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Another art commisioned by :iconsupersaiyand:, thank you again! This is a scene that takes place from hi fanfic, "Break the Walls Down". You can read the chapter and his other works here: [www.fimfiction.net/story/39599…](https://www.fimfiction.net/story/395998/break-the-walls-down)
Here is an excerpt from the chapter, be sure to check out his story in the link!
Inside the practice room, an apprehensive-looking Glideway stood towards the room’s center, a few feet from a white line that split the room in two. His three squadmates side by side to the left of the door. Their armor sat in neat piles in a row towards the back of the room, so the red marks covering two of the three spectators’ sides and forelegs were clearly visible. One touched his chin, trying to soothe the souvenir from the uppercut he’d just received. The last one, furthest from the door and as of yet untouched, watched with dread at his soon-to-be fate.
Opposite from Glideway, at an equal distance from the divide, Umbra was poised in a low crouch. The tired gray bags under her eyes were defied by the burning intensity within them. Then she pounced.
Leaping forward with her wings outstretched, she curled her right hoof back and threw a twisting punch at her opponent. Glideway jumped backward to avoid her strike, only to barely duck a follow up back roundhouse kick aimed at his head. Both of them stood up on two legs as Umbra pursued him relentlessly. Even at his larger size, Glideway rapidly found himself on the retreat as he struggled to block and evade the captain’s fast and pinpoint-accurate punches. Even blocking—as well as Umbra’s parries that warded off his own occasional counterstrikes—brought pain to his forelegs. Then, in a dynamic display, Umbra flapped herself off the ground, twisted around, and brought an axe kick down at the Glideway’s head. The heavy impact broke the private’s guard and knocked him off balance, leaving him wide open to an aerial side kick that caught him full in the chest. He grunted as he flew through the air, and landed awkwardly on his side, right on top of his right wing.
“Aaaahh!” Glideway cried loud enough to make his fellow privates gasp and cringe. A couple of them started to move as if to go and help him. Gingerly, he shifted so his side and wing were off the ground. He grasped where the joint met his back, hissing as pain shot through him.
“It’s only a wing,” Umbra said, staring down at him coldly. “Get up.”
“H-Hang on a second!” Glideway pleaded. “It might be broken!”
“You’d know if it were broken. Now get up and fight.”
“CAPTAIN UMBRA!”
Umbra’s eyes came off the white pegasus in front of her, her head rotating slightly. Behind her, Life Line and Night Flare had entered the room. Neither were pleased by what they saw. The former had only a slightly miffed expression on her face, but smoldering fury in her eyes.
“What exactly is going on here?” Life Line demanded.
The Night Guard captain didn’t even move. “Training.”
“Training?” Night Flare remarked disapprovingly. “I’ve seen Phi Psi Omega initiations less extreme than this.”
Umbra snorted to herself. “The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.”
“They’ve bled quite enough thanks to you,” said Life Line, the line carrying no small amount of bite.
“Which only confirms their weakness,” Umbra retorted. Still without facing the two, she walked forward to where her armor lay on a shelf across the room. Her most recent sparring partner scuttled out her way and back to safety in between the three remaining members of his unit.
As she strapped her armor back on, Umbra continued. “I thought an impromptu session would enable me to assess each of them. To allow me to find which specific weak point enabled last night’s target to so easily escape the vanguard. Now I know the entire unit is to blame. A hive of incompetence and degradation.”
“That’s not what Princess Luna says,” Life Line said harshly, finally losing her remaining patience at Umbra’s callous rebuke. Umbra tensed slightly at the invocation of night princess’s name. “She was there too and made no such assessment. Unless you think you know better than her Majesty. Furthermore, as captain of the Night Guard, while you may have command over deployment and battle scenarios, you have no authority to discipline guards outside your division.” Life Line’s lip twisted. “But this barbarism doesn’t have anything to do with them, does it? It’s nothing but a misguided distraction from your own failure.”
Umbra finally turned her head to meet Life Line’s gaze, her jade eyes like daggers. “I don’t like your tone.”
“And I don’t like the bloody mess you’ve left of my squadron, so we’re even.”
The white-coated privates took a few cautious away from the pair. Night Flare said nothing, merely watching, an unsettled look on his face.
“Might I remind you, captain,” Life Line went on, “you were the commanding officer during last night’s operation. You led the squad that last encountered our mystery creature. You had the last opportunity to prevent its escape, and you quite clearly dropped the ball.”
Umbra now turned fully around with an ever-darkening menace.
“I’d say that makes you just as responsible for losing the target as anypony. The only reason these privates are here suffering your torments is your need to take your anger out on those who can’t defend themselves. What would Princess Celestia and Princess Luna say to that?”
Umbra strode towards the medic, spreading out her wings. She stopped barely a foot away. For about five seconds the two mares glared at each other.
“You’re a bold mare, I’ll give you that,” Umbra said at last. She gestured to the row of battered Day Guards with a nudge of her head. “Certainly bolder than this lot. But I wonder if you’re wise enough to know your place, sergeant.”
Life Line stood her ground against the shorter mare, not drawing back an inch. “My ‘place’ is anywhere my fellow ponies are in danger.” A deliberate pause. “Captain.”
Dead silence filled the room. The two mares stood unmoving, their gazes locked. Night Flare and the slack-jawed privates watched, waiting for what would happen next.
To everypony’s surprise, Umbra blinked first. She closed her eyes and wings with a dismissive huff, stepped around Life Line and walked past her. “Fine. Go lick your pups’ wounds. For whatever good it will do them.”
Life Line didn’t take her eyes off the thestral until she disappeared out the door.
—————-
Once again, thank you for commissioning me, I look forward to draw for you again!
Here is an excerpt from the chapter, be sure to check out his story in the link!
Inside the practice room, an apprehensive-looking Glideway stood towards the room’s center, a few feet from a white line that split the room in two. His three squadmates side by side to the left of the door. Their armor sat in neat piles in a row towards the back of the room, so the red marks covering two of the three spectators’ sides and forelegs were clearly visible. One touched his chin, trying to soothe the souvenir from the uppercut he’d just received. The last one, furthest from the door and as of yet untouched, watched with dread at his soon-to-be fate.
Opposite from Glideway, at an equal distance from the divide, Umbra was poised in a low crouch. The tired gray bags under her eyes were defied by the burning intensity within them. Then she pounced.
Leaping forward with her wings outstretched, she curled her right hoof back and threw a twisting punch at her opponent. Glideway jumped backward to avoid her strike, only to barely duck a follow up back roundhouse kick aimed at his head. Both of them stood up on two legs as Umbra pursued him relentlessly. Even at his larger size, Glideway rapidly found himself on the retreat as he struggled to block and evade the captain’s fast and pinpoint-accurate punches. Even blocking—as well as Umbra’s parries that warded off his own occasional counterstrikes—brought pain to his forelegs. Then, in a dynamic display, Umbra flapped herself off the ground, twisted around, and brought an axe kick down at the Glideway’s head. The heavy impact broke the private’s guard and knocked him off balance, leaving him wide open to an aerial side kick that caught him full in the chest. He grunted as he flew through the air, and landed awkwardly on his side, right on top of his right wing.
“Aaaahh!” Glideway cried loud enough to make his fellow privates gasp and cringe. A couple of them started to move as if to go and help him. Gingerly, he shifted so his side and wing were off the ground. He grasped where the joint met his back, hissing as pain shot through him.
“It’s only a wing,” Umbra said, staring down at him coldly. “Get up.”
“H-Hang on a second!” Glideway pleaded. “It might be broken!”
“You’d know if it were broken. Now get up and fight.”
“CAPTAIN UMBRA!”
Umbra’s eyes came off the white pegasus in front of her, her head rotating slightly. Behind her, Life Line and Night Flare had entered the room. Neither were pleased by what they saw. The former had only a slightly miffed expression on her face, but smoldering fury in her eyes.
“What exactly is going on here?” Life Line demanded.
The Night Guard captain didn’t even move. “Training.”
“Training?” Night Flare remarked disapprovingly. “I’ve seen Phi Psi Omega initiations less extreme than this.”
Umbra snorted to herself. “The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.”
“They’ve bled quite enough thanks to you,” said Life Line, the line carrying no small amount of bite.
“Which only confirms their weakness,” Umbra retorted. Still without facing the two, she walked forward to where her armor lay on a shelf across the room. Her most recent sparring partner scuttled out her way and back to safety in between the three remaining members of his unit.
As she strapped her armor back on, Umbra continued. “I thought an impromptu session would enable me to assess each of them. To allow me to find which specific weak point enabled last night’s target to so easily escape the vanguard. Now I know the entire unit is to blame. A hive of incompetence and degradation.”
“That’s not what Princess Luna says,” Life Line said harshly, finally losing her remaining patience at Umbra’s callous rebuke. Umbra tensed slightly at the invocation of night princess’s name. “She was there too and made no such assessment. Unless you think you know better than her Majesty. Furthermore, as captain of the Night Guard, while you may have command over deployment and battle scenarios, you have no authority to discipline guards outside your division.” Life Line’s lip twisted. “But this barbarism doesn’t have anything to do with them, does it? It’s nothing but a misguided distraction from your own failure.”
Umbra finally turned her head to meet Life Line’s gaze, her jade eyes like daggers. “I don’t like your tone.”
“And I don’t like the bloody mess you’ve left of my squadron, so we’re even.”
The white-coated privates took a few cautious away from the pair. Night Flare said nothing, merely watching, an unsettled look on his face.
“Might I remind you, captain,” Life Line went on, “you were the commanding officer during last night’s operation. You led the squad that last encountered our mystery creature. You had the last opportunity to prevent its escape, and you quite clearly dropped the ball.”
Umbra now turned fully around with an ever-darkening menace.
“I’d say that makes you just as responsible for losing the target as anypony. The only reason these privates are here suffering your torments is your need to take your anger out on those who can’t defend themselves. What would Princess Celestia and Princess Luna say to that?”
Umbra strode towards the medic, spreading out her wings. She stopped barely a foot away. For about five seconds the two mares glared at each other.
“You’re a bold mare, I’ll give you that,” Umbra said at last. She gestured to the row of battered Day Guards with a nudge of her head. “Certainly bolder than this lot. But I wonder if you’re wise enough to know your place, sergeant.”
Life Line stood her ground against the shorter mare, not drawing back an inch. “My ‘place’ is anywhere my fellow ponies are in danger.” A deliberate pause. “Captain.”
Dead silence filled the room. The two mares stood unmoving, their gazes locked. Night Flare and the slack-jawed privates watched, waiting for what would happen next.
To everypony’s surprise, Umbra blinked first. She closed her eyes and wings with a dismissive huff, stepped around Life Line and walked past her. “Fine. Go lick your pups’ wounds. For whatever good it will do them.”
Life Line didn’t take her eyes off the thestral until she disappeared out the door.
—————-
Once again, thank you for commissioning me, I look forward to draw for you again!
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