//------------------------------// // Training - Part 1 // Story: Lunar Guard: Red Dawn // by RedDawn //------------------------------// We begun the ambush. News leapt around the door, swinging his hind legs around in a kind of flying buck. Throwing News back inside, somepony walked in, muttering. Walking from the shadows behind him, I smacked him into the wall with a hoof. "Alright, game's up! Who are you? How many are there of you?" "Heh, heh. You got us. We're your training instructors. Sergeant Battalion, at your service." "And your friend?" "Corporal Phalanx." The other pony introduced himself. Battalion was a khaki color with a blood red mane and green eyes. Phalanx, on the other hoof, had a dark green/brown mottled coat, black mane and yellow eyes. A Pegasus and a Unicorn. I narrowed my eyes. "Prove it. Prove that you're who you say you are. What's the 75th rule of army conduct?" "Do not ever show your emotions. You will kill people, it is your job. Don't ever cry." Technically, Battalion had gotten it right, but I still didn't trust him. Something felt... Off. I trotted over to News. "Hey. News. You okay?" "..." I frowned "News?" "... Ow..." Okay. He's alive. Panic averted. Smirking, I roll him over so he's on his stomach and help him up. "That's gonna be sore in the morning," he says, "bloody kicked me in the horn. Ass." "Well, it's okay. I got him back." "Good. Bloody bogan." I chuckle. "GET UP, YOU LAZY SACKS OF CRAP! TIME FOR TRAINING!" Accompanying that statement was a varied bunch of groans, snorts, moans and thumps as almost everypony on the top bunks fell out of bed in surprise. I snorted. "Crap! It's the sergeant!" "SHIT!" "Shut it! He'll hear you!" I can't take it. The opportunity is just to good. "QUIET MAGGOTS!" Silence descends as everypony stops and looks at me, while I try to stifle my laughter. Beside me, News isn't even trying. He rolled on the floor, laughing his horn off. "Thanks," the corporal murmurs, "ALRIGHT YOU MILK-FOALS, LISTEN UP! FIRST UP IS STAMINA TRAINING! 5 LAPS AROUND THE TRACK WITH FULL ARMOR AND KIT! GO GO GO!" I was already in kit, so left for the track. When News joined me, his jaw dropped. "They expect us to run THAT?!" His reaction was apt. The 'track' was referred to a 1 km cross country trail that ran the entire length of the complex. There were pits, rivers and traps galore. This was going to be painful. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 hours later ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A variety of groans, moans and sounds of pain could be heard from the new recruits for the Night Guard. After finishing the laps, most had collapsed with heaving breaths as they tried to return feeling to their now jelly-like limbs. Only News, one Pegasus stallion and I are still able to stand, even so, they are on the verge of collapsing with the others. I haven't even broken a sweat. Weird. Turning to face the other Pegasus, I asked "I get News having high stamina, he did live in Manehattan--," I then turn to News and say, "no offence," and turn back, "--but what about you?" He then explains: "I used to be in the long distance relay team for weather patterns in my old town. We had to import most of our storms in, so we sent our relay teams out to get them." As it turns out, his town, Honeycomb Falls, got their weather from Hollow Shades, my town! Then, of course, our instructors chimed in. "ALRIGHT, YOU LAZY MUGS, GET UP! NEXT UP, STRENGTH TRAINING! GET UP, NOW!" The groans and moans increased in volume at this statement. News and Shadow, the Pegasus stallion, both fall over. I chuckle. "SOMETHING FUNNY, HALFBREED? WANT TO SHARE?" Battalion roared. I tensed. I knew that it would be useless to try and give an excuse, so I just snapped my wing up in a salute and said "Sir, no, sir!" The sergeant seemed mollified by this, as he trotted over to the gym. The corporal followed and I pulled up Shadow and News by their wings and horn, respectively. "Come on, guys! The instructors are getting away! We don't want to make them madder-- Ow!" A tail found its way into my right eye. Blinking, I turned my head to find one of the Unicorn mares glaring at me with narrowed eyes. With a haughty huff, she tossed her head and walked away, calling over her shoulder, "You think you're so much better than everpony else, well you're not. You're just a halfbreed freak who thinks it can do jobs above its station. Do everyone a favor and go die. Nopony will miss you." Harsh. I lowered my eyes to the ground and took a step back. I then looked up as I heard a loud THWACK. Shadow was holding the mare in a rather dexterous headlock with his wing covering her horn to stop her from casting any spells and his left forehoof around her throat, ready to pull back and destroy her vocal cords. He was hissing in her ear, "You take that back. You take that back or so help me I will destroy your throat!" I gallop over and yank his hoof off of her throat, yelling, "Shadow! Shadow, stop! You'll kill her!" He looked at me, and for a second I saw pain and sadness in his eyes. Then, as quickly as it came, it went and he let go. "What the hell was that?!" "Sorry, just..." Shadow shook his head. "Bad memories." I winced. I understand bad memories. Most of my life has been bad memories. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU FOOLS DOING JUST SITTING HERE?! MOVE!" We all legged it to the gym.