Royal Guard Academy

It wasn’t long before everyone from Flight 25 was back outside. And unfortunately, a few of them were still chatting when Eagle came to meet them.

“What, having a nice conversation there?” she demanded. They fell silent. “No, don’t let me stop you. It must have been very important.”

No one spoke.

“That’s what I thought. Hmph, I think I know who I’ll be picking for latrine crew later. Ugh, why are you all in a gaggle? Come on, get formed up. I’m going to teach you some of the basics of marching, some facing movements, and then we’re going for a little walk over to the finance building so we can get your pay set up. Which I’m sure you’ll all agree is very important! Now move your rumps. I’m gonna have to tall or tap you all again.”

Tempest just went ahead to the front of the second element, knowing she was the tallest in her column. They were organized, and then put at rest. Eagle showed them some movements, doing each multiple times so they could see how it was done. Then she had them spend a few minutes practicing. First at a standstill, and then while marching. Tempest found it fun. There was something enjoyable about smoothly pivoting to turn herself sharply to the right or left.

“I guess that’ll do for now. It’s a short trip anyway.” Eagle began marching them. “How about a little marching jodie to help you stay in step? I sing one line, you repeat it, I sing the next, you repeat that! Ready? Everywhere we go!”

There were hesitant replies from the trainees, who were unsure if she was serious about singing. “Everywhere we go.”

“What was that? Come on, I can’t hear you! We’ll try again! Everywhere we go!”

Louder, they called, “Everywhere we go!”

“Ponies wanna know!”

“Ponies wanna know!”

“Who we are!”

“Who we are!”

“So we tell them!”

“So we tell them!”

Eagle sang proudly, “We’re the Royal Guard!”

“We’re the Royal Guard!”

“The powerhouse Royal Guard!”

“The powerhouse Royal Guard!”

“We’re the Royal Guard!”

“We’re the Royal Guard!”

“The badass Royal Guard!”

“The badass Royal Guard!” they shouted back.

“Haha, isn’t that great? And look at you all, actually in step!”

Tempest found that the singing was very useful for keeping to a beat. She hoped they did it more.

“Let’s sing it again and then we should be there.”

They went through the tune again, and by the time it was done, they were being told to halt outside the finance office. They had made a few turns along the way, which they had stumbled through, but Eagle said they would work on it.

“So you’ll be going in, doing some paperwork, and they’ll get you on the payroll. They will also be issuing you each one hundred bits. But don’t get excited, it’s not for spending on cookies and earrings. It will be for buying necessities at the shop throughout your training. Hygiene stuff, watches, those clipboards I mentioned, envelopes and stamps. Things you need. If you want something, buy it with your own bits. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Alright. In we go. Just like the chow hall, one element at a time. Get in there, we have a lot to do today.”

They headed in. The paperwork was pretty boring, but the employees in the finance office were enlisted guard members and much more polite than the TIs. They worked fairly quickly though, obviously understanding how busy their schedule was.

When Tempest received her pouch of bits, she thanked them and slid it into her study guide bag, and moved along. She was given a final check to make sure her information was good, and then she was waved along. She followed the line back outside.

They spent about twenty minutes waiting for everyone to finish up. There were a few issues with some ponies, such as those who had bank accounts and wanted to file that information away. But finally they were all done.

“About time,” Eagle said. “Next, we’re going to the ID card office, then we’re getting your life insurance sorted out. Off we go.”

They spent the next few hours on in-processing. They all received ID cards with their photos on them. They filed their life insurance, designating who would get paid in the event of their death, as well as who the remains go to. That was a little depressing, but necessary. Equestria was at peace right now but anything could happen.

They were given holders for their cards that they could wear around their necks, and they all put them on along with their keys.

They took a break for lunch. It went a little more smoothly, but some of them still got chewed out for talking or for walking with food in their mouths. After lunch was a trip to finally pick up their armor.

“Now as trainees, your armor will have no rank,” Eagle said as they waited outside the building. “You haven’t earned it. Upon graduation, depending on your contract, you will be allowed to get your rank attached. Some of you will be lieutenants, but a lucky few I’m sure will start off as captains. I hope you all remember your hoof sizes. Let’s go.”

They went in. This building seemed to employ only civilians, who were polite but also efficient. They guided them through a large room, having them pick up blanket-like clothing that would be worn under their armor, then had them go into a smaller room to get the armor itself.

Here, several mares examined them, taking measurements before going to get the right armor pieces. They were also each given a duffel bag to store the extra armor in, as they were all being issued four sets.

The armor was fairly simple, consisting of a gold piece that covered their chest and back, with a blue star in the front. Ponies with wings got pieces with openings toward the sides they could fit their wings through.

They were directed to put one on and put the rest in their bags. They did so, and as each finished they were told to go back into the main room.

Tempest found the armor to be more comfortable than she expected. It was a little heavier than the armor she used when she served the Storm King, but she didn’t mind.

Tossing her duffel bag onto her back, she went to the main room. Here, they were all being given helmets. Each received two. The mare that Tempest approached had to try a few different sizes, commenting, “Oh dear, you’re quite a bit larger than most. Not that it’s a bad thing, you’re very imposing!”

“Thanks,” Tempest replied, then winced at the next helmet that was pulled onto her. It was quickly removed.

“Oh sorry, I grabbed one of the ones without a hole for your horn. Here, try this.”

The new one was slid on, and Tempest lowered her head to press her horn through the opening. This helmet fit well, and she nodded in approval. She didn’t like how it somewhat limited her vision, but she supposed she could deal with it.

“Perfect. Here’s your extra.” The mare passed it over, and Tempest put it in her bag. “The crest is a default blue right now, but once you graduate you can take it in to any clothing issue store and they can swap it out for one that matches your mane.”

“Sounds good.” Tempest had been wondering about that.

“Now if you could go over to pick up your shoes.”

“Got it.” She walked to the next part of the building, where rows and rows of boxes covered the wall. She told the employee there her hoof size, and she went to grab a box.

“Here, try these. They should be snug but not painful.”

Tempest sat down toward the side, where the others were trying on their own shoes. She slid on the shiny gold shoes, fitting them carefully around her hooves. She took a moment to really reflect on this. Here she was, donning Royal Guard armor. This was really happening. It was pretty exciting.

She got all four shoes on and stood, taking some curious steps. They fit. She looked herself over, and nodded in approval. She found an employee and gave her the empty box. “They fit.”

“Ooh, first try, am I great or what?” The box was put in a pile, and a second was opened. “Here’s your spares, don’t lose them.”

Tempest took them and stored them away.

“And you’re all done! You’ll come back in the fifth week to get fitted for your formal clothes, but for now, you’re good to go. Join your flight outside.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Tempest checked that her bag was latched shut and secure on her back, then trotted outside. She fell into place in the formation, where the others were admiring themselves.

Zinnia seemed in awe at her own armor. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m actually here,” she said.

“Heh, believe it,” Tempest replied. “You look great.”

“Thank you. But let me tell you, it was a nightmare getting my mane under this helmet. I might go get it cut a bit shorter.”

“Might be good.” Tempest didn’t say anything else, not wanting to get in trouble.

Eagle came out with the last gaggle of trainees. She went to stand in front of the formation, looking them all over. “Look at you all. How’s that armor feel? Does it feel good? Starting to feel proud to be in training to become a royal guard?”

“Yes, ma’am,” several of them replied.

“Well you all certainly seem to be in good spirits. Let’s see how long that lasts, because next up is your medical appointment.”

That immediately dampened the mood.

“Right then, off we go.” They were given the forward command, and started for one of the other buildings across the campus. They sang another song as they went, this one about a brave royal guard who left home to serve Equestria and ended up dying in combat. It was depressing, which made it almost funny that they were singing it in such a hyper tone.

“I love that one,” Eagle said. Of course she did.

When they were taken into the clinic, they were joined by brother flight, who filed in behind them, also wearing armor. They were split up to sit on two sides of a large room, setting their duffel bags in front of them.

“You’ll probably be here for an hour or so,” Eagle said. “So I’m heading back to the dorm, I’ll be back to get you later. Behave, listen to the doctors, and mind your manners. That goes for you too, stallions.” She walked toward the door, nodding to a mare in scrubs. “They’re all yours, Sergeant.”

“Thank you, ma’am. Alright, listen up, trainees!” She walked to the front of the room, levitating a clipboard. “I’m Dr. Glow. Today you will all go through some mandatory medical procedures. We need to make sure you’re healthy, fit, and ready to fight. Many of you were required to submit reports from your doctors with your applications, but some got in on recommendations and skipped that step, and some of you may have gotten your doctors to lie. So we’re going to make sure you’re all good to go. You will have blood drawn to test for different diseases, and then you will receive immunizations. Exciting, right? Well, let’s not waste any time, we need to get through forty of you.” Dr. Glow looked toward a row of chairs where other physicians were waiting. “We’re going to call you up by name. When it’s your turn, go to an open chair and do what the doctor says. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” they replied.

“Oh, and go ahead and take off your helmets and armor. You can leave the shoes on if you want. Just remember where you were sitting.”

There was metallic rustling as armor was pulled off and set down. Tempest looked around, carefully noting where she was.

It was only a couple minutes until they were being called to the chairs. Their names seemed to go in alphabetical order, so Tempest let herself relax. She watched as ponies went to sit, and had their blood drawn into several tubes.

Afterward, the spot was bandaged and they were sent along to another room. The room must not have been very big, because the line soon started stretching out into the main room. But it soon started moving, and ponies were walking out wincing, with a clear limp in one of their back legs. Tempest found that intriguing.

Then her name was called, and she went over to an available chair and sank into it.

“Good afternoon ma’am, doing alright?” the doctor asked.

“Could be worse,” Tempest replied.

He laughed. “Been hearing that all day. You allergic to iodine?”

“Not as far as I know.”

He rubbed a wipe against her foreleg, and had her rest it against the armrest. Then he pulled a band around her upper leg and tightened it. He felt along her coat, then pressed his wrist to a certain spot and waited. Then he nodded. “There we go. Just making sure I know where the vein is. Alright, you may feel a slight pinch.” He slid the needle in.

Tempest looked away, not reacting to the sharp sting. She’s felt worse. She waited as he drew the blood into tubes, glancing down to watch once the pain faded. Once the doctor had all he needed, he pulled the needle out and pressed a piece of cotton to the injection site, directing Tempest to hold it there. She did while he cleaned up, labeling all the tubes carefully and bundling them. They were set in a holder, and he took hold of the cotton, taping it down and then wrapping a thicker bandage around it.

“Bigger bandage can come off in an hour, smaller in four,” he said. “Now go ahead and get in line over there.”

“Yes, sir.” She got up and went over to the line. That wasn’t so bad. She watched the ponies coming out of the next room. Judging from the way they rubbed their shoulders once they sat down, they had gotten shots. Oh, that’ll be fun.

They steadily filed into the room. And once Tempest was in, she saw exactly what was happening. First a particularly large needle was stuck right in each pony’s flank. And then, a few steps later, a doctor approached them from each side, giving simultaneous injections, slapping band-aids on, and sending them out. Well then.

To quote a particular princess, looks like the fun has been doubled.