A Warrior's Heart of Gold

Soain walked through his camp. The other soldiers were too busy to look up at him as they were being ether bandaged or just being checked up on. Soarin entered a small tent with two beds with wooden chests at the end. Between the two was a tall shelf. Soarin walked up to it and gazed at a small framed picture. It had a small layer of dust on it. It was a photo of Soarin and Rainbow Dash standing in front of Sugarcube Corner. It was the only picture he possessed of her and was a prized possession to him. He held the picture to his chest and sighed. His eyes clamped shut as he remembered her.

Suddenly, a small thin pony rushed through the tent. He wore a worn brown cap on his head and was carrying a small satchel that hung around him dangling at his side.

"You gotta get out there. Your squadron is being positioned in Ponyville."

Soarin's head popped up at the pony's message. He grabbed his hat and ran outside where the troops were being loaded into heavy military trucks. Soarin was placed in one and they moved on towards Ponyville where the changelings next raid would be.

Rainbow Dash and her friends were evacuated from the street and ordered immediately to leave the city. The guards hoarded the streets as they ushered every pony out. The ponies, some what frightened, did as the soldiers commanded and quickly hurried to grab there things and head for the train station. The Mane 6, at the time were hanging out in the bakery when 3 soldiers came in and demanded that every pony leave. The girls grabbed there things and walked out into the street where the sky was completely covered in smoke and the city littered with military. They tried there best to stay together but at this point in time each of them was sitting in a completely different train car. Rainbow Dash looked over at Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle whom had ended  up with her in the same train car. It was dark and cold but she could faintly make out the outlines of the box. It was crowded and wreaked of body odor but Rainbow struggled to keep her composure. She looked behind her, with the little room she had, and could barely see through a small crack in the car. It wasn't much but with it she could see the prairie hills roll passed and the small bushes.

     "Are you alright Rainbow Dash?" Twilight was looking at her worriedly as she turned away her gaze from the small opening.

     "Huh? Oh yah I'm fine just worried is all..."

     "I think we all are. We have been pulled from our homes, taken from what life we have, and loaded into compact train cars off to who knows what. Not to mention a storm raging on."

     Rainbow Dash smiled with what little hope she still had and nodded turning her gaze away from Twilight.

     "Don't worry Rainbow...he is still out there..." Twilight smiled before turning her attention back to Pinkie Pie and the others.

     Soarin coughed as the dust rolled up from the tires of the military truck. He slowly but uneasily stepped out of the back. He looked around, his eyes squinted. This place seemed very familiar to him. He could tell by the small little houses and the soft colored light posts. He breathed in the smell of dust and, military trucks, and baked goods. He was finally back home, but not in the way he was hoping for.

     "Soarin! Get in position!"

     Soarin turned around to see the commander looking down at him. The stout pony gave him a look of you-better-do-as-I-say-or-you-can-run-home-to-mother-when-I-pound-your-face-in-look. Soarin nodded quickly and hurried to the rest of his squad which were positioned behind a small house. One of the ponies, a younger muzzled stallion, nudged Soarin in the side when he sat beside him.

     "Ol' Blu given you a hard time?"

     "Huh? Oh yah..."

     "Don't worry about him. He's just a little uptight old stallion. He just don't want to be here that's all."

     "Yah we'll he's not the only one." Soaring wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at the hills ahead of them. They were silent, but soon he knew, they would be trampled by an army.