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While Bloodfeather and Quick Silver spent some time together having lunch and shopping in my Equestria dreamscape.

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Phoenix found herself spending time together with another pony.

The sandbag split its contents all over the gym floor. Phoenix stared and growled in disgust at this another in a long line of inadequate opponents. Around the gym were other examples the mare's workout. She didn't care about the expense or the clean up. In her mind it was part of the price for keeping Equestria safe. Besides there were palace staff members who were paid for exactly this kind of work. Finally she needed to vent and work off some steam.

Phoenix was chafing under this mandatory down time and Celestia's very clear instructions that neither she or her fellow team members were to tail, investigate or have any unnecessary contact with either Corporal Trotter or Purple Marten.

She understood her highness's situation and position, but that didn't make this any easier to bear. She just had to have faith that Celestia knew what she was doing. Fortunately faith in Celestia was never in short supply when it came to Phoenix. The mare might grumble about an order or instruction, but she'd never deliberately disobey an order from her. She'd kill herself before betraying Celestia's trust in her.

Celestia's sledgehammer had the gym to herself. As was usually the case when she worked out. Many ponies were very uncomfortable watching her at work, and the others worried about being asked to be sparring partners for her. Not that she sparred very often with other ponies. In most cases it was a waste of her time since they presented no challenge to Phoenix.

That was a problem all the Mares-in-Waiting faced. Due to their often unique and extraordinary talents it was very difficult to create combat scenarios for them that were truly challenging while not be so dangerous as to make it unwise to put such important ponies in danger.

Phoenix sometimes sparred with Quick Silver and that was at least entertaining, but once again they were restricted by what they were allowed to do or use on each other. Same with Bloodfeather. Phoenix had sparred with Last Thing once and that had gotten her blood pumping!

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However after that match Celestia had forbidden the two from doing that again. The repair bill had been steep, and apparently Last Thing suffered serious side effects from that bout. For her part Phoenix had been sore for the next day or so but that was all.

The unicorn continued to stare at the pile of sand on the gym floor. Without looking away she spoke in her usual gruff voice. "You know if you're curious about me you should just come out and say it."

Slowly Princess Luna strolled into view. The alicorn raised an eyebrow and then bowed her head. "Very impressive. I was trying very hard to keep my presence concealed. What tipped you off that I was there?"

The unicorn shrugged. "I sensed the presence of another being near to me. It's for me hard to explain, but I know when there are other living beings around me."

The Co-ruler of Equestria nodded her head and stared at the spilled innards of the sandbag. Then she looked at the mare. "You appear to be chafing under my sister's instructions. Is that true?"

Phoenix scowled for an instant at Luna and then sighed. "Yes I am, but more because I'm bored and I feel like I am wasting my time." She then kicked some of the sand on the floor. "And these things make for poor sparring partners!"

The Prussian Blue mare pursed her lips. "Yes the problem when you've reached a certain level of proficiency. Finding challenges suitably difficult to keep your skills at certain level without being reckless." Luna glanced over at unicorn. "Have you ever sparred with my sister?

Phoenix's already bone white coat blanched even more."No! Never! I couldn't!"

"Why?" Asked the alicorn.

"B, b, because, because it would be like hitting my own mother!" Stammered the mare. "I couldn't live with myself if I was to hurt her." Phoenix muttered this last line and looked down at her hooves.

The gymnasium suddenly was filled with the sound of Luna's laughter. Phoenix looked up and glared at Luna. After a few seconds the Princess of the Moon was able to speak again.

"My dear Phoenix! Do not think that I laugh at your devotion or loyalty to my sister. I simply laugh at your concern of actually hurting her while sparring. You do realize that a few months ago my dear sister took the direct blast of a great dragon's fireball and shrugged it off like a timid afternoon breeze. Defense is my sister's realm, and there she is the unchallenged ruler. Attack is another matter though."

Luna closed her jade green eyes as if she was reliving some moment in her mind. "She has a couple of attacks that give the cartography corp nightmares because they require the redrawing the maps after she's done rearranging the local geology and terrain, but those attack all take time for her to do. However besides those few special attacks most of my sister's offensive skills are what I will describe as being adequate. As I said defense and protecting others is her areas of expertise."

The alicorn opened her eyes grinned at Phoenix. "In our early journeys and adventures if diplomacy and friendship failed us my sister usually left the offense up to me. That's my area of expertise." Luna's eyes narrowed. "Dear Phoenix how would you feel about sparring with me?"

Phoenix's eyes went wide. "Your highness! The concerns I have for Celestia's well-being extend to you! It would be scandalous if I was to—"

The unicorn's comment was cut short by an energy blast from Luna's horn that threw her into a pile of gym mats that were gathered up in one corner about 30ft away. The mats cushioned a good portion of her impact as they scattered like a covey of terrified quail. Quickly scrambling to her hooves Phoenix at first glared Luna. Then she grinned as she watched various wards and defenses envelop the dark mare. Finally the princess spoke.

"I'm not Celestia. Okay then I order you to attack me! I want to judge whether you are truly capable of defending my sister from a credible threat! Also the war in the North last year was much too short for my tastes! I had no chance hear the songs of battle. Dropping meteors on dragons is very unsatisfying! Efficient but not satisfying. Since I've returned I have heard a constant stream of tales about your prowess in battle. I want to see with my own eyes what is fact and what is fiction! Show me mare what you can do and don't hold back!"

Phoenix grinned. Her horn flared and she snapped her goggles over her eyes. Her horn flared again and three explosive charges leapt from her harness and hovered in the air followed by a couple of blades. Then she yelled at the princess.

"Well your highness if you insist! Defend yourself!"

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Posted previously at: 2019-01-20T13:39:59