//------------------------------//
// Duty? 
// Story: Why She Serves 
// by Natedogg2006 
//------------------------------//

"FALL IN!"
Tempest Shadow barked out the order. She gave no warning to it as she walked through the gates of the court yard, thus she was not surprised by the ensuing disorder that followed. The group of ponies that had been waiting inside obviously only had a vague idea of what was expected of them.
Under different circumstances she had some idea that watching the ponies suddenly try to converge on the same spot in such a haphazard fashion might have passed for entertaining, perhaps even funny. But seeing as it was going to be her job to organize this chaos, her scowl stayed perfectly in place as she literally watched two stallions run headlong into each other and both fall to the ground with a noticable thud. 
Tempest did not even look down at the fallen pair before her as she continued her deliberate stride, stepping over them without breaking her pace in the least. A few steps later she finally came to a stop, still watching the clutter of bodies moving as they tried to organize themselves into orderly lines. She allowed herself only a low growl of frustration at the knowledge that they were supposed to have formed their ranks before she made it to this spot. At this current moment she counted exactly three of the twenty or so ponies that had made it there, and even they weren't positioned or standing correctly yet. 
As the ponies quickly but unproductivly tried to comply with what was literally their first order, Tempest could not help but dread the upcoming weeks. This task was going to be much harder then the past six months of her new life. After the fall of the Storm King she had found herself in a place in her life she did not plan. A place with no direction, no purpose, and assuming she was about to spend a very long time behind bars. But something unexpected had happened to her, something that gave her reason to not sneer as the ponies before her finally came to a stop in two unevenly spaced and crooked lines. 
"You lot have got to be the most pathetic excuses for solders I have ever seen in my life." Tempest Shadow paced back and forth in front of her first batch of new recruits to the Equestrian guard. The ponies that might someday soon be protecting the lives of the princesses of Equestria, were being trained by the pony who had brought the capital city to it's knees almost single hoofidly a mere half a year before. 
She made her way around to the side of the lines, standing in the place where the row  should be lined up. "Four, seven, and eight. Half step forward. Nine and ten. One, Full, step back." She didn't allow much emotion other then discontent enter her voice, and she could tell it was having certain, noticable, affects on some of those in the formation. Including the next row she hadn't gotten to yet.
Her head snapped in the direction of movement as she caught ponies before they could make much of any attempt to adjust themselves on their own. 
"DID I TELL ANY OF YOU THAT YOU COULD MOVE!" Ponies froze, looks of shock and the beginnings of fear becoming apparent as they struggled to keep their gazes locked forward. She turned on her hoof, took a few steps, and turned again to begin the process on the second line. "Fourteen, nineteen. Half step forward. Fifteen, sixteen, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three. Half step back." She watched their stiff movements as they complied with the orders. 
She stepped back to the front of the line and retook her original position. "Everypony. Right forehoof straight out to your side." There was some confusion, but they slowly complied. The motion forced each pony in turn to adjust their positioning, making their spacing much more uniform. It was good to see that the second row was at least smart enough to have made a conscious effort to keep themselves lined up with the front row.
This was going to be an all new challenge for her, she really hadn't had to go to these lengths yet with any of the soldier she had trained. Following Canterlot's defeat at her hooves and subsequent trial for her actions, it was determined that a general of her talent would be wasted if she was locked away. There was also some debate as to if they could even manage to keep her locked away. So it was eventually decided that rather then be put in jail for her crimes, she was to be  given a rather hefty sentencing of community service. Community service which she would be spenting, as she had been the last six months, retraining the very guards she had defeated. And while they hadn't been the best of soldiers, they had had at least a solid base to work off of. 
She resumed her pacing and began speaking in as dismissive a tone as she could. "From today on, this is your formation. You will line up like this at my request, at any time. And for future reference, I expect you in your positions, Before, I reach my position. I don't have the time to deal with any tardiness on your part." She stopped briefly to direct a withering gaze across the lines to show her how serious she was. "And memorize your positioning. I also don't have time to determine who is here and who isn't. A simple hole in the line will be enough for me to determine who has and has not decided to continue with their training."
She actually had to suppress a small smile as she resumed her pacing.  Maybe it would be harder to train new recruits, but perhaps there might be some fun to be had. As she paced closer to the line and now began working her way between individual stallions and mares she noticed something that she hadn't with any of the soldiers she'd worked with so far. Fear. Legitimate, trembling fear. Her mere presence was now having a noticable effect on at least a few of the ponies present. She decided to see just how much of an effect she could make it.
"Chest out!"
"Straighten that helmet!"
"Back straight!"
Each pony she barked the order at hastily made the adjustment, bringing their ranks closer to what she expected. She now noticed only one major issue to deal with.
She suddenly came to an abrupt stop, turning on a hoof and coming back to stare into the very nervous eyes of a short, light furred stallion. His eyes refused to meet hers.
"What exactly were you looking at cadet?" 
"Uhhh, umm?"
"That is not a sufficient answer cadet. Do you speak Equish or not cadet?"
"Yes."
" Yes what, cadet!"
"Yes... Umm, uhhh, ma'am?"
"That's a little better cadet. Now let me ask you. Are you aware what a thousand yard stare is?"
"Yes ma'am?"
"Then let's hear it."
"Umm, right now ma'am?"
"Yes now cadet, why would I want it later?" She was deepening the glare she was giving him as he was having a very hard time not cowering in front of her. Were it not for her own resolve, she would be having a hard time not smiling at the feeling of control it gave her.
"Umm... You, you pick a spot in front of you, and you stare at it as if it's a spot a thousand yards in the distance... Ma'am?"
"Very good cadet," she made the words condescending, and yet it seemed to allow him to relax just a little, just as she had hoped. "Then what exactly were you just looking at!" His relief faded fast.
"N, nothing ma'am." His own resolve was crumbling fast, his ears were now beginning to press back to his head against his will.
"Nothing? I'll have you know there is no room in this outfit for liars. Now what were you looking at because it definitely wasn't anything a thousand yards in front of you."
He was actively cowering in front of her now. She honestly wasn't sure if his legs were going to keep holding him up much longer there way they were shaking. Knowing he wouldn't be able to tell in his current state, she gave him a once over, deciding to remember details about him. Light, almost pink fur on his coat. His fur also looked fairly fluffy. His mane was also a little long for a soldier, and clearly something he took pride in. All that, combined with the rather short horn sticking from the top of his training helmet made a small sinister smile slightly grace Tempest's lips . He had a lot she could use against him, and she felt confident she could break him within the week. 
He stammered, but finally spoke, fear of disobeying her overcoming all else at that moment. "Y, your.... flanks ma'am."
Her glare deepened. His eyes closed to avoid it. "My flanks, is that what you said cadet?" He managed to nod his head just slightly. 
Taking a deep breath she finally stepped away from the position. She resumed her pacing as she now addressed the entire line of stallions. "Understand what you have signed up for today. The word of this training is dedication. If you expect for one second that you can survive without full dedication then I can tell you right now you should just leave."
She took an abrupt turn, now facing all her new recruits. She noticed all of them now staring straight ahead as dutifully as possible. "As of right now what I say is your first priority. It comes before all else. It comes before pain. It comes before weakness. It comes before your desire to look at flanks."
The entire line fought the urge to cringe as they heard the sound of a collapsing pony. The previous target of her wrath had apparently lost his nerve and let his knees give out. 
"And just what is wrong with your legs cadet?" She stepped back up to him, though she could already tell he was well beyond responding to her. "Don't worry, we'll toughen those jelly legs up for you. I think you owe me quite a few for the show you were enjoying earlier. We can start with some pushups. Just how much were you enjoying my flanks do you think? Maybe enough for a few hu..."
"Tempest..."
Tempest Shadow looked up to a balcony overlooking the courtyard they were in. Atop it stood Twilight Sparkle, casting a mildly disapproving stare down to her. 
"Princess on deck!" All condescension left her voice immediately as she shouted this command. She then lost her usual controled tone for just a moment as she growled to the stallion below her. "On your hooves for your princess." His hooves were shaking, but something in her voice did manage to just barely give him the strength to stand. Tempest shouted again. "About face!" The whole line turned on their hooves. "Present arms." Right hooves raised to foreheads in unison. The still untrained movements they preformed made her have to restrain a cringe as she looked back up to the balcony.
From above Tempest could make out Twilight rolling her eyes just a little. "At ease," she said half heartedly and watched them return to their previous position. 
"To what do we owe the honor of your presence this morning your highness?" Tempest spoke with the utmost respect in her voice. At least that's what she hoped her words were conveying. The concept of actually wanting to show respect to others was  something that had been absent from her life for a long time, but she felt like it was getting more natural. And if there was a pony she felt she needed to show respect for it was the princess casting a warm gaze down to her right now. 
"You owe nothing to it Commander Shadow. You had just seemed, excited, to get your first batch of new recruits. I just thought I'd come check in on... them."
Tempest could feel that the smile she put on at that moment probably looked forced, but she decided to play it off anyway and hope Alicorn eyes couldn't stop it at this distance. "Well, your highness has nothing to worry about. I'll be sure to turn this group into the finest soldiers this kingdom has ever seen."
"I have no doubt Commander. But if I might make one little suggestion?"
"But of course, anything you wish Princess Sparkle." Tempest could feel her smile faltering even more.
"You don't have to be so tough on them right from the start. I'm sure they'll get better with time, especially with you training them." She then smiled sweetly down to her Commander and gave her a nod. 
Tempest was taken aback more then a little. She had no idea how it was that Twilight always did this to her. A minute before she had been completely certain she was doing everything right. Now she struggled to keep her composure as she was quickly going over everything she'd been doing in her head and trying to find what she might have been doing wrong. But she also had to still seem confident and in control in front of her recruits.
"I'll take your words into consideration your highness." She reasserted her scowl as she turned back to her lines. "Ok everypony, I think this dressing down can be cut short. Luckily I was planning on a nice day full of PT anyway," she casted a glance to the pink coated stallion she'd been tormenting before. "Still plenty of ways to see who's going to make the cut."
She saw his throat move as he gulped hard, but he made no other indication of his hesitance. Tempest turned back to the balcony. "Do we have your permission to continue then Princess Sparkle?"
"You don't need my permission. Proceed however you think is appropriate."
"Thank you your highness." She turned again and drew a deep breath. "Alright ponies! Right Face! Forward March!"
Tempest did her best to maintain her own stare, but she caught herself watching out of the corner of her eye. Was there any look of disappointment on Twilight's face? Had she gone to far? Why did she care?
She forced the thoughts from her mind as her progression with the lines of recruits finally took Twilight out of her peripheral and she forced the thoughts from her mind.