Chapter 21: Training (Last Edited: 7/29/2022)
August 3, 2020
Western Canterlot Outpost: Barracks
Captain Three Arrows quietly entered the Quonset hut where Jack was sleeping.
Jack was supposed to have begun training five minutes prior, and Three Arrows was fuming. "Lazy green-hoof!" he internally screamed upon seeing Jack's resting form.
Jack was sprawled out on his stomach, fully concealed by his covers except for his head and his right arm, which dangled down from the side of the cot. He wasn't snoring, but there was a line of drool leaking out of his mouth into a pool beneath his lips.
“GET YOUR SORRY HINDQUARTERS UP ON THE DOUBLE, CADET!” Three Arrows shouted.
“AH WILL STRANGLE YOU WITH A FUCKIN' GARDEN HOSE!” Jack roared as he woke abruptly.
“Is that so?” Three Arrows chuckled before giving Jack's cot a strong buck.
The impact flung Jack from his bed like a rag doll, landing him with a thud on the wood floor. "Urgh," he groaned as he slowly got to his feet.
"Oh good, you're awake," Three Arrows said with a smug grin.
Jack slowly made his way to the closet, where he found several human-shaped outfits hanging up. Muttering to no one in particular, he got dressed. "Fuckin' inconsiderate horse people. Why Ah outa turn every one of 'em into glue."
Still muttering, Jack snatched his pill bottles off of a desk and angrily gulped his medication down before following the captain outside.
“Are you ready, sunshine?” Three Arrows asked.
“Wakin' me up in the middle of the night. What do you think?” Jack muttered under his breath.
"What do you think, sir," Three Arrows corrected. "I'm not deaf, you know."
"Yes, sir," Jack said, taking in a deep breath to calm himself down.
"Excellent!" Three Arrows exclaimed. "Now that you're ready let's make our way down to the obstacle course. Right this way, green-hoof!”
Three Arrows led Jack about a mile from the outpost to a large field covered in just about every kind of obstacle one would imagine. The course had barbed wire, climbing walls, tight ropes, etc., all leading to a small mountain.
"Magnificent, isn't it?" Three Arrows asked. "The princesses had it specially designed for primates rather than equines. Finished day before you arrived."
Jack gazed at the size of the obstacle course, and his heart sank. "You want me to do all that?"
Three Arrows ignored him and continued staring at the course.
“You want me to do all that, sir?” Jack sighed.
"That is correct, green-hoof," Three Arrows confirmed. "Once you complete the obstacle course, you are to climb the mountain, pick one of the flowers that grow at the peak, and using the map in your bag, find your way back to the outpost," he explained before placing an uncomfortably heavy backpack around Jack's tiny shoulders. "You'll find some food and medical supplies in here as well, but eat sparingly. This will take you at least a couple of days."
“When do you want me to start, sir?” Jack asked.
"Now," Three Arrows answered.
“I’m not gonna get out of this," Jack thought as he began walking to the course.
“DOUBLE TIME, GREEN-HOOF!” Three Arrows shouted.
Bursting into a sprint, Jack soon reached the first obstacle; a muddy pit blanketed in barbed wire raised just high enough for someone of Jack's size to crawl through.
“I went to college to avoid this kind of bullshit!” Jack shouted, getting down on his hands and knees and entering the mud pit.
About halfway through the first obstacle, Jack felt an itch on his leg. As he reached behind himself to scratch, he felt a sharp pain in his arm as it got caught in the barbed wire. “FUUUUCKK!” he roared.
Jack's first instinct was to rip his arm out, but after a few seconds of trying, he found that was not the best plan. As blood dripped from his tangled limb, he thought of what else he could try. Remembering that his pocketknife had some crappy wire cutters, he reached his free arm into his pants and fished the tool out. “Jesus Christ, this hurts!” he thought as he struggled to open the knife with one hand.
Once he managed to maneuver the wire cutters out, he began his struggle to cut wire. Half a minute later, he was free, and after pulling out the small pieces of wire stuck in his arms, he slowly crawled to the end of the pit.
Opening up his bag, he wasted no time finding the first aid kit inside. Equestria's level of scientific progress was weird, to be sure. While most of their tools, weapons, and buildings seemed to be from the Middle Ages or earlier, there were also hot air balloons, steam locomotives, arcade games, and many other kinds of tech that just seemed out of place. Luckily for Jack, Equestrian medicine was consistently at around the level of 20th century America, and along with gauze, there was also a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.
“My last tetanus shot was just before my freshman year, so at least I don’t have to worry about the damn needle. Then again, turning back into a seven-year-old means that my last tetanus shot was... damnit, I have no fucking idea," Jack shuddered, trying not to think about shots. "Welp, let's get this over with," he said aloud as he poured the hydrogen peroxide on his wound. He grimaced at the stinging sensation from the fizzy reaction the chemical had with his blood.
Once his wound was thoroughly cleaned, Jack bandaged his arm and sighed. As he began to stand up, he felt a rumble in his stomach. “Better go see what there is to eat," he thought as he dug through the bag again.
Inside, he found a canteen of water and 12 small cans, half labeled Canned Apples: Product of Appleoosa and the other half labeled Squirrel Jerky: Product of Griffonstone. “Squirrel jerky?”
Using the can opener in his pocketknife, he opened one of each and placed the rest back in the bag. He made quick work of the food and even took a liking to the squirrel jerky.
Now it was time to do the next obstacle. Looking in front of him, he could see a small ravine with monkey bars going from one side to the other. “God damnit.”
He only made it a quarter of the way through before the pain in his arm forced him to let go landing him in a creek at the bottom. Unharmed but dripping head to toe, Jack found a latter on the side he came from and tried again. He lost count of how many times he failed, but eventually, he made it across.
Western Canterlot Outpost: Mess Hall
Three Arrows brought his tray to a table where Spitfire and Flash Sentry were enjoying hayburgers.
“How’s the newbie doing?” asked Spitfire as Three Arrows took his seat.
"Better than expected," Three Arrows said. "Honestly, I'd say the Jager's biggest issue is his attitude." With a sneer, he added, "I've dealt with his type before. His acceptance of authority only extends so far as he benefits from it."
"I'd be more worried about his body giving out," Spitfire said. "He may have the mind of a scholar in training, but he still has the body of a 7-year-old. You can only get so far on smarts alone."
"He's no good to us dead," Flash Sentry agreed. "I don't see why we can't just let Shining Armor handle his training entirely. His magic is what makes him an asset. Why bother with anything else?"
"He'll be fine," Three Arrows dismissed. "Princess Celestia had the course designed based on his medical data from Ponyville General. All the obstacles are tiny compared to what we use on normal cadets. Even the mountain is more of a large hill. It'll take him a while, but nothing there should be out of his ability."
Western Canterlot Outpost: Obstacle Course
Jack struggled up a 10-foot climbing wall, grunting with each peg he grasped. His hands were covered in cuts and blisters from how long he'd been it, but he persisted non the less. "Al… most… there," he panted as he grabbed a peg near the top. As soon as his fingers wrapped around it, he felt his hand slipping. “SHIIIT!” he yelled as he fell to the ground with a thump. The surface below the climbing wall was made of a rubbery material similar to the kind that had replaced woodchips in playgrounds on Earth. Luckily for Jack, this meant there wouldn't be any damage from the fall. Unfortunately for him, this still meant he had the wind knocked out of him.
By the time Jack finished the obstacle course and reached the foot of the mountain, the Sun had long set. He didn't have a bed or even a sleeping bag, but he was so exhausted that he didn't really care. He ate his dinner and went straight to sleep.
August 4, 2020
Western Canterlot Outpost: Obstacle Course
Jack's slumber was interrupted by a ray of sunshine hitting his face. His eyes fluttering open, he grabbed his phone from his pocket. Typing in the code, he saw it was 6:13 AM. Bones aching and muscles sore, he slowly got to his feet. “Better get started," he thought, changing his bandages.
After eating his breakfast, he took a gulp out of the canteen, washing down his pills. With a sigh, he then began his trek up the mountain.
Canterlot Royal Hospital
The Royal Hospital was the pride of Equestria's medical industry. Not only did they have the highest quality doctors in all of Equus, but the research facilities produced more advancements than the rest of the world combined. These facts meant little to Shining Armor, who was impatiently waiting outside one of the many operating rooms for any news about his sister.
He had arrived yesterday, but the doctors had yet to let him see Twilight. He had been told that it was essential that the doctors not be distracted and to come back the next day. He was anxious, and the doctors had been less than forthcoming about Twilight's condition.
Finally, the door to the operating room opened, and two doctors came out, a blue stallion with a stethoscope cutie mark and a red mare with a scalpal cutie mark.
"You can see her now," the stallion said.
"Don't get too comfortable, though," said the mare. "She'll need the next surgery soon if we want to restore her legs properly."
"Thank you," Shining Armor said gratefully. "Twily!" he exclaimed, rushing inside.
“Shining Armor!” Twilight exclaimed, dropping the book she had been reading.
"I came as soon as I could," Shining Armor said as he walked up to Twilight's bed. "Are you all right?"
"I'm gonna be fine," Twilight answered. "It could be a lot worse," she sighed. "When they first brought me in, the doctors had no idea what was happening. They were about to cut my legs off when Princess Luna brought them a book from the Star Swirl the Bearded Section of the Royal Library. Apparently, the spell that was cast on me is an ancient magic that was outlawed a few centuries before she was banished to the moon."
"Thank Celestia, Princess Luna arrived when she did," Shining Armor said with a sigh of relief. "So, how long are you gonna be stuck in here, Twily?"
"The doctors say they'll need three days to restore my legs and another day for observation," Twilight explained.
"That's not bad," Shining Armor noted. "How about I take some time off when you get out? I'll set up a scavenger hunt for you, just like when we were foals!"
Twilight smiled and said, "I'd love that." Frowning a little, she added, "although a scavenger hunt might not be a good idea. The doctors say I should avoid any strenuous activity for the next month."
"I'll make it an easy one then," Shining Armor chuckled.
"That sounds..." Twilight stated as the door opened.
"You'll need to leave now, sir," said the blue doctor.
"I understand," Shining Armor nodded as he made his way to the door. Before exiting the room, he looked back at his sister. "See you when you get out, Twily!"
“I’m looking forward to it!” Twilight called as he left.
Unnamed Mountain
3 Hours Later
After hours of climbing and tripping over loose rocks, Jack had finally reached the mountain's summit. He felt like a hummingbird about to enter a state of torpor, but he knew he couldn't rest yet. He still had a flower to retrieve.
They weren't hard to find. Bright red in color and heavily resembling camellias, they were prominently displayed on a gargantuan tree. "Rather late in the year for camellias," Jack thought. "I wonder if this has anything to do with Celestia's control over the sun. That might explain why the Apple's seem to be harvesting year-round too. He thought about grabbing the flower and heading straight down the mountain but was stopped by a gurgle in his belly. “Won’t get anywhere on an empty stomach.”
After his meal, he grabbed the flower and began the long track back down the mountain.
Western Canterlot Outpost: Front Gate
When Jack finally reached the outpost, he felt as if his muscles were committing suicide. "Here's... your damn... flower," he panted, holding the flower out in front of him.
"Took you long enough," Three Arrows chuckled as he snagged the flower.
“Fuck…” Jack panted. “You.”
“Now now," Three Arrows said, "You didn't do that badly, green-hoof. You'll have plenty of opportunities to improve your time."
“God in Heaven, please, no!” Jack prayed. "Just tell me where I can get tested for tetanus, and fuck off!"
"Medical tent is to the right of the mess hall," Thre Arrows answered. "You can get looked at there and then report to the gate for Captain Spitfire. You really should keep your shots up to date, you know."
"It's not my fault that I don't know if my shots are up to date!" Jack said defensively. "I was turned back into a child when I got here. How am I supposed to know what shots I was up to date on when I was seven?"
"Clocks ticking, green-hoof," Three Arrows tisked. "Spitfire won't wait forever."
Medical Tent
"Excuse me?" Jack called as he entered the tent.
It was a small tent, but it had a decent stock of needles, bandages, pill bottles, and other medical supplies.
"Yes?" asked a white unicorn with a syringe cutie mark.
"I may have had an accident involving barbed wire," Jack said.
"You'll be needing a shot then," the unicorn said as he opened a cabinet full of needles.
Jack was already on his way out the door when the medic pulled out a clean needle.
"Don't even think about it," the medic said as his horn began to glow. "If there's a chance you could have tetanus, we need to give you a shot."
Realizing there wasn't any way out, Jack begrudgingly sat down, cringing as the needle punctured his arm like a giant mosquito sucking his blood.
When it was over, he bolted out the door.
Western Canterlot Outpost: Front Gate
Jack had been waiting at the gate for several minutes, but Spitfire was nowhere to be found. "Where is she?" he wondered.
“ATTENTION!”
“JESUS!” Jack shouted, Jumping backward and landing on his ass.
Looking up, Jack saw Spitfire dressed in a blue flight suit, which vaguely resembled the ones used by the Blue Angels. In her hooves was an orange megaphone.
“WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE HOURS BEFORE DINNER!” Spitfire shouted. “IN THAT TIME, YOU WILL RUN LAPS AROUND THE OUTPOST UNTIL I SAY YOU CAN REST!”
Poor Jack was led quite unwillingly to the start of a track course that circled the outpost. “Please, Spitfire, ma’am…” he pleaded.
"What is it, cadet?" Spitfire asked.
“Can I rest for like fifteen minutes?” Jack requested. “I’m exhausted.”
Spitfire put a hoof to her chin in thought. “It wouldn’t do any good to time you if you can’t even run.” She put her hoof down. “You can have ten.”
"Thank you," Jack said before taking out his canteen and chugging the remaining water.
After the ten minutes were up, Spitfire blew a whistle and ordered Jack to the track. It took precisely forty-seven minutes and twenty-three seconds for Jack to complete a lap, and Spitfire was far from pleased with the time.“What was that!!?” she asked.
"The best I could do," Jack panted.
"Two miles per hour? That's your best?" Spitfire asked, stamping her foot in annoyance. "Most ponies can do thirty, and that's without any training. Even a foal should be able to do at least twelve."
"Humans aren't particularly fast," Jack explained. "Most adults can only run between ten and fifteen miles per hour, and the fastest on record isn't even thirty. I'm stuck in a seven-year-old body, and I'm not even an athlete. Two miles per hour is the best I can do."
"That's going to be a problem," Spitfire said. As she thought about what to do, a lightbulb switched on in her head. "Well, you may not be able to go fast, but you were able to maintain your pace for a good bit longer than most ponies. That could be useful in combat. How about we aim to increase that speed to three miles per hour by the end of tomorrow? Once you do that, I'll give whatever's left of the day off.”
“That would be great!” Jack exclaimed, bowing his head in reverence. “Thank you so much!”
Spitfire raised an eyebrow at his exaggerated response.
"Uh, I mean, yes, ma'am!" Jack corrected with a salute.
By the end of the day, he had only managed to increase his speed to 2.3 miles per hour, but Spitfire seemed satisfied with his progress anyway.
Western Canterlot Outpost: Mess Hall
Shining Armor had arrived back at the outpost just in time for dinner. He was sad that Twilight had been put in the hospital but incredibly grateful that she would be alright. As he got his trey, he noticed Jack choosing between Griffonstone meals that had been added to the mess hall. “Cadet Jager, how goes the training?” he asked.
"Captain Shining Armor, Sir," Jack said with a salute.
"At ease," Shining Armor chuckled.
"I didn't know you were back, sir," Jack said as he scooped a portion of chicken and steamed carrots onto his tray. "How's Twi?"
"Twily's doing just fine," Shining Armor answered eagerly. "The doctors say she'll make a full recovery."
"That's a relief."
“You don’t have to tell me," Shining Armor agreed. "So, how has your training been going? Three Arrows and Spitfire been giving you the works?"
"That's one way to describe it," Jack replied disdainfully.
“You... don’t sound all that enthusiastic,” Shining Armor noted. "I know Spitfire can be a little pushy, and I certainly would never want the Iron Front to be in charge of my training, but you've been granted a privilege most colts can only dream of."
“Permission to speak freely, Sir?”
“Granted.”
"I never wanted to be in the military," Jack admitted. "The only reason I'm here is because I have to be."
This revelation hit Shining Armor like a freight train. “What!? How could you possibly not want the honor of being in the E.U.P?”
"Because I don't think of military service as an honor," Jack replied. "To me, it's just a job some people choose to have. Is that really a foreign concept here?”
"Yes!" Shining Armor answered as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world. "When I was a foal, I wanted nothing more than to be a soldier. Most peasant class colts would like nothing more than the chance to join when they grow up. If you have a talent that Catches the E.U.P's interest, you're pretty much set for life. You and your entire family become Military Class. That means no taxes, access to military benefits, higher pay, and discounts at every store.”
“Things are different where I come from," Jack said. "The military isn't treated like some separate class of people, although there are plenty of benefits to those who serve. There is certainly an annoyingly loud minority in my country that sees military service the way you do, but most of us would rather do other things with our lives.”
Shining Armor looked at Jack like he was some kind of alien life form, and to be fair, he kind of was. Struggling to put his thoughts into words, he finally said, "I... don't understand."
"I didn't really expect you to," Jack responded darkly.
Western Canterlot Outpost: Barracks
The rest of the night passed by without incident. The other Captains asked Shining Armor about his sister. Spitfire and Three Arrows exchanged thoughts about Jack's training, and Jack quietly retired to the barracks once he was done eating.
Having trouble sleeping, Jack flipped through his photo album while listening to Green Day in the Background. “I'll only be here until Celestia finds me a way home," he thought as he swiped to a picture of him and the Circle of Bros on a fishing trip shortly before Chase got sick. Bryce and Shawn were holding up a massive catfish while Chase stuck his hand in its mouth, and Jack made a peace sign with one hand while holding up the selfie stick in the other.
“Shawn's probably getting ready for his Junior year at Clemson right now," Jack thought longingly. “I’ll bet Bryce is still working for Boeing. Really sucks how he couldn't go to college. That damned cult ruined his life. Lot good college did me, though, trapped in another dimension.”
He continued swiping through the photos until he came across a picture of him and Chase fishing by the lake in their neighborhood. Chase was bald and heavily bloated from the Chemo. “Hard to believe it’s almost been a year," he thought somberly. Remembering how the Carneys had asked him to stay in touch after the funeral, he added, “I really should call Riley when I get home.”
Swiping even further, he found a picture of himself and his family after Mark's graduation. Mark wore his cap and gown and held up his diploma like Rafiki held Simba in the Lion King. Everyone was smiling, but of course, looks can be deceiving. The only ones who were really happy in the photo were their mom and dad. Mark had made it quite clear that he didn't want Jack at his graduation, but their parents brought him along anyway. On the other hand, Jack had been more than happy to attend and had used the opportunity to make an attempt at mending fences. However, the attempt had gone about as well as Brexit, and the only reason either son was smiling in the picture was for their parents’ sake. “I was a terrible brother," he thought to himself. He remembered what Pinkie had said. “When Princess Celestia manages to send you home, you can apologize.”
Swiping further, he came across a picture of himself posing in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. “Mom wanted me to tell her all about my trip," he thought. Clenching his fist in determination, he said aloud, "when I finish training, I’m going to ask to be escorted to Canterlot, and I'll ask Celestia how much longer it will take to send me back."
The next photo he swiped to was of him and Apple Bloom. They were both covered head to toe in hay. He chuckled as he remembered what had happened. About two days into their friendship, they were playing hide and seek. Jack had found her partially buried in a pile of hay but tripped over an empty bucket and fell in with her before he could announce his victory.
Another photo showed him and Fluttershy taking care of Rarity’s cat, Opal. His face was covered in scratches from when he tried to give the cat a bath. Nevertheless, both he and Fluttershy had smiles on their faces.
He continued to swipe through several more photos. He and Scootaloo bruised up after a scooter crash smiling as he holds up a tooth that got knocked out. He and Sweetie Belle covered in paint after an accident involving the renovation of Carousel Boutique and an incredibly clumsy mail mare whom Jack refuses to believe is named Derpy. Him and Spike weeding in Fluttershy’s yard. Him and Applejack working on the barn. Him wearing a new suit with Rarity made for him while she beams with pride. Him trying not to laugh as Twilight studies the beer and dip she recovered from the redneck's house in Santee. Him and Pinkie Pie giggling after a prank on Rainbow Dash. Him and Rainbow Dash relaxing by the pond. Finally, he made it to the last picture. Him and the Crusaders making silly salutes under the flag they raised at Fort Sumter. "I've sure made a lot of friends here," he said to himself. "Friends. At that moment, Jack had an epiphany. "I have more friends here than I ever had back home. When Celestia sends me back, I'll never see them again.
With that thought on his mind, he slowly drifted to sleep.
Stats
Page generated in 0.021 seconds
Total duration
1,044 users online
1,798,883 hits today, 1,960,719 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
The best way Jack could explain to Shining Armor is that he is more like Twilight that him, for him being in E.U.P is forced, and if he could just study magic like Twilight did he could change without thinking, and if we think there are many 'civilian' and Twilight had many 'friends' that are also students in Celestia school it should not be that strange and if he could force the Twilight that just got her Cutie Mark to do everything he is doing from wake up in the middle of the night to all the exercise
10477635
Indeed the would have been an easier route, but you must take his Asperger's into account. Jack isn't always the best at expressing his feelings in a productive manor even with medication it can be a struggle.
Jack's point of view is strange to Shining Armor as most ponies he knew as a colt would gladly have joined the military if they had a talent that would qualify for the position as is the case for most of Equestria. There are plenty of exceptions of course. The desire for service is a fair bit more common among colts than fillies, some don't have the stomach for combat and they know it, as you pointed out some like Twilight choose to attend Celestia's School, but that option is only available to a select few with relevant magical talent. Even with there being many exceptions to the rule, in this version of Equestria most colts and many fillies in the peasant class go through a period where they want to serve which is usually ended when they find their special talent.
10477862
the problem is 90% of ponies show in the series are females, there are a couple of Troubleshoes, Big Mac and Bulk Biceps... There is also Blueblood and Fancy Pants and Sombra but mainly are females, and is not like Shining Armor don't have experience because sure Jack have Asperger but Twilight have OCD and a strange crush in Equestria, not the same but it could be noticed that they are both 'special'
10478646
Touché. I'll edit it a bit to make more sense.
does this sound a bit better?
"Because I don't think of military service as an honor," Jack replied. "To me, it's just a job some people choose to have. Is that really a foreign concept here?”
"Yes," Shining Armor answered. "When I was a foal, I wanted nothing more than to join the Military. Most peasant class colts would like nothing more than the chance to join when they grow up. Those of us with the talent to serve in the E.U.P are given a special place in society and there are opportunities available to us that we would never have otherwise.”
I respectfully disagree about the Asperger's thing. Asperger's is one of several aspects of my own life that I integrated into my character. Most people who interact with us don't even recognize we have a disability. They usually think that we are eccentric or sometimes just immature (the latter being more common when we're unmedicated.)
10478907
Sorry if my comment about Asperger and comparing it with the OCD of Twilight offended you, as it was not my intention, I just wanted to point that being her brother, Shining could maybe notice something in the personality of Jack and or know to not handle like he was a normal colt. Sometimes I like to ramble too much and act as Devil Lawyer so if I offended all I can say is sorry.
And good for the edit
10479317
Don't worry it takes quite a bit more than that to offend me. OCD and Asperger's are quite a bit different though. Twilight was anti social by choice not due to her OCD and has quickly mastered communication skills once she actually tried. However, While Jack can easily recite historical facts and express opinions on topics that have little to with him, he has a lot of trouble expressing his feelings on topics that do effect him. He can't explain why he has faith in God with no evidence, he took forever to express his annoyance at Fluttershy's overprotectiveness eventually blowing up at her, rather than trying to make nice with Rainbow Dash on his own he chose to antagonize her, when he got frustrated with Luna he lashed out and disrespected her and he still hasn't chosen to make nice yet and that's with medication. All because he doesn't have effective communication skills.
10479385
Ok, thanks for explain
Isn't he regressed to when he was in like 2nd grade or something... so would his tetanus shot no longer have happened in a way.?
10524281
Oh Damn. That's a good point.
Fixed
The lack of dissemination of information is alarming and speaks plainly about the ineptitude of the ponies. Spitfire had no clue about Jack's biology and that kind of information is vital in order to formulate a proper training regimen.