//------------------------------// // Ch16: RE;education // Story: Equestria: The Afterlife // by Timzocker201 //------------------------------// POV: Markus I. Really. Am. An Idiot. >>Why?<< I hear you ask? Well, let me tell you: you do remember me writing in one of the earlier entries that my Field Cap didn’t follow me into this new world, right? Well, turns out, I was just too blind to see it. Do you know where it was all this time? In the fucking front pouch of my Field Jacket! Lord above, sometimes I amaze myself with my own stupidity. Anyways: today was the day that I took command over my new unit. Of course, changes have to be made, but all in all, I am very satisfied with how things turned out. It all began the day prior, actually, as that was when we departed for Canterlot. Twilight wanted to accompany me. Though mainly to see her brother again, I presume. When it came to pack my things, I decided that I should just take it all with me. For one, I don’t really currently have so much that I would really have to think about what to pack, but I also wanted to prevent Twilight from shooting herself out of curiosity, if I left my G36 there. I know it sounds silly, since she’s a grown mare, but when it comes to discovering new things and such, she can actually become pretty childish… Anyways: We got onto the train and, as we entered the royal cabin, Twilight straight up unfolded a bed and went to sleeping and so did I. We reached Canterlot around 5am. Luna and a few royal guards were already waiting for us to arrive. We exited the train cart and I handed my stuff over to one of the accompanying guards and donned my newly recovered Field cap. Luna and I quickly bowed before one another, before we began walking towards the guard barracks. “Now, Markus: As you’ve requested to our sister, we have given order to assemble your company in an hour. Sadly, though, we couldn’t arrange for you to use the grand auditorium of the academy, but we have an alternative. We will allow you to use the royal auditorium at the palace instead and, speaking of the palace, you will of course be given a room for your stay.” Luna told me. I made a quick bow in response. “Thank you Luna, but I do wonder, why Celestia granted my requests so easily. Frankly speaking, if I had requested these things on such a short notice in my old world, they wouldn’t even have reached her.” Luna chuckled and shook her head. “Under normal circumstances, our world wouldn’t be any different. But you aren’t normal, at least to us, and our sister seems to actually be very interested in what you might do with your company and, despite being wary since the kidnapping, is willing to grant you everything you need to accomplish it… Also, we might have given her a little push in the right direction.” She said with a wink. “Well, not that I should have expected anything else.” I said with a chuckle. “Now, before we go to inspect my company, I would like to meet up with my subordinate officers.” Luna stopped dead in her tracks and looked at me with surprise. “What? Do I have something on my face?” Luna quickly shook her head. “No, it’s just that… there are no Officers in assigned to you. Normally, we don’t assign more than one officer to a unit.” I grabbed my chin and pondered for a moment, but then waved her off. “Ah well, in that case we’ve just got to improvise. Do you currently have any officers without assignment?” Luna thought for a while and then answered: “We currently have six officers waiting for assignment, yes.” “Good, how many of them are 2nd Lieutenants?” Again, Luna took a moment to think. “To our knowledge, four of them carry that rank.” “Very well. Not ideal, but I suppose I just have to rule one of them out. Now, shall we head for the officer’s quarters?” Luna nodded and we made our way. The Guard’s Base in Canterlot was actually pretty similar to what I was used to back at home. It was a fenced off area just on the edge of Town. In it, there was a smaller building right next to the entrance, which I presumed was the administration, then there was a slightly larger Building, which already looked quite fancy from outside and probably housed the officer’s quarters, and lastly there was a large, functional chunk of a building, which most likely were the Guard’s Barracks. At first, we headed into the administration, to have the four lieutenants in question assemble before their rooms and wait for our arrival. Seeing as my past experiences with the guard haven’t exactly shown much of their proficiency, I was rather pleasantly surprised, as I found that, not only was the officer in charge available at this early hour, but they actually had something closely similar to an intercom, through which the four Lieutenants were quickly called out and ordered to make haste. We decided that we better pick up our pace too, as I ordered my men to be assembled by 6:00 and it was 5:45 already by then. We entered the officer’s quarters and made a right hand turn on the ground floor, into a corridor which was labeled >>Lieutenants<<. Judging by this and the very tight arrangement of the doors we went past, I assumed that, with growing rank, the officer’s accommodations grew proportionally, which in turn, together with my past experiences with these nobles’ ever-apparent urge to compensate something, made me wonder why I didn’t see a massive penthouse lodged onto this building when I entered Canterlot. As we neared the end of the corridor, three doors opened before us almost simultaneously and three ponies stepped out. Two of them were Stallions and one was a Mare. All three of them wore no uniform, which I guess is pretty normal with ponies, and had something similar to an officer’s cap from the Napoleonic era sitting on their heads. What also immediately struck me was that they all were Unicorns. All three of them snapped to attention as they noticed us and gave a quick salute. Luna signaled them to be at ease and I looked them over. The first Stallion had a dark blue coat with a green mane and tail and purple irises, while the second one was white with a light blue mane and red irises. The first Stallion’s mane was combed slightly forward, covering the base of his horn, before going off to the side, while the second’s mane was pretty short, barely sticking out from under his cap. The blue Stallion’s Cutie Mark was a downward facing sword which was surrounded by fire. That of the white Stallion showed a white shield with dark blue rim and a brick wall in the background. “So an attacker and a defender, if my interpretation of their marks is correct…” I thought, as I turned my attention to the mare. Her coat was dark grey and her mane and tail were black with a white stripe running along the middle. Judging from the way her mane was flattened by the hat, I presume it was styled to look a bit more voluminous without it. What really made her stand out from the other two was that her horn was of a different color than her coat, namely white. Also, she wore a Necklace, consisting of a pearl-like sphere attached to a black collar. Her Cutie Mark was that of a half-closed eye and her irises were light blue in color. “So…” I started. “Since the fourth one didn’t show up, I suppose that leaves only you three, huh? Very well, that saves me the hazzle of ruling one of you out. Now…” I stepped up to the first Stallion. “What’s your name, Lieutenant?” The Stallion snapped a salute and answered. “2nd Lieutenant Overdrive, sir! Ready for duty, sir!” I went over to the mare and she also immediately saluted. “2nd Lieutenant Mystic Gem, sir! Awaiting orders, sir!” And the second Stallion did the same. “2nd Lieutenant Bulkhead, sir! Always ready, sir!” “Very well, now you are probably wondering what you’ve been called for. Sadly, we don’t have time for questions, so you will be briefed on the way, now follow us.” The three lieutenants answered with a short “Yes sir!” and fell into step behind us. Outside, we saw that the sun was slowly rising already which caused Luna to turn to me. “We shall take our leave now. Our sister will soon be here to observe thy further progress. Farewell, Captain Becker.” She said in her usual, formal way. I made a bow before her and she teleported away. I then quickly resumed walking, this time towards the guard’s quarters or, more specifically, the yard before it. On the way, I quickly briefed the three Lieutenants. “You three probably have already heard of me, so I will skip introductions. Today, I’m taking command over a company of guards, which will follow my doctrine. Said doctrine, however, dictates that the company be split into platoons, each led by a Lieutenant. That’s where you come in.” We rounded a corner and immediately spotted the sixty guards standing assembled in a square, with most of them being occupied with talking to their comrades or quickly slipping into their ranks. “Now, one of you is going to become my second-in-command later on. However I won’t make that decision just yet. Instead, over the course of the next three months, I’m going to have you three alternate in said position, with each of you occupying the position one week at a time, starting today. Since I don’t want to favor anyone of you, we will just go with >>mares first<<. Miss Gem, it’s your turn.” Mystic Gem nodded and cleared her throat. She then shouted aloud: “Everypony! AtteeeenTION!” In response, the guards before us snapped to attention. “Very good, Miss Gem.” We placed ourselves directly in front of the formation, my three officers placing themselves directly behind me and Twilight standing to my left. I raised my voice and addressed my new unit. “At ease! Now, rumors probably already have made their way to you, but I will introduce myself anyways. I am Captain Markus Becker, newly commissioned officer in the royal guard and your new officer in charge. From this moment onward, I hold command over you and, in turn, am responsible for everything you do, so you better behave yourself or else I will give you a treatment that will make the dungeon seem like a five-star Wellness hotel! Over the following three months, I will shape you all from the measly guardsponies you are now into full-on soldiers! Before we start, however, we are awaiting a guest, so I hope for you that you’ve brushed your teeth this morning!” Just as I finished this sentence, I heard the flapping of wings, followed by the sound of hooves setting down onto the ground. I turned around and saw that Celestia had arrived. The officers and Twilight bowed before her, while I gave a salute. “Princess Celestia, I am honoured to have you attend my inspection.” Celestia nodded and looked over to the assembled guards and then back to me. “I hope you find your new unit sufficient, Captain.” She said. “I don’t know yet. I thought it better for you to be here, while I do the inspection. Now, shall we?” She nodded again and I turned back to the ponies behind me. The Lieutenants took position off to the side and Twilight and Celestia walked to my left, while I had the formation to my right. We began walking along the lines and I mustered each of them from top to bottom. It didn’t take long that I came upon a Pegasus Stallion, whose shoes struck my attention. “Ah, I see someone had a very hasty start into his day or didn’t your momma show you how to bind your shoes, Private? Maybe she did it for you up until now, am I right Private Namby-Pamby? But since you can walk just fine like that, go and show me some running! Five Laps around the formation!” I made a step to walk on, but the stallion didn’t move. “That wasn’t an invitation, Private, that was an order! Now get a move on!” The Private quickly darted off and I continued my inspection, only to find something else only a few guards further down the Line. There, before me, stood an Earthpony Stallion with an awfully disheveled mane. “And what do we have here? Did you see the kitchen floor and just had to clean it, Private Broom? Well, I’ve heard that cleaning personnel have some good muscle in their legs. Maybe you want to show us some of it? Five laps.” This time, the guard immediately ran off. As I continued my work, I noticed a weird screeching sound coming from somewhere within the formation. I knew that I wasn’t imagining things, as I saw Celestia’s ears swivel about, trying to locate the noise. The answer to this mystery came shortly after, as I came upon a Unicorn Mare, whose Armor was improperly attached to her barrel, causing the plates to scratch over one another whenever she breathed. “So it seems you like screeching sounds, huh? Private Squeak? Perhaps it makes you run better? Go ahead and show me! Five laps!” The rest of the inspection went rather well and in the end, I stood in front of the formation again. “Very well, you cowards, we will now relocate to the palace and I hope that you’ve fixed that shoe of yours, Private Nambs, because we are going to march there and if I see anyone break formation, then I will personally kick his ass to Tartarus and beyond! Now then: COMPANY! MARCH!” We marched off, through the front gate and along the streets of Canterlot towards the royal Palace. Many of the Ponies in the streets gave us curious looks, of course, but this was to be expected. When we were halfway there, Celestia suddenly spoke up. “Say, has Luna told you about your assignment?” I shook my head and heard her mutter something along the lines of >>typical Luna, can’t deliver a simple message<<. “In that case, I shall tell you now. Your company has been designated Company 4 of the 6th Guard Regiment, led by General Pillbox. You will answer directly to him after you’ve finished your adaptations to your company.” “General >>Pillbox<>a<< Captain of the Guard like you, but >>the<< Captain of the Guard, which is just a formal position for the one in charge of the guard. His actual rank is that of a five star General.” I gave a lengthy nod of acknowledgement, before I understood why she actually gave me that scolding look… I beat up my superior… oops. The rest of the way went without any notable events and we reached the royal auditorium very soon. It was a big room with three columns of benches in the back, separated by an alley between them. In front, there was a lectern standing in front of a big, white wall and a small blackboard to the side. I entered the room and the princesses and my Company filed in behind me. “Perfect! Now, I want each of the officers to take one of the front-most benches for themselves. The rest of the guards is going to file in behind them, five guards per bench.” They did as I said and Twilight and Celestia seated themselves further in the back. “Good. The column to my left will henceforth be called >>Platoon Alpha<<, led by Lt. Overdrive! The one in the middle will be >>Bravo<<, led by Lt. Mystic Gem and lastly, the one to my right will be >>Charlie<<, led by Lt. Bulkhead. Furthermore, each bench will henceforth be a >>Squad<<, led by the rightmost comrade sitting on it. The officers will receive orders directly from me, the squad leaders receive theirs from their respective officer and the rest of you from your respective squad leader! Over the next month, you will always seat yourself in the same spot you are sitting in today and beyond that, those four ponies beside you are going to be the closest family you’ve got, understood?” I waited for a moment and a few of my soon-to-be soldiers nodded slightly. “Good. Now, over the course of the next month, I am going to teach you everything from basic tactics and first aid, to target identification and squad formations. The following two months, we will have ourselves a little camping trip, where I will give you the practical applications to what you have learned here, as well as some lessons in concealment and combat in different environments. Without further ado, let’s begin…” And thus, I started the first lesson. I found it best to start with some basic acronyms and nomenclature, followed by some minor formations and their use. While I was talking and answering questions, I also watched their reactions, to give myself an idea of the general group mentality. What I definitely noticed was that Lt. Overdrive and Lt. Mystic Gem were very eagerly listening, while Lt. Bulkhead showed some kind of… displeasure? I don’t quite know how to interpret his reactions just yet, but I assume it is something about the changes to the doctrine. Anyways: After four hours of lecturing, the clock chimed twelve, which marked the end of the first day. The coming days will include afternoon lessons as well, but today, there was a certain appointment I had to attend. After the guards and officers had left the auditorium, Celestia showed me to my room and Twilight followed along. It was just what you would expect of a guestroom in the Palace. It had a nice bed with a nightstand, on which a plant pot stood and spread its charm across the room. The room also had a large window which led to a balcony directly opposite of the door, as well as a smaller one, beneath which there was a desk with an inkpot, a quill and some parchment ready to be written on. As soon as Celestia left, I told Shining Armor over the mental connection, where to meet us, which he did soon after. “Shining!” Twilight chirped, as her brother entered the room. She sped to him and gave him a hug, almost toppling him over. “Whoa there, Twily. Good to see you too!” He looked over to me and gave a slight nod in greeting, which I returned. “So… You want to teach me, how to be a better officer, huh? How are you going to do this?” “Well, first off, I’m going to alternate your lessons between theoretical and practical lessons. The theoretical lessons will be about tactics and strategies, while the practical lessons will be about combat, self-defense and the likes. Now, please have a seat.” Thus, I started my first theoretical lesson with Shining Armor. Twilight was happily scribbling away as I taught her brother the basics of modern tactics. What I didn’t expect, however, was that Shining Armor would point out a mistake on my side… “…and thus, ambushing your enemy is a very effective method whenever you are defending an area with an inferior force.” Shining Armor raised a hoof up like a little schoolcolt and I played along. “So, uhh, isn’t this tactic more effective when you’re using more ranged weapons? Because, we don’t really have that many bowponies in the guard and unicorns can get exhausted pretty quickly. Also, wouldn’t our shiny armor give us away?” I opened my eyes wide in surprise. That was actually a major oversight on my part, but one that could be fixed rather easily, luckily. I do have the means to do so… the question is: do I want to start a large-scale distribution of modern weapons in Equestria? No, I can’t let that happen… but if it was a small, closed group… a company perhaps… “Hush Shining! You are confusing Markus!” Twilight scolded, but I quickly interjected. “No, Twilight, he’s right. That was a major oversight on my part, but it can be corrected. I will do this later on. Now, shall we commence?” At 2:30 in the afternoon, both Twilight and Shining Armor took their leave, to catch the afternoon train out of Canterlot. Twilight gave me a quick hug as a farewell, as I couldn’t accompany them to the train station without being seen together with Shining Armor. As soon as they left, I seated myself at the desk as I had some designwork to do, but first I wrote a letter… A letter to Rarity.