Equestria: Fires of Liberation

by smoers06

Welcome to the RAF

Cloudsdale RAF Training Facility, Equestria
Febuary 16th, 2013
0030 Hours

If Rainbow had thought that Ponyville had become slightly militarized due to the war happening in the North, she hadn't quite realized what it truly meant until she laid eyes on her home town. Cloudsdale wasn't a city anymore, it was a massive floating Royal Military base now, with mobile gun platforms at nearly every corner of the cloud-city. One would be hard pressed not to find Pegasi clad in the Uniforms of her Majesty's Royal Air Force standing guard or fulfilling one duty or another as far as the eye could see in the surrounding skies.

In the Southwest part of the city, Dash spotted a Federation Tandem-Rotor Helicopter that looked to be about the size of bus, if not larger, dropping a large amount of supplies from a swinging cargo hook. Though Dash was certain that the Equestrian military was gratefull for the supplies, she wondered why the humans would use such a large flying device, as it appeared to be slow and sluggish, more trouble than it's worth in her opinion.

The Pegasus decided to keep her mind focused on her destination, as one wrong move could put her straight in the sights of a defensive gunner. It probably wouldn't be a great start to becoming an ace to get shot down by friendly fire before she even began her training. Just a guess. It wasn't overly difficult for Rainbow to spot where exactly it was she had to report to, as it was probably the only area in all of Cloudsdale now where a bunch of ponies wearing normal clothes and carrying bags would gather. Landing among the group, she got a couple nods of recognition, as many ponies knew who she was after all she had done with her friends. She recognized a couple of the recruits with her, but no one she knew very well. In the back of her mind, she had been hoping to see one pony in particular among them. She'd messed up before, putting the lives of Dash's friends in danger. But right now, she would really be a sight for sore eyes...

A door about a hundred yards away suddenly slammed open, as a grey Pegasus wearing a Royal Air Force Uniform with the rank insignia of a Silver bar trotted. There was a fire in his eyes that Dash had seen many times during her brief time at the Wonderbolt Academy Summer program. And that gaze was now soley locked on the group of poor recruits who were now about to be "Welcomed" to the Equestrian Armed services. Dash braced herself for the storm that was about to come...

Flying at a speed that would have given even Soarin' a run for his money, the Officer was now floating in front of the entire cadre of RAF volunteers.

"I'm First Lieutenant Quick Thunder, your Senior Instructor!" He barked. "From now on, you will speak only when spoken too! And the last words out of your filthy sewers will be either 'Sir' or 'ma'am', do you understand?!"

"Yes sir!"

"Bullshit I can't hear you!"

"YES SIR!"

"In front of the building behind me, you will see two sets of yellow dots! When I say, you will grab all of your personal items and run, not fly, RUN to the dots on the left and line up! Understand?!"

"YES SIR!"

"Then go! Get your flanks moving! The griffins aren't gonna wait while your pudgy asses to shift into shape!"

The group began running as fast as they could, scrambling to follow the Lieutenant's instructions. Dash was not slow when it came to just moving her legs, but the weight and the uncomfortable positioning of her two small bags made moving quickly a bit of a struggle. But miraculously, the recruits were able to get to the dots in a time that the instructor found satistfactory at the very least. He nodded his head, then landed at the front of the formation.

"Now, when I tell you to, you're going to place all of your crap to the right of you. Understood?"

"YES SIR!"

Thunder just looked over the recruits with an icy glare for a few moments.

"...Place them on the ground now."

Rainbow let out a small sigh of relief as she and her fellow recruits proceeded to drop their bags in the specified locations.

"NO! PICK YOUR DAMN BAGS BACK UP!"

She was shocked for a moment, but grabbed her things again.

"You wanna fucking play games?!" The instructor snarled. "I've got nothing but time tonight! I will not play your God Damn games! I SAID PLACE YOUR FUCKING BAGS TO THE RIGHT! NOT FUCKING DROP THEM!"

The silence that followed was almost as unnerving as the shouting, as the Lieutenant now had murder in his eyes.

"DO IT NOW!"

The recruits complied, now with far less speed and much more care for their belongings.

"...Pick them up."

Oh joy, this little game...

"I SAID PICK IT UP!"

"PROCEEDING SIR!"

"PUT IT DOWN!"

"PROCEEDING SIR!"

"PICK IT UP!"

"PROCEEDING SIR!"

"PUT IT DOWN!"

"PROCEEDING SIR!"

It was like an audio loop was going on in Rainbow's ears, but far less enjoyable...

"Now when I tell you to, and ONLY when I tell you to, you'll move from this set of dots to the others on the right side, Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"SOUNDOFF LIKE YOU MEAN IT!"

"YES SIR!"

"Get moving!"

A few recruits began reaching for their belongings...

"STOP!" The Lieutenant shouted again. " I DID NOT TELL YOU TO GRAB ANY OF YOUR SHIT DID I?!"

"NO SIR!"

"THEN FUCKING LISTEN THIS TIME! MOVE!"

Dash was now wondering if their instructor had been taken from Tatarus itself, or that if he just hated all of them already. Spitfire had done something similar, but she had only shouted when they had done something seriously wrong, and she hadn't sworn like a human when she did either. Then again, that hadn't really been a military camp...

"I want you all to remember something," Lieutenant Thunder said, looking over each and every one of them. "You did not come here to help pay for college, find a steady job, or follow in some Celestia-damned family tradition. We are no longer is a peacetime role, we are at war. And you are now part of it. The skills you will learn here in Her Majesty's Royal Air Force will save not only your life, but that of the pony beside you, of the troops on the ground, and of the entire kingdom. Remember that while you're here. Because you will struggle here, but better here than on the battlefield where laziness and lack of discipline can get you killed."

This was it. The reality of what she had signed up for now began right here right now. War was the Ultimate Test for the Element of Loyalty, and Dash was ready to prove that she was the greatest bearer of the Element that there had ever been.

"Now get your lazy flanks inside before I grab a stick and beat the stupid out of your heads! MOVE!"

"YES SIR!"

Author's Note:

Sorry this chapter was so short. I just wanted to start updating this story more frequently.

And before everyone starts crucifying me about the training, this is NOT based completely on reality. Please remember that before yelling at me about how a Lieutenant would never be a drill instructor....

Comments

[The Gunny]

THAT HAS TO BE THE SORRIEST EXCUSE FOR A DRILL INSTRUCTOR I HAVE EVER SEEN! WHY IS THAT PRIVATE SMOERS?

But in all seriousness that was actually quite adequate

fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/020/0/1/mlp_atg___mock_war_day_2_by_wingwind-d4n2in9.jpg

[Sneaky Breeze]

It makes sense though that they would be sending those of different ranks to be drill sargeants. With half their homeland conquered and forces scattered, they would have to use whatever is left around.

[smoers06]

2812591

SIR! I AM NOT ENLISTED! I AM IN AIR FORCE OFFICER TRAINING AND THEREFORE NEVER FACED THE WRATH OF A DRILL SERGEANT SIR!

Also, Thank you!
Though I was unsure how to react when I saw Gunny Hartman commented on my fic... O_o

[shintan]

its short its sweet and it keeps to the pace, shoooooot i cant wait till the next chapter =D

[Solowing32]

A tunnel, if there is no flyin through a tunnel at some point, then no favs from here

[Fireheart 1945]

Hope this continues soon, this is great!

[sinewystatue382]

continue it