The Tour

The rest of the day went pretty well, I pretty much just talked to the other squad members, trying to pick out who I liked.  I found that my 2 favorites were Dash and Applejack, followed by Twilight and Big Mac and Vinyl.  The others just weren't my type.  Rarity was a bit too snobby, too clean for my tastes.  Pinkie was simply too much, and Fluttershy was a bit too quiet for my tastes.

I liked Dash the most, and actually was looking forward to having night watch with her.  *Almost* like a date, but from talking to Dash, she wouldn't call it that, and neither would I.  Dash was just a good mix to me, a little bit of recklessness and a pinch of mischievousness, but still loyal.

The day turned to dusk and it was time for the watch.  I took my M16, a few flares, ammo, and a box of C-Rations.  I saw that Dash was in the pit already.  She had her rifle, Pinkie's launcher, and a Starlight Scope.  I made my way across the field and into the hole, where Dash was expecting me.

After hellos were said, the day went from twilight to night.  Spotlights from the sentry towers illuminated the maze of mines and barbed wire that stood before us.  I gazed out across the field, an awkward silence encompassing the foxhole.  Dash just gazed out, although I was sure she was either stealing looks at me or pondering something.

"Hey," she began, "You see that?  About 75 yards, 11 o'clock."

"Yeah."

"You take 'em."

I nodded, knowing that I would be killing a man for the first time.  He ducked down, probably trying to cut some barbed wire to plant a mine.  I knew I had to react quickly, so as soon as he put his head back up, I'd drop the hammer on him.  I pulled my rifle from beside me and pointed it down range.  I flipped the safety to semiautomatic and slowed my breathing.  As I exhaled, he put his head back up.  My training came back to me in a split second.  "Don't think, react.  As soon as you finish your exhale, squeeze the trigger, don't pull it.  Pulling it will disrupt your shot."  I finished my breath and hardened my heart.  I squeezed the trigger.

I didn't hear a bang, but I saw him fall.  There was no squirming at all.  Boom.  Down.  I kept looking out, knowing I killed him.  Dash looked at me, and I looked at her.  I could tell that she was trying to read me, trying to find out if she broke me by telling me to take the shot.

She didn't.  There was no shame in killing him, he was trying to plant a mine and kill one of us, but there was very little pride, and no joy at all.  I tried to imagine what anyone I knew would think if I told them what just happened.  Anyone from home would call me a savage, a killer.  They wouldn't understand that I had to kill him to save others.  If I told anyone that, they'd call me a coward.  They wouldn't understand that the enemy had no shame, that the enemy had a passion for killing us.  They wanted us out and they would gladly die if it would make us leave.

Dash looked at me with sorrow in her eyes.  I looked back at her, with an expression between "I forgive you" and "I had to".  It was right then and there that we heard a small thunk and we looked at each other, confused.  Then, we heard the whistle.

"Mortars.  We gotta get to the bunker," she said with urgency in her voice.  BOOM

I grabbed my rifle and flares, leaving my C-Rats.  Dash grabbed her rifle and launcher as we made our way to our assigned bunker.  It wasn't to far, but as we approached the haven, I felt a burning in my arm.  I ignored it and kept moving, closely behind Dash.  We got to the bunker as another mortar fell, the explosion shook the ground, and the alarm finally armed.  We heard shouting as men and women rushed out to the concrete and sandbag havens.  We entered and the pain in my arm got worse, and I finally put 2 and 2 together.  I called for Dash who saw my arm and immediately went to the medical crate, looking for Sulfa.  I took a look at my arm and began to calm down a bit after seeing that the bullet only grazed it.  I used my other arm and got the sheer bandage from my helmet strap.  I got some Sulfa on my arm and with Dash's help, managed to get the bandage taped on.  At this time, the other squad members began to file into the bunker.

Twilight called for an ACE check.  We were good on ammunition, only had 1 casualty, and had enough equipment.  The radio crackled to life, with Lt. Shining Armor asking for the ACE.  Redheart checked my would and deemed it a flesh wound, so I could still fight.  After some morphine, the pain died down and I looked out the window.  I heard some gunfire and was a few figures in the distance.  I pulled 1 of my flares out from my gear and stepped outside with my rifle.  I fired the flare upwards and waited until the field was illuminated more fully.  I raised my rifle and disengaged the safety.  I pointed it at one of the figures and squeezed the trigger.  The figure fell, but apparently wasn't dead, because the body was being dragged off by someone else.  I took a shot at the other guy and squeezed.  He fell.  I put the safety back on and reentered the bunker because the light from the flare began to die down.  By now, the snipers in the tower were busy picking targets.  I heard the staccato beat of M60's and the occasional beat of .50 cal M2's, the pop of M16's and the occasional scream of pain.  This was the sound of conflict.  The sound of terror.

The attack seemed to die down because the gunshots seemed to grow less common.  It was SOP to stay in the bunker for 30 minutes after an attack.  Those minutes were the longest half hour of my life.  I just went from an adrenalin rush to an adrenalin crush.  I still held my rifle.  I saw Rarity looking out with the Starlight Scope on her M14.   Big Mac was also looking out with one hand on his gun, the other holding a cigarette.  Just seeing the smoking paper began to make me want one.  I took off my helmet and looked inside the lining and sure enough, the cigar that I planted was still there.  I pulled the cigar out and put it to my mouth, clenching it in my mouth.  With the cigarillo between my lips, I searched for a lighter in my pockets, but found nothing.  Noticing my dilemma, Applejack found her lighter, and passed it to me.   I nodded to her and opened the cover and rolled the striker wheel.  I put it to the end of the cigarillo and pulled.  After it lit, I extinguished the flame and passed it back.  I pulled and a cloud of cool, sweet smoke filled my mouth.  I blew a thick cloud of smoke and lowered the burning roll.

The radio crackled to life and the clear signal was sent.

"Well, its about damn time!" Dash said, picking up her belongings and walking out.  I watched as the others collected their things and left.  Everyone but Fluttershy.  I asked her if she was coming, but she explained to me that she felt safer sleeping in the bunker.  I decided not to question her and went back to the hooch.  I took another pull and tossed the cigar away.  As I walked in, I saw Twilight and Dash walk out, I called for Dash and asked her where they were going.

All she said was, "To get Fluttershy."

I decided to follow them.  When we got back to the bunker, we found Fluttershy sitting against the wall.  I watched in silence as Twilight gently picked her up and carried her out.  Dash got Fluttershy's rifle and other things and walked out.  I simply followed them back to the barracks.

The next morning, everyone woke up at around the same time.  We had a full day ahead of us.  We were going out on a patrol and there were rumors of a visit from the President.