Part 29 The Home Stretch
 
>A month passes since your trainees started their new training with four of the mane six
>Lucky, after a few weeks, learned how to be stealthy and managed to catch Fluttershy off-guard
>Star Shine had greatly improved on his magic, and your initial guess had been correct; he definitely was not as talented as Twilight Sparkle or her brother, but additional training had made him a much more effective unicorn than before
>Blazin’ Blue and Lightning Strike were now almost as talented as Rainbow Dash in flying. They now flew as if it was as easy as walking
>Everyone had improved
>Even you, though your improvement was insignificant in comparison
>You had learned how to summon your aura and keep it under control, but you had so far been unable to use it for anything
>Twilight had suggested you try to move things with magic or make things appear, but to no avail
>You even read up on some magic spells, but you couldn’t manage a single reaction with any of them
>Your last resort was using it in practice combat, to try to improve your aim or make you stronger, but you noticed no difference in how well you shot or how much strength you had
>Your magic, as it stood now, was useless. It couldn’t be used for anything
>Oh well, not like you had been depending on it
>They’re almost ready to be your soldiers.
>Just one last thing to teach them, and then the final test
>You’re going to love this part
 
>Wake up
>Fucking nightmares man, there’s just no escape from them, only toleration
>Twilight’s in your arms, so there’s that
>Her warm body is just so distractingly comfortable, but you gotta get up
>Morning routine
>Apple for morning snack
>Jog to Sweet Apple Acres
>0430: Perfect timing
>Bust open the door
EVERYBODY UP NOW!
>Almost instantly, you see the four bodies run out and get in formation
CREED!
>They all screamed the creed in voices that rivaled the volume of yours
>They really have come a long way, but there’s still a month to go
GET SOME BREAKFAST!
>”YES SIR!”
>As usual, they go out and buck a few trees, and return with a barrel-full
>Two minutes. A new record
>They’re not out of breath. In fact, it’s almost like they did nothing
>You take your morning apples and eat them, with your trainees eating only after you
>Honestly, you didn’t need to eat, but you did just to perpetuate the pecking order
>After they’re done, they clean up the mess and report back to you
TIME FOR PT!
>”GOOD FOR YOU! GOOD FOR ME!”
>You had taught them that phrase a couple of weeks ago, and they got totally into it
>Hours later, at 1000…
FALL IN!
>They stop bucking trees and fall in
>Standing in front of them, you speak
Today starts the third phase of your training! Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy will not be teaching you anymore.
>You pause, waiting for one of them to give any indication of confusion
>Nope. No one. They’ve got damn good poker-faces
>You continue
From now on, I am your ONLY instructor! You all have made great strides in your training in the past month, but don’t get cocky! You’re still BELOW WORM SHIT!
>You give it a moment to sink in
As your instructor, I will teach you all hand-to-hand combat, and at the end of the month, I predict there will be a battle. You WILL show me what you’ve learned, and WHAT YOU ARE MADE OF! UNDERSTOOD?
>”YES SIR!”
Every day will proceed like the last month, EXCEPT I will be teaching you a style known to my people as Krav Maga. ANY QUESTIONS?
>”Sir, Trainee Lucky reports as ordered! We already know how to fight with various weapons and our own hoofs. Why are we repeating this sir?”
WHAT YOU LEARNED BEFORE MY BASIC TRAINING SUCKED! You all demonstrated a LACK of fighting spirit and technique when the changelings invaded! COME HERE TRAINEE LUCKY!
>”YES SIR!”
>He falls out of formation and straight to you
Hit me!
>”YES SIR!”
>Without hesitation, he tries to punch you in the chest
>You, seeing what he’s going for, quickly step to the right, grab his hoof, and twist it, making him go down. You then go in for a kick, only to stop an inch from his face
THAT IS WHY YOU NEED TO LEARN KRAV MAGA!
>”UNDERSTOOD SIR!”
Fall back in!
>”YES SIR!”
Alright, listen here. If anyone here succeeds in hitting me between now and graduation, you will receive a weekend pass to Ponyville upon graduation!
>”Sir, Trainee Star Shine reports as ordered! Is that weekend pass only for the first pony to hit you?”
I’m GLAD YOU ASKED! That is NOT the case. For example, if only TWO of you manage to hit me, you both get the weekend pass, while the other two do not. If you ALL hit me, you will ALL get the weekend pass! IF YOU WANT IT, YOU GOTTA EARN IT! UNDERSTOOD?
>”YES SIR!”
>You can see the fire that’s been lit in their eyes. They’ll learn now.
All of you, attack me now!
>They all break ranks and bull rush you.
>Too easy
>Blazin’ Blue is the first to reach you, and he tries to punch your face
>You duck, and come back up, delivering a punch to his stomach. That sends him to the ground
>Next is Lighting Strike, and he tries to head butt you
>You grab his head right before it makes contact, and you put all of your weight onto it, driving it into the ground. He’s not coming up for a few minutes
>After that is Star Shine. He’s got a magic barrier in front of him, and it appears he’s going to try to ram you. Cute
>You jump out of the way, allowing Star Shine to pass you. You surprise him by jumping to his rear almost immediately after, and grab his hind leg. You punch right behind the knee in that leg, and it gives out, sending him falling to the ground
>Last is Lucky. He’s taking his time, as he already had a taste of Krav Maga used against him. He runs towards you, right past you and behind you now. He thinks he has you tricked…
>Right as he goes to punch you, you drop on your ass and swing your foot to his shoulder. You follow up with a punch to his stomach
>You get up, and see that your trainees are all on the ground
>Let’s get down to business…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjmBPFPTq-g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBkmSvglUc
 
>After a few hours of practice, you can tell that your trainees learned just how good Krav Maga is
>They must be hurting pretty bad right now, considering all the punches and kicks you delivered, as well as the leg twisting and take-downs
>You have them fall into formation before you speak to them
Today, you all got to see how effective Krav Maga is, and when I’m done with you, you ALL will be doing what I did.
>”YES SIR!”
>It’s good to hear their enthusiasm
A key principle of Krav Maga is finishing a fight as quick as possible. No doubt you saw how useful that can be with multiple opponents. I took you all on one at a time, depending on when you entered my threat zone. I hope you all noticed I either counter-attacked or pre-empted you.
>”YES SIR!”
>At least your words aren’t falling on deaf ears
Take this away from today; Krav Maga is a combat style that is not to be fucked around with. You are meant to cause pain and kill if necessary using it. You WILL NOT use this style outside of practice or combat. Every strike you give, you must give with the intent of keeping Equestria safe. This is not something you play around with to show off with your buddies back home. You will be a killing instrument at all times, with or without a weapon. UNDERSTOOD?
>”YES SIR!”
GOOD!
>At that moment, you hear the familiar cart approaching
>The smell of spaghetti sauce and…apples? Well, there are weirder combinations, you suppose
>Especially considering that it’s just Applejack bringing dinner
Perfect timing Applejack, as always. Thank you
>”’Twarn’t nothin’, Anon.”
>”THANK YOU MA’AM!”
>”Y’all are more than welcome, ‘specially after all the work ya’ll’ve done”
>Applejack turns to you
>”Looks like ya’ll had fun today. What’d ya teach ‘em?”
>Grabbing a plate so you can let your men eat, you quickly answer her
Just how useful fighting without a weapon can be, if you know how
>”Ya think maybe ya can teach me, sometime?”
>You think about this
>She might actually make a good fighter. She certainly has the heart, and she might just have a use for it, living as far out of the town as she does
>But still…
Sorry, but I don’t think so. It’s a soldier’s fighting style, not one for just anyone. I can teach you some basic fighting techniques sometime, but nothing beyond that.
>She gives a slight smile. “Ah’d like that very much, Anon.”
>Is she flirting with you?
>Maybe only slightly
>No bueno. You have Twilight Sparkle
>Then again, it might be in your head
>Before you find yourself lost in thought, you put some spaghetti on your plate and dig in
>Immediately, your trainees follow suit
>Holy shit. Spaghetti in a tomato-and-apple sauce tastes a shit-ton better than you expected
>Not a day goes by that you don’t learn something new
>After the meal, your trainees clean up and go back to the barn, awaiting tomorrow
>You head back home, leaving you to your thoughts
>When was the last time you practiced Krav Maga?
>Damn, that was about a few months ago, when the three diamond dogs went into town. Not the invasion, but pre-invasion. Then there was the escape from the Griffon Kingdom… but in short, you were rusty
>Good enough for the trainees for now, but that’s one more thing to concentrate on
>When you arrive home, Spike’s reading in a chair
What’s up Spike?
>”Not much, just reading some dragon stuff.”
>Dragon stuff…he keeps saying that. You wonder…
Interesting. I’ll leave you to it
>He waves you off, indicating that he heard and understood you
>In the corner of your eye, you note the appearance of the book in his hands
>You make your way to the study, where you’re greeted by Twilight Sparkle reading a book
>”Welcome home, Anon”
Great to be home, Twilight.
>”Are you hungry?”
Only if you’ve made something already.
>She smiles, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks
>For an avid reader, she cooks rather well
>”Spike and I went to Sugar Cube Corner for dinner tonight, so I didn’t cook anything.”
That’s alright. What are you reading?
>”Just a little something about Equestria’s History.”
>You pick up a book of fairy tales from the shelf and sit next to her
>”Foal stories?”
Yes. I’d like to see what kinds of stories children here are raised on tonight.
>”Very interesting…”
>She lays her head on your shoulder
What’s so interesting?
>”How you’re suddenly intrigued with how the young are raised and not with your magic training…”
>She starts to kiss your neck sensually, easily finding your most sensitive parts
>True, you were in a different mood tonight, but not sexually. A little fun couldn’t hurt though…
>Setting the book aside, you grab Twilight and sit her on your lap
>That gave you a perfect view of her eyes, and you kissed her lips, tasting her tongue
>Her hoofs wrapped around you, there was a sort of comfort you took in her embrace
>Your hands, at first softly petting her back, started moving south, down to her flank
>ALARM RED MOPP LEVEL 5
>That mental alert stopped you in your tracks. Twilight immediately notices the lack of lips on hers
>”What’s wrong?”
I must be really tired. Today was a different day, as you know.
>She gives you a pouty face, having felt your hands on her flank
I’m sorry. Not tonight. I promise I’ll make you the happiest mare one day, but not today.
>She gives you a soft kiss
>”I understand. I’ll get bed ready then.”
>That late already? Timecheck: 2112.
>Holy shit, you were losing track of the time.
>She jumped out of your lap and moved upstairs
>You followed, up to where Spike had been sitting when you walked in a couple hours ago
>It took less than five seconds of looking to locate the book on the coffee table
>Picking it up, the first thing you immediately notice is a lack of a title on the cover
>Weird…
>You open it, and it’s yellowing, crusty pages suggest an age older than several generations to you
>On the first page, you find a title: “Evil Magicks and Their Weaknesses”
>You pause, no longer concerned with the contents of the book
>Why the hell is Spike reading a book of this nature? What’s even more concerning is why he feels the need to lie to you
>You wouldn’t exactly call that “dragon stuff”
>Hell, now you’re even wondering where the fuck this book came from. The library? Your study?
>Both locations seemed unlikely…You should ask Spike about this tomorrow
>Or you should just stop being paranoid as fuck right this instant and get to bed with Twilight.
>Yeah, let’s go with option two.
>You complete your nightly routine and snuggle affectionately next to Twilight, who rather than being grumpy, cuddles back with you.
>That’s enough to send you into sleep