Disbandment

by Bro Dash

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Alternate Universe, Dark, Adventure
Length: 5493

The cutie mark crusaders finally find their talent, but it's an odd talent.

(as inspired by the picure posted with this and based on) They've done it. They finally got their cutie marks. But no one, not even they were ready for what they were, nor the dangers they hold, or even the fact that it's tearing their friendship to shreds.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-03-24 00:08:35 UTC

Beginning of the End

(note, in all these chapters, I will give little explanation of what the characters look like. for reasons that I do it natural, absent mindedly. So no fussing please.)

Scootiloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle, as per usual, were speeding through Ponyville, propelled by Scootiloo and her amazing combination of her flight incapable wings and her scooter pro-bilities. She rounded a corner, swung out wide, and parallel parked the combination of wagon and scooter to where the front end barely peeked out into the street, facing left towards it, so that they may leave quickly after school.

All three were rushing in when Miss Cheerilee stopped them just before they entered the main door.

"Hold on girls! Don't go in there. It's under quarantine. A kid had a very contagious virus. He's very sick and in a hospital now, but school will still go on. Come join us at the playground!"

"Cool!", they all chorused.

The three followed the teacher mare into teh playground just behind the school and sat in the already formed hemicircle. She opened the small case which sat next to her and took out a book, beginning to read to the students, and tending to class as usual.

"The small pony asked the soldier, "What's it like to be a soldier?" The soldier only stared down at the pony, giving her a smile. "It's not a good place for a little one to be. Maybe if you ask me once you're old enough.", The soldier answered her...", Miss Cheerilee read.

"Wow, it sounds cool. He sounds like some kind of secret agent or something!", Scootiloo whispered to teh toehr two of the Crusaders.

"You're right! Maybe if we find a war hero and make a bibliography on him, we could get our cutie marks in writing, publishing, and art work!", Sweetie Belle spoke aloud.

Luckily miss Cheerilee didn't hear and they continued.

"Well, wha bout it girls?", Applebloom whispered.

"Yeah!", both Sweetie and Scootiloo whispered in unison.

They all nodded in agreement and began paying mroe attention to the story miss Cheerilee was reading them.

Once class was over, the three head towards the scooter-wagon and soon were zooming through Ponyville, then through Sweet Apple Acres towards Applebloom's home. Once there, they met Big Macintosh, who stopped them before they had a chance to run off.

"Wh-h-h-h-oa~! Whats the rush this tahm little ones?"

The three looked at one another and Applebloom spoke up, "We're goinn to are clubhouse to plan out are new adventure. This time, we want to fahnd a retired war hero so we can question him about his tahm in the services! Or atleast thats what miss Cheerilee called the army."

"Now, even ah know better than to go snoopin round the army operations, even talkin to a veteran is not a good ahdea."

"What? Well, if we can't, then what do we do?"

"I guess ya'll just have ta sit this one out."

"Well thanks anyway, you sure do know more about the army than I thought! See ya Big Mac!"

"Eeyup. Thats raht, ah can tell you a few things, but not as much needed to wraht a book!"

"Well, thanks anyway Big Mac. See ya!"

Big Mac turned away and disappeared into the house where he trotted through, out of sight.

"Well girls, looks lahk we gotta cancel."

All three awed in sadness, then smiles reappeared on each's face.

"We can still hang out!", Scootiloo spoke up.

"Actually, I have to help Rarity with her dresses, sorry girls, but I have to go.", Sweetie Belle returned.

"And, I kinda promised Applejack ah'd help her with the zapapples! We're on the third sahn, almost tahm fer harvest!"

"Oh...", Scootiloo frowned.

"I'm sorry Scootiloo, but we do have our own chores."

"Yeah...Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow Applebloom."

Scootiloo mounted her scooter and was off, Appleblooms farewell just behind her. Applebloom felt kind of sad about it and went to her chores. The zap apples were kind of late. They didn't show the third sign all day long. Granny smith even waited outside herself to await the sign.

Applebloom looked into teh sky, the little adventure they had hoped to have earlier still fresh. She made her way into the house and got ready for bed. She was tired from the day of work, and fell asleep almost instantly. Her dream consisted of barracks of a war, filled with soldiers sleeping as gunfire around them sounded off every few seconds through muffled walls.

As she dreamt, the feel of the dream became stronger, the wind rushing through the barracks she was in felt cold as the commander walked in. He stood on his hind legs, not on all fours, keeping his right hand on a rifle applebloom had never even seen before, and the other hanging and swinging as he took each step.

Then the next sign for the zap apples came. The clouds gathered very quickly, a few bolts of lightning struck, one even arched towards Applebloom. The strike rang her ears in her sleep, taking affect in the dream. She had been struck by lightning. Now only if she could live. What happened as a lightning strike was actually a concussion grenade in ehr dream, which was lolled into the barracks by an enemy trooper.

Applebloom woke up, but not in her bed. The area around her was metal walled. The bed she was in was less comfortable than her original mattress. She looked at herself and saw her body was badly harmed in some places. She was covered in a bunch of bloody bandages. And every bit of them she felt.

"Applebloom!"

It was scootiloo! She was lying next to Applebloom int he bed to her right.

"Scootiloo! Oh my gosh! Are we dreaming the same dream?"

"No...", Scootiloo grunted.

"Applebloom? Scootiloo?"

It was Sweetie Belle. She was here too.

"Guys? Am I dreaming or is my arm literally riddle with pain?"

Applebloom stared at the two, then at her surroundings. She climbed out of bed shakily and leaned over Scootiloo's bed.

"If this is a dream, then tell me, does this hurt?"

Applebloom half-hit half-tapped Scootiloo's bandaged arm, achieving a small outburst from her.

"It...It hurts!"

"Sweetie Belle. Scootiloo. Can either of you walk? As in no pain?"

"My legs feel fine.", Sweetie Belle answered.

"Could you stand up? Not on all fours, but your hind legs."

Sweetie belle did so herself, standing up quite fine with perfect balance. Applebloom tried this herself, but with a bandaged leg, she could barely do so. She did it, but barely. Scootiloo was already standing near her bed, leaning over it, felling the world around her.

"Guys. I don't think we are dreaming at all. Did any of you feel a shock?", Scootiloo asked.

"yes, Scootiloo. Applebloom, say, I have a nice brother.", Sweetie Belle answered.

"I have a nice brother. What about it?"

"Your accent's gone."

"You're right!", Applebloom gasped.

"So you felt the shock too. Applebloom, did you feel a shock?", Scootiloo asked again.

"Yes. Thats what the blast was wasn't it?", she answered.

"Then what's happening? Is this an army barracks? Is this in the middle of a war zone? What year is it?"

"A case of amnesia?", asked a nearby soldier.

"I don't know. I literally don't know.", Scootiloo answered.

"Ok then. Here is what it is. You three are recruits. You joined of your own free will.", the soldier lied, "You are currently in the medical barracks. You all took a pretty bad crash on the way here. They took that heli down easily. You need to get your dog tag though, you seem to have lost them. So think of some new names. Applebloom is not only a dead giveaway, but also not a very fierce one either."

Applebloom looked at the soldier. He looked familiar.

"Mr. Cake?", she asked.

He looked at Applebloom with a very confused look.

"Yeah, but how did you know my name? I mean, not even my commander knows my name other than my code name Junkie, on account of the amount of sweets I consumed a day when in training camp."

"But, this makes no sense. We're fillies, you're Mr.-"

"Fillies?"

They each looked at one another. They were definitely fillies.

"Hah! Thats a good one. But your papers clearly showed that you were all atleast full grown mares. You've never been married. Never had children. Had nothing to go back to."

They looked at each other again and no longer saw each other as fillies, but as the full grown mares they were.

Applebloom sat down, cradling her head. Then something in her mind clicked.

"It was the zap apples! The lightning strikes must have brought us permanently into our dreams! Or worse!"

But they were wrong. Every pony that existed in the world before was now either a well fighting soldier, or has died due to obvious causes.

"But this makes no sense! I...we should have died if we were struck by the lightning from those clouds!"

"Lightning? Must have had a horrible dream. We haven't had lightning in years strike near here due to the magical lightning rod Celestia put over every barracks."

"Then, do we accept this? Our new lives?"

"You seem to be sure that you never lived here before. But I'm just a horse, I can't prove it. I advise just taking it. It's a war. And we can use every bit of help to fight off the enemy."

End of chapter 1.

The Tides of War : Gilda

(So...what was on my clipboard wasn't this chapter, but the one before...)

The silence was deafening. No one had spoken in the past three hours. Sweetie Belle had sat on the other side of the barracks, shivering from fear.

Scootaloo was nitpicking with her wings. She noticed that they were huge. Compared to Rainbow Dash's wings, they were about twice as big. Enough to easily lift her off the ground with as little as two wingbeats.

Applebloom didn't do much, just settled on her bed and rummaged through what she had. There was a large pistol, ready and loaded as well. She unloaded it, taking the bullet out of the chamber as well, with safety precautions. She discharged the hammer and it clicked back, showing that there was nothing in the chamber. She had been taking it apart and putting it together several times, testing her abilities with it. Strangely, it was easy. She was, as you could say, a naturally talented pony in the art.

She tested her time with a stopwatch which was inside her belongings case and got a best time of 4.7 seconds. She didn't smile, knowing that it might not be a good enough time in a sudden fight. Though, Junkie returned. He was holding a few guns under his right arm, and helmets under the other.

"We're going out now?", Applebloom asked.

Her expression was not anger, nor sadness. But in between. She had a straight look on her face. From one angle, she was sad, and another, angry.

The stallion sighed heavily, but handed each their equipment, "No, not yet atleast."

"Then when?"

"I don't know. It's up to commander Raven."

"Then before we go, I want some answers."

"Ask away."

"...Where is Applejack?"

Junkie sighed again, a frown and sad expression covering his face. It was obviously not a good answer to come.

"...Three weeks ago."

"Three weeks ago, what?"

"Three weeks ago she went down. No enemy killed her. She was our brute of the army commanders. Bore a sword and guns. Yes, she took out several thousand of theirs, but thats why she died. She pushed it too much. Commander Pinkamena went with her, but not as honorably. Grenade in the bunker. She dove over it, saved Commander Red's life."

"Who is commander Red?"

"You just called her by her real name, Applejack. In the army, whatever we were all before has changed. We are new beings."

"So, anyone else still alive?"

"Of the six, or all the ponies int he war?"

"The six. My sister and her friends. The six elements of friendship."

"Friendship? You've got that totally wrong. No one would dare call them the elements of friendship. They are the elements of honor."

"Whatever. Who all of the six are still...here."

"Three dead, one dying. Or atleast thats what the latest news brought. Your sister, commander Pinkamena, and Mother nature all went down in a single night."

"Lemme guess, Fluttershy is mother nature."

"Yup. The dying one, that would be the Black queen, or you'd call her Rarity. Sorry Sweetie Belle."

Applebloom looked over to Sweetie Belle who had assumed the fetal position. Tears leaked freely from her eyes, showing her sadness.

"I'll talk to her later tonight when she has calmed down."

"What about Rainbow Dash?", Scootaloo asked.

"She's very much fine. But living life as an earth pony for a few weeks. In fact, she should be back in the air in three days."

"What's her name?"

"Wonder Dash. After the Wonderbolts who fell in the first attack. That was the only time she's honored anyone's death."

"But she is still loyal right?"

"As always."

"Thank you for the info."

"What about...What about Princess Celestia?", Applebloom asked.

"Princess?"

It was gilda. She was standing int he doorway, listening the entire time. Her arms were crossed, her legs too.

"Well, it does seem something has happened. Junkie, go attend front gate. I need to speak with these three alone."

Junkie saluted, "Yes ma'am!", and was off.

Gilda closed the door behind him.

"Gilda."

"Applebloom."

Gilda stared at her, waiting for the question.

"Why are you here to talk with us privately?"

"Because of what you address everyone here as. You use their old names. Even my old name. I'm Raven, second in command to Rainbow Dash, and her lover."

"Rainbow Dash and Gilda...", Applebloom said to herself.

"What about me and Dash?"

"I have a question. And I think you can tell only us the truth. Did you feel a shock?"

Gilda's beak was clamped shut. She had been asked a very ensuring question.

"...Yes. Three years ago, when all this began."

"The last time we saw you, we were at a party. Pinkie Pie had arranged it. You stormed out, you and Rainbow Dash no longer friends."

"Then you are from...wherever we all were."

Applebloom looked up a bit more.

"Then we are understanding things?"

"Yes. Now make a decision. What do you want to do first?"

"See my sister."

"She's gone."

"No she's not. I learned back in the old world something which can be carried for generations. Love, and family. It's never taken away from you. Applejack never died."

Tears were streaking down her cheeks now.

"Stop, Applebloom. One thing you don't know is the shit I've seen. One things for sure. If you don't come to reality, you won't live to see her coffin as it's buried at the Canterlot honor gardens."

Applebloom began breathing harder.

"No! I will do what it takes. I will see her. Even if it's the last time ever...But no one, I mean no one, will tell me I will never make it!"

"Calm down. You need to start training. We also have to find your army occupation. Navy, Army, or Air Force."

Applebloom looked down, then back up.

"What is on the front lines?"

"Usually marines. Thats Navy."

"I'll take it. I want to meet them on fresh."

"Thats what we need. Scootaloo? What about you?"

"Air force. I want to put these wings to good use."

"And you Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie belle had stopped sobbing minutes ago, and had stopped shivering. Hatred was all over her face, showing the desperate need for release.

"I want to shoot them dead from the farthest possible spot."

"A sniper in the making. But what division? You can be a sniper in the Marine Corps, the army, or the air force. Air force snipers are flewn overhead. You shoot from the air, held by a pegasus. The other two, you stay on the ground."

"Whichever has the biggest gun."

"Army it is."

"What are we choosing these for, other than where we will be assigned?", Applebloom asked.

"To train you, of course. And so that we can set you three up as a team."

"Then...Then lets get this done. Anything else?"

"Well, for starters you're going to help end the war."

"And how do we do that?"

"Easily. You kill their leaders, or you take out over a hundred thousand of the enemy, like your sister."

"This must be a big war."

"It's planet-wide. Now, you all need codenames. Can't go aroudn with what you've got now."

"Hawk.", Scootaloo spoke.

"Bloody Mary...", Sweetie Belle Sounded off.

"And i guess I'll go with...Laura."

"Laura, thats a little unusual."

"It's actually my middle name."

"I thought Bloom was. It's settled then. Hawk, Bloody Mary, and their leader, Laura."

"Now what?"

"Training. Thats what. But you get only a month of it, and you have only a few days till then. So live up your freedom as much as you want. For now, atleast. Now, I'm already late for my session with Dash. She's been bugging me about having this talk for a week now."

Gilda saluted the three, and then they saluted back as she left the room.

"So, we have a field trooper, sniper, and air cover. Thats one of the best things I've heard about this situation."

End of chapter 2.

Relocation, the New Platoon

(check mah last chapter, it's been added.)

Chapter 3

The night after was quite depressing. None knew what to do all night and ended up all together in one bed, huddled together in a large knot.

"Wake up you three!"

A new reaction came into play and Laura woke with it happening. She had the pistol she had by the bed at the ready, loaded and one in the chamber already from the night before. But what she finally realized, was she was pointing it at Gilda.

"I figured you three would go into shock. But thats good. Today, we check your bandages, you take a shower, and tomorrow, you get ready for training."

Applebloom lowered the gun.

"I almost pulled the trigger on you."

"It happens sometimes. Now, first thing's first. We will get your bandages checked, then ship you all off to the navy base near Canterlot. Afterwards, you fight to the city. From then, you can go to the funeral which should be scheduled to go on by the time you all arrive. I sent word. But for now, bandages. Nurse!"

The white Mare poked her head around the corner and she smiled.

"Finally getting those things off! I've awaited this moment for a while now."

She hurried to the three Crusaders, and pulled them into the room next to them. Once inside, she closed the door and locked it.

"Why...Did you lock it?", Laura asked.

"Well, thats because you're here for an exam and to get your bandages off. Didn't Raven tell you?"

"Only about the bandages.", Laura slouched.

"Well, no one is really comfortable at all with the exam. Especially the mares."

"I'm sure I can tell why. Lets just get it over with."

"Oh, before I start, your mate had sent you something. He's in Manehatten right now, so he decided it would be nice to give you this...", the nurse held up a bag.

Laura was shocked about the changes from this world. She has a mate.

"I...He...Wh...Huh? I was never told I had a mate."

"Pardon?"

"I mean, oh, how lovely of him!", Laura forced a smile, then put the bag to the side.

"Ok then, glad to see you happy. Procedure must go under way now."

Laura hopped onto teh bed and relaxed as the nurse began taking bandages off her "arms" and legs. There was little pain, except for the one giant hole in her heart. Right now was the worst of times to Laura. She thought she'd never Live without her sister, but now she was determined to put her life on the line just to see her ig sister's corpse.

The nurse finished unwrapping her body and looked at Laura's flank, then returned to her duties.

"Still no Honor Mark I see."

"Honor Mark?"

"Yeah, you used to brag abotu your skills in several parts of gun handling. I suspected you would get something in the mechanics region. But, still a blank flank."

"Oh, right. Well, I guess I'm not entirely ready for a cu-I mean Honor Mark yet."

soon, she was done and bandaged up again, but this time she had less on and they were tighter, but allowed her to move enough. A few minutes later, forty three to be exact, the three were patched up with new bandages and were sent out, back to Raven.

"I see she removed a few, replaced a few. Ok, now for the relocation. Better go pack your things. We leave in ten."

"Ok then.", Laura assured.

"What's wrong with the other two? They've been silent, even in the operation room."

"I honestly don't know."

"Well, you should get them to talk soon. Questioning will be done upon arrival.", Raven joked.

Laura did not laugh or respond, but gave Raven an eerie look. Raven had a damn good poker face, because Laura couldn't keep her look up for long, and replaced her sights back where they were, down.

"I was trying to brighten the mood, kay? It's not that easy being a captain and keeping quiet to most soldiers about anything they shouldn't know."

Laura looked back up at her, staring, actually.

"...You didn't seem to do a very good job last night during your "session" with Dash."

A blush covered Raven's cheeks.

"Well...Uh..."

"You may be my superior, but I refuse to take any humor. So do not even try to cheer us up, humorously or not."

"Nough said. Now, go, we leave soon."

Laura looked away and turned around, retracing her steps back to the Barracks. She spoke no words, nor looked at the other two as they followed her back to the Med wing Barracks. None of them shared looks, or thoughts. They all were having a hard time already in their new life.

End of chapter 3

(sorry it's short)

Gilda's Mistake

As the three arrived in the Navy base, as directed by Gilda, but a few sights there which would have shocked them before only made their pain enduring faces even more depressed. Bodies of people they knew only once before, now lay in beds, dead, proclaimed dead, or hardly living. Hawk could barely keep her eyes on the sight and doubled over, losing what contents of her empty stomach had left.

"Easy there Hawk, don't do that too much, it does make bad character here. I think it's time to bring you to the leader of the base. Follow me.", Gilda commanded.

Along with the three Crusaders, a few others joined in the walk to the headquarters of the base. It was a long walk, considering the turns and corkscrews of passaging through the tents and just the sheer size o it. Once the larger tent came into view, Gilda gave a chuckle.

"Why are you laughing? Why would you be laughing?", Laura quizzed her.

"You'll see."

As Gilda entered the tent she tilted the head of each of the three sulking mares and each stopped in place. There, standing like badass war heroes were the six mares which the htree looked up to, including Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and also Pinkamena. Whatever sanity Laura had left was quickly lost. The result ending up with her pinning down Gilda, one wing held tightly in one arm and the pistol at the end of the other, aimed directly between her shoulder blades.

"Applebloom! Put that gun down this instant!"

Laura stopped, for three reasons. One, she realized what she was doing. Two, she was called Applebloom. Three, her sister addressed her. She let go of Gilda's wing and she crawled away from Laura, who sheathed the pistol.

"Why didn't you tell me!", Laura Demanded.

"Hello! That was an old joke played on that camp weeks ago! It was originally for motivation to keep going on, but it was still worth a laugh!", Gilda responded.

"Gilda, I've seen you as a straight up ass, a good for nothing cheat, and a backstabbing bitch. But whatever respect I used to have for you is now lost. Should you ask me for help on the damned battlefield, don't expect me to help you."

The cold, angry fact that Laura had given quite scared Gilda enough. She didn't approach or move from her spot, and the fact that she did something to lose her ability to be saved in battle by this particular pony out of several thousand was enough to make her rethink the upcoming battle.

"Damn, Applebloom, I thought you were a lot more timid than that.", Rainbow Dash spoke.

"It's no longer Applebloom, it's now Laura. Laura, Hawk, and Bloody Mary."

"I can tell who is who.", Applejack answered.

"Atleast none of you are gone.", Bloody Mary smiled.

"In fact, I think it would be more of a relief to know that you are all still alive and well.", Hawk said.

"I still want to know who authorized the sending of any prank message in my command!", Twilight burst out.

"Twilight...", Laura began.

A loud gasp came from everyone.

"Excuse me? Did you just call me...Twilight?"

"Uh, yeah. Got a problem with me callin you that? I'm pretty sure I have the right to."

"...But I've never told anyone my real name! Nor did my parents. It was an immediate war transaction. Who are you?! Do you have my parents?"

"We don't have your parents.", Laura replied.

"Well it's too bad anyway, they died a long time ago."

"Shocker. So, what should we call you, your highness? Or do you prefer miss in command?"

"That works fine, but for obvious reasons, call me Spark."

"Ah, for your last name, but as a codename. Now what about the others? All of them."

Spark sighed, "Pinkamena, Wonder Dash, Mother Nature, Red, and Queen. "

"What about her highness, who we know as Preincess Celestia?"

"Same name, being a sun goddess, she doesn't want to stoop to as low a level of a codename."

"Didn't think it. Now, greetings are over, what now?"

"Red, see to them all."

"Aye, Cap'n! You three just follow me. And I have a good guess who made that prank message, Gilda."

"I told you not to call me that! My name is Raven! Dash calls me that!"

"Only in the bed love.", Dash returned.

Gilda, out of Anything, snapped and spoke several words inapprehensably in another language, laying on the floor, hands covering her head as she cowered.

"One more slip up like that, and I will personally nail you to a fucking wall, do you hear me Gilda?", Spark threatened.

"I-I-I-I-I-I'm sorry, o-ok?!"

"Good to see we understand."

"Mind if I get to put a few nails through her if she does?", Laura asked.

"Sure, why not. We don't need any emotional soldiers who can't keep themselves together. And if she did that to you without ever showing us to you three, you'd easily go down in the field."

"I'd not have it myself."

"Lets go girls. Time to catch up on news, plans, and actions.", Red announced.

All three followed Red into the next room, which was identical to the first in almost every way. The same large amount of mares and stallions occupied computers and the same circular table which had several maps on it, most with red X's, others with blue circles. The chairs that each person had lined the inside of t6he ring of a table which held every computer. Funny. That kind of technology, as Laura remembered it, was extremely expensive.

"So what has happened exactly?", Laura started.

"We were forced from the main command post weeks ago, and we must take it back. This is our temporary headquarters. What you see here is far less than what was at our old HQ. Now it's time to strike back, Zap-style. You know those complicated rainbow apples that grow once every year or so?"

"Zap apples? What does that have to do with this?"

"The storms. We keep an orchard of Zap apples, one tree planted for every day of the year, all in one big circle. Every day we get a supply of magical energy from it from every strike, granting us much more power than needed. So we devised something new. As has been goin since the past seventeen years. So much technology nowadays, I look back and think, damn, why did it take so long to make something like this?"

"So, you're basically saying that everything spike in technology in a very short time."

"Spiked is not the right word, more like exploded. We've gone from a more primitive time with electrically powered lights, ovens, and other house appliances, to a world of war involving MDC's, bigg guns, massive to be exact, and even an orbital satellite that we equipped with a massive orbital cannon. We've not need it yet, due to limited ranging and movement of the satellite, but we do have the ability to obliterate this entire camp, and canterlot, and ponyville, or its remains, with a single firing sequence."

"Sounds like everything is going downhill."

"It is. We're quickly exhausting all resources in the area, and are having to move on to newer areas."

"Anything else?"

"We have a job for you three once you're out of training. You will have to choose between killing-"

"Either the enemy leader or hundreds of thousands of others like you."

"I've not killed hundreds of thousands. Nowhere near a hundred thousand! I've killed a total of ten thousand, eight hundred fifty three people. Who told you that story?"

"Gilda."

"Gilda. Go figure."

"So, since you've killed so many, are the others as high in the numbers as you are?"

"No."

"How far below are they?"

"We all lost track a long time ago."

"But you..."

"It's a fake number, exaggerating how many I've taken down. Me and Dash still argue a lot over who has the most."

"So, do you keep a sword and gun in battle, like Gilda said?"

"That parts half true. I keep a knife with me."

"Anything else?"

"Celestia is halfway across Equestria right now, and frankly, spike isn't here. So, we have no new news until she comes back."

"...What happened to Spike?"

"I just said, he's not here."

"But where?"

"Spike is with no one! We lost him years ago in the third battle for Fillydelfia! Though, that image does haunt us every day. He gave his life for Spark's. Grenade in the room, he jumped on top. Though, Rarity was affected the most, after he started being a thief once more, he collected enough to grow to the desired horse size we are, then he locked away his things, stopped stealing. The two were together about a year. Once she caught word, we didn't see her for a quarter year. There's yer story."

"I though your accent was gone like mine."

"It's half-gone. I try to speak like a lady, keep others from askin what the hell I just said. You, you were just never taught the accent. Raised by unicorns we hired a while back. they are still alive and raising young fillies into the much needed combat type of horses we need around here!"

Do they get a choice at all? Seems like your forcing them into the military."

"Their parents are the military Appleb-I mean Laura."

"Thats understandable then. So, we just chill here for a few weeks till Celestia gets back?"

"Oh, no, she'll be here in a few minutes."

"You just said she was half way across Equestria!"

"She can teleport, duh."

"I forgot. Now, where should we be when she arrives, and wearing what?"

"Our uniforms of course. I gotta get mahn ohn raht nah, so stay here."

Red disappeared behind the tent's door cover and came back with a suit moments later, putting it on as she slowly moved across the room. It was a black shirt, and a pair of camo pants. Her hat was a general's hat, embroidered with diamonds and the flag of Equestria, or as so it is the nation they are fighting for, was on the side, a bright square against the gloomy dark colors of the hat.

As Red left, Laura looked to the other two, who were just as unsure as she was about what next.

"Should we...", Mary started.

"Yeah...", Laura finished.

End of chapter 4