Retired Warrior

Chapter 13

Adapting to Change

I left the hospital having completed the first step of adoption. To say I was left mental exhausted would be an understatement. Two hours of what could be considered an interrogation for adopting a filly. I either got a mare who took her job very seriously or I underestimated the process of adoption.

Either way, I do say that I think I did a fine job answering all of the questions to the best of my abilities. Though, this is only the first step of three in Equestria's adoption system. The first step is being interrogated to see if you are qualified for raising a filly. Honestly, some of the questions seemed unnecessary. Like, do they need to know where I was born?

The second step is random inspections throughout the year to check on the filly and the "guardian." The inspectors come at random times throughout the years to check on living conditions, health, and other important factors. Being curious I asked how the adoption agency could afford to do such thorough inspections. The mare simply laughed and told me that most fillies become orphans because their parents died and even then that rarely happens.

The third and final step is considered the easiest step for some and the hardest step for others. This is the case since in this step the inspector goes to the filly directly and questions them. Instead of the usual questions about health and how is your guardian treating you, they ask more personal questions. Some examples would be, do you like your guardian, do you wish to stay with your guardian and other things like that.

I thought the system could be broken with the guardian bribing the inspector or the guardian forcing the filly to act a certain way, so I voiced my concerns. The inspector adorned a serious expression and told me such methods could never work. I asked why. She said that they trained the inspectors to spot lies, forced behavior, odd reactions, and other unnatural mannerisms. Then she went on to explain how stupid a pony would have to be to force or bribe an inspector to give a good report. Inspectors are hoof-picked, trained, and paid very graciously.

Huh, wonder when the inspections will start? A month, a week, tomorrow? It would be quite interesting to see them at my doorstep so early. Well more like tent-step in this case, but would that affect my inspections? Turning to face Rainbow Dash, who was walking right beside me, I asked, "Would you rather sleep in a tent or a hotel?"

"I've never camped outside before so I wouldn't know what it is like," Rainbow Dash responded earnestly.

"Really? I'd think you would have done it before due to your need for adventure. It's a safe way to get an adventure," I replied honestly, "why haven't you tried it before?"

Rainbow Dash answered with a shrug and said, "In Cloudsdale you can't really camp and anytime my par… parents and I went on I trip we wouldn't camp for various that my da… dad came up with."

"Hmm, I can definitely see that camping on clouds wouldn't be an adventure or all that interesting in any way," I spoke thoughtfully, "but why did Thunder Hothoof come up with excuses to not camp?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Mo… Mom told me the reason. She said that camping reminded him of the Survival Test and that he doesn't camp unless it's necessary."

"That sounds exactly like him," I laughed hysterically, "I remember the day he asked me to do the Survival Test early. He had heard of a test that some hunters called the week of pain, so he came up to me to take the test. I told him he wasn't prepared at all for the week. He proclaimed that he was ready. After he said that I explained the test and its risks. Hothoof seemed more hesitant afterward, but that didn't stop him."

"Why did he even take the test in the first place if you kept saying how hard it would be?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"Well he wanted to prove himself to be an excellent hunter to impress another newly joined recruit," I explained.

Rainbow Dash spoke with a little confusion, "Then what happened to make him hate camping so much? It would have to have been if he… he still hates camping."

I rolled my eyes, "Bad is an understatement for what happened, but to explain why it was so bad I'll have to explain the test. Do you want to hear it?"

Rainbow shook her head up and down with extreme ferocity, "Of course I want to hear it! Mom never told me what happened and Dad was always embarrassed to even share the story!"

A smile crept onto my face, "You mostly have to survive an entire week in a place called Rainbow Falls. The test is relatively simple at first glance, but it is grueling. Rainbow Falls is full of dangerous creatures, you are not allowed to bring anything with you, and the temperatures in Rainbow Falls ranged from freezing to burning depending on the season."

"That is crazy! Why would any pony want to do that early? Wait, why would any pony want to do that?" Rainbow Dash yelled out wondering why her father was so stupid back then. Even she was not adventurous enough to try that.

I laughed, "Your father apparently. It gets worse, or funnier depending on who you ask because while surviving is priority number one you also have three tasks to complete. In that week you must hunt down one of the bigger monsters, create a shelter, and have a stable source of food. Water was easy to get so that wasn't an issue. Now you wondered why any pony would do that. Well, it's very simple. This is the final test you take to become a fully-fledged hunter. What are the perks of a hunter you may ask? Your pay is increased, you can retire whenever, tools and supplies are given for free, you can lead and train recruits, and your family is given life insurance if you die before retirement."

"Woah, that is a lot of rewards! It must be awesome to become a full me ever of the Hunters of Equestria! How many were there?" Rainbow Dash asked.

I spoke with immense pride in my voice, "Around two thousand for the entirety of the Hunters of Equestria and all of the years it's been around. I'm not going to be modest, because I think that these ponies throughout the years are some of the strongest ponies to ever live. They might even be the strongest excluding ponies like the princesses, the pillars, and other notable examples."

"That is awesome, but you never answered my question of what happened to my father in the test," Rainbow Dash said a little annoyed.

"Ah yes, Thunder Hothoof's test results. Sorry for getting distracted. When I began the test I was the first watcher of the test," before Rainbow Dash could ask I spoke, "watchers were hunters that watched the test and observed the test taker. This was mostly for safety and test-taking purposes. The first day of the test could only be described as a mess for Thunder Hothoof. He barely got water and a makeshift tent by the end of the day. At night his tent collapsed unto him and his water was stolen. He woke up tired and not at all for the days ahead of him. Anything he made would collapse, break, or be stolen. Food and water he acquired would be stolen or spoiled. Finally ever monster, even the weakest of ones, could easily beat him. He never gave up, but most watchers watching him wished he did. It was like watching a pony with no legs rolling around on the ground and not being able to help him."

"Yesh, it was that bad," Rainbow spoke understating it a lot, "No wonder he never wanted to talk about it. Did my dad ever retake the test?"

"Yes, both your mom and dad did it years later and both of them easily finished it. Watching his second try was a blast, because everything he did, he did it with a face of confusion and wounded. He was probably thinking about how he even struggled with something so easy."

After finishing my talk we finally arrived at my in-progress house. "I am currently paying for that house to be built," I said pointing my hoof at the house in the distance, "but currently I'm living in a tent close to the house." I pointed my hoof at the tent.

"Who's that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

I raised my eyebrow, "You don't remember him? You met Frederick Stonewall recently."

"I don't remember names all that well. Plus I barely even talked to him," Rainbow Dash argued.

"He's the stallion building my house," I said calmly.

"Ohhhhhh, that stallion. I thought his name was Fred Stonehenge," Rainbow Dash replied with a cute smile.

I sighed. Hopefully, this won't be a lasting issue.