//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Princess Sky Stormer // by Skymaster9929 //------------------------------// Sky Stormer woke up in a dusty training facility in the middle of some desert, tents here and there. Around her neck was a heavy purple metal weight that she recognized from a magazine. It negated all magic, including the magic her body needed to function. Keeping it on for more than a few hours was dangerous, but she got the feeling nopony here would care. Around her, there were big, angry stallions, and in front of her, the biggest and angriest, a pink pony wearing big black sunglasses, overalls covered in dark green splotches, and a metal helmet. "My name is General Ripper." The pony in green growled. "Welcome to Tartarus." "Huh?" Sky wondered. "IS THAT THE SMARTEST THING YOU CAN SAY?" General Ripper yelled. "YOU ARE HERE, because PRINCESS CELESTIA HERSELF decided that to make the PAMPERED BABIES DRINKING MILK IN CANTERLOT feel better about themselves, YOU need to complete The repetitive beeping only served to heighten her pain and remind her that she wasn't imagining things. This really was getting worse. Trapped inside a big metal dome completing hundreds of push-ups while the ponies outside shouted at her, she glanced at the number on the display. 045.00 G. Fourty five times the planet's gravity? Was the machine lying, or was she getting that good that quickly? The beeping started up again, and she found it harder and harder to keep going. Fifty, fifty five, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, ninety nine... SPLAT. Sky Stormer woke up to the sound of screaming, her insides still hurting. "What were you thinking?! Handling fifty thousand times gravity is one thing, but setting it to maximum?!" General Ripper barked. "You are lucky she is an ALICORN, Private! IF you make a mistake that stupid again, I will have your head on a stick, AND I WILL BEAT YOUR MOTHER, FATHER, AND UNBORN CHILDREN TO DEATH WITH IT!" "Sir yes sir!" The terrified, well-programmed machine that looked like a pony said as he saluted, and ran off. Sky's throat recovered enough for her to open her mouth, but only a confused gurgle came out. "You. You sicken me, you waste of space!" General Ripper shouted. Sky's eyes showed fear, but she forced her body to stay still and smile a little. "You do not deserve to be an Alicorn! You do not deserve to be ALIVE!" "Why did you say fifty thousand? I thought it was fifty." Sky asked quietly. "What exactly do you think a G is?" General Ripper snapped. "Uh... a gravity?" She guessed. "A gravity? A GRAVITY?! You are a stupid mare, AND MARES LIKE YOU ARE NOT FIT FOR ACTIVE DUTY! OR ANY DUTY! Go home and poop out foals or something, AND LEAVE FIGHTING TO THE REAL MALES!" General Ripper shouted. "Uh... mares don't poop out babies, they-" "Do I SOUND like I am aquainted with the inner workings of a mare? DO I SOUND LIKE I EVER WILL BE?" "No, sir." Sky said, trying not to laugh. "Is something funny?" General Ripper growled quietly. "No, sir." Sky said shyly. "I CAN'T HEEEEAAAAAR YOOOOOUUUUU!" General Ripper roared. "AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!" Sky shouted on reflex. There was an awkward silence, and the stallions started to snigger to themselves and then they openly cracked up. General Ripper glared at her. For the rest of the day, Sky was forced to run ten thousand laps of the camp perimeter, pursued by a giant magic fireball. When the sun started to set, she was still running, and slowly slowing down. General Ripper came out of a tent, and watched her run. He whistled, and the fireball stopped. "That's enough, soldier." Sky collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted. The heavy collar didn't exactly help matters. He whistled again, and the fireball rushed forwards and consumed her, burning her over and over again as the swung her legs and wings wildly, unable to do anything with her magic, the magic flames holding her down and sapping her strength.