AWWOOOOOGA! AWwOOOOOGA!
"WAKE UP MAGGOT'S! NO TIME TO SLEEP IN, YOUR DAY BEGINS!" screamed the Captain as he kicked every door in, Black groaning but getting up and seeing Swift following as well, her mane a mess and her wings spread eagle. "Morning Black, sleep well?" Swift asked, but the Captain eyeballed them with a look that said, "No Talking, More Moving!"
Groaning, mumbling, yawning and stretching, Black, Swift and all the other Cadets moved sluggishly to the large training field, the moon immediately making Black more alert and awake. Swift saw her crack her limbs and chuckled, her mouth in a cute smile.
"I wish I could do that." Swift said before the screaming voice of the Captain ordered them to get into 4 lines.
"Stand next to me." Swift asked and Black stood next to her.
"ATTENTION!" yelled the Drill Sergeant and with a SNAP, Black snapped to attention, the others took a while but got to attention as well.
"15 minutes..." The Sergeant snapped the lid closed on a pocket watch and placed it inside his jacket before staring at the Cadets, who looked ready to go back to sleep. "Oh for the love of Luna... WAKE UP!"
The cadets jumped, some yelped but they snapped to attention very quickly.
"I WANT ALL YOU TO HEAR THIS, SO MAKE YOUR EARS LISTEN TIGHT! NEXT TIME YOUR LATE TO MORNING REVEILLE, I'LL POUR WATER ON ALL YOUR HEADS! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD MAGGOTS!" "YES SIR!" the Cadets sounded off. "Good... Welcome to your first day! I'm telling you this now, most of you will not want to stay after today. Today will be close quarters combat, each cadet will pair up with an Instructor and attempt to put them on the ground. This will be an all day activity, and to make it a bit easier, the Instructors are discarding their armour and weapons." The Cadets looked at the group of male Instructors eying them, as the removed their armour and helmets, their eyes turning back to orbs and the points on the ears returning to normal.
"Magic armour. Imbued by only the best Arcane Studiers. All Cadets will be supplied a full set of Enchanted Armour until they get their Personalized Set when they graduate." said the Sergeant as the Instructors rubbed their front hooves together eagerly. "So... who's first?"
A Few Minutes Later.
The sun was now out and burning on the Cadet's fur, making the smell of sweat making some of the Cadet's gag. The Instructors were dealing with the Cadet's one at a time, the ones who weren't able to keep up were being walked to a field nearby. Over by the Instructors, Black was trying to keep up with her Instructor but a sudden punch made her fall to the ground.
"Come on Cadet, your not even trying!" said the Instructor who was standing over Black, her body heaving under exhaustion. By now most of the Cadets had already given up and were doing push ups as a punishment. Swift was still going, being quite able to handle herself with her hooves, blocking and trying to strike but getting nowhere.
"Sir, I'm trying..."
"Trying won't get you anywhere in battle, you need to be better." said the Instructor, watching as Black got up... slowly!
"Urgh, come on Cadet! Anytime now!" said the Instructor and kicked out with his back hoof, making her fall again.
"Do you give up Cadet, there's no shame in giving up?" asked the Instructor and Swift, while ion the middle of a right uppercut, looked at Black.
"Don't give up Black!" she shouted, making Black look over but was stopped as the Instructor's hoof blocked her view.
"Don't focus on her Cadet, focus on your training!" said another Instructor, holding his hooves up and Swift readying herself for another bout.
Black stared at the ground, her hooves digging a hole in the ground when the Instructor loomed next to her, a sneer on his face.
"I still haven't got an answer Cadet?" the Instructor asked, when suddenly something miraculous happened; Black shot off the ground, grabbed the Instructor's head and pinned him to the ground, her eyebrows in an angry look.
"DO YOU GIVE UP! DO YOU?!" Black screamed and the Instructor tapped his hoof 3 times, Black releasing her grip and standing up, sighing heavily.
"Who's next?" she said, her fangs glinting off the sun.
Swift was amazed. In the short time she knew Black, she never would have imagined how short her fuse was; One second she was on the ground, being told to give up, the next she was issuing a challenge to all the other Instructors.
"Cadet, control yourself!" said The Sergeant, Black's temper returning to normal and the Instructor, rubbing his sore throat, picked himself up and looked at Black.
"She has some strength to her, I'll give her that." said the Instructor, walking over to Black, who had now calmed down and was swigging down a cold drink of water.
"You did well Cadet, have some well deserved time off." said the Instructor, giving her a crisp salute and trotting away.
"Wow, that was amazing Black, you sure have some combat talent... but how did you pin him? You looked ready to do the punishment. " said Swift, pointing to the Punishment Patch, where half the ponies were collapsed from exhaustion.
"I... I don't know! I just felt a flare of anger and he was in my way..." said Black when suddenly Swift pointed behind Black, nodding to the Drill Sergeant coming towards them.
"Ah, Cadet... Nightshade, was it?" said the Drill Sergeant, walking up with a different Instructor, this one had a smutty face and was covered with a layer of oil and grease.
"Sir!" Black saluted and the Sergeant returned the salute and gestured to the stallion beside him, his eyes piercing Black like a dagger.
"This is Ore, he's the Night Guard's Blacksmith. He'll help you select your weapon of choice. But after of course, you have some more close quarters practice." Said the Drill Sergeant and Black saluted them both, and they walked away.
"Did you hear that? The Blacksmith has an interest in your weaponry! That's amazing!" said Swift and Black rubbed the back of her head with a hoof.
"Well thank you Swift, but I'm just a simply Bat Pony. I'm nothing special." said Black, but Swift shook her head, her gaze firm.
"No, you ARE special. Did you know, that Instructor you pinned, he's never been pinned before, not even by Captains of the guard. You've done the impossible, Black." said Swift, Black's eyes widening as she looked at the Instructor, who was still rubbing his throat.
"I'm the first one to pin that Instructor? Your not joking?" Black asked, looking at her hooves in disbelief, and then at the Instructor.
"That's amazing..." she said to herself, as she walked off towards the relaxation hall.