//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Attack On Pony 
// by NihilWinterfeild2 
//------------------------------//

I awoke to the strong scent of tobacco assaulting my senses. It seemed that every part of my body was burning and aching from yesterdays training.  As I tried moving, red flares of pain shot through my body 
"Oh...you're awake?  Feelin' sore" The blue stallion inquired.  Just the mere sound of his voice shot pain through my skull.  I guess Fjoras' hit was harder than I thought.
"shhh. Shush...shut your face.."  I muttered, my own voice even caused white needles of pain to appear in my head
"Huh?  Why"  His voice seeming to echo like a cannon shot through my poor, bruised skull.
"Will you please shut the hell up! For the love of Celestia!" I shouted at him.  It was a big...no...huge mistake.  It felt as if a ton of rocks was dropped on my head.
"Well, I'm truly sorry...but we gots' ourselves some training to do"  Hearing this news brought tears to my eyes.  I swear I had Discord on my shoulder, just trying to kill me in the slowest, most painful death imaginable.

The next few hours were a blur of hoof-to-hoof combat training, salutes, and my personal favorite; the 3-D maneuver gear training.  Its a system that works with two harpoons attached to two separate boxes  that are strapped to ones flank on either side.  The boxes contained sword blades, a handle that strapped around ones hoof, and a gas tank that propelled the user and shot the harpoon.  On each harpoon launcher there was a crystal that sensed the users thoughts and shot the harpoon wherever the user wanted.  Each harpoon was made of a steel\titanium alloy.  The barbs on them were retractable, allowing it to be released from whichever object it is embedded in.  During the training, we learned the basics of how to use these intricate systems.  Those who were..ahem...'lesser minded' had difficulty with the thought gem.  Both Fjora and I got the hang of the systems rather quickly while others took a while.

That night at dinner, Fjora and I ate our meager rations of oats together.  I scanned the room and noticed something odd, there were less ponies now than there were when we began.
"Hey Fjora...do you notice that there are less ponies than at the beginning?" I whispered to her in a hushed voice, as not to break the spell of silence that hung over the room .
"Some gave up and went to the fields"  She replied in the same hushed tone.
"Already...Why?"
"I guess the sergeant tore out too much of their pride, I guess"  Just as she finished her sentence, I noticed a rather good looking yellow stallion with a blue mane trot towards us. As he approached Fjora, he fixed a stray strand of his mane, the strand hung down to his chin, yet the rest of his mane was short cropped.
"Well, hello there miss" His voice was a deep, but somehow soothing. "I'm Swift-hoof, but please just call me Swift"  He ended his introduction with a bow.
"Oh..Um I'm Fjora." My friend replied, obviously nervous.
"A beautiful name for such a pretty mare"
"A beautiful name for a pretty mare" I muttered in a mocking tone.  The next thing I felt was a hard object hit and shatter over my skull.  Fjora had smashed her plate over my head.  I could feel the warm trickle of blood stream down my face from where a small shard of the white clay had made its way through my skin and embedded itself beneath. 
"I'll just...go to bed" I murmured before crawling towards my room.  The dining hall roared with laughter as I made my way, belly on the floor, to the door.  Just as I was about to reach for the handle, it opened.  At first all I saw was a familiar colored hoof.  My eyes trailed upwards to lock with none other than the sergeants.
"What do we have here" The sergeants voice was calm, oddly calm.
"J-just going to bed..."  As I spoke, some blood trickled into my mouth, filling it with a thick coppery taste.
"oh...but you don't look tired..." A sick smile flickered across his lips "Perhaps a few laps would get you ready to sleep"
"H-how many....sir" I asked, a look of defeat filled my eyes as I stood up.
"Until you collapse" Upon hearing this, my body sagged, wings drooped and ears laid flat against my skull.
"Yes sir"

So, I ran.

And I kept running