Hey guys sorry it took me a while to post. School took up my life and my muse. Anyway here is chapter 4. Thank you for all the awesome reviews. I really appreciate them.
I Do Not Own MLP In Anyway.
Finally, after putting the guards through another 2 hours of strenuous exercises, Greywhoof told them to go grab lunch. Nightwing and Silvermist went to mess hall trying to massage their sore muscles.
"Man Night. Why did that guard have to back talk Greywhoof? We would have been there all day is some pony didn't put a hoof over his mouth. Thank the goddess he is quitting this training program. That makes 25 ponies in one day. I wonder how many will be left by the end of the week?" Said Silvermist
"Don't know, but I'm starving. Let's grab some grub." Nightwing replied. Then got the food and sat down at a table. Just when Nightwing was about to eat, a mare comes up to the table. "May I sit here? They won't let me sit at the other table, something about me being a mare." She said.
"Sure I don't have a problem with it. What about you Night?" Said Silver. "Nah, no problem. Name's Nightwing and this is Silvermist. What's your name?" Nightwing asked. "My name is Icewing." She replied as she sat down next to Silver. She was a Pegasus. Her coat was white with blue tipped wings as well as her mane and tail. Her cutie mark was that of snowflake.
"So what made you join the guard?" Asked Silver.
"Well, it was when I was young. It was a sunny and beautiful day. It was the day of the Summer Sun Celebration and there was a huge festival in town. I was heading there with my parents. Well along the way, a pony ran off with some ponies' bits and was getting away. But out of what seemed to be nowhere, a royal guard pony slammed into him knocking him to the ground. The Thief was out cold and arrested and the guard that stop him was thanked by the mare whose bits were stolen. I saw how the guard protected ponies and from then on I wanted to be one of them. So why did you two join the guard."
"Well Silver here joined to attract the mares of that I'm sure. I joined because my father, my grandfather, and my great grandfather were all in the guard. I decided to follow in their hoofsteps." Said Nightwing.
"Hey that's not the only reason I joined the guard. I also look good in uniform." Said Silvermist.
Icewing laughed and then replied. "So how do you like the guard so far?"
"It has its ups and downs. It would be a lot better with all those laps every morning but you can't have everything." Said Silver. Nightwing was about to say something when Greywhoof yelled out. "OKAY YOU LAZY MAGGOTS. LUNCH TIME IS OVER, AND I HOPE YOU HAVEN'T EATEN A LOT BECAUSE I WANT 30 LAPS AROUND THE CASTLE."
All three of them groaned as they got up and put there trays with the rest of the others to be washed. They went outside and began their laps occasionally speaking with each other as they ran. For the next 4 hours they were put threw another set of strenuous exercises. They were finally given a break at the end of the day.
They spent the time relaxing and stretching sore muscles they didn't even know they had. After a while of relaxation it was time to turn in. Ice was the first to leave followed by Silver. Night stayed up for a little bit longer then headed to bed.
He started dreaming, He was flying. It was night and he was really high above a crowd but they didn't seem to see him. He looked around and saw another figure. He couldn't make it out, as if he was covered in shadows. He appeared to be saying something but he couldn't hear anything or make out the words.
The next thing he knew the figured charged at him and he felt a sharp and cold pain in his stomach. He started falling, the ground coming closer and closer. He vision fading to black as he heard some pony scream. He awoke panting and covered in sweat. Unable to get back to sleep he got up and went outside in hopes to calm his fast beating heart.
He stepped outside the brisk cold wind cooling him down. It was very early morning with the moon and stars still up. It had a calming effect on him. He stayed out there for bit, just resting and getting his heart rate to settle down. "Couldn't sleep soldier?" came a voice behind him. He turned around and saw Breezetail approach.
"Yeah nerves I guess." Was his reply. "Don't worry the first couple days will probably be nerve wrecking but you'll get used to it. You should get some sleep. We're taking you all to the everfree forest tomorrow." Said Breezetail.
"The everfree forest? Why are we heading there?"
"Mostly to help train for survival scenarios. We are splitting you up into teams of three and you will have to survive for the day. But anyway I have said too much, we will tell you the rest in the morning. Now go get some sleep." He said.
Nightwing went back to his bed and laid back down. He fell into a light dreamless sleep. He woke to the sound of Greywhoof barking. "GET UP AND REPORT TO THE YARD!" Nightwing groaned and got ready. He joined Silver and Icewing outside. Both of the instructors explained what had been said to him last night to the rest of the guards.
Some of the guards groaned, somewhere trembling in excitement, others in fear. There have been tales of ponies going into the forest and never coming out ever again. They read off the names for who were going to be in a group. Luckily for Nightwing, it was going to be him, Silver, and Ice.
The soldiers would take a train to the forest and a base camp would be set up next to the forest. They would enter and have to survive one night. If you couldn't handle it, you were gone. They spent most of the morning on the train and the rest setting up the camp. After the camp was set up, the groups were given a map and a bag of supplies for each of them.
The bag contained two water skins, food rations, first aid kit, flint and steel, and rope. Nightwing, Silver, and Icewing grabbed their supplies and gave Silver the map. They headed deep into the forest avoiding anything that looked remotely dangerous. They spent a good couple hours walking through the forest and by the time they found a clearing suitable for a campsite, the sun was starting to descend.
Nightwing started setting up the tents while Icewing searched firewood. Silver said he was going to go do something or another, But they couldn't catch what he heard. It was starting to get dark and Silver had yet to come back. Nightwing had finished setting up the tents and Ice came back with plenty of firewood.
They were starting to get worried and Nightwing was about to suggest he go look for him when they heard a loud yell and Silvermist came bursting out of the forest and was heading straight …. past them. Nightwing was about to ask why he was running when they heard a terrible roar come from where Silver burst through.
It took two seconds for Nightwing and Icewing to get and run after Silver. They manage to catch up to him as they ran past a stream. "Want to tell me what's going on Silver? What are we running from exactly?" Nightwing asked.
"Well my friend, we are running from a troll. A very pissed off troll."
"WHAT!?" Said Nightwing and Icewing at the same time.
"What could have been possibly doing to piss off a troll? I thought those things were extinct." Nightwing said as they ran through some dense brush. They heard another loud roar much closer behind them.
"Less talk, more run. I'll explain later." Silver replied. They kept running heading for my denser trees, trying to lose the troll. The roars kept getting louder and louder and Nightwing glanced behind him and could actually get glimpses of the creature and it was HUGE. If it managed to catch up to them, it could do some serious damage.
"Guys it's gaining on us, run faster." He yelled. They ran eve faster putting their legs and adrenaline to the test. As they ran the forest became denser and denser and the branches constantly whipped them in and gave them some cuts. Still the creature was gaining on them until for some reason it stopped. It let out one final roar and then turned around and left.
"huff-I think-huff-we're safe." Panted Silver.
"I wondered why it stopped, it was gaining on us." Said Nightwing.
"We'll be thankful it did.-huff- I don't think I could have ran another step." Huffed Icewing.
"Anyway lets go back. We have to gather our supplies and move." Said Nightwing.
"Lets rest first. There is a clearing over there from what I can see." Said Silvermist.
There was no argument as they were all tired. They walked over into the giant clearing. They entered the clearing, and proceeded to walk into a giant pond of quicksand.
