//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Three Months of Hell 
// Story: The Unicorn Wars: Equestria 
// by Constellation 
//------------------------------//




I walked into the armory next to Maximus following the lieutenant, the armory was 
small, and tightly packed with the new recruits and smell of sweat and sulfur.

"Sargent,"The lieutenant said loudly."get these new recruits there standard issue."

"Yes sir,"The Sargent said snapping off a quick salute."Privet, get out here and help
me."

Shuffling was heard from the back room followed by what sounded like armor falling
down,"Yes sir,"Came a small female voice.

Seconds later a privet came out of the back room with uniforms, muskets, and a pack
with assorted supplies, powder horns etc.

"Alright,"The lieutenant started."This is your standard issue, your new best friend,
this musket might save your life one day, this uniform will keep you warm in the winter, and
this saber will stop your enemy."

After the lieutenant gave his speech we were all escorted to a large empty clearing, 
where we were told to pitch our tents at the far east end of the camp.

"Well,"The lieutenant said."meet your new squad, their your brothers and sisters now."

With that the lieutenant left heading back toward the command tent, where he no doubt
had some important work that needed to be done. Pitching the tent took two hours, Maximus
and I had camped before, but these military tents were totally different, but with trial and 
error we finally got the cursed thing up.

The first day of basic was not so bad, all we had to do was set up a tent, fill out some
medical papers, and had supper, granted it was the worse thing me and Maximus had ever
eaten, but the next day is when the training started, or so I thought, before the sun was in the
sky there was a Sargent screaming in my ear, something about making my bed, then we all
ran for nine or ten miles, then came breakfast, then we ran some more, then we all lined up
and fired our muskets at a wall until my head was on fire and my ears where ringing, then
more damn running, finally the sun went down and we had supper, by the time I got back to 
the tent I had nothing in me.

"See you fine foals tomorrow."The Sargent said mockingly as he ran back toward the tent 
at the end of our row like he was just as full of energy as he was when he woke up.

"Alright,"I panted."a little running every day, I can take that."

I then fell into the bed of straw and immediately lost consciousness, the next three days
where the same thing, but the next five after that were made increasingly harder with longer
firing exercises and more running, but it eventually became easier and easier.

Then the first month ended, and the first day of month two we ran twenty miles before 
breakfast, which was outrageous even for the Sargent, then after a quick breakfast we did half
the normal firing drills and the rest we were to practice our offensive magic, fifty minutes of 
constant firing with magic quickly wore the squad down, half way through two of my 
comrades over exerted themselves and had to be escorted out toward the medical tent, I did
not know much about magic exhaustion only that there had been fatality's in extreme cases,
but the training continued, all through the month, and eventually even the two that couldn't do
it before where just as strong as me, and I could feel the difference, when I ran I didn't get 
fatigued, when I cast a spell it was so much easier then when I killed those two bandits in
the woods all those days ago.

Then the third month of training came, it wasn't as much of shock when the new training 
came, and this time we all adapted much quicker, we now ran twenty-five miles a day before breakfast
then we shot our muskets much more accurately then when we started, we fired our magic
longer and with more power then before, I felt so different, so much stronger.

Despite how use to basic training me and Maximus were, when the last day came we
were sure happy, no more Sargent yelling at us at unspoken hours, no twenty-five mile run, no
magic exhaustion, no powder exploding in your ear in an Iron pipe to send little round balls
of lead at a wall, we were finally out.

"Well, good news,"The lieutenant shouted at us as we assembled."your all fit for duty, 
and the good captain, gods bless his kind heart, has decided not to break up your little 
squad. Oh and it doesn't end there, Sargent Steel Hoof will be in command. Oh and your
all going to Equestria"

As the lieutenant left to get order paper every pony just stood there, we where all thinking
the same thing, 'Equestria', that was currently the front of a very nasty war, and then we all had
the same after thought.

"Shit."We all said in unison as the lieutenant left earshot, even the Sargent joined in.