"W-wait, Silver! You didn't even let me mentally prepare for this one!" Trying to tug against his tour guide's surprisingly strong grip, Jeff starts moving within the completely opposite direction of the guard.
"I know but [i]grunt[/i] c'mon, it would've taken you forever to get the guts to go in a real soldier's area." Silver Bullet counters, straining his muscles to pull on Jeff a bit harder. Realizing that this will just be a stalemate, Silver Bullet lets go of the biped, causing Jeff to briefly stumble.
Regaining his footing, the hylian stares at Silver Bullet as if he was crazy. "Are you going to tell me why in Din's name you were so forceful this time around!?"
The guard looks to be disappointed with himself if the repeated instances of him shaking his head were anything to go by. "I'm sorry Sir Je- I mean, Jeff, I only wanted to show you the place that I thought was the de facto thing all warriors would consider one of their favorite spots to hang out. And I was hoping you'd be impressed with all things considered. Based on what I overheard from your talk with the Princess. You're our last line of defense if things go awry." The ashamed stallion admits
"..The locker room is a favorite spot?" Jeff asked, looking confused.
"It's not [i]just [/i]a locker room. It's where you sleep, eat, talk, breathe, heck even exist for most of your day as a solar guard. I guess you haven't been a warrior for long then if you can't understand the sentimental value that this place holds to all ranks, from low ranking cadets to high ranking generals. This place will always hold a place here." Silver Bullet places a hoof on his chest, slightly lowering his posture as if remembering something before rising back up.
"Did that make any sense to you Jeff?" The Lance Corporal asked.
"..No, it did not, it's probably like that for you.. Ponies.." Jeff said as he had to pause and remember what everypony has been calling their species. "But I'm not quite a warrior yet, All I've killed was Queen Gohma and some Wolfos thanks to my knowledge of them.." The hylian explained as he looked at Silver.
Making a small 'tsking' sound with his mouth, Silver Bullet stares deep into the biped's eyes with a fierce perseverance clouding his mind. "Just you wait Jeff, I'll- no [i]we'll [/i]make a stallion outta you yet. Including learning what it's like to be a true warrior. So tell me, are you ready to meet your new guardsponies, friends, and most importantly, family?" He inspiredly questions Jeff once more.
Jeff stared long and hard at Silver, finding the Solar Guard's ways to be odd, as if they dedicated their entire lives for Canterlot, even if they die. Jeff begins to wonder if Silver Bullet has a life outside of guardsmenship. Jeff pushes his blonded hair out of his eyes as he lets out a sigh. "I guess, just don't pull anything weird." Jeff said nervously
"Don't worry, what you'll perceive to be weird. We'll perceive it to be normal, so it all checks out." The solar guard gleefully remarks before kicking the door open and shouting. "HEY EVERYPONY, CHECK WHO I BROUGHT IN!"
Standing or rather sitting. One mare sits on her bed with a book in her hooves, another looks to be sitting next to her, pestering them. While two polar opposite looking stallions are playing cards on the adjacent sides of a wooden table.
The mare who looked to be bored and annoyingly hyperactive instantly gets from her bed to go greet her friend."Yo Silver Bullet, my stallion!" A mare trots up to both Silver Bullet and Jeff before putting her hoof up high, Silver Bullet immediately meets her half way creating a small 'clop' noise with it before she holds it up to Jeff to get as well.
"Sorry no…" Jeff said with a frown as he didn't want to give a highfive to a hoof. It would most likely hurt his hand.
The mare's expression is shaken by this. As she slowly puts her hoof back down to the ground "Aw what a buzzkill, well fine then. I'm Smooth Edge" The female Solar guard herself had very simplistic colors, contrary to what Jeff had seen so far. An earth pony who had a brown mane and tail and a beige coat. Her eyes were also a very simplistic brown. One that resembled human eyes to a T. "By the way, I was a big fan of Link when I was a filly, my grandparents always read me stories about him, well, stories that were referencing him. But when I asked the Princess herself she had cleared it up for me. And since you're basically gonna be filling in for Link, it's gonna be amazing just having you here… 'Jeff?' That [i]is [/i]your name, right?" Still being energetic she stays close to Jeff, not enough to be in his personal space but still close enough to be noticeable.
"Uh-yea.. Just Jeff." Jeff said, not liking how someponies don't believe him at first of his name.
"Huh… Weird, you're kinda [i]wimpy looking [/i]for the ultimate last resort." A sharp glare from Silver Bullet is sent Smooth Edge's way. "What I know you were thinking it too. He looks like he doesn't have any muscle, and the way he presents himself is just all wrong. Where's that fighting spirit that makes you not believe that there's no ending to the path of victory ahead, that you've gotta fight until you can't anymore, and most of all, make you feel like you've got something worth fighting for?" She bluntly asks.
Silver Bullet is stuttering at this point, not even sure how to respond while a male's voice in the back says "You're better off just answering her Jeff. Smooth gets really annoying whenever she has a question she feels strongly about."
"..To be honest, when I took care of that spider crab Queen Gohma, I was doing it knowing it could have become a threat to the nearby village, not to say I killed her with flying colors." Jeff said as he pulled down the neck of his red cloak. "Almost had my head sliced off by her." the hylian said, revealing what looked to be some kind of pincer strike.
The mare's head fills with stimuli after seeing his scar. Her hooves begin pumping up and down as if she were applauding. "Oh so I stand corrected! You're not a total stick in the mud then. Alrighty then, I guess I could introduce you to the [i]stallion that tried to call me out![/i]" Smooth Edge tells Jeff loud enough to purposely warn their victim.
"Hey wait, I'm supposed to do the tour guide thing." Silver Bullet interjects.
Smooth Edge shrugs her shoulders and waves her friend off. "You snooze you lose, and besides. I'm pretty sure Jeff here would love for me to show him around some more, isn't that right?" The earth pony questioned.
"...Where though?" Jeff asked a little nervously. Despite the tour guide and getting a little comfortable, there was still some form of hesitation.
"Do you not see the entire visionary that is held within thy imaginative being? There are still three extremely excited ponies in here that wish to meet the great, the almighty, and slightly questionable, Jeff of Equestria!" Smooth Edge announces as if she were a professional. Although nopony actually does seem to be all that hyperactive from Jeff's arrival. "Or you could have Silver Bullet keep being your tour guide but he's weird." A small 'hey!' is heard but other than that, Smooth Edge gets no backlash from this.
"Hey, I-" Jeff pauses to think on how to word this correctly and not get any weird looks. "I may be Link's descendant, but I don't have everything he's had, at least not yet.." Jeff said with a mental nod of satisfaction. Jeff was also trying to dodge answering the mare.
"I guess I'll take that as an indirect plea that [i]yes [/i]you would like me to guide you." The mare confidently tells Jeff, though she also made it seem like it was directed towards Silver Bullet as well.
"That's a lie if I've ever heard one. You know he didn't even respond to your question, probably didn't wanna hurt your feelings for how much of a dumbass you can be sometimes. Ms. 'I had gotten so shitface drunk on moonshine to the point where I didn't recognize my own bunkmates arresting me.'" Silver Bullet mockingly says.
"Oh so that's how we're gonna be. Since we're bringing up things in the past, didn't you tell us how you got beat up so badly in third grade you had pissed yourself? Pathetic if you ask me." They both lock eyes for a good minute, with a strange intensity surrounding the two of them. Jeff tries to quietly back away from the two. Yet instead of some climatic fight or a boiling point being reached, they both start laughing. Putting a foreleg around one another's neck.
"Ah you're too much sometimes Smooth." Silver Bullet says through his insistent chuckling.
"You know, I still can't even remember how I got drunk that night. Oh well, some things are just meant to be forgotten." The fellow Solar guard replies, laughing along with her friend. Jeff looks between Silver and Smooth, looking very confused how an argument changed a full one hundred and eighty degrees, just like that.
"Silver, you really never fail to make a plothole outta yourself. Guess that's a good thing though, you're not nearly as uptight as my previous squadron." Smooth Edge starts patting Silver's withers in a friendly manner.
"It takes one to know one Smooth." He shoots back before turning to Jeff. "So what did I say? This place is pretty cool ain't it? And of course you've yet to even talk to the rest of the crew besides that comment that Snow Leap made earlier, we just call him Snowy though." Being extremely sure of himself, Silver Bullet still has their hoof wrapped around the strange mare, while staring at Jeff expectantly.
Jeff looked confused at the mention of a plothole, not having a clue what Smooth Edge said. "Uh… Do you two always act like this? You're both being kinda disrespectful for two guards that are under Princess Celestia." Smooth nearly laughs from hearing Jeff's concern over their behavior and leans over into Silver Bullet's ear, whispering several things to the stallion that starts making him laugh as well. Jeff rubs the back of his head, not exactly getting it.
Turning from Smooth's muzzle, Silver Bullet does his best to calm down. "O-oh Celestia that was funny. D-don't worry about it Jeff, it was just an insider joke. But c'mon you can meet Elegant Crease next. She's the one reading the book over there. I've got to stay back with this crazy one back here because edges and creases don't mix." Getting a slap across the back of his head for that comment, Silver Bullet and Smooth Edge begin having casual conversation.
Jeff looks over at the mentioned mare reading a book. Jeff lets out a mental sigh as he heads on over, better to get to know them since he'll be training with them.
Looking up from her book, the pony or rather pegasus as she uncramps her wings, with them being a very hard to miss feature. Her mane is a sleek hot pink which is also the same color as her tail. The mare's coat however is conflicting with her hair's colors, considering they're a bright teal along with her wings. "You must be Jeff if those two's idiotic bickering were anything to go by. You may call me Crease, you've yet to earn the privilege of calling me by my first name since I've only just met you. Since I couldn't possibly care less about what you're supposed to do, only what you've done." Her gaze swiftly turns back over to her book, titled "Celsius 233."
"Uhh.. fair enough. It's just considering I'll need to work with most of the ponies here, I'm kind of pushing myself to get through my discomfort." Jeff said a little nervously.
Scoffing at this she rolls her eyes. "Emotionally uncomfortable you say? I'll simply have to whip you into proper shape then through rigorous training. Please, call me if you ever require a training partner." Speaking in a more bolden tone the pony's gaze reaches Jeff, swiftly adding. "Oh and if you do not find me, then I [b]will [/b]find you."
"..Is… is it always like that around here?" Jeff asked as he looked around. Receiving no answer at first, but Smooth Edge trots between them both. Silver Bullet smartly decided to stay out of it.
"A prissy whorse like this? Yeah she'll be like that, but don't worry Jeff, your favorite mare will always be here for you."
Jeff looks between the two mares for a second. Elegant Crease's book snaps to a close in an instant, both of her wings flaring to the side. "Excuse me Smooth, I believe I misheard you. What exactly did you say?" A calm anger fuels this mare's sudden energy.
Being confused herself, though not of actual confusion and instead one of ignorance. Smooth repeats themself. "I said you're a prissy whorse, I thought you were one for facts and wouldn't mind me saying one right there." A large collective "OOOOOOOOOH!" originating from the squadron is heard from ponies even outside the barrack.
Scrunching up her nose, Elegant Crease slaps Smooth Edge with her wing, releasing a small "hmph" in the process. Which made Smooth instantly devolve it into a cat fight between them. Jeff slowly backs away from the two mares that were now in a frenzy of hooficuffs.
Someone's voice calls out to Jeff before he can get close enough to the door. "Hey wait dude, this'll be over in about a minute or two, they do this every other month anyways. So come sit with me and my bro!" The dark colored stallion shouts above the ruckus. Jeff makes his way over to the stallions, however choosing not to sit considering the size of the table as he leans against the wall, waiting for the fight to end.
The same stallion that calls him over talks to his friend for a few seconds before inching around the fight. Jeff, now getting a better look at him, can see that they're yet another unicorn, having a fiery red mane and tail with one small yellow streak running through the middle of both and a dark red coat too.
"So I'm guessing you're a little bit nervous from all of this happening on your first day but you're the legendary successor of Link, or so they tell me. That means that you're the most courageous pony in the entire world. The name's FireForge by the way, that's my twin brother over there too, Snow Leap. Me and him are rookies too, only joined the solar guard a year ago but trust me, you'll get used to it fast." Reassuring Jeff, the pony sits against the wall Jeff leans on.
"..Hylian.." Jeff corrected, finally understanding more of the pony lingo. "And I'm only being brave just to do what's right." Jeff said, not bothering to talk about the triforce of courage on his hand as he didn't want that kind of information getting out.
"You're selling yourself short here. You already got the heroic means down. Now all you need is some action. Actually you know what? I'll call my bro over here." Cupping his hooves near his muzzle, FireForge yells. "Snowy! Get over here bro!"
And his brother did come running so fast in fact that he managed to leap over the still fighting mares, who actually took breaks in between their brawl. His snow-white coat slightly glistens in the light shining through the window. His tail even matching, being an off-white color.
"What's up FireForge, oh and hey Jeff." Snow Leap asks.
"Okay so dude, listen. You already know who Jeff is since word spreads like wildmagic fire. The thing is, he's new to all of this too. I'm guessing the princess already knows this though. I basically wanted you over here to tell him that we've got his back, as fellow rookies and new brethren, right Jeff?"
Jeff slowly smiled, a little happy to have someone a little more sane than some of the crazier ponies. "Thanks, I'll need as much help as I can get." Jeff said as some of his anxiety fades.
"See? We ain't all so bad, that applies to Smooth Edge and Elegant Crease too so give 'em a chance will ya?" FireForge eggs on.
The polar opposite of a twin brother nods his head frostily. "Hey my bro knows what he's talking about dude. Even if we all don't act like it we're like one big family. And you know what? Normally I'm the laid back one but I'm willing to convince the guys to bring you to the training hall for some early practice. Somepony like yourself needs to be taught the ropes. And if the princess finds out then we'll just tell her that it was our bad." Snow Leap goes to lean against the wall with his brother and Jeff, watching the fight as he speaks.
"As much as I'm gonna hate it, I know I'm gonna need it." Jeff said as he mentally wishes he had gotten Link's knowledge than his agility alone.
Putting a hoof on Jeff's hip and smiling brightly looking directly at Jeff, but somehow the determined stare Snow Leap gave Jeff is felt between the three of them for a brief moment. But Snow Leap quickly retracts his hoof embarrassed about the moment. "Sorry Jeff, I get a little too passionate about some things." Sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck the solar guard clears his throat before shouting.
"Elegant, Smooth, stop buckin' fighting and show some manners for our new teammate." Slightly moving his head to the side he also looks at Silver Bullet. "And Silver, I swear if you don't stop cheering them on I will physically hurt you!" The normally relaxed stallion leaves the offending stallion and Smooth Edge both surprised at the demands but Elegant Crease merely "hmphs" and turns her head away.
Letting out a sigh of relief, the snow-colored stallion gestures to Jeff with his hoof. "Well Jeff, you've got the stage, speak your mind bro."
Jeff, walking a couple of inches forward, would have had stage fright if the triforce wasn't fueling him with courage. Jeff mentally curses that sacred relic. Jeff takes a gentle breath as he begins to speak. "E-everyone…" Jeff, hearing his own voice he clenches his fist. [i]"No, I have to try and be more pronounced." [/i]He thinks to himself. "Everyone! I cannot express this enough to you all. But I'm anxious about the entire situation." The hylian says with some oomph. "I won't let that stop me from training with you all. Even if Smooth can be really loose-mouthed, or if Crease can be very frightening, among the other things that make me want to simply walk out on all of you." Taking another breath from how exhausting it was to just give that speech, it did however feel nice for Jeff to get all of that out there. And it felt even nicer when he got a round of applause from the entire team.
"Woo! You tell 'em Jeff." FireForge cheers behind him. A multitude of approval is heard from the rest of the solar guards in the room as the cheering slowly starts to die down.
"Phew, okay I was scared for a second there." Smooth Edge says before continuing. "I'm glad you've got some guts after all. But you all heard the stallion! Let's get our flanks down to the training hall so we can show him what we've got!" Without even waiting for an answer, the brash Earth Pony kicks open the door and runs out leaving several unamused faces in their small crowd.
"... I guess we should go catch up to her." Silver Bullet obviously states, still being shocked from Jeff's bold performance.
Elegant Crease looks between the open door and the group. "Well I'll be damned if I let that barbaric pony beat me there. I won't wait for you all so don't wait for me to come back." And without missing a beat she also runs off, leaving four men in the room to be confused.
"Wait, horseapples, I don't know my way there without following other ponies. J-Jeff you need to hurry with me." FireForge and Snow Leap both say at the same time, looking between each other they start saying jinx over and over again before quickly stopping themselves. "Alright last one there's a rotten tomato!" Snow Leap childishly exclaims before running to catch up with Smooth Edge and Elegant Crease with the rest of the stallions chasing after him.
"H-hold on, wait up for me guys!" Jeff, takes off himself to chase after all five of them.