//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17: Back to the Military 
// Story: Life,Death,and Rebirth 
// by Shadow-Dancer 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 17: Back to the Military



I was in the Royal Guard training grounds surrounded by guards cheering for either myself or an earth pony stallion that I don’t recall the name of. Why I was there was simple, since my human form was restored and the princesses confirmed to the Captain that I was indeed the same person or as they say pony as Shadow Dancer he wanted me to show him how well I could fight against an earth pony, unicorn, and pegasus. 

Right at that moment I was in the first of the three fights. My fists were raised my eyes alert and my heart pumping, I had gotten hit by the earth pony and the hoof making contact hurt like hell, and as a bonus I really did not expect him to be able to punch while on all fours so it surprised me as well almost letting him get another hit.

 I didn’t plan to get hit after that so I had to both end the fight as fast as I could and avoid getting hit. I couldn't just tire the pony, and my punches really did not affect him much, they just hurt my hands as they made contact with thick muscle. So I did something that I tested my luck. I waited for the stallion to coil up and try to buck me like he tried a few other times, and I mentally guessed when he would not be able to stop to counter or change direction. Once my guessed point came, I jumped to his side and swept one of his forehooves out from under him causing him to fall, before I jumped on the stallion's back and prayed to God that I would not get too seriously injured, as I slid my arms around the stallion's neck and squeezed counting to about ten before letting go. The earth pony bucked and tried to shake me off making time crawl but by the ninth second he slumped over unconscious and I let go so I wouldn’t kill him.

Once I got up and quickly made sure he was breathing and said, “He’s fine.” I heard the stomping of hooves and stepped back before remembering that it was their way of ‘clapping’.  The Captain allowed me a minute to rest and get some water before my next fight. 

After the minute break I got back up to face my next opponent this time a pegasus mare. I bumped my fist to her outstretched hoof beginning the match. I knew pegasus were pretty fast and agile, using their wings a lot in combat. I watched as the mare darted at me her hoof out stretched. I did not let it connect, instead I jumped out of her way. The pegasus was unprepared for the possibility of my dodge and that knocked her off balance just long enough for me to run up and give a jab to the area between her wings, the pain from the sensitive nerve cluster was enough to put her unconscious. I took a breath and another one minute break counting myself lucky that she was inexperienced enough decided to charge me instead of just whittling down my energy with quick jabs. 

The next fight was difficult, with the unicorn blasting what I had assumed to be stun spells at me if I was not careful. Once I got tired of trying to play it safe I simply grabbed the unicorn mare’s horn and ignored the burning of magic not too different from low amounts of electricity, before punching her in the face ending the fight. The fight with the unicorn ended up being a three minutes long while the other two were under two minutes. 

The Captain went up to me and said, “Good job with those fights private, I honestly did not think you would last through the first one much less all three. Anyways welcome back into the Equestrian guard.”

 The Captain held out his hoof, I firmly grasped it and shook it like I would a hand. “Thank you sir.” 

“Tonight you will start patrols, until then go to the mess hall and eat and don’t worry, the guards won’t stop you this time.” He laughed at his own bad joke and we parted ways.

As I walked through the training yard with the wind blowing through my hair, I watched the guards practice swordplay, wrestle, run, and a variety of other activities. It was similar to what soldiers would do on base back home and that thought comforted me a little but brought the familiar pang of loss, but this time my friends and squadmates and the things we went through together. 

My thoughts distracted me and in what felt like a minute I was in front of the Mess Hall once more. I entered into the noise of eating and talking without hesitation and like the Captain said, the guards didn’t stop me. Once I entered ponies stopped talking and eating, instead just stared at me. I looked around the room and lightly shrugged. 

Despite the stares I went up to the lunch line and got myself some food that consisted of flowers, salad, something that looked like green french fries and some water. As I got my food, the ponies in line before me actually got out of my way while the cook quickly served me and sent me on my way. I was starting to get annoyed at the sudden silence but made no move to act on it. I sat down at a empty table in the back of the room and the stares followed but this time the silence was accompanied by hushed whispers too quiet for me to hear, but compared to a moment ago were like a soft roar. 





I got steadily more annoyed as time went on but forced my calm for the sake of not wanting to stir up unnecessary trouble after less than a week of active duty. As I ate the mess hall doors opened once more, revealing what looked like a large four legged bird at first glance then after the creature came closer I saw it resembled a lion from half way down it’s back to the tail while the rest looked like a bird of prey, a bald eagle to be exact. My brain started making connections and moments after the second glance I was able to Identify it as a griffin with another look I made the guess that the griffin was male, a conclusion made because of the broadness of his shoulders, and the sharp rough look of his face. 

When the griffin entered the whispering got even more fierce. The whispering was all but subtle as I heard the words: predator, outcast, barbarian and the occasional ‘war hero’ being said. Turning my attention back to the griffin I watched him get a glass of water and walk away to a table to the left of the Mess Hall's entrance, a bag that I had not noticed before waved back and forth slapping against his rear leg as he walked. I watched as he took a seat at the table and took some of the contents I got a glimpse of brown before I brightened up and made the whole griffin’s eat meat connection and that is probably why he did not get anything else but water. Hindsight says that it kinda should have been obvious but then again it always does, anyways moving on. 

As the griffin lifted the meat to his beak I saw some of the guards look away their muzzles twisted in disgust, while others simply kept eating. I finished my food and decided I was done watching the griffin and wanted to meet him. I got up and walked through the room to return the tray my, boots echoed across the smooth floor of the mess hall. The sudden noise drew attention back to me this time the griffin looked at me his eyebrow raised. I continued on ignoring the stares and whispers that seemed to intensify with my every step. The pattern of doing something to catch attention and then half the guards would whisper irritated me. By the time I reached the counter that separated the kitchen from the eating area I threw my ‘don’t stir shit on the first day’ bullshit to the wind and met their collective gaze my eyes calmly scanning side to side. The simple action silenced the entire room almost instantly. Satisfied with the reaction I left, my initial intent of talking to the griffon forgotten. 

I walked across the training yard to the barracks to find a cot to move myself and my belongings to as I walked and listened to the grunts and impact of hooves on dirt and grass of ponies keeping their skills up or further honing them. I found that I could close my eyes and imagine the activity of my fellow marines sparring, talking and running between assignments. That moments away from reality felt great and familiar but once I opened my eyes, the illusion faded and I was shoved back into the unfamiliar reality once more. As I finished the trek to a large three story brick building that was labeled barracks the repressed feeling of loss flooded my mind once more. 

When I entered the barracks I immediately saw a brown cork board on the wall labeled Patrol Schedule and another alongside it labeled Bunk Assignments. After I read both I found I was bunking in room 3V and my patrol was at twenty-hundred hours and according to a digital clock on the wall it was sixteen o fifty. Seeing that I would have at least two and a half hours to rest I decided to find room 3V and then get some rest before patrol. So began my military career in Equestria.