All Types of Rain [Original]

All Types of Rain

By: The Grey Pegasus

= 3 =

From Mares to Marines

Camp Hayfield

10 Miles Southeast of Fort Stalliongrad

June 19, 1015 A.B.

11:00 AM

"ALRIGHT PONIES, LISTEN UP! FIRST OF ORDER, YOU WILL REFER TO YOUR INSTRUCTORS AS 'SIR' OR 'DRILL SERGEANT', AND YOU WILL RESPOND 'SIR, YES SIR' TO EVERYTHING I SAY! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

They were finally there. The Ponyvillians and other assorted citizens arrived about an hour ago, and were left to prepare for their introduction in to the military. An hour ago, they quickly met their pegasus instructor, Drill Sergeant Blackwind, who had given them basic instructions on what to do in the next hour. They were given this time to store personal effects and prepare for their first inspection. They were given their basic belongings, one of which were their dog tags, which in turn were engraved with their basic information and the image of their cutie marks. An hour later, they were all assembled together in their barracks on the return of the drill sergeant.

"NOW! The second you stepped through those gates, you lost your personal freedom! Your free will! From this point forward, you are now property of Equestria! You are now owned by Princess Luna and the War Ministry! You are now part of the war machine of this country! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!" the drill sergeant screamed as he marched around, inspecting each pony at attention.

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"And the second you walked through those gates, you joined the army! And by Luna, do you know what that means?!

There was a rhetorical pause in Blackwind's speech, and as expected, nopony answered.

"That means you walked into my army! And by the command of Luna, by doing that, she has passed you to the leaders of this army! I'm the one in charge here, and so I own you! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"Now, you were drafted to serve. But guess what? You're all useless! We can't do anything with you! And so you have to be put through the grinders and be ground to a pulp! From there, we will take what's left of you and mold soldiers! That grinder will be me! And you will learn that what I'm doing will help you survive the shithole in the southeast. Is that clear?!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"NOW!" Drill Sergeant Blackwind yelled, then walked up to a nervous pony stallion. "What are you going to do for this whole next month in this camp?!"

The stallion hesitated, and his eyes bounced around in his head, looking anywhere, as if the answer was on the wall or ceiling, before finally answering. "Sir! ...I don't understand, sir!"

Blackwind expressed his displeasure. "What?! What do you mean you don't understand Private?! You're as useful as a pile of dirt!" After berating him, the drill sergeant moved over to Applejack.

"YOU! I don't care if you're a mare, answer my question! What are you going to be doing for the whole next month?!"

Now, being the Element of Honesty, she knew exactly what the honest answer was. Though under immense pressure, she kept her voice steady and answered. "Sir! To follow every single one of your orders, sir!"

Blackwind slightly grinned, before returning to his serious demeanor. "Of course a mare gets it! Why do you stallions have empty nutshells for heads, dammit?!"

As usual, no answer.

For the next hour, Drill Sergeant Blackwind laid a verbal barrage on their ears, his voice resonating in the walls. He laid down the basic rules for their duration in boot camp. He went over inspection standards and what they would face in the near future. An hour later, he dismissed them to the mess hall for lunch. After half an hour, he called them up again.

"Alright, get out there! We're starting the 'training' part of basic training right now!

As the ponies filed out of the door, they lined up in front of the barracks.

"Okay ponies, let's start you off with something your simple minds can handle! I want you to run five laps along the camp perimeter! Get to it!"

"Sir, yes sir!" the company collectively responded.

Rainbow, being the athlete she was, took the order with a grain of salt. "Hah. Easy!" She proceeded to dash through the laps under wingpower and a lack of common sense. A couple minutes later, she landed next to the drill sergeant. "All done, drill sergeant sir!"

Blackwind gave a smile, then proceeded to reprimand her actions. "Good job recruit! For finishing it fast, you've earned TEN MORE LAPS! I TOLD YOU TO RUN THE COURSE! WAS THAT NOT CLEAR?! ARE YOU DEAF?! NOT ONLY DID I IMPLY THAT YOU USE YOUR LEGS, BUT ALSO YOUR DAMN HEAD! IF I DIDN'T KILL YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU'D BE AS GOOD AS DEAD ANYWAY DOWN THERE! NOW GO RUN YOUR LAPS!"

With reality finally catching up to the cyan pegasus, she gave the respectful mandatory 'Sir, yes sir!' and quietly grumbled as she proceeded to begin her new laps.

==+==

Company Barracks

2000 Hours

With their introduction to boot camp over for the day, the ponies were finally allowed some down time before lights-out. It wasn't even their first full day, and they were already faltering in their steps from exhaustion from the day's basic drills.

"Ugh. That was terrific," Rainbow sarcastically complained.

Applejack chuckled a bit. "Well you're the one who keeps ignorin' their own common sense."

"It was dreadful, but I do admire the uniformity of the military. It radiates professionalism," Rarity stated.

"Come on, Rarity, we know you'll break eventually. Just wait till they start putting you through the mud," Rainbow teased.

"I feel like I can barely use my magic since we got here. Maybe it was just my bad mood, and right now because of fatigue," Twilight said. "Well what did you think about today, Pinkie?"

"Hmmm..." Pinkie gave a moment for thought. "These guys are almost as loud as Princess Luna."

"Oh, Pinkie Pie. Even the stuff military training throws at us can't ruin your good attitude," Rainbow Dash happily pointed out.

"Why would it? It gives me a chance to meet soooo many new ponies from outside Ponyville! Like this one stallion earlier today on the train..."

==+==

On the train

Earlier that day

It was the dreadful morning that everypony wished they could avoid. Twilight was typically deep in thought, but generally, the Ponyvillians and other Equestrian citizens were in a state of solemn mourning. They mulled over their past lives; what once was and may never be again. Some were trapped in their own thoughts, while others held small conversations between one another, with the sounds of the train providing background ambience.

In contrast, Pinkie Pie was being her usual self, trying to be as friendly as possible. For a pony like her, this was the perfect opportunity to make new friends. She happened to see a yellow earth pony stallion sitting alone, and so decided to talk to him first. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! My full name's Pinkamena Diane Pie, but nopony calls me that. Everypony just calls me Pinkie!"

The stallion looked nonplussed. "Umm... hi. My name's Lumbersaw. Uhh... ponies call me Lumbersaw."

"Well, where are you from, Lumbersaw?"

"Umm... I'm from a small town in Mane."

"Have you ever been to Ponyville before?"

"Uhh... yeah, once actually. On business-"

"Well did you ever go to Sugarcube Corner? Because I don't ever remember seeing a pony like you, and I remember a lot of ponies..."

"The bakery? No, I didn't get to..." Lumbersaw admitted. He hung on his words for a moment as he examined the mare talking to him, then felt obliged to add on an additional statement. "...But I've been to bakeries before in general."

"Well Sugarcube Corner isn't just any bakery! It's the best place to find sweets and other treats in all of Equestria! And I can't wait to get home back to it! Well, it was nice meeting you! And now I'm off to greet other new ponies! I mean, look how mopey some of them look... bye!"

Lumbersaw blinked as she took off. Then blinked again as he processed what just happened. He suspected that that wasn't the only time he was going to encounter the hyper pink pony.

==+==

As Pinkie relived her memories, the other four mares continued conversing.

"Hey, where's Fluttershy again?" Rainbow asked.

"They sent her over to a different company, where they also specialize in hospital services out in the field."

"Wait a minute, hold on there," Applejack spoke up. "What do you mean by 'also'? Or am I lookin' into it too much?"

"Not at all, Applejack. In 'also', I implied that they also go through basic training like us, but less intense."

"Alrighty then... I jus' hope Shy's not going to be broken down..."

"Oh, I'm fairly sure Fluttershy's a little bit more changed from the mare we knew long ago," Rarity reassured.

Once finished with their personal conversations, the five Ponyvillian mares started mingling with the other recruits, acquainting themselves with the rest of the company. They might as well be on good terms with the others, as they would be living every hour for the next month of their lives with them, suffering the same pain and enduring the same obstacles. Then they quickly washed themselves down in the showers before retiring to their beds when lights-out was called.

==+==

June 20, 1015 A.B.

0500 Hours

The morning reveille sounded, signaling that the ponies were to wake up for their first full day of boot camp. Most of them rolled off their cots in an unpleasant mood. Many were not morning ponies, to say the least. Among those that fared better were Twilight and Applejack, who usually woke up early for duties. Some, such as Rarity, stayed sitting up in bed with groggy attitudes. Others didn't even get up until the voice of Drill Sergeant Blackwind boomed throughout the barracks.

"GET UP, YOU LAZY MAGGOTS! IT'S TIME FOR WORK, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T GET THE MESSAGE!"

Because of the force behind his words, the ponies gave their hardest efforts to appear awake. They tried their best to resist lumbering around, despite most of them not used to waking up at this early hour. Even the five mares conditioned to Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice didn't walk around sleepily after Blackwind's short announcement.

"Come on! Hop to it! I want you all ready in five minutes! Is that understood?!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

Their first full day at basic training was not at all aided by their immediate start to workouts the day prior. Most weren't used to that much physical exertion and woke up this day with highly sore muscles. This morning, they would go through their first run-through of the morning routine they would become very close and familiar with for the rest of their life at Camp Hayfield.

As a matter of fact, they would go on to go through the rigorous drills that they would be put through day after day for the next two weeks. It meant hopping low obstacles, quickly clambering over low barriers, and scaling high walls. They were trained to pull themselves up, coordinate their steps under pressure, and push themselves to the limit. Any complaint was met with a blunt statement that got the point through. One such example was seen that very day.

"Sir, I don't think I can climb this wall, sir," a pony announced. To this, Drill Sergeant Blackwind had a very simple and factual reply.

"Well, sorry shitface, but you're going to war! And so you don't have much of a choice! Now get moving!" Usually, it was enough to motivate a recruit to keep pressing on ahead. And they would be hearing it a lot in the next two weeks.

==+==

Barracks

2000 Hours

"Oh, that was truly dreadful. I'm going to go take a shower and go straight to bed," Rarity announced in a dreary voice.

"I agree, I'm out," Twilight said as she followed Rarity to the showers.

"Wow, that actually took some out of me. Still, being an in-shape athlete definitely helped," Rainbow stated in a tone of voice that suggested she still had some energy.

"Eh, I'm kind of tired, but not too bad. I am feeling a bit low though..." Pinkie expressed as she followed the other three.

"All in day's work. I am a bit sore though. 'S a little more than I'm used to." Applejack was telling the truth, as the embodiment of honesty. Still, she decided to retire early as well.

At that, the majority of the company went directly to slumber, too worn out for conversation.

==+==

June 21, 1015 A.B.

0500 Hours

The day commenced with their second experience with the morning reveille. Though some were still weary once awake, most seemed to appear to be quickly adjusting to the military routine. They had yet, to adjust to the strenuous lifestyle, however. They were again put through their morning inspection and warm-up run. Once finished, they were told to stand at attention out in the field, where Drill Sergeant Blackwind started addressing them.

"Listen closely recruits. As you know, today is the Summer Sun Celebration," the pegasus drill instructor announced. "And you- are part of Equestria's army. Therefore, it is a rare occasion that we have decided to respect, and today will be the only day void of rigorous drills, bar your morning workout." Deep in everypony's eyes were thoughts of relief, as many legs were feeling like gelatin.

Twilight's however, was not fully occupied by the thought of less drills. She instead had flashbacks at the words 'Summer Sun Celebration'. It wasn't pleasing to her at all that she was here, of all places, on this wondrous day. Not only was it the day to give praise to her princess and mentor, but it was also fifteen years since she met her five friends. It brought sadness to her that she could no longer fully celebrate the day joyously, just as she did for so long. She and her friends could no longer revel in the glory of a day that was supposed to be bright and happy.

She thought about it even more. It only occurred to her now, being in the military, that it was strange that in the recent previous years, they would gladly celebrate the holiday, while other fellow ponies were in Gazelland-Vietnam. Some of whom couldn't even celebrate with a small party because they were possibly in the middle of a firefight. Only now did the guilt of the situation fully sink in.

While in the private room of her mind, Blackwind continued the day's summary. "Today, we will practice your posture. If you think it's good right now, you're wrong. After that is marching. You will learn to properly march in formation, and you will even be given your weapons so that you will learn the proper marching procedures with them. Later in the day, you will be given one of the most important drills. You will be trained to stand on your hind legs for extended periods of time. Down the line in basic training, you will be trained to walk on hind legs and to fire your weapon on hind legs. But enough of that. Full weapon handling and movement will be dealt with later.

"In honor of Princess Celestia and the Summer Sun Celebration, training will be dismissed at 1900, and you will be left to your own devices. As usual, lights-out will be at 2100."

==+==

Central Training Field

"Now, because of the nature of these weapons, you will have to learn to stand on your hind legs for varying durations of time. Most of the time in-field however, you will only be standing on your hind legs for a couple minutes at most. More often than not, you will either have support against a stable object or be in a sitting postion. Now, while standing on your hind legs, your forelegs are then free to use whatever weapon you may be wielding."

Throughout the ponies' minds were thoughts of mixed intrigue, confusion, and other emotions.

But... that's not exactly natural movement or posture, Twilight thought.

Oh I love standing on my hind legs; it's so fun! Pinkie said in her mind.

I got wings to balance myself, it's not like I haven't done it before, Rainbow mentally noted.

Alrighty then; I've had rodeo acts just as strange anyways, Applejack pondered.

Hmm... this should be quite interesting; I've never really thought about it much before, Rarity mused.

"Yes, we're aware that it isn't natural pony posture. But many of the weapons were made to function like this, and we're changing the soldier to fit the weapon as much as we already changed the weapon to fit ponies. Before that though, you're all going to learn proper formation! Now! Stand at attention!" After that, the company all stood straight. Blackwind however, was not pleased will some of their stances and went on to correct them. Discipline was the name of this game, and they would continue to stand there for the next hour.

Once it seemed that the recruits mastered basic standing, they were given pony-modified M14 rifles. With these, they practiced proper marching and how to handle their weapons during the course of the procession. As expected, there were problems with timing, coordination, and some other stuff. By now, it was safe to say that it wasn't exactly the relaxing day that many of the ponies envisioned.

As they finished, they were then given instructions on how to stand on their hind legs. It was truly an awkward scenario, and some managed better than others, but it was deemed necessary to learn. And they were told to balance on their back legs for quite some time. It was definitely not the day the ponies expected. With the coming of the next day, though, it was back to the monotonous heavy workouts, persistent screaming, and so on.

==+==

Week 3, Day 1

0800 Hours

After they finished their monotonous early morning workouts for the n-th time, they were directed by Drill Sergeant Blackwind to report for an announcement. Announcements were rare; they've only been through two or three during their time at Camp Hayfield.

"Ponies, you've made it halfway through basic training. I'll admit that I applaud your progress that you've all made since Day 1. Today begins Week 3. This week is important because training will be specialized for each different pony race. You will learn about your weaknesses and strengths as a unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony. You will also begin hoof-to-hoof combat within your training groups. Next week, we'll test all of you in fighting skills, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

"Also, tomorrow, you will be given your rifles so that you may learn how to handle and maintain them. Starting tomorrow, you will practice these rifle skills to perfection alongside your own specialized training. This is in preparation for next week. Since that's still a particularly long way off, I won't speak more of it. Now, you will be divided by pony type to go to your respective instructors. Unicorns are to head over to the East Field, pegasi to the West Field, and earth ponies to the Central Field. Okay? Dismissed."

The ponies did as told and headed over to their respective areas. They would be mixed with ponies from all different companies, but all the same pony race.

==+==

Camp Hayfield

East Field

Unicorns from around three other companies traveled over to the East Field to receive their specialized training. They met their instructor, a grey unicorn with copper eyes; he looked like a Royal Guard without the golden armor. Along with his appearance, there was a feeling around him that told ponies that he was a hardened warrior, and probably was in Equestria's military long before the war started. Drill Sergeant Dusk Edge was in charge of the mix of companies, and his job was to inform them of what they were going to face in the future.

"Alright, horn-heads, I suppose by now, you've sensed something. It's because this  camp has an enchantment that lowers your magical abilities. Don't ask why- the answer should be obvious. But I'll lay it flat for all of you. Where you will be deployed, Vietnam, you will encounter nearly the same thing. The country of Gazelland-Vietnam has an interesting atmosphere. There is a certain magic field that actually hinders magical ability. Yes, your magic is still usable, but your ability will be greatly handicapped."

Thus, Twilight had a revelation. So that's why my magic feels low. The camp was made to simulate a certain important condition we'd face in Vietnam.

"I'm also going to tell you this: Those antlers on those gazelles' heads? They function like a unicorn's horn. Fortunately for us, because they function like our horns, they too, can not wield any powerful magic. In fact, it's theorized that they have two to attempt to compensate. In basic terms, what they do with two, you do with one.

"Now, to what extent is the dampening effect? Well you'll just have to find out yourselves. In fact, I'm going to need a volunteer..." Drill Instructor Edge, said. His eyes scanned the formation of unicorns, before landing on Twilight. "You, recruit! Get up here and show us what you can do."

Twilight was surprised at the arbitrary selection, but complied anyway. "Yes, drill sergeant," she acknowledged, before walking up to the front. Before she could begin, he spoke another comment.

"Wait a minute. You're Recruit Sparkle, the Element of Magic! This should be interesting. And also, I'd like to talk to you sometime later, understood?"

"Yes, drill sergeant."

"Alright. Now proceed." He paused to examine the surroundings, before deciding on what to do. "Here's your first test. See that box over there?" Dusk Edge motioned towards a small metal box, roughly 20 feet away. "Try and lift it over here."

Twilight did as told. Or, at least tried to. "I can't grasp it with my magic. It's as if it's not there, sir."

"Hmm... even the Element of Magic can't lift something that far. Alright, try 15 feet."

She tried again. "I still can't feel it, drill sergeant."

"Alright, try 10."

Twilight walked closer to the box, and lit her horn once again, this time succeeding to lift the box.

"Walk back a couple steps now, recruit."

Taking two steps back, she tried to levitate the box. Nothing happened.

"Alright. That was still something. I can only lift from about 7 feet, and many others only at 5." He turned back to the other ponies. "As you can see, even a unicorn of great magical skill loses the disadvantage already in just range. That's not all, however. Recruit Sparkle, try and lift that barrel." He pointed a hoof at a barrel marked with a number. "It weighs 200 pounds. In Equestria, that shouldn't be difficult, but in Gazelland, that is an immovable barrier. Try and lift it."

Twilight complied. Rather, attempted to. 200 pounds was usually nothing to the unicorn's telekinesis. In here, though, it felt as if she was trying to move a mountain. She didn't even bother to strain herself, knowing well that it wouldn't do much help to try and lift a load that heavy while applying that much energy. Instead of tiring herself, she just spoke her results. "It's too heavy, drill sergeant. It wouldn't do any good for me or others if I have to use all my energy lifting that much weight, sir."

Drill Instructor Edge turned to face the other recruits again. "As Recruit Sparkle demonstrated, even the most powerful unicorn is severely disadvantaged in magic in Vietnam. Now, try the one marked 150 pounds."

Her purple aura wrapped around the 150 pound barrel, but it didn't budge. "Sir, with all due respect, I don't think I can lift this with out tiring myself straight out, sir."

"Alright, move on to the one marked for 100."

"Yes sir." She directed her focus towards the next barrel and lifted it, showing only slight signs of visible strain. "Sir, I can lift this with moderate amounts of effort. It's not too hard, but it isn't exactly easy, drill sergeant."

"Very well then recruit, you may return to your place." After Twilight had gone back to her position with the other ponies, Dusk Edge continued his lecture. "Now, I'm very well sure that you have some figment of memory that details who Recruit Sparkle is. As the Element of Magic, she posses more magic than any of you here. From the demonstrations, you have probably already started figuring out your own limitations. This is important!

"Knowing the boundaries on your magic will help you survive! Basic training trains you to a similar way as to how earth ponies function. You will not be able to rely on much magic down in Vietnam, and you'd best remember that for a greater chance of survival for your entire team. By now, those of you who know more advanced spells have already also figured out that they will be useless. Any teleportation or transformation spells will be rendered impossible given the circumstances. Field reports have also confirmed that the weakened magic also renders force fields futile.  They have no effect against oncoming projectiles and are difficult to sustain. Unfortunately, we've also heard from the front that healing spells are weak. Spells, however, that do not interact with matter will still be usable, such as horn illumination, and will require less energy than levitation and is practical should the need arise. But remember, spellcasting range is significantly decreased, so any type of scanning spell is essentially useless.

"Basic training will change your mindset to think of your magic as a complimentary skill. Spellcasting is directly affected by fatigue, and the jungles are not short of that. Should you find yourself in hoof-to-hoof combat, you will find yourself more reliant on physical means rather than any magic. Of course, you can always levitate your weapon, but we'll touch on that later.

"Again, I put an important emphasis on this. Though you are unicorns, the conditions you will face will prompt you to rely on your body more than you are used to. Consider magic a luxury. It's nice to have, but if you use it too much, you will drain yourself of energy. And if you're tired, well, let's leave it at it's a bad thing that can only lead to worse."

For the rest of the day, they worked both their magic and their bodies. The magic training was to assist the unicorns to realize what their boundaries were and to gain experience on how to work with the reduced magic. The body conditioning was naturally to improve on their pony race's main weakness compared to the other two. Whichever training regime was done however, was equally straining for the ponies.

==+==

Camp Hayfield

West Field

"Listen closely, feather-brains, because this is important!" Drill Sergeant Blackwind was leading the specialized pegasi training. He was marching in front of the group of standing pegasi as he gave his speech. "You might think that because of our pegasi ancestry, we're the champions of waging war. That we'll strike from above where nothing can touch us. Well wake up! Unless you want to be court-martialed for breaking flight regulations or flat-out die, none of you will be doing much flying in the field!

"You might think that our flight would give us an easy advantage, being that we can fly up to our vantage points in the clouds, but guess what? War's changed. We're not fighting with spears or arrows or magic. We're fighting using things from small bits of metal that travel in the air faster than you and will rip through your puny guts, to larger projectiles that travel just as fast and explode! That means, unless you want the battlefield to be raining with your innards and feathers, you will be mostly grounded in the combat zones."

Rainbow Dash inwardly screamed as she kept an unamused face. The greatest flyer in Equestria was being sent to a place where she could not utilize her forte.

As if the drill sergeant sensed this, he waited until his march took him in front of the rainbow-maned pegasus before continuing his lecture. "Now, those of you that are cursing fate right now, don't fret too much. Just because I said you'll be grounded during battle doesn't mean you can't fly. Yes, for the most part, you're going to be hooves on the ground. But the swifter ones of you will be able to take to the air sometimes, albeit for only a couple seconds. Those of you that are quick enough can use your fast flight to dash from cover to cover, provided it's close enough. And I mean any cover, whether it'd be a wall, log, or ditch a dash away, or a tree branch above you. But whatever you do, do it smartly.

"Remember, dead pegasi are no good. You may not be able to rain down hellfire from the skies like stories of old, but your wings aren't rendered useless in battle. It's just that combat procedure for flying has changed. Instead of scourging the air and making sure everything below you is dead, you will break the stalemates by moving too quick for their sights. You will be the ones that will try to get to the impossible positions, as unicorns no longer have teleportation in their skill set due to a magic dampening atmosphere. The faster you can fly, the better."

Rainbow was able to mentally smile at the last statement.

"Now, let me fully review the new flight doctrine. While stationed at your base of operation, you shall not fly higher than seven feet off the ground. This is the new procedure, as helicopters are more entitled to airspace than any of you are. So keep the airspace clear. During combat scenarios, you may use your wingpower to quickly change spots and get behind new cover. Of course, there is the unspoken rule of not flying above the battle because remember- bullets. They are your worst enemy during flight. Sure, you may be able to pull off a few surprise shots in the air, but expect bullets after a few seconds. If you happen to be on a scouting mission, you may take to the air. Keep note to your position, because if you are spotted, then you lose your tactical observation vantage point. Also, air scouting missions are fine as long as you drop to the ground if things do get hot, which a good soldier wouldn't let happen in the first place."

Rainbow took all this in mind. Surely, she'd changed a bit since her entry into Camp Hayfield. In particular, the words do it smartly bugged her a bit. She was never the one to think about strategizing attacks, preferring head-on force to accomplish a goal. Apparently, that was going to have to change a bit if she wanted to make it out alive. Blackwind spoke again, knocking her out of her thoughts.

"Circle up ponies, we're giving you your first taste of hoof-to-hoof. We'll start simple. You will wrestle each other until one is pinned down. Try to keep injuries to a minimum. I have no use for injured recruits in my camp." He looked around to see who would be the first two competitors. "Recruit Dash, Recruit Skies. You're up first."

Rainbow Dash and Blue Skies made their way to the center of the circle. Rainbow was fairly certain she'd win, purely to her natural confidence. Still, she couldn't disregard that Blue Skies was actually one of the better ponies in her own company. At the least, it was nice that it was a pegasus from her own company, so she could judge how she'd fare.

"Again, wrestle until one is pinned. This will practice some basic fighting skills." As Blackwind talked, Rainbow formulated a plan. "And... begin!"

At the signal, Rainbow dashed right into her opponent, knocking him down. He laid on the ground for a couple seconds in pain, with Rainbow clearly being the victor. "All done, Drill Sergeant," she proclaimed.

Blue Skies shortly recovered from the tackle. "Ow... hey, isn't that against the rules, sir?"

Rainbow was ready with an explanation, though. "I didn't fly high above the ground. I just dashed to where I wanted to be. And that meant flying right into you. I didn't break any rules, sir."

Blackwind grinned. "And that's the mark of a soldier. Playing it smart. Recruit Dash is correct. Never did I say you couldn't fly into your opponent. In fact, she's using what she has to her advantage, within the acceptable boundaries. I'm glad to see somepony thought of the tactic without me having to point it out. If you've got wings and speed, use them. If it's not breaking any rules, do it.

"Let me lay out a situation in which you would do this. If you happen to see a gazelle and you think it might take too long to bring your weapon to bear, there's no cover to move to, and he's not too far off for him to react but not close enough for you to buck, do this. It might save your life." He turned to the two on the field. "Unfortunately, as great as a performance that was, it wasn't quite what the exercise was about. Do it again, this time hooves on the ground."

With the pain mostly worn off, Skies went over to his side while Dash did the same. Blackwind waited before giving the call. "Ready!... Go!"

==+==

Camp Hayfield

Central Field

"I am pleased to inform you earth ponies that we have the least specialized training out of all pony races. Fortunately, because of your simple lifestyles, you do not require much change to function well in Vietnam, while the other two pony types have restrictions." Drill Instructor Steelring was a husky earth pony. His coat color was that of the glowing orange of searing hot metal, and his mane a shining silver. His physical build seemed to exemplify an earth pony built for fighting. "For once, you can truly be proud to be an earth pony, because you can take pride in just being yourselves. You have no assets that need to be suppressed for when you get shipped out. Instead, we'll have to add on to your skills and improve the ones you have.

"Still, there are the disadvantages; the same ones you face at home. You may win in strength, but unicorns can levitate their weapons if they aren't tired, and pegasi have their speed. This becomes important in hoof-to-hoof. We're not completely sure about those gazelles, but we know that at least some have magical ability using those antlers of theirs. It's not strong magic due to the magic-weakening atmosphere, but it still makes them a fierce contender. They are able to levitate their weapons like unicorns, and that means knife fights won't be pretty. If you want the bastard dead, you're going to have to get in close fast if you're not already against their face.

"Unfortunately, you don't have the speed of pegasi to help you here. You're going to have to work on some defensive techniques if you want to stay alive long enough to buck their rib cage in. Once you've closed the distance, you're free to let out all that brute earth pony force right into their body. Make sure they suffer so hard, they'll still be screaming in their graves.

"But that's not the only job for an earth pony's strength. With unicorn magic greatly weakened, it's your job to knock down barricades, do heavy lifting, and all the things that unicorn force could usually do. Don't think of it as extra work on your backs, though. An earth pony's naturally high strength is one of the reasons why we're the most important soldiers out in the field. You can trudge on through things that would completely drain a unicorn and pegasus. Remember- don't doubt yourself for being an earth pony. It is one of the best things you can do for your country.

"With that being said, we're going to start some exercises and drills to increase your speed and agility. And later on, we're going to work on strength and go over in more detail with what it can be applied to..." Drill Sergeant Steelring droned on for a couple more words before announcing the coming exercises.

The earth ponies went through more rigorous conditioning than usual. It had a good effect on them, however. It actually served to increase their morale about their usefulness as an earth pony. It's as if for the first time, they realized the much higher capabilities they had physically than the other two races.

As mentioned, Steelring put them through combat training, so that they could learn the ways to avert their shortcomings. These ponies were actually the first to receive major fighting lessons among the three pony types in the camp. Seeing that there wasn't any attributes other than muscle to practice, why not? So the plan was to hone the integral brute strength into an effective, deadly soldier's tool as much as possible.

Near the end of the day, Steelring had instructed them on how to work with grenades. The technique with the explosives was to buck it with their hind legs as far away as possible. It wasn't simple, due to the coordination required, and would take the rest of basic combat training to get the grenades to land even in the general area aimed at. However, there was one pony that subverted this.

"Recruit Apple! You're up next! Try and aim for that ditch over there, 30 yards."

At these words, Applejack stepped up to the position. She prepared herself, and mentally went through the procedures on how to prime the training grenade, then on how to make it go the direction it was supposed to. Alright Applejack, it's jus' like buckin' apples back home. Ain't much different. Jus' relax, and the res'll take care o' itself.

The pin was removed, the metal ball thrown in the air, then the mare took careful thought, letting her reflexes take over. She'd done this before, except with a red fruit, not a green metal sphere. Her trained senses told her the object had now reached it's optimal position, and released her hind legs in a powerful buck.

*Plink* A sound was emitted from the area of her hind hooves as they made contact. "So, uh, how'd I do Drill Sergeant, sir?"

Steelring, however did not respond until a few seconds later, as his eyes watched the trajectory of the projectile land right where he looked at, and a puff of smoke was released. "Recruit, how did you place that grenade with your first try right where my eyes were at?"

Shocked at the result, Applejack struggled for an answer. "Uh, well, sir... I'm a rodeo mare. I've done all kinds o' things, and I used to buck apples jus' like that."

"I won't deny that I'm impressed. Do it again. 50 yards," Drill Sergeant Steelring subsequently instructed.

The process was repeated. Yet more dumbfounded minds. It was repeated again at 60. Even more awe-struck ponies. Lastly, she was told to have one more go at 75 yards.

"Alrighty then..." Applejack complied, and went on with the process of bucking a grenade.

Another metal plink was heard, and she turned around to try and spot the small object flying towards the target area. The second it hit the spot, the fuse ran out, and a puff of smoke confirmed the accuracy of the buck.

"Recruit Apple, that is simply amazing! Well done! You've set a record for accuracy at this distance! Many seasoned soldiers can't even hit within 20 feet at that range. You may return to your position." Steelring was evidently pleased, and halted practice after that.

"Thank ya, sir," Applejack modestly replied.

==+==

Barracks

2000 Hours

It was yet again the time for discussion on recent events. It was considerably much more lively this night, due to the ponies being split apart in three different groups. As the five split off into their own circle of friends, idle chatter from other recruits could be heard.

"Wow, I'm kinda glad it's Week 3. I don't know if I've gotten used to it or the exercises today just fit me, but I don't feel as shit as I normally do."

"Ha! You know, about the first two weeks of constant hell, I heard that we haven't even gotten it the worst. I heard some time ago that the guys under Drill Sergeant Hartcolt in that other camp would rather jump into a crate full of saws than go under that stallion."

"Oh really? Well then..."

Once all five were assembled near their self-designated area next at Twilight's cot, they started conversing themselves.

"So how was your training, Rainbow Dash? You're the only one who was set apart from us." Twilight said to start the topic.

"Well, it was alright I guess. I mean, it was really fun pounding down some of the other recruits. I think I only lost one or two matches actually. Anyways, a lot of it was just about the new procedures and rules and tips and stuff for when we're in Vietnam. Apparently flying is going to be on a leash..."

"Apparently for us unicorns, the region has an adverse effect on our magic. It's nowhere near as effective as it is here. Twilight herself had trouble with what she usually takes with a grain of salt. Then there was the training sessions- oh it was dreadful! My magic felt so useless, and this body of mine was never made for work like that."

"Rarity," Twilight rebutted, "Stop being over-dramatic. You did fine! It's not like two weeks of running around and dragging ourselves through mud and all that was for nothing!"

Applejack let out a small laugh. "Oh come on Rarity, if you saw yourself now three weeks ago, you'd have a fit over how un-marely you look."

"Ah, you were too frou-frou anyways," Rainbow added. "Maybe now stallions that are total jerks will avoid you without even talking to you!"

Rarity just rolled her eyes.

"What happened over with you two?" Twilight directed towards Applejack and Pinkie.

"Not much, Twi. Just some more strength workouts and some coordination drills. Nothin' special. 'S not like we have anything that'll be less useful down in the jungle. We've never had magic or wings, so it's basically the same thin'. We're still the backbone for tedious work, since we're the strongest."

"Yeah! I mean, everypony else looked impressed when Applejack bucked a training grenade 75 yards away! It was like, amazing!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Twilight herself look awed at it. "Is that true Applejack?" The orange pony nodded. "Wow, that is something. We tried them today, and bucking it gets us around 45-50, and my magic can only throw it to about 40. That is really good!"

"Same here, Twi. Blackwind gave us a quick try with bucking it, and it only got to about 50-55," Rainbow stated.

"But that's not the best part!" Pinkie continued. "It was also exactly wherever Drill Sergeant Steelring wanted it! It was spot-on!"

"Heck, from what Pinkie's saying, you could probably buck a grenade from across a field right down a gazelle's throat," said Rainbow.

"I... I guess I could."

"Come on Applejack, don't be so modest," Rarity spoke up. "Everypony here has something special to contribute."

"Yeah, then what's yours?" Rainbow interjected with a chuckle.

The white unicorn grumbled. "I... I'm not sure yet. We still have two weeks left. I'm sure I'll find something..."

"Yeah, right."

"Well, all this training has made me hungry," Pinkie randomly stated. She proceeded to take a cupcake out from seemingly thin air, and went on to eat it. The others just stared at her. "What? It's been two weeks, come on. I gotta have my sweets!" the pink pony mumbled through the food in her mouth.

As fate would have it however, Drill Sergeant Blackwind came in that very moment. And spotted the pastry. "RECRUIT PIE! WHERE DID YOU GET THAT PASTRY?!"

Surprised by the sudden voice, she and the rest of the ponies in the barracks turned their head to the pegasus in charge. In shock, the mare couldn't conjure up an answer.

"ARE YOU NOT AWARE THAT THEY ARE CONTRABAND MATERIAL?!"

Still no answer.

"Recruit Pie, you've been a strange one, I'll admit. Sometimes, it was a challenge in of itself to keep you in line! So here's a new consequence!" Blackwind turned to no direction in particular. "Because of your fellow recruit's failure to comply with rules, you will all take five laps around the camp perimeter, and you will not sleep until you finish! If you have any complaints, take it up with this pony! Is that understood?!"

"Sir, yes sir!" The ponies grumbled as they walked out, giving the perpetrator death glares on the way out. Pinkie only returned an uncomfortable sheepish grin, and followed the rest out last.

==+==

Week 3, Day 2

0500 Hours

"Pinkie Pie, you look dreadful! Did you get any sleep, because it looks like you didn't!" Rarity approached the pink pony sitting up in her bed with helf-opened bloodshot eyes and her head wobbling around.

"Oh, it's alright Rarity," Pinkie said, while trying to keep a smile through her drowsiness. "I've got plenty of energy everyday anyway."

"So... why didn't you get any sleep? Was it nightmares or something? Did it have something to do with last night? Because I'm sure we all told you that we all forgive you, knowing your personality."

"Hey, what's happenin' here?" Applejack said as she came up behind the white unicorn.

"It appears that Pinkie wasn't able to catch any sleep last night."

"Oh hey, cowpony..."

"...What? Alright, what was the matter Pinkie?"

"I was afraid you were all going to hit me with soap bars or something in my sleep after yesterday..."

"...What?"

"You know, for having a cupcake. But I couldn't resist it's tasty goodness... and all of you had to go through a workout for it. And so I thought you might all hate me for it..."

"Pinkie, why would any of us do that? We're still civilized ponies. Besides, ain't it kinda against military discipline to go around beatin' each other?"

"Let's just say I know things you don't..."

Rarity and Applejack shared a look. "Well, hearing that from her means we should really just disregard it."

"Pinkie, when we're out of boot camp, I promise you, you can bake all the cakes you'd like down in Vietnam. I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't want one myself." This seemed to cheer up Pinkie, and so she got out of bed with what energy she had.

Fortunately, after their morning run, Pinkie Pie seemed to come back to her senses. It was just as well, since today was their first day dealing with weapons. It was important information that nopony could afford to miss. The morning was filled with the specialized pony race practice. In the afternoon, they were regrouped in their own companies, and were again given their rifles. Blackwind went on to lecture them about what they needed to know about it.

"This, ponies, is a marvel of technology. I won't go too much in-depth, but I will say it was one of the best buried treasures we've ever dug up. Now apparently, those monkey things called it an 'M14', and in respect, we've ended up keeping the name. Now, this works much like a cannon, or those muskets we started experimenting with before these discoveries. This," he explained as he pointed towards a shining 7.62 cartridge, "is what the rifle uses. Much like a cannon or musket, gunpowder is ignited to fire a projectile out the barrel. That's the open cylindrical end for you numb-nuts." He continued to explain the basic operation and parts of the M14 for a couple more minutes before moving on.

"Our great scientists have re-engineered this for pony use. And it's one of the greatest things I've felt. I'm so confident in this that my Royal Guard sword is now just a mantle piece decoration. Now, right here sticking out behind the magazine is the trigger bar. You pull it with your hoof and a bullet goes flying if it's loaded. But that's not for today." After a couple more explanations on the rifle and the basic safety precautions later, he moved on to the training portion.

"You have your rifle, now you need to know how to handle it. Or, at least hone your reflexes. When you run, you will have to sling your weapon to either side of your body or hang it straight down across your chest from your neck. From there, you will be constantly drilled to quickly bring your weapon up and ready to fire. Now, from running to firing, most of the time you will transition to either a sitting position or lying prone. You can stand on your back legs, but that's your choice. If the situation allows headspace for standing, go for it if you'd like. Otherwise, it's either sitting or prone."

Once he finished instructions, he gave the orders to start running a course. It was constant repetition until their movements were fluid. After about two hours of practicing movement, they were led inside to practice maintenance work. Those that particularly enjoyed it were Rarity and Twilight. The first for the reason of how precise each piece fit together, and the second because of natural curiosity. For the following two hours, as well as the rest of the week, it was a get-to-know session between the ponies and with what would become one of their best companions where they were going.

==+==

Week 4

0900 Hours

After the regular morning drills, Drill Sergeant Blackwind led them to a different place than usual. After being given their rifles, they headed up to the North Field.

"Recruits, congratulations. You've made it to the last week of basic combat training. This entire week, the focus is on your marksponyship and other combat abilities. You have all learned how to properly handle a weapon, as well as maintain it. I've seen you all properly do it everyday last week. But knowing how to handle and maintain a weapon isn't worth shit if you don't know how to use it. That's what we're doing plenty this week. You will learn how to aim and how to fire.

"Where we're at right now, North Field, is the firing range. Targets are set up at 50 and 100 yards. You will learn to shoot lying prone, sitting, and even on your hind legs. The results of your firing will determine what weapon you will be given when you finish basic. The ones that are particularly accurate will be given the choice to keep their M14s while those under the standard required will be issued an M16 rifle instead. Now, we'll begin at 50 yards. Unicorns, for this exercise, you are not to use magic to levitate your weapons."

After he was finished speaking, he took a rifle and demonstrated how to shoot. Once finished, he directed the members of the company to individual positions to begin their training. They would rotate until all finished firing a whole magazine's worth of ammunition, at which they would then wait for Blackwind to give instructions again. Training at 50 yards took most of the morning, and they were released for lunch.

Marksponyship training at 100 yards began immediately after eating. The cycle was repeated for the ponies, albeit at a much slower pace, as they were expected to take careful shots at the longer range.

Rarity was doing just as the other recruits were. For this drill, she was firing from a prone position, as was the instructions. M14 rifle in her hooves, she took careful precision shots at 100 yards. This didn't go unnoticed by Blackwind, and prompted him to have a quick conversation with the white unicorn.

"Recruit Rarity! How are you doing so well? Most recruits take half the week to shoot half as good as this, and most don't even graduate with marksponyship as precise!"

Continuing to look down the sights, Rarity thought about her answer, and reached the simplest conclusion she could think of. As soon as her hoof pulled on the trigger bar, she explained herself. "I suppose it just feels natural to me, sir."

"Natural? I suppose I can expect precision to be natural from a mare, but still! This requires training for muscle memory, eyesight, and other things!" Blackwind thought for a little bit before asking a question. "What did you work as before you joined the Marines?"

The mare huffed. "Joined. I suppose being drafted counts as joining the military. No matter. Anyways, I was a dressmaker. Long time in the business. Well-practiced in the art of making all types of attire, made with utmost care and exactness, sir." Another touch of the trigger and another bullet towards the target.

"A dressmaker! Well, by your firing results, I assure you that you will no longer be making perfect clothes and weaving string through fabric, but instead be a tailor of death weaving bullets through enemies. You will no longer put thread through the eyes of needles, but instead thread bullets through the eyes in skulls. You've practiced precision as a tailor, and now you will continue that art in your marksponyship. I expect no less than continuous impressive results here and once you've been deployed."

As if it was emphasis on his statement, yet another flash from the muzzle of the rifle, aimed yet again at the center of the target. "Thank you sir," she replied, even though his comparisons were somewhat chilling, and possibly quite accurate, no less.

==+==

Graduation Day

Camp Hayfield, Central Field

July 19, 1015

1200 Hours

It was the final day for the ponies of the company. The day they graduate as soldiers. Still, as usual, Blackwind ordered them to go on their morning run, but quickly let them off the hook afterwards. They were given their time to prepare for the ceremony, and were given their formal dress uniforms to go along with it.

Rarity gasped as she donned the formal attire. "I remember this uniform! I actually helped design this back in the first few months of the war!"

"You helped design this? It's actually pretty awesome. I feel fancy and like a badass at the same time!" Rainbow complimented as she examined the one she wore.

"Why, yes, I did. They had a sort of competition for designers to submit uniforms under a set of guidelines and requirements. Eventually, they decided that there were too many that were either too good to pass up, too similar, or both. So they took it upon themselves to create a committee of tailors, of whom would combine their efforts to create the military formals. I was one of those lucky dressmakers. And thus, contributed to this sharp and commanding end product! Though, as much as I wanted to see how stylish it would look on myself back then, I would have never guessed that I would actually get that chance. I still can't decide if I like being in it, given the reason why I'm wearing it in the first place."

"Well, no use mopin' over it," Applejack remarked. "You've already passed basic trainin', which I'm admittedly impressed you did, and we're about to be shipped out tomorrow. You're being sent off and there's definitely nothin' you can do about it no more, so you might as well enjoy having this on."

"I think Applejack's right," Twilight added. "Since there's no use fighting against fate at this point, you might as well enjoy your own work. It is sharp and formal. I like it very much, Rarity. In fact, I'm only sad because of the memories of your older works it brings back."

For a moment, a dark shadow hovered over the mood of the five. Sensing this, Pinkie decided to play her usual role and resolve the situation.

"Come on now, Twilight, it's supposed to be a happy day!" Then thought about it a little bit, resulting in a slight backfire. "At least, I think it is. I mean, we're getting sent off to war and all, but we're graduating as proud, accomplished ponies! Even if we were trained to kill! But that's only for a good reason, right? So come on, girls, at least enjoy the day! Drill Sergeant Blackwind even let me bake cupcakes for everypony today!"

It's the thought that counts, and even though her dialogue wasn't exactly uplifting, the other four realized her efforts to cheer them up. It was not for her words, no, but for the personality that the pink pony failed to stop radiating. The cupcakes were also a nice bonus.

By the afternoon, the ponies were all assembled outside, ready to receive the official word of graduation and induction into the Equestrian Marines. They marched in perfect harmony, and stood proud as they were taught during their one month of boot camp. The ceremony was carried out, and generally spirits were high. It was hard to think of the gruesome future just after an accomplishment in their life.

"Private Pie, these cupcakes are delicious! Be sure to bake some of these for the boys down in 'Nam; they deserve it. And as the Element of Laughter, I recall, keep the spirits up. Sad soldiers aren't as good as bright and happy," Drill Sergeant Blackwind commented.

"Sir, yes sir!" Pinkie cheerfully replied.

Elsewhere in the throng of graduates and instructors, Twilight was in a conversation of her own. "Drill Sergeant Edge? You asked to speak with me earlier, sir."

"Ah, yes. Private Sparkle, I was a Royal Guard for a long time. I even served under your brother. I miss those days. I still remember them clearly, including the days when Equestria fell back on you and your friends. Tell me, Private, how did you come to be here? I'm sure Celestia would never let you be drafted in, so the only way would be to enlist. But why would a mare such as yourself do that?"

"Sir, I admit, I would never in my life would have made that choice if not for the events that transpired a month ago. The rest of my friends, the other Elements, were drafted. And I couldn't bear to just stay in the safety of home while they didn't have a choice."

Dusk Edge looked down solemnly. "This war really became that bad, huh? It's a very noble action of you, Private Sparkle, and I give you all my respect for it. Though I'd love to know how the Elements of Harmony were conscripted."

"Believe me, I already took it up with the Princess, and I'd rather not explain it. It's quite frustrating, I'll tell you that."

"Well then, Miss Sparkle, I send you off with good wishes. We'd rather you not fall in combat, never to be seen again. Ones such as you do not deserve to be here in the first place. I warn you now, when you come out of that war, you may not recognize who you are anymore. It's an occupational hazard of being trained and sent off to kill. So good luck out there. You're a Marine now. We're honored to have ones such as you and your friends with us, even under these dire circumstances. More importantly, return safely. And that's an order."

"Sir, yes sir."