"Welcome recruits!" Dark Light's voice echoed across the hall where 1000 recruits stood, most still half asleep due to it being four in the morning, "I am Master Protector Dark Light, your commandeer, and I am here to make sure that you don't DIE out in the field." she was pacing a raised podium that allowed everypony to see her. "I am not going to sugar coat this: This training is going to be long and hard, it is probably going to be the worst hell most of you will ever experience. Look around you, by the end of training, probably only anywhere from 30-50 of you will move on and earn your silver wings. You will be broken down, beaten, destroyed, then rebuilt as a part of a group that will go through to the ends of the earths for each other. Now the training sargents and I aren't the usual namby-pamby trainers who just tell you what to do, we will be right there beside you whenever you can." Dark paused for a little bit to take in the crowd, "You will be allowed to leave at any time, just pack your stuff and see your barracks master. You can leave right now, no hassle, just get back on that bus and we'll pretend we never even met. Nopony? Ok then, one more warning, and one more chance; the second week of training is called the Week of the Damned for a reason. You will never get more than five hours of sleep in that week, the sounds of battle will be constantly played at a realistic volume, and you will spend every waking moment working like you are under attack. Any takers to leave? No? ALRIGHT TRAINEES, GET TO YOUR STAFF SARGENT, YOU HAVE 60 SECONDS OR YOU ALL ARE RUNNING 10 MILES TOMORROW! PEGASI OVER THERE, UNICORNS OVER THERE, EARTH PONIES OVER THERE! GO GO GO GO!"
Jester nodded before moving to were instructed. She said nothing but looked at who was in the unicorns out of boredom.
"30 SECONDS!" Dark yelled at the mass of churning recruits. She loved doing this oh so much, it was one of the few highlights of her job.
Cyanside had meanwhile been walking around until she was behind Dark, almost right next to him. "olleH ereht, ym s'eman edisnayC, era uoy gniog ot eb eht ynop gniod lla eht gnitcurtsni, dna eht gnituohs, dna eht "puH..2..3..4"gni. hO siht si gniog ot eb os chum nuf." Cyanside said with a goofy smile on her face. "You sign up for the military, and this is how you act the moment you get their Cyan? And what the heck did you just say? Even i can't understand that" I saw gnikaeps sdrawkcab "How are you even able to think backwards?"
Freedom ran in an instant to were he was supposed to go, and stood valiantly in the group of earth ponies, a little out of place as he had a mechanic hoof for his right instead of a normal one. "Heh. Karl has met Dark. I wonder how she'll react if i mention him to 'er." He muttered quietly to himself, with a small smirk emerging on his face.
"Alright! TIME'S UP!" Dark yelled at the group below, "Now, you made it in time, but taking sixty seconds to move just a few dozen yards will get you killed, so tomorrow, you shall be learning to hussle in running a mile let's say 6 minutes. DISMISSED!"
Redux got out of his cot reluctantly, knowing what was coming. He thought back to basic training, and recalled some of the harder days of training. Still, he signed up for this knowing full well what would be expected of him, and with a determined look on his face, followed the others out to the training area.
