//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Then It Got Worse // Story: Never Lucky // by Ferris the 1st //------------------------------// Over the next few days, the sergeant made good on his threat when I couldn't give him a repeat performance. Many good brushes were sacrificed to latrine duty and he seemed eager to push me beyond my limits each time. Not that it didn't get results. I'd never bulked up like this before and by the end of the second week, I was looking less lanky than I did when I started. It didn't help that every time I faltered, he liked to remind me of that psycho mare waiting in the wings to do horrible things to me. I'll admit that when I finally reached the point where twenty laps didn't feel like they were going to kill me, the exercise just started to become routine. I barely thought about it when we reached the third week of training and not much was left of the simple country colt... unless you count my sarcasm still existing. I just kept it internal now. About halfway through the third week, we started having to do the running and obstacle course in full armor. Thankfully, I filled it up just enough to satisfy the armory ponies, though I still didn't match it like some of the stallions around me. Speaking of them, it turns out that I made no friends with my accidental performance. Most of them hated me because it forced the sergeant to push them all a little harder, but most of that was simmering resentment. It was the overachievers that deeply hated me. A group of them cornered me at the end of the first week and gave me “a talk.” Of course, they couldn't physically hurt me or the sergeant would have had their flanks, but that didn't mean they had to play nice. From their perspective, I was a lazy colt who didn't have the proper respect for the guard. It was ludicrous. They wanted to stove my head in... because they thought I wasn't giving it all I had, “as a proper guard should.” Trying to explain myself to them was like trying to bring down a brick wall with my forehead. Needless to say, they took it upon themselves to screw with me every chance they got. An extended leg here to trip me, a soft push to force me to the ground there. If only it worked as they intended, but true to form, my Discord-damned “luck” loved to make them look like fools. An unintended somersault putting me ahead of them or a sudden slip into a slide that helped me dodge one of the airborne balls thrown from a pegasus sniper added midway through week two. Yeah, I had no allies on the Field of Agony, but after a while I couldn't help but take a measure of humor from their scowls. I was finally getting into the habit of doing things intentionally at this point, but then Sergeant Boomer had to go and throw me a curve ball. It was the final day of the third week of this glimpse into Tartarus when he called us to attention. Hovering in front of our neat rows of armored stallions, he raised his voice, “Alright colts, so far I haven't been able to convince any of you pathetic whelps to leave.” He paused here to give me a scathing look. “But now we're in the last stretch, and you're going to have an audience! As much as I find it pointless, the upper echelon likes to have a look at the newest members of the guard after I've roughed them up. So, starting tomorrow, whoever feels like watching me grind you miserable sods into the dirt is gonna get front row seats to a place worse than Tartarus!” Boomer slammed one hoof against the other, “So that means we're gonna need something more than this piss awful stomping ground! Well, it just so happens that the Night Guard has graciously allowed all of you to make idiots out of yourselves in their personal course, the Shadow Run,” I heard sharp intakes of breath all around me and the devilish grin on Boomer's face told me what I needed to know, “oh, so some of you have heard of it!? Well make sure to let the less informed know what kind of hellfire they're stepping in to tomorrow!” I wasn't going to get any information directly, so I simply listened as we were hastened to the showers. What I heard was not good. Everything from the “Shadow Run” being a never ending maze to it being a piece of the underworld was being tossed back and forth. There were even a few whispered comments about it possibly being the death of me specifically. Well, that was a lovely thought to head to bed on... ** The next day started like so many before it; we woke to the sound of the trumpet and jumped out of bed. A quick bout of shouting from the sergeant and we were off to our morning run. That's where things started to get different. Instead of heading to the track, we were put in two even columns and marched away from the barracks and onto the street proper of Canterlot. Keeping time with a steady clip-clopping of steel covered hooves, we marched our way through a barren trade district. Normal ponies were just starting to rise with the sun while we were being herded toward the entertainment district. That was not a good sign. It was made even worse as we all realized that we were being lead toward a massive, domed building decorated with the purple banner of the Night Guard. The violet eye on each banner seemed to judge all of us as we passed into the tunnel entrance set aside from the main doors. Several ponies stumbled as we kept marching while our eyes adjusted, myself included. The interior of the structure was dark and lit only by torchlight as we stepped further in. Various paths lead away from our path, but we continued forward, approaching the center of the building. There, it finally opened up and now that our eyes were properly adjusted, we could only gape at what was before us. The positively cavernous room dwarfed the Field of Agony by at least triple the size. The only problem was that as much as it looked like the field we were used to, it had absolutely nothing in it. It was just a massive open field with a track around the edge. I wasn't the only one confused if the murmuring around me meant anything. A sharp whistle drew our attention upwards and as one massive group, we realized that we were surrounded by spectator seats. Five figures sat up the darkness, but a splice of light illuminated the single mare I didn't want to see today. Martial Cadence, fully equipped in armor, gazed down at us with a disgusted look on her face, “Listen up recruits,” her voice didn't boom like the sergeant's, but I was sure we could all hear her, “I'm not a patient mare, so I better not have to repeat myself. Welcome to the Shadow Run, Princess Luna's pride and joy! You may notice that the equipment you're used to isn't here. Well, that's because the Shadow Run is unlike anything you've ever faced before and separates the fillies and colts from the mares and stallions!” She took to the air, the strange light seeming to follow her as she hovered over the empty field. She took a second to observe the formation of armor-clad, white-furred stallions before continuing, “This coarse is designed to train your ability to think and react on the fly. From start to finish, the course is covered in illusion magic to hide the obstacles from you until you come up to them. On top of that, once you enter the field, you will find yourselves under a vision limiting enchantment, so you won't be able to judge what to do by observing those in front of you!” A cascade of uncertain conversations broke out between the recruits around me and I'll admit that my already shot nerves were now on overdrive. This whole thing felt impossible! We were supposed to run blindly into the Shadow Run and hope for the best!? No, we would have all week to learn the course and adjust to it, right? As if she could read my mind, the evil mare decided to shatter my hopes, “Not only that, but each run will be different for you every day! You only get one shot at the Shadow Run each day. Fail to overcome an obstacle, you're out. Refuse to try, you're out. Attempt to cheat, you're out. You have seven days to complete a single run of the course, or you wash out! Any questions?” Oh, there were plenty, but there was no stallion eager to earn the ire of the mare before them so they stayed silent. Her eyes slid over the crowd and I swear they lingered on me for a moment longer than the others. She couldn't possibly identify me, could she? Her gaze continued without incident, “Very well. Sergeant Skies,” the sergeant snapped her a crisp salute, “fill in the rest of the details.” With that, she flew back to her seat and the light faded away, leaving her as just another silhouette in the background. Boomer drew our attention with his familiar shouting, “Listen up, colts! You heard the mare's rules, now here's mine: first rule, there will be a ten second count between each start, going one by one. You keep pushing forward, no matter what. If you stop to wait for a fellow recruit, I will personally throw you out!” He began to pace in front of us, his eyes firmer than normal, “Second: No matter who shows up in those stands today, you are to remain focused. I don't care if the princesses themselves were to show up, keep your eyes forward and don't show off! You're professionals, damn it, and if you embarrass the guard today, I'll have you hung from the gates by your tails!” He came to a stop in front of us and let loose a shout like never before, “And third: make us proud colts! Succeed or fail, only the brave few make it this far, but only the fiercest few make it past this! You all came here for different reasons, but today you stand on the precipice of victory! FOR EQUESTRIA!!” “FOR EQUESTRIA!” thundered back fifty-one voices full of pride and eagerness. I couldn't get myself to give out an equal shout. I was terrified and replaying his words in my head. The princesses could just decide to march in her and watch me look stupid?! What could I possibly do in my life to make it worse than that!? I took a deep breath to calm myself. The princesses were the rulers of Equestria and had better things to do than come watch this disaster in the making. He was just saying that to emphasize a point. Sweet Celestia, it was the most encouraging speech he'd ever given to this lot and each of them looked ready to dive into a dragon's mouth at his command. I sighed, realizing that my luck wasn't going to help me here. There was going to be no one to trip me into a victorious roll here. I splayed my ears back across my skull, realizing that I'd been played. There was no way I was going to do this and a wash out meant that the devil-mare currently in the stands was going to get her hooves on me. I should probably see if they'll give me time to write my last will and testament... Nevertheless, it was already too late to turn back since I was in the middle of the pack as we lined up single file. A soft hum built in our ears as the area of the field just within the track began to fill with a darkness that seemed to swallow light. It was darker than dark; that's the only way I could explain it. It created a uniform box that rose up a good thirty-five yards and blocked our vision of anything within. I gulped, an action mirrored by a few more stallions now feeling a little less sure of themselves. Somewhere up ahead of us, Boomer shouted “GO!” and the first victim dove throw the wall of shadow and vanished from sight. Just before the second stallion was good to go, we all heard it. It was a scream that no mortal stallion should ever make. A thing of terror that shook us to our core. Fifty more stallions now had the hesitation I'd been feeling since the beginning. Boomer simply glanced up at the pony in front of him and said something, looking like he hadn't heard that terrifying noise. The recruit said something in return. I couldn't make out the words, but the shrill disbelief was clear, but Boomer simply spat a few terse words at him and motioned for him to step aside. The third recruit, one of the overachievers squared his shoulders and jumped as soon as Boomer gave him the “Go.” Three more recruits followed suit before another cry of alarm echoed through the building. Thus began a steady process of a few stallions going for it, followed by one or two that would refuse to move. My heart hammered in my chest as I drew closer and closer to the barrier. Boomer looked up at me as I took position at the head of the line. His gaze was stone and his voice was ice, “This is your last chance, Lucky Signs,” I tensed up; he never used my name, “drop out. The Shadow Run eats colts like you for breakfast.” I wanted to. Oh, I desperately wanted to do just that and run screaming from this place. In fact, I even started to turn my head to join the others that had refused to enter the Shadow Run when I looked up. I couldn't see her eyes, but I knew that Martial Cadence was staring right at me. I couldn't see her face, but I knew a fang-filled grin was leering down at me. I couldn't read her mind, but I doubted that the Shadow Run could do anything to me that she couldn't do worse. I froze, slowly putting my hoof down as I turned back toward the barrier. Boomer didn't say anything, but his brow raised questioningly. He shook his head when I didn't answer his unspoken question and counted down from ten under his breath. Each ticking second made me tense. I had seven days to avoid that delusional mare's wrath. 3... 2... 1... “Go!” Boomer shouted and even as I sprang forward, I looked back at the other recruits with what was probably the most demented smile they'd ever seen. I was probably going to die and the only thing I could think to shout back at them was seriously stupid... “Wish me luck!!” Then I was gone into darkness...