//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Sir, yes Sir! // Story: Knights of Night - Chosen of the Moon // by vadram //------------------------------// Chapter 14: Sir, yes Sir! Foggy had to wait an entire year for Petal and Starry to be of age, but now all three ponies have already signed the papers, and were reporting for their first day of basic training, taking the first steps in becoming members of the Royal Guard. Basic training was two months of unarmed training followed by four of weapon training, after which the recruits finish basic training and could chose to work in law enforcement, or go carrer, meaning that they had six more months of specialised training at the Royal Guard Academy, where depending on their preferences and the recommendation of their drill sergeant and other officers they could be assigned to administration, engineers, command, rd, medical, logistics, ro the infantry, for ponies of all tribes, artillery was unicorn only, while the air force and recon was pegasi only. But before they could even think about that, Starry, Petal, and Foggy first had to get through boot camp. The southern region of Equestria had witness a population boom since the fortifications were built under the direct order of Princess Luna, that served to protect the kingdom from the unknown threats that lay to the south in the region now known as the Badlands, the name was not particularly original, but it perfectly described the dry and for the most part lifeless area. Many villages had been founded to accommodate the families of the Royal Guards that served there, as well as additional personal, shopkeepers, and various crafts ponies. But despite all of that, it still was the region with the lowest population density in the whole of Equestria. Minutes before Celestia rose the sun and signaled the start of a new day Starry, Petal, and Foggy stood in attention alongside twenty-seven other ponies. In front of them walked an old pegasus stallion, wearing the enchanted Royal Guard chestpiece, and with a cyan badge in the shape of a shield on his chest with the words “THIS WE’LL DEFEND” engraved on it. He also wore a campaign hat on his head, and examined each and everyone of them. “This just had to happen to me, what a bunch of worthless maggots...” the pegasus talked to himself before turning to face the recruits. “I drill sergeant Clashing Lance your new instructor. From now on you will only speak when spoken too, and the first and last words out of your mouth shall be Sir, do you maggots understand?” sergeant Lance said as the sun rose from behind him blinding some of the recruits. “Sir, yes Sir,” the recruits said. “I can’t hear you!” “Sir, yes Sir!” they yelled. “If you survive me you will become strong, you will become a weapon, but until then you are nothing. Do you understand?” “Sir, yes Sir.” “LOUDER!” he yelled at them. “Sir, yes Sir!” they yelled back at him. “What are you?!” “Sir, nothing Sir!” “You may not like me now, but you will grow to hate me. And the more you hate me the more you try to do whatever it takes to get me off your back. I do not care if you have wings, a horn or nothing between your legs, to me you are all equal. Equally worthless. Every single last one of you is worthless. Do you understand?” “Sir, yes Sir!” “I swear to Celestia that if ever have to tell any of you maggots to speak up, none of you will be geting any sleep tonight!” he yelled at them. “SIR, YES SIR!” they yelled at him as loud as they could. “What are you?!” “SIR, WORTHLESS, SIR!” A recruit coughed, the drill sergeant heard him and he walked towards him, all the other recruits following him with their eyes. “Do I make you sick maggot!?” he shouted in the recruit’s face. “No Sir, no you don’t!” the recruit nervously answered. “No pony alive should be this retarded! What the buck did I say the first and last words out of your bucking mouth should be?!” “Sir!” “And?!” the instructor asked, as his spit hit the private in the face. “Sir, and Sir! Sir!” Another one let out a laugh. The pegasus sergeant walked to him and looked him in the eyes before punching him in the face, knocking him to the grown. “The buck do you find so funny?! Answer me!” He yelled at him before kicking him in the stomach. “Sir, nothing Sir!” “Then why the buck were you laughing?! Now get up!” The pony struggled to picked himself up and stand in attention. “Do you think I am being too tough?” sergeant Lance asked a recruit. “Well do you?!” he asked again when the recruit failed to reply. “Sir, no Sir!” “Do you think I am being unfair?” “Sir, no Sir!” “Do you miss your mommy?” he asked Starry. “Sir, I do not know, Sir!” “You do not know? And why is that?” “Sir, because she died when I was a foal Sir!” “Well I am bucking sorry to hear that. Would you like to join her?” “Sir, no Sir!” “Then shut the buck up! Do you understand me recruit?” Starry did not answer. “Great. Now,” he talked to everypony, “anytime you think I am being too tough, anytime you think I am being unfair, anytime you miss your mommy... QUIT! Nopony is forcing any of you to be here and waste my time! Do you maggots understand me?” “Sir, yes Sir!” “I doubt any of you are worth the crap on my hooves. Anypony of you wants to prove me wrong?”