The ruins were the only quiet place he could fly to in order to escape his household chaos. Trainers were constantly demanding course rounds to any Pegasus with decent wings. Coupled with a house full of trained siblings and expectant parents, Stratos was in dire need of a little peace. The unexpected drafting left most in a state of excitement. He felt like he was the only one dreading a fight, though no trainer even hinted at an upcoming battle. That was the biggest reason for his anxiety. For as long as he could remember, being a soldier of Equestria was not so demanding. Peace clearly ruled the kingdom for decades. He knew no living veteran. Training used to be more a sport of fun and games, something far more enjoyable than what it had become lately.
Stratos questioned the sudden change from mock battle engagements to serious training and daily formations. His superiors were no longer smiling or gliding through formations with a carefree tone. Now, every Pegasus was intent to break records and sound barriers. It discomforted him and gave a sense of foreboding. His friends no longer wished to sport out some friendly races. They became as serious as the trainers themselves. Their easy acceptance bothered him, too. There wasn't even a rumor of battle – so what were they preparing for exactly?
"Of course I find you here," chimed a voice above him.
Without looking up, Stratos responded in a mocking tone, "I'm sure it's better than your usual view of my tail."
He heard a small grunt above him, and the new presence settled next to him on the fallen pillar. "Cumulus and Breeze were looking for you again, too."
Out of his many siblings, his older brothers were the most demanding and persistent that Stratos keep up with his training. Any other day, he'd take joy in racing with his brothers. Normally, he did just as well as them if not better. His parents took pride in his speed and encouraged him when the training suddenly became serious. He had a suspicion that his brothers were given the task to watch him closely. Many of Fort Cloudsdale knew Stratos' inclination to be easily distracted.
He finally turned to face the only pony whose company he could tolerate right now. Solstice was as tall as he was but slimmer. Her short, marigold mane fell in curls across her matching eyes. A lavender coat made her look like a flower. She peeked at him from behind her curly bangs. "Sarge was looking for you after formation, too. You might want to get back and start making up so you don't have to double up tomorrow." Sarge was as bad as his brothers. He was Head Trainer and took a personal interest in Stratos' training results.
Stratos didn't answer, instead stamping his grey hoof in the oldest of clouds. Most of the Pegasus stayed away from the ruins. The clouds were so old that they had a tint of aged yellow to them. The popular rumor was that stepping in these clouds would make you lose your flight. At his most rebellious moment, hoping to become an Earthen and forget the responsibilities of becoming a soldier or guard, he tested the myth. He was, at first, saddened to find the fear was unfounded, but then, he appreciated the sanctuary. The fear was enough to keep most away. It took a long time for even Solstice to land without anxiety, even while looking at Stratos and his intact flying skills. Both of the young Pegasi enjoyed the reclusive hideaway.
"Ugh!" he called out and dramatically fell on his back on the other side of the pillar. "I'm tired of formations!"
Solstice's head bobbed over the pillar to look down on her friend. "We've always done formations. Not much has changed." She cocked her head to the side. "Why has it bothered you recently?"
"Am I the only one who notices ANYTHING?!" he flailed his legs in a dramatic agitation. In one moment he let himself fell through the clouds, right himself up, and hovered above his only friend. "We've always done formations out of routine, not necessity. Our mock battles used to be held once a year! More like a sport than anything serious!" His flight swayed a bit in his emotional stress. "How can this not seem weird to anyone? We've already had our second mock battle within days of each other." He grimaced and shook his head in confusion. Why could no other Pegasus sense the huge difference? He thought that at least Sol would have noticed something, anything.
"But…but you were on the winning team?" Solstice whispered in hopes to comfort.
"ARGH!" Stratos huffed, admitting the dead end. He did a smooth barrel roll and flew up to the top of one of the last standing pillars nearby, landing softly. He set his eyes on the eastern horizon.
"Something is going on," he said to himself quietly. He stared at Equina's Peak, willing the answer to come from Canterlot. "I know we're being prepared for something, but does anyone know what it is?" Once he noticed the trainers admonishing for poor scores, harsher than usual, he started asking the trainers and the active guards questions. They were all neutrally answered or even ignored. He guessed they were just as much in the dark as he was. The difference between Stratos and his superiors was that he wasn't afraid of the Princes' orders. He didn't report to them even indirectly.
"Maybe we're putting on a show for the royal family," Solstice suggested while now hovering below him.
Stratos snorted. "Yeah, and I saw Goddess Equina's muzzle in my toast this morning."
"You did?"
Stratos cast a sidelong glance at his friend. She blushed and wavered a bit in the air.
Whatever it was that was really happening in Fort Cloudsdale, it would be because of orders from Canterlot. He was certain of that. Only the Princes ordered the Pegasi of Fort Cloudsdale, and they only listened to Princess Esmerald. His eyes squinted, approximating the distance between the old ruins and the castle.
"I think I can make it by nightfall."
"Make what? More toast?"
"What? What are you talking about?" He snorted in annoyance. "Don't you get it? The Princes have ordered us to train more seriously and more often. And I don't know about you, but I want to know why." He stood up and readied his stance. "I'm going to go ask the Princes. They can't refuse a Pegasus who could cause panic in Canterlot with news of what's going on in here." He extended his wings in a practiced move. "Cover for me, 'kay?"
Panic filled her face. "M-m-me? What? Why…no! You can't go to Canterlot!" The moment of anxiety froze her wings and she dropped a few feet before regaining flight. "Just do your job, Strat, please! We're soldiers, right? This is what we do. Isn't it?"
He relaxed his wings. Bright teal eyes blazed at Solstice. A seriousness that was rare in Stratos set his mouth in a grim line and flared his nostrils as the wind whipped around at his short, blue mane. "Sol, we were born soldiers, but have you ever believed for one second that you…you as a Pegasus...were born to be a soldier?" Solstice fidgeted under his gaze and eventually shook her head. He turned his body to face her, feeling the importance to convert his friend. His eyes held a new intensity. This rebellion had been stewing in the young colt for longer than he preferred. He had hoped, before, that after a few days of this new attitude in Fort Cloudsdale, things would go back to normal. If anything, they have only become worse, to none but him, apparently.
Stratos continued. "I've seen you in the Nesthouse. I've seen the eagerness in your eyes when it's your turn in the rotation for bird duty. How many times have you asked me to pass my slot to you?" He flew off the pillar's top and swooped in a graceful arc to stop neatly in front of Solstice's face. "We both know who you are, and it's not a soldier. So don't feed me that bucket of grain and expect me to stick my muzzle in it." His determination urged him. "How long has it been since we've had war? A real war? How much longer than that has it been since we've had a scouting battalion? A fully active scout battalion in full service for three days straight?" He shook his head. "No, Solstice, this is not our job and hasn't been in hundreds of years. Something big is about to happen, and I think it's a serious threat. We've been enjoying peace too long for this sudden shift. We deserve to know the truth."
A pause passed between the two Pegasi. Solstice felt the reality of what Stratos said, but she did not want to admit the alarming importance of it all. Fort Cloudsdale was all she had ever known. Solstice let her curls hide her watering eyes. "Strat, I'm scared," she said in a muffled voice.
His flight dipped, and Stratos admonished himself for being too forceful with his soft-spoken friend. He dipped forward and let his hoof settle gently on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Sol. I didn't want to scare you." With his other hoof, he lifted her chin to look into her watery eyes. With a half-grin he joked, "I guess Equina's toast went to my head. I mean…my stomach." He mocked indigestion, with a dramatic face and sound effects, and Solstice gave him the small smile he wanted. The two of them started laughing and gently descended back onto the aged clouds.
After settling their laughter, Stratos looked serious again. He glanced to his friend. "I have to go," he said with intent. A moment passed, but Solstice nodded her head slowly. Then a look of confusion passed over her face.
Stratos cocked his head to the side. "What? What is it?"
Her eyes darted to his face, and she blushed. "I think…I think that I…" a mumble followed but was too low to be deciphered.
"C'mon, Sol! Tell me!"
"Ugh, well, I mean that…I want to join you. Maybe?" She let a curl fall in her face while she warily eyed her friend.
A huge grin came over Solstice. Instead of answering, he bumped his head against hers with a laugh. She returned his smile.
They stood up and faced the eastern horizon together.
"Ready, bird brain?" Stratos said without looking at her. She raised her wings in response, ready for flight.
Stratos allowed his body to fall through the clouds, spread his wings to gather the lift, and speared his body in a quick drop for flight. In the moment it took for his quick, albeit dramatic, departure, Solstice did a panicked squeak as she ran to the edge of the cloud and allowed her speed to set her slower pace behind Stratos.
The two Pegasi set off towards Equina's Peak. It was important for Fort Cloudsdale to know what it was, exactly, they were training for now. The royal family was hiding a secret. While Stratos believed in Equestria and held loyalty to the royal siblings, he wanted to know what he was fighting and the 'why' of it all. A good soldier follows orders. A better soldier follows his heart.
