//------------------------------// // Life Won't Be The Same // Story: Why We Fight // by Shysoldier94 //------------------------------// May 16, 2 a.m. “Get off the carriage right now! Go, move move move!” yelled the Drill Instructor. As he ordered us, we all exited off the carriage and stood on the yellow hoofprints outside. I was in the middle of the first row on the left side and just as the last pony made it to their print, four more DI’s surrounded us. None of us could hear what was being said as they were yelling and screaming into other ponies’ faces. After a few minutes the yelling subsided as the one in the front spoke in a stern yet quieter voice. “Here’s what we’re gonna do, you’re gonna walk through those doors and you’re gonna stand in your own little cubicle. Everypony’s crap is gonna be laid out and inspected. Un-needed items are to be thrown out, do you understand?” He spoke loudly and fast. “Y-yes sir!” Everypony answered nervously. “Let’s go! Through the doors!” The DI’s yelled as they walked as quickly as we could through the doors and into a room with another pair of doors. Waiting in front was another drill instructor in full uniform. He spoke in a strict and stern tone. “Welcome everypony to Mareis Island. Behind these doors you will go through 13 and half weeks of living hell. You will be exhausted, hungry, and homesick. We promise sleep deprivation, we promise your very bones will be screaming for you to stop. But we will not promise you a cake walk, do I make myself clear?” “Yes Sir!” “When you go through these doors, you will be addressed as ‘this recruit’ and you will answer your respected drill instructors as ‘aye aye sir’ or ‘aye aye ma’am’ is that understood?” “Aye aye Sir!” “If nopony doesn’t want to proceed, now is your time to speak up.” As expected, nopony said a thing. After a few seconds, he turned around and opened the red doors. All of us trotted into the next room as all of us went to our respective cubicles. Here we are to sort all of our identification and other needed items. Other items were thrown away. As we sorted through, the drill instructors yelled and screamed in each recruits faces. I turned to look at the pony next to me. He looked at me with worried and nervous eyes. It was I who spoke, “What the buck did we get ourselves into?” *************************************************************** May 7 It was a warm and beautiful day in Ponyville and today was the last day of school. It was good for the senior class at Ponyville High School as they went through a long life of schooling and were excited to fulfill their dreams. I couldn’t think of a better life. Graduation day was tomorrow, a whole summer of hanging out with friends, and searching for colleges with my marefriend, Summer. We should have started on it a long while ago but, heh, we are quite the procrastinators. Yep, life just couldn’t get any better than this. I flew from my ground home down to the high school about a mile and half away. Being a pegasus meant no riding in school carriages. Lucky for me. As I landed in front of the school, a familiar sweet voice caught my attention. “Hey Lightning!” It was Summer. She always dazzled me with her crème colored coat and blonde mane. What struck me the most was her light blue eyes. “Hey there’s my sunshine!” I replied to her as I wrapped my hooves around her. We exchanged a brief kiss as we did every morning. “How’s my Lightning this morning?” Summer asked. “A lot better now that you’re here.” I told her. She giggled and started to blush. “Egghhhh gag!” A voice said in front of us. It was Steel who I grew up with since junior flight school. “Aww you jealous Steel? Would you like to join us? There’s enough room for one more.” I said jokingly, holding my hooves out motioning for him to be included. “Ha ha don’t mind I do!” He replied and we all laughed. “Dude can you believe it? Our last day of school as seniors.” I asked Steel. “I know! These years just seemed to just zip by like nothing.” He replied. We exchanged our usual hoofpump as the bell rang. “Aww, I gotta go to class.” Summer said to me with a pouty face. “Don’t worry we’ll see each other fourth period.” This seemed to make her happy as she perked up and smiled. “Okay!” She kissed my cheek and galloped off. “I’ll see you later Lightning! Love you! Bye Steel.” “Bye Summer.” Steel replied. “Love you too Sunshine!” She always made my heart melt with her sweet voice as she spoke. “You know you’re one lucky stallion Lightning to have someone like her.” “I know.” I replied to him not taking my eyes off of her. “Steel, I think I’m in love.” “Okay Casanova, we gotta get to class before Miss Baker chews us out for being late again.” “Yeah you’re right.” I replied to him as we dashed off to Miss Baker’s class. The bell rang before we made it to class. As we entered the classroom, Miss Baker sighed, “Even on the last day of school you two colts are still late?” “We’re not late, we’re fashionably early.” Steel said as we both posed in a ridiculous fashion. Miss Baker smirked as a few classmates laughed. Steel and I were always the class clowns and made even the strictest of teachers laugh at our rather awkward antics every now and then. “You smiled we’re off the hook!” I said as we quickly took our seats. She smiled and sighed again. “May we proceed on with class you two?” “Sure thing Miss Baker” Steel said. “Okay, as I was saying before we were interrupted by our famous class clowns, today is the last day so you’ll be turning in your textbooks. And after that, I don’t care what you do. Just don’t kill each other. I don’t like blood on my floor.” Everypony cheered as we got up to turn in our textbooks. We sat in our desks talking amongst one another as Steel found the perfect time to spark up a conversation. “So Lightning, how’s Summer? I turned and looked at him and answered dumbly, “Oh we’re doing great! We’re getting married after we graduate and start a family. It’s gonna be so awesome!” He gave me a weird look, “Okay now I’m not sure if you’re being serious or not. Kinda creeping me out a little bit”. “No, of course I’m joking!” I said as I punched his arm jokingly. “So..” he began, “Did you…you know… do it yet?” He asked, slightly raising his eyebrows up and down. “Did I do what?” I replied “You know…put your wood in the hole? The peanut butter to jelly? When heels to Celestia?” I gave him a confused look as my brain struggled to process his sarcasm. He sighed and rolled his eyes. “You’re killing me man! What I’m trying to say is did you do it or not? Basically that ‘it’ is sex.” “No! No no no no why would I do it that early?” I answered. He shrugged and let out a long laughed. Before he could say anything else, our principal Mr. Woodfield flew through the door to the classroom. He was trying to catch his breath as he looked around at us. He was sweating profusely and a look of pure terror was in his eyes. “Mr. Woodfield are you okay?” Some classmates asked. “Mr. Woodfield what’s going on?” Miss Baker asked. He took a deep breath before he began. “Equestria… has been attacked by an unknown enemy.” Everypony in the room gasped as he said it. A few mares started to cry. I turned and looked at Steel. His eyes were wide and his mouth agape. He looked at me in disbelief. “Oh shit.” Was all I could say.