6TH SEPTEMBER 1939
-------------------ROYAL ARMY/AIR FORCE TRAINING CAMP, SOMEWHERE IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS-------------
It was now around 6:00am at this training camp, which meant it was around 7:30am in Equestria. Twilight and Shining Armor had woken up, and were in their room, preparing for their speech, which they would make in just over an hour. They were practicing how the speech would be made. They had arrived the previous morning, after a three-hour flight from Manehattan. They had met up with all the ponies who would begin their military training today, including Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Rainbow was going to the RAF, and Applejack was ending up in the Royal Army.
The two siblings would give a speech, and then the first day of military training for Royal Army and Air Force ponies would begin. The initial day would mainly be classroom training, and some physical training as well. It would be a while before they started doing the real deal. They were extremely nervous about the speech, and how well the ponies would do, despite being taught by well-trained human instructors.
The two siblings were busy practicing their formal speech, making sure their delivery was clear and confident. Shining Armor was going to address the Royal Army trainees, while Twilight would address the Air Force trainees.
As they practiced, they couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed with the responsibility of sending young ponies off to war. The looming threat of war had been the reason why they were there in the first place. They were part of a mission to build stronger ties between Equestria and the human world, and to learn from their military expertise, and to stop Discord. It was clear that they were going to have to work harder than ever to ensure that the ponies were as prepared as they could be.
Twilight was thinking of how to inspire the young RAF ponies, and Shining Armor was thinking of ways to pep them up, get the Royal Army trainees excited for military life. Twilight was having a hard time thinking of words. "Ugh! How do I motivate them to want to fight for Equestria, but also make them aware of the gravity of the situation?"
Shining Armor put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Twily. You'll think of something. Just speak from the heart and be honest. That's all we can do."
Twilight looked up at her brother and smiled. "Thanks, Shining. You always know what to say."
They continued to practice their speeches for another half an hour before heading out to the training field. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the crisp Scottish air made them feel more awake and alert.
They arrived at the field where the trainees had already gathered, waiting for them. As they stepped up to the podium, Twilight and Shining Armor took a deep breath and began their speeches.
"Dear trainees," Twilight began, her voice steady. "Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in your lives. You have all chosen to serve your country in the Royal Air Force, and I want to commend you for your bravery and dedication. I know that serving in the military can be daunting, but I also know that you are all strong and capable ponies. You will be taught by some of the best human instructors, and I have no doubt that you will make us all proud. Remember that you are not just fighting for Equestria, but also for peace and stability in the world. You are making a difference, and your sacrifices will be remembered. So, I wish you all good luck, and may Celestia guide you on your journey."
Shining Armor then took over, addressing the army trainees. "Good morning, soldiers. Today you embark on a journey that will challenge you in ways you have never been challenged before. You will be pushed to your limits, physically and mentally. But I have faith in you all. You have all chosen to serve Equestria, to protect it from those who would do it harm. That takes immense courage and grit. You will be trained by some of the best human soldiers, and I have no doubt that you will excel in your training. Remember, you are not just fighting for Equestria, but also for your comrades, for your families, and for the future generations of ponies. So stand tall, be proud, and let's show the world we Equestrians are made of!"
The trainees cheered and applauded, their spirits lifted by the speeches of the two siblings. Twilight and Shining Armor smiled at each other, relieved that it had gone well. The training had officially begun. They were ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead, for the good of Equestria.
As the first day of military training commenced, the ponies were given their schedules. Today would be mostly spent in the classrooms, learning about human weaponry. They would be learning quite a bit of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, about the principles behind things like guns, grenades, cars, and airplanes. They would also be spending a lot of time in the library, learning about Earth's history and current affairs, so they could comfortably talk to humans and not feel left out of their conversations.
Meanwhile, the physical training would be taking place in the afternoons, when the sun was at its highest. The ponies would start with basic calisthenics, then progress to fitness drills and running, followed by more advanced training such as obstacle courses and combat simulations.
The first class of the day for the RAF ponies, who Twilight was overseeing, was to be Physics. This class would basically teach the ponies the basics of Physics, and the principles of flight. Rainbow Dash was in this class, and Twilight was extremely happy about this. Rainbow had always been passionate about flying, and Twilight knew that she would excel in the Air Force. As they walked to the classroom together, Rainbow in an RAF cadet uniform, one of many designed specially for ponies, Twilight explained the basics of physics and how it was related to flying.
"Physics is all about the laws and principles that govern the world around us. In the context of flying, it's all about lift, drag, and thrust. In other words, how to get an object off the ground and keep it flying. It's going to be tough, but I know you can do it, Rainbow."
Rainbow grinned, her eyes shining with excitement. "Thanks, Twilight. I can't wait to get started!"
As they entered the classroom, Rainbow took her seat, ready to learn. The instructor, a human named Sergeant Miller, began the lesson by explaining the basics of lift and drag. "Alright, everyone. I'm Sergeant Miller, and I'm your Physics teacher for your flight training. Today, we're going to learn about the basics of flight. It's going to be a little different, nope, a lot different, from what you probably know. Can everyone please tell me what you know about Physics?"
"Ummm, its how the world works?" asked Lyra Heartstrings, who had also ended up in the RAF.
"Yes, Ms... ?" replied Miller.
"Lyra, Sergeant Miller."
"Yes, Ms. Lyra. Physics is essentially the science of all the principles that govern our world. It's all about what keeps birds in the air, what keeps us from floating around all the time, and what not. Got it, everyone?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" replied all the ponies.
"Good. Today, we'll learn all about the main physics of flight, and what makes airplanes fly." And with that, the class began, and the ponies eagerly absorbed the knowledge that was being taught to them.
Meanwhile, in the Army ponies' class, which Shining Armor was overseeing, the trainees were going to go to basic combat training. The Army trainees would be learning basic hand-to-hand, or in this case, hand-to-hoof combat. They would be today starting with training dummies, and later fight against sparring partners. Applejack was in this class. They met up with their trainer, Sergeant Quelch.
"Alright, listen up, ponies!" shouted Sergeant Quelch. "Today, we begin your combat training. This is where you'll learn how to defend yourself, how to fight in close quarters combat, and how to take down an enemy. We'll begin with the basics of hand-to-hand combat today. This will include techniques like blocking, striking, and grappling. You'll learn how to use your strength, as well as your wit, to defeat your enemies. But first, we'll start with some basic strikes. First, let's go out to the ground, and get yourself ready. It's going to be long and sweaty!"
Five minutes later, all the ponies were out on the ground, wearing their workout clothes, getting ready to get ready for some practice fighting. "Alright, ponies! Today, we're going to learn some basic blocking techniques. We'll do striking later, once you've got the hang of blocking an attack. Here's what you do. You square up to your opponent, get your hooves into a good stance. Keep your hooves shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. This will give you a stable base and make it harder for your opponent to knock you over. Now, when your opponent throws a punch or tries to hit you, you're going to block their attack. Got it so far?" said Quelch.
"Sir, yes, Sir!" replied the ponies.
"There are a few different ways to block, but we're going to start with the basic ones. Today, we'll do the high block. To do this, you bring your hoof up and across your body, aiming to intercept the attack with the side of your foreleg. Keep your other hoof up to protect your face and head. This will block any attacks coming from above. Try it on these practice dummies!" ordered Sergeant Quelch, pointing at a half ton of human-like training dummies kept for this purpose.
"Sir, yes, Sir!" replied the ponies, as they all chose a dummy, and began practice blocks, against the dummies. There were quite a few mess-ups in the first few minutes. However, all the ponies, including Applejack, eventually got the hang of doing basic blocks. Quite a few ponies, including Lyra Heartstrings, tried to get away by using magic, but they were instantly punished by Sergeant Quelch. "What if you are unable to use your powers, in the middle of a battlefield?! Stop trying to cheat! You're cleaning the barracks today, WITHOUT MAGIC! Got it, Lyra?"
"Yes, Sergeant Quelch." replied Lyra, who was pretty unhappy about it. Despite similar things, the first day of training went pretty well for the ponies, who were excited to learn more, before they would enter a real battlefield.