If that buck is retreating. Let him. Advance only if you feel like he's really dazed."

 

~

 

Blueblood was nodding along, smiling, blinking.  A close study of those blue eyes would reveal that the brain behind them was having a little trouble keeping up with the dump of information.  There was only so much the Prince could absorb and digest in a day.  "So... the key is... range, and preparation to take advantage of that... and don't go full out unless you can hit the chap for six?"

 

~

 

The stallion thought for a moment then nodded with his lips pursed. "Mm... try a double tap with a six over."

 

~

 

Blueblood blinked.  "That's... not cricket."  Many upper-class ponies meant the expression as a synonym for unsporting, but in this case, it was literal.  Well, literal in reference to metaphor.  Differing foalhood sports had probably accounted for the mix-up

 

~

 

"Double tap means to hit them twice. Six over, is six feet up. In other words, knock em hard in the the nose. The under the jaw with an upper cut."

 

~

 

"Oh, I see."  There was plainly still a lot of work to be done, if the Prince was to learn the lingo.  Still, today had shown promise, at least, for future sessions.

 

~

 

Java soon began to slip on two very large and heavy pads to the insides of his fore legs. "Alright! Now that we got you to learn the basic block... let's try to enforce that."

 

He then rolled onto all fours and stalked around the buck till he was at the front, facing the prince. "Block my swings... and when you think you got a comfortable slot, attack."

 

~

 

Right, here came the real test.  All the building blocks and practice steps to learn the moves were past; now was the time to dance!

 

Blueblood began cautiously, even retreated a bit as he blocked the first few blows.  He was trying to gauge whether to watch Java's hooves, or his eyes to predict the blow.  As it happened, the eyes ended up telling; anticipating the blow, the Prince moved forward into his friend's reach, blocking with the left hoof while making a quick jab with the right

 

~

 

The stallion's body jarred and twisted on the block, but not by much. The stallion instinctively raised up the other pad, exposing the strike surface, before quickly lounging forward and swinging outward to throw the stallion off balance and to the dirt.

 

If he was successful, he'd back up and give the buck some room to stand. He'd thump the two pads together, "Good good! But put more ompf behind the block!"

 

~

 

He was indeed successful, catching the Prince off-guard and sending him into a less than dignified heap.  But the stallion's blood was up, and it wasn't long before he was on his hooves once more.

 

"All right, let us have another go!"  Blueblood stepped forward, a little more aggressively this time, starting the next bout with his own opening move to draw out Java's block...

 

~

 

The stallion instead stepped forward when he saw the Prince move in for the attack. The stallion raised up the pads to absorb the hit before bring them both down towards the buck's head

 

~

 

Again, the eyes told.  With hoof work trained by early dance lessons, Blueblood took a half-step back to let Java's strike fall in front of him before quick-lunging forward in a strike, this time with more force in it.

 

~

 

Java smiled at the sudden improvement and quickly side stepped, twisting his body to keep his face towards the stallion. "GOOD! Good!"

 

He chimed as he now lounged forward throwing a quick jab towards the bucks chest. The other leg held the strike pad facing outwards.

 

~

 

This was the moment.  The moment where all the disparate facts learned finally "clicked."  Blocks and blows slotted into an overall tactical picture of the fight.

 

Of course, that only meant that Blueblood had gone from complete noob to apprentice level.  He'd yet to land a blow, but so far, he wasn't letting one land on him... yet.  He brought up a hoof to block the jab, sending one out to the pad.  Not forceful, as that would have cost him his balance...

 

 

~

 

The stallion figured it was time to give the prince a bone. He held the pad in place long enough for the hoof to connect with the cusion. The light jab landed with a satisfying "Pfhft" sound, before it was pulled away and brought up into yet another swing towards the bucks head.

 

This time the other pad was held cross ways with the strike portion open.

 

~

 

The feeling of the blow connecting was a boost to the Prince's confidence, bringing with it a quickening rush of endorphins and adrenaline.  From the corner of his eye, Blueblood saw the counter-punch coming, and side-stepped to avoid the blow.  Keeping his momentum forward, he advanced with a hook aimed towards the pad...

 

~

 

The stallion back pedaled from the jab, and clapsed the two pads together. A thunderous clap echoed the air, just before one was raised up again. The stallion then hopped to the right and took a jab with his left.

 

~

 

Caution had been leaking out of Blueblood's stance for a while now.  He by no means had Java on the ropes, but that did not enter into his mind as he continued to press the advance.  If anything, he accelerated!

 

It was not too fast to see the jab aimed at him.  It was not too fast to duck.  It was, however, too fast to stop moving after the duck.  "Aah!"  The quick shift sent the Prince sliding forward, with his hooves shooting out desperate to either halt himself, or trip up his opponent...

 

~

 

Java let out a surprised bawk as the buck had practically bashed full speed into him, sending them both into the dirt. The buck's arms flailed widly just before his entire body went crashing into the nearest bushel of Hydra flowers.

 

When they finally stopped, the buck huffed for a few breaths of air. "Prince, keep this up and I'll start questioning your oreintation."

 

~

 

The skid and crash had ended with the combatant's entangled, though since Blueblood had taken the initiative, as it were, he ended up on top once they stopped moving.  

 

The Prince spat out a few leaves before taking in a breath of fresh air.  His first response to Java's teasing was a quick clonk to the side of the head.  "Don't pause for banter.  That'd be a knockout blow if you weren't my friend."

 

~

 

Java let out a surprised yelp at the clonk, and moved his hooves up to rub his head. "They are gonna start talking if you keep this up, you know."

 

~

 

"According to you, they're talking already."  Blueblood pointed out, not without exasperation.  This whole day had been one fertile ground of rumors.  What on earth possessed him to host the training session in a flower garden?  And with those guards listening at the door... what would it have sounded like to them?

 

"Well, I'm going to call that match a win for me.  Not sure if the technique will work a second time, but I'll take what I can get."

 

~

 

"On me? No. Someone else? It will," The buck hummed softly. "That's one of the major things about combat. If you can't best your opponent, surprise them. A kiss to the lips is a good way to do it. Saved my arse once or twice. The griffon that treated me like a scratching post?"

 

The stallion lightly cuffed his hooves on the buck's ears. It wasn't hard enough to hurt, but it was certainly something jarring. "That"

 

 

~

 

Blueblood wasn't likely to borrow that particular trick from Java, but the principle was a sound one.  "Or a champagne bottle cork."  He said, remembering how he'd used it against the caribou.

 

His reminisce was interrupted by the cuffs to his ears.  He bawked in surprise, stumbling as he rubbed them in an attempt to get the ringing out.  "Oy!"  He said, before realizing what Java was trying to do.  "Ah, I see.  Yeah, that would work too."

 

~

 

Java nodded lightly. Then paused looking up to the buck as if he's expecting something. He then sighs, "As enjoyable for me this might be. Do you plan on standing, or would you like to take me to dinner first?

 

~

 

"Oh!  Er, right."  Clearing his throat in slight embarrassment, Blueblood got to his hooves, once again brushing dirt off of himself.  "Well, I'd say that's good for a first day, eh?"  At least he hoped so.  He'd managed to absorb everything taught so far, but any more, and he'd start having trouble... and the papers would grow even wilder in their speculations.

 

~

 

The stallion rose up and dusted himself off. "Yup, You've improved quite conciderably. Most ponies don't exactly reach that point for another few weaks. All in all... you did well."

 

~

 

"Oh, that's good to hear."  And a little surprising; he wasn't usually such a quick study.  Maybe all that dance training really had laid a strong foundation.

 

"Any way... I'll try to run through the motions regularly before next week.  We'll be meeting... somewhere else."

 

~

 

Java raised a brow, "Somewhere more private? Your guards will likely think you are trying to have me in the sack."

 

~

 

Blueblood gave him a flat look.  "Someplace that's more explicitly just for sparring practice.  A public gymnasium, or something."  He had been about to suggest his own house, but the Prince was now quite well aware that would give the exact wrong impression...

[Blueblood]

After a few weeks...

 

It had been an intense few weeks of lessons.  Not just because the sparring itself was tough, with the Prince having to push himself to the limit to do keep up with all the new techniques being introduced.  No, there was also the inevitable rumors as to just what Prince Blueblood was sequestering away Voronoi Fractal to do twice a week.  Apparently, "fighting lessons" were not accepted at face value by the Press...

 

After a while, Blueblood had just given up.  In any case, that part of his training had passed by now.  He was being turned over to his next teacher, his Honor Guard, Star Crusader.  Having covered hoof to hoof, now weapons would be introduced.  So, this was probably going to hurt more...

 

~

 

The mare stood quietly in the flower field that the prince and her brother had been practicing in. Her armor had been removed, with the only exception being the gauntlets that she had left on, and the broach... which she oddly wore as an ear ring. Perhaps she hasn't quite figured out what jewelry is... or maybe it was just small enough for her to wear it as such.

 

She was on her hindquarters, Forelegs resting ontop of her shield, that had been gently set, point down. Her chin was dipped down, and her eyes were closed. Her braided pony tail hung from over her shoulder and lightly swayed with the wind, while the hangs over her eyes flapped about freely.

 

The mare did look smaller without all that equipment on. But not by much. She still very much looked like a brick house that could tower over most ponies with ease. She had all the feminine curves, but accented with soft bulges of relaxed muscles.

 

~

 

Upon entering the field, Blueblood was struck, once again, by Star Crusader's appearance among the flowers.  He had to pause for a moment to take in the scene, strength, beauty, and power in calm repose...

 

He had to get Pressy, or some other talented pony, to paint her.  It was too good not to immortalize.  Unfortunately, this particular moment would have to pass.  The Prince cleared his throat.  "Alright Star, what have you planned for us today?"

 

~

 

The mare's ear flicked at the voice, then she calmly opened one eye. It swiveled to the prince for a brief moment. The eye seemed to be in a trance state, lacking any form of intelligence. But only briefly. It took a few seconds before the mare seemed to come back to reality, with the other eye opening and her head lifting up.

 

Once she broken from her own trance she slowly rose to all fours, and stretched out a wing to hold up the shield she had been leaning on. 

 

"If you have done more than court my brother in these fields, than we can begin with weapon training." She said softly. Her lips had bulled back just slightly into a ghost of a smirk. Her hard eyes having a knowing gaze about them. It seems she has gotten word of the rumors. Though she did not find offence to it like most mares. Instead, she spoke with a humored tone.

 

"Then... hopefully when you get to my mother... she won't dislocate your leg."

 

 

~

 

"Oh, for..."  The Prince let out a frustrated sigh.  He'd really been hoping that he could at least get away from those rumors here... but then again, it was probably to be expected that the same sense of humor ran in the family.  And after all, it could be worse, given that the mare of his affections was hearing rumors of his going off with another pony.

 

"Right, then.  I hadn't been thinking anything too fancy as far as the weapons went.  Java suggested a kind of walking stick?  Something I could carry with me without looking too threatening."  He deliberately put the 'final exam' with the Duchess out of his head.  Thinking about that would only make him choke with nerves...

 

~

 

The mare's smile stretched a bit further... that is the other side of her muzzle pulled back by a few centimeters. Her wing flapped for a brief moment, catching the shield by the handle before slamming it's self closed to her side. A soft snap could be heard as magnets grabbed hold of the large metal object, and held it to her side by the harness.

 

She strolled forward, and circled around blueblood. She stretched out the other wing, and rested it across his shoulders. It was a kind gesture of saying there's nothing to worry about. "Relax. I -am- my mother's daughter...  even though I regret admitting that I share some similar thought processes."

 

But she then stepped forward a few paces. Even without her armor's weight, she seemed to hold a very natural and powerful gate. The same gate she had when she war that armor. A true testament to how she had grown accustomed to it... or maybe that she had never noticed in the first place.

 

She reached into an old wooden trunk. With bits of it's finish flaking off. She pulled out an object that had been wrapped in cloth, and tied off in both ends.

 

"But yes... a dueling cane. It's the weapon of choice for my family's history when we dueled other nobles. While the weapon holds no blade, other than the point... if opted... my family used it with a fiendish intent. When we duel, we do not test, strike with flare, or care for giving a show. When we duel, it's a beatdown."

 

~

 

Blueblood reached over to give Star a quick nuzzle as she draped her wing over him.  There was something instinctively comforting about the gesture; perhaps it was the protective power he could sense behind it.  Reassurances of that quality were hard to come by.  "Yes... we all have to live with the legacies we're given, best we can, anyway."

 

Speaking of which... Blueblood followed after Star as she went to the chest, catching a view of her stride in motion.  It was really quite impressive, when you understood how easily she could carry the full weight of armament she considered standard.

 

But that was not the main focus today.  Today, Blueblood was actually going to learn how to use a dueling cane.  "Right.  Substance over style."  He nodded, though inwardly he knew that certain instincts of his would have to be suppressed, if this were so.

 

~

 

"Less substance," The mare began as she pulled the protective covering off, revealing a hardwood cane that had some nicks where swords have met it, splintered sections where some hard blows were dealt, bits of red... from who could guess, and a large number of dents.

 

"And more of the mental impact." The mare began as she soon let the cane slide down her grasp till the hook caught her by the wrist. "Nothing is more degrading than being armed with a sword, and being beaten repeatedly beaten into submission by an instrument used for the elderly. Usually... in martial arts, masters would beat their underlings into submissions to beat out any false pretenses, and disrespect. It's the same case for the selection."

 

~

 

Blueblood cocked his head curiously at Star Crusader's remark, until she went on to explain the full psychological impact of the weapon.  Understanding dawned in his expression, and he smiled.  "I see... and I suppose a similar effect would be produced by picking a fight with a 'pretty colt' Prince, and finding him more of a fight than one bargained for?"  The Prince was more self-deprecating than usual among those he was close to... and when he could turn it into a back-hooved compliment.

 

 

~

 

The mare hummed softly in thought. It seems the humor was lost on her, as she reguarded this a bit more seriously. Her eyes fixed on the buck for a few long seconds before she finally responded.

 

"More so it's easier to hold your image as the handsome stallion of every mare's and otherwise's dreams. A blade may be more fetching... but I believe my brother was leaning in the right direction of the consideration."

 

She finally sat down and flexed her wings out. "It could just easily clash, and bring you down to the level of... oh... hrm..." The mare trailed off. She seemed to struggle with the up coming analogy.

 

"A buck carrying a guitar, without knowing how to play it? The other is, if you loose it in combat, it can be turned against you. To many ponies know how to use a blade or a spear, not a lot know how to effectively use a blunt weapon."

 

~

 

It hadn't been meant as a joke, or really only half-meant.  It was sweet that Blueblood's image was intact for Star, but as far as the rest of the world was concerned... the Prince's image needed repair rather than maintenance.  IMAGINE had done good work, and now this would probably do the rest.

 

"Right..."  The Prince nodded, taking up the cane himself from his guard's grip, weighing it before letting it hook on his own risk.  "One doesn't want to look like a poseur, naturally.  And the unique is always more compelling than the common."

 

~

 

The mare nodded and took the cane back quietly. She slipped the cover back on and dropped it into the chest. She then pulled out one that looked like it was in much better shape, though obviously meant as just a training tool.

 

There was "some" padding on it, which was a thin piece of foam wrapped around the instrument of unusual destruction.

 

"Sorry my prince. But that other one is a family weapon. And lightly to break at any given moment." She added with a soft nod. After the prince took the one she was holding, she lifted one that had probably been more cushion than wood.

 

"For now, I suggest that you find a cane design that you enjoy, and take it to a smith and ask for it to be reinforced. You'll want a metal core, and a hardwood shell."

 

~

 

Blueblood had taken enough blows in Java's classes not to take padding at face value, and that wraparound wasn't even trying to look soft.  Lovely- Oh wait, that was supposed to be his.

 

"Oh.  I suppose wooden heirlooms don't keep quite so well.  At least when well-used."  He exchanged the worn cane for the training tool, thinking over styles in his mind.  "Hm, yes... I think I know where to go for it, too.  But first, I suppose we'd better begin with how to actually use this, eh?"

 

The stallion took a couple of practice swings with the cane, testing its weight and momentum, as well as how well he could stand on three legs while using it.  Java's lessons had helped with balance, but it remained to be seen how well they held up under new pressure...

 

~

 

The mare smiled softly to the other. "Good, I see you found it more practical to hold the weapon in your hooves. But..." The mare quickly swung out with her own cane, cracking the other's weapon in the middle and jaring it out of his grip.

 

"You need to learn how to hold it first."

 

~

 

He found himself momentarily dumbfounded as a quick blow from Star's cane sent his own spinning from his hoof, leaving it stinging.  "Ah... point made."  Blueblood remarked, rubbing his hoof.

 

~

 

The mare gave a brief nod and moved next to the other. She slowly picked up the cane and gestured to a more suitable way to hold it.

 

"While a sword may give you a handle, you are not too likely to do much parying with steel. A blunt weapon on the other hand... you want to make sure you have a solid grip on it at all times."

 

She took the other's leg with booth hooves and slipped the cane into the cup of his wrist. Though this time she pulled it down a ways, leaving some extra length to run down the length of his leg. She then adjusted his hoof a bit and then let go.

 

"Here you go."

 

~

 

Blueblood let Star Crusader handle his hoof, feeling out her touch as well as the proper grip she was demonstrating.  She knew how to handle things deftly as well as forcefully, which was good, because Blueblood was probably going to have to rely on learning the former more than the latter.

 

"Hm..."  He smiled, taking the handle up for himself.  "Yes, that does feel more secure."

 

~

 

"Not quite..." She hummed as she now shifted his hoof around. "This grip is more for versatility. It is more secure than the last... but you can be disarmed easily if you hold the weapon in correctly. I'm going to start you off by showing how not to hold the weapon and why."

 

She finally finished reordering the bucks hoof out. It was very similar to how many actors tend to hold weapons, or how kids may hold sticks when pretending to be a swords man. Only, there was quite a decent length of the wood running down the bottom of the stallion's grip, with the most of it being on the "point" side.

 

"Do you understand the concept of leverage, my prince?"

 

~

 

Oh.  Some days, it seemed that trying to master a skill was like climbing one of King Sombra's specialty stairwells, greased.  It reminded Blueblood of his school days.  Still, hoof to hoof hadn't been too bad, so he supposed he ought to be able to handle this... right?

 

As his grip was being adjusted, he frowned in thought, trying to determine what the actual difference was.  "Well, yes, sort of.  It's how... you use a little force to move big things?"  That was what his memory was telling him, from old forgotten classrooms

 

~

 

"That... is relatively close yes." The mare spoke with a distant tone. Her eyes glazed over as she studied him, trying to find a better way to explain it. "A good leverage does make things easier to move. The less length you have to swing on the striking end, the easier it is to swing. It's less weight, but also less power."

 

She then pointed to the shorter end. "So... this is why we hold weapons in this manner. A sword will be gripped in the jaw or hoof closer to the guard. But it also opens up room for the second hand. This makes parry's and guarding against stronger blows easier... but it makes it easier to disarm you."

 

The lightly grabbed hold of the weapon and began to tug lightly. First, she grabbed hold of the long end, and began to tug and pull on it. "If this is the only end they have to grab, it's easy for you to keep hold of the weapon and shake them off.

 

Her second hoof then grabbed hold of the  bottom portion. "If they have this end as well... you are in trouble."

 

Instead of pulling like last time. She twisted the weapon, with the stallion's hoof being the axel of rotation. The weapon easily popped free of the other's grip. As the weapon spun, the mare pulled down, snagging the crook on the Prince's arm and pulling him down.

 

She quickly lifted up releasing the arm, but only to catch him by the back of his neck and pull him close to her dangerously close to her muzzle.

 

It may have been an attempt at a romantic moment, but the mare's muzzle knew not how to make it's self soft. Instead it was borderline hard glare into the other's eyes.

 

"If they have your weapon in your current state, your best bet to survival is to surprise your enemy."

 

~

 

Blueblood was doing his best to follow as Star Crusader ran through the mechanics of leverage and wielding.  It helped to have a practical demonstration going on simultaneously; he doubted whether he could have simply held it in his head.  Of course, this took most of his concentration, which meant that when Star suddenly began to pull him down, he was instantly sent off-balance!

 

In a mere second, he found himself quite firmly in her grip, staring closely into her face.  Was... was he reading her right, or would a kiss not actually be appropriate right now?  One of Java's related anecdotes sprang into his mind at the mare's next words, and he smiled, pulling himself the rest of the way to kiss her on the lips, suddenly and hard.

 

 

~

 

If the prince was observing, he’d find that this would be a time of celebration! Oh the young prince had already worked his way into the powerful mare’s heart and softer side. But only now had he finally caught her off guard. True, she may have encouraged the other to surprise her… but she hadn’t believed that the prince would have been capable of carrying out. Muchless with this ending in a kiss.

 

Her muzzle quickly turned into a deep crimson hue as her ears stood on end. Her eyes had actually widened just enough to uncover the entirety of her pupils. The prince’s dueling cane had even fell to the ground, and clattered in the grass. The mare’s wings even twitched nervously.

 

Once the kiss broke, the mare’s head seemed to follow the other’s for a brief moment. Just until she caught herself with a step. Her head quickly jerked up high as her wings fluttered uncomfortably. Her face turned a slightly darker hue as she searched for words. It took some time before she finally nodded.

 

“Y-yes. Just like that…” she finally droll out. But her tone had laxed a bit out of it’s powerful nature, and slipped just a little ways into something mare like.

 

~

 

In the back of his mind, Blueblood made a mental note to thank Java for putting the idea in his head.  Eccentric though that stallion may be, there was no doubt about the effectiveness of his dueling techniques!

 

In fact, the kiss was so surprising in its effectiveness that he could hardly think of how to take a next step from there, instead watching the effects it had on Star Crusader.  Was that... an actual blush?  Yes, and a new gentle sweetness to the tone.  Blueblood grinned, as he looked back up at her.  "Yes, it helps to be creative, and never get up... as well as remember a few alternate definitions of victory."

 

~

 

The mare looked down sharply to the buck after seeing the smile.  But her blush didn't fade. It was the classic glare of a mare close to running on a homicidal rampage if the buck in question didn’t stop. Of course only such an expression could be born out of embarrassment. And… even as terrifying as she could be, and strong enough to hurl the Prince down to Ponyville like a football, it lost most of its effectiveness with the continued blush. The very same blush with no loss in intensity.

 

“That’s one devilish trick… but don’t think it will work when it comes to your graduation…” she huffed, tilting her eyes away as she slowly regained her composure. Her eyes then turned back to the prince, blush now on the verge of fading.

 

She cleared her throat, “Now…” she gestured down to the weapon with her hoof. Then took a few paces back. “to correctly hold it. There is no good answer for it… it’s usually determined by your stance. But for general purposes… there is a common rule.”

 

~

 

Blueblood's grin faded as Star mentioned graduation.  His treacherous imagination had already conjured up the scene in which he attempted that little maneuver on the Duchess... nothing good happened after that.

 

"Uh, ahem, yes, point taken."  Stepping back, he took up the grip on the stick again.  "Common rule...?"  He asked, inquiringly

 

~

 

The mare nodded briefly. "I was able to disarm you, because I could put torque in two locations. Er... gain the upperhand in leverage."

 

The mare then held out her cane. Keeping the weapon held straight up, or close to it like the prince had.

 

"When you hold the weapon like this, both ends are incredibly easy to grab. So the general rule solved this quite well."

 

The mare waved her tail off to the side in a beckoning manner. "Come, I'll let you figure this one out."

 

 

~

 

"Hm..."  Ah, here it was.  Question 1 on the first quiz.  How to hold a stick so that some other pony can't take it from you.  It sounded simple in the Prince's head, but it took a moment before his brain was actually able to sift through all the details he'd learned that day into a coherent whole-

 

"Oh."  He shifted his hoof so that the long end of the stick was pointed forward, the "hilt" tucked closer to him, out of reach.  "I'm guessing the rule is not to let the other pony get a hold of the other end of the stick."

 

~

 

The mare's lips pulled back into a thin smile as she watched the other work. Equestria is quite fortunate it seems. While they may have a pampered prince whom have been shielded by his family to be raised as some sort of figure head, he could still figure out things that most other ponies couldn’t.

 

“Very good,” She drolled out, there was a very small ring to her tone in that one. She gave a brief nod as she lowered the weapon. Pointing the striking end away from herself, and tucking the hilt closer. “The general rule of thumb is that at least one of the ends needs to be hard to grasp. The easiest way to do this in a one handed grip, is that at least one end needs to be pointed to yourself, or behind you.”

 

She soon began moving once more. Her stride allowed her to circle around blueblood before drawing up to his side.  “Now the stances. The cane is a bit unique to work with. It lets you combine strikes, and blocks from a court sword, and a rapier. But also allow you to use it like a black jack.”

 

She rose the weapon up, bringing the weapon into a stance similar to a duelist’s sword. The tip was pointed outwards. Her body was dipped down into a lazily crouch, and her body was twisted in a fasion to reduce any points that she may be hit from.

 

“This stance is better suited for one on ones. It’s your typical duelist’s gait. Good for most thrusting attacks, but has very little use in a heated fight. Still… it’s good to be familiar with it… as it lets you cover distances quickly, and stab at your foe’s open areas. The eyes, the neck, the heart, the knees.”

[Blueblood]

It was arguable whether Blueblood really ought to have felt clever for figuring that out; it was rather obvious in retrospect that a key thing for a fighter to remember is to not let his opponent take away his weapon!  Still, it was something he'd figured out himself, and to he did feel a little boost of confidence for doing so.  Better now than later, certainly!

 

Blueblood kept an eye on Star Crusader's movements, attempting to imitate them when she demonstrated the first stance.  He was much more awkward at first, still getting used to holding a stick and fighting at the same time.  Once he solidified his grip and balance, his old practice with Java clicked into place, and he adjusted his footwork, shifting neatly into proper form.

 

"Ha, there!"  He called out, practicing a few steps and lunges.  Working with only three hooves on the ground was a little tough, but not much more so that keeping steady on a shifting sea-deck, or dancing with a less-skilled partner.  "It does seem good for quick strikes, yes, though I do think it's better for advancing or retreating than landing solid blows."

 

~

 

"Retreating... not so much," The mare hummed as she now lounged forward. Her body dipped lower to the ground, with her forehoof lifting off of the ground. Her cane struck out with practiced precision to where her opponents neck would be. While the other hoof was lifted up closer to her chest, ready to grab at anything.

 

Once the lounge was over she repeated back and began to backstep but the stance did look awkward as she began to retreat and pretend to be blocking.

 

"When you fall back in this stance, you loose the power that you gain in this stance... and is usually how many duelist find themselves stabbed in the barrel."

 

She then dropped back to all three, and strolled back to Bluebloods side, "That leaves us with the second stance, one used more for aggression, but also flows well into most strikes you will learn."

 

~

 

The Prince was watching Star's demonstration curiously.  It did look awkward, but he hardly knew why.  He attempted to imitate it himself, lunging forward with a strike, and then shifting into a back step.  The three legged-ness threw off his rhythm, though, causing him to trip over his own back hooves and sit down suddenly in flowerbed.

 

"Oof!  Point taken."  He said ruefully, brushing the remains of a begonia off his flank.  "Let's see about that second stance..."

 

~

 

The next stance had her stand a little more upright, with most of her weight shifted onto her back legs. Her weapon was now lifted up, and with the striking end on her shoulder and pointing downwards behind herself. The leg holding it is held closer to her body, and flexing powerfully.

 

Her rear legs were shifted shoulder length apart, spare foreleg was held upwards and outwards at an angel. Then tilted slightly to the side.

 

"This stance focus less on fluid motions with your strikes. And focuses more on power and brute force. Your defence comes mostly from hoof work and positioning of your weapon."

 

~

 

Again the Prince's stance was imitative.  "Huh, these feel surprisingly natural once you get them right.  I suppose that's how the first chap to do them figured it out."

 

This stance was mostly two-legged, which was much more stationary than the Prince was comfortable with.  He frowned, wondering if he was getting it wrong, before trying a few practice swings.  Three decapitated chrysanthemums later, he felt a little better about it.  "There's definitely more force there, I can feel it."

 

~

 

The mare smiled and nodded. "Now step as I do," the mare said softly. Her body bobbed downwards, and slightly forward just as she moved ahead. The step was just exactly as Java had said before. It's a lot like dancing, with some practicality behind it.

 

Her step was more of a glide than a full step. Her hooves did not move too far off the ground, and she was capable of covering some distance. It felt exactly like a wance, where the movement was controlled by some natural falling and rising. Once the step was over with, she reseted back to her default stance then glanced to her side to observe the prince's motion.

 

 

~

 

As before, when he was watching Star's brother demonstrate the proper combat moves, there was in the Prince's mind the playing of background music.  Muscles had their own tempo, tuned like the strings of a cello.  Blueblood's were playing a waltz in his bones and in his head as he went through the motions.

 

Like dancing, however, it felt somewhat hollow when you did it with only your shadow facing you.  "That feels alright..."  Blueblood said, running through the step again.  "I feel now as if I could direct myself somewhat to the left and right, too, as needed."

 

~

 

The mare nodded and spun on her heels. She pulled out a rope and first tied it to the males waist. Then her own. She then slowly backed up till the it was slightly loose when they both took their stance. 

 

"Good now, we'll practice moving around in this stance. Try not to let this go slack, or taught against us. That is, following my lead and keep up."

 

~

 

The rope at first took Blueblood by surprise, as he wasn't sure what this had to do with training.  His first associations brought his mind somewhere else entirely...

 

Even once he got it, he was a little bemused.  "Never had anything like this in dancing lessons."  He remarked, taking up his stance.  Keeping up wasn't hard at first, but Star's much longer strides began to force a harder pace upon the Prince before long.  Soon, he found himself drifting behind, the rope becoming close to taut...

 

He made his next move without really thinking, an attitude that was the source of 9/10 of the problems in his life.  To gain some traction, he whipped his cane out to trip up Star, not realizing that she would probably still maintain momentum, and pull him along with a sudden jerk!

 

 

~

 

The mare felt the cane snag on her hoof. It was an unexpected manuver, but not very surprisingly. The mare quickly jerked her leg back forcefully enough to force the other to fall over. If he did, she'd stretch out a wing to catch him.

 

~

 

Of course Star was too much of a pro to be caught by such an amateur move.  Being himself a commensurate amateur, Blueblood would have been sent sprawling by her simple counter if her wing hadn't been there to catch him.

 

"Uap-oof!"  Suddenly his vision was filled with feathers, and a bit of his mouth as well.  Spitting as delicately as he could, he uttered a muffled, "Thanks... sorry about that."

 

 

~

 

The mare nodded as she helped the stallion back to his feet. Once more she took a few steps back till the rope was hanging only a few centimeters away from being taught.

 

"Remember, the focus of this exercise is to be able to keep up with your foe on your own feet. If you can not manage the footwork, you may as well present the back of your neck to your opponent."

 

The mare then thoughtfully looked to the prince. "I believe my brother had mentioned something that had assisted you in your understanding. Think of it as dancing in a ball."

 

Of course... this would be a lovely way to have a first dance. Teathered together by a rope that could be a metaphor for passion, and stepping in unison with one another.

 

~

 

Blueblood could not now think of any dance that would involve a rope.  The closest thing he could think of were certain reels and line dances that required ponies to stay in a chain as they moved along.  Hm, well, at least that a clue to the rhythm.

 

"Alright.  After all, I used to always be trying to outrun my enemies.  I should be able to keep up."  He smiled a little at the joke as he untangled the rope, and Star started up again.

 

The dance metaphor did help, at least in setting the pace for the steps.  Blueblood's concentration didn't allow much of his mind to wander in the wilds of metaphor; instead his mind was focused on the actualities in front of him, the feel of the rope around his leg, the thundering sound of their hooves as they ran, with the vibrations singing up through his bones as making the music in his head echo...

 

He had to keep up.  The thought was in his mind without making an appearance, and it refused to go away.  He had to keep up.  He couldn't let this one get away...

 

~

 

The mare soon came to a hault, and stepped forward while spinning off to the side. Her eyes remained settled and calm on Bluebloods as she moved. her weapon hoised up carefully, as if it was ready to parry or attack at any moment.

 

Each step she took followed a rythm, no matter how fast it's tempo was, no matter how slow it was. The steps had a set pattern in them. The steps were only half and full steps. never a wide step that could jeapordize her balance. There was always a beat to her hooves when they moved. Always one hard plant and a few faster thumps when her other hooves followed in suit.

 

When she did a quick faint to another side, it was a two beat hop, First the planting foot then the rest lifting in unison and planting down at the same time.

 

~

 

*ONE-da-da-da, TWO-da-da-da, THREE-AND FOUR-da-da-da...*

 

Once the rhythm of Star's steps imprinted itself on Blueblood's subconscious mind, he was able to let his legs do running, as it were, while his mind was freed to focus on other things.  Like bringing his stick to the ready; before he had been barely holding on to it.

 

That done, other things began to clarify themselves in his head.  He didn't know if Star was dancing to the same music, but he felt himself gain a kind of intuition about when her next feint would come.  For her to transition into that two-beat-hop smoothly, the last two steps of her regular run would have to go slightly arrhythmically.  If he were a composer, Blueblood would have been able to plot this run on a musical staff...

 

And after sound came sight; the rushing grass and flowerbeds making the background a blur of color, while the center of his vision was taken up by the towering mare.  Like most pegasi, her true form was seen in motion, though perhaps in running more than flight.  It was only when you saw all those muscles in use that the impression bulk slid away, replaced by power and grace.

 

~

 

The mare smiled at the improvement. They continued the dance, now speeding up with her jogging off to the side in a straight line. Her eyes remaining focus on the prince to make sure he's able to keep up... other wise she might end up dragging him across the field of flowers.

 

The dance continued on a little further, with her now hopping forward quickly then back a few paces, then running off to the side once again. The rythm of her steps were the same, however the pacing was the only thing that had changed.

 

~

 

Wise as he now was to the heralds of her changes, Blueblood was able to change rhythms before the rope pulled taut and dragged him, barely.  He was still reactive, though, Star was the one leading this dance.  Of course, any attempt of his to try and take the lead here would come to a short and lamentable end by the iron laws of physics...

 

He could feel, though, the grounds change underneath his hooves.  Were they stomping over the flowerbeds?  They must; the smell of overturned dirt hit Blueblood's nose, which was a sensitive one, mixing with the scents of sweat and exertion from the two ponies.  It was a heady odor, one that while not unpleasant, didn't care what he thought of it.

 

~

 

Leo Cyrule soon came to a halt. Her shoulders lightly heaving though she wasn't panting yet. "Good! I don't think you'll have any problem keeping up with your opponent. And now I'll start teaching you some of the basic strikes."

 

She hummed as she now untied the rope, and dropped it to the floor. "This is where most ponies tend to fall short on. They grew up watching extravagant displays of combat, and choreographed tussels... that they believe that is what combat looks like."

 

 

She soon approached blueblood, her hooes now working to untie the rope from him. "So... they wish to learn that... and not the foundations. The truth is... the foundations is the building block to everything you do. The difference is the modification to the scenario at hand."

 

~

 

While Star may not have been breathing hard, Blueblood was.  He'd gotten into better shape over the past couple of weeks, but not anywhere near the lifetime training his guard had.  And more besides, it let him draw in more of that smell...

 

Still holding his stick at the ready, Blueblood magical untied the rope, slipping free as he listened to the mare.  "Makes sense.  You have to know the ropes before you're even fit to sail on a pond, let alone the open sea."

 

~

Star Breezer gave the prince a gentle nod before lining herself up beside the prince. The stance she took was the over the shoulder one she showed earlier, With her fore hooves lifted off of the ground and her ballance being on her rear legs, with her body crouched down. She seemed to be compensating for the fact that the prince didn't have wings... and instead she resorted to using her tail help her balance.

 

"Take your stance. There are nine basic strikes that will give you the most out of your impact."

 

~

 

Two deep breaths later, and the Prince had gotten his lungs under control.  Good.  Time to take the stance.  He mirrored her pose, only he held the stick in his opposite hoof.  Either Blueblood was a Southhoof, or else ambidextrous.

 

"I'm ready"

 

~

 

The mare nodded  and raised the weapon off of her shoulder and slowly brought in a downwards angle moving from right to left. "When you strike, be sure to keep your wrist locked, and have a tight grip on your weapon. Try to keep yourself from twisting your wrist at all. You want the weapon to stay at a ninety degree angle with your leg."

 

She brought the weapon back up and brought it down again in full motion, this time as it neared the end of it's downward arc she rolled the weapon slowly with her wrist to dampen the momentum as she brought it back to her shoulder.

 

Once the demonstration was done, she moved through the swing in full motion. The cane created a horrifying whoosh as it tore its way through the air in a blur, the mare's body seemed to twisted a bit at the momentum, but the quickly roll seemed to have reangled the weapons path to help her bring it back to it's standby position.

 

~

 

"This is the first strike. It's targets are the head, the shoulders. The knees, and the lower leg. You don't want it's angle to be too wide... you want gravity to assist you in the amount of power that's going into the swing."

 

She went through the motion again but slowed down as the weapon approached the mid way point. You want your foe to be in the mid section of the weapon when you hit. This is where you will get the most damage out of it.  I see that you are using your left hoof. The motion is the same in the opposite direction."

 

~

 

Blueblood nodded.  Back to the drills again.  He found them less dull this time, though; probably due to the fact that he had an actual weapon in his hooves this time.  Whether it was the symbol, or the actual weight of it... the fact was, it felt good to swing it.  He couldn't explain why, but it did.

 

High left to low right.  Bring it up, keep it solid, swing it down!  He went slowly at first, but the motions slotted in place, as if grooves had been set there beforehand.  Which they technically had; the pony who first designed these strokes had done so according to how limbs moved most efficiently, with the greatest force behind the stroke. 

 

For the last few practice strokes, the stallion adjusted the angle as he called his targets.  "Head, shoulders, knees, leg."  Fourth stroke completed, return to resting position.  "There.  I think I've got it."

 

~

 

"Good!" The next one is in similar in motion. The only difference is the path you are swinging it. Pay attention to the form."

 

The next swing as the same motions in the opposite direction. The major difference was how she lifted the weapon. While the other came straight down from its resting position this strike had pushed the weapon up without tilting it. Her body shifted it's stance a little bit, the forward facing foot pivioted some as she ducked her head down just slight as she brought the weapon over, and brought it down with the same motion as the first strike.

 

Once she finished the slow demonstration, she followed through the fast demonstration.

 

~

 

The subtle difference, like most of its kind, very nearly slipped Blueblood by as he studied Star's motions.  There seemed to be a bit more... was torque the right word?  More swing in the body as well as in the stick.  

 

"Am I doing this right?"  He had to ask, as he went through the motions himself.  "It feels as if there's more weight in the point, now."

 

~

 

The mare gave a bit of a nod. "Yes, you're swinging against your stance rather than with what it's bracing you for. Normally, most of the time your body will shift your weight for you unconciously. But... I suppose you are hitting harder. I personally never had an enemy assault me with a hammer or a club."

 

~

 

"Alright... I suppose the choice between the two strokes, then, comes down to how close or far away you are from your opponent."

 

~

 

Star Crusader shook her head and approached the trunk. She began to pull and toss several legs and what looked like a head and torso for a dummy out of it. Then came it's stand. A moment later, she had it fully assembled.

 

Standing before them was a dummy in a battle stance. The pony it was depicting was an exaggerated one. It had some fantastical proportions. Showing a very bulky warrior pony that was about half a head higher than average size.

 

"Not quite. Both strikes are effective, and with practice you can do them both with equal speed. You do have a choice between them... but watch what you can do with just two of the basic attacks."

 

The mare soon entered her stance. She waited for a moment, making sure that the prince was able to get himself into a proper viewing angle before begining her relentless assault.

 

She approached her target with a quick step. her body had twisted it's self to the side with the weapon now lowered to the side of her body, now in front of herself and pointing to her target. She advanced further with a surprisingly quick hop and spin completeing the rotation as she brings it down to the opposite side. The  sound of impact resounded through the yard, and even shook the dummy enough that it began to rock.

 

She didn't seem to let up, The weapon seemed to drag along it's body as the mare followed through with the motion. But instead of dampening the momentum, she used it to follow through into her next attack. This motion went into the first strike, making a big sweeping motion as it rolled back into the air in arc, and came down with another woosh into the second strike. The attack followed through in the second strike, the first, then the second. Then a flurry of the first strikes. The mare finished it with the final strike. This time she stepped back and connected the final blow using the second strike just before she fell out of range. She spun the weapon at her side, then stamped the end of the dueling cane into the ground. Both hooves resting ontop of the crook

 

~

 

Even though the training dummy was exagerratedly large, it still looked practically normal-sized next to Star Crusader.  Such minor musings were driven completely out of Blueblood's head, however, the second she began her display of strikes and flurries.  Blueblood's jay dropped at the display.

 

"All that from just two strokes?"  He wondered aloud.  It was like seeing what a virtuoso violinist could do with a limited number of strings.  "I think I see what you mean, though; it looks easier to transition from one to the other sometimes than repeating the same one."

 

~

 

The mare nodded and rolled the cane in her hoof as she dropped back down onto the other three. "Yes," She began looking thoughtfully to the Dummy. The battered thing does look like it was recovering pretty quickly, as the dents she had left into it soon began to grow back into it's origional shape.

 

"Though I'm not the one you should ask about when it comes to flurrying blows from the same strike." She then raised her weapon up and gave it a wave towards the dummy. "Go ahead... give the dummy a few whacks. You'll find it therapudic."

 

~

 

The Prince wasn't sure exactly what issues Star thought that whacking a dummy would be therapeutic for.  Perhaps she was projecting the face of some disliked stallion upon it.  Hm... well, he could always start with that Caribou who led the invasion force into the Crystal Empire...

 

"Hah!"  Stick raised to high left, and then a strike!  He might not have gone full into the follow through if he hadn't seen how it could be used to power the next stroke.  With that, he found his steps moving in a pattern according to his chosen attacks, to aid in transition and bring the fullest leverage to bear.  The sound of the dueling cane whacking the dummy was the drumbeat of the dance...

 

After a minute, the Prince stepped back and planted the cane's end in the ground.  "Huh, you were right.  I do feel a lot better."

 

~

 

The mare nodded then held up a small alarm clock. "Good, you will be striking it for the next two minutes as fast and hard as you can." She said. There was a hint of authority in her near monotone voice. Her hoof rose up to set the clock, and then she nodded t the prince.

 

"Go ahead and catch your breath. Begin when you are ready."

 

~

 

Oh.   He ought to have known, and conserved his energy in the first flurry.  Well, too late now.  Blueblood took a few deep breaths, until he could no longer feel his heart pounding in his chest.  There, now time to begin.

 

He started off strong, setting a good rhythm with audible force behind each stroke.  All went well for the first 45 seconds, but as he felt Star's gaze upon him, a certain pressure began to build up in him.  It was the age-old desire of every stallion to impress a mare by his efforts, combined with all the various, previous pressures he felt every day to not make a fool of himself.

 

Well, those pressures hadn't helped things any in the past, and they really didn't help here either.  They made him pick up the pace, expending more and more energy to make the strokes come harder and faster, but after another 30 seconds of that, he was beginning to feel the strain in his muscles.  The strikes came slower after that,  down to a level even he felt below his standard by the end.

 

"Oh... ow...  That was.... that was not... my best..."  He said between breaths.  Endurance, he needed to work on pacing and endurance.  Best that he learn it now, rather than later, he supposed

 

~

 

The mare... didn't seem to be too receptive on the intents of the stallion. To her, this is what she had expected to see. All a function of the training her family had agreed to do for the prince. Her eyes remained fixed on the stallion. There wasn't admiration, or awe in her gaze. Just the hard scrutinizing look of an instructor.

 

When the time came to an end, she nodded lightly, and reset the alarm clock. "That is ok. The point of this exercise is to get you used to swinging something with weight at full power and strength for an extended duration of time. It's to also give you practice with the form. So... we'll finish today up with this exercise. Five minutes rest, two minute assault. We do this twelve times"

 

She then looks to the dummy thoughtfully. "You'll find that it won't get any easier when it comes to strain... but you'll find that you're able to go much longer the more you do this."

 

~

 

"Practice makes... perfect, eh?"  Blueblood's breathing was getting under control now.  The nice thing about Star's default monotone was how... nonjudgmental it came across as.  It was clear that she wasn't disappointed with him, which had been his main fear.

 

Still, twelve more times... at least he had five minutes between.  "Does it get easier, or harder when you know more strokes to put in?  Being able to vary the routine would provide a little creative engagement."

 

~

 

"Preferably," Star Crusader began, "You vary the strikes... but you go as fast as you can.  We are trying to increase your endurance... and speed. And then we can focus on pacing later."

 

~

 

"That makes sense.  But I fancy I'll want something to take my mind off how my legs feel by the last run or so."  He laughed a little; by no means too tired to have a sense of humor.  A good sign for what was to come.

 

The minutes of rest were fast ticking by, compared to the minutes of striking.  Soon enough, it was time for his second run.  This time, Blueblood started out at a somewhat slower pace than he started the last time, focusing on a steadier ramp-up.  It seemed to work, as by the end he was striking as hard and fast as he had at the best period of his first flurry.  True, Star had said not to focus on the pacing, but really, there were practical considerations to doing so.  He needed to know his limits before he pushed them.

 

He wasn't breathing quite as hard this time, as he finished the run.  "I think I can go faster next time..."

 

~

 

The mare smiled and nodded. She soon began to dismantle the dummy, and place it back into the trunk. After wards she slid her cane into a storage on the lid, and did the same for the Princes. "We are done for the day."

 

She then looked to the prince with the same ghostly smile. "Now then, should I have one of the servants prepare a bath for you sir?"

 

~

 

Blueblood was surprised at how reluctant he was to let go of the cane once it came time to put them away.  It probably had something to do with the way that a weapon felt like an extension of one's own body when one used it.  Still, he'd be getting a much better-looking one of his own, soon.

 

He stretched his limbs; they didn't feel so bad now, hopefully his training sessions with Java had made them supple enough to not be sore tomorrow.  He looked up to see Star's evanescent smile, and returned it with a more solid one of his own.  "Yes, thank you.  That would be lovely."  

 

A memory came to him at the mention, an initial awkwardness that had arisen when she had first joined his household.  She had insisted on following him everywhere, even into his bathing-room.  That had been a bit of a shock to his royal reticence, but by now it had almost become a joke between them.  "You will be standing guard, I assume?"

 

~

The mare paused and looked to the Prince, then nodded. Her eyes showed a hint of curiosity when she was asked such a question. Especially one that the Prince could have easily answered. "Of course, as always when I am on duty, sir."

 

~

 

Alright, so maybe the joke wasn't as mutual as he thought it was.  Unless Star was extending the joke in her own way, but Blueblood thought he knew her well enough to tell when she was or not.  "Right, and I wouldn't have anyone else, save for the fact that you have to sleep sometime.  I've sent out notice, by the way, for further recruits, so you'll probably find yourself with a command soon."

 

~

 

The mare gave a light nod, but then the corner of her lip pulled back in a smirk. "Are you alright with others watching you in the bathe?" The mare asked? She easily recalled the priceless reaction the Prince had when he felt his privacy being invaded.

 

~

 

"I'll synchronize my cleansing schedule to the guard rotations, so that issue won't come up."  The Prince returned the smirk, glad to get them both on the same wavelength at last.  Still, there was truth behind the jest; he certainly wouldn't be comfortable with any pony else invading his privacy at this point.

 

~

 

"Well, if I may. I'd make my first recommendation Fire-Walker," The mare began. "She has proven to be incredibly capable reguardless of circumstances. And has shown many feats that have impressed me."

 

~

 

Blueblood nodded at the recommendation.  He and Fire had been on several adventures together, and he had noted the same capabilities.  "True, though I'm not sure if she would agree to the change of station.  I had heard that Auntie had recruited her for EPIC, actually, though I don't know how much of her time that would take up.  Also, she has... personal connections elsewhere.  In Fillydelphia, I believe, though..."

 

He sighed.  "It's complicated.  She had colt friend by the name of Swift Squall, who apparently died in the caribou attack.  Though I don't know how broken up she was about it, since I saw her at the friendship expo with another... I don't know if I ought to ask about that."

 

~

 

The mare raised a brow. "Swift Squall sir?" Star Crusader asked. She didn't know the name, nor the pony it was linked to. She tried recalling some details... but she didn't exactly have the view that most of the other ponies had. She was busy cleaning the streets of rampaging vikings and undead birds.

 

 

~

 

 

"Son of a Fillydelphia Press Baron who married into one of the Old Families in the area.  I met his folks once or twice on the Society circuit, but the stallion himself... only once, I think, at the banquet Auntie Celestia held after the Nightmare Night changeling invasion."

 

He paused, trying to remember the impression he gave.  "He stuck up for me in an argument, so there's that for him.  I can't say I know any more than that.  Supposedly he's good with a blade, though I haven't seen it for myself."  

 

"But enough about that; I'll write to Fire, but I don't expect she'll volunteer.  Would like to catch up with her though; we almost never have social visits these days."  Indeed, he really needed to work on solidifying his friendships.  He'd done some good work with Dunder and Java, but other work needed to be done

 

 

~

 

The mare gave a brief nod about it. "And what of his family? Are they doing well?"

 

~

 

"As well as can be expected, I suppose... I only saw them at his funeral."  It didn't tell him much; ponies were always sad at such things, and as for afterwards... well, most ponies in his class took pride in concealing their feelings.  Even Squall's father, who'd only married into it, seemed reticent on the subject.  He supposed he couldn't blame them

 

 

~

 

 

Crusader soon lifted the trunk onto her back after everything was put away. She motioned to a nearby wandering servant, and politely requested for a bath to be drawn for the prince.

 

Once the servant hurried off on her errand, the large pegasus turned to face the prince. "Odd... I would not expect any family to not become distraught after the loss of their own." She then tilted her head in thought.

 

"Then again... I often do not socialize with other families. The only basis I have is from my mother violently threatening to commit a horrible act of surgery that would leave a buck gender neutral for us."

 

~

 

Blueblood could picture the scene; Duchess Star Breezer had a talent for direct and brutal diction... and was perfectly capable of following through on her threats, too.  "I can well imagine... but your mother is somewhat exceptional among our class.  At least, as far as Canterlot is concerned.  Are ponies less reserved in Fet Loch?"

 

He realized that he had never been.  Inland city and all that.  That was probably something he should correct at some point

 

~

 

The mare shook her head a bit, "Not at all. There are some ponies that are reserved. And others that are... brazen." She looked on towards the horizon in the direction.

 

"My family happens to control a decent chunk of farmland, and empty land. And holds a military foundation. So... I am sure you can picture where the mannerisms came from... and what allured her to my father."

 

~

 

So... ponies were pretty much the same everywhere, he supposed.  Just that Squall's family didn't mourn or rage in public, and Star's probably would.  Rage more than mourn, of course.

 

Blueblood followed her gaze out towards her homeland.  "Of course.  One defends the Honor and Safety of one's House, first and foremost.  And near the rougher lands... one takes the rougher means."  And it did, after all, make sense to the stallion.  An aristocrat must have their priorities straight; at the end of the day, you defended your own.  Blueblood hadn't had much to defend for a while, besides his own person, and until lately that hadn't come under attack.  But now...

 

"Yes... well, there's a certain attractiveness to being forward, I suppose, and if a Stallion has any domestic concerns, it would be a comfort to have her as part of the house."  He laughed.  "I don't suppose your mother would agree to be labeled 'domestic,' but then, the terror of the 'Cave Canem' applies to the domestic dog only.  The merely wild tend to be more cowardly than anything..."

 

The servant came back up at that point.  "Excuse me, but your bath will be ready by the time you make your way there."

"Hm?  Oh, quick work.  Well, good on the staff."  He nodded, dismissing him while turning back to Star.  "Shall we go, then?"

 

~

 

The mare gave a nod to the stallion and then turned to face the building. Naturally she waited his lead. While it'd take some balsy buck to decide to attack the prince in his own manner... the mare seemed prepared for just about anything.

 

Even if she didn't have her armor, or her weapons... one wouldn't be surprised if she just simply smashed the poor creature with the trunk she was carrying on her back.

 

"Oh, I'm sure she'd take to the description of being domestic kindly. It's just like any dog... they all have their own personality. A protective dog protects. An angsty dog throws a fit at every big dog. And well... a relaxed hound, relaxes."

 

~

 

"Hm, yes... come to mention it, I have heard several ponies attach a canine epithet to her, with varying degrees of affection."  A gentle colt did not use vulgar language, even in quotation, and while on shore, the Prince was a gentle colt.  At sea on the other hoof, he was a sailor, and swore as such.  That was where he came most into contact with life and death danger; convention usually didn't last long in that atmosphere.

 

Right now, though, danger was the furthest thing from his mind right now.  True, he'd spend the afternoon preparing for it, but right now, with Star Crusader on duty, he felt as near to absolutely secure as he'd ever had, in the past couple of weeks.  Just looking back to see her alert gaze could put his mind at ease.  About the only time he'd felt more so was when they had been lying in that field together, with her strong wing wrapped around him...

 

Pleasant reminiscence followed him into his house.  "I wonder..."  He paused, thinking, at the foot of the stairs.  "What made you decide to be a guard dog- I mean, ah..."  He stumbled, tripping up over the previous conversation.  "A guard?  I recall that you were protective of Java growing up, and your family has a tradition of service... but at what point did you actually make a commitment to it?"

 

~

 

The mare pursed her lips. It was a question that wasn't often asked, and she had the answer. It just took a bit to remember from first saying it oh so long ago.

 

She looked to the prince as they walked and then glanced back to the road ahead of them. "I wouldn't conceder myself a watch dog. I appreciate the sentiment. I'm... more comparable to a paladin. There is honor to my ways, and a line I dare not cross till it is necessary. And... what makes a paladin is not his devotion.... but a conviction." The pony then looked to the stallion. "I joined to protect those who could not protect themselves. Yes... there are other means to do so. But I choose to walk the path of violence and danger, so that others may not have to."

 

She then shrugged, "If for some reason my duty should be terminated early, I suppose I'd go into botany... however I've... had problems attempting to cultivate delicate things. Large clumsy hooves makes things difficult."

 

~

 

Choosing to walk a path of violence and danger, so that others would not have to... that was an apt way of putting it.  Blueblood nodded at the explanation, and smiled.  "So in a way, we both have the same wider purpose in what we do now.  We're both working so that others will not have to face violence.  I like to think we make good partners in that."

 

He considered the prospect of Star Crusader gardening, lightly at first, but then more seriously.  "Actually... now that you mention it, I've a spare corner of yard.  I mean, if you'd like something to do on your off-hours.  If you're not confident about annuals, maybe you could start with flowering shrubs?"  He offered it tentatively, though that was more out of uncertainty about how it would be received.  Star could probably have the whole yard if she asked for it...

 

~

 

The mare pursed her lips in thought, then smiled. "It is a tempting thought. But I believe I just got finished mentioning that my hooves end up doing more harm than good."

 

~

 

"That's true... but my own first experiences in fighting ended up with me strung between a caribou's antlers.  That should go to show how much improvement can come with practice.  And even if you do fail, I can keep it more discreet than my own mess-ups."

 

~

 

The mare looked to him thoughtfully, then gave a brief nod as she now pushed open the door with her wing and waited for the prince to step through. "You can relax around your own home. I have taken the liberty to work some Nova family diplomacy on the photographers whom tend to sneak in on a daily basis."

 

She then lifted a camera from a nearby table. "After a pony took a visit to the moon, I believe they understood the message."

 

 

~

 

Good, gift accepted.  A bit more of a step out than the brooch had been, but the best sort of gifts were always risks.  Not so much given to the ponies we are, as given to allow us to be something more... like self-defense lessons to a would-be diplomat.

 

Blueblood smiled at Star as she opened the door.  It was a slight smile, which bloomed like a flower under a gardener's tender care as she told him about the photographers.  The mental images conjured up by 'Nova family diplomacy' would always be treasured in his mental gallery.  "A diplomat should always be a clear communicator."  He laughed, looking over the camera.  "Might be worth taking a look at the negatives later.  He may have found a few angles of view that we ought to keep an eye on."

[Blueblood]

Small talk on security details occupied the Prince and his guard up until he got into his bath, at which point the subject of discussion wandered off from such matters.

 

It was only a few day's time before his next lesson, rather than a week.  There was a lot of background to cover before he could begin integrating it into a fighting style of his own.  Hearths' warming was coming up soon, and along with it the best opportunity Blueblood had of being put to the test by Star Breezer

 

~

 

The honor guard waited politely next to the Prince's tub. Her eyes seemed to be glazed over as she stares into the wall. It seems that she was meditating. In a way, detatching herself from reality like this was to give the prince privacy.

 

But it did not necessairly mean that she was completely void from reality. She could still hear everything as normal. If something trailed directly in front of her eyes, she'd notice it immediately and snap out of her trance. And... the benefit of not fully commiting... was she was still lucid enough to hold a conversation... if only people didn't mind her being more open in this state.

 

It's hard to carefully select words, and avoid topics if you aren't thinking straight after all.

 

~

 

The Prince's baths tended to be elaborate affairs, resembling a cross between a professional spa and an industrial chemical experiment.  Soaps, shampoos, and conditioners all had to be combined in certain ways and proportions in order to achieve the best effect.  Lately, he'd been making more use of a "heavy duty" regimen, to take out the dirt and the sweat.

 

Arranging this took a few minutes, which the Prince spent in silence.  When he spoke again, it was on another subject entirely.  "Do you miss home?  Fet Loch, I mean."

 

~

 

The mare's head gave a visible twitch, though it didn't seem like she broke out of her trance. It seemed she was contemplating her responce to the best of her abilities. "It's... difficult to word. In a way yes. In a way no. Like birds... it's ponies are expected to leave the mother's flock to find their own way. In a heartful way, I do miss home. But... the feeling is not enough to create a strong desire to go back."

 

 

~

 

"Hm..."  Blueblood pondered her answer as he scrubbed his back with his brush.  "I suppose one's past is something we leave behind... although that's hard for me to say.  I grew up in this house, and then inherited it.  'Moving out' was... never something I really considered."

 

It may have been seen as strange to talk so normally under the circumstances, but the Prince felt private enough under Star's 'trance' arrangement.  Of such compromises is household life comprised

 

~

 

"Have you ever left home, prince?" The mare asked. her chin lifted up a bit more as she asked the question. "And not for small trips. But extended periods of time?"

 

~

 

"Not for longer than a year.  Even when I was at University, I was always home after terms."  He shrugged.  "I've been tied to Canterlot and it's social calendar since I was a colt."

 

~

 

The mare remained quiet a bit. Unconciously... she'd look to the male... though in reality she remained in the same position. "Interesting," The mare began with a soft hum. "Many will often say that the posh life is a life of low stress and luxury."

 

Her head tilted a bit, "Yet... it seems that saying has been developed on observations from five minute studies. Metaphorically... you are a prisoner in a zoo."

 

~

 

A zoo... that was a surprisingly apt metaphor, now that the Prince thought of it.  After all, weren't the nobility often termed 'the ornamental class'?  Most were there, at the end of the day, to be looked at, admired, and envied by the commoners.  Hence the class-wide obsession with appearances.

 

"That's a good way of putting it."  He remarked, standing up and stretching in the tub, in order to reach his hind legs for the cleaning.  "I've been on display all my life.  I've always tried to make a good show of myself... do you think I succeeded?"

 

~

 

"Succeeded is an understatement sir. I'm afraid if it wasn't for my conditioning, I may have succumbed to more base thinking. Hm... correction. That's already happened multiple times in the past. More often then normal I should say." The mare said in a matter of fact manor. She definitely couldn't deny that the stallion was attractive.

 

~

 

"Eh, what?  Oh!"  Blueblood blushed; he'd been talking about a more general picture of his conduct before the public, forgetting that he was not, in fact, currently behind a curtain.  Little wonder Star Crusader had taken a more literal interpretation.

 

He didn't stand down, though.  "Well... I'm glad you enjoy the sight then."  He said, mouth running more or less automatically as he continued to clean himself.  He'd grown accustomed to being looked at as an attractive stallion, of course; it was simply that all those looks in public made him cherish the few moments of privacy the Prince could snatch.  However... He was now beginning to feel that Star Crusader's presence was no longer robbing him of it.

 

~

 

It didn't take a genius to figure out the Prince's current embarassment. Though Crusader wandered exactly what he was thinking. He did ask a rather personal question, and she responded.The mare's tone bleed someting akin to joking as she spoke once more, "Is that so? Would you like assistance sir?"

 

~

 

The brush froze in place as the Prince considered the implications of the question, but he eventually caught the joking tone.  "Well, I shouldn't think so.  I've been able to bathe myself for years just fine... though if we get any rougher in the field I may need scrubbing assistance to get the grass stains out."

 

~

 

The mare let out a low mocking sigh. "Ah, but sir, that would mean a further invasion of your privacy. When things get rough, there are only a few areas I can imagine the grass stains showing up in. The sides, the entire undercarriage, and the flank."

 

~

 

Blueblood's imagination was not lax in presenting the mental image this suggested.  He smiled, giving a low chuckle as he continued the banter.  "True... but it is not unprecedented for Royalty to grant privileges to ponies they favor."

 

~

 

Immediately, there was an audible sound of scuffling and a surprised grunt. If the prince were to glance at her, he'd noticed that she was now sitting up right, ears alert. Wings open just slightly and a blush on her face. Of course... being in a state of mental wandering also promoted publically unsavory thoughts easily creeping up on her.

~

 

Noticing her sudden change in posture, Blueblood was quick to guess its reason.  Perhaps... that had gone a little too far?  Or not far enough?

 

He shook his head.  He felt suspended between two courses of action, not quite able to commit to either.  "Eheh... right."  He finished, settling down to finish cleaning himself, a little more hastily than usual.

 

~

 

The mare coughed after snapping out of her trance, and quickly settled herself back down. This time resting her body over her hooves to prop her self up. She was out of her armor, but still carried around her shield. "I wasn't aware you were capable of jokes of that caliber."

 

~

 

"You know... neither was I."  Blueblood began to rinse the last of the suds off of himself, smoothing out his wet mane and brushing it out of his eyes.  "Your family is rubbing off on me."

 

~

 

The mare raised up once more as she plucked the towel from a wrack, and rested it on a wing. "Last I checked, I am the more reserved. Voronoi... er.. Java... is your friend... but not one that you spend much time with. And you don't have much contact with my mother. Is this a scape goat you are using?"

 

~

 

"All I can tell you is..."  Blueblood magically lifted the towel from Star's wing, and began to vigorously dry himself.  "I never said so much as a single entendre before I met you all.  Perhaps... I'm just easy to influence?"  That was probably due to his social training; his parents had tried to instill the principle of fitting into the company he was in.  It was just that he had never really had his heart in the past until lately.

 

~

 

The mare spared a moment to allow her eyes to glance over to the towel as it floated off of her wing and catch a glance of... oh dear... it seems that thought had burrowed it's self deeply into her mind. The mare quickly snapped her head away with a blush. The ferocity of the movement was enough to cause her neck to emit a sharp crack.

 

"OR!... Or you might be developing a personality of your own. And not something manufactured by your parents?"

 

~

 

It was hard for the Prince to ignore Star's look, especially with the audible neck crack that signaled her attempt to conceal it.  He let it pass, not wishing to embarrass her any further.  It wasn't as if he was in any position to blame her; he'd certainly not taken his usual steps on his part to keep out of sight.  This was a most awkward dance...

 

"Is this what growing up feels like then?"  He asked, finishing his drying up and stepping out of the draining tub.  "Trading jokes over the rim of one's bath?"  It was not something he could imagine his parents doing, admittedly.

 

~

 

"Well there is a painting of it sir. But... it's a grisly one." She hummed softly now settling back down onto her hooves. "Though... I've been thinking sir." She began as she now sat up. "There comes a time when a break is needed. Training too much can cause one's body to deteriate. Especially for someone who's new to it. How about we take the morrow off, and go somewhere?"

 

~

 

"Um... what?  A painting of... growing up?"  The Prince was not quite able to follow the line of thought that connected this conversation with a grisly painting.  

 

He shook his head.  Not important right now.  "A day off... well, if you recommend it."  He smiled, trying not to show too much relief.  Didn't want her to think him not an eager student, and indeed he was... though who his teacher was had something to do with it.  "Did you have any place in mind?  I've shown you the fields outside Canterbridge..."

 

~

 

"Er growing up... a bath? Yes. It's called the Death of Marat... and it has a story I'd rather not repeat due to our location." The mare hummed more softly than normal with a grimace.

 

She then slowly rose, moving aside to fetch the prince's brush and combs, before returning, and placing them on a counter near the bath. "Well I was thinking of somewhere to eat. I believe it is called a date? But I suppose we could go to locations more fantastical. There is a glade I have seen in my patrols."

 

 

~

 

Blueblood then turned to the not inconsiderable task of brushing out and arranging his mane.  Making sure it dried evenly, didn't snarl, and was always ready to shine and wave as required was a task of no little delicacy.  But to him, it was strangely relaxing, like  arranging a zen rock garden.  He wondered, briefly, if he should one day offer to do Star's mane...

 

"Ah, a date it is then!"  His smile grew wider.  Technically their first, he supposed, if one didn't count the jaunt where he first admitted his affections.  "I look forward to it."

 

~

 

The mare held a thin smile, a little wider than normal too. She gave a brief nod as she waited patiently, while holding up a mirror in her hoof. "That is good then. Though I do suggest keeping things quiet. I'm afraid magazines are still looking for pictures of Equestria's finest bachelor with other mares." 

 

She then tilted her head, a bemused twinkle in her eye. "It'd be disheartening for many across equestrian to find you enjoying a meal with a soldier."

 

~

 

Giving a quick, approving look in the mirror, Blueblood set down his combs with the satisfaction of a gardening monk after a long day's toil.  "After all the false allegations I have had to endure," allegations which included Star's own brother, as it happened, "I hardly think that the truth would be so damaging at this point, wouldn't you?"

 

He smiled up at her, and, feeling emboldened, reached up to plant a kiss on her face.

 

~

 

"You'll be happy to know I found the story amusing. Though I might have kept a copy if the buck was someone other than my brother," Her expression remained completely unreadable as she said that. Though maybe it was because her eyes were focusing on the stallion's approaching muzzle. She thought for a moment, and lowered her head to assist the other.

 

But she tilted her head a bit differently, letting their lips connect instead.

 

~

 

Blueblood did his best to keep Java, and that blasted piece of fiction, out of his mind right now; it was the last thing he wanted there right now.  Star leaning in to help with the kiss helped a lot in that respect.

 

He reached hooves up to her neck and withers to hold himself steady for a minute, before finally pulling back.  "Hmm... well, that's good."  Hoping to finally close the door on that subject, he went to exit the bathroom, yawning.  "I shall have to retire to bed soon; we've both earned our rest today, I should think."

 

~

 

The mare gave a nod. Then rose to her hooves. she opened the door, and waited politely for the prince to step through.

 

~

 

Stepping through, the Prince made his way to his bedroom.  "Goodnight, Star.  Here's to sweet dreams from Auntie Luna."

 

 

 

It was a mark of the Prince's new conditioning that he was not extremely sore upon waking the next day.  Sore, yes, but not extremely so.  Just some stiffness in his muscles that relaxed out with the morning coffee and breakfast.

 

~

 

Crusader had been up and about as early as usual this morning tending to her duties. She collected reports from the night guards, and gave a few orders to the upcoming guards to investigate certain instances she had noticed around the property. But perhaps what broke her usual regime, was the fact that she was not wearing her armor today.

 

In fact it seemed to throw the guards under her command for a spin too. Maybe they were not used to seeing her outside of her armor. Or perhaps they thought the armor only made her look bigger? Who knows.

 

~

 

Anything out of the usual can jar one out of one's routine.  The trick was not to let one's composure slip regardless.  No easy task, but the Prince had been trained in it since foalhood.

 

Still, even he had to acknowledge the sight of Star Crusader sans armor, though his reaction was more of pleasure than surprise.  "Good morning!"  He smiled as she came in, drinking in the sight with the last of his coffee.

 

~

 

The mare gave the stallion a smile, one which seemed to try and force it's way out of the mare's life time of stoicness, and years of fortitude. It in no way looked unnatural... but it did managed to pull a few centimeters further past it's usual.

 

"Good morning, young pr-" the mare caught herself. Her brow furrowed as she had to force her way out of the mindset of being on duty, "Blueblood. Did you sleep well?"

 

~

 

"Yes I did.  Seems a lot of exercise before bed tends to help with that."  He gestured to a chair beside him for her to take a seat.  "Have you had breakfast yet?  I know you typically get up early."

 

~

 

The mare takes her seat and then tilts her head a bit. Her thoughts returning to her raiding the kitchen to make her breakfast well before the servants were awake. A very large breakfast. It seems she's able to clean up well as, it would hardly ever be known. Yet she takes care to make sure to update the registers on whom damaged what in the kitchen... even if she is the one that also handles buying the food. "Yes I have. I tend to do so after waking up as my meals tend to be a bit... large." She then rubs her chin, "My family tends to be able to 'put it away'. I do so, to not make others feel uncomfortable."

 

~

 

Large meals for a large mare?  Blueblood could believe it, though to his knowledge, he'd never actually seen Star Crusader eat before.  That would likely change over the course of the day...

 

"Oh, I see.  Meals don't tend to be taken at the same time by everypony here anyway, so that's alright."  It did often mean that the Prince ate alone, though.  He didn't much mind back in the days when he was more of a snob, but he was feeling the lack of company more now.

 

"So!  Do you have our plans ready for today?"

 

 

~

 

The mare seemed to have already prepared for this question. She had dipped her head below the table, and soon lifted up a magazine in her jaws. It clattered to the table as she spoke. And just by a quick glance, it's obvious that it was intended for the more fru-fru of mares... though judging by the careful notes scrawled along it's pages, and images being circled... it was taken a bit too seriously than what it should have been.

 

"Why yes. Though shamefully, I had to do a bit of reading up for this sort of engagement... no prior experience. I was thinking we could have a picnic in the glades of the serene woods? It's a quiet place. I scouted it out last night while you were asleep. It's fairly safe... even if unpopulated."

 

~

 

With one look at the magazine, Blueblood felt that he was being given a rare glimpse into Star's soul.  The large, stoic mare had a heart worthy of any lady, though one that rarely had a way of expressing itself, given both the internal propensities that made her a good guard, and the external prejudices her physical impression conjured up.  The meticulousness of the notes honestly worried him a little bit; it reminded him a little too much of the deportment drills from his parents.

 

"Er, well, If I'm being honest, I haven't too much experience myself.  I mean, sincere experience."  There had been a lot of mares latching onto him during society events, but that hardly counted now.  "And a picnic sounds fine!  Glad to see your diligence in the scouting, too.  Should hate to be interrupted, after all."

 

~

 

The notes... were hardly that meticulous. It seems a majority of them were musings the mare had made as she tried to comprehend exactly what she was looking at. While the look of dresses were of a no brainer to her, it seems she struggled with the more mare-esque concepts.

 

Such as pampering. Which has been noted by a circle around a mare's hooves while she was getting a hooficure. 'How necessary is this if the work is destroyed and worn away again by normal day to day wear?"

 

And of course a dress that most would have recognized was supposed to be a tease. The only note next to it was a large "?"

 

The mare smiled, "I am well aware of that. I believe it could be tiring to be endlessly gawked at by nosey ponies." She then tilted her head a bit. "A small note... the forest is a small ways outside of the equestrian boundaries. Will that be ok?"

 

~

 

"Hm, what?"  Blueblood had been momentarily distracted by his perusal of the notes, only half-registering her question.  "Much of a trip then, sounds like.  Well, we should pack up and get started early then?"

 

Thoughts were beginning to percolate through his head.  How many friends did Star Crusader have?  Perhaps he ought to introduce her to some that could boost out her social life, and perhaps include in that number at least one mare to give her a Primer.  Or, at least, clear up the sense from the nonsense that one could glean from publications such as the one before him.

 

That could wait until later, though.  He finished up his breakfast, getting up from the table.  "So, where exactly is this glade?"

 

~

 

The mare nods to the west, "Yonder in the griffon territory sir. The area got it's name for being a very peaceful territory. Druid magic users tend to roam the woods, but they often keep to themselves."

 

~

 

"Oh, griffon forests?"  Blueblood didn't visit the republic much; there was not much of a cultural rapprochement between him and the griffons.  Still, probably best to get over that aversion, and he still had a good diplomat passport.  "Sounds good to me.  Had a train in mind, or are we taking some other transport?"

 

~

 

The mare thought for a moment then tilted her head some. "Well It depends on what you are feeling I suppose. The train is a bit more public. I can call in a favor with my brother and have an airship drop us off which will be much more private." The mare twitched a bit as she instinctively wanted to select the private option. But she resisted after reminding herself that she was supposed to be off duty.

 

~

 

Blueblood considered the question, and was relatively quick in getting an answer.  Not so much from his own thought preferences, but through reading Star's expression.  "Well, if the point is seclusion, I think the private option would be superior."

 

He had a slight preference himself for ground transport, but even more for not being hassled today.  So, airship it was.

 

~

 

"Would you like for me to ask him to fly it low?" The mare asked again. "Or would you rather be in a cabin without a window?"

 

 The mare then smiled softly, "I should mentioned there was a third option. I carry you, and we fly together. But I am sure you can appreciate the irony in such an option."

 

~

 

"I think..."  He paused, as Star outlined the third option.  At first blush, it was even more terrifying than an airship.  But on further consideration... what he was afraid of in an airship?  Mechanical failures and fiery death.  Did any of those happen in pegasus flight?  No.

 

"Actually... would you be alright with carrying me the whole way?"

 

~

 

The mare then tilted her head in thought. "I am... not sure actually." She stated honestly. "Most pegasus don't take long flights while carrying another pony the whole way, then there is the...." She nodded to her wings, as if gesturing to the fact that when she flies... it's no where near as graceful as others.

 

She was built heavy, and had to enslave the very air to fly.

 

~

 

Yes, there were issues, weight being among them.  On the other hoof, thought Blueblood, if her wings were capable of lifting her, plus armor, already, perhaps his extra weight wouldn't be a burden?

 

Of course, halfway across Equestria a hundred feet up was not a good time or place to actually put that question to the test, he had to admit.  "Good point.  Perhaps we can... try a shorter flight later.  For now, I'm willing to accept a low-flying airship."

 

~

 

Star gave a brief nod and then dipped her head down and lifted up a basket in her jaws then set it down. "Very well, I have also taken the liberty of personally preparing the meal."

 

~

 

"Oh!"  Blueblood was pleasantly surprised.  "You don't miss a thing, do you Star?  Well, lets go!"

 

~

 

The mare gave the stallion a wink, "I tend to be as efficient as possible." She hummed before biting down onto the basket's handle and lifting it off of the table. She glanced to a nearby servant and gave him a nod. In return, he nodded back and left. Presumably to go deliver the message.

 

 

~

 

The servantry was a smooth machine at the best of times, and fortunately this was the best of times.  The message was gotten to Java in record time, meaning that Blueblood and Star Crusader were not waiting long before it came to pick them up.

 

"I wonder," The Prince asked in a speculative tone, "Whether we could convince Java to go over a certain house on our way out.  The noise would give just the right level of irritation to certain ponies I know..."

 

~

 

"Mmmm..." The mare thought. She did her best to recall some of the laws, "I believe there is a certain elevation limit that he can go to for the class of ship we are flying over. However... I have not known my brother for being orthodox under occasions. I am sure he would run the said house over if you asked."

 

~

 

Right.  And it would be Java's flank on the line, anyhow, since the ship was registered in his name.  "Alright then, I will ask.  Here he comes now, in fact!"  As it happened, the airship didn't run too loud; perhaps the earth pony had been working on noise canceling technologies.

 

~

 

While the ship may have been quiet compared to the rest, the Engineer definitely hadn't done anything about noise cancelation. It was just that the airship he was flying did not rely on a thermal engine like the rest. Instead it was a preassure based engine. The airship in fact sounded more like a roaring storm than some loud contraption.

 

"Oi!," Java's voice called out, as he approached the dock. "Good to see you two getting serious about your relationship!"

 

~

 

Blueblood couldn't keep something of a smirk off of his face as he greeted Java.  "I'm glad to hear it.  Would have been awkward boarding a vessel of a potentially vengeful brother."  The slight bite of humor wasn't retained long, though.  With an unadulterated smile, he offered an escorting hoof to Star.  Although, that in itself was not a gesture devoid of humor, which he realized after a second.

 

"Hah, well, blame it on habit.  Still, let me at least retain some chivalry, eh?  Haven't had much of it before now, you know."

 

 

~

 

The stallion gave Blueblood a blank look, then glanced to his sister. In return all he had recieved was a light shrug. Java's gaze returned to the Prince's with his lips pursing. "er... right...." He hummed softly as he watched his sister being guided onto the ship.

 

There was a light tinge of red to Crusader's cheeks as she took the hoof. Indeed... being treated like a mare was a feeling that she was often devoid of. It was a curious change of pace.

[Blueblood]

Hm, that was odd.  Java just left the subject at that?  Well, Blueblood wasn't one to complain if he left the two of them alone.  It was, after all, their date, and from the looks of Star's face, she was so far enjoying the novel experience.  While it might not have been exactly surprising that he was the first to have the courage to ask her... it still seemed odd that no pony else had dared.  

 

He wondered why it was that he had never found her intimidating.  Perhaps it was because she was first introduced to him as his guard; a guard tasked with guarding him, and therefore, logically, on his side, and not likely to be his enemy.  Star Crusader would certainly be terrifying as an enemy, he had to admit.

 

The two of them got on board, and Java began to lift off.  "Say... Java."  Blueblood ventured to ask.  "Would it be too much of a bother if I asked you to buzz the house of Baron Psmith on our way out?"

 

~

 

The stallion raised a brow to the question. "Buzz?" The stallion repeated in confusion. A second later his sister whispered into his ear, and he gave a light nod.

 

"Ah... I got ya... yeah... yeah... But first... why exactly?"

 

~

 

"Because..."  the Prince said slowly, a somewhat vindictive smile growing over his face.  "The last time he visited my house, ostensibly to see his son, he got my butler to show him the wine cellar.  I found him down there surrounded by a half-dozen empty bottles of my best years.  That's.  Not.  On.  And I don't plan to let that sort of thing go.  I also happen to know that he was at a party last night, and so will be waking up right about now with a hangover..."

 

~

 

The stallion blinked, "He... emptied out several bottles and is still alive?" Wow... that's some liver on that buck for sure. But... regardless the stallion shrug, and banked a hard starboard to fly a bit further down the mountain towards the house.

 

~

 

"Oh, he didn't drink it all.  I'd honestly be more impressed and lenient if he did.  I think he wasted about two thirds of all of it."  It was the waste that hurt more than the theft, honestly.  Odd scruple, but that was aristocracy for you.  

 

Blueblood, averse as he usually was to heights, couldn't resist looking over the balcony as they approached the house.  He could hear the roar of the engines, and, if he strained his ears, the rattling of the windows.  He couldn't here the groans of pain from the occupant within, but his imagination supplied them well enough.

 

"Thank you."  And as the ship sailed higher, he retreated from the edge.

 

 

~

 

The stallion gave a soft nod as he quickly rolled the wheel to port, circling around to go west. "Yeah yeah... no problem..." He hummed as he shifted a hoof to adjust his altitude a bit to stay at least twenty meters above the tree line.

 

The mare had poked her head over the railing to look back to the house with a contemplative gaze. "Perhaps it would have been better if it was a combustion style engine... the rumbling would have knocked items off of the shelves and perches."

 

~

 

The Prince looked back, but from where he was now, Star Crusader was blocking his view of the house.  Not that he much minded; her body was a much more pleasing sight to him that the worry-inducing retreat of the ground.  "Perhaps, but one has to balance that against the risk of incurring the lady of the house's ire.  It's one thing to annoy the Baron, he brought it on himself, but I've no desire to escalate the situation.  Especially not with the Baroness."

 

~

 

The mare peeled her head away and looked to the prince with a confused glance. "Psmith is no longer a bachelor? That's peculiar... I wouldn't have thought of him being in demand." She hummed softly before looking back to the house once more. "Though I doubt the baroness will be a problem. I may be off duty, but I will still ruin a mountain side when duty calls."

 

~

 

Blueblood mirrored her confusion for a moment, before understanding of the misunderstanding dawned.  "Oh, no, not my secretary.  He's the Baron's son."

 

He approached closer to Star, smiling.  "And while I'm grateful that you'll stand by me no matter how rough duty gets, it's rather incumbent on me not to make it rougher than necessary, I should think."

 

 

~

 

The mare still looked a bit confused but this notion. Her gaze once again returning to the stallion. "If you wished for things to not be so rough, then why throttle the baron's home?" She then thought for a moment. "Mmm... maybe I was over thinking this... he wouldn't know you were responsible for this."

 

She then looked to her brother, "However, I am afraid that he will come after him..." To that, Java responded by giving her a crossed look. "I've been  nearly gutted and blown up waaaaaay too many times. You think I'd be scared of that yellow bellied dolt?"

 

~

 

Blueblood shrugged.  "It isn't as if the Baron is an especially violent fellow in any case, and when sober, he would be as quick as any gentle colt to acknowledge the justice of it.  Privilege is a two-edged sword; if you live by private law, you live under private law enforcement."  The Prince ought to know; he'd been subject to enough indirect reprimands of the kind himself to know how it all worked.

 

"Just direct him to me if he gives you any trouble, Java."  He gestured magnanimously before settling down to enjoy the ride as much as he was able.  This generally meant periods of standing or sitting very still, followed by bursts of activity to stretch his legs.

 

~

 

The stallion let out a huff of air, "Alright." He trailed off slightly as he pulled on the wheel once more to adjust the course to navigate over a sea of shorter trees, so he wouldn't ruin the canopy of higher ones. At the same time, he leaned over and pushed a lever up just slightly. There was a soft hiss as the balloon now rised a bit higher.

 

"Alright, So we got about an hour or so. If you two love birds want to head down below deck, that's fine. Just remember. The locked doors are locked for a reason. This ship is still carrying ordinance. They won't go off by pure accident... but... I never doubt a pony's will."

 

 

~

 

Blueblood rolled his eyes.  "Really, Java, I do know better than to go poking my muzzle past a 'keep out' sign.  Especially on one of your ships!"  It was, perhaps, unfair to judge his designs based upon exploding prototypes, but still, they stuck in the Prince's mind.

 

He shook his head, turning back to Star.  "That said... I don't mind going below.  Makes my head spin a lot less... and perhaps we could find a quiet nook somewhere."

 

 

~

 

The mare gave a brief nod before pausing for a moment, her head now tilting at the mention of a nook. "I believe we can do better than a nook sir. If I remembered the specifications of this ship, it's crew deck is modular. And Java mentioned a room had been set up below."

 

She then looked down to herself. "I also belief a nook may end up being detrimental to your health if I am present as well."

 

In the back java was snickering softly to himself. He should have probably mentioned that there are times when slangs would just fly over her head.

 

~

 

Figurative speech always bore a risk of falling off the communication bridge halfway through.  It wasn't a major issue, it just made for momentary confusion, which was by no means abnormal for Prince Blueblood's life.  "Very well, then.  Let us grab a room then."  At least it would keep Java from telling them to do so, although neither of them were really known for public displays of affection.  Hence, the rather secretive date.

 

~

 

Just as the two were about to go below deck, the stallion called out after them. "If you two make a mess, clean it up! I don't care for knowing what exactly is going on down there if you catch my drift!"

 

Crusader's only responce was to give her brother a shark look as she pulled the door open. She felt it was best to not give it an answer, before turning to look to Blueblood, "Perhaps this is also for the best. Ponies tend to gossip quite regularly sir. And the air always has a pegasus somewhere every five miles."

 

~

 

Blueblood's own sharp look was a pale imitation next to Star's; she'd had a couple of decade's practice on him in responding to her sibling's wisecracks after all.  Therefore, he turned around without speaking to him, going below with his guard and mare friend.  "Good point.  It would be a little embarrassing to go to this length, only to be spotted by a weather pony on patrol."

 

He chuckled slightly, taking only a moment before finding the room.  It was larger than a nook, for sure, though it would still be described as "cozy," space being a luxury aboard aircraft.  Not that he minded too much; all he asked for was enough space to share a room with Star Crusader without risk of skeletal damage.

 

~

 

The mechanisms that detailed how the Ship's crew deck was put together was pretty easily noticeable if a pony was looking for them. Set up in a square pattern, were ports placed in five-foot grid. The walls appeared to have been installed in these sections, along with certain furnishings with their own methods to hook into the flooring securely.

 

The room was created with one large bed set up in the aft of the ship. The entire back wall was glass, that curved downwards to the floor. Next to the bed was a round table set up next to two comfortable looking chairs.

 

The room also held a dresser, a mirror, and a large area rug in the center of the room. Installed in the floor were glass orange boxes that fed a small amount of orange light from crystals. Then on the walls were sconcess lightings that also doubled as pots holding plants. Each plant held long leafy vines to give the room some character.

 

"Hmm... this seems... out of his usual taste."

 

~

 

Blueblood had to agree.  "Maybe somepony else did the interior decorating.  Lady Presteza, perhaps; I can see Java taking her out on this."  He paused for a moment to consider.  "Although it would be pretty hard to have a date and fly an airship at the same time, wouldn't it?  I couldn't do it, any way."

 

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.  He headed over to one of the chairs, taking a seat in an attempt to relax.  The glass wall was of arguable effect in this; the view was wonderful, but it still bore home the idea of being suspended above the ground by magic and iron, which was what made Blueblood nervous in the first place.  "I don't know why, but I still somehow feel as if I'd trust a pair of flesh-and-blood wings over an airship to keep me aloft.  I don't know if that feeling makes sense to you, Star?  I mean, you're a pegasus, and all..."

 

~

 

"They have. Pressy's taste are away from the standard. And Java is esccentric enough to fulfil them." She hummed softly as she stepped forward to look out the window. She then looks up to a curtain hanging over head, and pulled it down. The curtain continued to lower till it finally touched the ground, where it hooked into a nook in the glass.

 

"As for your concerns... I'd say it'd be more dangerous to ride in the grip of a pegasus than an airship." She then tilts her head, "If the pony gets injured in the sky... it's usually a very terrifying experience as... it's a mixture of skill and luck that determines their situation after touch down."

 

She then returns to the table and sits down next to Blueblood. Though she took the concideration to sit on a cushion instead of the chair. This small consideration brought her head to nearly the same level.

 

"Usually the outcome is a state of being that is inoptimal for their body."

 

The mare then tilts her head, "I have been in combat near airships before however. The amount of structural failure to cause it to suddenly fall apart, or turn into a fireball in the sky is inachievable without artillary. Should the balloon fail, it's decent is usually slower than a pony slamming into the ground."

 

~

 

Blueblood beamed Star a gratified smile as she closed the curtain, especially so as she was now at the best eye level to receive it.  "Thank you.  Well, I suppose then that we'll be fine unless Equestria gets invaded.  Again."  That was a less comforting phrasing than he'd hoped it would be.

 

"I suppose, perhaps, that it's just a matter of... I don't know, instinctive conservatism?  I'd say it was endemic to Royalty, but Auntie seems to take pretty much every major change in stride."  He gave a light breath that was somewhere between a chuckle, sigh, and snort.  Going from a monarchy to... what would you call a nation with four heads of state in dubious hierarchy?  A mess he would have said, but then, he wasn't one of the four, so what did he know.

 

He could only shrug.  "And meanwhile... I'm still a little dazed at the fact that I have a mare returning my affections."  Blueblood smiled at Star Crusader, reaching up to brush a loose strand of mane behind her ear.  It was a bit of a stretch, but he pulled it off naturally enough.

 

~

 

The mare smiled briefly, though the stoicness in her expression quickly absconded through a blush when he felt the stallion fix her mane. Her ear gave a nervous twitch as she tried to recover her previous stance. 

 

"I suppose you would have found one faster, should you have been more open, sir?" Her tone was cracked a bit, as she shuffled her hooves. "You seemed to have done your hardest to scare away past consorts."

 

~

 

'Cute' was an adjective that rarely found itself in the same sentence as Star Crusader, but the image of large and stoic mare trying to suppress a blush had fewer more appropriate ones.  Blueblood thought it was the ear twitch that really sold it, but these light thoughts went out to make room for others upon her words.

 

"I... suppose so."  The Prince's memory was certainly able to provide an absolute parade of opportunities accidentally or, more often, purposefully squandered.  It was hard for him to tell whether or not his judgments of character really were all that good in retrospect, but there was one thing he knew for sure.  "On the other hoof, I wouldn't have found you then, would I?"

 

~

 

There was a twitch once more. She thought about this for a moment, and slowly pulled the words out from her jaw. Her blush growing brighter now as she tried to disarm the ticking time bomb. "E-..." she started, clearly startled from the swift responce.

 

"Well... perhaps not... but perhaps? The butterfly effect does have an infinite chain of circumstances based on decisions. But paths diverge on each other. I am sure we would have met in other circumstances, and I'd still be your honor guard."

 

 

~

 

OK... so as it turned out, romantic dialog in real life does not go as smoothly as it does upon stage.  In retrospect, Blueblood probably should have known this beforehand.  Chalk it up to a lack of actual experience.

 

Well, neither mare nor stallion had any, so at least they were evenly matched in that.  "That's true, though it's unlikely we would have gotten to know each other quite so well, and near impossible that you would have been anything more than my honor guard."  Knowing what her family was like, though, he had to pause after delivering that statement.  "Well, that actually would have to depend on whether we approached monogamy like your mother."

 

Not the smoothest of lines, Romeo.

 

~

 

The mare scratched her chin. "That... is an odd statement. But no less pleasant a thought." She hummed softly with her usual smile. The blush was still present on her face as she leaned her body into the buck.

 

She had to place a hoof onto the chair's arm to be sure that it remained in place as she carefully squeezed in a bit more weight to come closer. Once she was close enough, she gave the buck's lip a brief lick before placing a kiss on the spot.

 

~

 

'No less pleasant a thought?'  Well, that said a lot about what Blueblood was getting into.  There was something slightly worried in him, probably that instinctive conservatism he mentioned earlier, but it was hard to muster any really serious objections from the rest of him as Star leaned close into him.  The lick and kiss served to silence the last dissenting voices within in his head, and he returned it with the ardor of a stallion who has committed to a course and burned his ships, as it were.

 

"Mmm... I would have been a fool to let you go, in any case."  He leaned his head on her shoulder, content for the moment to feel her warmth against him.  This would have been fine, except that his mouth seemed unable to leave the silence alone for too long.  "I have always regarded pegasi as the most attractive of ponies, but I'm not sure why."

 

~

 

The mare blushed brightly at the second to last comment... and nearly turned into a nova herself with the addition of the last. Her body this time visibly twitched as she shuffled her hooves. She extended her wings, and slowly closed them around both the prince and herself in an embrasse. "That is usually a common trend I believe. Perhaps it is the wings of some, and the aerodynamics of others?" She hummed softly.

 

Her wings were large. Almost belonging to a griffon. But her body obviously didn't have the slim features of most pegasus whom were speed demons.

 

~

 

OK, now it was official.  Amazonian size difference or not, Star Crusader was cute as all get out when embarrassed!  Blueblood felt as if he had discovered a new and verdant continent as this revelation dawned on him.  He was on to a good thing, and he knew it.  All the more so as he felt the embrace of her wings wrap around him and hold him tight.  Up until now, he hadn't realized how much he liked being so embraced.

 

"Yes... I think it is the wings.  There's something to be said for an extra pair of hugging extremeties."  He reached up a hoof to lightly brush along her feathers; from the feel of them, this was not a mare who neglected their preening.  "Maybe it's also the defined musculature as well..."  He mused, as his hoof traced to where the wing joint met the flight muscles, lightly massaging them.

 

~

 

The mare took a moment to peak under her wings when he felt some movement and her feathers being rustled just lightly. Though she let out a startled gasp when the stallion pushed down on the wing's joint. Given the amount of strength needed to lift the mare up into the sky, and from the lack of slacking off... they tend to be quite receptive to a massage Even if meager.

 

The Limb shook and apparently locked up, with the mare gritting her teeth as she seemed to have lost control of the rustling wing.

 

~

 

"Whoa!"  Blueblood started a bit at the sudden reaction, but kept his hoof on the spot as Star's wing shook.  "You like that?"  He asked, a little tentatively as he resumed hoof movements.  He was not an expert masseuse, by any means, operating only on instinct and vaguely remembered tidbits from when he received them himself.  He knew that muscles felt harder when they were tense, and one should then rub and knead the hard spots until they weren't tense anymore, but that was about it.

 

He decided that the best course of action would be to supplement his lack of action by adding two hooves.  This would allow him to reach both wing muscles at once... or would if he could position himself right.  He couldn't quite reach around from the front.

 

~

 

The wing now went limp as she thumped a hoof into the ground. Her jaw remained clinched as she shuddered a bit more violently. "Y-yes... it feels -RFf" Though... it seems that the mare has an understanding that the male seemed to want to continue with his new discovery... or maybe her hoofs just gave out on her.

 

Yes... that last one was more likely the answer as she immediately slumped forward. Her head crashing into the table, before her chest met the ground. It also seemed that the table might have been harmed more than the mare.... she didn't quite notice the fact that she had just knocked her head on a hard surface.

 

~

 

The drop was a sudden one, pulling Blueblood now completely out of the chair with a snap of a leg.  The chair's, fortunately, not his own.  And the table was now a completely lost cause, it never having stood a structural chance in the fight between the tag team of Star Crusader and gravity.

 

The Prince might conceivably have been more upset if it had been his furniture, but as it was, his only concern after picking himself up was to check for splinters in himself and his mare friend.   Finding none, he took advantage of his new vantage point to renew his amateur massage.  "There we go..."  He stood on his hind legs, leaning into his work as he spoke.  "You don't get this done very often, do you?"

 

~

 

The mare found herself blushing even brighter now while she was on her stomach now that Blueblood was on her back. She could have easily shrugged him off if she wanted too... but she didn't. She just stayed put with her eyes looking up and back to the prince. She twitched once more when she felt the hooves return to her wings.

 

Once again she lets out a deep guttural groan as her hoof clawed a small gouge in the hardwood floor. Her wings once again locked up a bit at the touch... but it wouldn't take much more than a harsh rub to disengage them. Heck... given the mare's body... the prince could easily chance getting a bit more rough if need be.

 

"N-no... never."

 

~

 

If you had to choose a first subject for your massage practice, you couldn't get more ideal than Star Crusader.  For one thing, the larger scale she was built on made the process simpler, like larger letters when you're first learning to read.  The well-defined muscles that were also a helpful visual aid to Blueblood as he proceeded, gaining more confidence, and force, as he went on.

 

"I think..."  He grunted in effort as his ministrations allowed her wings to relax again.  "I think it might be a good idea to massage out this tension regularly.  Can't... ngh, trust muscles if there's too much tension built up in them.  They don't... move so smoothly."

 

By this time, he was actually starting to climb on top of her; since her back gave him enough room to perch on.  Maybe four hooves could be applied to this task as well?  One way to find out...

 

~

 

The mare let out a long hiss of delight as her wings were now forced into relaxing. They spread out across the floor motionless, only twitching and curling when the stallion struck the right nerves and tendons. But when she felt the stallion climb ontop of him, she opened her eyes to look up to him once more. Though the blush hadn't faded, she still held a hint of curiosity in what he was doing.

 

 

~

 

Seeing the look of curiosity in Star's face, Blueblood tried to give her a reassuring look as he tried to get a solid footing on top of her.  "Just hold on a moment, I think I've got this..."  And with one last pull, he managed to finally get on top, standing with his forehooves near her wing joints, and hind hooves by her flanks.

 

Position secured, he began to set to work again, this time trying to use all four hooves to massage the muscles under them.  It seemed to work, in so far as the muscles were a large enough target for him not to miss the tension in them, though it was anypony's guess as to how long he could maintain his footing...

 

~

 

The mare's ears perked as she felt more weight step up onto her back. Two hooves dangerously close to invading privacy, and the other two hooves where they were origionally. She gritted her teeth as he now began to knead at her back like a cat.

 

It didn't take much longer for a soft crick to sound, follow by a loud crunch as her spine was being reworked with some tension being released. Who knew carrying a heavy shield and armor every day, all day could cause so much stress?

 

~

 

There was a slight pause in the action as Star Crusader's spine shifted audibly.  Blueblood's heart actually jumped at the unexpected sound, and he was for a moment frightened that he'd actually broken something.  Said fear was absurd, but he had to take a deep breath before continuing.

 

"I don't think backs are supposed to do that.  Really, we've got to make this a more regular thing."  He shifted back slightly, to get at a few more knots of tension.  Even for him, there was something therapeutic in kneading her muscles muscles back into a relaxed state, he could only imagine what it must feel like for her...

 

~

 

The mare shuddered more with a bit of saliva leaking from her jaw. Her hooves dug into the floor once more as another loud crack sounded from her spine. "ERFh.. a-as you wish," She groaned. Right now... she couldn't even recognize her own spine... it felt more wry and springy than it ever had before.

 

~

 

Blueblood was beginning to realize that... he was actually pretty decent at this whole massage thing.  Feeling a mare shudder under the ministrations of one's hooves was an immensely encouraging experience.  Still, that wasn't to deny that it wasn't hard work easing out year's worth of accumulated tension.

 

He closed his eyes to concentrate on the feel of it, which turned out to be a mistake, as he took one step backward too many and began to slip off.  "Wha-!"  He immediately tried to seize hold of Star to keep himself from falling off completely, which worked temporarily, but left him precariously situated

 

~

 

The mare's eyes quickly shot open as her blush returned almost immediately as a hungry dog on the dinner bell. The prince's shuffling did leave him precauriously situated... though that might not be all too much of a problem in most cases. Possibly the problem would be if the mare took the prince's first step for pony kind on the moon a bit violently. A slap from her would likely feel like a dragon slaming into his cheek.

 

But instead she only turned even red enough that her ears changed hues. Her eyes quickly shot back to see what exactly was going on. Though she remained silent, it was pretty clear she was unsure exactly what to do here. That's not saying she hadn't knocked somepony across the head for coping a feel

 

~

 

Both were quite unsure what to do next.  Gravity was not on Blueblood's side if he wanted to go up, and going down would probably be considered taking liberties.  But, when physics leaves you only one option...  "Erm, I'm going to climb down now, alright?  That's all.  Nothing... more."

 

~

 

It took some time for Crusader to finally respond but... she bit back instinct and gave a flick of an ear. "You're... alright..."

 

~

 

It was a bit of a tense wait, given that his hold was becoming less sure by the second, but having been assured of safety in proceeding, Blueblood began to dismount.  He had to admit to a temptation to linger, but he suppressed that, not wanting to make the situation that much more awkward.  

 

Of course, after fully dismounting, he realized that he might possibly have asked to go further without too much risk, but it seemed... ungentlecoltly to take advantage of the situation like that.  "There.  Does that... feel better?"

 

~

 

The stallion's action was not exactly what she meant, but reguardless she accepted it with grattitude anyways. She wasn't sure her body could get any redder without becoming a tomato.

 

She slowly pushed herself up to her hooves, and craned back like a streatching cat. her wings rose up high in the air and strained themselves for a moment till she stood up in a relaxed stance.

 

"Yes, much better..." she hummed softly. She twisted her body about to test the new sensations... even though it took a moment of rediscovery to figure out how to control her muscles while they were so... relaxed.

"It is a shame I can't return the favor so easily."

 

~

 

The embarrassment began to slowly fade from the room, along with Star's blush.  Blueblood stepped back, both to give himself some air, and to admire his work.  Star Crusader's stretches were certainly a pleasing sight, both in themselves and as evidence of a job well done.  He had to chuckle at the thought of her returning the favor, though.

 

"Yes... I imagine there might be a little difficulty there, but if I'm being honest, some days I feel that it might take a strength like yours to get all the stress out."  He stepped back some more by the edge of the bed, eyes beginning to take in the wreckage they'd made of the rest of the furniture in the room.

 

"Hm... there's no easy cleanup of this."

 

 

~

 

"If you wish, I can always give it a try..." She then tilted her head with a grimace. The image of Blueblood's face reflecting off of a grape as her hoof just... fell on it made a very unpleasant sight. "However... I am not sure if me being careful would prevent any injury."

 

She then looked down to the broken chair. Her lips pursing lightly. "Well... it's not the mess he was talking about I am sure..." She hummed. Her hoof soon scooped up the leg for closer inspection.

 

~

 

"Well... hm."  Blueblood had to admit, the same images were crossing his mind as they crossed Crusader's.  "Perhaps later, when you have more room to maneuver."

 

He levitated a piece of the splintered chair back closer for inspection.  "Hm... Star, do you have any slivers stuck in you?"  He asked, somewhat concerned.  The ones he was seeing looked... painful.

 

~

 

The mare shook her head softly, "No. Not that I am aware of." She then picked up the chair and slowly moved it to the other side of the room. IT will have to be dealt with later it seems. "But I am sure we will still have to reimburse him a chair.

 

~

 

The Prince nodded.  "I'll pay it out of the usual budget."  Intra-nobility property damage reimbursements, colloquially known as 'Party Funds,' were common in noble houses.  After all, if you decided to turn a chap's greenhouse upside-down as a drunken jape, well!  Some things were better left out of the courts.

 

Blueblood's had just now fully recovered from that disastrous Gala five years ago.  A good chair would be small change.  He yawned, feeling the pressure on his inner ears increase.  "Hm, I think we may be close to arriving."

 

~

 

The mare soon raised a hoof, and made a little view slot in the curtains for her to peek through. Sure enough, she saw the familiar  rolling Hinterlands down below.

 

There were high rise plateaus with water falls running down it's sides. Tall green trees here and there. Judging by how far they are...

 

"We have been here for some time... the pull of the shift to the starboard suggest he's been circling around every so often to find a place to land. It looks like he's just going to land the ship in the nearby lake."

 

~

 

The circling had been gentle enough to not cause Blueblood to become sick, so the Prince had to extend that much credit to Java's piloting skills.  "An aquatic landing, eh?  I'd rather like to be on deck for that."  

 

He cast the broken furniture aside, getting to his hooves.  "Shall we take in the scenery?"

 

~

 

The mare nodded with a thin smile and soon sauntered to the door. She pushed the door open with her wing and waited for the Prince to step through patiently.

 

"I am surprised for someone that does not like airships, would like to see a touchdown in water. Especially when most airships aren't exactly designed for such a landing.

 

~

 

Blueblood ducked under her wing, though he would have preferred to walk side by side with her.  The narrow apertures of the ship rather prevented that, though, so he took the lead.

 

"Well, I know vessels of the floating kind better, and I can keep my head in a sinking boat better than a sinking airship.  After all, I'm a better swimmer than I am a flyer."  He chuckled at his own joke as he climbed up to the deck, taking a look at just where Star had selected for their picnic...

 

~

 

The lake that she had mentioned was incredibly large. The ship had only just reached the edge of it on it's oncoming... slow decent.  It lowered enough to just hover over the mass of water as it surfed through the air closer to shore.

 

And when it finally neared, there was a dead silence. The howeling winds quickly died down to just a soft whisper as the earth pony began to skillfully manuver the ship. It seems that the precarious location of the Helm, situated right over a metal floor that allowed the pilot to see all the way through the bottom of the ship was quite an advantage ontop of the helm being located at the front instead of near the aft.

 

Perhaps it was also helping that the Stallion was following the guidance of his feline companion, whom was chirping away feverishly as she looked over the edge of the ship. When he was drawing closer to a more optimal configuration... her chirping quickly sped up.

 

Then finally... there was a soft touch down as the airship finally splashed into the water. There was a soft wake created by the ship, enough to splash the lake's bank... but nothing major.

 

~

 

It wasn't exactly the same as setting hoof upon the dry earth again, but upon feeling the impact of the water upon the hull, Blueblood felt just that much more secure.  The weird, floaty feeling in his legs went away, and he could walk across the deck with a visibly more confident stride.  "Quite the first mate you've got there, Java!"  He called out, chipper as ever.

 

"Do you want help with the basket, Star?"  He asked over his shoulder, before turning back to take in the view.  The glade was... peaceful.  That was the best way of describing it.  He could well believe that druids frequented the place; it had that 'sacred grove' vibe to it.

 

 

~

 

The stallion grinned as Sine the Serval hopped up onto a nearby railing and gave the white buck a friendly "YAAR~"

 

"Yeeah, well she hates being couped up in Canterlot for long. Anywhere I go, she wants to go."

 

The Mare strode along the deck with a soft shake in her head. She had the basket balancing on her back between her wings. "No need. I can carry it on my back like so. Now... there are many places to choose from. I think I will let you pick."

 

~

 

He nodded.  It made sense, really.  Servals were wild creatures, not adapted to the urban environment.  Honestly, the Prince was surprised that 'regrettable instances' hadn't occurred from Java keeping a wild feline about his house!  Still, as long as the cat didn't bother him and Star, it could get all the fresh air it liked

 

"Hm, alright then..."  And with Star close behind with the picnic basked Blueblood trotted off down the gangplank to the lake shore, scouting the area.  The woods were not tightly spaced, allowing a generous amount of sunlight to filter through the canopy.  The underbrush was, in fact, probably not natural forest, but cleared out regularly in a kind of land management, possibly for the very purpose of picnics.

 

Which left a bevy of possible spots.  Blueblood eventually chose the crest of a gently sloping hill, somewhat more clear of trees, save one big oak in the center.  "This looks like a good spot, I'd say.  What do you think?"

 

~

 

"It looks perfect." The mare hummed after inspecting the nearby surroundings. "Gives a great view of the beauty around us."

 

~

 

"True.  You can just see the lake in that direction, while the mountains are more off to the west.  Beautiful day, too."  The Prince gauged the sky.  He knew maritime weather better than continental, but the heavens promised fine weather.

 

He magically began to lift the blanket kept on top of the basket, spreading it out before them.  "There we are..."  He settled down, reclining with a sigh of relaxation.

 

 

~

 

The mare soon settled herself down onto the blanket. Choosing to rest on her stomach to bring herself eye level with the prince, while also sitting at her side. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she stared out to the wilderness beyond.

 

This was... oddly more plesant than she had initially thought.

 

~

 

This choice of date venue was inspired.  It was hard, sometimes, to realize just how much daily stress that Canterlot could heap upon one; the constant city noises, social cares, awareness of all the ponies about watching you... Out here, Blueblood not only felt peaceful, but... free.  Free as a zoo animal released from its exhibit, if only for a day.

 

He looked over at Star, smiling.  "Thank you; I don't know if I would have thought to come out here, myself.  The air here... there's something... restorative about it.  Maybe it's just the quiet."

 

~

 

The mare's smile widened a bit more, it seems her stoicness had waned a bit more as the smile was more apparent. A joke crossed her mind as she turned her head to the buck. "Perhaps it's from the distinct lack of ponies breathing down your neck on a daily basis?"

 

~

 

"Hm, maybe... though I can feel one pony's breath there now, and I find I don't mind that so much."  His smile spread into a grin in response to her joviality.  Star had been growing more expressive lately; it made Blueblood briefly wonder if she had much to smile about regularly before.

 

Actually, why not ask?  "You've been smiling a lot more lately yourself.  I have to say, I've been glad to see you get more practice."

 

~

 

The mare's lips soon defaulted into a purse as she mulled over the response. "Mm... perhaps? It's easier to relax near those you're more familiar with."

 

~

 

Blueblood had to agree.  "You're right.  I was accused of being a stiff stuck-up, rightly enough, before I found a few ponies I was comfortable enough to relax with.  Although... I did end up getting bent out of shape a few times before that."

 

He looked back over the lake, thinking through the course of his life up to now.  To say that it was bumpy would be an understatement, but he was prepared to call it 'worth it,' right here and now.  "What about you, Star?  Have you made many friends to relax around?"

 

~

 

"I'd be lying if I said yes." She then tilted her head a bit. "Most of the friends I have made are on the job. A few griffons from their patroling stations near mine, during rotation. One particular odd ball named Reeva has a very sarcastic humor. Then of course there are the ponies from the other shifts. In short... hardly a time to relax. But I've managed."

 

~

 

"Ah.  Well, hopefully, once we incorporate more honor guards, you'll have more time.  I might introduce you to a few ponies I know as well.  I know I've promised Fleur to take you by her jewelry shop sometime; she helped me pick out the brooch."

 

He looked over to see it, still shining as she wore it.  "Of course, we're not going to be able to keep this a secret forever.  Hopefully, you don't mind being involved with... everything that comes with my position."

 

 

~

 

"I am sure I will manage, there is no amount of preparation that can help me from a nosy camera, or jealous mares..." The mare hummed softly, her eyes dancing along the cloud line now

 

~

 

Blueblood nodded.  "Indeed not, other than dealing with the sort day in and day out.  One does get used to it after a while."  His eyes drifted alongside hers on the cloudline for a silent moment, as he enjoyed simply being next to Star.

 

Soon, however, the not-unpleasant emptiness which is the herald of lunchtime made its presence known.  "So... what have we got in the basket?"

 

~

 

The mare  soon flipped the lid with her wing exposing it's contents. "I've packed a few sandwitches, a potato salad, and some fruits for our lunch today."

 

 

~

 

"Hm, that sounds good."  He helped unpack the basket, lifting the items magically and setting them out.  There was also a large bottle of lemonade; one of those fancy ones designed to keep the liquids in them hot or cold.  One of Java's handiwork, no doubt.

 

"Ah..."  Blueblood smacked his lips after the first few bites of his sandwich.  "Quite well made.  Tasty, but not so messy the condiments get everywhere.  Do you have much experience in packing for picnics?  Growing up, I mean.  I guess packing field rations would teach you much the same."

 

 

~

 

The mare tilted her head in thought. "Picnics? No... packing field rations are more along the lines of packing food stuffs that do not perish and can be eatten in the middle of a fight in a hurry. Typically things like Limbas bread, hard tacs, and crackers."

 

She then lifted a sandwhich, and unwrapped it. "No... though I did learn how to make decent food growing up. We do our own cleaning, cooking, and house work."

 

~

 

Blueblood nodded.  It made sense; if rations regularly packed by the guards were like this, Equestria would be sending battalions of replete gourmands into battle.  Not to say that their relative performance would suffer much...

 

Probably best not to mention that.  Instead, he steered for another subject as he poured out a glass of lemonade.  "So... tell me a little bit more about growing up in Fet Loch.  Java's told me a bit from his perspective, and it sounded like the complete opposite of how I grew up.  What... what do you remember most about the house?"

 

~

 

The mare hummed softly as her eyes rolled back in thought. "Mmm... the house is fairly free minded. We were allowed to have our own views on things, our opinions were respected, and questions were answered honestly... there were absolutely no barriers regarding age to the answers."

 

She then tilted her head, "We were allowed to see to our own devices... within reason. We wouldn't be able to commit a heinous crime. But if we did something wrong, we weren't shielded from the consequences."

 

She then took a bite from her sandwhich. A small one... if small was a way of saying half the sandwitch. Once she swallowed she continued. "We earned most of our keep as well. We were provided the basics... but if we wanted anything more, we had to do it ourselves. Looking back, it was a strange way to grow up... But I suppose life is the best teacher."

 

~

 

"Though that is not to say that it's not a dangerous way of life. Java was nearly killed by giant spiders. My mother wrestled bears to pass time. And I usually found myself in a state of being normally inoptimal."

 

~

 

Blueblood raised a brow over his cup.  "I have a hard time connecting you with the word 'inoptimal', Star."  His look was slightly amused, fading into something more thoughtful as he reminisced.

 

"It was very different for me.  I was hardly ever left to my now devices, partly through sheltering, and partly through pretty much all the 'Princely duties' my mother and father introduced me to.  I knew from the start it wasn't normal.  They both repeatedly emphasized that it wasn't."

 

He shrugged.  "Some things I didn't mind.  You always want to feel grown-up when you're young, and my father helping me do the same sort of things he did really did make feel like an adult.  Didn't do much for my attitude, though.  And you know?  I never did like the sort of ponies we always found ourselves around.  I think I saw through most of the sycophants early, and then assumed that any pony trying to approach royalty was one of them."

 

He opened the potato salad, pausing for a moment in silence before going on.  "I tried to run away once."  He said, suddenly.  "I... don't think I've told that to any pony before.  I might have to Java, I can't remember; I wanted to run away to sea.  I always loved sailing; and some days I dreamed of getting out of that stuffy life into a new one."

[Blueblood]

The mare nodded respectfully. Perhaps she didn't see the word "running away" in such a severe light as most others do. "It's respectable that you attempted to cut the leash early. But where would you have gotten the ship to be off to sea with?"

~

"Baltimare.  I had it all planned out.  Well, as planned out as you could expect from a runaway foal.  I'd heard stories of colts my age signing up to be cabin boys, and rising through the ranks to be captain of their own ship.  I snuck aboard a train bound for the coast early one morning... nearly made it, too, before the guards they sent after me caught up."

He snorted, half-amused, half regretful.  "I honestly don't know if I could have actually gotten a berth on a merchant marine ship.  Though... I can't help but wonder, sometimes, just how my life would have been if I'd made it.  I didn't have much choice afterwards; my parents doubled down on security and scheduling so there was no hope of escape."

~

The mare gave a brief nod, "But now you are your own buck, yes?" THe mare asked. "You are capable of making your own choices, and let your decisions steer the course of your life."

~

"I suppose...."  It took a lot for him to get out of harbor, as it were, but Star was right.  He was able now to choose his course... but still, there were courses that were once open to him that no longer were.  But, if he had taken them, would he have ended up right here and now?

It was an interesting question, but not a fruitful one.  He took out another sandwich.  "Say, I've always been curious.  You and Java grew up in Fet Loch; when did you lose the accent?"

~

The mare tilted her head a bit in thought. "I suppose the accent fades when you've lived in other locations long enough. I've served in the force for years... so I have spent plenty of time away from home."

~

"I don't know... I've seen many an expatriate keep theirs, even after years of living away from their birthplace."  Blueblood finished a second sandwich as he tried to think of a reason to account for the difference.  "I suppose it was a matter of defiance.  Or, maybe because they were in a small neighborhood of ponies from the same place, they could reinforce each other."

"I suppose it doesn't really matter; I was just kind of curious as to how you'd handle a Fet Loch brogue."

~

The mare gave a brief shrug. "It's an honest question. Just sadly I really don't know how to answer it."

~

"Fair enough."  Blueblood washed down the last of his second sandwich with a gulp of lemonade, before nibbling on some of the fruit.  The conversation had fallen into a lull, so he merely relaxed against Star Crusader's side.

~

The mare opened up her wing, and brought it around the male. A thin smile appeared on her lips as she glanced down to the prince, then turned to look to the sky again.

"So why not go sailing? You do have princely responsibilities... yes... but the impact is not severe."

~

Mmm... He loved feeling her wing around him, the way she could hold him tight... and really, the fact that she was so much larger than him.  He wasn't sure if it was because Star's body type was the one he was attracted to, or whether his tastes were actually conforming to where his affections lay.  Possibly both.

"Oh, I do go out when I can.  Short trips mostly, but I try to make it out to Rome or Calnais at least once a year.  I'll have to take you on one of my trips, actually.  I find it's a good way to make or solidify friendships.  Risk of pirates notwithstanding."  He snorted.  "Did I tell you about the time Dunder and I ran into a Maretonian boarding party?"

~

The mare smiled softly, "Given my current career decision, I am afraid you won't have much other choice than to take me with you." She then tried to scour through her memory about any stories of Dunder the prince may have told her. Unfortunately, the few that she managed to recall definitely were of nothing of that nature.

"And... no I don't believe you have. What happened?

~

"Hm, that's true!  Well, here's to our next trip, then."  He smiled up at her, before she asked about the story.  Right, so he hadn't told her.  Blueblood wasn't exactly sure how she'd react to the story, but he went ahead with it anyway.

"So, apparently, this Kastrotian noble was going around, more or less kidnapping other stallions for his daughter.  Either to serve in her harem or as her political pawns.  Possibly both, it wasn't very clear.  We managed to escape them at first... mostly by sinking our boat out from underneath them.  In retrospect, that was not a viable long-term strategy, since the only other ship around for three leagues was theirs.  So, we got picked up anyway.

"The whole experience was... well, I don't know if it was as frightening as the Crystal Empire, but facing the very real possibility of ending up on a slave trader's auction block was uniquely disturbing."  Even the distance of time had not quite robbed the memory of its power to place a sick feeling in the Prince's stomach.

"Fortunately, we managed to make a break for it after they stopped to re-stock at the Gallopagos.  Set the ship on fire before diving overboard, in order to distract them.  Had to float on a broken off piece of the railing before one of the local fishers picked us up.  They got away before we could get word to the Navy post, though; I'm not sure how.  Wind conjuration, possibly."

~

The mare blinked and looked down to the buck in surprise. That... was one way to go through an adventure it seems. And plenty of foolish decisions have been made. But what about Dunder? He had wings...

"I assume... Dunders wings were damaged?"

~

"No, his wings were fine.  It was just that, when we first encountered them, it was too far for him to fly for shore without leaving me behind.  It never entered his head to."  He looked up at Star, a little bit of a sheepish smile on his face.

"I know I may have complained of his attitude from time to time, but I've few friends more loyal than him."

~

The mare chuckled softly, "Well I've seen you complain about things improper." The mare then raised a brow with a smile. "I also vaguely remember a day when you've made a dreary comment about a salad being soggy."

~

"Really?"  Blueblood couldn't help but wonder under what circumstances that had occurred.  He had a vague recollection that it was associated with a shipboard meal, but that was it.  "I can't say I recall that particular circumstance.  In any case... I suppose I can't throw too many stones about improper behavior."

He considered the point, and it's implications.  "I suppose one could define friends as ponies who can annoy each other without becoming enemies."

~

Leo Cyrule raised a brow to the stallion at that. It seems that the mare was silently insinuating the fault behind that sort of logic. Because that could easily mean that just about every pony who annoys anypony are friends.

~

The Prince took in the eyebrow, catching its meaning.  "Ah, right.  But you see what I mean.  One... accepts irritants without taking offense.  That was the first obstacle to my getting friends for years, always taking offense.  Oftentimes on presumption."

~

The mare gave a nod, and lifted another sandwitch from the box. She took another (small bite) descimating half of the sandwhich in one go. "You have made a change for the better though. A healthy one, and one I am sure your auntie approves of greatly."

~

"I know.  She's told me as much."  The past, as the proverb-writer said, was past.  When one had made a needed change, what reason was there to dwell upon it?  Especially when the here and now was a much better place to be.

"Tell me though," Blueblood turned the subject brightly, as he began to rummage about the basket for the dessert.  "When I finally worked up the nerve to tell you that, well, that I had fallen in love with you," It still sounded slightly odd to say it, possibly because he'd early thought himself disillusioned on such stuff, "What was it that led you to reciprocate?"

~

The mare blushed now. That... was a question she didn't even have an answer to. It was easily seen by her fumbling of her hooves as she tried to think of something. But the only thing she conjured up... was one tempest of a migrane from delving into the inner complexities of courtship. A difficult task for a mare learning how to be a mare.

She gave a light shake of her head with a disappointed expressions showing that she didn't know the answer. She then looked to the prince, and countered with a similar question. "What brought you to me, sir?"

~

A... non-answer.  Huh.  So, for all Blueblood knew, it could be simply because he was the first pony to ever say anything of the kind to her.  

Not the most confidence-boosting of answers, then.  Still, the Prince had his answer already.  "Well... when we first met, you were fishing me down from the antlers of the High King.  I knew then that... whatever happened next, I couldn't make a bigger fool of myself than you'd already seen, and you didn't abandon me then.

"But that sort of came later with the whole realization.  I always admired your strength and calm; it's been an invaluable buttress to me in these past few months.  You stood fast in a haunted house, and... weren't afraid to help me, when I found myself turned into a mare.  That's probably when I started to see... the mare behind the armor."  He smiled tenderly up at her, reaching a hoof up to brush her face.  "Plus... I have to say that it didn't hurt at all that you have the looks of a marble-carved goddess.  One of the northern ones, but... I don't know, maybe I have a thing for the Valkyrie type?"

~

It... seems that the prince had managed to shut down the mare's brain. And make her about as red as a strawberry. She twitched at the various complements... but the last one was what did the trick. Poor mare... like steel in combat... but about as soft as a marshmellow to a sharp tongue.

The mare teetered... then fell over onto the buck. Lucky for him... he wasn't in her armor. So she was no where near as heavy

~

Some ponies knew that Blueblood had a silver tongue, when he chose to exercise it.  He'd been guilty of trying to use it as if it were steel in the past, but lately he'd come to appreciate that sweet talk was superior to most respects to sour words.

Take this case, for instance.  In the space of less than ten sentences, he'd gotten a mare to fall all over him.  A large mare, to be sure, but the slight tweeter had given the stallion warning enough to greet her with open hooves.

So it was that he found himself pinned under her, but still able to draw a few breaths as he embraced Star, nuzzling the curve of her neck.  "Heh, did that surprise you?  You must have known,"  He paused to shift and take in air, "I mean, you had to have seen a mirror at some point.  And I've seen pictures of you in a dress."

~

Meanwhile, back on the ship. Java was looking out to the lake, keeping an eye on his swimming feline. "I... feel like hyperdeath will greet me by the end of the day... weird."

Back to the picnic, the mare twitched softly. "No... I rarely look into the mirror." Or spend that much time in preparation for her appearance at that. Though she did pause... then lifted her head slowly. Her maw turned a deeper shade of red, "You...'ve seen pictures?"

~

Being the sort of pony to check himself fairly frequently, it always came of some surprise to the Prince when other ponies did not.  "Oh.  Well, next time... take a closer look."  He took a deep breath, and was about to return to nuzzling when Star raised her head and asked about the pictures.

"Um, yes.  Your brother showed me one or two... from his trip to a harvest festival."  He added hastily, becoming aware that this might not be news conducive to the health of a certain stallion.

~

The Mare's brother may indeed find himself waking up in another world. For better or worse will be left unknown by the mare's silent anger. The invisible rage.

It took a while for her to make a sound, "eh..." was the only thing she could make, before a coherent sentence was formed. "I.... suppose I can wear it for you one day then."

~

Was... she angry?  Blueblood wasn't sure, and that was not a safe thing to be unsure about.  But unless he was sorely mistaken, Star wasn't angry at him, and that was the important part.

"Well, I look forward to it then.  Perhaps at the Grand Galloping Gala?  I haven't taken any pony there for... well, ever, actually."

~

"If you wish to keep it a surprise. But I am off duty today as well..." Even though in the guard's eyes that simply meant that she was supposed to look less intimidating. ""But I can also wear it when we get back if you request."

~

Hm... that was a dilemma.  Keep a dramatic surprise for a public revelation at the Grand Galloping Gala, or see a great sight now.  "Well, I think I should like to you for myself.  In fact, when the Gala itself comes, I think I might commission something extra special for you, now that I've made amends with Rarity...."

~

Crusader raised a brow, "The marshmallow," The mare asked. It seems to be a common slang admist the ranks of the REA. "I wasn't aware she made dresses for larger mares," She hummed softly tilting her head briefly. Though she wonder what such an order placement would be like to a mare whom often worked with normal sized mares, or skinnier.

~

It was the first time that the Prince had heard the nickname for Rarity that circulated the barracks, and therefore he was not quite able to suppress an undignified smirk.  "Marshmallow?  Heh, I never saw her as that soft."  His experience, to be fair, might be regarded as unrepresentative...

"I don't know if she does as a regular thing, but she'll do bespoke tailoring for, well, any pony who's willing to pay a fair price.  As I, ah, happen to know from personal experience..."  Now it was his turn for a blush to start creeping in.  It had been an... odd experience, patronizing her store so soon after dealing with a sudden shift in gender.

~

The mare raised a brow, then held a thin smile. "Well if you care for the dress so much, I'm sure you could still wear it without me mentioning it to another," It was a teasing remark. But truth be told, as an honor guard she is sworn to never speak of anything, even if it was murder, from the houses that she watched over.

~

His blush deepened even further.  "Well, it would, er, you know, depend on whether I woke up as a stallion or mare on the day of the Gala, you know."  Although Rarity had sent him a dress cut to his stallion measurements as a kind of pointed joke.  He'd buried that deep within the closets of his manor.  As far as he knew, no pony else had found it...

~

The mare kept the thin smile. "I don't recall you feeling so embarassed over topics of this manner," The mare then slowly tilted her head. "I believe I have known you well enough to predict your reactions. Are you hiding something, Blueblood?"

~

Blueblood sometimes forgot that being a guard meant training in investigation as well as combat.  He wasn't sure how well her interrogation technique would work on a perp, but it was sure making him sweat.

"Ah, well, it's just..."  His blush deepened.  "I had... kind of been hoping that I would wake up as a mare at the day of the Gala?  I mean, just because... the dresses I got from Rarity look so much better than the best stuff I could get as a stallion..."  His eyes looked shocked at what his mouth was saying.  What was going on?

~

Star Crusader allowed her expression to relax as she tapped her chin, studying the guard. There might have been a light flicker in her eye as a small realization finally found it's way into her head. "Young Prince. I won't judge you if you decide to wear the dress as a stallion tonight. Though I would be lying if I said I was not interested in such a sight."

~

There was hardly a shade of red to describe the blush across the Prince's face right now.  "Er, um, thank you."  He managed to get out at last, trying not to curl up in a ball of embarrassment.

"And... I have to say, you've been... wonderful, through all these changes that I've had to deal with lately.  You wouldn't think... that one's mere body shape would have such an affect upon the brain, but there you are."  He paused, as a memory began to surface.  "Actually... Twilight did warn me about something like that.  But I didn't think much of it at the time."

~

The mare would be grinning... assuming such a thing would be physically possible for her maw. She cooly lets her next sentence pour out of her mouth, while she gives the stallion a small nuzzle.

"Would you like to wear it?"

~

Blueblood had to take a few deep breaths before continuing.  If it weren't for Star, being right there, he wasn't sure if he would be able to keep it together.  "I, ah, actually already have one in... my current measurements.  Lady Rarity sent it to me before... we made nice.  As a sort of prank, I assume."

~

The mare chuckled softly, and planted a kiss on the stallion's head. "And I assume it was a prank that backfied then?"

~

"Well..."  Blueblood did manage to return the smile, and the kiss, the mare's presence beginning to calm his raging blush.  "I'm quite proud of how I managed to control my reaction at the time... I didn't put it on, though."   But, he still kept it, for whatever reason.  It would have been tough to give away, and somewhat gauche to simply destroy.  Rarity never did bad work, after all, and it went against the Prince's instincts to destroy art.

[Blueblood]

"Curious," The mare began with a thoughtful expression. Her perceptive gaze looking down to the male leaning on her side. "What is the purpose of adding the phrase 'I didn't put it on though' to that sentence?"

~
 "Er..."  Blueblood's face betrayed incomprehension at both the question and its motivation.  "Statement of historical fact?  I couldn't tell you how it looked, or even if it fit!"
~

The mare now tilts her head with a concerned look. Previously she had been teasing him. Now she's starting to detect something off. A driving force inside the male that seemed... unnatural. Perhaps it is genuine? No... no... this was born from something else.

"Prince... have... you noticed any thoughts that may not have been your own?"
~

The Prince could sense her concern, and given the things he'd experienced, he could also see the reason for it.  "Um..."  He tried to think; were there any obvious signs of dark possession?  And could he even find them if he tried?

Or... wait, maybe she was meaning something else?  "Well... it's kind of been hard to tell, lately.  I mean, what with being tossed around by a dark-mage led army, and swapping genders back and forth shortly thereafter... I will say, I've come to look at things a lot differently than I used to after all that."
~

The mare raised a hoof to her chin, thinking quietly to herself to see what she could do to test this theory. Unfortunately... nothing actually came up in mind. She... hardly knew how to be a mare in the first place... so it was an odd topic.

"How differently?"
~

"Well..."  Blueblood's brow furrowed in thought.  "I... feel more distant to my past self.  Like I couldn't go back to being that kind of a snob even if I wanted to.  And... well, experiencing life as a mare means that I don't look at them the same way, necessarily.  I can pick up on the tells a little better, you know?  Not so mysterious, I mean."  He shrugged.  "It's like... I have an inside view into the head of a mare?"

~

"I see..." The mare hummed softly. Her eyes scanned the buck for a moment with a few thoughts rolling in her head. "And sir, if I may. How did you come across this curse again? I believe I was never informed of the details."
~

Prince Blueblood was puzzled; surely he'd told Star Crusader how it all happened... right?  He'd explained it so many times that his memory had blurred upon the subject.  In any case, he didn't mind going through it at least one more time for her.

"Well... as far as I can understand the magical... mechanics of it, after I fell ill following the little trip to Los Pegasus with Auntie Luna, Twilight cast a general body-restoration spell on me.  And it worked... insofar that it restored my body into that of a healthy mare.  Apparently it was my sneeze that threw the spell out of alignment, or some such"
~

The mare's brow fell flat as she heard the name Twilight once more... and then the added benefit of 'her trying to solve a problem'. Yes... even her reputation has grown into a fierce something with the royal equestrian military. For the better or worse.

"Twilight? She seems to have a terrible hbbit of using complicated means to solve problems. No offense sir... but taking a general solution to an illness is like taking all the antidotes because the poison is unidentified. Which would result in a terrible consequence."
~

"Well... yes.  And I vaguely remember her warning me about something like that after I sent for her.  But I was seriously ill, wanted to get better, and hang the consequences."  He cleared his throat, blushing.  "I... suppose I've learned my lesson there.  Twilight will have a solution, but beware the side effects."
~

"I'm sure she will have a solution... I just worry what she might do when the simple solution is to tie two objects together."
~

Blueblood blinked, looking up at Star.  "Tie two objects together...?  I'm not quite sure what you mean."
~

"Tie two objects together, an age old solution," The mare hummed softly. "To prevent a boat from drifting away out to sea, you teather it to a post. To make a survival spear, you tie a sharp object to the end of a shaft. To keep a dog from running amuck, you tie a leash to it's collar."
~

Blueblood nodded, but comprehension was still absent from his eyes.  "Alright, yes... but I still fail to see how that's relevant in how I'm going to deal with, well, Bluebelle-"

His speech paused suddenly, as he felt a chill in his core.  Realization was beginning to dawn on him.  "Tether... two objects... two... of us, or me, or what?"  His voice drew up sharply, both in volume and pitch.
~

The mare blinked when she turned his head back to the young prince. She raised a brow in confusion to his increasingly frantic rambling. "... is something wrong?"
~

"Wrong?"  Blueblood's head whipped around to meet Star's gaze, but he paused before going on, to try and calm down, catch his breath.  After a few deep intakes of breath, his brain and mouth began working.  He still rambled, though, as they both were pretty much neck and neck at this point.

"I mean, that's the question, the point of it.  The weird thing from the first was just how weird it didn't feel, which led Twilight to think that I was harboring some kind of repressed desire or other."  He rolled his eyes at the memory of that first argument.  "In any case, though... if that notion's still in her head... I'm not sure now what her idea of a solution *is*."
~

The mare flinched with a worried look after seeing the stallion's head whip around with speed. It was like she was worried that it'd suddenly go flying off with the way he turned on her.

But... then he appeared to be calming down, and the mare moved to pull a container of fluid out of the basket. She quietly poured it as she listened to the Prince, then closed it.

Once he was done, she offered him the tea. "If it is any consolation. It is possible that there might have also been some minor changes to your mentality while under the effects of the spell."

"Perhaps it is a property related to one's open mindedness?"
~

Blueblood took the tea in his magic, though he had to steady the cup in his hooves to keep it from shaking and spilling.  Goodness, he really was unnerved by the subject.  He took another deep breath, this time inhaling the aroma of the tea.  It seemed to have a calming effect upon him, and he let out a sigh.  "I... suppose.  The trouble is, those effects don't go away even when I am male.  I swear I didn't have any issues with my gender before this incident, but now... now Bluebelle never leaves my head, even when she isn't showing."

He raised the cup to his lips, to take a calming sip.  The hot liquid ran down his throat, seeming to untie the knots in his muscles on the way down.  He hummed in relaxation; his entire body felt relaxed now, and as he shifted into a comfortable position-

Her mane fell down in front of her eyes.  "Tsk"  She clicked her tongue, flicking it over her shoulder.  "Now, that's bet-"  She stopped suddenly, belated realization taking over her face.  "Oh, no... it's happened again..."
~

The mare blinked as she watched the male's hair fall to "her" shoulders now. She then clicked her tongue after lifting up the canister and observing the fluids. She's forgotten that tea has this effect on the Princess.

"Sorry sir," The mare hummed softly with a gentle bow, "it appears that the trigger has slipped my mind when I was preparing this morning."
~

"Trigger...?"  Perhaps it was a side-effect of the curse, but neither Blueblood nor Bluebelle was able to remember what the triggers to switch between them were.  "Oh, rot!"  She tossed the tea aside in a huff, careful not to splash either herself or her bodyguard.  "I can't keep them straight either.  This can't go on like this!"
~

The mare then rose up so she was now standing up straight. An unconscious act that caused her to tower over the other mare in a near heroic fashion. She placed an unarmored hoof on the other's shoulder.

"My family does sit on a large pool of research, and indexes to other's research dating back to a distant era. Of course there will be some indexes will be invalidated today... but it's worth a shot in looking to see if we can find something about your ailment."
~

Bluebelle got to her hooves as well, feeling the shadow of Star Crusader fall upon her.  Her female form wasn't all that much shorter than her male one, but Star always seemed to loom a little larger when the Prince was a Princess.  Seeing her guard in that heroic stance... she had to be honest, it made her heart warm at the sight.

"Oh, thank you!"  She stretched out, loosening her limbs after having been seated for so long.  "I probably should have started looking into a solution myself before, but... everything's been so busy."

~

The mare blinked, looking down to the stallion. It was odd that the prince hadn't actually bothered to solve this issue on his own... or started the process. But then again... she dismissed it immediately when she began to recall the schedule in the past few months.

Yeah... he really was a busy pony. It seems that she'll need to poke a few wholes in the buck's schedule to get more pressing matters done.

"It is nothing sir. I am your honor guard, it's my duty to see to your protection and needs."
~

It was not, perhaps, considered politically correct to assert that some ponies were just made to be servants rather than masters.  It cut across modern notions of social equality.  Nevertheless, there was such a thing as a servant's heart, one that could take duty as a noble and not-too-onerous yoke; and you could find them beating in ponies born into all social classes.  Heck, Star Crusader was the the daughter of a Duchess, and here she was!

"Heh, every time you say that, I ask myself what I did to deserve you.  Still don't have an answer."  As Blue was beginning to realize, you really couldn't deserve somepony like her, only love and respect them.  

"Well... lunch is over.  I suppose we better start packing up."
~

"You signed the transfer papers," The mare stated with a faint smile. Though her tone remained rather serious as ever, the context sensitive nature of her phrases showed that it was mearly meant as a joke.

"Though perhaps it is time to look into hiring more. I like to believe that I am more than enough, though realistically there are opponents that can best me. I am strong, but not fast. A flying wall of brick, steel, and mortar if you will. Great for holding off a horde of murderous creatures. Not so much in chasing after what it protects."
~

Bluebelle caught the joke, smiling at her honor guard as she began to sort out the dishes and containers.  "That's true.  One ought to have the sense to know a good pony when one sees them."  Not something the Prince(ess) was known to be good at in the past, but time and effort would change that.

The putting-away was a slow process, as Blue was quite careful to spill nothing on her pristine coat.  "Indeed; I've been looking over new applications in general; and will be instituting another round of hiring soon enough.  We'll have two more then, looking for... say, half a dozen, eventually?"
~

"Six others? Yes that could work." The mare hummed softly As she now steps off of the blanket. She leaned down and picked up the basket only to move it to another location.

"Have you read any of the resumes yet?"
~

Stepping off the blanket herself, Bluebelle lifted it with her magic, gave it a shake to get the crumbs off, then carefully creased and folded as if she were constructing a flower arrangement.  Which might have been a little overboard for a quarter-fold, but hey, what's worth doing is worth doing well.

"Um... yes, but there haven't been that many.  Either they're intimidated by the position, or..."  She sighed.  "Or else my reputation isn't as rehabilitated as I thought."
~

"Your reputation has perished?"  She asked before biting down onto the cloth, and slipping it ontop of the basket, just between the handles. 

Once everything was together, she lifted the box up and set it down on her back between the wings.
~

"Either that, or it has no credit in certain places."  Bluebelle mused, before deciding to ask her guard directly.  "Star, what do they really think about me in the barracks, or whatnot?  Clearly, I'm not attracting recruits to my service, so there's something I need to address."
~

The mare paused for a moment. Her expression screwed up in thought as she scored through her memory. "I do not recall the guards speaking of the royal family very often. It's usually minor every day banter. If it's not common chatter, then it's mild complaints about armor chaffing their flanks."

She then slowly flared her wings open to streatch them, out. They fluttered for a moment, before snapping close with a soft "waft"

"Then there are the common questions of curiosity that flow around. Usually involving a stallion or a mares attraction to some set of individuals."
~

Although they had packed up, the Princess was in no hurry to return to the airship.  She set a leisurely pace down the hill, taking in the scenery as she thought.  "So, the same sort of piffle and gossip that circulates the drawing rooms filters down to the guardroom, eh?"

She considered the point, her expression shifting from calm, to perturbed, briefly horrified, then resigned as she recalled to mind just what society gossip had been saying about him/her.  "Oh."  She replied, weakly, "Um... hm.  Perhaps I should put in requests to superiors officers, then, to transfer over likely ponies."
~

The mare then tilted her head softly. "I should also mention that most of the time applications are ignored in the Guard Barracks. There's simply too much going on in a day to day basis.

Special Forces recruitment have particular days scheduled that remains static through the years. And anything else is usually relayed by the COs. Similar to my transfer papers, sir."
~

"I... suppose that makes sense.  I'll have to find out what those days are."  The unicorn was perked up a bit, having found a likely explanation that shifted the primary blame onto circumstance rather than personal failing.  

"Add that to the list of things to do when I get back."  She laughed softly, not increasing her pace one jot.  Eventually, they descended the hill into the shaded area of the trees again.  Blueblood had never been one to commune with nature, given how much dirt had repelled him instinctually.  But there was something... tidy, about these woods, perhaps because of the druid management.  Bluebelle was even drawn in enough to place a hoof on the bark of a tree, feeling it's rough texture for herself.

"Hmm...."  She took a deep breath, sighing in satisfaction.  "This has been a perfectly marvelous outing, Star.  An inspired idea.  Thank you."
~

The mare smiled thinly and then gave a very brief smile. "Though what do you mean by an inspired idea?" She paused for a moment, then recalled her mentioning it from a magazine.

"Oh... right." She chirped softly with a light blink. She then looked to the tree. "I am unsure how the tree feels about being caressed young prince. Perhaps it is blushing, perhaps it wishes to halt your progression."
~

"I should say from the feel of the callouses this tree would need a vigorous exfoliation before it could feel any caressing."  Blue laughed, entering the same vein of humor... if it was humor.  She looked back to see if she could pick up the cues.

"Speaking of which, though... once there's enough guards in rotation, I ought schedule a spa day for you.  Faust knows you deserve it, and a professional massage, after pulling solo duty for so long.  Don't get me wrong, of course,"  The unicorn added hastily, "I enjoy giving you them myself, but I'm not sure my current frame can muster the leverage and vigor required.  Though we could give it a try on the way back, and see how I do now..."
~

It was most certainly humor. The mare wouldn't actually expect, the stallion to feel anything for a tree. She wasn't even sure if she was supposed to be jealous if such a thing happened.

The mare's lips pursed at the mentioning of the spa. She certainly held an unsure look about such a thing. "It is possible they may hit a similar situation. But I might recommend the employment of a jackhammer."
~

"Hm..."  Bluebelle briefly thought about asking Java if there was one available that she could borrow, but the thought of having to explain why she wanted a piece of construction equipment, and the conversation that would likely follow it... deterred her.

"Well, if you're unsure, I can go along with you.  I've a regular appointment at an establishment I can highly recommend.  Auntie Celestia and I visited it together not too long ago."  She flipped her mane back, remembering that day.  It was, perhaps, the most candid conversation she had had with her adopted Aunt since, well, ever.  She wondered briefly if changing into a mare had helped her confidences any in that respect.  

"I actually... talked about you, there."  Bluebelle blurted out, the memory surfacing.  "That was before I actually came out and admitted my affections... I was still steeling my nerve, at that point, and wanted a little confidence boost from her.  I got it, too."

~

The mare honestly didn’t know what to say. Well, not about the prince going to the spa trip. Even before she became his honor guard, she already suspected such things were happening. She just didn’t know that he regulared anywhere. But perhaps that was also due to the fact that Celestia was surrounded by guards… and already an Alicorn of terrifying magic… that her presence would be redundant.

No, it was the being talked about part that stalled up the pony. Perhaps she saw the other more suave with words than what was actually the case.

“I am not entirely sure how the story relates…” the mare began with a light blush. The narrowing of her eye lids showing determination to fight such an embarrassing body function off along with the mighty dragon of embarrassment. “But if you wish for me to stop by I will. I’d much appreciate the company…”

Her problem wasn’t that she saw it girly… it was just the mentality of her house hold that she grew up with. The damage on your hooves tells a story about the pony who has them.
~

Were blushes contagious?  Seeing her normally stoic honor guard flush red seemed to stimulate a similar, sympathetic reddening in Bluebelle's own face.  But really, what was there to be embarrassed about, besides perhaps lifting the curtain on how much effort and thought it took him to actually approach a mare like Star?

Of course, Blue wouldn't know a thing about how Star's family felt about damage on their hooves... though sifting through memories of the Duchess could give one a clue or two.  "Then I shall, mare or stallion!"

Dear Faust, that was negotiable now, wasn't it?  "Actually... I don't know if I've asked this before, but... do you find yourself attracted to me now as a mare, as much as when I'm a stallion?"

~

The mare thought quietly for a bit and then gave a light shrug. "Gender does not matter in what the heart desires sir," the mare hummed softly. A hoof rubbing at her chin.

"My family tends to hold open minds when it comes to preferences. But if you wish to know which gender I find more attractive, both have the same level of care. I will not miss either or when one becomes permanent."
~

Well, based on what Blue knew of Star's family, that was exactly the reply he should expect.  "I... suppose I can understand the sentiment.  Though, if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm not sure I would have approached you romantically if you were male."  

She hoped her guard wouldn't take offense at the statement, but it was true.  Prince Blueblood would have been much less likely to make the first move towards a stallion.  "Of course, now that I know you... I can only hope that I would handle any transformation on your part with as much acceptance as you've given mine."
~

The mare paused once more in thought. "Fair enough. It'd be intimidating to approach another with a larger side arm." She commented.

She then continued walking, "However, should I transform, I'd much rather remain mare than stallion." She then sighed with a grimace, remembering very well how many mares she had to "beat back" every time the Prince passes through some place.

"I'd rather not have mares swooning over me on a daily basis. That level of attention would drive me into contemplating asylum."
~

Ah, good, she did understand.  And, as it happened, had a strong preference for remaining her own gender.  "Well, it's good to see you're firm of purpose in that respect."  In the silence of the woods, Star might have heard Bluebelle mutter, "One of us needs to be."

The remark passed soon, though, as the royal tutted in sympathy with having swooning mares.  The attention was flattering for the first half-hour, if one had nothing better to do, but after that, it just got in the way.  "There are methods of dealing with that sort of attention.  Just... not very many that leave one's reputation for politeness intact.  But anything to remain sane!"

[Blueblood]

*The Start of a new day... and scene*

Dusk was starting to fall on Equestria as Java approached the castle doors once more. He was greeted by the usual guards, who nodded politely and stepped aside to let the young buck inside.

On his side were two pairs of swords. A wooden set, and a very real set, sharpened just before being sheathed and clipped into it's scabbard with care.

"Blueblood! Are you ready?"
~

It had all gone fine so far.  What could be the harm in going further?

That was the sort of question that left scars down through the centuries, and it stood fair to put a few scars on Prince Blueblood's pretty face as well.  But, having started this training regimen, honor and prestige would not allow him to back down.

So here he was, back on the training grounds, with his friend presenting very real and very sharp weapons that he would shortly be expected to use.  Yikes.  But, a Prince couldn't let the face betray what the mind feared, so he remained calm, and nodded.  "I suppose now we approach the culmination of our training, given that there's sharp edges on those."
~

The stallion blinked as he saw the other's face. Either the prince was really good at hiding his emotions, or he has changed quite a lot in the past few months of training.

Java even rubbed his chin as he stared at him with his piercing... observative gave for several long seconds. But... no he couldn't find anything that would betray the Prince's look.

"Before we begin. I must say that I am surprised, Blueblood. I thought you'd be nervous about training with swords... yet here you are with a brave face."

That stallion pointed a hoof at him, "That right there is the inspiring figure canterlot needs my friend!"

The stallion then set both sets of weapons on the ground. The first two he lifted... were clearly not the wood ones. Seen by the stallion drawing a clean looking sword from it's scabbard.

"This here is just called  a sword. If you want to get real fancy and technical, it's an arming sword. But... honestly in the past they did not bother with any fancy names. They just gave them classifications based on the length and handle, such as Sword, Great Sword, ******* Sword, Long sword, short sword, and dagger"
~

Blueblood had been improving his ability to control expression, on the express theory that he could then present a less timid outlook, and thus be less of a target.  Practice had improved both, but he was still at heart a diplomat rather than a fighter.

Plus, there was that whole "cut a regal figure" sort of thing.  Came with the job description and all that.

As Java brought out the sword, the Prince took it up gingerly in both his magic and his hooves, weighing it slightly as he held it flat.  "I think I can guess most of those meanings, but I can't for the life of me think of why they would call it a ******* sword.  Seems a little unfair, if you ask me."
~

The stallion chuckled as he sat down and allowed the other to grow accustomed to the weapon. "Well the ******* sword got it's name because it's the halfway between the sword and the long sword. Though that's just the nickname. It's origionally called the hoof and a half sword, and it's classified by it's handle."

On closer inspection of the 'sword' in blueblood's care. It really didn't feel all that heavy when held by the handle. Though it's handle was only sized for a single hoof or a jaw... as shown by the insets in the handle to allow for teeth.

"The ******* sword's handle is long enough to allow for two hooved use. So you can gain some leveraging power, and do more complicated maneuvers more reliably."
~

"Oh."  Clearly Blueblood hadn't expected such a prosaic explanation, but then again, he couldn't expect the ponies of old to be too imaginative in how they named things.  

"I take it, then, that this particular specimen isn't one of them."  He took the hilt in his grip, still handling it with care as he made a few experimental passes.  It was balanced well, and his earlier practice with the dueling cane was serving him well enough.
~

"Yup," The stallion chirped as he now got back to his feet, and shuffled in front of blueblood. He was still unarmed when he sat down. But he gestured for the buck to hold the weapon outwards.

"Alright, now hold the weapon out and point it towards me."
~

The unicorn did so in one fluid motion, without hesitation.  He'd learned by now that Java rarely found himself defenseless.  Still, there was a slight wavering of the point, as Blue still wasn't quite sure where this was going to go.
~

The stallion's hoof shot up almost immediately. But not to the prince, just out to his side to display a news paper. The Canterlot's Regale.

"Alright, so in the past swords have been seen as an incredibly versatile weapon," The buck hummed as he pulled a single mage from the paper and lighly ran it along the side of the weapon.

There was a soft "shrrrrrft" sound as the paper began to split apart with a clean edge.
The blade effortlessly cut through the sheet without any work from Blueblood's end.
"Kind of odd for something that was made for stabbing and cutting right?" He asked... as he repeated the same process on the other side of the blade.
~

"I've learned not to underestimate the versatility of simple tools."  Blueblood replied, suitably impressed with the testing of the edge.  "I suppose it comes from the fact that the ponies of the past had to do so much with so few?"
~

"Ssssomething like that," The stallion slurred in thought. That was a wise statement though. One that he'll have to write down on the list of "Wise things said by a sheltered prince."

"Buuut not quite. The Japony Katana, another sword, did the same two functions... better even. But it wasn't versatile, and it was incredibly fragile. In fact... it was so terrible that it was hardly even employed in combat. A sad story for the weapon made to 'defeat armor'."

The stallion then grasped hold of the sword with both hooves. With. His. Bare. Hooves. And gave the weapon a sharp jerk to test to see if the Prince's grip on it was firm.

"Alright. Grab hold of the hilt and try to wrench the sword out of my grip."
~

Java's sudden grip on the blade didn't quite wrench it out of Blueblood's, but he had to tug hard to keep a hold of it.  He looked slightly worried now, though, given how close his friend's hooves were to the edge.  "I'm not going to slice your wrists if I try, right...?"

Of course, knowing Java, this was likely to end better for the earth pony than the unicorn, but never mind.  Taking a firm grip on the hilt, Blueblood pulled upward to wrench the blade free.
~

"Well," The stallion hummed as the tugging commence. He carelessly pulle done of his hooves away from the weapon and moved it to tap at his chin.

His body continued to shake with his hind hooves adjusting themselves to anchor into the dirt to prevent himself from budging.

The sword clearly made absolutely no progress in carving through the buck's flesh.

"It's biting into my wrist a bit. But it's not cutting," The stallion hummed as he placed the hoof back onto the sword and gave it another tug.

"The dangers of sharp things is that it needs three things to do any real danger. Movement. Weight. and an Edge. The sword has both the weight and the edge. The blade is gripped. But as you can see... it's not cutting me. It's not sliding in my hooves, is it?"
~

"No, it isn't..."  Blueblood could see that.  He also knew, though, that he was pulling perpendicular to the blade, and not along it, thus it couldn't slide.

"So if I pulled back like this-"  He cut off, suiting the action to the word and he stepped back and yanked suddenly.
~

The stallion smiled as he adjusted his hoofing to compensate for the sudden yank, and he too, pulled back. In fact, the weapon was beginning to flex in his grip as he adjusted his holding to give the stallion a very hard tug.

What an interesting game of tug of war this was. One side could loose his hooves and life, and the other would face the consequences of winning... by explaining to the guards how he accidently cut the hooves off of his friend.
~

If Java was trying to psych out the Prince... he was succeeding.  His friend would be able to tell that Blueblood wasn't putting the whole of his strength into the contest, for fear of what he might do.

After a moment or two, the unicorn paused, before shifting his force from pulling back to pushing forward.  Not very far, just a half-step, so Java wasn't going to get skewered, but his grip might loosen from the sudden change
~

The stallion, surprisingly kept his grip. He was surprised by the motion, but he was quickly to push onto the step to counteract the force. Instead of letting it go half way back, he'd pushed it hard enough to actually gain some distance.

"Come on now blueblood. I know from the few blows that you have landed that you're stronger than that. Put some gusto in it!"
~

"Alright then," The Prince shot back, goaded by the failure of his maneuver.  "On your own head be it!"

And then he did indeed pull with gusto, shoulder muscles standing visibly out as the Prince wrenched at the sword with all the strength at his disposal, shifting from side to side as if to dislodge it from a crack.
~

"There you go!" The stallion laughed as his grip now tightened down on the blade. He actually began to feel his muscles strain a bit as he tried to match the opposite direction of the prince's motions.

And through all this torture, the sword bent, flexed, warped, and wiggled. But it had not once slide, nor drew blood from the pony's wrist.
~

The strength of the two stallions was evenly matched, it seems, as the contest stretched on with little headway on either side.  Eventually, though, Blueblood relented first, sensing that the point of all this wasn't for him to actually win the tug-of-war.  "I think I see your point, that a sword can be gripped by the blade.  I don't know why you would do that, but I see that you can."
~

The stallion nodded, and let go when the motion stopped. He raised up his hand, revealing that the blade had actually been digging into him. Some of the fur had been damaged, but there was absolutely no cuts.

"Exactly! Well, for the blade being held the wrong way bit." The stallion hummed as he now gestured for the sword to be handed over to him.

Once it was in his grip, the stallion held it where one hoof was on the hilt, and the other was on the blade.

"This little fact is actually critical in sword combat. In the past, there were techniques designed to combat armor, and also to pull more versatility out of the swords."

The pony adjusted his grip on the sword, so now he only had one hoof on the hilt. He began to shake it, to display how wobbly the weapon is.

"On it's own, the sword will flex and bend. This is how it should be by design. This is what lets it be so darn durable, and why it can be whacked against armor, or rocks without shattering. The Katana couldn't do this. So when it hit a fairly solid target... like another katana, it had a really high chance of just snapping. This also happened just by swinging the thing incorrectly."
~

Handing over the sword, Blueblood watched curiously, and also a little skeptically it had to be said, as Java went through his rather unintuitive lesson.  "I... see."  He said, slowly, as the earth pony bent the blade.  "Flexibility can be a virtue, indeed.  I still don't see why that means it's a good idea to hold a weapon by the pointy end."
~

"The problem is that..." Java began as he began to swing into several wooden targets that were set up. He grunted with each swing as he carved through the wood. His hoof visibly shaking, as the sword flexed in the air from each strike. It wasn't until he got to the last one where he thrusted at the target.

This time the target was a standing haybelle with a bullseye on it. The thrust unfortunately, didn't strike true through the fluid motions.

"... when thrusting with a weapon that flexes, and sends quite a bit of strain down to your hoof, it gets harder to hold precision. That's critical when your life depends on it. Maybe not so much against a flesh target, where a blow is distracting. But if the target is armored, you can't just swing the sword harder and expect to do damage. Your options are heavy blunt force. Or to stab through the slits."

The stallion then placed a hoof onto the blade, only a fourth away from the point. He gave the weapon a hard shake once more, showing that the blade wasn't flexing as severely any more.

"So the first technique that came into action is called half swording. Where you hold the blade by both the hilt and the actual blade to reduce the amount of flex, or to increase your precision by using it like a spear.
~

Slowly, realization began to dawn upon the Prince as he thought through it.  "Yes... I think I begin to see now.  It's all very well to not have the thing break in one's hooves, but it's better to hold your sword stiff if you're trying to slot it through a hole."
~

"exactly." The stallion then completely turned the weapon around so the blade was now held in both hooves. And the weapon it's self was raised like a hammer.

"Then finally the Mordhau. Or... murder stroke, as it's translated." The pony began as he now shifted to a much heavier looking target.

"When a pony is heavily armored, it's not a good idea to try for the slots when he's well and prepared. Blunt weapons were generally employed against armored units. However... that didn't completely defeat the sword." The stallion hummed.

"As balanced as it is, the weapons balance is actually just slightly above the hilt. That means the weapon now feels effectively heavier when it's swung. Just like a hammer."
~

Blueblood's eyes widened at the words 'murder stroke,' and he was quick to catch Java's meaning.  "Ah, now I understand."  He imagined the impact that such a stroke would have, and he had to concede that the name was chosen well.

"A versatile weapon indeed.  But would you get a similar effect if you kept a normal grip, and swung overhoof to strike with the pommel?"
~

"An interesting question! But sadly no. Ever held a hammer before?" The stallion asked. Though the prince was sheltered... he certainly hoped the buck was at least allowed to play with a mallet of some sort when he was young.
~

"Um..."  There was a good deal of sky-searching and hoof-shuffling on the Prince's part.  His parents were certainly not the sort that would have encouraged the use of manual implements as his playthings, though he had distinct memories of playing with wooden swords as a foal.  But mallets, hammers, and the like?

"I... don't recall if I have."  He said, not quite as haughtily as he one might have, but certainly defensively.

[Blueblood]

The stallion... stared at the other in disbelief. His jaw slackened some then clinched with a small thought. "Er... Alright. Do me a favor. Grab that wooden sword there." He said pointing to the training weapon.

"It's balanced like a real sword, hold it by the handle and give it a few practice swings. Then, hold it by the blade and swing it again." And if the prince did so, he'd learn that the latter actually made the weapon feel heavier than if held properly
~

The stare was... a little unnerving for the Prince.  He felt judged, somehow, for not being sufficiently proletarian.  He took up the sword with a little bit of a huff, and duly swung it both ways.  It took him a bit to notice the difference, given the force of irritation behind his rather wild swings, but as he calmed into more controlled movements, understanding dawned.

"I see... Now that is interesting.  Now, if it feels heavier to me, does that mean it hurts worse when it hits?"

~

A New Day:

Once again, the stallion was waiting in the garden. he was looking up at the moon with a pondering gaze. The training equipment he brought with him had been two very small looking shields and the dueling cane.

"Hm.... Is night all that bad?" He murmured to himself. "If you find a way for the plants to grow, and crime is kept to a minimum, it's just a darker day."
~

Night training.  Well, it made sense, Blueblood supposed.  Miscreants tended to creep out during these hours, so best be prepared to fight under those conditions.

"Hm, I don't know if it would be quite safe to voice such thoughts aloud to Auntie Luna.  She might have Twilight start to work on it, then things would get political..."
~

The stallion smiled and looked over his shoulder with a chuckle. "Well there are days of the eclipse. Which is a beautiful sight... except if you're being stupid and look at it directly."

He then looked back up to the moon. "I also don't think Luna would be... the political type. She seems to like action."
~

"War and revolution are but politics by other means... but to be fair, no one ever called either beautiful, unironically."  The Prince stepped into the garden, standing beside Java as they looked up at the moon.

"Does it still seem weird, not having a face up there anymore?"  He remarked.  "We all grew up with the Mare in the Moon.  And now, she walks among us, but we see her less."
~

"Yeah... in a way. I guess she's a mare down to earth now..." The stallion hummed as he rubbed his chin softly in thought.

"Though I am curious about what it is like up there. I imagine many would see it dull... but... as an engineer you tend to see most distant things beautiful. In the way of curiosities of course."
~

"Perhaps... I imagine the appeal would fade after the third century or so."  Blueblood shrugged.  As a navigator, the stars of course held interest for him.  He figured he could stand a few decades to do nothing but study them, and chart them.  Provided, of course, that he could still sail and chart them from all parts of Equestria.  

"In any case... we came here for practice, did we not?"
~

The stallion nodded and turned away from the moon. "Of course! And let me go ahead and say that you're making an amazing degree of progress."

He hummed as he now lifted up the buckler from the table. "In fact, I'll admit that in the sparing sessions I'm begining to have some difficulty with you. Though... in a real fight... all honor and mercy is off the table. Let me advice you to toss aside your gentlemen lessons should that ever occur."
~

"Oh, thank you!"  Blueblood was primed to respond well to any compliments, and therefore was cheerful in manner as he picked up his buckler and cane.  Hearing the phrase "gentleman lessons," though, seemed to strike a sour note on him.

"You... haven't given me quite as many clips yet as my deportment instructors did."
~

The stallion raised a brow, clearly not catching the meaning
~

"Some of the tutors my parents hired were of the Old School type.  Especially the deportment teacher who insisted I learn to use utensils with my hooves.  He'd box my ears if I used magic during his lessons."  Even now, his ears were laying flat in remembrance.  

"Though, in fairness to him, I don't know if I could hold weapons quite so well now if it weren't for his lessons."
~

The stallion hummed softly then smiled and gave him a nod. "Ah... yeah maybe not? But then again you do have magic... sadly the grip on it is not so secure, and you have less awareness about what's going on."

He hummed softly as he leaned back, "Now I wasn't making a jab at you. I'm saying if your life, or another's depend on it, do not keep a single shread of honor in your fight."
~

Blueblood nodded.  "Understood."  He said softly.  He'd seen real combat before, even though he had been useless during it.  Part of the reason he was taking lessons now was to not be so useless; and if jettisoning honor in battle was a part of that?  So be it.

"So!  Bucklers.  Today we learn how to use these, eh?"
~

"Yup!" The stallion hummed softly. Though he pursed his lips a bit as he studied the other. "Do you know anything about them?" He asked... the prince did seem to show a bit of familiarity behind it.
~

"We've a whole hall of shields at the manor, mostly decorative, though a few did see some serious use."  Blueblood mused, lifting the buckler up with his magic.  "Of course, the only practical experience I can count is using a plate to deflect culinary missiles when passing through the University mess hall.  With... hm, mixed success, as I recall."
~

The stallion tried his best to prevent himself from snicerking at the thought. "Oh! Well then, if only you knew how to use it then. Well... the buckler is not like your standard shield."

"It's very light, which is nice. But it doesn't cover much. It's primary use is to shield your hooves as you swing, and to purposely stop attacks before they happen."
~

"Uh-huh..."  Blueblood nodded, testing the weight of the buckler.  It was indeed light, and he had little trouble manipulating it ethereally.  "So... how does one best use it?  I don't see much help in putting it in my other front hoof; I can't stand on hind legs that long."

[Blueblood]

"Of course you can't," The stallion scoffed as he slipped it onto his left hoof. Then he reared up on his hind legs, though instead of standing straight up, he kept himself in a light crouch with planted hooves underneath his shoulders.

"With that attitude anyways," he hummed. He bounced lightly on his hind hooves, similar to when he taught Blueblood how to fight with just his hooves. He hopped, moving his hooves in unison. Then right, A quick hop back. Then a quick hop forward.

He jumped up pulling his hooves closer to his body, then back down as he landed. He hopped left, bounded once more, this time pulling his hooves underneath himself and tilting in the air. He landed with a roll and was back up on his hind legs once more.

He did the same going right, once again rolling on his shoulders and tucking his head in. Though instead of coming back up into the stance, he came back up on all fours in a low stance with his ears low.

Once he was done with the display he stood straight up. "It's just like when I was teaching you hoof work. And similar when you're dancing with a partner. The key difference is you're holding yourself up, which means you need to keep your own balance."

"Just standing on your legs will make it harder for you to keep yourself like that, and more difficult to move, so you bob."

"I tend to call it a high stance. It opens you up a bit more, You can get some good shots on any pony not meeting your stance, including some hard to defend places. It frees up your hooves. But it also puts you at risk by making you easier to trip, and a bigger target."

"You might see my sister use this stance a lot when she trains with her shield and flail."
~

All the bouncing and bounding, strangely enough, did not do much to encourage Blueblood into thinking that he could do this.  Java's steps and tumbles seemed to display a level of skill that the Prince had not obtained, and wasn't likely to obtain any time soon.  

On the other hoof, it wasn't likely that he would be let out of the garden until he'd given it a go, so no point in voicing doubts.  He only took a deep breath, bringing the buckler in his magic down to the earth.  "I've seen Star use it on occasion.  I'm not so sure how well I'll be at it, though."
~

"Well if you weren't the prince of the castle we're in full of guards, I'd give you a slap right about now." The stallion hummed softly. "You have the skill, you're just looking at it incorrectly."

The stallion moved closer to the other and offered out a hoof, "Come on, I'm sure you know the wance, right?"
~

"Alright..."  Blueblood was still unsure, not being the sort that danced alone.  That usually meant that he wasn't dancing much at all, but that was beside the point.

Reaching out a hoof, the alabaster Stallion assumed a familiar dancing posture.  Already, he could feel the old practiced steps returning...
~

For an unrefined pony like Java, he sure did know how to wance. He didn't even have to look down to his feet like other ponies. No, he just stepped into the motions. Though occasionally he'd change the direction of movement, and give a light spin.

He'd also make sure the stallion was mostly supporting himself.

"As I told you before, fighting is like a dance. And like a dance, one miss step can be costly to the whole performance. Tripping in a ball can leave a bad rep, just as tripping on the field can leave a sword in your gut."
~

"Mhm..."  Half his brain was listening to Java.  The other half of Blueblood's brain was occupied with the music only he could hear.  That was the key, really.  So much motion and emotion was tied up in the music, it was what was needed to keep a pony on his hooves.

Like before, it was providing a rhythm to his practice, and balance to his hooves.  "Naturally.  Stay on the beat."  He nodded
~

"Good," The stallion hummed as he now slowly pulled himself away from the stallion, letting the other balance himself on his own hooves. "Just keep moving with the music."
~

One, two, three... one, two, three...  It worked.  To the Prince's surprise, it actually worked!  By keeping the rhythm, he kept his balance, even as he magically pulled both the cane and the shield into each of his front hooves!

"I get it now... hah, I really should be open to dancing more often and with more ponies..."  He mused aloud.
~

"Good! Keep going now" He hummed as he gestured for one of the nearby attendants to come closer. He whispered a soft request in his ear, and slipped a few coins into his pocket before the man left.

Soon there came others whom were pushing a piano to the grass court
~

It wasn't that unusual of a request; the Prince had often hosted garden parties with music out doors.  Right now, there wasn't much attention he could spare for Java's preparations, as he was getting a feel for how the rhythm would work with encumbered hooves.

"Stroke one, stroke two..."  He went through the drill, his cane whistling in the air as he bobbed and weaved across the lawn
~

The stallion smiled to the one who had brought the bench, and took a seat. He was having a prince practice fighting by dancing. But the song the prince had in his mind was definitely not the most pleasant for combat.

Java staired down to the keys in thought, he brushed a hoof over the surface without trailing too hard on a single note to draw a sound. It's been a while since he's played. Maybe a few years when he was with a group of friends after locking themselves in The Labryinth. Still, he found that the lessons he had as a foal didn't exactly leave him. So... here goes nothing.

The stallion raised his hooves and struck down hard on the keys low notes. He struck a few more times in a rythmic fashion, before striking once more, letting the notes draw out by stepping on the pedals.

he looked up to the prince as his right hoof shifted up the keys. His hoof began to dance on the keys, striking only one note at a time in a rythmic up beat fashion, but the touch was soft. The sang sequence continued on for some time... then trilled for just a moment. Then his other hoof joined in matching the same song on the lower notes every few notes.

Then finally the hoof began off on it's own tangent rushing down the keys one by one, and two to three at a time.

~

The music from Java's playing wove in with the music in Blueblood's head, creating a potent cocktail that rand down through his spine into his legs.  Soon, he was dancing, really dancing, though this one might have been more fit for a club floor than a ballroom.  A club liberal about carrying in sharp objects; so probably more of an old-school Manhattan dive.
~

"The buckler is designed to deflect, yes But it's also a weapon in it's own right. It's light enough to be swung without leaving you to open. Hop forward, and strike the dummy with the edge of the shield. Give em good one four that'll knock some sense into him!"
~

Moved by the music, Blueblood did indeed hop forward, giving the dummy a good clip to the side of the head, hopping to the side for a follow up blow from the cane, jumping back into a guarding position.
~

"Good!" Java called out over the music as the song now began to change it's tone taking a more of a defensive nature. "The buckler is not a good shield however. It's target area is small, which means you shouldn't use it like such. Instead, you pre-empt your opponents attack! You see them come in, you stop them before they can get into the swing. Punish em with a down right to the head and knock him over!"
~

The advice was making sense, and as Blueblood could suit the word to the action fairly quickly afterward, actual learning had a decent shot of taking place.  In short order, the dummy was knocked upon the ground.
~

The dummy soon lifted it's self back up to it's feet just as the music began to take a different tone. Afterwards it's hooves began to robotically lift up and down with the rythm of the music. "Good good! Sorry for the surprise, but I kinda pre-empted this. Bright side, it'll let you go all out."

"Now lets go ahead and put that last tip to practice. Go ahead and stop the blow and counter it!"

The song experienced a quick rift, before defaulting back to it's origional pace at the begining.

The dummy lifted up a wooden sword. It began to circle around the prince before hopping forth, and raising it's weapon for a swing.

~

 At the sudden movement of the bot, Blueblood had jumped back in surprise, with a muffled oath.  He'd almost lost his balance, in fact, and that did not do much to improve his feelings towards the mechanical pony.  "Mph, grah!"

He hopped forward, shooting out his hoof with the buckler to strike the mechanical arm holding the wooden sword, while swinging powerfully with the cane in his other hoof.
~

"Excellent!" The stallion cheered as he watched the lesson commence. The dummy withdrew for a moment, looking blindly back to the prince. It's hooves stopped moving for a moment as the next lesson came.

"They always say that 300 men behind a good wall can face thousands and come out victorious with minimum casualties. The same is true in armed combat! Should you loose both your sword and shield, a defensive stance is always best. If you could recover either or, go for your shield! It's both a weapon -AND- a defensive tool!"

The dummy began moving again, this time a bit more nimbly. It rushed in quickly flailing it's sword in the air fienting in multiple directions, before forcefully slamming it on the prince's came then the shield, knocking them both out of it's grip. It then slowed down a bit to give the prince time to react before it's next assault came
~

These sudden successional lessons were putting a strain on the Prince.  Not that he showed it.  He took great pride in at least looking calm, even if his mind was starting a chorus of internal screaming as a refrain to the dance music playing.  

Suddenly bereft of weapons, he reeled back, bouncing a bit into a crouch.  Heedful of his friends advice, he reached out with his magic to lift the shield... and sent it spinning into the back of the dummy's neck.  "Hah!  Take that, you mechanical malingerer!"  No honor indeed.
~

The stallion's head bobbed back in surprise. The music with the motion, had came to an end. The stallion's jaw was even dropped as the golem dropped to the ground with a shudder.

"Wow!" Java chirpped. "I'm... shocked you went for a killing blow so quickly."
~

The sudden compliment triggered an instinctive reaction in Blueblood to preen... which ultimately proved, in combination with the sudden end of the music, to be fatal to that pony's balance.   In two seconds, he was flat on his back and breathing heavily.

"Ow... huff... well."  He sighed, realizing the indignity of his position.  "Good thing I did end up going for a quick blow, then."
~

"Yeah. Keep it up and you'll be a harder target than 90% of the upper class." The stallion scoffed as he scooted off of the bench to inspect the blow on the back of the dummy's neck.

"We'll end it here. You're legs are gonna feel like fire."
~

"Hah..."  Blueblood laughed weakly from his prone position.  His legs didn't feel like fire yet, they had not lost their strength to pain yet.  It was just that he was tired, is all.  Just need to rest for a little bit before getting back to his hooves.

"Your family is definitely part of the other 10%, though, I should think.  I feel sometimes that the best I can do is perpetually play catch up to you lot."
~

"Well..." The stallion began rubbing his head with a grimace on his head. "A portion of my family. Remember that not all nobles tend to marry members of their own family. That was a very small number really."

He clears his throat. "My closest family's in my tree is the Gears, brought in by my Pa. Big buck. Not a noble. Gears were known for being massive, as they usually pulled trains, mechanical work, or ranching. My mother's is the Nova family. Whom were warriors... although the origional who earned the Knighthood, and then some... was a tactical rogue."

The stallion then shifted a bit uncomfortably in his hooves. "Those are the two families that I'm directly tied to. However, you don't see the phrase "Gear", "Star", or "Sky" in my name."
~

"Aristocrats show both extremes: marrying out or marrying in.  It all rather depended on whether they were pursuing foreign or domestic policy."  With a grunt, the Prince managed to sit up before continuing his commentary.  "I've got a few rogues myself in the family tree.  Pretty much every noble does."

With wobbly limbs, he haltingly got to his hooves, breathing heavily.  ooh, he was beginning to feel it now... "Hm, you know, yeah.  Your name is Voronoi Fractal."  He tilted his head.  "Is that... significant?"
~

"Well yes. It's not saying I'm not the product of my Father and Mother. We name after the family we most directly take after. My mother's father, was from the Fractal Family. Another group of nobles, mostly scholars. Some of them reknowned, some not really. Scholars just do things for knowledge."

He then clicks his tongue. "Well, the Fractal family has an outstanding history of..." Java's jaw shifted a bit as he hung on the word, "gray morals."

"Usually in the pursuit of knowledge. Nothing bad, but they did contribute a massive amount of research to -dark- magic. Which is usually looked upon with contempt. Because you know, the word dark is in it."
~

Blueblood nodded.  "Right... the House name isn't always attached to the pony, even in noble families.  In fact, it isn't attached to mine; my family is from House Platinum, but the Blueblood family was absorbed into it, leaving only the legacy of the name."  It wasn't often that he shared that little detail of ancestral history, but Java was a close enough friend.  The Prince felt that they could understand each other's family woes.

At any rate, the unicorn certainly understood his friend's.  "Yes... I can see why your name might not be a calling card to gain you entrance to certain soirees."

Or not.
~

"Well..." the stallion coughed. "I wouldn't call it a bad name to wear. Every family has skeletons in their closets. I just happened to have a very real and alive one living in a creepy mansion I inherited. Then again, I heard from my sister that you're in the same boat."

The stallion chuckled at that. "They did contribute some good things though. It's actually possible for Pegasus and Earth Ponies to cast spells. It's not as conventional as Unicorn magic, and it's usually borrowing magic from more powerful creatures for a fee and a limited number of time or uses."
~

Blueblood winced, slightly, at the memory of that... thing in his summer house.  "Your skeletons, from what I hear, are actually fit for decent society.  The ones my great-grandfather brought home were nearly the ruination and elimination of my entire family line."

He tried to shake off those unpleasant thoughts with a toss of his mane.  "Ah?  Auntie always said they had their own magic, and I suppose she'd know, being all three."
~

The stallion sighs and rolls his eyes, "Ah yes... earth pony magic. A form of magic that not everypony can tap. Instead of standing on clouds, manipulating weather, or casting cantrips, earth ponies uses the magic of a green hoof to make food. Because in the past either the unicorn nobles or militeristic pegasus could not figure out how to grow anything other than stupider."

He then lets out a low sigh, "This means no offense to farmers, but in all honesty any pony, horned or not, can learn how to grow a stalk of corn in a an hour."
~

"I... remember hearing once that there were deeper mysteries.  To both earth ponies and farming."  He frowned, not sure if it had been a lecture or some other discussion... or perhaps simply a ranting pony on the street.  "Something about... contraptionology?  Is that even a word?  I know it meant that there was a connection to rocks and metals as well as plants, and that manifested itself... somehow.  I mean, it makes sense.  Earth, you know.  Plants aren't the only things that come out of dirt."
~

"Contraptionology is a dangerous topic," the pony sighed. "Well... just as dangerous as dark magic. In the sense that if the motive is of ill intent, than the effects would be like trying to peel a banana by dropping a castle on it."

The pony then paused for a moment, his brow furrowing. "Ok... not that dangerous. You have to seriously try to make something devasating. However, there was a pony that doomed himself. He was trying to discover something unusual, and wounded up getting sucked into a limbo where the only exit is death or starvation. Which is still death.  He mixed some dark magic into his machinery on the account of a dapper and manipulative voice.  And by dark magic, it dates back to what I mentioned earlier... borrow."

~

As he listened to this story, dots began to connect in Blueblood's head.  "That... pony was your grandfather, I take it."

[Blueblood]

"No actually," The stallion hummed. He did seem surprised that the Prince knew about him.

"He was expanding on the research of one my earliest known ancestors, Endless Void. Fitting name. Endless Void was dealing with forces best left untouched. Apparently, and it's a funny story on how I got into contact with him, King Sombra knew of him, and served to confirm the flakey history of the Fractal line. His untimely death was met by his studies. The costs of the magic he was borrowing to study was sanity, and he wasn't aware of it. With time he began to loose touch with what is real and what isn't. Or maybe he was seeing things that actually exist, but in another plane. Well finally, he lost his grasp with the world severely enough that it comatosed him. Emm... permenantly."

The stallion clapped his hooves together. "Knowing that history, Mandelbrot, my uncle, approached it more intelligently. Well carefully. He drew small amounts and ran tests. Documented what he found. He did open a portal... aaaaaaannnnnnd disappeared. We don't know if he's dead or not. His research is mine, but after reading everything from the archives of my family... I felt it was best not to go after him, even before reading a small note he left saying "not to go after him."

The stallion opened up his jacket, and pulled out an open envelope. He moved a blank sheet of paper out of the way and began to shift through a few maw drawn charcoal pictures. Looking at the envelope, it's definitely old, as seen by the yellowing paper.

He pulled out a picture, and showed it to the stallion. "Yeah, I'm sure you can see why."

~

Ah, so a distant ancestor and an uncle?  Blueblood's memory could retain only certain types of facts with any great alacrity.  Navigation and seaponyship was one area, and noble heredity was usually another.  He couldn't remember Java being very vociferous on the subject before, though this all sounded familiar for some reason.  Maybe the Prince's own father had talked about it, once?

"Seems harsh to push away one's own family like th-AAAAAUUUGGHH!"  The truly horrifying sketch served to knock the Prince off his hooves yet again.

"Great Gates of Bloody Tartarus!"
~

The stallion nearly jumped out of his own skin after the Prince flipped out. Needless to say that while it didn't literally happen, he did find himself leaping up into the air. His envelope and it's content went flying everywhere. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" He found himself screaming before hitting the ground.

stomach first. "Blueblood... mention this to anypony and I will beat you senseless with your front door."
~

"Oof... ngh..."  This time, the Prince was having a much harder time returning to standing position.  "Promise never to show anything like that to me again, and we have a deal."  He grunted, legs and eyes burning.  "Did... your uncle actually see those thing in real life?"
~

Java stood up scratching his head now. "He saw something even when I was in the room with him. He drew that picture when I asked him what he was looking at when I was a foal." The stallion pursed his lips. "Suuurprisingly that didn't terrify me. That... just piqued my curiosity."

"Well, looking into some of the family's old research, did reveal similar depictions and the like. I am a pony of science, but I don't believe in coincidence if it happened exactly more than twice. Naturally... we... sort of kept this a secret from his child."

Java sighed, "It's best that my cousin knew nothing about it. Not because she didn't have a birth right to the research. I would be more than happy to give it to her if it wasn't so... dangerous.  But. You can recover from it, if you're aware of it. Mandelbrot made large draws... and payed the price just as much. But the shift in reality was massive enough that he was able to tell something was off, and knew what to ignore.  Void... he made lots of smaller draws. He had enough time to adjust to the changes, and just thought of them as part of the world. He was... a hermit, and didn't get out much."
~

Somehow, it didn't surprise Blueblood that Java was the sort of foal not to be frightened at such things.  His own intellectual capacities couldn't offer much more intelligent comment than, "Ah."  But when his friend touched on family matters, he frowned.

"That... I can understand your reasoning.  Really, I can.  But I do hope you realize that there are few things can can divide a family like a denied inheritance?  That kind of bitterness lasts down generations, and the trouble it causes is often disproportional to the value of... whatever it is."  He shrugs.  "Not that I'd give to bits for that whole lot, but he wasn't my father."
~

"Yeeaaah... talk about a moral delima." The stallion sighed, shaking his head. "I do plan on giving it to her. Just at a point when she's..." The stallion hummed for a bit as he thought about this. "Wow I don't know the word for this. I guess head strong. She'll likely go charge into it head first."
~

Blueblood pursed his lips in thought.  "You know... if you're having problems of conflicting personality like that, you might want to talk to my secretary, Psmith.  He has a kind of talent for working with difficult ponies."  Which would explain why he was the Prince's secretary, though he delicately didn't mention that.  "He helped me smooth over a... somewhat rancorous dispute with a certain guard, and helped her over what sounded like a boatload of issues."
~

"Ah Psmith... yeah. I know him. He's a family friend. THough about that guard... does she have the word storm in her name?"

~

"Why yes.  Storm stride, I think it was."

~

"Ah! Yeah. Hi-her," The stallion chuckled softly. "Now she's causing all sorts of havok for my mom. She's not the most patient pony in the world, and I'm surprised she's lasted this long with Storm. Had two different events happen in Fetloch just for Storm Stride. A Changling assault... that didn't last."

Java cleared his throat, "The changelings apparently forgot about there being a trained and battle ready Calvary stationed in Fetloch."

"Then a pyro."
~

"Storm has a lot of enemies." Java hummed softly, "For some reason I envy her."
~

Blueblood snorted.  "Some ponies can't help but make enemies.  I have to say, I'm surprised sometimes that I have as few as I do."  It might have had something to do with the fact that no pony took Blueblood seriously enough to hate him yet.

"And yes, the changeling military..."  Blueblood grimaced, memories of his own encounter with them surfacing.  "I'm glad to hear they got their proper drubbing.  Didn't hear about the Pyro, though."
~

"Oh... when you see Storm Strider again, you'll be surprised about some things." The stallion hummed softly as he now began to collect the training weapons and stow them away. "So how goes IMAGINE?"
~

"Oh, the usual.  Bogged down in paperwork."  Blueblood sighed.  It had all seemed so simple in his head, but there were so many things that needed to be signed, overseen, and arranged to get anything done!

"A lot of it is held up for the official diplomatic summit in Whitescar.  We need local approval for our investment projects, and that was where we planned to arrange it.  But if things keep on like this, I'll have to go it alone."  He frowned.  "I... can't say I look forward to the prospect."
~

"Go it alone? Blueblood. Do you mean go there alone. Or you're the only IMAGINE member?"
~

"I mean without the rest of the official Equestrian diplomatic corps."  Blueblood clarified.  "Although... I may be the only founding member present.  The Countess has become very busy lately, and Snowfall just got married.  And I can't help but think that bringing Pathfinder to a diplomatic and business meeting would be... counterproductive."
~

The stallion sighed and inhaled softly. He closed his eyes and remained silent in long thought. This was something he'd rather not get involved in. But he seriously couldn't leave a friend to dry like that. "Blueblood. I'm not just your friend. But I'm also your guy. If you need anything of me, anything. Just ask."
~

Blueblood smiled, grateful at the stallion's extension of help.  "Thank you.  I'm not sure... what you could do, there.  Your company might help with designing and implementing cold-weather transport infrastructure, and it might help if you were there for the negotiations.  Besides that... you could help me not do something like get drunk and challenge the High King to single combat."
~

"You might have to get drunk and challenge the high king -again-." The stallion sighed as he took a seat in the grass. "The caribou from what little I do know, respect the bold. Or... at least sigurn did when I accidently ran my face firmly into her backside."

The stallion sighed. "Pressy's response when I told her about it was rather peculiar. But... she goes both ways like I. 'Did it feel good? Details!?' she asked growing closer with a cup of whine and a big grin."
~

"Ah."  Blueblood replied flatly, hearing how the vikings respect the bold.  "That... might explain why I'm still alive.  I'd still rather not have to make Star extricate me from a set of antlers again."  

The Prince had learned about Pressy's broad preferences when she'd first met Bluebelle, and he had to smile at the hearing.  "Well, I suppose you can count yourself... fortunate?"
~

The stallion looked away with a blush, "I never thought I'd have a marefriend who enjoys talking about other mares." He blinked for a moment and then looked back to Blueblood.

"There was even a day when we've talked about courting a few of Equestria's least desirables. Nightmare Moon, the entity not luna, Queen Chrysalis, and Sombra found themselves in that list."
~

Blueblood wondered if that was a conversation that he himself was ever likely to have.  Upon reflection, Star probably would give him an honest answer if he asked that question, though he wasn't sure if he ought to.  Java's own list did in itself bring up many questions.  "Sombra?  Did you have that conversation before or after he detained you two in a dungeon?"
~

The stallion's ears flicked back now as he inhaled sharply through his teeth. He then exhaled slowly, making a hissing sound as he tried to force the answer through his jaws. "Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..... before. Seeing him in person did change position."
~

"I would certainly think so!"  Blueblood exclaimed.  "Maybe I'm more sensitive to that sort of thing, but I wouldn't even consider Sombra after the Crystal Faire, let alone if he personally kidnapped me.  And I've had enough problems with changelings to feel no sort of desire for any kind of company with Chrysalis."  He very pointedly did not mention Nightmare moon.
~

"Errrr......................." The stallion began shifting his hooves in the grass. "In all fairness, I see where you're getting at. But the list is of Equestria's past villains. Sombra happened to have moved up."
~

"Eh, fair enough."  Blueblood waved Java off the hook, taking a few tentative steps to help pick up the last of the training detritus.  "And it isn't as if either of you would have had a chance with them anyway, so it's all speculation."
~

"Oh ow," The stallion sighed with a chuckle, dropping the items into the trunk. He then held a grin, "Are you saying you'd have a far better chance with the brood mother of the changelings?" He chuckled softly after closing the box, and leaning on it's top.

~

"Well... just judging between us, who's marriage would she be more likely to try and hijack?"  That was actually an interesting question, as Blueblood's status was still largely nominal, though the potential of his position could be large if cleverly manipulated.  Java had a much narrower powerbase, though a cynical observer might wonder if he could provide more love to fuel Chrysalis.
~

"Well she hijacked a wedding under some complicated plan to invade. Not much else to it," The stallion hummed as he now hopped up onto the trunk, and sat down. "Besides it wasn't about marriage it was about the bed."
~

"Fair point."  Blueblood took a seat beside Java, breathing in the scent of the garden.  He didn't come out here often enough; it really was seen best by moonlight.  "I guess I just don't think in terms of casual affairs."
~

"Just try giving it a few thoughts," He hummed as he now pulled out a container from his jacket and unscrewed the lid. He poured himself some coffee in it's lid and took a sip. "I know you're not into the same team. So that leaves your options too... Nightmare Rarity... you know... the Nightmare Entity inside of Rarity. Queen Chrysalis. "

The stallion paused for a moment. "Wow... that's... a limited list. Did I get all of them?"
~

"The two Night Mares... Chrysalis... no, that is it, unless you count Princess Twilight's new pupil."  Blueblood closed his eyes, and tried to think about it.  The question was, what did he like?  He was not given to self-examination, and so it took him a while to figure out just what it was about a mare that attracted his fancy.

"Of the three, I would have to say Nightmare Moon."  He said at last.  "I have a weakness for a fine pair of wings, and she's got the best of the lot."
~

Java suddenly found himself spraying the contents in his mouth across the grass, and entering a fit of giggling and laughter. "Oh you devil!" He exclaimed as he now tried to raise himself up. "The mind of a peacock if the showy roles had been swapped. I hope you won't mind if I share this little secret with crusader. I'm kinda curious to see how you react when she goes..."

The stallion turned his hooves into mock wings, which he spread wide with a PWOOF sound effect.
~

At the reaction of laughter, Blueblood felt affronted, though he had to admit he had little ground.  After, he'd trotted into this conversation eyes wide open.  "Ahem, well, er..."  Already his mind was picturing Star Crusader, wings flared, strutting towards him with that sure, strong stride of hers...

A blush was spreading fast across his face.  "I, um, no offense, but I should rather you not be there to see it."
~

The stallion's laughter stopped with his head swiftly lifting up, and then recoiling. "Oh! It's like that hm~"  He lifted himself back onto the trunk and sat back down. He was still giggling madly to himself, finding it hard to stop.

"No worries. No worries. I can see where you're coming from." He hummed as he now leaned back to look up to the moon. "Pressy was pretty much the first pony I dated. She was the one that got away in the past, so I tried to move on. I wounded up dating griffons. And quite a number of them."

The stallion rubbed his chin softly. "Not sure what the draw was. Maybe I like larger creatures. Maybe it was their warrior like nature. Maybe the talons and grace. But the wings were certainly a beautiful thing."

"The first Griffon I dated was the same one that nearly killed me." THe pony hummed as he opened up his vest to reveal some amount of scarring on his stomach. They look like they came from claws... like someone tried to dig into him. "She reformed after I saved her. She was a fun one." The pony inhaled with a blush. "Left a few more scars."

"Second was a male-.... I'm stopping there. Point is, I don't blame you."
~

Deciding that there was no point in taking the laughter personally, Blueblood brought out his own flask, which was filled with... something other than coffee.  He took a sip, listening to his friend's reminiscences.  "I can understand the appeal of size, too."  
He wondered, now, if that was why so few among the Canterlot elite had appealed to him.  His own masculine frame stood above most mares that had attempted to play suitee to him.
He shrugged as Java cut off the list.  "Well, I'm glad to hear that.  I certainly didn't have so colorful a history, but I think we're both happy with where we're at, no matter how we arrived there."  He raised his flask in toast.  "To our loves."
~

"To our love lifes! May they last forever," The stallion hummd as he finished the rest of his coffee. He paused for a moment, and then looked to the flask in Bluebloods hoof. "Huh... didn't take you for the type to keep around some alcohol on your person" He hummed as he poured himself some more coffee.

"You know I'm still telling her that though, right? The wing bit."
~

"Oh, this?  No, this is apricot nectar.  I got a taste for it on my last trip to Saddle Arabia."  He screwed the cap back on his flask.  "You know... that really is the sort of thing I should tell her, don't you think?  I mean... I ought to compliment those parts of her that I find most impressive, right?"
~

"Yes, my navigator friend. But the way you have previously put it would imply that you'd be sailing ship at full mask," The pony hummed as he takes another sip of his coffee. He looked dimply back up to the moon, "And getting things out of your mouth tends to be rather hard."

The stallion paused for a second, then smacked his hoof in his face. "Wait... that first griffon was the second. The first was my room mate back in college. She was the one that gave me my first set of scars. Talons are sharp."
~

"Anyways..." The stallion tapped his hooves, "She was more perceptive than I thought, and she was the one to make the first move. It was an awkward experience for me. Words didn't form coherently... like with Pressy. Except with Pressy it was much worse... my mind would go up in smoke.
~

"I'll concede the point that I tend not to be eloquent when I most wish to be.  I don't stammer much; I just don't talk.  Which keeps me from looking a fool at the expense of looking a snob.  I didn't mind that much, though, back then..."  It kept him from saying the wrong thing, too, but he would sometimes do so anyway, out of a misplaced sense of fun.

"Hm, do you think all stallions have this problem?  I'd guess they would... except maybe Psmith, but words seem to be his special talent.  I've never seen him wooing though; perhaps there isn't any pony who'd have the patience to sift through his polysyllables to get at what he really thought of them."
~

"NOOOoooo" The stallion sighed as he chugged another cup of the coffee. In goes some more into the cup. "The problem is common, but not all of us have that issue." The pony sat up for a moment. "Well, I know that Shinning Armor is among one of us though." He hummed. "His friends from highschool informed me of his story with Cadence."
~

Blueblood chuckled.  "You don't need to tell me; I saw him pick her up from the castle, once.  I went about all evening so smug that I was a sweating, stammering fool about a mare... and, I guess, a little jealous that he had met a mare worth looking a fool over."  He sighed, considering whether to take his flask out again.  It had to be just nectar...

"After a while, it morphed into being the sort of stallion that mares would stammer over, although they tended to gush more than stammer."  He took another sip, reviewing the parade of memories in his mind.  "Hm... gad, I really was a bit of a jerk then.  I would make a game out of reducing the mental capacity of my admirers, and then seeing what I could get away with while they were under the influence."  Indeed, it was a wonder that more didn't throw cake at him.
~

"To be fair..." The stallion began. He was seriously wandering why he was defending that behavior right now. It certainly wasn't something he'd codone so easily. "... those mares expected a bit much out of life. I don't know if what they saw was love or maybe the prospect of having the prince take their hooves for marriage. But there is a point when a ponies expectations becomes far too unrealistic."

"That's not saying that they shouldn't have tried. I support the do and ask for forgiveness later mentality. It's just that they honestly believed they were desitined to be by your side. Either by a product of seeing them over other ponies, or a mother telling a foal something that they shouldn't."
~

"I think about half of them were encouraged by their mothers, aiming to make an 'advantageous match' for their daughters.  And son, in one case."  Blueblood tapped his hoof against the chest, snorting at the memory.  "Remember what the marriage market at the upper echelon is like.  Your mother was an exception when she kept you out of it."

He took another sip, when a thought occurred to him.  "Although... it seems we've paired up within our own class, without any kind of prompting or pressure.  Do you think that's coincidence, inbuilt habit, or just a result of the company we tend to keep?"
~

"Likely company," The stallion hummed softly. "I wasn't forced into it. In fact our love for each other started in foal hood. We got lost in Ulysai, and took shelter underneath the trunk of a tree. Pressy had messed up her hoof something fierce, and I applied some crude first aide that'd hold it till we could get some real help."

"I looked into her eyes... and just found myself swimming in a deep ocean. Pleasant feeling really. She began to sing a song, and I found myself being dragged into the song... even when I didn't know the lyrics origionally."

"As for you... in the past, my family wouldn't be worth your time. We're not that far up the ladder to be a canidate of marriage for a prince. Not without holding some stupendous amount of political gain."

~

The sentimental and sympathetic side of Blueblood (and yes, it did exist!) couldn't help but smile at Java's story of childhood friendship blossoming into love.  It left the question open, of course, as to whether he and Pressy would ever have met in foalhood had they not been in the same class, but that was another issue.

Once the conversation turned to matters of relative status, however, Blueblood became more animated.  Java may have been a genius in mechanical engineering, and probed secrets of the universe that pony kind was not meant to know, but this was a subject the Prince knew enough to lecture on himself!
"Well, if it comes to that, anyone marrying into royalty is punching above their weight.  But don't sell your own House short by confusing status with power.  One's standing among the Social Butterflies of the city itself maybe the most visible of the half-dozen pillars of noble power, but it is by no means the most significant."

He settled back on his seat, adopting the manner of his old equinology professor.  "Do you know the pillars?  I don't think your mother would have told you.  In brief, they are the Tories, the Lords, the Brahmins, the War-Horses, the Parvenues, and the Butterflies.  Or, at any rate, those are the names my parents taught me.

"The Tories are the real old guard, remnants of the families that were peers of the Princess Platinum at the time of the founding.  They don't make up so great a portion of the modern aristocracy as many suppose, and simply being born into one is not necessarily a ticket into wealth and power.  But it does give one access to the whole social network on top of Equestria, and some knowledge of its workings.

The Lords are those who owe their prominence to political means, either at the regional or national level.  Fairly straightforward; though I don't mean by this simple election, but something along the lines of a dynasty.  One who is elected to the same position as one's elder family member without too much fuss definitely counts, though.

The Brahmins might be also called the Intelligentsia.  Those who stand high enough in academia or in the artistic world to be prominent outside of it.

The War-Horses are straightforward enough; high-ranking military officers.  It helps to have some sort of glorious victory to ones name, but any honorably-fought battle works.

The Parvenues are something of a new development; they got their position through wealth, either from industry or commerce.  And the Butterflies I have commented upon already."

Blueblood took a deep breath, pausing in his pontificating.  "You see my point?  Your family is at least partially Tory stock, holds real regional power in a time when most local government has been municipalized according to the Earth Pony model, has Brahmin credentials through the Fractals, War-Horse traditions from the Novas, and both you and your father have significant industrial involvement.  A strong showing in five out of six."
~

"Huh..." The stallion hummed silently. His ear flicked a bit as he let that soak in. That... certainly wasn't something he had expected... nor really something he'd want to be part of. But luckily the times had changed enough that by his generation the nobility titles were less present in some aspects.

"So I assume that your pillar is primairly in the Lordship?"
~

"Hm... well, the family line touched all six aspects, though I have to say we played the Tory card more than anything else.  Traditionally, of course, the title of Prince was primus inter pares, the first among equals.  That is, those who were the Heads of Houses, which gave us a seat among the Lords.  But... the Lords aren't what they used to be, and my grandfather wasn't able to get on with the first of the new crop."

Blueblood sighed, rubbing his temples.  "Father was always complaining about waning influence and wishing he'd been born two generations ago.  Mother was very much a Butterfly, and passed that on to me.  There weren't... any others left, by that time.  When my parents went down in that airship, I was the last of my family line."
~

Java frowned hearing the 1st part. "Er... s-sorry," He commented as he now replaced his thermas back into his jacket, and pulled out a small flask of cider. "I didn't know about what happened to your folks. I assumed they were still with us." He commented as he popped the cap and took a small swig.

"Well, you're still a Prince by title. You might not have the same power as Platnum had when your aunties came into... wait... how were you related to Celestia and Luna again?"
~

Blueblood shook his head.  "Not blood related.  I called Celestia Auntie because... well, she sort of acted like one to me.  I think she felt sorry for me for not having any other family.  And after my parents died, she was the only family I had left..."  His voice had been growing softer, and it finally trailed off.  He brought up his flask and drained it, taking a deep breath.

"Ah... I don't know if you can quite imagine what that was like.  For all its quirks, I know your family is close... the manor was always too big, too empty.  That's why I never let any of my servants go; it would be too unbearable if they weren't there to fill it, but there's hardly enough work to go around for them."
~

"Yeaah... I can't imagine what that might feel like," Java hummed softly after throwing an arm over the other's shoulder as a friendly gesture. He offered the flask over, a sweet but lightly alcoholic beverage.

"But I can see how even those you spend time with become family."
~

Blueblood smiled and nodded, taking a swig from the proffered flask and making no attempt to shrug off Java's hoof.  "It was a very narrow circle that I operated in... I think, now, I was simply afraid to widen it.  But, circumstances rather did that for me.  I got a new cousin, a new Auntie, a set of new friends, and now a mare friend... life's funny like that."
~

"Eh, you're not the only one in that boat. I was pretty anti-social as a foal." The stallion hummed in thought. "My mother was friends with Belle, Pressy's mother, back in school. The two had utterly different personalities, but they both apparently got into a lot of trouble together."

The stallion shrugged. "Well, She was my first real friend. Followed by a few others I met around college. I didn't like a lot of ponies back then. Mostly because I was new to the way Canterlot worked... and I couldn't adapt."
~

"Trust me when I say that even those who do adapt don't necessarily make a lot of friends, here."  Blueblood snorted.  "Which might explain why so few adapt, and why those that do rarely change the whole lot for the better..."  He looked over to his friend, smiling.  "You seem to have done alright for yourself, though.  You have your niche, though I don't see you leveraging it for influence.  But that was never your aim, anyway..."

The Prince turned back, looking at the moon, and then at the skyline.  "I can't promise that I won't call on you for that purpose, though.  I aim to return to the Lords, eventually, once I've built my reputation back up.  There are things that need to be done, old chap.  The world is changing, drastically in some places.  If we do not act... it won't be a change for the better."
~

The stallion shrugged, "I got a niche, sure. And there's plenty to gain from it, an argument many ambitious ponies will make. I just don't see the point of it." The stallion hummed as he took his flask back and took a swig. "If I'm friends with a pony just because I can get what I want, that's not even a friendship. Just me being a parasite. And even then, I have no political agenda, nor can I even play the same game you do with Nobles."

The stallion huffed a bit as he remembered the first Galla he went to. Yup, he could pick out the nobles subtle insults and tricks, but the stallion... instead of playing their game, was too blunt for his own good. He heat sinked each and every one of them that year. Not a good thing either given it was his freshman year in highschool.

Several cried, others hung their head low, and he was seen as an unintentional bully for a few weeks.
~

"Hm, well the Game isn't what it used to be either.  If you believe my father, ponies used to play for their House, rather than just their own personal advancement."  Blueblood didn't usually talk politics, or much about his father.  The two were indelibly connected in his mind...

"I played a bit, but never seriously.  I mean, I was already on top... and I didn't have much of a House left to play for, anyway.  Now, though..."  He slipped off his seat, stretching his legs as he walked along one of the flowerbeds.  "I know why I don't have any blood relatives.  The curse my great-great-grandfather brought home nearly destroyed us.  But, it's broken now.  I plan to start the work of rebuilding."
~

"That's..." The stallion began as he shot the prince a short glance, "Something I'd probably would rather not hear the details of." He took another drink from his flask and leaned forward with a thoughtful look. "Then again, It'd be interesting to see the result between you and Crusader. Will he or she be hulking? Or petite?"

"Or... petite and rediculously strong at the same time."
~

Blueblood returned a wry smile to Java's look.  "Then I'll spare you the details.  But, if my new niece is any indication, pint-sized powerhouse of destruction sounds about right..."  He sighed.  "But... that is a conversation I should probably have with her, rather than you."

He stretched, feeling the soreness start to creep into his muscles.  "Mph.  I think I'm going to have to go in soon.  But thanks again for the lesson."

[Blueblood]

The Next Lesson, after the affair of the Caribou Plague:

Java was now sitting on a bench in the castle gardens. His eyes once again fixed on the moon. He had his leg bandaged up pretty heavily after the recent events from the caribou's homelands.

Though the training gear was missing.
~

In every operation, there were the ponies in the field, the commanders behind the lines, and the politicians trying to keep a good face on the whole thing.  Blueblood was the latter; he'd accompanied the EPIC mission as a diplomatic auxiliary, mostly to smooth over any potential legal quibbles that might come up later.  Also as a press conduit.

So, he knew pretty well what Java and his sister had faced.  He stepped into the garden, and took a seat beside his friend, looking up at the moon.  "Well.  Sometimes we have to be reminded what its all for."
~

"The moon," The stallion asked, possibly missing the context. "Philosophically, I'd say it exists just to tease us. Make us mortals wonder what it's surface is like, and beyond that."

Java's head tilted a bit as he hummed lightly. "Magically... well to seal a mare on the moon, or to trigger a pony experiencing lycanthropy I guess. Luckily those caribou's disease is not contagious when one of the buggers bit me with those fangs."

The stallion then sighed, "Then again, it may be interesting to see the world in a different light."
~

"That's... not quite what I was thinking about."  Blueblood replied, looking pointedly at Java's bandages.  "But I suppose you knew that."

Looking back up at the moon, the Prince was silent for a moment, before continuing.  "I never thought before about what it must be like, looking up at the sun and moon, knowing the ruler of another country was moving it.  That's a different light, if you like.  We go about life so confident that nothing can go wrong, and wonder why everyone else is so paranoid."
~

"Well..." Java began as he pulled out a bag of marbles.

"Natural law is to move towards chaos. Ruin if you will," The pony says as he dumps the bag of marbles onto the ground. He let them scatter about naturally. "Things tend to move into a natural state of chaos. We live. We consume. We die. We decay. When a building is blown up by dynamite, it is destroyed. But you can never build a building with an explosion, and if you did, you're destroying a lot of other things to move something out of it's settled state into a chaotic state."

"Equestria is a nation of preservation. We strive for harmony... but we know not the penalties it may have to the rest of the world, should there be other realms.  The effects aren't noticeable because we remain on a very precise cycle. So the other portions of the globe experiences the same effects as we do with the sun and the moon."
~

The metaphor was not lost on Blueblood, which was impressive, considering the mental caliber that had been average for him in the past.  "Well, I think it's become pretty clear by now that we can't ignore those penalties any more.  Things... don't happen at a national scale.  They never did, really, but we didn't get to see the consequences."
~

"Well the consequences of moving the moon and sun would be tremendous. However... they are still moved under a constant cycle. And it changes with the seasons. So... again the effects aren't that severe for the rest of the world. When it first started happening... perhaps. But over the course of the years, the enviorment would have plenty of time to adapt."

The stallion then pointed to the moon with a hoof. "But... when Nightmare Moon threatened to cause an endless night for equestria... the sun has to be shining on a different location of the world. If that was allowed to continue, then you'll have one side of the world baked to a crisp with a drought, and the other side suffer a loss in vegetation."
~

"That all makes sense... but again, I was thinking at a less astronomical level."  Telepathy clearly was not one of the Prince's talents, so he was going to have to spell out what he meant.

"That plague... wouldn't have just meant ruin for Whitescar.  If just one of those infected managed to get on a boat... who knows where they'd end up?  Or what mutations might spread?"  Blueblood huffed, thinking through all the things that had to be done still to repair from what had happened.  "And that's typical of the sort of thing that's just going to keep happening.  It's not enough just to mind our own business any more, we all have to mind each others..."

The Prince sighed, voice laden with remembered frustrations.  "And believe me, the meetings that result are interminable, even when they are effective."
~

The stallion frowned, "Well the virus was specifically enginereed. And while I don't know much about biology... I'm pretty sure that if a rampant berserked Caribou made it onto an equestrian ship... the ship would not go anywhere... because the ponies are likely dead... or it sunk. Or... the caribou in question would be.... ah.... pacified into a state of being that's inoptimal."

"BUT! Way to make me feel secure about my own health." The stallion sighed with his ears flicking back. "Now I gotta wander if I'm going to grow into a hulking-sweating monster with fangs that rivals a sabre tooth"
~

"Well, I drank the same the water you did, so at least we'd be evenly matched."  Blueblood snorted.  He didn't tell Java of how he'd wake up every day to look in the mirror, fearful of what he might see.  Nopony had noticed, due to narcism being one of his more well-known vices, but he had.

"I... didn't end up having to use anything you taught me.  I'm still not sure how I would have done, if I had to."
~

"Oh you would have..." The stallion sighed with a knowing frown. "You would have... trust me on that one." The stallion leaned back on the bench and through a leg over the back of it. "Heck I thought I wouldn't be able to do half the things I did when I was serving. I enjoy life, I find life precious."

"But... turns out that even the kindest hearted ponies have instincts that drive them in the heat of the moment."
~

"Well, I've either had a delay imposed or a reprieve granted on that realization."  Blueblood sighed, but stopped halfway through as a thought occurred to him.  "Though I suppose I've already had my first combat kill.  Not intentionally, but that... doesn't make a difference, in the end."  He sometimes still dreamed about those four caribou falling off the broken balcony...

"But I've seen what you mean; there's always an instinct of 'fight' as well as 'flight' whenever there's some invasion or attack, or some such."
~

"First kill? Oh... right... the ship..." The stallion hummed lightly. At least the prince didn't see it directly. Still...the mental effect was all there. "Better than hoof driving a bolt through a pony's err....." The stallion tugged at his collar.

"So obviously we're taking a day of rest today. Not only so I can heal, but also to give your body a time to relax."
~

"I... had kind of been hoping for that."  Blueblood relaxed, lying down on his side of the bench as he looked around at the garden.  Most of the scuffs in the grass from their last spar had healed... except for that one divot by the gate.  The ones left by Star... hm, those would take a little longer.

"So... what's next for you?  More adventures, more inventions?"
~

"Well... the fangs went completely through the entire leg," The stallion hummed in thought. "So no adventures for a while. I'm afraid Pressy will have to make do without me on that account. And as for inventions, I don't invent. I'm an engineer, I engineer things to solve practical problems. Or to improve on what already exists. Example, I did not invent the engine. But I did make an improvement to it's design. Thats what makes my airship sound like a roaring tempest at full speed."
~

"Ah."  Blueblood said after Java's explanation, and that stallion could be certain that, less than two from now, the Prince would still be making the same mistake in terms.

"Well, most of my time is spent in Gala planning, which I used to think a bit of a bore, but frankly, it's a relief after... all that."  He waved a hoof, as if to shoo the past away like a bug.  "I've seen the guest list... Auntie's aiming for a more international invite, and I have to say that I agree with her aims... this time."
~

"The Grand Galloping Gala," The stallion asked with a raised brow. He then tilted his head back, letting it hang over the back of the seat. "I... should probably go this time. If I did this would literally be the first time I showed up, even after receiving invitations in the past years."

The stallion hummed, "I can't remember what kept me away. Maybe it was the Nobles that ramped up the dial on the upright nose spectrum. Or maybe it was at thought of all these ponies showing up for business reasons, trying to either get a step up in the world, or con some other pony."
~

"Yes... my secretary said that he always saw it as the great breeding-market for the nobility, but that was probably because his mother started dropping hints about the same time he was allowed to attend."  Blueblood chortled.  "Psmith wasn't too far wrong.  It did originally start as the day when all the Heads of the Houses would gather, and all feuds temporarily set aside.  A lot of marriages tended to come out of it.  And politics.  And business."

"I suppose not much changed over the years; it's more recreationally focused, and the political aspect was mostly replaced with status-hunting, but that's the core of it.  Well, up until a few years ago.  I'm not sure what its turning into now."  He sighed.  "I just wish Auntie would tell me what her plans are.  A lot of unpleasantness could have been avoided a few years ago if she had just *sent me the updated guest list.*"
~

The stallion smiled, "I actually was disappointed that I continued my habit of not attending when I heard Discord had shown up... with a sentient blob of slime." The look on Java's face could easily be seen as him imagening what sort of hysteria was caused that day. And best of it... he was probably going to laugh about it, even if he was there in pony.
~

"Mph, well..."  His hooves began to unconsciously rub at his body, as if he were still not sure all the slime had gotten out of his coat.  "I... didn't think it quite so humorous myself."

"Although..."  He looked out towards the Princess' castle, where, presumably, the Gala would take place.  "Given what my own plans are, I can't say much against sensationalism anymore.  I'm going to do a few things differently myself this year."
~

"Oh really?" The stallion chirped, now leaning in closer. "Do tell."
~

"Well..."  Blueblood smiled, half in anticipation, half in apprehension.  "I suppose to start with, I won't be going stag this year.  Star and I haven't exactly been public in our relationship, but I think this would be a good time to quell the doubts and rumors.  And start an inevitable cycle of new ones, of course, but at least there will be variety.

"Secondly... I will be playing a more prominent role... as hostess."
~

"Hostess...." Java chirped softly, before slowly turning his head to the Prince with a raised brow. "I thought you got that curse of yours removed... the term to use there would be 'host'."

But he paused for a moment thinking it over. The prince did go through that phase much longer than what Java had to do. So, it is possible that the prince might be stuck on using the feminine titles in a general sense. He gave a light shrug, before leaning back into the bench again.

"Well, I suppose you could always entertain your guests by playing the piano should it come to it."
~

"I didn't say I got it removed..."  The Prince said, slowly.  "I said I got it under control."  The next few minutes of this conversation would be interesting, if not exactly enjoyable.

"Java, I know you've been through something similar yourself.  I saw myself how easy you slipped into being female when your body was changed.  Well... I was a mare for much longer."  Blueblood sighed, rubbing his temples.  This was not easy to explain, but he forged on.  "I... I'm not the same, after that.  Bluebelle is... I don't know if natural to me is the right word.  Inseparable might be a better word.  Do you know what I mean?"
~

"Well I had about twenty four hours of experience in the mind of a mare." The stallion hummed thoughtfully. "Even though in that time I did roller derby... and box... became champion of that little ring... I -do- know how you feel."

The stallion then stood up and stretched a bit. "Though we should probably go ahead and head on inside. Round this time, I'm sure some cheeky buck with a camera would want a few snapshots]
~

Neither of those things were what Blueblood would do himself.  Especially not as Bluebelle.  But at the same time, it was comforting to see that even his poorly articulated statement had sparked comprehension; enough to no prolong the subject, which was still difficult for him to discuss.  By now, Blue had an easier time dealing with this issue than explaining it.

"You're probably right, though after what Star did to the last paparazzi who got caught around here, they're more circumspect, at the very least."
~

"What -did- she do to the last paparazzi?" The stallion asked with a hint of concern in his tone. He lead the other up the path to the doors, while trying to imagine all of the possible things that she could have done. From smashing the camera, to a very simple show of strength with a very weak part of the body
~

"I did not enquire.  I only requested that no hospitalization would be required.  His camera was confiscated, and a perusal of the society papers fails to turn up his name in the photo credits."  Blueblood said this with no small degree of satisfaction.  After so many years, finally being in a position to get a bit of his own back was refreshing, to say the least.

"I think it was more threat than action, due to the lack of any solicitor's notes.  Or, at least, any that Psmith has shown me"
~

"Confiscated hm?" The stallion hummed softly. Her eyes squinted as he tried to imagine exactly what his sister did. "She probably just crushed it right in front of him and kept the remains."

"Her usual method of diplomacy to make sure ponies don't do the same mistake again is intimidation. Though... she had only had to follow through her threat once."
~

Knowing full well how intimidating a figure his honor guard cut, Blueblood could well believe it.  That was one of the best thing about Star; very little actual violence had to be committed over the course of her job, if ponies were being sensible.  "I shouldn't have liked to be the poor fellow who was stupid enough to make her follow through."
~

The stallion smiled softly as he soon entered the castles foyer. "Well... she gave the pony two chances. And both threats she followed through. It was a thief a typical cut purse."

"Story goes like this..." The pony said as he now rounded into a different hallway, entering what he believed was just a small recreational area.

"A buck decided to steal some pony's bit bag and turned to run. Well he ran face first into crusader's chest who was just looking down to him like a mother about to scold her child."

The stallion soon turned around to face his friend. "She told him like this." He took one step forward, bringing his nose just a hair away from the other's. His eyes glaring into the princes. "Come with me quietly. Don't run. I will chase you."
~

Java was... not nearly as intimidating a figure as his sister.  But imagination could mend the gaps in his storytelling, enabling the Prince to enter the scene.  "I suppose... he thought he could run fast enough, after seeing the armor."  A wry smile crossed his face like a saber-stroke.  "An erroneous assumption, as I can personally attest to."
~

"Oh. Crusader isn't a fast mare," the stallion chuckled. "Heck, she's not as fast as most pegasus either, nor is she as graceful of a flier."

The stallion now sat down in a chair with his legs crossed. "But that doesn't mean much for her speed in armor. She's just as fast in it, as she is out of it. That metal is practically her skin."

He tossed up a hoof, "So... he was in the right for thinking he could run away. He could of probably done it if my sister was high in honor. She tries to avoid sensless destruction, but she's still the offspring of a Fractal and Nova. She's born a pragmatist."

"This pony ran. And ran as fast as he could. Crusader gave chase. Flew up into the air and ran along the roof tops to keep an eye on him. Just as he turned to run down an alley... she threw her shield into his legs and tripped him up."

"Now face to face again... this pony gets up and brandishes a knife."

"Well... you know my sister... she doesn't take threats very kindly. She didn't back up. She just held her ground. She told him...

'If you think this will end well for you in the end. It will not. Assault me, and I will break you."
~

"Really?  She felt fast to me when I was being dragged on the end of a rope."  Maybe it was the irresistibility of the force that left that impression, though.  The Prince shrugged, continuing to listen.

"Hm, now that was a warning I don't think he has any excuse for ignoring."  Blueblood snorted.  "It's... sort of implied in every line of her body when she's in her fighting stance. I mean, serious fighting stance.  I've noticed a subtle difference when she spars with me."
~

"Dragged on the end of a rope?" The stallion asked. He thought about it for a moment. His jaw quickly dropped and he gave a dismissing wave of the hoof. "N-never mind. Question withdrawn."

"But... she's fast in combat. Chase is a different story... unless she's charging then she's putting all of her momentum and power into going straight."

"Well... this pony... must of had a death wish. He charged her alright... and got back hoofed hard enough to send him sideways into the brick wall and leave a crack. It also woke up the residents."

"Medical reports later showed that in that one swing, she made contact with his attacking leg... broke it... continued into his head... broke his jaw just before he flew into the wall.... where his skull cracked. She did tell him alright... and she did break him."
~

"It was part of my training regimen."  Blueblood hastily interposed to correct the imaginings of Java.  It was a little too late, however; the stallion's reaction had already reacted upon him, presenting mental pictures of himself being led about on a leash or halter...  why?  What was the point of that, and why couldn't he get it out of his head?

He moved on swiftly from the subject.  "Well, he couldn't say he wasn't warned.  And I'm pretty certain he never did it again.  At least, I hope so.  If he did return to a life of crime after that, then the whole story is just... depressing."
~

"Well... he did try for an officials life. And failed. Which counts as assault and battery, and attempted murder of an officer on duty.  Sooo... he's in the slammer for a while.  Which is kinda a shame, because petty thievery doesn't amount to much of a penalty. He could have been doing it for a number of good reasons... he just decided that escaping was more important than going to jail for a few days."
~

Blueblood sighed.  He could understand, of course; even though the perp had no chance of actually winning in a fight against Star Crusader, actually attempting to kill her wasn't something he approved of in the least.  Still... one dumb decision, alright, two if you counted running, messing up the guy's life like that...

"I suppose... not everypony is wise enough to know when to quit.  Or lucky enough to get out of a bad situation before disaster."
~

"That's such a thing of life," the stallion said as he now approached the piano and sat down on the bench. "We like to believe that ponies can change their minds. But a good number of them can be absurdly stubborn to see the more sensible course of action."
~

"Sadly true..."  The Prince wondered what he had to thank for not being one of their number.  Was the wisdom to see one's own foolishness something one could pride themselves on?  Well, he was going to do it anyway.

"I know you play... I was never good at any instruments myself.  Not that I didn't try; I had lessons in the Viola.  If you gave one to me today... well, it wouldn't sound like I was torturing a cat.  That's about what you can say."
~

The stallion waved him on over. "The viola and violen is a hard instrument anyways. The piano... not so much. It's more of a pattern really..." The stallion hummed as he pressed down on a few notes with his hoof. 

They sounded terrible together, but with a quick adjustment of the hoof, he pressed down again, this time the notes were near harmonous.

"Music is just soundwaves, which can be modeled mathematically. Which is kinda why the piano was so easy for me to pick up."

"So with that in mind... there are set patterns that will always produce expected results."

The stallion's hooves began to dance along the keyboards, making a series of free styled notes, before allowing two clashing sounds, and then doing it over again with the lower notes with the aided tone shift.

"Starting from the left, the keys go up by magnitudes of eight. Which models a scale. So... if you pressed keys 1 and 2... or keys 2 and 3 together. They will clash with each other. This is for any directly adjacent notes.  If you pressed keys one and three, or three and five, then the notes will harmonize."
~

"Uh-huh..."  Blueblood nodded along, listening to the notes, but it was a little too late in the night for mathematical concepts to stick with him.  Or most anything else.  "Well, if I want music lessons after getting up to speed on fighting, I'll let you know/"
~

The stallion shrugged as he now tapped a few notes into a song. He let the notes continue on as he tried to recall the lyrics into memory. And when they finally came out, he displayed an amazing feat of articulation.

The worlds just rolled off of his tongue in rapid succession and rather fluidly. But then again... given his past severe use of caffine before he got together with pressy... he had plenty of practice.

"The sound of polka drifted from my neighbor's house, and set my hooves a-tappin oh! Leva's mother had her eye on her daughter, but leva she managed to fool her you know! Cause who's a goin to listen to her mother sayin no, when we're all busy dancing to and fro!"

"Leva was a smilin, the fiddle was a wailin... as griffons crowded round to wish her well. Everyone was hot, but it didn't seem to bother the handsome young grif, a dashing cat. 'Cause who's goin to mind a drop of sweat when he's all busy dancin to and fro!
~

There was something in the melody, something in the rhythm that bade one's hooves to at least tap it out, if not dance.  Blueblood, steeped in classical from birth, was nonetheless susceptible.  It was nice, really, after substituting battling for dancing, to have some of the actual stuff at last.

"Hm, another parallel to love and war."  He said to himself, "Both are a dance."
~

Java paused in the singing, but kept the song going on the piano. Given that the instrumental was a loop, it didn't matter too much.

"Ah yeah well griffons were warrior minded. But it doesn't mean they don't have a shred of artistic freedom in their souls. This song is called Leeva's polka. Usually played with a violin. Buuuuuut... both the viola and violin are too small for me to hold comfortably."

~

Blueblood tried to translate the notes he heard into the ones he remembered from his old instrument.  Not that it would would have managed such a song, not in his hooves at least.  "Ah, yes, I've had a chance to see many Griffon crafts for myself.  They can do very fine claw work.  A lot of the best instruments, I think, come from their workshops."

~

The stallion stuck his tongue out as he continued the rythm. "of course! It's kinda hard for earth ponies and pegasus to use some of the more finesses based instruments." The stallin nodded down to his hooves as they danced among the keys.

"There's only a certain combination of notes I can actually press on these keys, other wise I'll need special shoes to play this thing."
~

All this time, Blueblood's own hooves were tapping to the rhythm.  His movement was something between pacing and dancing, the notes unable to leave him sitting still, but not giving him the knowledge of the steps.  "Polka" was not in the repertoire of his old dance tutor.

"Yes, I've seen those.  Pegasi seem to be able to play the keys with their feathers, too."  So many things in Equestria seemed oddly designed, not with hooves in mind.  Perhaps it came from the Unicorns bringing them in as status symbols.  The Prince didn't dwell too much on that.
~

The stallion shrugged, "As I've probably said. At times I wish I was a unicorn. But then again, that's becoming less and less a thing and that desire really only hinges on one thing now. Because I've been hit and bit by enough things that should have killed me if it wasn't for good ole earth pony endurance."

"How's Crusader doing by the way?" The stallion hummed.

~

"Well..."  Blueblood halted, bringing up a hoof to rub the back of his neck.  "I think she would be grateful for a little more of that resilience.  I don't think she take orders of bedrest and recovery very well, given the sheer amount of drugs the doctors proscribe to keep her down.  She was sleeping, though, last I checked."
~

"Yeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...." The stallion said as his hooves stopped. "That sounds just like her," he continued the rythm once again. 

"I bet she's saying some weird things right now... or trying to walk to the door." The stallion snickered to himself. "And in reality just walking in place."

"But imagine that as a foal you put an absurd amount of devotion into becoming what you were now. And then imagine not being able to do that job for some reason. You studied hard to become a wizard, and then your horn is suddenly smashed into pieces. Sure you can recover... but... you're still suffering it mentally."

"I worked hard and studied hard to become an engineer. I'd be at a lost if I suddenly lost a chunk of my cognitive ability."

"Point is... everyone has a psychological trigger... and it puts a heavy amount of stress on someone. Luckily... Crusader is probably too out of it to even have a moment to think about this."
~

Yes, Star had actually tried to escape on several occasions, only to be foiled by the fact that her hooves were only walking on air.  Blueblood had not been able to restrain his laughter on that occasion, though fortunately, she didn't seem to have noticed.

"I... guess I wouldn't know."  The Prince shrugged.  "I was trained to be a royal dilettante.  The advantage of that, I suppose, is that one always has something to do, no matter what one's circumstances.  The disadvantage is that it is rarely done well."  He tried to think about his own psychological triggers... the only one he could think of was changelings, though that was from being a POW in their second invasion.  Not even caribou triggered him like that.
~

"Technically... if war wasn't declared... that doesn't make you a POW... and therefore doesn't put you under the same line of protections..." The stallion coughed a bit. "Er... a lot worse could have happened. Luckily it seems the changelings aren't as cold blooded as the media tends to put them off as."
~

"Well, the one that bloody captured me was!"  Whoops, looks like Java stepped right on the trigger.  "I mean, what do you call putting a pony through a full subjective decade of nightmares just for your own love of the taste of fear!?  And not just me, but a young filly captured with me, to boot!"

Blueblood slammed down his hoof on the end table, but the outburst was passing as rapidly as it's arrival, leaving him breathing heavy.  He hadn't noticed how much he was exerting himself from the semi-dance, though he was now more wound up than tired.  "Sorry, it's just... I still don't know what's the rule and what's the exception with that lot."
~

The stallion raised his brow as he watched his friend. To be fair... he did try to make light of something terrible... without fully knowing the whole story of it. And it seemed to be one of which he shouldn't push for. Fair enough.

"It's fine," The stallion hummed. "It just means you got a dose of the darker sides of life. Though I don't think that falls in the same category of what I just mentioned. I think that's more of a post traumatic stress reaction..."
~

"That's... that's what they tell me.  Star said that, when she asked me about my nightmares."  He rubbed his face; what time was it?  Would the bad dreams return when he had to go back to bed?  Maybe he should check in with Auntie Luna before then.

"Well, I suppose we'd both know something about that, now."  Blueblood sighed, finally reclining on one of the couches.
~

"Ah! Good to know I'm not the only one with frequent nightmares then!~" The stallion hummed as he finished up the song. "At this point I've just gotten so used to them that it seems like they only show up to give me something interesting to watch while I sleep." The stallion's head tilted a bit. "I even ended up playing a game of black jack with a burnt up griffon with a glove of blades."
~

"Oh, to have a happy and carefree mind like yours."  Blueblood replied sardonically.  "Though, I'm not sure I'd care to go through what you had to to get it."  He looked up from the couch to the window, seeing through it the blank face of the moon once again.  The symbol of all the changes... perhaps he wouldn't get a choice, given how things were going.  

Oh, well.  That was for later.  Tonight was, at least, a free night with a friend.  "What are your favorite sort of dreams, though?"
~

"Hm? Oh I've seen a lot of horrifying things as a foal. Was pretty adventurous with Pressy back then," The stallion began in thought. It even caused his phobia of spiders. He then blinked at the next question.

"Uh...." The stallion began in thought. He tried to form up an answer. But instead... it just turned into an akward silence. "I... I don't know how to answer that one."
~

"Alright, then... I guess I'll start with one of mine."  Blueblood cleared his throat and closed his eyes, summoning up the scene.  "It's at night, and I'm out at sea.  The ship is smaller than most, but I have absolute control over the rudder and rigging from where I am, as easy as moving my hooves.  I know from the stars exactly where I am, and I have no idea where I'm going. The water is like clear, blue glass, and I can almost see the the bottom of the ocean, it's so clear.  I can see below the spires of an underwater city... and if I look closer, I can see that it's Canterlot.  I'm sailing far away, above its cares, in clear sky of sea..."

He blinks.  "A storm blows up half the time, if I don't wake up after that."
~

The stallion blinked, "Sounds like atlantis there buddy..." The pony hummed. He then scratched the back of his head with a hoof. "I... don't think I have anything to contribute to this discussion."
~

"You have nothing... or nothing you can say without embarrassment?"  Blueblood smiled at his friend, but didn't press the point.  "Well, I suppose mine's pretty mundane, for all that.  I've come to appreciate moments like that more, after all this excitement, or whatever you call it."  

Languidly, he slipped off the couch and headed for the door.  "You know, I haven't seen much of this place at night.  I don't know if Auntie is holding court tonight or not; it sounds quiet, but... well, not many petitioners show up at this hour in any case."
~

"Er.... Nothing I can say without embarassment," The stallion coughed into his hooves with a light blush on his head. "Things best not discussed within castle grounds I assure you," The stallion hummed as he followed his friend out the door.

"And really? You pretty much live here. Are you saying you don't explore much at night?"
~

Ah, those kinds of dreams.  Quite right, probably shouldn't be discussing them here.  Blueblood peered down the hallway, finding it empty.  "At night, I'm either sleeping, entertaining guests at the manor, or being entertained elsewhere.  There's not many nocturnal events here; the Gala is the only one I can think of before Luna's return, and that's mostly held in the outer court, ballroom, and garden."

Their footsteps echoed faintly, muffled by the tapestries hanging from the walls.  Almost instinctively, he spoke with a lower voice.  "I don't hear anything from the throne room... Auntie may be dream walking tonight."
~

"I... sometimes wonder exactly what she see's in other ponies dreams." The stallion shudders in thought of this very mare walking in on some mares or stallion's fantasies... no matter how bizzare they could possibly get.
~

"... You know, I've never asked."  Blueblood said, after a moment's consideration.  He turned back to look at Java.  "Would you?"  That information might prove... troubling, for some.  Others might simply be troubled by the fact of somepony else knowing.

"If it's any comfort, I understand she doesn't see everypony's dream.  She just finds the ones that need her help.  I think there's some magic that allows her to do so without wasting time browsing."  Their steps had brought them to the throne room.  Only one guard was posted, so Luna must not be in there tonight.

"Just showing my friend around the place."  The Prince said, informing the guard before he asked what they were on about.  "Mind if we go in?"

There didn't seem to be any objection, so the door was unlatched to let them see the place.  "I have the right to give private tours, as long as no official business is being conducted."
~

The stallion paused at that first question. He stood for a very long minute, rubbing his chin with his hoof and staring intensely into the wall. There was a curious drop of sweat rolling down the side of his head as he realized he might be hearing things that he doesn't want to know... but at the same time...

THE SCHOLAR IN HIM DEMANDS CURIOSITIES TO BE SATED! Even if it means that Luna would straight up tell him in his face the few times she walked in on his dreams! An embarssing situation, but it can not be avoided!

"Actually... yes... yes I would ask that question." The pony then looked to blueblood with a blank expression. "Also I wasn't aware I was reciving a tour of the castle."
~

"Well, I would have a hard time explaining just what we were doing now, then."  Blueblood whispered as they walked up to the throne.  Whether it was the magic inherent in it, or just the lighting, it had gone from gold shining in the sun, to a muted silver-green in the light of the moon.

"I wonder now... if Auntie is ever going to install a second one, like they had in the old Palace."
~

"I always thought there was a second one here..." The stallion hummed softly to himself as he gazed at the throne in thought. Though... just staring at the chair did remind the buck of just how tall the two two sisters were. Dear sweet faust, they craned well over any buck that was short of a mile high.

"But maybe it's not really needed? If I recall, they do take shifts... instead of rule at the same time."
~

"I know.  I just thought it would be nice for them to sit together, at least once..."  Blueblood trailed off, looking up the royal chair, and then back down.  There once again came over him the urge that he had sometimes felt when faced with an empty throne....

He trotted up to it, with the general air of a stallion trying something on, before gingerly sitting down on it, as if he were slightly afraid that it had been booby-trapped.  Nothing, however, seemed to happen, and he couldn't keep a smile off his face.  "I would never tell either Auntie this, but I've always wanted to sit here."

He leaned back, finding the whole thing a little large for his size.
~

"I... don't quite see the appeal of it..." The stallion hummed just seeing the throne as... really an over glorified and uncomfortable looking chair. Sure it might have some nice looking cloth and well crafted wooden handels. But just imagining himself sitting in that thing for long periods of time just makes his flanks hurt!

"Plus... don't thrones have a history of also doubling as toilets for kings and queens?"
~

"Hm..."  Java was, perhaps, right to be suspicious of the comforts of this furniture.  It was not easy to get comfortable on it, but Blueblood would be darned if he admitted it now.

"Oh, that's just an idle slang term."  Blueblood waved his hoof dismissively.  "Royals simply had their exclusive privies, so those got called 'thrones' as well."
~

"Ah." The stallion hummed. Well good thing that matter was solved up. It is a disturbing thought to see a queen or king dropping some hay while discussing business with his or her cabinet. Though he did smirk as he watched the prince strugged to get into a more comfortable position.

"I don't know... maybe celestia and luna both have more nat-... and I'm going to stop myself there."
~

Java didn't need to say anything more.  "Well, you're right, anyhow, they certainly do.  At least, that's probably what the chap who made this thing assumed."  With as much dignity as he could assume, Blueblood dismounted.  

"That's off my checklist, at least.  Thanks for, well... not laughing."  Clearing his throat again, he made his way back down the stairs.
~

"Well to be fair, you don't have much of a backside happening. So I imagine it's gonna feel like you've been sitting on a rock for half an hour in just five minutes," The stallion brazenly commented. He then got off of the ground and followed his friend down the stairs.

"So what else is on your list to do? I assume raid the fridge?"
~

"Hm..."  Blueblood chanced a quick look backwards.  "Maybe it would be more comfortable as Bluebelle, then..."  He shook his head.  Later, if ever.  

"I think... yes, a quick trip to the Pantry.  I want to pick something up for Star in case she's awake when I check on her."
~

"This is actually something I'm curious about myself..." The stallion hummed softly. Cake seems to be the most common thing that the two sisters... well ok one sister... has been seen munching on. Exactly how much of it is just sitting around? Or... at least how much of the ingredients were sitting around.

Being an alicorn, java need not ask where the calories go... given that their bodies are basically the ideal models for all three types of ponies.

"How much material do you have sitting around for just cakes?"
~

"Just for cakes?"  Blueblood's brow furrowed as they stepped out of the room.  "I'm not sure.  I've never looked into the inventory.  Auntie always had cake when she wanted it, but the servants would scramble to get the ingredients if they didn't have any." 

The kitchens weren't too far from the throne room, as a matter of fact.  Both Princesses were appreciative of the convenience of having snacks nearby on the job.  Nosing in, the first thing they were confronted with on the counter was the remains of a chocolate cake.  "Huh.  I suppose we do make a lot of these..."  He muttered, lifting up the platter with his magic.  "Now, just some milk with it..."
~

The stallion was already at the fridge. The door was wide open dropping a god ray on in him as he stared in disbelief at it's contents. It was both a disturbed look... one born from awe. Inside the fridge, were indeed mounds of cake... though perhaps the scarier side of this... The note left on the fridge pretty much told the tale of these not lasting more than a day. And that's all of them... in the same day.

"Well there's no milk to be had in this fridge.... I'm going to go on a whim and say there is another fridge."
~

"Naturally.  We have at times needed to literally feed an army."  And two alicorns besides, four if the others were visiting.  The Prince passed right by the mounds of cake without blinking.  This was, apparently, not a new sight for him.

"Ah, there we are, beverages..."  He said, opening another door, taking out the glass bottle.  "That should do it, I think."  He said, closing the door.  "I'm off, then.  Did you want to check up on her as well, or...?"
~

"Yeeaaaah... Just give... give me a moment here... I just... got a really... really terrifying thought in my head for a second." The stallion said after promptly closing the door. He stared at the fridge, as a mental image shot through his head... the two sisters practically assaulting the poor servants like a pack of dogs for their cake.

"Alright... where is she sleeping? Your room I presume, hm?"
~

Terrifying thought?  Blueblood wasn't sure if he ought to ask.  But, having passed over his friend's embarrassing thoughts, he decided not to pry into his frightening ones as well.  Blue had enough of his own these days, thank you very much.

"No... I'd thought about that, but the Doctor said Star might not be fully aware of her movements... and that it wouldn't exactly be safe to be that close to her if so.  So, she's in the room next to mine right now.  I keep the door open between us."
~

"I can see that... don't need her sleeping on top of you and suffocating you," The stallion commented after looking the prince's body over. Maybe the prince's body could take it... or maybe he'll just deflate like a balloon like java had just predicted.

"Anyways, we're getting her armor repaired. The dents are easy enough to pound out, but the breast plate will need a replacement. Apparently the diamond dog's damaged it enough to make it a problem."
~

There would be time enough to test the Prince's resilience when Star was recovered.  For now, his part was to provide comfort, company, and cake.

"Yes... I saw the shape it was in when they carried her back."  Not a pleasant sight for a reunion.  "It was both impressive and frightening... although I suppose the Berzerk Caribou would have hit harder?"
~

The stallion pulled out a what looked like a small bar and gave it a hard snap of the wrist. It... extended into a friction locked telescopic bar..... but it looked like it was missing a few pieces... and the hole that should have held the other portions of the rod was bent wide.

"Broke my blackjack on one's head... didn't knock em out. Just made em angrier."
~

Blueblood nodded grimly.  "Glad I never had to face one down... and it's thanks to Star, Fire, and Dunder that I didn't have to."  Good friends like that... he hardly deserved them, but he was glad that Star and his old friends had gotten along and worked together so well.  

It took some navigating of the stairs to reach their rooms; Blueblood pushed open the door to his own, looking around, before going through to hers.  "Star?  Are you awake?"
~

The mare of the our..... had actually managed to get out of bed... though she was on the ground instead. Her muzzle rooted firmly into the hard tiles, her rear up high. One of her wings were covered up in the blankets. The other was extended. "Lluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?" She slurred out through her dizzyness.

"Hold on for a second," The stallion hummed. "Crusader, if you're lucid enough to hold a conversation. twitch your hoof."

The mare was still for a few seconds... but she waved her tail instead. Close enough.

"Ah... I know that effect. She's rediscovering her limbs under those..." The stallion picked up the bottle. "Hydrocodons... yeesh..."
~

Hm, that was a very... undignified position for a pony to be in.  Blueblood let out his breath slowly and approached carefully.  Not that Star was liable to make any sudden movement in her condition, but he wasn't quite sure how lucid she was under the circumstance.  

"No, it's me, a rather different royal."  The Prince answered her slurred query, gently lifting and disentangling the blankets from her wing, setting them back on the bed.  He wasn't... quite sure what to do next.  The stallion wasn't familiar with the kind of drugs she was on, but figured that the best thing for her would be to get back into bed.  However, if she was mistaking her tail for a hoof... that could get tricky.

"Star, listen..."  The Prince ducked under her extended wing to speak softly in her ear.  "I know you're restless, but you really need to get back into bed so you'll be fully recovered for your duties.  I'll help you get back in, alright?"
~

"No... I don't want to go back to the bed...." The mare's eyes slowly opened and shifted about. Her pupils were wide, though the mare was clearly trying her hardest to make sense of everything even in her condition. However... pain killers had a really bad effect on one's cognitive ability.

"The...... bed creature... wants to eat me....." She tried to move her wing. The one under the blanket twitched. "I.... can't find my other wing... the bed ate it..."

Mean while her brother was in the back. His lips quivering as he put his best efforts in laughing.
~

That was... the last thing Prince Blueblood had expected Star Crusader to say.  That led the stallion to having an even harder time suppressing his laughter than Java.  "No, no..."  Eschewing gentleness, he magically whipped the blanket off of the mare, setting it aside on the bed.  

"There we go!"  He said, softly but brightly.  "All free now..."  To demonstrate, he pulled Star's formerly trapped wing out and unfolded it.  His maneuver had, predictably, set all the feathers out of place.  Blueblood wondered if he ought to preen them himself, as Star was clearly in no position to do so.  He knew that it might be seen as an intimate gesture... but on the other hand, having a wing that out of sorts must be uncomfortable for her, and as the whole point was to get her to relax....

"Just... stay still for a bit then.  I'll keep the monster away."  He whispered, trying to manipulate the feathers with his magic.  He found them tricky to manipulate, given how they had gotten interwoven in the process of mussing.  Eventually, he had to resort to using his mouth to keep at least one of the pinfeathers steady while he smoothed out the rest...
~

Java raised a brow as he watched the exchange between the two. Sure, this was a display of intimacy, but the same gesture is also what owls and many other birds do to their friends and siblings. It really didn't cause him any more discomfort than watching a foal being given a bath.

The mare's wing that was stretched out... was practically limp in the stallion's grasp. Unlike normally when she had to guide her wings out as someone tugged it, it stretched out like a piece of string. It was easily moved and worked. Even when it gave a twitch as the mare tried to lift the wing it's self. Though the other one rose up like a plank with one end hitched to a lever. Stretched out and up it went.
~

It took a while for Prince Blueblood to get into a rhythm of work, holding a feather, straightening its neighbors, then moving on to the next.  A few came out, which he hoped was normal.  He really didn't know much about pegasus molting rates, though he made a resolution to find out as he carefully laid each discarded feather on the end table.

Star, fortunately, was making his job easy... on this wing.  Soon enough, it was as preened as an unpracticed unicorn could make it, and Blueblood folded it back against her side.  "There we go!  Now, for the other one..."

He looked up.  It wasn't so messed up as the last one, but the muscles held it above his reach.  He reached over her withers to feel them... yep, stiff as a board.  Time to put that massage practice to use.  

Standing up on his rear hooves, he kneaded his front two into her back and shoulders, trying to get the muscles to relax.  "Come on... wasn't she supposed to be on muscle relaxants as well as painkillers?"
~

"She is..." The stallion commented as she watch the wing that was being worked on suddenly droop and fall onto the Prince's head. The other wing however, suddenly stretched out, pushing a few things around on the floor.

"Just try being loopy. Your body don't work the way it should," The stallion commented.

~

*Whump!*

Well, that answered his question.  Fortunately, only gravity was aiding the descent, lending the buffet none of Star's normal strength.  "I guess that's why they tell you not to mix drugs, normally.  You can never tell what can happen..."  

Like before, the Prince stretched out the wing, preening it in a more practiced manner, before setting it back.  The other was extended, but still in order.  "Well... that's as good as we're going to get, I suppose.  Now..."  Blueblood breathed deeply, contemplating the difficult task of getting a mare much larger than himself into bed.  What would have been easy when lucid was proving to be difficult now.  

"Star... If I promise to stay with you, guarding against the bed Monster, will you come to bed?"
~

The mare did try to give her answer. It was a low babble of nonesense followed by the out streatched wing's tip folding in and out repeatedly. It's fair to say that it may have been a nod... she's just having trouble trying to find the right limb.

"I suppose I should take my leave then," Java hummed sofly.
~

"I'll... take that for a yes."   It hadn't been the most typical of one-liners, the Prince would be the first to admit, but it seemed effective... partially, anyway.

"Um..."  Star still wasn't in control of her limbs enough to climb into bed under her own strength, it seemed.  "I may need you to help me lift."  Blueblood smiled weakly at Java, before getting up on the bed behind the mare.  "I'll pull from the back, you lift from the front."

He hooked his own front legs around Star's thighs, bracing his own by the head board.  "On three.  One... two..."
~

The stallion just rolled his eyes and lifted up one of the mare's hooves. He snuck a hoof under her other arm and heaved her up and over onto his own back. He gave a few shrugs to get her more over her over his back before he rose completely back to his feet.

"She's heavy... but she's not a whale. Come on, Blueblood," The stallion chuckled as he looked between the rooms. "Alright, which bed do you want her? This one, or yours?"
~

"Well, I'm not used to heavy lifting; and I don't want to drop her."  That would probably not be the action of a good stallion friend.   "Besides, I'm a unicorn, not an earth pony."  

He followed his friend's gaze between the two rooms.  "Hm, my bed is up against a wall, so that makes it less likely that she'll roll out again."
~

The stallion began the slow walk across the room. Each step he took made a resounding clop with the extra weight on his back. And while the buck wasn't completely over-encumbered to the point that he was reduced to an overburdoned packmule... he was forced to move a bit slower while carrying her.

"Honestly, I'm curious on why you two weren't already sharing a bed together..." The stallion huffed as he neared the bed. "I'm gonna need you to move the covers by the way. Can't move all to well with her on me."
~

"Up until recently, we didn't have that shift covered.  I have a few more honor guards now, but... well, lately it's been hard enough to find time or energy to do more than sleep."  Blueblood explained as he got the covers out of the way, and began to pull Star off of Java's back and onto the bed.  

"This arrangement was supposed to be temporary for both our safety, actually.  Seems it didn't work out..."
~

"Nope it doesn't seem that way. But hey, if you do die from her just laying on you, you've probably died the happiest buck alive." The stallion hummed just as the mare was heaved off of her back and rolled into the bed.

"In the legs... or under I suppose, a mare..."
~

Java... wasn't wrong, if Blueblood was being honest with himself.  The mattress had enough give to not make that a huge worry, probably, but he wouldn't mind all the same.

Which was a good thing, too, as the sudden heave to get Star into the bed did end up pinning his flank under hers.  "Oof!  Well... that, uh, works, I guess."  He waved at Java over the curve of her body.  "Thanks... I think I can take it from here."
~

"Alright then," The stallion chirped as he made his way to the door. Though he paused for a moment just as he passed out of it, and looked back. "Oh and Blueblood, if you are planning anything, do wait till she's sober yeah? I'd wager mom would turn you into a mare permanently after something unsavory."

With that the stallion politely closed the door and made his way out of the castle.
~

"No worries.  I wouldn't do that... and I can't get into position to do anything, anyway."  Yeah... that was the other reason why separate beds were thought to be a good idea at first.  But, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

Getting as comfortable as he could, under the circumstances, Blueblood kissed Star goodnight.  "Sweet Dreams.  Let me be the guard this time, at least for tonight."  He wasn't sure how well he was going to sleep himself, but she needed the rest more than him.  Besides, he wasn't trusting his own dreams after the mental images of the Duchess' possible actions...
~

The mare, now sober soon fidgeted and pulled her legs closer to herself. She felt something.... squishy and warm between her fore legs. The same squishy and warm object was also pressed against her object. She let out a low and tired quizical grunt and gave it another squeeze before opening her eyes slowly.
~

Blueblood's night had been neither restful, nor all that eventful.  It had been mostly spent in vigil, making sure that Star got the sleep she needed to recover.  Of course, there was also the concern of not getting smothered.  Ultimately, that had turned out to be a non-issue; the mare had secured him early in the crook of her body, acting as a shelter against being squished.

<Even when not sober, you're still looking out for me.>  The thought had touched him, it really had.  Thus, even though he missed his beauty sleep, he could still manage a tired smile to greet Star Crusader's open eyes.  "Good morning.  Sleep well?"  

He barely even grunted as he was squeezed.  Blueblood found that he... rather liked being held, practically immobilized, like this.  Kept safe, still, secure...
~

Perhaps if Crusader's head hadn't spent most of the night spinning, she'd be incredibly flustered at their position. Even so the thought seemed to have crossed her head as she stared down to the buck held in her legs.

But... something inside of her clicked, and she just went with it for now. Her lifted head drooped a bit, and then found it's self resting ontop of the stallions.

"Perhaps a torture victim had sounder sleep..." The mare commented dryly through a yawn. "I found myself constantly swarmed with colors and....." she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, "Demons spawned from the bed it's self. Or more so... the bed was the demon."

The mare then lifted her wings for a moment... and noticed some of the feathers being in correct positions... and some feathers oddly worked into bizzare places.
~

Blueblood couldn't imagine that a unicorn's head would make the best of cushions, for obvious reasons, but Crusader seemed to have found a position to make it work.  Which was really the best one could for.  At least there wasn't any kind of awkwardness in waking up in this position... not that Blue had fallen asleep in the first place.  

"Y-yeah..."  He yawned, tucking his face into her chest, both to rest himself and get his horn out of the way of her chin.  "I remember you saying that... you kept falling out of bed, so I offered to stay guard with you... and given that you weren't eaten, I guess it worked."  He chuckled, yawning again.

"Oh, um... I tried preening your wings.  Not sure how well I did."
~

"Well... if you mean the preening job," the mare began "Better than what most foals do when they start to learn how to do it on their own." The mare then pulled the buck closer to herself. That same small smile curled it's way onto her lips warmly as she gave the buck a nuzzle to the cheek.

"As for guard duty, couldn't do it any better."
~

"Thank you... hmmmm..."  Blueblood had started to pick up on Star's habit of humming when happy or content.  And right now... he was both.  He stretched his neck to press against her nuzzle, a slight pinkish tone now coloring it.

"I learn from the best... hoo, but now I... feelinsleepnnnnzzz..."  Happy, content, warm, held, tired... it all count lead to only one place in the end, as the Prince began to doze off.