2

You toss and turn in the night having constant dreams and nightmares. Eventually you awaken in a puddle of sweat, panting in terror. You stand and quickly look to the clock hoping you did not over sleep. Three A.M… you sigh and try to decide to go back to sleep or to go earlier then you planned. You decide to go early; if you fall back asleep you guarantee you will oversleep.

You go shower off the sweat and head outside back to the recruiting office. When you get there you see that everyone else is already there, including Liquid Flame, you fall in line next to him. “When did you get here?” you ask

“bout a half hour ago.”  He answers yawning loudly.

“Did you even sleep last night?” you notice large bags under his eyes and even a slight droop in his horn.

“No, not really.”

You shake your head disapprovingly and see the recruiter walking over with another pony that you notice to be spitfire the wonderbolt

Spitfire begins. “I’m surprised how many of you actually showed up.” Spitfire begins walking up and down the line of ponies giving each a look of stern approval. “To start off we are going to separate the colts from the stallions, and the filly’s from the mares, by doing a quick five lap trot around the Ponyville perimeter !”

A pony you don’t recognize looks over to you “she does know that’s like five miles a lap, right?” you shrug and shake your head and think, yes, this will separate the colts from the stallions.

Spitfire at the front of the pack signals for you to begin, most of the ponies begin trotting and some pegasi open their wings prepared for flight. “HALT!” yells spitfire “What do you pegasi think you’re doing, I said Trot!” The pegasi jump in shock and put their wings down. “NOW GALLOP!”  They begin galloping as fast as they can to attempt to catch up with you and the others. When they catch up they all sigh and mumble obscenities of which spitfire notices but chooses to ignore.

An hour passes and most are still trotting strong, all but a few of the weaker ponies that are struggling to keep up. Spitfire is still going strong in front “come on, that’s only one lap. If you’re going to give up after one lap you better go home yourself and save me the trouble of sending you home in a body bag!” you and Liquid Flame are near the back still trotting and watching as a few struggling earth ponies finally give up and stop, receiving a disapproving glance by Spitfire then turn and walk away saddened.

Hours and hours pass causing the remainder of the group to begin to slow, even spitfire. The group is thinning to not even half of its original number. You are about to give up when out of nowhere and after what seems like a full day of running, spitfire yells “stop!”, takes several deep breaths, then looks back surprised how many stayed. “Wow, you ponies mean businesses…” she walks away to the office with the remaining group following behind , including you, liquid flame, a muscular earth pony, 6 pegasi and 4 unicorns.

When you all arrive at the office you drink deeply and allow yourself to fully catch your breath for the first time today. “I would like to congratulate you all for making it this far, I would like too but sadly we haven’t done anything worth congratulating yet.” You notice spitfires voice and turn to her alongside Liquid flame and the others. “Tonight you will all board a train heading for Canterlot for a mandatory meeting with the princesses about future war plans.”

Everypony but you and Liquid Flame get excited about the opportunity of meeting the princesses, you and liquid on the other hand have your minds stuck on ‘war plans’. You step forward “future war plans?”

“Of Corse, that’s why your all here isn’t it.”

“Yes, but I wasn’t aware there was a war right now!”

“I guess the castle is doing well keeping it a secret. Everyone gathers around!” everypony gathers around spitfire. “Just a couple of days ago Equestria was attacked by the nation of North Haliaera, one of the many griffin nations. The castle requested to keep the attack a secret because we have acquired a weapon unavailable to the griffins.” Everypony in the group looks to each other then back at spitfire curiously all mentally asking the same thing until she realizes and decides to answer. “I don’t know any details of the so called secret weapon; best keep it to yourself and let it stay a secret.”

By now it is getting late.  After your long gallop and spitfires speech, you’re surprised only a day went by and not an entire week. You’re in mid-sentence with Liquid Flame when spitfire walks back into the room and tells everypony that it is time for them to head to the train station.