|
Post by Red Charge on Jan 21, 2013 15:35:15 GMT -5
It was a long day, they studied up until the afternoon, wherein they were released outside for a small break before reporting.... for fitness training. Running, lifting, flying, dodging... it seemed like the physical fitness training was ten times as hard on their already sore muscles than the combat had been. By the time they were done with what Big Axe had referred to as their warm up, they were beat.
Of course, that's when the real training began. Big Axe led them outside of the compound they were in, to an area in a wood they did not recognize from anywhere in Equestria. There they faced an obstacle course of terrifying proportions. So much so that one of their fellow ponies had to leave to relieve himself just at the sight of it.
A running track with pop up planks was what the course started with. Run at full speed, if a plank pops up and you fail to dodge it, you break your nose on it. Naturally if you couldn't complete it fast enough, you'd be sent to the start to begin all over again. After that was the ramp, a slippery waxed ramp with few grips and fewer lanes. If someone above you faltered, you'd be likely to join them at the bottom as well as those behind you. Unless of course you were quick enough to dodge them.
Pegasi were not expected to go up the ramp however, they were expected to fly over it and pull an extremely heavy zipline back to the top of the ramp, for the ponies. Of course, they'd have to carry it back after every pony had swung on it.
Big Axe was saying that they'd have to traverse the obstacle course as a team, meaning each team would have to go in a lane and make sure all of its members reach the end, or else everyone would fail.
The zip lines ended with a very long drop down. There was a very small area that was cushioned, landing anywhere outside of it would be extremely painful, if not downright hazardous. After the drop was another running section, this time, the pop up planks had nails in them. A pony not quick enough to dodge, this time, was in real danger of severe injury and in a freak accident, even death.
The next part after that was the crawl, a long crawl through mud and water, which looked like one could barely at all lift their snout up to breathe without getting electrocuted by an electrical grid over it.
After the crawl was another, very short running track leading to a small water obstacle, ponies would have to swim through the water, which may have been easy, if the waters were not gushing into a whirlpool constantly, a tired pony could easily get sucked to the bottom... and never resurface...
And at the end of all that was a vertical climb, three story high, with no safety measures in sight. A pony falling from that height could easily find themselves not getting back to their feet. All in all, the obstacle course was pretty easy, for a DEITY.
"None of you are going to make it all the way to the end in the first time, naturally. Just try not to die, scraping dead ponies off the nailed planks is tiresome, and the electrocution smells horrible." The massive stallion instructed each team to get in their lane.
"Now this is my kind of obstacle course!" Lightning Dust said, although far less excitedly than a genuine cry would sound. Quite in fact, she looked just as tired as the rest of them and just as afraid. She could see herself passing this, maybe, if she was at full energy. But in her devastated state? Were they serious?
|
|
|
Post by Gleam Lucre on Jan 21, 2013 21:33:10 GMT -5
By the time their 'warm-up' was complete, Gleam's coat was matted with sweat and he could feel individual muscles trembling in all four legs. The written lesson had lulled them all into relaxing - as much as a lecture delivered by Big Axe could be relaxing, which wasn't much of course - and even Gleam had felt a touch of optimism. Surely the worst of their training for the day was over!
HA HA HA HA!
It was probably for the best that their lunch had been so pitiful, because seeing the full layout of the obstacle course was making Gleam's stomach turn. Maybe by the end of their training, when they were all insane titanic-sized MONSTERS like Big Axe, would anypony here manage to make it to the end of the course. As of right now, was a certified deathtrap! Big Axe's 'requests' that they didn't mess up the course with dead bodies weren't helping either.
Gleam shook his head slowly, the thing feeling like a lead weight on the end of his neck. He was trying to think, but all his brain seemed able to come up with at first was very unhelpful information regarding how manticores would manage this obstacle course of doom.
What else had Big Axe said...? Go as a team? Nothing about finishing by a certain amount of time. Meant they could take things slowly, except for the times they had to run...with the hoofing planks ready to take their eyes out...and everypony had to move in single file, making things even MORE complicated...
"Let's get in this order," Gleam offered as they lined up, "Birch Bright first, then Lightning Dust. Sunspire next, and I'll take the end."
It was a risk, putting the bulkiest member of the team in front, but Gleam thought it was better to get him clear of the obstacles first instead of pressuring him to do something foalish just to keep up with the rest of them. Lightning needed to be next because of the zip line. Gleam's reasoning behind putting himself after Sunspire was a bit selfish: if he saw how the rest of the team managed each situation, he'd be able to figure out the best way to manage it.
"If you don't think you can make it, just stop. This isn't worth anypony getting hurt," Gleam added after another moment.
Seriously, there was no reason for ANYPONY here to get mutilated here. It was bad enough they were going to take on this hoofing obstacle course in the first place!
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Jan 28, 2013 12:36:49 GMT -5
Since there were more teams than lanes, Gleam's team had the pleasure of watching another group go before them. It dawned on the team that kitchen duty was probably the best thing to happen to Nova Blast. The first group suffered heavy casualties right off the bat. One of the mares slammed hard into one of the planks, breaking her snout and losing several teeth, as well as recieving heavy shock to her spine. She was carried off to the side where several medics were waiting, she writhed throughout the entire time her team was still going.
A few casualties from another team in another lane, one tried to jump over a plank but only managed to break his hoof on it and then crash land on his face, he was completely still after that and as they dragged him off Gleam caught a glance of the medics covering him up to his neck in preparation for complicated magic, as he apparently snapped a vertebrae. Another fell off the ramp and rolled all the way down, taking two more ponies with him, several legs were broken.
Another pegasi accidentally had her wing caught between the zip and the line somehow, she hung there useless and in agony as her team were forced to use her as a grip instead. By the time they all made it through the wing looked completely useless.
Of those that made it past the zipline (one fell and broke some bones) none of them dared to run the spiked plank course. With yelling by Big Axe however, they were convinced, fortunately, few of them had the stamina to run fast enough to collide and none of them was able to finish the track in time, having to restart it over and over until they could barely even run anymore.
So that's how they were going to toughen them up, break and repair them over and over and over again until they stopped fearing pain or death... Brutal, but effective, if their trainers were examples to judge by.
|
|
|
Post by Gleam Lucre on Jan 30, 2013 18:35:23 GMT -5
As they watched the other teams try and fail to make it through the obstacles, Gleam and his teammates winced heavily at each crash and scream of pain. To the side, he could see Lightning Dust's wings fold in tight as she watched that poor pegasus caught in the zipline: Gleam wasn't sure Lightning even knew she was doing it, transfixed by the horror as she was.
It was probably a blessing that nopony who managed to make it to the spiked boards had enough energy left to run.
By the point that it was time for their team to take their lane, Birch Bright's legs had locked in place. His eyes were nearly rolling - go ahead of the others on THIS thing? Not a chance!
"Buck this! I'm not going first!"
The other two ponies groaned. Big Axe wasn't going to stand for them standing there and bickering, there was no time for this... Gleam's ears went back as Birch Bright turned a glower straight at him.
"You've been coming up with all these ideas, right? So why don't YOU take the lead, Mister Smartypants?"
Gleam very much wanted to tell Birch Bright to shut up and take the potential death-course like a stallion, but even with the rest while they wanted the first teams race off to their doom, he was just too tired to deal with this.
"...If you like," Gleam replied.
He took his mark with an air of dignity. Birch Bright tried to move to the back of their group...only to find Sunspire had taken that spot when the other three weren't looking. A lowered unicorn horn pointing at his face 'encouraged' Birch Bright to be third in line instead.
Gleam focused on getting ready to run. Just dodge the planks, don't jump them, and hope to the heavens that you didn't miss a hoof-hold on that climbing wall. This was his worst plan of the day, for certain.
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Feb 2, 2013 6:12:00 GMT -5
And they were off, Lightning Dust sped on ahead, passing Gleam with blinding speed and leaving him behind. Her recklessness however was matched by her flying skill, as she weaved and dodged between all of the planks, revealing their locations to the rest of the team, which made them pass through the first section with hardly any effort. She didn't stop to wait for them at the climbing wall, she immediately sped to bring the zip line and once doing so, she dropped back down just as gleam arrived, grabbing him from above and air-lifting him right up to the platform for him to take the zip line.
"I got it covered twinkle-hooves," She yelled as he swung on the zip line, "Not going to let anyone get hurt on my watch!" She stopped the line directly over the sweet spot, causing Gleam to fall directly on the cushioned area and then speeding back to the climbing ramp, where Sunspire was hoisting the others over with his burly magic. Being left the last one, he was about to start climbing the ramp when Lightning Dust picked him up as well, though with some difficulty due to his size and placed him at the top.
The zip line was halfway through with Birch Bright, so Lightning Dust took a moment to look at the other teams... Some ponies were still laying on the plank tracks, others at the bottom of the ramp, apparently it was very hard for them to concentrate while watching Lightning Dust carry her team through the course.
Other pegasi tried to do the same for their own teams, but were not all that successful, possibly the last remaining uninjured pegasus female left in the entire platoon had her stomach cave in after trying to zip through the running track like Lightning Dust did. Unfortunately for her a plank popped up unexpectedly and the top of it smacked her hard, breaking her momentum and probably rupturing her insides.
Lightning Dust winced and carried on with the Zip Line until all were through. The team was all gathered at the second running course, none of them wanted Lightning Dust to fly fast through it again, but she smirked.
"Trust me on this, it's piece of cake!" She said confidently, speeding off before anyone could stop her. This time, even Big Axe was watching carefully, as she dodged the incoming planks again and again, revealing their locations to the others just as she did before. However, as Birch Bright tried to cross, he found that the track did not act according to expectations. The planks were on both sides, and they popped up randomly, as opposed to the last part. He had a very close scrape with one, but fortunately for him, Sunspire used a very effective slow spell on him and saved him in the nick of time.
Then came something Lightning Dust wasn't expecting, how would she? No one had gotten this far in the course, two planks on the course rising up simultaneously, blocking all options to dodge. She wasn't allowed to fly over them, she knew and at her speed, breaking was impossible.
She crashed through the planks harmlessly and Gleam noticed, for a split second, that the spikes on both planks wavered as though they were made of mist... they weren't there, not on that last one, they were an illusion! The others had noticed Lightning Dust was relatively unharmed, but the only one puzzled still about it was Birch Bright. They beat the third part of the track together, being the only team to have done so.
They did notice however, that the team on the other lane, whatever was left of it anyway, was now completely finished, one pony had impaled themselves on a plank with real spikes, medics teleported the plank with the pony away. None of them would see that pony again.
Then they were at it, the Crawl, crawling through water and mud with an electrical grid hanging overhead so each of them could only barely get their nostrils out of the water. The hazards here were obvious: Electrocution, suffocation, drowning, trampling. There was no way out in the middle of the crawl, even if a pony had failed to make it across, there would be no way to rescue them until it was too late. Any pony going into that crawl would simply have to accept the fact that if they or their friends messed up, there would be no saving them.
"Just don't touch the grid or we'll all get electrocuted." Lightning Dust said to her weary comrades, they seemed far too tired to be able to cross that crawl, but Big Axe was not going to let them stop until they couldn't go on anymore.
She had of course, hit the one thing she was most scared of, drowning. Oh Lightning Dust did not like drowning, just the mere thought of it made her lose her balance, but here she was, about to keep herself in a breathless state for long periods of time until she reached the other side. She couldn't do it, she collapsed on the starting zone, fainting.
Big Axe waited for the others, "What are you meatbags doing? GET ACROSS THAT CRAWL." He shouted, moving towards them threateningly. Sunspire looked at him disdainfully and then used his magic to create air bubbles around the others' heads, they would not need to lift their heads up and risk electrocution. He started moving first with the passed out Lightning Dust, with Gleam in second and Birch Bright in third. Gleam could catch Sunspire copping a feel or two, which was beyond inappropriate, but in this situation, seemed rather hilarious.
They got through The Crawl, but even despite Sunspire's help, they were beyond exhausted. Every muscle in their bodies now screamed to the heavens with pain and agony, even turning one's head caused pain to wrack their bodies, with the exception of the passed out Lightning Dust. But they were SO CLOSE.
"Alright that's enough!" Big Axe called, "I'm not going to let you kill yourself on that whirlpool..." He started, but to his amazement, the group was still moving, not running so much as limping onwards despite the pain. No they weren't giving up, to Hay with that pony. They got this far, they'll get to finish it.
Gleam and Sunspire agreed on a plan, the water obstacle was not too big, the whirpool however was very strong. Birch Bright covered every inch of Gleam with mud, so much so that he grew several times larger than he was. However, Sunspire's air bubble kept him still breathing. At that, he was tossed straight in the middle of the obstacle, plummeting down the whirlpool and out of sight.
It took only a few moments for the whirlpool's currents to weaken substantially, as Gleam was now physically blocking the opening, after they had all crossed (again from under the water Gleam could catch Sunspire copping a feel at Lightning Dust), Sunspire froze the mud off of Gleam, keeping the whirlpool still temporarily blocked and then allowing Gleam to swim back up and finish on the other side.
Neither Big Axe nor the free medics remaining dared to move. They had never seen a group get this far on their first run. They all looked like they would die of exhaustion at any moment, they were all shaking, Birch Bright was barely able to stand. But there was just the climbing wall. Sunspire, who despite having had some amusement in carrying her, decided it was time for Lightning Dust to wake up and smacked her hard across the face, startling her awake.
After a few moments of orienting herself, Lightning Dust was told how far they've gotten, now they needed her help getting up the climbing wall. They'd go one by one, time didn't matter anymore, there were no other teams left. She'd have to support them from beneath with her wings, made sure they reached the top.
And they all did, they all made it to the top, bruised, battered, exhausted beyond compare, but they all made it. No one talked, but Big Axe looked furious, he was waiting for them on the top platform and stepped forth menacingly.
"Do you realize what you've done?" He asked angrily, snorting so hard smoke seemed to come out of his nostrils.
"You just showed this PATHETIC piles of MAGGOTS how you USE TEAMWORK and THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!" He called out so loud that his voice carried all across the course. Gleam noticed Harvest Moon standing in the distance, looking up at them. "THIS, is how you get through the course! You're not shield walls, no amount of physical training will allow you to get through this course without using your heads! This team, this combination of STRANGERS did not think only of the goal. They thought HOW to get to it. They KNEW they couldn't finish the course alone, so they carried ALL of their members until the end. You have so many tools and I gave you so many loopholes to use them! Wings, Magic, Strength, Ingenuity! When I went through this course, we froze the water obstacle, since we had three unicorns. We blasted the planks with magic when they popped in our way! Or tossed each other over the ramp, moved the cushions around for our members to land properly!"
"You may be training to be slayers, but even slayers can't do it all. What Lightning Dust's team showed us, more than all, is the value of improvisation, adaptation and teamwork. Some of you didn't make it past this course, one of you won't be getting to re-audition ever again. Let this be your guiding light. This is what we're looking for. All of you are dismissed, except Lightning's Team. You stay right here."
|
|
|
Post by Gleam Lucre on Feb 7, 2013 21:08:32 GMT -5
Gleam felt like he was about to drop dead right where he stood. How had he even managed the last section of the course? If somepony breathed too hard on him, Gleam would collapse in a heap and never move again.
Once they'd started the course, any tentative plans Gleam had tried to think up beforehoof were thrown aside, in favor of any random thing that popped into Gleam and the others' heads. Sunspire was the one who'd decided to pack Gleam in mud and fling him into the whirlpool, but Gleam had been the one to tell Sunspire to find something to plug the thing.
Lightning Dust had put her blazing speed to good use, braving the plank sections ahead of the rest of them each time. Although it was a bit of a break for them that some of the spikes had been illusions the entire time: the team in the next lane hadn't been so lucky...
After Big Axe dismissed everypony but their team, all Gleam could do was lock his legs to keep from sinking to the ground. Every part of him felt like it was about to fall off: his head hung low, feeling like it had been cast in lead when Gleam wasn't looking. He didn't even have the energy to turn his head and look around at the moment...
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Feb 8, 2013 2:04:14 GMT -5
Big Axe crouched down near the now seemingly dying team. They were all in the same state as Gleam, almost comatose after exhausting themselves. Even so much as breathing or having their hearts beat seemed like too much for any of them.
"You overexerted yourself on dangerous levels." Big Axe said, not shouted, "You could've died." At that medics climbed up skillfully to the wall and began serving them some vigor potions, rubbing ointments over their bodies to relax their tense muscles and beginning to issue rejuvinating spells on them. "You did well. The only other team to ever make it past the course on the first run were the trainers you all fought today. You thought they were deadly individually, but trust me as a team they are an unstoppable force. I see that potential in you, which is why I'm going to make your life a living Hay. You're already one down, so I'm giving you one more, Nova Blast will be joining you. I trust he'll do well with you."
|
|
|
Post by Gleam Lucre on Feb 10, 2013 13:10:54 GMT -5
Gleam was finally able to lift his head after ten minutes of care from the medical staff. His teammates were in the same state he was - though Sunspire looked a little too pleased to have the female medics rubbing ointment into his muscles. Gleam hadn't forgotten how the unicorn's roving hooves when it came to the unconscious Lightning Dust either...really, that kind of thing wasn't very becoming of a soldier. Though unless Sunspire made a habit out if it, Gleam didn't really feel a need to bring it up.
His thoughts ground to a halt when Big Axe told them what was in store for their team next. Somehow he was surprised that there was a next level of Hay for Big Axe and the trainers to put them through. Ponies had almost died today, either from the training or - in their case - from working themselves to total exhaustion. And yet there was an option for the training to be even worse?!
On the other hoof, Nova Blast - the former Major that nopony had seen since this morning's practice with the trainers - was joining their little team. That was a huge boon for them! His experience would be invaluable! ...Although the fact that nopony had seen Nova Blast for a while now made Gleam nervous when he thought about it some more. Who knew what the older pony had gone through since then? Kitchen duty couldn't have lasted all day...could it?
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Feb 10, 2013 13:28:25 GMT -5
After they were all tended to, it was finally time for dinner. If the recruits had any hope for a good meal after all their effort and pain, they were wrong. It was the same slop they had at lunch. The hollow in their stomach was further enforced by the fact that the staff was dining on real food, even had desserts, as opposed to them.
Lightning Dust and Sunspire have been chatting a lot since the obstacle course, they were now both seated at the edge of the table across from each other. Birch Bright and a couple of others were between them, as their team, after being held up at the course were the last to show and had no room for all of them.
Across from Gleam was one of the mares, the pegasus whose wing was caught in the zip line (and was now bandaged) introduced herself as Lightning Crackle. She had noted she was very impressed by Gleam's team's performance in the course and couldn't believe they actually finished it entirely. She had been watching from the sidelines and for her it looked almost heroic the way they carried on.
She leaned closer to Gleam and said she heard Big Axe had horrible plans for their team later on. She also asked where they got all the ideas to get past the obstacles in the course.
|
|
|
Post by Gleam Lucre on Feb 11, 2013 20:01:50 GMT -5
On another day, Gleam would've made the effort to be annoyed with the food situation. Their 'trainers' were shamelessly lording it over those ponies who had the fortune (or perhaps misfortune) to remain in the Slayers training program...their table loaded with things that probably wouldn't have looked out of place on Grand Galloping Gala's menu. Meanwhile Gleam and the others had to make do with...mush.
Gleam and the rest of his team had to settle for lukewarm mush, since they'd been late to dinner. And just because ponies had been dropping like flies all through the day didn't mean there were plenty of places to sit. Somepony had clearly gone ahead and pulled out any extra tables just to make certain.
He was distracted from his own musings when the pegasus he was sitting across from introduced herself. Lightning Crackle seemed to be in surprisingly good spirits, considering she'd nearly had her wing torn off on the course they'd all just come in from. Gleam made a point to neither stare at nor obviously avoid staring at her bandaged wing. Medical ponies could apparently work miracles.
The question of what was in store for Gleam's team made him sigh heavily. Oh, he didn't really want to think about that right now...thinking about it only provided him with more and more horrible ideas of what it might be, all the while suspecting that nothing he could come up with would be as unpleasant as the real deal.
"'Horrible' may be putting it lightly," Gleam replied.
Nosing his mush around, he mulled over Lightning Crackle's second question. Where had they come up with their plans in the course come from? As far as Gleam could figure, the four of them had thrown all caution to the wind and gone temporarily insane.
"The obstacle course, I think, was more spur-of-the-moment than anything else," he added.
Although now that he was thinking about it...if not for Sunspire conveniently knowing some very useful spells, their team would've been stuck. And Lightning Dust's speed and flying skills were invaluable. Even Birch Bright had pushed them forward, albeit mostly on sheer momentum. But Gleam's method of only thinking quietly to himself hadn't come up with anything even remotely as successful.
Like Big Axe had said, the biggest advantage they had was working together.
'I need to get to know them better,' Gleam thought, looking down the table where Birch Bright, Lightning Dust, and Sunspire were sitting.
He'd have to get to know Nova Blast too, once the ex-major properly joined their team. That thought in mind, Gleam turned his gaze back towards Lightning Crackle. She must be very determined if she wasn't letting her near-mutilation stop her from continuing this training.
"Why do you want to become a Slayer?" Gleam asked her.
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Feb 12, 2013 1:11:57 GMT -5
The mare stared directly at Gleam, very confidently. "My brother's a Star. I was on the weather patrol and during the Eclipse Crisis he was injured and had to be discharged. I don't blame anyone, but I saw how miserable he is. So I took his place and joined the army. I hope I can eventually get to be either a Star, a Baron or even just a slayer would be great."
She took an air of confidence, "Not gonna stop 'till I make it either. Maybe we failed the obstacle course, but there'll be other chances to prove ourselves yet." She insisted, now more assertive in her attitude. "Besides, with Nova Blast leading our team, we'll get through, I'm positive!"
She seemed very confident in that last statement. Nova had been able to impress all of the ponies with his performance in the sparring. The impression that made Gleam's team jealous of Lightning's team was still lasting on her. She didn't know Nova Blast was being transferred to Gleam's team yet.
|
|
|
Post by Gleam Lucre on Feb 17, 2013 10:42:59 GMT -5
So she was proving herself for her family's sake...Gleam wondered. Most of his family had been distant as he was growing up, busy with the mines and with other social requirements that Canterlot's uppercrust held themselves to. His mother had told him in her last letter to Gleam at boot camp that she was planning on having another foal in the near future - especially since Gleam had proven that he wasn't going to take over the family mines - but he wondered if Lightning Crackle's brother would approve of her training for his sake even when the result was such a terrible injury. What if the medical staff here hadn't been able to save her wing? Crackle's brother would have felt responsible for grounding his sister permanently, wouldn't he?
And then Crackle mentioned that she'd been on the team with Nova Blast and that made the conversation a whole new level of awkward. Clearly Big Axe hadn't bothered to announce the transfer of Nova to Gleam's team...if he had, though, Gleam suspected that Crackle wouldn't have been nearly so willing to chat with him.
"What if the trainers take Nova Blast away from your team? They might think he's an unfair advantage for you," Gleam offered.
Just outright telling her what was going on would definitely rub Crackle the wrong way. Gleam might be a bit of a dour sort, but he at least had tact.
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Feb 22, 2013 5:42:59 GMT -5
Lightning Crackle's eyebrow rose, "What are you talking about, unfair?" She asked, "We have a newbie in our team and other than him no one with real talent... Why would they do that to us?" She asked, now somewhat concerned, her eyes widened and she frowned, "We can't afford to lose Nova, none of us has past commanding experience."
The female pegasi shook her head with a small laugh, "I'm not worried, why would they ever take Nova Blast anyway? They didn't break you guys up and you beat that obstacle course!" She smiled at Gleam again, taking a big slurp of her goop. "Why are you here? You want to be a slayer? Or maybe you want to go to the shield walls?"
|
|
|
Post by Gleam Lucre on Mar 1, 2013 20:59:21 GMT -5
Gleam shifted in his seat, feeling a bit guilty now. It wasn't his or anypony else's fault (except for their trainers) that the transfer had happened without any warning for Nova Blast's team, and Crackle was convinced that losing him would spell the end for them...when she decided to change the subject, Gleam decided to let the matter rest. Crackle would find out the truth soon enough.
Why was he here? Honestly, if it had been up to Gleam he probably wouldn't have taken this particular brand of training. He really hadn't put much thought into it at all, aside from the main idea that he wanted to be more.
"I don't know," Gleam admitted, "I joined the army to have a life with meaning...as long as I can do that, I don't care where I end up."
Compared to Crackle's ambition, his own plans seemed rather shallow. But at least he was certain it was a step in the direction he genuinely wanted to go.
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Mar 2, 2013 3:46:44 GMT -5
Gleam's conversation partner nodded in agreement, smiling.pleasantly at Gleam. "Yes I hear that a lot." She said, "Well." She said, patting Gleam on the shoulder. "Let's hope we both get out of this alive and as slayers." At that she got up and took her tray, "Oh," She said finally and came closer to to Gleam to whisper. "Look out from Lightning Dust, heard she got kicked out of Wonderbolts Academy because she nearly caused an airship to crash." At that the mare turned around and with the rest of her team began to file out of the mess hall.
Birch Bright approached Gleam after the room began to clear up. "Hey," He said, sitting in front of Gleam and leaning on the table, "We're the bar to beat now you know. Everyone's looking up to us and we need to keep it up. If brick-face is serious, he's going to make it ten times harder for us than any other team." He leaned closer to Gleam, "But we have a problem." He pointed at Sunspire and Lightning Dust, who had just started laughing at a story Sunspire had told her.
"These lovebirds are trouble. Sunspire's useful, but he's arrogant and selfish. Lightning Dust is just reckless and crazy. If they keep it up, one of them's bound to get injured and pull us right out of the running. You and I are level-headed, I want you as the boss of this team. I'll back you up and then together we'll have to put those two in line. So first thing's first - we separate them. I'll keep Sunspire with me, you take that crazy speed freak and keep them far apart until we can establish you as team leader. Alright?"
|
|