"ATTEN-HUT! ALRIGHT, YOU MAGGOTS, GET OVER HERE!"
My ears pricked up at this. I had been waiting for this chance my entire life. I'd always wanted to become a Lunar Guard. Yes, the Solar Guard was more welcomed, yes the Border Guard was easier to get into, yes, the Friendship Guard was an awesome job, but I was different. I would be accepted in the other guards, but always, always there would be a racist comment, or a snide joke. I would not only be accepted, but I would fit in in the Lunar Guard. With this thought, I walked over to the instructor.
"OKAY, YOU SACKS OF MANURE, BLUE LINE FOR LUNAR GUARD, PURPLE FOR THE *ugh* HARMONY GUARD, YELLOW FOR THE SOLAR GUARD AND GREEN FOR THE BORDER GUARD. SORT YOURSELVES OUT, YOU MILK FOALS!" he roared. Cantering over to the blue line, I could see that I was the only half-breed, but not the only Pegasus or Bat-pony. I lined up and stood straight. Already, I could hear the comments:
"Is that a half-breed?"
"What is that doing here?"
"There isn't room for filthy half-breeds! This is a respectable job! It should become a dirty prostitute, like it's mother." That one stung.
"Hey, just be glad it isn't going for the Solar Guard."
"SHUT IT! THIS ISN'T KINDERGARTEN! YOU DIDN'T COME HERE TO CHAT! STAND UP STRAIGHT!"
"Lunar Guard, follow me." The new speaker was a mare, but her features bar her eyes were covered. Her voice was clear however, with a resonant quality. Her eyes were a mix of turquoise, emerald and azure flecks, and pitch black slit-pupils, much like my own, electric blue eyes. Bat Pony, I thought. We followed the speaker, and found ourselves at the barracks.
"Put your stuff down, get your armour and get some rest. Be prepared to become nocturnal, recruits." A silence followed. The officer left. Everypony entered and started bagging the bunks. I was left with the bottom bunk closest to the door. I didn't mind. Placing my few belongings in the hoof locker, I turned to survey my fellow recruits. There were 3 Unicorns, 2 mares,1 stallion; 2 Pegasi mares including myself and 3 stallions; and 5 Bat Ponies, 3 stallions and 2 mares. The Unicorn mares obviously knew each other, as they had bunked on the same bed and were chatting amicably. The Bat Pony stallions were rather standoffish, choosing to sneer at the Unicorns. The other Pegasus was looking rather uncomfortable at the prospect of sharing with me, probably because she didn't want to be associated with an half-breed. The Bat Pony mares were just staring at me.
"...Umm, did you want something?" I try
"Are you a half-breed?" they say in sync. Wow, that was creepy.
"Uh, yeah. What of it?"
"You shouldn't be here."
"Um. Okay. That's your opinion. I have the same right to be here as everypony else--"
"No, you don't. You don't have any rights whatsoever. Do us all a favor and die, demon-spawn." I knew I would get some flak, but not this much. I didn't like this at all.
"Hey! Lay off her, wouldja? If she ain't got rights, neither do you! Hay, she's got more rights than you, cuz she's half Pegasus!"I turned around and saw that it was the Unicorn stallion. From his accent, I could tell that he was from the rougher parts of Manehattan. He had a Lapis-Lazuli-ish coat and a crimson mane. His Cutie Mark was... intriguing. It was a newspaper with a picture of a sword, shield, spear and bow on it."Name's Loudmouth."
No way. "Really?"
"'Course not. That's my nickname. My actual name's News Runner. I mainly covered the Guard news, War news and other assorted bad news."
"Oh. Uh, okay, I guess?" I say, confused.
"Yeah, it's cool. What 'bout you?"
"I didn't have a proper job. I was thrown out most places because of my heritage."
"That sucks. So, where you from?" Rather abrupt. But I'll roll with it.
"Hollow Shades. You?"
"Manehattan. You can probably tell from my accent." Well, it was kinda obvious.
"Yeah. I'm gonna get my armor. Wanna come with?
"Yeah, alright. Let's go." Turning around, we trotted to the armory. It was a small building with little decoration. There was, however, a floor-to-ceiling stain-glass window depicting three sets of armor, an Unicorn set, a Pegasus set and a Bat Pony set. We walked in and joined the queue. There was a single mare on the desk. Grey coat, darker grey mane and a pair of spectacles. The procedure seemed fairly simple:
"Name?"
"Storm Cloud."
"Gender?"
"Male."
"Guard?"
"Border."
"Race?"
"Pegasus."
"Take this and go to Measuring Room 3." Rinse and repeat. There was something rather strange about it. It was boring, but interesting at the same time. Then it was my turn.
"Name?"
"Black Feather."
"Gender?"
"Female."
"Guard"
"Lunar."
"Race?"
"Pegasus-Bat Pony half-breed."
"A half-breed, eh? Well, get ready. The instructors are going to give you Tartarus." That was new. I hope that won't be a thing.
"...Okay? Thanks, I guess?"
"Take this and go to Measuring Room 2." Nodding, I trotted to the room marked 'Measuring 2'. Inside, there were different kinds of sets of armor, some with wing-blades, some with horn protectors. There were gold-and-white ones, for the Solar Guard; blue-and-silver ones, for the Lunar Guard; purple-and-pink ones, for the Friendship Guard; and green-camo-ones, for the Border Guard. I noticed that the only Earth Pony sets were either purple or green.
"Oh, hello! Be with you just a moment!"
"Uh, okay." A Unicorn trots in. Gripped in her magic aura is a tape measure and a clipboard.
"Okay. Can I have that piece of paper you were given, please?"
Oh. So that's what that was for. "Okay. Here it is."
"Ah. Thank you." Holding it up to her eye level, she read it. "Right. I believe that a size 5 would fit. come this way please."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So. What was that, exactly?" I snickered.
"Oh hush, you. You did the exact same thing." He snapped back. He was right. He wasn't the only one who had tripped over his armor. All of us had tripped at some point. Of course, none of us had tripped, slid and gone through 3 beds. That was only News' claim to fame. "Still, it was pretty hilarious, right?"
"Yeah. It was. " I grinned. "It's now 5 pm, you gonna try and sleep?"
"I am way too tired to fall asleep. You?"
"Same here. I'm probably gonna try and get some sleep, though. If the training is half as hard as what I've heard, we're in for a real siege."
"Probably a good idea." he paused. "See ya tonight, then. 'Night."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 hours later
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"News. Wake up. Something's coming. Get up." I say, frantically shaking him.
"Huzzahwuh?" I facehoof.
"GET. UP."
"Okay! I'm up! What?"
"I heard something. There's something coming. We need to-- Oh no. It's here."
"Oh, crud."
"By the door. Now. Ambush it."
"Okay." We creep over to the door and prepare ourselves. The door opens slightly. I can hear something breathing on the other side. News gestures with his hoof. I tense slightly. 3. 2. 1. We begin the ambush.