Fallen

I stumbled drunkly out of a large mansion that sat on a hill, inhaling and exhaling quickly, not able to catch my breath. My chest heaved futilely, my red and black plaid shirt feeling tighter than ever, before I was able to calm myself just the slightest. "What the," I took in a large breath, "hell was that." I exhaled. All I remembered was that I was twirling a bottle of Applejack Daniel's between my hooves before a loud 'Bang!' sounded. The bottle crashed to the floor from me being too frightened (and drunk) to catch it. I had heard aggressive voices coming in my direction so I decided to get out of there. Only now did it occur to me that I should have stayed behind for my friends whom, from what I could tell, had stayed behind.

Looking around at my environment, vision slightly impaired thanks to my dear alcohol and me being under-aged for drinking, I could barely make out the shapes of... bodies? Oh, Celestia, there were bodies everywhere. Bodies of ponies that I knew lined the streets of Zeitnahmare. Bodies of ponies that I loved and cared about. Bodies of ponies. They were blood-covered, many eyes barely opening, mouths hanging ajar. I had walked close to one who was wriggling around slightly, but I couldn't tell who they were from the blood and dirt that matted their mane and coat. I pressed my hoof, which sported a leather wristband with golden text on it, to their chest. A faint, yet slow beating was what I had felt. It started to slow down even more. And more. And more. I took in a brisk breath, waiting for the next beat to come. Waiting for the next beat to follow in suit. It never did.

My throat ached, and my eyes watered, and I had all of these emotions that I couldn't comprehend thanks to the alcohol. So I did what anyone who was in a drunken-state and had just witnessed someone dying would do. I cried.

The effect of alcohol wearing off slightly, I was able to plant my sienna colored hooves strongly into the ground, stretching out my reddish wings before folding them back down. I turned my head around, long, brown and dark-blond mane falling over my yellow eyes. I blew out of my mouth, blowing some of my mane out of the way of my eye-sight. "Tsh, I need a manecut..." I muttered to myself. I stared off at the horizon seeing my hometown, Zeitnahmare, a Germane-based town that was about forty-five minutes outside of Manehattan, off in the distance. I sucked in a sharp breath, ears drooping slightly. I still can't believe that my last few moments there were just me fooling around with a bottle of whiskey, giggling with some of my bandmates, way too drunk to really talk about anything except Princess Celestia's huge-ass.

I was able to get a soft laugh out of myself as I thought about that. I'm not sure if we talked about something as idiotic as that because we were under-age drinking, being at the ages of 15-17, or that literally anyone who gets drunk speaks about Princess Celestia's huge-ass.

"Hehe, it is pretty huuuuOOOOH SHIT." Another loud 'Boom!' sounded, a large plume of smoke rising up out of the center of Zeitnehmare. And there went town hall. I heard loud crows of which sounded like victory and I knew that the Griffons won our town. Though it was a small town, it was another place to make camp at and territory was rather important in wars. Man, I hate wars. Innocent people die left and right and even if it might be for some large, important point, it doesn't mean that I and others have to enjoy it. Because I sure as hell don't.

After I had thought for some time, watching my hometown and the others that I had loved go up in flames, I turned around, walking down the side of the hill I stood on. I looked over my shoulder, the smoke starting to clear slightly, but I didn't want to stick around to see what would come out of it.

"Next stop, Manehattan..."

Walking to Manehattan while slightly intoxicated was a terrible idea and I have no idea why I did that, but the bottom-line was that I made it there. Everywhere around me was chaos. I actually saw a few ponies from Zeitnahmare there, but I was too confused with all of the bustle happening to really talk to them. The ponies were all ranging from high-class to, well, lower-class. Ones that looked like they were pumped straight out of Canterlot to ones that looked like they had gone to Everfree and back.

"Peasants..." I heard a mare dressed in a long, jeweled dress, head held high, mutter. I shot her an angry glare that she didn't seem to notice, but I quickly forgot about it.

"This war tears us apart! Be joined together now with ones that understand by joining me! I shall journey away to a peaceful area and you may come, too!" I heard a stallion dressed in a tattered suit, his hair all out of sorts, call out. A few ponies stared at him and I wasn't sure whether is was because it was too-good-to-be-true or that it just seemed totally insane. Quite frankly, I thought it was the latter. I saw others that seemed to be in his mental-state join him, and as much as I was curious, I didn't want to join him and the others.

"Wait a second," I muttered. "Rocky?" I whispered. The one I mentioned didn't seem to hear me. "Rocky Core!?" I called out. A light brown, orange-maned, blue-eyed earth pony turned around. He flashed me a smile which warmed me up the slightest. Rocky was a friend back in Zeitnahmare and we were both in a band named the 'Golden Eagles.' I had gotten drunk with him the day before.

"Charge! Boy, am I glad ta' see ya' mah' freckled friend!" he called back to me in his thick, Appleloosan accent.

"Same goes here! I can't believe that you made it here after the attack!" I said as I walked towards him, bumping our hooves together. I then turned serious, but still a small smile playing on my snout. "But why are you going with this lunatic?" I asked, motioning to the stallion who had the tattered suit, that my friend was talking to just moments ago until I interrupted their conversation.

Rocky grinned at me. "He seems ta' know what 'e's doin' so I'm goin' with 'em!"

My lips went taut at that. "He's going to get you killed. He has no idea what he's doing." I deadpanned. "I actually think he's drunk." The stallion just seemed too optimistic in this all. He also spoke in a confused way almost as if he was just making up what he was saying along the way, in my opinion, so I wasn't about to trust him with my life. Taking us to a peaceful area? Eh, not too sure about that. Practically everywhere had warfare in it.

Rocky frowned at what I said. "Whaddaya' mean by that? Ah won't be killed. He's leadin' me ta' safety!" he chirped.

"You just met him. How can you trust him? You barely even spoke a word to him!"

"Ya' haven't even talked ta' him! Ah've at least said a few words!"

"I just don't want you to die!"

"Ah won't, Charge!"

"Then you just go, I'm not stopping." I whispered to him.

"Ah was already plannin' to." He said back to me, equal in quietness.

That was the last time I talked to Rocky Core, and it would remain that way. I watched as my ex-friend walked in a group of about fifteen towards the edge of town. They disappeared out of my sight as they went over a hill and that was that. I knew that I started the fight, in a way, if it even was that. We were all just so tense thanks to the attack the day before.

The sun was slowly starting to go down, and I knew that it was dangerous to travel at night so I just hoped that Rocky's group had rested for the night and made camp. We might have fought, but I still cared about him. He was my friend, and I'm not that cold-hearted. ... Or I at least don't think I am.

I looked around, the "Town Square" starting to clear up. I flexed out my wings, wincing in pain as I did so. I cocked my head, inspecting my wing. There was some torn skin and a couple deep bruises that I was too numb to really feel until I put stress on the injuries. With a shrug, I folded them back down, looking around to find a place to rest. I didn't really know anyone in Manehattan so I started to walk the streets, looking for something, anything, to use as a headrest or blanket. I was definitely going to be sleeping on the streets.

'The fuck is that?' I thought lazily as I felt something jabbing at the side of my head. I felt bright, hot sunlight beating down on my face so I brought a hoof over my eyes to shield it away before opening them. In my view, there were three little colts poking at me with a few sticks but as soon as they saw me look at them, they screamed, running off as quickly as their little hooves could carry them. With a groan, I rubbed the side of my head, feeling something warm on my hoof. It was blood. "Looks like those kids left their mark..." I muttered. I got up, stretching, before 'cracking' a few bones in my body. From my neck, to my back, to my hind legs.

Staring back up at the sky, I craned my neck, making a thoughtful look. "Hrm... looks to be about, I wanna say, eight o'clock." I muttered to myself. I knew that the city would be wide awake by this time, but it was Sunday and Sundays were always quiet and lazy, even in a large city like Manehattan. I straightened my flannel shirt's collar, redo-ing the buttons that were out of place, and exited the alley way I was resting in.

What was in my line of view wasn't much. Simply a few business that were struggling to stay open thanks to the war, ponies doing early errands, and a few posters taped on a pole. Trotting towards the pole, I squinted at the text written across as certain poster:

WE NEED YOU. JOIN THE EQUESTRIAN MILITARY TODAY AND HELP WIN THE WAR. ALL HELPING HOOVES ARE WELCOME. ENLIST TODAY.

There was then a picture of both of the princesses with a few royal guards saluting them. Man, it looked cheesy as hell.

"Huh," was all that could escape my mouth. Me enlisting in the Equestrian Military? Preposterous! I wasn't army material at all! I was just a coward, a tall but frail guy who didn't know the first thing about using a gun. I still am a coward, actually. I was afraid, uncourageous, not the type to put my life on the line to fight for my land! At the same time, though, joining the military seemed like the best option to me. There really wasn't anything left for me to do, or at least in my opinion. I could have gotten a job as a barkeep, but I was sixteen, being too young to drink, much less serve the alcohol. 'I could be a mail boy, or a chef, or a mechanist, or a- STOP.' I thought. Stopping my thoughts, I rubbed my head with a hoof. All of those jobs didn't really feel like they meant anything. They didn't feel right. Swallowing my pride, I searched for the address on the poster and that was that.

As I made my way down the street after finding the address and heading in the general direction, a conversation stopped me.

"Yea, can you believe it? The group that left town was attacked by Griffons within an hour!" I heard a voice say.

There was a snort. "You mean that crazy nutcase with the torn up clothes? Why would anyone go with him!" Another snort followed. "Serves them right. Why would they trust him? They died thanks to him! 'Peaceful area' my ass!" The two talking started to chuckle a bit.

My eyes widened in fear. Rocky went with that guy. Good ol' Rocky. The down to earth, lovable earth pony whom I had argued with the day before. He was... dead? My eyes stung again, but I kept it in. No use crying now. 'Don't cry you dolt. You can't be a soldier if you cry over everything.' I thought.

As soon as my tears felt like they had subsided, I turned my head up to look at a banner. It looked brand new, considering that it wasn't torn or destroyed like everything else. LIVE STRONG. ARMY STRONG. 'This is the place.' I lifted up a hoof, and it suddenly felt heavy as lead. I scrunched my eyes shut, inhaling and exhaling, taking in long, deep breaths. I lifted up my head, looked forward, and huffed out once.

I was going to become a soldier.