//------------------------------// // Just Breathe // Story: The Reformed Sniper // by Solar Caesar //------------------------------// Chrysalis breathed in. As her Reznov-ICKX sniper rifle was dug tightly into her right shoulder, she took aim on her un-moving target, raising the middle of the scope until it fell on her targets head. She desperately wanted to fire, but she knew better than to shoot while holding her breath. She could've gone slightly off kilter at the last millisecond. If she missed, her shot was gone. A perfect opportunity wasted. As she kept all her focus into her aim, she breathed out. She fired. The sound, the recoil, they all added up to the momentary shock she felt. Although she recovered it more quickly than her first time using a firearm. She looked up to see if her targets forehead was still intact. Needless to say, it was all in little bits and pieces. Another successful kill. Well...cardboard target or not, it was still a perfect hit. "Impressive." said her commanding officer, standing behind her as he monitored her progress. He was older than her, give or take 5 years. He had black feathers with a gold stripe around his waist. He wore a red beret on an everyday basis to signify the importance of his rank. He was essential in running the supply outpost which everyone referred to as Vorech Koran. "Keep it up and I may consider raising your rank to Junior Sergeant." he said with a grin. Chrysalis felt her joy levels rising. The term "Junior Sergeant Chrysalis" made her want to jump for joy. She was finally rising in the ranks of the griffon armed forces! "Now fall in, private. We're going over a few things before dinner." the CO ordered. "Yes, sir." Chrysalis saluted, before marching on her way toward the parade square along with the rest of the patrolling and training guards at the outpost. As she marched her way to the square, Chrysalis began to reflect on how she ended up here. Utterly lost in the badlands to which she retreated out to alone, she thought all hope was lost. A month passed. Two months. Now three months in, and Chrysalis had begun to realize that she was about to die. Well, at least until she was recovered by a zebra rebel patrol. The Zebra-Griffon war had just began to take effect, and the zebras - along with every other leader in Equestria - was informed of Chrysalis's deserting. But that wasn't the reason they were less than happy. After recovering her and attempting to interrogate her at gunpoint, they quickly realized that they would not get anywhere, as she did not speak Zebra, nor did they speak English. Taking her in as a prisoner, she endured 3 weeks of neglect, whilst in a small rebel outpost. Being given one meal a day and little water may have broken some people. To be completely honest, Chrysalis was just glad to be eating. It was comforting up to the point when she began to be beaten on a daily basis. They would threaten her for hours at a time. Although she had no clue what those words meant, she was lucky to not have understood. She even remembered when they had brought a Zebra-English interpreter to finally give proper interrogations... In walked the outpost commander. He was angry; he always was. Wearing a red beret with a short shirt and pants for fatigues, he grimaced at the sight of the ex-changeling queen. She was stuffed in a hasty blue jumpsuit with her hands tied behind her back. She was curled up in the fetal position, glaring with hatred. A second figure walked in behind him. A younger zebra with a green beret walked in. Chrysalis's eyebrow raised, as she had not noticed him at the outpost before. Stopping in front of her, the commander exchanged a glance with the other zebra. "Staan op!" the commander shouted. Taking a wild guess, Chrysalis got on her knees with difficulty, her wounds from being whipped three days earlier still paining her. "Dit is jou laaste kans." the commander said in his heavy accent. Chrysalis stared blankly at him, as he took a quick look at the green beret zebra. Then the green beret zebra spoke. "This is your last chance." Chrysalis was a little taken aback by how perfectly the zebra spoke English. Must be an Interpreter? "Ons sal nie weer vra nie." said the commander. "Is jy tans besig met griffon kingdoms as 'n spioen?" "We will not ask again." the Interpreter spoke. "Are you currently working, or have worked, as a spy for the griffon kingdoms?" Chrysalis was relieved to hear her own language again. "No. I've never worked for the griffons." she answered. The interpreter looked at the commander. "Sy sê shes nooit gewerk het met die griffons." The commander glared at the changeling. "Lê!" he shouted. "Hoekom was hierdie ver weg van jou tuisland as?" "He does not believe you." said the Interpreter. "Why were you this far out away from your homeland?" Chrysalis grunted. "I'm a deserter. I ran away from my homeland." "Sy sê sy hardloop weg van die huis." the Interpreter said to the short-tempered commander. "Verdagte..." the commander said. "Jy is 'n koningin." "He says it is unusual for a queen to run off like that." She kicked herself in her mind. Of course they'd know about me, she thought to herself. "Daar sal 'n swaar beloning om jou te vang nie..." the commander said, clearly thinking about something. "Ons kan jou lewer aan ponies..." "There will be a large reward for your capture." the Interpreter said. "We could hand you over to Celestia for a heavy payment." Chrysalis's heart went to her throat. "No! Please, don't hand me over to them! I-I'll stay here where I'll be safe!" she stammered. She would never give in to Celestia! The Interpreter opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. Turning to the commander, he said, "Sy was bang. Sy vra vir beskerming." "Beskerming!?" the commander said angrily. The commander raised his fist and landed a fierce blow on Chrysalis's face. "As jy niks weet, ons hier gedoen." the commander barked. "If you do not know anything, we are done here." the Interpreter replied calmly. They walked out, leaving a bruise on Chrysalis's cheek. She still couldn't believe her luck when the griffons raided the outpost three hours later. Recovering her in the small hut in which she dreaded, she was brought to the griffons central base camp. Being presented to the King Thornquill, who was called in for such an opportunity, discussed with his advisers what he should do. He thought that killing her would be a waste, considering her...skills. They, like the zebras, thought that Celestia would place a pricey bounty on her capture. But then Chrysalis had an idea. "Why don't I join you?" she had asked. The kings eyebrows perked up. "My military?" he asked. Nodding, Chrysalis watched as Thornquill turned to his advisers to discuss her offer. After a short while of discussion, he turned back to her. "I've thought about it, and...I like it. You seem to know your way around strategics. How would you like to be our senior attack planner?" "No." Chrysalis answered immediately. "I'd prefer it if I could...start fresh." Thornquill looked confused. "So, you're saying-" "Yes." she interrupted. "I want to be a soldier." So that's what happened. She enlisted in the griffon military as an ordinary soldier, and was placed at Vorech Koran Supply Outpost, and was trained to become a sniper. She never thought that she would cherish an inanimate object such as the Reznov Sniper rifle. But she did. Fully customizable, and ever so dangerous in the hands of a master. Lined up on the parade square with all of her comrades, she felt to be the odd one out. She was the only changeling at the outpost, although no one treated her differently. Admittingly, it was difficult to fit in with the others her first time she arrived. Not many trusted her back then, some even saying that she was a "liability". But after the others had seen her skill, and her strength, they had began to accept her with wide open arms. They realized that she was not any less loyal then the next soldier. She was a survivor. "ATTEN-TION!" the CO yelled. Chrysalis immediately raised her right leg and stomped down on it, placing her rifle to her side as she stared straight ahead, as per the "Attention" command was to be carried out. Observing his men, the CO then yelled, "AT-EASE!" Chrysalis, along with everyone else, kept their right foot remaining in place, whilst keeping her rifle at parade rest with the arm slightly relaxed. "Stand easy." the CO said, softer this time. Everyone went to the stand easy position, looking in the CO's direction. "Everyone's training is going well, I presume?" the commanding officer asked his men. "YES, SIR!" they all shouted. "Good." said the CO. "We've produced our third sniper tonight. Who here knows who that is?" They exchanged glances with each other. Who was he talking about? thought Chrysalis. One of the soldiers raised their hands. "Me, sir?" "Put your hand down." the CO snapped. The soldier who had spoken did as ordered. "Nobody can guess, hm?" the CO said, walking back and forth in front of his men. "Private Chrysalis is our third sniper." Chrysalis's heart glowed with pride. Seems as if the CO had approved her request to become a full-fledged sniper. Sure, she had guarded unofficially before, but now she would be doing the same thing every night! The men beside her murmured words of congratulations. "Once you men are dismissed, you can congratulate Private Chrysalis. Steady up!" The men quickly snapped out of their kind words to Chrysalis and quickly attained the "At Ease" command. "ATTEN-TION!" the CO shouted. The men and herself did the command in perfect unison. "DIS-MISSED!" CO shouted. Executing a right turn, the squad did a quick three step march before stomping their feet and returning to the mess hall. Chrysalis was continuing to be congratulated on the way to dinner, kindly acknowledging her comrades kind words. "How'd you peak his interest?" asked Private Greywing, her friend and comrade. Chrysalis shrugged it off. "I dunno." "I can guess. Remember the intruder you had spotted the other day? I guess he thinks that was a zebra saboteur." "Well, I had to shoot. What else could I do? Just let 'im go?" "Of course. Sad that you missed." "Doesn't matter now." she said. "I doubt he'll be coming back." "Ain't that the truth."